Self-Selected Entry

System Log Updated

"Congratulations, you have broken through to become a Third-Rank Innate Martial Artist."

"You have gained one opportunity to select a Trait of your choice."

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 amid endless razor-sharp currents.

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

"I broke through?"

That state just now had been profoundly mysterious, and Jiang Yan had no memory of it at all.

Jiang Yan closed his eyes and quietly sensed a streak of gold flowing through his limbs and bones.

Jiang Yan stretched out a hand, and a tiny golden vortex appeared at his fingertips.

It was like a sharp blade, yet also like an unshakable wall.

Jiang Yan sensed destruction and resilience within it.

"So contradictory. Is it ruin... or protection?" Jiang Yan could not make heads or tails of it.

"Why does it both destroy and protect? What do I want to destroy, and what do I want to protect?"

Jiang Yan had never heard of energy absorbed by someone being able to affect its master's state of mind, yet this cluster of golden energy had done exactly that.

It was truly inconceivable.

Unable to understand it, Jiang Yan stopped dwelling on it. Seeing that it was entirely golden, he named it Geng Metal Mother Qi.

At that moment, the broadcast sounded again.

"The first round of testing has concluded. Number of candidates advancing this round: 5,000,000."

Ten million examinees had arrived, but only half remained.

The brutal selection had yet to end.

"All examinees, please rest on your own for two hours. The Second Round Exam will begin in two hours."

The candidates who had failed to reach the summit within the time limit all wore expressions of pain.

"Ahhh! I was only two steps away! Just two more steps and I would have reached the top! Give me a little more time and I could have advanced!"

"Sigh, this College Entrance Exam really isn't meant for humans. Forget it, I'd better go tighten screws for a living."

"Wuwuwu... I thought I could make it through the first round... wuwuwu..."

Sighs rose without end.

But no matter how regretful they were, they had no choice but to leave.

Half the candidates had been eliminated in a single round. These people did not even have a chance to enter university; no school would take a liking to them.

But reality was this cruel. No matter how hard it was to believe, they had no choice but to accept it.

The Alternate Space had neither day nor night. Even after twelve hours had passed, there was still no sign of darkness.

Taking advantage of the two-hour break, Jiang Yan sat cross-legged on the ground and sent his consciousness into the Divine Martial Space.

Outside, the live stream returned to normal, and Jiang Yan's figure appeared in the Live Stream Room once more.

After half a day of buildup in the outside world, most people had already heard of Jiang Yan.

The moment the stream resumed, the viewer count rapidly climbed past one hundred thousand, while the actual number had already reached one million.

The barrage of comments flooded the screen as people discussed Jiang Yan's feats.

It was not just the citizens of Linjiang City. People from other places had also found Jiang Yan's Live Stream Room through his number, 9527.

It could be said that Jiang Yan's ability to fly had pushed his popularity above that of every other examinee.

:Finally, the stream is back! I've already bought snacks and drinks. I'm planning to stay in this Live Stream Room until the exam ends.

:The person above is a true fan. But Jiang Yan's performance really was eye-catching. I wonder what he used to fly.

People began discussing Jiang Yan's flight.

:I heard that only Fifth-Rank Profound Comprehension experts can communicate with heaven and earth and walk through the air. Could Jiang Yan actually be a Fifth-Rank Martial Artist?

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

:That's right. Only that explanation is reasonably plausible.

:Wow, is this Jiang Yan's Live Stream Room? I watched clips online and came over.

Since the exam had not yet begun, most viewers chatted idly in the Live Stream Room about that morning's test.

There was no one around Jiang Yan, just as there had been when he first entered the Alternate Space.

Divine Martial Space.

"You have broken through to become a Third-Tier Innate Martial Artist and have gained one opportunity to select a Trait of your choice."

"Would you like to begin selecting?"

Jiang Yan said, "Yes!"

An electronic screen unfolded before him, lines of text appearing one after another.

Combat Module: Your body will be fitted with a mechanical module. While in battle, the more severely injured you are, the stronger your combat power becomes, reaching up to 200% of its original level.

Multiple Casting: In battle, every time you attack, there is a 30% chance for it to trigger once more.

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

Divine Chant: Your singing possesses a powerful encouraging effect on others.

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

Jiang Yan looked at the five Traits before him, considered for two seconds, then decisively made his choice.

"I choose Multiple Casting."

A 30% probability might seem low, but in a gambler's world, it was 100%!

Jiang Yan firmly believed that people who loved to smile would not have terrible luck.

He kept suggesting to himself:

"You now have a 100% chance of Multiple Casting."

"You now have a 100% chance of Multiple Casting."

"You now have a 100% chance of Multiple Casting."

Jiang Yan's eyes lit up, as though he had suddenly grasped something. "So I have a 100% chance of Multiple Casting!"

Of course, Jiang Yan had chosen Multiple Casting not merely because of his gambler nature. There was another important reason—

Frequency.

This was not the low-probability Multiple Casting of skill releases. It included ordinary attacks as well. Every attack you made in battle would have something like a shadow Copy your attack.

Multiple Casting would increase the frequency of Jiang Yan's blade strikes. Just imagine the flashing blades and flying swords in battle—it was seriously cool, alright?

After choosing his skill, Jiang Yan did not linger in the Divine Martial Space. His consciousness returned to the real world.

Outside, there was still no one in sight.

Jiang Yan did not idle around. He began to comprehend the Geng Metal Mother Qi within his body.

He raised the Alloy Long Blade, and Geng Metal Qi clung to its blade. An ultimate intent of slaughter and conquest lingered in the air.

"Not bad."

Jiang Yan did not deliberately invoke Blade Momentum, nor did he use any martial technique. He casually swung his blade.

Hummm—

A piercing cry rang out in the sky. Golden Sword Qi sliced through the air as though it would cut the atmosphere apart, producing a noise like torn cloth. Immediately afterward, the golden blade light condensed into substance and slashed swiftly forward.

The ground shattered with a thunderous boom, splitting open into a deep ravine that extended into the distance until it connected with a massive boulder.

The massive boulder split into two smooth halves, and the golden blade light vanished with it.

"Hmm, looks like this little thing is somewhat useful."

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

Slaughter and conquest—ultimate destruction.

What Jiang Yan did not know was that people online had already begun clipping his daily activities into videos for traffic. Every video received an astonishing amount of attention.

Naturally, the footage of him swinging his blade was among them.

Releasing blade qi out of thin air, and seemingly without using any martial technique at all—what kind of person could accomplish something like that?

Netizens began analyzing it frame by frame.

When someone's strength or status reached a certain level, even letting out a fart would draw the attention of the whole society, just like those celebrities from Jiang Yan's previous life.

Jiang Yan neither understood nor particularly cared about any of this. He simply waited for the next round of the exam to begin.