123: Chapter 123 Li Wen's Character

Li Wen walked here one steady step after another, starting from Qingshi County.

He relied on that almost fanatical focus and iron-like willpower.

Li Wen stepped into the thin mist.

Like a drop of ice water falling into a pot of boiling oil, the surrounding scenery instantly twisted, faded, and reassembled.

A seemingly realistic illusion instantly enveloped him.

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A familiar classroom, mocking eyes outside the window, the classmates' past ridicule echoing in his ears, a battered standard battle saber held in his hand, and Qi and Blood struggling like iron within his Meridians.

"Too fake," Li Wen scoffed internally.

The Primordial Spirit Power required no deliberate activation; that Soul essence surpassing the mundane was like the sturdiest bedrock.

The illusion before him had not yet fully materialized, and its internal logical weak points were glaringly obvious to his eyes, like illusory bubbles under the sun.

His pace did not pause in the slightest, nor did he bother to discern the illusion's specific content; he simply stepped forward, shattering that shallow phantom layer as if treading over a thin layer of frost.

One step! Two steps! Three steps—His strides were stable and even, without the slightest hesitation or wavering.

In just a few breaths, Li Wen had already walked over twenty steps.

The fastest among the other Geniuses in this batch had only just reached the eleventh or twelfth step, with many still struggling in the illusions of the first few steps.

Li Wen's figure instantly stood out from the hazy mist, pulling far ahead.

In the outside world, the watching crowd quickly noticed this distinct gap.

"Look! That Li Wen from Jiangnan Province! So fast!"

"He's already walked over twenty steps right after entering? It's like a stroll."

"As expected, a fierce character who clawed his way out of a small place must have a high Heart-Nature."

Discussions began to rise.

On the main platform, many Marquis-level Divine Demons, who were originally just surveying the overall situation, slowly had their gazes drawn over, focusing on the steady, advancing youth.

"Interesting," a Marquis-level Divine Demon dressed in a dark gold robe stroked his beard and smiled, "Rising from humble Origins to suppress all others; this kind of Heart-Nature and Foundation is the true backbone of our Human Race's future. Compared to those Geniuses fostered by Family resources..." His steps in this thin mist were not nearly as steady.

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"Indeed rare," another Marquis-level Expert whose aura was sharp as a blade nodded in agreement, "Looking at his gait, his breath is undisturbed, and his eyes remain clear. Compared to the strength assessment in the first section, the potential this boy shows in Heart-Nature is more worthy of attention."

If Li Wen's previous display of 105 layers of stacked strength showed his astonishing mastery of Techniques, making the big shots on the main platform regard him as a 'promising seedling,' then the tip of the iceberg he revealed now in the Heart-Nature trial had significantly increased the weight of their future evaluations.

During their casual conversation, several more minutes passed.

Inside the thin mist, the competition for this batch was nearing its end.

Over eighty people had stopped or collapsed because they could not bear it, gently but firmly sent out of the Formation by an invisible force.

At this moment, only a sparse dozen figures remained in the vast mist barrier assessment area, still struggling and moving slowly.

And Li Wen's figure had long since left all his peers far behind.

The step count displayed next to his name on the light screen showed a staggering: One hundred and forty steps.

This result not only crushed his peers but also surpassed the record holders who had previously passed the hundred-step mark by a large margin.

Deep within the mist, Li Wen's perspective: Walking to this point, the surrounding space seemed to solidify into thick paste.

It was no longer the crude illusion that collapsed at the slightest touch.

Countless real 'sounds,' 'images,' and 'sensations' assaulted his mind like billions of fine needles, mixed with fatal temptation and icy fear.

He saw himself holding immense resources, the praise of Marquis-level Experts echoing in his ears, power and beauties within easy reach, a life of ease—If he stopped now, all of this would become real.

This was satisfaction, a sweet and intoxicating poison.

Immediately following, the scene sharply reversed.

Bloody Yao Beast claws tore through his parents' clothes, and Qingshi County turned into a sea of fire and ruins under the terrifying tide of beasts.

Ling Feng sneered as he destroyed everything he possessed, while he himself was powerless in a corner, stripped of everything—This was the deepest fear, the abyss of despair.

There was another layer of illusion, acting directly on the Primordial Spirit level when he attempted to condense his Saber Intent, simulating the boundless 'Might of Heaven and Earth' vast enough to crush his minuscule consciousness, rebuking his ant-like arrogance and urging him to sleep and give up.

"Hmph!"

"Break!" Deep within Li Wen's Soul, firm, cold snorts carrying absolute will exploded like silent thunder.

Although the light of the Primordial Spirit was suppressed, its power to guard his true heart was undiminished.

Every forceful invasion by the illusion was forcefully torn apart and pierced by his powerful intent.

He recalled every dim early morning in Qingshi No. 3 Middle School—before dawn broke, the lights were always on.

He recalled always buying near-expired supplements to save a dozen dollars.

He recalled how he gritted his teeth and persevered through the days when he lacked resources and his Aptitude was dull.

"The path I have walked, all the suffering and struggle I have experienced, how could a mere illusory mirage destroy it?"

Li Wen roared in his heart, and a formidable will, forged from hardship and tempered in his very bones and blood, erupted.

He ignored all the temptations and pressures imposed upon him, his gaze burning brightly, firmly locked on the path ahead, and resolutely lifted his foot again.

One hundred and fifty steps!

One hundred and sixty steps!

One hundred and seventy steps!

With every step forward, louder exclamations of awe rose from the crowd outside.

