"I'll attempt the fifth level," Jiang Chen announced.
"What?" The examiner jumped in shock. Starting right away with the fifth level — wasn't that far too reckless?
"The fifth level is equivalent to the cultivation of the Spirit Realm's second stage. If you go in, you'll face a mechanism puppet at that level. Moreover, you can only use the 'Qingming Seal of Life and Death.' Are you certain?"
The examiner was actually quite well-meaning. He couldn't help but remind Jiang Chen, because he felt this choice was truly far too risky.
Generally speaking, a warrior who could pass the fifth level would absolutely be ranked among the very top. Forget about eight thousandth place — even being within the top eighty was entirely possible.
Normally, the wisest choice for a first attempt was to select either the first or second level chamber.
Those contained True Qi stage puppets. It was a good way to practice movements, familiarize oneself with techniques, and essentially warm up.
Jumping straight to the fifth level difficulty was practically a joke — wasn't he just making things hard for himself?
Jiang Chen offered a friendly smile in gratitude. He could indeed sense the examiner's goodwill in the warning.
He still gave a firm nod. "Yes. Level five. I've made up my mind."
Since the candidate was so resolute, the examiner had no intention of forcing his will. With a light sigh, he nodded. "Very well. This is the entrance to the fifth level. Go in yourself. Remember, the time you spend on the challenge will also serve as the basis for your final ranking."
Though the examiner didn't know who Jiang Chen was, he genuinely appreciated this kind of young man who dared to charge ahead and take risks.
Jiang Chen stepped forward, pushed the door open, and entered. The gate to the inner chamber slowly closed behind him.
The chief examiner watched the chamber door shut and shook his head quietly. "Since when have secular martial practitioners become so reckless? In my memory, secular practitioners have always been extremely cautious and timid — cautious because they lack resources and have narrow horizons. This young man is quite the oddity."
At that moment, the other examiners came walking over one after another.
Clearly, they were equally fascinated by the candidate who had comprehended a martial technique in just three hours. Seeing the chief examiner, they couldn't help but ask, "That candidate — which level did he choose?"
"Guess?" the chief examiner said, deliberately keeping them in suspense.
"I'd bet it's the first level, the lowest difficulty. This guy must want to use the lower-difficulty trials to practice his real combat abilities."
"Right! He probably wants to fight and comprehend at the same time. I mean, if he truly finished his comprehension in three hours, then his martial dao perception is absurdly powerful, isn't it?"
«Or maybe he’d practiced the Qingming Life and Death Seal before?» one examiner said, clearly disbelieving that anyone could comprehend a martial skill within three hours.
«Heh…» The chief examiner gave a strange smile and then said, «He chose the fifth level.»
«What?»
«The fifth level? Are you joking?»
«That’s impossible! To comprehend it in three hours and immediately challenge the fifth level? Unless he’s looking to die! Going against a second-level Spirit Realm mechanical puppet with a skill he’s never practiced, just three hours after comprehending it—that’s complete nonsense!»
The chief examiner smiled bitterly and shrugged. «Believe it or not. The point is, he entered the fifth-level chamber.»
«Mad. He’s truly mad. Even if he is that monstrous Jiang Chen they were talking about, with astonishing talent, challenging such a high difficulty all at once is reckless. Once he suffers a setback, he’ll regret it deeply!»
«Youthful arrogance. Maybe his earlier success has gone to his head a little?»
«Very likely! Young people are too arrogant. The path of martial dao is fraught with hardship. A true genius still needs to be tempered.»
«A mortal martial artist, without the sect’s cultivation, ultimately lacks a certain calm temperament.»
These examiners all sighed with emotion, clearly none of them believing in Jiang Chen's decision.
The chief examiner also lamented, "I gave him some indirect warnings beforehand, but this young man is extremely resolute — clearly not the kind of person who can be talked out of anything."
"Well, since he can't be persuaded, taking a small loss might do him some good."
"Mm, if he really is that Panshi prodigy, even if he fails the examination, the four great sects will be fighting over him afterward."
That was indeed the honest truth. The examination was the examination, and rules were rules.
However, given Jiang Chen's monstrous performance earlier — a prodigy of mental fortitude, top-tier martial talent, and the last person to be ejected from the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain trial — his reputation was already secured.
All of this combined meant he was destined to become a hot commodity for the four great sects.
While the examiners were chatting, the door to the secret chamber suddenly swung open.
Jiang Chen strolled out with an air of effortless composure, not so much as a single wrinkle on his clothes — as though he had simply gone inside to enjoy a cup of tea.
"You…" The examiners' eyes went wide one after another. "How… how did you come out?"
"The exam's over. Am I not allowed to come out?" Jiang Chen looked at them blankly.
"What? It's over?"
It truly was over. Once the examiners verified that fact, their expressions became incredibly complex.
All their previous doubts and low expectations... who could have imagined that in the blink of an eye, he had already dealt with the fifth-level mechanical puppet? The speed at which he did it, how effortless the entire process seemed — it was practically as easy as swatting a fly.
Cheat?
The mechanical chamber was under countless surveillance arrays. The moment an examinee used any other martial art, the chamber's mechanisms would instantly eject them.