Rating Battle

After that little interlude, the exam organizing committee announced the process for the martial sciences exam.

First came the "guided combat" segment. The two instructors sent by each of the three schools would cross-evaluate every student in actual combat and assign an initial grade based on their performance.

The initial grades were S, A, B, C, and D. Of course, with three months still to go before the college entrance exam, by its standards, there was probably no one here who could earn an S.

Those capable of earning one had already gone to the provincial capital for special training.

After that, students would be arranged for cross-matches according to their initial grades, and their final individual scores would be determined.

Soon, after brief remarks from the Provincial Martial Arts Association observer and the three principals, the joint exam's person in charge announced the first segment—life energy level verification.

This was a necessary procedure for every exam, because the instructors in the guided combat segment would adjust their strength according to life energy level, ensuring that each examinee had room to perform.

All participating students stepped forward in turn for the final verification of their life energy levels. The results were projected in real time onto the central light screen, forming a constantly updating ranking.

[Yingang No. 1 High School, Li Mo, Life Energy Level: 12.7]

[United High School, Zhao Ding, Life Energy Level: 11.8]

[Yingang No. 1 High School, Chen Hao, Life Energy Level: 11.7]

[Honghe No. 1 High School, Xu Wuyi, Life Energy Level: 11.6]

[United High School, Su Yueling, Life Energy Level: 11.5]

[Honghe No. 1 High School, Zeng Bonan, Life Energy Level: 11.5]

[Yingang No. 1 High School...]

As soon as the rankings appeared, low murmurs rose from the camps of all three schools.

"Li Mo improved again! Level 12.7. The gap is way too big—he's in first by a mile!"

"That Xu Wuyi from Honghe actually ranked fourth in life energy level? I heard he hadn't even reached level 9 before winter break..."

"That improvement speed is kind of scary!"

"But compared to Li Mo, he's still far behind. Looks like there's no suspense about who'll take first individually."

Xu Wuyi looked at the data on the light screen, his expression calm as usual.

Level 11.6. This was the result of his bitter training over the past half month.

His speed of digesting the D-Grade Blood Energy Potion was still increasing. Although Li Mo's current life energy level was so high that he seemed almost impossible to contend with, Xu Wuyi was still confident he could catch up.

After comprehending Martial Dao True Intent, his Body Tempering Method had also advanced by leaps and bounds.

He now understood somewhat why Yu Peiling's life energy level had already been as high as 13 before winter break.

She must also have had her own method to raise the progress of her Body Tempering Method, or else learned some higher-level Body Tempering Method, allowing her to increase her blood energy faster.

Seeing that he did not speak, Zeng Bonan comforted him, "Energy level doesn't represent everything. We'll see the truth in the rating battle later."

Hu Haobo also snorted. "Exactly. You only know once the fight starts!"

They knew how strong Xu Wuyi was, and they also knew his main opponent this time was Li Mo, whose life energy level was far too high.

It seemed as if Li Mo had only increased by 0.1 level, but the higher the life energy level number, the greater the gap represented by each level.

Faced with the two of them, Xu Wuyi merely shook his head slightly and did not take the others' discussions to heart.

The lottery results were announced afterward. Xu Wuyi's number was relatively late, and he was scheduled to appear in the afternoon.

The rating battle officially began, with all three arenas operating at the same time.

The students took the stage in order according to their numbers and exchanged blows with the instructors from each school.

The rules were simple: last long enough against the instructor and display as much of one's martial attainment as possible.

The superbrain system at the top of the venue would then comprehensively assess a grade from D to S based on multiple factors, including the student's life energy level, martial arts technique, tactical choices, and willpower.

The pace of the battles was very fast.

Most students could only hold on for a minute or two before they were defeated because an opening was caught. And that was with the teachers not pressing the attack, allowing them to show their martial skills first.

Most ratings were concentrated at C and D. B ratings were already relatively rare, and after two hours of fighting, not a single A rating had appeared.

Until Li Mo of Yingang No. 1 High School took the stage.

His massive body stepped onto the arena, carrying an innate sense of pressure.

Facing the instructor's swift probing attacks, he did not dodge or evade at all. Without that Ghost-Head Broadsword in hand, he instead raised a pair of iron fists, using force to break through technique and forcing even the instructor to temporarily avoid his edge.

Just as Xu Wuyi had guessed, Li Mo possessed innate divine strength. Even if the instructor opposite him had the same life energy level as him, Li Mo held an absolute advantage in strength.

His offensive was ferocious, and his moves were still straightforward and direct, but he relied on strength to make up for his lack of technique.

However, the opponent he faced was still a martial master-level fighter after all. An opening was soon found, and in the end, he was defeated.

The smart system's prompt appeared immediately after:

[Yingang No. 1 High School, Li Mo, Rating: A]

This was the first A-rank evaluation since the competition began!

But most people could tell that Li Mo's martial skills were not especially refined. A major factor in that rating was his high life energy level.

Next, Zhao Ding from United High School took the stage.

His main defensive martial art was Iron Wall Art, and his life energy level was as high as 11.8. When he stood there, his whole body was as steady as a boulder.

Even when the instructor had the same life energy level, attacks landing on him seemed to vanish like clay oxen entering the sea, unable to shake him in the slightest.

But Zhao Ding did not focus solely on defense. Instead, his offense was also exceptionally fierce. Relying on the toughness of Iron Wall Art, he chose to trade blow for blow with his opponent, and in the end, he likewise received an A-rank evaluation.

[United High School, Zhao Ding, Rating: A]

After an entire morning, only two A ranks had appeared.

Zeng Bonan had also gone up in the morning, but unfortunately, his advantage lay in his solid fundamentals. He did not stand out in the evaluation match, and his life energy level was not high enough either, so in the end he only received a B rating.

In the afternoon, the competition continued.

Xu Wuyi was still watching from the sidelines when Su Yueling from United High School finally appeared.

Xu Wuyi had long since heard of the famous Shadow Sword Technique, but he had never been able to find out its exact origins.

Whether he searched online or listened for rumors, there was nothing. Even Teachers Zhou and Wang only knew that this sword technique had an extraordinary lineage, but did not know any specific details about it.

On the arena, Su Yueling's figure looked petite, yet her movements drifted like a phantom.

The Shadow Sword Technique was extremely strange. Su Yueling used her fists as swords, and as fist shadows flickered, it was as if several sword lights, impossible to distinguish as real or fake, split apart and launched attacks from inconceivable angles.

"Judging from the instructor's movements, those sword lights all seem to be real?" Xu Wuyi thought it over.

"How is that possible? A person's fists can't appear in three different positions at the same time. And how can fists produce sword light?"

The Shadow Sword Technique seemed to have gone from martial arts into mysticism. Xu Wuyi could not understand its principles.

But he faintly felt that if the college entrance exam had not restricted the use of weapons and allowed only fists and feet, Su Yueling would probably be even harder to deal with.

In the end, with a life energy level of 11.5, Su Yueling successfully claimed the third A-rank evaluation.

After that, the person ranked third in life energy level, Chen Hao from Yingang No. 1 High School, went up.

His martial skills were a little stronger than Li Mo's, but only by so much. He also did not have a unique martial art like Zhao Ding or Su Yueling. In the end, because his performance was poor, he only received a B-rank evaluation.

Another half hour later, Xu Wuyi's name appeared on the big screen.