CRACK—

Xiao Mubai's arms were snapped like dry twigs, followed by his shoulders... He looked as if someone had violently folded him inward.

He had passed out midway. By the time Lu Yuan released his grip, he had slumped to the ground, as limp as a noodle.

His two arms, along with his now-collapsed shoulders, were crossed over his chest. His B-grade protective suit, though somewhat wrinkled, emitted a beautiful fish-scale sheen under the light. Despite everything, he looked rather peaceful and serene.

Good, he's not dead...

Noticing that Xiao Mubai was still breathing, Lu Yuan sighed faintly in relief.

He had deliberately switched from fists to palms, changing his technique and retracting his strength at the last moment, for fear that he might accidentally kill Xiao Mubai. After all, it was only an assessment; there was no deep-seated hatred between them. If he killed someone, his conscience wouldn't be clear, and it would likely be difficult to account for outside the examination room. Besides, Lin Zhiquin seems to have so little influence and always has to defer to others; this would only create more trouble for him.

Having dealt with Xiao Mubai, Lu Yuan turned around, his physique still empowered by his Lv2 Special Burst.

The act of him turning caused the five people standing not far away to shudder violently.

Lu Yuan saw five completely stupefied faces.

Their faces were pallid and bloodless, as if they had been viciously knocked unconscious, struggled to their feet, only to be knocked out again, then gotten up, and knocked out once more—that was the state they were in.

For a moment, he actually felt a twinge of pity.

"Next up..."

Lu Yuan took a shallow breath, slowly twisting his wrists, producing an explosive crackling of his bones.

With a hint of pity in his voice, he whispered, "It's your turn."

His deep voice echoed in the empty examination room, like the prelude to a nightmare.

The five burly men with buzz cuts began to tremble in unison.

Fear, like wild grass, spread uncontrollably from the depths of their hearts, across their faces, into their eyes...

***

BOOM!

Another muffled thud came from the massive door of the examination room, which directly faced the courtyard.

The idle chatter in the courtyard had vanished sometime prior; no one was speaking.

The sounds of tea being brewed, poured, and drunk continued, but everyone's attention was focused on the examination room.

"Zhao Qiancheng has indeed hidden a lot," the short-haired woman muttered, her expression slightly stern. "That's not the kind of force someone who has only completed PracticeOrgans can generate, not even with Crane Strength. Xiao Mubai's talent and strength are far greater than the data we've seen on the surface suggests. No wonder he's so highly regarded by Zhao Qiancheng."

Lin Zhiquin nodded, his expression growing even more complex. The more impressively Xiao Mubai performed, the more he worried about Lu Yuan, whom he had personally sent in.

No matter how others evaluated him, he had always believed Lu Yuan was exceptionally talented. Leaving aside all accomplishments in martial arts, Lu Yuan's singular focus was a trait not commonly possessed. Such a promising martial arts seedling, even if he didn't catch the Master's eye, shouldn't perish here due to his own rashness and impulsiveness.

BANG!

Another muffled thud, and another bulge appeared on the steel door of the examination room.

This blow seemed to strike Lin Zhiquin's heart directly.

An inexplicable sense of panic, dread, and guilt churned within Lin Zhiquin's chest.

The last time he had felt this way was over a decade ago, when he had secretly let that person go.

But back then, he had always felt he'd done nothing wrong. This time, however, he was somewhat regretful.

What if... What if something happened to Lu Yuan... What if he suffered a lifelong disability? How would he explain it to Lu Yuan's parents? How could he face himself? He's only a seventeen-year-old high school student...

Lin Zhiquin reached for the teacup on the table, wanting to take a sip to calm himself.

But just as he had barely lifted the cup, an especially loud thud sounded near his ear.

THUMP!

Lin Zhiquin's hand trembled almost imperceptibly, spilling a little tea from the cup.

Then he heard the short-haired woman's voice, calm yet tinged with a hint of wistfulness.

"It's almost over..."

Lin Zhiquin quickly looked up, glancing at the closed examination room door.

Then he involuntarily turned to the side.

He saw several of his fellow direct disciples had also stopped what they were doing, all watching the examination room door with expressionless faces.

Only Zhao Qiancheng, who sat alone at a table, had exceptionally bright eyes, with what seemed to be an almost imperceptible smile playing on his lips.

As if... he was anticipating something.

***

THUMP—

Lu Yuan casually delivered a vicious kick to the stomach of the short-bearded young man before him.

The latter shot back like a struck tennis ball, flying about ten meters before embedding himself in the steel-plated wall with a sickening THUD.

Similar 'murals'—three of them already—adorned the surrounding walls of the room.

This was the fourth.

"And then..."

Lu Yuan slowly turned, facing the only person still standing in the area besides himself.

"You."

This was the round-faced young man from the group of five. He had a kind face and an utterly harmless appearance.

Of course, at this moment, he too was trembling all over with fear, his face pale, his lips bloodless, his entire body practically curled into a ball.

By the time he had taken down the second person from the group of five, Lu Yuan had already deactivated his Lv2 Special Burst.

He now cut a figure of a slender, handsome youth.

But in the eyes of the round-faced boy, the sole survivor, Lu Yuan still appeared as monstrous and terrifying as a demon.

Lu Yuan, his expression calm, strolled towards the final round-faced young man.

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