The taxi driver was a talkative middle-aged man.

"Which school are you from, kid? Going straight to Test Site 1... that’s incredible!"

"Dongjiang First Middle School."

A hint of surprise flashed across the driver’s face. "A Municipal Martial Arts High School? I’ve driven my share of examinees over the years."

"This is the first time I’ve ever seen a student from a municipal school get into Test Site 1."

"But I guess I have you to thank for this! It’s the only reason I get to drive on Chenghua Avenue! None of my buddies have the clearance for this road today, hahaha!"

Lin Ye made small talk with the chatty driver for the rest of the ride.

Soon, a cordoned-off road, manned by a combination of automated security bots and human police officers, came into view in the distance.

Farther in the distance, a magnificent complex of buildings came into Lin Ye’s view.

The Dongjiang City Comprehensive Testing Center.

The entire structure was a collection of several massive, silver-white domes pieced together.

This testing center was a professional facility built specifically for the martial arts examinations.

The grounds were enormous, large enough to accommodate a hundred thousand examinees.

By now, the area outside the testing center was already a sea of people.

Countless parents accompanying their children and curious citizens had come to watch the spectacle.

They were held back behind a police cordon several hundred meters away, forming a dense wall of people.

Meanwhile, the dedicated pathway to the testing center was filled with examinees from all of Dongjiang City’s major Martial Arts High Schools.

They wore school uniforms of all different colors, their expressions a mix of emotions.

Some wrung their hands nervously, while others chatted excitedly with their friends.

And then there were those like Lin Ye, who were relatively calm.

Lin Ye followed the instructions and got in line to enter.

Test Site 1 had opened dozens of entry lanes.

Despite the astonishing number of students taking the exam today, the entire entry and identity verification process was exceptionally swift and orderly.

Lin Ye hadn’t been in line long before he spotted Chen Meng and Principal Wang Zhengguo in the chaperones’ waiting area near the entrance to the pathway.

Standing beside them were Zhang Yuqing and Liao Donglai, whom he’d met once during the school-wide tournament.

When Chen Meng saw Lin Ye arrive, he immediately spoke to a nearby staff member.

"All three of our examinees from Dongjiang First Middle School for Test Site 1 are here."

The three students stepped forward and presented their electronic admission tickets.

After their identities were verified, Wang Zhengguo and Chen Meng followed them inside.

On the way to the main hall, Chen Meng was a bit of a nag.

He repeatedly reminded the three of them about the examination rules.

"The first event, the basic martial arts assessment, is tested entirely by machines that upload the results automatically."

"You absolutely have to remember this: personally confirm that your identification has been successfully registered before you start the test!"

"Many careless students finish the test without registering their ID, only to get a score of zero. By then, it’s too late for tears!"

"If a machine malfunctions during the test, raise your hand and report it immediately. A proctor will help you, but do not, under any circumstances, file a false report. Your score will be voided!"

"In the combat test, you’ll be facing Tier One Alloy Puppets. Remember what I taught you in class. Don’t rely on brute force. You need to make effective attacks against their weak points to get a high score..."

Chen Meng went on and on, rattling off every precaution he could think of.

The three students listened intently.

Lin Ye could tell that both Zhang Yuqing and Liao Donglai were nervous; their faces were pale.

Before long, the group arrived in front of a massive hall.

"Chaperones must remain here. Examinees may enter."

Chen Meng and Wang Zhengguo were stopped.

They would later enter the spectator waiting area through a different corridor.

The three students wished each other luck, verified their identities one more time, and walked into the enormous hall.

As soon as they entered the hall, they were split up and led to different preparation areas.

The preparation area Lin Ye was led to was an enclosed room made entirely of metal.

When Lin Ye entered, more than forty people were already standing inside.

They wore different school uniforms, but every single one of them radiated a powerful fluctuation of Qi and Blood.

Using his Spiritual Power to probe his surroundings, Lin Ye sensed that several of them, like him, had already entered the Vein Opening Realm.

「More than ten minutes later.」

Lin Ye was the last person to arrive.

Amidst the dull groan of machinery, the alloy door to the preparation area slowly slid shut.

The lights in the room brightened.

Then, the wall directly in front of them slid silently apart.

Five deep, dark metal corridors, leading to who-knows-where, appeared before them.

A cold, solemn, electronic voice began to play the pre-examination instructions over hidden speakers in the room.

"Attention all examinees. The Dongjiang City 167th Annual Martial Arts College Entrance Mock Examination is about to begin."

"This examination is designed to simulate the process and intensity of the actual college entrance exam as closely as possible. The results will serve as an important basis for evaluating each school’s teaching performance, as well as a key reference for early admissions to the Alliance’s major universities."

"The rules of the examination are as follows:"

"One: Personal electronic devices with communication, storage, or computing functions are strictly prohibited in the examination hall. Violators will be considered to have cheated, will be disqualified from this examination, and will have the infraction noted on their permanent record."

"Two: During the examination, you must obey all instructions from guide bots and proctors. Unauthorized departure from designated areas and damage to examination facilities are strictly forbidden. Violators will be held solely responsible for the consequences."

...

"Seven: All test events are strictly timed. Please manage your stamina accordingly."

"We wish all examinees the best of luck in achieving excellent results!"

When the broadcast ended, the atmosphere in the preparation area grew even more tense.

The seconds and minutes ticked by.

At 9:00 AM sharp, the lighting in the room suddenly changed. At the exact same moment, the LCD screens above the five dark corridors lit up with a white glow.