Chapter 36: Top Twenty in the Grade

Tianhai No. 2 High School, Virtual Room

“Is Lin Qi the only one left inside? He’s been in there for so long.”

“How many examiners has he defeated by now—number 5 or 6?”

A group of students gathered curiously around the virtual pod, discussing eagerly.

“Buzz~”

“It’s opening! Lin Qi has come out.”

The door to the virtual pod slid open, and Lin Qi opened his eyes, immediately meeting several pairs of astonished eyes staring at him.

He rose calmly to his feet and glanced around. Chen Zichuan and Yang Lei had already exited.

“Qi, you stayed in the first round for quite a while. How many examiners did you defeat?” Jiang Tao asked eagerly.

“Wait until the results come out, then you’ll know,” Lin Qi replied with a smile.

“Qi, you’re getting sly, teasing us like that,” Jiang Tao shook his head.

Lin Qi’s mind was still replaying the battle. After using the “Mountain-Breaking Spear Technique” to defeat the seventh examiner, he faced the eighth. But the fight lasted less than thirty seconds before he was defeated, even when using his finishing move; he simply wasn’t a match.

The gap was vast—the opponent’s spear technique had already surpassed second-tier and they could use finishing moves as well.

Though he lost, the experience was invaluable. He witnessed a stronger form of the “Mountain-Breaking Spear Technique” and realized there was room for improvement.

As he pondered, Chen Zichuan approached and handed him a bottle of drink.

“Thanks for earlier. It’s my first time using the virtual pod!” Chen Zichuan said gratefully.

“No need to mention it. We’re all from ordinary families and classmates. I’d help anytime,” Lin Qi replied, shaking his head as he accepted the drink.

“That’s right, Chen Zichuan. Helping each other is only right,” Jiang Tao added, patting Chen’s shoulder.

Chen Zichuan nodded silently, smiling. Their bond had subtly deepened.

Not far away, Zhang Cheng watched Lin Qi but then turned his gaze to a tablet.

“Lin Qi’s assessment is over. Let me see how many examiners he defeated.”

He operated the tablet, logging into the Tianhai Education Bureau’s official backend. As an examiner, he had the privilege of previewing assessment data.

“The sixth examiner should be no problem. The seventh was tough, but scoring around 700 is quite good,” Zhang Cheng thought, rapidly refreshing the page as strings of data flickered before his eyes.

Then, his pupils contracted sharply.

“The eighth examiner?”

Zhang Cheng was genuinely shocked. He knew full well that the eighth examiner was already at second-tier level.

When Lin Qi first entered the elite class, he was ranked 45th in the grade, and even learned the “Mountain-Breaking Spear Technique” from him.

He was intimately familiar with Lin Qi’s previous level.

“Good kid. I wasn’t mistaken about you.”

After the initial surprise came a wave of pride. As Lin Qi’s martial arts teacher, Zhang Cheng understood his progress better than anyone.

“I’m looking forward to his ranking this time,” Zhang Cheng smiled.

...

Yu Jing exited the virtual room and quickly glanced toward the adjacent pod.

Seeing that Li Zhou hadn’t come out yet, his expression darkened. They had entered the pods simultaneously, and since Li Zhou hadn’t emerged, he must still be undergoing the martial arts assessment.

By contrast, Yu Jing’s earlier exit clearly showed he was weaker.

Not long after, Li Zhou exited, shaking his head in dissatisfaction.

“Li Zhou, did you defeat the eighth examiner?” Yu Jing asked.

“You guess!” Li Zhou grinned.

“I’m not a kid. What’s there to guess?” Yu Jing’s face darkened.

Li Zhou grinned again and turned away.

“Quiet!”

Zhang Cheng stood up, glanced at the time, and surveyed everyone before speaking slowly:

“After a day of assessments, all test results are complete.”

“Now, everyone return to your classroom and wait for your homeroom teacher to announce the results and rankings.”

Silence.

