No Holds Barred!

"Oh, right."

Marcel seemed to have remembered something. With a surprised expression, he said to Li Qi, "If I remember correctly, your father was Delikur Royce, the academy's 'legendary figure' from twenty years ago."

Hearing this, Li Qi was confused. Father was a legendary figure at the academy?

Since he had been born, his father had never mentioned anything about Zhaoguang Academy.

Noticing the change in Li Qi's expression, Marcel knew he had guessed right. Li Qi did not know about his father's experiences at the academy.

Marcel chuckled softly. "Heh heh, your father was Zhaoguang Academy's famous dropout!"

"A dropout?"

Li Qi's expression remained unchanged, but his instincts told him that this was not a good title.

"I suppose you've never heard that term!"

Marcel smiled. "Because your father was the only person in the past hundred years to be forcibly expelled from Zhaoguang Academy!

"So he was the one dropout in a century! Very rare indeed!"

Li Qi's eyes narrowed, his expression turning icy as anger rose in his heart. This bastard!

After living in this world for fourteen years, he had already become part of it. He also regarded his parents as his real parents.

How could he not be angry when an enemy insulted his father right in front of him?

"Eleven! Let's go!"

Ivanko tilted his head and signaled Li Qi behind him with his eyes, telling him to calm down.

Li Qi understood. He restrained his expression, suppressed his anger, and turned toward the testing waiting area.

Although there were few people in the waiting area, several Stellar Level experts were still there.

"Heh! Marcel has no shame at all. He personally stepped in to deal with an Apprentice Level kid!"

A Stellar Level expert spoke softly, his words filled with contempt for Marcel.

Another Planetary Level expert shook his head. "Yeah! He has no shame at all!"

The several Stellar Level experts watching the show in the waiting area all found Marcel's actions disgraceful.

Once he reached the waiting area, Li Qi finally could not help asking, "Third Dad! Was my father really expelled from Zhaoguang Academy by its experts?"

"It's true." Ivanko sighed. "Back then, Seventh was young and hot-blooded. During a conflict, he severely injured another student and refused to admit his mistake, so Zhaoguang Academy forcibly expelled him.

"Being forcibly expelled from Zhaoguang Academy wasn't something honorable, so no one ever brought it up.

"Marcel is deliberately trying to provoke you. You need to stay calm and not let your anger cloud your mind."

"I understand."

Li Qi nodded, indicating that he knew Marcel was trying to provoke him.

At the same time, he understood why his father had never mentioned his life at Zhaoguang Academy.

Yet he was still puzzled. What had really happened back then?

As time passed, one examinee after another entered and exited the testing rooms.

Logically, as more examinees completed their tests, the number of people in the waiting area should have decreased. Yet in reality, the waiting area did not grow emptier. Instead, more and more people gathered there as time went by.

Some familiar Stellar Level experts sat together in groups of two or three, while several times their number of academy test candidates gathered around them.

Thus, small circles formed, centered around the Stellar Level experts, with academy test candidates on the outside.

"The Royce Family's kid is up next." A Stellar Level expert who had been watching the flow of people spoke up.

"Heh, this good show is finally starting." Another Stellar Level expert laughed.

"Judging from how long his earlier test took, he must have received special approval to enter Zhaoguang Academy. I just don't know why Marcel eliminated him."

"That kid can kill Planetary Level beasts and even received special approval to enter Zhaoguang Academy. His Mental-Force Amplitude naturally can't be low. The question is, how many floors can he clear in the Trial Tower?"

The Stellar Level expert who had spoken first gloated, "Heh heh, if that kid gets a good result in the Trial Tower, Marcel is probably finished."

The other replied, "That's why Marcel shamelessly stepped in himself to target that kid. He's trying to salvage the situation."

"Ha, who told him to court death?"

"If it had been before, it wouldn't have mattered if he used a few tricks. But he still dared to do this at a time like this! If that isn't courting death, what is?"

"Yeah, the new Governor is about to take office. And with what happened at the United Training Camp not long ago, our days ahead probably won't be easy..."

Amid the conversations of the Stellar Level experts and the academy test candidates, it was finally Li Qi's turn to enter the testing room.

At that moment, Marcel also moved, heading toward the testing room.

A Stellar Level expert said in surprise, "Whoa! Marcel is planning to personally oversee that kid's Trial Tower assessment."

"As the chief examiner, overseeing a Trial Tower assessment is within his authority."

Another said, "But with the Virtual Universe transmitting everything in real time, he can't tamper with anything. At most, he can mess with that kid's mindset."

"Mindset is important too. If his mindset goes wrong, that kid's results will drop significantly."

"All we can do is wait outside for the results. Hopefully, that kid won't be affected."

Amid the discussions of the Stellar Level experts, Li Qi and Marcel entered the testing room one after the other.

As soon as he entered the testing room, Marcel said to the female examiner who had been handling the earlier test, "Leave the rest to me. Go get some rest first."

The female examiner nodded. "Yes, Chief Examiner Marcel."

Before leaving, she gave Li Qi a careful look. She was very curious about this kid with a Mental-Force Amplitude of twenty-three times. He had actually made two chief examiners personally oversee his tests one after the other.

After the female examiner left, Marcel looked at Li Qi with a smile. "Since I was the one who had you come back, I'll be the one overseeing your Trial Tower assessment."

Li Qi narrowed his eyes. The anger he had only just calmed flared up again. "Then thank you, Chief Examiner Marcel."

"No need. You only need to perform well." Marcel shook his head as he spoke. "After all, your father's combat talent was truly... tsk tsk!

"I hope you didn't inherit your father's talent in battle. Otherwise, the academy will certainly have one less gifted student and one more dropout!"

This bastard is really infuriating!

Li Qi's anger intensified, but he understood that the other party was provoking him, intending to disrupt his mindset and affect his Trial Tower assessment results.

I can't fall for it! Calm down! I have to stay calm!

Taking a deep breath, he forcefully suppressed his anger. He walked over to the chair connected to the Virtual Universe, sat down, and asked, "Chief Examiner Marcel, when can the Trial Tower assessment begin?"

"It can begin immediately."

Marcel smiled. "Don't be angry. I was merely giving you a friendly reminder, so that you won't repeat the same mistakes."

"Please begin the assessment!" Li Qi said through gritted teeth.

Although Li Qi's expression had changed greatly, Marcel felt that he had yet to achieve his goal.

However, he could not delay any longer. Left with no choice, he announced, "The Trial Tower assessment begins!"

After saying that, he pressed the button to begin the Trial Tower assessment, and the space began to change...