The Second Test Part 2

As Wu Shuang continued arguing with his system in frustration, Gu Tian steadily widened the gap between them. Xiao Bai, having absorbed the lightning's power, surged forward without limits. Seeing this, Wu Shuang could only sigh and accept his defeat.

With that realization, he shifted his focus to making the best possible time instead, pushing his speed even further. Behind him, Shen Ya was maintaining third place, following closely. Meanwhile, Ye Feng was struggling to stay steady on the back of his Thunderclap Raven, which was already riddled with injuries. He was currently in thirteenth place.

At the finish line, several examiners stood waiting, prepared to record the results. While waiting, they started discussing among themselves.

"What exactly happened back there? How did Commander He Lianqi end up clashing with Su Baicheng?"

One of the examiners who had witnessed the event replied, "It was nothing serious. They were just fulfilling their duties. It ended well… though some people did get hurt in the process."

Before they could continue the conversation, something caught their attention—a streak of light hurtling toward them at incredible speed.

One of the examiners' eyes widened in shock. "It's only been 40 seconds! Someone's already about to reach the finish line?!"

BOOOOM!!!

A white blur shot past them in an instant. Xiao Bai had crossed the finish line in the blink of an eye. Every examiner stood frozen in shock.

"How is this possible?!"

One of them quickly grabbed their tablet and checked the results. The name on the screen was clear.

[1. Gu Tian: 42 seconds (SSS+)]

The examiner's jaw dropped before turning to his colleagues.

"This is a new record! This time completely surpasses the record set by the Emperor of Light over a hundred years ago!"

But then… only five seconds later—

FWOOOOOOOSH!!

A Crimson Phoenix streaked through the sky, crossing the finish line with an equally astonishing speed. The screen updated again.

[2. Wu Shuang: 48 seconds (SSS+)]

Silence fell over the entire group of examiners. They couldn't believe what they were witnessing. In one day, two people had shattered the SSS+ record back-to-back. Not only that—this was a new all-time record.

The previous best time in the history of the entrance exam was 56 seconds.

Wu Shuang walked up to Gu Tian, who was casually playing with Xiao Bai, and grumbled. "Why didn't you wait for me?"

Gu Tian smirked before replying, "If I waited, what would you give me?"

Wu Shuang rubbed his chin in mock contemplation before grinning.

"Second place. I'm willing to give it to you, free of charge!"

Gu Tian shook his head. "No thanks. Keep it for yourself. Something that valuable shouldn't go to waste."

One minute later…

Shen Ya finally crossed the finish line.

Watching her arrive, Wu Shuang sighed in disappointment. "Disappointing… She's not living up to the title of the Emperor's daughter."

Gu Tian, standing beside him, fell into thought before responding.

"Are you underestimating her?"

Wu Shuang shook his head, his grin unwavering. "No. I'm absolutely sure—she's weak."

Two hours later, the speed test officially ended.

With a new record-breaking performance, the news of Gu Tian's achievement spread like wildfire. He had not only dominated the entrance exam but completely obliterated previous records.

When the news reached Gu Long and Guang Yue, they were momentarily stunned. But after a brief silence—

They burst into laughter.

"HAHAHAHA! What's our son planning this time?!"

"It seems… we'd better start making preparations."

As the first test concluded and the students of Group C made their way toward the next examination site, the atmosphere buzzed with animated discussions.

"Young Master Gu is the perfect example of how talent alone doesn't determine everything!" one student exclaimed, laughing in admiration. "Exactly!" another chimed in. "Even with only an SS-rank talent, he completely outclassed those with SSS-rank and left them in the dust!"

However, in another part of the group, a different set of students were visibly displeased after hearing such comments. One of them spoke with a sharp tone. "If Goddess Shen Ya hadn't been injured, Gu Tian wouldn't have broken that record!"

"That's right!" another added. "If she had been in peak condition, we would've seen a 30-second finish for sure!"

