Chapter 35

Every examinee who has come to the Puhai Martial Arts Plaza is filled with anticipation.

Even if they know they won't pass, there is still a glimmer of luck in the depths of their hearts: what if they do pass?

The Blue Star Top Ten Academies only recruit five hundred people at a time, yet there are two million students participating in the assessment.

Imagine this admission ratio; it's enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Although there are nearly two million examinees in total, the number of students from Huaxia participating in the assessment is actually only about one hundred thousand.

Don't think one hundred thousand is a small number; in fact, Huaxia has the most examinees participating in the Blue Star Top Ten Academies' enrollment assessment.

Some countries only have a dozen people coming, and most countries only have between one thousand and ten thousand people participating.

On average, each country only has about ten thousand people participating in the Blue Star Top Ten Academies' enrollment assessment.

Huaxia alone occupies about one hundred thousand spots, more than double the second-place country.

Excluding examinees, their families, school teachers, and staff, the most common people here are small vendors from all over.

The Martial Arts Plaza has seating, but because the plaza is so large, it takes a long time to go out and buy things, so these small vendors proactively deliver items to your hands.

Just imagine, with family members participating in the assessment, who has the mood to leave their seat?

The first assessment is the gene fusion degree test; this assessment is the simplest, and each person only needs a few minutes to complete it.

Even so, with nearly two million examinees, it's not something that can be completed in a short time.

The Blue Star Top Ten Academies, who are hosting the assessment, have divided the Puhai Martial Arts Plaza into one hundred assessment areas.

The Asian region has relatively more examinees, so it occupies fifty assessment areas, Europe occupies twenty, the Americas occupy twenty, and Africa occupies ten.

As for continents that haven't been assigned separate assessment areas, as long as there are examinees, they can take the exam in the Americas.

These one hundred assessment areas are only for the first round of assessment; if you don't pass the first round, you are not qualified to participate in the second round.

Around the plaza, rows of huge electronic screens are erected.

These electronic screens show intercontinental rankings and global rankings.

As long as you are in the Puhai Martial Arts Plaza, you can see these ranking screens from any corner.

Geng Qianxing is with Fang Chong, Li Wanran, and Lu Zi in the thirty-eighth assessment area.

Although examinees and their families are all in the Puhai Martial Arts Plaza, they belong to two different circles.

Examinees are in the inner circle, while families or those who specifically came to watch the enrollment assessment are sitting in the outer circle.

Even the principal of Yujiang University, Tan Bei, can only sit in the outer circle like the families. Only the training mentor, Geng Qianxing, can sit in the inner circle's waiting area with the examinees.

Being in the outer circle doesn't actually affect anything; one can still see the competition scene with their own eyes.

The first and second rounds of assessment are purely to test potential and talent; other than the results, there is nothing to watch.

The third and fourth rounds of assessment are more interesting, especially the fourth round, which is a tournament.

Don't look at the crowded Puhai Martial Arts Plaza; as the host, and occupying four of the Blue Star Top Ten Academies, Huaxia still has an advantage.

This advantage can be seen from the seating; with so many examinees, any Huaxia university that has students participating in the assessment has its own area.

Each school's examinee waiting area has between twenty and one hundred seats; Yujiang University has thirty seats.

Now, only four people are sitting in these thirty seats, so it's no wonder Tan Bei feels embarrassed and shabby.

The only teacher and three examinees from Yujiang University do indeed look a bit abrupt.

Tan Bei gave most of the spots to people outside the school; besides human relationships, the main reason was that he knew the students of Yujiang University were truly not good enough.

Deep down, Tan Bei still hoped that those students who took Yujiang University's assessment spots would sit in Yujiang University's waiting area.

Adding some popularity would be good too.

"Hmph, it's one thing that other people took our school's assessment spots and didn't come here. Huang Chengwei and Tong Quan are originally from our Yujiang University, yet they don't even come here to sit; that's really too much."

Fang Chong felt very indignant seeing that only the four of them were sitting in Yujiang University's thirty seats.

Geng Qianxing also sighed; he could only pray inwardly that at least one of the three, Fang Chong, Li Wanran, or Lu Zi, would pass.

If that happened, Yujiang University wouldn't go bankrupt.

He really liked the freedom of Yujiang University and quite appreciated Principal Tan Bei. It would be a real pity if such a school went bankrupt.

"Yiyi, what are you looking at?" Qu Fei, who was sitting next to Qu Yi, noticed that Qu Yi kept looking around and couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing, I'm just looking around," Qu Yi said hurriedly.

Qu Fei had already followed Qu Yi's gaze and seen the sign for Yujiang University, and she immediately remembered,

"Didn't that Ding Huan say he was from Yujiang University? Look, you don't see him there at all; what a liar."

