C23 Towards

The mentors and returning students stepped forward once more to register, and then they were randomly assigned by the computer.

At the moment the names were called, Chiang Yu, who had been whispering prayers under his breath, nearly leapt for joy.

He and Lin Feng had been placed in the same group.

A smile briefly crossed Lin Feng's face before fading.

Liu Fei's name was absent from the list of one hundred in their group.

Despite being a Second Level Warrior and listed among the thousand contenders, Liu Fei seemed unfazed, chuckling, "No need to worry about me."

"Stay sharp!" With no other recourse, Lin Feng and Chiang Yu could only offer their caution.

Ultimately, only twelve groups were established.

By the numbers, there should have been thirteen groups of one hundred.

Clearly, many had been less fortunate, not paired with their friends, and chose to bow out.

"Junior, let's go get our gear," a senior student said, approaching with a grin.

Lin Feng gave a subtle nod, exchanged a glance with Liu Fei, and departed with Chiang Yu.

...

The school provided C5 Black Dragon Armor Sets, while weapons were left to personal choice.

Naturally, all weapons were blunted.

This was an assessment, after all, not a battle to the death!

The rules stated no malicious killings were allowed, and once an opponent surrendered, no further attacks could be made.

Anyone caught in a malicious act faced dire consequences, with the gravest penalty being immediate execution.

With the rules clearly stated and no objections raised, the assessment commenced.

...

At the University of Norbury Arena, as the last of the participants arrived, the middle-aged instructor gave a slight nod, and the first group was ushered into the fray.

The assessment was underway.

One hundred contestants spread out across the five-kilometer-wide arena, which seemed spacious until the battle began, quickly proving otherwise.

From the stands, Lin Feng and his companions watched intently.

"I wonder who the last twenty standing will be," Chiang Yu murmured.

The air in the arena was thick with tension.

The newcomers didn't rush into combat. Instead, they clustered in small groups. Sadly, some had no allies and stood alone.

"These folks are in for a rough time. Without exceptional strength, they'll be the first to go!" Chiang Yu observed.

Lin Feng gave a slight nod in agreement.

It's common sense to target the vulnerable first.

"People from small towns are at a disadvantage," he lamented.

Those from smaller towns who make it into the University of Norbury are certainly in the minority.

In contrast, the big city contingent is larger.

Now, in a battle royale of a hundred people, those from smaller towns are without backup.

But students from larger cities, even if they weren't schoolmates or bore grudges, would band together when it counted.

"Here we go!" Lin Feng said, his face set with determination.

True to form, as his words trailed off, a squad of five from the east made the first move, targeting a solitary newcomer.

The lone student was no slouch, a Second Level Warrior like Liu Fei.

But outnumbered, he was quickly overpowered and defeated.

Their assault seemed to be the cue, as the arena erupted into action.

Every group turned on those who were isolated.

"We need to team up!"

After thirty-some individuals had fallen, the remaining loners had an epiphany and began calling out to other new students in similar straits.

But it was too late.

With no prior teamwork among them, the field of a hundred contenders rapidly dwindled to forty.

Among these forty, the largest group boasted ten members, the smallest just three.

Conventional wisdom would favor the largest group for victory.

Yet, the opposite proved true.

The smaller squads, as if by unspoken agreement, converged on the group of ten.

"Nobody gets into the University of Norbury by being a fool," Lin Feng reflected.

Chiang Yu nodded gravely in agreement.

From his vantage point, he could see that there wasn't a single weakling below!

Against the ten least skilled among them, he couldn't guarantee his own victory.

The assessment for the first group wrapped up quickly, with the twenty victors being recorded by their mentors.

Those who didn't make the top thousand and were eliminated were also noted.

...

The atmosphere in the arena grew increasingly tense after the battle, to the point where it was almost suffocating.

The second group took the stage.

To everyone's surprise, the fight escalated to a fever pitch almost immediately.

The combatants were all attacking with a frenzied intensity.

Among them, a youth stood out, wildly swinging a Coiling Dragon Staff. Alone, he toppled over twenty opponents, eliciting gasps of astonishment from the crowd.

"That's Qi Peng from our Shang City's 18th High School!" someone exclaimed excitedly from the stands.

Qi Peng?

Lin Feng made a mental note of the name.

With the strength of a Fourth Level Warrior, Qi Peng was among the elite of University of Norbury's new students.

Ultimately, no one in the second group dared to challenge Qi Peng. He chose not to engage in combat, quietly standing in a corner until the assessment concluded.

...

The third group.

The fourth group.

The fifth group.

...

Each group revealed one or two prodigies that caused a stir among the onlookers.

In the old days, these individuals would have been the subject of envy, jealousy, and resentment.

In this new era, they shone like brilliant suns.

Upon reflection, it often seems that fate is inherently unfair, bestowing an abundance of gifts upon certain individuals.

When the sixth group's turn came around.

Chiang Yu's eyes widened, "Liu Fei's up! Wait, is that Hsu Ying and the rest? Oh man, they've all been placed in the same group!"

Lin Feng noticed as well.

Hsu Ying, Wang Pingzhi, and Zhang Chaohai, a trio of renowned prodigies from Zeffari, were all assigned to group six.

"Will they be the last ones standing?" Lin Feng couldn't help but feel a twinge of nervousness for them.

Despite having no past connection with Hsu Ying and the others, they all hailed from the same hometown.

However, Lin Feng's fleeting sense of camaraderie quickly evaporated.

Chiang Yu exploded with fury, "Those damn traitors!"

The reason was clear: Wang Pingzhi, Zhang Chaohai, and Hsu Ying had unhesitatingly turned on Liu Fei, showing no regard for their shared roots.

The battle had broken out.

Roughly ten minutes in, Liu Fei was taken out by a squad of four.

Lin Feng shook his head, his expression dark. Chiang Yu was livid, unleashing a torrent of curses.

"Let it go. Liu Fei is still among the top thousand, so even with this elimination, he won't end up in a terrible class," Lin Feng offered by way of consolation.

But deep down, he was aware that Liu Fei would be relegated to a mediocre class for his freshman year.

The sixth group concluded.

Now, it was time for Lin Feng's group, the seventh, to take the stage.

"Let's move!" Lin Feng clapped Chiang Yu on the shoulder and strode confidently toward the arena.

The instructor began roll call.

When Lin Feng's name was called, he responded with a firm "Here."

At his words, nearly all the freshmen turned to stare at him, their gazes filled with curiosity and something else undefinable.

Lin Feng's brow furrowed.

...

Meanwhile, in the stands, a young man grinned at Gu Xing, saying, "Mr. Gu, rest assured, I've made arrangements for the seventh group. Anyone who takes out Lin Feng gets a five million reward!"

Gu Xing's expression, however, didn't brighten; it chilled. "Who gave you the authority to do that?"

"Getting ahead of yourself!"

The young man was taken aback.

Under Gu Xing's icy stare, he blanched and hung his head, speechless and feeling wronged.

The others nearby were equally bewildered. Gu Xing's expression softened as he explained, "Lin Feng isn't an easy target. Sending these novices after him will only serve to boost his reputation at the University of Norbury!"

"Really, Mr. Gu? He's from some backwater, his strength has to have limits. And the seventh group includes three Fourth Level Warrior prodigies!" someone next to him interjected, puzzled.

Gu Xing just shook his head.

Did he really need to tell them that Lin Feng had previously slain three Sixth Level Warriors?

True, Lin Feng had been seriously injured and had the law enforcement team's assistance, but a kill was a kill.