The Eyes Opened

Mo Li turned back with a haughty air and shot Jiang Yao a provocative glance.

Jiang Yao brushed past him, sighing inwardly. Having lived two lives, he naturally understood the thoughts of a teenager all too well.

As it happened, the dazzlingly talented Mo Li was a fellow countryman of Jiang Yao's, from the same planet.

The two had never gotten along. More precisely, Mo Li was the only one who had a problem with the other.

Children were more straightforward than adults, so their world was also more barefaced and cruel.

Especially among a race like the Lingtong Race, which practiced communal child-rearing. Without family ties, it was easy to imagine what kind of society would form among young people whose only relationships were with teachers and classmates.

On Earth in Jiang Yao's previous life, school bullying was widespread and brutal even in a world where power didn't belong to individuals. It was all the more so in a world where it did.

The Lingtong Race was civilized, at least. Under the teachers' supervision, people usually didn't get killed—but that was about the extent of it.

As one of the top geniuses on his planet, Jiang Yao would never become a victim of bullying. He had an adult's mindset and a worldview brought over from Earth, so naturally he wasn't a bully either.

The one who caused the most trouble was this dazzling genius, Mo Li.

Or perhaps it was precisely because he was a genius that he had the ability to bully others. If you couldn't beat someone, how could you pick on them?

A few times, Jiang Yao had been unable to stand by and had clashed with Mo Li, earning himself a grudge.

But they were both geniuses of the same caliber, and Mo Li couldn't—and didn't dare to—do anything to Jiang Yao.

Still, in Mo Li's heart, Jiang Yao already counted as a rival, even an enemy.

Jiang Yao paid no mind to Mo Li's provocation. By now, he had regained his composure. He had a cheat, sure, but after more than a decade of always being a cut above the rest, standing out from the crowd, it was impossible to say he hadn't developed a bit of a genius's pride.

Even though he knew that in the world of Swallowed Star, there were always greater geniuses, and that his location and his race were nothing more than a beginner's village, light-years away from the true top geniuses of the universe—

People were always prone to wishful thinking. How could he not wonder, If I didn't have my cheat, maybe I'd still be a genius?

Over the past decade or so, the teachers' praise and flattery alone could have gone to his head.

Now, much of that wishful thinking had faded away.

Take Mo Li, for example. Jiang Yao could never match that kind of dazzling control.

He had begun to accept the fact that, as a "village-level genius," he was merely mediocre among "town-level geniuses." Now he just wanted to find out exactly how mediocre he was.

In truth, compared with the many youths outside the arena who had already lost their composure, looked dejected, and had their "genius worldview shattered," Jiang Yao's quick acceptance wasn't because he had lived another life. It was because he had a cheat.

I'm not competing with you over talent.

So all the spectators saw was Jiang Yao, calm and seemingly quite capable, quietly earning a low score of "particles."

He had done only slightly better than Kedu, the tall youth who had gone first and been hyped up by the "top students" before crashing and burning.

Compared with the average of fifty thousand particles, his score was far behind. Among the more than forty candidates who had taken the test so far, he ranked thirty-seventh.

"After seeing how aloof he was on the ship, ignoring everyone, I thought he'd be amazing. And this is it?"

"Mo Li, didn't you say he came from the same planet as you? It must've been hard on you to be considered his equal all these years."

"He always acts like he looks down on everyone, but he's nothing special."

Mo Li had given the most impressive performance in the first round, and several youths had gathered around him. As Mo Li sneered, they discussed Jiang Yao without the slightest restraint.

Even with his cheat to rely on, Jiang Yao—who thought himself unflappable—could only cry foul at these slanders.

He had ignored people on the ship because he'd been talking to the Taihuan Token Envoy, trying to figure out what his cheat was capable of. How could he spare the time to socialize with a bunch of kids?

Besides, they had nothing in common.

These youths might all wield tremendous power, each of them a living nuclear weapon, but their social structure and living conditions made them more naive and immature than Earth teenagers their age.

Of course, it might have been precisely because they were so naive and immature that they could keenly sense Jiang Yao's subtle air of "looking down on them"—an adult's condescension toward children. And that was what the youths, still living in a world that revolved around them, found least tolerable.

