FWOOM-BOOM!
The sound was identical—the concussive blast of fire meeting formation. Lin Yun's fist connected with the exact same weak point.
The reaction was the same. The blue energy lines on the stele blazed with that same unnatural intensity, stuttering slightly at the point of impact as the formation struggled to process the concentrated force.
All eyes shot to the jade screen.
The number erupted once more.
100... 300... 500...
It blasted past 600, then 700, showing the same terrifying momentum as before.
A collective intake of breath swept the stands. He was doing it again. It wasn't a fluke.
800...
The number climbed, mirroring the first attempt almost perfectly. It swept past Nangong Qing'er's score, then past Ji Xuan's.
900... 910... 920...
It slowed, the climb becoming an agonizing crawl. The entire avenue was frozen, hundreds of students holding their breath, watching the digits inch upwards.
925... 927...
It shuddered, and then settled.
929
A score that was a mere nine points lower than his first attempt. It was, for all intents and purposes, the same result. He had replicated the impossible.
The silence this time was different. It wasn't stunned disbelief; it was a silence of profound, unsettling confirmation. The anomaly was real. It was repeatable.
Lin Yun slowly lowered his fist, the flames dissipating. He let out a soft, internal sigh of relief mixed with fresh anxiety. He had proven his consistency, but he was now undeniably a freak of nature in their eyes.
As the number glowed on the screen, a subtle change occurred on the face of the elder standing next to the stele. His deeply thoughtful expression cleared, replaced by a glint of sharp, sudden understanding. His eyes, which had been scrutinizing Lin Yun, now held a spark of awe and dawning comprehension.
He had been watching Lin Yun's focus, the unnatural precision of his strike. He had felt the strange fluctuation in the stele's energy matrix at the point of impact—a fluctuation that shouldn't occur.
He now realized what was happening. This wasn't about raw power. This was about perception. This young man wasn't just strong; he could see. He could perceive the flaws in the formation itself, the microscopic imperfections in a treasure crafted by legendary founders.
It was a comprehension so profound it was terrifying. But the elder, wise and experienced, said nothing. To reveal such a talent publicly would be to paint an even larger target on the boy's back. Some secrets were best kept hidden.
Elder Kong, seeing the confirmed score and the lack of any detectable trickery, finally spoke, his voice firm and final, brooking no further argument.
"The score is there for all to see," he announced, his gaze sweeping sternly over the students, lingering particularly on Wang Kun and Ji Xuan. "Lin Yun has performed the test twice, under the strictest scrutiny, and achieved nearly identical, top-tier results. There is no cheating. There is no malfunction. The result stands. Let there be no more discussion on this matter."
His words were like a judge's gavel. The case was closed.
Wang Kun's face, which had been a mask of outrage, deflated. He looked from the score to Lin Yun to Elder Kong's unyielding expression, and then slowly sank back into his seat, a bitter, confused taste in his mouth. He had no more arguments. The evidence was undeniable.
Ji Xuan's cold composure was back in place, but it was a thin veneer over a seething cauldron of fury and frustration. He had been publicly humiliated, not by a cheat, but by a genuine, inexplicable power. He could only swallow the insult and back down, his mind already racing with new ways to deal with this unforeseen variable.
Nangong Qing'er's expression was unreadable, but the cold calculation in her eyes had intensified. Lin Yun was no longer just the clan's disappointing third son; he was a genuine, unpredictable threat.
Lin Yun walked back to his seat amidst a sea of complex stares. The weight of the attention was heavy, but he kept his expression neutral, his steps steady. He had navigated the crisis, but he knew the ripples would spread far and wide.
As he sat down, Hua Mengyan immediately turned to him, her earlier worry replaced by a bright, teasing smile.
"You! You made me so anxious for no reason!" she said, playfully swatting his arm. "Hiding your strength like that from me! I was genuinely worried you'd be humiliated!"
Lin Yun offered a wry smile inwardly. If only you knew, he thought. Hiding his strength was the last thing he had intended; he had simply miscalculated the effect of his secret weapon.
"Sister Mengyan flatters me," he said aloud, his tone modest. "I was just lucky."
Hua Mengyan rolled her eyes dramatically, a gesture that was both charming and dismissive. "Lucky? Lin Yun, if you want to look humble, you should try a different excuse. Saying you're 'just lucky' after scoring 938 twice is like mocking everyone who scored lower than you. It's the most arrogant humble-brag I've ever heard!"
Lin Yun couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle at her bluntness. She wasn't entirely wrong. He simply shook his head and said nothing more, allowing her to believe what she wanted. Silence was his best defense.
The martial arts test continued for the remaining students, but the energy in the avenue had shifted. The earlier excitement was now tinged with a sense of anticlimax. How could anyone compete with the spectacle they had just witnessed? The scores came in, solid but unremarkable in the shadow of Lin Yun's performance.
Finally, the last student finished. Elder Kong stepped back to the center, a scroll in his hand.
"The first category, Martial Prowess, is now concluded," he announced. "Based on your performance on the Prowess Stele, I will now announce the top ten rankings."
A hush fell over the crowd. This was the first official ranking, a crucial indicator for the final selection.
"Tenth place, Zhou Ming! Score: 801!"
A cheer came from a small section of the stands.
"Ninth place, Li Shan! Score: 808!"
"Eighth place, Hua Yuxian! Score: 821!" Hua Mengyan's older sister nodded calmly upon hearing her name.
The list continued, each name met with a mix of cheers and disappointed sighs…