124: Chapter 124 Spiritual Sense Test

As the Heart-Nature Test concluded, a silent stillness permeated the venue.

The Heart-Nature performances of over three thousand Geniuses unfolded like a massive scroll, finally freezing on Li Wen's astonishing feat of walking one hundred and ninety steps, steady as bedrock.

This result stood like an insurmountable Peak, making the subsequent debuting Geniuses appear dim in comparison.

Even those with resolute willpower, such as a youth from a small nation who had endured hardships to qualify here, ultimately stopped at one hundred and fifty steps, drawing a slight nod from King Chu He.

Among the top group from the first test, Strength, only Du Yun and Fang Chenghong from Crimson Flame Star barely crossed the hundred-step threshold.

The rest, despite showing respectable willpower, ultimately could not hide their dimness when contrasted with Li Wen's exaggerated score.

After two assessments, a staggering five hundred candidates were eliminated, leaving the venue somewhat sparse.

Kindling University's brutal screening allowed for no unnecessary delay.

On the high platform, the Marquis-level expert who had previously presided over the Heart-Nature Assessment had already taken his seat.

At this moment, the presence seated in the main position, whose aura was as profound as a prison abyss, slowly rose.

It was the King-level expert—King Chu He!

The mere act of him standing unleashed an invisible, overwhelming might that swept across the entire Jian Xin Hall like a tangible tide.

The Geniuses standing nearby instantly felt as if they were caught in a raging storm; their hearts drummed like giant drums, their bodies trembled instinctively, and their heads lowered uncontrollably, making it incredibly difficult to even look directly at that figure.

King Chu He's gaze swept calmly across the venue, his voice not loud, yet penetrating every corner with perfect clarity: "Next, the third assessment, the Spiritual Sense Test, will be personally hosted by me."

As his words fell, the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All the Geniuses held their breath; a personal assessment by a King-level expert carried immense weight, which was self-evident.

King Chu He's voice continued to echo, carrying a detached indifference that seemed to see through everything: "Martial Artist Spiritual Sense concerns life and death; it is the guarantee of life when battling Yao Beasts. The stronger one's Spiritual Sense, the greater the chance of survival amidst myriad dangers. This assessment will be conducted simultaneously for all of you."

As he finished speaking, an abrupt change occurred.

A boundless, irresistible, magnificent force instantly enveloped the entire venue.

The over two thousand Geniuses felt their bodies lighten, and then they were lifted from the ground by this irresistible, surging power, completely losing control of themselves.

They were like chess pieces scattered evenly by an invisible giant hand, falling onto the wide floor of the hall.

"Bang! Bang! Bang—----"

Amidst light sounds, figures landed safely, each positioned precisely within a circle with a diameter of only about one Zhang.

Before anyone could catch their breath and adjust, the laser lines that had served as boundaries suddenly surged outward.

"Chii chii chii—--!"

Countless beams of blazing white laser light instantly shot out from the edges of the circles, converging precisely three feet above everyone's heads, forming a completely sealed, indestructible laser cage.

Every single Genius was isolated and locked within their own small cage.

Simultaneously, dense and grand mechanical roars echoed from above.

The massive ceiling opened like the shell of a great beast, revealing rows upon rows of pitch-black gun muzzles shimmering with a chilling metallic luster, pointing coldly down at every laser cage below.

Each muzzle was aimed precisely at the crown of a Genius's head, delivering a silent threat.

King Chu He's indifferent voice sounded like the final verdict: "The gun muzzles above you will fire rubber projectiles. Your task is to dodge to the best of your ability within the cage. Remember three points: One, do not touch the laser barrier; Two, do not be hit by the bullets; Three, the longer you persist, the higher your score. Touching or being hit results in immediate elimination."

He sat back in the main seat, leaving behind only one undeniable word: "Begin!"

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!"

Before the words had even faded, piercing sounds of air being torn apart instantly ripped through the atmosphere.

The first wave of bullets descended like a torrential black rain.

The speed was not yet extremely fast, and the trajectories were relatively clear.

All the Geniuses present who could reach this stage, regardless of their Physical Body Rank, relied on basic Martial Artist reactions and combat instincts.

Whether by sidestepping, ducking low, or leaning back, their movements, though slightly hasty, narrowly avoided the first wave of baptism that lasted for three minutes.

No rest was given in between; there was only a pause of a dozen seconds before the second wave of fire followed immediately.

"Swish swish swish!"

The speed suddenly increased dramatically.

The trajectories became blurred, and the density increased by another level. Caught off guard, the difference in skill immediately became apparent.

"Ah!"

"Bang!"

"Sssla!"

In an instant, cries of pain or muffled groans erupted everywhere.

Some Martial Artists whose reactions were slightly slower, or whose cultivation focused more on strength than agility, either had the corner of their robes instantly torn, or their hair grazed by a high-speed rubber projectile, while others were directly hit in some part of their body by a bullet.

Accompanied by the lighting up of the judgment light, nearly two hundred people were instantly eliminated and teleported away.

Only a faint residual glow within the laser cages and the smell of burnt rubber lingering in the air remained.

The minimum standard for this assessment was surviving two rounds, meaning the over two hundred people judged out were immediately eliminated.

Those who passed the second round breathed a sigh of relief to some extent.

Not long after the second round ended, the third wave of bullets continued.

