We made you practice martial arts, and you've mastered the Great Golden Body?

Chapter 96 Martial Arts College Entrance Examination

"Do not make jokes."

Shen Bailian smiled knowingly and looked at the girl, saying, "Li Mengyi told you to say that, right?"

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression became even more innocent, and she hurriedly shook her head in denial: "But I really don't know the Li Mengyi you're talking about."

"Really?"

"Really! It's just me and Yan Yan working at the front desk all year. There's no Li Mengyi involved."

hum.

Shen Bailian suddenly had a bad feeling. He stared intently into the girl's eyes and asked, "Then how did you know why I came here?"

"It was Coach Zhou who gave the order."

"Zhou Changqing?"

"Yes." The girl met the boy's sharp, knife-like eyes and instantly felt a strong chill creep over her, as if her blood had stopped flowing at that moment.

Her heart raced, her face turned deathly pale, and she involuntarily took a small step back, lowering her head to try and avoid those chilling eyes.

"Sorry, I was probably tired and confused."

Shen Bailian realized that his gaze might have made the girl uncomfortable, so he quickly adjusted his expression and gave a gentle smile.

"It's nothing." The girl quickly shook her head. "Then, Senior Brother Shen, I'll be going now."

Before Shen Bailian could say anything, the girl's figure quickly disappeared around the corner.

Shen Bailian's eyes were cold and sharp. After hesitating for a moment, he finally opened Starlink and clicked on the contact list.

[Li Mengyi (online)]

"Whoo~"

Shen Bailian opened the chat page and briefly browsed the chat history. Although there weren't many messages, they were exactly as he remembered, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"so far so good."

But, the next moment.

A chill ran from the soles of my feet straight up to the top of my head.

Shen Bailian's smart bracelet seemed to have been infected with some kind of virus; the chat history on the chat page disappeared one by one, as if it had been deleted.
After the chat history disappeared, the page redirected to the "Contacts" section, and Li Mengyi's profile picture turned gray.

Ultimately, Li Mengyi's name also disappeared completely from the "Contact Person" section.

All of this was completed in less than 0.1 seconds.

ding~~~
A crisp sound suddenly rang in Shen Bailian's mind. His pupils contracted with fear, his breathing became rapid and heavy, and sweat gathered into glistening beads on his cheeks before dripping onto the floor.

(Will you forget me?)

"Yep!"

"There are surveillance cameras at the bus stops! Even if the smart bracelet gets infected with a virus, the surveillance videos in Bozhou City are stored in the smart hub, so it absolutely cannot get infected with a virus."

Shen Bailian muttered to himself, his eyes growing brighter. He quickly composed himself, and without even wiping the sweat from his forehead, he rushed downstairs and ran towards the police station.

"Hey." The girl felt the strong wind beside her and frowned. She was about to say something, but after seeing the figure's back clearly, she could only sigh helplessly.

"Why is Senior Brother Shen acting so strangely today?"

"did you find it?"

"No." Shen Bailian's eyes were fixed on the surveillance footage at the bus stop, his brows furrowing even more. "Can I watch it again?"

"It's nothing." The sheriff looked at the boy, hesitated for a moment, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "Xiao Shen, my son really admires you and keeps asking for your autograph."

"it is good."

Shen Bailian took the notebook without turning his head.

"Hey, Xiao Shen, what's up with the call?"

After the call was connected, Shen Bailian managed a forced smile.

He hesitated for a moment, pursed his lips, and, clinging to his last glimmer of hope, said, "Coach Zhou, do you still remember Li Mengyi?"

"Li Mengyi? I don't know her."

The summer evening breeze blew gently, taking away the scorching heat of summer and bringing a touch of coolness and comfort to the entire city of Bozhou. As it passed through the treetops, the leaves rustled.

Buzz~buzz~
Shen Bailian leaned back on the bench, his eyes lifeless, filled with emptiness and coldness. He stared blankly at the clouds rolling across the sky, lonely and uncertain, as if he had lost all vitality.

He only snapped out of his daze when the smart device on his hand started vibrating continuously and opened the communication.

"Xiao Lian, are you still training at the martial arts gym? It's time to come home for dinner. Mom made your favorite braised pork, winter melon and pork rib soup, and scrambled eggs with tomatoes today."

On the other end of the phone came Shen's mother's familiar voice, warm and comforting. A warm current flowed through Shen Bailian's heart, breaking the dead silence, and her eyes softened.

"Okay, I'll be going back soon."

"Xiao Shen, your dad and I will always support you."

From Shen Bailian's tone, Shen's mother immediately sensed that something was amiss.

