11: Fate Dice

Zhou Xingchen's calm voice pulled Lin Yuan back from the lingering sensation of the heaven-reaching pagoda. He looked down; the fate dice in his palm—neither metal nor wood, but flowing with a halo of destiny—felt cold and real, yet everything he had just experienced felt like a lifetime ago.

"How do you feel?" Lu Mingchuan stepped out of a spatial ripple nearby like a specter, wearing his usual playful smile. "Time flow is distorted inside the pagoda; only a quarter of an hour has passed outside. Let's go, to the old man's office. We have serious matters to discuss." He glanced at the dice in Lin Yuan's hand, his gaze slightly focused.

Lin Yuan followed. With a slight shift of his will, the data panel silently unfolded:

[Lin Yuan]

Realm: Reserve Martial Artist (Overlimit)

Base Combat Power: 2700

Mental Energy: 492

evolution points: 213 (+101 / day)

Primordial Purple Qi Fusion Degree: 0.1%

"About the Destiny Trial..." Just as Lin Yuan spoke, the fate dice in his palm seemed to awaken, suddenly emitting a low, grand hum! Six mysterious runes lit up simultaneously, projecting a three-dimensional, constantly rotating phantom image of a star map!

[fate dice · Bound State]

Current Throws: 1/1

Binder: Lin Yuan (One-Star Reserve Pagoda Disciple)

"Wait!" Zhou Xingchen suddenly sprang up from his seat like a startled Vicious Beast! The inner walls of the office instantly lit up with dense, layered defensive runes, and an energy barrier expanded with a 'hum,' sealing the entire space airtight! "What terrifying energy level! Kid, what the hell is that thing you're holding?!"

Almost simultaneously, a miniature detector on Lu Mingchuan's wrist exploded into a shower of electrical sparks with a 'bang,' and the harsh alarm abruptly cut off! His pupils contracted, and his voice changed pitch: "The reading maxed out! Energy intensity... exceeds the limit of all known instruments! Did you sneak this thing out of the pagoda?!"

"Trial reward." Lin Yuan looked at the dice, which pulsed slightly as if alive, and without hesitation, gently tossed it into the air.

The dice spun rapidly in the air, trailing an ethereal light tail. The six runes flashed wildly, and finally, the side with "3" settled firmly face up, stopping abruptly!

Boom—!

In an instant, the entire office, sealed by multiple barriers, was completely submerged by a profound, noble purple starlight that seemed to originate from the Origin of the Universe! Countless visible light particles, containing vast Mental Energy Origin, surged madly into Lin Yuan's glabella, ignoring all physical obstacles, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!

[Destiny Event Triggered · Destiny Favor (3 Points)]

[Effect: Permanent Mental Energy Origin Enhancement +200 points!]

"Ugh—!" Lin Yuan grunted, instantly dropping to one knee! He felt as if his Sea of Consciousness had been violently smashed open by an invisible sledgehammer and then forcefully stuffed with a boiling nebula! The splitting headache made his vision darken.

The severe pain came quickly and left just as fast. When the light receded and Lin Yuan stood up again, a Mental Energy field, condensed as if solid and capable of piercing through illusion, spread out from him, causing intense ripples in the office's thick energy barrier!

[Mental Energy: 492 → 692 (Sixth Heaven)]

"Crash!" The expensive Spiritual Tea cup in Zhou Xingchen's hand shattered, and he didn't even notice the hot tea splashing onto his robe. The Dean, who had weathered countless storms, was now filled with world-shattering shock: "Directly crossing two Heavens?! Forcibly expanding the Mental Origin?! This... this fundamentally violates the basic Laws of the Universe!"

Lu Mingchuan, meanwhile, looked like he had discovered a rare treasure, pulling out a new recorder and frantically scanning Lin Yuan, his speech rapid-fire: "What are the effects of the other sides?! What about 1 point? 2 points? Could it be misfortune? Like divine punishment from the heavens? Spatial exile? Or being forced to fall in love with some unspeakable entity?!"

"I don't know." Lin Yuan thought, and the fate dice transformed into a streak of light and submerged into his body. The suffocating Mental Energy field also receded. "I can only throw it again in seven days."

The office fell into an eerie silence. Zhou Xingchen took a deep breath, waved his hand, and set up a triple ultimate Soundproofing Barrier capable of isolating Divine Thought surveillance. His expression was so solemn it looked like water could drip from it: "Listen, Lin Yuan. What I am about to tell you is the most critical and desperate secret of Blue Star... no, of this 'cage' that we all rely on for survival."

