[Final Rankings — Jiangcheng Martial Arts College Entrance Exam]
[1st Place: Xu Jingming — 11,124 Points (Jiangcheng No. 2 High School)]
[2nd Place: Zhou Mingyang — 1,233 Points (Jiangcheng First High School)]
[3rd Place: Wu Hao — 1,045 Points (Jiangcheng First High School)]
[...]
At exactly 9:00 PM, the final rankings of the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam were officially confirmed.
Xu Jingming secured first place, his score nearly ten times higher than the runner-up.
Zhou Mingyang, once the favourite to win, ultimately had to settle for second place.
As the exam concluded, candidates began emerging from the Ruined Town one after another.
Aside from sharing stories of their battles, nearly every conversation revolved around a single name—
Xu Jingming.
"Over ten thousand points! That's insane!"
"I'm in the same class as Xu Jingming. Would you believe me if I told you he only has an E-Rank Ability?"
"An E-Rank Ability? Stop joking! Could an E-Rank Ability really crush someone with a B-Rank Ability by that much?!"
"..."
Every time a student from Xu Jingming's class mentioned that his ability was originally E-Rank, the reaction was always disbelief.
Time passed slowly.
Most candidates had already exited the examination zone.
Only those who had ventured deeper into the ruined town remained inside.
Naturally—
Xu Jingming was among the last.
However, those who had exited didn't immediately board the buses to leave.
Instead, they remained where they stood.
Waiting.
They all wanted to see—
The genius who had scored over ten thousand points.
While waiting, speculation spread rapidly.
"Last year, the highest score in Jiangnan Province was just over eight thousand. With over ten thousand points, he's definitely the Provincial Champion!"
"You never know. Another monster might appear from another city."
"Maybe… but even then, Top Three in Jiangnan Province is guaranteed!"
"Top Three in Jiangnan Province… that's glory for our entire Jiangcheng!"
"Our city finally produced a true genius!"
"..."
Jiangcheng had always been economically weak, ranking near the bottom among the dozens of prefecture-level cities in Jiangnan Province.
In national-level rankings—
It had long remained obscure.
Most years, one would have to scroll past the hundredth place just to find a candidate from Jiangcheng.
But this year—
Everything was different.
Xu Jingming's 11,000+ points gave him a genuine chance to claim the Provincial Champion title.
Even if he fell short—
Top Three was guaranteed.
And when that happened—
Jiangcheng's name would resound across the province.
Because of Xu Jingming.
That was why the Director of Education, Zhang Wenshan, along with numerous principals and teachers, had already left the stands.
They now stood at the exit of the examination hall, waiting personally for Xu Jingming to emerge.
Out on the plaza, excitement spread like wildfire.
Some students from Class 5 of Second High School were even boasting loudly about how close they had been with Xu Jingming.
Among them—
Liu Jie, who had always maintained a good relationship with Xu Jingming, was practically glowing with excitement.
---
"Qiqi… is this Xu Jingming really your cousin?"
Among the First High School students stood Xiaoya, the girl who had previously shown little interest in Xu Jingming at the Thunder Dojo.
Now—
Her bright eyes sparkled as she clung to Tang Qi's arm.
"For goodness' sake, you've asked me three times already."
Tang Qi rolled her eyes.
"I can't be absolutely certain… but it's very likely him."
"Alright! I believe you!"
Xiaoya nodded eagerly.
Then she grabbed Tang Qi's arm and began shaking it playfully.
"My dearest friend… could you give me your cousin's contact information?"
"Why do you suddenly want his contact info now?" Tang Qi teased.
"Yesterday you weren't interested at all."
"Times change!"
Xiaoya replied confidently.
"Yesterday he was just someone with an E-Rank Ability…"
"Today, he's Number One in Jiangcheng!"
"Different status, different treatment!"
Hearing her shamelessly honest reasoning—
Tang Qi was momentarily speechless.
This girl really switched sides fast.
Just as she was about to respond—
A loud shout suddenly rang out:
"Xu Jingming is coming out!"
Instantly—
The entire plaza fell into complete silence.
Everyone turned toward the entrance of the ruined town.
From the dim shadows—
A tall figure slowly emerged.
It was Xu Jingming.
He wore black battle armour, stained with blood.
His expression remained calm.
A two-metre-long spear rested across his back.
The Black Radiance Spear, now battered and scarred, silently testified to the brutal battles he had endured.
---
"Xu Jingming—welcome back."
Zhang Wenshan, Director of the Education Bureau, stepped forward first.
He began clapping loudly.
Soon—
Principals and teachers from every school joined in.
But compared to the adults—
The students were far more enthusiastic.
"Xu Jingming, congratulations!"
"You've brought glory to our entire cohort!"
"You're incredible!"
"..."
Had the difference been merely 100 or 200 points, jealousy might have surfaced.
But a difference of over ten thousand points?
That wasn't competition.
That was domination.
And now—
Xu Jingming didn't just represent himself.
He represented the entire City of Jiangcheng.
The cheers intensified.
Some bold girls even shouted confessions of admiration on the spot.
Faced with such overwhelming noise—
Xu Jingming stood slightly stunned.
The roaring cheers blurred into a single buzzing hum.
He couldn't make out individual words.
He had never imagined—
That after the exams—
He would receive such a grand welcome.
"It really is dazzling…"
Not far behind him—
Zhou Mingyang, who had also just exited, watched the scene with faint envy in his eyes.
Still—
He understood.
Even if he had ranked first—
He wouldn't have received such overwhelming praise.
Because he hadn't scored over ten thousand points.
---
"All candidates, please board the buses. You will be transported to the city centre…"
After more than a minute, the cheers gradually faded.
Commander Wang stepped forward to organize the departure.
As for Xu Jingming—
The principal had personally arranged a private car to take him home.
This left many Class 5 students deeply disappointed—
They had hoped to ride the same bus as him.
---
Inside the car…
City lights streaked past the window.
Xu Jingming sat in the back seat.
Driving the vehicle—
Was none other than Principal Zhao Yao himself.
Normally, the principal had a dedicated driver.
Yet now—
Not only was he driving personally—
He wore a wide smile, completely unconcerned with appearances.
"Xu Jingming… have you decided which Ability University you'll attend?"
Zhao Yao asked eagerly.
"No."
Xu Jingming shook his head.
He spoke truthfully.
Since arriving in this world—
His only focus had been:
Grow stronger.
Score higher.
He had never seriously considered which university to attend.
"With your results, you can enter any university in the nation!"
Principal Zhao Yao sounded even more excited than Xu Jingming.
"Including the Three Top Universities!"
He paused slightly.
"By the way—you do know which three those are, right?"
Xu Jingming nodded.
The Great Xia Nation possessed a strong martial culture.
Not only was the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam broadcast nationwide—
But thousands of Ability Universities also competed annually in a national league.
Among these thousands of institutions—
Three universities had dominated the top rankings for over two centuries.
They were:
Qingjing Ability University
Magic City Ability University
Jincheng Ability University
Each of them possessed:
— Over 200 years of history
— Vast educational resources
— Instructors who were at least Tier 6 Ability Users
Standing high above all others—
These three universities were known as:
The Three Supreme Universities.
The ultimate academic sanctuaries.
The dream destinations of countless examinees across the nation.