"Mom, I love you," Shen Bailian suddenly said.

"Hey, you silly child, what are you saying? Hurry up and go home, Mom is waiting for you at home."

"What a messed up world."

Shen Bailian stood up, faced the two suns on the horizon, silently raised his middle finger, and then a bitter smile appeared on his face, seemingly helpless, yet also self-mocking.

He then turned and walked home with heavy steps.

The search has yielded no results all day.

Li Mengyi seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth; no one remembered that this girl who loved sweets had ever existed.

All evidence of Li Mengyi's existence has been erased.

Only today did Shen Bailian realize that the only things he knew about the girl were her Starlink account and her love of sweets; he knew nothing about her classmates, friends, or relatives.

In this world, only one kind of being can do this: the gods!
Since the gods were involved, Shen Bailian was powerless to do anything about it, just like when facing that high-energy particle beam. He was completely powerless to resist and was instantly vaporized.

All he could do was remember Li Mengyi and the girl's face.

then.

eye for eye!
Time passed day by day, and soon it was July 14th.

These past few days, Shen Bailian hasn't been cultivating at all. Instead, he's been focusing all his energy on reviewing his academic subjects. According to Kong Chaowu, those who rank high in the college entrance examination in Bozhou City will receive corresponding rewards.

The top ten winners will receive a prize worth at least 20 Da Xia coins.

The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), specifically the Martial Arts NCEE, is an exam that determines the fate of millions of martial arts apprentices.
In the Great Xia, the Great Wall Watch Zone, as the strongest zone in the world, the competition for the martial arts college entrance examination is unprecedentedly fierce, with geniuses as numerous as carp crossing a river.

As for the exam time, it is scheduled for mid-July each year.

考试时间为7月15号到7月19号，时长共计为5天。考试总计分为两项。

The first item is academic performance, which takes place over two days and accounts for 30% of the final score.

The second item is a separate martial arts test, which includes physical fitness, single-arm maximum punching power test and maximum speed test. The full score standard is level 8.5, and the scores account for 30%, 20% and 20% respectively.

The results will be released on July 25th.

All of Shen Bailian's application materials for taking the college entrance examination early were approved on July 13th, and all were printed out in hard copy.

Outside the gate of the Second Senior High School in Bortala Prefecture, a large number of college entrance examination candidates and their parents or teachers who came to see them off gathered. At the outermost edge of the school gate, rows of armed police and law enforcement robots stood patrolling.

They are all armed with real guns and ammunition, and are ready at any time.

"Do your best on the exam, don't be nervous. Remember to relax during the exam, and don't forget to write your name and fill in the answer sheet," Shen's mother said excitedly, holding Shen Bailian's hand.

"Hey, don't put any more pressure on Xiao Lian. This is a piece of cake for him, isn't it?" Shen Zhenxing turned his head. "Right, Xiao Lian?"

"Uh-huh."

Shen Bailian nodded with a smile.

"Xiao Shen."

A familiar voice rang out behind them, and Zhang Xianlong and Yan Yajuan quickly walked over.

"Teacher Zhang, Teacher Yan," Shen Bailian looked at the two of them with surprise and asked, "How did you get here?"

"It's not just us," Zhang Xianlong said with a smile, pointing behind him. "They insisted on coming to cheer you on. They were all on holiday and had nothing else to do, so they came together. But there were too many people, so they wouldn't let them in."

"them?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Bailian looked in the direction Zhang Xianlong was pointing and was immediately stunned.

Among the crowd were many young faces, people he knew all too well—they were all his classmates: Wei Peng, the girl with the bun hairstyle, and the tall, thin boy.
At this moment, all the unpleasantness and estrangement of the past melted away and disappeared.

"All candidates, please present your admission tickets and enter the examination room in an orderly manner. Unauthorized personnel, please leave as soon as possible."

Then, Shen Bailian followed the surging crowd, passed through several checkpoints, and entered the campus, heading towards his examination room.

September 25, 345 AD.

Shen Zhenxing and his mother sat on either side of Shen Bailian, looking nervously at the light screen on the table, their hearts filled with unease.

Shen Zhenxing, in particular, would take a sip of water every now and then and then check if the time was up.

"Don't worry, you two, everything will be fine."

Shen Bailian smiled and comforted the two of them.

The Heavenly Gang Academy doesn't have high requirements for his grades now. As long as he passes the minimum requirement, that's fine. Anyway, he's 100% guaranteed to obtain the Sun-level Dragon Gate Seed, so some minor details are completely unimportant.

Shen Bailian really wanted to tell his parents about obtaining the Sun-level Dragon Gate Seed.

