Chapter 8: Official Start, First Killing!

Each backpack contains a smartwatch, three energy bars, and one safety ball.

Please check your items carefully; if anything is missing, come to the podium immediately to get it replaced.

After saying this, Wang Haiyang stepped down from the podium.

It is now 8:40; there are still over twenty minutes until the Wu Ke Gaokao begins.

Thus, after Wang Haiyang stepped down, the students on the open ground relaxed.

"Does any team need a tank? I have a Class-D enhancement ability—I can tank and deal damage."

"Man, this Gaokao's too hard; we can't avoid forming teams anymore. I have a Class-C mental ability that can temporarily stall beast cognition—any team need me?"

"Our team needs a brute-force DPS. Anyone with a Class-D or higher output ability, join us!"

"......"

The Wu Ke Gaokao does not prohibit students from forming teams.

Of course, the score from killing beasts as a team is divided equally among all members, making efficiency far lower than solo killing.

Therefore, most students still choose to enter the exam alone.

But the unicorn rhino just spotted proves this Wu Ke Gaokao's difficulty will be extraordinary.

So students who originally didn't plan to form teams now began searching for teammates.

"Xu Jingming, you haven't joined a team yet, have you? How about joining ours?

We still need a support DPS—your lightning ability fits perfectly."

From Class 5's group, a girl in a silver-white fitted combat suit stepped up to Xu Jingming, her figure accentuated by the fabric.

The girl had a lovely face, with a faint smile on her lips.

For an ordinary student, such a beautiful girl's invitation would be a dream come true.

But Xu Jingming's brow twitched.

The girl was Lin Qingyuan, Class 5's monitor, and also a gentle, kind-hearted person.

Add to that her beauty and figure, and her popularity in Class 5 was very high.

After learning Xu Jingming had lost both parents, this gentle monitor secretly helped him during class activities and daily studies.

Lin Qingyuan thought her actions were subtle enough, but the former's introverted, sensitive nature quickly sensed this difference.

He even secretly believed Lin Qingyuan had feelings for him.

But Xu Jingming, the reincarnated one, knew clearly: Lin Qingyuan's actions were merely because she was kind-hearted.

Now, inviting him to join her team was the same reason.

But my dear lady, you've got to learn to read the situation!

The Wu Ke Gaokao—pass or die in one exam!

No one wants a liability in their team; Lin Qingyuan inviting him will make the others resentful.

Xu Jingming glanced behind him.

Sure enough, seeing Lin Qingyuan invite him, her other teammates' faces instantly turned liver-colored.

"Monitor, I'm going in alone. You guys form your team."

Xu Jingming shook his head.

He also felt a pang of admiration for Lin Qingyuan's innocent kindness.

Of course, purely from this, her family must have protected her very well.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have raised such a personality...

"Is that so? Alright then, stay safe inside the exam zone."

Lin Qingyuan was about to persuade further, but seeing the seriousness in Xu Jingming's eyes,

she knew further pleading was useless, sighed, and turned away disappointed.

"Good thing this kid has some sense."

Among the class team, Lin Qingyuan's other teammates also exhaled in relief.

Lin Qingyuan was their captain; they couldn't oppose her decision.

But if Xu Jingming, with only a Class-E ability, joined their team, their entire group's score would drop significantly.

"You turned down Lin the beauty's invitation? Man, you're bold—how many people would kill to team up with her?"

After Lin Qingyuan left, Liu Jie sidled up, grinning lewdly.

"Cut it out—you know our monitor's just like this, always helping the weak."

Xu Jingming rolled his eyes.

"You knew? I thought you thought she was secretly in love with you."

Liu Jie feigned surprise, "But hey, you really plan to go in alone?"

"This Wu Ke Gaokao is tough. With only a Class-E ability, going solo won't be easy."

"But if you call me big brother, I'll reluctantly take you under my wing."

Liu Jie dramatically flicked his hair.

As it happened, Liu Jie used to be as quiet as Xu Jingming.

But since awakening his Class-C ability, he's become increasingly flamboyant.

Though his words were annoying, Xu Jingming knew Liu Jie was just worried about him—true brotherhood!

Of course, he'd never show it on his lips.

"Hah! Joke! Do I need you to carry me?"

Xu Jingming let out an exaggerated scoff, flashing a mysterious smile:

"I'll tell you straight—I'm not who I used to be. I'm not the same man anymore."

"I'm aiming for the Jiangnan Provincial Top Scorer this time. If you're willing to call me Dad, I'll reluctantly take you into the Jiangnan Provincial top 100."

Saying this, Xu Jingming mimicked Liu Jie's pose and dramatically flicked his hair.

Male friendship is like this—everyone scrambles to be the other's father.

"Jiangnan Provincial Top Scorer? You really know how to brag! How come I never noticed you were this full of hot air before?"

"If Zhang Hao were here, he'd probably laugh his teeth out."

Liu Jie glared, clicking his tongue in amazement.

"Tsk tsk, these days no one believes the truth anymore—truly, morals are declining."

Xu Jingming shook his head and sighed...

Amid their banter, time slipped away quickly.

Soon, it was exactly nine o'clock.

"Whoosh—"

The soldiers pulled open the gate to the ruins town, and Wang Haiyang stepped onto the podium to announce:

"The 2037th Wu Ke Gaokao of Jiangcheng is officially underway!! Candidates, enter the exam grounds!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than over fourteen hundred candidates sprang into action.

"The Wu Ke Gaokao has begun!"

"This time, I'll stun everyone!"

