The Fourth Round: No One Withdraws

"Looks like this? I thought he'd be a nerdy type, or maybe... average-looking. Turns out he's so handsome?"

"She's good-looking enough to be a popular idol."

"Look at the others, Ye Qingxue is beautiful, Lin Qingyin is pretty, and Zhou Zekai is quite handsome. The top ten are all pretty good-looking."

"This is outrageous! Not only is she strong, but she's also good-looking."

"Rongcheng No. 1 High School really hit the jackpot this time, with two students in the top ten: one in first place and the other in ninth."

"Speaking of which, wasn't Su Mu's core card an F-rank stone? How did he manage that?"

"Who knows? Anyway, they came in first in all three rounds and first in total points. You can't argue with that."

Zhao Wuji stood in the pillar of light, looking in Su Mu's direction.

To be honest, he was jealous.

But what he was jealous of wasn't that Su Mu was stronger than him. He had already accepted that in the second round. What he was jealous of was Su Mu's face.

Zhao Wuji looked down at himself, then at Su Mu's projection on the big screen, and his lips twitched slightly.

Meanwhile, the other top-ranked candidates were also sizing up Su Mu.

Zhou Zekai crossed his arms and glanced at Su Mu from afar, his gaze scrutinizing her. Lin Qingyin stood in the pillar of light, her gaze sweeping over Su Mu before returning to her, a faint smile playing on her lips.

On the other side of the crowd, Wang Hao stood in the pillar of light.

His ranking is over 800.

The moment the beam of light enveloped him, his previously gloomy expression instantly changed.

The gazes from those around him made him feel as if he were standing center stage. He subconsciously straightened his back, and the expression on his face changed from gloomy to a calm acceptance of being the center of attention.

Although it's only over 800, the top 1065 are already among the very best of hundreds of thousands of test takers.

He still has a chance in the fourth round.

He took a deep breath, suppressing the jealousy surging in his heart because of Su Mu.

Su Mu number one, he admits it. First place in all three rounds, first place in total points, that's something he can't shake.

But the fourth stage is a new beginning; Leaping over the Dragon Gate is completely different from the previous three stages. He might still have a chance.

The discussion continued in the square.

"What will the fourth test be? Leaping over the Leaping over the Dragon Gate —it sounds completely different from the first and second tests."

"I don't know, but it's definitely the hardest hurdle. Of the first 1,065 people, probably only a few will make it through the Dragon Gate."

"Unfortunately, it's none of our business now. We can only wait here until they've finished their ordeal before we leave together."

"Speaking of which, Su Mu first in the first three rounds and first in total points. How far can he go in the fourth round?"

"It's hard to say. The Leaping over the Dragon Gate is said to be completely different from the previous three trials. Historically, less than one in a million people have been able to cross the Dragon Gate."

"One in a million? Does that mean that none of the 1,065 people this year might pass?"

"It's not impossible. The Leaping over the Dragon Gate test is completely different from the previous three trials. The previous three trials tested strength, planning, and tactics, while the Leaping over the Dragon Gate test... I can't really explain it, but it's definitely very difficult."

Amidst the murmurs, the beam of light began to shrink.

Su Mu felt a powerful suction force coming from above his head. The beam of light grew thinner and brighter until it enveloped his entire body.

He glanced one last time at Ye Qingxue beside him.

Ye Qingxue was also looking at him.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment in the beam of light.

Then, the light contracted to its absolute minimum.

All the candidates who entered the fourth stage, along with the pillars of light beneath their feet, vanished simultaneously from the plaza.

In the square, hundreds of thousands of examinees stood still, looking up at the empty space in the sky, and fell into a brief silence.

The fourth challenge: Leaping over the Dragon Gate.

Here we go.

The white light dissipated.

Su Mu found himself standing above a cloud.

Beneath my feet were thick, endless white clouds, as if I were standing on a solidified sea.

The clouds were soft yet stable, with slightly swirling edges that did not collapse.

Looking up, the sky was a uniform gray-blue, with no sun or stars, only a cold light that fell evenly from all directions.

There were more than a thousand people standing around him.

One thousand and sixty-five people were scattered across a cloud platform spanning several hundred meters in radius.

They weren't far apart; they could almost see each other's faces with just a glance.

Su Mu glanced at them briefly. He didn't recognize most of the faces, but the top few... Lin Qingyin, Zhao Wuji, Zhou Zekai, Ye Qingxue... were all standing not far away.

Almost everyone's eyes were focused on him.

This is not surprising.

First place in all three rounds, first place in total score, the only person out of more than a thousand to achieve first place in all three rounds. Standing in the crowd, he is like a light in the dark, hard to go unnoticed.

Su Mu sensed the various emotions in those gazes.

There was jealousy, envy, comparison, scrutiny, and also pure curiosity.

He could feel several Appraisal spells sweeping over him, but they were all silently blocked by the Shadow Concealment Badge.

He frowned slightly, then looked away, pretending not to have seen it.

Fortunately, these gazes did not last long.

The next moment, a voice rang out from the sky.

Unlike the cold, emotionless voice from the previous three trials, this voice carried a certain ancient, weighty meaning, like the lingering echo of war drums from an ancient battlefield a thousand years ago, piercing through time.

Welcome to the ancient battlefield.

Everyone's attention was instantly drawn to it.

"Heroes are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but to truly stand out and leap over the Dragon Gate, one must do what ordinary people cannot."

What you need to do is hold out on the ancient battlefield for as long as possible.

The voice paused.

"Note that this test carries the risk of death and injury. Although the core card will be protected and forcibly transferred just before it breaks, the mental damage will not be reduced. If the core card is destroyed, your mental state will be severely damaged, and you risk becoming a vegetable."

"Now, you have three minutes to make a choice: withdraw from the assessment, or stay."

After the sound faded, the clouds fell silent for a moment.

More than a thousand people looked at each other in bewilderment. Some turned pale, some clenched their fists instinctively, and some pursed their lips in silence.

But no one moved.

Su Mu glanced around and understood. Everyone who had reached this point was proud and arrogant. Having survived all three trials and ranked in the top 1065, they were top geniuses in any city. With so many people watching them, and at the prime age of eighteen or nineteen, no one would give up at this time.

Three minutes passed.

The voice rang out again.

"No one dropped out. Excellent."

"Now, let's announce the rules."