June 26th. Clear skies.
Qimingxing welcomed its most important day of the year—the Secondary Education Placement Exam.
On this day, the rhythm of the entire planet seemed to slow down for it.
The normally bustling skyways became unusually empty, save for the official shuttles responsible for exam transport and security patrols.
All non-essential commercial and industrial activities voluntarily reduced their operating frequency, making way for the exam that would decide the fate of countless young people.
At 7:30 in the morning, Qin Feng arrived at the Twelfth Junior High School test site, accompanied by his father and uncle.
The school entrance was already a sea of people.
Countless examinees and their parents had gathered here, forming a human tide woven from anticipation, nervousness, and hope.
Above the towering school gates hung a colossal, crimson holographic banner. The powerful, vigorous strokes of the standard Empire font on it shimmered with a metallic luster:
"Devote yourselves to the exam hall today, wage bloody war in the Star Sea tomorrow, and cultivate for the rise of the Empire!"
The walls on either side of the gate were no longer adorned with the usual school rules and mottos. In their place were massive, dynamic holographic posters.
The subjects of these posters were several of the Empire's most renowned young powerhouses.
On the left was "Fist Emperor" Loksi.
Clad in a simple black Combat Suit, he stood bare-fisted atop a shattered planetary fragment, his body wreathed in a tangible, golden aura visible to the naked eye.
At his feet lay the carcass of a gargantuan beast from an Alien Race, its size comparable to a mountain.
On the right was "Dragon-Snake" Wang Chao.
He held a uniquely ancient-looking Long Spear, sitting cross-legged in the void with his eyes slightly closed.
Behind him was the magnificent Creation Nebula, and it was as if the Spiritual Energy of the entire galaxy ebbed and flowed with his every breath.
The figures on these posters were the idols of billions of teenagers across the Empire, the very targets of their aspirations.
Further back were "Gun God" Lin Shuwen, "Iron Face" Stone Jade, "Little Saber River King" Luo Feng, and more...
Qin Feng, his father, and his uncle navigated through the crowd, surrounded by all sorts of chatter.
"Did you hear? According to the mock exam data released by the Municipal Education Bureau this year, the overall average is down by 0.02 percentage points compared to last year. They say it's because the war on the front lines is tight, so several batches of high-quality Spiritual Energy Potions were requisitioned by the military, making resources on the market much scarcer."
"Yeah, even the top student at my son's school barely scraped a 1.0 on this mock exam. At this rate, the cutoff score for the top-tier Martial Arts High Schools might drop a little this year."
"It'd be good if it drops. Gives kids from ordinary families like ours a better chance. My kid worked his tail off and is only at a 0.85. If the cutoff drops to 0.95, maybe he can snag a spot at the bottom of a top-tier high school."
"Don't even think about the top seven schools. Those are reserved for true geniuses. I heard last year's minimum cutoff for Qiming First Martial High School was 1.21. Even if it drops this year, it won't be by much. Monsters of that caliber are in a different world from us."
Listening to the surrounding chatter, Qin Dahai and Wang Ming exchanged a look, both seeing a trace of suppressed excitement in the other's eyes.
"Xiaofeng, go on in. Don't be nervous. Just perform at the level you showed during your training at the Martial Arts Hall."
Qin Dahai patted his son's shoulder.
"Dad, Uncle, I'm going in."
Qin Feng nodded.
"Go on. We'll be out here waiting for you."
Wang Ming waved his hand emphatically.
Qin Feng turned and, all alone, walked against the current of worried and hopeful gazes into the examination hall that would decide his destiny.
He followed the signs and found Comprehensive Testing Area #7 in Building B.
The testing area was a massive indoor space. The floor was paved with high-strength composite materials, and the surrounding walls were covered with all kinds of precise monitoring instruments.
A faint smell of disinfectant and metal hung in the air.
Many examinees were already inside. They took their seats in their respective waiting areas according to the numbers on their admission tickets, each with a solemn expression. Some closed their eyes to rest, while others stretched their limbs.
