Chapter 50: Graduation Exams

The five days leading up to the exams passed quickly, with Feng Qi immersing himself fully in his studies.

Finally, the day arrived. The examination committee, made up of teachers from various prestigious academies, arrived at Star City High School. The long-awaited graduation exams were about to commence.

The students, who had spent months preparing for this day, couldn't help but feel a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. Today's results would determine their futures.

The first day of exams covered foundational subjects such as History, The Origins of Magic Techniques, The Origins of Cultivation Techniques, and Moral Education.

That morning, the proctors arrived at each classroom, carrying stacks of test papers.

With ten minutes left before the exams began, students were using every spare moment to cram in last-minute revisions. The atmosphere in the classroom was tense, except for Feng Qi, who sat leisurely at his desk, utterly unperturbed.

Being a guaranteed admit to Star City Academy, whether or not he participated in the exams made no difference to him.

Glancing at the clock, Feng Qi decided he'd had enough of the classroom's tense energy and stood to leave for his dormitory.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared at the doorway.

Dressed in the Star City High School uniform, the girl wore her hair in a high ponytail. She stood around 160 cm tall, her fair skin glowing in the morning light as her eyes scanned the classroom. When her gaze settled on Feng Qi, she walked directly toward him.

With a resigned expression, Feng Qi watched as she approached.

"Feng Qi, this is it—the ultimate showdown between us. I hope you'll take this exam seriously. This time, I'm going to prove I'm better than you," she declared firmly.

"Is that really necessary? Your competitiveness is a bit much," he replied with a sigh.

This girl was the class president of the neighboring Class Three, and she had always viewed Feng Qi as her rival. Despite her best efforts, she had consistently come second to him in every exam over the past six years. This had fueled her determination to surpass him, prompting her occasional "declarations of war."

Feng Qi, on the other hand, found her attitude absurd. He saw no reason for such drama. Studying and preparing for exams should have been straightforward enough—what was the point of all this posturing?

Unfazed by his indifference, the girl's expression hardened, her voice rising in frustration.

"Six years, Feng Qi. Six years I've been overshadowed by you. Do you know how that feels? Every single day, I've dreamed of surpassing you and claiming the top spot, only to fail again and again. This is my last chance, and I'm going to prove to you that I'm not weaker than you!"

"Please, spare me. I really don't care. It's not like I cheat on these exams or go out of my way to beat you. I just do my best and happen to come out on top. It's not like I want to be first in the grade, you know?" Feng Qi said, clearly exasperated.

His nonchalant response elicited a chorus of mockery from his classmates.

"Feng Qi, cut it out. We get it. Stop rubbing it in!"

"Man, silent arrogance is the deadliest!"

"Classic Feng Qi—swaggering like the breeze, ever-present and unstoppable."

"Who is this? What overwhelming confidence! It's shaking me to my core—I can barely hold it together!"

Hearing the taunts around him, Feng Qi could only shake his head in disbelief.

Who was showing off? He wasn't pretending or being arrogant—he was just stating the truth. It wasn't his fault that his consistent top performance overshadowed everyone else.

"Feng Qi, I hope you give it your all. This is our final battle, and I refuse to lose!" With that, the girl turned and walked out of the classroom.

At that moment, the proctor at the lectern glanced at the list of examinees, then looked at Feng Qi.

"Why is the guaranteed admit still here? The exam starts in five minutes—leave the classroom!" the proctor instructed.

"Yes, teacher."

Feng Qi immediately stood and walked out, brushing past the girl, who had stopped in her tracks, frozen in shock.

"You're… guaranteed admission?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Feng Qi turned back with a faint smile.

"Yes," he said simply before continuing down the hall, leaving her staring after him in stunned silence.

As Feng Qi was about to leave the classroom, the girl called out to him.

"So, you really are guaranteed admission?"

"Exactly. Which means this time, the top spot is all yours. Enjoy the feeling of standing at the summit," he replied with a grin, continuing his stride without turning back toward her.

The classroom erupted in a wave of groans and jeers behind him.

The exams lasted only one day, with the results announced the same evening.

The process of grading the papers was remarkably efficient. All the test papers were fed into the grading machine brought by the examination committee. The machine was linked to the central database to automatically verify and score the responses. Within an hour, the results for every student in the school were processed.

In Feng Qi's class, every student passed the foundational exams.

As Wang Jinsheng read out the results with a pleased smile, cheers erupted from the classroom.

Next came the academic reviews by the academy instructors.

For this phase, the classrooms were cleared and transformed into interview venues. Professors from various academies were stationed in each classroom to conduct interviews and assessments. The entire process was recorded and monitored in real-time to ensure fairness.

For instance, a student aspiring to join Star City Academy's Combat Class would queue outside the classroom where its instructors were stationed and undergo an evaluation.

During the assessment, instructors would use instruments to measure the student's bloodline strength, ask questions to gauge their understanding of combat techniques, or even conduct practical tests to evaluate combat aptitude.

While these evaluations were subjective to some degree, the instructors were all experienced professionals. It was impossible for an unqualified student to slip through the cracks.

The following morning, the assessment phase began.

Students formed long lines outside their desired academies' classrooms, waiting for their turn to be evaluated.

Meanwhile, Feng Qi was sitting on the lawn outside the teaching building, chatting leisurely with Wang Jinsheng.

"Old Wang, how many students from our class do you think will pass the academy evaluations and make it into the top 100 academies?" Feng Qi asked casually.

"Probably around twenty percent," Wang Jinsheng estimated. "The rest will have to stay back for the second round of school-specific exams. But I'm confident that no one from our class will be forced to head straight into society—I trust they all have the potential to move forward."

After a pause, Wang Jinsheng turned toward Feng Qi and added, "Oh, by the way, for the graduation banquet after the exams, the school has suggested that each class prepare a performance or program. Do you have any ideas?"

Feng Qi looked stunned. "Ideas? What ideas? How about I recite a poem on behalf of our class?"

"Don't embarrass me! Come on, think of something that'll actually impress people. You must have some special skills or talents worth showcasing," Wang Jinsheng pressed.

Hearing this, Feng Qi fell into thought.

Special skills? Talents?

"How about… I perform the parking maneuver from Driving Test Level Two on stage?"

Wang Jinsheng: …