Classmate Wang has passed three training sessions and won't be coming for the winter vacation

The moment the words fell.

The screen seemed to distort slightly before instantly returning to normal.

The young man on the screen remained motionless, not moving even after a long while.

"Not so easy after all..." Zhou Dahai frowned as he watched.

The school's highest gravity chamber only went up to five times Earth's gravity.

Now, it was set to ten times—such a sudden increase made adaptation extremely difficult.

"No rush, it's only the first try..." Zheng Changhong remarked casually.

As soon as he finished speaking.

Wang Xian on the screen abruptly moved.

His figure was like the wind, his long blade flowing like water—a flawless and profound "Flowing Water Blade Technique" unfolded before their eyes.

The observers' expressions instantly turned grave.

Watching the figure moving effortlessly in the gravity chamber, their expressions varied.

"Xiao Bai, are you sure the gravity switch is on??"

Zheng Changhong didn't dare to look away, his tone serious.

"Huh?" The staff member was stunned, quickly checking the instruments. "It's on, it's on—no issues... All indicators are normal. The readings show... his execution of the Flowing Water Blade Technique has no hesitation, no missteps, identical to the demonstration..."

"Uh, based on the intensity of the final move... the data suggests his mastery is nearing perfection..."

"Evaluation... score... full marks?"

As soon as he said it, he himself froze.

Sss—!

The two men exhaled sharply.

Before long, Wang Xian stepped out of the gravity chamber.

Savoring the experience.

"If there were a hundredfold gravity difference... I might get a slight taste of an alien battlefield."

Wang Xian shook his head, feeling no discomfort whatsoever.

Honestly.

Training in such an environment was undoubtedly beneficial for martial artists.

Under high gravity, the latent energy within a martial artist's body would fuse more rapidly with their physique.

Especially when performing martial techniques—full-body exertion under such conditions would swiftly enhance overall capabilities and vitality.

But for him, it wasn't particularly useful.

Because his body contained almost no energy, save for the spiritual malevolence coursing through his singular divine meridian.

And spiritual malevolence—that formidable cosmic force—was utterly unaffected by gravity.

Of course, practicing martial techniques in this environment could still accelerate mastery.

But well...

"My Flowing Water Blade Technique is already nearing perfection..."

There wasn't much room left for improvement.

"Teacher Zhou, Minister Zheng, let's move on to the next test." Wang Xian walked into the room, knocking on the door.

Snapping Zhou Dahai and Zheng Changhong out of their daze.

"Right, right—next test, immediately!" Zheng Changhong said excitedly.

Teacher, your eye for talent is truly exceptional!

To unearth such a gem buried in the backwater of Seventh High...

The next test was movement training.

This required a large specialized room—the Movement Simulation Chamber.

Inside, one could select from several challenge scenarios.

[Landing at Taigelan (Unlocked)]

[Blitz on Pearl Alley (Locked)]

[Falcon Pursuit (Locked)]

...

"These simulations must be based on historical battles, right?"

"From that era of relentless warfare..."

The first scenario recreated the classic beach landing operation.

It depicted a wartime scenario where a nation's forces stormed Taigelan Beach.

With countless trenches already dug in, the landing became a hellish ordeal.

A web of heavy gunfire turned the beach into a death trap, devouring any soldier who dared to advance.

For modern martial artists, succeeding in this simulation—dodging the barrage and reaching the shore within the time limit—meant their movement skills were up to par.

This test demanded exceptional speed, reflexes, awareness, evasion, and perception.

True movement mastery wasn't just about raw speed.

Generally.

Reaching "First-Level Movement"—so-called "millisecond reaction time"—was the baseline for passing.

With some practice, clearing this stage wasn't too difficult.

The real challenge was achieving that level of movement in the first place.

"Millisecond reaction time" meant reacting within 50 milliseconds—0.05 seconds.

In that historical era, this far surpassed human limits.

No one could've survived Taigelan Beach through skill alone—only sheer numbers and luck could breach the defenses.

"Even among First-Realm martial artists, some haven't achieved First-Level Movement..."

