The worst thing is when the air suddenly goes silent...
The atmosphere was awkward like never before.
The exam site was monitored by surveillance AI, with no blind spots at 360 degrees. No anomalies were detected, and the school's surveillance AI hadn't made a mistake.
What did this mean?
It only meant that Feng Lin had truly earned the highest score through his own ability—and that made things awkward...
The students who had been causing trouble earlier slipped away silently, as if nothing had happened. No one offered an apology for their earlier accusations.
Among the crowd, Zhao Kai's face was full of resentment.
But the facts were right there, the evidence solid and undeniable.
If he kept causing trouble, he'd only make a fool of himself.
In the end, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and endure it, wanting nothing more than to stay as far away from Feng Lin as possible.
Taking in the resentful and confused expressions of everyone, Feng Lin found it both amusing and exasperating.
Was just one top score worth such a big fuss?
Was it really?
The classroom, once noisy, fell into an eerie silence. Everyone quieted down and silently prepared for the upcoming martial arts exam.
Feng Lin also got serious, warming up by moving his limbs and getting his body energized to reach peak condition, ensuring he could achieve the best results in the martial arts test.
An hour later, a mechanical voice echoed through the campus again.
"The second exam is about to begin! All classes, prepare for the martial arts exam..." It was the school's announcement signaling the start of the test.
The female homeroom teacher stepped back onto the podium and began her lecture.
"The martial arts exam is about to start. If your vitality hasn't reached 1, don't bother showing off. Even if you got the highest score in the written exam, you'll still end up with zero in the martial arts test!"
Her words were pointed, and anyone with eyes could tell she was talking about Feng Lin.
Hahaha...
The crowd burst into loud laughter.
That's right!
Everyone suddenly felt enlightened, their earlier frustration swept away.
They didn't know how Feng Lin had lucked out to get the top score in the written exam, but no one could fake their vitality.
The martial arts exam would surely expose him. Then we'll see if he can still act so nonchalant!
Nearly everyone wore a hint of smug satisfaction on their faces, eager to see Feng Lin make a fool of himself.
Feng Lin took in everyone's expressions, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.
Want to see me make a fool of myself?
Sorry!
You're going to be disappointed.
...
The first item in the martial arts exam was the vitality test.
Vitality is the most fundamental manifestation of every living being, encompassing health, strength, speed, physique, endurance... and is also a key indicator of genetic potential.
A person with strong vitality would naturally have all physical metrics far exceeding the average.
The classroom was spacious, and right in the center stood a strange machine made entirely of metal, emitting red rays that scanned continuously—this was the vitality detector.
"Du Zhiming!"
A student walked in, and with a sweep of red light, a number appeared on the machine.
"Vitality: 1.36!"
To qualify for the college entrance exam, vitality must reach or exceed 1; otherwise, there was no chance of getting into any university.
Seeing that he had not only met the standard but exceeded it by 0.36, the student came down with an excited face, deliberately casting a smug glance at Feng Lin.
"Zhao Kai!"
Zhao Kai stepped forward, surrounded by the crowd, and stood under the machine as the red light flickered.
"Vitality: 2.2!"
The striking number caused a stir in the room.
"As expected of Zhao Kai, his vitality is amazing!"
"Last time he just reached 2, and now he's at 2.2—his progress is so fast!"
"If he keeps developing, he might have a chance to continue growing, leave Earth, even the solar system, and get into those interstellar universities! You know, in the vast universe, the solar system is just the most remote corner!"
...
A chorus of envious praise followed.
Even the usually strict female homeroom teacher, like a merciless master, now wore a satisfied smile, clearly pleased with Zhao Kai's results.
Zhao Kai stepped down from the vitality detector, his gaze cutting through the crowd to lock onto Feng Lin, a cold sneer on his face like a wolf eyeing its prey.
Feng Lin, however, paid no attention, his eyes flickering slightly as he noted a term.
Interstellar universities, huh?
Then the homeroom teacher called out the list, and one by one, the students went up to test their vitality.
"Vitality: 1.12!"
"Vitality: 1.06!"
"Vitality: 0.95!"
...
Most people's vitality hovered around 1, not much higher.
Those like Du Zhiming, with vitality at 1.4, were rare, and only Zhao Kai had broken past 2.
There was no denying it—though arrogant, he was indeed the top of the class.
As the list was finished, the homeroom teacher directly announced, "The vitality test ends here, with the result..."
Before she could finish, a voice rang out, "Teacher, I haven't tested yet!"
Feng Lin raised his hand from the crowd.
Interrupted mid-sentence, the homeroom teacher was very displeased, staring at him for a long time without speaking.
The others were even more impatient.
Your vitality is only 0.4, and you still want to take the college entrance exam?
What if you score the lowest in the whole school—wouldn't that disgrace the school?
The teacher didn't even give you the qualification for the martial arts exam—don't you get the hint?
"Do you really think you can pass the martial arts exam with your 0.4 vitality?" the teacher asked bluntly.
Old impressions were hard to break; even the teacher didn't think much of him.
But for the sake of the exam qualification, Feng Lin couldn't give up.
"Yes!" he said, neither humble nor arrogant. "Teacher, there's an old saying from Earth's China: 'A scholar who has been away for three days deserves a new look.' It's been so long since the last exam—how do you know I won't pass this time?"
"Still not giving up?" The female teacher frowned inwardly, but as a student, wanting to take the exam was a perfectly reasonable request. She could deliberately overlook him, but she couldn't block him.
Then she reconsidered, realizing she had no authority and no need to stop Feng Lin from taking the martial arts exam.
In the end, it was her long-held impression of Feng Lin as the class's perennial bottom-dweller that had clouded her judgment, leading to such an unwise move.
As a homeroom teacher, if a new genius emerged in her class, it would only benefit her, with no downsides.
Realizing this, the female teacher restarted the vitality detector and, with a stern face, gestured for Feng Lin to step up.
Fine, let's see what your vitality is now.
If your vitality doesn't meet the standard, your intelligence wouldn't have developed, and you couldn't have scored high on the written exam.
If that's the case, I'll make sure you pay.
But if you also perform remarkably in the martial arts exam, I wouldn't mind giving you a chance.
Now, as Feng Lin argued his case and regained the opportunity to take the martial arts exam, cold stares slanted toward him from all directions, like a thousand blades trying to pierce him through.
Bathing in gazes of mockery, ridicule, and scorn, Feng Lin remained unmoved as he stepped onto the vitality detector.
The red rays enveloped his entire body, scanning every organ, cell, and gene, turning them into real data.
"What?" Everyone in the classroom, including the female teacher, stared at the detector's result, frozen, blinking repeatedly, doubting their eyes.
The vitality detector clearly displayed a line of data.
Vitality: 1.5!