"Oh? You met Xu Jingming? Tell us, what kind of ability does he have?"
Inside the examination hall, upon hearing that Zhou Mingyang had encountered Xu Jingming, the people around him immediately became interested.
"I'm not sure what exact type of ability he has, but his Physique is incredibly strong — at least 180 points."
Zhou Mingyang shook his head and gave his estimate.
"180 Physique points? No wonder he's so terrifying."
The bald-headed boy whistled in amazement.
Ordinary Awakened Ones usually only have around 100 Physique.
Even they, as Tier-1 Lower-Level Ability Users, only had Physique slightly above 130.
A Physique of 180 was something far beyond their reach.
"With such powerful physical strength, he's most likely an Enhancement-Type Ability User."
"Having that much Physique after activating a body-enhancing ability would be quite impressive."
The long-haired boy spoke casually, though there was a trace of bitterness in his tone.
"No, Xu Jingming is still only an Awakened One."
Zhou Mingyang shook his head again.
He did not deny the long-haired boy's speculation that Xu Jingming possessed an Enhancement-Type Ability.
After all, he had come to the same conclusion himself.
"Still an Awakened One?"
The petite girl carrying the massive broadsword gasped.
"So are you saying that all of us Ability Users aren't even stronger than a single Awakened One?"
Her words instantly silenced everyone.
After a long pause, Zhou Mingyang spoke softly:
"I have to admit, Meng Di, you really do know how to hit the key point."
Meng Di was the only girl among them.
She possessed a Grade B Enhancement-Type Ability and currently ranked Fourth.
"I was just shocked, that's all."
Meng Di stuck out her tongue playfully.
Her adorable appearance contrasted sharply with the heavy broadsword she carried — though Zhou Mingyang and the others had long since grown used to it.
"Xu Jingming, you really are a monster… To be this strong while still only an Awakened One…"
The bald-headed boy showed a complicated expression.
After a short pause, he continued:
"But what should we do now? There's still nearly an hour and a half left before the exam ends.
Since the Core Zone beasts are basically gone, should we head back to the Central Zone?"
During the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, every second counted.
Everyone wanted to kill as many beasts as possible to gain more points.
They absolutely could not afford to waste time.
"It would take at least half an hour to return to the Central Zone. That's too much wasted time.
Besides, most beasts in the Central Zone are Tier-1 Peak-Level beasts that haven't advanced yet. The points they give aren't very high."
After thinking for a moment, Zhou Mingyang continued:
"Instead of going back to the Central Zone… why don't we head into the Innermost Core Zone?"
"The Innermost Core Zone?"
Everyone's hearts skipped a beat.
The beasts there were at minimum Tier-1 High-Level, and there were even Tier-2 Beast Kings.
Facing such terrifying enemies, even for Tier-1 Lower-Level Ability Users, entering alone would be extremely dangerous.
"Going alone would be suicide… but if the four of us team up, it might be possible."
The bald-headed boy hesitated briefly, then nodded.
The Martial Arts College Entrance Exam determined their future.
Even though failing wouldn't ruin their lives as Ability Users, entering a better university was still extremely important.
"I have no objections."
Meng Di giggled.
"It seems this is our only choice."
The long-haired boy also nodded.
"Alright — let's move immediately."
Zhou Mingyang was decisive.
Once the plan was set, he immediately led the group toward the Innermost Core Zone.
Meanwhile…
In a ruined town within the Central Zone…
Xu Jingming walked along the cracked roadway with a long spear resting across his shoulder.
This had once been a busy city street.
Now, the concrete was fractured, weeds growing through the gaps, and the surroundings were desolate.
Buildings on both sides were completely ruined.
But Xu Jingming paid no attention to the scenery.
His focus was entirely on his System Panel.
[ System Panel ]
[ Rank ]: Awakened One
[ Ability ]: Purple Heavenly Divine Lightning (S)
[ Physique ]: 181 (+)
[ Spirit ]: 182 (+)
[ Skills ]:
Spearmanship (Advanced+)
Lightning Gale Break (Basic+)
[ Ability Points ]: 2413
2413 Ability Points!
Xu Jingming's eyes lit up.
This was the total amount he had gained from sweeping through the Core Zone.
Such a massive number of Ability Points was astonishing.
However, despite having accumulated so many points, there was still no (+) beside his Rank.
This confirmed his earlier suspicion:
He still had not learned a proper Ability Cultivation Technique, which prevented him from advancing into an Ability User.
"Still… I've already eliminated most of the beasts in the Core Zone."
"If I want more Ability Points, I'll need to head into the Innermost Core Zone."
"But since there are Tier-2 beasts there… I should strengthen my skills first."
Xu Jingming tapped the (+) beside Lightning Gale Break.
[ System Notification ]
[ Lightning Gale Break upgraded
Basic → Intermediate ]
[ Ability Points -100 ]
[ System Notification ]
[ Lightning Gale Break upgraded
Intermediate → Advanced ]
[ Ability Points -200 ]
In an instant, the skill felt as though he had practiced it tens of thousands of times.
Every movement became instinctive.
Perfectly mastered.
"Now I feel much more confident facing a Tier-2 beast."
Although he still had plenty of Ability Points, Xu Jingming did not recklessly increase his attributes.
Aside from raising his Physique to 180 earlier, he had only spent points on upgrading this skill.
He was being extremely cautious.
On one hand, Ability Points were extremely valuable.
After the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, there would be far fewer opportunities to obtain them in large amounts.
On the other hand, once he entered an Ability User University, these points might become even more valuable.
But most importantly—
With his current strength, he was already capable of fighting Tier-2 beasts.
Further upgrades were unnecessary.
After finishing his upgrades, Xu Jingming took out the last two energy bars from his backpack and ate them to recover stamina.
After checking the map, he began walking toward the Innermost Core Zone.
Innermost Core Zone
Compared to the full map of the exam grounds, the Innermost Core Zone appeared extremely small.
But in reality, it covered an entire residential estate.
This place was called Jinseryuan Estate.
Within the open areas of the estate, dozens of fierce beasts roamed.
Unlike normal beast groups, these creatures were of different species:
Shadow Cat
Iron-Bristled Boar
Unicorn Rhinoceros
Normally, fierce beasts were naturally hostile to one another.
Different species treated each other as prey.
For so many different species to coexist peacefully in one place…
There could only be one explanation.
A Beast King ruled over them.
And at the deepest part of the open area—
Lying silently on the ground—
Was a massive bear.
This was no ordinary beast.
Its enormous body resembled a moving tank, radiating terrifying pressure.
This creature was—
The Bloodthirsty Berserker Bear.