The next morning.
Outside the martial arts hall of Jiangcheng First Martial Arts High School, crowds had already gathered like a sea of people.
The annual martial arts aptitude evaluation ceremony was the biggest event in Jiangcheng's education circles—hell, the entire martial arts community.
Countless parents, media reporters, and representatives from major martial arts schools and corporations had all converged here, hoping to witness the birth of future martial arts stars.
Inside the hall, every seat was taken.
All the senior students sat in neat rows by class, waiting for fate to decide their futures.
The atmosphere crackled with nervous excitement.
Lin Mo sat with Class 7, calm as still water while his classmates around him buzzed with excitement or fidgeted with anxiety.
After a night of cultivation, the "Innate Qi Nurturing Technique" had made the elemental energy in his body more refined and abundant. His spirit had reached an unprecedented peak.
Wang Hao sat not far away, his face dark enough to drip water. He'd already heard about Li Hu getting his wrist broken last night, which only added fuel to his hatred for Lin Mo. But he forced down his rage, his eyes filled with venomous resentment and a barely detectable nervousness.
He refused to believe Lin Mo could actually pull off a miracle!
Their homeroom teacher Li Gang was also present, his gaze toward Lin Mo complex—surprised, doubtful, with just a hint of barely perceptible hope.
On the main platform, after the principal's rousing opening speech, the aptitude evaluation ceremony officially began.
"First up for evaluation—students from Class 1!"
With the announcer's booming voice, the first batch of students walked to the center of the martial arts platform.
At the center stood a three-meter-tall pillar made from special crystalline stone—the "Elemental Resonance Pillar."
This was testing equipment far more advanced than the basic qi-sensing crystals. Not only could it precisely detect whether students had successfully drawn qi into their bodies, but it could also grade their martial arts aptitude based on the strength of elemental resonance.
The grades ran from F, E, D, C, B, A, all the way up to the legendary S-rank.
Jiangcheng First Martial Arts High School considered it pretty damn good if they produced a D-rank student each year. C-rank was rare as phoenix feathers, B-rank was practically a once-in-several-years miracle. As for A-rank? The entire city of Jiangcheng hadn't seen one in nearly a decade.
One by one, students stepped forward and placed their hands on the cold stone pillar.
Some pillars showed no response, drawing sighs from the crowd.
Others lit up with weak glows, barely reaching F or E-rank—at least they'd stepped through the martial arts threshold.
Occasionally a pillar would shine a bit brighter, reaching D-rank, which would earn some modest cheers.
Time ticked by.
Class 1, Class 2...
Finally, it was Class 7's turn.
"Next up, students from Class 7!"
Lin Mo took a deep breath and slowly walked onto the platform with his class.
"Look, it's Lin Mo!"
"Is that the waste who claimed yesterday he'd drawn qi into his body?"
"I heard he even beat up Wang Hao's lackey Li Hu. Guy's got balls of steel!"
In the audience, some well-informed people began whispering, shooting unfriendly looks at Lin Mo.
Clearly, Lin Mo's "heroic deed" from yesterday had already spread through certain circles.
Wang Hao also stood up at that moment, his cold gaze fixed on Lin Mo, a cruel smile playing at his lips. He'd already made arrangements—if Lin Mo was just bluffing, he'd make sure Lin Mo was completely humiliated in front of the entire school!
Li Gang's heart was in his throat. His feelings were conflicted—he hoped Lin Mo could work a miracle and bring glory to Class 7, but he also worried Lin Mo was just a flash in the pan who'd end up a laughingstock.
Ignoring the stares and whispers around him, Lin Mo calmly walked to the Elemental Resonance Pillar.
He stretched out his right hand and slowly placed it on the surface.
The entire hall fell silent.
Every eye was glued to that cold stone pillar and the somewhat slender figure standing before it.
Would a miracle happen?
Cool sensation spread from his palm. Lin Mo's heart was like still water.
He slowly closed his eyes as the "Innate Qi Nurturing Technique" quietly began to circulate.
The pure, refined elemental energy—like awakening dragons—surged through his meridians before gathering in his palm and slowly flowing into the pillar through their connection.
One second.
Two seconds.
You could hear a pin drop in the martial arts hall.
Everyone held their breath, waiting for the result.
Wang Hao's lips had unconsciously curved upward. In his mind, Lin Mo's pretentious posturing was nothing more than a final desperate struggle.
Just when everyone thought this would be another farce—
HUMMM!!!
A resonant hum erupted from deep within the Elemental Resonance Pillar, several times louder than any previous attempt!
Then, a brilliant white light—like the rising sun—suddenly shot up from the pillar's base!
"It's lighting up! It's really lighting up!"
Someone in the audience cried out in shock.
Li Gang's eyes went wide as saucers, his hands unconsciously clenching into fists.
Wang Hao's smile froze completely, replaced by total disbelief.
The intensity of this light...
Far exceeded what he'd seen from the qi-sensing crystal in the classroom yesterday!
