The commotion caused by the strength test continued to spread across the plaza for nearly the length of an incense stick.
After Lin Fan returned to the Waiting Area, he could clearly feel the complicated gazes around him—reverence, curiosity, jealousy, suspicion... All kinds of emotions intertwined into an invisible web, separating him from the other candidates.
Aside from Chen Dahu, who pushed his way over and slapped Lin Fan hard on the shoulder, too excited to speak coherently, no one else approached him.
Even the noble youths who had originally been chatting and laughing in groups of three or five had now reined in their smiles. Every so often, they cast scrutinizing glances toward the corner where Lin Fan stood.
"Brother, you were amazing just now!" Lin Xiaoyu waved frantically from the spectator area, her little face flushed with excitement.
Lin Fan nodded at his sister, signaling for her to sit quietly.
He didn't like being the center of attention, but since he had chosen this path, there was no way he could keep a low profile.
"Silence!"
On the high platform, Liu Batian's voice rang out again, drowning out the commotion below.
"The first test is now over. There were 3,271 candidates, of whom 1,043 passed and 2,228 were eliminated."
The figure made many people draw in a sharp breath.
Nearly seventy percent had been eliminated in the very first round! In previous years, the figure was usually around fifty percent.
"Those who passed may rest where they are for the length of an incense stick and prepare for the second round: the speed test." Liu Batian paused, his gaze sweeping over the passing candidates. "A reminder: the Gale Formation in the speed test will automatically adjust the wind resistance according to the strength of whoever enters it. The stronger you are, the greater the resistance. So don't think you can breeze through by hiding your strength—the formation knows you better than you know yourself."
The expressions of some candidates who had planned to hold back their strength for the combat round shifted at his words.
Lin Fan's eyes, however, lit up.
It adjusts the resistance according to your strength? That's just what I need!
He had been worried there'd be no way to test the limits of his speed.
The incense stick's length of time passed quickly.
The staff began guiding the candidates who had passed to the speed-testing area on the west side of the plaza.
Ten identical formations had already been set up there. Each one was about a hundred meters long and five meters wide, bordered on both sides by white stone pillars carved with complex teal formation patterns. A Timing Stele stood at each entrance, and a Bronze Gong at each exit.
"The rules for the second round are simple." The examiner in charge of the speed test was a lean, middle-aged woman with a crisp, clear voice. "Enter the Gale Formation and reach the finish line as quickly as you can. Then strike the gong. The formation will automatically record your time."
She pointed inside the formation. "The Gale Formation has three sections. The first thirty meters are the Light Wind Zone, where resistance is about twice that of normal air. The middle forty meters are the Strong Wind Zone, where resistance is about five times greater. The last thirty meters are the Hurricane Zone, where resistance can reach as much as ten times normal."
"Remember, you may not use any assistance other than movement techniques inside the formation. Anyone who breaks this rule will be disqualified. Now, first group, numbers one to ten, enter the formations!"
Ten candidates headed for their respective formation entrances, every one of them looking solemn.
"Begin!"
At the command, all ten charged into the formations at once.
The moment they entered, their speed dropped noticeably, as if they had suddenly jumped into water and every movement met invisible resistance.
The first thirty meters weren't too bad; most of them could still maintain a running posture. But once they entered the middle section, the Strong Wind Zone, the differences between them began to widen.
Some stumbled as the wind buffeted them. Some bent low to lower their centers of gravity. A few even crawled forward on their hands and feet.
By the time they reached the last thirty meters, the Hurricane Zone, the scene was even more chaotic. The wind howled, and visible teal currents churned inside the formations. Several candidates were blown backward outright, unable to push through no matter how hard they tried.
Time ticked by, second by second.
"Clang!" "Clang!" "Clang!"
One after another, candidates struck the gongs.
The results appeared on the Timing Steles:
No. 7: 18.7 seconds (failed)
No. 3: 16.2 seconds (failed)
No. 9: 14.8 seconds (passed)
Of the ten candidates in the first group, only three had passed! And even the best time was just 14.1 seconds, barely under the limit.
A wave of sighs rose from the Viewing Platform.
"This is... way too ridiculous."
"Last year, sixty percent passed the second round. This year, it looks like even thirty percent is a long shot."
"I heard it's because the Demonic Beasts are getting stronger. The academy wants to raise the standards..."
The candidates' expressions grew even more somber.
The second group, the third group... The tests continued.
The pass rate was indeed pitifully low. On average, only two or three people passed in each group. Most times hovered between fourteen and thirteen seconds; only a handful managed to break thirteen.
That was how things went until the twenty-first group.
"Candidate No. 203, Wang Hao. Enter Formation No. 3!"
Wang Hao straightened his collar and strode toward the formation entrance with his chin raised. As he passed Lin Fan, he sneered. "Watch closely, loser. I'll show you what real speed looks like."
Lin Fan ignored him.
Wang Hao stopped at the entrance and took a deep breath. A faint teal glow suddenly appeared beneath his feet.