The star map on the wall lit up, instantly pulling the three of them into a vast Universe projection. Blue Star was like a speck of dust. The Purple Cloud Galaxy, where it resided, was like a giant vortex, and the Purple Cloud Galaxy itself was too minuscule to even count as a pixel in front of the vaster Xuantian Star Domain.

The projection rapidly zoomed in on the star System where Blue Star was located. A suffocating scene appeared—the entire star System, like a fragile lone boat, was tightly surrounded by a boundless "Black Rage Tide" surging with destructive energy! Wherever the "Rage Tide" passed, even starlight was completely devoured.

"The Universe Restricted Zone—the Burial God Abyss!" Zhou Xingchen's voice held a trace of imperceptible tremor as he pointed toward the darkness that devoured everything. "Since the birth of Blue Star civilization, no outsiders have been able to cross this absolute Sea of Death. Likewise, we cannot transmit any information outward. On the star maps of the Purple Cloud Galaxy and even the entire Xuantian Star Domain, we... are a blank space. Until one thousand years ago..."

The image switched. The firmament tore open, and that colossal heaven-reaching pagoda, piercing through the sky and earth, descended thunderously onto the clouds of Blue Star.

"Lord Ji Fengyun," Zhou Xingchen's tone was filled with utmost reverence, "was the first Supreme Expert of Blue Star to pass the heaven-reaching pagoda trial. Only when he achieved a Breakthrough into the Myriad Laws Realm and possessed the great power to cross the Void Realm did he despairingly discover the desperate situation we are in." He pointed to the projection of the Burial God Abyss, where a scarlet countdown appeared: 1053 years. "This is the most optimistic estimate. In one thousand years, the expansion of the Burial God Abyss will completely swallow Blue Star! Unless... a legendary existence of the Dao Sovereign level intervenes! Otherwise, Blue Star, along with all life upon it, will completely vanish from this starry sky, without even a speck of dust remaining!"

"The heaven-reaching pagoda we see now," Lu Mingchuan interjected, his voice unprecedentedly serious, "is only some kind of incomprehensible projection. Furthermore, based on the sporadic information Lord Ji Fengyun brought back, we speculate that projections of the heaven-reaching pagoda might exist across the entire Xuantian Star Domain, and even in vaster unknown regions! Its purpose... is highly likely to be the selection of a true Legacy Bearer across endless time and space!"

"And the destiny trial you chose..." Zhou Xingchen looked intently at Lin Yuan, taking a deep breath, "is precisely the second trial that Lord Ji Fengyun passed back then! According to our original assessment, the Will Trial, leveraging your Mental Energy Talent of reaching the Fourth Heaven before Transcendent, should have been your safest choice with the highest chance of success."

He waved his hand, bringing up a top-secret file that showed a shocking comparison:

[Purple Cloud Galaxy · Historical Ranking of Mental Energy Talent during Reserve Martial Artist Phase (Non-Public)]

Ji Fengyun: 4 (The Only One)

Lin Yuan: 4 (The Second Only One)

First Place (Awakening Mental Energy at shedding mortality realm First Heaven · Record: 423)

Second Place (Awakening Mental Energy at shedding mortality realm Second Heaven · Record: 415)

Third Place (Awakening Mental Energy at shedding mortality realm Second Heaven · Record: 398)

"The Mental Energy Talent of us Blue Star humans seems to be innate, yet also contains some unknown potential." Zhou Xingchen said gravely, "In the nearly million-year history of the entire Purple Cloud Galaxy, only you and Lord Ji Fengyun have reached the Fourth Heaven during the Reserve Martial Artist phase! If not for the isolation of the Burial God Abyss, your names would be enough to shake the entire Star Domain! Had you chosen the Will Trial, your talent would have given you an extremely high success rate!"

A flash of inspiration struck Lin Yuan: "The Spirit Martial Hall's teleportation gate..."

"Exactly!" Lu Mingchuan's eyes burst with fervent light. "That is the spark of hope that Lord Ji Fengyun brought out from the heaven-reaching pagoda after passing the second trial! The interior of the Spirit Martial Hall connects to another foreign land with drastically different Laws and unimaginably abundant resources! Only by passing through there can our Blue Star Geniuses gain the Opportunity for rapid growth. That place... is the only path for the continuation of Blue Star civilization!"

