Hearing Wan Keshan's words, Li Qingshan understood at once.
Yu Lei going first had absolutely been Wan Keshan's careful pick.
She could set an example and, in passing, get the key points across.
A perfect utility player, frankly!
"Next, Wu He." Wan Keshan's voice rang out.
A reasonably sturdy boy stepped forward, looking a little nervous, walked to the light-walls, and began.
Compared to Yu Lei, Wu He was far more ordinary.
Speed: 8.3 m/s
Punch force: 173 kg
Those marks were, at best, the level of an average sports student.
And not just Wu He — the next twenty-odd students all scored unremarkably.
A few were even a good deal worse than him.
But Wan Keshan's expression stayed flat, not the least bit bothered. He merely waved each back into line and moved on to the next.
"Next, Jia Jiang."
Zhao Hongzhou perked up.
"Bro Shan, Jia Jiang's up."
Li Qingshan nodded and watched the figure between the walls.
Jia Jiang was also from Class 7 — a classmate of theirs, after all.
Soon his results came in.
Speed: 9.0 m/s
Punch force: 203 kg
"Bro Shan, after Jia Jiang, are we up next?"
Zhao Hongzhou clenched his fists, sweat beading on his brow.
Just then Wan Keshan's voice sounded.
"Next, Fang Ju."
Phew.
Zhao Hongzhou breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Li Qingshan turned to look at him, puzzled:
"What are you so nervous for?"
"This is only the first Martial Dao lesson. The test is just to see where we stand — haven't you noticed Teacher Wan isn't even recording the scores?"
"I never heard the Martial Dao Class did placement tests in past years either!"
Zhao Hongzhou grumbled under his breath, then said with little confidence:
"If my score's no good, they won't kick me out, will they?"
"Relax. You're about on par with Jia Jiang, upper-middle at least. If they're cutting anyone, it won't be you."
Li Qingshan patted his arm, then looked over at a few students who'd finished and scored at the very bottom.
Every one of them wore a worried look, clearly thinking the same thing as Zhao Hongzhou.
Li Qingshan shook his head and said calmly:
"The senior-year Martial Dao Class is a chance for every Old Continent high schooler — sign up and you're in. That's a policy laid down by the Federation. There's no way they'd start cutting people in the very first lesson."
As the words fell,
Zhao Hongzhou only grew tenser, clamping his mouth shut and shooting him a look.
Hm?
Li Qingshan followed it to find Wan Keshan staring at him, half-smiling.
He could hear that too?
Li Qingshan went speechless and shut up at once.
The chatter around them was no small thing; for Wan Keshan to pick him out so precisely, the man's strength clearly exceeded what Li Qingshan had imagined.
Still, it was fine — he hadn't said anything bad.
"Next, Zhao Hongzhou."
Zhao Hongzhou tensed, pulled a long face, and stepped out of line.
Caught in the act, then called by name.
A teacher's age-old tactic, effective every time.
There was nothing Li Qingshan could do to help. With Zhao Hongzhou up, he'd be next.
Soon Zhao Hongzhou finished.
Speed: 8.9 m/s
Punch force: 210 kg
The result was just as Li Qingshan had guessed, near enough to Jia Jiang's.
Back in line, Zhao Hongzhou, hugely relieved, turned to console Li Qingshan instead.
"Bro Shan, it's fine. Just stick out your neck, one chop and it's over — quick as anything."
What are you, a goose lined up for the cleaver?
Li Qingshan rolled his eyes and stepped forward, ready to take his turn.
"Next, Xiong Xiuying."
Li Qingshan's movement hitched, and he turned to look at Wan Keshan.
That iron-tower of a back loomed at the head of the line.
"Excuse me, let me through."
A timid voice came from behind him.
Li Qingshan drew his foot back, face blank.
The girl gave him a slightly odd look and stepped out of line.
After that,
student after student stepped up to be tested, yet it never came around to Li Qingshan.
On purpose, surely? It had to be on purpose!
