"What the hell is going on?""1,300 jin punching power? And from a Life Intensity Level 5.1?"
Outside, the students erupted in disbelief, their eyes wide with shock as they stared at the updated leaderboard.
"Which class is this Ethan Chen from? How come his name wasn't in the top 50 last year?" Some were shocked, others skeptical.
The students of Class 3 exchanged glances, a bit stunned. To them, Ethan was a top ten student in their class, performing well in both academics and martial arts—definitely above average.
In the first semester final exams of senior year, he and a student from Class 7 were tied at 59th in the year ranking. Not even close to the top 50; the top 30 were all from the elite Hongzhi Class, while ordinary classes usually ranked between 31 and 50.
It wasn't that Ethan wasn't outstanding, but this sudden score far surpassed his previous level.
"Damn! Could this guy actually make it into the Hongzhi Class?""I'm just saying!" Toby Ray exclaimed in shock.
For most students here, this test was just a baseline before the college entrance exam. Not only the students outside, but even Ryan Ling—who usually wore a blank expression—stroking his chin thoughtfully, seemed intrigued.
"A Life Intensity Level 5.1 usually corresponds to 1,000 jin punching power, but he hit 1,300 jin," Ryan murmured.
"That means he unlocked an additional 30% of his body's potential strength."
"No one in the Hongzhi Class can achieve this ratio. And he's from an ordinary class?"
"Could it be his martial arts skills..."
To be sure, Ryan silently reviewed the replay. After confirming no errors, he pressed the confirmation button next to Ethan Chen's name. Score approved.
"Phew, score approved!" Ethan's name changed from black to green, indicating the score was verified and silencing some doubts.
Ethan felt a rush of joy. He knew his first place wouldn't last long, but being temporarily on top was still satisfying.
Though he managed to unlock more internal strength, he understood the foundational truth: the base determines the structure.
To score high in strength and speed tests, Life Intensity was the key. The higher the level, the greater the power and speed.
His record would soon be surpassed by the rich kids who could invest more money in supplements and training. No matter how much he drank his two daily Qi-Blood milk packs, he simply couldn't compare.
Soon, Class 3 finished the explosive power test. Ethan's luck held, keeping him temporarily first. Toby scored exactly 60 points, just passing.
"You did great, kid," Toby patted Ethan on the shoulder with a 'just as expected' look.
"Everything going according to plan?" Ethan joked.
"Not a bit off!" Toby said firmly.
Several classmates gathered around, asking if Ethan's family had suddenly gotten rich. Eating turtle stew with goji berries every meal! Hiring a personal martial arts coach for daily tutoring! How else could he have improved so much!
Though Ethan had steadily improved since barely scraping by in freshman year to now being upper-tier, this jump was shocking.
"Ethan, what year was that turtle? I want my dad to get a couple too!" class monitor William Warren said seriously.
Ethan: "..."
Next came the continuous force test, where Ethan shone again, claiming first place once more.
Amidst the amazement, other classes gradually finished their tests.
Top scores were:
Henry Han: Explosive Power 80, Continuous Force 81, Adjusted Score: 112.7
Lucas Lin: Explosive Power 79, Continuous Force 75, Adjusted Score: 107.8
Kuroji Buchanan: Explosive Power 76, Continuous Force 74, Adjusted Score: 105
Ethan Chen's scores were 71 and 66, adjusted to 95.9, ranking eighth.
Lucas Lin and Kuroji Buchanan's Life Intensity levels were 5.9 and 5.8 respectively, while Henry Han's was an outrageous 6.1!
That Life Intensity alone qualified him for the Hongzhi Class. Even if the school hadn't held this test, no one would object.
A 0.1 difference in Life Intensity was noticeable; 1 full level difference was absolute domination.
Many students had thought if they had Henry Han's family background, they would be stronger—but there were no "ifs." You are you, and he is him.
After the strength tests came speed tests, also divided into two parts: sprint and agility.
To ensure fairness, the first group of Class 2 started first again.
Ethan ranked ninth in the speed tests, dropping two places overall to tenth.
The top three remained Henry Han, Lucas Lin, and Kuroji Buchanan. Ethan wasn't worried.
He was familiar with this story of starting low and rising fast.
When he entered Liang City No.1 High School, he ranked 44th out of 45 in the entrance test.
Thanks to battles in the Crystal Space and improving his spirit power through defense, his grades steadily rose.
By the first semester of senior year, he broke into the top ten of his class.
"Maybe you're stronger than me now, but I will surpass you!"
This wasn't just empty bravado but the confidence of someone constantly pushing limits.
Every day was filled with foundational training. At night, he battled unknown monsters protecting the Crystal.
Killed, he would awaken, full of energy to train again!
Torn apart again and again, analyzed, fought hard, and improved every time!
He trained 24/7 for two and a half years without rest.
Ethan called himself a "hardworking genius."
Ryan Ling's expression was serious, his gaze fixed on Ethan.
Even Henry Han, ranked first, drew little of his attention.
During breaks, Ryan checked Ethan's file.
He was shocked.
Ethan had a Life Intensity of 2.1 at freshman entry, now 5.1—an increase of three levels in two and a half years.
For someone used to Hongzhi Class students, this was slow progress.
Clearly, Ethan's family background wasn't great, so even his hard work showed limited improvement.
What amazed Ryan most was Ethan's martial arts skill.
Martial arts skill was a technique to unlock the body's potential strength.
It could only be trained from freshman year onward; starting earlier would harm the body.
All freshmen could freely choose one basic martial art skill.
Ethan's choice was the Flowing Light Sword Technique.
In the first semester senior year final, Ethan's martial skill reached 55% of the first level.
Martial skill roughly divided into five ranks: Beginner (1%-29%), Intermediate (30%-59%), Advanced (60%-89%), Complete (90%-99%), and Limit (100%).
Remember, this score was from two months ago.
Judging by Ethan's recent test performance, his skill had likely entered the advanced stage of first level—a staggering achievement!
Is this the level expected of an ordinary class student?
Ryan's Hongzhi Class had only two students at that level.
He couldn't help but look forward to Ethan's upcoming martial arts test performance.
After checking all the students' scores, Ryan announced,
"Martial arts skill assessment, begin now!"