Only then did Wang Zhengguo comply and sit down.

Even so, he still felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.

He was met with scrutinizing and curious gazes from all around.

Behind every gaze was a luminary he would normally have to look up to.

Surrounded by a group of bigwigs, even Wang Zhengguo, who was over fifty and prided himself on having weathered his share of storms, felt a bit suffocated.

The two exchanged a few simple pleasantries.

Wang Zhengguo learned that Li Kai Nian had also recently been parachuted into Ninghai Province to serve as the Deputy Director of the Education Department.

He had been conducting inspection tours across the various cities of the province.

He happened to arrive in Dongjiang yesterday, and at the strong recommendation and insistence of the Director of the Education Bureau, he had taken the time to come and observe the mock exam today.

"Zhengguo."

Li Kai Nian’s tone shifted, his expression turning serious.

"That student from your school, the one named Lin Ye. Do you know his background inside and out?"

Wang Zhengguo’s heart tightened.

He didn’t dare to be slow, nodding quickly and briefly recounting Lin Ye’s family situation, as well as the story of his father, Lin Tao, being injured and decorated for meritorious service on the front lines.

Li Kai Nian’s expression grew even more solemn. He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice to continue.

"For this exam, we didn’t conduct a preliminary fluid analysis. Although all the various instruments have top-tier anti-cheating measures, I need confirmation from you."

"He... he wouldn’t cheat, would he?"

Hearing this, Wang Zhengguo already had a good idea of what was happening.

’It seems Lin Ye has really caused some earth-shattering commotion during the test.’

Otherwise, Li Kai Nian wouldn’t have singled him out as Lin Ye’s principal.

And this conversation would never have happened.

Wang Zhengguo shot up from his seat, his back ramrod straight.

He looked at Li Kai Nian and, word by word, guaranteed with the utmost seriousness, "I stake my personal integrity and my decades of experience as an educator on it. Lin Ye would absolutely never cheat!"

"If he did cheat, I am willing to bear all responsibility and be dismissed on the spot!"

Seeing his reaction, Li Kai Nian was first taken aback, then his expression relaxed.

A smile reappeared on his face.

He reached out and pressed down on Wang Zhengguo’s shoulder.

"Sit down! Don’t be so tense!"

"With your word, I’ll believe you."

Li Kai Nian waited for Wang Zhengguo to sit down before slowly dropping a bombshell.

"Did you know that your student just set off the alarm on the precision instrument we use to test the Qi and Blood and life indices?"

Wang Zhengguo’s mind went blank with a buzz.

’What?’

’The alarm went off?’

Li Kai Nian continued, "The reason for the alarm is simple. The instrument’s main AI determined that the detected data severely exceeded the peak range for his age group in the database. In fact..."

"Even many official Martial Artists who have reached the late or even peak stage of the Vein Opening Realm can’t produce numbers like these."

This time, Wang Zhengguo was completely stunned.

He sat there in a daze, his mind a complete blank.

’Lin Ye...’

’Just how high have your Qi and Blood and life indices gotten, you brat?’

Li Kai Nian said no more and nodded to a staff member who had been waiting by his side for some time.

Then, he gave the order in a deep voice, "Count his test as a pass and release the data. Let him proceed with the other tests."

"Also, switch the main screen’s live feed to his testing site."

Li Kai Nian leaned back in his chair, a sharp, interested glint in his eyes.

Wang Zhengguo could feel his back drenched in a cold sweat.

In truth, he wasn’t entirely sure about Lin Ye either.

’But I’ve already said the words, and my reputation is now completely on the line!’

Before long, the image on the massive main screen in the center of the observation hall suddenly flickered.

Lin Ye was standing in front of the punching power target.

Just a moment ago, he had been stuck in that fully enclosed metal capsule for a full ten minutes.

He had even thought it was a machine malfunction at one point and called for a proctor.

But the only response he got was to wait where he was, as an in-depth re-verification was in progress.

Thankfully, the test was finally completed, and he had come to this room to test his punching power.

Lin Ye looked at the heavy, thick punching target before him, which glinted with a cold metallic light, and slowly exhaled.

This time, he didn’t plan to hide his strength in the slightest.

Lin Ye knew that this mock exam was his biggest stage.

