Self-Selected Entries

System Log updated.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough to Third-Rank Innate Martial Artist."

"You have received one free trait selection opportunity."

Jiang Yan opened his eyes, a sharp glint of gold flashing through them.

Boom!

The entire room was swept into a merciless storm, instantly reduced to dust amidst boundless sharpness.

Jiang Yan stood on the bare ground, finally realizing what he had done.

"I broke through?"

That state just now had been so profound and mysterious that Jiang Yan had no memory of it at all.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes, quietly sensing a stream of gold flowing through every limb and bone in his body.

He extended a hand, and a small golden vortex appeared at his fingertip.

It was like a sharp blade, yet also like a sturdy wall.

From it, Jiang Yan sensed both destruction and resilience.

"So contradictory... is it ruin... or protection?" Jiang Yan pondered, utterly baffled.

"Why must it both destroy and protect? What am I supposed to destroy, and what am I supposed to protect?"

Jiang Yan had never heard of a qi that could influence its master's mind upon absorption, yet this golden qi had done exactly that.

It was truly baffling.

Unable to make sense of it, Jiang Yan stopped overthinking. Seeing its golden hue, he named it Geng Metal Mother Qi.

Just then, the broadcast sounded again.

"First round test concluded. Number of advancing candidates this round: 5,000,000."

Of the ten million examinees who had come, only half remained.

The brutal elimination was far from over.

"All examinees, please rest for two hours. After two hours, the second round of the exam will begin."

Those who had failed to reach the summit within the time limit wore pained expressions.

"Aaaah, I was just two steps away! Two steps from the top! Give me a little more time and I would have advanced!"

"Sigh, this College Entrance Exam is inhuman. Forget it, I'll just go tighten screws for a living."

"Boo hoo hoo... I thought I could make it through the first round... boo hoo hoo..."

Sighs of regret filled the air.

But no matter how much they lamented, they had no choice but to leave.

One round eliminated half the candidates—these people didn't even have a chance to enter university. No school would look at them.

Yet reality was this cruel; no matter how hard it was to believe, they had to accept it.

The alternate space knew no day or night. Even after twelve hours, there was no sign of darkness.

During the two-hour break, Jiang Yan sat cross-legged on the ground, his consciousness entering the Divine Martial Space.

Outside, the livestream resumed, and Jiang Yan's figure reappeared in the broadcast.

After half a day of fermentation in the outside world, Jiang Yan's reputation was now known to most people.

As soon as the stream resumed, the viewer count quickly climbed past one hundred thousand, with the actual number reaching millions.

The barrage flew across the screen at lightning speed, everyone discussing Jiang Yan's feats.

Not just residents of Linjiang City, but people from other places had also found Jiang Yan's stream via the number 9527.

It could be said that Jiang Yan's sky-soaring technique had elevated his popularity above all other examinees.

: Finally, the stream's back. I've stocked up on snacks and drinks, ready to stay until the exam ends.

: True fan upstairs, but Jiang Yan's performance is indeed eye-catching. I wonder what he used to fly.

Some began discussing Jiang Yan's flight.

: I heard only a Fifth-Rank Profound Comprehension can communicate with heaven and earth and tread the air. Does that mean Jiang Yan is actually a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist?

: Don't exaggerate. How could someone just taking the College Entrance Exam already be a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist? I think Jiang Yan's talent grants him the ability to fly.

: Exactly, that's the only reasonable explanation.

: Wow, is this Jiang Yan's livestream? I saw clips online and came here.

Since the exam hadn't started yet, most viewers chatted idly about the morning's test.

Jiang Yan was alone, with no one around him, just like when he first arrived in the alternate space.

Divine Martial Space.

"You have broken through to Third-Tier Innate Martial Artist. You have earned one chance to select a trait."

"Do you wish to begin selection?"

Jiang Yan: "Yes."

The electronic screen unfolded before him, lines of text appearing in front of Jiang Yan.

Combat Module: A mechanical module will attach to your body. In battle, the more severely you are injured, the stronger your combat power becomes, up to a maximum of 200% of your original strength.

Multiple Casting: In combat, each of your attacks has a 30% chance to trigger a duplicate strike.

Immortal Firmament: Upon use, you gain three seconds of invincibility.

Divine Chant: Your singing has a powerful inspiring effect on others.

Greed's Cry: When you deal damage to an enemy, you gain 20% healing effect.

Jiang Yan looked at the five traits before him, thought for two seconds, and decisively made his choice.

"I choose Multiple Casting."

A 30% chance might seem low, but in the world of gamblers, that's 100%!

Jiang Yan firmly believed that those who smile don't have bad luck.

He kept silently reassuring himself:

"You now have 100% Multiple Casting."

"You now have 100% Multiple Casting."

"You now have 100% Multiple Casting."

Jiang Yan's eyes lit up, as if struck by sudden insight: "So I really do have 100% Multiple Casting!"

Of course, choosing Multiple Casting wasn't just because of Jiang Yan's gambler nature—there was another important reason:

Frequency.

It wasn't the low-probability Multiple Casting of skill activation; it included basic attacks. Every strike in battle would have a shadow-like duplicate copying your attack.

Multiple Casting would speed up Jiang Yan's blade frequency. Imagine the flashing blades and swords in combat—it's really cool, right?

After selecting his skill, Jiang Yan didn't linger in the Divine Martial Space. His consciousness returned to the real world.

Outside, it was still empty.

Jiang Yan didn't idle. He began to sense the Geng Metal Mother Qi within him.

He lifted the Alloy Long Blade, and Geng Metal Qi clung to the blade. An ultimate aura of offense lingered in the void.

"Not bad."

Without deliberately using Blade Momentum or any martial technique, Jiang Yan casually swung the blade.

Hum—

A piercing whine tore through the sky. A golden sword aura seemed to slice the air, producing a noise like tearing cloth. Then, the golden blade light condensed into substance, slashing forward rapidly.

The ground shattered with a thunderous roar, carving out a deep, dark gash. The cut stretched into the distance until it met a massive boulder.

The boulder split cleanly in two, and the golden blade light vanished.

"Hmm, looks like this little thing has some use."

Jiang Yan had figured out one of the functions of the Geng Metal Mother Qi.

Slaughter—ultimate destruction.

What Jiang Yan didn't know was that online, people had already started editing his daily moments into videos for views, each one gaining massive attention.

And the video of him swinging his blade was naturally among them.

Releasing a blade aura out of thin air, apparently without using any martial technique—what kind of person could do that?

Netizens began frame-by-frame analysis.

When one's strength or status reaches a certain level, even a fart draws widespread public attention—just like the celebrities from Jiang Yan's previous life.

Jiang Yan didn't understand or care much about this. He waited for the next round of exams to begin.