C156 Ten Points Were in His Hands

Many individuals had already started to network with one another.

It must be acknowledged that the scions of these influential families were significantly stronger than the average person, not just due to their access to resources, but also because of their superior education.

The progeny of these powerful clans and major forces were acutely aware that to achieve outstanding results in such a competitive environment, collaboration was essential unless they possessed overwhelming strength.

Points were of the utmost importance, truly crucial!

Indeed, the recent reform of the competition format had instilled hope in everyone.

In the prior Challenges, geniuses and prodigies who were merely at the Intermediate or High Order Silver level had virtually no chance.

Against adversaries at the Silver Peak or even Gold Level, they stood no chance in a one-on-one confrontation, even if they played all their cards.

This was a well-understood fact.

But now, things had changed.

This new competition format had rekindled their hope.

With the right cooperation and a touch of luck, their points could soar!

The direct advancement slots for the top five were out of reach for them, as the field was already crowded with Gold Level talents.

Thus, their strategy was to advance through accumulating points!

To rely on points meant needing to amass a significant tally.

Ordinary civilians might think of going it alone and being wary of those close to them.

But these exceptional talents had a more profound strategy in mind.

Collaboration!

Naturally, this approach came with its own set of risks.

If surrounded by commoners, these gifted individuals might hesitate, but they were among peers who had also benefited from a quality education.

Hence, they recognized that cooperation came with conditions.

Benefits!

Cooperation was the key to reaping the greatest rewards; it was the optimal path forward.

When everyone shared this mindset and communicated effectively beforehand, the likelihood of betrayal and infighting could be minimized.

Of course, this required prior coordination, and the partners in cooperation had to be well-known and understood by each other.

Otherwise...

These exceptional minds would not risk their futures on the uncertain trustworthiness of others...

Watching these bright individuals engage in continuous dialogue, Lee Zi let out a sigh.

To be honest, Lee Zi had toyed with the idea of cooperation before.

But she quickly dismissed the thought, as she had confidence in herself but not in others.

Now, however...

Lee Zi realized she wasn't part of those elite families and powerful factions.

War God Xu watched the scene unfold, his lips curling into that peculiar smile once more.

If their carefully devised plan was so easily deciphered, then the government's top brass might as well resign en masse.

So...

"Each of you will come up in turn to draw lots."

"There are exactly 256 landing points on this map. After you draw, I'll send you directly to your destination."

In a High Order civilization, everyone would be randomly teleported via a teleportation array.

Sadly, Earth Civilization hasn't reached that stage.

Thus, they had to resort to 'car' teleportation.

Yes, it's literally teleportation by flying car...

Upon hearing this, the previously confident geniuses, who had even begun to envision their ascension, were suddenly dumbfounded.

Their faces turned sour in an instant.

Cooperation requires mutual understanding, especially since they were essentially each other's prey.

Pre-arranged cooperation might be somewhat trustworthy.

But with random teleportation, who could predict who they'd encounter?

Faced with an unknown prodigy, they wouldn't dare to collaborate...

War God Xu's strategy had thoroughly disrupted the geniuses' plans.

"Alright, line up and come in one by one..."

Not allowing the geniuses any time to ponder, War God Xu declared the start of the process.

Despite their frustration, the geniuses had no leverage to resist and begrudgingly made their way forward.

Chu Yi approached War God Xu, who then gestured, and a map speckled with points materialized before Chu Yi.

"Pick one..."

Chu Yi paused, perplexed. Wasn't the process supposed to be random?

Why was it his turn to choose freely?

But after a moment's thought, it seemed inconsequential.

Once selected, he'd be whisked away immediately, with no chance for dialogue.

No one would know another's choice, rendering it as unpredictable as randomness.

Many dots remained, and with Chu Yi's number being one of the first, he had plenty of options to consider.

Chu Yi didn't make his choice blindly; he stood apart from those top-tier geniuses because he genuinely possessed the strength to dominate everything in his path.

To rack up more points, he needed to find a place teeming with Demonic Beasts.

After much deliberation, Chu Yi settled on a spot at the center.

The area was open with fewer competitors, and crucially, it was where Chu Yi would need to find Lee Zi.

Lee Zi was formidable. She could vanquish ordinary great demons, but against a supreme great demon...

Nothing catastrophic would occur, but defeat was inevitable.

Only if Lee Zi fully unleashed the Five Elements Original Combat Body, revealing her full capabilities, could she succeed.

Yet doing so would attract considerable danger in the future.

Hence, Lee Zi couldn't afford to go all out, which meant Chu Yi's assistance would be essential.

Together, they could minimize the exposure of their true powers and more easily accumulate points.

The central location was also ideal for Chu Yi to find Lee Zi.

So, the center it was!

"Since you've made your choice, you may leave now..."