The Dean brought up the detailed structural map of the Spirit Martial Hall: "The core of the first floor is the 'Transcendent Baptism Pool,' and the second floor is the 'Gate of Hope,' which leads to the foreign world. But remember this—" His expression was extremely serious as he pointed to a faint, complex mark on his forehead that seemed condensed from blood. "Those who have not undergone Transcendent Baptism will have flesh and Soul unable to bear the Laws of the foreign world. The moment they step into the second-floor passage, they will be torn into fundamental particles by violent Spatial Turbulence! Because of the absolute Seal of the Burial God Abyss, those foreign worlds are the only bridge for Blue Star to interact externally and acquire resources!"

Outside the window, a dazzling bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed closely by rolling thunder. Zhou Xingchen shut down the projection and handed Lin Yuan a token flowing with purple-gold luster and engraved with the pattern of nine stars surrounding a pagoda: "This is your identification, the Cangqiong Academy SSS-Grade Student Token. From this moment on, you are an official member of the Academy. The College Entrance Exam is in 20 days," he gave Lin Yuan a deep look, "Go participate. This world is far vaster than you imagine, and far more... cruel!"

The purple-gold SSS-Grade Token felt slightly warm in Lin Yuan's palm, as if containing some kind of power. As dusk deepened, Zhou Qingxue's silver pupils glowed with a cold, moon-like luster in the dim light. "Follow me." Her voice was cool and clear. She turned and walked toward the depths of the Academy, the hem of her white uniform tracing a sharp arc.

After passing through three spatial barriers that rippled like water, the view suddenly opened up. Seven villas of varying styles, resembling small palaces, quietly floated, circling a Milky Way waterfall cascading down from the Void Realm. The outer walls of each villa were inlaid with constantly flickering star runes, emitting a powerful energy field.

"The Star Residence, the housing for S-Grade and above students." Zhou Qingxue pointed a finger, and the lintel of one villa, engraved with purple lightning patterns, suddenly lit up. "It will evolve based on your strength and characteristics."

The moment they stepped into the living room, a holographic data stream automatically projected into the air:

[Student: Lin Yuan (SSS-Grade · Highest Authority)]

Gravity Cultivation Room: Unlimited use (Maximum 100x · Hell Mode)

Mental Energy Supply: 3 'Star Marrow Concentration Agents' daily (Mental Energy Cultivation efficiency +50%)

Knowledge Base Authority: Archive Pavilion Levels 1-3 (Includes all Cultivation Techniques, secrets, and star maps below Heaven-Grade)

"Regarding the Spirit Martial Hall." Zhou Qingxue cut straight to the chase, waving her hand to bring up a holographic calendar. A striking red circle marked noon on the day after the College Entrance Exam. "The opening time is fixed and lasts only 12 hours." The screen switched, and an image of an ancient, desolate bronze giant hall, seemingly existing since eternity, appeared. Nine stars connected in a line on the hall's door, emitting a faint yet infinitely profound light.

"Last year's Top Scorer, Chu Xinghe, had a base combat power of 499 before baptism." A ripple flashed in Zhou Qingxue's eyes. "But this year... is a true Galaxy of Stars." She opened an encrypted file; the data was alarming:

[Current Top Candidates · Latest Monitoring (Estimate)]

Xiao Lie (Xiao Family): 597 - Suspected Fusion with Azure Luan True Fire Bloodline Fragment

Ye Bingli (Ye Family): 588 - Possesses Profound Ice Spirit Body, chilling Aura

Gu He (Gu Family): 569 - Cultivating the Nine Revolutions Hegemonic Body Art, powerful Physical Body

... (Subsequent candidates all have combat power above 550)

"With the stable opening of the Spirit Martial Hall's foreign world passage, massive amounts of pure foreign Spiritual Qi are continuously pouring into Blue Star!" Zhou Qingxue's tone was grave. "Every year, Blue Star's overall Spiritual Qi concentration is skyrocketing exponentially! The number and quality of Geniuses born this year far surpass previous years! Furthermore..." She paused. "There is unconfirmed news that Lord Ji Fengyun has prepared an unprecedented 'Special Reward' for this year's College Entrance Exam Top Scorer!"

