C153 Entering the Arena!
Two hundred and fifty-six candidates.
That number has already doubled compared to the second stage of the college entrance exams in previous years.
However, given the unique circumstances of this year's exam and the government's reforms, such an increase doesn't seem entirely out of the question.
Operationally, it would simply mean adding an extra round of competition.
Though the number of candidates has seemingly doubled, it won't excessively prolong the duration of the exams.
"Moreover, the third stage of this year's college entrance exam might not employ the Challenge format as in the past," was the surprising news for Chu Yi and Lee Zi.
Historically, the third and fourth stages of the exam consisted of Challenges, a format that truly allowed a candidate to demonstrate their full capabilities. With only one person advancing from each pair, the battles were fiercer and more engaging!
This is why the Challenge has garnered such widespread popularity.
But this year...
"We're not clear on the specifics yet, but one thing is for sure: the Challenge format will not be used," they were informed.
Lee Guoqiang looked at Chu Yi and Lee Zi, his eyes shining with renewed vigor. "Regardless of the format, I believe you both have the confidence to make it to the very end, right?"
Lee Guoqiang had no doubts about Chu Yi.
Chu Yi had ascended to the Gold status.
With such prowess, he was assured a spot in the third stage of the examination.
And Lee Zi...
She was merely at the Silver Level.
At the Silver Level, one could stand out in the second stage of the examination, potentially dominating the competition.
Most Silver Level prodigies had already been fast-tracked to the third stage of the examination, rendering the Silver Level practically unbeatable in the second stage.
But in the third stage...
The competition was primarily composed of Silver Level contenders.
This was a concern for Lee Guoqiang.
Chu Yi smiled...
Indeed, Lee Zi was at the Elementary Silver Level, seemingly quite vulnerable.
However, if Lee Zi were to unleash her full combat power, she wouldn't just be invincible at the Silver Level; she could even challenge the Gold—
Within the Terran Federation, a fully empowered Lee Zi at the Gold Level would be unbeatable!
To suppress Lee Zi, one would have to be at the Diamond Level!
Moreover, the diamond in question couldn't just be any ordinary diamond.
Naturally, the situation would be different for a genius from a more advanced civilization.
For instance, if Silver from the Devil Clan, whom Lee Zi had previously encountered, were to arrive, even if Lee Zi unleashed her Five Elements Original Combat Body at the same level, she likely wouldn't stand a chance against him.
However, should Lee Zi continue to develop, she would undoubtedly be able to overpower him at the same level in the future.
But for now, she's not there yet.
While she may not be able to surpass those of a higher caliber, within the lower-tier civilization of the Terran Federation, Lee Zi remains unbeatable at her current level.
It's essentially a case of punching below one's weight.
Lee Guoqiang is unaware of these matters.
Chu Yi also kept it to himself.
After all, even Lee Zi hadn't made up her mind about revealing her combat form.
"Alright, don't put too much pressure on yourself."
"In the end, it's all about giving it your best effort!"
"With the Chu family supporting you, attending those elite institutions isn't of much consequence."
"The true significance of this exam for you is to showcase your abilities; as long as you do that without regrets, that's all that matters."
For Chu Yi and Lee Zi, the outcome of the exams wasn't particularly meaningful, but for Lee Guoqiang, it was of utmost importance.
Yet, these are thoughts Lee Guoqiang would keep to himself.
After their visit with Lee Guoqiang, Chu Yi and Lee Zi headed home.
They didn't dare linger at school any longer amidst the raucous cheers of their fellow students.
The following day, in Chu Yi's living room, Chu Yi couldn't help but feel bemused by Dakun's exuberant demeanor.
It was as though the fame belonged to him and Lee Zi, which had nothing to do with Dakun.
Yet, to an outsider, it might appear as though Dakun was the one who had made a name for himself.
At that moment, the water screen TV in Chu Yi's home was displaying a barrage of articles and reports that Dakun had excitedly compiled throughout the night.
It was all about Lee Zi and Chu Yi.
Despite being somewhat at a loss for words, Chu Yi could sense Dakun's palpable excitement.
Far from being envious of the accomplishments Chu Yi and Lee Zi had achieved, Dakun was genuinely thrilled for them.
That's what true brotherhood is all about...
"Hey Yi, how come you're not the least bit excited?"
"This is a special feature on the A Lang website!"
"Do you even realize what a special feature means?"
Chu Yi could only watch as Dakun's animated face, spittle flying, loomed closer, and he instinctively stepped back to avoid the spray. Chu Yi was well aware that A Lang Web was one of the three biggest websites in the entire Adirang Region, with an influence comparable to a major news outlet from his past life.
As one of the top-tier websites, A Lang Web paid close attention to the college entrance exams. Yet, it was quite uncommon for them to dedicate a special column to a single student. In previous years, A Lang Web had done so, but those columns were reserved for those they considered to be the top scorers.
Chu Yi was skeptical that A Lang Web was unaware of the intricacies of this year's exams. Being a Gold rank was certainly impressive, but as Chu Tianfeng had mentioned, this year's national exams were expected to reveal multiple Gold ranks, not just one or two. And these prodigious Gold talents were likely to hail from the most elite factions and organizations.
The government had rolled out an array of incentives for the exams this time, enticing even the upper echelons of the Terran Federation. Clearly, the government was sparing no expense. While outright cancellation was off the table, they had other strategies in place! If the talents they had cultivated performed well, those resources would effectively be reclaimed. Thus, the prodigies deployed by the government this time were undoubtedly the elite of the elite.
