piratefiction Chapter 12: Nine Super Universities, Weekly Mini-Test - Speed!
Chapter 12: Nine Super Universities, Weekly Mini-Test - Speed!
12:30.
Hundred Families Banquet Restaurant.
Su Chen had booked a private room in advance, located at the very back on the second floor, with the window facing the pedestrian street outside.
The moment the door opened, Zhang Yan was the first to rush inside.
Wow~
She stood by the table, staring wide-eyed at the table full of dishes.
Steamed sea bass, its body crystal clear, reveals snow-white, garlic-like flesh when poked with chopsticks, steaming hot.
Braised beef brisket with iron spine, the broth is thick and glossy in a dark brown color, the brisket is stewed until tender and flavorful, and it falls apart with just a touch of chopsticks.
The soup with king oyster mushrooms and black-boned chicken is golden in color, with a few goji berries floating on top. The aroma is so rich that it makes your throat feel tight.
Crispy Golden Chicken: The skin is roasted to a golden and glossy color, and it makes a satisfying crunch when you bite into it, while the meat inside is juicy and flavorful.
There were also a few vegetarian dishes and two plates of spirit rice.
"Slurp~" Zhang Yan couldn't help but drool, almost dripping onto the edge of the table. She quickly wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, casually pulled out a chair and sat down. "Not bad!"
Wang Yichuan followed him in, rubbed his hands together, and grinned, revealing a set of white teeth: "Follow Brother Chen, and you'll get some meat!"
Liu Xiangdong sat down silently and adjusted his glasses. Lin Xiyue was the last to enter, quietly sitting down next to Zhang Yan and taking off her tracksuit jacket, draping it over the back of the chair.
Su Chen glanced at Xiao Zi, who was following at his feet.
At that moment, Little Purple smelled the aroma of meat, its tail wagging like a propeller, its nose twitching incessantly, and it kept moving closer to the table.
"Little Purple, go sit over there." Su Chen patted its head and pointed to the pet rest area in the corner.
This restaurant is quite thoughtful; they provide mats and water bowls specifically for guests with pets.
Although Xiao Zi looked unwilling, the aroma of the chicken, fish, and beef on the table was wafting into her nose!
But she still obediently went over and lay down.
A pair of light golden eyes stared intently at the golden chicken on the table, making soft gurgling sounds in its throat.
"Let's eat! Let's eat!" Su Chen plopped down, grabbed a piece of beef brisket, and stuffed it into his mouth, mumbling, "Don't be shy, there's plenty for you today!"
The group didn't stand on ceremony with him and started eating at the same time.
For a moment, the only sounds in the private room were the clinking of bowls and chopsticks and Zhang Yan's muffled "Mmm, delicious!"
......
It took more than ten minutes for the pace to slow down.
Liu Xiangdong took a sip of soup, wiped his mouth with a tissue, and suddenly asked, "If you had to choose from the nine top universities, which one would you most like to go to?"
As soon as the topic was brought up, the atmosphere at the table subtly changed.
Nine top universities.
The top martial arts academies in the Huaxia Federation each have their own unique features.
Those who can get in are all top geniuses from their respective provinces and cities.
Among those present, Wang Yichuan, Lin Xiyue, and Liu Xiangdong all had a chance.
Zhang Yan is still quite far behind, but a top-tier university is still a pretty solid option.
As for Su Chen...
He lowered his head and drank his soup, without saying a word.
Wang Yichuan was the first to speak: "I want to go to Tianshan Academy."
"Tianshan?" Liu Xiangdong pushed up his glasses. "That place isn't safe. Demonic activity has become more and more frequent in recent years. Last month, a small-scale beast tide broke out on the northern slopes of Tianshan, killing quite a few people. You can see it on the news every few days."
"I know." Wang Yichuan's expression was calm. He put down his chopsticks and his tone became serious. "But the more dangerous the place, the more opportunities for training. Tianshan Academy has the highest proportion of practical training among all academies. Every year, we have to go into the mountains to clear out magical beasts at least six times. Other academies can't provide this level of intensity."
