65: Chapter 65 This is what professionalism is all about: A blindfolded guide to passing the game.

Before those severed hairs could hit the ground, Lin Qi had already moved.

He didn't retreat; instead, he took a step toward the void of darkness on his left.

This step was massive; his center of gravity sank as his right shoulder, like a battering ram, slammed fiercely toward a non-existent point in the air.

"Is he looking for death?" In the monitoring room, a young Teaching Assistant couldn't help but speak out.

In the infrared thermal imaging, there was nothing in front of Lin Qi. Yet, the form of his strike was so textbook-perfect that it couldn't even be taught; he was charging in as if intent on mutual destruction.

The next second, the Teaching Assistant shut his mouth.

A slender Shadow Leopard lunged from that exact spot. It had intended to circle around for a sneak attack, but instead, it seemed to deliver its own ribs right onto Lin Qi's shoulder.

Bang!

The dull thud of the impact echoed through the monitoring room via the audio equipment.

The Shadow Leopard, known for its agility, didn't even manage a scream before its entire chest cavity collapsed. It went flying like a tattered sack, slamming heavily against the metal wall of the maze.

Lin Qi didn't stop.

Following the sound of the heavy object hitting the ground, he closed in and raised his right foot, stepping precisely onto the Shadow Leopard's still-twitching neck.

Crack.

The crisp sound of bone snapping ended the beast's final struggle.

A wisp of warm airflow, perceivable only to Lin Qi, seeped from the sole of his foot into his Meridians; it was the monster's essence.

"This..." The Teaching Assistant opened his mouth but couldn't find the words for a long time.

Night Owl stared at the screen, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desk.

"Playback," Night Owl said.

The footage rewound five seconds and slowed down tenfold.

Only then did they see clearly: the moment before the Shadow Leopard lunged, Lin Qi's ears twitched slightly, and immediately, his entire body's muscles began to adjust their direction of force.

"It wasn't a fluke." The Old Professor, who had been silent until now, pushed up his glasses and pointed at the data bar on the screen.

"He predicted the landing point before that thing even launched its attack. This kind of Listening Strength technique can't be mastered without decades of practice."

"Decades?" The Teaching Assistant looked incredulous. "He's only eighteen."

"That's why he's a monster." Night Owl turned off the playback and switched to the footage of other candidates. "Look at the others; that's what a normal reaction looks like."

In another corner of the screen, Zhao Lei was wildly swinging a giant axe in the darkness.

"Come out! Get the hell out here!"

Clang!

The giant axe slammed into the alloy wall, sparks flying. The web between Zhao Lei's thumb and index finger split from the shock, and he wailed in pain, but he didn't dare stop, terrified that something would leap out of the darkness and devour him.

On the other side, Li Shaobai wasn't faring any better.

The S-class Sword Master was currently shuffling along the base of a wall.

His Flying Sword, usually radiant with light, was now like a headless fly, clattering noisily as it bumped around the narrow passage.

"Dammit... the magnetic interference is too strong; I can't spread my Divine Thought at all." Li Shaobai gritted his teeth, his forehead drenched in cold sweat. "How am I supposed to fight in this hellhole?"

In contrast, Lin Qi's side was excessively quiet.

After dealing with the Shadow Leopard, he stood still for two seconds, as if discerning the wind's direction.

The maze's ventilation System operated in a cycle, but at certain junctions, there were subtle differences in airflow velocity.

To an ordinary person, this was imperceptible, but to a Martial Artist who had trained every pore of their body to 'breathe,' it was as clear as a signpost.

"Southeast," Lin Qi whispered to himself.

He set off, his pace as light as if he were strolling through his own backyard garden.

Along the way, he encountered a few more blind Shadow Beasts, all of which he dealt with in a single move.

He either crushed their throats or snapped their spines; his movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest hesitation.

After walking for about ten minutes, several suppressed sobs came from ahead.

"Don't... don't come any closer!"

"I have Fireball! I'll throw Fireballs!"

Three students were huddled back-to-back in a corner, clutching faint magical glows in their hands. Although this light was dimmer than a firefly under the Anti-magic Field, it served as their only psychological comfort.

Lin Qi had no intention of dealing with these rookies.

With a tap of his toes, his body glided over the trio's heads like a falling leaf.

There were no footsteps, only a light breeze.

"Ah!" one of the girls shrieked, her Fireball spiraling out of control and hitting her teammate's foot. "A ghost! Something just flew past!"

"Don't talk nonsense! That was the wind!" her teammate cursed while patting out the fire. "Where would a ghost come from in this dump?"

Lin Qi landed, glanced back at the three chaotic unfortunates, shook his head, and continued toward the direction where the airflow was most active.

The deeper he went, the stronger the stench of rotting flesh became.

The space ahead suddenly opened up, the narrow passage transforming into a massive circular plaza.

The airflow here was extremely chaotic, as if being constantly inhaled and exhaled by some giant bellows.

Lin Qi stopped in his tracks.

He crouched down, his fingers pressing lightly against the cold metal floor.

Thump, thump, thump.

The ground was vibrating.

The frequency of the vibrations was slow but incredibly heavy; each tremor carried a sense of oppression, as if someone were striking the foundation with a sledgehammer.

"Heartbeats," Lin Qi said, standing up and brushing the dust off his hands. "And there are two of them."

In the darkness, two crimson lanterns suddenly lit up.

No, those weren't lanterns.

Those were two pairs of eyes.

Then, another two pairs.

A nauseating stench of bad breath wafted toward him, accompanied by heavy breathing, as a massive dark silhouette slowly rose from the shadows.

It was a full four meters tall, dragging a Spiked Mace in its hand.

Two-Headed Ogre.

This creature was the overlord of the maze; not only was it thick-skinned and durable, but its two heads also provided a 360-degree field of vision.

"Roar—!"

The left head let out a roar, the sound waves making Lin Qi's eardrums ache.

The right head was drooling, staring at Lin Qi with a silly grin as if it had spotted a delicious little snack.

In the monitoring room, Night Owl's expression changed.

"What's going on? Isn't this thing supposed to be in the Core Area? Why has it shown up on the mandatory path?"

"It might have been drawn by the scent of blood," the Old Professor frowned. "This is trouble.

A Two-Headed Ogre's strength is ten times that of a Shadow Leopard, and with two brains, it's hard to catch off guard. This kid has no weapon; it'll be difficult for him to break through its defense."

"Should we terminate the assessment?" the Teaching Assistant asked. "One swing from that thing's mace, and the student might die."

Night Owl hesitated, his hand resting on the emergency stop button.

But on the screen, Lin Qi didn't retreat.

He even took two steps forward, looking up at the monster that was more than twice his height.

"You're quite a big fellow," Lin Qi's voice echoed in the open plaza. "I just wonder if your bones are tough enough."

The ogre clearly understood the provocation.

Both heads flew into a rage simultaneously. The massive Spiked Mace was raised high and swung down at Lin Qi's head with a whistle that tore through the air.

The strike was incredibly powerful; even before it landed, the forceful wind was already whipping Lin Qi's hair about.

Lin Qi didn't dodge.

He was waiting.

When the mace was only half a meter from his head, his knees bent slightly, his entire body becoming like a spring compressed to its limit.

"Too slow."