For a moment, the room fell quiet. Many faces showed signs of tension; heartbeats quickened.

Every ranking was a huge trial—mental pressure weighed heavily on all.

...

Past nine o’clock at night, schools throughout Tianhai City were brightly lit. Countless prodigies were steeped in nervous anticipation.

Meanwhile, the Martial Arts Education Bureau’s backend was frantically compiling scores for comprehensive rankings.

Elite Class Classroom

Everyone sat chatting casually, masking their inner anxiety.

“I’m doomed. I might get kicked out of the elite class.”

“I worked hard for a month. This time, my rank has to rise.”

“At No. 2 Middle School, I was 11th. I should easily make the top 30 in Tianhai City.”

“Top 30? Dream on. Making the top 50 is already a stretch.”

Amid the chatter, homeroom teacher Yan Hong arrived late, her expression calm and unreadable.

She gathered her thoughts and began:

“Students, this month’s Tianhai exam lasted a full day, and all results are now out.”

“The monthly Tianhai exam is crucial every year. It helps you understand your position and identify future goals to strive for.”

“Teacher, let’s just see the results already,” Yu Jing suddenly interrupted Yan Hong.

“That guy…” Jiang Tao showed displeasure.

Lin Qi frowned; Yu Jing’s behavior was excessive.

Yan Hong’s expression shifted slightly, irritation bubbling up, but she suppressed it when facing Yu Jing.

“Alright, no more delay. Let’s look at the results.”

She activated the projector, and a massive screen quickly lit up before everyone.

It displayed an enormous table packed with data—50 avatars, each followed by detailed subject scores and rankings.

All eyes sought their own names eagerly.

Lin Qi was no exception; his sharp eyesight locked on his avatar instantly, revealing his monthly exam results:

Name: Lin Qi
Academic Score: 922 (Rank 1)
Vitality: 820 (Rank 23)
Martial Arts: 700 (Rank 16)
Total Score: 804.4
Grade Rank: 18
City Rank: 288

Lin Qi’s lips curved slightly upward.

He had ranked first academically in the grade, 23rd in vitality, and 16th in martial arts.

In just a month, his vitality had soared from 6.2 in preliminary tests to 8.2—a massive 2.0 improvement.

Besides that, his spear technique had also progressed. He defeated the seventh examiner but was swiftly defeated by the eighth.

The AI had assessed his spear skill at only 800 points, just shy of second-tier.

Scoring 800 purely reflected Lin Qi’s superior combat ability rather than his technique rank.

His grade rank had soared dramatically—from the bottom of the elite class at 45th directly into the top 20.

Next to him, Jiang Tao erupted in laughter, his expression triumphant.

“Haha, I knew it!”

“Seventh in the grade! I made the top ten. I can finally have my own cool nickname.”

Jiang Tao hugged Lin Qi enthusiastically.

“Congratulations, Taozi!”

Lin Qi smiled and congratulated him.

“By the way, Qi, how did you do?”

Snapping out of his excitement, Jiang Tao inquired about Lin Qi’s results.

He looked up at the scoreboard, scanning downward from his own rank until he spotted Lin Qi’s name, a premonition stirring within him.

When he saw the rank, his pupils widened, and he shouted:

“Eighteenth in the grade?”

“Qi, are you defying the heavens?!”

His words sparked a ripple, drawing attention from many classmates.

“Did I see that right? Lin Qi has surpassed me? I was 19th!”

“No way. Lin Qi is so strong? He shot from 45th to 18th!”

More and more in the class turned their eyes to them.

“How did Lin Qi get so powerful?”

Not far off, Zhu Yuqi was equally amazed, gazing at Lin Qi with curiosity.

In the corner, Yang Lei looked pale. His rank was 48th—barely avoiding elimination.

Meanwhile, Lin Qi had skyrocketed into the top 20.

One was soaring high; the other was struggling in the depths.

“I can’t believe I mocked him. I was so stupid!” Yang Lei muttered.

...