Chapter 37: Class-C Contract

Chapter 37: C-Class Contract

At 5:15, the sky remained a deep, ink-blue expanse, with only the brilliant lights of the distant Qiming Core Zone tracing a faint golden outline along the far horizon.

The morning air on campus was cool, carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees.

Shi Potian held a heavy alloy battle blade, slowly and intently practicing the basic stance of the *Ninefold Thunder Blade*.

Each of his movements was powerful and deliberate, the blade slicing through the air with a low, resonant hum, showcasing his astonishing control over strength.

In a corner, Qian Duoduo was engaged in weighted training.

He wore a specially designed weighted vest, gritting his teeth as he struggled through pull-ups. Sweat had already plastered his forehead hair into sticky strands.

When they saw Qin Feng enter, the two merely exchanged a knowing nod before returning to their respective drills.

This wordless understanding had been deeply etched into their bones over the past month of shared, relentless training.

Qin Feng walked to his familiar corner and slowly assumed the starting posture of the *Imperial Body-Tempering Method*.

He sank his hips and sat like a horse, raising his arms slowly, his entire being as steady and introverted as an ancient pine rooted deep in the earth.

As the technique cycled, his breathing grew longer and deeper. Beneath his skin, his blood and energy began to surge and flow at a specific rhythm.

Muscles, fascia, and bones were tempered over and over again under this high-intensity, sustained exertion.

Sweat soon soaked his forehead, tracing paths down his resolute cheeks before dripping onto the polished floor, splashing into tiny blossoms.

His mind was fully immersed in this ultimate control over his body, savoring every tear and regeneration of muscle fibers, every increase in strength, every subtle breakthrough against his physical limits.

[*Imperial Body-Tempering Method* cycling. Blood and energy activity increased. Proficiency +1.]

[Your movements are precise, your force application accurate, enhancing the effect. *Imperial Body-Tempering Method* proficiency +1.]

On the panel deep in his consciousness, the numbers pulsed steadily.

Time slipped away quietly amid the monotonous, focused repetition.

After two hours of body-tempering practice, Qin Feng slowly concluded the session, exhaling a long, hot breath of white vapor.

[Name]: Qin Feng

[Vitality Index]: 3.01

[Martial Rank]: First-Rank Martial Artist

[Training Method]:

Imperial Body-Tempering Method (Minor Mastery)

[Proficiency]: 318 / 1000

[Effect]: At current stage, passively increases Vitality Index by 0.001 per hour.

Imperial Meditation Method (Beginner)

[Proficiency]: 0 / 100

[Effect]: Nail of Favor x1: Your meditation speed receives a slight boost.

[Combat Method]:

Thousand-Army Spear (Minor Mastery)

[Proficiency]: 71 / 1000

[Mastered Kill Move]: Thousand-Army Cleave

...

Two hours of morning practice had steadily increased his body-tempering proficiency by 6 points.

This accumulation of small gains was the most solid foundation on his path to becoming a strong martial artist.

Previously, a single morning session only added two points. Now, his progress was accelerating.

At this rate, he estimated he could reach the Second-Rank Martial Artist level in less than five months.

—

At exactly 8:00, the door to the martial arts room was pushed open on time, and the other students began filing in one by one.

When they saw the three members of Dorm 402, drenched in sweat as if just pulled from water, standing in the center of the training area, their eyes betrayed a mix of emotions—admiration, and a touch of self-conscious inadequacy.

"Those three lunatics again..."

"Seriously insane. The day after the monthly exam, and they're still grinding this hard."

A few suppressed, low murmurs rose among the crowd but quickly died down.

At 8:25, all students had arrived and stood in their designated spots, waiting for the homeroom teacher.

At 8:30, on the podium at the front of the martial arts room, the space rippled slightly, like water disturbed by a breeze.

The next moment, the figure of homeroom teacher Wu Shangfeng materialized there out of thin air.

He still wore his eternal black training uniform, his face stern, his eyes sharp as blades.

But Qin Feng only needed one glance to recognize that the "Wu Shangfeng" before him was not the real one.

It was a holographic projection.

The projection was incredibly lifelike—every fold in the clothing, every texture of the skin, was indistinguishable from the real person.

Yet it lacked the unique life aura and blood-energy fluctuations of a living being. To Qin Feng's now keen perception, this difference was especially pronounced.

"Attention, everyone."

Wu Shangfeng's projection spoke. His voice, transmitted clearly through the built-in speakers on the podium, filled the entire martial arts room. His tone was as concise and efficient as ever.

"The results and grade point evaluations for this monthly exam have all been completed. Now, the score reports will be sent to your terminals. Check them yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the students' wrist terminals emitted a soft "beep" in unison.

The classroom fell into an eerie silence.

Everyone immediately looked down at their terminal screens.

A few seconds later, the silence shattered. Suppressed emotional reactions began to ripple through the room.

Some students showed uncontrollable joy, their fists clenched tight.

Others flushed with excitement, their eyes gleaming.

