BOOM!

An immense surge of energy exploded within Han Feng’s body.

His bones, meridians, and muscles shattered inch by inch under the impact, only to rapidly reassemble in a more perfect form!

Excruciating pain swept through his entire body.

But he clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with flames of excitement.

’I did it!’

After an unknown amount of time, the violent energy finally subsided.

Han Feng let out a long, turbid breath. He felt comfortable all over, more powerful than ever before.

He could clearly feel that his strength, speed, and five senses had all undergone a qualitative leap.

He immediately opened his personal panel.

[Name: Han Feng]

[Occupation: Apprentice Sword Cultivator]

[Cultivation: Body Tempering Tenth Layer (10/2000)]

[Cultivation Technique: Body Forging Technique (Mastery 950/2000)]

[Swordsmanship·Body Technique: Sword Control Technique·Mastery (850/4000)]

[Root Bone: Sword Bone (52/100, Evolving)]

[Qi Blood: 988/1500]

Body Tempering Tenth Layer!

He had finally reached the strict requirement for a B Level Student!

Han Feng was thrilled. All his bitter training and the mountain of Contribution Points he had spent over the last few days hadn’t been in vain.

Speaking of Contribution Points...

He glanced at the storage compartment beside him. Of the one hundred potions, only a pitiful forty-five remained.

In less than three days, he had burned through fifty-five Middle Tier Recovery Potions, worth sixteen thousand five hundred points.

Add to that the expensive aircraft rental fee...

Han Feng immediately checked his account balance.

[Contribution Points: 118,000]

Renting the aircraft cost one hundred fifty thousand, buying the potions cost thirty thousand, for a total of one hundred eighty thousand.

His original balance of over one hundred sixty thousand was now less than one hundred twenty thousand.

"This isn’t cultivation, it’s just burning money..."

Han Feng couldn’t help but complain.

He finally understood now.

An A Level Talent was a money-devouring beast.

Without a continuous source of funding, no matter how high one’s talent, they could only watch helplessly.

Just as he was lamenting, his personal terminal chimed with a DING.

A new message popped up.

[East Sea Martial Arts University · Celestial Craft Design Institute Notification]

[Dear Consultant Han Feng: The "Night Falcon" project you participated in has been successfully completed. After a joint evaluation by the project team and the Su Family, your personal contribution has been rated: Excellent. You are hereby issued a project bonus totaling: 50,000 Contribution Points. Thank you for your outstanding contribution to the project.]

’Five hundred thousand?’

Han Feng rubbed his eyes and checked again and again.

’Oh, it’s fifty thousand.’

’That’s still a lot!’

His mood instantly brightened.

The money had arrived at the perfect time; it was a godsend.

With this fifty thousand, his total assets were back over one hundred sixty thousand, and he finally felt a sense of security again.

His goal achieved, Han Feng didn’t linger.

He piloted the "Hunting Falcon" and landed smoothly on the runway.

Uncle Sun still had that half-dead look about him, but as Han Feng jumped down from the aircraft, his drooping eyelids lifted imperceptibly.

"What? Calling it a day this early?"

"Yeah, I’m done training."

Han Feng put away the remaining potions and walked over, looking completely relaxed.

Uncle Sun’s gaze swept over him, a flash of subtle astonishment in his eyes.

’This kid... his aura seems to have changed again.’

Three days ago, he was merely a sharp blade hidden in its sheath.

Now, that blade had been honed to a razor’s edge, so sharp that a single glance was almost blinding.

"All right, head on back."

Uncle Sun waved a hand and covered his face with the newspaper again.

"From the looks of it, you should have no problem with the B Level Student assessment."

Han Feng smiled without a word and turned to leave.

The one-week deadline had arrived.

It was time for the Wingsuit Flying training course to begin.

But before that, he had to go and exchange the C Level badge on his chest for a B Level one.

He returned to the academy but didn’t go back to his dorm.

He was so full of energy he couldn’t possibly sleep. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The next morning, sunlight filled the campus.

Han Feng changed into a clean C Level Technician uniform and headed straight for the Martial Arts Student Affairs Center in the main academic district.

"Hello, I’d like to apply for the B Level Student promotion assessment."

The female clerk behind the counter was looking down, organizing documents. She answered without raising her head.

"Technician promotions are handled at the Celestial Craft Maintenance Department. This is the Martial Arts Student Affairs Center."

"I’m applying for the Martial Arts assessment."

Only then did the clerk look up. She pushed up the glasses on her nose and took the Identity Card Han Feng handed her.

She swiped it on the card reader.

A light screen popped up, and a line of conspicuous, large text nearly blinded her.

[Han Feng]

[Year: Junior]

[Position: C Level Mechanic]

[City Defense Sequence: Gold 9-Star Pilot]

...

[Comprehensive Talent Rating: A+ Level]

"This..."

Seeing the talent rating section, the clerk’s attitude changed in an instant.

The impatience on her face transformed into a professional smile, and her fingers flew across the keyboard.

"Ah, it’s Student Han. My apologies."

"The next assessment is in one hour, in Comprehensive Training Hall 5. Please be there on time."

Han Feng took back his card and turned to leave.

...

Comprehensive Training Hall 5.

This was one of the top assessment venues at East Sea Martial Arts University, normally closed to the public.

Today, more than thirty people had already gathered inside the hall.

Every one of them was a top performer among the C Level Students, each with a steady aura and a sharp gaze.

When Han Feng pushed the door open and entered, the atmosphere grew a bit strange.

His deep blue C Level Technician’s uniform seemed completely out of place among the crowd of students wearing white martial arts uniforms or silver flight suits.

