sinovels Chapter 8 Martial Arts Examination
Chapter 8 Martial Arts Examination
Zhang Hu watched Lin Xuan's retreating figure and twitched the corner of his mouth.
Installed.
They actually put on quite a convincing act.
The look he received at the school gate earlier made him extremely uncomfortable, but now he still has a nonchalant expression on his face, as if he's about to deliver a 3000-pound blow instead of a 300-pound one.
Zhang Hu crossed his arms over his chest and raised his chin slightly.
It's okay.
The calmer you pretend to be, the more embarrassing it will be when the numbers pop up.
300 jin (150 catties), to throw 300 jin in the martial arts exam, wow, that scene...
He couldn't wait to see it.
"Lin Xuan".
Just then, a clear and sweet voice came from outside the examination room.
The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to have some kind of magic, causing many people around to subconsciously turn their heads to look over.
A black luxury van was parked on the roadside outside the examination hall. The door was open, and a young girl was getting out of the car.
She wore a simple white dress, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, her features exquisitely beautiful, as if painted on. The morning sunlight shone on her, making her appear as if she had stepped out of a play of light and shadow.
"So beautiful..."
Someone muttered something.
"Who is this? Which school is he from?"
"Holy crap, that's stunning! She's got looks like a school beauty queen!"
Someone recognized her and exclaimed, "Zhao Xiaoyue, the school beauty of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School!"
"Zhao Xiaoyue? The eldest daughter of the Zhao family who awakened the Ice Phoenix Feather martial soul?"
"Yes, that's her. Her father is a level-one martial artist, and her family lives in the Ziyuan Villa District."
"Why would a rich girl like her come to our exam hall? Shouldn't she be taking the exam at the main exam hall of No. 1 High School?"
Zhang Hu was also stunned.
Zhao Xiaoyue?
Why is she here?
He remembered clearly that Zhao Xiaoyue's exam room was Jiangcheng No. 1 Middle School, the same room as Sun Hao's.
Sun Hao sent a message in the group chat this morning when he left home, saying that he saw Zhao Xiaoyue in the exam room and was going to find an opportunity to say a few words to her.
But now Zhao Xiaoyue has appeared here.
Examination Room 9.
The territory of Jiangcheng No. 3 Middle School.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhao Xiaoyue walked through the throng and went straight to Lin Xuan.
The surroundings fell silent instantly.
Everyone's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
What's going on?
This school beauty, the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, got out of her car and walked half a street just to find Lin Xuan.
That 300-pound piece of trash?
Lin Xuan was also surprised. Looking at Zhao Xiaoyue who had suddenly appeared in front of him, he asked, "Why are you here? Weren't you supposed to be outside this exam room?"
Zhao Xiaoyue smiled, her eyes curving into crescents: "I was passing by this exam hall when I saw you. I thought I was seeing things."
She looked Lin Xuan up and down, her eyes filled with curiosity and anticipation: "You're here to participate in the martial arts exam too?"
Lin Xuan nodded, his tone calm: "Yes, let's give it a try."
"Then good luck." Zhao Xiaoyue looked at him earnestly, her eyes sparkling. "I believe in you, you can do it."
Looking into her earnest eyes, Lin Xuan felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
Of all the people at Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, probably only Zhao Xiaoyue would say such things to him.
"Thank you." He smiled.
As if remembering something, Zhao Xiaoyue added, "Oh right, the exams are over tomorrow. My parents want to thank you properly for tutoring me and would like to invite you to dinner."
"Okay," Lin Xuan readily agreed.
"Then it's settled." Zhao Xiaoyue waved to him, her smile as bright as the sunshine today. "Do your best on the exam, I'll be waiting for your good news."
After saying that, she turned around and walked back to the black minivan. The door closed, and the car slowly drove away from the entrance of the examination hall.
There was silence for about three seconds.
Then things exploded.
"Holy crap! What's going on?!"
"Who is that kid? Did Zhao Xiaoyue come all the way here to cheer him on?"
"Lin Xuan? Lin Xuan from Jiangcheng No. 1 High School? Wasn't he supposed to be a good-for-nothing?"
"Useless my foot! Have you ever seen any good-for-nothing who could make the eldest daughter of the Zhao family come all the way here to cheer them on?"
"Wait, wait, wait, my mind's a bit muddled. Didn't you guys just say this guy only weighs 300 jin? 300 jin can get Zhao Xiaoyue?"
