Jianghai Martial University

In the arena, Gu Feng faced Qin Yan's fierce, lightning-fast thrust.

His feet moved again, and he turned slightly to the side, narrowly allowing the spear tip to skim past his chest.

However, Qin Yan seemed to have anticipated that the attack might miss.

The instant the spear momentum began to wane, his wrist suddenly dropped, and he drove force through his waist and hips.

The thrusting spear abruptly changed direction.

Using the force of the pullback, the spear shaft swept sideways like a whip, striking at Gu Feng's lower body!

The transition flowed smoothly and naturally, without the slightest hesitation!

Gu Feng let out another soft sound of surprise, clearly caught off guard.

With a light tap of his toes, he floated half a step backward, perfectly evading the fierce sweep.

Qin Yan pressed his advantage, his blood and qi surging as the spear seemed to come alive in his hands.

Thrust, stab, strike, parry, coil, circle, seize, pounce, point, deflect...

He wielded the basic Spear Technique with effortless familiarity, combining it into an unbroken offensive that enveloped Gu Feng.

But Gu Feng's footwork was simply too superb. Every time, at the last possible instant, he evaded with the smallest of movements.

The training saber remained loosely held in his hand, never once raised to block.

Unable to break through after attacking for so long, Qin Yan's heart gradually sank.

Teacher Gu's reaction speed and combat experience far exceeded his imagination.

Just then, Gu Feng, who had been evading all along, finally made his move.

Spotting a tiny opening as Qin Yan drew back his spear, the training saber in his hand shot out like lightning.

It flicked upward with precision, the back of the blade striking the spear shaft at its point of leverage—a standard disarming technique of using skill to overcome force!

"Here it comes!"

This thought flashed through every student's mind.

Every student before him, without exception, had lost their weapon to this move.

Seeing this, every muscle in Qin Yan's body instantly tensed.

He did not try to resist that clever upward force head-on.

Instead, he followed the direction of Gu Feng's force and violently twisted the spear shaft while pressing his wrist downward!

"Screech—"

The back of the saber scraped violently against the spear shaft.

The spear trembled fiercely. Qin Yan felt a tremendous force rush through him, numbing his entire arm.

But he gritted his teeth, rooted himself with Stance Training, and forcibly stopped the spear from being knocked away!

Although he staggered and looked somewhat disheveled, the spear was still, in the end, firmly in his hand!

"Hm?"

This time, Gu Feng was genuinely surprised.

He could clearly sense that in that brief exchange, Qin Yan's control over his strength had been excellent.

More importantly, his control of the spear and his instantaneous reaction far surpassed those of the other students.

"Good!"

A student could not help crying out.

"He actually... blocked it?"

"Qin Yan is incredible!"

A trace of approval flashed through Gu Feng's eyes as he said, "Not bad, Qin Yan."

It was only four words of praise, yet the entire Gymnasium fell silent once again.

"Class Monitor Gu... actually praised someone?"

A student muttered in disbelief.

"Obviously! If you could last that many moves against Class Monitor Gu and block that strike, he'd praise you too!"

"Who are you looking down on? Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Never underestimate a poor young man."

However, the gap between their Martial Arts Skills was ultimately too great.

In the exchanges that followed, Gu Feng increased the pressure.

He moved faster, and his angles became trickier.

At last, he found another opportunity. The training saber deftly flicked and guided.

With a clang, Qin Yan could no longer hold on, and the spear slipped from his grip and fell to the ground.

Yet even in defeat, he had earned honor.

"Qin Yan, very good."

Gu Feng looked at him, his tone much gentler. "Your Spear Technique Skill should have already broken through to First Stage High Rank, right?"

"Yes, Teacher Gu." Qin Yan steadied his ragged breathing and answered respectfully.

Yet he recalled the System Panel that only he could see.

Spear Technique Skill: First Stage (66%)

Based on his own observations, 1% to 30% proficiency was beginner rank, 31% to 60% was intermediate rank, 61% to 90% was high rank, and anything above 90% was peak rank.

His progress of 66% placed him solidly at First Stage High Rank.

"Very good. Keep it up."

Gu Feng nodded, a faint hint of expectation in his tone.