"And for those below the First Realm, reaching this level is even rarer..."

"Many excel in martial techniques, but movement training... few truly master it."

Inside the chamber, Zhou Dahai and Zheng Changhong watched with eager anticipation.

After the first test, their confidence in Wang Xian had grown significantly.

Wang Xian gave a thumbs-up.

"Begin!" Zheng Changhong commanded.

The staff member promptly activated the simulation.

Instantly, the walls and ceiling transformed into a panoramic battlefield.

Dark clouds loomed overhead; the staccato of gunfire filled the air.

Countless tracers streaked like deadly blades, carving through the atmosphere.

Yet, the young man in the simulation remained utterly composed.

With each step forward, dozens of bullets whizzed past him—yet none touched his body.

Only the faintest tremors in his silhouette hinted at his movements.

So swift that he seemed almost stationary.

"Millisecond reaction time!"

Zhou Dahai laughed heartily. "I knew it—this kid's movement is definitely First-Level! Though he seems oddly familiar with this battle... his uncle's dojo must have similar training."

"That much I can understand."

Zheng Changhong, however, frowned slightly.

"Seems beyond First-Level... there's a hint of Second-Level's 'bullet time' here."

"No, no—his vitality isn't strong enough for 'bullet time's' hyper-reactive bursts..." Zhou Dahai countered.

After some debate, Zheng Changhong conceded.

Second-Level Movement's "bullet time" required instantaneous, extreme physical reactions—effectively slowing perceived enemy actions to dodge critical attacks.

It demanded a certain level of physical prowess.

Soon, Wang Xian cleared the movement test effortlessly.

"Time: 13 minutes, 32 seconds. Hits taken: zero." Xiao Bai reported, eyes wide with shock. "This is the all-time best record for this stage."

"A full minute ahead of second place."

"That's... insane."

Second place belonged to a top student from First High who'd taken the test for fun.

"Now, only the final test remains."

The two men exchanged glances, taking deep breaths.

Could he... actually pull it off?

"Minister, Minister Zhao from the Divine Sword Club is calling..." Xiao Bai suddenly interjected.

Several clubs in Dragon Country had both overt and covert rivalries.

Their branches were no exception.

"Answer it!"

"Old Zheng?"

"Spit it out if you've got something to say!"

"Honestly, I wasn’t even planning to call you," came a hearty laugh from the other end of the line. "Today’s the first day the martial arts class from No. 1 High School came to our club for training, right?"

"This time, No. 1 High has produced a few promising talents."

"You might not believe this."

"On the very first day of training, one of them already passed the gravity training and movement training."

"Hahaha—! Bet you didn’t see that coming?"

Zheng Changhong’s lips twitched.

In the past, he definitely wouldn’t have.

But today?

"And then?" Zheng Changhong said coolly.

"Huh? No need to act all calm. I know the Heavenly Blade Club’s stats. Before this, the best record for gravity training was seven days, set by a No. 1 High student."

"Too bad your club still falls short. Look how much No. 1 High has improved since they started training with us?"

"You called just to say this?" Zheng Changhong chuckled.

If this call had come an hour earlier, he might’ve been shocked, even jealous…

But now?

Meh.

"What about the holographic intelligent beast challenge?" Zheng Changhong asked.

"Look at you, so impatient? They’ll clear it within two days. No. 1 High has several strong candidates this time!"

"So they haven’t done it yet?"

"Oh, now you’re putting on airs? Fine, I won’t bother you. We’ll talk in a couple of days!"

With that, the call ended.

Nearby, Zhou Dahai smirked, well aware of the rivalry between the two clubs.

Though, it was more of a healthy competition.

"Let’s go. Get Wang Xian to try the holographic intelligent beast challenge," Zheng Changhong declared with a wave of his hand.

A staff member nodded, then discreetly gestured toward one of the gravity training rooms.

Inside, Tan Tianze noticed and calmly stepped out.

"Starting now?"

"Yes."

"Let’s exchange Feixin contacts," Tan Tianze said.

They added each other.

