C5 Rare Level Boss, Mutated Golden Giant Crocodile!
"Bai Le! Attaboy!"
Principal Du Mei stood up, clapping enthusiastically for Bai Le.
It wasn't just Bai Le's combat prowess that moved her—it was his indomitable will!
Who would have guessed that someone without an awakened talent could come this far?
And in the secret realm, pain was as real as it gets.
Bai Le's fight with the Giant Tree Beast was a brutal hand-to-hand combat.
Battling the beast's thick, wall-like bark with nothing but his own flesh and blood—how could he not be affected?
Seeing the principal rise, his staff of directors and teachers promptly followed suit, echoing his sentiment.
"This young man is Huthwaite High School's pride, no question about it!"
"Incredible! Such mastery over martial skills, and without any awakened talent!"
"What a shame! Even without a combat talent, with his abilities, he could have made the provincial top ten!"
"The appearance of the Giant Tree Beast in the second wave indicates a significantly higher difficulty for this year's college entrance exam."
"True, Murong Lianjie from Class One seems to be struggling with the second wave, and he's only facing the Difficult Difficulty."
The more advanced the martial skill, the more challenging it is to master.
While lamenting the waste of talent, everyone was also astonished at the exam's difficulty.
Murong Lianjie, ranked among the top two students in the school, had chosen the same 'leaf-filled lakeshore' secret realm as Bai Le.
Facing just one Giant Tree Beast in the Difficult Difficulty, he was already at his wit's end!
Too reliant on his talent, particularly his command talent, the tyro couldn't even escape the Giant Tree Beast's vines!
His plight was a stark contrast to Bai Le's commanding presence.
"Quick, quick, get a shot of this!"
In the stands, journalist Lan Yuran from Aermagh instructed the cameraman to focus all lenses on Bai Le's live battle.
Dispatched to cover the Huthwaite exam site, she had anticipated a dull assignment but stumbled upon a scoop instead!
'An untalented Awakened storms an abyss-level secret realm, slaying ten beast soldiers'—such an underdog story was irresistible.
The headline was sure to rake in the clicks.
"This martial prowess is truly a revelation."
"Some offbeat martial arts colleges might just take notice."
"How intriguing, young man. Just how deep does your potential run?"
The seasoned examiner watched Bai Le's progress with bubbling enthusiasm, a first in his many years of overseeing exams.
With all eyes on him, Bai Le pressed on along the lakeshore.
This time, a full five minutes passed without a single vicious beast attack—a deliberate respite from the examiners, no doubt.
Thoughtful, yet such a long pause often heralded the imminent boss battle!
Bai Le took the chance to breathe but remained on high alert.
The maple forest thinned, the leaf piles grew—something was off.
He suspected an ambush beneath the leaves and crouched low to advance.
Predictably, the ground trembled, and a whirlwind of golden maple leaves obscured his vision.
Like a cheetah spooked, Bai Le's instincts kicked in, and he swiftly evaded.
In an instant, a colossal figure burst forth from the pile of leaves.
A gaping maw appeared where Bai Le had just stood.
With a ferocious bite, it nearly ripped through the air!
He was a mere second away from becoming prey.
Bai Le's heart raced with fear as he caught a glimpse of the long, fang-filled mouth and six menacing claws.
It was a mutated golden crocodile at the rare Beast King level!
Vicious Beasts were classified by researchers into eight levels:
Beast Soldiers, Beast Ranks, Beast Generals, Beast Governors, Beast Kings, Beast Sovereigns, Beast Kings, and Beast Emperors.
Bai Le had only ever faced Beast Soldiers before.
The golden crocodile was typically just below Beast Rank status.
But this one, with its six legs and eerily lustrous golden armor, was unmistakably a true rare level Vicious Beast!
Eight meters in length, with metallic skin and immense strength, it was a master of ambush—among the most dreaded Vicious Beasts in swamps and lakes.
It was likely the ultimate boss of the lakeside secret realm!
Facing a rare level Vicious Beast as the final challenge of the abyss level was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
The number of students who had overcome a rare level boss in past college entrance exams could be counted on one hand.
They were all Awakened with S-grade combat talents and had begun formal martial arts training early on.
A combination of resources and innate talent was essential to single-handedly defeat a Beast Rank at around eighteen without any external aid!
Bai Le wasn't foolish enough to confront the Golden Giant Crocodile head-on using only his Hannya Technique and Wind Breaking and Flame Separating.
He leveraged the maple leaves above to put some frantic distance between himself and the crocodile.
Meanwhile, his right palm shimmered with the light of a blade.
The Intent Blade was charging up!
...
"It's over," Du Mei murmured, assessing the scene.
Against a Beast Soldier level Vicious Beast, conventional weapons and martial arts might stand a chance.
But at the rare level, the effectiveness of such weapons plummets.
And ordinary martial skills? Even less so.
Only a martial artist of rudimental level or higher could stand a chance; anyone else would be as helpless as an infant.
The onlookers were completely captivated, their discussions full of vicarious excitement.
"What's Bai Le thinking? Why hasn't he left the secret realm yet? If he withdraws now, he might even score some points!"
"Exactly, he's not seriously considering taking on the Beast Rank, is he?"
"Getting killed instantly would cost him points. That's just irrational!"