"What do you mean by 'picking someone up'? That's just having a good relationship. Can't you think of anything else?"
"Don't be ridiculous, there's no such thing as pure friendship between men and women."
"Oh no, oh no, if Sun Hao finds out about this..."
The speaker's voice suddenly lowered.
The people around also fell silent.
They were all local students in Jiangcheng, and the fact that Sun Hao was pursuing Zhao Xiaoyue was common knowledge among high school students in Jiangcheng.
The second young master of the Sun family, a martial arts genius with a Xuan-level superior martial soul and a strength of over 1500 jin, has been pursuing Zhao Xiaoyue for over a year, but hasn't even gotten a kind word from her.
Now Zhao Xiaoyue has taken the initiative to come to another boy, and even said with a smile, "I believe in you" and "I'm waiting for your good news"?
If this gets back to Sun Hao's ears...
"We need to tell Brother Sun," a boy who looked like a follower said in a low voice, taking out his phone.
"Are you crazy? Tell Brother Sun now whether he'll even take the martial arts exam later?"
"That's true... let's talk about it after the exam."
"Yes, let's talk about it after the exam. Let Brother Sun teach this arrogant brat a lesson."
The group exchanged glances, understanding each other without saying a word.
Zhang Hu stood to the side and heard every word they said.
His expression was rather unpleasant.
It wasn't because of Zhao Xiaoyue's visit to Lin Xuan, but because of the way Zhao Xiaoyue looked at Lin Xuan.
He was all too familiar with that look in his eyes.
Every time Sun Hao achieved a good score on the playground, the girls around him would look at him with those kinds of eyes.
Worship, expectation, trust.
What gives Lin Xuan the right?
Why would a 300-pound piece of trash like him get that kind of look from the school beauty?
Zhang Hu gritted his teeth.
"Brother Tiger, do you think that kid gave Zhao Xiaoyue some kind of love potion?" A classmate leaned over and whispered.
Zhang Hu did not answer.
He just stared in Lin Xuan's direction, his gaze gloomy.
It's okay.
The numbers on the force gauge will explain everything in a moment.
In the world of martial arts, strength is everything. Without strength, no matter how beautiful the appearance or how eloquent the words, it's all just castles in the air.
Once that 300-pound figure is revealed, all of Zhao Xiaoyue's trust and expectations today will become a joke.
……
The bell rang.
The urgent ringing of the bell pierced the noisy air outside the examination room, instantly energizing everyone.
The doors to examination room number nine slowly opened.
Behind that door wasn't a teaching building, but rather a direct path to the large playground of No. 3 Middle School.
"They've entered the stadium! They've entered the stadium!"
"Let's go, let's go."
The candidates sprang into action, surging towards the open door like a tidal wave.
Lin Xuan turned around and followed the crowd inside.
His pace was neither fast nor slow, his back was straight, and he didn't look back once from beginning to end.
Zhang Hu stared at his retreating figure, snorted, and followed him.
……
The layout of examination room number nine is the same as all the martial arts examination rooms.
It wasn't a classroom or a corridor, but a playground surrounded by police tape.
The playground is very large, with a standard 400-meter track enclosing a neatly trimmed lawn.
But today there are no people playing football on the lawn; instead, there is a row of silver-gray metal instruments.
Force measuring instrument.
There were ten in total, placed side by side in the center of the playground, like ten silent steel guardians.
There was a person standing next to each force gauge.
They weren't ordinary proctors, but people wearing dark blue martial arts uniforms and wearing the examination committee badge on their chests.
They may be tall or short, fat or thin, but without exception, each of them exudes an aura that makes ordinary people instinctively want to stay away.
That's the aura of someone who has fought with demons and beasts year after year and has truly seen blood.
Martial arts examiner.
A true martial artist.
In this world, high school seniors can only be considered "martial arts students" or "quasi-martial artists." Only by entering a martial arts university through the college entrance examination, undergoing systematic martial arts training, and breaking through to the Qi Condensation Realm can they be called true "martial artists."
Each of these examiners is someone who has broken through to the Qi Condensation Realm and possesses formal martial arts qualifications.
As Lin Xuan walked into the playground, his gaze swept over the examiners.
He sensed it.
Those people possessed something he lacked.
It's not about the quantity of his Qi and blood—just in terms of the quantity of his Qi and blood alone, his current accumulation of the Body Refinement Realm far surpasses that of anyone else at the same level.
It is the fluctuation of true qi.
