Starry Sky Professional

The sky was clear and bright, without a single cloud.

At Yucai High School, a wave of high school seniors emerged from the examination rooms, some with dejected faces, others with nervous expressions.

"Fang Xing...the last big question..."

Ouyang Qianqian spoke anxiously, eager to compare answers.

"Regarding the translation of that 'Ushuru Language,' I think the original meaning should be..."

Fang Xing smiled subtly and directly provided the correct answer.

"It's over...I got it wrong."

Bailang, who overheard, couldn't help but feel disheartened.

"Shoot, I forgot to add that part..."

Ouyang Qianqian's face also paled at this realization.

"How did you solve the second-to-last question?"

"I might have..."

A group of students gathered around, their expressions growing increasingly troubled, gradually turning into a sea of dismay.

This year's literature exam questions were indeed exceptionally difficult.

Fang Xing was the only one with an unchanged expression. After all, he had reached the fourth stage in martial arts cultivation, honing his spiritual and mental abilities. If he were still troubled by such trivial questions, then no professional could measure up.

Ding ding!

Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a communication request.

Upon checking it, he saw it was from Song Jingang.

"Hello...Xiao Song, are you also looking to compare answers with me?"

Fang Xing answered the call with a chuckle.

"Boss...you're joking, right? Do we even need to compare answers? I wanted to ask, when are you planning to set off to Blue Star? Let's go together,"

Song Jingang conveyed his request.

“Hmm, it's on the way.”

Fang Xing nodded. Song Jingang, with his family background, was preparing to apply to the Azure Star Public Safety University, which was also headed to Azure Star.

“Alright, I'll buy the ticket for tomorrow… we'll be on the same bus and schedule, together.”

After saying this, he asked, “Are you confident about the martial arts exam this afternoon?”

“Heh, to be honest, boss, I've been training hard for a year and finally broke through the fourth realm...” Song Jingang chuckled. “I'll first try for Blue Star University. If I can't make it, then Azure Star Public Safety University will do…”

“You've broken through?”

Fang Xing pondered and figured it was expected.

Without him, Song Jingang would have been the actual chief of Chickadee Star, a talent whose aptitude needed no further discussion.

A year ago, he was already in the Jade state. After a whole year of diligent study, he should have broken through.

‘Hmm? Perhaps some influential company or private sponsor provided support and subsidies… with rare resources, breakthroughs are even easier.’

Fang Xing thought silently and hung up the phone.

The Azure Federation's entrance exam is only one day long. The morning is for liberal arts, where all academic subjects are required to be completed within a few hours.

The afternoon is the martial arts exam!

On the sports field, Fang Xing looked at the massive warehouse delivered by air and couldn't help but take a deep breath, “What a huge investment…”

This was the simulation exam warehouse, equipped with numerous holographic simulation pods, highly valuable, and therefore many members from the Prevention and Security Bureaus patrolled it, their eyes sharp.

“This exam uses the Federation's latest holographic simulation pods… it's said that the realism level has reached 99%… enough to simulate most martial arts intents.”

In a flash, Xia Long arrived beside Fang Xing, “In this entrance exam, get as many points as you can… the higher, the better. Whether I can reach Martial Gold Core depends on you.”

He had damaged his mental essence in the battle against the ‘Eye of the Moon’ and needed a Source Sea-level treatment pod for a full recovery.

After Xia Long retired, he taught at Yucai High School, accumulating merits and contributions.

If he could also gain the honor of teaching a student who enters a top-tier university, he could undoubtedly secure the qualification!

“This is just the unified exam, there are still the individual school exams later…”

Fang Xing rolled his eyes and asked, "Teacher, what score do you think we should aim for?"

Xia Long pondered for a moment, "The final exam has a thousand points for humanities and a thousand for martial arts... The total score amounts to two thousand. Historically, the benchmark for college admissions has usually been at least nine hundred in humanities and six hundred in martial arts, totaling fifteen hundred points. That's for ordinary universities. For a first-tier university, you need at least eighteen hundred. For top-tier ones, it's hard to say, especially with the various bonus points available."

Awakening a top-level ability or showing remarkable talent in mecha, medicine, or research can earn you extra points.

Especially for research talents! The additional points are the most generous!

Mecha engineering, secret realm studies, advanced weaponry, and pharmaceutical development all require researchers. Genuine research talents are often afforded extra points and special admissions without needing to risk their lives in martial arts."

"The holographic simulation pod will scan your entire body data to give a base score... Then, face opponent after opponent. Defeat one, and you get bonus points... In any case, try your best to last until the end." Xia Long patted Fang Xing on the shoulder.

Lu Guangming arrived at the field, his gaze scrutinizing the entire scene. His eyes lingered on Fang Xing for a moment, carrying a hint of anticipation.

...

"The exam begins! Candidates, please enter in an orderly fashion!"

Under the guidance of the proctoring teachers, Fang Xing and the others walked into the massive warehouse, only to see rows of silver-white pods, similar to incubators, lying there side by side.

Beep! Beep!

The virtual pod closed, plunging the surroundings into silence and darkness, with a tinge of coldness.

