Chapter Fourteen: Excellence Rating and Class Honor

Nangong Kexin was unaware that she had already attracted the attention of quite a few people. She stepped forward, stopping five meters before the strength-testing device, her expression gradually growing solemn. After taking a few deep breaths, she let out a crisp shout and burst forward with all her speed.

She intended to make use of her speed advantage to deliver a stronger blow.

It was the same diving motion—bent arm, explosive punch! Three consecutive strikes landed on the machine, yet the results were rather underwhelming.

"Bang! Eighty-nine kilograms!"

"Bang! Seventy-five kilograms!"

"Bang! Seventy-four kilograms!"

There was nothing she could do—she wished her strength could be greater, but her physical abilities lay in speed, and with her delicate, slender frame, achieving such results was already no small feat.

"Nangong Kexin, average strength: seventy-nine kilograms. Not passing. Next!"

Hearing her results announced, Nangong Kexin showed no sign of disappointment. Instead, she walked over to Xia Ruli and Chu Huiyan with a bright smile.

For in her eyes, the next round—the speed test—was what truly mattered!

"By the way, Nangong, how’s that nutrient solution you bought a while back for your sister been working out?" Le Han, fully aware that Nangong Kexin’s strength lay in speed, withdrew his gaze from her results and turned to Nangong Yuchen.

"There should be about twenty or thirty grams left."

"What? Only twenty or thirty grams?" Le Han’s face was instantly filled with shock. "It’s hardly been half a month, and two hundred grams are already gone?"

"Uh..." Nangong Yuchen was taken aback by his reaction.

"You’re using ten grams a day? That’s five thousand credits! You really..." Le Han was left speechless by his generosity.

After all, most people, himself included, only took nutrient solution every few days. To consume it so recklessly, as Nangong Yuchen did—save for the three great families of Xia City, hardly anyone would dare be so extravagant.

Five thousand a day—over half a month, that’s a hundred thousand gone! This...

"Er... Is there any harm in taking the nutrient solution so frequently?" Nangong Yuchen scratched his nose, not feeling he’d done anything wrong.

Hearing his answer, Le Han could only grimace, then muttered helplessly, "...I’m really looking forward to your sister’s speed test. I wonder how much a hundred thousand worth of nutrient solution can raise her performance. Do you think she’ll earn an ‘Excellent’ rating?"

"Excellent rating? What do you mean?" Nangong Yuchen asked, puzzled.

"You mean you don’t even know this?" Le Han rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "You know the passing standards for first-year students’ physical tests, right? Strength: one hundred sixty kilograms, speed: sixteen meters per second, neural reflex: eight. (Any one of the three meets the threshold.)"

"Yes," Nangong Yuchen nodded.

"And you know the breakthrough standards for a Tier One physical cultivator: strength, four hundred fifty kilograms; speed, forty meters per second; neural reflex, twenty. (Again, any one will do.)" Seeing Nangong Yuchen nod again, Le Han continued, "Our first-year physical tests have two ratings: Pass and Excellent. There’s no need to elaborate on passing. ‘Excellent’ means your performance reaches at least half the standard of a Tier One cultivator: strength over two hundred thirty kilograms, speed over twenty-one meters per second, neural reflex at least eleven. Only with such scores can you be rated Excellent!"

"What’s more, this time, each class’s nomination for the Special Excellence Exam is selected from these Excellent students! And the overall ranking among the twelve classes depends on how many Excellent students each has!"

At this point, Le Han sighed. "The reason Class Twelve is always at the bottom is because we have so few students with Excellent scores. Aside from Angel and Lu Ling, everyone else is just at the passing level. Well, except for you, last month."

"Think about it! This is already the fifth test. All the classes’ students are at least passing. The ranking now is determined by the number of Excellent students. I’ve heard that in the last few rounds, both Class One and Class Three had six or seven students with Excellent ratings. So, I’m afraid our class will be dead last again! Maybe even at the very bottom!"

Le Han’s words were filled with helplessness. As a member of Class Twelve, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of collective honor.

"Oh, so that’s how it is!" Nangong Yuchen finally understood. No wonder, as soon as he entered, Shangguan Luohua was mocked by other class advisors. According to Le Han’s analysis, if nothing unexpected happened, Class Twelve would once again finish last.

While the two were discussing, the first round of strength tests for the four upper classes had come to an end.

The eight lower classes, having watched the entire strength-testing process in the four stations, immediately began to talk among themselves after it ended.

Amid the noisy discussions, Class Twelve’s voices were the loudest.

"Sigh, Class One and Class Three are just insane! They each have three students with Excellent strength scores. Especially in Class Three, the highest Excellent score reached two hundred eighty kilograms!"

"Yeah, it’s unbelievable! And look—Class Two and Class Four aren’t far behind. They each had two as well!"

At this, the students of Class Twelve grew even more dejected. Dozens of them glanced at each other, finally bowing their heads. "If this goes on, once the neural reflex tests are done, those classes will all have at least six Excellent students. And our class..."

"Class leader, Lu Ling, and Nangong Yuchen—how can we compete? Are we really going to be last again?"

A heavy silence fell, their voices drifting to the front of the line and into Shangguan Luohua’s ears, making her face darken further. As the class advisor, the ranking was of utmost importance to her—especially after finishing last two years in a row.

Thinking back to Class Three’s advisor, Zheng Bowen, and his ridicule, as well as the cold looks from the other classes, anger welled up in her heart.

It was all because of that wretched woman! In her three years at the Star Academy, every time new students were recruited, that woman had intentionally assigned the most talented ones to other classes, leaving her with what she had now!

Was Class Twelve really going to be last again?

Already furious and aggrieved, hearing the discouraging voices around her made her expression even worse. She was about to roar in anger when another voice spoke up first.

"This year, our class absolutely will not be last!"

The voice was firm, filled with confidence, making all the students—and even the about-to-explode Shangguan Luohua—freeze in astonishment.

They all turned as one toward the source of the voice.

Including the utterly stunned Le Han.

"Nangong Yuchen!"