Why keep final exams at all?
Sitting in the exam hall, Xu Chuyao figured the academy probably believed that, for these underage spirit users, final exams were a microcosm of the real world—if you’re talented, test day is just a relaxed break. If you’re not, well, you’ve got your work cut out for you.
A chance to let the students get a taste of post-graduation life.
Especially the academic tests. If you couldn’t hand in a passing paper within the two-hour limit, you… wouldn’t actually be punished. You’d just be asked to copy textbook passages as a form of physical labor instead of mental exertion.
Nobody wants to copy out textbook chapters, so everyone was trying their best to answer at least some of the questions. But for students used to slacking off in class, something like linear equations was way too much.
Xu Chuyao finished everything early, stretched discreetly, and took a little stroll around the classroom like a proctor.
Her roommate, Mi Xiaolu, was diligently working on the multiple-choice section—just getting started, it seemed. Watching her seriously pull out a compass for measurement, Xu Chuyao couldn’t help but wonder—there aren’t any questions requiring a compass, are there?
Whatever, there’s some room for error. Let’s check on our dear protagonist now, shall we?
Whoa—Shen Ning wasn’t even working on her paper, just staring out the window. She must really have this exam under control. Goes to show, looks can be deceiving.
But what Xu Chuyao didn’t know was that Shen Ning wasn’t confident, and she wasn’t admiring the scenery either. She was busy talking with her two inner reflections.
She’d assumed these two—one always eloquent, the other dripping with literary flair—would breeze through an academic test. But they just clung to the reflection in the glass and shrugged:
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“No idea. Chuyao never taught us this stuff.”
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“We learned lots of idioms and poetry from her, but none of that showed up on the test. Maybe the test is just too basic.”
So basically, they didn’t know how to do anything?
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“Not nothing. Multiple choice gives us a shot. We can guess. Like this one—it should be C.”
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“I remember Chuyao said, ‘if three long and one short, pick short; if three short and one long, pick long’… Pick from the three.”
After the academic test ended, Xu Chuyao slapped her answer-filled scratch paper onto the desk:
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“If you wanna check answers, here. It’s all right. If you didn’t score points, it’s because the test answers are wrong.”
Her scratch paper was quickly passed around like a sacred text. One admiring look after another landed on the lightning girl, who had grown completely used to this.
Every semester, around this time, she became the goddess of wisdom in her classmates’ eyes.
The morals and conduct test wasn’t worth much discussion. Unless you were mentally challenged or unstable, you’d know exactly what to write to pass. Of course, writing one thing and doing another were two different matters entirely.
For example, if someone cuts in line while you’re queuing at a shop, a “low EQ” answer might be: “Firmly remind them to respect the order.”
A “high EQ” answer: “Remain calm, it’s no big deal to wait a bit longer.”
Only someone really off would write: “Drag them out and give them a beating.”
In practice? Students would often just cough loudly, tap the offender’s shoulder, and “accidentally” flash their student ID showing the prestigious Spirit Elevation Academy logo.
At that point, forget the line-jumper—the whole line would disappear, and the student would suddenly be first in line.
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“This is definitely the most boring exam,” Xu Chuyao commented.
“It’s just a way to measure how rebellious students are during puberty.”
Mi Xiaolu nodded in full agreement.
Last semester they had to recite the “Ten Glories and Ten Shames.” Not this time—probably because of curriculum reform.
The next day was the final test—also the most important theoretical exam after the reforms.
[Q: Why do most young spirit users remain at Stage One before adulthood?]
Xu Chuyao raised her pen and answered without hesitation:
[A: I don’t know. I’m already Stage Two.]
[Q: What practices can accelerate the path to Stage One peak?]
[A: I don’t know. I’m already Stage Two.]
[Q: How can you gain the upper hand in Stage One combat?]
[A: I don’t know. I’m already Stage Two.]
[…]
She finished the A side in one go and flipped to the B side—then chuckled aloud.
[Q: During the first mall attack, how should a student team respond to unexpected danger?]
After thinking for a moment, she wrote:
[A: I’d just show up and kill them all.]
[Q: The second mall incident saw three special team members defeat more than ten Joker Gang members. What does this suggest?]
[A: That I’m a brilliant strategist, masterful with tactics.]
[Q: Your reflections on the battle at the Commerce Plaza?]
[A: What’s there to say? Just C all the way.]
[Q: After the plaza battle, how should strategy against the Joker Gang change?]
[A: Are you trying to teach me how to fight?]
She commanded both mall missions. How dare they ask her such questions? Truly outrageous.
With exams done, Xu Chuyao leaned back in her chair, eyes closed, peacefully enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.
She hadn’t had such a chill two days in forever.
Meanwhile, Shen Ning had been off the whole time. Not because she’d slacked off during the semester, but because she’d spent the night before studying—studying techniques.
The expert-level methods and moves she read had completely shattered her worldview.
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharactersSo you’re supposed to go in, huh?
No wonder Xu Chuyao said her skills were lacking and she had “lots of room to grow.” Smacking at a kitten was clearly low-level stuff. That really pissed her off.
She’d made the girl cry that night, and now a few days later, she gets mocked for doing it wrong?
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“Told you already,” said her repressed desire reflection, “Chuyao doesn’t deserve your pity. If she’s gonna be that way, then give it to her.”
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“But for now,” it continued, “just focus on the exam. Don’t go scribbling weird stuff again.”
Snapping out of it, Shen Ning looked down and found every question filled with… questionable content, as if writing feverishly would somehow push her to Stage One peak.
She silently erased all the weird phrases. On the A side, she simply wrote “I’m already Stage Two.” On the B side: “I was on site, nothing to reflect on.”
And with that, a relatively easy test was done.
The semester officially ended. Tomorrow’s celebration banquet would honor the special team’s performance during the Commerce Plaza operation.
Shen Ning didn’t care about the awards. All she wanted was to find a way to sneak into Xu Chuyao’s dorm afterward.
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“Remember,” said her repressed reflection, “act calm, burn with rage inside.”
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“Don’t watch anything tonight. Rest up. Get up early tomorrow—I’ll teach you some new moves.”
Her decaying shadow wanted to speak up, but before it could, the repressed one cut in:
ComplexStringWithÄÖÜandotherUnicodeCharacters“You shut it! This time, we must act—to put an end to Chuyao’s arrogance once and for all. Otherwise, where’s our dignity?”
lmao they basically wrote the same answers for this exam