A top student's setback at Tsinghua and Peking University! Is someone about to start a fire?!

While Lin Xiyue and the others were chatting and laughing with Elder Jian at Taibai Academy, envisioning the future.

At this very moment, the thousands of universities within Great Xia presented a completely different scene.

Compete!

Compete to the death!

This was the most accurate description of all university students today.

Six days had silently passed since Taibai Academy issued that enrollment prospectus capable of changing fate.

This meant that only the final four days remained until Taibai Academy officially opened and the deadline for the cruel “Ten-Day Period” arrived!

Four days!

Normally, when rushing to finish a thesis or review for final exams, one might still be able to create a miracle.

But facing the chasm of Taibai Academy's enrollment requirements,

these four days felt like the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads, every second of their passage causing hearts to pound.

Everyone was holding their breath, whether they were the usual top students or poor students, whether they were second-generation rich or impoverished students.

At this moment, they cast aside all distracting thoughts and engaged in a final, frantic sprint on the sports fields, in the dormitories, or anywhere they could stretch their limbs!

They all wanted to become the lucky ones who 'leapt over the Dragon Gate' and see the scenery inside Taibai Academy!

However, reality was often cruel.

Although the Basic Body Forging Art had 'Basic' in its name, its content was anything but basic.

For modern people who had never been exposed to Cultivation, it was essentially yoga and acrobatics set to Hell difficulty!

Facts proved that the requirement to successfully sense Qi and blood and step into Body Tempering First Level from a Mortal within ten days... was truly too demanding!

So demanding that six days had passed, and among the tens of millions of students in major universities across the country, not a single person had succeeded yet!

This undoubtedly cast a heavy shadow over everyone.

Could it be... that no one could truly transition from a Mortal into the Body Tempering Realm to become a Cultivator within ten days?

Amidst this anxious atmosphere, the time reached the afternoon of the sixth day... Qingbei University, East District Grand Field.

The setting sun dyed the entire field blood red.

The field, which should have been noisy, was currently solemn, with only the heavy, uniform sounds of breathing and the occasional crackle of bones.

Looking around, tens of thousands of students were arranged in square formations,

maintaining extremely strange, even anti-human, postures under the supervision of the instructors.

Those were the Body Tempering movements from the Basic Body Forging Art.

Some resembled a twisted praying mantis, others an entrenched old tree; every movement severely tested the human body's flexibility and endurance.

Sweat had long soaked their clothes and dripped continuously down their cheeks.

The vast majority of students' legs were trembling violently,

their faces pale, their teeth clenched, clearly having reached their physical limit.

But even so, no one cried out in pain, and no one voluntarily gave up!

On the rostrum, Chief Instructor Sun Lei stood with his hands behind his back, his sharp eyes slowly scanning the entire field.

Looking at the young faces below, which were painful and distorted yet still filled with determination,

his usually cold, iron-hard face couldn't help but show a hint of satisfaction.

“Not bad.”

“These students have more guts than I imagined!”

Sun Lei thought internally.

Before coming, he had assumed that these pampered, physically lazy darlings of heaven would definitely not be able to withstand this kind of suffering.

He figured they would cry and whine after two days of practice, and he might even have to resort to thunderous methods to suppress them.

But now it seemed he had worried too much.

The students' passion and persistence for immortal Cultivation, and their desire to change their fate, far exceeded his expectations!

They even had more resilience than some of the raw recruits he had trained!

“Alright, attention all!”

After about another quarter of an hour, seeing that many students were starting to roll their eyes, their bodies swaying precariously, and some had even fainted directly.

Sun Lei knew the time was right. He waved his hand and shouted in a deep voice:

“Ten minutes rest!”

“Medical team, carry the unconscious away!”

As the saying goes, haste makes waste.

For ordinary people who have never Cultivated, excessive exertion would instead damage their Foundation and be counterproductive.

“Hoo!”

“Oh my god...”

Following Sun Lei's command, the previously taut formations instantly collapsed.

Most students slumped onto the grass without any regard for appearances, as if their bones had been removed, panting heavily, unable to even move a finger.

“Instructor! We... we can still hold on!”

“Don't let us stop! I want to practice! I want to enter Taibai Academy!”

However, amidst this chorus of groans, there was still a small group of people who stubbornly maintained their twisted posture, refusing to fall down.

