Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Sudden Increase in Difficulty

“Alright, everyone is here.”

As Su Huanqing sat down.

The principal of Yunmu High School, Zhang Chuyun, stood up with a smile and said, “First of all, a warm welcome to all the elites from the Martial Mansion Academies visiting our Fangyi City. In this, Zhang extends best wishes for all of you to receive excellent students.”

The conference room was packed with several hundred people, all of whom were elites from various academies from all over.

Among them were mentors and high-level students.

The Dragon Gate major exam, though a very serious and solemn event, was indeed an annual occurrence, and as such, had already formed a scale.

Just like Martial Mansions.

Applying to any Martial Mansion required senior students or mentors from the Mansion itself to personally serve as examiners.

To fully showcase one’s learning in front of these senior mentors…

One, it allows the Martial Mansion a more direct understanding; two, it minimizes the chances of cheating to the greatest extent.

“This is the order of assessments this time, starting with second-tier high-level academies, to first-tier, then the Four Great Academies and the Four Great Martial Mansions.”

Zhang Chuyun handed out a thick stack of papers.

Seriously, he continued, “We have set up seven exam sites in Fangyi City, and each site can accommodate three Martial Mansions simultaneously for testing. At that time, we will reorganize the students according to the applications to different academies… so I will need to ask for your patience.”

The Four Great Martial Mansions and Four Great Academies were scheduled last.

But no one had any objections; those daring to apply to the Four Great Martial Mansions were either determined to push forward for a miracle or, more commonly, absolutely confident in their strength.

They were the most elite individuals from various colleges.

Letting them test alongside ordinary students would likely completely erode the latter’s confidence.

Thus, moving from weak to strong had been an unspoken rule for many years.

“The admission scoreline for this session has already been set.”

Zhong Yuebai stood up.

She was the Dean of Zhanzheng Academy, and with her status, she didn’t have to attend.

Yet since she was here, naturally, she was the most authoritative voice.

She said seriously, “Just like before, the main subjects are 900 points, and the auxiliary subjects 700 points. The minimum standard for the Four Great Martial Mansions is 1000 points, and the auxiliary subjects cannot be lower than 370 points!”

“370?”

An uproar ensued from the crowd below.

The auxiliary subject, for Martial Artists, meant a cultural assessment, whereas for students, it meant a Martial Tao examination.

It seemed not much, but given they weren’t specialized in this, and had poured their efforts mainly into their respective fields, they hadn’t even given a tenth of that effort to auxiliary subjects. Now they needed to score over half of it at minimum.

“Wasn’t it 350 points before?”

Lan Xinyue, representative of the Martial Detective Academy, stood up, her navy blue police uniform exuding a certain heroic air.

She frowned and said, “A sudden increase of 20 points; wouldn’t that place immense pressure on the students?”

“This is a question for the Martial Mansions.”

Zhong Yuebai shrugged and said, “In recent years, the number of Upper Realm Grandmaster breakthroughs has been dwindling. Our statistics show that merely blindly cultivating Martial Tao cannot lead to Upper Realm Grandmaster status. Cultural and martial advancement must progress together. You don’t need exhaustive understanding, but you can’t be completely ignorant. A certain vision and thinking are necessary. For the future of our high-tier Martial Artists, attention to auxiliary subjects must increase, as should academic institutions. Heading to the front lines without even the most basic means of self-preservation, such individuals are not needed by any academy.”

She glanced at the lively discussions among the Martial Mansions and academies’ representatives below.

Earnestly she added, “You should know, Sects have begun expanding their reach. They intend to replace Martial Mansions as the new standard for cultivating Martial Artists, while the Empire has always encouraged competition. I won’t hide that in the future, the requirements for auxiliary subject scores will continue to rise. You can specialize within the academies or Martial Mansions, but in high school, both areas must advance concurrently.”

The crowd started calculating.

The auxiliary subject cannot dip below 370; this means that aspiring to join the Four Great Martial Mansions or academies necessitates a minimum of 630 in main subjects. If one merely scores 630, joining any of the Four Greats would mean remaining at the bottom.

So, is the true standard 730 or 830?

No one knew.

Yet, the significant pressure was evident.

In both main and auxiliary subjects, the pressure was much greater than in previous years.

“Therefore, over the next three days, there will be a chance to change preferences once. This opportunity has been requested by our Pavilion Master from the education bureau. Given the increased difficulty of this assessment, to prevent students with sufficient ability from missing opportunities due to high aspirations and low skills, we offer this chance to reassess themselves.”

