Hiding One's Talent

Outside the platform, Snow, who had been observing the entire process, revealed a look of barely concealed shock for the first time. He could see clearly that Qin Zhao had an almost instinctive rapport with the use of his domain—his precise grasp of timing, power, and domain control was something no ordinary genius who had just comprehended a domain could possess!

"First round passed. Evaluation: Excellent." The cold voice announced the result, paused briefly, then sounded again: "Second round of assessment, begin!"

Light converged, and a second Crystal Man appeared, identical in appearance to the previous one, but the domain fluctuations radiating from its body had suddenly surged to a higher level!

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"I will now display a Second-Level Domain." The Crystal Man's voice remained cold, but the pressure it brought was now incomparable.

"Boom!"

A denser, dark yellow domain expanded outward, reaching a range of eighty meters! The gravitational binding effect within the domain doubled, and faint Earth and Stone Phantoms began to coalesce and drift within it, greatly enhancing the domain's oppressive force and tangible attack power.

The Crystal Man stepped forward and charged, its speed nearly double that of the first round! It swung its battle blade, no longer a simple straight slash. As the blade light flickered, it drew upon the Earth and Stone Phantoms within the domain, transforming them into several solid Yellow Earth Blade Qi that, alongside the blade itself, struck at Qin Zhao from different directions, sealing off all his escape routes!

Faced with this explosively powerful attack, Qin Zhao's face appropriately showed a hint of "gravity." He once again unfolded his own First-Level Domain.

"Hum!"

This time, under the pressure of the opponent's Second-Level Domain, his domain was compressed to a mere thirty meters in range, and its light appeared somewhat "flickering," like a candle in the wind. To an outsider, this was entirely the normal performance of a domain being suppressed by a higher level.

"I'll have to tough it out!" Qin Zhao "shouted" softly, as if making a difficult decision. Gripping his blade with both hands, he did not retreat but advanced instead, actively charging into the stronger region of the opponent's domain!

He executed his movement technique, narrowly dodging the two most ferocious Yellow Earth Blade Qi by a hair's breadth, and swung his thick-backed battle blade in a heavy arc to meet the Crystal Man's own incoming slash!

"Clang--!!"

A deafening clash of metal rang out! This time, Qin Zhao's body shuddered violently, his tiger's mouth went numb, and he stumbled back "stomp stomp stomp" seven or eight steps before barely stabilizing himself. A flush of red "appeared" on his face, as if he had suffered a slight loss.

However, his gaze remained sharp, fixed on his opponent. Though the Crystal Man had gained the upper hand with that strike, it too was momentarily halted by the recoil.

"Good opportunity!" A "gleam of light" flashed in Qin Zhao's eyes, as if he had seized a tiny gap in the opponent's attack rhythm. He no longer fought head-on. Instead, his form moved like a fish weaving through the opponent's domain. Though his steps seemed somewhat "heavy," he always managed to evade fatal attacks at the critical moment.

He no longer sought a single decisive blow but used his seemingly "weak" domain to execute precise defense and evasion. Occasionally, he would counterattack, but only to strike where the enemy had to defend, forcing it to pull back and disrupting its attack rhythm.

To an outsider, his fighting style appeared to rely entirely on superb combat awareness and precise domain micro-management to compensate for the gap in domain levels! He was utilizing every ounce of power from his First-Level Domain to its utmost! Snow, watching from the side, couldn't help but nod inwardly. This kid not only had extraordinary comprehension but also outstanding combat wisdom! He knew how to play to his strengths and avoid weaknesses, seeking victory even from a disadvantageous position!

The skirmish lasted about three minutes. Unable to break through for a long time, the Crystal Man's attacks began to show a hint of impatience. Just as it landed another heavy blow that missed, its strength expended—

"Now!" Qin Zhao's long-suppressed aura suddenly exploded! He stomped hard on the ground, a seemingly simple move that subtly resonated with the Pulse of the Earth, instantly boosting his speed! He and his blade nearly merged into one, transforming into a condensed Yellow Earth Light. Instead of a head-on clash, he struck at a tricky angle, thrusting straight at the Crystal Man's exposed chest opening left by its full-power attack!