"You're such a test-taker!" Zhang Yan pouted. "Couldn't you have chosen a safer place? Jiangnan Academy is pretty good too!"
"Jiangnan is an inland region, too comfortable," Wang Yichuan shook his head. "I'm not doing this for a diploma. I want to pursue higher levels of martial arts—Earthly Origin, Heavenly Martial, Dragon Soaring, and even the tenth realm, the Divine Gate!"
Zhang Yan rolled her eyes at him: "You're too ambitious! A divine gate? That's enough to guard a region! Even the city lord of a large base city might not have that kind of power."
Although Wang Yichuan has an honest appearance and doesn't talk much, his eyes lit up when he talked about this.
"Everyone," he said, "must have dreams!"
"Alright." Liu Xiangdong nodded, offering no further comment, then turned his gaze to Lin Xiyue: "And you?"
Lin Xiyue said softly, "I...I do want to go to Jiangnan Academy."
"Jiangnan?" Su Chen looked up at her.
Jiangnan Academy is located in the heart of southern China and is renowned for its cultivation of spiritual plants and research in spiritual medicine.
While their martial arts skills aren't top-tier among the nine major martial arts schools, their overall rating has consistently remained in the middle range.
"Mm." Lin Xiyue nodded, without explaining much, and took a sip of tea.
Zhang Yan rested her chin on her hand, her eyes darting around: "Sister Xiyue went to Jiangnan, so I'll go to Jiangnan too!"
"You?" Wang Yichuan laughed. "Didn't you say last time you wanted to apply to a prestigious university in the capital?"
"The cutoff scores for universities in the capital are too high, I probably won't get in." Zhang Yan waved her hand confidently, not feeling embarrassed at all. "It's different in Jiangnan, though. If I try hard, maybe I can get in!"
Wang Yichuan and Liu Xiangdong exchanged a glance but neither responded.
Zhang Yan only scored over 630 points, ranking over 400th in the ten-school joint exam, and 67th in her grade at No. 1 Middle School.
In previous years, there have been dark horses who made a comeback during the senior year of high school.
But the possibility is too low!
However, given Zhang Yan's personality, it's not surprising that she would say something like that.
Wang Yichuan then looked at Liu Xiangdong: "What about you? Where do you want to go?"
Liu Xiangdong did not answer immediately, but thought for a while.
"Donghai Academy," he said. "Our Jiangling City is closer to Donghai Academy. In previous years, nearly half of the top students chose Donghai Academy."
His tone gradually became serious: "Furthermore, I believe that the ocean is more than twice the size of the land. Such a vast expanse of sea must harbor extremely powerful entities!"
"The sirens that humanity is currently facing are just the tip of the iceberg!"
He paused, then added, "Do you remember the sirens scourge that was on the news last time? An island outpost on the outskirts of the East China Sea base was swallowed up overnight by a sirens surging up from the seabed. More than two thousand people perished."
The private room fell silent for a moment.
Liu Xiangdong adjusted his glasses, his tone regaining its calm: "Donghai Academy is actually far more dangerous than many people imagine. But danger corresponds to opportunity!"
"The treasures in the sea must be endless!"
As Su Chen listened to their conversation, he silently reviewed the distribution of the nine universities in his mind.
The Imperial Capital Academy, located in the north, is a gathering place for geniuses and boasts the strongest overall strength.
The East Sea Academy is located on the coast and is extremely rich in resources, but it also faces a severe threat from sea monsters.
Tianshan Academy, located in the Northwest, is a place teeming with demons and monsters, and boasts the highest intensity of real combat.
Jiangnan University, located in the southern inland region, is rich in spiritual plants and herbs, making it relatively safe and a hub for research and development talents.
Holy Palace Academy, plateau, border defense line.
The surrounding countries and regions were all occupied by demons, becoming a paradise for demons to breed.
The number of demons in this place is extremely large, and a beast tide breaks out every month. Although the individual strength is not strong, when they surge in, the scene is more terrifying than anywhere else.
The mortality rate is the highest among the nine universities!
