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"The Fifth Level of the Awakening Realm!"

Staring at the four large, almost blindingly bright characters on the testing instrument, the boy remained expressionless, a self-deprecating smile playing on his lips. His clenched fist, strained so hard, caused his slightly sharp nails to dig deep into his palm, bringing waves of excruciating pain…

"Xiao Yan, fifth level of enlightenment." A middle-aged teacher announced his score next to the testing instrument.

There was no mockery or commotion as expected, not even a whisper. Everyone stood quietly, as if the test had nothing to do with them.

The boy slowly raised his head, the self-mockery on his lips becoming even more bitter. Was his cultivation level so low that he didn't even deserve to be noticed?

Xiao Yan returned to the last row of the line with a dejected expression, his lonely figure somewhat out of place in the world around him.

Beside him, Zhou Ran looked dazed.

What, what's going on? What's causing this strange sense of déjà vu?

Why do I feel like Xiao Yan has a personal old man with him?

He couldn't help but glance at Xiao Yan a few more times, examining the destiny entry.

Nothing special. Xiao Yan is just an ordinary person, like many others, experiencing issues such as "cultivation difficulties" and "academic anxiety."

Zhou Ran thought to himself that after the monthly exam, he could find an opportunity to bring Xiao Yan over for tutoring to resolve the two keyword incidents.

He tutors people not primarily to make money, but mainly to safely obtain life runes.

Every high school student has events like "spiritual dilemma" and "academic anxiety," so tutoring them can make money, earn you life points, build a reputation, and expand your network—a win-win situation.

The terms were simple: he was willing to pay, even cover, their medical expenses, as long as they could stop Zhou Ran during the practical assessment, or weaken Zhou Ran's condition as much as possible.

Because he offered so much, the two quickly agreed.

"Even if neither of these two can defeat Zhou Ran, they can at least wear him down. Ideally, they should leave him with some injuries to increase my chances of winning."

Zhao Ting recalled the abilities of the two students. Although they couldn't compare to him, a top student, they were still considered first-rate in high school.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief, but a strong sense of unease still churned deep within him.

……

After the cultivation level test, the practical combat assessment will begin.

There are two ways to conduct the practical assessment. One is to fight directly against the proctor. Each practical assessment is limited to 3 minutes and the teacher will give a comprehensive score based on the performance. The other is to fight against a classmate who ranks higher than you in the grade. You will get points if you win.

Most people would choose the first option, since everyone is a classmate with no grudges or enemies, and there's no need to resort to violence.

Secondly, there are too many unexpected events in battle, and you may get injured if you are not careful. Physical damage will seriously slow down your training speed, but you don't have to worry about this when fighting with the proctor.

The proctors were all at the Qi Refining stage, able to control their strength freely and even make timely corrections.

However, many students also choose the second assessment method.

This is because it's the fastest shortcut to improve your ranking. You can get points by defeating classmates ranked higher than you, and the more points you get, the higher your final score in the practical assessment.

Of course, the second method has strict limitations.

First, there are ranking restrictions.

Students ranked 100th or lower in their grade can only challenge those ranked 100th or higher. They cannot challenge students ranked higher than themselves. For example, the 300th ranked student can only challenge anyone ranked between 200th and 299th.

Only by winning the battle and replacing the opponent's ranking can you continue to challenge for higher positions.

The top 100 students in the grade are protected and cannot directly challenge others. They must first achieve the 101st place ranking, challenge the 100th place ranking, and win before they can continue to climb the ranks.

Secondly, although there is no limit to the number of challenges, as long as you lose a single one, your practical test score for this month's exam will be invalidated, and 40% of your score will be reduced to zero. This could cause your grades to plummet, and it's not impossible for you to end up at the bottom of the grade.

Therefore, most people only play one or two games to accumulate points and improve their ranking. Only a very few people with absolute confidence in themselves dare to win all the way up.

Simply put, the second type of practical assessment is like dancing on a knife's edge; the slightest mistake can lead to total defeat, all in order to select true geniuses.

boom!

With the previous person slapped out of bounds by the proctor, the practical assessment ended cleanly and decisively, and it was finally Zhou Ran's turn.

He walked steadily to the center of the arena and announced loudly to the proctor, "I want to take on the challenge, starting with Chen Xueya."

Coincidentally, Chen Xueya was exactly the hundredth person Zhou Ran was counting up from, so it was perfectly reasonable to designate her as a challenger.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xueya, standing in the class line, froze, then chuckled incredulously, "Zhou, Zhou Ran, are you serious? You're at the seventh level of the Awakening Realm, do you really need to bully me?"

"I'm just trying to improve my ranking faster, I hope you understand. Don't worry, it won't hurt you."

Zhou Ran remained calm and collected, clearly not intending to settle personal scores... or so he thought.

Upon hearing this, Song Ci rolled her eyes. "I didn't realize you were so vengeful."

"Alright, Chen Xueya, go ahead, don't waste time," the homeroom teacher urged.

Chen Xueya reluctantly walked into the arena, saying as she went, "You'd better go easy on me..."

The two stood still, and with the proctor's command, the battle began.

