The morning sun shone down on the massive central plaza of Bluestone Third Middle School.
The air buzzed with even more restlessness and anticipation than it had during yesterday’s academic assessnt.
Today was the main event of the Flying Star Class selection—the physical body level test and the technique assessnt.
Not only were all the registered participants present, but the entire third-year class of over a thousand students had also been gathered here. An invisible pressure and excitent filled every corner.
Discussions buzzed like a beehive.
In the area designated for Class 3-21.
"Sixty spots. I wonder who from our class will make it."
"Is there even a question? Xue Jun has one locked down for sure. He’s physically strong, and I hear his spear technique is nearing Major Achievent."
"Nearing Major Achievent with his spear? Doesn’t that an Xue Jun has a shot at the top ten?"
"The top ten might be a stretch. The top ten from last sester’s finals were all basically on the verge of Major Achievent in their techniques."
"Speaking of which, I heard Zhao Feng from Class 3 broke through to Major Achievent in his spear technique over winter break. Another powerhouse with Major Achievent!"
Just as the discussion about the top ten was heating up, a sowhat out-of-place voice interjected:
"Hey, do you guys think... Li Wen... has a chance at the top ten this ti?"
The speaker was a rather slender boy, surrounded by others with calm auras who were clearly more focused on academics.
He had accidentally overheard so classmates last night discussing how Li Wen’s academic scores might be excellent, and the thought had just popped into his head.
The mont he finished speaking, a derisive laugh ca from nearby.
"Li Wen? Impossible!" The one who spoke was Xue Jun, who was sitting not far away with Deng Yuefei.
Xue Jun shot the group of "academic types" a disdainful look.
"At the end of last sester, he had just reached Top-Tier Entry with his blade technique. One winter break? Going from Top-Tier Entry to Major Achievent? What do you think he is, a god? At the absolute most, he’d be slightly above Top-Tier Minor Achievent!"
Deng Yuefei chid in as well, adding:
"Exactly! Xue’s right. It took Jiang Lingyun from First Middle School, the guy who signed a B-rank contract, two or three months to go from Top-Tier Entry to Major Achievent."
"If Li Wen can go from Entry to Major Achievent in a month, I’ll eat my hat!"
He shook his head as he spoke, as if he’d just heard the most absurd fantasy.
Xue Jun added with an air of superiority:
"Which one of the top ten isn’t at the late stage or even the peak of Top-Tier Minor Achievent?
"Take , for example. My spear technique is more than halfway through Minor Achievent, and I was still more than ten places away from the top ten last sester."
"Li Wen wants to get into the top ten? Only if his blade technique made so miraculous leap to Major Achievent!"
Xue Jun and Deng Yuefei both shook their heads emphatically, their faces screaming "Absolutely impossible."
Just then, an announcent blared over the speakers, drowning out the crowd’s chatter:
"All students participating in the Flying Star Class selection assessnt, please proceed to the first testing area as instructed for the physical body level asurent!"
A long line quickly ford in front of the testing equipnt.
The testing was highly efficient. Nas and their corresponding physical body levels were displayed in real-ti on a giant electronic screen, drawing waves of murmurs.
"Class 3-1, Huang Hao, Physical Body Level: 9.4!"
The entire crowd gasped in amazent.
"Class 3-2, Zhao Feng, Physical Body Level: 9.0!"
...
"Class 3-21, Xue Jun, Physical Body Level: 8.8!"
"Class 3-21, Deng Yuefei, Physical Body Level: 8.5!"
...
When it was Li Wen’s turn, he calmly placed his hand on the testing panel.
BZZT— "Class 3-21, Li Wen, Physical Body Level: 7.1!"
The number was particularly jarring amidst a string of scores above 8.0.
Li Wen himself, however, was unperturbed. He withdrew his hand calmly, as if it were just an insignificant symbol flashing across the screen.
’I’m actually quite satisfied with this result.’
’Right now, my physical body level is far less important for securing a spot in the Flying Star Class than the upcoming technique assessnt.’
He paid no mind to the gazes from all around him—so curious, so contemptuous, so a complex mix of emotions.
「After a short break, the part that would truly decide their fates arrived.」
"All participants, enter the virtual reality pods imdiately. The ’Blade’s Edge’ battlefield is preparing to launch!"
Upon hearing the command, all the participants rushed to the virtual reality pods.
Finding his designated position, Li Wen lay down inside.
He finished putting on the gear and flipped the switch.
The cold sensation of the virtual pod enveloped him. His consciousness plunged, and when Li Wen opened his eyes again, he was hovering above a scorched battlefield filled with smoke and crumbling ruins.
A cold, electronic voice sounded simultaneously in his and every other participant’s ears:
[Blade’s Edge Battlefield Rules]
A total of 10,000 virtual combatants have been deployed on the battlefield. Their strengths and corresponding point values are as follows:
Black Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Entry): 1 point
White Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Minor Achievent): 2 points
Red Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Major Achievent): 4 points
Orange Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Completion): 8 points
Yellow Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Entry): 16 points
Green Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Minor Achievent): 32 points
Cyan Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Major Achievent): 64 points
Blue Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Completion): 128 points
Purple Uniform (Unity Realm): 1000 points
Points are updated in real-ti and are awarded based on the value of the targets killed.
Assessnt Ti: 90 minutes.
The instant the rules were read, killing intent surged to the heavens across the battlefield!
On the giant screen in the center of the main plaza, the main feed imdiately locked onto contestant TY001—Huang Hao!
He wielded two great axes, charging like a tiger descending a mountain, straight for the core area where the virtual combatants were concentrated.
His objective was crystal clear: he was heading straight for the cyan-clad combatants, the ones representing Top-Tier Major Achievent.
The Low Tier virtual combatants along his path couldn’t slow him for even a mont.
His twin axes cut them down with ease, each swing cleaving a target’s head from its body with precision. His score shot up!
"Look at Huang Hao! He’s only going after the high-level ones!"
"As expected of the number one student! He’s got guts!"
Next, the cara cut to contestant F002—Zhao Feng.
This newcor who had just reached Major Achievent with his spear technique was equally impressive. While his route was less aggressive than Huang Hao’s, he was also actively seeking out green-clad combatants (Top-Tier Minor Achievent).
His spear technique was swift and powerful. While he couldn’t instantly kill the green virtual combatants with Top-Tier Minor Achievent, he handled them with ease, racking up kills with extre efficiency.
"Zhao Feng is a beast, too! Another one with Top-Tier Major Achievent. He’s definitely the strongest one after Huang Hao!"
"Second place is secured!"
The feed cycled through, showing other seeded contestants like Xue Jun on the screen.
Most of them were efficiently clearing out the yellow and green (Top-Tier Entry and Minor Achievent) virtual combatants. Their scores grew steadily, but the gap was obvious compared to the explosive growth of Huang Hao and Zhao Feng.
However! Nearly twenty minutes into the assessnt, just as the point gap on the leaderboard was starting to widen, the score curve for contestant W021 (Li Wen), who had been ranked sowhere in the fifties, suddenly shot up at a near-vertical angle!
It was instantly captured by the intelligent monitoring system and forcibly magnified on the main screen.
On the screen, Li Wen appeared in a chaotic area of ruins.
Scattered about were nurous Low Tier virtual combatants in black, white, and red uniforms. And at the core of these grunts stood three imposing figures exuding a powerful aura—virtual combatants in cyan uniforms!
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