"That was close, I just finished!"
"Ah—wait, I forgot to write my name!"
The tense silence in the classroom instantly transformed into a sea of noise, a mixture of relieved and frustrated voices.
"Holy shit! The King of the Grind filled the whole thing?!" The student collecting papers for Li Wen's group gasped as he reached Li Wen's desk, his eyes wide at the sight of the densely packed answer sheet.
In the noisy room, his voice was like a stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending out ripples.
"Godly!" Another student nearby followed his gaze, sucked in a sharp breath, and blurted out the word.
It was as if some strange signal had been triggered, and a flock of parrots appeared:
"Godly!"
"Godly!"
"Godly!"
...
A series of hushed yet awe-filled, single-syllable words spread and echoed through the classroom with visible speed, converging into a uniform wave of whispers.
Several nearby students who had been about to get up were drawn in by the commotion. They crowded around Li Wen's desk, craning their necks and jostling one another for a glimpse of the math test that was being hailed as "godly."
"Hurry up and collect them, don't waste time! You can look all you want when I hand them back!" From the podium, the math teacher rapped his desk and raised his voice, a hint of amusement hidden beneath his exasperated tone.
His urging was like flipping a switch. The brief pilgrimage came to an abrupt end, and the surrounding students quickly scattered.
The tests were quickly collected and brought to the teacher's podium.
Perhaps the small commotion had caught the math teacher's extra attention. He specifically picked out the stack of tests from Li Wen's group and placed it on top.
Then, he expertly pulled Li Wen's paper from the stack and began looking it over carefully on the short walk back to his office.
His tightly furrowed brow gradually relaxed, and a flicker of surprise and appreciation would occasionally cross his eyes.
DING!
About five minutes after the math teacher left the classroom, a familiar notification panel popped up before Li Wen's eyes without warning:
[You have completed a math test. Your problem-solving process was clear, and your answer accuracy was high. Overall Evaluation: Excellent!]
[Profession: Scholar Lv. 3 (24 → 74/400) | EXP +50]
'So fast?' A flicker of surprise crossed Li Wen's mind as he stared at the notification.
He had assumed the EXP wouldn't be tallied until the tests were handed back and the scores and rankings were finalized.
It seemed the system for awarding experience was quite intelligent. As soon as a paper was graded and received an overall evaluation, the EXP was credited instantly.
This was undoubtedly a huge boost in efficiency.
A full 50 Scholar EXP were instantly deposited, washing away the lingering sting from the high-intensity use of [Absolute Focus]. Li Wen's spirits immediately lifted.
'Just the test score alone gives 50 EXP. Once the final rankings are out, I'll probably get a decent bonus.'
Li Wen quickly calculated. Based on his experience from past tests, the Scholar profession's EXP was usually tallied in two parts after every major exam:
One part was based on the score of the test itself, and the other was based on the test taker's relative rank within the group.
Given how fast the math teacher was grading, the rankings would surely be posted by morning self-study or before math class tomorrow, at the latest.
A single, ordinary class quiz could yield a total of nearly 100 EXP, which was almost equivalent to what he'd accumulate from three or four days of intense studying. This boost in efficiency made Li Wen's heart burn with even more excitement.
'And this was just an ordinary quiz...' His eyes burned with intensity.
'When it comes to major exams like midterms and finals—especially the upper-grade joint exams that span several counties or cities, with their scale and level of competition—the EXP gains will probably skyrocket!'
Just imagining the scene made Li Wen's heart involuntarily beat a little faster.
Great strength came from steady accumulation, and "experience points" were the most direct fuel for his exponential progress.
Exams... He had never looked forward to them as eagerly as he did now.
「 ... 」
Filled with high hopes for the future, the seemingly short yet fulfilling morning flew by.
When the bell rang for the last class of the morning, the Scholar panel popped up before Li Wen's eyes again with another notification:
[Scholar EXP +27]
[Profession: Scholar Lv. 3 (74 → 101/400)]
Since the math test had taken up an hour and a half of study time, he had only spent four and a half hours in focused study this morning.
Even so, his experience bar had still grown steadily.
Doing the math, in less than two days, he had already filled a quarter of the 400 EXP bar needed for Lv. 3.
He swiftly swept the books and materials on his desk into his drawer. Without a moment's hesitation, Li Wen took off at a stride, heading straight for the cafeteria.
Time was tight, and every minute was precious.
After quickly scarfing down his lunch, Li Wen didn't return to the classroom or head to the Martial Arts Dojo for his usual midday basic training.
His schedule needed a temporary adjustment—he went straight to the specialized technique training room on the top floor of the library.
The electronic calendar on the wall clearly displayed the date: January 8th.
The date of the Martial Dao final exam was highlighted prominently: January 10th.
He only had two and a half days left.
His primary goal was to practice the top-tier Rainbow Light Saber Skill to the entry-level before the exam.