Chen Xueya knew she was no match for Zhou Ran, but she wanted to see just how big the gap was between them. She focused her attention, adopted a fighting stance, and wanted to try a few moves.

However, the next second, her vision blurred and Zhou Ran disappeared from her sight. At the same time, a muffled thud came from her abdomen, followed by a sharp pain that shot through her head like an electric current. She immediately clutched her stomach and collapsed, losing her ability to fight.

It feels kind of satisfying to settle a personal score, it lets you speak so recklessly… Zhou Ran exhaled, feeling refreshed, and turned to the proctor: “Who are the people ranked in the top 100 right now?”

The proctor glanced at the ranking list: "Cao Qian from Class 5."

Not long after, Cao Qian was called over. He was a dark-skinned, lean boy.

"Big brother, can you be a little gentler?"

Cao Qian was always self-aware. He was at the sixth level of the Aperture Opening Realm and did not think he could even contend with someone at the seventh level. Moreover, Zhou Ran was a formidable opponent who was going to fight Zhao Ting. Even if he were at the same seventh level, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat him. This was a difference in their levels of ability.

Faced with those top students, he never had any thoughts of rebuttal or resistance. He would bow his head when he needed to, admit defeat when he needed to, and honestly be his average student.

But Zhou Ran is different. He dares to challenge the top student directly. Regardless of whether he has the corresponding strength, his courage alone makes Zhou Ran feel inferior. The difference between people is like heaven and earth.

"Don't worry, it'll be over in one punch."

Immediately afterwards, with a muffled thud, Cao Qian also collapsed, clutching his stomach.

Zhou Ran's ranking rose to 287th, and after defeating three more people, he could designate Zhao Ting as his challenger.

Two minutes later, the student ranked 187th was called to Zhou Ran's side.

The battle begins.

One second later, the 187th person collapsed, clutching his stomach.

"Another instant sell-out..."

"Next up is Huang Haolong, number 101. He is at the seventh level of the Qi Opening Realm, just like Zhou Ran, and he opened his Qi Opening Realm a month earlier than Zhou Ran. His cultivation is stable, and he has also practiced a lot of martial arts. He should not be instantly killed again."

"Huang Haolong? That guy's physical strength is terrifying. I doubt Zhou Ran can even hurt him."

"Hard to say."

Everyone in the grade had anticipated Zhou Ran starting the arena competition. Otherwise, there would be no way to have a proper fight with Zhao Ting. So, everyone who had completed the assessment came over to watch, whispering and discussing among themselves.

Soon after, Huang Haolong arrived at the scene.

His hair stood on end, his skin was bronze, and he was tall and muscular. He was two heads taller than Zhou Ran, and the size difference was so great that it seemed as if he could crush Zhou Ran if he fell down.

Huang Haolong crossed his arms and looked down at Zhou Ran, a hint of disdain playing on his lips.

Zhao Ting offered a high price, so he would do everything in his power to defeat Zhou Ran.

As for injuring Zhou Ran... Huang Haolong had no such option in mind, because it would mean he would lose to Zhou Ran, and Huang Haolong firmly believed that he would not lose.

What is enlightenment in a single day, what is a sudden turnaround? Can they compare to the muscles he has built up day after day with sweat and medicine? Can they compare to the martial arts skills he has learned day after day?

"I'll seize the initiative and then crush him with my perfect muscles, finishing him off within ten moves."

Having made up his mind, Huang Haolong strode to a corner of the arena and signaled to the proctor that he was ready.

"3, 2, 1—Go!"

Just as the proctor gave the order, a terrifying force erupted from Huang Haolong's feet, and his massive body shot out at an astonishing speed completely disproportionate to his weight.

With his right hand clenched, muscles and tendons bulging, his steel-like fist, carrying the force of wind and thunder, hurtled straight toward Zhou Ran's chest.

In Huang Haolong's mind, Zhou Ran would either take the punch head-on or dodge it.

If you take the hit head-on, you'll break your bones and tendons; if you dodge, you'll fall right into his pre-set combo trap. Both paths lead to certain death!

Zhou Ran's hands reached out towards the incoming iron fist, his five fingers like hooks firmly locking the muscles. His feet spun rapidly, and his whole body became like a rotating axis, performing a wonderfully exquisite spin.

Huang Haolong felt an immense pulling force on his arm, as if he were being bitten and violently swung by a wild beast with its gaping maw. Then he completely lost his balance, his feet left the ground, and a strong sense of weightlessness rushed from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet.

The world spun around.

The crowd of onlookers, the arena floor, the clear blue sky, the distant school building... everything spun rapidly before my eyes.

boom!

With a loud crash, Huang Haolong fell heavily to the ground. The excruciating pain in his back made his vision go black, and it took him a few seconds to gradually come to his senses.

Zhou Ran threw him straight off the stage!

"I...I lost?"

Huang Haolong was incredulous. His bronze-skinned face suddenly flushed red. He had been instantly killed, not even lasting a single move!

The audience was silent.

From Huang Haolong's sudden attack to being thrown off the field, the entire process took no more than five seconds.

Huang Haolong, who ranked 101st in his grade and was very close to the top 100 students in his grade, was defeated.

Another instant sell-out!