There are four other institutions: Zhongyuan Academy, Beihai Academy, Nanhai Academy, and South China Academy.
Each one is located in the largest base city in a different region of the Huaxia Federation, and each has its own style and advantages.
As Su Chen listened, he realized that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.
The minimum admission score for the nine universities is 680 or above.
Even with his exceptional performance, he only scored 534 points.
That's a full 150 points short!
This gap cannot be bridged with a little effort; it is the result of overwhelming superiority in talent, resources, and time.
but...
Su Chen took a sip of soup and his gaze fell on the semi-transparent virtual panel in front of him.
[Energy Points: 23]
【Shadowless Step Lv3 (183/3000)】
There are still nine months until the college entrance examination!
The cheat software worked wonders!
There's still a very good chance.
Even if I fail the exam, with this cheat code... I'll eventually soar to great heights!
Once you get into one of the nine prestigious universities, you'll find that there are countless talented people out there.
I'm considered above average in Development Zone No. 7, but I'm not good enough in Jiangling City.
Even at the top nine universities, it's at the very bottom!
"However, for me, getting into one of the nine top universities is definitely a fantastic opportunity!"
Su Chen thought to himself.
"My kind of cheat code needs talented people. The more talented people gather in a place, the greater my room for growth!"
Moreover, he knew that the university would completely lift the restrictions on beast taming.
The better the university, the more it encourages students to raise their own pets or comrades-in-arms!
This is a truly life-saving entity that can greatly reduce the student casualty rate.
"In terms of beast taming, my cheat code gives me an even more exaggerated advantage!!!"
"Making up for the lack of individual combat strength should not be a problem at all."
He didn't dwell on it any longer, but instead turned his attention to Wang Yichuan's control panel.
A semi-transparent virtual interface floated beside Wang Yichuan, with a list of skills displayed before his eyes.
Wang Yichuan
skill:
.......
Seven Star Fist Lv1 (632/1000): Seven layers of power stacked together; when mastered, it can pierce armor with a single punch.
Snowwalking Without a Trace Lv1 (545/1000): A lightness skill that allows one to walk without touching the ground or leaving a trace.
Wind and Thunder Palm Lv1 (318/1000): A palm technique with both wind and thunder attributes, requiring the corresponding acupoints for both wind and thunder to be activated simultaneously.
Su Chen's gaze lingered on those advanced skills for a long time.
Seven Star Fist, Snow-Treading Without a Trace, Wind and Thunder Palm...
These martial arts techniques are the essence that the Federation has selected and preserved through layers of screening, and each one has its own unique features.
However, the learning curve for these techniques is much steeper than that for basic martial arts like Shadowless Step and Iron Shirt.
Taking the Seven Star Fist as an example, the first level requires activating seven specific acupoints on the arm.
The difficulty of activating these seven acupoints is at least five times higher than that of activating the first seven acupoints of the Shadowless Step!
Su Chen has only mastered the second level of the Shadowless Step, let alone the Seven Star Fist.
However, his cheat has one extremely buggy feature...
He doesn't need to activate those acupoints himself.
He only needs to feel them.
When the Seven Star Fist is activated by the projection in the learning machine, spiritual energy will naturally flow through those seven acupoints.
Even without activating those acupoints, Su Chen could still "feel" their location, direction, and method of exertion.
This is equivalent to...
When others learn a highly difficult martial art, they first need to spend several years slowly exploring and activating the corresponding acupoints, and then spend several more years researching and developing their strength and techniques.
He, on the other hand, can skip the most time-consuming stage of "opening acupoints" and learn the "feeling" of martial arts first.
That's equivalent to saving more than half the time!
"It's a pity..." Su Chen sighed, "Wang Yichuan's advanced skills are only at Lv1, and he's still exploring them himself. Even if I learn from him, the effect will be limited."
If I could contract a master of the Seven Star Fist, even if they were only level 3, that feeling...
Su Chenguang felt a sense of exhilaration just thinking about it.
He was making plans when suddenly...
Several cell phones on the table vibrated at the same time.
buzz~
Liu Xiangdong was the first to pick up his phone, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow: "A message from the school."
