C145 Lee Zi!

"It's not easy at all," the Gold General could only repeat to himself.

Moments later, he turned his gaze to the student with a pale complexion.

"Alright, you've lost your eligibility to continue the assessment. Your score for the martial arts exam will be recorded as zero points."

Upon hearing this, a look of regret flashed in the examinee's eyes.

Regret was indeed regret, but the hatred was aimed at Chu Yi.

No one around offered any pleas on his behalf, not even the student's own teachers or principal.

Such conduct was no different from cheating on a written exam, in fact, it was even more reprehensible!

It was clear that if he had succeeded, Chu Yi would have been affected.

Thus, this behavior was far more disgraceful than cheating.

The student wanted to speak up, but he wasn't given the chance as leaders from his school had already arrived and promptly escorted him away without allowing him to utter another word.

Having such a student was a major embarrassment!

The school would likely suffer repercussions as well, and in upcoming assessments, they would certainly be at a disadvantage...

The fourth round was over.

The assault of the dyed cannonballs was relentless, with no respite between volleys.

Roughly every four or five seconds, another wave would come.

Now, Chu Yi had successfully navigated past the fourth barrage of dyed cannonballs.

He had secured the white scoring orb, adding forty points to his tally.

Chu Yi's score had now propelled him to second place.

The top spot was held by the examinee who had managed to secure both black and white orbs.

Yet, no one doubted Chu Yi's ability to claim the upcoming black orb.

The ease with which Chu Yi had been performing made it hard for anyone to question his potential to take first place.

Well, first place for the time being.

The fifth round, then the sixth.

At last, the previously insurmountable seventh round arrived.

This round was indeed formidable.

Not only did the number of dyed cannonballs surpass a thousand, but their speed had also slightly increased.

The increment wasn't substantial, but to the average examinee, it posed a hellish level of difficulty.

Even the prodigies were now taking it seriously. Despite the round being significantly more daunting, they didn't believe Chu Yi would meet his downfall there.

Of course, it wouldn't be as simple as before.

Yet, Chu Yi once again exceeded their expectations.

Just like in the first round, his casual stroll made most of the examinees seethe with envy.

There was no helping it. What seemed like a hellish difficulty level to them was a walk in the park for Chu Yi, and that was hard for many to swallow.

Besides the geniuses, the ordinary students were all hoping for Chu Yi to fail, and the sooner, the better.

Otherwise, as commoners like them, Chu Yi's high achievements would only highlight their own incompetence.

But it seemed Chu Yi hadn't even considered the possibility of failure.

Before they knew it, he had reached the thirteenth wave.

This time, the dyed cannonballs appeared to have picked up speed once more.

The pattern became clear to everyone.

The speed of the dyed cannonballs increased every six rounds.

And it was only during even-numbered rounds that scoring orbs would appear.

These orbs typically showed up in the sequence of red, white, and finally black.

"We're at the thirteenth round, and the speed is already frightening. I wonder if Chu Yi will meet his match..."

At such a pace, even an average Silver Level Great Warrior might not come out unscathed.

Among the students, Silver Level Great Warriors were a formidable presence.

In previous college entrance exams, Silver Level Great Warriors could easily make it to the national stage.

And now...

Keep in mind, this was just a minor examination hall, the lowest tier.

So, Silver Level Great Warriors were exceedingly rare.

Yet, Chu Yi's speed was already on par with those of ordinary Silver Level Great Warriors.

And this wasn't even Chu Yi's limit, as many had observed.

Even at the thirteenth round, in this doubly challenging stage, Chu Yi remained as composed and untroubled as ever, showing no sign of struggle.

That was somewhat astonishing...

"He's on par with those who excel in speed, at least mid-level or even higher within the Silver tier."

"At the very least, that's the bare minimum!"

"Of course, that's only speaking of speed..."

The government officials seated in the stands were visibly stunned. They had already sensed that Chu Yi was extraordinary, and now their suspicions were confirmed.

"How far can he actually go?" they wondered aloud.

These officials were not to be underestimated; while not terrifyingly powerful, they were certainly formidable in the eyes of the average person. Consequently, they had a broader perspective than most.

Chu Yi would face no issues in this round. Not a single one. This implied that he would sail through to the nineteenth stage without any trouble, a revelation that was quite astonishing.

To date, aside from Chu Yi, the best anyone had managed was to falter at the seventh stage. Yet Chu Yi had effortlessly advanced the record by an entire digit.

