Chapter 52: Rank Testing
The family was sitting in the car when it suddenly came to a stop.
Su Ke stuck his head out to take a look. Good grief—it was a massive traffic jam.
"What's going on?"
The taxi driver replied, "It can't be helped. Today is the grand competition for all Psionic High Schools. Many parents come with their children. Every year at this time, traffic is terrible."
Su Yuan said, "Our family doesn't own a car, so traffic jams don't affect us. It's normal that you wouldn't notice."
Su Ke looked ahead. "We're not far from the school. How about we walk? We can treat it as a warm-up before the match."
Zhang Xu nodded. "That's the only way."
Su Yuan paid the fare.
"I wish your son wins first place."
"Thank you!"
Su Yuan was delighted. After all, everyone likes to hear kind words.
The three of them walked along the road.
Zhang Xu said, "Your uncle and the others said they want to watch your match too. They're already on their way."
Su Ke was surprised. "They're coming as well? What about Zhanpeng? Will he be okay with that?"
Zhang Zhanpeng was his younger cousin, 1 year younger than him, currently a sophomore at Psionic High School No. 2. The two of them got along very well.
Zhang Xu replied, "They'll ask for leave for him. They don't cover much in the first few days of the semester anyway, so it won't matter."
"Oh, that's fine then," Su Ke said. "But non-immediate relatives don't get the half-price ticket discount."
Zhang Xu waved it off. "It doesn't matter. We're not short on that bit of money."
Some time ago, before Zhang Xin left, his uncle and maternal grandparents had visited.
Su Ke and Zhang Zhanpeng hadn't seen each other in a while and had a great time, even putting on a fireworks display as Fire Man right there on the spot.
So far, the only form he had revealed in front of his parents was Fire Man.
For this competition, he decided to use Fire Man as well.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would not switch forms.
Su Ke set a limit for himself of 3; he would use at most 3 Alien Heroes, no more.
From Zhang Xin, he had learned that someone at their school could transform into multiple forms, up to 4, and that person was already at the fourth order with a Legendary talent Rank.
So Su Ke deliberately set his limit at 3, exactly 1 less than that person, which should avoid drawing too much attention.
Before long, the family arrived at the school.
The competition venue was not here. They were only drawing lots at school first. Afterward, students would be transported collectively to the official Martial Arts Arena, whose space was large enough to accommodate the matches within 3 days.
"Mom, Dad, you head over first. I'll be there shortly."
"Alright."
After watching his parents leave, Su Ke entered the school.
The homeroom teacher had instructed them to gather directly at the playground in their class's designated area.
About half an hour later, the event began.
There were no lengthy speeches this time—just a few brief words of encouragement. Once everyone had arrived, they started the Rank testing.
The school had prepared 10 Rank testing devices. By placing a hand on one, a person's Rank could be detected within 3 seconds.
"Lan Bingxuan, second order, first stage!"
Holy crap!
An uproar erupted below.
Su Ke and his 2 friends were equally shocked. Were her resources really that abundant? They were still slightly short, yet she had already reached the second order.
As expected, the foundation of the number 1 family could not be underestimated.
However, Su Ke and the others were not afraid. During the summer break, they had not focused solely on cultivating. Much of their time was spent fighting and improving practical combat skills, so it was natural that their Realm was slightly lower.
Even if Lan Bingxuan had professional instructors guiding her combat techniques, she had never experienced real life-and-death battles. They had fought in underground arenas and the wilderness. Even with a lower Realm, they would not necessarily lose.
If it had not been for their fortunate acquisition of the Earth Star Vine, their current Realm might not even have reached the ninth stage.
"Zhang Fan, first order, sixth stage!"
"Li Gua, first order, third stage!"
Some were thrilled, others disappointed.
The gap in talent was an almost insurmountable chasm. Without background or resources, there was no way to change that reality.
More and more students stepped forward.
"Lin Ning, first order, ninth stage!"
"Wang Zhong, first order, tenth stage!"
"Su Ke, first order, tenth stage!"
Boom!
The crowd exploded.
The first 2 results were understandable. But Su Ke had been publicly identified as having an unrated talent during his Awakening. How could he also reach the first order, tenth stage?
"Did he take some kind of forbidden drug?"
"That's possible. Otherwise, how could his Realm advance so quickly?"
"Maybe Lin Ning and Wang Zhong gave him resources?"
"Give me a break. If they had that many resources, they would have broken through to the second order already. They have Earth-Grade and zhuo grade talents. Do you know how many more resources it would take to raise someone with an unrated talent to their level?"
As speculation grew louder, the principal quickly stepped forward.
"Students, I understand your doubts. However, Su Ke did not take any forbidden drugs. His initial Awakening test result was incorrect. In fact, his talent Rank is Earth-Grade. The records have been updated. His current Realm is entirely the result of his own efforts. Please refrain from spreading rumors."
With the principal's clarification, the doubts gradually subsided.
Even so, many couldn't help feeling regret. Why couldn't that person have been them?
Soon, everyone completed their testing.
Next came the drawing of lots.
There were 327 students in their grade, forming 163 groups, with 1 person receiving a bye.
Unfortunately, Su Ke did not draw a bye. His number was 108.
After the draw, the school arranged buses to transport everyone to the Yan City Martial Arts Arena.
Today, 20 arenas there had been reserved specifically for Psionic High School No. 1's competition.
Other schools also held matches there, but each was allocated only 10 arenas, far fewer in comparison.
With 20 arenas and Su Ke holding number 108, it meant he would compete in the sixth wave.
Of course, this was not absolute. Some matches would end quickly, others slowly. As soon as one concluded, the next would begin.
It was impossible for Su Ke not to feel nervous.
Just like before his monthly exams and mock exams in the past, his calves trembled slightly.
Taking a deep breath, he scanned the stands and finally spotted his parents.
His uncle and the others were sitting right beside them.
When they saw Su Ke looking over, they waved enthusiastically.
He waved back, rubbing his hands together.
He was ready to put on a good performance.
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