Why are these creatures called "Fierce Beasts"?
Besides their natural ferocity, they all exude a unique, savage aura.
Compared to humans, this savage aura is like the presence of a professional killer who has murdered countless people.
If an ordinary person faced such a killer, just one glance would be enough to cause panic, even frightening them out of their wits.
All Fierce Beasts possess this special aura.
For most Awakener encountering a Fierce Beast for the first time, this aura alone is enough to prevent them from utilizing even 30% of their strength.
Some would even freeze completely, forgetting how to attack or use their abilities and weapons.
That's why, before the Martial Arts University Entrance Exam,
some students from influential families hire professional Awakener bodyguards to accompany their children into the wilderness, helping them acclimate to fighting Fierce Beasts.
Xu Jingming naturally did not have such conditions.
So before the exam, he had already anticipated that when facing a real Fierce Beast, his body might have negative reactions.
However, when he confronted the Shadow Cat, he remained completely unaffected by its savage aura.
He could even calculate its strike trajectory as if in training, and kill it with a single thrust of his spear!
"I've heard that when an Awakener fights a Fierce Beast for the first time, they usually need several battles to overcome the fear of such a powerful creature.
But some people are naturally immune to this aura… looks like I'm one of them."
Xu Jingming's right hand pulled sharply, using momentum to extract his Obsidian Spear from the Shadow Cat's neck.
The Shadow Cat's body crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"This Shadow Cat probably hasn't seen a spear before. It dared to jump like that… it was asking for death!"
Unlike the clumsy Iron-Tusk Boar or Armblade Tiger, the Shadow Cat is agile, running at an astonishing 17 m/s.
If an Awakener faces the first two types of beasts and cannot defeat them, escape is still possible.
But against the Shadow Cat, escape is nearly impossible; being chased to death is the only outcome.
For this reason, the Shadow Cat has earned the title "Novice Killer."
Under normal circumstances, Xu Jingming, without using any special abilities, could hardly kill it in a single strike, especially with virtually no experience fighting Fierce Beasts.
But the Shadow Cat made a fatal mistake: it leaped into the air and swung its claws!
If it had faced an Awakener wielding a longsword or broad sword, this might have worked.
After all, when the longsword or broad sword could harm a Shadow Cat, its sharp claws would have already reached the Awakener.
But Xu Jingming's Obsidian Spear is a full 2.1 meters long!
As the saying goes: "the longer the weapon, the stronger the strike."
Before the airborne Shadow Cat could enter striking range, it was pierced and killed by Xu Jingming's spear.
"Also, if it weren't for the system reminding me, I would have almost forgotten that killing Fierce Beasts grants ability points!"
Looking at the newly added 3 ability points on the system panel, Xu Jingming's heart surged with excitement.
This meant that if he gained enough skill points in the upcoming battles, his strength could increase even further!
"But the points from unranked beasts are too low. I need to hurry to the middle area."
Like Awakener abilities, Fierce Beasts are ranked from Level 1 to Level 9.
Beasts below Level 1 are considered Unranked Beasts, comparable to human Awakeners.
Xu Jingming had no prior combat experience with beasts and had planned to first adapt in the outer area.
But since he was unaffected by the beast's aura, staying in the outer area was pointless.
So, Xu Jingming grabbed his Obsidian Spear and charged toward the center of the ruined town…
Compared to Zhou Mingyang, who has wind elemental abilities, Xu Jingming's sprinting speed was not particularly fast.
But during his charge, he continuously hunted beasts.
"Killed an unranked beast: Iron-Tusk Boar, Ability Points +5."
"Killed an unranked beast: Shadow Cat, Ability Points +3."
"Killed an unranked beast: Unicorn Rhinoceros, Ability Points +6."
"…."
During these fights, Xu Jingming refrained from using his abilities.
On one hand, he wanted to refine his spear technique and gain real combat experience.
After all, using S-rank Purple Heavenly Divine Lightning on these unranked beasts would only result in instant kills without training value.
On the other hand, rarer abilities consume more energy.
Xu Jingming's original E-rank Weak Electric Current could last over three hours at full power.
Even with S-rank Purple Divine Lightning, he likely could not sustain a full hour at peak performance.
The Martial Arts University Entrance Exam lasts a full twelve hours.
If Xu Jingming exhausted his powers early, he would have no effective means against mid- or high-level Level 1 beasts in the core area.
Therefore, he restrained himself, waiting to use his powers until entering the core area.
Moreover, after each fight, Xu Jingming felt himself improving.
The accumulated battles sharpened his combat awareness and spear technique at an astonishing pace!
His spear mastery matured steadily, eventually reaching a level he could wield freely — a level he had never experienced before.
"Could my spear technique have unconsciously broken through the limit?"
On a ruined old path, a beast's corpse lay at Xu Jingming's feet.
The beast was the size of a small car, with sharp blade-shaped horns, thick limbs, and dark brown skin.
Even in death, it radiated a powerful, ferocious aura.
This was the very beast students dreaded most — the Unicorn Rhinoceros!
Its body was covered with bowl-shaped wounds, but the fatal strike came to its head.
The black spearhead of the Obsidian Spear pierced straight through its eye socket, into the brain, destroying the crucial neural centers.
The Unicorn Rhinoceros was thoroughly dead…
"Pfft—"
The spear was withdrawn, pulling out some red and white matter from its head.
An ordinary person with a weak mind might vomit on the spot.
Xu Jingming, however, remained calm and immediately checked the system panel:
[Name]: Xu Jingming
[Rank]: Awakener
[Ability]: Purple Heavenly Divine Lightning (S)
[Physique]: 141 Blood Qi (+)
[Mind]: 160 Hz (+)
[Skills]: Spear Technique (Intermediate+), Thunder Gale Strike (Beginner+)
[Ability Points]: 213
"As expected, my spear skill has already reached intermediate level!"
Xu Jingming's eyes lit up, then he sighed.
"It seems real combat is the fastest way to improve strength."
His previous incarnation had practiced spear skills for over six years and had only reached beginner level.
Yet here, after just dozens of beast fights, he had reached intermediate proficiency.
While gradual accumulation played a role, this confirmed the importance of real battle.
"Intermediate spear skill already feels like I can fight freely. If I continue improving, what will happen next?"
Over three hours had passed since the exam started.
Xu Jingming hadn't been actively seeking them, yet along the way he encountered over forty beasts, from low-level Shadow Cats to high-level Armblade Tigers and Unicorn Rhinoceroses.
Each kill granted him ability points, which he did not meticulously track until now.
Checking, he saw he had accumulated 213 points, enough to upgrade his skill.
"213 points is just the beginning. Once I reach the middle area and use Purple Heavenly Divine Lightning on monsters, the accumulation will be much faster!"
He thought for a moment, unable to resist temptation, and tapped the plus sign next to "Spear Technique" on the system panel.
Instantly, countless spear techniques flooded his mind like a tidal wave.
These were engrained memories, not fleeting impressions like a movie scene.
Xu Jingming felt as if he had been practicing spear combat for decades!
Once the memory upload was complete, Xu Jingming thrust his spear.
In the next one second, the black Obsidian Spear pierced the air four times consecutively!
It moved like black lightning, fast and lethal.