C143

"When you enter, there will be a countdown. Once it ends, the competition will begin."

The students filed in, each waiting in silence.

Only the others...

The media reporters were buzzing with excitement!

Just like Chu Yi and his peers, they had assumed this second phase of the exam would be like the previous ones: simple tests.

But this was unexpected!

Competition!

True competition, with elimination at its core, a head-to-head battle!

Now, this was an exam worth getting excited about!

"Hello, friends. I'm Wang Fei Fei, reporting from the Twelfth Martial Arts Stadium in Redmarsh for the local TV station. We're here to bring you..."

"Brothers, it's time for gifts! You're in for a treat this time!"

"Hello, everyone. I'm Wang Cong, a special editor for Little Lang website. We're privileged to witness the first round of the college entrance exam, and the content..."

The reporters were practically ecstatic, their words brimming with enthusiasm as they began their lively introductions.

Before, they had been downcast, as there wasn't much to say about straightforward assessments, no matter how articulate they were.

But now, everything had changed!

This assessment was rife with competition and confrontation.

It was packed with excitement, and they knew exactly what the audience loved.

So, this kind of assessment was sure to captivate even those viewers who were on the fence about watching...

...

Inside the glass enclosure, twenty students were visibly tense, eyeing each other warily.

Their positioning was strategic, each maximizing the distance from the others.

Outside, countless students were eagerly anticipating the event.

For them, it was a first-time experience, and with others leading the way, they were keen to observe.

Then, the countdown on the screen hit zero.

Suddenly, hundreds of dyed cannonballs burst forth from the surrounding twenty devices!

The dyed cannonballs weren't particularly fast; any one of the five hundred students could have easily dodged them if targeted.

The current problem was...

"Damn!"

"So many!"

"Shit, I'm screwed!"

The first volley of dyed cannonballs struck, and immediately, several trainees were hit.

Some were simply too slow, both in speed and reaction. They could evade one or two cannonballs, but when overwhelmed by numbers, they were doomed.

Others were just unlucky.

In their attempt to dodge, they inadvertently collided with fellow trainees.

It was a clear accident, witnessed by everyone.

The collision resulted in both parties being disqualified.

Just from the initial assault of dyed cannonballs, eight students were hit due to insufficient evasion and thus were eliminated.

A hit signified elimination.

Dodging the assault of hundreds of dyed cannonballs was a formidable challenge for the average person. While these students were competent, they still fell short.

The issue was that many students only focused on their own movements and neglected to consider others.

This oversight led to complications.

The barrage of countless balls had ceased, yet, regrettably, not a single scoring ball had emerged during that time.

But the wait was brief.

In fact, there was hardly any wait at all!

As soon as the first wave of dyed cannonballs vanished, the second wave came crashing in.

This time, there were noticeably more cannonballs than in the previous wave.

And within this onslaught, a red ball suddenly appeared.

Thirty points!

At that instant, the eyes of the remaining thirteen trainees gleamed.

They dashed towards the red ball without hesitation.

But then...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Some students had the right idea.

Having dodged the first round of dyed cannonballs, they were already fortunate.

The second wave had significantly more cannonballs, and the subsequent waves would only increase.

Eventually, they would be unable to evade them.

If failure was inevitable, they might as well go all out!

Securing even a single ball, worth just ten points, meant they would earn some score.

With points on the board, their final ranking wouldn't look so bad.

Sadly, this strategy wasn't unique to just one or two of the students.

After many students had abandoned the idea of persevering, the field witnessed an eerie spectacle.

Countless dyed cannonballs whizzed through the air, yet the students recklessly lunged for the sole red ball on the field.

Then...

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Yes, they were struck.

Aside from being hit, numerous students were also eliminated due to collisions with each other.

A total wipeout!

At that moment, the atmosphere in the Martial Arts Stadium took a bizarre turn.

Initially, the participants thought the round seemed manageable; the key was simply to avoid being attacked by those nearby.

But once the action began, they quickly realized...

Attacking others?

Heh...

