The fourth round of testing officially began.
In front of Lin Moyu, a third skeleton warrior materialized.
With effortless precision, the three skeletons charged toward the level 9 and level 13 monsters, one for each. The result was instantaneous—each monster was killed in a single strike, no suspense at all. A flash of fire flickered in Lin Moyu's palm, and in an instant, the mage monster at the back was consumed by the flame, sharing the same fate as the others.
In just under three seconds, nine Wolf Orc Warriors and one Wolf Orc Mage had been wiped out.
"Wait, what...?"
"Where did this third summoned creature come from?"
"This brat! Why didn't he show this power from the beginning?"
"You sneaky kid—why do you hide your strength like that?"
"Right! The stronger you are, the happier we are."
Ning Xuanfeng stood in the back, his expression one of quiet certainty. It seemed as though he had been expecting this.
Lin Moyu stifled a yawn. So far, the so-called "big exam" hadn't even begun to challenge him. It lacked the adrenaline of his first experience in the West Sea Mine dungeon. In fact, the whole ordeal was so underwhelming it was making him drowsy.
Nonchalantly, he pulled out a piece of sweet potato and began nibbling on it.
"Let's just stop watching him. There's no excitement in watching this kid," one examiner muttered.
"Yeah, it's more interesting to watch the others."
While Lin Moyu's performance was astonishing, it had become monotonous. The rest of the candidates, on the other hand, provided more of a spectacle.
Xia Xue, for instance, was constantly retreating, but not without strategy. A trail of flames followed her footsteps as she danced away from the pursuing Wolf Orcs, whose every step on her fiery path brought them closer to death.
The Path of Fire, a skill mastered only by mages at level 10, left fire damage in its wake, proving especially effective here. Despite her young age, Xia Xue was already wielding two powerful area-of-effect skills, including Freezing Rain, which slowed her enemies' advance. Together, these abilities allowed her to rapidly thin the ranks of the monsters.
Zuo Mei, on the other hand, had a much harder time. As a Stalker, she was highly skilled in one-on-one combat and controlling enemies, but she lacked the large-scale offensive power needed for group battles. She had no choice but to pick off the Wolf Orcs one by one, far slower than her peers.
Meanwhile, Wang Zihao was the very picture of brute force. His massive two-handed sword carved arcs of destruction as he fought head-on, each swing decisive and loud.
Compared to them, Lin Moyu's side of the battlefield was almost laughable. His engagement with the monsters was limited to a few seconds at a time. The rest of the examiners had grown bored of watching him.
"Well, he's definitely going to take first place again this round," one examiner commented.
"But the real question is whether he'll dare participate in the fifth round."
"True, even with his lead, if he skips the fifth round, others could catch up."
As the exam progressed, those who were slower to clear their monsters found themselves overwhelmed. By the third minute, some had already been forced to withdraw, unable to keep up with the growing horde of enemies. They were teleported outside the trial tower, their time in the competition over.
Despite the elimination, none of the candidates left with disappointment. Making it this far was already an achievement. They were, after all, among the elite of the empire, destined for its top institutions.
"It was terrifying! I thought I was going to be eaten alive!" one of the eliminated candidates exclaimed.
"How could anyone kill that many monsters so fast?"
"I don't know how many will pass this round."
"I thought I was strong, but clearly, there's always someone stronger."
"And that Lin Moyu... there's no way anyone can beat him."
Among the crowd, Gao Yang had just managed to hold out until the fifth wave before he had to concede. Hearing Lin Moyu's name come up in conversation, he couldn't resist adding, "Of course Lin Moyu is amazing—he's my boss!"
"What's your name, brother?" one of the onlookers asked.
"Gao Yang, from Xihai No. 1 Middle School," he replied proudly.
"Well, Brother Gao, tell us more about Lin Moyu's prowess!"
Grinning, Gao Yang launched into a recount of Lin Moyu's feats, describing how he'd watched him clear a nightmare-level dungeon in just ten minutes. The listeners' eyes widened in disbelief.
"That can't be true," someone muttered.
Unfazed by their skepticism, Gao Yang continued, thrilled to have a captive audience.
As the fourth round drew to a close, fewer and fewer candidates remained in the trial. In the end, only five were still standing: Lin Moyu, Xia Xue, Zuo Mei, Wang Zihao, and an unexpected challenger—Feng Xiu.
Feng Xiu, a level 15 Holy Swordsman, had been playing it safe in the early rounds. Now, though, his real strength was starting to show. His graceful movements allowed him to weave in and out of the Wolf Orcs' attacks, and though each of his strikes seemed minor, the damage added up over time. One by one, the Orcs fell.
"Looks like Feng Xiu's finally showing his true strength," one examiner remarked.
"Exactly. The Holy Swordsman is a rare class; he's definitely been holding back until now."
"He's probably from the Feng Clan—their family helped write the rules for this exam, so they know the last two rounds are the real key."
While the focus had shifted to Feng Xiu, Wang Zihao wasn't to be overlooked. His moment had come. As the seventh batch of monsters appeared, he let out a roar and activated his Madness skill.
For five minutes, his strength and constitution would skyrocket by 500%, though his agility would take a hit. Afterward, he'd be left in a weakened state for thirty minutes, but right now, none of that mattered.
With over 40 monsters now on the field, Wang Zihao began cutting them down with reckless abandon, each swing of his massive sword felling two or three enemies at a time.
The battlefield was clearing fast.