L-Look at Ling Xuan!

The students' gazes had shifted from "somewhat talented" to deep shock and awe.

Sakura Haruno gaped, finding it hard to believe that the usually taciturn orphan had done all that. Her heart was a tangle of emotions.

Sasuke's brows knit together. A fierce fighting spirit and a barely perceptible sense of frustration burned in his previously calm eyes.

"Hmph." Ino Yamanaka stood beside Sakura with her arms folded and pursed her lips. She leaned toward Shikamaru Nara and whispered,

"That guy Ling Xuan usually keeps to himself. I never would've guessed he was hiding so much! His shuriken skills are even a little better than Sasuke-kun's... He's such a weirdo."

Her tone was defiant, but she couldn't hide her amazement.

Shikamaru yawned. "Yeah, yeah. What a troublesome genius..."

But his eyes were a little sharper than usual. Ling Xuan's performance had clearly made an impression on him too.

Hinata Hyuga stood at the back of the crowd, her hands clasped tightly against her chest. Her pale eyes shone with pure admiration and awe.

Ling Xuan-kun... He really is amazing!

She felt her heart beating a little faster, and her resolve to work hard and catch up to him grew even stronger.

In the shadows behind the raised platform, the Anbu Ninja felt a stir of emotion.

"Target: Ling Xuan. Chakra control precision: S rank. Throwing technique: S rank relative to the grade level. Calm and composed, with excellent mental fortitude... Preliminary assessment: enormous potential. Continue monitoring."

The first stage of the assessment was over. With an indisputably flawless performance, Ling Xuan had taken the lead among all the students for the time being.

Iruka cleared his throat, tamping down his excitement, then announced loudly,

"The first stage of the assessment is over! Next is the second event: the weighted obstacle course!"

The students' gazes toward Ling Xuan grew even more complicated.

The boy they had always regarded as an "ordinary top student" now seemed to be surrounded by a mysterious and powerful aura.

Ling Xuan remained calm, as if the dazzling performance had nothing to do with him.

To him, this was only the first step of his plan. The real show might still be ahead.

"The second event—the weighted obstacle course—begins now!"

At Iruka-sensei's command, the first group of students, wearing specially made weighted vests and leg guards, charged forward.

Each student's weights had been adjusted according to the basic fitness data collected when they enrolled. The goal was to test their endurance, willpower, and ability to combine chakra with physical strength as thoroughly as possible.

The perimeter of the training ground had already been turned into a fairly complex course.

It featured ordinary mud, grass, and sand, as well as steep earthen slopes to climb, a jungle section tangled with vines, and log bridges and ropes stretched over ponds.

There was even a stretch where the students had to use chakra to make brief leaps through the trees or travel through the water.

Of course, for first-year students, falling wouldn't hurt them. It would only waste precious time and consume more energy.

Naruto Uzumaki took the lead. With far greater stamina than the others to start with, and a slight influence from the Nine-Tails Chakra inside him, he charged out front, yelling as he kicked up clouds of dust.

However, his recklessness soon caught up with him. He stepped into empty space and landed face-first in the first mud pit.

The crowd burst into laughter, but he didn't care. He got back up and charged on.

Sasuke Uchiha displayed a strong sense of rhythm and excellent technique. His movements were light and agile, and he always found the simplest way through each obstacle.

As expected of a scion of a prestigious clan, his Taijutsu fundamentals were solid.

Shikamaru Nara kept to the middle of the pack, taking his time.

He seemed to have studied the general layout of the course before the race began. He always found inconspicuous shortcuts that saved him plenty of effort, much to the frustration of Kiba Inuzuka, who was trying to compete with him.

Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno were quietly competing with each other. Both girls were nimble, darting and leaping between obstacles as they tried not to fall too far behind.

Hinata Hyuga was having a harder time.

The weights were a considerable burden for her petite frame. Her breathing was ragged, and her fair cheeks flushed with effort.

But Hinata Hyuga clenched her teeth, her eyes filled with a stubborn determination not to give up as she struggled to keep up with the group.

Whenever she felt she was about to give out, Ling Xuan's calm, powerful figure would come to mind, along with the words he had once said to her.

"Your potential goes far beyond this."

That gave her a fresh burst of strength.

Ling Xuan was in the second group to set off.

He didn't explode into a sprint at the start like Naruto, nor did he deliberately show off his technique like Sasuke.

He started at a steady pace, breathing slowly and evenly. Each stride was remarkably consistent in both length and cadence.

The Eye of Truth had already taken in the terrain and obstacle placement hundreds of meters ahead, even gauging how firmly each stone was set in the ground.

In an instant, it had constructed an "optimal route" in his mind, one that minimized energy expenditure while maximizing speed.

When he came to an earthen slope that needed climbing, the other students either scrambled up awkwardly on their hands and feet or expended chakra to charge straight up.

Ling Xuan always found the firmest footholds and the best places to grip.

He climbed with an unusual, fluid rhythm, his body barely swaying.

When crossing a pond on a rope, his body's swing and the timing of each pull were flawless.

With the least effort, he built up the greatest momentum and landed lightly on the opposite bank, barely splashing the water.

He moved through the complex course with ease, like a streak of blue-green shadow.

Little by little, Ling Xuan began overtaking students who had started ahead of him.

They were often already panting and drenched in sweat.

Ling Xuan, however, kept up his unhurried pace, as if he were simply taking a relaxing stroll after a meal.

"L-Look at Ling Xuan!" one of the assistant instructors keeping records blurted out.

"His speed is steadily increasing, but his breathing... hasn't changed at all! His stamina is incredible!"

"It's not just stamina," another guest examiner said, his eyes sharp. "Look at his route choices and how he gets through the obstacles. He doesn't waste a single movement. Every exertion is perfectly timed."

"His control over his own strength and his assessment of the environment are simply unbelievable! This kid... He really is a monster!"

In the shadows behind the raised platform, the Anbu Ninja's eyes flashed with interest.

[Target: Ling Xuan. Demonstrated A-rank physical ability (overall endurance, explosive power, and recovery), A+-rank environmental utilization and route-planning ability, and S-rank energy efficiency.]

[His movement patterns are highly optimized, suggesting long-term, systematic extreme training. Increase observation priority further.]

Halfway through the course, Hinata encountered trouble on a slope covered in slick green moss.