...

"Don't concern yourself with those around you in this assessment. If a student has the capacity to attack others, chances are you wouldn't be able to defend against them anyway."

"What you should really focus on is avoiding those petty squabbles. Also, maintain a strategic distance; don't be as rash as some were in the first round, where several impulsive individuals led to a complete defeat."

The remaining students and their teachers had figured out the right strategy.

Defend against other students?

Defense was necessary, but not against their surprise attacks.

Having witnessed the velocity and volume of the dyed cannonballs, both teachers and students agreed that anyone who could still manage to attack others amidst such chaos must possess a frightening level of skill!

Against such a formidable talent, any attempt at defense would be futile.

So, that was one less thing to worry about.

The real challenge now was to avoid contact with other students and to dodge those small balls as much as possible.

As the teachers were reinforcing their advice, the examiner once again took center stage in the small plaza.

"Alright, let's have the second group of students prepare."

The second group felt somewhat resigned; they too had never faced such a test.

Lacking the confidence to defy the established norms of the exam, they steeled themselves and stepped forward.

Once more, the dyed cannonballs began their relentless assault.

This group fared somewhat better than the previous one, with only two being eliminated in the first round.

They had no way to avoid it, so being eliminated was to be expected.

The remaining students were all warming up in place.

But this didn't last long, as the second round of dyed cannonballs began and a red ball appeared.

By this time, the instructions the teacher had given were completely forgotten by the students.

Yet another tragedy unfolded.

This time, however, a few students remained still.

The world is never short of clever individuals.

And these students were among the clever ones.

They understood that rushing in blindly would lead to certain elimination, whether or not they managed to grab the ball. So, they chose to hold out.

After all, if they could hold out until they were the last ones standing, then they could easily grab the ball, right?

With this thought, the students couldn't resist patting themselves on the back.

Sadly, as they waited and waited, suddenly...

Bang!

If these students could anticipate it, then surely the teachers setting the questions could too.

Thus, the third round featured even more dyed cannonballs, and many students were struck.

The most frustrating part was that none of the cannonballs in the third spray contained a scoring ball.

Those who had held out until the third round were thoroughly disheartened.

They had no choice but to keep dodging.

After the third barrage of dyed cannonballs, only two students were left standing.

At last, the fourth round commenced.

The fourth wave of dyed cannonballs erupted, and this time, there were indeed scoring balls among them.

But...

They were white!

Yes, the lowest-scoring white balls!

Despite their reluctance, the two remaining students made their move.

They knew that even if they could hold out in this round, facing the onslaught of nearly a thousand dyed cannonballs in the fourth round would inevitably lead to their elimination.

This was their final opportunity.

One was hit by a dyed cannonball in the midst of action and had to give up, while the other was struck after securing a white ball.

The outcome of the second round once again silenced the students.

Those who had made it to the fourth round ended up with a mere ten points.

In an unexpected twist during the second challenge, one student managed to secure thirty points, claiming the top spot in their group.

The teachers were at a loss for words.

They recognized the deliberate nature of the situation.

They had considered the possibility, and it was clear that the Ministry of Education had as well.

As a result, they had replaced the scoring orbs in the second round with ones worth thirty points, while the fourth round's orbs were worth ten points.

The message was crystal clear: they were warning all the students against complacency.

Even if someone was exceptionally skilled and managed to hold out until the end, they could still end up with nothing.

What were the teachers to do with such an outcome?

Analyze it? That's ridiculous!

Just go for it!

With so little time left, analysis was futile!

Thus, the third round saw a repeat of the chaos from the first round.

Yet, the students in the third round came somewhat prepared, all holding out until the third dyed cannonball attack before succumbing en masse.

What followed was a repeat of the transition from the third to the fourth round.

Of course, there were a few exceptionally strong students who endured until the sixth round.

The sixth round introduced the black ball.

One student, the sole recipient of the black ball, now stood in first place with fifty points.

Finally, amidst the ongoing commotion, it was Chu Yi's turn to step into the fray...