Translator: CinderTL
One o'clock in the morning.
Rooftop terrace.
Huff!
Huff! Huff! Hah!
A figure flickered incessantly, punctuated by muffled grunts.
He threw punches, struck with his elbows, and kicked with seamless fluidity, each movement flowing into the next without the slightest hesitation.
Every strike left a dull thud in the air.
Whoosh! The figure darted across the space.
The practice session was reaching its climax. His speed, inner strength, and spiritual resonance were steadily escalating.
As all these elements peaked...
Huff!
Jiang Ye suddenly stomped his foot, launching himself into the air. His leg swung out like a heavy sword drawn from its sheath, cleaving downward.
Boom!
Jiang Ye's kick struck a stone pillar.
Pale silver starlight erupted in a fleeting, dazzling flash against the pitch-black night sky.
Crack! A visible fissure split the pillar's surface.
Huff.
Jiang Ye retracted his leg and stood upright, slowly cooling down.
He gazed at the pillar.
Beside the new crack was a smaller one he had left yesterday.
A faint smile touched his lips. "A little more progress than yesterday."
The final sprint before the College Entrance Examination.
Even a slight improvement could mean surpassing tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of other candidates.
"One o'clock in the morning," Jiang Ye glanced at the time. "Time to head back."
He rose and walked toward the stairwell.
Buzz! Buzz!
Just then, Jiang Ye's communicator watch vibrated.
"Li Zhichao?" Jiang Ye murmured, slightly surprised to see the caller ID.
Beep. He answered the call.
"Jiang Ye, are you still awake?"
"Just about to go to sleep," Jiang Ye replied. "What's up?"
Li Zhichao groaned. "I can't sleep! It's so frustrating. The exam's tomorrow, and I'm still wide awake. What am I going to do?"
Jiang Ye immediately understood.
College Entrance Examination insomnia.
"Don't stress," Jiang Ye said with a chuckle. "The College Entrance Examination is just like our monthly exams. Treat it like any other test."
"I know, but I still can't sleep," Li Zhichao sighed.
"If you really can't sleep, get up and cultivate," Jiang Ye suggested. "Missing one night of sleep won't hurt."
"Yeah, I guess I won't bother trying to sleep anymore."
Li Zhichao suddenly asked, "Jiang Ye, I heard you took the Cosmic Certification. How did it go? Did you pass?"
"I passed," Jiang Ye replied without hesitation.
"Wow, that's amazing!" Li Zhichao said enviously. "I heard that certification can boost your strength a lot."
"Maybe you'll even surpass the class monitor on tomorrow's exam!"
"Haha, thanks for the good luck!"
Jiang Ye laughed. "I wish you the best too! Aim for the twenty-five school alliance!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Jiang Ye, I won't bother you any longer," Li Zhichao said. "Go get some sleep."
"Alright."
Jiang Ye hung up and gazed out at the pitch-black nightscape beyond the balcony.
Ancheng, nestled in a small mountain valley and surrounded by peaks on all sides, was a modest town with little in the way of a vibrant nightlife.
Yet in the early hours of this morning, Jiang Ye noticed lights still burning in a few homes.
"On the eve of the College Entrance Examination, how many must be losing sleep?" he mused inwardly.
Li Zhichao was likely not alone in his anxiety.
Twelve years of arduous study, three years of relentless training—
The pivotal moment in their lives.
Everything would be revealed today.
For many examinees, tonight was destined to be a sleepless one.
"Fortunately, I have the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder," Jiang Ye thought, glancing at his system panel.
[Low-Martial Achievement System]
[Physique: Profound Physique (Upper D-tier)]
[Cultivation Techniques]
[Star Martial Cultivation Method: Perfection]
[Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist: Perfection]
[Star Martial Advancement Method: Small Success (30%)]
[Nine Luminaries Star-Treading: Uninitiated (5%)]
[Achievements]
[Martial Arts Grandmaster, Patriarch's Friend, Exterminate Demons and Uphold Justice, Foot Dao Is Also Dao]
[Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder]
[Third Layer]
"In just two days, my legwork technique has improved by 5%."
"The Star Martial Advancement Method has also made significant progress," Jiang Ye said with a smile.
Three months ago, he had been genuinely anxious about the College Entrance Examination.
But as the exam drew closer, his mindset had become increasingly relaxed.
The College Entrance Examination wasn't about immediate results.
Composure in critical moments stemmed from daily persistence and effort.
Now, Jiang Ye possessed the confidence to face this pivotal turning point in his life.
"Time to go home," Jiang Ye said, stepping into the stairwell.
Tonight, he would once again spend his time in the Martial Dao Heavenly Ladder.
June 7, 2326, 8:00 AM.
Throughout Ancheng, the city's roads echoed with the blare of traffic police sirens.
For this small city, the College Entrance Examination was a paramount event. On this day, examinees received special treatment: police escorts led the way, and traffic officers escorted candidates to their exam venues.
Throughout the city, martial arts experts from the police and Shadow Hunting Bureau patrolled, radiating formidable Martial Dao Aura.
In previous years, the Hidden God Organization had occasionally attempted to disrupt the exams.
Today, Ancheng was under maximum alert.
Ensure all candidates complete the examination smoothly.
At Jiang Ye's home:
"Xiao Ye, don't be nervous during the exam," Jiang Dahai advised. "Just perform as usual."
"I know," Jiang Ye nodded.
These were essentially empty words, but as a parent, Jiang Dahai felt compelled to say them.
Li Anping added, "Xiao Ye, focus on the exam. When you get back tonight, Mom will make you a big feast."
"Brother!"
Jiang Ting ran over, grabbed his hand, and grinned. "What do you want to eat? Mom and I are going to the supermarket later, and we'll get all your favorites!"
"Just get whatever you like. I'll eat whatever you eat," Jiang Ye said, pinching the little girl's cheek.
"No, no!" Jiang Ting shook her head playfully. "I only want to buy what my brother likes."
"I love beef," Jiang Ye said with a helpless smile, giving in to her.
"Okay, I'll remember that!"
Jiang Ting smiled sweetly, her big, dark eyes sparkling. "Good luck on the College Entrance Examination, Brother! May you achieve top honors!"
The little girl had really grown up a lot—she was even using idioms now.
Jiang Ye chuckled and pinched her delicate cheek again, making her blush.
After finishing breakfast, Jiang Ye left home and set out for the College Entrance Examination.
His examination venue was Ancheng Third High School, his own school.
At the school gate, several fully armed police officers guarded the examination entrance.
Jiang Ye approached the gate and performed identity authentication on the smart screen.
Beep!
"Authentication successful!" The gate opened.
Gazing at the familiar campus, Jiang Ye took a deep breath and strode forward.
The 2326 Blue Star Federation Unified College Entrance Examination had officially begun.
The morning was dedicated to cultural subjects.
The afternoon focused on the Martial Arts Four-Part Assessment.
This day was both long, encompassing over a decade of countless individuals' efforts, and fleeting, passing in the blink of an eye compared to the preceding years.
As the day drew to a close, it marked the perfect conclusion to this generation's youth.
From this moment forward, the young would no longer be children.
The destinies of countless individuals would diverge.
June 9, 2326.
This day was destined to be special.
For on this day, the Blue Star Federation would gradually release the official score cutoffs.
The College Entrance Examination scores had been released!
(End of the Chapter)