Chapter Two: So Close?

Zhang Fan smiled at Chen Fan.
“With your age, Junior Brother, if you can achieve a result of two inches and five tenths, that should qualify you for a Lower A grade. If you want a Middle A, you’d probably have to reach three inches, and as for Upper A, maybe three and a half, maybe four inches—it’s extremely difficult. I can’t say for sure myself…”
After all, this was Zhang Fan’s first time as well, and his knowledge was limited.
The disciples who had spoken with Chen Fan earlier glanced at him in surprise. By this standard, Chen Fan was indeed very young…
Chen Fan held a great advantage in this round, and upon hearing this, he was eager to try.
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, half an hour had gone by.
By now, seventy or eighty people had completed the test. Most had been eliminated; those who passed mostly achieved C or D ratings, with only one barely scraping a B!
At that moment, a strong youth stepped forward, instantly sparking a buzz of conversation.
Listening to those nearby, Chen Fan learned that this youth was from a prominent family in the prefectural city. His name was Zha Wentong. At just eighteen, he possessed the strength of a third-level martial artist and was also a prodigy who had mastered advanced martial techniques!
He, too, chose a spear for the test, and with a fierce thrust, he unleashed a formidable force.
“Three inches exactly! Only eighteen years old—an A grade! An A grade!”
The crowd was in an uproar.
Throughout the academy’s history, high scores in the power test were rare.
To penetrate three inches, even martial artists at the fourth level rarely had such strength.
Though Zha Wentong’s result was just the threshold for Lower A, it was still remarkable, and even the previously arrogant instructor quickly changed his attitude and approached with newfound respect.
The youth nodded with pride, and he had the strength to back it up.
Zhang Fan pursed his lips. “Impressive—eighteen years old and so strong. No wonder he’s from a great family in the city…”
Chen Fan nodded as well.
The academy’s assessment drew many talents. A solid foundation was only the baseline; those with innate strength, abundant vitality, or special constitutions occasionally appeared.
Zha Wentong either had an extraordinary physique or had reached the limit of his vitality; otherwise, a third-level martial artist could not possibly wield such terrifying power.
After another incense stick’s time, it was finally the turn of the disciples from the White Cloud Dojo.
Zhang Fan went first, achieving a result of two inches and eight tenths, securing the second B rating at this test site!
To have been accepted as a disciple by Dong Guzhi, his talent was naturally exceptional.
To drive the spear in two inches and eight tenths was already better than most who participated, but unfortunately, given his age, he still fell short of an A rating.
Meanwhile, Chi Liuguang, also at the third level, managed only a D rating, barely passing and making everyone nervous for him.
“Even with advanced movement techniques and higher realm, it’s not the same as cultivation and strength…”
Chen Fan shook his head.
This was the most helpless part. For all his combat ability, Chi Liuguang was unmatched at his level, but he wasn’t young, and his cultivation wasn’t high, having only broken through recently. Thus, his strength was limited…
Still, Chi Liuguang’s insight was extraordinary. If he progressed faster in his own cultivation, he would have been accepted as a disciple by Dong Guzhi long ago.
Seeing an opening, Chen Fan stepped forward and handed over his test credential.
“What a young candidate…”
The supervising instructor glanced at Chen Fan’s face, giving him a second look.

