After a quick flip-through, Zhao Mu gave a faint smile, picked up his pen, and filled in his name and serial number—every Spirit Energy User had a unique code on their electronic wristband.
Then he lowered his head and began answering in earnest.
To anyone else this knowledge might as well be hieroglyphics; to Zhao Mu, it was barely a hiccup.
Twelve straight years atop the joint entrance exams of Lujiang City's thirteen schools—humanities maxed out.
The so-called math here was nothing more than the basic drills he did for breakfast.
Right now Zhao Mu felt like an elementary kid from Huaguo parachuting into America—easy slaughter.
Meanwhile, every move in every exam room was being watched from the monitoring suite on the fourth floor above the lecture hall.
There were three chief proctors this year.
City Beauty Instructor Xie Yingxue, Bearded Strong Man Zhang Biao who'd visited Yuwu No. 2 Middle School, and a two-meter-tall, stone-faced, bald veteran instructor, Xu Zhixiong.
The trio would also be training this year's freshmen.
On the sofa behind them sat an old man with a long white beard, eyes closed in a catnap.
On the monitors, every room—and every student—lay open before their eyes.
"Of this year's Pumpkins, how many promising seeds will sprout?"
Zhang Biao stroked his big beard and chuckled.
Xu Zhixiong's face was cold, gaze raptor-sharp as it swept the rooms.
"Who knows? But I guarantee some pumpkin will try the cheapest cheating tricks."
The paper's first purpose was to sift Geniuses: first place earned ten bonus points and tailored grooming—
say, toward a military staff officer or other army desk job.
One brilliant commander or strategist on a battlefield can rival a top Spirit Power User.
The second purpose was to test Trial Participants' adaptability.
Sophisticated cheating is a shortcut any smart Ability User should master.
Xu Zhixiong's eyes flicked across the screens and suddenly locked on one feed.
"What's this guy doing?"
Zhang Biao and Xie Yingxue looked: Zhao Mu's head was down; while others agonized over how to start, he was scribbling so fast it looked brainless.
"Scribbling nonsense? Given up?"
Xu Zhixiong barked, brows knitted.
"This paper's so tough even I can't solve it—he's definitely doodling."
Zhang Biao and Xie Yingxue shot him teasing glances.
They knew Zhao Mu far better.
Xie Yingxue adjusted her Gold-rimmed Glasses, curiosity burning as she stared at the feed.
"Zhao Mu… an interesting guy. Could you be a humanities Genius?"
Zhang Biao patted Xu Zhixiong's shoulder and sighed, "Old Xu, you flunked the written exam back then and still hold a grudge—but not everyone's like you!"
Xu Zhixiong bristled: "Zhang Biao, what right do you have—barely passed yourself!"
"Exactly, I kept a shred of dignity, heh-heh."
Joking aside, he quickly sobered and stared at the writing Zhao Mu on-screen.
"This kid's no ordinary ace. I checked—he's topped Lujiang City's joint exams again and again. A genuine humanities Genius."
Xu Zhixiong frowned. "Even if he's a prodigy, this paper's way off-syllabus—no way he can crack it."
Zhang Biao looked uncertain too.
Much of the content required access to Qingfeng Camp or army higher-level archives.
Ordinarily Yuwu Middle School never taught it.
Zhao Mu, oblivious, would have answered: I scored 100 because you only set 100, not because my limit is 100.
Next question:
Xuanfeng Calendar Year 245: the Empire decreed a ban on all R&D innovation of firearms in military-related fields, keeping only basic side-arms for Rank-and-file troops. Explain why.
Zhao Mu didn't hesitate:
One: firearms drain resources, worsening citizens' lives; benevolent Xuanfeng Emperor could not bear their suffering and thus reformed;
Two: reliance on firearms hinders Spirit Energy Users from breaking limits in life-and-death combat. Dependence reduces high-Rank Spirit Energy Users; strategically, mighty Spirit Energy Users outclass firearms long-term and cost less… textbook lines he'd memorized.
Beyond-syllabus parts Bu Yanhuan had made him study.
Bu Yanhuan's demand had always been battlefield-ready skill; no professional tutor, but a superb soldier!
She knew exactly what future Zhao Mu would need.
So he'd borrowed library books on beasts, Dark Race, field herbs, toxins—everything.
Scribble-scribble…
Zhao Mu kept writing, intent on finishing first—accurately—before rivals appeared.
Barely ten minutes in, a proctor barked: "You—hands on the desk!"
Heads shot up; Zhao Mu ignored him, still writing.
The proctor strode to a panicked Trial Participant and yanked up his left hand,
flipping the cuff to reveal crib notes sewn inside.
"You—disqualified!"
Without mercy the proctor hurled him from the room.
Cold sweat trickled down many candidates' foreheads—one slip and you're out.
Yet without cheating, plenty of questions were Greek to them!
Forty percent off-syllabus; even mastering every school topic only bought you a passing line.
Some bit their lips, hands trembling as they stared at their papers.
What now? No way to pass without cheating—but how to dodge the cameras?
While most panicked, some were primed and confident—
take Golden Elephant City: he glanced at the paper and merely smiled.
Seven allies sat in nearby seats, all part of his team.
As a scion of a great Family, he knew the written exam inside-out; virtually every clan member graduated from Qingfeng Camp.
"This stage tests knowledge—and ingenuity. Cameras everywhere, so getting caught is no issue; the trick is originality, not clumsiness!"
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)