The entrance exams were a major event in the nation of Great Xia. To ensure students had adequate rest, a nighttime noise control policy was implemented across all provinces and cities a month before the exams. In elite residential areas, even possessors of special sound-based abilities were hired. Every evening at nine o'clock, they would activate their powers, isolating the area from all external sounds.
On the day of the exam, the protection of the candidates reached an unprecedented level. Not only was traffic control enforced, but armed soldiers, along with Superpower User squads, patrolled key transport hubs, preempting any unforeseen situations.
Thanks to these measures, the over forty buses carrying the martial arts exam participants drove smoothly through the city and quickly arrived at the military area on the outskirts. The buses came to a stop in an open field, and the students began to disembark.
Around the field, soldiers stood every three meters with their weapons at the ready, their faces expressing grim resolve. No one doubted that any attempt at a breach would be met with a hail of fire.
At the front of the field was a hastily erected platform. Beyond it stretched a vast territory, fenced off with barbed wire. Inside, the ruins of an abandoned town were visible, so expansive that their edges disappeared into the distance. Among the wreckage, the shadows of ferocious beasts flitted, and their growls and howls could be heard.
"Phew, so this is where our exam will take place," one of the students exhaled.
"Damn it, I think I just saw a One-Horned Rhino!" another exclaimed.
"A One-Horned Rhino? Come on, are the tasks going to be that tough this year?" a third responded anxiously.
The abandoned town in the military area was once called Weiyuan and was a small settlement subordinate to Jiangcheng. Several decades ago, a monster invasion destroyed it, turning it into ruins. Although the army later reclaimed the territory, they didn't rebuild the town due to high costs. Instead, it became a training ground for the troops stationed there.
However, every year on June seventh, this place became the venue for the martial arts exam. Naturally, the types of ferocious beasts placed here were not random, as they might be during ordinary army training, but were determined by the examination setters of Jiangnan Province.
In all cities across Jiangnan Province, the exact same set of ferocious beasts was used for the martial arts exam, ensuring the absolute fairness of the trial. The types and strength of these creatures determined the difficulty of the exam.
Usually, particularly strong beasts were not found on the outskirts of the ruined town. Only common species, such as shadow cats and iron boars, inhabited that area. However, in previous years, rarer and more dangerous creatures, like one-horned rhinos or saber-toothed tigers, occasionally appeared on the outskirts. This signaled that the exam was harder than usual those years, and the risk of death was higher.
Therefore, when the students noticed a one-horned rhino through the barbed wire fence, many turned pale and looked flustered.
"So what if it's a one-horned rhino! If you can't even handle this level of beast, then even if you miraculously get into a Superpower University, you won't achieve anything!" a loud voice suddenly boomed from the crowd of students, cutting through their anxious murmurs.
It was a young man in light-blue combat armor, resembling an ancient swordsman. He held a long sword in his hand. His posture and demeanor indeed suggested a noble warrior—open and resolute. His eyes, like an eagle's, exuded intense pressure.
Many students turned around, ready to argue, but upon seeing him, they immediately fell silent, not daring to utter a word.
This scene surprised Xu Jingming, and he curiously asked the tall guy next to him, who had a shield and sword strapped to his back:
"Who is that? Why is he so self-assured?"
The tall guy was named Liu Jie. He possessed a C-level amplification ability called "Gigantification." By activating it, he could more than double the size of his body, proportionally increasing his strength.
In Class 5, besides his best friend Zhang Hao, Xu Jingming was closest to Liu Jie.
"Who else could it be but Zhou Mingyang, nicknamed 'Light Wind Sword' from First Middle School," Liu Jie replied, nodding slightly toward the speaker.
"Ah, so it's him," Xu Jingming immediately understood who he was referring to.
Jiangcheng First Middle School was the educational institution with the deepest academic traditions in the entire city. Not only did they offer actual courses for Superpower Users, but they also occasionally organized real combat drills with ferocious beasts. The graduates of this school were among the strongest, and almost all of the top ten results in the martial arts exam in Jiangcheng belonged to them.