Zhong Yuebai continued, “And the minimum standard for first-tier academies is 900 points, 800 for second-tier academies, but if one’s score falls below 800 even in main subjects, then Martial Mansion or academy paths are not advisable. They should focus on fundamental knowledge to become civil servants or grassroots employees, contributing to the Empire.”

Everyone was silent.

Re-selecting academic paths?

It seems these students will have a tough time over the next three days…

If a certain academy is chosen but the assessment fails.

Unless exceptional potential is displayed, they will not be allowed a retake opportunity.

The chance only comes once.

You choose yourself.

The meeting went on for a long time.

Regarding discipline, examination questions, and admission standards, among other things.

The standards had been set, but the academies were still discussing furiously.

Especially the first-tier and second-tier academies.

Their admission standards weren’t much lower than those of the Four Great Martial Mansions or academies, and if they exactly met the standards of the Four Greats, it might be better to attend a first-tier academy instead.

After all, it’s better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.

Thus, they proposed to the Four Greats, asking whether application transfers could be changed to post-assessment. Generous offers might allow them to enroll more top students.

Unfortunately, Zhong Yuebai rejected it without hesitation.

The change of registration is only permitted before exams. A correct understanding of one’s true abilities is a crucial step.

People were useless with high aims and low skills.

Su Huanqing remained silent throughout, merely staring at Lan Xinyue from the Martial Detective Academy.

In her eyes was a look of envy.

Martial Detective Academy was once her dream too.

Even if it was just a desk job, she dreamed of wearing that police uniform… Alas, her dreams were stifled by her parents.

Seeing her former classmate achieving her dream now brought an indescribable bitterness to her heart.

When the meeting finally ended.

Everyone was already parched and tongue-tied.

“Meeting adjourned. We’ve covered almost all necessary topics. If there are any concerns, please note them down and bring them up at tomorrow’s meeting. For now, the meeting is adjourned.”

Everyone rose, stretching lazily, having sat the entire day and feeling utterly exhausted.

Zhong Yuebai glanced at Wang Qingya and said with a smile, “Xiaoya, now that you’re here, you must be eager to get home… go ahead, I have some matters to address here and can’t accompany you for the moment.”

“Yes.”

Wang Qingya had actually taken leave to attend.

Given her credentials, she wasn’t eligible as a representative.

The real representative was Zhong Yuebai.

Yet, she was grateful Zhong Yuebai granted her leave, especially at a crucial time when Zaku Revision Research was happening.

Wang Qingya looked at her confidante.

Happily, she took hold of her friend’s arm, smiling, “I’m treating you to dinner tonight, Xiaoqing, and we won’t split the bill today. Don’t refuse, Xiaoqing; you have no idea how grateful I am.”

Su Huanqing: “………”

And after getting her best friend’s consent.

She joyfully sent Xu Lingjun a message.

“Wait for me at the school gate after school.”

Surely, Xiaojun will be thrilled to know I’m back?

Thinking back on that perplexing message.

She couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

This child relies on her too much; it’s quite the headache.

As she watched Wang Qingya, she turned to another mid-twenties woman with mature curls.

In her eyes, Lan Xinyue of the Martial Detective Academy.

With a serious expression, she said, “Words worth knowing: the Sect has already started steps of expansion. They intend to replace the Martial Mansion and become the new standard for training Martial Artists. The Empire has always held an attitude of encouragement towards competition, and I’m not afraid to tell you, that in the future, the requirements for ancillary subject scores will be even higher. You may focus on different disciplines inside the academy or martial mansion, but during high school, progress must be balanced.”

Everyone calculated silently.

The auxiliary subject cannot be lower than 370, meaning to get into the Four Great Martial Mansions or Academies, the main subject score must be a minimum of 630. However, scoring just 630 means merely scraping through for these four top-tier institutions.

So, is the realistic benchmark 730 or 830?

Nobody knows.

But the pressure is heavy, no doubt.

Pressure in both the main and auxiliary subjects was much greater than in previous years.

“So, within these three days, we can offer a one-time opportunity to change your preferred choices, an opportunity our Pavilion Master obtained from the education bureau given this year’s higher assessment difficulty. This is to prevent some students from missing out due to aiming too high and underperforming. It’s a chance to reassess themselves.”

Zhong Yuebai concluded, “The minimum standard for a first-tier academy is 900 points. For a second-tier academy, the minimum standard is 800 points, and if they score below 800 points, even for the main subject, they don’t need to consider the path of the Martial Mansion or Academy; instead, they should study some basic knowledge, get a job as a government employee or a grassroots worker, and contribute to the Empire.”

Everyone remained silent.

Changing subjects?

It seems these students will have a hard time in the next three days…

If they choose a specific academy but fail the assessment.

