C28 The First Evaluation

Within the federal government, warriors who passed the Genius Assessment were categorized into four distinct tiers.

The First Level Geniuses, the lowest tier, would immediately gain Second Level Authority and receive a monthly stipend of thirty thousand yuan!

The additional ten thousand federal dollars paled in comparison to the significance of the elevated authority.

Authority signified special privileges!

For instance, numerous materials regulated by the federal government could only be acquired with the requisite authority level.

Beyond these, the federal government's authority came with innumerable advantages.

Hence, authority was paramount.

Even the lowest tier Genius Warriors, upon passing the assessment, would be granted Second Level Authority, presenting an enormous allure.

Second Level Geniuses, while also possessing Second Level Authority, received a generous monthly subsidy of one hundred thousand federal dollars!

Moreover, they were entitled to a bottle of Second Level Medicine concocted by the government each month.

Typically, the cost of Second Level Medicine ranged from one hundred thousand to several hundred thousand, with the government-produced variants being the most effective.

This effectively meant that the monthly subsidy could exceed two hundred thousand!

Upon hearing about the Second Level Geniuses, Chu Yi had already resolved to commit.

Regarding the Third Level Geniuses...

Third Level Geniuses held Third Level Authority, with a two hundred thousand monthly subsidy, plus a bottle of Third Level Medicine each month.

Fourth Level Geniuses also had Third Level Authority but received a five hundred thousand monthly subsidy and three bottles of Third Level Medicine!

The distinction between Third and Fourth Level Geniuses was slight, yet the subsidies were substantial!

Chu Yi figured that as a Fourth Level Genius, his monthly subsidies alone could reach a staggering million!

This, this, this...

Chu Yi found himself with no real choice at all!

"I choose the Genius Warrior Assessment!"

Without any hesitation, Chu Yi made his decision.

Uncle Wang, observing from the side, gave a slight nod of approval.

"Come with me."

With that, he turned and strode toward the small square. Jing Munyao, witnessing the exchange, quickly caught up.

Had Jing Munyao been a waitress, she wouldn't have followed; her role would have ended with leading him to this point, and she would have had nothing further to do.

It was clear that she wasn't the one in question, and Uncle Wang made no attempt to stop her. After all, the Genius Warrior Assessment wasn't a frequent occurrence. Observing the capabilities of other prodigies could be quite advantageous.

Following Uncle Wang, the trio navigated their way through a maze of machines until they reached the heart of the square. To Chu Yi's surprise, the center of the square boasted a vast, unoccupied space, devoid of any equipment. Could this really be the site for the Genius Assessment?

Chu Yi glanced at Uncle Wang, who seemed unconcerned. With a few deft taps on his portable device, the ground of the square split open, revealing a contraption adorned with over a dozen long tubes.

Turning to Chu Yi, Uncle Wang explained, "The Genius Assessment is unlike any ordinary test where you simply go through the motions. This assessment genuinely measures your comprehensive combat abilities, which means a lot of hands-on action is involved. And it's not something you can complete in just one attempt." He gestured toward the vacant area. "Wait over there..."

Without a moment's hesitation, Chu Yi strode to the indicated spot. Uncle Wang approached the machine and manipulated it with ease. Chu Yi noticed an odd pulsation emanating from the cluster of long tubes.

"This first phase of the assessment will gauge your reflexes and short-range movement speed," Uncle Wang continued. "Within one minute, approximately a thousand energy blasts will be fired at you. Once time is up, your performance will be scored."

The test was refreshingly direct and uncomplicated, yet undeniably effective. It was the kind of practical evaluation Chu Yi appreciated—no need for overthinking, just a pure measure of one's raw abilities.

As Uncle Wang finished speaking, the charged energy within the tubes was unleashed. The blasts hurtled toward Chu Yi at an astonishing velocity. The energy's potency was mild; being struck wouldn't cause harm, so safety wasn't a concern. Chu Yi fully extended his primordial spirit, instantly enveloping his surroundings, ready for the onslaught of energy beams.

At that moment, the paths of the energy beams were vividly mapped out in Chu Yi's mind. The beams, which moved at an incredibly fast pace in the physical world, seemed to slow down significantly under the watchful gaze of Chu Yi's primordial spirit.

If Chu Yi's body could respond as swiftly as his thoughts, he would confidently claim that even if the energy beams were twice as fast and numerous, he could navigate through them with ease. Unfortunately, that was a big if.

Although the energy patterns were clear in his mind, evading them completely was an immense challenge. In other words, while his mind believed he could sidestep the danger, his body seemed to disagree.

