C3 A Little Heavendefying

"Ding! Ding!"

The pleasant sound finally echoed, and under the admiring glances of the crowd, Zhang Heng collapsed onto the table.

The Spirit Storage Rod before him had transformed into a radiant red!

SS! Another SS!

This freshman had already scored two SSs. The examiner watched Zhang Heng, sprawled on the table from exhaustion, and nodded in approval.

After a brief rest, Zhang Heng felt a trace of Spiritual Force return to his body.

Looking at his two SSs, he smiled broadly, glancing around. It seemed as though the word "Incredible!" was written in the eyes of countless onlookers.

The examiner handed him a biscuit. This was a Spiritual Force Compression Biscuit, designed to quickly replenish Spiritual Force.

Zhang Heng wasn't the only one; each new student in the examination was given a piece, as they all had another round to face.

"Everyone gets one piece. Eat up quickly to restore your Spiritual Force; the next round of exams is about to start."

"Teacher, may I have another piece?"

The discordant voice rang out just as the examiner finished speaking.

He had just stated that everyone was allowed only one piece, yet his words seemed to be disregarded. How could this be?

The examiner turned around, bewildered. In all his years of proctoring, he had never encountered such an impertinent request.

Hmm? This student again! Does having two SSs mean he gets an extra piece?

Well, perhaps two SSs do warrant an extra piece!

With a flick of his wrist, another Spiritual Force Compression Biscuit sailed into Zhang Heng's hands, which he devoured in one bite.

"Thank you, Teacher!" Zhang Heng said, then began to regulate his breathing.

"Dong! Dong! Dong!" The bell sounded, and Zhang Heng opened his eyes as the third round of the examination commenced.

The desks transformed once more, each one illuminating a light screen that encased the students within.

Within the light screen, Zhang Heng remained composed.

This third round involved a test using the Demonic Beast Virtual Simulator.

Confronted with the Demonic Beast, or rather, its virtual counterpart, Zhang Heng's expression was still one of utter calmness.

The Iron Palm Bear, a Level-2 Demonic Beast, possessed strength on par with a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. Pfft, such weaklings, I could have wiped out a group of them with a single slap in my past life.

Zhang Heng was aware that this phase of the exam assessed survival skills. The longer one lasted in the virtual simulator, the higher the score.

In his past life, he had survived a mere three seconds before that foolish bear swatted him out of the simulator.

With a roar, the Iron Palm Bear charged furiously at Zhang Heng.

A massive paw, slicing through the air with a whoosh, swung towards him.

But to Zhang Heng, it was laughably slow.

Drawing upon his past life's insight as a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, the Iron Palm Bear's every move seemed painfully sluggish to him.

He dodged with ease. This round was nothing more than a freebie for him.

Outside the simulator, most of the newcomers had already been ejected, leaving only a few screens active in the exam hall.

At this point, the eyes of nearly all the examinees were fixed on Zhang Heng's screen, curious to see if the newcomer, who had already scored two S's, could pull off another high score.

"Ding!" The delightful chime sounded, and everyone instinctively held their breath.

He made it to S! The prodigy had done it again!

Now, only three screens remained in the exam hall, and Zhang Heng's was among them.

Seconds later, the other two screens shattered, leaving Zhang Heng as the sole contender in the hall.

"Ding! Ding!" The charming tone echoed once more, followed by a wave of astonished gasps.

SS! He had actually achieved SS! Three SSs in a row!

The new students were stunned, and even the examiners were taken aback.

Having overseen exams for decades, they had never witnessed anyone score three SSs.

Damn, this kid deserved to eat three Spiritual Force Compression Biscuits!

Meanwhile, inside the simulator, Zhang Heng watched his score with a smile, thinking it was about time to wrap things up.

Across from him, the Iron Palm Bear glared at Zhang Heng in a rage. Whatever it had been through, it was now sprawled on the ground, heaving deep, rapid breaths.

Zhang Heng hadn't laid a finger on the Iron Palm Bear. In this test, no attack could harm it; the bear was simply exhausted to this degree.

With a loud crash, the barrier shattered, revealing Zhang Heng's form.

As he caught the looks of admiration and envy from those around him, Zhang Heng felt the urge to dismiss their awe with a wave of his hand and a cheeky remark: "Don't idolize me; I'm just a legend."

His current standing was three SS grades, a feat that the Academy Alliance hadn't seen in centuries.

"Hmph, No.1 Academy, I'm set on conquering you this time! And I'll do it as your special recruit, tuition-free!"

The bell tolled, signaling the start of the fourth round of assessments.

The light screens flickered to life once more, each candidate now encapsulated within.

This round involved testing through the Demonic Beast Simulator.

Facing the intermediate-level Gale Wolf, Zhang Heng summoned a Fire Bird above his head, ready to deploy the Fire Bird Technique.

This round was all about measuring the combat prowess of the new students!

The Gale Wolf, comparable to a mid-Foundation Establishment cultivator, awaited its challengers.

Failure to injure the Gale Wolf meant elimination and a C grade. Inflicting light, moderate, or severe injuries earned a B, A, or S respectively, while slaying the Gale Wolf warranted an SS!

"Go!" Zhang Heng commanded, and the Fire Bird soared towards the Gale Wolf.

The wolf howled fiercely and lunged forward in response.

Another Fire Bird materialized above Zhang Heng, joining the first in its flight toward the Gale Wolf.

Then came a third, a fourth, and a fifth—five Fire Bird Techniques unleashed in rapid succession!

Zhang Heng orchestrated the Fire Birds to encircle the Gale Wolf. Known for its speed, the wolf found itself tragically unable to escape.

Explosions echoed as the Gale Wolf was instantly transformed into a roasted carcass.

Zhang Heng had achieved an instant kill! The barrier burst apart, and once again, he stepped into view.

The examiner, taken aback, gazed at Zhang Heng with a mix of astonishment and curiosity.

"Why are you out so soon? Were you defeated by the Gale Wolf?"

Zhang Heng simply shrugged his shoulders, offering no explanation.

The examiner shook his head, a hint of disappointment in his gesture. "I thought I had a genius on my hands, but your practical combat skills are surprisingly subpar."

Suddenly, a jarring "Ding! Ding!" echoed through the room, causing the examiner to whirl around in astonishment. Two enormous 'S' letters had appeared on Zhang Heng's exam desk!

Is this... a double S? Could the machine be malfunctioning? It's not a C but a double S, and so quickly!

Incredulous, the examiner approached Zhang Heng, his eyes wide as he stared at the double S on the desk before promptly pulling up the exam's surveillance footage.

The video of Zhang Heng's assessment played before him, and as he watched Zhang Heng instantly dispatch a Gale Wolf with five casts of the Fire Bird Technique, the examiner involuntarily gulped.

He then turned to Zhang Heng and gave him an approving thumbs-up. "Impressive!"

Hmm...

Should I thank the examiner for his compliment?

Soon after, the sound of light screens shattering filled the air as the rest of the candidates finished their exams.

As they caught sight of the brilliant SS on Zhang Heng's desk, they all gasped in amazement.

Four SS! This newcomer was nothing short of extraordinary!

Outside the exam hall, a crowd watched the footage with eyes shining. Among them were the deans from various academies across Three-sea City, including Ouyang Xiu, the dean of No.1 Academy. Like the others, his eyes sparkled with excitement.

Four SS! Never before had Three-sea City seen such an exceptional talent!