"Work even harder from now on. Strive to raise your skill another level before the Gaokao.

If you can score above 80 points in Martial Arts Skill, then even if your blood and qi are a little weak, your chances of getting into a key Martial University will increase greatly."

"I'll work hard, Teacher Gu!"

Qin Yan answered solemnly.

Gu Feng said nothing more. His gaze swept over the list. "Next, number thirty-four, Yue Luna."

Qin Yan picked up his spear and returned to the group.

His friend Zhou Yuan immediately crowded over excitedly and lightly punched him on the shoulder. "Yan Ge, that was amazing!

You're the only one in the class to receive such honors. Class Monitor Gu praised your Stance Training, and this time he praised your Martial Arts Skill too!"

Qin Yan smiled and wiped the sweat from his brow. "It was nothing special.

If you could grit your teeth and train for a full six hours every day, Class Monitor Gu would definitely praise you too."

His astonishing rate of improvement was certainly one reason why he had repeatedly earned Gu Feng's approval.

But even more important was his almost self-punishing diligence.

Once, he had arrived at the school Gymnasium after four in the morning to practice his Spear Technique, only to happen upon Gu Feng, who also had a habit of getting up early to exercise.

Gu Feng was an old soldier who had been wounded on the battlefield and retired. What he admired most were students willing to endure hardship and possessed of perseverance.

"Six hours? Spare me!"

Zhou Yuan immediately clutched his head and wailed dramatically. "Four hours a day already makes me feel like I'm falling apart.

Six hours isn't training. It's suicide!

Yan Ge, I'm not as ruthless as you. My goal is simple enough—if I can get into Linhai Martial University, I'll thank the heavens."

Their Ordinary Class 1 was the strongest class aside from the Elite Class.

In last year's Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, as many as twenty-five students from Class 1 had gotten into Martial Universities.

Zhou Yuan ranked around twentieth in the class.

Qin Yan smiled but said nothing more.

He knew very well how difficult it was to maintain more than six hours of high-intensity training every day.

If not for the system in his mind, which could turn his sweat and effort into clear Skill Points and let him see tangible progress every time he worked hard,

he likely would not have been able to persist in such monotonous, even painful training for so long without seeing obvious improvement.

Many people eventually gave up not because they truly could not endure hardship.

It was because, amid endless repetition and slow progress, they gradually lost faith in ever seeing the dawn.

In the center of the arena, Wang Ping, ranked eleventh, stepped forward as well.

His Spear Technique was indeed fierce and swift, but in the end, he still failed to force out Gu Feng's second strike.

Qin Yan carefully observed Wang Ping's every movement and compared them with his own.

He came to a conclusion: in terms of Martial Arts Skill alone, he should now be able to rank among the top ten in the class.

Half an hour later, the final student—Lin Yang, ranked first in the class—was defeated as well.

Though he lasted the longest, he still failed to touch even the corner of Gu Feng's clothes.

Gu Feng sheathed his saber and stood straight. His gaze swept over the silent students once more, his expression as still as water.

"I'm very disappointed in your performance today."

His icy words struck every student's heart like a heavy hammer.

"There are only three months left until the Gaokao, even counting every day.

With the little blood and qi and skill you've displayed, what are you going to use to get into the Martial Universities you want?"

His gaze first fell on Lin Yang, who stood at the front. "Lin Yang, has your blood and qi value broken through 80 Cal?

Has your Martial Arts Skill reached Second Stage?

With only this much ability, what makes you think you can get into Jianghai Martial University?!"

Lin Yang suddenly clenched his fists and pressed his lips together without arguing.

He knew Gu Feng was speaking the truth.

Jianghai Martial University was the number one Martial Dao university in Jianghai Province.

Last year's admission requirements had been crystal clear: a minimum blood and qi value of 80 Cal and a Martial Arts Skill assessment score of 80 points.

At present, he had failed to meet either requirement.

Gu Feng's rebuke echoed through the empty Gymnasium, every word lashing at the students' nerves like a whip.

Everyone fell silent.

An invisible oppression spread through the room, mixed with anxiety for the future and shame over their own inadequacies.