My injuries have already healed.

Along the way, Sun Zhongli wore a rather gloomy expression.

Looking solemn, he repeatedly urged the students to be calm, composed, and free of panic, treating the exam just like a regular daily test.

The general gist of his words was that victory brings joy, but defeat should be embraced with grace as well.

Yet anyone could tell that Principal Sun did not possess a single ounce of grace regarding defeat.

He had already given in to utter despair.

The two accompanying martial arts instructors possessed no voice at all, long since reduced to mere cheerleaders.

Upon alighting from the vehicle, they checked into a hotel, where the students were given some breakfast and an hour to rest.

When everyone had regained their vigor and the time was nearly right, he led the students toward the Lijiang Martial Arts Stadium.

From afar, a massive plaza came into view, surrounded by verdant trees. Flanking the square stood two giant statues of warriors wielding sabers and swords, towering at roughly twenty meters high.

"These are legendary figures who have emerged from the Southeast Province over the years. You've all studied them in your history textbooks. Just look at them; do not take pictures."

Sun Zhongli had been walking ahead in silence, but seeing the students slow their pace, he stopped and shook his head slightly. This was not a sightseeing trip, after all.

His mood was, in truth, quite foul.

Too many events had transpired at Yuanjiang First High School of late: first the scandal involving Vice Principal Lin Anguo, and subsequently the Li family's contention for cultivation slots in the Void Crystal Chamber, which resulted in students killing one another.

To top it all off, it had ultimately culminated in the major crisis of a beast-man assault.

Because of the incident at Yuanjiang First High School's Void Crystal cultivation chamber, the entire populace of Yuanjiang City had almost been dragged down to perish together...

Although these events bore little direct relation to him as the principal, having such a string of chaotic and disgraceful scandals occur on his watch was, in any case, profoundly distressing.

Furthermore.

This year's circumstances differed from previous ones, with the winds of reform already sweeping fiercely through the air.

If the school's ranking dropped and its college entrance examination scores hit rock bottom, come the following year, the resources allocated by the Ministry of Education would likely be snatched away by other institutions.

By then, during their freshman and sophomore years, those students lacking in innate talent wouldn't even be able to secure a single Qi and Blood Pill or a sliver of Soul-Nourishing Incense, thereby losing their final glimmer of upward mobility.

"Alas!"

Sun Zhongli glanced back at Xiao Nan, who was following with a serene expression. A flash of pity crossed his eyes, followed by a heavy sigh.

He quietly slowed his pace until Xiao Nan drew level with him, then lowered his voice and said, "Xiao Nan, I know how difficult this is for you, but please, do not burden your mind too much.

It doesn't matter which university you are admitted to; we are not competing for the glory of a single day. Given your comprehension, you will eventually find your time to shine."

What on earth was he talking about?

Xiao Nan blinked, barely managing to process the remark.

He followed Principal Sun's gaze down to his own palms, and sudden realization dawned upon him.

The principal must have noticed that the pores on his skin were not sealed. He assumed that ever since that injury, Xiao Nan's Qi and blood had scattered, his foundation had been ruined, and his cultivation level had plummeted, degenerating even below the tier of a First-Rank martial artist.

No wonder throughout the entire journey, neither Sun Zhongli, the martial arts instructors, nor his fellow classmates had asked which university he intended to apply for.

It wasn't that they didn't want to ask; they simply didn't dare.

In their eyes, although his injuries had healed, his strength was no longer what it used to be... The words spoken by those two Seventh-Rank Grandmasters that day had spread like wildfire, and everyone had heard them.

Yet his cultivation had actually recovered, and he was now at the peak of the First-Rank martial artist realm. His skin and flesh had formed a complete seal, and his physical body possessed unique advantages—not only was his strength boundless, but his perception of space had also reached a mind-boggling realm...

Naturally, none of these details were visible to them.