Qin Feng found his seat. Just as he sat down, a familiar voice sounded next to him.
"Hey, Qin Feng! What a coincidence, we're in the same testing area!"
Zhou Heyuan, carrying a brand-name sports bag, walked over and casually sat down in the empty seat next to Qin Feng.
He looked a little nervous, with fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Coincidence," Qin Feng replied calmly.
"Sigh, I'm nervous as hell."
Zhou Heyuan lowered his voice. "I didn't sleep a wink last night. I'm so scared I'll mess up today. My dad said that if I can get into a top-tier Martial Arts High School, he'll buy me the newest model 'Falcon'-class personal shuttle."
He babbled on, trying to relieve his own nervousness.
Qin Feng didn't respond, simply sitting there quietly and regulating his breathing.
At 8:30 AM, a synthesized mechanical voice echoed through the testing area.
"All examinees, please be advised, the examination is about to begin. Please proceed in order to the designated area for the first test: Life Force Index assessment."
The examinees immediately stood up, formed several columns, and, under the proctors' guidance, walked toward the precise, silver egg-like instruments in the center of the hall.
"Examinee number one, Ding Wei, please enter testing pod one."
"Examinee number two, Wang Hao, please enter testing pod two."
...
One by one, the examinees entered the testing pods, and the doors slid shut silently.
A dozen or so seconds later, a string of numbers representing their Martial Dao potential would pop up on the display screen above the pod door.
"Ding Wei, Life Force Index: 0.88."
"Wang Hao, Life Force Index: 0.91."
"Li Xue, Life Force Index: 0.85."
The testing area was silent, save for the proctor's cold voice announcing the scores and the examinees' low gasps of surprise or disappointment.
Most of the examinees' scores were concentrated between 0.8 and 0.9.
The occasional score exceeding 0.9 would cause a small stir.
"Examinee number twenty-three, Zhou Heyuan, please enter testing pod three."
It was Zhou Heyuan's turn.
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and walked into the testing pod.
Everyone's gaze subconsciously focused on the screen above testing pod three.
A dozen or so seconds later, the number froze.
[Zhou Heyuan, Life Force Index: 0.96]
"Whoa!"
A wave of stifled gasps rippled through the testing area.
0.96!
That was the highest score to appear since the test began. With a score like that, he had an excellent chance of being admitted to a top-tier Martial Arts High School.
Zhou Heyuan walked out of the testing pod, his face beaming with irrepressible excitement and joy.
He made a victory gesture in Qin Feng's direction.
The proctor's face remained as placid as an old well as he continued calling names from the list.
"Examinee number twenty-four, Qin Feng, please enter testing pod four."
Qin Feng stood up and, under the gaze of everyone in the hall, calmly walked into the silver testing pod.
Just one month ago, that name had been tied to the disgraceful number "0.41" in the records of Seventh Middle School.
Zhou Heyuan watched with great interest. He wanted to see just how much this "Madman," who had buried himself in harsh training for a month, had actually improved.
'0.8? Or maybe 0.9?'
The door to the testing pod slowly closed.
Inside the pod, a soft blue light glowed as countless invisible data streams, like warm ocean currents, enveloped Qin Feng's body.
From cellular activity to qi-and-blood strength, to meridian resilience... every corner of his body was precisely scanned, analyzed, and quantified.
In that moment, time seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
Ten seconds.
Twenty seconds.
The black screen suddenly flickered.
Then, a string of crimson numbers, seemingly burning with fire, blazed into existence before everyone's eyes.
[Qin Feng, Life Force Index: 1.23]
The entire testing area fell into a dead silence.
You could hear a pin drop.
Everyone froze. Every gaze was fixed. Every breath was held.
They stared intently at the number, their eyes as wide as saucers and their mouths hanging open, as if they had just witnessed a prehistoric behemoth suddenly materialize in their small testing area.
1.23!
That number struck everyone's heart like an invisible sledgehammer.