Su Chen also picked up his phone; the screen lit up, and a notification popped up:
[Notice from the Senior Three Grade Group of Jiangling No.1 High School:]
Tonight's evening self-study session (19:00-22:00) will be the first on-campus mock exam of the fifth week of this semester for all senior high school students.
Assessment subject: Six martial arts disciplines - speed.
See the attachment for details.
Open the attachment; the content is minimal:
[Assessment Item: 3km run (without weights)]
Assessment Location: On-campus martial arts training ground
考核时间：按班级分批进行（普通班19：00-20：30，重点班20:40-22:00）
Assessment Instructions: The results of this assessment will be included in the school's grade for this semester.
All participants will receive basic resource rewards, and the top performers in each group will receive additional cultivation resources (see reward plan for details).
Please arrive early to warm up.
"Speed Test!"
Wang Yichuan couldn't help but glance at Su Chen.
Su Chen also put down his phone, remaining outwardly calm, but inwardly he was already rapidly calculating.
Jiangling No.1 Middle School's internal points system is a very mature management mechanism.
Every weekday quiz, weekly test, monthly test, final exam, and various competition will award points based on the results and rankings.
Points can be redeemed for elixirs, spiritual materials, and cultivation manuals in the school's resource library.
Furthermore, if you accumulate enough, you can even apply for an extremely precious spirit pearl!
In the weekday quizzes, the rewards for the top performers and the bottom performers are not significantly different on a single test.
But... there were too many mini-assessments!
At least fifteen times a month! Sometimes even thirty or forty times, with tests every day.
Small differences accumulate and the gap will snowball.
At the end of last semester, Jiang Wei, who ranked first in the grade, earned enough resources through points redemption to equal the total resources earned by ten students in the top class in a year.
Resources are more important than talent!
If it weren't for Su Chen's wealthy family background, it would be uncertain whether he could score 400 points with his current aptitude.
Zhang Yan pouted, looking unhappy, and said, "Why is it a speed test again? Can't we have a strength test?"
"We're martial artists, after all. When we're out training and encounter strange beasts, are we supposed to race them?"
"snort!"
Hearing this and seeing Zhang Yan's depressed look, Su Chen couldn't help but laugh.
He lowered his head, glanced at the notification on his phone, and then his consciousness sank into the pet space.
[Little Purple's 100km Run: 47/100]
"Currently, it restores five energy points per hour and consumes about six energy points per hour."
"As long as we complete this task, we can at least guarantee that we won't lack energy points for the next two days."
"There are still more than eight hours until tonight's assessment."
What ranking can we expect?
Su Chen silently calculated in his mind.
Eight minutes and seven seconds, what level would that be considered in the entire grade?
There are more than 1,200 students in the senior year of Jiangling No.1 High School.
The top class costs 400, and the regular class costs 800.
In this joint exam, Su Chen ranked 273rd in the school in the speed test, with more than 30 students sharing the same score.
"This time, our school's average score in speed-related subjects is second to last among the ten schools."
"I guess that's why this week's quiz tested speed..."
Given the appetite of martial artists, the food on the table was completely wiped clean.
"Burp~"
Zhang Yan let out a burp without any regard for her image.
Su Chen felt his muscles and bones aching all over; if he ran again, his time would definitely be lower than before.
He looked at Wang Yichuan and said, "You ran too intensely this morning. How about we practice some real combat this afternoon?"
Wang Yichuan nodded: "I'm fine!"
Su Chen was also curious about the standards of the practical sparring in Mission Two.
If the requirements aren't too high, this task will probably be completed faster than Task 1!
Dragon and Elephant Bone Strengthening Pill! This stuff is rare; you can't just buy it with money.
They are usually awarded to gifted students through special channels or as a reward from the school.
On the surface, each one sells for only 30,000.
"But in reality, even with an offer of 50,000, it's not easy to buy."
"Precious martial arts resources are all under control!"
"Besides this, there's also... the Skill Stone - Kirin Arm."
Su Chen was quite looking forward to skill stones.