These people trembled like sieves, sweat blurring their vision, but the flame in their eyes burned brighter and brighter.

They were the batch of students with better talent or the strongest willpower.

They could feel the Qi and blood surging within their bodies, seemingly just one step away from that critical point!

Sun Lei said nothing in response, merely nodding silently.

Being able to continue practicing was a testament to their ability and fortune.

On the path of immortal Cultivation, only those with great perseverance can reach the peak!

Naturally, he would not stop them.

Looking at the figures still persisting, the students who had collapsed nearby showed intense envy and admiration in their eyes, whispering back and forth.

“Isn't that Zhang Meng from the College of Physical Education? That guy's physique is truly monstrous, he hasn't rested after practicing for three hours?”

“And that one... looks like the president of the Martial Arts Club? I heard his family comes from a traditional martial arts lineage, so he has some Foundation. Looks like he's guaranteed a spot this time.”

“No way... I understand why those two monsters can hold out, but isn't that girl Zhong Lu?”

“I remember she used to be sickly, looking like she'd collapse if the wind blew, so how can she persist for so long?”

“Is that what talent is? I want to practice too, but I really can't move anymore...”

“Sigh, comparing people just makes you angry. It looks like they're definitely getting a spot in the first batch admitted to Taibai Academy.”

Listening to the discussions around him,

Li Wen, resting in the corner, tightly gripped the mineral water bottle in his hand.

He looked at the unyielding figures, his eyes filled with envy and a deep trace of unwillingness.

As a Genius from the Qingbei Youth Program, a legend of the Physics Department, and a Super Top Student with an IQ of 160.

From childhood, whether in academics or other areas, Li Wen had always been the 'child next door'—an existence standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid, looking down on all living beings.

But this time... on this new track called “Immortal Cultivation,” he tasted the flavor of being 'the last place finisher'!

“Talent... spiritual Foundation...”

Li Wen muttered bitterly.

His brain was indeed sharp; he understood the theory and essential movements of the Basic Body Forging Art even more thoroughly than the instructor.

But understanding was one thing; his body simply refused to obey!

His spiritual Foundation was too poor, and his Meridians were somewhat blocked.

Since starting to Cultivate on the first day, he had already fainted fifteen times in just six days due to physical exhaustion and the reverse surge of Qi and blood!

That feeling of powerlessness—where no matter how hard he tried, his body failed to respond to his brain's commands—made him experience frustration for the first time.

“Could it be... that a high IQ is truly worthless in the face of immortal Cultivation?”

Li Wen gritted his teeth, a fierce look flashing in his eyes.

“No!”

“There's a famous saying: Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration!”

“I refuse to believe that I, Li Wen, who can conquer the problems of quantum mechanics, cannot handle this mere Body Tempering Art!”

“Hmph, failure is the mother of success!”

“What does it matter if I faint again?”

“As long as I don't give up!”

“I will eventually succeed!”

Looking at the figures still persisting nearby, Li Wen forcefully smashed the water bottle onto the ground.

He supported himself with trembling arms, gritted his teeth, and struggled to climb up from the ground.

“Again!!”

Li Wen roared, preparing to resume the Body Tempering posture that brought him such agonizing pain!

However.

Before he could even begin his movements.

A violent commotion suddenly erupted in the formation not far from him!

“Oh my God!!”

“Look quick!!”

“Everyone look over there!”

“What... what happened to him?!”

“Holy crap! He's smoking!”

“That guy looks like he's about to catch fire!!”

Gasps of shock exploded, carrying a hint of terror.

Hearing these sounds, Li Wen, who had just stood firm, was startled. He quickly stopped his movement and followed everyone's gaze toward the center of the commotion.

“That is...”

When Li Fan clearly saw the figure causing the disturbance, his pupils shrank violently, and he froze completely.

“Wait a minute...”

“Is that... Ye Hao?!”

“What's wrong with him?!”

Li Wen was shocked.

The person displaying the abnormality was none other than Ye Hao, his roommate who usually had a very low sense of presence and shared the same dorm room!

And at this moment, Ye Hao was maintaining an extremely standard Body Tempering posture, eyes tightly closed, completely oblivious to the outside exclamations.

The most bizarre thing was... his skin had turned incredibly red, like a searing hot iron brand!

A visible plume of white hot steam was continuously rising from the top of his head,

making him look like a human volcano on the verge of eruption!