Tang Qi and her group hurried down the corridor, rounding a corner.
There, they encountered Xu Jingming, who was walking toward them with a black spear resting across his back.
Tang Qi hadn't expected to run into Xu Jingming again. She paused slightly, then quickly recovered and asked:
"Heading home already?"
"I've finished training. I want to go back early and make a few more preparations."
"Alright. Good luck on tomorrow's Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam — and remember to stay safe."
Although she privately believed Xu Jingming only possessed an E-rank ability, and that participating in the martial arts exam was likely overestimating himself,
Xu Jingming was still her cousin, so she offered him a few words of encouragement.
"Got it, Sister Qi. You take care too."
Xu Jingming grinned, revealing a bright smile. Then he brushed past her and continued on his way.
Tang Qi and her companions didn't stop. Instead, they continued searching for the source of that powerful energy.
There weren't many training rooms nearby — only eight in total.
So Tang Qi and her team didn't have to search long before finding the training room Xu Jingming had used earlier.
The moment they saw the interior, with the wall shattered into spiderweb-like cracks, all four of them widened their eyes.
Even the usually calm and composed Tang Qi slightly parted her lips in shock.
"My god… even memory metal was shattered. Just how powerful was that attack?"
The young man dressed in a white casual suit exclaimed dramatically.
"From the residual energy alone, I can still feel that unbelievably violent force."
"The person who launched that attack — even if they weren't a Second-Rank Ability User, they were definitely at the peak of the First Rank."
The young man wearing earrings — the one who had awakened a mental-type ability — spoke with a serious expression.
"Peak First Rank? Maybe even approaching Second Rank? Does Jiang City really have a high school student that powerful?"
Xiao Ya looked utterly incredulous.
"It probably wasn't a high school student. Most likely some ability user unfamiliar with the rules wandered onto the third floor and mistook this training room for an ability testing chamber."
Tang Qi shook her head.
"That's right. An attack of this level is absolutely impossible for a high school student to produce."
"Even top geniuses from provincial capitals couldn't do this. Someone like that wouldn't appear in a place like Jiang City."
Hearing this, the others visibly relaxed.
The few awakened candidates already present in Jiang City were enough to make them feel tremendous pressure. If there were truly someone capable of reaching the Second Rank,
then all their years of spending countless resources — yet still not reaching that level — would feel utterly meaningless.
"Hey… Xu Jingming was the only person we saw leaving this direction earlier. Do you think he could've been the one who launched that attack?"
"Maybe Xu Jingming is secretly a super genius — hiding his strength and waiting to shine in tomorrow's exam?"
Xiao Ya blinked, suddenly letting her imagination run wild.
"Have you been reading too many web novels about hidden geniuses pretending to be weak? Even something that ridiculous sounds believable to you now?"
The earring-wearing boy rolled his eyes.
"If someone wants to hide their strength, they still need strength to hide in the first place. An E-rank Awakener reaching 300 Power Units of attack strength would already be considered impressive."
"The corridors on both sides lead outside. That powerful ability user must have left through the opposite direction — that's why we didn't encounter them."
Ability rankings weren't fabricated randomly — they were based on development potential.
An E-rank ability fundamentally limited Xu Jingming's upper ceiling.
"That makes sense."
Xiao Ya thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
Tang Qi, who had been quietly listening, suddenly recalled the tall figure who had just left.
For some reason, a trace of doubt surfaced in her heart, shaking her earlier certainty:
Was Xu Jingming really overestimating himself by participating in the Martial Arts Exam?
The academic university entrance exam in Jiang City was held inside school teaching buildings.
However, the Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam was conducted in a military zone located near the outskirts.
Students first had to gather at the Municipal Sports Stadium, then travel together by bus to the military testing grounds.
The assembly time was 8:00 AM.
The next day, Xu Jingming woke up early and equipped himself.
In addition to the 2.1-meter-long F-rank weapon — the Obsidian Spear — strapped to his back, he wore an F-rank black combat suit and black combat boots.
The combat suit and boots were made from the hides of ferocious beasts — extremely durable and resilient.
