83: Chapter 83: The entire audience was petrified; this is what you call top-tier.
A deathly silence fell over the entire plaza.
It was as if time had been paused and space itself had frozen at this very moment.
Thousands of the favored children of heaven from various planets across the Xuan Yuan Galaxy System stood there dazed, like statues collectively struck by a petrification spell. Necks craned and mouths agape, they stared at the figure in mid-air shrouded in brilliant golden light.
Their minds were a complete blank.
A breakthrough on the spot?
After just enduring a grueling twelve-hour limit assessment that was enough to drain a person dry?
At a time when everyone else was as exhausted as a dead dog, unable to even stand steadily?
Not only was he completely unharmed, he fucking broke through from Fourth Grade Early-Stage directly to Fourth Grade Mid-Stage right in front of everyone?!
This... this could no longer be described with the word "genius."
This was a miracle!
*Gulp.*
Someone struggled to swallow their saliva.
This nearly imperceptible sound was like a pebble tossed into a calm lake, instantly shattering the deathly silence.
"I... holy shit... what did I just see?"
"It's fake, right? This must be an illusion! Someone is attacking us with mental energy!"
"Breakthrough... he... he actually broke through? Right here?"
"Monster... he's a monster! A complete and utter monster!"
Uncontrollable cries of surprise and discussions swept across the entire plaza like a detonated powder keg.
In the crowd, the silver-haired youth, Qin Wushuang, was as pale as a sheet, his body trembling uncontrollably.
He stared fixedly at the figure in the air, his lips quivering, yet he couldn't utter a single word.
He felt as if his face had been ruthlessly ground over a dozen times by a red-hot branding iron.
It stung with a burning pain.
He remembered.
He remembered his condescending attitude before the assessment began.
"A country bumpkin who only climbed up by relying on petty tricks and luck."
"Is he even worthy of standing with us?"
Looking back now, those words were simply the most ridiculous and stupid joke he had ever told in his life.
Who was the real bumpkin?
The other six Fourth-Rank monstrous talents beside him didn't look any better than he did.
Each of them hung their heads, wishing they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
The seven of them had joined forces, wanting to give the newcomer a show of strength.
And the result?
The man hadn't even lifted a finger; he just stretched at the finish line and casually broke through, slapping all of their faces until they were swollen.
Where the hell was the justice in that?
And at the entrance of the plaza...
Teacher Liu Qing's gentle and pretty face was also filled with dull shock.
Her small mouth was slightly open, and her beautiful eyes held nothing but shock upon shock.
She had thought Wang Pingan might achieve a decent result.
But she never imagined in her wildest dreams that Wang Pingan would use this method to bring such a massive "surprise" to everyone, including her!
A total absorption of 3,275 units!
Breaking through to Fourth Grade Mid-Stage on the spot!
Either one of these stats alone would be enough to shock the entire Xuanyuan University!
And now, they had appeared on a single person at the same time!
"I've found a treasure... this time... I've truly found a peerless gem..."
Teacher Liu Qing's heart began to throb wildly against her will.
She knew that this time, she had bet correctly!
An SS-rank contract?
Looking at it now, not only was that contract not too high, it was actually a bit low!
Beside her, Instructor Shi Yan's resolute face, which looked as if it were carved by a chisel, was finally no longer as calm as a still well.
He watched the figure slowly descending in mid-air, his sharp, hawk-like eyes flickering with an extremely complex light.
There was shock, doubt, appreciation, and even a hint of... excitement that he hadn't even noticed himself.
This little fellow was quite interesting.
No, he was far too interesting!
In mid-air.
Wang Pingan slowly drifted back to the ground.
He could feel the blood qi within his body surging like a galloping river, filled with an unprecedented, explosive power.
He pulled up his system panel.
【host: Wang Pingan】
【Realm: Fourth-Rank Martial Artist (Mid-Stage, blood qi value 2000/5000)】
【Strength: 200.0】
【speed: 200.0】
【Physique: 200.0】
【Spirit: 200.0】
【Recovery: 200.0】
【pay-to-win points: 55765】
Looking at this neat row of aesthetically pleasing numbers, Wang Pingan was overjoyed.