War God Xu gestured, and a figure approached.

After respectfully saluting War God Xu, the person prepared to escort Chu Yi away.

"Chu Yi..."

Chu Yi paused, surprised. He looked at War God Xu.

He hadn't anticipated that the War God would recognize him.

Of course, Chu Yi's awe of the War God had diminished since his arrival in this world.

Setting other considerations aside, if he were to unleash his full power, even ordinary War Gods might not be a match for him.

Indeed, with the right opportunity, Chu Yi felt he had the credentials to slay gods.

"I hold you in high regard, so—"

"Good luck!"

Upon receiving War God Xu's encouragement, Chu Yi fell silent for a moment before nodding respectfully.

Did War God Xu know of him?

Perhaps it was due to his grandfather's influence?

His grandfather, Chu Tianfeng, was a bona fide War God and a formidable one at that. Was War God Xu offering encouragement because of his grandfather?

Without dwelling on it, Chu Yi followed the staff member and left the area...

...

The entire internet was abuzz.

Nobody had anticipated that the college entrance exams would turn out to be this thrilling!

During the second phase of the assessment, many had already caught on to the government's intent to reform the college entrance exams.

Though the second phase added more intrigue compared to previous ones, it still felt somewhat dull due to the lack of genuine competition.

But the third phase of the assessment...

Wow, it was absolutely thrilling!

Indeed, the third stage was rife with competition.

It wasn't just about the clashes between top geniuses and Demonic Beasts; there was also fierce competition among the geniuses themselves!

Absolutely, there would be competition!

Each participant started with a hundred points, and if someone else had points, you could outright steal them!

With a bit of luck, one could make a killing—literally.

So, even those not known for their intellect were certain that the most intense battles wouldn't be between geniuses and Demonic Beasts, but among the geniuses themselves!

This was way more entertaining than the monotonous punch-and-kick fights of a typical Challenge.

"Fascinating, truly fascinating!"

"This time, it's full of highlights!"

"And I've heard the third stage of the assessment will last three days!"

"During these three days, those geniuses and monsters have to navigate through the map!"

"Boss, give me two cases of Big Red Bull! I'm gearing up to power through these three days and witness the 'spectacular performances' of these geniuses!"

"Surviving alone in the wilderness for three days? With top-tier monsters in the vicinity?"

"Shivering with anticipation, literally shivering!"

"I reckon these geniuses and monsters are in for a tough time!"

The internet was buzzing with excitement.

However, the geniuses and monsters in the real world remained unaffected—

They didn't have access to the internet, after all.

Chu Yi stood in the expansive forest clearing.

All around him, silence reigned.

It was quiet, eerily so.

Chu Yi had studied the map beforehand.

The assessment area stretched out immensely, encompassing forests, lakes, grasslands, and mountains.

Based on the scale indicated on the map, this single assessment site spanned well over a million square kilometers!

But in this world, martial arts masters were a force to be reckoned with; capable of earth-shattering feats. So, despite the vastness of the area, it wasn't all that intimidating for those ready to unleash their full potential.

It was like a square with sides stretching 1,000 kilometers each.

Chu Yi's top speed had reached 350m/s. Circling the entire trial ground would take hardly any time at all.

But that was all theoretical, of course.

Chu Yi took a deep breath, his expression the epitome of ease.

The wilderness was truly a splendid place!

The spiritual energy here couldn't hold a candle to that of the Immortal Demon World, yet it far surpassed what one could find in the cities.

While this energy wasn't enough to rapidly boost Chu Yi's cultivation, being in such an environment made it easy to feel content and at peace.

Regrettably, this blissful state was short-lived.

In a flash, a streak of cold light zipped by.

The next moment, Chu Yi lifted his arm.

Under normal circumstances, the force behind that cold light would easily pierce through his arm, possibly even severing it completely.

But Chu Yi was no ordinary case.

As the cold light neared, Chu Yi subtly shifted, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.

His arm then descended.

With a soft thud and no grand commotion, the body of a cat-like Demonic Beast lay before Chu Yi.

"Ten points in the bag..."

A Bronze Level Demonic Beast was worth ten points, a sum the prodigies of this place likely found trivial.

Their prowess allowed them to effortlessly dispatch Silver Demonic Beasts.

Each Silver Beast was worth a hefty hundred points, the equivalent of slaying ten Bronze ones.

While Gold Level beasts offered higher rewards, the risk in hunting them was substantial. Not even the most exceptional talents at Gold Level would set their sights on such formidable prey.

Silver was the primary target.

"I wonder where Lee Zi could be. I should start searching..."

Chu Yi extended his senses, noting the absence of anyone else in his vicinity.

This was to be expected; his sensory range was limited to about one kilometer, so not detecting Lee Zi made sense.

"Well, I'll just have to search patiently..."