Cultural Exam

The registration teacher froze for a second, then nodded frantically.

"I-it's still in time! There's half an hour left!"

Song Chen nodded.

He turned around and looked at his stunned classmates, then suddenly smiled.

That smile held weariness and relief, along with a hint of pride.

Song Chen began filling out the form, and the registration teacher handed him the Blood Qi tester.

"Song... Song, let's measure your Vitality Value."

He casually placed his left hand on it and activated the Blood Qi within his body.

The registration teacher glanced at the number, her pupils contracting.

"Song Chen, your Vitality Value..."

Her voice trailed off.

"How much?" asked the staff member recording the results behind her.

"15.4."

The whole crowd fell silent again.

Someone's pen slipped from their hand and hit the ground with a crisp clatter.

Someone else stared with their mouth hanging open.

Another person simply sat down on the ground, disbelief written all over his face.

Lin Qingxue stared blankly at Song Chen, her mind utterly empty.

Song Chen took his registration receipt and turned around.

His parents had already rushed over. Li Xiuying threw her arms around him and burst into tears.

"Son, you scared me to death! How did you get so badly hurt..."

Song Chen patted her back. "Mom, I'm fine. They're just superficial wounds. I'll be better soon."

Song Zhengye stood beside them, looking at the wounds on his son's body. He remained silent for a long time.

Then he said, "Well done."

Just three words, but Song Chen understood.

He smiled. "Dad, I'm back."

Golden sunlight spread across the field. In the distance, Rune Cannons stood silent atop the city walls.

Tomorrow was the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.

At six the next morning, Song Chen opened his eyes.

Outside the window, dawn's first light was faint, and birdsong rang clear.

In the cultivation room of his new home, he sat cross-legged on a cushion and slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

After a night of regulating his breathing and taking medicine, his wounds had healed.

The wound on his left shoulder had scabbed over, and his broken ribs no longer hurt. The recovery of a Second Rank Martial Artist, combined with the healing pills, had restored him to peak condition in the shortest time possible.

He stood and walked to the window.

The residential compound below was quiet. On the streets of the Inner City in the distance, he could already see a few examinees and parents heading toward their exam sites.

Today was the first day of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam.

The cultural exam was being held.

After washing up, he put on his dark-blue B-Grade Battle Armor. It wasn't to show off; it was for safety.

Who knew whether that bastard Zhao Wei might cause trouble today? Better to be safe and wear it.

He hung the Thunderbolt Blade at his waist and left home.

Downstairs, Li Xiuying had already prepared breakfast.

The table was laden with porridge, steamed buns, eggs, and a large plate of braised pork.

Li Xiuying put food into his bowl. "Son, eat plenty. Cultural exams take brainpower, so you need a full stomach!"

Seeing his mother looking so nervous, Song Chen almost laughed. "Mom, it's just a cultural exam, not a real fight."

Li Xiuying glared at him. "It's still an exam. You were always good at your schoolwork when you were little. You'll do well this time too."

Song Zhengye sat beside them, slowly drinking his porridge. He said nothing, but his eyes were full of pride.

After breakfast, Song Chen left the residential compound.

A crowd had already gathered at the entrance.

They were all members of the Divine Dragon Martial Hall, young and old alike. When they saw him, they greeted him one after another.

"Xiao Song, good luck today!"

"Song Chen, you got the cultural exam in the bag?"

"I heard your Vitality Value is 15.4? Damn, you'll ace this for sure!"

Song Chen answered them all, then hailed a hovercar and headed straight for Third Martial Arts High School.

The vehicle drove through the streets.

Through the window, he saw examinees everywhere.

Some nervously flipped through their notes, some spoke quietly with their parents, and others gathered in groups to encourage one another.

The whole city was enveloped in a peculiar atmosphere.

The Martial Arts College Entrance Exam was the most important event in this world, at least for these teenagers.

Twenty minutes later, the hovercar stopped outside Third Middle School.

The school entrance was already packed. Examinees stood in long lines, passing through the security gates one by one.

Parents waited anxiously behind the cordon. Some held banners, some carried drinks, and others clasped their hands and prayed silently.

As soon as Song Chen got out of the car, he felt countless eyes fall on him.

"Song Chen! It's Song Chen!"

"The Sky Thunder Blade who conquered the Wilderness is here."

"That's him? The monster with a Vitality Value of 15.4?"

"I heard he dropped from the sky yesterday, covered in blood. So damn cool!"

The crowd automatically parted to make way for him.

Song Chen walked through the crowd toward the security gate.

Along the way, countless examinees looked at him with admiration, jealousy, or complicated expressions.

A few bold ones walked up, respectfully called him "Brother Chen," then hurried away.

He felt a little helpless, but there was nothing he could do. There was no avoiding fame.

He set down the Thunderbolt Blade, passed through the security gate, and entered the school.

The assembly areas for each class had already been marked out on the field, with students lined up.

From the Class Three, Grade Twelve line, Lin Qingxue and the others waved at him. "Song Chen! Over here!"

He walked over.

"Morning, Qingxue!"

Lin Qingxue looked at him, her eyes shining. "Good luck."

Song Chen nodded. "You too."

Once everyone had assembled, homeroom teacher Li Guohua began taking attendance.

At the end, his gaze landed on Song Chen, and his expression turned complicated.

"Song Chen, you..."

He paused, then suddenly smiled.

"Do well on the exam and bring glory to our Third Middle School. We've ranked third every year for ages, and the principal curses us out every day."

Song Chen nodded. "I will."

At 7:50, the examinees began entering the exam rooms.

The exam rooms were set up in the classroom building. Every classroom had been specially modified and fitted with anti-cheating arrays.

The examinees found their seats by admission ticket number and waited quietly.

Song Chen's seat was by a window on the second floor.

After sitting down, he looked around.

Thirty examinees sat in the classroom, both boys and girls, all wearing their respective school uniforms.

Some nervously reviewed their notes, some rested with their eyes closed, and others' hands trembled slightly.

The proctor entered. He was an older man in his fifties, wearing the uniform of the Martial Arts Association, with a Second Rank Martial Artist badge pinned to his chest.

"Quiet, everyone."

He cleared his throat and began reading out the exam rules.

"The cultural section of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam is worth two hundred points, and you'll have five hours."

"It covers four subjects: Psionic Theory, the Beast Compendium, combat strategy, and general studies. Psionic Theory and the Beast Compendium are worth one hundred points, combat strategy is worth sixty, and general studies is worth forty."

"Cheating is strictly forbidden. Anyone caught will be disqualified from the exam and banned for life."

"Now, the papers will be handed out."

The exam papers were distributed.

The cultural exam in the Martial Arts Era was completed all at once.

That was partly because martial arts mattered more in this age of beast threats, and partly because examinees had powerful Mental Power and could withstand taking the whole exam in one sitting.