"Huh? Is that... the mortal-grade superior movement technique, Azure Shadow Steps?" one knowledgeable candidate whispered.
"The Wang Family really doesn't spare any expense!"
"With a movement technique backing him up, he shouldn't have much trouble passing..."
The judge glanced at Wang Hao but said nothing. Movement techniques were allowed.
"Begin!"
Wang Hao moved.
His figure turned into a streak of teal light and shot into the formation!
The first thirty meters were as easy as walking on level ground. He was barely affected by the wind resistance.
His speed dropped slightly in the middle forty meters, but he was still far faster than every candidate before him.
When he reached the final thirty meters, the Hurricane Zone, the teal light around Wang Hao flared brilliantly, and he forcibly tore a path through the gale!
"Clang—!"
The gong rang.
The Timing Stele flickered, then settled on a final result:
"11.3 seconds!"
The whole plaza erupted!
"11.3 seconds! Nearly four seconds faster than the passing mark!"
"That speed... He's already close to the limits of a 1st Grade Martial Trainee, isn't he?"
"No wonder he's Wang Hao. He lost the strength test to that Lin Fan, but at least he's made up for it in the second round."
Wang Hao emerged from the formation, panting heavily, his face a little pale. That burst of speed had clearly taken a lot out of him. But when he looked at Lin Fan, his eyes were full of smug triumph.
Lin Fan remained expressionless.
11.3 seconds? Not bad.
But what interested him more was that the formation adjusted its wind resistance according to the entrant's strength. The stronger Wang Hao had appeared, the greater the resistance the formation should have given him...
As he pondered this, a candidate named Liu Feng caught people's attention during the next group's test.
He didn't use any obvious movement technique, but his steps were exceptionally steady. He actually made it through the Hurricane Zone by steadily bracing against the wind pressure, finishing in 11.8 seconds.
Right after him, a girl named Li Yue was even more astonishing. Her figure drifted like willow catkins in the wind, and the resistance seemed to barely affect her. She finished in an astounding 10.9 seconds, the fastest time so far.
"The Li Family's Willow Catkin Movement Technique really lives up to its reputation," one examiner praised softly.
The tests continued.
The pass rate remained dismal. Breaking twelve seconds was considered excellent, and those who broke eleven seconds were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
Lin Fan silently watched every candidate's performance, calculating his own strategy.
His Basic Footwork had already reached Mastery Level, giving him a twenty percent speed boost. Add to that the results of his weighted training over the past few days, as well as his use of Spiral Force to improve his force-generation technique...
He estimated that his speed should be around ten seconds.
But the exact time would depend on how much wind resistance the formation gave him.
"Group 49, candidates 481 to 490. Enter the formations!"
At last, it was Lin Fan's group.
He walked toward the entrance of Formation No. 7.
In an instant, nearly every gaze in the plaza focused on him. How would the monster who had displayed two thousand jin of strength in the first round do in the speed test?
On the Viewing Platform, Lin Xiaoyu nervously clenched her little hands.
In the crowd, Old Man Li narrowed his eyes.
Off to the side of the high platform, a young instructor wearing Gold-rimmed Glasses—Teacher Zhang—had appeared at some point. He quietly watched Formation No. 7.
Wang Hao stared intently at Lin Fan, muttering, "Keep pretending... I'll see how you get through this round!"
Lin Fan stopped at the entrance. He didn't strike a flashy pose like Wang Hao. He simply bent his knees slightly, leaned forward, and assumed an ordinary starting stance.
"Begin!"
The command fell.
Lin Fan pushed off with his right foot and shot forward like an arrow released from its bow!
There was no glow, no special effect—just the simplest kind of running.
But the very next moment—
"Whoosh—!!!"
The wind inside Gale Formation No. 7 abruptly intensified! Teal currents surged in from every direction, filling the formation in an instant and forming a visible whirlwind!
"What's going on? Why's the formation reacting so strongly?!"
"He's only just started!"
Even the judge was stunned. It was true that the formation adjusted the wind resistance according to the entrant's strength, but usually the resistance only began to intensify in the middle section. It was exceedingly rare for the formation to go all-out from the start!
There was only one explanation: the formation had judged that the entrant's strength required it to suppress him with full force for the entire course!
Inside the formation, Lin Fan felt resistance unlike anything he had experienced before.
In the first thirty meters of the Light Wind Zone, the wind resistance was already as strong as the Hurricane Zone had been for the candidates before him! Every step forward felt like trudging through a swamp.
But he didn't slow down.
He put his Basic Footwork into full operation, placing every step precisely where it took the least effort. His leg muscles tensed, relaxed, then tensed again, weaving Spiral Force's force-generation technique into his running rhythm.
Thirty meters passed in the blink of an eye.
As he entered the middle section, the Strong Wind Zone, the resistance surged once more!
The gale cut like a blade across his skin; the currents wound around his limbs like chains. An ordinary candidate would probably have been barely able to move by now.