Li Qingshan recalled that half-smile from before and gained a deeper appreciation of this Martial Dao teacher.
Time passed, and nearly half the students had finished.
But not a single Body Forging Layer 1 had appeared — not even a "lopsided" case like Yu Lei.
The test went on, student after student stepping out and back into line.
At last,
"Speed eleven point one meters per second, punch force 252 kilograms — Body Forging Layer 1!"
"Liang Mingyu! The first Body Forging Layer 1!"
Cries of astonishment kept ringing out, and many grew excited.
Under everyone's gaze,
a lean young man came walking from the far side of the gym.
Head high and chest out, hands clasped behind his waist, he slowed his steps on purpose, as if savoring the cheers.
Reaching the front of the line, Liang Mingyu stopped and looked at Wan Keshan with burning eyes.
By rights, with the first Body Forging Layer 1 appearing, the teacher should at least offer a comment, even if not praise.
"Get back in line, quick!"
Wan Keshan frowned and waved a hand.
"Next, Liu Jingya."
Liang Mingyu's face stiffened.
Fortunately, Liu Jingya stepping forward eased his awkwardness; the two seemed to know each other.
After exchanging a few words, Liang Mingyu returned to line and Liu Jingya walked to the light-walls.
Zhao Hongzhou looked toward Liang Mingyu and said excitedly:
"Bro Shan, this Liang Mingyu's already Body Forging Layer 1? I figure you're no weaker than him — you've definitely got Layer 1 too."
He spent a fair amount of time with Li Qingshan and knew his strength well.
"Probably... still a bit short?"
Li Qingshan pinched the bridge of his nose, answering with some uncertainty.
He'd watched Liang Mingyu's test closely.
By his own reckoning, he really could perform no worse than Liang Mingyu.
But...
Li Qingshan glanced at the Panel.
[Realm: Body Forging 9/100]
Body Forging Layer 1 should clearly be 10/100.
He'd always assumed he was merely close to Layer 1.
But if 9/100 was already Layer 1, then wasn't Body Forging Layer 10 only 90/100?
How was the rest of the bar supposed to fill?
Could there be an eleventh layer? A Great Perfection?
More importantly, the speed and punch force gained through Body Forging were non-linear!
The later the layer, the greater the jump!
Body Forging Layer 10:
Speed: 50 m/s
Punch force: 10 tons
Such speed and strength were already utterly inhuman.
If there truly were an "eleventh layer,"
Li Qingshan didn't know — and didn't dare imagine — how terrifying it would be.
"Bro Shan, look!"
Zhao Hongzhou's voice pulled Li Qingshan back to the present. Following his pointing finger, he perked up at once.
"Heh, now you're catching on, kid."
Liu Jingya had finished her test and was on her way back.
Sweat had soaked her Martial Dao uniform, outlining her shape, everything swaying with each step.
"Bro Shan, with a figure like that, I'm afraid she's not cut out for the Martial Dao."
Hm?
Li Qingshan turned in surprise.
Zhao Hongzhou's brow was furrowed as he delivered his critique:
"During the speed test she nearly lost her balance and fell — far worse than Yu Lei."
Having said it, Zhao Hongzhou even looked over, as if awaiting his opinion.
Faced with those eyes brimming with wisdom,
Li Qingshan composed himself and nodded earnestly.
"You're right. That's just what I was thinking."
The test went on, student after student stepping out and back.
Among them, another Body Forging Layer 1 emerged.
Hong Qian.
Speed: 11.2 m/s
Punch force: 255 kg
With Liang Mingyu's example fresh, Hong Qian kept a far lower profile and didn't dare show off.
Fewer and fewer remained untested, and still it wasn't Li Qingshan's turn.
"He must've put me dead last."
Li Qingshan could guess at Wan Keshan's mean streak, but he no longer cared.
His eyes stayed fixed on the Panel, on the Body Forging progress line.
Body Forging Layer 11 — did it really exist?
At last,
"Next, Li Qingshan."