She suddenly took a step forward, pressing her cool fingertips onto Lin Yuan's shoulder: "Do you know why Transcendent Baptism is the only key? It doesn't just refine the Physical Body and Soul; more importantly, it activates the deepest 'Genetic Lock' of life! Without this 'key,' the door to the foreign world is a meat grinder for you! Even more critically," she tapped the blood-colored mark on her forehead, which was clearer than Zhou Xingchen's, "the deeper the Foundation before baptism, the more thorough the transformation brought by the baptism, and the more special the authority of the 'Spatial Mark' obtained! This determines how far you can go in the foreign world!"

"See you in twenty days." Zhou Qingxue turned and left, merging into the spatial barrier before leaving her final instruction.

Following her departure, Lin Yuan entered the Star Residence's Exclusive Cultivation Room. The combat power recorder embedded in the wall, capable of monitoring Awakening Realm experts, instantly burst into a blinding scarlet alarm! He brought up his panel:

[Lin Yuan]

Base Combat Power: 2700

Mental Energy: 692 (Sixth Heaven)

evolution points: 213 (+101 / day)

Primordial Purple Qi Fusion Degree: 0.1%

[Special Notification] Transcendent Baptism Countdown: 19 days, 23 hours, 59 minutes

Seven days later, "Boom-crack—!"

Inside the Cultivation Room, a bolt of purple lightning, condensed to the extreme, tore through the air, emitting a deafening roar! Lin Yuan retracted his Purple Lightning Sword and stood, the tip of the sword still flickering with tiny electric arcs. Fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead. This was the 108th time today he had pushed the Purple Heaven Startling Thunder Sword to its limit. Where the sword edge passed, faint, lingering scorched marks were left in the space.

[Combat Power + 100]

[Current Base Combat Power: 3400]

Wiping away his sweat, Lin Yuan's gaze fell upon the fate dice suspended before him. This crystal-clear dice, containing an inner galaxy, emitted a soft yet undeniable glow, signaling the arrival of the second throw.

"Again."

The dice flew up in response, spinning rapidly in the air. The six runes flashed alternately, trailing an illusory light path. Finally, it settled firmly once more—on "3" points!

[Destiny Favor Triggered!]

[Mental Energy Origin Enhancement +200!]

[Current Mental Energy: 734 → 934 (Nine Heavens)]

"Buzz—!"

A cool, vast torrent once again washed over his Sea of Consciousness! Lin Yuan felt his mental perception break free of its last shackles, instantly covering the entire Star Residence and spreading outward! Every detail was clear! He could even "see" the veins of a fallen leaf trembling in the breeze on the window sill of the neighboring villa, and "hear" the gurgling of fluid in the energy pipes a hundred meters underground!

"Nine Heavens!" Lin Yuan realized, feeling this all-controlling perception. This was a critical threshold for Mental Energy transformation!

Twenty days of secluded training flew by amidst frantic Cultivation and rolling of the fate dice. Six days ago, during the third throw, the dice finally stopped on a different number—a '1'!

[Fate Event Triggered · Creation's Muster (1 Point)]

[Effect: Randomly upgrades the grade of one piece of equipment on the binder!]

Buzz—!

The Purple Lightning Sword in his hand suddenly let out a sword cry, high-pitched like a Dragon's roar! The sword body trembled violently, and the purple lightning patterns that originally flowed across it seemed to come alive, like countless tiny Purple Lightning Flood Dragons frantically swimming, swallowing, and Fusing! The Thunder Crystal embedded in the guard burst out with blinding light, and the entire sword body was completely enveloped by a dense, inseparable mass of Five-colored Divine Light!

Boom!

A pressure far surpassing that of Red-Grade equipment, one that made the Soul tremble, erupted from the sword! All the instruments in the Cultivation room instantly malfunctioned, and only when the highest-level defensive runes lit up on the walls were they barely able to resist!

When the light slowly dissipated, a brand new longsword appeared in Lin Yuan's hand. The sword body was still purple-crystal transparent, but inside it seemed to Seal a perpetually cycling Thunder Star Cloud! Along the edge of the blade flowed fine electric arcs of five colors: crimson, azure, gilded gold, dark green, and profound yellow, weaving together into a dreamy yet fatal halo. Just holding it, Lin Yuan felt his affinity with the Law of Thunder soar!

[Equipment Evolution Complete!]