The Qi Condensation Realm martial artist no longer circulates simple blood and qi, but true qi.
Qi and blood are internal substances, while true qi is something that can interact with the external world. That's a qualitative leap.
Lin Xuan withdrew his gaze and didn't look at it any longer.
He will also reach the Qi Condensation Realm.
And it won't be long.
The playground was already full of examinees, who were assigned to different force measuring instruments according to their student numbers.
Examination room number nine accommodated approximately three hundred candidates, divided into ten teams of about thirty people each.
Lin Xuan's student ID number is 0923, and he was assigned to the No. 7 force measuring instrument.
He walked to the end of the line for the number seven force gauge and stood quietly.
There were already more than a dozen people in line ahead of me.
At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in a black martial arts uniform walked to the front of the ten force measuring instruments. His martial arts uniform had a silver trim embroidered on the cuffs, which was the insignia of the chief examiner of the examination committee.
His gaze swept across the entire room, and although his voice was not loud, every word clearly reached the ears of the three hundred candidates present.
"I am Zhou Zhengyang, the chief examiner of examination room number nine."
The playground fell silent.
"The martial arts exam only tests one thing—strength."
Zhou Zhengyang's voice was unhurried, as if he were stating something perfectly ordinary.
"Each of you has three chances to throw a punch. The final score will be the highest of the three."
"Now, line up according to your student ID number and come forward one by one for the test."
After saying that, he took a step back, signaling the start of the exam.
The entire playground instantly entered a solemn and tense atmosphere.
There was no whispering or murmuring.
Everyone knew that the next few punches would determine the course of their lives for the next four years and even their entire future.
Lin Xuan was well aware of the reason why the martial arts exam only tested strength.
These high school seniors, although they learned boxing and martial arts at school, ultimately had no real combat experience.
The Body Refinement Realm refines one's Qi and blood, and strengthens one's physique. Whether it's standing meditation or boxing, the ultimate goal is the same—to make one's Qi and blood more abundant and one's strength more powerful.
Therefore, at the Body Refinement Realm stage, strength is the core indicator for measuring everything.
No matter how well you practice your boxing skills, if you can't increase your strength, it means that your qi and blood are not properly tempered.
No matter how talented you are, if you lack strength, it means your physique hasn't been properly developed.
Everything boils down to the word "power".
All candidates' strength scores will be entered into the system and ranked across the province and even the country. Then, martial arts universities across the country will use this ranking to set admission cut-off scores and select the best candidates.
simple.
direct.
cruel.
Bang bang bang!
The journey has already begun.
A lean young man walked up to the No. 7 force gauge, took a deep breath, and punched the force plate.
The display screen is flickering.
612 pounds.
The second punch.
635 pounds.
The third punch—
He gritted his teeth, his face flushed red, and all the blood in his body rushed to his right arm.
boom!
658 pounds.
The examiner, expressionless, wrote down the numbers on the record board: "Student ID 0903, score 658 jin. Next."
The lean young man loosened his fists, panting heavily, a thin layer of sweat already forming on his forehead. 658 pounds is a respectable score for an average candidate, but it's still far from meeting the requirements of a top-tier martial arts university.
He looked somewhat dejected and walked to the side with his head down.
The next candidate stepped forward.
Bang bang bang!
Three numbers appeared in sequence.
701 jin, 688 jin, 712 jin.
The best result was 712 jin (376 catties).
Next one.
534 jin, 556 jin, 541 jin.
The best scorer weighed 556 jin (approximately 278 catties). When that student saw the last number, their eyes instantly welled up with tears. 556 jin—that's barely enough to get into a typical martial arts university.
But he didn't cry; he just bit his lip hard and turned away.
The path of martial arts never believes in tears.
One by one.
Punch after punch.
The only sounds on the playground were the dull thud of fists hitting the load-bearing plate and the examiners announcing numbers.
There were no cheers, no applause, not even a sound of conversation.
Each number announced was like a stone thrown into water, creating ripples that quickly subsided.
Soon it was Zhang Hu's turn.
Zhang Hu's student ID number is 0917, which is ahead of Lin Xuan's.
He walked to the number seven force gauge, stretched his shoulders and wrists, and then stood still.
The examiner glanced at him: "Ready?"
Zhang Hu nodded.
He lowered his waist and hips, bringing his right fist to his waist.
The first level of Returning Mountain Fist: Proficiency.
Although it's not very detailed, it's already considered quite good for a senior high school student.