He wanted everyone to see him!

Lin Ye slowly drew his right fist back, lowered his center of gravity, and arched his spine like a fully drawn longbow.

He mobilized every last shred of boiling Qi and Blood in his body!

He channeled all the Qi and Blood eruption techniques of the Vein Opening Realm into the tip of his fist.

[Normal Attack] allowed him to use 100% of his strength with every punch!

Then, [Charged Slam]!

And finally, [Spear Stance]!

In that instant, there was no longer a difference between throwing a punch and thrusting a spear.

’My fist is my spear!’

’A soul-chasing, life-taking strike!’

Four layers of power stacked and erupted in a single instant!

Lin Ye threw his punch.

The punch hadn’t even truly touched the power target yet.

In the observation hall, all the spectators in the front rows, as well as all the leaders in the second-floor viewing area, suddenly heard a dull, explosive CRACK through the high-fidelity sound system!

A sharp light flashed in Li Kai Nian’s eyes.

The other Dongjiang City leaders sitting beside him also had their expressions change drastically at the same moment!

This was...

A sonic boom!!

The speed and power of that punch, over such a short distance, had actually caused a violent compression of the air, creating a visible sonic shockwave!

Immediately after.

BOOM—!!!!

A massive bang, several times louder than the one during Xue Wangshu’s test, exploded forth!

Lin Ye’s fist smashed dead center into the punching power target!

And then, a scene that left the entire audience utterly astounded occurred.

The sturdy punching target, forged from a special alloy, which Xue Wangshu’s full-power strike had only managed to make shake violently...

...under Lin Ye’s punch, had a horrifying, ten-plus-centimeter-deep crater punched right into its face, centered on the point of impact!

The entire target, along with its multi-ton base, was sent by this unimaginable force, sliding back half a meter and carving two glaring white scars into the floor!

The entire hall was deathly silent!

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

If Xue Wangshu was a genius...

...then...

...what was this boy on the screen, who was now retracting his fist with a blank expression?

’A monster in human skin?!’

After a long moment, murmurs rose from every corner of the venue like a rising tide, quickly converging into a tsunami of clamor!

"Holy shit... Wasn’t that target supposed to withstand up to fifty tons of impact force?"

"How many tons was that? My god..."

"Who is this guy? I’ve never seen that school uniform before!"

On the second floor, in the exclusive viewing area, a smile played on Li Kai Nian’s lips.

It was the surprised and intrigued smile of someone who had unexpectedly discovered a big fish in a shallow pond.

The Director of the Dongjiang City Education Bureau, sitting beside him, was utterly horrified.

He was starting to lose control of his expression.

His goal in vehemently insisting that Li Kai Nian stay was to have the leader see Xue Wangshu.

He wanted to show off his achievements during his tenure in Dongjiang.

’Look, this is our Dongjiang’s most incredible genius. What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?’

But the way things had developed now far exceeded his expectations.

He felt as if the superstar he had poured all his effort into promoting had suddenly been completely upstaged by a random nobody who was just passing by.

Wang Zhengguo felt like his heart was about to leap out of his throat.

Blood rushed to his head, his face flushed red, and his breathing grew ragged. He was both thrilled and terrified.

If there was any suspicion that Lin Ye’s abnormal stats were due to cheating before, then this one punch, delivered under the watchful eyes of all, was enough to shatter any doubt!

While the entire venue was still reeling from the visual shock of Lin Ye’s punch, the massive main screen in the center of the hall, along with the hundred-or-so surrounding secondary screens, flickered simultaneously without warning!

The rankings, which had stabilized and seemed unlikely to change further, once again began to shift violently!

In the seating area for Celestial Star Martial Arts High School, the pride and joy on the faces of the principal and his staff instantly froze.

They watched, wide-eyed, as the first-place score—which had just reached the summit, shining brilliantly, and which they considered their school’s greatest honor—trembled on the screen.

Then, it was forcefully shoved down one spot!

It became second place!

The throne had a new master!

A brand new, completely unfamiliar name had brazenly seized the top spot with the domineering air of a descending sovereign!

[NO. 1: Dongjiang First Middle School, Year 3 (Class 7), Lin Ye]

[Qi and Blood Index: 236.81]

[Life Index: 204.77]