This meant the elemental energy in Lin Mo's body was even more abundant and pure than yesterday!
But this was just the beginning!
The white light surged upward like an unstoppable force!
F-rank marker... instantly illuminated!
E-rank marker... passed without any resistance!
D-rank marker... the light paused slightly, then continued surging upward!
"D-rank! He actually reached D-rank!"
"Holy shit! Isn't Lin Mo supposed to be a waste? How is he D-rank?"
The audience completely erupted! Countless people jumped from their seats, craning their necks in disbelief at the scene on the platform.
D-rank aptitude might not be top-tier, but it was enough to strip Lin Mo of his "waste" label and make him a legitimate martial arts cultivator!
Li Gang was trembling with excitement, feeling like his heart might burst from his chest!
Class 7 was actually going to produce a D-rank genius!
But the light on the pillar didn't stop!
Under countless stunned gazes, that white light continued upward like an unyielding war god!
The C-rank marker was within reach!
"Could he... could he actually hit C-rank?" a martial arts school master in the viewing area said in disbelief.
You had to understand—Jiangcheng First High produced C-rank students you could count on one hand each year! Every single one became the target of major factions!
BOOM!
The light pillar shuddered, then in an even more violent surge, it smashed through the C-rank marker!
Brilliant white light practically illuminated half the martial arts hall!
"C-rank! It's really C-rank!"
"Monster! This Lin Mo is definitely a monster!"
"He's been hiding it too well! He must have been playing dumb this whole time!"
If D-rank was surprising, then C-rank was enough to drive everyone crazy!
Li Gang felt the world spinning around him. The happiness was too sudden—he didn't know how to process it.
Wang Hao's face had gone from white to green to purple, his chest heaving violently as jealousy threatened to consume him!
C-rank! Lin Mo had actually reached C-rank! How was this possible? He'd worked his ass off cultivating and barely scraped the edge of C-rank himself!
On the main platform, the principal's face showed barely contained joy and excitement.
But the miracle wasn't over!
That unstoppable white pillar of light, after a brief pause, actually began climbing again!
Target—B-rank!!!
"No... impossible! He absolutely cannot reach B-rank!" Wang Hao screamed internally, refusing to believe what was happening before his eyes.
B-rank aptitude was the stuff of legend—Jiangcheng First High hadn't seen one in nearly five years!
Reaching B-rank would mean Lin Mo had the potential to become a true martial arts powerhouse! He might even have a shot at reaching the Martial Master realm!
Everyone's hearts were in their throats!
Only heavy breathing and pounding heartbeats filled the martial arts hall.
RUMBLE!!!
A sound like ancient thunder shook the Elemental Resonance Pillar!
That white pillar of light, like a true dragon breaking free from all restraints, smashed through the B-rank marker with unstoppable force!
The light continued climbing, finally stabilizing at the middle section of B-rank!
B-rank!
Lin Mo's aptitude evaluation—B-rank!
Earth-shattering!
After a moment of dead silence, the entire Dragon Soar Martial Arts Hall exploded in thunderous cheers and screams!
"B-rank! Jiangcheng First High finally has another B-rank genius!"
"Lin Mo! Lin Mo! Lin Mo!"
Countless students frantically chanted Lin Mo's name, looking at him with worship and awe.
Li Gang was so moved he had tears streaming down his face. He knew that from today forward, his Class 7 would be famous throughout all of Jiangcheng!
Wang Hao looked like he'd been struck by lightning, collapsing to the ground with a thud, his eyes vacant as he muttered: "Impossible... this is impossible..."
His pride, his confidence—all of it was crushed to pieces before Lin Mo's dazzling brilliance!
On the main platform, the principal and school leadership, along with all the honored guests, shot to their feet, their faces filled with shock and wild joy!
A B-rank genius! For Jiangcheng First High, this was incredible news!
At that moment, the system's voice rang out in Lin Mo's mind, carrying what seemed like... excitement?
[Warning! Warning! Host potential explosion exceeds initial system estimates! Betting pool data experiencing abnormal fluctuations!]
[Congratulations Host! With earth-shattering performance, you've displayed B-rank extraordinary aptitude, shocking the entire venue! Nemesis Wang Hao has been completely reduced to background scenery!]
[Underground betting pool: Host's wager "Lin Mo's aptitude evaluation reaches B-rank" at 2000:1 odds, bet amount 350 Federation Coins plus one "Spirit-Nurturing Jade Pendant," result: VICTORY!]
[Spirit-Nurturing Jade Pendant value assessment in progress... Assessment complete: 50,000 Federation Coins!]
[Total winnings: (350 + 50,000) × 2000 = 100,700,000 Federation Coins!]
[100.7 million Federation Coins deposited in system independent account, available for withdrawal at any time!]
[Mission "Underground High-Stakes Gamble" completed with flying colors! Mission rating: Glorious!]
[Special Reward: Mental Power Secret Technique—"Nine Refinements of Focused Spirit" (Beginner Volume)!]
[New mission issued: ...]