Lin Fan's speed did slow.
But he didn't stop.
In his mind, the proficiency for Basic Footwork on the Status Panel was climbing rapidly:
[Basic Footwork proficiency +1] [Basic Footwork proficiency +1] [Basic Footwork proficiency +1]...
Every struggle against the wind, every adjustment to his steps, increased his proficiency!
The feeling was... just like fighting an invisible opponent!
Lin Fan's eyes lit up.
He stopped focusing solely on speed and began experimenting with different ways to generate force, different breathing rhythms, and different body postures.
Outside the formation, everyone stared in astonishment.
"What's he doing? Why does he keep speeding up and slowing down?"
"It looks like... he's adapting to the wind resistance?"
"Are you kidding? The wind resistance in the Gale Formation keeps changing. How could anyone adapt to it?"
But Lin Fan was adapting.
Using the proficiency gains shown on the Status Panel as feedback, he kept making tiny adjustments to his movements, searching for the best way to counter this unusual resistance.
He took longer than expected to cross the forty-meter middle section.
But by the time he stepped into the final thirty meters, the Hurricane Zone, his movements had become smooth and coordinated.
The gale howled, and the teal currents seemed almost solid.
Lin Fan took a deep breath and pushed Basic Breathing Technique to its limit. His vital energy surged through his body and poured into his legs.
Then he did something that made everyone's eyes widen—
He closed his eyes.
"He's lost his mind?! He closed his eyes in the Hurricane Zone?"
"Has he given up?"
But the very next moment, Lin Fan moved.
His figure suddenly blurred, his rhythm turning strange and unpredictable. At times he surged forward; at others he slid sideways, and sometimes he even retreated briefly.
Yet every time he moved, he precisely avoided the areas of strongest wind pressure, stepping into the gaps where the currents were relatively calm.
"This is..." Liu Batian's pupils contracted on the high platform.
Off to the side, Teacher Zhang pushed up his glasses and murmured to himself, "It's not a movement technique... It's pure combat instinct and control over his body. This kid..."
Inside the formation, Lin Fan felt himself enter a wondrous state.
Although his eyes were closed, he could sense the airflow against his skin, feel the ground through his steps, and distinguish the wind by its sound. The distribution of wind pressure throughout the formation took shape in his mind as a three-dimensional image.
Where the wind was strong, where it was weak, where the vortex centers lay, where the currents opened into gaps...
It was all perfectly clear to him.
His speed grew faster and faster.
By the final ten meters, he was almost weaving through the gale, leaving a blur in his wake!
"Clang—!!!"
The gong was struck with a heavy blow!
Its ringing echoed across the entire plaza.
Everyone's gaze instantly converged on the Timing Stele for Formation No. 7.
The light flickered, and the numbers shifted:
9.2 seconds, 9.3 seconds,
9.4 seconds...
The time finally stopped—
"9.7 seconds!!!"
Dead silence.
A silence more complete than after the first round.
9.7 seconds.
5.3 seconds faster than the qualifying time.
1.6 seconds faster than Wang Hao.
1.2 seconds faster than Li Yue.
And he'd achieved that time with the formation suppressing him at full strength the entire way!
What would his time have been if the formation had been running at normal strength? Eight seconds? Seven?
No one dared imagine it.
Lin Fan slowly walked out of the formation, breathing slightly hard, sweat beading at his temples.
He opened his eyes, looked at the time on the Timing Stele, and nodded with satisfaction.
That result basically reflected his true speed at present. And during that run, his [Basic Footwork] proficiency had increased by nearly two hundred points—a very fruitful haul.
"C-candidate Lin Fan, your result is valid." The judge's voice sounded a little hoarse.
The Viewing Platform erupted in deafening cheers!
"Big brother!!" Lin Xiaoyu jumped up and waved, laughing so hard that tears streamed down her face.
In the crowd, Old Man Li stroked his beard, grinning from ear to ear. "Good lad. I knew I was right about you."
Teacher Zhang gave Lin Fan a long, deep look, then turned and left the side of the raised platform, apparently to report something.
Wang Hao's face had gone from livid to deathly pale.
9.7 seconds... That number was like a heavy hammer, smashing all his pride to pieces.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, drawing thin beads of blood.
"Lin Fan..." he snarled through gritted teeth. "The third round... I'll kill you!"
The other candidates in the qualifying area no longer looked at Lin Fan with mere awe. There was a hint of fear in their eyes now.
Was he really a 1st Grade Martial Trainee? Could some old monster have disguised himself just to have a little fun?
Lin Fan ignored every stare, returned to the rest area, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
The second round was over.
But his thoughts had already flown ahead to the third round.
The practical test... a puppet at the early 2nd Grade.
And Wang Hao would definitely try to sabotage it.
He opened his eyes and looked toward the black huts at the back of the testing area, his gaze gradually sharpening.
Come on.
Let's see what tricks you've got.
Before you continue