Weekly Test

Day after day, two days passed in the blink of an eye.

The day of the weekly test had arrived.

At seven-thirty, Xu Ziming entered the classroom as usual.

More than half the class was already seated. Some were loudly reciting key points from Martial Way Theory, while others sat in meditation, seemingly reviewing the martial techniques they had cultivated.

Today's weekly test was undoubtedly extremely important for the entire senior class.

"Xu Ziming, over here." As soon as he arrived, Dai Fei waved at him.

Since Xu Ziming rarely attended class, he did not have a fixed seat.

This time, Dai Fei had chosen a seat by the window and had specifically saved one for Xu Ziming.

Xu Ziming walked over and sat beside Dai Fei.

Basic Martial Arts Theory was spread out before Dai Fei. The book looked rather worn, clearly having been read many times.

"How's your review going?"

Dai Fei pointed at the textbook, clearly asking about Xu Ziming's academic grades.

"Not bad."

"How good is 'not bad'?" Dai Fei looked puzzled. "You scored over 180 last time. Another winter break has passed—don't tell me you're aiming for 200 now?"

"How could I get 200? But 190 might be possible."

"Sure enough, A-Ming, you've disappointed me too much." Dai Fei looked like he was on the verge of tears.

The classroom gradually quieted down, leaving only the rustling of turning pages and the occasional discussion.

Eight o'clock arrived. Ma Mingyu pushed open the door right on time, carrying a thick stack of test papers.

Today, he wore a dark black martial arts uniform, with a belt around his waist marking his qualifications as a proctor.

"Put away all your books. This is just a small weekly test; there's no need to cheat." Ma Mingyu's face remained stern, and his voice allowed no doubt.

At his words, the students closed their textbooks one after another and waited quietly for the papers to be handed out.

No one would attempt to cheat. Martial Artists were extremely perceptive; under deliberate observation, even the slightest abnormality in someone's expression could be spotted instantly.

"Today's weekly test has three parts. The first is the academic test. I'll hand out the papers now. After you finish, we'll go together to the Life Energy Level testing room to measure your Life Energy Level. Finally, there will be practical sparring this afternoon."

"Ah, my Life Energy Level is still a little short. If I can't get into the Sprint Class, getting into an undergraduate program will be completely hopeless."

Someone muttered that, and the mood of the entire class sank noticeably.

Ma Mingyu immediately handed out the papers. "Theory exam: 120 minutes, worth 225 points. Watch your time while answering. If you encounter a question you don't know, skip it."

After receiving his paper, Xu Ziming first gave it a quick look.

The questions were fairly simple, covering the human body's meridians, acupoints, techniques for circulating qi and blood, the types and characteristics of alien races, and the stages and states of martial arts training...

There were ten multiple-choice questions, ten fill-in-the-blank questions, five short-answer questions, and one situational question.

Xu Ziming had most of this firmly memorized, so writing the answers was easy.

He completed the entire paper quickly, taking only a little over an hour before reaching the situational question.

However, when he saw that question, his expression changed slightly.

The question was: "If a Martial Artist Realm alien race appears in the city and is attacking innocent civilians while you are nearby, what is the best solution?"

At first glance, it seemed that one only needed to write that they would rush forward and save people. But that would not earn many points, because the question asked for the best solution.

There were practically no Martial Artist Realm students in martial arts high schools. Rushing in would do almost nothing besides add to the casualties.

After weighing it carefully, Xu Ziming wrote down the answer he considered appropriate. He filled several hundred words, but the general meaning was:

First, contact the city's Guard Army through electronic devices. Then quickly evacuate the civilians, observe the number of aliens, stall for time as much as possible, and minimize the harm.

After finishing, he still had twenty minutes left. He used that time to go through every question again, changed two blanks in the short-answer questions, then lay on his desk and waited for the exam to end.

"Time's up. Hand in your papers and wait a moment. I'll take you to measure your Life Energy Level soon."

As he said this, he deliberately glanced at Xu Ziming. In the entire class, only he knew that Xu Ziming's Life Energy Level had broken through 3.0.

No sooner had the papers been collected than Dai Fei quickly leaned over. "How did it go?"

"So-so. I should be able to get 190."

"As expected of you."

"Bzzzt—"

The electric bell resounded through the testing floor, and the measuring equipment in each classroom was activated.

Calling them measuring instruments was not quite accurate. They were actually Virtual Pods, but once someone lay inside, their entire body would be scanned.

Their body's Life Energy Level would also be measured during the scan.

[Life Energy Level testing is about to begin. Homeroom teachers, please organize the members of each class and conduct the tests in an orderly manner.]

The broadcast spread throughout the entire floor. One class after another lined up, preparing for the Life Energy Level test.

Ma Mingyu led the students of Class Five to Testing Room Two.

The crowd automatically parted to make way.

Xu Ziming's name was assigned to the relatively late twelfth group.

"First group: Class One, Wang Yuan. Life Energy Level 2.8! Passed!"

As the proctor's voice fell, loud cheers erupted in Testing Room Two.

The bowl-cut boy named Wang Yuan became excited the instant he saw his result, a rare flush appearing on his face.

With one hundred days remaining until the College Entrance Exam, anyone whose Life Energy Level had reached 2.7 or above would be considered to have passed the test and would receive a score equivalent to 3.0 on the College Entrance Exam.

"Not bad, Yuanzi. The very first person tested in our Testing Room Two passed. That's a great start."

"Damn it, he looked constipated before he went in. I thought he definitely wouldn't make it."

Some in the crowd offered congratulations, while others were jealous. All kinds of emotions mingled together.

Xu Ziming remained calm, without the slightest change in expression. Every movement of his carried confidence in himself.

"Class Three, Li Hui. Level 2.5, failed!"

"Class Seven, Zhang Kai. Level 2.3, failed!"

"Class One, Chen Xuan. Level 2.6, failed!"

"Class Five, Dai Fei. Level 2.4, failed!"

The testing in the room continued, yet few people passed for a time.

Dai Fei had been nervous before going up. As expected, he failed, and could only return to his class with a dejected expression.

He had not cared much before, but Xu Ziming's recent hard work had stirred a longing for an undergraduate program within him as well.

"It's fine. There are still more than ninety days left. Work a little harder, and you might still have a chance."

Dai Fei smiled faintly when he heard that. "Let's hope so. Still, I really do need to keep working hard."

"Next: Class Five, Xu Ziming!"

As Xu Ziming's name rang out in the room, Dai Fei pushed down his disappointment over failing and cheered him on.

"A-Ming, good luck! You can definitely do it!"

Xu Ziming nodded and walked toward the Virtual Pod.