The Marquis-level Divine Demons on the main platform now had extremely focused gazes, even tinged with a rare hint of excitement.

Chu Feng and Nangong Xue, who had already been eliminated, clenched their fists, their eyes filled with admiration and anticipation.

Ron Zaka's expression was complex as he watched the back of the figure who had left him far behind on the path of willpower.

Du Yun remained quiet, his gaze deep, as if evaluating something.

One hundred and eighty steps!

One hundred and eighty-five steps!

Li Wen's speed finally slowed noticeably, as if he were moving while bearing an invisible mountain.

His body trembled slightly, veins bulging on his forehead—this was the external manifestation of the fierce collision between his willpower and the illusion's power.

"Roar!" A roar originating from the depths of his spirit, he broke through an extremely stubborn Heart Demon illusion.

That illusion depicted a tragic late life where his Technique Awakening was ultimately fleeting, his potential exhausted, causing him to falter before the Marquis level his entire life, eventually being ruthlessly surpassed by newcomers.

"My Dao is not measured by others' commentary, only by the distance measured under my feet!" His belief was like a solid rock, suppressing the illusion once more.

One hundred and ninety steps!

When his figure appeared in the one hundred and ninety step marker area on the light screen, the entire Jian Xin Hall fell into a brief dead silence.

Everyone outside, whether participants in the assessment or observers, held their breath, their eyes wide.

They could clearly see that the boundary line at the end of the thin mist assessment area, one or two hundred steps away, was no longer far.

However, precisely in these final ten steps, lay the core pressure of the entire Formation, aimed directly at the Origin of the Soul.

It was as if countless invisible giant hands were tightly gripping Li Wen's mind and body.

The intensity, realism, and targeted nature of the illusion had reached an incredible realm.

His will felt like it was burning, freezing, and tearing apart.

Finally, like fine iron stretched to its absolute limit, the string of his will finally snapped the moment he barely crossed one hundred and ninety steps.

Buzz—

The Formation captured this momentary gap.

Without the Marquis-level judges needing to act, the Formation's gentle yet irresistible force instantly enveloped Li Wen.

He only felt the terrifying pressure on his body suddenly ease, and the surrounding illusions receded like a tide.

The next second, his figure was moved out of the thin mist area and landed steadily before the entrance.

The plaza instantly fell into a silence so deep a pin drop could be heard.

Everyone's gaze, like spotlights, fixed upon Li Wen.

One hundred and ninety steps!

He was only ten steps away from completing the entire range of the willpower illusion.

This result struck every heart like a silent thunderclap.

Its shock value even surpassed Du Yun's earth-shattering 209-layer Qi and Blood wall from earlier.

After a brief silence, an irrepressible roar of amazement and discussion swept over them like a tsunami.

"Heavens! One hundred and ninety steps?!"

"Only ten steps away from finishing the whole course!!"

"What—what kind of monstrous Heart-Nature is this??"

"I heard that completing two hundred steps means one's will is comparable to a Great Sun-level Divine Demon! He—he—he—he almost did it?!"

"County-level Origin—Awakening for five months—Physical Body only Level 10—"

"Unbelievable!"

On the main platform, the dozen or so Marquis-level Divine Demons could no longer maintain their calm demeanor.

Their eyes were like torches, almost piercing through Li Wen's body; the astonishment, appreciation, scrutiny, and even a trace of disbelief contained within were crystal clear.

"One hundred and ninety steps..." To the left of King Chu He, an elderly man who had always been taciturn could not help but softly repeat the number, the turbidity in his eyes replaced by sharp light, "Not yet a Great Sun, yet his will is almost at that threshold! In the past thirty years of Xinhuo assessments, this level of talent in Heart-Nature ranks in the top three."

"Good! A fine Li Wen!" The Marquis-level Divine Demon presiding over the event clapped his hands in praise, his eyes full of fervor, "With such a seedling, even if his Physical Body Foundation is still weak, with this kind of willpower, breaking through the shackles of the so-called Technique Awakening and reaching higher levels in the future might not be impossible! Heart-Nature and Willpower are also the most fundamental cornerstones for us seeking the Dao of Longevity!"

The terrifying potential Li Wen displayed in the Heart-Nature trial had completely surpassed the evaluation of a Technique Awakened he showed in the strength assessment, rising to a height that made even Marquis-level Experts regard his future seriously.

Li Wen stood by the edge, slightly adjusting his breathing.

Although his spirit felt slightly fatigued, the divine light in his eyes was condensed, appearing deeper and more restrained than before entering the mist barrier.

He paid no mind to the vibrating gazes around him, calmly feeling the spiritual tempering brought by the grinding of those one hundred and ninety steps in the illusion.

He could sense that although his will was forcibly interrupted at the last moment, under the extreme polishing, it had instead become tougher and purer, and his control over his Primordial Spirit Power even seemed to possess a trace of ineffable smoothness.

Simultaneously, some subtle impatience accumulated during his previous Blade Technique Cultivation was completely washed away by this tempering.

He looked up, his gaze passing over the grand hall, seeming to penetrate the walls and land on an unknown distance.

The assessment for Kindling University had just begun.

And at this moment, a single thought rose in everyone's mind without exception.

This youth named Li Wen had already become the ultimate dark horse of this recruitment assessment, possessing peerless Heart-Nature and Willpower, with an immeasurable future.

Time flowed, and batch after batch of Geniuses stepped into the illusion Formation for the Heart-Nature test ahead.