"Who’s that? Did he walk into the wrong room?"

"Probably here to fix the equipment. That dynamometer over there just broke yesterday."

A few soft chuckles came from the crowd.

Han Feng paid them no mind and found a spot in a corner against the wall.

His gaze fell on a young man in the center of the hall, surrounded by a crowd.

The man was only eighteen or nineteen, with a slender build, sharp brows, and bright eyes. He wore a custom-made, high-level training uniform with a small character for "Liu" embroidered on the chest.

"Isn’t that Lin Xiao? The freshman genius from the Martial Arts Element."

"That’s him! I heard he was accepted as Grandmaster Liu’s closed-door disciple right after enrolling. He has the special ’Profound Iron Bone’ physique, and his Horizontal Training makes him impervious to blades and spears."

"Trying to become a B Level Student as just a freshman... Comparisons are really infuriating."

The surrounding candidates’ chatter reached Han Feng’s ears.

The young man named Lin Xiao seemed to be enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention, a faint arrogance on his face.

"Silence!"

A resonant voice rang out.

An old man with a full head of white hair and a white beard strode into the hall.

His gaze was like lightning as it swept across the room, and the once-noisy hall instantly fell silent.

This was Wang Zongping, a high-level professor from the Martial Arts Academy, famous for being impartial and stern.

"You all understand the assessment rules, right?"

Wang Zongping walked to the center of the floor, his voice booming.

"First test: Qi Blood."

"Second test: combat."

"Don’t give me any of that flashy nonsense. The data does the talking."

"Begin!"

The first test was simple. A precision Qi Blood Sensing Device was set up; all they had to do was place a hand on it.

"Li Hu, Body Tempering Tenth Layer, Qi Blood Value 1080. Pass."

"Zhang Wei, Body Tempering Tenth Layer, Qi Blood Value 1059. Pass."

...

The first dozen or so people all had values hovering between 1,000 and 1,100.

The standard for Body Tempering Tenth Layer was 1,000. Although these people met the requirement, they had only just barely passed.

"Next, Lin Xiao!"

Hearing this name, everyone in the hall perked up.

Lin Xiao adjusted his collar and strode forward with confident steps.

He pressed his palm onto the sensor plate, not even bothering to deliberately circulate his energy.

BZZZT!

The numbers on the device jumped wildly before finally settling.

"Body Tempering Tenth Layer, Qi Blood Value 1380!"

WOW!

The entire hall was in an uproar.

"1380? Isn’t that on par with a typical Meridian Passage Realm First Layer?"

"That’s terrifying. He’s truly Grandmaster Liu’s disciple. His foundation is so solid."

Even the perpetually stern-faced Wang Zongping gave a rare nod, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

"Not bad. A very stable foundation. He hasn’t embarrassed Old Liu."

Lin Xiao bowed slightly, a smug smile on his face. He stepped aside, basking in the surrounding gazes of awe.

"Next, Han Feng."

Wang Zongping read the name from the list and, glancing at the occupation column, faltered for a moment.

"A C Level Technician?"

At this title, all eyes in the hall instantly focused on Han Feng in the corner.

"It really is the aircraft mechanic?"

"What’s a technician doing here at a Martial Arts assessment? The B Level Martial Arts Student assessment involves real combat."

Han Feng’s expression was calm as he walked to the sensing device under everyone’s gaze.

He extended his right hand and pressed it down.

Inside his body, the Sword Bone that was already halfway through its evolution trembled slightly, and a powerful surge of Qi Blood welled up.

BEEP BEEP BEEP—

The device let out a series of urgent beeps—the signal of a soaring energy index.

The value skyrocketed, instantly breaking past 1,200.

Then it crossed 1,300 without any resistance.

Finally, under the horrified stares of everyone present, it stopped at a number.

[Qi Blood Value: 1500]

Dead silence.

The entire hall was dead silent.

Even the few people who had just been cheering for Lin Xiao now stood with their mouths agape, unable to make a sound.

1500?

Over a hundred points higher than the "genius" Lin Xiao?

How is that possible?

"Is the machine broken?"

Someone muttered under their breath.

Wang Zongping strode over and personally inspected the device.

Then he looked at Han Feng with an expression of utter shock.

"The device is functioning normally."

His voice, as he announced the result, was filled with unconcealable shock.

The smile on Lin Xiao’s face was a bit stiff. He stared intently at the number.

’An aircraft mechanic... has a higher Qi Blood than me?’

’Impossible!’

He wondered if he was hallucinating. Some random mechanic had stronger Qi Blood than him!

Han Feng withdrew his hand and calmly returned to his corner, as if he had just done something utterly insignificant.

Wang Zongping shot Han Feng a slightly surprised glance.

But surprise was surprise; the test had to go on.

With a wave of his hand, metal plates on the hall floor opened, and a humanoid mechanical puppet rose up.

"Second test: combat test!"

"A T-800 model Alloy Puppet, with the Defense Power of a Tier Two Early Stage Demon Beast."

"To pass, you must either leave a mark on it deeper than three centimeters, or last three minutes without being defeated."

The puppet was forged entirely from Black Gold and radiated a cold, metallic luster.

Just standing there, it exuded a heavy, oppressive presence.

Inside Comprehensive Training Hall 5, the atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

The T-800 model Alloy Puppet had risen, its dark, heavy metal body glinting coldly under the lights.

This type of puppet was designed specifically for combat assessments.

Although it had no Spiritual Energy Core and was driven purely by mechanical power, its special alloy armor was enough to withstand attacks from an ordinary Meridian Passage Realm Early Stage cultivator.