A female student, overhearing the complaints, shot back with a mocking tone. "And why aren't you saying anything about Young Master Wu Shuang?" She crossed her arms. "He exhausted a ton of energy fighting before the test even started. Try looking at the bigger picture!"

"In the end… the fact remains that Young Master Gu finished first. That doesn't change." Another student declared.

Tensions rose as the debate intensified.

Meanwhile, Ye Feng, walking beside Shen Ya, lowered his gaze to his injuries, clenching his fists in frustration. His teeth gritted as resentment built inside him.

"Why… Why did I only place eighth? And on top of that, I barely scraped an SSS-rank score! I was only a few seconds away from dropping to SS!"

Ye Feng had completed the race in 9 minutes and 55 seconds. It wasn't a bad time… but for someone determined to reach the top, it was an unacceptable failure. His mind raced, analyzing everything before coming to a single conclusion.

"I've been played by Wu Shuang…"

His jaw tightened as he plotted his revenge.

Shen Ya, walking beside him, glanced at him momentarily before sighing softly. Her eyes shifted forward, landing on Gu Tian and Wu Shuang, who were laughing and chatting effortlessly ahead of her. Her thoughts drifted.

"Did I… invest in the wrong person?" she wondered. "No… The problem is, I don't have anything to offer that would make those two work for me."

She let out another quiet sigh before quickening her pace, heading toward the front of the group. Soon after, all the students arrived at their final examination site.

Group C stepped through the spatial gate and found themselves inside an enormous chamber, lined with hundreds of combat dummies standing in neat rows. The room was filled with an intense atmosphere of pressure. Some students who had never experienced this type of test before were filled with nervous excitement, while those who had heard about the Attack Power Test swallowed hard with anxious dread.

Just then, a loud voice echoed through the amplified speakers.

"Welcome, examinees! This is Test Site 1 – Attack Power!"

"The purpose of this test is to measure your attack strength against our specialized combat dummies, which have been pre-configured to record damage output as accurately and fairly as possible!"

The students listened intently.

"Each of you will use one beast to attack the dummies three times. You are allowed to go all out in each strike. We will record the highest damage dealt out of the three attempts as your final score!"

"You may choose to use the same beast for all three attempts, or switch to a different beast for the second and third rounds."

"For fairness, the combat dummies are divided into three categories, ranging from Black Iron up to Silver Rank!"

Upon hearing this, many students turned toward the combat dummies ahead. Each dummy varied in design and toughness, reflecting the rank it corresponded to. But more importantly…

These dummies weren't just ordinary training tools.

"This test will use a universal scoring system to assess every participant fairly! The ranking system is as follows!"

F – Below 100

E – 100 - 300

D – 300 - 700

C – 700 - 1,500

B – 1,500 - 3,000

A – 3,000 - 5,500

S – 5,500 - 8,000

SS – 8,000 - 12,000

SSS – 12,000 - 18,000

SSS+ – 18,000+

A student murmured, "I think I still have a chance…"

"Are you kidding? 5,500 for just an S-rank? That's insane!"

Whispers and mutters filled the chamber. Many students paled at the scoring criteria, realizing how slim their chances were at obtaining a high score.

"Now that the details have been explained, please line up according to your rank!"

"Silver Rank, Line 1!"

"Bronze Rank, Line 2!"

"Black Iron Rank, Line 3!"

At the command, the students began moving immediately.

Gu Tian casually walked to Line 1, alongside Wu Shuang, who wore an amused grin. Shen Ya and Ye Feng also followed, joining the only four students at Silver Rank.

As the students sorted into lines, whispers erupted across the room.

"Hey… who do you think will score the highest in Silver Rank?"

"It has to be Goddess Shen Ya!"

"No way, I think Young Master Gu Tian will take first again… Based on the last two exams, he's clearly ahead of the competition!"

"Hah! Don't underestimate Young Master Wu! He's an absolute powerhouse too!"