Taking Control

"...The strength of your Spiritual Force talent will determine how far you can go on the path to becoming a powerhouse. Your evaluation will determine your grade, which is the main standard for allocating cultivation resources.

"The evaluation for Spirit Readers in my Lingtong Race examines three areas. The first is control, the second is explosive power, and the third is willpower."

Although Prose's eyes were closed, Jiang Yao could still feel an intangible gaze sweeping over the youths, some nervous and some excited.

Willpower again?

Jiang Yao silently repeated the word. He remembered that in the original story, willpower only seemed to receive serious attention once someone reached a fairly high level. What made the Earth Humans, created single-handedly by Mountain Sitting Guest, so highly valued by human leaders like the Chaos City Lord was their willpower.

He hadn't expected this Lingtong Race, which he'd never heard of in the original story, to place such importance on willpower, too.

The pig inside the Taihuan Token was currently sprawled on its back on a conjured bed, belly up, lazily lounging. It held a glass of orange drink in one hoof, its voice languid.

"It must be related to the so-called Bloodline Divine Ability, 'Lingtong,' that members of the Lingtong Race awaken when they reach the Planetary Level."

Jiang Yao said irritably, "I know that, of course. Do you really need to tell me?"

Among the countless bloodline races of the Human Race, plenty had names derived from their Bloodline Divine Abilities or Innate Secret Techniques. The abilities and secret techniques possessed by such races were always exceptional in some way.

If a Spirit Reader's talent and willpower could significantly affect a Bloodline Divine Ability like "Lingtong," then the race's seemingly excessive favoritism toward Spirit Readers made perfect sense.

It was better to master one thing than to dabble in a hundred. For a weak race with a low Life Gene Level, making the most of its strengths was the most worthwhile choice. After all, resources were limited, and fairness had never been part of this world's rules.

With his hands behind his back, Prose surveyed the dozens of excited, nervous youths in the center of the vast training ground. He sighed inwardly, but his tone remained stern. "Based on these three talent evaluations, you will be divided into three grades. Those with top-grade talent will receive 12 Muya Crystals, three uses of a Grade A Nutrient Pod, and one liter of Sangshi Liquid from the clan over the next year!"

"Those with mid-grade talent will receive six Muya Crystals and one use of a Grade A Nutrient Pod from the clan over the next year!"

"Those with low-grade talent will receive three Muya Crystals from the clan over the next year."

"However, this only determines the resources you'll receive over the next year. The clan won't write you off permanently. Your grade will be reassessed every year. As long as you perform well, you'll have a chance to turn things around, until your three-year protection period ends.

"After three years, you'll have to compete with more than a thousand other young talents. They came here years, or even over a decade, before you. Even if you rank first among the dozens who arrived with you, you could still end up in the Lower Dormitory.

"After twenty years, only the geniuses who make it into the Upper Dormitory will continue to receive the clan's support. Everyone in the Middle Dormitory and Lower Dormitory will be eliminated. At that point, it'll be up to you whether to accept a job assigned by the clan or venture out on your own. But those who are eliminated will never receive any more free resources from the clan.

"Of course, the positions assigned by the clan will also take your performance in the Middle Dormitory and Lower Dormitory into account."

Listening to Prose's explanation, Jiang Yao couldn't help but marvel. As expected, this was a system where talent determined everything.

Every year, dozens—or sometimes over a hundred—newcomers entered the Starry Sky Building. In twenty years, there would naturally be at least a thousand of them. How could three years of cultivation compare with those who'd been training for more than a decade?

The evaluations tested talent. Resource allocation depended on talent. Even the competition itself was really a way of selecting for talent.

As for hard work and perseverance? Ha. A training system like this didn't lack geniuses, so it certainly didn't lack hardworking geniuses either.

Once their protection period ended, how could even the most talented dare slack off when competing against more than a thousand people?

It was only because you had 1% talent that you'd be given the chance to work 99% harder.

So, how talented was this body of his?

No wonder the youths were eager to prove themselves. Even Jiang Yao, with a soul more than forty years old, felt his blood stirring.

All the geniuses present had risen to the top of their respective planets. They were used to this kind of competition, and used to winning. The very thought of losing had been shoved into a cramped corner of their minds. Competing to prove they were geniuses was addictive, and that was what excited them.

But most of these geniuses were destined to stumble in this competition.