And Zhou Mingyang was one of the most outstanding students at First Middle School! He possessed a B-level wind elemental ability called "Light Swift Wind." By activating it, he could not only generate cutting air blades but also reduce air resistance, significantly increasing his movement and attack speed.
"Light Swift Wind" was considered one of the strongest abilities among all the Awakened in Jiangcheng. Furthermore, Zhou Mingyang was one of the few candidates who had already broken the barrier between an Awakened and a true Superpower User. Even before the exams began, he was considered one of the main contenders for the title of the best in martial arts in Jiangcheng and had earned the nickname "Light Wind Sword."
It was no surprise that ordinary candidates didn't dare to cross such a powerful ability user.
"Excellent, sword mastery requires precisely that kind of fearless spirit!" the principal of First Middle School, observing the scene, nodded approvingly.
Soon, all the students from the over forty buses were gathered on the field, lined up in neat rows according to their schools and classes. A homeroom teacher stood in front of each class.
At this moment, a middle-aged man in a military uniform ascended the platform. He was tall, and a long scar was visible on his right cheek. When he surveyed the field, all the students, who had been quietly talking moments before, instantly fell silent.
If Zhou Mingyang's gaze invoked a feeling of pressure, this officer's gaze was like that of a predator, making hearts pound with fear.
"He is definitely a Rank Two or higher ability user," Xu Jingming mentally noted while standing in formation.
"I am the chief supervisor of the martial arts exam in Jiangcheng, Wang Haiyang. Before the test begins, I will once again remind you of the basic rules," the officer began.
"The exam will start exactly at nine in the morning and end at nine in the evening, for a total duration of twelve hours."
"The venue is the ruined city behind me. As in previous years, it is divided into three zones: Outer, Middle, and Central."
"The Outer Zone is inhabited by beasts that have not reached the First Stage. The Middle Zone contains High-Level beasts that have not reached the First Stage, as well as First-Stage beasts."
"The Central Zone contains only First-Stage beasts and above. The very Core of the Central Zone is inhabited by High-Level First-Stage beasts and Second-Stage beasts."
Chief Supervisor Wang Haiyang's voice carried across the entire field. He wasn't using a microphone, yet his words reached every student clearly.
"The Outer, Middle, Central Zones, and the very Core are like sections on a math exam paper, with each zone corresponding to a specific difficulty level," Wang Haiyang continued. "The Core of the Central Zone, inhabited by High-Level First-Stage beasts and Second-Stage beasts, can be compared to the last, most difficult problem in mathematics, which is meant for the very best."
Xu Jingming, standing in formation, couldn't suppress a smile. Before, he could only rely on hunting in the Outer Zone. Now, he was confident that he could not only penetrate the Central Zone but even explore its very Core!
"You will receive varying amounts of points for slaying different species and levels of ferocious beasts," Wang Haiyang continued to explain. "The higher the rank and strength of the beast, the more points you will receive for killing it. However, each of you must soberly assess your own strength and choose the appropriate zone for yourselves."
"Very well, now let's begin the distribution of resources."
Wang Haiyang waved his right hand, and several squads of soldiers marched out from the sides of the field. Simultaneously, a large truck drove up from a distance. When the cargo doors opened, rows of black tactical backpacks were visible inside.
The soldiers quickly distributed the backpacks, and each candidate received one. Inside each backpack were three items.
First were smartwatches, designed to count the number and species of beasts killed, as well as to tally points. Furthermore, a map of the ruined city was built into the watch, allowing candidates to determine their location.
The second item was energy bars, three in total. Consuming them allowed for a rapid recovery of physical strength.
The last item was a Protective Sphere—a silver-white metallic orb. Upon activation, it created a high-voltage net around the owner, impenetrable to ordinary ferocious beasts. However, using the Protective Sphere automatically meant an early end to the exam.
Xu Jingming put the smartwatch on his wrist, placed the three energy bars into the tactical backpack and slung it over his back, and attached the Protective Sphere to his belt. This way, in case of danger, he could activate it as quickly as possible to save his life.
Most other students chose the same way to position their gear.
However, even the presence of the Protective Sphere did not guarantee absolute safety. After all, in a confrontation with ferocious beasts, life and death were decided in mere moments, and there might not be enough time even to activate the Protective Sphere…