Translator: CinderTL
An hour later, a middle-aged man in a black martial arts uniform strode into Class Nine's martial dao classroom.
"The assessment is about to begin. Prepare yourselves," he announced in a deep voice.
The students straightened up, immediately halting their practice to regroup.
"Is that the Grade Director of the Martial Dao Class?" Jiang Ye murmured, observing the man.
Above the man's head, two lines of information appeared:
[Physique: Mortal Body (Grade A Low)]
[Innate Talent: Nascent]
"Grade A Low?" Jiang Ye was mildly surprised. Grades B, C, and D each had only one tier. It seemed Grade A was further divided into upper, middle, and lower tiers.
Still, this was the highest-level physique he had encountered so far. As the Grade Director of the Martial Dao Class, second only to the principal in strength, such a level was to be expected.
"But what's the difference between innate talent and physique? Both seem to determine cultivation speed," Jiang Ye pondered, still puzzled.
Despite retaining his Primitive innate talent, his cultivation speed now rivaled that of students with Nascent innate talent in the Elite Class.
In a world that placed such importance on innate talent, there must be other applications for it, Jiang Ye thought.
As Jiang Ye pondered, the assessment had already begun.
"The Martial Arts Four-Part Assessment begins now," Grade Director Zhang Jianwu announced in a deep voice.
The Martial Arts Four-Part Assessment consisted of the Punching Power Assessment, Speed Assessment, Arena Combat Assessment, and Virtual Cosmos Combat Assessment—the same components as the College Entrance Examination.
As Zhang Jianwu's words faded, a punching power testing device rose from the center of the classroom.
"First up, Xu Sisi," Zhang Jianwu called out.
A slender girl with long legs stepped onto the platform.
As Zhang Jianwu watched the candidates take their tests, a glint flashed in his eyes.
I heard there's a promising talent in Class Nine, he mused. If Miss Chen praised them so highly, I'm curious to see which student it is.
Boom!
By then, Xu Sisi's result had already been recorded.
"603 kilograms?"
Zhang Jianwu nodded slightly. "For a student in the regular class to reach Major Success by their second year of high school... not bad."
The standard for achieving Major Success in the Star Martial Cultivation Method was 500 kilograms.
But for Zhang Jianwu, this level fell far short of what he considered "decent."
Xu Sisi returned to her seat, a hint of excitement hidden beneath her delicate, oval face. "Another breakthrough in punching power! I wonder if I can finally take first place this time?"
Her martial dao performance had consistently ranked second in the class.
Shortly after Li Zhichao achieved Major Success in the cultivation method, she had followed suit.
This time, her punching power exceeded 600 kilograms—an unprecedented breakthrough that might finally give her a shot at first place!
As student after student took the stage for testing, the electronic scoreboard continuously updated the rankings.
Yet Zhang Jianwu still hadn't seen a student who truly caught his eye.
Just then, a boy with a pointed head stepped onto the platform.
Boom!
Li Zhichao unleashed a punch, and the punching power display immediately surged.
732 kilograms!
Whoa~
The entire class erupted in astonishment at the number.
"Seven hundred and thirty-two kilograms? That's terrifying!"
"I only weigh a little over 400 kilograms. How did this guy train so hard?"
Xu Sisi, watching from the crowd, sighed dejectedly. "Looks like I'll have to settle for second place."
Li Zhichao's progress had far exceeded her expectations.
"A 300-kilogram increase in punching power in just one semester?" Wen Yuehui's pupils contracted in awe. "Li Zhichao is a true monster!"
He glanced at Jiang Ye, who remained as calm as still water beside him, and asked, "A'Ye, why aren't you even a little surprised?"
"What's there to be surprised about?" Jiang Ye shook his head. "He trains diligently and takes his supplements seriously. Isn't this kind of progress normal?"
"..."
Wen Yuehui nodded. "That makes perfect sense."
On the platform, a glint flashed in Zhang Jianwu's eyes.
"Li Zhichao? Not bad, considering his parents are both martial dao powerhouses with tens of millions in assets." Zhang Jianwu studied the student's profile on his tablet.
He shook his head inwardly.
