As the most established school in all of Dongjiang City, Dongjiang First Middle School boasted a strong faculty and excellent facilities.
Its largest comprehensive gymnasium had been temporarily requisitioned by the city today, designated as the joint mock examination site for the five Martial Arts High Schools in the eastern district of Dongjiang City.
The vast space, spanning over ten thousand square meters, was brightly lit, and the atmosphere was grim.
Over a thousand third-year high school students had gathered here, standing in clearly demarcated zones for their respective schools.
They were here to take part in the final and most important joint mock exam before the college entrance examinations.
In the panoramic observation room high above the examination hall, the atmosphere was just as tense.
An old man with graying hair, his back ramrod straight, stood at the center of a group, his hands clasped behind him as he looked down at the dense crowd below.
He was the principal of Dongjiang First Middle School, Wang Zhengguo.
His expression betrayed no emotion, but his slightly trembling fingers revealed his current state of mind.
Beside him stood several other people of a similar age.
These were principals or deans from the other high schools.
"Mr. Wang, I hear your school has produced several good prospects this year. One of them, a girl, is even expected to contend for a special admission spot at Shangjing Martial University."
The principal of Dongjiang Third Middle School spoke up with a smile, breaking the silence.
Wang Zhengguo also offered a slight smile. "Heh, you must be talking about Zhang Yuqing. She is indeed exceptionally talented and works very hard, but you flatter us."
Despite his words, his gaze swept inconspicuously across the crowd below.
The overall university acceptance rate for Dongjiang First Middle School this year, especially the number of spots at top-tier Martial Universities, was directly tied to the school's future reputation and the allocation of resources from the Education Bureau.
One Zhang Yuqing was far from enough.
「Inside the gymnasium.」
「In front of the Dongjiang First Middle School formation.」
The dean, Zhao Lixin, wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and held an electronic clipboard, pacing back and forth with a stern expression.
His sharp gaze, like a searchlight, swept over every young and nervous face.
"Quiet!"
"Maintain formation!"
"If you can't even handle this little bit of pressure, what's the point of you taking the martial arts exam!"
His quiet reprimands made the already oppressive air feel even heavier.
When his gaze passed over the top students of Class 1, it would unconsciously slow, a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.
As for the anxious-looking students standing at the back of the lines, he didn't even have the interest to give them a second glance.
「The area for Class 7.」
Chen Meng stood leaning silently against the wall, arms crossed, like a silent statue.
His gaze traveled past the nervous faces in front of him, finally landing on a figure in the middle of the formation.
Lin Ye.
His impression of this student was, simply, that there was no impression.
He was just like most of the other students in the class, with no outstanding talents.
Utterly ordinary.
But over the past two weeks, through Chen Meng's observations—some intentional, some casual—Lin Ye's change could only be described as a complete transformation.
That was why Chen Meng held a sliver of expectation for Lin Ye.
Two weeks, for an ordinary student, was just a drop in the bucket.
'Just how far can this kid go?'
'Today, we'll finally see what he's really made of.'
As time passed and the pre-examination preparations proceeded in an orderly fashion, the atmosphere in the hall grew even more fraught with tension and anxiety.
The top students, led by Zhang Yuqing, either had their eyes closed in rest or wore calm expressions, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding clamor.
They were natural-born focal points, long accustomed to being in the spotlight.
Their goal wasn't just to pass, nor was it to compete with the students from their own school.
It was to compete with themselves and with the other top students from across the city.
If they could rank among the city's best, they would naturally receive a greater share of preferential resources.
But the majority of the students in the lines were "ordinary people" like Li Jun.
Their faces were filled with nervousness and anxiety as they repeatedly checked their wristwatches and gear, whispering words of encouragement to their companions.
Their goal was simple and realistic.
Pass the standard.
To get that ticket to a Martial University.
Li Jun's gaze subconsciously drifted to Lin Ye, who wasn't far away. He wanted to go over and say a few words to bolster his own courage.
But when his eyes met Lin Ye's, his feet seemed to be nailed to the floor.
It was still the same familiar face, but Li Jun could clearly feel—
This deskmate, who for two and a half years had gamed with him almost every day and boasted about becoming a third-rate Martial Artist just to land a security guard job, had changed.
He had changed so much he seemed like a stranger.
Lin Ye was calm.
Terrifyingly so.
It was as if the suffocatingly tense atmosphere around them was nothing more than a gentle breeze to him.
At this moment, Lin Ye was truly the most out-of-place person in the entire hall.
He just stood there calmly, his breathing long and steady, his eyes as still as an old well.
BZZZT—
The piercing sound of an electric bell echoed throughout the gymnasium!
All the clamor ceased in an instant.
Every eye shot in unison toward the dozen or so LCD screens hanging high above the center of the gymnasium.
Light flowed across the largest central display screen as lines of large text began to scroll rapidly before locking into place.
[Joint Mock Exam, officially starting!]
[First event: Punching Power Test!]
[All schools and classes, please follow the instructions and proceed to the testing area. The test will be conducted according to a randomized list!]
At the same time, a serious voice rang out from the gymnasium's speakers.
"The examination has now officially begun. All proctors, please take your positions."
Chen Meng led the students of Class 7 to testing area #3.
The crowd automatically parted to form a path.
The students whose names were called would take a deep breath and, with heavy steps, walk toward the row of punching targets that gleamed with a cold, metallic light.
Lin Ye's name was in the thirteenth group, which was scheduled for later.
"First group, Class 3, Li Hao, 365 kilograms! Pass!"
Following the proctor's loud announcement, a small cheer erupted from testing area #3.
The moment he saw his score, the buzz-cut boy named Li Hao went limp, his face filled with the ecstatic relief of someone who had just survived a disaster.
350 kilograms.
This was the new minimum punching power score set for this year, a full 25 kilograms higher than last year's.
Surpassing this line meant he had cleared the first and most important hurdle of his martial arts career.
"Nice one, Hao-zi! A great start!"
"Damn, that scared me to death. I saw his face go pale just now, I thought he was done for."
Murmurs spread through the crowd, a mix of envy and nervousness.
Student after student walked up to the testing platform.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
The dull sounds of impacts and the proctors' announcements rose and fell, one after another.
"Class 2, Zhao Lei, 341 kilograms, Fail!"
"Class 5, Sun Qi, 328 kilograms, Fail!"
"Class 1, Zhou Kai, 478 kilograms! Excellent!"
"Class 7, Li Jun, 350 kilograms, Pass!"
Li Jun was so nervous he was on the verge of collapsing.
Returning to the line, Li Jun said to Lin Ye, "That scared me to death!"
Lin Ye smiled faintly. "Passing is what matters."
"Next, Lin Ye!"
As Lin Ye's name was called, Li Jun suppressed his own overwhelming relief to cheer for Lin Ye.
"Ah Ye, go for it! You can do it!!"
Lin Ye nodded and walked forward.