When fighting ferocious beasts, they were difficult to damage and could absorb part of incoming attacks.
"The Martial Arts Academy Entrance Exam… I'm here."
Xu Jingming's eyes sharpened with focus as he strode out of his room with steady steps.
Jiang City — Splendid Brocade Residential District
This was one of Jiang City's most famous villa communities.
Inside one of the villas, Tang Qi had just finished breakfast and changed into her gear. Just as she prepared to leave, a graceful middle-aged woman — who resembled her by nearly seventy percent — stopped her.
"Xiao Qi, you and Jingming will be in the same exam venue, right?"
"Mom, didn't I tell you last time? Jiang City only has one Martial Arts Exam site, so of course we'll be in the same venue."
Tang Qi replied while performing a final equipment inspection.
She had awakened a B-rank ability — Shadow Cat.
When activated, her physical strength, flexibility, and reaction speed would all increase dramatically.
Because of this, her chosen weapon was a light and agile dagger.
Her combat suit was also slim-fitting and lightweight.
"If you happen to run into Jingming during the exam, help him as much as possible."
"After all, your cousin only has an E-rank ability. Participating in the Martial Arts Exam is extremely dangerous for him."
The elegant woman couldn't help but remind her anxiously:
"And remember — you must protect yourselves. Even if your score ends up slightly lower, don't force yourselves to challenge high-level ferocious beasts."
Although Tang Qi wanted to explain that the exam map was enormous, and that the chances of running into Xu Jingming were nearly zero,
Seeing the worry in her mother's eyes, she still nodded.
"I understand."
After confirming all her equipment was in place,
Tang Qi stepped into the car waiting outside and headed toward the Municipal Sports Stadium.
Jiang City had three high schools, with nearly three thousand third-year students in total.
After excluding those taking the academic exam, over 1,400 students were participating in the Martial Arts Exam.
To transport these candidates to the testing grounds, the city dispatched nearly forty buses.
More than forty school buses were neatly lined up outside the Municipal Sports Stadium, organized by school and class.
Students only needed to board the bus assigned to their respective class.
"Son, I'm not expecting a high score from you this time. Just stay safe!"
"Dad, I know."
"Sweetheart, make sure you protect yourself during the exam!"
"…"
Among the arriving candidates, some came alone, while others were accompanied by their parents.
For those accompanied by family, the most common farewell words before boarding were always:
Stay safe.
Standing at a distance after arriving at the stadium, Xu Jingming watched the scene unfold.
A trace of envy surfaced in his heart.
In his previous life, he had been an orphan.
He had longed for parental love.
Unfortunately — even after transmigrating into this world — he was still alone.
Xu Jingming took a deep breath, calming his emotions.
Among the rows of buses, he found the one belonging to Jiang City Second High School — Class Five, and boarded directly.
"Huh? Is that Xu Jingming? I never really noticed him before… but he looks pretty handsome in combat gear."
"Why didn't I notice how sharp his presence feels before?"
"Wow… he looks amazing."
"…"
Because of his former introverted personality, Xu Jingming had been considered one of the most unnoticed students in Class Five.
Even if he skipped class for a day, aside from his good friend Zhang Hao and the homeroom teacher, few people would likely notice.
Of course, Xu Jingming himself possessed excellent natural features.
He stood 1.86 meters tall and had a rather handsome appearance.
However, his former self had a habit of slouching and avoiding eye contact, making him appear ordinary.
After transmigrating, Xu Jingming's gaze no longer wandered nervously.
It became clear and steady, and his posture turned upright and confident.
Dressed in black combat gear, with the powerful Obsidian Spear resting across his back,
his entire aura felt renewed — energetic, sharp, and full of strength.
Many girls on the bus cast surprised and admiring glances toward him.
Seeing Xu Jingming board, the homeroom teacher Chen Fan, who was seated near the front counting attendance, froze momentarily.
But he quickly reacted and located Xu Jingming's name on the roster.
As time passed, the attendance list gradually filled.
When the final Class Five student participating in the Martial Arts Exam arrived,
Teacher Chen Fan announced:
"Class Five — everyone's here. Let's depart."