Incredible!
This is so damn incredible!
This trip for the "Dragon Gate Baptism" was even more profitable than going to the junkyard to "scavenge for trash"!
Not only did he get a massive amount of attribute points for free, but he also saved a large sum of pay-to-win points that would have been used for the breakthrough!
A massive profit!
He suppressed the wild joy in his heart, but his face wore a perfectly timed expression that was part dazed, part innocent, and part "I don't know what just happened."
He looked around at the completely petrified crowd, scratched his head, and asked somewhat sheepishly.
"Um... is the assessment over?"
"Does this... count as passing?"
Wang Pingan's question, filled with dazed innocence, sounded exceptionally clear in the silent plaza—and exceptionally punchable.
Passing?
You call this passing?
You fucking broke the server directly!
The hundreds of favored children of heaven on the plaza looked at Wang Pingan's harmless face, and each one felt a tightness in their chest.
They wanted to curse, but didn't know where to start.
They wanted to take action, but then weighed the chasm-like gap between themselves and the man.
In the end, all their emotions turned into the sound of sharp intakes of breath.
"Hiss..."
"Is this guy... a devil?"
"I take back what I said before. He's not a monster; even monsters aren't this ridiculous!"
Qin Wushuang stared fixedly at Wang Pingan, feeling like his lungs were about to burst from rage.
He saw it.
He clearly saw the fleeting, smug smile on Wang Pingan's face!
This guy was absolutely doing it on purpose!
He was intentionally using this method to humiliate him, to humiliate all of them!
"Wang! Ping! An!"
Qin Wushuang squeezed those three words out from between his teeth one by one, his narrow eyes filled with indignation.
However, Wang Pingan didn't even bother to spare him another glance.
His gaze passed over the entire crowd and landed on the two instructors at the plaza entrance.
Instructor Shi Yan moved.
His tall figure left a faint afterimage where he stood, and in the next second, he appeared silently in front of Wang Pingan.
His speed was so fast that most of the Students present couldn't even see his movements.
His hawk-like eyes locked onto Wang Pingan, looking him up and down, inside and out, as if he wanted to see right through him.
Wang Pingan's heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes; the real authority is here.
Instructor Shi Yan suddenly reached out a hand.
That hand was rough, powerful, and covered in calluses.
He didn't make any aggressive moves; he simply placed it on Wang Pingan's shoulder.
Then he gave it a light pat.
"Not bad."
Instructor Shi Yan spoke, his voice still resolute and majestic, but with a hint of imperceptible approval.
"Very good."
With that, he withdrew his hand.
There were no excessive questions.
No interrogation into the details.
With those few simple words, he seemed to have put a period on everything that had happened today.
Wang Pingan was stunned.
He had prepared a whole stomach full of "lines," but in the end, he didn't use a single one.
This Instructor Shi Yan, who looked even stricter and more cold-hearted than Chief Instructor Lei Bao, actually... accepted it all so easily?
What he didn't know...
Was that the moment Instructor Shi Yan's hand touched his shoulder...
A very subtle yet incredibly pure energy had silently probed into his body, investigating his physical condition with total clarity.
The blood qi was majestic, the meridians were tough, and even the bones faintly shimmered with a pale golden luster.
How was this an unstable foundation?
This was fucking more solid than the foundations of those noble family scions who had been piled with heavenly treasures for over a decade!
A storm more violent than anyone else present could imagine raged in Shi Yan's heart.
But he didn't show it.
He just gave Wang Pingan another look with a deeper gaze.
The secrets on this little fellow were more numerous than he had imagined.
But it didn't matter.
Xuanyuan University was as vast as the sea and accepted all rivers.
As long as you were strong enough and loyal to humanity...
Even if you were a devil crawling out of hell, the school would dare to take you in!
"Alright."
Shi Yan turned to face all the freshmen on the plaza, his booming voice ringing out once more.
"The 'Dragon Gate Baptism' is officially over."
"I will now announce the final comprehensive evaluation and your resource allocation levels for the next month!"
Everyone's hearts leapt into their throats.
