C148

In a flash, the Illusory Demonic Beast charged at the examinees.

Though merely an Illusory Demonic Beast, the virtual compasses made it appear indistinguishable from a real Demonic Beast.

Its steps shook the earth, sending tremors through the ground.

It launched a punch with lightning speed, reaching the students in a mere moment.

"Dodge!"

That was the singular thought in everyone's minds.

They weren't trying to gain an upper hand; they genuinely had no idea how to confront this Illusory Demonic Beast.

Moreover, the examinees realized that failure in this college entrance exam could be fatal!

It made sense why a life-and-death agreement was unexpectedly added to the exam protocol.

The government had foreseen these eventualities!

These Illusory Demonic Beasts could easily slaughter a swath of people.

Panic ensued...

These were students with little to no combat experience, and faced with the prospect of death, they were utterly disoriented.

Where they once had full strength, they could now barely muster half.

In the stands, government officials shook their heads in dismay.

Sending such unprepared students into battle would be a catastrophe for humanity.

Some might have initially criticized the harshness of the exam, arguing that it was excessive for a mere college entrance exam to endanger students. Yet, witnessing this scene, they were at a loss for words.

Humans didn't raise these students to be cannon fodder, but they also weren't meant to cower safely in the rear.

Otherwise, what would justify the high status and abundant resources granted to warriors?

Within the protective dome.

A massive arm descended, targeting a student who was too slow to escape. The imminent bloody spectacle threatened to spiral out of control.

Then, a figure emerged, swiftly whisking the student to safety.

It was the Gold examiner.

His role was to intervene at these critical junctures.

Relief washed over many students at the sight.

Still, a sense of nervousness lingered.

The examiner wasn't infallible; a delayed rescue could mean a needless death.

After rescuing a candidate, the Gold examiner got busy, tirelessly pulling individuals from the fray.

Initially, these individuals were strategizing for the second and third stages, yet now, the first stage alone had nearly resulted in the disqualification of all the students.

Apart from two Bronze Level candidates, the only person who maintained composure was the prodigy.

This genius had refrained from intervening from the outset.

Though also at the Bronze Level, his was the pinnacle of Bronze. Coupled with his family's secret techniques, his power surpassed that of an average Silver Level.

The Illusory Demonic Beast hardly warranted his attention.

His reluctance to engage was due to the fear of prematurely picking the low-hanging fruit, which could lead to significant losses for him.

Eventually, the two Bronze Level candidates realized that if they continued on their current path, they were doomed.

Without further hesitation, they decided to combine their efforts.

Indeed, when the two Bronze Level candidates worked together, their combined strength exceeded that of the Illusory Demonic Beast.

They had the potential to defeat it. In the wild, they might have had a good chance of slaying such a beast.

But this was no wilderness, and their opponent was not a real Demonic Beast.

The defining trait of an Illusory Demonic Beast is its inability to perish before its energy is fully depleted.

Despite their formidable offensive capabilities, which would have felled a real Demonic Beast, the Illusory Demonic Beast merely had some of its energy drained.

Repeatedly struck at its vital points, the Illusory Demonic Beast remained as lively as ever, at the pinnacle of its strength.

Before long, the two Bronze Level candidates were engulfed in despair.

Continuing seemed futile since their dwindling strength was insufficient to slay the Illusory Demonic Beast.

Thus, the end seemed inevitable...

The defeat of the last two civilian candidates seemed to foreshadow the essence of the second round of assessments—

The Battle of Geniuses!

Only those of true genius could advance. If you didn't measure up to this benchmark, then, unfortunately, you would have to bow out.

Upon realizing there were no more rivals to contend with, the prodigious talent made his move. Undoubtedly, as a pinnacle Bronze entity, his prowess far surpassed that of the other two Bronze candidates combined. With a swift strike, he targeted and killed the vital areas of the Illusory Demonic Beast. The genius didn't even allow the creature time to recover from its daze before unleashing a relentless barrage of attacks.

The Illusory Demonic Beast, which had previously eliminated nineteen candidates, was now powerless to fight back against the genius. As its strength steadily drained away, it eventually vanished completely. Success!

Dispatching the Illusory Demonic Beast earned him ten points, and passing the challenge another ten. Effortlessly, the genius had already racked up twenty points in a single go. What followed was a straightforward affair, a solo battle for the genius.

