High Martial: I Grind Professions

"Sixth round. Begin." The Chuhe King’s voice was still calm, but the pressure everyone felt seemed to grow heavier.

Inside the dozen or so laser cages, the handful of remaining contestants, including Li Wen, felt their nerves instantly tighten to the breaking point.

They knew they were about to face an even more terrifying storm of projectiles, one that would determine their final evaluation and ranking.

The projectiles in the sixth round were faster, leaving behind little more than afterimages.

Just seconds after they were fired, someone was hit and eliminated.

Yet, in Li Wen’s "eyes," the paths of these swift projectiles remained perfectly clear.

The sixth round ended quickly.

Only three people remained: Li Wen, Du Yun, and Fang Chenghong.

"Seventh round. Begin!" The Chuhe King’s voice was as serene as ever, but the hint of undeniable admiration within it was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples through the hearts of all the Marquis Level experts.

In all the past assessments for Kindleflame University, those who could survive the sixth round were few and far between. Yet in this year’s batch, three had actually made it.

On the main platform, the interest of the Marquis Level powerhouses was completely ignited, their gazes fixed on the three remaining figures in the arena.

"That boy from the Du family has the most solid foundation. Both his body and spirit have been polished to be exceptionally stable. He’s the most likely to make it through this round," a Marquis Level expert familiar with the Du family stated with certainty.

"The Fang family’s junior returned from Red Flame Star with extraordinary knowledge and experience. With such a profound foundation, he shouldn’t be underestimated," another person said approvingly, glancing at the Marquis from the Fang family.

"As for that Li Wen..." As their gazes swept over Li Wen, the divine senses of the several Marquis Level experts had already seen through to his core.

"His body just broke through Level 10. His muscles, bones, and vitality are the weakest of the three. It was truly remarkable for him to pass the sixth round. But this seventh round is even faster. I’m afraid his physical body will be a drag on his Extraordinary Spiritual Sense. This round... is likely his limit."

"Indeed. To reach this stage with the body of a novice Martial Artist is already proof of his astonishing, innate Spiritual Sense. A willpower of 190 steps is exceptional, and his strength and technique are also impressive. This boy’s potential is truly worth paying attention to."

Through the three consecutive assessments, the traits Li Wen displayed had transformed the opinions of these discerning Marquis Level experts from initial surprise to undisguised admiration.

The crowd held its breath, all eyes fixed on the three contestants.

*SHOOOOM—!*

The muzzles hissed silently as the projectiles for the seventh round were fired.

They were so fast, far exceeding the sixth round, that the deadly afterimages were upon them before the sound even reached their ears!

Du Yun and Fang Chenghong instantly gave up on tracking them visually. Trying to follow them with eyes alone was pure fantasy.

Both of them shut their eyes in unison, brows furrowed, muscles tensed like bowstrings. They completely immersed their minds in the vast ocean of their Spiritual Sense.

Relying on that ethereal yet tangible premonition of life and death, they executed evasive maneuvers with hair’s breadth precision.

*PFFT!*

The stalemate was brief, lasting only two minutes.

With a soft sound, a projectile finally tore through the last sliver of space Fang Chenghong had desperately created to dodge.

He snapped his eyes open. Staring at the barely perceptible white mark on his chest, a deep sense of unwillingness flashed in his eyes, along with a trace of weary relief.

Eliminated!

At this point, only two remained in the arena—Li Wen and Du Yun.

"Li Wen is still in it?!" A gasp of disbelief erupted from the audience below the stage.

The young man with the lowest physical level had actually withstood the terrifying baptism of the seventh round.

A minute later, the light screen signaling the end of the seventh round lit up.

The pillars of light representing Li Wen and Du Yun were still standing strong inside their laser cages.

"They’re... they’re monsters! We couldn’t even handle the fifth round, and they actually passed the seventh."

Brother Wang, the man who had recognized Li Wen in the lobby of the Star-Viewing Pavilion hotel, stood with his mouth agape and a dazed look in his eyes, as if his entire worldview had been overturned.

’He’s that strong?’ Fang Chenghong stood in the elimination area, watching the two figures in their cages, especially Li Wen, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.

He had been a chosen prodigy among his peers on Red Flame Star and had assumed he would surely take the top spot upon returning to Blue Star. Only now did he truly understand what it meant that there were always heavens beyond the heavens, and people better than oneself.

Especially Li Wen. His physical body was clearly the weakest of the three, yet he had managed to reach the end of the seventh round purely on the back of his unbelievable talent for Spiritual Sense.

Not far from Fang Chenghong, Ron Zaka’s expression had grown so dark it looked like it could drip water.

As the first prodigy of this batch to break through to the Domain Realm, he was arrogant and used to placing himself above others.

However, today’s three assessments were like three loud slaps to the face, viciously shattering all his pride.

He was crushed by Du Yun in the strength test, couldn’t even hope to catch up to Li Wen’s shadow in the willpower test, and now, even the Spiritual Sense he was so proud of seemed to dim in Li Wen’s presence.

He... he couldn’t even compare to a novice Martial Artist from a small, remote county town.

The disparity in that single moment was like the gaping maw of an abyss, completely devouring all the confidence and arrogance in his heart.

...

"These two little guys both have absolutely stunning talent for Spiritual Sense." On the main platform, the exclamations of the Marquis Level experts were filled with pleasant surprise.

"That’s especially true for Li Wen. It seems his soul is naturally sharp, granting him an Extraordinary Spiritual Sense. It’s a pity his physical body is holding him back this time, or his results would have been even better."

"This boy’s potential is immense. He is absolutely worth cultivating with all our resources!" The light of admiration in the eyes of the many Marquis Level experts grew even more intense.

...

"Eighth round." The Chuhe King’s voice was exceptionally clear in the silent hall. His gaze swept over Li Wen and Du Yun, pausing for a moment on Li Wen in particular.

"Hold on as long as you can. The longer, the better." This instruction, tinged with expectation, was already a sign of extremely high recognition.