On the virtual stage, the man in green moved!

With greater speed and a more imposing presence than before!

The long staff in his hand seemed to have a life of its own. No longer a simple weapon, it transformed into a forest of shadows that blotted out the sky, crashing down on Li Wen like a tidal wave with the absolute suppressive force of a top-tier skill at Minor Achievement.

HUMMM— Under the effects of Lv. 3 [Absolute Focus], his sense of time stretched and warped.

Li Wen’s mind went into overdrive, cold analysis purging every distracting thought.

The entire world became incredibly clear to his senses.

The explosive contraction of the green-clad man’s muscles, the faint deviation in the staff’s trajectory as it sliced through the air, the fleeting weakness—smaller than a pinprick—hidden within the shroud of shadows...

All this information flooded his mind like an icy torrent, to be instantly processed, analyzed, and acted upon.

Every one of his movements was optimized through high-speed mental simulations, his body moving like a precision instrument tuned to perfection.

The moves of his Rainbow Light Saber Skill were no longer performed by the book. Instead, supported by the immense processing power of [Absolute Focus], they were deconstructed and reassembled into the simplest, most efficient counters.

There was no unnecessary flair—only the smallest movements and the shortest paths to block, dodge, and parry the overwhelming torrent of shadows.

CLANG! CLASH! BAM!

The light from his saber flashed like a sudden rainbow, flickering tenaciously amidst the torrent of shadows.

Li Wen was like a lone skiff in a raging storm. He seemed on the verge of capsizing at any moment, yet time and again he found a sliver of hope amid desperation, dodging vital attacks from impossible angles.

Each block sent a tremendous shockwave up his arm. The web of his thumb throbbed with pain, making it almost impossible to hold the saber’s hilt.

Outmatched. Completely outmatched.

Every one of the green-clad man’s attacks made his blood roil, forcing him to repeatedly break and reform his saber technique.

But through the extraordinary reflexes and physical control granted by [Absolute Focus], fueled by a stubborn refusal to be defeated, he gritted his teeth and weathered the storm of attacks.

「In the public square.」

The entire square was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

Every student’s gaze was locked onto the massive central screen, which had suddenly zoomed in to clearly display Li Wen’s fierce battle. They were captivated, as if drawn in by an invisible magnet.

Their faces were all masks of utter disbelief and shock.

"This... How is this possible?!" Wang Ruming’s eyes were as wide as saucers, his voice cracking.

"He... he’s holding him off?! Li Wen is holding off the man in green, who’s at Minor Achievement?!" Deng Yuefei swallowed hard, feeling his entire worldview crumble.

He had just fought the yellow-clad man, who had an entry-level top-tier skill, using his own High Tier saber skill at the consummation level. He knew all too well the massive chasm between cultivation realms—what seemed like a small step was, in truth, an impassable gulf.

When physical bodies are on the same level, a small gap in skill mastery usually means a complete stomp.

An opponent could use their higher-tier power-generation techniques, subtler variations, and greater control to easily leave you without any chance to fight back—just as he himself had been effortlessly suppressed by the yellow-clad man.

But this scene before them—nothing short of a miracle—shattered all their assumptions.

What should have been an instant kill had turned into a fierce, spark-flying brawl.

"What kind of combat sense is that?" a top student from the liberal arts track murmured, his voice trembling.

"Fighting from a disadvantage like this... I’ve only ever heard of it in news reports about front-line veterans who’ve been through numerous life-or-death battles. But he’s just a high school student..."

"A monster! Li Wen is an absolute monster!" someone cried out. The exclamation echoed the thoughts of the vast majority of the crowd.

In the face of such a massive gap in mastery, Li Wen was displaying a level of combat instinct and resilience far beyond that of a high schooler—or even an ordinary Martial Artist. The word "genius" was no longer enough to describe him.

「The Principal’s Office, Bluestone Third Middle School.」

The screen on the wall showed a live feed of Li Wen struggling to survive the storm of the green-clad man’s staff.

"What a kid!" Wang Hu’s breathing grew ragged as he watched. His hands unconsciously clenched into fists at his sides, and a grin threatened to split his face.

"Principal Huang, look! See? Wasn’t I right?! He’s holding on! He’s withstanding the assault of a fighter at Minor Achievement! That tenacity! That talent for combat!"

The graying old principal, Huang Yuanting, stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk’s, fixed on the screen, and a strange glint flashed in the depths of his world-weary eyes.

He slowly nodded. "Indeed... this is unexpected. To last this long against the man in green with only an entry-level top-tier saber skill, pushing his technique to its absolute limit... That temperament, that ability to adapt on the fly, is far beyond any ordinary student."

His tone carried unconcealed admiration. As a principal, seeing one of his own students give such a stunning performance was undoubtedly a tremendous and pleasant surprise.

The delight on Wang Hu’s face deepened, and he decided to strike while the iron was hot. "In that case, Principal Huang, about what I proposed earlier... What do you think? If a talent like him is discovered and poached by another faction, it’ll be a huge loss for us!"

Huang Yuanting stroked his graying beard, the look of admiration on his face slowly fading, replaced by a prudent solemnity.

He fell silent for a few seconds before finally shaking his head, his tone regaining its earlier composure. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"His performance is indeed stunning; he’s at the absolute top among the students. But, Wang Hu..."

He turned, his gaze sharp as he looked at Wang Hu.

"The criteria for identifying an ’Awakened’ are incredibly complex. It’s not something we can determine simply by observing a student’s rate of skill progression and combat performance.

If we rashly report him as a suspected Awakened to the Four Greats or the military, and then his breakthrough to the Unity Realm turns out to be mediocre, or he gets stuck at a certain level for a long time..."

Huang Yuanting’s gaze grew profound and serious.

"Being held responsible for an ’incompetent recommendation’ or a ’lapse in judgment’ would be a minor issue. What’s more important is that we would annoy the higher-ups. We’d spoil their enthusiasm and make them think that our Bluestone Third Middle School is rash and impetuous, that we lack professional discernment. That would do no good for the school’s reputation, or for our careers."

He pointed at the screen, where Li Wen was still fighting tenaciously.

"History is full of young prodigies who shone brightly, only to languish for years before the Unity Realm. The safest and most accepted standard is to see whether he can cross that great chasm, the Unity Realm, and what his state is when he does so.

The signing standards of the Four Greats are based on this, too. No matter how ridiculously talented someone appears before the Unity Realm, as long as they haven’t actually reached it, they generally won’t consider making a major early investment."

"But Principal Huang, an opportunity like this won’t come twice!" Wang Hu said, his earlier grin replaced by a look of sheer desperation.

"Let’s wait. We’ll see how he performs in the Flying Star Class selection," Huang Yuanting said, raising a hand to cut off Wang Hu’s protest, his tone resolute.

"The school will, of course, make Li Wen’s development a priority. As for his family’s difficulties..." He paused and looked at Wang Hu. "How are things proceeding with the scholarship?"