Suddenly, over a dozen energy beams converged on Chu Yi. Struggling, he contorted his body into an odd shape and managed to avoid several of the attacks. But as he attempted to evade the rest, one beam ultimately struck him. Despite his utmost caution, his body failed to keep up with his careful planning. This method of avoidance, though not perfect, was the best he could do to minimize the damage.

About fifteen attacks emerged simultaneously, and despite Chu Yi's best efforts, two made contact with his body. These energies wouldn't harm him, but they would limit his movements. While the impact of two beams was negligible, Chu Yi was aware that accumulating too many hits would eventually lead to his downfall.

With this in mind, Chu Yi became even more vigilant. As soon as he touched the ground, without a moment to adjust, the second wave of energy materialized. It was identical to the first, yet the angles had shifted once again, making it seem even more challenging to dodge.

But when Chu Yi perceived the energy through his primordial spirit this time, a look of surprise crossed his face. Despite the more complex angles, he realized that his body was capable of avoiding them entirely. And indeed, with some difficulty and even stranger contortions, he miraculously dodged every single beam!

Before he could even savor his success, the third wave of attacks rolled in. With nearly a thousand assaults in just one minute, dodging every one was an impossibility.

At least for Chu Yi as he is now, it was an absolute impossibility.

Yet, these attacks didn't speed up over time; they merely changed angles at most.

For many geniuses, even those of exceptional talent, the most troublesome part would be those bizarre seals. But for Chu Yi, those were the easiest to evade; he could even do so flawlessly.

However, when it came to the widespread attacks, Chu Yi found them more challenging.

Within a minute, Chu Yi had concentrated all his attention on dodging and hadn't had the chance to look at the others around him. Had he done so, he would have seen the astonishment on their faces.

Astonishment?

Yes, astonishment!

Jing Munyao's expression had been fixed from the start, her eyes wide and her cute little mouth agape.

At first, Uncle Wang remained quite composed, but as time went on, his expression began to mirror his niece's.

"His speed is somewhat lacking. Although it's quite impressive, it's still within the realm of a Second Level Genius," he commented, pausing briefly before adding, "Well, it's the peak speed for a Second Level Genius."

Had Chu Yi not transformed his core, reaching the standards of even a First Level Genius would have been out of the question, let alone a Second Level.

But just a single Exquisite Fruit had elevated Chu Yi from a mortal to the standard of a Second Level Genius. The transformation of his essence was indeed fearsome.

"However, his reaction speed..."

"Or rather, his combat awareness, is absolutely terrifying!"

Uncle Wang had spent a decade at the warrior center, responsible for the warrior evaluations. Though encounters with genius warriors were rare, there were still several dozen each year.

Over ten years, that added up to hundreds!

And considering Uncle Wang's other roles, he had encountered hundreds, if not a thousand, warriors touted as geniuses over the years.

But Uncle Wang could confidently assert that when it came to sheer reaction speed, none could compare to Chu Yi.

"Not even a Fourth Level Genius could match his reactions!"

With a deep exhale, Chu Yi finally withstood the last wave of energy coverage.

Shaking his head in slight dissatisfaction, Chu Yi vividly recalled being struck fifty-nine times during the onslaught of over a thousand energy attacks.

In essence, if Chu Yi were to confront those energy pulse cannons, he would have been struck 59 times already!

Indeed, Chu Yi discerned that this test was a simulation of the energy pulse array.

It's a strategy commonly employed against the most elite practitioners.

In real life, even if his body had attained the stature of a Gold or even Diamond Level Great General, Chu Yi reckoned he'd be done for after enduring over fifty hits from the pulse cannons.

Hence, Chu Yi found his performance quite unsatisfactory.

Yet, while Chu Yi was not pleased, Uncle Wang was over the moon with satisfaction!

Over the last decade, hundreds of prodigies had undergone this assessment, with the most exceptional among them being struck by 103 energy beams.

Chu Yi's emergence nearly doubled that record!

Even if Mi Chen's speed was only considered top-tier among Second Level geniuses, when factoring in the record and Chu Yi's reaction ability, which eclipsed that of Fourth Level, Uncle Wang reluctantly awarded Chu Yi a score of three.

But, a question mark followed that three.

This indicated that even Uncle Wang couldn't precisely gauge Chu Yi's performance in the assessment.

Truly, Uncle Wang couldn't be faulted; Chu Yi's case was extraordinarily unique.

Typically, reaction speed correlates directly with one's velocity. Uncle Wang had never before encountered such a significant gap as seen in Chu Yi.