"My goal is Jiangnan Institute of Supernatural Abilities!"

"......"

Dressed in battle gear, armed with weapons, the candidates surged into the ruins town like locusts, carrying their hopes and expectations for the exam.

Under this atmosphere, Xu Jingming also took up his long spear and joined the crowd, laughing as he charged in.

The ruins town, like a gaping abyss, swallowed all the students whole.

Soon, the open ground outside grew empty.

"Activate the ruins' surveillance cameras and tracking drones—prepare to broadcast the Wu Ke Gaokao live!"

The Great Xia Nation is rich in martial virtue; the annual Wu Ke Gaokao is broadcast publicly every year.

The battle footage is watched not only by the Education Bureau, school principals, and homeroom teachers, but each school also schedules time for first- and second-year students to watch.

Thus, as all candidates entered the exam grounds, over ten thousand hidden cameras in the ruins town activated simultaneously.

At the same time, over fifty military drones lifted into the air, tracking and filming the celebrity candidates who already had some fame before the Wu Ke Gaokao.

Soon, images projected onto the sky above the open ground.

Meanwhile, school principals, homeroom teachers, and Education Bureau officials entered the spectator stands, chatting among themselves.

Though the ruins town was merely a small township under Jiangcheng, its area was vast.

With over fourteen hundred candidates entering, congestion occurred only near the entrance.

Once deeper inside, it was like a single drop of water falling into the ocean—leaving not a ripple.

Moreover, ferocious beasts are intelligent creatures.

So when so many candidates entered the ruins, these beasts did not immediately attack—instead, they hid.

Thus, each squad and lone wolf moved independently, advancing deeper into the ruins town.

Zhou Mingyang of Jiangcheng No. 1 High School, the Wind Blade, activated his supernatural ability immediately upon entering the exam grounds.

He manipulated the gales to reduce air resistance, then dashed forward like a cheetah.

Xu Jingming also chose a direction, lowered his spear, and activated the smartwatch on his wrist.

Instantly, a blue virtual screen projected from the smartwatch, appearing before Xu Jingming, displaying a row of black text:

"Please authenticate your identity on the smartwatch."

Blue Star's technological development surpassed that of his past life; such virtual projection was already a mature technology.

Xu Jingming was not surprised—he extended his left thumb and pressed it against the smartwatch screen.

"Fingerprint verification in progress..."

"Verification successful. Candidate: Xu Jingming, Class 5, Senior 3, Jiangcheng No. 2 High School, Exam ID: 20372147849."

The virtual screen displayed Xu Jingming's identity information.

Simultaneously, two small boxes popped up in the upper right corner. The first box showed his own score:

【Name】: Xu Jingming

【Class】: Jiangcheng No. 2 High School, Senior 3 (Class 5)

【Score】: 0

The second box showed Jiangcheng's Wu Ke Gaokao ranking:

#1: Zhou Mingyang, 7 points. (Jiangcheng No. 1 High School)

#2: Li Yuan, 5 points. (Jiangcheng No. 1 High School)

#3: Zhao Hu, 4 points. (Jiangcheng No. 1 High School)

#874: Xu Jingming, 0 points. (Jiangcheng No. 2 High School)

"......"

"No wonder No. 1 High School—they've already killed ferocious beasts so fast."

Shaking his head, Xu Jingming tapped the map option on the virtual screen.

A map of the ruins town appeared before him.

The map was an irregular circle, with different areas marked in different colors.

The outer zone was marked green, the middle zone yellow, the core zone red, and the innermost zone a deeper, darker red!

The white light dot representing Xu Jingming himself was located at the edge of the map.

"There's still a long way from the periphery to the core—let's head straight for the core region."

Xu Jingming adjusted his direction and set out toward the red zone on the map's surface.

Before he had gone far, he was blocked by a beast the size of a leopard.

The beast's fur was as black as ink, but its vertical pupils glowed a pale orange.

Ignoring its fangs and the sharp claws stained with dark red blood on its paws, it was an exceptionally beautiful creature.

"Feral beast—Shadow Cat..."

Xu Jingming, well-versed in the Bestiary of Feral Beasts, recognized the creature at once.

It was a feral beast extremely common in the wilderness zone.

Of course, common did not mean the Shadow Cat was easy to deal with.

On the contrary, it meant the creature had excellent adaptability.

Swift speed, razor-sharp claws and fangs, and a bite force of over a thousand kilograms.

Many examinees had fallen victim to Shadow Cats.

"Roar!!"

Spotting the human, the Shadow Cat let out a bloodthirsty growl, then sprang forward on all fours toward Xu Jingming.

The fresh scent of flesh stimulated its taste buds, further increasing its sprinting speed.

Generally, awakened individuals facing a feral beast for the first time would panic without realizing it.

Yet Xu Jingming, encountering a Shadow Cat in reality for the first time, remained calm.

Soon,

the Shadow Cat closed the distance to within three meters of Xu Jingming, then leapt into the air.

It raised its claws, aimed at Xu Jingming's head, and slashed down with full force!

Remember, a feral beast's claws were as sharp as alloy.

If this strike landed, Xu Jingming's entire head would explode like a watermelon!

As if anticipating this scene, a human-like expression of excitement appeared on the Shadow Cat's monstrous face!!

Yet the next instant, a black phantom flashed by.

The entire Shadow Cat was pierced through the throat by a sharp spearhead, pinned midair!

Bright red blood gushed from the severed carotid artery in the Shadow Cat's neck like a fountain!

'Slain one unranked feral beast, Shadow Cat. Energy Points +3.'