But the challenge escalated as his adversary morphed from one Illusory Demonic Beast to two, then three. True to their reputation, geniuses are formidable opponents. Not just anyone can lay claim to the title of 'genius'—certainly not the two Bronze candidates from before. Although they had managed to become Bronze warriors before the exam and had risen from the ranks of the common folk, indicating no small measure of talent, they had never been hailed as geniuses.

This genius, steadily accumulating points, was not just any genius but one with a significant background, far more powerful than the average so-called prodigy. Six Bronze Level Illusory Demonic Beasts couldn't halt his advance, but the arrival of seven more finally posed a challenge.

Had they been seven ordinary Bronze Demonic Beasts, he wouldn't have seen it as a problem. However, these were Illusory Demonic Beasts, and that made all the difference. It seemed seven was his limit. After dispatching four, the judge intervened to save him.

"Not bad..." Despite failing on the seventh challenge, his performance was commendable. The combined might of seven Illusory Demonic Beasts was not as straightforward as simple addition. When their numbers reached a critical point, a qualitative change occurred. In this context, failure was an expected outcome.

Having slain four Demonic Beasts, he earned 40 points, and with the six trials he had previously conquered, his total score reached four hundred and sixty points!

Adding to the points this prodigy had already amassed, his score was now nearing six hundred.

In a flash, he had eclipsed Chu Yi and Lee Zi's three hundred and sixty points, claiming the top spot!

Of course, everyone was aware that this lead was only temporary. Given the abilities demonstrated by Chu Yi and Lee Zi, even if their upcoming performances didn't match those of the geniuses, their final scores were sure to exceed them.

The true winner would likely be determined in the third round of assessments!

As the competition progressed, a succession of geniuses emerged.

Their strategies were much like that of the first genius, only making their move after all the other candidates had been eliminated.

Their approach wasn't to prevent opportunistic strikes from others.

At their caliber, ordinary candidates simply weren't capable of exploiting them.

Their motive was clear: they didn't want any other candidates advancing to the second round!

Indeed, even without defeating a single Demonic Beast, entry into the second round guaranteed a candidate ten points.

These geniuses were not benevolent; they were unwilling to let other students benefit from their light, even if those students posed no threat.

No one criticized this behavior; after all, strictly speaking, the geniuses and the other examinees were competitors.

As the assessments continued, geniuses appeared one by one, with their scores being fairly consistent.

Most met their match at the seventh challenge.

Facing seven indestructible Illusory Creatures at once proved too much for nearly everyone.

The majority of geniuses scored between five hundred and six hundred points, though there were some outliers.

"That's a member of the Lu family. By traditional standards, he would be considered the direct heir to the Lu family."

His status was somewhat prestigious.

In the hierarchy of Redmarsh City's family powers, the Lu family was quite formidable.

While they fell short of the Chu family's stature, they were significantly more influential than most other families.

"The young master of the Lu family is exceptionally gifted. Top institutions like Adirang Academy have sought to recruit him, but ultimately, the Lu family opted to educate him on their own."

Chu Yi was well aware that the resources held by the top aristocratic families were nothing short of terrifying. The educational and cultivation resources at their disposal were unimaginable to the average person.

With such an abundance of resources, they had no need for the so-called prestigious schools.

Ultimately, the greatest benefit a renowned school could offer these students was a promising future—a future that the aristocratic family geniuses simply did not require.

"It's decent. Somewhat intriguing..."

Upon hearing Chu Yi's assessment, Lee Guoqiang, standing nearby, was at a loss for words.

Undeniably, nine out of the thirteen prodigies had already emerged. While there were minor differences in the performance of the remaining eight, the overall disparity was negligible.

Only Lu Feng, the heir of the Lu family, truly stood out from his peers.

He had powerfully carved a path through the seventh stage, which had stymied all previous talents, and had gone on to vanquish six Illusory Creatures in the eighth stage with even greater dominance.

Had he not been cautious of incurring severe injuries that might compromise his participation in subsequent rounds, he might have effortlessly conquered the eighth stage as well!

Indeed, it wasn't just Lu Feng; the other prodigies were equally wary of such risks.

Despite access to the government's most advanced medical pods, severe injuries could still require considerable time to heal.

Missing out on the next phase of the competition due to recovery time could lead to substantial setbacks.

"Alright, now it's your time to shine."