79: Rating: SSS

As the official testing began,

Instructor Ruo Lin, who was in charge of the specific testing, gently recited the rules once more:

"Canaan Academy's enrollment requires applicants to be under twenty years of age. Those who meet the admission criteria will now begin their potential value assessment. Let's start."

"Li Hu, seventeen years old, nine-stage Dou Qi!"

A sturdy-looking youth nervously walked up to the high platform. After confirming the details, Instructor Ruo Lin smiled and gave him an E grade.

The testing proceeded in an orderly fashion.

As expected of a major city like Black Rock City, within a short time, quite a few Disciples with D-grade potential had already appeared.

The occasional C-grade Disciple could even elicit a small wave of gasps and envious glances from the crowd below.

However, Instructor Ruo Lin's face maintained a gentle smile, yet her eyes remained calm and unruffled.

Such seedlings, while not bad within Canaan Academy, were far from being enough to move her.

In a city like Black Rock City, the quality of these Disciples couldn't possibly bring her any surprises.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yu beside her didn't even bother to lift her eyelids. Her gaze seemed somewhat vacant, her thoughts likely having already flown back to Wutan City.

Just then, a small commotion arose from the outskirts of the queuing crowd.

Two strikingly different yet equally exceptional young women were making their way through the crowd side by side, each holding the hand of a little boy as they approached the testing point.

The one on the left wore a fiery red martial outfit that accentuated her youthful and curvaceous figure.

Her features were as gorgeous as a blooming rose, with a hint of pampered, overt arrogance in her brows and eyes.

Her slightly wavy black hair was tied into a high ponytail that swung playfully with her somewhat flamboyant steps.

The young woman on the other side formed the ultimate contrast of ice and fire compared to Lin Fei's passionate flamboyance.

She wore a simple, almost austerely cold white dress. Her figure was slender and graceful, her aura as pure and cold as a new moon atop a snowy mountain peak.

Her skin was so fair it seemed almost translucent. Her smooth, ice-blue hair was loosely tied up with a simple jade hairpin, with a few strands falling beside her cheeks, making her delicate, oval face appear even more petite and icy.

It was Xue Mei.

"Lin Fei, mind your decorum."

Xue Mei's voice was clear and cold, like ice beads falling onto a jade plate, carrying a natural chill.

The appearance of the two immediately drew even greater attention.

Many recognized these two jewels of the Black Rock City Alchemist Guild.

And the one who drew the most attention was naturally Mo Yuhan.

"It's Young Master Mo Yuhan! Is he also joining Canaan Academy?! They say his current cultivation has already reached the Dou Shi level!"

"Who would have thought Young Master Mo Yuhan is not only highly skilled in alchemy, but his cultivation is also outstanding."

"Young Miss Lin Fei and Young Miss Xue Mei aren't bad either, one is a three-star Dou Zhe, the other a five-star Dou Zhe. But standing next to Young Master Mo Yuhan, the gap is indeed a bit large..."

The whispers reached Xiao Yu's ears. She finally withdrew her somewhat vacant gaze, looking at the approaching trio with a hint of scrutiny.

Three-star Dou Zhe? Five-star Dou Zhe? Dou Shi?

Xiao Yu wondered if she had misheard.

For two girls to be three-star or five-star Dou Zhe was already quite good.

But it wasn't enough to draw her excessive attention.

However, that little boy they were pulling along in the middle... if she heard correctly, this so-called 'Young Master Yu Han' probably referred to him, right?

He didn't look even ten years old. Dou Shi?

Xiao Yu felt she must have misheard.

"I'll go first!"

Lin Fei's goose-yellow dress stood out brightly in the crowd. Like a proud little peacock, she strode forward with her head held high.

Passing by Mo Yuhan, she quickly threw him a playful, flirtatious glance, mouthing the words 'watch your big sister' silently.

"Lin Fei, nineteen years old, seven-star Dou Zhe."

Lin Fei proudly puffed out her chest.

"Lin Fei, nineteen years old, seven-star Dou Zhe. Rating: A Grade!"

Instructor Ruo Lin's voice carried a hint of approving laughter, her gentle gaze resting on Lin Fei's lovely face. "Quite a talented Prodigy. Welcome to Canaan Academy."

Lin Fei lifted her chin triumphantly, a brilliant smile on her radiant face. Her eyes immediately sought out Mo Yuhan, as if silently seeking praise.

She shot a challenging glance at the expressionless Xue Mei beside her.

Xue Mei ignored her smugness completely. With light, graceful steps, her moon-white robes seemed to shimmer with a cold light under the sun.

Her expression remained calm and unperturbed, as if the surrounding commotion had nothing to do with her.

"Xue Mei, twenty years old, nine-star Dou Zhe."

Instructor Ruo Lin's smile grew even gentler. "Rating: A Grade."

Xiao Yu couldn't help but take a few more looks at Xue Mei, her heroic eyebrows slightly raised in a warrior's acknowledgment of strength.

This ice beauty and the previous girl indeed possessed strength that couldn't be underestimated.

Xue Mei calmly withdrew her hand, giving a slight nod towards Instructor Ruo Lin and Xiao Yu. Her gaze lightly fell upon Mo Yuhan below the platform, as if expectantly waiting for him to come up for his test.

And when Mo Yuhan stepped forward for his test, the noisy square fell into a sudden hush.

Countless pairs of eyes focused squarely on the figure clad in simple black training clothes who was stepping onto the high platform.

Mo Yuhan's reputation had long since spread throughout Black Rock City.

If not for the limitations of slow information transmission, he would likely have already caught the attention of the great Families in the capital and received recruitment offers.

Too young! His face was excessively youthful, and his stature clearly indicated he hadn't fully grown.

"Young Master Mo Yuhan, that closed-door Disciple of President Frank?"

"I heard his alchemy talent is monstrous, but his Dou Qi... how old is he? Nine?"

"President Frank's Disciple must be good at alchemy, but Dou Qi might not be his strong suit, right?"

Whispers rose like countless little insects from every corner of the square.

There was anticipation, but more so, doubt.

How high could a nine-year-old child's Dou Qi cultivation possibly be?

Instructor Ruo Lin also set down her pen, her gentle gaze resting on Mo Yuhan, a soft, encouraging smile on her face.

Xiao Yu, arms crossed, was also very curious about what kind of performance this child, who had caused such a stir, would bring.

She noticed Mo Yuhan's eyes—clear, calm, without a trace of the nervousness or timidity one might feel under immense pressure. Instead, they were like a deep pool, undisturbed by waves.

"Mo Yuhan, nine years old, one-star Dou Shi."

On the high platform.

After hearing these words, the gentle, water-like smile on Instructor Ruo Lin's face completely froze and shattered.

Her beautiful eyes, usually gentle enough to make one's heart melt, were now wide open, their depths filled with an unprecedented, ghost-seeing level of extreme shock.

The registry in her hand, which recorded the names of countless Geniuses, had already slipped from her unconsciously loosened fingers, falling with a 'thud' by her feet. The pages rustled wildly in the gusty wind, but she remained completely unaware.

"Nine years old, Dou Shi?!"

Her rosy lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something. Her gentle voice could now only produce a few meaningless monosyllables: "This... this... impossible..."

The voice was dry and trembling, having long lost its usual gentle, intoxicating quality, leaving only pure, perception-shattering, extreme astonishment.