The Second Mock Exam Begins

Pengcheng No. 3 Martial Arts High School.

Xu Ziming had not been here for over ten days. Ever since he was promoted to the Sprint Class, he had earned the privilege of not having to attend school.

Running into Dai Fei here was a surprise. Compared to two weeks ago, Dai Fei was in much better shape, and his face lit up with excitement when he saw Xu Ziming.

"A-Ming, where have you been lately? That win against the alien race was incredible. I wish you a top-tier ranking in the second mock exam."

"Thanks, and I hope you hit the martial arts undergraduate cutoff... I'll treat you to an internet cafe session after the exams!"

Xu Ziming smiled brightly; he did not want their relationship to drift apart just because they were in different classes.

"Deal, we'll go to the internet cafe after the exams."

Dai Fei smiled, the worries he had been carrying for days finally dissipating.

Upon entering the classroom, Xu Ziming noticed that Tang Xing and Shen Xingyue had already arrived, though they were sitting with an empty seat between them.

Xu Ziming sat directly between them. "How has your cultivation been lately?"

Seeing Xu Ziming approach, Tang Xing could no longer contain his excitement; he had been feeling stifled for a while.

"Naturally, I've become invincible. Aside from you, A-Ming, and Shen Xingyue, who can trade a few blows with me, the rest of the school—hmph—aren't even worth a single strike."

As he spoke, he tossed his golden, lion-like hair, his face filled with a mysterious sense of self-confidence.

He really is a powerhouse in the Supreme Freedom Hero realm; has he even managed to deceive himself? Xu Ziming wondered to himself, secretly astonished.

"The second mock exam is about to begin. This practical assessment will take place inside a secret realm. Everyone, line up and follow me to the transport vehicles."

Ma Mingyu checked the time and addressed the entire class.

Upon hearing Ma Mingyu's words, most of the students—with the exception of Xu Ziming and his two companions, who already knew—wore expressions of surprise.

This included Zhao Yong, who had once lost to Xu Ziming.

That guy had been training bitterly for half a month, determined to defeat Xu Ziming fair and square to reclaim his first-class scholarship spot.

Yet, instead of a 1v1 duel, they were heading to a secret realm as a group.

Soon, everyone boarded the vehicles and headed toward the secret realm.

Because Pengcheng had been test-running this secret realm for half a month, there was no fear of it being exposed.

Xu Ziming sat by the window. He had to admit, the scenery along the way was quite nice. As a native of Pengcheng, he recognized the road to Cloud Dragon Mountain without any effort.

"I never expected that little mound of dirt, Cloud Dragon Mountain, could generate a secret realm."

"Is everything prepared?"

In a small village serving as a gathering point for the True Martial Sect, the dark shadow looked at the Secret Realm Orb before him and spoke slowly.

"My lord, everything is set. We will try to kill as many high school students as possible..."

"Good. The goal is to incite chaos. The time flow inside the secret realm differs from the outside—it seems to be 1:24. Three hours outside will be three days inside."

"When shall we begin the operation?"

"On the final day, exactly three hours after the real-time start."

At the entrance of the secret realm.

The entire Cloud Dragon Mountain had been cordoned off. No tourists were allowed to visit today, and the area was under heavy guard.

Various familiar logos were hung along the mountain paths—Nebula Martial Hall, parental certification services, college entrance exam training, and a long list of others.

Clearly, these were the financial backers for this exam.

As soon as Xu Ziming entered the mountain, he was hit by a mixture of sweat and the scent of various testing reagents.

Representative delegations from different schools gathered on the mountain, undergoing inspections in an orderly fashion.

As a large-scale assessment involving physical entry into a secret realm, it was crucial to check for performance-enhancing drugs and rented high-powered equipment.

Every martial arts student had to pass through a series of instrument checks before they could stand at the entrance of the secret realm.

The chirping of birds in the mountains mixed with the clamor of the crowd, making it impossible for Xu Ziming to calm his mind.

For some reason, he felt uneasy the moment he entered the mountain.

"What a hassle. External items are also tools for fighting the alien race; I don't know why they have to be banned in exams when they aren't forbidden in actual war."

Tang Xing picked at his ear and said helplessly, though he still obediently underwent the inspection, showing nothing out of the ordinary.

"Alright, now we just need the final urine and blood tests before we can make pre-exam preparations."

Ma Mingyu stood at the front, assisting the medical staff in checking his class.

After all, the Sprint Class was the core of Pengcheng No. 3 High School, so they had to be treated with care.

Soon, everyone finished their tests. Technology was highly advanced, so even with hundreds of people being tested simultaneously, it didn't take long.

In just five minutes, the results were out, and no one had used any prohibited small potions.

However, this was limited to the Sprint Class.

"Student, your blood test results indicate the use of prohibited stimulants. Your eligibility for this second mock practical exam is revoked."

"How is that possible? There must be a mistake in the testing. I couldn't have cheated!"

The student's face turned pale, his eyes filled with disbelief. Yet, the data would not lie; his disbelief was clearly not about whether he had taken the potion, but rather a suspicion as to why his potion hadn't remained undetectable as advertised.

"I really don't know what these people are thinking. You can't cheat on the college entrance exam, so why numb yourself all day?" Tang Xing shrugged.

After the farce concluded, several imposing middle-aged men in formal attire took their seats in front of the secret realm gate, watching everyone with stern expressions.

"Greetings, students. I am the Minister of the Pengcheng City Department of Education. You may call me Minister Zhao. I hereby announce that the second mock assessment has officially begun. Next, Vice Minister Shen will explain the rules to you."

As the old man spoke, the previously noisy venue gradually quieted down into a solemn silence.

After saying this, the slightly younger middle-aged man beside him stood up and bowed slightly to the crowd.

"This practical assessment will take place within a secret realm. The flow of time in the secret realm differs from reality; one hour in reality is equivalent to one day in the secret realm. Therefore, there is no need to worry about missing lunch."

Vice Minister Shen was clearly feeling a bit playful, ending with a joke for the students.

"As for the scoring, the requirements for this assessment are as follows:

1. A large number of demonic beasts have been released into the area, ranging from 3.0 Life Energy Level to 5.0 Life Energy Level.

Each demonic beast killed between 3.0 and 4.0 Life Energy Level counts for one point, while those between 4.0 and 5.0 count for five points.

As for demonic beasts above 5.0 that have undergone Life Evolution, each one is worth one hundred points!

2. We have also released five alien races that have undergone one Life Evolution; defeating them will earn you two hundred points!

3. Before entering, everyone will receive a small button. If you feel you cannot hold on any longer, simply press it to be teleported out. Your score will be calculated based on the points earned before teleportation."

Secretary Zhao took over immediately after Vice Secretary Shen finished:

"Very well, I believe Vice Secretary Shen has made it clear enough. The top 32 scorers in this assessment will also be eligible to participate in the martial arts tournament. Now, the practical assessment begins!"