Most let out long sighs of relief, their faces wearing expressions of being unburdened.

Of course, a small number of students turned pale, their eyes dimming as if all strength had been drained from them.

The three from Dorm 402 each checked their own results.

Qian Duoduo's eyes widened first, then his face bloomed into a grin. He slapped his thigh hard but quickly restrained himself, just grinning silently.

Shi Potian's expression remained as calm as ever. He quickly scanned his data, then closed the light screen, as if the numbers on it had little to do with him.

Qin Feng also opened his score report.

A pale blue light screen unfolded before him.

[Qiming First Martial Arts Senior High School · First Monthly Exam Results for Grade One]

[Name: Qin Feng]

[Student ID: GY1031488]

[Class: Senior One, Class Three]

[I. Comprehensive Liberal Arts]

[Score: 100 (Full Score: 100)]

[Year Rank: 1 (Tied)]

[II. Comprehensive Martial Arts Assessment]

[Imperial Body Tempering Method (Beginner) Rating: Excellent]

[Physical Data Test: Vitality Index 3.01, Punching Force 1602KG, 100m Sprint Time 7.98s]

[Composite Score: 160 (Full Score: 500)]

[Year Rank: 11083 / 15000]

[III. Combat Simulation]

[Killing Technique Drill: "Thousand Army Spear," Rating: Full Score]

[Virtual Duel: Rating: Full Score]

[Composite Score: 500 (Full Score: 500)]

[Year Rank: 1 / 15000]

[Total Score: 760 (Full Score: 1100)]

[Overall Year Rank: 994 / 15000]

[Improvement Rank: 1 / 15000]

A perfect score in liberal arts, a perfect score in combat—both were within his expectations.

The comprehensive martial arts assessment, hampered by his low vitality index, earned him only 160 points, placing him at over eleven thousand in the year, a middling-to-lower tier among the fifteen thousand freshmen.

Yet the astonishing, crushing perfect score in combat simulation dragged his total score up to an unbelievable level, pushing his final rank into the top thousand of the year, at 994th. The reason was simple: everyone else’s combat scores were far too low.

Once the others raised their combat scores, if his vitality index didn’t catch up, his rank would plummet—there was even a risk of regression!

“I have to get that C-level contract, and fast.”

Qin Feng took a deep breath and continued reading.

As for the improvement rank, it was an unsurprising first.

His total rank at enrollment, based on the high school entrance exam, had been over sixty-seven thousand, and within the school, he was near the bottom.

Now, he was nine hundred and ninety-fourth.

Such a rocket-like ascent was rare in the entire history of Qiyi High.

While the students were still digesting their results, Wu Shangfeng’s holographic projection on the podium spoke again.

“Now, I will announce the merit point reward list for this monthly exam.”

As his words fell, a massive, golden holographic list unfurled before the classroom, covering the entire wall.

On the list, dense names and numbers scrolled upward rapidly.

“The rules for this monthly exam’s merit point rewards are as follows:”

Wu Shangfeng’s voice, devoid of emotion, narrated.

“First, individual subject rewards. For the two subjects of comprehensive martial arts and combat simulation, anyone who achieves first place in the year receives 20 merit points. Those in the top ten receive 15 points. Those in the top one hundred receive 10 points. For those ranked below one hundred, as long as their rank has not regressed compared to enrollment, they uniformly receive 3 merit points.”

“Second, improvement rewards. The student ranked first in improvement receives 15 merit points. Those in the top ten receive 10 points. Those in the top one hundred receive 5 points. No rewards for others.”

“Third, total score rank rewards. Those in the top ten receive 20 merit points. Those in the top one hundred receive 15 points. Those in the top one thousand receive 5 points. For those ranked below one thousand, as long as their rank has not regressed compared to enrollment, they uniformly receive 3 merit points.”

“Anyone whose total rank has regressed receives no rewards, and merit points will be deducted according to the extent of regression.”

Once the rules were announced, the entire room erupted in murmurs.

This reward system was both ruthless and humane.

It used generous rewards to spur the most elite geniuses to compete for glory, while also offering a baseline “consolation prize” to ordinary students who, though less gifted, worked hard enough.

The only ones punished were the “lazy” who stagnated or regressed.

The scrolling of the list began to slow.

Familiar names appeared one by one.

[Qian Duoduo, Total Score Rank 3157, Reward 3 Merit Points. Improvement Rank 1241, No Reward. Comprehensive Martial Arts Rank 2899, 3 Merit Points. Combat Simulation Rank 755, 3 Merit Points. Total Merit Points Earned This Exam: 9.]

Qian Duoduo saw his name and just chuckled, seemingly satisfied with the result.

Adding the 10 points from the combat class, his total merit points now stood at 19.

[Chu Lan, Total Score Rank 89, Reward 15 Merit Points. Improvement Rank 1156, No Reward. Comprehensive Martial Arts Rank 78, Reward 5 Merit Points. Combat Simulation Rank 92, Reward 5 Merit Points. Total Merit Points Earned This Exam: 25.]

