At first, for several dozen exchanges, Lin Ye could still hold his own with exquisite footwork and a higher level of fist technique. He could even occasionally find tricky angles and timing to cause his opponent some trouble.
But as the battle went on, the NPC martial artist's Blood Qi began to rise slowly, and its Fist Momentum grew increasingly heavy. That approach gradually stopped working. Although his Lost Track Steps remained exquisite, the room he had to evade was constantly compressed by the opponent's growing strength.
Several times, he narrowly avoided heavy punches that would have sent him crashing down. Sweat had already appeared at the corners of his virtual body's forehead.
I can't fight it head-on. I have to end this quickly.
If I drag this out until its Blood Qi Value reaches the limit of the Body Forging Stage, I won't have any chance at all.
Lin Ye saw the situation in the arena as clearly as a polished mirror. Then, he tried to find a tiny flaw in the transitions of the opponent's Rolling Stone Fist Momentum and deliver a full-force blow.
After what appeared to be a successful feint, Lin Ye risked cutting into the center line. A straight punch containing all the strength in his body shot directly at the phantom's heart.
Just as it was about to land, the Phantom Warrior displayed agility far beyond that of an ordinary NPC in that Lightning Flash. It forcefully twisted its body, taking Lin Ye's punch with its shoulder, while its long-prepared left fist blasted toward Lin Ye like a cannonball.
Lin Ye's pupils contracted sharply. His Lost Track Steps turned abruptly, and he retreated at high speed, but he was still half a beat too slow.
Bang!
The heavy fist grazed his right arm, bringing a burst of searing pain and numbness. His body staggered, and his previously orderly combat rhythm was thrown into disarray in an instant. How could the phantom NPC let such an opportunity go? Its offensive surged forth like a raging storm. With his right arm injured and his movements slowed, Lin Ye could no longer use Lost Track Steps as effortlessly as before. Under the crushing pressure of the opponent's ever-growing Blood Qi and Fist Momentum, his defenses were broken again and again.
Finally, after failing to evade and taking one of its heavy punches head-on, his Blood Qi shook violently, darkness clouded his vision, and then another irresistible fist shadow appeared before his eyes.
Boom!
It felt as though his chest had been struck by a massive hammer. His virtual senses delivered the distinct agony of something "shattering," and his entire body flew backward out of control, crashing heavily beyond the platform.
[Sixth Stage, challenge failed]
Large red words filled his vision. Immediately afterward, light enveloped him, and his consciousness was gently ejected from the Illusion Tower.
The door of the Virtual Pod slid open. Lin Ye slowly opened his eyes and let out a long breath of stale air. Though he was somewhat dejected by the failed challenge, he remained rational and calmly analyzed the previous battle.
"The sixth stage was still a little difficult."
"The NPC's intelligence was high. It even knew how to lure its enemy in. Although my Rolling Stone Fist was at a slightly higher level than its own, the gap in Blood Qi was obvious, and it had the growth trait... I didn't lose unfairly."
He silently assessed it, still feeling somewhat regretful.
"If I could use Mountain-Suppressing Fist, it should be able to close a considerable part of the gap. Perhaps I could have won."
Lin Ye did not know whether Mountain-Suppressing Fist fell within the scope of basic martial skills, so he did not rashly attempt it.
He moved the right arm injured during the virtual battle, took a deep breath, and slowly adjusted his condition. Once he felt there was no issue, he headed for the Rest Area under the staff's guidance.
After passing through a quiet corridor, he arrived at the "Second Rest Area."
Unlike the bustling examination waiting hall, this place was much quieter and much smaller. Several dozen comfortable chairs had been arranged there. At present, only a dozen or so people were seated apart from one another, most of them resting with their eyes closed or staring blankly at the energy screen on the wall as they waited for the tests to end.
As he entered, Lin Ye swept his gaze around and spotted a familiar figure by a window—Wang Tao.
He was somewhat surprised. Based on the examination number order, Wang Tao should have been in one of the later batches. How had he come out before Lin Ye? But after thinking it over, Lin Ye understood. With Wang Tao's Blood Qi Value, how many stages could he possibly clear? It was hardly strange for him to come out first.
