Chapter 20: The Real Geniuses Appear
The arena did not calm down after Lin Yan's victory.
It became worse.
The officials exchanged looks. The spectators leaned forward. Even some of the previously arrogant candidates had stopped pretending to be relaxed.
The combat selection had filtered out the loud ones.
Now, the real monsters were stepping forward.
A new announcement echoed across the arena.
"Combat Selection: Second Phase."
"Remaining candidates will enter ranked battles."
"Opponents will no longer be random."
"Survive."
That last word made Lin Yan's stomach tighten.
She Appears
As Lin Yan stepped onto the battlefield again, the temperature dropped.
Not physically.
Mentally.
A young woman walked in from the opposite side.
She wore a clean, silver combat uniform, simple but sharp. Her black hair was tied into a high ponytail, her posture straight, her gaze calm—too calm.
She looked… bored.
The crowd immediately erupted.
"That's Mu Qingxue!"
"The Frost Vein genius!"
"She reached Late Ki Stage at seventeen!"
"She's already on several university watchlists!"
Lin Yan blinked.
…Of course she is.
Mu Qingxue glanced at him once, from head to toe.
Then she sighed.
"…You're the miner."
Lin Yan straightened. "Wow. I feel recognized."
She ignored him.
Star's voice turned serious.
"Warning. Opponent threat level: extreme."
"Recommendation: do not engage directly."
"Secondary recommendation: run."
Lin Yan twitched. Run where? This is an arena.
The First Move
The referee barely finished shouting "Begin" before Mu Qingxue moved.
No shouting.
No dramatic pose.
The temperature around her plunged.
Ice spread across the ground like living veins. Lin Yan felt his boots freeze mid-step.
"WHAT—"
He barely rolled aside as a spear of ice erupted from where his head had been a second earlier.
The arena gasped.
Lin Yan scrambled up. "Hey—HEY—this is an exam, not an execution!"
Mu Qingxue tilted her head. "The exam allows death."
She raised her hand.
The air crystallized.
Star shouted in his mind.
"LETHAL ATTACK INCOMING."
"GENE SUPPRESSION FAILING."
"EMERGENCY OVERRIDE REQUIRED."
Lin Yan's heart slammed.
This is it.
Near Death
Ice exploded.
Lin Yan was thrown backward, slamming into the barrier wall. Pain erupted through his spine. His vision went white.
He tasted blood.
The crowd went silent.
Someone shouted, "He's done!"
Mu Qingxue stepped forward, expression unchanged.
"I don't enjoy killing," she said calmly. "But I won't stop the exam for you."
She formed another ice blade.
Lin Yan struggled to stand.
His legs shook.
Star spoke, lower now.
"Master… you are at 18% health."
"Another hit will be fatal."
Lin Yan laughed weakly.
"Wow," he coughed. "First near-death experience. Zero stars. Would not recommend."
Mu Qingxue paused.
"…You're strange."
The Line He Can't Cross
Lin Yan inhaled deeply.
He felt it.
The beast genes stirring.
The power pushing to break free.
The urge to stop holding back.
Star warned him.
"If you release more than 40%, you will be noticed."
"Government risk: critical."
Lin Yan clenched his fists.
Just enough.
He moved.
Not fast.
Not slow.
He stepped inside Mu Qingxue's attack range—something no one had dared to do.
She frowned for the first time.
Lin Yan struck.
Not her.
The ground beneath her.
The ice shattered. The arena cracked. The sudden imbalance forced Mu Qingxue to retreat half a step.
Half a step—
—but it was enough.
The referee's eyes widened.
The crowd exploded.
"She moved back?!"
"He forced Mu Qingxue to retreat?!"
"That miner—what is he?!"
Lin Yan staggered, barely staying upright.
Mu Qingxue stared at him.
This time, there was no boredom in her eyes.
"…Interesting," she said quietly.
The referee slammed his hand down.
"Match suspended!"
Medical teams rushed in.
Lin Yan collapsed to one knee, breathing hard, alive by inches.
Star whispered.
"You survived."
"Barely."
"Congratulations."
Lin Yan looked up at the sky above the arena.
So this is the level, he thought.
These are the real geniuses.
As Mu Qingxue walked past him, she paused.
"Don't die before the next round," she said.
"I want a proper fight."
Lin Yan grinned through the pain.
"…Great. I just made a powerful enemy."
Inside his mind, Star added dryly:
"And possibly a very dangerous admirer."
Lin Yan choked.
"STAR. NOT NOW."
The Scholarship Arc had reached its turning point.
And the exam was no longer testing if Lin Yan was strong—
It was testing how long he could survive without revealing everything.