[Purple Lightning Sword (Red-Grade → Five-Colored)]

Combat Power Bonus: 500 → 1000

New Trait:

Speed of comprehension for True Intent of Thunder + 50% (Heaven-Defying Comprehension Ability Enhancement)

This was the first time Lin Yuan had seen, and the first Five-Colored Legendary equipment ever born on Blue Star! The five-colored radiance flowed within the room, making everything seem unreal.

[Final Cultivation Results · Pre-College Entrance Exam]

[Lin Yuan]

Realm: Reserve Martial Artist (Overlimit)

Base Combat Power: 4700 (Awakening Realm Combat Power)

Mental Energy: 1012 (Tenth Heaven)

evolution points: 2233

[Cultivation Technique: Purple Heaven Startling Thunder Sword (Perfection 80%); Sky Wandering Steps (Perfection 40%); Mountain Crushing Fist: Transcendent]

[Special Abilities: Item Appraisal (Intermediate) Mental Tempering (Intermediate) Mental Stab (Elementary)]

[Equipment: Purple Lightning · Five-Colored (+1000 Combat Power)]

[Special Items: fate dice (Roll once every seven days); dao observing sword (Shatters Myriad Laws Illusions · Array Dao Nemesis · Ability pending unlock)]

He clicked open the latest monitoring brief synchronized by Zhou Qingxue:

Xiao Lie: 618

Ye Bingli: 605

Gu He: 597

"So this is... the so-called top Geniuses of Blue Star? The Foundation of the Nine Great Financial Groups?" Lin Yuan curled his lips into an indescribable arc. Even without the terrifying bonus from the Purple Lightning Sword, his pure base Combat Power was more than seven times the highest value of theirs! This was no longer a gap; it was an insurmountable chasm!

Zhou Qingxue's communication connected just in time. Her holographic image immediately locked onto the longsword in Lin Yuan's hand, which flowed with dreamy five-colored lightning. Her silver pupils contracted suddenly, and a rare crack appeared on her cold face: "It seems... the Opportunity the heaven-reaching pagoda gave you is even more astonishing than we imagined. Let's go, it's time for the College Entrance Exam. Remember," her voice carried unprecedented solemnity, "the Mortal Transformation Baptism is the true start of your life level's leap!"

Lin Yuan's finger gently brushed the cold, destructive sword body of Purple Lightning, feeling the majestic power of thunder within it that seemed capable of tearing the sky apart. Burning Battle Intent ignited in his eyes: "I look forward to seeing what level these so-called mixed-Bloodline Geniuses and financial prodigies can reach... after undergoing the Baptism."

Outside the window, the rising sun gilded the floating academy. The majestic heaven-reaching pagoda radiated eternal and mysterious light in the morning glow. The spot where the mark rested on Lin Yuan's forehead transmitted a burning, longing throbbing, as if responding to the distant colossal tower.

The morning sunlight, like molten gold liquid, poured in through the panoramic viewport of the silver-white Floating Hovercar. Lin Yuan gazed calmly at the familiar yet strange city outlines rapidly passing below. The academy-exclusive vehicle driven by Zhou Qingxue was tearing through the clouds at three times the speed of sound, the flowing clouds outside the window like a waterfall.

"We've arrived."

The hovercar landed smoothly on the sports field of Mingcheng First Middle School, instantly stirring up a circle of transparent, silent energy ripples upon touchdown. Lin Yuan pushed the door open and stepped out, instantly becoming the absolute focus of the entire field! Successive gasps and sharp intakes of breath merged into a single sound.

"It's Lin Yuan!"

"A Cangqiong Academy hovercar?! How could he..."

"Didn't he drop out three months ago? This Aura..."

The teaching building, which he once had to look up to, now seemed low and old in his eyes. On the edge of the sports field, the massive Parasol Tree he often leaned against to read rustled in the morning breeze, scattering golden whispers. The whispers retreated like a tide as he approached, and the crowd automatically parted to form a pathway. The faces, once familiar or mocking, were now filled only with surprise, fear, and incomprehensible blankness.

Lin Yuan's gaze pierced through the crowd and settled on the graceful figure next to the library column—Chen Xue was holding a stack of review materials, slightly frowning, the morning sun coating her fair profile in a soft, warm gold.

"I'm going to assist Father with the final verification of the examination hall." Zhou Qingxue's cool voice came from behind him. Her silver eyes swept over the crowd like icy blades; several candidates attempting to approach instantly felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, freezing in place. "Don't forget the practical combat test this afternoon, that's the main event." Having said that, her figure disappeared as if melting into water.

