Because someone who has only cultivated internal strength to the twentieth level could never possibly defeat any tenth-level martial artist in actual combat. Lightness skills, techniques, fists and kicks, weapons... and so on, all follow the same logic.

The martial artist certificate exam is extremely strict, testing actual combat ability and overall competence. Usually, only those who have mastered more than three martial arts to above the twentieth level have a chance of passing the tenth-level martial artist exam.

Although Mark Benson had cultivated the Great Thousand Evolution Technique to the nineteenth level and had just raised his lightness skill, "Gliding Among Blossoms and Willows," to the thirtieth level of perfection, he still had too many shortcomings. Even if he didn't hide his strength and gave his all in the martial artist exam, at most he could only obtain a tenth-level martial artist certificate.

With only a second-level martial artist certificate, Little Mark looked like a total weakling.

Chapter 15: Special Admission Quota of Zhuxia University

Charles Smith was actually very puzzled as to why Mark Benson came to the Taixu Divine Martial Realm to take the graduation exam.

The graduation exam in the dimensional realm is far more difficult than the ordinary martial arts graduation exam, and there are unpredictable dangers. The diploma itself doesn't offer any special advantages.

Students like them, who came from Dijingsheng City, chose to complete their graduation exam in the Taixu Divine Martial Realm for the special admission quota to Zhuxia University.

Charles Smith knew very clearly that Boyang City had no such special admission quota.

This kind of special quota is only open to the top few high schools in Dijingsheng City.

Other high schools, especially those in other cities, are simply not eligible for this benefit.

This is also the fundamental reason why so few students come to the Taixu Divine Martial Realm for the graduation exam.

The girl once thought that Mark Benson came to the Taixu Divine Martial Realm for the graduation exam because of her.

The moment she said her own name,

Charles Smith realized she had misunderstood.

Mark Benson had definitely long forgotten about his childhood friend. This made Charles Smith feel both relieved and a bit disappointed.

The two quickly started chatting and laughing, with no more of the awkwardness from years of not seeing each other.

Mark Benson lowered his voice and asked, "They say the death rate in the Hidden Dragon Army is especially high. I even tried to persuade you not to go. How did you actually fare over there? And why were you eliminated?"

Charles Smith was momentarily dazed, as if recalling many unpleasant memories, a trace of fear appearing on her pretty face.

It took her a while before she answered softly, "Our team went to the Celestial Realm for combat training and encountered the Celestial Realm's resistance forces. Out of forty people, only three survived..."

Mark Benson was slightly shocked. He knew joining the Hidden Dragon Army was dangerous, but he hadn't expected it to be this dangerous. He reached out and gently patted Charles Smith's shoulder—something he used to do often as a child.

Little Mark had no idea how many boys turned green with envy at this gesture.

Charles Smith forced down her emotions and said quietly, "So I applied for retirement and transferred to a regular high school."

Mark Benson seemed to remember something and asked, "That year, when you visited my home, was it actually because... you had retired?"

"I was really thoughtless back then, not comforting you properly."

Charles Smith giggled and said, "At that time, you were busy fighting with Uncle Ma about not going to that middle school. The fact that you could spare any attention to take care of me was already quite rare."

Mark Benson recalled that Charles Smith had come back for a visit the year he graduated from elementary school, but only stayed for two hurried days, and he barely saw his childhood playmate.

Charles Smith left early and returned late every day, and Little Mark had to go to school, so the two barely exchanged a few words.

Back then, Mark Benson truly never imagined that Charles Smith had gone through such a huge ordeal.

Although he had never been to the battlefield, his father was a retired veteran, so he had heard many stories about the military. Besides, in his previous life, Mark Benson had been a journalist, so he knew more than most people.

Although Charles Smith spoke lightly of it, the fact that only three out of forty survived showed just how brutal the battle was.

He had even heard that the resistance forces in the Celestial Realm harbored deep hatred for the Zhuxia army, and sometimes deliberately refrained from killing imperial soldiers, instead capturing them as prisoners and torturing them in the cruelest ways.

If Charles Smith hadn't been lucky at the time, he might never have seen his childhood friend again.

Thinking of this, Mark Benson couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, secretly thinking, "It was the right decision not to join the Hidden Dragon Army back then. It's just a pity I couldn't stop Little Ian."

Having lived two lives, Mark Benson not only didn't let his curiosity drive him to dig for details about what happened back then, but instead deliberately skipped over the topic and asked Charles Smith about her life after transferring to middle school.

Charles Smith wasn't too surprised. Little Mark had always been so considerate since childhood. If this childhood friend had pestered her with endless questions about the battlefield, that would have been out of character.

Charles Smith truly didn't want to recall that brutal battle.

It was a hurdle she would never get over in her life, and she had no idea how many nightmares she had after the fact.

Even after leaving the battlefield, for a long time, every time she closed her eyes, she would see the faces of her comrades who died tragically, and would wake up screaming.

Even now, Charles Smith always has to sleep with a night light on, and always keeps an alloy dagger by her side.