As the class monitor, Chu Lan’s results were excellent—both her total score and her two martial arts subjects broke into the year’s top hundred.

Adding the 20 points from the combat class, her total merit points reached 45, drawing envious glances.

Next came Shi Potian’s name.

[Shi Potian, Total Score Rank 37, Reward 15 Merit Points. Improvement Rank… None. Comprehensive Martial Arts Rank 8, Reward 15 Merit Points. Combat Simulation Rank 1322, No Reward. Total Merit Points Earned This Exam: 30.]

Shi Potian’s comprehensive martial arts performance stormed into the year’s top ten, earning a high individual reward.

But his combat simulation score clearly dragged him down.

Even so, with his formidable raw strength, his total score still firmly placed him in the year’s top fifty.

Adding the 20 points from the combat class, his total merit points reached a staggering 50!

This number drew sharp intakes of breath across the classroom.

Fifty points! That was already halfway to the goal of upgrading to a C-level contract!

Yet when everyone’s eyes focused on the golden name at the very top of the list, the entire classroom froze.

[Qin Feng, Total Score Rank 994, Reward 5 Merit Points.]

[Improvement Rank 1, Reward 15 Merit Points.]

[Combat Simulation Rank 1, Reward 20 Merit Points.]

[Total Merit Points Earned This Exam: 45.]

Adding the points from the combat class, he had a total of 55!

Five points more than Shi Potian’s total.

The classroom fell so silent that a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone’s eyes were wide.

“…Fifty-five points? Am I seeing this right?”

“What’s going on?”

After a fleeting, deathly silence, an unbelievable wave of hushed whispers erupted like a sudden tide.

"Top of the class for improvement, top of the class for real combat—those two carry the heaviest weight."

"The total score cracked the top one thousand too, that's another 5 points..."

"Added together... 5 plus 15 plus 20... plus the 15 points from the practical combat class, it really is 55 points!"

Qin Feng's seemingly impossible merit points were linked link by link, entirely within the rules!

Earned through absolute, genuine skill!

Particularly that section on combat simulation; he was the only one in the entire school to achieve a perfect score.

The other elite students, Shi Potian and Chu Lan included, had trained well enough in their killing techniques, yet the gulf between them was far too vast.

Even with the simplest saber method among the most straightforward of bladed cold weapons, mastering the basics within a single month was an arduous feat.

Yet Qin Feng... he had gone far beyond mere basic mastery, advancing to minor attainment and even comprehending the ultimate lethal strike, Routing a Thousand Armies!

This had forged a massive, unbridgeable chasm in their scores.

By virtue of his absolute dominance in this single discipline, Qin Feng had forcibly compensated for the disadvantage of his low vitality index, not only dragging his total score into the top one thousand, but also sweeping up the massive bonus merit points for ranking first in combat and first in improvement.

"A monster... this guy is the real monster..."

"Too absurd, the way he secured those merit points..."

Envy, jealousy, shock, disbelief... a tapestry of complex emotions tangled within the heart of every student.

Even Shi Potian, usually so steadfast and composed, looked toward Qin Feng now with a flicker of astonishment he could not entirely conceal.

He ran a rapid calculation on his personal terminal.

Qin Feng: 40 points from the monthly exam, plus the 15 points from the previous Gamma-7 planetary mission.

Total merit points: 55!

As for himself: 30 points from the monthly exam, 20 points from the mission, bringing his total to 50 points.

Qian Duoduo had 9 points from the exam and 10 from the mission, totaling 19 points.

The outcome was plain to see.

"Badass!"

In a burst of excitement, Qian Duoduo slammed a fist against Qin Feng's shoulder, his face flushed with a reflected glory. "Qin Feng! You've officially become a celebrity in our class—no, in the whole school now! 55 merit points! If... if you just go to the Imperial Arena for a placement match and reach the first tier, once those 50 bonus points land in your hands, your contract can immediately upgrade to Class C!"

His voice was by no means quiet, and the surrounding students heard every word clearly.

Once more, every gaze focused squarely on Qin Feng.

"Qin Feng, well done."

Instructor Wu Shangfeng's gaze settled upon the boy, offering an initial word of praise before leaving him with a solemn reminder: "The path of martial arts is long and winding. You must never let a single ranking breed arrogance in your heart. Walk this path with your feet planted firmly on the ground. This time, you succeeded because the others have not deepened their comprehension of killing techniques. By the next exam, or the one after that, everyone's martial arts scores will eventually catch up. Therefore, you must hurry and raise your vitality index."

"I understand, thank you, Instructor."

Qin Feng nodded with deep gravity.

He had realized exactly that just a moment ago.

A perfect score in the practical combat class was 500, and he had already hit the ceiling, whereas the others had only scored just over a hundred—much like how his own vitality index stood at a mere one hundred and sixty.

"I need to secure that Class C contract quickly to make up for my vitality index."

Qin Feng murmured to himself.

(End of Chapter)