Basic Attribute Test, Peak Eighth Rank!

The flying vessel headed west.

After Jiang Chuan's SSS-grade talent was revealed, the investigation into Lin Yueming's cause of death became insignificant.

Shen Zhiyi did not even mention it again.

Jiang Chuan was happy to have some peace and quiet.

During the flight, Lin Tianzheng came by once because of the matter, only for Shen Zhiyi to bluntly rebuff him. "Elder Lin, there are priorities. There are more important matters at hand, matters concerning humanity's future. I am also deeply sorry about Lin Yueming's death, but the investigation can wait."

Lin Tianzheng played the sympathy card instead. "On its return trip, the flying vessel will pass through that area. I only want to retrieve Ming'er's body. Is even such a small request something President Shen cannot agree to?"

Shen Zhiyi studied Lin Tianzheng's expression with a deep gaze.

To be honest, she also felt that the Lin Family could not possibly be colluding with another race. It was a choice that brought them nothing but harm.

But Jiang Chuan was involved now.

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-million chance, she did not dare gamble on it.

What if it was true?

What if retrieving Lin Yueming's body was merely a pretense, while he secretly notified the Blood Cat Clan's king, intending to intercept and kill them the moment they left the flying vessel!?

It would not matter if she died. Humanity would merely lose an insignificant eighth-rank powerhouse.

But if Jiang Chuan died...

Humanity might lose a once-in-a-millennium opportunity to expand its territory!

Thus, she calmly refused.

"No."

Thud!

The cabin door shut.

Leaving Lin Tianzheng's livid old face outside.

Two days later, Jiang Chuan saw a huge black silhouette appear on the horizon through the porthole.

It was a massive complex of buildings stretching across the land.

It sprawled outward.

Its end could not be seen at a glance.

The spires of its tallest towers pierced the clouds. Sunlight reflected blindingly off the golden glazed tiles. The entire city resembled a steel behemoth crouching upon the vast plains, breathing in and out a flow of millions of people.

"Spectacular, isn't it?"

At some point, Shen Zhiyi had come to stand beside him.

Jiang Chuan nodded.

"Skywatch City is humanity's last line of defense." Shen Zhiyi's voice carried a trace of complicated emotion. "Whenever the other races mention humanity, this is the first place they think of. If even this place cannot be defended, humanity truly will have no future."

The flying vessel passed through layers of light screens and descended into the city's very core.

Stellar Crown Academy.

Jiang Chuan finally saw this legendary academy with his own eyes.

Seven massive architectural complexes of vastly different styles were arranged according to the positions of the Big Dipper. Every one of them was so imposing that it inspired awe.

At the very center stood a silent black tower, several times taller than any of the other seven buildings.

Its tip vanished into the clouds, its summit impossible to see.

That was Darkstar Institute.

Jiang Chuan stared at the black tower, and an odd feeling suddenly rose in his heart.

The tower seemed to be looking at him too.

Is this tower a living thing?

He frowned, withdrew his gaze, and followed Shen Zhiyi off the flying vessel.

Before he could even exchange a word with Ling Aoshuang and Xu Yinyin—

His vision blurred.

Shen Zhiyi directly brought him into a building.

Shen Zhiyi handed him a black metal badge engraved with a star, surrounded by seven small points of light.

"This is the student credential for Darkstar Institute. Once you enter your identity information, its corresponding functions will be unlocked."

Jiang Chuan did as instructed.

The badge trembled slightly, turning into a streak of black light that drilled into the back of his hand, leaving behind a faint star-shaped mark.

He blinked.

The scene before him seemed to change slightly.

The academy was still the same academy, but he could now see all sorts of digitized virtual information. For instance, a line of text hovered above Shen Zhiyi's head: Shen Zhiyi · Darkstar Institute President · Extremely Dangerous · ???

Before he could study it closely, Shen Zhiyi clapped her hands. "Let's go. Someone else is waiting to see you."

"Who?"

"The head president, along with several experts."

A rare, meaningful smile appeared on Shen Zhiyi's face. "They are very interested in your body."

Jiang Chuan followed her through a long corridor and arrived before a huge circular building. It had no windows, only a heavy metal door.

Shen Zhiyi pressed her palm against it, and the metal doors silently slid open to either side.

Behind them was a training ground.

It was absurdly huge.

The dome hung high overhead, the ground was covered in some kind of dark gray metal, and the walls were densely covered in runes.

