Temporarily Ranked First

The corridor was flanked by cold metal walls, the overhead lights slightly harsh to the eyes.

Though this was only the 20% foundational test phase, a strong start could create an intangible "momentum."

Over the years, there had been cases where candidates outperformed from the very first test, gaining unstoppable momentum like a bamboo split by a sharp blade.

Zone E was the exclusive testing ground for Card Bearers.

To the left stood a heavy-duty force-measuring machine with a reinforced metal target surface.

In the center lay an agility testing area dotted with sensor-activated light points.

To the right hovered an energy detection device emitting an eerie blue glow.

Four uniformed proctors, their examiner badges pinned to their chests, stood sternly by the equipment, meticulously verifying something.

At the edge of the field, five candidates had already completed their tests.

Yet none chose to leave—all had silently agreed to stay and observe the others' performances.

After all, the Combat Exam had no concept of "cheating."

Even if someone showed you their results, replicating them was impossible.

At that moment, a male candidate was undergoing testing—likely Examinee E6.

He wore a distinct dark-blue custom uniform, sleek in design with silver accents tracing his shoulders.

"Force test—prepare!"

The proctor overseeing the recording called out.

Examinee E6 clenched his right fist, his soul energy surging instantly as a pale cyan glow enveloped his arm—likely the activation of a skill enhancement.

He stepped forward, lowering his center of gravity as power coiled through his spine into his arm. After three seconds of buildup, the force concentrated into his knuckles.

With a sharp whistling sound, his fist slammed into the impact pad of the force-measuring pillar.

"BOOM—!"

A dull thunderclap reverberated through the testing hall.

The numerical display above the pillar flickered rapidly before settling on a staggering value:

"Force: 7,880 kg!"

Gasps rippled through the observation area.

"Seven-eighty?! That’s nearly eight metric tons!"

"What kind of monster is this?"

"Is he Tier Six?"

"Must be. Did you see that custom gear? Tier Four and weaker Tier Fives wouldn’t even stand a chance."

"Still, that’s absurd. Wasn’t Jiangxia’s top force-test record last year just eight thousand?"

Despite the impressive number, three of the four proctors shook their heads in disapproval.

The reason was simple:

The wind-up was far too long.

In real combat, no enemy would give him three seconds to charge a punch.

This was precisely why the Combat Exam had been reformed.

It was like boasting about max-damage combos—except no one asked whether those combos were even feasible in battle.

In previous years, when the "Source-Realm Duel" wasn’t part of the exam, test scores alone determined 40% of the outcome.

Back then, the culture wasn’t as corrupted. But recently, unscrupulous vendors had emerged, bundling cards optimized for "static tests" at exorbitant prices.

They marketed them as the "Holy Trinity for Combat Exams"—useless in actual fights but devastating on practice dummies.

Even if such candidates faltered in sparring, their total scores might still rank decently.

Examinee E6 seemed deaf to the murmurs and stares, his expression unreadable as he calmly moved to the next station.

"Agility test—prepare. Begin!"

Compared to force measurement, agility testing was far more intricate.

A hundred-meter corridor.

The task was to sprint through at full speed while dodging red lasers shooting from all directions and hitting the floating blue light points by any means necessary.

The moment the command was given, his figure moved.

"Dodge rate: 81%"

"Hit rate: 82%"

"Average reaction time: 0.086 seconds"

"Speed: 19.8 m/s!"

Another result that caused a stir.

"Five seconds for a hundred meters?! Without interference, he could easily hit 25 m/s!"

"Strong in strength, and now this speed? How are we supposed to compete?"

"Don’t panic, there’s still one more round."

Someone muttered under their breath, but the tone lacked confidence.

"Who is he? Never heard of anyone like this in Jiangxia before."

"A transfer student, apparently from the capital."

"Disgusting. Couldn’t cut it in the local competition, so he comes here to stomp on weaker players."

"You admitting you’re weak? The strong exist to dominate the weak..."

Though Jiangxia was a first-tier city, in all of Great Xia, the capital was undeniably where the most resources and geniuses were concentrated.

To put it bluntly, some saw people from Jiangxia as nothing more than "outsiders."

Even the examiner recording the results couldn’t help but glance at Examinee E6 with a hint of admiration.

Strength tests could be inflated.

But this level of performance in the agility test? Even in past years of Jiangxia’s martial exams, it would rank among the very best.

The final test was mana assessment.

Examinee E6 stepped up to the floating energy orb and extended his right hand, palm facing the sphere.

Pale blue energy surged forth once more, thicker than during the strength test, even condensing into a small vortex in his palm.

"Hum—"

As the energy poured into the orb, it emitted a low hum, its glow intensifying from white to the deep blue signifying high energy levels.

The energy index on the screen skyrocketed!

1000…

2000…

3000…

Finally, the numbers stabilized.

"Mana output index: 3560!"

While not as mind-blowing as the previous results, it was still an excellent score, solidly above the average for a sixth-tier Cardholder.

The examiner noted the final data and announced, "Examinee E6, basic testing complete. Strength: 7880 kg, speed: 19.8 m/s, average reaction time: 0.086 seconds, energy output index: 3560. Comprehensive score: 5108 points."

"Currently ranked first!"

Though expected, the announcement still sent waves through the observation area.

This year’s martial exam cohort wasn’t as large as the academic one.

But from Zone B to Zone F, each held 800 to 1000 examinees—a total of 4,523.

This performance all but guaranteed a top-three finish in Jiangxia, barring major mistakes in the later stages.

Becoming a superhuman was already a one-in-a-hundred feat. And he was the one-in-a-thousand among them.

After the proctors finished uploading the data, E6’s results quickly appeared in the live broadcast.

Examinee E6 gave a slight nod, his expression unchanged, as if this outcome was no surprise at all.

He turned around, his gaze casually sweeping over the observation area before lingering on Liu Yuan for half a second. Then, without a word, he withdrew his eyes and strode straight toward the exit.

From start to finish, he didn’t exchange a single word with anyone, nor did he show any hint of smugness or provocation.

Only a faint trace of disdain.

"Next, E-7, Liu Yuan. Please prepare for the test."

A registration officer called out, looking up from his records.

Liu Yuan steadied herself and stepped forward.

The officer motioned for her to lean closer to the verification device. "Identity confirmation."

"Beep—"

A crisp confirmation tone sounded, and Liu Yuan’s profile along with her basic information appeared on the officer’s small screen.

After a quick glance to confirm—no one dared to pull any substitution tricks during the martial exam—the officer nodded. "Follow the sequence. Strength test first."