The giant crystal stele in the center of the plaza flashed with light again.
Behind every name on the ranking list, a corresponding gold-embossed character for their level appeared.
"Zhang Wei, Yellow Grade."
"Zhao Hu, Yellow Grade."
...
"Zhou Tai, Earth Grade."
...
Name after name and level after level were clearly marked.
Most people were only at the lowest Yellow Grade.
Only those outstanding individuals who performed exceptionally well in the assessment were qualified to receive a Black Grade or even an Earth Grade evaluation.
But the "Heaven Grade," representing the highest honor, was slow to appear.
Everyone's eyes involuntarily converged on the very top of the ranking list once again.
Those names that looked down upon everyone like gods.
Wang Pingan.
Lin Zhan.
These two names from the same "countryside" planet now felt like two insurmountable mountains weighing heavily on everyone's heads.
Especially Wang Pingan.
His total absorption of over three thousand points was simply a bug, a joke.
The crystal stele's light flickered.
Behind Lin Zhan's name, a brilliant "Heaven" character slowly emerged.
Heaven Grade!
Lin Zhan had received a Heaven Grade evaluation!
Uncontrollable cries of shock and envy rang out across the plaza.
This was Heaven Grade!
An independent cultivation villa!
One hundred Low-Grade Spirit Crystals every month!
This treatment was simply a leap to the heavens in a single step!
Even Lin Zhan himself showed a hint of emotion on his perpetually frozen face.
However, it wasn't over yet.
Everyone stared fixedly at the name in the first position.
If Lin Zhan was Heaven Grade...
Then what about him?
What grade would that miracle-creating monster be?
Could there be an evaluation even higher than Heaven Grade?
Under everyone's expectant, curious, and jealous gazes...
The crystal stele blazed with light!
A golden character, more brilliant and dazzling than any before, bloomed behind Wang Pingan's name!
Heaven!
It was still Heaven Grade.
But this "Heaven" character was a full size larger than Lin Zhan's!
And behind that "Heaven" character, there was a small but incredibly eye-catching golden superscript.
"One."
Heaven Number One!
"Alright, the evaluation is over."
Instructor Shi Yan's voice coldly interrupted everyone's shock.
"All Students who received Yellow, Black, or Earth Grade evaluations, go over there to collect your dormitory key cards and initial resources."
He pointed to the left side of the plaza, where several logistics teachers were distributing supplies.
"As for the Heaven Grade Students..."
Shi Yan's gaze fell on Wang Pingan and Lin Zhan.
"Follow me."
After speaking, he turned and walked toward the depths of the valley.
Wang Pingan silently followed.
Passing through a long corridor paved with white jade...
They arrived at an area that looked like a paradise away from the world.
Birds sang, flowers were fragrant, and spirit energy was misty.
A series of independent villas with unique designs and various styles were scattered in an orderly fashion among the green hills and clear waters.
Each villa occupied a vast area.
Each villa had its own courtyard, its own training field, and even its own spirit energy supply system.
This was the exclusive area for Heaven Grade Students.
Instructor Shi Yan led them to a stop in front of a villa numbered "Nine."
"Lin Zhan, this is your residence."
He handed a black metal key card to Lin Zhan.
"Heaven Number Nine. I hope you do not fail to live up to this honor."
"Yes, Instructor."
Lin Zhan took the key card solemnly, his eyes filled with determination.
Shi Yan nodded and said nothing more, continuing to lead Wang Pingan's group toward the deeper parts of this villa area.
Along the way, the number of people decreased until only Wang Pingan remained.
Finally, they stopped in front of a palace-like building that far surpassed all other villas in terms of both land area and architectural grandeur.
This was the most top-tier and luxurious residence in the entire Freshman Training Base.
Heaven Number One!
"This is yours."
Shi Yan handed another metal key card—also black but with a gold-embossed "One" on it—to Wang Pingan.
"Kid, I don't care what method you used."
"Being able to stand here is your own skill."
"But I also want to remind you."
Shi Yan's gaze became incredibly sharp.
"The higher you are held, the harder you fall."
"I hope your strength can match the treatment you enjoy."