They won’t have the opportunity for a redraw unless they show extremely outstanding potential.

This is a one-time chance.

Your choice.

The meeting lasted for a long time.

Discussions covered discipline, assessment topics, admission standards, and more.

The standards were set, yet the academies continued to argue intensely.

Particularly those first-tier academies and second-tier academies.

Their admission standards aren’t much lower than the Four Great Martial Mansions or Academies, but if they barely meet the highest standards, it might be better to attend a first-tier academy.

It’s better to be a big fish in a small pond, than a small fish in a big pond.

Thus, they proposed to the Four Greats, whether academic transfer could be made after the assessment. At that point, by offering great incentives, it might be possible to recruit some of the best students.

Sadly, this was unhesitatingly denied by Zhong Yuebai.

Changing registration is only allowed before the exam, to ensure a correct self-assessment is made. If they are unable to do this effectively, these students will miss out on the opportunity.

They only get one chance.

They have to make their own choice.

The meeting dragged on for quite some time.

Discussions raged regarding the regulations, the assessment topics, and the enrollment standards among others.

The standards were set, but the different academies were still fervently debating.

Especially the first-tier and second-tier academies.

Their entry thresholds were not much lower than the Four Great Martial Mansions or Four Great Academies, yet if just meeting the minimum standards, it might be better to attend a first-tier academy instead.

After all, it’s better to be the head of a cat than the tail of a lion.

As a result, they all proposed to the Four Greats whether it was possible to shift registration until after the assessments, offering attractive benefits and hoping to attract some of the top students.

Unfortunately, Zhong Yuebai flatly declined.

Switching registration is only allowed before the exam. Students must be given correct self-awareness so they won’t miss great opportunities due to unrealistic expectations; we can offer them a chance to recognize themselves anew.”

Mumurs filled the room as academy and martial mansion representatives calculated their chances.

With the auxiliary scores needing to be at least 370, aiming for the Four Great Martial Mansions or Four Great Academies requires no less than 630 for the main subject. However, if they score only 630 points, they will end up at the bottom even if they get into one of the top universities.

So, is the true benchmark 730 or 830?

Nobody knows.

But the pressure is immense, that much is clear.

The pressure in both main and auxiliary subjects exceeds that of all previous years.

“Therefore, we are providing a chance to change their preferences within these three days. This is an opportunity our Pavilion Master applied for from the Education Bureau. Since this year’s assessment is much harder, to prevent some students with adequate ability from missing out on good opportunities due to aiming too high, we are granting them the chance to reevaluate themselves during these three days.”

Zhong Yuebai stated: “The minimum requirement for first-tier academies is 900 points, while the second-tier academies have a minimum requirement of 800 points. If someone scores below 800, even in the main subjects, they need not contemplate a path in either a martial or regular academy and should instead focus on learning some fundamental knowledge to become bureaucrats or grassroots employees, contributing their part to the Empire.”

There was a heavy silence among all present.

Considering changing their field of study again?

It seems these students will have a hard time over the next three days…

If they choose a particular academy but fail the assessment.

Unless they showcase exceptionally outstanding potential, they won’t get a chance for a retake.

They only have one shot.

The decision is theirs to make.

The discussion went on for quite some time.

Covering discipline, exam topics, and enrollment standards, among other things.

The standards have been set, but the discussions among the academies remain intense.

Especially among first-tier and second-tier academies.

Their admission standards are not much lower than the Four Great Academies or Martial Mansions, but if their scores just barely meet the threshold for the Four Great Mansions, it might be better for them to choose first-tier academies.

After all, it’s better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big pond.

Therefore, they all suggested to the Four Greats whether transfer of registration could be changed to occur after the assessments. By then, offering great benefits could potentially allow them to enroll some of the best students.

But unfortunately, this was unhesitatingly vetoed by Zhong Yuebai.

Changing registries is only allowed before the examination. Students should have a proper recognition of themselves, and during high school, they need to advance in parallel.

Such was the discussion among all the academies’ representatives about discipline, assessment questions, and admission standards and so on.

The standards had been set, yet discussions among the various academies remained intensely ongoing.

Particularly concerning were the first-tier and second-tier academies.

Their admission standards aren’t much lower than that of the Four Great Martial Mansions or Academies, but if students are exactly meeting the minimum standards for the top four, it might be better to target a first-tier academy.

After all, it’s better to be a big player in a smaller arena.

Unfortunately, Zhong Yuebai unhesitatingly denied their proposal to allow certificate transfer post-evaluation.

Opportunity, there is only one shot.

It’s their choice.

“””