3: Chapter 3 Mortal Realm Three Stars?
The first light of dawn broke.
Lin Yuan opened his eyes from a deep state of cultivation, a dark glint flashing momentarily in the depths of his pupils.
After a night of meditation, his Mortal Realm Ninth Star cultivation had been thoroughly consolidated.
The surging power from yesterday's breakthrough had now submerged into his internal organs, limbs, and bones.
It seemed calm on the surface, but it hid a terrifying power capable of overturning everything.
Refined to the extreme by the guixu black lotus, this power was pure and devoid of any impurities; its 'quality' far surpassed those of the same level and even stood above ordinary Strength Realm martial artists.
Lin Yuan had absolute confidence.
Even if he were to clash head-on with a true Strength Realm expert, he wouldn't necessarily lose.
Today was the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.
The single-log bridge that would decide the fates of tens of thousands of high school seniors in Luling City.
...
Luling City, South District Martial Arts Examination Center.
When Lin Yuan arrived, the place was already a sea of people, bustling with noise and excitement.
Luxury hovercars traced elegant arcs in mid-air before parking in exclusive areas. Those stepping out were either martial artists with extraordinary bearings or wealthy merchants dressed in opulence.
Most, however, were ordinary candidates and parents like Lin Yuan who had arrived via public transportation.
Their faces were a mix of nervousness, expectation, and anxiety.
The air was thick with a restlessness suppressed to the extreme.
“Did you hear? Three incredible monsters have emerged in Luling City this year!”
“How could I not? Li Qingcang from First High, Chen Beixuan from Second High, and Liu Qing from the Liu martial arts family! Those three stepped into the Strength Realm half a year ago!”
“Holy crap! Strength Realm? While we're still struggling at the threshold of Mortal Realm Ninth Star, they're already shattering boulders?”
“More than that! My cousin is an assistant instructor at a martial arts hall and saw Li Qingcang with his own eyes. They say that guy is at least at the mid-stage Strength Realm now! A single punch can deliver over ten tons of force!”
“Ten tons... what’s the point of even taking the exam? It’s a tragedy to be in the same era as them!”
The surrounding discussions fell clearly into Lin Yuan's ears.
Mid-stage Strength Realm.
A decent reference point.
Lin Yuan felt no internal ripples; he even found it natural.
If there weren't these so-called 'monsters' to serve as stepping stones, wouldn't his counterattack be far too boring?
“All candidates, please enter the examination hall with your admission tickets! Parents, please wait outside the cordon!”
A booming voice spread across the square through the amplification equipment.
The crowd began to surge forward.
Lin Yuan followed the flow of people, passed identity verification, and walked into the heavily guarded Martial Arts Examination Center.
He still wore his simple casual clothes, his aura restrained to the extreme, making him completely inconspicuous in the crowd.
Examination Hall Seven.
The space inside the hall was enormous. The floor was paved with special energy-absorbing materials, and a faint energy glow flickered on the walls—the defensive runes in operation.
Two middle-aged men in standard Martial Arts Examiner uniforms stood in the center of the hall.
They stood tall and straight, their auras as steady as mountains. Just by standing there, they exuded a majestic sense of pressure.
Origin Realm experts!
The standard configuration for a martial arts exam, sufficient to handle any emergency.
The candidates were all as quiet as cicadas in winter, lining up in rows according to their numbers.
Lin Yuan stood in the middle of the queue, waiting quietly.
However, the moment he stepped through the doors of the examination hall...
The eyelids of the two previously calm examiners twitched violently at almost the same time.
An indescribable warning sign surged from the depths of their hearts without warning!
It wasn't killing intent, nor was it pressure.
It was a more primitive, purer instinct of danger.
As if a prehistoric beast in sheep's clothing was lazily strolling past them.
Both were battle-hardened Origin Realm martial artists; their muscles tensed instantly, and their blood energy surged within them, entering a state of high alert.
Two sharp gazes instantly locked onto Lin Yuan, who had just entered the hall.
But what met their eyes was just an ordinary youth.
