The exam time was quickly approaching, and the morning's test was still focused on cultural subjects.

For Liu Sheng, these questions posed no difficulty at all.

After finishing the morning exam, Liu Sheng and the others quickly returned home for a meal, and without even time for a nap, they had to hurry back to the ninja school to continue the exams.

The fifth grade had the most exams, while the sixth grade’s graduation assessment consisted of only one type.

In the afternoon, the exams included shuriken throwing, physical combat duels, survival drills, kunai blade battles, and... no-rules duels.

The kunai blade battle was straightforward; it involved fighting an opponent with a kunai, either subduing or killing them to claim victory.

This was the foundation learned starting from the third grade.

Ninjas are tools of assassination; how could one not know how to kill?

The no-rules duel, however, was a subject introduced only in the fifth grade.

This was also easy to understand; it meant using any means to defeat and kill the opponent.

The exams soon began, with the first subject still being shuriken throwing.

Unlike the cultural subjects, which required grading, the afternoon exams were scored on the spot.

As expected, Liu Sheng achieved a perfect score.

When it came to the physical combat duel, Liu Sheng's opponent was not Uchiha Sasuke.

By the fourth grade, it was no longer child’s play.

During the smaller tests and impromptu assessments, Iruka could still freely decide the list of participants.

But for the major exams, it was no longer up to Iruka; fairness had to be maintained.

On the training ground, beside Iruka stood a Chunin, not Mizuki as in the original story, but a female teacher skilled in medical ninjutsu.

By the third grade, the rules for physical combat duels had changed; it was no longer about who fell first losing, but rather subduing the opponent or having them concede.

In the meantime, injury was unavoidable.

Once the physical combat duels began, Liu Sheng and the others started drawing lots to match opponents based on their numbers.

Liu Sheng’s opponent was not one of the top nine in the class, but a girl.

The other party did not concede; after all, conceding meant a score of zero.

Liu Sheng also did not finish her off immediately; instead, he gave her face and engaged in several rounds before gentlemanly defeating her.

Interestingly, Uchiha Sasuke drew Naruto as his opponent.

For some reason, Sasuke often ended up facing Naruto whenever opponents were drawn.

This made Liu Sheng very suspicious: did the fate of these "brothers" somehow affect the rules of the world?

In the physical combat duel between Naruto and Sasuke, there was no doubt that Sasuke emerged victorious.

Currently, Naruto was at the bottom, scoring low in all subjects, and often turning in blank papers in cultural classes.

If the graduation assessment were based on total scores, Naruto would never graduate in his lifetime.

When it came to the kunai blade battle, opponents were also decided by drawing lots.

However, the atmosphere was entirely different from the physical combat duels, as evidenced by the serious expressions of Iruka and the medical teacher.

After Iruka blew the whistle, he took just a few steps back, his gaze fixed on the battling students, ready to intervene at the first sign of trouble.

Liu Sheng's opponent was still not one of the top nine in the class, but rather a male classmate who often greeted him.

“...Thank you for your guidance!”

Like with the girl, Liu Sheng held the kunai, easily blocking several of his attacks before suddenly disappearing in a body flicker, reappearing behind him, with the kunai pressed against the back of his neck, ending the battle.

“No wonder it’s Liu Sheng; he’s completely not my match.”

The nearly instantaneously defeated classmate extended his hand to Liu Sheng, forming a gesture of reconciliation without a hint of disappointment on his face.

Aside from Uchiha Sasuke and Naruto, who might feel dissatisfied with losing to Liu Sheng, the other classmates had become accustomed to it over the years.

To them, Liu Sheng was now an unbeatable great demon king.

Encountering Liu Sheng in the kunai blade battle might even be a good thing.

In the subsequent duels, many students ended up with their clothes or skin sliced by kunai during the exchanges.

Should anyone be in life-threatening danger, Iruka would immediately intervene and declare that student defeated.

If it weren’t for the kunai blade battles starting from the third grade, many would surely be crying in pain by now.

Liu Sheng still remembered that during his first kunai blade battle, many classmates were too scared to make a move, trembling while holding their kunai.

After the kunai blade battles concluded, there was no immediate start to the next round of exams; instead, injured students received treatment first.

Many students had white bandages wrapped around their bodies and faces, or had adhesive bandages applied.

Of course, some had only minor injuries and healed on the spot.

Soon, the next round of exams began again.

It wasn’t a survival drill, but... no-rules combat.

Then, Liu Sheng and the others began lining up to collect their equipment.

The equipment included ninja tool bags containing shuriken and kunai, as well as gloves with metal plates.

After putting on the gloves and securing their ninja tool bags, Liu Sheng and the others began drawing lots again.

Once everyone had drawn their lots, Iruka and the female teacher arranged the numbers, and the respective opponents were revealed.

When Liu Sheng saw his opponent, he couldn’t help but be slightly taken aback.

Just like him, it was Uchiha Sasuke.

Immediately, a look of intense joy appeared on Sasuke's face.

Indeed, Liu Sheng's opponent was Uchiha Sasuke!

They had finally matched up!

Liu Sheng’s mood mirrored Sasuke’s.

For these past few years, Liu Sheng had only been able to face Sasuke during small tests and impromptu assessments.

But since the major exam in the third grade, Liu Sheng had not encountered Sasuke again.

Moreover, while Liu Sheng had won all their previous encounters, he hadn’t gained any significant experience from Sasuke.

And now, they had finally matched up again, and it was a no-rules duel.

This was the most valuable duel!

Not only were Liu Sheng and Uchiha Sasuke filled with anticipation, but all the classmates, as well as Iruka and the female teacher, were equally excited.

They all wanted to know who was stronger, Liu Sheng at full power or Uchiha Sasuke.

As one group after another was resolved, the highly anticipated duel finally arrived.

“This time, you’re definitely going to lose!”

In the open space, Uchiha Sasuke and Liu Sheng stood facing each other.

Looking at Liu Sheng, with whom he had yet to win a single match, Sasuke wore a confident expression and arrogantly declared, “I will let you see just how great the gap in our strength really is.”

“I’m looking forward to it; I hope you won’t let me down.”

Liu Sheng smiled and raised his index and middle fingers.

Sasuke also raised his index and middle fingers, his face filled with excitement as he said, “You definitely won’t be disappointed!”

“No-rules duel, Group Seven, Liu Sheng vs. Uchiha Sasuke, fight... begin!”

Seeing that both had formed their opposing seals, Iruka wasted no time and blew the whistle.

Beep—