Five people stood in the center of the training ground. At the front was a white-haired elder dressed in a deep purple robe, with the Stellar Crown Academy emblem embroidered over his chest, now ringed with an additional circle of golden patterns.

The head president.

Shen Zhiyi said softly, "This is the head president of Stellar Crown Academy, Qin Tianheng."

"Jiang Chuan."

The old man smiled and nodded to him, his voice resonant as a bell. "The journey must have been tiring."

"Greetings, Head President."

As he spoke, Jiang Chuan instinctively glanced at the text over the man's head: Qin Tianheng · Stellar Crown Academy President · Seventh Heavenly General · Extremely Dangerous · ???

The Seventh Heavenly General!

One of the thirteen symbols of the Federation's supreme authority was standing right before him!

Qin Tianheng waved a hand, signaling that he need not stand on ceremony, then pointed to the people in white lab coats behind him. "These are the academy's talent research experts. They are responsible for analyzing the physical data of class users. We called you here to conduct a simple test of your current attributes."

He paused, then reassured him, "We are only testing your most basic data. It will not cause you any harm, so there is no need to be nervous. And do not conceal anything. Only by knowing your exact strength can we formulate a detailed training plan for you."

Jiang Chuan nodded.

Come to think of it.

He also wanted to know what his true limits were.

From his earlier conversations with Xu Yinyin, he had roughly concluded that his strength could rival the seventh rank. But after [Yi] evolved again, even eighth-rank powerhouses could not withstand his attacks.

Qin Tianheng led the others into an observation room at the edge of the training ground.

A transparent reinforced glass wall separated the observation room from the training ground.

Inside were all kinds of monitoring devices.

Shen Zhiyi remained on the training ground and pointed to several areas in its center. "We will first test four basic metrics: resistance to attack, strength, speed, and mental fortitude."

"Which one first?"

"Resistance to attack."

The ground at the center of the training ground slowly split open, and a three-meter-tall metal device rose up from within. It was covered in densely packed mechanical arms. "This impact tester can precisely control the force of its strikes, increasing level by level from the first rank to the ninth. You only need to stand still and endure the attacks."

She paused. "Are you ready?"

Jiang Chuan walked up to the device.

And stood still.

Shen Zhiyi activated the device and stepped aside.

Inside the observation room, several experts had already activated all the monitoring equipment. Jiang Chuan's physical data appeared on the holographic screens.

"His current level is only ten, after all. Let's start by testing him at the attack intensity of the second rank."

The first strike descended.

Boom!

A mechanical arm smashed into Jiang Chuan, producing a dull, thunderous impact.

Jiang Chuan did not move an inch. The runic walls of the training ground flashed briefly, absorbing the shockwave entirely.

The group checked the data. "An attack at the peak of the second rank has no effect on him. Preliminary assessment: [Yi] possesses extremely powerful defensive capabilities. We can continue."

Third rank.

Fourth rank.

Fifth rank.

The expressions of everyone present gradually changed. "He can even withstand attacks at the peak of the fifth rank? Just how powerful is this guy's physique?!"

A white-haired old man gave the order with fanatical eyes. "Continue the test!"

"Wait!"

Qin Tianheng hurriedly stopped him. "The sixth-rank test is equivalent to a third-class user's full-strength strike. Its force is more than ten times greater than the fifth rank's. Do not injure him!"

"Fifth-rank attacks are nothing more than scratches to him. Even if he cannot withstand it, nothing serious will happen!"

As he spoke, the old man pulled a long face. "If we are testing him, then we need to determine his limits. Otherwise, what was the point of calling us old fellows here?!"

"This..."

Qin Tianheng could only nod helplessly.

After receiving the signal, Shen Zhiyi's forehead broke out in a nervous sweat, but she still raised the testing level.

Sixth rank.

Boom!

Jiang Chuan remained completely still.

Peak seventh rank.

Boom!

Jiang Chuan's body swayed slightly, but he quickly steadied himself.

Eighth rank.

This time, Jiang Chuan finally took half a step back. His clothes were torn apart by the attack, and a bloody gash appeared across his muscular chest.

Though it healed at a visible rate.

He had been injured, after all.

The observation room fell into dead silence.

The old man's eyes were fanatical, his body trembling uncontrollably. "Peak eighth-rank resistance... This is simply a miracle! Wait! His level was not falsely reported, was it? He really is only level ten!?"