Lin Ye guessed Wang Tao had probably fallen at the second or third stage.
At that moment, Wang Tao, who had been idling in his seat, noticed someone enter and casually glanced over. When he saw Lin Ye at the entrance, his previously listless face immediately brightened. He waved and called in a lowered voice, "Brother Night, over here!"
Hearing that, Lin Ye nodded, walked through the crowd, and sat in the empty seat beside Wang Tao.
"You're out."
Wang Tao leaned closer, his face full of curiosity and the excitement of finally finding someone he knew. "How was it, how was it? Brother Night, what stage did you reach?"
His tone was urgent. He desperately wanted to know someone else's results, especially those of Lin Ye, the friend who had created a "miracle of improvement."
Lin Ye glanced at him but did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked to the water dispenser nearby, poured himself a cup of water, returned to his seat, and slowly drank it.
Lin Ye's behavior left Wang Tao momentarily stunned. He did not understand why. The excitement on his face faded slightly, and then he seemed to remember something. His expression became somewhat awkward and unnatural.
He scratched his head, lowering his voice. "Um, Brother Night... about the group chat yesterday... about your Blood Qi Value being exposed, I was a little too excited." He looked regretful. "I didn't think that much about it. I just thought everyone should know that you'd improved so much... Sorry, I did it without your permission."
Lin Ye set down his cup and looked at Wang Tao's embarrassed expression. He could tell Wang Tao had no ill intentions; he was simply a little careless by nature, and perhaps truly happy for Lin Ye, so he had directly exposed it in the group chat.
Although Lin Ye knew this matter would be discovered sooner or later, he preferred to keep a low profile and still did not particularly like such behavior. But what was done was done, and there was no point pursuing it further.
Besides, even if Wang Tao had not said anything, others would probably have asked—especially Zhang Zhen.
Seeing that Wang Tao's attitude was fairly sincere, Lin Ye nodded and said flatly, "It's fine."
That counted as accepting Wang Tao's apology.
Hearing this, Wang Tao let out a breath of relief. Then he perked up again, though this time he asked more cautiously. "Then... Brother Night, how did you do this time? You definitely did much better than me, right?"
He paused, then added, "I... I still got knocked out at the second stage this time. I ran into that one who uses his legs. He was too fast. I didn't last long."
As he spoke, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Sometimes, facing one's own mediocrity head-on was truly difficult, especially when it mattered so much.
Lin Ye fell silent for a moment, somewhat empathizing with Wang Tao's experience. Or rather, Wang Tao was who Lin Ye himself would have been without awakening his cheat ability. But seeing Wang Tao look at him eagerly now, Lin Ye found it both annoying and amusing.
"The sixth stage."
After a moment, Lin Ye's smile faded, and he calmly spoke those three words.
"Oh, the sixth stage... What?! The sixth stage?!!"
Wang Tao repeated it instinctively, then nearly sprang out of his chair like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. His eyes went round, and his voice shot up in extreme shock. Then he abruptly realized this was not the right setting and quickly covered his mouth, but the horror on his face could not be concealed at all.
He lowered his voice, practically gasping, "Brother Night, you reached the sixth stage?! The one... the sixth stage guarded by a Peak Body Forging Stage martial artist?!"
Hearing that, Lin Ye nodded.
"My god..."
Seeing Lin Ye nod, Wang Tao sucked in a sharp breath and looked Lin Ye up and down as if he were staring at a monster. "Brother Night, you... how did you do it? Isn't your Blood Qi only 335? Isn't the gatekeeper of the fifth stage using a Great Success Grade fist technique? You actually cleared that, Brother Night?"
"I heard last time that a candidate with over 380 Blood Qi still fell at the fifth stage. Yet Brother Night, you actually... No, this is really..."
He was becoming incoherent, clearly stunned by Lin Ye's news.
He remembered that Lin Ye had still been defeated at the fourth stage in the last mock exam, yet this time he had charged straight to the sixth stage. That terrifying degree of improvement was even harder to believe than a sudden surge in Blood Qi Value, because it meant Lin Ye's actual combat strength had likely far surpassed the level represented by his Blood Qi Value. He could now contend with the very best top students.
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