Qu Yi didn't answer Qu Fei's words, but instead said, "Does Yujiang University only have three examinees and one mentor?"

"After that Ding Huan mentioned Yujiang University last time, I specifically went back to check. The result is that this school is about to go bankrupt; you can tell just by seeing that only three students came to participate in the assessment this time."

Qu Fei said another sentence to prove her foresight.

Qu Yi lowered her head; she was trying hard to think why Ding Huan would lie to her. Or did Ding Huan not lie to her at all? Regardless, she wanted to go over and ask after the exam ended.

Just at this moment, a platform suddenly rose in the middle of the plaza.

A man in gray clothes walked in the air for more than ten steps and landed gently on the platform in the middle of the plaza.

"It's Principal Nong..."

Enthusiastic applause erupted in the plaza, and some people who had never seen Principal Nong asked around who he was.

"Tsk, you don't even know Principal Nong, yet you come here to watch the Blue Star Top Ten Academies' assessment..."

Before this person could continue to put on airs, someone next to him answered for him,

"Principal Nong is Nong Yizhen, the principal of the top-ranked Zhenyu Academy among the Blue Star Top Ten Academies, an innate expert who has fused with four types of exotic genes."

"Do you think there is anyone stronger than Principal Nong?"

"Senior Yan Xia, he is also an innate expert; as for how many types of exotic genes he has fused with, I don't know."

"Is the innate expert a previous realm? I heard that the Martial Arts Alliance later joined with some martial arts sects to modify the martial arts realms. Is the previous martial arts innate realm equivalent to the current Earth-level martial artist?"

"What do you know? Innate is innate, and Earth-level is Earth-level..."

"We don't understand these things, so let's not argue. I just feel that since we are practicing martial arts, why fuse with genes? Isn't this neither fish nor fowl?"

"You don't know anything; only by fusing with top-tier martial arts genes can one reach the highest level in martial arts."

The arguing continued, and Nong Yizhen, standing on the platform, said loudly, "Everyone, please be quiet."

With just one sentence, without relying on any amplification equipment, it spread to almost the entire plaza.

Some martial arts experts sighed, saying that Nong Yizhen's internal energy had reached the point of returning to simplicity. Even in the farthest and noisiest places, his voice sounded as if it were ringing in your ear.

The plaza instantly became quiet because of Nong Yizhen's words, and Nong Yizhen said again,

"Friends from all over the world, the reason we are gathered here today is to work for the future of humanity.

I am Nong Yizhen of Zhenyu Academy, and I represent the Blue Star Top Ten Academies in welcoming you all.

I also make a promise here: whether in the past, present, or future, the purpose of the Blue Star Top Ten Academies has only been one: to protect Earth, to protect humanity..."

Enthusiastic applause erupted again.

After the applause died down, Nong Yizhen continued, "Today, the Blue Star Top Ten Academies' enrollment assessment officially begins.

I represent the Blue Star Top Ten Academies in promising that this assessment will be conducted under the principles of fairness and justice to select the world's top genius students to enter the Blue Star Top Ten Academies. Now, the assessment begins."

There wasn't a single word of unnecessary nonsense.

After the Earth's environment mutated and survival became harsh, the official rhetoric of all meetings and activities decreased or even disappeared.

Just like this Blue Star Top Ten Academies' enrollment assessment, there were no speeches from leaders; after Nong Yizhen made two promises, the assessment started directly.

Once the assessment started, the sound between assessment areas began to be shielded, and the broadcast of each area only spread within that area.

For example, the sound of the broadcast in Area 1 would not spread to Area 2.

All students participating in the assessment were focused, listening nervously to the broadcast, worried about missing something. Because when it was your turn to take the exam, it would be announced by the broadcast.

A voice came from the broadcast in the thirty-eighth assessment area,

"Examinees with registration numbers from A1721301 to A1721320, please proceed to the thirty-eighth assessment area to participate in the first round of assessment."

The first round of gene fusion degree testing is simple, and twenty people can enter to participate in the assessment at the same time.

As for calling out one number at a time? Or even calling it three times? That doesn't exist.

If you didn't pay attention or didn't hear it, or perhaps you didn't think your number was included in the range called, then you are not a genius. Since you are not a genius, why are you participating in the assessment?

The plaza was very quiet, and the discussions of the onlookers on the outside could not spread into the assessment area at this moment.

Each examinee's number is unique; for example, the number A1721301, where A represents Asia, 1 represents Huaxia, 7 represents Zhongyuan Province, 2 represents Luohe City, 13 represents the school or unit, and 01 is the examinee's own number.