Time flew by, and the final day of the mock exam had arrived. Liu Qingshan and the other teachers were already waiting on the stage.
Students had been coming out one after another over the past few days, and their scores were about the same as in previous years.
Wang Jianming was restless, and he frequently took sips of water to calm his nerves.
He was confident in Ling Qingxue and Wu Liang's abilities, but when that old fellow Zhou Wenpeng treated him to dinner earlier, he inadvertently revealed that Chu Yuansheng's magical beast had already broken through to the Second Level early-stage, and that Chu Yuansheng had also learned an advanced martial arts technique.
Upon hearing this, Wang Jianming's heart sank.
He had originally thought that Wu Liang was comparable to a Second Level early-stage beast, and with that kind of strength, taking first place with Ling Qingxue wouldn't be a problem.
But now it seemed that the chance of getting first place against Chu Yuansheng was at most 40%.
"It's alright, my Top Teacher title is still secure!"
Hearing this, Zhou Wenpeng couldn't help but smile.
"Old Wang, this is the first time someone from your class has made it into the top five, okay? Don't make it sound like you actually have a chance to get first place."
Wang Jianming gritted his teeth. "What are you so smug about? This isn't the national martial arts exam. There are still four months left, and the final result is still uncertain!"
"You won't give up until you're completely defeated, huh? Today, I'll show you reality!"
With only one hour left before the secret place closed, everyone began rushing towards the exit.
If they couldn't leave before the secret place closed, their results would be invalid.
Ling Qingxue opened her eyes, a powerful surge of vital energy emanating from her body.
"My vitality value is approaching 490, only one step away from the Second Rank early-stage!"
Give her three more days to refine the Star Spirit, and she could easily reach the Second Rank!
But a moment later, a strange expression appeared on her face.
"How did Wu Liang's spiritual energy increase so much? I clearly picked all the spirit herbs in the herb garden, including the Concentration Flower, which significantly enhances mental strength!"
She currently relied on her spiritual power to overpower Wu Liang.
If even her spiritual power was surpassed, she would have no way to counter him.
Thinking of this, Ling Qingxue immediately rushed towards Wu Liang's location.
Wu Liang was basking leisurely in the warm sunlight.
He had collected enough evolution points; now he was just waiting for the mock exam to end before beginning his third evolution.
"Little Xuexue, we should go out now. I'll let you see your man's handsome face after his evolution!"
After this third evolution, he would definitely "outshine everyone!"
Ling Qingxue frowned slightly. "How did your spiritual energy increase so much?"
Wu Liang leaped onto her shoulder with practiced ease.
"I accidentally ate an Illusionary Divine Tree. The taste wasn't great, a bit astringent, but it boosted my spiritual energy a little."
Ling Qingxue closed her eyes, her heart filled with helplessness.
The Illusionary Divine Tree sounded like a plant, but it was actually a magical beast, a rare one with spiritual attributes, possessing a strong hallucinogenic talent.
She truly hadn't expected to find such a magical beast in this secret place.
Wu Liang's spiritual energy was now approaching 400 points, while she only managed to raise hers to around 440 points after consuming a lot of Concentration Flowers these past few days.
The difference was too small, but thankfully, she still had the high-grade Spirit-Nourishing Pill.
"I need to work harder; otherwise, I won't be able to withstand the rebellion of the Gluttonous Beast!"
......
Outside the secret place, all the teachers were already waiting.
The mock exam results would most likely determine the school's ranking in the upcoming national martial arts exam. Vitality could be improved, but rankings were unlikely to change.
The likelihood of an unexpected dark horse appearing at a time like this was as small as getting pregnant in a public swimming pool.
Gao Yanhua smiled as she looked at Yao Chuyu emerging from the secret place's exit. She was the top student in her class and the most talented Spiritual Master in the entire school.
In high school, physical and spiritual practitioners weren't separated into different classes. Instead, everyone was encouraged to discover their own talents.
Only after entering Martial Arts University would one specialize in a particular path.
"Chuyu, how are your grades? Are you confident you can compete for a top-three spot?" Gao Yanhua asked with a smile.
Chu Yuansheng and Zhao Xin were both First Rank peaks. A top-two was unlikely, especially with the unexpected rise of Ling Qingxue.
Even though Gao Yanhua was confident in Yao Chuyu's strength, she still only dared to ask about the top three.
Yao Chuyu blushed, somewhat embarrassed, and then poured out the limbs of the beasts she had hunted.
"The chances are slim. Teacher, I've let you down."
Gao Yanhua sighed. "It's alright, there are still four months. Do your best. You're specializing as a Spiritual Master. If you can break through to the Second Rank mid-stage, you'll have a chance to get into one of the top thirty universities in the country!"
Yao Chuyu nodded. "I will work hard."
Dean of Students Li Hui began calculating scores.
"Yao Chuyu, Class Two, final year, total score: 770!"
This score would have easily placed her in the top three in previous years, but this year, it was hard to tell.
Not long after, Li Lianshan, Chu Yuansheng, and Zhao Xin came out, followed by Ling Qingxue, who walked out alone.
Wang Jianming quickly went to her.
"Qingxue, how is it? Are you confident?"
Seeing Wang Jianming so nervous, Ling Qingxue's expression softened, and she uttered two words.
"Very confident."
How could she not be? She and Wu Liang had killed almost all the Second Level magical beasts in the secret place.
For anyone else, it would be difficult to surpass a thousand points.
"Li Lianshan, Class Three, final year, total points: 720!"
"Zhao Xin, Class One, final year, total points: 930!"
"Chu Yuansheng, Class One, final year, total points: 1050!"
As Li Hui's voice faded, a cacophony of voices erupted across the playground.
Exceeding 1000 points was arguably Linjiang Middle School's best result in the past five years.
"Brother Chu bagged the first place again. Linjiang Middle School really doesn't have a true contender!"
"Same for three years in a row, no challenge whatsoever…"
Liu Yang, standing nearby, was slightly annoyed as the image of Wu Liang's domineering demeanor still echoed in his mind.
"A thousand points is nothing. My Class Ten's school beauty, Ling, can easily surpass him!"
The guy next to him glanced at Liu Yang with a look of utter disdain.
"Dude, are you an idiot? When did we get this school beauty, Ling? Who acknowledged her? Did your class self-proclaim her?"
This immediately ignited the anger of the Class Ten students.
"Damn, I'll poke your eyes today and show you what geniuses are in Class Ten!"
"You're bragging! I've never seen anyone more talented than Brother Chu in my life!" the man scoffed.
Wang Jianming swallowed his anger, his face regaining its composure.
"Come on, everyone, make way after you've finished calculating your points. Our class hasn't had theirs calculated yet."
Wang Jianming pushed through the crowd, protecting Ling Qingxue as he walked towards Li Hui.
"Old Li, hurry up and bring a few more helpers! Calculating scores with so few people takes too long."
Seeing Wang Jianming's expression, Li Hui was speechless.
The girl was just a First Rank peak. Anyone who didn't know better would think they had a King Rank expert...
"Take out all the parts of the beasts you killed, and we'll calculate your scores."
Ling Qingxue nodded slightly, then opened her storage ring and dumped a pile of bloody beast limbs on the ground.
"It's all here. Please count them, teacher."