Clean-cut, thin, and calm.
His aura... was even more unremarkable, at the level of the Mortal Realm.
The two glanced at each other, seeing the same shock and doubt in each other's reactions.
Absurd!
They, two Origin Realm experts, were actually broken into a cold sweat by a candidate who didn't even seem to be at the peak of the Mortal Realm?
An illusion?
Perhaps their nerves were too frayed recently because of the martial arts exam.
The examiner with the square face, who looked older, quickly regained his composure, but the vigilance deep in his eyes did not fully relax.
The other slightly younger examiner also secretly adjusted his breathing, forcibly suppressing the strangeness in his heart.
It must be an illusion.
The testing proceeded methodically according to the process.
“Number one, Wang Hao, punch strength test!”
“Number two, Zhang Wei, speed test!”
...
“Number thirty-six, Lin Yuan!”
Finally, it was Lin Yuan's turn.
He stepped out of the queue and walked up to the young examiner.
“Put this on.”
The examiner handed over a black metal bracelet, speaking in a businesslike manner.
“Military-grade punch strength detection bracelet, made of a special alloy. Its upper limit is twelve tons. Give the punch target in front of you one punch with your maximum power.”
He paused, seemingly remembering that eerie feeling from earlier, and added a reminder.
“Act within your capabilities and don't push too hard. Every year, candidates strain their muscles by overexerting themselves, which affects their subsequent tests.”
Lin Yuan nodded and put the bracelet on his right wrist.
The cold touch of metal was felt.
He walked up to a massive floor-standing punch target and assumed the simplest, most basic straight punch stance.
He closed his eyes.
Then, he exhaled.
The next second.
He snapped his eyes open!
No fancy techniques, no redundant movements.
Just the purest, most primitive, most direct punch!
Power generated from the hips, transmitted through the spine, channeled through the arm, and finally exploding at the knuckles!
BANG!!!
A dull, massive boom shook the entire examination hall, making it hum.
However, even more piercing than this boom was another crisp sound of shattering.
CRACK!
Under the horrified gazes of the two examiners and all the candidates.
The special alloy bracelet on Lin Yuan's wrist, which was claimed to withstand twelve tons of impact, didn't even last a second.
It just... exploded!
Countless tiny metal fragments turned into lethal shrapnel, shooting out in all directions!
The entire examination hall was deathly silent.
One could hear a pin drop.
Everyone stared at this scene in a daze, their minds completely blank.
The two Origin Realm examiners felt as if their thoughts had ground to a halt.
He... he broke it?
A military-grade detection bracelet was punched into pieces by a candidate?!
The square-faced examiner was the first to react. He dashed forward, ignoring the flying fragments, picked up a slightly larger piece of debris, and lightly rubbed the fracture with his fingertip.
His heart instantly sank to the bottom.
This wasn't an equipment failure, nor was it a quality issue.
This was the purest structural collapse caused by an inability to withstand a terrifying instantaneous burst of power!
To cause this level of destruction, the punch force at that moment... must have exceeded fifteen tons!
Fifteen tons!
This was no longer a level of power a Mortal Realm martial artist could possess!
This was the Strength Realm! It was a level only those seed candidates hailed as 'monsters' could possibly reach!
The other young examiner rushed to the nearby control console in a few strides.
His hands trembled slightly as he pulled up Lin Yuan's file data.
He needed to confirm!
He had to confirm exactly who this candidate was!
Soon, a row of clear electronic data was projected onto the light screen.
When the young examiner saw the text on it, his body completely froze.
The square-faced examiner noticed his abnormality and walked over quickly, following his gaze to the light screen.
【Name: Lin Yuan】
【Innate Talent: Plant Pact】
【Strength Rating: Mortal Realm Three Stars】
【Information Last Updated: One week ago】
The two stared intently at the four words 'Mortal Realm Three Stars,' then looked at the calm youth not far away, who looked as if he had just done something insignificant.
The expressions on their faces revealed an absurdity that could only be described as 'seeing a ghost.'