Silver-blue light flickered, scanning Fang Xing's entire body.

Mechanical voices emerged in his ears:

【Beep, Biometric ID WYX18829649..., Certified Professional 'Martial Artist', Candidate ID 4JD7WJ50HBW6..., your exam is about to start!】

【Physical condition: perfect, no hidden injuries, evaluation: Excellent!】

【No forbidden substances from the Federation detected...】

【Physical fitness, evaluation: Excellent!】

【Overall evaluation: S!】

【You received a base score: 400!】

【The practical combat assessment is about to begin. Note, any harm you experience in the virtual world is ineffective... Select your opponent: Warrior!】

"Is being a martial artist my only option? If I were a psychic or a mecha master, wouldn’t I have the choice between being a martial artist, mecha master, or psychic?"

Fang Xing didn't really have any options; he could only choose to be a martial artist.

【The random virtual battlefield has been generated!】

Accompanied by a mechanical voice, Fang Xing's eyes brightened.

When he appeared again, he found himself on a verdant grassland.

Standing opposite him was a martial artist, his physique strong, with skin as smooth as jade and muscles as hard as iron. Suddenly, he let out a roar and charged forward.

Bang!

Fang Xing raised his right hand, easily catching the punch: "Perfect mastery of the first realm? Who do they think they're looking down on?"

He exerted a bit more force, causing the martial artist to stagger back with the sound of cracking bones—it broke under pressure!

"Hmm? The injury was lighter than I anticipated. Is it due to the force-negating effect of 'Jade Skin Mystical Flesh'?"

Fang Xing yawned, casually striking with a hand chop.

A flash of blade light, and his opponent's head flew high, the 'Jade Skin Mystical Flesh' unable to withstand the deadly slash!

【First stage cleared, bonus 100 points, moving to the second stage, random virtual battlefield has been generated!】

The mechanical voice echoed, this time placing him in an ancient temple.

Opposite him stood a muscled, wild monk brandishing an iron staff, roaring like a madman, his muscles bulging and perspiring like a serpent's crawl. The iron staff thundered down like a storm!

"Perfect mastery of the second realm, with 'Willow Tendons Steel Bones'... and... is this A-rank martial arts—the Mad Demon Staff Technique?"

Fang Xing realized that each opponent was likely a representative of the perfected level of that realm! Federally accredited second realm martial artists could learn A-rank martial arts!

"But damn, this guy's already proficient in the Mad Demon Staff Technique, right? Or in other words, at least at 'expert' level proficiency!"

He blinked, aware that, faced with this opponent, every senior at Yu Cai High School, apart from himself, would be knocked out with a single staff blow, no need for a second!

"These college entrance exams sure are challenging..."

Fang Xing sighed, reached out his hand, and plunged it into the overwhelming shadow of staff strikes.

With a dull thud resounding in the air, akin to a flagging leather drum.

Fang Xing reached out, snatching away the iron rod with a swift move.

The brawny monk opposite him let out a roar, fearlessly charging forward. His entire body became a lethal weapon, from shoulders and elbows to fists, feet, and even his teeth.

"Grade A martial art — The Rampant Eighteen Strikes!"

With casual ease, Fang Xing swung the rod, shattering the monk's head.

[Second stage complete, 100 bonus points awarded. Now commencing the third stage, random virtual battlefield generated!]

The mechanical voice echoed once more.

"Only a hundred points? Just like before. Exams are like this; once you reach a certain score, advancing even a point or two becomes tough..."

Fang Xing mused nonchalantly, "My martial arts score is already 600, sufficient for university entry, right?"

"In the future, when Gu Yu takes her exam, her skills might be uncertain, but her level will at least be flawless... The guardian of this stage is only at the peak of the second level; even if her martial skills are slightly lacking, she can wear them down with her level... This is the caliber of a university candidate."

Just as he pondered this, the scene shifted, and he emerged in the ruins of a city.

"The guardian of this third stage should be at the flawless level, as for martial skills... A Pearl Martial Artist from the Blue Star Federation would have the qualification to learn S-rank martial arts. Whether they succeed or not is another matter, but it is indeed possible..."

Fang Xing's expression turned slightly serious.

With a bang, a wall in the ruins exploded, revealing a black-clad swordsman.

A true aura emanated from his body, faintly converging to form the semblance of a deity.

In his hand was a three-foot black sword, seemingly absorbing all surrounding light. At this moment, the sword swept forward like a dragon, resembling a heavenly being descended, exuding an aura of true martial demon-slaying intent!

S-rank martial art — True Martial Demon-Slaying Sword!

The sword's radiance surged, like a black dragon barreling toward Fang Xing with the speed of a lightning strike, yet it met with a gigantic golden hand, causing the sword energy to shatter into fragments like waves crashing against rocky shores.

With a flick of his fingers, Fang Xing sent the dark long sword soaring skywards, and then with a gentle tap, touched the brow of the black-clad swordsman.

The swordsman dressed in black felt a hot, red mark bloom on his forehead. His entire form toppled backward...

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(End of Chapter)