Amidst such a group of prodigies, securing the top spot in the national exam seemed an incredibly daunting task.
Yet, the Ah Lang website had gone out of its way to feature a special report on Chu Yi, which was rather puzzling.
Could it be that Ah Lang Net truly had such high expectations for Chu Yi?
Chu Yi browsed through the site and noticed that, aside from his own feature, there were no others.
This was consistent with Ah Lang Net's approach in previous years.
"Yi, it looks like Ah Lang Net is already treating you as the valedictorian of the college entrance exam!"
"Even though Ah Lang Net's forecasts aren't 100% accurate, they do boast a success rate of over 70%!"
"In other words, you've got a seventy percent shot at becoming the top scorer in the college entrance exam!"
Indeed, Ah Lang Net's predictions were remarkably precise.
All three major websites offered similar forecasts, but Ah Lang Net's were undoubtedly the most reliable.
A seventy percent probability is exceptionally high, even bordering on frightening!
Considering the sheer number of students who take the college entrance exam each year, with countless standout performers, accurately predicting the top scorer is akin to scaling the heavens!
Many believe that Ah Lang Net must have the backing of a formidable intelligence organization to achieve such accuracy.
Watching Dakun continue to gesture towards Lee Zi while discussing the reports, Chu Yi breathed a sigh of relief.
For Chu Yi, this college entrance exam was a quest for the top honor.
Lee Guoqiang was of the opinion that Chu Yi and Lee Zi lacked for nothing; the exam was merely a stage for them to showcase their abilities.
However, Chu Yi had his own reasons for needing to excel.
The rewards for this year's college entrance exam were so substantial that Chu Yi found them irresistible...
"Hello, dear viewers, this is BDTV, and I'm your on-site reporter, Little Jing."
"Hello, everyone. I'm the Redmarsh correspondent for the Tengkong Network..."
"Folks, I'm already here at the venue. Let's get those likes rolling in!"
The largest sports center in Redmarsh City was, at that moment, buzzing with excitement and noise.
The First Stadium in Redmarsh City, completed just three years ago, is hailed as the largest sports hall on the planet.
With the capacity to hold over 200,000 people, the venue was completely filled to the brim.
This was the annual college entrance examination, an event that surpassed even the grandeur of the Olympics from his previous life.
At this moment, Redmarsh City's government officials and various celebrities had begun to make their entrance.
Despite the seats being filled early on, these individuals had invitations, granting them access to some of the best reserved spots in the stadium.
Before long, the elite of Redmarsh City had all gathered.
Redmarsh City was expansive, home to a permanent population exceeding 50 million.
Yet, it felt small because its high-ranking individuals were all acquainted with one another.
This was particularly true in the VIP room, where nearly everyone had previously collaborated or crossed paths.
However, there was a sense of bewilderment as some guests stared at an exceptionally robust elderly man seated at the forefront of the VIP area, their faces etched with confusion—they simply did not recognize him.
"That's the Patriarch of the Chu family."
With that brief explanation, clarity dawned on many.
The Chu family, aside from Chu Cencen's generation, rarely attended the college entrance examination and was known for their discretion, which is why many attendees were unfamiliar with the Patriarch.
Yet, unfamiliarity didn't mean they hadn't heard of him.
Chu Tianfeng had once mentioned to Chu Yi that despite the Chu family's modest power, their strength was fearsomely formidable.
In this world, unlike his past life, power did not equate to strength.
Here, power and strength stood independently.
The Chu family, with limited power but remarkable strength, were considered among the upper echelons of Redmarsh City.
Now, the Chu family's elder was surrounded by a crowd of people.
The presence of the Chu family's elder did not come as a surprise to many.
While Chu Yi's identity was concealed from the general public, it was common knowledge among Redmarsh City's influential figures.
"Chu Tianfeng, congratulations to the Chu family for producing a true dragon!"
Those capable of striking up a conversation with Chu Tianfeng were certainly individuals of similar stature, and their compliments left him beaming with joy.
While flattery from the average person might seem sycophantic, praise from peers was taken as sincere congratulations.
Chu Tianfeng himself was fond of lively events. His previous absences were not by choice.
The Chu family was sparsely populated; aside from Chu Yi, there wasn't a single male in the third generation.
Thus, the college entrance exam was irrelevant to the Chu family.
If it had no bearing on them, why bother attending?
Perhaps they were envious of others who had a promising grandson.
Aside from Chu Cencen's year, this was only the second time Chu Tianfeng had attended the examination event.
"A real dragon? He's nothing but a bratty kid who doesn't deserve such a title!"
Despite his imposing appearance, Chu Tianfeng was far from being a brutish oaf without a clue.
He would never do anything to bring shame to the Chu family.
"Compared to your Wang family's boy, Chu Yi falls short."
He might say this, but Chu Tianfeng didn't believe it for a second.
True, the Wang family's youngster was formidable, hailed as their true dragon, a potential future War God.
But what of it?
Next to his own grandson, they were all insignificant!
It wasn't just familial pride that made Chu Tianfeng so confident in Chu Yi—it was the young man's undeniable strength.
He was well aware of the frightening extent of Chu Yi's capabilities.
Leaving other aspects aside, just the Stellar Combat Body alone would allow Chu Yi to stand his ground against the top Diamond-level warriors without batting an eye.
