Time slowly ticked by.

At 2:00 PM sharp, Xu Wuyi re-entered the Battle Network, his Spirit fully recovered.

He checked the rankings. Because other contestants were constantly fighting and earning points, his rank had slipped to 109th, dropping him out of the top one hundred.

’Time to fight a few more matches and solidify my rank.’

He entered matchmaking again.

Perhaps the system had determined his "state had declined," or perhaps the overall strength of his opponents had decreased after his rank dropped.

The opponents he faced in the next three matches were all Martial Artists with Life Energy Levels between 31 and 33.

With the experience of having fought stronger opponents before, Xu Wuyi felt much more composed facing these new challengers.

He no longer relied solely on the bizarre properties of the [Undying Flame]. Instead, he focused more on the application of his Spear Technique itself, the combination of his Qi and Blood with external projection techniques, and controlling the rhythm of the battle.

In the first match, against a Level 31.5 opponent, he won within twenty moves, relying on his superior physique.

In the second match, his opponent was Level 32.8 and had impressive defenses. Xu Wuyi patiently maneuvered, found an opening, and landed a precise thrust imbued with the [Undying Flame], shattering the opponent’s Protective Gang Qi and securing his victory.

In the third match, his opponent was Level 33.1 with an agile Body Technique. Xu Wuyi used the Soul Suppressing Domain of his *Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear* to briefly hinder him, then unleashed [Melting Furnace Boiling Blood], overwhelming technique with pure force to defeat his opponent.

Three consecutive victories brought his score back up.

When the bell chimed 3:00 PM throughout the Battle Network Space, announcing the official end of the preliminaries, Xu Wuyi’s final rank was locked in at 90th place.

This result let Xu Wuyi breathe a sigh of relief.

Strictly speaking, aside from the top thirty-two seeded contestants, the specific ranking of the other contestants who made it to the finals didn’t mean much, as they would all be randomly matched anyway.

However, the point rewards given by the university were based on preliminary rankings. The top thousand were divided into tiers every two hundred places, so ranking higher was always a good thing.

...

The preliminary ranking list solidified on the giant light screen in the center of the Circular Plaza.

Countless eyes focused on it, searching for familiar names or watching out for dark horses who had shot up the ranks.

But when people’s gazes swept across the top one hundred, especially the 90th position, many were stunned, sparking a wave of discussion.

[90th Place: Xu Wuyi - Star Martial University (First-Year)]

Among the dense list of names, almost all of which were marked with "Second-Year" or even "Third-Year" and "Fourth-Year," the two words "First-Year" seemed particularly glaring and out of place.

"First-Year?! Am I seeing this right? Xu Wuyi from Star Martial University is a first-year?"

"He really is a first-year! A Life Energy Level of 30.2... My god, a first-year Martial Artist? And he made it into the top hundred?"

"Are Star Martial’s freshmen this fierce? I’ve never heard of this guy before!"

"No wonder he was causing some discussion earlier. Turns out he’s a first-year monster!"

Cries of surprise, doubt, and admiration erupted in the various rest areas and viewing boxes.

The reporters in the media area were like sharks that had scented blood. They all began pulling up Xu Wuyi’s files and combat records, trying to dig up more information.

A first-year freshman who had demonstrated the strength of a Martial Artist in the preliminaries and broken into the top one hundred—this was absolutely explosive news!

In some ways, the shock he caused was no less than that of the top geniuses competing for the top three spots.

Because this signified unparalleled potential!

The entire Federation hadn’t seen a first-year Martial Artist in many years.

The last one had appeared five years ago, from Black Stone Academy, and that person had only been promoted in July of their first year, too late for the Youth Tournament.

Some people began searching the list, wanting to see if there were any other first-year geniuses.

Finally, at the 461st position, they found the next first-year contestant.

[461st Place: Zhai Zidu - Black Stone Academy (First-Year)]

Level 29.6. This was also an extremely outstanding result, enough to cause a sensation in previous years.

But at this moment, under the glaring light of Xu Wuyi’s "90th Place," it seemed somewhat dim.

The gap was too wide.

One was in the top hundred, the other was outside the top four hundred.

It was practically a categorical lead.

This was the difference between a Martial Artist and someone who wasn’t. Zhai Zidu was already the top-ranked Martial Artist, but the four hundred and sixty competitors ranked ahead of him were all Martial Artists of a higher rank.

"Star Martial University... they’ve really caused a sensation this time!"

"Looks like Star Martial has a great chance of taking the crown at next year’s Youth Tournament. Are there any other tough fighters among the first-years?"

"We have to pay close attention to this Xu Wuyi. His performance in the finals will be crucial!"

"..."

...

The impact from the preliminary rankings was far more intense than Xu Wuyi had imagined.

Before, the news of his promotion to Martial Artist had been like an undercurrent, circulating only within Star Martial University and among small circles at other top academies.

But now, with the release of the official Youth Tournament rankings, his name spread in a very short time to almost the entire younger generation of the Federation who followed Martial Arts events.

A first-year freshman, enrolled for less than a year, had not only broken through the threshold to become a Martial Artist but had also forcefully fought his way into the top one hundred in a Youth Tournament that gathered the elites of the entire Federation!

The latter achievement was, by comparison, even more terrifying.

Because it meant he hadn’t become a Martial Artist by luck or some fortuitous encounter. It meant he had a genuinely solid foundation, which was the only way he could possess such formidable combat power right after his promotion.

On various Martial Arts forums and social media platforms, the popularity of the name "Xu Wuyi" skyrocketed.

His battle recordings, especially the clips of his fights against Martial Artists like Cheng Yagang and Zhou Kai, were replayed and analyzed over and over.

The strange, dark-gold flames and the Spear Technique that was as steady as a mountain yet as explosive as thunder became the focus of everyone’s discussions.

"A first-year Martial Artist... How are we upperclassmen who are still struggling at the Martial Artist stage supposed to feel?"

"Star Martial University really struck gold this time! Next year—no, even this year, he could probably challenge for a higher rank!"

"His Qi and Blood feel very unusual. What kind of Martial Arts is that flame from? I’ve never heard of it."

"Found it! He’s this year’s top scholar from Dongjiang Province! From Red River City!"

A tide of chaotic discussions and investigations spread through both the virtual and real worlds.

...

His consciousness returned to the Battle Network rest area, and Xu Wuyi’s figure slowly materialized in the zone marked "Dongjiang-Red River."

The moment he appeared, the rest area, which had been filled with quiet conversations, instantly fell silent.

All eyes, whether they were familiar faces from Honghe First Middle School or United Middle School, locked onto him in unison.

Everyone crowded around him, chattering their congratulations, their voices filled with an excitement born of shared pride.

For someone like this to emerge from their hometown was a great honor for them as well.