In his view, such achievements were hardly surprising given the student's privileged background.
Far from outstanding.
Most students had already completed their assessments, but Zhang Jianwu had yet to see a student who truly impressed him, leaving him somewhat disappointed.
"Next, Jiang Ye."
As the words echoed, a strikingly handsome young man strode confidently onto the stage.
"Hmm? This student..."
Zhang Jianwu's discerning gaze immediately recognized something different about this student.
Jiang Ye stepped up to the Punching Power Assessment device.
Crack!
His muscles surged, and his bones cracked audibly as he raised his right fist. The muscles in his shoulder, waist, and hips bulged slightly, channeling a primal force upward from his core.
Boom!
His fist slammed into the device.
The display numbers surged wildly:
200 kilograms.
400 kilograms.
600 kilograms.
A second later, the reading settled precisely at 610 kilograms.
"610 kilograms?"
Jiang Ye was surprised by the result, considering he had only recently achieved Major Success.
"Indeed, the stronger one's physique, the greater their corresponding strength."
Jiang Ye thought to himself, "If I didn't have a Grade B Physique, my punching power would probably be just over 500 kilograms."
At the same cultivation realm, the better one's physique, the stronger their combat power!
Jiang Ye had suspected this during the initial assessment, and today's results confirmed it.
Though he had only recently achieved Major Success, his Grade B Physique granted him extraordinary combat prowess!
Jiang Ye cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Zhang Jianwu before stepping off the stage alone.
The classroom erupted in another uproar.
Many students stared at Jiang Ye in astonishment.
Xu Sisi glared at him, her face twisted with resentment. She had expected to secure at least second place, but she couldn't even hold onto that!
"Jiang Ye? Didn't he only punch 245 kilograms during the initial assessment?" Xu Sisi muttered. "In just one semester, he's improved by nearly 400 kilograms?! Even more than Li Zhichao? How did he do it?"
Meanwhile, Wen Yuehui's eyes widened. "Holy shit! This is insane! Bro, where did you get that cheat? Can you sell me a copy?"
Jiang Ye shook his head and sighed, "I told you, it's all about perseverance and hard work."
Wen Yuehui retorted indignantly, "The rich rely on technology, the poor rely on mutation! You've definitely mutated."
"Maybe," Jiang Ye chuckled. In a way, he had indeed mutated.
Meanwhile, on the platform, Zhang Jianwu's gaze also fell on Jiang Ye.
That's him, Zhang Jianwu thought to himself.
He had already reviewed Jiang Ye's records: an ordinary family, an unremarkable background.
But the most crucial detail was the student's astonishing rate of improvement!
At the end of the previous semester, Jiang Ye had ranked 40th.
In the opening assessment of this semester, he had climbed to 25th.
And now? He had skyrocketed to 2nd place.
Miss Chen was right, Zhang Jianwu nodded almost imperceptibly. Class Nine has produced a promising talent.
Of course, to him, Jiang Ye was merely "promising."
As the Grade Director of the Martial Dao Class, Zhang Jianwu knew all too well the limits of primitive innate talent.
Rapid progress in the second year of high school isn't uncommon, but this momentum typically slows down by the third year.
The Punching Power Assessment concluded quickly.
Li Zhichao, Jiang Ye, and Xu Sisi secured the top three positions, respectively.
Wen Yuehui also showed significant improvement, finishing sixth.
Zhang Jianwu stood on the platform and announced in a deep voice, "The second assessment, the Speed Assessment, will now begin!"
"First up, Xu Sisi!"
Xu Sisi took a deep breath as her name was called.
She glanced sideways at Jiang Ye, a competitive glint flashing across her fair, oval face.
Punching power wasn't her forte.
As a girl, speed had been her primary focus of training this semester.
"I have to make up the score in the Speed Assessment," Xu Sisi thought to herself. "If I can outperform Jiang Ye in both the Speed Assessment and the upcoming Arena Combat Assessment, I can still secure second place."
Surpass Jiang Ye, then catch up to Li Zhichao!
That was her next goal.
Xu Sisi took another deep breath and stepped onto the platform.
(End of the Chapter)
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