This strike was fast, precise, and ruthless! It perfectly combined timing, speed, and power!

"Pfft!"

The Crystal Man couldn't defend in time. The battle blade precisely slashed into its energy core! Its body stiffened, the light in its eyes rapidly dimmed, and then it collapsed into a shower of light particles.

Second round, defeating a Second-Level Domain opponent across levels! Though the process looked "difficult," the result was beyond doubt!

"Second round passed. Evaluation: Outstanding." The assessment system's voice seemed to carry a faint, almost imperceptible tremor.

A satisfied smile had already appeared on Snow's face. A Planet Level first-stage, First-Level Domain martial artist defeating a Second-Level Domain virtual martial artist across levels—this level of combat ability was an extremely brilliant performance even in the history of the Glacier Sacred Land!

"Third round of assessment, begin!"

The third Crystal Man coalesced. The moment it appeared, a suffocating, heavy pressure spread out! The dark yellow light swirling around it was almost solid, as if mountain and river phantoms were drifting behind it!

"Planet Level first-stage, Third-Level Domain." The Crystal Man spoke, its voice carrying a deep resonance.

"Boom!!!"

The powerful Third-Level Domain swept across the entire platform like a tsunami! Qin Zhao's "First-Level Domain" was compressed to barely skin-tight protection upon contact, its light dim and on the verge of collapse. The terrifying gravitational binding made him feel as if a great mountain was weighing on his back, his movements becoming extremely sluggish.

The Crystal Man moved. It used no flashy techniques, just a simple horizontal slash. But this single slash drew upon the full power of the entire Third-Level Domain! Where the blade passed, space twisted, and a condensed Yellow Earth Blade Aura, like a chasm tearing the earth apart, crushed toward Qin Zhao! Speed, power, and momentum—all were overwhelmingly superior!

Qin Zhao's face showed an expression of "extreme gravity" and "struggling effort." He pushed his "domain" to its limit, trying to resist the omnipresent pressure, raised his battle blade horizontally to block, and frantically poured in his Origin Power!

"Boom--!!!"

No contest! The moment of contact, Qin Zhao's defense was torn apart like paper! His battle blade was sent flying from his hands, and his body was struck head-on by the terrifying Blade Aura. His protective Origin Power instantly collapsed, and his dark yellow battle suit shattered inch by inch! His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the edge of the platform. He struggled twice but ultimately failed to get back up.

"Assessment concluded. Third round, failed. Comprehensive evaluation: Super Grade!" The system's voice finally announced.

A flash of light, and Qin Zhao reappeared in the Glacier Sacred Land recruitment hall. The "injuries" on his body had vanished, and his condition was fully restored. His expression was calm, as if the "hard-fought battle" just now had left no impact on him at all.

The surroundings were dead silent. All the staff, including the Gray-Clothed Youth, were waiting for the final result of Qin Zhao's assessment. After all, this was a monster who had comprehended a domain at Planet Level first-stage—everyone was curious about the results of such a freak.

Snow took a single step and instantly appeared before Qin Zhao. The previously cold expression on his face now carried undisguised appreciation and enthusiasm. He patted Qin Zhao's shoulder firmly and said in a booming voice:

"Good! Very good! Qin Zhao, your talent and combat brilliance are the best I've seen in ten thousand years! To actually hold your own against a Third-Level Domain with a First-Level Domain! I, Snow, the Glacier Sacred Land's recruitment director stationed in the Virtual Universe, officially declare that you need no further assessments. You are directly granted the status of Planet Level 'Core Student' of the Glacier Sacred Land! You will enjoy the highest level of resource allocation and mentor guidance!"

"Welcome, Qin Zhao. I declare that you are now officially a member of the Glacier Sacred Land!"