Jiang Yao could only sigh helplessly at being forced to make enemies without meaning to.

Before long, the first round of testing ended.

There were sixty-three candidates in total, and Jiang Yao ranked forty-ninth. It was the first time since his transmigration that he had tasted the bitterness of placing near the bottom.

Mo Li ranked first, far ahead of the second-place candidate.

Only a few people were pleased with the results. Most looked as though the sky had fallen.

It reminded Jiang Yao of a relative's child in his previous life. The kid had always ranked first in school, but after getting into a top university, he discovered that his academic ability was only around the middle of the class. He lost heart under the pressure and took a leave of absence soon after.

A "genius worldview" could shatter in an instant—and the process was incredibly cruel.

Prose, on the other hand, looked much more relaxed. He was no longer stern and hard-edged as before; he was almost gentle. Nor did he lash out at the fragile "former geniuses" as he had on the ship.

Could it be that Prose's earlier harshness and verbal pressure were actually meant to help us geniuses accept reality early, so the fall wouldn't hurt as much? You wouldn't guess it from his rough appearance, but he's quite considerate.

Jiang Yao, a "village-level genius" facing a near-bottom ranking, still had enough headspace to ponder the behavior of this Lingtong Race powerhouse.

"The next round tests explosive power."

Prose looked at the youths, who not long ago had been fired up by news of the Peak Genius Tournament but were now entirely free of their earlier frivolity and arrogance. His voice was gentle as he continued, "Use spiritual force to control a shuttle-shaped weapon and pierce through the light screens. There are ten screens in all. The number you penetrate indicates your explosive power multiplier."

"The final ranking will be determined by the results of all three rounds. It's too early to draw conclusions now. Keep your spirits up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Kuman, standing beside him, waved his hand. Mental power formed a wall, and ten light screens rose into place.

This round didn't have nearly as large a gap between candidates as the first one. The worst managed to pierce three screens, while the best barely made it through five. Most penetrated four.

Jiang Yao pierced four screens, which was normal for a first-stage planetary-level fighter.

Three people reached five screens, and Mo Li was one of them.

After all, explosive power was also related to control. It made sense that Mo Li, whose talent for controlling spiritual force had already reached the microscopic level, could unleash a greater mental power amplitude.

"This batch has quite a few promising youngsters."

"Mm, especially that Mo Li. If he trains in a mental power amplitude secret art, he'll probably reach the first level very quickly. With proper cultivation, he might be able to use the Lone Star Disk in three years. Maybe he'll even make it into the Middle Dormitory after his first tournament."

"That will depend on the final test of willpower. If his willpower meets the standard, he could stand alongside Nan Ying. He's the most outstanding genius we've seen in nearly a decade."

Several assistant examiners standing beside Kuman began chatting in low voices, but neither Kuman nor Prose joined in.

The youths who had already completed the test listened to the examiners' conversation. Most of them had yet to learn the art of concealing their feelings, and their expressions were as varied as a palette of paint.

Some were conceited, some gloomy, and some unconvinced.

Mo Li, who had been praised, was conceited, but he also felt a little dissatisfied. Even the slightest doubt could grate on a genius. After taking the top spot in both rounds, he naturally didn't think there was any room to question his talent. He was even more eager for the final test of willpower.

Jiang Yao, on the other hand, had once again realized just how utterly ordinary his talent was. He'd given up on caring about the third test and decided to let the chips fall where they may.

Prose ignored both the assistant examiners' discussion and the youths' reactions to it, seemingly unconcerned.

The strong had to be able to withstand both slander and praise. Every genius had to go through this.

"The final test concerns willpower. Willpower can indeed be trained after birth, but there are no secret techniques to increase it, nor any reliable method with a clear path. As far as I know, even illusions have only a limited effect on strengthening the will."

Prose's voice rose. "Pain is actually the best aid in tempering your will. If you ever reach the stellar level, you'll understand what I mean. Since it's so difficult to strengthen your will after birth, innate willpower is equally important."

"The faster you wake up, the stronger your willpower. The longer you remain trapped, the weaker your will!"

Just as everyone was baffled by Prose's words, Kuman, the chief examiner, smiled for the first time since the testing began. Then—

He opened his eyes!