Suddenly, Elisa realized that staying by Bai Hao's side to observe him for the time being might be a wise choice.
But Bai Hao had no time to ponder Elisa's thoughts. The mountain apes that survived the explosion had spotted him as the culprit and were now charging toward him with bared fangs and claws.
If this were the Bai Hao who'd first entered the secret realm, he would've broken out in cold sweat and his heart would've raced wildly at the sight of such a ferocious horde.
Yet now—after countless life-or-death battles and being nourished by that strange power—his face was only set in calm, frosty resolve.
He extended his hand and whispered, "Projection."
A phantom of a longsword materialized in his palm. Intricate patterns swirled across its form, quickly solidifying into a sharp, seemingly indestructible blade.
The sword looked ancient and heavy, yet its edge radiated a chilling sharpness that seemed capable of tearing through space itself. Most peculiar was the innate, unchanging aura it emitted—as if it had existed since the dawn of time.
After slaying numerous mountain apes, his physical abilities had improved dramatically.
The dozens-of-kilograms sword felt weightless in his grasp; a slight flick of his wrist sent sharp gusts of wind swirling around him, as if it were an extension of his own arm. In the past, he would've struggled just to lift it with one hand.
Mountain apes relied solely on brute force in combat, making them ideal targets for beginners to sharpen their fighting skills.
Facing the surging beast tide, Bai Hao advanced instead of retreating, his figure darting forward like a ghost!
The longsword traced a perfect arc—no fancy maneuvers, only speed, precision, and deadly efficiency!
The cold blade sliced cleanly into the joint of a mountain ape's thick, pillar-like arm!
Sizzle!
A grinding, tearing sound rang out as the limb—covered in tough, calloused skin—was severed clean off!
Foul-smelling blood gushed forth like a fountain, splattering against jagged rocks with a hissing noise. The giant ape let out a shrill shriek before crashing to the ground.
"Impossible! This is absolutely impossible!!"
Elisa—connected to him through their spirit contract mark—was too stunned to speak coherently.
Throughout history, no Spirit Master had ever possessed two distinct abilities. At most, advancements could only produce derivatives of their original power. This was precisely why female Spirit Masters held far higher status than their male counterparts.
Only female Spirit Masters with multiple contracted spirits could wield the powers of several beings simultaneously in battle. Their own spiritual bond abilities also played critical supporting roles in combat.
The beam attack and projected weapon Bai Hao had displayed were clearly unrelated abilities—completely defying the world's common sense and everything Elisa had been taught since childhood.
"Something is terribly wrong! This human child is extraordinary beyond reason!"
Elisa bit her finger unconsciously, her pupils trembling as she desperately searched for an explanation to calm her racing mind.
But in the end, only one conclusion remained: a mere human spiritual practitioner like Bai Hao could never possess two entirely different Spirit Master abilities.
If such a thing were possible, his Spirit Envoy rank must surpass Emperor grade and reach the legendary God grade level.
Yet in thousands of years of Blue Star's New Spirit Era history, no nation had ever produced a being with talent above Emperor grade. Even for someone like Elisa—a demon from another world—talent beyond Emperor grade had long been lost in her homeland, surviving only in the most secret and precious of her race's records.
"Could it be… that the first to reclaim divine glory… will be this… lowly inferior race we've always regarded as ants?!"
Elisa's heart plummeted into an abyss of dread. Cold vines of fear coiled around her body.
Unprecedented panic surged through her, followed by a violent killing intent that overshadowed her earlier plan to observe him.
"I must send word of this immediately! Even if I can't act against him directly, I cannot let such a massive threat grow unchecked!"
In her urgency, Elisa didn't notice she'd bitten her lip until blood welled up. Her attention remained fixed on Bai Hao's fluid fighting form in the Weeping Sky Abyss Secret Realm.
Even Elisa—who'd always looked down on humans—couldn't help but admire his exceptional combat talent. Though he'd received no formal swordsmanship training, his movements grew increasingly refined as he instinctively grasped the rhythms of battle.
