[First place: Xu Jingming, 11,124 points (Jiangcheng No. 2 Middle School)
Second place: Zhou Mingyang, 12,333 points (Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School)
Third place: Wu Hao, 1045 points (Jiangcheng First Middle School)...]
When the clock struck nine, the martial arts exam rankings were finally fixed. Xu Jingming solidly secured first place, scoring almost ten times more points than the second-place participant. Zhou Mingyang, previously considered the main contender for victory, ended up only in second place.
With the conclusion of the exam, the participants gradually emerged from the ruined town. Aside from discussing their adventures during the test, the main topic of their conversations was Xu Jingming.
"Over ten thousand points! That's simply unbelievable!"
"I'm in the same class as Xu Jingming. Would you believe me if I told you his superpower is only E-level?"
"E-level? Are you joking? How can an E-level user beat B-level Zhou Mingyang by a tenfold margin?"
It is worth noting that when Xu Jingming's classmates told others about his E-level superpower, no one believed them.
Time passed slowly, and most of the students had already gathered on the site. Only those who had ventured further into the ruined town remained, including Xu Jingming.
However, the participants who had left did not rush to board the buses and leave. They were waiting to see who this phenomenon was who had scored over ten thousand points.
While waiting, they inevitably began to discuss Xu Jingming's possible final ranking in the overall provincial standings.
"Last year, the highest score in our Jiangnan Province was just over eight thousand. With over ten thousand, he's definitely going to be the best in the province!"
"You can't be sure. Who knows, maybe another monster like Xu Jingming appeared in other cities too?"
"You're right, but in any case, a spot in the top three in Jiangnan Province is guaranteed for him!"
"To be among the top three in the province—that's a huge honor for our entire Jiangcheng!"
"Exactly, a true genius has finally appeared in our Jiangcheng!"
Jiangcheng, being one of the economically less developed cities among the dozens of cities in Jiangnan Province, usually did not shine in the martial arts exams, this nationwide event. In the annual provincial rankings, participants from Jiangcheng typically only appeared after the one-hundredth spot.
But this year, everything had changed!
Xu Jingming, who had scored over ten thousand points, had a chance to become the best in the province. Even if he failed, he would surely be among the top three! Thanks to him, the entire Jiangcheng would be famous!
That is why the excited Head of the Department of Education, Zhang Wenshan, the school principals, and the teachers had already left the stands and were standing at the exit of the examination grounds, awaiting Xu Jingming's appearance.
On the grounds, many participants felt a sense of pride and excitement. Some students from Class 5 of Second Middle School even began boasting about how close their relationship with Xu Jingming used to be. Especially Liu Jie, who was genuinely on good terms with Xu Jingming, was practically bursting with pride.
"Qi-qi, is that Xu Jingming really your cousin?" In a group of students from First Middle School, Xiao Ya, who had previously lost interest in Xu Jingming at the Thunder and Lightning Martial Arts Hall, now asked Tang Qi with glowing eyes.
"My goodness, this is the third time you've asked," Tang Qi, Xu Jingming's cousin, rolled her eyes. "Although I can't be one hundred percent sure, it's most likely him."
"Good, I believe you!" Xiao Ya nodded, then, hugging Tang Qi's arm, she began to plead: "My dear friend, could you give me your cousin's contact details?"
"How come? Yesterday you didn't seem to show any interest?" Seeing Xiao Ya's pleading look, Tang Qi couldn't resist teasing her.
"Times change. Yesterday he was just an E-level Awakened, and today he's the first in our Jiangcheng! The status has changed, so the attitude is naturally different."
Hearing Xiao Ya's self-assured tone, Tang Qi was momentarily speechless. How quickly people change!
As she was about to say something, a loud exclamation rang out:
"Xu Jingming is out!"
Hearing this shout, the entire area instantly fell silent!
Everyone, including Tang Qi and Xiao Ya, instinctively turned their heads toward the exit of the ruined town.
A tall figure emerged from the darkness of the ruins. It was Xu Jingming!
He was wearing a blood-stained black combat suit, his face was calm and confident. On his back, he carried a black spear over two meters long. This spear, worn down almost to the point of complete destruction, seemed to tell the story of the brutal battles he had been through...
"Xu Jingming, welcome back," the Head of the Department of Education, Zhang Wenshan, who was standing closest, was the first to start applauding.
Following him, the school principals and teachers joined the applause. However, compared to the welcome from the Head of the Department and the principals, the welcome from the students was much more boisterous.
"Xu Jingming, congratulations!"
"Thanks to you, our graduating class is shining!"
Being participants in the same exam, if the score difference was only one or two hundred, they might still disagree, believing the difference in strength wasn't that significant. But a gap of more than ten thousand points meant complete superiority in all aspects!
Moreover, Xu Jingming now represented not just himself, but the entire Jiangcheng!
Therefore, the participants generously offered their greetings and applause! Some bolder girls even began openly declaring their affection!
Faced with this scene, Xu Jingming, whose ears were ringing from the noise, couldn't make out a single word and was slightly overwhelmed. He never thought that such a grand reception awaited him after the exam!
"Truly impressive..." Not far behind, Zhou Mingyang, who had also just emerged from the examination grounds, watched the scene with some envy. However, he understood that even if he had taken first place, he wouldn't have received so many greetings. After all, he couldn't have scored over ten thousand points...
"All participants prepare to board the buses. The buses will take you to the city center, and from there..." The cheers continued for more than a minute before gradually subsiding, and Commander Wang began organizing the evacuation.
As for Xu Jingming, the school principal arranged a separate car to take him home. This disappointed the students of Class 5, who had hoped to ride the same bus as him...
"Xu Jingming, have you decided which Superpower University you want to attend?" The scenery outside the window was rapidly changing. Xu Jingming was sitting in the back seat of the car, with the Principal of Jiangcheng Second Middle School, Zhao Yao, behind the wheel.
Normally, the principal had a dedicated driver for his trips. Now, he not only drove himself but was also smiling without showing the slightest hint of displeasure.
"No," Xu Jingming shook his head. He was telling the truth. After transmigrating to this world, he had been focused on rapidly increasing his strength and achieving high scores, but he hadn't yet considered which Superpower University to attend.
"With your results, you can get into any university in the country!" Principal Zhao Yao seemed more excited than Xu Jingming. "Including the Three Leading Superpower Universities! By the way, do you know about these three universities?"
Xu Jingming nodded.
In Great Xia, martial arts were held in high regard. Not only was the martial arts exam publicly broadcast, but thousands of Superpower Universities across the country also organized annual inter-university competitions to determine the ranking of each institution.
Among these thousands of Superpower Universities, three institutions consistently held the top three spots in the competition rankings year after year. They were Qingjing Superpower University, Modu Superpower University, and Jincheng Superpower University.
All three universities had a history of more than two hundred years. They possessed abundant educational resources, and all the instructors there were at least Sixth-Rank Superpower Users!
These three universities, towering over the thousands of other institutions in the country, were known as the Three Leading Universities. They were the cherished dream of countless graduating students!