The college entrance exam was a major event in the Summer Nation.
To ensure students got adequate rest, cities across the country began implementing nighttime noise control measures a month before the exam.
Some high-end residential communities even hired specialized sound-type ability users.
At 9:00 PM, they would use their abilities to block all external noise from entering the community.
On the day of the exam, the level of protection for candidates increased even further.
Not only were roads under traffic control, but armed soldiers and ability user squads patrolled major intersections to prevent any emergencies.
Thanks to these measures, the forty-plus buses carrying martial arts exam candidates smoothly passed through the city and quickly entered the military zone in the outskirts.
The buses then pulled into an open field, where students got off one by one.
Every three meters along the perimeter, a soldier stood at attention, holding a firearm, expression stern.
Anyone daring to rush forward would face a hail of bullets without mercy.
At the front of the field, a temporary stage had been set up.
Behind the stage lay an area enclosed by barbed wire.
Inside was the ruined town of the training grounds — a vast expanse of wreckage stretching as far as the eye could see.
Among the ruins, the black shadows of ferocious beasts occasionally flashed, accompanied by their growls.
"Phew… so that's our exam site."
"My god… I think I just saw a unicorn rhino!"
"Unicorn rhino? No way… the exam won't be that ridiculous, right?"
"…"
This ruined town, formerly called Wei Yuan Town, was under the jurisdiction of Jiang City.
Decades ago, it had been devastated by the Beast Tide, turning it into wasteland.
Although the military later reclaimed it, its reconstruction value was low, so it became a training ground for stationed troops.
However, every year on June 7, the site was used as the Martial Arts Exam venue.
Of course, the ferocious beasts placed in the training ground were not randomly selected like in normal military exercises; they were carefully chosen by examiners from Jiangnan Province for the Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam.
All exam sites for martial arts universities across the province used the same beast combinations to ensure fairness.
The type and strength of the beasts determined the difficulty of the exam.
Generally, the outer edges of the ruins would not contain high-level beasts — only common ferocious beasts like the Shadow Cat or Iron-Tusk Pig.
However, in previous exams, rare and powerful beasts, like unicorn rhinos and Armblade Tigers, had appeared in the outskirts.
This meant that in those years, the exam was significantly harder, with a higher risk of death.
Many students, upon seeing the unicorn rhino through the barbed wire, turned pale, feeling on the verge of panic.
"So what if it's a unicorn rhino? If you can't handle this level of beast, even if you pass the martial arts university entrance, you'll accomplish nothing!"
Suddenly, a loud, clear voice rang out among the students, drowning out their chatter.
A young man in a light green combat suit appeared, resembling an ancient swordsman, holding a long sword.
His aura was like that of a wandering hero — open and sharp.
His gaze radiated overwhelming pressure, like an eagle descending upon its prey.
Many students angrily turned to argue, but upon seeing him, they immediately fell silent, intimidated into submission.
The scene piqued Xu Jingming's curiosity. He turned to the tall boy beside him, who carried a blade-and-shield set, and asked:
"Who is that? Why is he acting so arrogant?"
The tall boy was named Liu Jie, who had awakened a C-rank enhancement ability: Giant Form.
Using his ability, his body could expand over twice its original size, significantly increasing his strength.
In Class Five, besides his best friend Zhang Hao, Xu Jingming had the closest relationship with him.
"Heh… who else? That's Zhou Mingyang, the 'Breeze Sword' of First High School."
Liu Jie pouted.
"Oh… that guy."
Suddenly, Xu Jingming realized.
Jiang City First High School had the strongest academic and ability-based curriculum in the city.
It not only offered genuine ability user courses but also periodically arranged real combat sessions with ferocious beasts.
Its students were exceptionally strong, almost all ranking in the top ten of the Martial Arts University Entrance Exam.
Zhou Mingyang was one of their best students!
He possessed a B-rank wind elemental ability: Void Wind.
With it, he could form wind blades, reduce air resistance, and greatly increase running and attack speed.
Among all awakened abilities in Jiang City, Void Wind was considered top-tier.
Additionally, Zhou Mingyang was one of the few candidates who had broken through from Awakener to Ability User in Jiang City.
Before the exam, he was a hotly anticipated candidate in the martial arts community and had earned the nickname "Breeze Sword".
Ordinary students naturally dared not provoke such a powerful ability user.
"Good — practicing the sword requires this unyielding spirit!"
The principal of First High School, observing the scene, nodded in satisfaction.
Soon, all students from the forty-plus buses entered the open field and lined up neatly by school and class.
Each class was accompanied by its homeroom teacher at the front.
A middle-aged man in military uniform then stepped onto the stage.
He was tall, with a long scar running down his right cheek.
His gaze swept over the field, and students whispering among themselves immediately went silent.
If Zhou Mingyang's gaze had only created pressure, this officer's gaze felt like a ferocious beast, terrifying all who met it.
"He's definitely a Second Rank or higher ability user," Xu Jingming thought silently while standing in line.
"I am Commander Wang Haiyang of Jiang City, responsible for the Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam. Before the exam begins, I will reiterate the key rules."
"This year's exam will start at 9:00 AM and end at 9:00 PM, lasting a total of 12 hours."
"The exam site is the ruined town behind me. As in previous years, the town is divided into the Outskirts, Central, and Core zones."
"The Outskirts contain unranked ferocious beasts. The Central zone houses peak-level unranked and First-Rank ferocious beasts."
"The Core zone consists entirely of First-Rank or higher ferocious beasts, while the deepest Core contains High First-Rank and Second-Rank beasts."
Commander Wang Haiyang's voice echoed clearly across the field. He did not use a microphone, yet every student could hear him perfectly.
"Outskirts, Central, Core, Deep Core — it's like a math test. Different zones represent different levels of difficulty."
"The Deep Core, inhabited by High First-Rank and Second-Rank beasts, is like the final math problem — reserved for top students to conquer."
Xu Jingming smiled faintly in line.
In the past, he would have dared only to hunt beasts in the outskirts.
Now, he had the confidence to enter the Core, even explore the Deep Core!
"Different types and ranks of ferocious beasts grant different points upon defeat."
"The higher the beast's rank and strength, the more points earned."
"However, you must act within your limits and choose zones appropriate for your ability level."
"Alright, we will now begin resource allocation."
Commander Wang Haiyang raised his right hand. Several squads of soldiers stepped forward, and a large truck approached from a distance.
Its cargo bay opened, revealing rows of black tactical backpacks.
Each candidate received a tactical backpack according to soldier assignments.
Each backpack contained three items:
Smartwatch — records number and type of beasts defeated and accumulates points. It also included a map of the ruined town for location tracking.
Compressed Energy Bars — three in total, providing rapid stamina recovery.
Safety Sphere — a silver metallic orb that, once activated, creates a high-voltage electric field around the user, blocking ordinary ferocious beasts.
Of course, activating the Safety Sphere ends the candidate's exam immediately.
Xu Jingming wore the smartwatch on his wrist, placed three energy bars into his backpack, and hung the Safety Sphere at his waist.
This allowed him to activate it instantly if danger arose, ensuring his survival.
Most other students chose the same setup.
However, having a Safety Sphere did not guarantee absolute safety.
In combat with ferocious beasts, life and death could be decided in an instant, sometimes too fast to even use the sphere…