Delighted by what he saw before him, Kai broke into a satisfied grin.
His impressive achievement of maintaining a spiritual energy status of 78 instilled in him an overwhelming sense of self-assuredness and determination as he went about readying himself for school that day.
Excitement pulsed through Kai's veins as he strode down familiar corridors filled with barely-contained anticipation - evidenced by hushed whispers amongst fellow classmates - indicating impending testing awaited them all after weeks spent training rigorously getting ready for this ultimate measure.
Although eager to know how well all their hard work paid off, It was meeting up again with close friends like Leon, Aoi, and Ethen that Kai treasured most as they awaited together to witness the results of their hard work.
Kai took his seat, and the friends exchanged knowing glances. It was time for the test, and the anticipation was palpable.
Aoi broke the silence, her voice filled with curiosity. "Kai, are you prepared for the test? I know we've all been working hard, and it's finally time to see the results."
Confidently nodding affirmatively along with a broad grin, Kai voiced his determination to outdo every one of his peers and secure the top spot.
With their conversations in full swing, Master Liang marched right in preparing to commence the test.
All discussion came to a halt as he unveiled an unusual gadget that left them curious.
Master Liang radiated a gentle countenance when he addressed his students about an upcoming examination that they were due to undertake shortly after.
"Today's test is not just in name. It's an opportunity to measure your spiritual energy and guide you toward your respective departments. But before that, I know you're all curious about this device on my table ."
The students nodded eagerly, expressing their agreement.
Master Liang continued, "This device is called SpiritGauge. It measures your spiritual energy, which you have been cultivating throughout the week. It's simple to use. Just place your hands on it and circulate your spiritual energy. The device will display the results numerically on the screen."
Master Liang paused briefly, sensing the heightened anticipation he said "After the test, there will be an explanation that I believe you will find quite exciting. But for now, let's focus on the task at hand."
Without further ado, Master Liang signaled the start of the test.
One by one students took turns using SpiritGauge - most achieved scores hovering around 65 points displaying noticeable improvement in personal progress made thus far.
As expected there were some who went beyond this threshold notably Sarah and Jackson who nearly touched the 70-point range!
Then came Kai's turn along with his friends anxiously awaiting his results in silence as he put his hands on SpiritGauge - everything else around them fell mute until the screen revealed an astounding score of 78!
Such an extraordinary result took everyone by surprise!
The classroom grew lively as the exam wrapped up with murmurs and whispers from students. They looked in amazement at one another with widened eyes.
Kai felt self-assured and had a sense of pride knowing he contributed to such astounding responses in class.
Once the class settled down, Master Liang praised all students for the remarkable increase in spiritual energy levels occurring throughout the term.
He then assured everyone that there was more fine-detail information to come.
"Now, as we discussed in our first class, martial artists are divided into ranks.
The first milestone is the Novice Rank and now the new info for you guys is that for one to break through it in there is a minimum requirement of 100 in spiritual energy.
There's also another requirement, which I'll mention when you reach the minimum threshold," Master Liang explained.
He then began to explain the different departments available to the students within the academy:
The combat Department is where one can learn practical fighting experience along with techniques;
Medical Department for providing assistance to combatants when needed;
Research Department is filled with curious minds who study energetical mutations within our surroundings' plants and animal species.
In addition, students could also choose to just pursue their common occupations while continuing to cultivate and increase their ranks.
When the school bell rang finalizing class time, Master Liang thoughtfully urged his learners not to forget about practicing at home and gave them an allowance of two days for readiness.
"Remember, you have two days to contemplate and decide which path you will choose. Take this time to refine your skills further. Don't miss this crucial opportunity," Master Liang advised, emphasizing the significance of their decision. With those words, he bid them farewell, leaving the students with much to ponder in the days ahead.
With spirits lifted and curiosity piqued by all they had learned Kai and his comrades stepped out of class eager to move forward on their journey. They confidently set forth into the next phase of their adventure.