High Martial Arts: Gains one point of health per second, sweeping across the heavens.

Midnight on the third day, the night before the combat strength assessment.

Su Jie awoke from his deep cultivation, his aura perfectly balanced and restrained, yet even the slightest ripples he occasionally revealed carried a chilling sense of oppression.

He looked at the system panel, which displayed the final results of three days of intensive training:

[Host: Su Jie]

[Current Martial Acupoints: 99/99 (Level 5: 10, Level 4: 89)]

Current Qi and Blood Reserves: 307150 points

[Combat Power: 1050 points!]

1050 combat power! All martial acupoints have been tempered to level four, and 10 level five martial acupoints have been tempered.

The amount of Qi and Blood required to refine a level 4 Martial Aperture to level 5 has increased to 200 points, which is negligible compared to Su Jie's ever-growing reserves of Qi and Blood.

Although the combat power gained from upgrading from level four to level five increased by 6 points, the time required for each upgrade increased to 2 hours. Even if one worked without sleep, only 12 upgrades could be completed in a day.

The time consumed is increasing, and I wonder how long it will take to temper it to level six?

Su Jie didn't think about it anymore. After three days of sleepless nights, he was exhausted. He had to go to school tomorrow for a combat strength test, and all he wanted to do was get a good night's sleep!

On Tuesday morning, Su Jie, refreshed after a deep sleep, walked towards school, feeling light on his feet with a surge of energy.

As I approached the school gate, a familiar yet haggard figure came into view: Lin Xue'er. She had clearly been waiting for a long time; her eyes were swollen and red like two walnuts, and her face was filled with exhaustion and fear, clearly indicating that she hadn't slept all night.

"Su Jie..." She stepped forward, her voice hoarse from crying, trying her best to look pitiful. "I really can't gather those 200 Qi and Blood Coins. Could you give me a few more days?"

Su Jie didn't stop walking; he merely glanced at her indifferently and asked, "What do you think?"

The icy tone sent a chill down Lin Xue'er's spine. She quickly took two steps forward, her voice pleading, "I can pay back 50 coins first! I'll pay the rest as soon as possible..."

"No way." Su Jie interrupted without hesitation, his tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Either 200 Qi and Blood Coins, or I'll go to the City Hall's 'Orphan's Compensation Office' after school. You choose."

"No! Please don't!" Lin Xue'er was so frightened that her face turned pale and her voice changed. "I... I'll think of something! I'll definitely think of something!" She could no longer maintain that pitiful posture. As if she was afraid that Su Jie would change his mind and go to the city hall immediately, she turned around and ran away in a panic, her back view looking extremely disheveled.

Seeing her like that, Su Jie chuckled and muttered to himself, "If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place."

Stepping into the classroom, it was bustling with activity. Students were gathered in twos and threes, and the focus of their discussion was the previously announced "Linjiang Rising Stars List".

"Have you heard? That genius from No. 1 High School, his combat power is said to have already exceeded 300!"

"My God, 300 points! Is this still a high school student?"

"Sigh, the students at our No. 7 Middle School don't come from wealthy families, so I doubt anyone can make it into the top 1,000..."

Su Jie silently walked to his seat and sat down, listening to the surrounding discussions, secretly chuckling to himself: "300 combat points? They're not even worthy of shining my shoes!"

At this moment, the homeroom teacher, Li Heng, strode into the classroom, his expression more serious than usual. He clapped his hands to quell the noise in the classroom: "Class, quiet down! The primary task this morning is to conduct a class-wide combat strength assessment! The results will directly affect our ranking on the 'Linjiang Rising Star List,' and their importance cannot be overstated!"

A buzz of discussion immediately filled the classroom. Everyone knew about it, but as the test approached, a tense and expectant atmosphere still permeated the room.

Li Heng's gaze swept across the audience: "I know that for students at our No. 7 Middle School, even breaking into the top 1,000 is extremely difficult! Students like Zheng Xuan, who have already begun to refine and improve their martial arts level, are extremely rare in our school. Even in the entire city, they only qualify for the top 1,000!"

These words were like cold water, extinguishing the passion in many hearts. Yes, No. 7 Middle School was just an ordinary high school; its resources and student body couldn't compare to those key martial arts high schools or the children of aristocratic families. Zheng Xuan was already someone they could only look up to, but even then, he only qualified to break into the top 1,000 in the entire city.

"But!" Li Heng changed the subject, raising his voice, "This doesn't mean you can give up! Every test is an opportunity to compare yourself with your peers. Only through comparison can you know the gap between yourself and others!"

So don't be discouraged! There are still seven months until the martial arts exam. As long as you work hard, you will be rewarded! Now, everyone, proceed to the martial arts hall in order of your student ID number!

With a mix of nervousness and anticipation, the students headed to the school's martial arts hall. The test was simple: stand on a special combat power testing device and fully circulate your internal energy.

The atmosphere immediately became tense as the measurement began.

The first student went up, the instrument flashed, and displayed: [58]

"Sigh..." He sighed and stepped off the stage dejectedly.

The second student: [63]

……

When it was Zheng Xuan's turn, he took a deep breath and stepped onto the testing device.

The light stabilized, and the number popped up—[141]!

A chorus of gasps immediately rose from the crowd. This score was indeed top-notch for No. 7 Middle School.

A hint of pride flashed across Zheng Xuan's face. In three days, his parents had gone to great lengths to gather 40 points of Qi and Blood, which allowed him to refine two more Martial Apertures.

However, the thought that he might not even make it into the top 1,000 instantly shattered his initial sense of superiority, and his expression turned somewhat grim.

Soon, it was Su Jie's turn.

"Look, it's Su Jie's turn!"

"Hey, this is going to be interesting. I wonder if we can break 5 points this time?"

"It's probably hopeless. After all, Lin Xue'er has emptied our savings. It would be good if we could just stay afloat."

"And they dare to ask Lin Xue'er to revive her blood and qi with this? Where do they get the audacity?"

Amidst undisguised laughter and murmurs, Su Jie walked slowly onto the stage, expressionless, and stood in the center of the testing equipment.

He deliberately suppressed the vast, boundless energy within his body, and the numbers on the monitor slowly and laboriously began to rise:

[3]...[4]...[5]...

"Hahaha, he really is a piece of trash!"

"At that speed, even a snail can crawl faster!"

"Lin Xue'er, is this your big blood pack?" The mocking voice grew increasingly harsh.

Looking at the pitiful number, Lin Xue'er couldn't help but curl a mocking smile, and the anger in her heart seemed to ease a lot.

However, just when everyone thought the outcome was certain, a sudden change occurred!

A glint flashed in Su Jie's eyes, and the immense blood and qi that had been suppressed for so long burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam!

Om-!

The testing instrument emitted an unprecedented, sharp, and piercing buzz! The entire instrument even vibrated slightly!

The numbers on the display screen seemed to be frantically manipulated by an invisible hand, and began to soar at an unprecedented speed!

100! 200! 300! 400!