Jiang Yao struggled to use reason to rein in the arrogance he'd developed over the past decade or so from being called a genius. He waited for the first evaluation to begin.

The first evaluation tested control over Spiritual Force.

A wall suddenly filled with countless holes. For one minute, iron pellets the size of bullets would shoot out of them at tremendous speed. The candidates had to use their Spiritual Force to control four throwing knives forged from B3-grade Red Steel, blocking or even destroying the pellets.

Their scores were based on the number of iron pellets left intact.

The fewer intact pellets, the better the score, of course. The more intact pellets, the fewer the knives had destroyed, and the worse the score.

"First up, Kedu." It wasn't Prose who spoke, but Kuman, the blond young man presiding over the evaluation.

The tall youth Kedu walked to the center of the training ground, his face a mix of nervousness, excitement, and self-assurance. With a faint ring, four blood-red Red Steel knives, thin as cicada wings, floated into the air and vibrated rapidly.

The youths burst into another round of excited whispers.

"Damn, has he mastered the Zhouhui Heavenly Blade?"

"He always seemed so quiet. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Has Mo Li mastered it, too?"

"Hey, what's the big deal? Didn't you say on the ship that you'd mastered it, too?"

Listening to the youths chatter, Jiang Yao felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

The Zhouhui Heavenly Blade was an Apprentice Level Spiritual Force knife technique they'd been taught at school. Although it was classified as Apprentice Level, it wasn't outdated even at the Planetary Level, especially once you reached the seventh and highest level.

It was considered the hardest Spiritual Force technique in the Lingtong Race's curriculum. But everyone present was one of the top geniuses at their school, and most had actually reached the seventh level. Jiang Yao had mastered it himself.

The way they were talking now was just like the humblebragging of top students before and after exams back at school, before Jiang Yao had crossed over.

The illusory blades vanished. A minute had passed, leaving the ground and the opposite wall covered in iron pellets, fragments, and bullet holes.

There was no need to count the score one pellet at a time. Kuman swept his Spiritual Force over them, his expression unchanged, not showing the slightest reaction. He said coldly, "..."

He was referring, of course, to the number of intact iron pellets.

The tall youth stepped aside, somewhat apprehensive. After all, he had no idea whether his score was good or bad. Without comparisons, there was no way to judge. Prose, Kuman, and the others in charge of the evaluation remained expressionless as well.

As one genius after another finished the evaluation, the standards for good and bad scores gradually became clear.

The tall youth Kedu, the first to go, whom everyone had praised with "Damn, has he mastered the Zhouhui Heavenly Blade?" and "He always seemed so quiet. You really can't judge a book by its cover," had somehow ended up near the bottom.

The average score was around 50,000, and the best score was still under 40,000.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere, which had originally been filled with nervousness, excitement, and anticipation, had completely dissipated.

Most of them—even those who'd scored around average—looked terribly grim. Some were even dejected.

Apparently, this was the first time most of these proud young geniuses had ever found themselves inferior to their peers.

Yet a few of them were even more excited.

"Next, Mo Li."

This youth called Mo Li was one of them.

Mo Li walked to the center of the training ground. When the four knives began to move, the entire arena fell silent.

Even Prose let out an interested little exclamation. Only Kuman remained expressionless.

The brief minute passed. Kuman, the blond young man, calmly announced the number:

"9,237."

Are you sure you didn't leave off a zero?

"Th-that's... outrageous."

"Didn't we all learn the same Spiritual Force technique?"

"No way... No way..."

Prose clapped softly, cutting through the commotion in the training ground. "Excellent. Now that is what I call control."

Jiang Yao couldn't keep his composure any longer. He couldn't hide his astonishment.

Mo Li's evaluation had been a dazzling performance. The only word for his control over Spiritual Force was "microscopic."

One extra bit of force would be wasted; one bit less wouldn't be enough.

The knives had even used just the right amount of force and the perfect angle to deflect the pellets, changing their trajectories. The redirected pellets collided with others, setting off even more complicated chain reactions.

Jiang Yao could tell that Mo Li's Spiritual Force wasn't stronger than anyone else's. It was at the normal first level of the Planetary Level. But his control was truly astonishing.

"Next, Jiang Yao."

Kuman wasn't affected in the slightest by Mo Li's stunning performance. He announced the next candidate's name.