Due to the properties of the spatial crystal's assimilation, the external manifestation of Xiao Nan's physique was extremely well concealed. The Qi and blood fluctuations radiating from him were exceedingly faint, even slightly weaker than those of Wei Yunyun and the others.

Moreover, even though he was on the verge of breaking through to the SecondRank Tendon-Tempering stage, his outward physical appearance remained largely indistinguishable from that of an ordinary person.

Since he hadn't mentioned it, others found it awkward to inquire, leading to this colossal misunderstanding.

No wonder Sun Zhongli wore such a dejected expression; he believed that this year's martial arts college entrance examination for Yuanjiang First High School would feature nothing remarkable whatsoever.

"Principal, my injuries have healed. Getting into a prestigious university shouldn't be much of a problem."

Xiao Nan actually had no intention of concealing his strength. In this day and age, if you had ability, you had to display it.

He had discovered that whether in high school or at a martial arts university, resources were allocated strictly according to students' actual strength. Under such circumstances, hiding one's true power was exceptionally unwise.

Sun Zhongli nodded. "Mhm, if you can get into a university, that's fine. It doesn't matter if it's not a prestigious one..."

At this point, he paused, a flicker of startled hope crossing his eyes, though he dared not quite believe it. "What did you just say? Getting into a prestigious university isn't much of a problem? You're actually confident?"

Having a seed student capable of entering a prestigious institution would be an immense boon to the school's current predicament.

He carefully scrutinized Xiao Nan's complexion, came to a halt, half-closed his eyes to sense the Qi and blood fluctuations emanating from the young man, and watched the smile slowly fade from his face. Reaching out to pat Xiao Nan's shoulder, he offered words of comfort: "No matter what, you are still the most outstanding student Yuanjiang First High School has ever produced. As principal, I have always been proud of you.

It's just a pity that I have served as principal for a full decade, yet accumulated no personal wealth to speak of, leaving me unable to procure any high-grade spiritual medicines. Sigh..."

Sun Zhongli sighed once more, looking as though he lacked the face to speak any further with Xiao Nan.

His student had rendered monumental service, risking his life to fight for the peace and tranquility of Yuanjiang. Yet, left with irreversible and severe injuries, he—the principal—could only stand idly by, unable to offer any assistance whatsoever. This feeling was exceptionally difficult to bear.

Xiao Nan was dumbfounded. When all was said and done, Principal Sun still didn't believe him.

He thought he was just offering empty words of comfort.

Very well, it seemed impossible to explain.

Wei Yunyun also stepped forward, speaking in a soft voice, "Xiao Nan, don't feel too down. Your sword techniques are so exceptional; you should be able to get into Lijiang University.

When the time comes, we can work hard together, take on more missions, and rapidly accumulate resources to restore your cultivation. That won't be any worse than entering a prestigious university."

"Indeed. We all witnessed what happened that day; if not for your desperate final strike, none of us would have survived."

"Back then, your Qi and blood as well as your mental state lagged far behind ours, yet you still managed to catch up and surpass us in the end. You mustn't lose your drive now of all times."

Several classmates chimed in one after another.

Even Dong Cheng refrained from making his usual sour, cynical remarks, perhaps deeply moved by the battle in the school's grove that day.

Even living within a bustling metropolis, life had never truly been safe. As ordinary mortals, one could be engaging in casual chatter today only to face catastrophic doom by tomorrow.

Experiencing a brush with death was not without its benefits, after all.

Xiao Nan discovered that these sixty-nine students of Yuanjiang First High School had grown quite united.

Perhaps it was because this provincial examination was no longer an internal competition, but a united front against external rivals.

Or perhaps these young people were finally beginning to mature, coming to understand responsibility and accountability, as well as the value of striving and fighting with all one's might.

...

There will be three chapters posted daily, at least for this month. I want to prove how hard I am working. Recently, I've been overwhelmed by numerous trivial matters in my personal life. Updates might sometimes be delayed, and they won't necessarily be released all at once at a fixed time, but the quantity will not be reduced...