Alone, he moved with ease through dozens of mountain apes—each comparable to a spiritual being. During lulls in close combat, he seamlessly fused other spirit abilities to unleash laser beams from his fingertips, eliminating enemies efficiently.
"This person… must not be allowed to live!"
If he survives, he will become the ultimate enemy of billions across all alien races!
...
At the entrance to the Weeping Sky Gorge Secret Realm, the atmosphere was heavy enough to suffocate.
Scores for all candidates forced to exit early were being calculated one by one.
On the massive display screen, a sea of pale red crosses dominated the view—save for one name that blazed with blinding brilliance:
Xiao Chunan – 105 points, Perfect Score!
Virtually all other candidates had failed completely. The grim scene reflected an even more devastating reality.
The most heart-wrenching cases belonged to candidates who'd resolved to see the exam through to the end. From the moment they entered the secret realm, they'd hidden like mice, hoping to wait out the clock and earn a passing grade.
But the sudden disaster had cast them out early. Without meeting the time requirement, their results were inevitably marked as – Fail!
"It's all over… everything is gone…"
Desperate sobs spread through the crowd like a plague. After over a decade of hard work and relentless training, their dreams had been shattered by misfortune—cutting off their only path to the University of Psionics.
Some stared blankly into space; others beat their chests and stamped their feet in rage. A few even collapsed to the ground, wailing uncontrollably.
Immense grief and pain hung like dark clouds over the secret realm's exit, lending a bitter tang to the very air. In an instant, the mood around Weeping Sky Gorge plummeted to freezing point, thick with sorrow and despair.
Just then, Qi Mulan—who'd been arguing with the blushing Xiao Chunan—suddenly raised her voice and shouted: "There's no need for sorrow! Those who failed due to the secret realm's special circumstances will be given a make-up opportunity later. What kind of conduct is this—weeping and wailing like children?"
Her voice, infused with psionic energy, carried for miles, reaching every corner of the crowd.
"Really?"
Some asked in disbelief.
"I, Qi Mulan, swear to you all in the name of the Spirit Emperor!"
Her words sent shockwaves through the gathered crowd.
In this world, power and wealth might not command trust—but strength always did. Xia Kingdom counted more than ten Spirit Emperor-level experts among its ranks. While most did not participate in official governance, they maintained deep connections to the government and were true pillars of the nation and society.
It was no exaggeration to say that a Spirit Emperor's word and guarantee nearly always reflected the will of the high command. A simple make-up exam for secret realm candidates was trivial compared to the major national initiatives that became reality once a Spirit Emperor spoke them aloud.
As the crowd erupted in gratitude and admiration, Qi Mulan shook her head helplessly.
"Can the college entrance exam's martial arts test truly change one's future?"
I think not!
"From birth, the children of aristocratic and wealthy clans are immersed in rare medicines beyond ordinary people's imagination. They undergo marrow-cleansing and foundation-strengthening rituals using the I Ching."
What ordinary Spirit Masters considered precious spiritual potions were little more than bedside refreshments to these privileged youths.
"While no concrete evidence links awakened talent to such factors, there's no denying their starting point is vastly higher than common folk's."
Even with exceptional talent, a poor student might spend their entire life stuck at the Spiritualist level, exhausting every ounce of their strength. But what of those born with silver spoons in their mouths?
With endless access to rare materials and treasures, even Yellow-grade talent was no barrier. They could forcibly elevate their cultivation to Spirit Master or Great Spirit Master using external means alone!
Even if they were slightly weaker in equal-rank battles, superior equipment, advanced spiritual techniques, or higher-ranked contracted spirits would make up the difference.
Talent can be "compensated" for later—so what does a mere martial arts test score matter? Even if someone manages to enter Psionic University by sheer luck, the gap created by resources and bloodline has already carved entirely different life paths for each person, hidden behind that seemingly fair starting point.