The first punch.
boom!
The load-bearing plate vibrates.
The display screen is flashing – 901 jin (450 catties).
Zhang Hu frowned slightly.
It was more than ten kilograms lighter than his best training result, which was probably due to exam stress.
It's okay, I still have two more punches to give.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing rhythm, and his internal energy started circulating again.
The second punch.
This time, he pushed the power of the Returning Mountain Fist to the limit he could control.
boom!
963 pounds.
Zhang Hu's breathing became slightly rapid.
It weighs 963 jin (488 catties), just 37 jin (18.5 catties) away from 1000 jin (500 catties).
If he can reach over 1000 pounds, he'll have a chance to be accepted by a top-tier martial arts university. Although he can't compare to a monster like Sun Hao who weighs over 1500 pounds, 1,000 pounds and 900 pounds are two completely different concepts in the eyes of admissions officers.
The final punch.
Zhang Hu's eyes widened suddenly.
He let out a low, angry roar, like a wild beast driven to the brink of despair. In that instant, the blood and qi in his entire body boiled over, from his feet to his waist, from his waist to his shoulders and back, from his shoulders and back to his arms—all the power was squeezed out and gathered in his right fist.
He pushed the triple force of the first level of the Returning Mountain Fist to an unprecedented extreme.
boom!
The sound of this punch hitting the load-bearing plate was much more muffled than the previous two punches, like a boulder being thrown into deep water.
The numbers on the display screen jumped rapidly.
980.
990.
997.
Stopped.
997 pounds.
Zhang Hu remained in his punching stance, staring at the number for a full three seconds.
Then, as if all his strength had been drained from his body, he swayed violently and almost lost his balance.
997 pounds.
It's 3 jin short.
His face instantly turned pale, and large beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks. It wasn't because he was tired—a Body Refinement Realm martial artist's stamina isn't that bad—but because of that feeling of being so close yet just out of reach.
997 pounds.
It's just 3 pounds short.
If he could master the first level of the Returning Mountain Fist to the level of subtlety, that punch he just delivered would definitely have broken a thousand.
If he could optimize the rhythm of his blood circulation even a little bit, that punch just now could have broken a thousand.
But there are no "ifs".
Numbers in the exam room, once written down, are written down.
"Student ID 0917, score 997 jin." The examiner's voice remained calm, without any ripples.
Zhang Hu stepped aside.
He stood there, panting heavily, and it took him a while to calm himself down.
997 pounds is actually not bad. This score would rank in the top 30% in the city, more than enough to get into an average martial arts university.
If you're lucky, you might even get into a mid-to-high-tier university of science and technology.
It's just... 3 jin short of breaking 1,000.
Not reconciled.
I'm so unwilling to accept this.
Several students who had already finished their exams walked over.
"Tiger Bro, 997? That's awesome!"
"Just 3 pounds away from breaking 1,000 pounds, that's incredible."
"With this score, I'm sure I'll get into Jiangnan Wuhan University."
As Zhang Hu listened to these compliments, a trace of color finally returned to his pale face.
He straightened up, raised his chin, and smiled.
He weighed 997 jin (approximately 448 catties), which is not over 1000 jin (approximately 500 kg), but he is currently ranked second among the group in examination room number nine. The first place is held by a physical education student from room three, who weighed 1034 jin (approximately 568 catties).
enough.
This achievement is enough to make him proud.
"Let's go, Tiger, the exam's over. Let's go out and grab something to celebrate," a classmate called out.
Zhang Hu shook his head.
"No rush."
His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on the group with the number seven force measuring instrument.
Lin Xuan was still standing there, quietly waiting in line. From the moment he arrived until now, his expression had remained unchanged; he showed neither nervousness because of the scores of the candidates ahead of him, nor excitement because it was almost his turn.
That calm made Zhang Hu inexplicably irritated.
"I want to see what kind of results that guy can achieve," Zhang Hu said.
The student next to him followed his gaze and paused for a moment.
"Lin Xuan? Why are you looking at him? He weighs at most 300 pounds, what's so interesting about him?"
Zhang Hu smiled.
He offered no explanation.
He just wanted to see it.
Let's see what kind of expression that guy Zhao Xiaoyue said "I believe in you" will have on his face when she hits him with his pitiful 300 pounds.
Is it shame?
Is it resentment?
Or was it a breakdown from finally being unable to keep up the act anymore?
Either way, it's worth watching.