Under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, Zhong Yun and the other eleven newcomers stood up and walked to the center of the arena. Like that morning, they formed a single line. Every one of them held their heads high, not showing an ounce of stage fright.

The bald instructor slowly walked past them. “I know you are all the favored sons of heaven, geniuses in everyone’s eyes, the focal point of attention since childhood, surrounded by countless halos. You are proud.”

His tone shifted abruptly, becoming exceptionally stern. “What I must tell you is that here, no one is worse than you; in fact, some are even stronger. So, stow your pride. Here, you are all novices, knowing nothing. Only by learning with humility can you progress.”

He turned around, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the twelve. “I know some of you are unconvinced. You are all geniuses; no matter what you learn, you pick it up quickly.”

A cold smirk touched his lips. “Now, I will put you to the test. Those who pass will be qualified as official cadets of this base. Those who fail, I will personally escort them out the door.”

Below, the senior cadets sat quietly. They knew the main event was about to begin; they had all gone through this. It was just that the instructor in charge this year was the bald man known as 'BT' (Beast-Tamer), which made them feel extremely sympathetic toward the newcomers. Falling into the hands of 'BT,' these twelve were in for a rough time.

The bald instructor walked to the center of the line of people and suddenly, an icy aura shot out from him. The bodies of the twelve people shuddered simultaneously, a cold tremor running through them.

Zhong Yun’s heart tightened. An ice-based ability? The Yuan inside his body circulated automatically, driving out the chill.

The bald instructor's eyes flickered, locking onto Zhong Yun.

Zhong Yun thought, This is bad. He felt a chilling wind, as if blowing from the thousand-year-frozen Arctic, envelop him completely. The boundless cold instantly seemed to freeze his blood solid.

Damn it, does this bald fool want to kill someone? Zhong Yun cursed internally, instantly discarding any thought of holding back his strength. He didn't want to be finished off by the bald man's 'accidental slip-up,' as he would have no recourse for complaint. All the Yuan within his body was mobilized, struggling against the invading cold Yuan.

The strange glint in the bald instructor's eyes intensified. Never mind that he was dealing with twelve people simultaneously; as an Eighth-level Earth expert, his control over abilities had reached the point of effortless command. He could release cold energy of a targeted intensity based on each person's strength, calibrated precisely to their limits.

He did this to force out their latent potential. Among the twelve, only half had trained in Body Arts; the others had not yet awakened. He was creating the illusion of an imminent kill because only at the juncture of life and death could they awaken on their own.

This was the method Chen Wen's Grand-Uncle used to awaken Tian Hai.

According to his initial estimation, Fei’s Third Young Master, who, alongside Chen Family’s Fourth Young Master, was known as the 'Twin Stars of Vol,' was the strongest among the twelve. During that initial probe, he sensed that Fei Liming had already broken through to the Fourth Layer, which, for his age, was truly remarkable.

But he hadn't expected that seemingly ordinary boy to be feigning weakness. The Yuan that infiltrated his body was expelled in an instant, shocking him greatly. With his sensitivity, he couldn't sense the depth of this boy's power. Truly, one cannot judge a book by its cover.

This piqued his immense interest. His cold ability was notoriously tricky; even those stronger than him would find it troublesome to encounter. Yet, the boy dissolved it with such ease.

He incrementally increased the cold energy aimed at Zhong Yun, but it remained like a stone sinking into the sea. Amidst his surprise, his interest grew more profound, and a rather grim smile curled his lips.

The senior cadets watching from the side felt a chill in their hearts. Those familiar with 'BT' knew that whenever he showed such a smile, it meant someone was about to face terrible misfortune. They silently mourned for this unfortunate person, simultaneously feeling a measure of relief that when 'BT's' focus was locked onto one individual, he tended to neglect others.

From where she stood, Yang Siqing, who was watching from the front, had her gaze fixed on Zhong Yun. Though her expression remained calm as water, her heart was churning with violent waves. He broke through again. At only seventeen, his Body Arts had already surpassed the Fifth Layer, even earlier than she had achieved it. She reached the Fifth Layer just two days before her eighteenth birthday.

Even more terrifying was the fact that the first time she saw him, he was only at the Third Layer, and less than six months had passed since then...

Could it be that, like Qi'er, Zhong Yun was a gift bestowed upon Dawa by the heavens?

Just how far would he grow? Yang Siqing couldn't help but harbor such expectations.

"Fifth Layer?" The bald instructor could hardly believe his own judgment. He exerted his full strength, finally confirming the boy's true level. But this result was too shocking.

To reach the Fifth Layer in his teens—what kind of monster was this? If Zhong Yun hadn't been standing alive before him, and if he hadn't personally tested him, he would never have believed this was true.

Based on research by the Body Arts Association, combined with documented historical examples, they had reached a conclusion: it was impossible for a person to break through to the Fifth Layer before the age of eighteen due to physical limitations. It was rumored that two or three decades ago, an unprecedented genius had broken this rule, but that genius was only a few days shy of eighteen.

He had seen the file for the boy before him: born in the spring of New Era Year 20, currently February of New Era Year 37. This meant the boy named Zhong Yun hadn't even turned seventeen yet.

Thinking of this, the bald instructor's heart constricted. In his dozen or so years as an instructor, he had taught countless exceptional young people. But now, facing an unparalleled genius, perhaps the only one in history, his blood felt like it was burning with excitement. No instructor could resist such a temptation; coaching the most powerful student was every instructor's greatest aspiration.

One by one, those beside Zhong Yun collapsed, until only he and Fei Liming were left struggling to hold on. Fei Liming's face was already coated with a layer of white frost, his body swaying precariously, clearly on the verge of collapse.

A purple stream of light rippled all over Zhong Yun, growing higher and brighter, forming a purple eggshell barrier.

The observing instructors below sensed something was amiss. While the bald man sometimes acted recklessly, he was never truly rash. Why was he applying such heavy pressure on these new students today?

Then, seeing the purple screen of light in front of Zhong Yun blocking the faint white mist, their eyes nearly popped out in shock. Such powerful ability—how could it manifest in a child?

When Fei Liming finally gave way and collapsed, someone could no longer bear to watch and called out, "Enough, stop now."