High Martial: I Grind Professions

The morning sun shone down on the massive central plaza of Bluestone Third Middle School.

The air buzzed with even more restlessness and anticipation than it had during yesterday’s academic assessment.

Today was the main event of the Flying Star Class selection—the physical body level test and the technique assessment.

Not only were all the registered participants present, but the entire third-year class of over a thousand students had also been gathered here. An invisible pressure and excitement filled every corner.

Discussions buzzed like a beehive.

In the area designated for Class 3-21.

"Sixty spots. I wonder who from our class will make it."

"Is there even a question? Xue Jun has one locked down for sure. He’s physically strong, and I hear his spear technique is nearing Major Achievement."

"Nearing Major Achievement with his spear? Doesn’t that mean Xue Jun has a shot at the top ten?"

"The top ten might be a stretch. The top ten from last semester’s finals were all basically on the verge of Major Achievement in their techniques."

"Speaking of which, I heard Zhao Feng from Class 3 broke through to Major Achievement in his spear technique over winter break. Another powerhouse with Major Achievement!"

Just as the discussion about the top ten was heating up, a somewhat out-of-place voice interjected:

"Hey, do you guys think... Li Wen... has a chance at the top ten this time?"

The speaker was a rather slender boy, surrounded by others with calm auras who were clearly more focused on academics.

He had accidentally overheard some classmates last night discussing how Li Wen’s academic scores might be excellent, and the thought had just popped into his head.

The moment he finished speaking, a derisive laugh came from nearby.

"Li Wen? Impossible!" The one who spoke was Xue Jun, who was sitting not far away with Deng Yuefei.

Xue Jun shot the group of "academic types" a disdainful look.

"At the end of last semester, he had just reached Top-Tier Entry with his blade technique. One winter break? Going from Top-Tier Entry to Major Achievement? What do you think he is, a god? At the absolute most, he’d be slightly above Top-Tier Minor Achievement!"

Deng Yuefei chimed in as well, adding:

"Exactly! Xue’s right. It took Jiang Lingyun from First Middle School, the guy who signed a B-rank contract, two or three months to go from Top-Tier Entry to Major Achievement."

"If Li Wen can go from Entry to Major Achievement in a month, I’ll eat my hat!"

He shook his head as he spoke, as if he’d just heard the most absurd fantasy.

Xue Jun added with an air of superiority:

"Which one of the top ten isn’t at the late stage or even the peak of Top-Tier Minor Achievement?

"Take me, for example. My spear technique is more than halfway through Minor Achievement, and I was still more than ten places away from the top ten last semester."

"Li Wen wants to get into the top ten? Only if his blade technique made some miraculous leap to Major Achievement!"

Xue Jun and Deng Yuefei both shook their heads emphatically, their faces screaming "Absolutely impossible."

Just then, an announcement blared over the speakers, drowning out the crowd’s chatter:

"All students participating in the Flying Star Class selection assessment, please proceed to the first testing area as instructed for the physical body level measurement!"

A long line quickly formed in front of the testing equipment.

The testing was highly efficient. Names and their corresponding physical body levels were displayed in real-time on a giant electronic screen, drawing waves of murmurs.

"Class 3-1, Huang Hao, Physical Body Level: 9.4!"

The entire crowd gasped in amazement.

"Class 3-2, Zhao Feng, Physical Body Level: 9.0!"

...

"Class 3-21, Xue Jun, Physical Body Level: 8.8!"

"Class 3-21, Deng Yuefei, Physical Body Level: 8.5!"

...

When it was Li Wen’s turn, he calmly placed his hand on the testing panel.

BZZT— "Class 3-21, Li Wen, Physical Body Level: 7.1!"

The number was particularly jarring amidst a string of scores above 8.0.

Li Wen himself, however, was unperturbed. He withdrew his hand calmly, as if it were just an insignificant symbol flashing across the screen.

’I’m actually quite satisfied with this result.’

’Right now, my physical body level is far less important for securing a spot in the Flying Star Class than the upcoming technique assessment.’

He paid no mind to the gazes from all around him—some curious, some contemptuous, some a complex mix of emotions.

「After a short break, the part that would truly decide their fates arrived.」

"All participants, enter the virtual reality pods immediately. The ’Blade’s Edge’ battlefield is preparing to launch!"

Upon hearing the command, all the participants rushed to the virtual reality pods.

Finding his designated position, Li Wen lay down inside.

He finished putting on the gear and flipped the switch.

The cold sensation of the virtual pod enveloped him. His consciousness plunged, and when Li Wen opened his eyes again, he was hovering above a scorched battlefield filled with smoke and crumbling ruins.

A cold, electronic voice sounded simultaneously in his and every other participant’s ears:

[Blade’s Edge Battlefield Rules]

A total of 10,000 virtual combatants have been deployed on the battlefield. Their strengths and corresponding point values are as follows:

Black Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Entry): 1 point

White Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Minor Achievement): 2 points

Red Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Major Achievement): 4 points

Orange Uniform (High-Level Blade Technique, Completion): 8 points

Yellow Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Entry): 16 points

Green Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Minor Achievement): 32 points

Cyan Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Major Achievement): 64 points

Blue Uniform (Top-Tier Blade Technique, Completion): 128 points

Purple Uniform (Unity Realm): 1000 points

Points are updated in real-time and are awarded based on the value of the targets killed.

Assessment Time: 90 minutes.

The instant the rules were read, killing intent surged to the heavens across the battlefield!

On the giant screen in the center of the main plaza, the main feed immediately locked onto contestant TY001—Huang Hao!

He wielded two great axes, charging like a tiger descending a mountain, straight for the core area where the virtual combatants were concentrated.

His objective was crystal clear: he was heading straight for the cyan-clad combatants, the ones representing Top-Tier Major Achievement.

The Low Tier virtual combatants along his path couldn’t slow him for even a moment.

His twin axes cut them down with ease, each swing cleaving a target’s head from its body with precision. His score shot up!

"Look at Huang Hao! He’s only going after the high-level ones!"

"As expected of the number one student! He’s got guts!"

Next, the camera cut to contestant F002—Zhao Feng.

This newcomer who had just reached Major Achievement with his spear technique was equally impressive. While his route was less aggressive than Huang Hao’s, he was also actively seeking out green-clad combatants (Top-Tier Minor Achievement).

His spear technique was swift and powerful. While he couldn’t instantly kill the green virtual combatants with Top-Tier Minor Achievement, he handled them with ease, racking up kills with extreme efficiency.

"Zhao Feng is a beast, too! Another one with Top-Tier Major Achievement. He’s definitely the strongest one after Huang Hao!"

"Second place is secured!"

The feed cycled through, showing other seeded contestants like Xue Jun on the screen.

Most of them were efficiently clearing out the yellow and green (Top-Tier Entry and Minor Achievement) virtual combatants. Their scores grew steadily, but the gap was obvious compared to the explosive growth of Huang Hao and Zhao Feng.

However! Nearly twenty minutes into the assessment, just as the point gap on the leaderboard was starting to widen, the score curve for contestant W021 (Li Wen), who had been ranked somewhere in the fifties, suddenly shot up at a near-vertical angle!

It was instantly captured by the intelligent monitoring system and forcibly magnified on the main screen.

On the screen, Li Wen appeared in a chaotic area of ruins.

Scattered about were numerous Low Tier virtual combatants in black, white, and red uniforms. And at the core of these grunts stood three imposing figures exuding a powerful aura—virtual combatants in cyan uniforms!