B-level Assessment

Yang Hui led Chen Hao through the broad gates of the Training Camp.

The moment they entered, Chen Hao saw a gigantic dragon-shaped statue. The enormous black dragon stood nearly fifty meters tall, its huge eyes seeming to radiate an endless aura of darkness.

When Chen Hao looked at it, even though he had been prepared, he still involuntarily lost focus. After all, this was a difference in the level of life itself.

"Wake up." Yang Hui called Chen Hao back from the side.

"A mere sculpture scared you?" Yang Hui chuckled. "All right, I'll stop teasing you. It's perfectly normal that you were frightened. See those two eyes? They actually belonged to a real SS-class monster. After the Hall Master killed it, he left its dragon eyes here as a small warning for you geniuses. Before you've grown strong enough, always remember that there is always someone stronger."

"God of War Yang Hui, what is this ranking for?" Chen Hao asked, though he already knew the answer.

"You think entering the Elite Training Camp means you can rest easy? The competition here is far more intense than anywhere else. Your ranking determines what benefits you receive. The higher your ranking, the more resources you get. As for the bottom three, anyone who ranks among the bottom three three times in total will be eliminated immediately."

"There's no point asking so much. Go take the B-level Assessment first. Follow me, and remember not to wander around." Yang Hui gave the order before taking the lead into the Training Camp.

Chen Hao finally saw the legendary Training Camp. It truly was breathtaking, with flowers, trees, little bridges, and flowing water. Its layout was far more refined than Mingyue Community's.

Rather than villa clusters, apart from the ancient palace complexes, the Training Camp was filled with exquisitely designed pavilions. Many young men and women came and went through the area.

"See those young people? They're all official members of the Elite Training Camp. That massive nine-story tower they're heading toward is called the Nine Heavens Tower. It's where all the students study and train, and many special training rooms are there as well," Yang Hui explained as they walked.

"There are 182 students. Every year, thirty to forty students graduate, so thirty to forty new ones are recruited. Most of those slots are filled from our Extreme Martial Arts Hall's Basic Training Camp. Only one-third are recruited from elsewhere around the world."

Following Yang Hui's introduction, the two arrived before a two-story pavilion, furnished entirely in an ancient style.

"If you fail, you'll stay here tonight. Tomorrow, someone will naturally send you to the Basic Training Camp. There's no one in the Trial Tower right now, so it's the perfect time to assess you." Yang Hui then led Chen Hao toward the Nine Heavens Tower.

They encountered many people along the way. Some ignored them completely, while others watched them with curiosity.

Yang Hui took Chen Hao up in an elevator, and they soon reached the top floor of the Nine Heavens Tower. The ninth floor was a spacious hall with quite a few people inside.

Upon seeing them, most of the East Asians appeared friendly. People of other skin colors, however, did not look particularly pleased. After all, one more person meant one more competitor and fewer resources to go around.

Under God of War Yang Hui's lead, the two soon reached a room at the very back. It was not large, containing only two sofas, each with a dark blue helmet resting on it.

"These two helmets were painstakingly replicated by our human scientists. They imitate virtual-space devices, consciousness sensors excavated from ancient civilization ruins." Yang Hui picked up one helmet, looking somewhat regretful.

"Unfortunately, this is as far as we can go. As for the virtual space's mainframe, it's that ancient machine that has been sitting there for who knows how many years." As he spoke, he sat down on a sofa.

"This thing is simple. Just pick it up and put it on. The world inside is exactly like reality. Once you enter the virtual space, you'll be sent into the Trial Tower to undergo the B-level Assessment." He then put on the helmet.

Chen Hao looked curiously at the dark blue helmet. Copying Yang Hui, he reclined on the sofa and put it on his head.

The instant he put it on, his head buzzed, and he arrived upon an endless expanse of silver ground.

"It really is incredible. There's no difference from the outside world—touch, smell. Even control over this body feels no different." After trying it out, he found it convenient enough.

"Stop looking around. In this entire virtual space, the only structure you can see is that seven-story Trial Tower in the distance. That is where you'll be assessed." Yang Hui suddenly appeared beside him and began explaining.

"What entered here is your consciousness. Everyone's physical attributes are standardized: ten thousand kilograms of punching strength. What is tested here is only your combat awareness, movement technique, and force generation. Mental Power cannot be used. That puts you at the greatest disadvantage, so good luck."

Chen Hao nodded and moved his new body a little. This body differed greatly from his real one and was probably barely stronger than half of his actual strength.

He then selected the style of his combat uniform and weapons, putting on the gear.

Picking up the Blood Shadow War Blade and shield, he began moving. Streaks of blade light and afterimages flashed past as he spent several minutes familiarizing himself with them.

Once he felt there were no problems, he walked straight into the pitch-black entrance beneath the Trial Tower.

"B-level Assessment: Within thirty minutes, kill one hundred Junior Beast General Level Mang Bulls attacking you. If you die midway, you fail. If, after thirty minutes, the number of Mang Bulls killed has not reached one hundred, the assessment is deemed a failure. Since this is your first time entering the Trial Tower, you have five minutes to prepare." The electronic voice echoed across the vast grassland the moment he entered.

He did not waste any time and hurried to familiarize himself with his current body. The five minutes soon passed.

"The B-level Assessment begins." As soon as the voice fell silent, sturdy bovine monsters nearly three meters tall appeared on the grassland a hundred meters ahead—Mang Bulls, famed for their unity.

Before he could examine them closely, all one hundred Mang Bulls roared and charged at Chen Hao.

Fortunately, he had experience facing herd-type monsters. Though the ones he had faced before were not as formidable as these, he at least would not panic.

In truth, this sort of group assault posed only an average threat to him. After all, only the Mang Bull at the front could attack him at any given time.

All he needed to do was avoid being surrounded by the Mang Bulls. Otherwise, with this body's attributes, it would be difficult to evade all of their attacks completely.

Thus, just as a Mang Bull was about to catch up, his body abruptly stopped. He pushed off with his feet and immediately retreated, while the second level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Blade erupted. Double force flowed into the war blade as it swept upward across the Mang Bull's neck. A spray of blood instantly burst from its throat, and it collapsed to the ground.

Because Chen Hao had retreated, the Mang Bull did not crush him beneath its body.

Unfortunately, this was not reality. The Mang Bulls showed no emotional reaction to their companion's death.

Instead, they charged at him even more frenziedly. Chen Hao repeated the same tactic, and another Mang Bull fell beneath his blade.

Chen Hao then guided the attacking herd of Mang Bulls in slow circles. As time passed, more and more Mang Bulls were killed by him.

By then, his movement technique had become increasingly elusive. Every Mang Bull seemed to become his shield. After an unknown amount of time, every Mang Bull had fallen beneath his blade, and his motionless body heaved slightly with breath.

"Time used: thirteen minutes and forty-six seconds. One hundred Mang Bulls killed. The B-level Assessment has been passed. Congratulations, student Chen Hao." After the final Mang Bull stopped struggling, the booming electronic voice echoed through the skies above the grassland.

Thinking back on his performance, Chen Hao shook his head helplessly. It seemed he truly was not the protagonist.

When Luo Feng underwent this assessment, he had directly entered a state of enlightenment and nearly comprehended his movement technique from Subtle to Perfect.

If there had been a little more time, his movement technique might really have reached the Perfect level. Although Chen Hao had killed these Mang Bulls quickly, he had gained less than Luo Feng.