Chen Fan cupped his fists in salute and, as Zhang Fan had suggested, chose a spear.
“I wonder if I can reach the Upper A rating…” With his solid foundation and deep cultivation, Chen Fan aimed for the highest mark.
He positioned himself before the wall, selected the proper distance, and after a deep breath, struck with a movement like a dragon!
A dull thud sounded as his spear crashed forward, piercing straight into the wall!
The metal wall caved in, the indentation measuring about three or four inches deep!
Chen Fan exhaled in relief and turned to nod at the staff member in charge of measurement.
The man stared, mouth agape, and gave Chen Fan a thumbs-up.
Even without considering age, the dent Chen Fan made was deeper than anyone before him.
And this was only his first time using a spear—he was still unfamiliar with the weapon.
“An A grade! This is definitely another A grade!”
The gray-robed instructor noticed the commotion and, seeing the indentation, stood up excitedly.
Every year, few achieve an A in the academy’s entrance exam; sometimes, a test site might go years without seeing even one.
Yet now, there was a second!
He hurried over and asked anxiously, “Quick, measure it—how deep is it?”
The staff member, equally excited, measured and announced, “Three inches and seven tenths! Seven tenths deeper than Zha Wentong! This is definitely an A grade!”
Such a result would suffice for a thirty-year-old candidate, let alone Chen Fan, who was clearly as young as Zha Wentong, if not younger!
The result sent waves of envy through the surrounding candidates.
Chen Fan’s fellow disciples were especially stunned, for they knew his true age and what this meant!
The instructor laughed heartily and, after retrieving Chen Fan’s credentials, was shocked by what he saw:
“You’re only fifteen?!”
Chen Fan had been training for a year; he’d grown taller and lost much of his boyish look.
An uproar swept through the crowd—candidates, instructors, and staff whispered among themselves.
“Fifteen years old and three inches, seven tenths? How could it be?!”
At his age, even half that depth would have sufficed to pass, never mind that with each extra inch, the difficulty increased exponentially!
But before the exam, all candidates underwent bone age verification—there was no way to cheat.
The gray-robed instructor was at first delighted, then regretful.
“At fifteen, two inches and six tenths is Lower A, three inches is Middle A, three inches and eight tenths is Upper A—ah, what a pity! Just one tenth short!”
Each increase in depth doubled the difficulty, but the challenge was more than doubled.
“Not Upper A?”

Chen Fan was shocked, disappointment written on his face.
With his foundation at the limit of vitality, his strength at the fourth martial level, he was stronger than many at the fifth level—even so, he hadn’t reached Upper A.
Was Upper A even humanly possible?
Zhang Fan had said it was set to be unattainable for ordinary people, but the academy did have such a record.
“Does the Blood Body really make that much difference?”
Chen Fan felt a deep sense of dissatisfaction.
His true strength was not fully shown—neither his “Three-foot Sword” nor his advanced “Nine Yang Fierce Tiger Fist” could be used here. Achieving this result relied on raw power alone, and still, he fell short.
No matter how close to Upper A, it was not enough!
He gripped his spear and, recalling Ye Wuji’s words, frowned and asked, “I have another try, don’t I?”
The others were taken aback, then nodded.
But the gray-robed instructor shook his head and sighed,
“Yes, everyone gets two attempts. But after three inches, each tenth is a huge gap. Even if your performance varies, you may not break through that final tenth…”
In short, while Chen Fan’s strength might fluctuate, the changes would be small, never enough to alter the overall outcome.
Beyond three inches, each extra tenth was almost impossibly difficult.
Chen Fan’s heart sank.
Facing the wall, he gripped his spear tight.
Silently, he activated a secret technique, breaking open a primal core within his body.
This technique was unique, designed to unleash his inner energy with minimal side effects—unlike forbidden arts such as Blood Burn, it left almost no outward trace!
Even the instructor beside him noticed nothing different about him at all.
Chen Fan felt the surge of power within, took a steadying breath, and struck again!
Another deep thud—the spear’s tip plunged in, but the difference of one or two tenths was impossible to judge by eye.
A staff member came forward with a precise measuring device.
Only Chen Fan was certain: he would break through the final barrier!
After measuring, the young man in charge was dumbfounded, unable to understand what he saw.
The crowd pressed in, eager. “How much? How much?”
Chen Fan remained calm; he knew that with the secret technique, he would succeed.
The man drew a deep breath and announced, “We have witnessed history—three inches and nine tenths!”
“Fifteen years old, three inches and nine tenths, an Upper A result—the second candidate in the history of Qingming Martial Academy to reach Upper A at this test!”