Lin Yuan stepped toward Chen Xue. In his Storage Ring, the black tortoise ring that Zhou Xingchen had gifted him earlier was faintly warm. This once precious defensive treasure was now no different from common iron to him.

"Long time no see." Lin Yuan's voice was soft, yet it clearly penetrated the surrounding noise.

Chen Xue suddenly looked up, and the textbooks in her arms scattered onto the ground with a *pat*. Her gaze moved from Lin Yuan's Cangqiong Academy Advanced uniform, which was trimmed with purple and gold and flowed with subtle energy patterns, to his sharp features and entirely different temperament. Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes were filled with disbelief: "Your... your Aura... is so... so terrifying..." She felt she was no longer facing a familiar classmate, but a young Dragon that had retracted its claws yet still radiated an ancient, primordial Aura!

Lin Yuan realized then that although he had restrained most of his power, the invisible pressure stemming from his life level was still mountainous and overwhelming to Chen Xue, who had not yet undergone the Transcendent Mortal process. With a slight shift of his thoughts, the suffocating oppressive feeling around him instantly vanished, like the deep sea returning to calm. He flipped his hand and took out the black tortoise ring, which flowed with a water-like blue halo: "This is for you."

The exquisite ring refracted a dreamy luster in the sunlight. Chen Xue's cheeks instantly flushed crimson. She fumbled to catch the ring, and even her small earlobes were stained a tempting pink. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz: "I, we are still in school... and the College Entrance Exam is soon... Th-this..." She had clearly misunderstood something.

Lin Yuan was stunned. Just as he was about to explain that it was just a protective item he had phased out, the sharp preparatory bell suddenly rang throughout the campus!

"I'll take good care of it!" Chen Xue shouted quickly, like a startled fawn. She bent down, haphazardly scooped up her books, turned, and ran, her slender figure disappearing around the corner of the corridor, leaving Lin Yuan standing alone amidst the floating Parasol Tree catkins warmed by the sun.

"The cultural examination now begins."

A cold electronic voice echoed in the examination hall, where a dropped pin could be heard. Lin Yuan sat in a window seat, and the electronic test paper silently unfolded before him. *Star Power Operation Principles*, *High-Grade Energy Geometry*, *Blue Star Organism Atlas*... subjects that once required staying up late and repeated memorization now seemed as simple as Elementary school addition and subtraction. His finger traced across the virtual answer screen, leaving behind accurate and fluid trajectories, and the paper continuously lit up with the faint glow representing a "Perfect Solution."

[Final Question: What kind of fundamental qualitative change occurs within a Martial Artist's body when they Break through to the shedding mortality realm? And explain its impact on subsequent Cultivation. (15 points)]

Lin Yuan's lips curved slightly; he had long since grasped the core mechanism of the transformation involved in this question. As his fingertip landed, the test paper instantly burst forth with dazzling golden light—the highest special effect indicating a perfect theoretical score!

The shadow of the Parasol Tree outside the window slowly shifted westward, casting dappled light and shadow onto the desk. The moment the final electronic bell rang, the invigilator stared at the blinding score of 1500 on Lin Yuan's screen, unable to recover for a long time. Lin Yuan stood up and calmly walked toward the Practical Combat Testing Hall. Along the way, candidates scattered, avoiding him as if he were a primordial Vicious Beast.

"Next candidate, Lin Yuan!"

In the center of the Practical Combat Hall, the massive Comprehensive Test Instrument flashed a red standby light. The moment Lin Yuan stepped onto the testing platform, the representatives from the various top academies on the judging panel all stood up in unison! All eyes were fixed intensely upon him.

"Base Combat Power test, begin!" The chief invigilator's voice carried a hint of imperceptible nervousness.

Lin Yuan didn't even use the Purple Lightning Sword on his back. He simply threw a punch toward the test pillar, casually, as if stretching his muscles!

Thud—!

A deafening crash so muffled it made hearts stop! The reinforced protective shield outside the test pillar, which was strong enough to withstand an Awakening Realm attack, violently twisted and rippled wildly, like a soap bubble struck by a sledgehammer! The numbers on the test pillar soared crazily:

[1000...2000...2500...3500...4700!]

[Warning! Severe Overload! Exceeded Maximum Range! System is about to crash!]

Red lights flashed frantically, and a harsh alarm blared throughout the entire venue!

Dead silence!