While the officials mulled over this, Chu Yi had already reached the eighteenth stage. With the same ease as a leisurely stroll, he collected the third black ball, bringing his total score to an impressive two hundred and seventy points—a figure that not even the main examiners or the setup team had anticipated.

Even though two hundred and seventy points might not seem significant for this year's candidates, what truly amazed them was the emergence of such a formidable figure from among the common folk.

"He's incredibly formidable!"

"Indeed, Chu Yi is destined to at least reach the Gold status, if not the pinnacle of Gold."

"He certainly has the potential to reach the threshold of Diamond."

These were the assessments of the teachers.

Despite Chu Yi's current interactions with the War God and Diamond, in a normal context, Gold status already signified an exceedingly fearsome level of strength.

"Just watch, I think the next round will be telling," they speculated.

Indeed, Chu Yi was nearing his limit. After completing twenty-four rounds, his assessment finally came to an end. Yet, no one breathed a sigh of relief at the conclusion of Chu Yi's challenge.

The reason was simple: they had all witnessed it. In the final moments, Chu Yi showed no signs of strain; he was as composed as he had been in the first round. Moreover, he exited the challenge on his own accord, not due to elimination.

This detail alone was profoundly shocking. Exiting voluntarily indicated that Chu Yi still had reserves of strength. Observing his effortless demeanor, everyone had already anticipated this outcome.

This Chu Yi, who had breezed through both the six and sixteen stages, was now even more daunting. After all, his true capabilities remained an enigma to everyone.

"Four rounds, a total of 360 points."

"Not too shabby..."

Chu Yi muttered to himself, while the students around him rolled their eyes in exasperation.

They were well aware that Chu Yi wasn't just boasting; he genuinely possessed such talent.

Moreover, even if Chu Yi had been eliminated, he was still leagues beyond them—far beyond the scope of judgment for ordinary students like themselves.

The subsequent rounds unfolded without any surprises. Chu Yi consistently scored the highest, followed by the student who had cleared the seventh stage.

However, as the crowd grew restless with anticipation, the moment they had been waiting for finally arrived.

Lee Zi!

Lee Zi was a name known to every student.

The Ice Goddess of Seventeenth High School.

Though the term 'ice mountain' may not have been literal, the 'goddess' part was no exaggeration.

Her looks were impressive, but it was her strength that truly stood out!

In her sophomore year, she naturally awakened her genetic power, becoming one of the rare few in the human race's recent history.

Adirang Academy had paid a hefty price to secure Lee Zi.

It's a well-known fact that natural awakeners, barring any unforeseen circumstances, are almost guaranteed to become War Gods in the future.

Securing Lee Zi was akin to securing a future War God, a temptation no organization or power could resist.

In the end, Adirang Academy outmaneuvered the competition.

Of course, in the grand scheme of things, Adirang Academy held significant clout among the many forces.

But let's not forget the powerful entity backing Adirang Academy and all the high schools within the Federation—the federal government!

Indeed, it wasn't so much that Adirang Academy had outplayed other forces, but rather it had outshone the other two top academies.

Once the federal government intervened, it essentially became an internal contest.

Yet everyone agreed that Lee Zi's prodigious talent justified such actions.

Lee Zi's subsequent performance did not disappoint. Despite continuously suppressing and solidifying her foundation, her progress remained impressively rapid.

Beyond that, Lee Zi's conduct left nothing to be criticized.

However, no one could have anticipated that such a promising young prodigy, on the cusp of a brilliant future, would have her journey cut short by a tragic accident.

Yes, it was an unforeseen event that was beyond anyone's imagination.

When the news of the incident broke, it sent shockwaves through the community.

It was widely acknowledged that Lee Zi stood apart from the other hopefuls aspiring to become War Gods. She was destined to achieve that status!

But now...

As people observed Lee Zi's seemingly effortless demeanor, they were filled with a myriad of complex emotions.

Some were quite envious of Lee Zi. Her exceptional talent was undeniable, and what made her stand out even more was that she was a true prodigy who had risen from the ranks of the common people.

Indeed, the root of their envy was precisely this. Had Lee Zi been nurtured by one of those affluent families, they would not have experienced such mixed emotions.

Beyond the simple envy, however, many also felt an inexplicable sadness over Lee Zi's abrupt downfall.

Had she been born into one of those privileged families, perhaps...

No, this situation would have certainly been avoided.

A host of onlookers watched as Lee Zi stepped into the glass enclosure, ready to begin her assessment.

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