[Ding. You’ve received a red packet from Tan Tianze.]

A notification popped up on the staff member’s phone.

He blinked, opened it, and found 500 yuan inside.

"This is… too generous!" He felt a little embarrassed.

"Just a small token," Tan Tianze replied with a smile before heading to the central hall to watch the large screen.

With everyone in the gravity rooms, the floor was eerily quiet.

No one else was attempting the holographic beast challenge.

Soon, the screen flickered to life.

Tan Tianze narrowed his eyes, not blinking as he stared.

He’d heard the name "Wang Xian of No. 7 High" quite a bit this past month.

Normally, he only paid attention to No. 1 High and couldn’t care less about No. 7 High’s so-called talents.

"Let’s see what you’re really made of…"

Tan Tianze tilted his head up toward the screen.

The image sharpened.

A young boy stood in the center.

Opposite him was the holographic model of a first-tier beast—the Saber-Toothed Wolf.

First-tier beasts, classified as F-rank by the Martial Alliance, were the lowest grade of supernatural creatures.

But even the weakest could slaughter countless martial artists.

Suddenly—

Before the battle even began—

The door to the holographic beast simulation pod slid open.

Wang Xian stepped out and walked into another room.

"What’s going on?" Tan Tianze wondered.

Did he fail?

The screen had a 30-second delay—a standard measure to prevent spectators from using supernatural means to interfere or cheat.

If Wang Xian had exited, the challenge was already over.

But since Tan Tianze had just started watching…

"He failed in 30 seconds?" Tan Tianze mused.

That was only slightly better than Xia Sichen’s performance.

Shaking his head, he turned to leave—

When the Saber-Toothed Wolf suddenly let out a deafening roar.

The sheer pressure of its aura made even Tan Tianze frown from where he stood.

In the next instant, the wolf lunged like a shadow, charging at the boy.

What followed seared itself into Tan Tianze’s memory.

The boy in the footage didn’t move. He didn’t even look at the wolf, instead staring down at the broadsword in his hand.

Only when the wolf’s claws were inches from tearing into him—

Did the boy shift slightly to the side and, with lightning speed, slash downward.

In a flash, the wolf’s head separated from its body.

The beast dissolved into fragmented data.

Expressionless, the boy sheathed his blade and vanished from the holographic space.

"He… didn’t fail in 30 seconds…"

"He cleared it… in 30 seconds?"

"Without using any martial techniques… just… one simple strike…"

Tan Tianze stood frozen, his mind blank.

What kind of strike was that?

Not a fraction too slow, not a fraction too fast.

Precise. Flawless. Like a stroke of divine inspiration.

It defied description.

In the observation room, Zhou Dahai and Zheng Changhong gulped, staring at the now-darkening screen.

Too fast.

Way too fast.

"Done?" Wang Xian pushed the door open and walked in.

The sound snapped them out of their daze.

"Done… yeah, done…" Zhou Dahai muttered, still dazed.

"Come, come—!" Zheng Changhong burst into laughter, snapping back to reality. "Wang Xian, let’s talk privately. I’ve got something important to discuss!"

He grabbed Wang Xian’s arm and hurried out, already dialing a number on his phone.

"You just hung up. What now?" The same cheerful voice answered.

Zheng Changhong took a deep breath, forcing his tone to sound casual.

"Ah, well, I wasn’t even planning to call."

"But just now, a student from No. 7 High here cleared all three challenges on his first day…"

"Kids these days, huh? Getting scarier by the minute. Right, Old Zhao?"

Silence.

Then—

"Bullshit! No way—!"

Click.

Zheng Changhong hung up, feeling lighter than air.

By noon, the No. 7 High students gathered for lunch.

"Teacher, where’s Wang Xian?" Zhou Xukun suddenly asked. "We didn’t see him in any of the gravity rooms this morning."

The others murmured in agreement.

Zhou Dahai looked at them, his expression unreadable.

"Wang Xian has already cleared all three challenges at the Heavenly Blade Club."

"He won’t be joining us for the rest of winter break."

The entire class turned to stone.

…What?