Translator: CinderTL
The Elite Class's monthly exams were conducted with the same rigor as the College Entrance Examination.
The tests proceeded in the following order: punching power test, speed test, and combat test.
Jiang Ye glanced at his system panel.
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Physique: Mortal Body (Upper A-tier)]
[Innate Talent: Primitive]
[Cultivation Techniques]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Perfection]
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Small Success (80%)]
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Entry (45%)]
[Achievements]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster, Patriarch's Friend, Find Joy in Suffering, Tilting at Windmills]
[Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder]
[Second Layer]
After a month of grueling cultivation, fueled by abundant resources, Jiang Ye's strength had undergone a remarkable leap.
Not only was his Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist nearing Major Success, but his progress in the Star Martial Advancement Method was also approaching the halfway mark to Small Success.
Considering that the Advancement Method was a high-grade yellow tier cultivation technique, breaking through to Small Success would mean reaching the threshold of the first breakthrough.
Achieving this level of progress in just a month was due not only to medicinal supplements and nourishing meals but also to his Upper A-tier physique.
"What exactly is my current level of strength?" Jiang Ye wondered, his anticipation growing.
A few minutes later, Jiang Ye stepped onto the testing platform at the center of the classroom.
He proceeded to perform the punch force and speed tests in sequence, familiar with the routine after repeated practice.
Before long, the test results appeared:
Punch Force: 1560 kg
Speed: 23 m/s
Buzz!
An eerie silence descended upon the classroom.
"Am I seeing this right? 1560 kg!"
"That's already within the top twenty in the grade, isn't it? Didn't he rank 89th in the last assessment?"
"Holy shit, he's a dark horse!"
The hundred-plus students present erupted in gasps of astonishment.
As the only student transferred from a regular class, Jiang Ye had been the subject of covert scrutiny from many, especially those ranked at the bottom of the Elite Class, who secretly compared themselves to him.
Without a doubt, Jiang Ye's performance far exceeded everyone's expectations.
"1560 kilograms? That's insane!" Li Zhichao exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief. He had just measured his own strength at 1100 kilograms—a staggering 460-kilogram difference from Jiang Ye! And this was just the numerical gap; the actual disparity in combat prowess would be even greater.
Just then, Wang Zi'ang approached Jiang Ye as he stepped off the platform, asking with a puzzled expression, "Brother Jiang, were you holding back?"
Li Zhichao's heart jolted at these words. How could this not be his full strength?
In Wang Zi'ang's view, this performance indeed seemed far below Jiang Ye's true potential. Based on his previous displays of combat power, Jiang Ye should have been capable of at least 1800 kilograms, perhaps even 2000 kilograms of punching force.
Jiang Ye shook his head, offering no response.
"I'm still 1,000 kilograms short of the first breakthrough standard of 2,500 kilograms," he calculated mentally.
The gap seemed vast.
But each cosmic tempering session increased his punching power by at least 200 kilograms.
If he completed the next three sessions, he still had a chance.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was time for the arena combat portion.
Cao Feng stood on the platform, demonstrating his early-stage first breakthrough level by sparring with the other students.
This was also the highest standard for the College Entrance Examination.
Defeating an opponent at the early-stage first breakthrough level would earn full marks in arena combat.
But even students who had already achieved their first breakthrough found this extremely difficult.
Although the proctor was only at the early-stage first breakthrough level, their fundamental skills and art techniques were honed to the highest standards, making them nearly impossible to defeat without reaching the second breakthrough.
What Jiang Ye didn't expect was that when he stepped onto the arena, another unexpected twist occurred.
Boom!
Jiang Ye strode forward, his arm bent like an iron rod, and his right fist shot out like a pestle crushing garlic.
The moment he threw the punch, he sensed something was wrong.
Whoosh—
The fist roared with power, far exceeding expectations!
[Tilting at Windmills: When facing an opponent of a higher cultivation realm, there is a chance to deal 100% increased damage and inflict a continuous bleeding effect.]
Boom!
Cao Feng crossed his arms, bracing against the impact.
The next moment, his expression shifted abruptly.
"This kid..."
A mountain-like force surged through him, forcing him to stagger back four or five steps before he could dissipate the terrifying momentum.
Cao Feng raised his head, his gaze flickering with doubt and suspicion as he stared at Jiang Ye.
"Fuck!"
Unbeknownst to him, Jiang Ye was equally stunned.
He never imagined the effect of "Tilting at Windmills" would trigger at such a crucial moment!
Worse still, it was a passive effect with a random chance of activation—completely beyond his control!
Meanwhile, Cao Feng was questioning his sanity. "Is this really 1,500 kilograms? It feels closer to 3,000!"
He wondered if he was hallucinating.
Three thousand kilograms of punching force? Impossible!
Even with performance-enhancing drugs, such ferocity was unheard of!
A sharp glint flashed in Cao Feng's eyes as he charged toward Jiang Ye, taking the offensive.
However, Jiang Ye didn't trigger the 100% critical hit damage again.
Could I have been hallucinating earlier? Cao Feng began to doubt himself.
Ten minutes later, Cao Feng knocked Jiang Ye out of the ring.
"Phew~"
Jiang Ye exhaled deeply, finally relieved it was over.
Throughout the sparring session, he had been on edge.
After all, his ability was so broken it was impossible to explain.
He couldn't exactly claim he'd been doping, could he?
Looks like having too many buffs isn't necessarily a good thing, Jiang Ye thought, secretly alarmed.
Half an hour later, Cao Feng led Class One to the spherical building's main hall for the Virtual Cosmos Assessment.
Since they were the only class taking the assessment, it proceeded quickly.
Time passed.
Students began dropping out of the assessment one by one.
Another half hour later, most of the class had withdrawn from the Virtual Cosmos Assessment.
Only the top ten teams in the grade remained.
Jiang Ye's group was still among them.
"Jiang Ye's progress is remarkable."
"How did he even cultivate? Wasn't he supposed to have a low-grade aptitude?"
"Yeah, is that still a Primitive aptitude? It feels even more impressive than my Nascent Aptitude."
"Do you think he'll break into the top ten this time?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself. It's probably not that dramatic."
"With just over three months until the College Entrance Examination, do you think he has a shot at getting into the twenty-five school alliance?"
"No way. A Primitive aptitude getting into the twenty-five school alliance? That hasn't happened in decades."
In the main hall, students buzzed with speculation.
Normally, their discussions revolved around Zhao Qingli, Wang Zi'ang, and other top-three students.
But today, Jiang Ye's remarkable progress had captured everyone's attention.
On a platform overlooking the hall, Zhang Jianwu stood with his arms crossed, silently observing the scene below.
"Jiang Ye?" he murmured, his gaze fixed on the handsome young man seated in the virtual reality pod. A glint of intrigue flashed in his eyes.
"How did someone with a Primitive aptitude reach this level?"
"Could it be because of what Miss Chen said about his 'martial bone awakening'?"
Zhang Jianwu pondered deeply.
After the mission that day, he had reflected on Jiang Ye's performance. Logically, given Jiang Ye's skill level, it shouldn't have been possible for him to unleash such overwhelming combat power.
Today's assessment had confirmed his suspicions.
While Jiang Ye was undoubtedly talented, he still lagged significantly behind Zhao Qingli, Wang Zi'ang, and others.
As Zhang Jianwu continued to muse, below, Jiang Ye's team finally emerged from their virtual pods.
The grade rankings on the massive silver screen shifted once again.
(End of the Chapter)