The third wave of bullets was faster! More tricky!

"Puff puff puff—----"

The sound of elimination resembled dense drumbeats.

— —

After just one round, the number of people in the venue sharply decreased by another five hundred.

Martial Artists who could withstand three rounds at least proved that their reaction nerves belonged to a decent level.

Soon, the fourth round arrived!

The bullet speed surged again, the trajectories almost transforming into black lines indiscernible to the naked eye, descending with a sharp whistling sound.

"Pop! Chira! Bang!" This round was the true dividing line.

Martial Artists in the Elementary and Middle Stages of the Momentum Realm began to feel despair. Their dynamic vision, nerve reflexes, and muscle burst power were starting to fail to keep up with the rhythm of the bullets.

Every dodge became clumsy, and every breath was filled with the urgency of death.

The advantage in Physical Body strength and speed held by Advanced Martial Artists became undeniable at this moment, and some who possessed exquisite techniques and outstanding movement skills managed to survive.

Ten seconds! In just ten seconds! After the fourth round had only been underway for ten seconds, the remaining number on the field was only four or five hundred.

When the entire three minutes of the fourth wave of fire ended, the light cocoons in the venue had become extremely sparse.

Those still standing numbered less than one hundred.

This group, without exception, possessed condensed and powerful auras, with brilliant light shining in their eyes.

Most of them were Advanced Martial Artists, or super Geniuses like Li Wen whose Physical Body Rank might not be there yet, but whose skill Realm had already reached the Peak of the Momentum Realm.

Each person looked as if they had just gone through a life-and-death battle, sweat beaded on their foreheads, and their breathing was heavy.

King Chu He's gaze swept over this group of steadfast figures; the furrow in his previously concentrated brow finally eased slightly.

The Spiritual Sense foundation of this group had reached the qualification standard for entering the Xinhuo Academy.

Du Yun, Fang Chenghong, Ron Zaka—these faces were prominently among them.

Of course, there was another figure who seemed out of place among the crowd yet was exceptionally striking—Li Wen.

With only the Physical Body Realm of an Elementary Martial Artist, he stood out like a crane among chickens amidst a crowd of Advanced Martial Artists.

However, his posture at this moment carried a strange composure.

When the fifth wave, as fast as flowing light and as dense as flying locusts, poured down, the situation in the venue changed drastically again.

"Too fast!"

"Heavens! How can one dodge this?!"

"Puff!"

"Ugh ah—--!"

The advantage of Advanced Martial Artists began to appear fragile.

Those Martial Artists who relied on brute speed and instinctual dodging found themselves struggling immensely at this moment.

Ron Zaka's eyes were bloodshot, his teeth clenched, his burly body twisting and turning frantically in the confined space.

Sweat poured down like rain; his pride was pushed to the brink of collapse by the terrifying barrage of bullets.

He could not accept it! He was the number one on the blue star youth platinum ranking, the first person to touch the threshold of the Momentum Realm.

He had overpowered everyone in the Strength Test, and he would never admit defeat in the Speed Test!

Yet, reality was merciless. Although his body was strong, his nerve reflexes ultimately had a limit.

"Bang!" A dull sound.

Ron Zaka failed to dodge in time, and a rubber bullet accurately struck his shoulder.

The immense impact caused him to stumble.

He violently looked up, his eyes full of unwilling humiliation and disbelief, before being mercilessly swallowed by the judgment light.

In the instant before elimination, he glimpsed the figure of that Elementary Martial Artist not far away still dodging nimbly, and a deeper sense of frustration surged in his heart.

His elimination was by no means an isolated case.

The fifth round acted like an efficient sieve, ruthlessly filtering out the Geniuses who were not top-tier.

"Puff puff puff—----"

The lights of elimination flared up one after another.

In just half a minute, besides Li Wen, only a dozen or so figures remained on the field.

They were either graceful in movement like Fang Chenghong, or possessed keen perception like Du Yun's Gun Soul, or were several unknown dark horses renowned for speed and Spiritual Sense.

As for the rest, they ultimately exhausted their strength in the fifth round and were regretfully eliminated.

"The fifth round is over," King Chu He's announcement rang out.

The dust settled. A little over ten people stood within their respective light cocoons.

And everyone's gaze was uncontrollably focused on that sole Elementary Martial Artist, Li Wen.

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Then, low, tide-like gasps of cold air and murmurs of disbelief converged into a buzzing roar that swept across the entire venue.

"Elementary Martial Artist—-- He, he actually withstood the fifth round?!"

"Heavens! What kind of joke is this! So many Advanced Martial Artists were eliminated!"

"How can his body keep up with bullets that fast? Even with strong Spiritual Sense, he can't dodge without corresponding speed!"

"Outrageous! The most outrageous dark horse of this session has appeared!"

On the high platform, the expressions of the many Marquis-level experts had completely changed.

If the Heart-Nature Test was an appreciation of Li Wen's will, then the insight and reaction displayed in the Spiritual Sense Test were a direct shock to his practical potential.

Especially when combined with his Physical Body Rank, which had just entered Level 10, the impact generated by this huge contrast was unparalleled.

Even King Chu He's deep gaze fell upon Li Wen again, flickering slightly.

To utilize the supplementary effects of skill Realm on the body to such a miraculous extent with such a weak Physical Body, this young man's talent for combat truly deserved the word 'excellent'.