C2 That New Student with a Pair of Clawed Feet!

Zhang Heng handed his documents to a senior responsible for admissions, then hummed a tune and waited patiently for his assessment to begin.

From what he remembered in his past life, there were five tests in total.

Back then, he had only managed to score an S in one of the five tests, which led to his elimination.

The grades ranged from C, B, A, S, to SS.

Each year, if a new student scored S in all five tests, they were highly sought after by various academies.

Even the No.1 Academy would extend an invitation. Some exceptionally talented new students could even secure the privilege of a tuition waiver!

Today, I'm determined to earn that privilege. The more prestigious the academy, the greater the expense.

An average family couldn't possibly afford it, and my family was clearly just that—average.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!"

The sonorous toll of the ancient bell signaled the official start of the assessment.

Zhang Heng observed his peers; the majority of the new students were visibly anxious.

Even he couldn't help his own heart from racing.

The first group of students swiftly entered the testing area. Half an hour later, in the center of the square, their scores were displayed on a massive projector.

"Look, someone got four S's!"

A burst of astonished voices filled the air, and Zhang Heng turned his attention to the commotion.

Su Meng? That name definitely belonged to a girl.

Why does that photo look so familiar?

He scrutinized the photo next to the scores, and recognition dawned on him. It was indeed familiar.

It was her! The girl he had just rescued.

He chuckled to himself, surprised that she had managed to secure four S's.

"Dong dong dong!"

The bell chimed again, ushering in the second wave of students for their assessments.

Several more groups went in, and Zhang Heng found himself yawning.

"Look! Four SS's and one S!"

"Wow, who is that? They're incredible."

Zhang Heng didn't need to look up to know who it was—the person he had most envied in his previous life.

Yuwen Hao, hailed as a leading figure of his generation in the Huaxia nation.

Born into the Xuanwu Clan with the Xuanwu bloodline coursing through his veins, Zhang Heng's cultivation talent was truly extraordinary.

In his past life, while he was still grappling with the Golden Core stage, Yuwen Hao had already advanced to the Soul Formation stage and later became a renowned general in Huaxia.

This time around, Zhang Heng resolved to stop looking up to them; he was determined to surpass them!

The bell chimed again, and Zhang Heng's eyes quickly found his name on the list.

Was it finally his turn?

He entered the examination hall, which was exactly as he remembered.

The first test was theoretical!

Gazing at the lengthy test paper before him, Zhang Heng couldn't help but smile.

In his previous life, he had managed only a B in this section. Picking up his pen, he swiftly began answering the questions.

Having lived for three hundred years in his previous life, these theoretical tests were like child's play to him, akin to a high schooler breezing through elementary school homework.

He set down his pen with a smirk, thinking to himself how absurdly easy it was.

"Hey, new student, if you don't get a move on with those questions, are you just going to sit there picking at your feet?"

The examiner's words were followed by scornful looks from everyone. A few examinees near Zhang Heng even dramatically covered their noses.

Zhang Heng was itching to let loose a tirade. Who on earth was picking at their feet? He was clearly giving himself a foot massage!

"Teacher, I'm done. Here's my exam paper," Zhang Heng announced.

He stood up, walked over, and handed his paper to the incredulous examiner.

"Finished?" the examiner asked, astounded, examining the paper in his hands.

The exam had only just begun; how could he have completed a thousand questions in mere minutes? Surely it wasn't a blank paper!

But a glance confirmed that the paper was filled with answers. Zhang Heng returned to his seat, immediately attracting a multitude of admiring glances.

Many of the examinees were left wondering, "Is this even the same test?"

While they hadn't finished even a tenth of their questions, Zhang Heng had already turned in his paper.

"Hey, freshman, yeah you, turning in your exam early doesn't mean much. Make sure you did it well; handing it in early doesn't guarantee a good grade. And put your feet down."

With that, he slid Zhang Heng's exam paper into the grading machine, which could quickly score the test.

Zhang Heng was at a loss for words. Why was this proctor always fixated on his feet?

"Ding! Ding!" Two sharp tones sounded, and two enormous S's appeared on the display!

The sight of these grades left the proctor frozen in shock. Double S! It wasn't just the proctor who was stunned; all the new students were equally dumbfounded.

To achieve double S grades in such a short time was impressive! Instantly, a wave of admiring glances swept over Zhang Heng.

Seeing his scores, Zhang Heng couldn't help but smirk. "Hmph, No.1 Academy, here I come!"

"Uh, freshman, you can put your feet back up now."

Zhang Heng just shook his head...

Soon, the exam time was up, and everyone had submitted their papers. Some looked worried, while others beamed with joy.

As for Zhang Heng, he was casually propping his feet up on the table, basking in the surrounding looks of respect.

Damn, this feeling was amazing!

"Let's proceed to the second round of assessment. All candidates, please prepare!"

A shimmering Spirit Storage Rod suddenly rose from each new student's desk.

This round involved channeling one's Spiritual Force into the rod before them, aptly named the Spirit Storage Rod.

The more Spiritual Force stored, the higher the score.

This round was primarily a test of the students' Spiritual Force density. In his past life, this was the only round where he had secured an S grade!

At the examiner's signal, all the new students began fervently infusing their Spiritual Force into the Spirit Storage Rods.

Zhang Heng was no different. The Spirit Storage Rod was divided into five colors: yellow, purple, green, blue, and red, corresponding to grades C, B, A, S, and SS, respectively.

Zhang Heng's Spirit Storage Rod quickly reached the green zone, indicating he had achieved an A grade.

Not bad, I can definitely do this!

Zhang Heng focused intently on the Spirit Storage Rod before him, channeling an even greater surge of Spiritual Force into it. Meanwhile, some of the newcomers had exhausted their reserves of Spiritual Force and were forced to bow out.

A sharp "Ding!" resonated through the air, a sound reserved for those new students who had achieved a rank of S or higher.

The examiner's gaze followed the sound until it settled on Zhang Nan.

It was him again! The same newcomer!

Damn, no wonder he had the audacity to pick at his feet during the exam; this newcomer was intriguing.

Zhang Heng was drenched in sweat, pushing himself harder, nearly reaching the coveted red zone.

As the Spirit Storage Rod edged closer to the red, Zhang Heng clenched his teeth and held on. He had been halted at this very stage in his past life!

But in this life, Zhang Heng was driven by a relentless determination to not give up.

Despite the dwindling Spiritual Force within him, the Spirit Storage Rod stubbornly resisted breaking into the red zone.

I refuse to believe that I can't achieve a double S on my own merit!

His Spiritual Force began to converge with a frenzied intensity, gathering at a pace that would have drained him in his previous life.

Yet now, armed with centuries of experience and the perspective of a Nascent Soul Stage practitioner, he was prepared to exhaust every last shred of Spiritual Force within him!

His vision blurred, and his consciousness started to waver.