But he can't.

Similarly, this matter will be kept under wraps. The information that will be made public is that he was previously rewarded with a Moon-class Lungmen species for obtaining the Level 3 Combat Hero Fearless Medal.

Only personnel with the relevant permissions can view the actual information.

Because of the historical phenomenon of geniuses being assassinated in the Great Xia Dynasty, when a great power rises, its enemies are not only ferocious beasts and divine favor, but also enemies from within.

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I'm a little..." Shen Zhenxing trailed off, unable to finish his sentence.

He didn't know how to describe his current feelings. He was definitely nervous, but he was also aware of his son's abilities.

Being a top student isn't just a title.

He was just afraid that if Shen Bailian didn't do well, she would be discouraged.

Finally, as time ticked by, it came to 10 a.m.

Both of Shen's parents looked at Shen Bailian, hesitant to speak.

Upon receiving the eye signals from the two, Shen Bailian immediately accessed the official website, skillfully entered her ID card and admission ticket, and then completed iris verification.

"Candidate's identity has been confirmed."

Swish!
The results page popped up instantly, and Mr. and Mrs. Shen rushed over, even more excited than Shen Bailian himself, staring intently at the scores:
Name: Shen Bailian
Category: Martial Arts Students
Academic subjects: 298
Physical fitness: 265
Single-arm maximum punching power: 188
Burst speed: 190
Bonus points: 30 (10 for the Collective Honor Title of Fearless Shield, 20 for the Level 3 Combat Hero Fearless Medal)

Total score: 971
Bozhou City Ranking: 4
Northern Rank: 48
National ranking: 172
"Fourth place! Our son is fourth place! What a glorious achievement for the family! Our Shen family has finally stood up!"

Looking at the total score of 971 points and the fourth-ranked city of Bozhou.

Shen Zhenxing and his mother hugged Shen Bailian tightly, weeping with joy.

Shen's mother, in particular, looked at her son with heartache. He had been diagnosed with mental insufficiency by doctors when he was young, and he had almost been bullied at school in junior high.
She had lost count of how many times she had watched her son cultivate until late at night, his exhausted appearance piercing her heart.

One minute on stage, ten years off the stage.

Decades of diligent study and tireless practice have finally led to this moment.

"Only 172?"

Looking at his national ranking, Shen Bailian was still slightly surprised, even though he was mentally prepared for the number of top geniuses in Great Xia.

This number is not insignificant; it means that among the candidates participating in this year's martial arts college entrance examination, there are no fewer than 172 martial arts apprentices whose physical fitness level reaches 7.5+.

Although, it is certain that some of them are bloodline martial artists.

However, once you reach the formal martial artist stage, there is basically no distinction between bloodline martial artists and pure blood martial artists. They are all martial artists of the Great Xia Dynasty and are placed together to compete fairly and justly.

However, this number is roughly equivalent to the number of people who obtain Sun-level Dragon Gate Seeds each year in the Great Xia Dynasty.

Buzz~buzz~
Shen Zhenxing felt the vibration from his smart bracelet, so he composed himself and answered the phone: "Hey, Da Chui, what's up?"

"How did you do on the exam?"

"Oh dear, not good at all. This kid didn't perform well." Shen Zhenxing, who was crying tears of joy just a moment ago, immediately stood up, shaking his head as he walked, and sighed, "He only got 971 points, 29 points away from a perfect score."

"Pfft." Seeing Shen's father's reaction, Shen's mother couldn't help but laugh, her eyes filled with affection. She turned to Shen Bailian and gave him some instructions:

"Don't forget to tell your homeroom teacher and Teacher Zhang, as well as your classmates and friends. Most importantly, tell Duan Wuyai, who came to our house before, Teacher Duan, and Lord Kong."

"it is good."

Shen Bailian nodded and was just about to go back to his room.

"One more thing: when telling elders about your achievements, call them instead of sending a message via Starlink. This shows more respect for them."

"understood."

Some readers may wonder why it is ranked fourth. That is because all the previous competitions and trials were restricted to pure-blooded humans.

As mentioned briefly before, the path taken by bloodline warriors and those who ascend to the Martial Hall is certainly not limited to one.

Another issue is the map size. It's a fictional world, so don't try to fit reality into it; it won't be small. The Northern Territory alone has 24 cities, while Borough City is just a small city on the border.

Tomorrow should see a small climax, so I'll be adding an extra chapter today as usual.

(Extra chapter reason: Thank you to all the readers on qread for your continued reading, and thank you to reader Hongchen on qread for the four monthly tickets.)
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(End of this chapter)