On the judging panel, water cups tumbled over one after another, spilling tea everywhere. A white-haired old professor screamed, his voice distorted: "Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! A Reserve Martial Artist... how could he have... Peak Awakening Realm energy output?! The instrument! The instrument must be broken!"

"Martial Skill assessment phase!" The chief invigilator's voice trembled noticeably as he forcibly suppressed the turmoil in his heart.

Lin Yuan's expression was calm as he reached back and grasped the sword hilt.

"Zheng—!"

A clear and long sword cry resonated through the sky! When the "Purple Lightning · Five-Colored"—which flowed with five-colored lightning of red, blue, gold, green, and yellow, and whose body seemed to Seal a nebula of destruction—was slowly drawn, the light in the entire venue seemed to be swallowed by it! A terrifying pressure that made scalps tingle and Souls tremble swept out like a tsunami! The Five-colored Divine Light circulated, illuminating everyone's faces with bizarre, shifting colors!

Without any fancy starting stance, Lin Yuan simply executed a single slash in the air toward the Specialized Alloy Dummy in the distance!

Boom-Crack—!!!!

A purple sword light, condensed to the extreme and wrapped in destructive Five-Colored Thunder Qi, instantly tore through the air and crossed space like a massive thunder axe splitting heaven and earth! The specialized dummy, capable of withstanding a full-power strike from a Peak shedding mortality realm expert, couldn't even last 0.1 seconds, silently vaporizing and annihilating like snow under a scorching sun! All that remained was a bottomless, charred pit, with the alloy ground around the edges melting into crimson magma! The main screen of the test instrument crackled, emitted a puff of blue smoke, and went completely black! On the auxiliary screens in front of all the judges, blood-red text flashed wildly before finally settling on:

[Martial Skill Destructive Power Assessment: SSS+]

[System Recommendation: Immediately replace with Starship-Grade Energy Testing Unit!]

The judges, looking at the deep pit and the scrapped instrument, collectively turned to stone.

The final nerve reaction and movement technique test was more like a despair-inducing performance. Amidst the simulated hail of bullets and lasers, Lin Yuan's figure was like a phantom, yet also like strolling leisurely in a courtyard. Within 0.1 seconds, thirty-six laser beams capable of piercing steel plates were easily avoided by him with only a hair's breadth to spare and with extreme ease. The monitoring AI even emitted a series of electronic noises indicating logical confusion.

The golden veil of dusk gently enveloped the now quiet campus. Lin Yuan stood alone in front of the massive electronic bulletin board, where the final scores were scrolling:

[Mingcheng Examination Zone General Ranking]

Lin Yuan: 1500 points

Zhang Ziheng: 712 points

Chen Xue: 698 points

..."Congratulations." Zhou Qingxue appeared beside him like a phantom, three Recording Crystals floating in her hand. "Latest news: Xiao Lie scored 1156 points in the Donghai Examination Zone."

Lin Yuan took the crystals, and with a sweep of his Mental Energy, three dynamic images unfolded in his mind: The red-haired youth Xiao Lie was engulfed in blue flames, his Aura astonishing. During his final strike, the Peak energy output captured by the instrument was 900!

"He forcibly boosted his power using the Family Secret Treasure, the 'Azure Flame Pendant'." Zhou Qingxue exposed the truth in a cold voice. "The real test will be tomorrow's Final Baptism Ranking Battle inside the Spirit Martial Hall. Secret Treasures... are useless there."

Night fell, dotted with stars. Lin Yuan stood on the edge of the terrace of Star Residence, gazing up at the deep starry sky. In the distance, the heaven-reaching pagoda's phantom silhouette, piercing through heaven and earth, faintly appeared and disappeared among the clouds, exuding an ancient and vast Aura. Closer still, in the direction of Mingcheng Central Plaza, the phantom silhouette of a massive Bronze Ancient Hall was slowly condensing. Long, ancient chimes traveled through the night sky, echoing above the city—it was the countdown to the opening of the Spirit Martial Hall!

Lin Yuan's hand slowly tightened around the Purple Lightning Sword at his waist, which was spitting out five-colored lightning arcs. The sword body slightly trembled, generating a mysterious resonance with some distant and enigmatic existence in the starry sky. Calm yet blazing flames burned in his eyes, interwoven with purple lightning and starlight.

He knew that when the first ray of dawn pierced the darkness tomorrow, a true feast concerning the transformation of life would begin. And his journey had only just started.