It not only surpassed the previous record of 0.96 set by Zhou Heyuan.
It even surpassed the 1.0 admission standard for top-tier Martial Arts High Schools.
It had even crossed the great chasm of 1.2—the seemingly insurmountable barrier that stood before countless geniuses, symbolizing the threshold to the absolute best Martial Arts High Schools!
"HISS—"
Someone, somewhere, sucked in a sharp breath, breaking the suffocating silence.
Immediately after, the entire testing area erupted like an ignited powder keg.
"Am I seeing things? 1.23?!"
"You've got to be kidding me! A monster who can get into one of the top seven schools came out of our testing area?!"
"Qin Feng? I've never heard that name! Is he the ace from one of the top junior high schools?"
"This... This is impossible!"
The smile on Zhou Heyuan's face completely froze.
He stared blankly at the number, then at the placid Qin Feng walking out of the testing pod, his mind a complete blank.
Just a month ago, he was a sickly weakling with a Life Force Index of only 0.41, advised by the school to withdraw.
A month later, he had produced a terrifying score that even Zhou Heyuan could only look up to in awe.
'This... This makes no sense!'
Even the proctors, who were accustomed to seeing all kinds of geniuses, couldn't remain calm at this moment.
The head proctor strode quickly to testing instrument four, repeatedly confirming the data before pulling up Qin Feng's school records.
When he saw the glaring "0.41" from a month ago in the file, the hand holding his data pad began to tremble slightly.
He looked up, re-examining the impossibly calm teenager with a look one might give a monster.
"Machine four, re-test!"
He ordered in a tone that brooked no argument.
Qin Feng said nothing and walked back into the testing pod.
This time, everyone held their breath, staring intently at the screen.
A dozen or so seconds later, the number reappeared.
[Qin Feng, Life Force Index: 1.23]
Identical. Not a single decimal point of difference.
The head proctor let out a long breath and turned off his data pad.
He walked up to Qin Feng, and for the first time, his stern face showed a complex expression—a mixture of shock and solemnity.
"Examinee Qin Feng, your score is valid. Return to the line and prepare for the next test."
Qin Feng nodded and returned to his place in the line.
Wherever he passed, the crowd parted automatically to either side, like the Red Sea for Moses.
...
The subsequent physical fitness test was uneventful.
Qin Feng, with overwhelming dominance, easily achieved a perfect score in every event.
As for the written exams, they were child's play for him.
When the bell rang, signaling the end of the final exam, "Exotic Language Basics," the two-day placement test officially came to a close.
Qin Feng walked out of the examination hall, and the dazzling sunlight spilled over him.
At the school entrance, the figures of his father and uncle were still standing tall under the sycamore tree.
He walked over quickly.
"Finished?" Qin Dahai asked.
"Yeah."
"Let's go. Home."
...
「Three days later, on the day the results were released.」
In Hongye District, both the Qin Family and the Wang Family were gathered in the living room.
Qin Feng opened his personal terminal and accessed the official results portal of the Qimingxing Education Bureau.
He entered his admission ticket number.
And clicked "Search."
A detailed report card instantly popped up.
[Name: Qin Feng]
[Life Force Index: 1.23]
[Comprehensive Physical Fitness Score: Perfect Score]
[Overall Written Exam Grade: A+]
[Total Martial Dao Score: 1388 Points]
[Qimingxing Overall Ranking: 67,321]
"A Life Force Index of 1.23???"
"Ranked in the sixty-thousands... He made it into the top seventy thousand!"
Wang Ming stared at the number, his voice trembling with excitement. "Out of tens of millions of examinees on all of Qimingxing, he ranked in the top seventy thousand!"
"Brother! Brother!"
He clapped Qin Dahai hard on the shoulder. "Xiaofeng! Xiaofeng's a shoo-in! He's guaranteed a spot in a top-seven school!"
Qin Dahai stared at the ranking, and his eyes instantly turned red.
He shot to his feet and pulled his son, who was right beside him, into a tight, tight embrace.