“Get out of the way!” Candidate 100 shouted, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. He intended to show off his skills to the onlookers and the examiners, who were observing from an unknown location. He held his hands horizontally before his chest, mimicking the ‘holding a ball’ posture from Tai Chi. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The scorching heat distorted the air around him. Slowly, a fireball, barely three centimeters in diameter and smaller than a ping-pong ball, coalesced in his palm. “Go!” With a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead, Candidate 100 roared, unleashing the fireball towards the iron lock. Splat! The fireball struck the iron lock, and the yellow paint, scorched by the intense heat, peeled away to reveal the metal beneath. The metal’s temperature rose sharply, causing it to glow, as if undergoing a flame test. Yet, the iron lock remained an iron lock… nothing had truly changed. “This…” Candidate 100 stammered, a blush of embarrassment creeping onto his face. “Seriously, bro!” Moon’s Surface leaned forward, his expression utterly speechless as he stared at the lock, which had merely changed color. ‘That fireball wasn’t even the size of a walnut. How could this guy possibly choose an offensive role? He possessed absolutely no self-awareness.’ “I’m only at the Awakened stage; being able to conjure a fireball at all is already quite good,” Candidate 100 exclaimed, his face flushing crimson as he hastily tried to explain himself. “Excuse me,” Huang Xiu interjected, stepping forward. Chi Xue silently moved aside, granting her space. Her perfectly manicured, crescent-shaped nails gently sliced through her flesh, and beads of blood, like polished agate, sprinkled onto the vines. As if doused with a bucket of green liquid by Han Li, the vines visibly swelled and thickened. A verdant serpent of foliage rose, its powerful coils twisting and deforming the iron bars one by one. Finally, a series of openings, both large and small, were revealed. “Go ahead,” Huang Xiu said, and without a backward glance, she stepped into the botanical garden, leaving the others to stare in astonishment. The green serpent of vines then resealed the entrance. The verdant, iron-like vine slithered from the iron gate, brushed against the young woman’s palm, and then, rearing its upper body, followed closely behind her like a loyal guardian. “This ability… it’s incredibly powerful!” Moon’s Surface murmured, a flicker of envy undeniable in his eyes. ‘Who would willingly play a support role unless absolutely forced?’ Despite her earlier expectations, Chi Xue was still somewhat taken aback by the display. The sheer power of plants catalyzed by such an ability was astounding. And judging by Candidate 122’s effortless demeanor, she could likely cultivate a great many more plants. “It seems she truly wasn’t exaggerating about being an all-rounder,” Chi Xue whispered to herself. Candidate 100, however, overheard her, his face burning crimson, his eyes flashing with an almost uncontrollable jealousy. ‘Why? Why was his ability so weak, while hers was so incredibly potent?’ As he pondered this, he completely forgot the satisfaction and pride he had felt upon first awakening his own ability. “My Vulcan is truly mighty…” That night, beneath the starry sky, the young boy had gazed at the small fireball in his hand, his face alight with excitement, and declared. **** “What a formidable ability,” the woman in the red qipao remarked, her voice soft and melodious. “It seems to be more than mere manipulation; it grants plants a rudimentary form of life and sentience.” In the control room, the woman in the red qipao spoke with a delicate voice. Her gaze was unusually sharp, piercing directly to the essence of [Senluo] at a single glance. ‘This isn’t a manipulation-type ability; it’s a creation-type.’ She licked her lips. “Old Scoundrel, you’ve truly stumbled upon a treasure this time!” White Coat struggled to pry open his drooping eyelids. On the screen, Huang Xiu continuously mutated various plants, assembling her own verdant army. “Release the monsters,” he yawned. **** “Can you… still catalyze more plants?” Chi Xue asked, a hint of hesitation in her voice, as they stood amidst the botanical garden. It wasn’t that she lacked confidence in Candidate 122; rather, it was… She turned her head, surveying their surroundings. A dense swarm of enhanced plants followed closely behind the young woman, as formidable as a cloud of mosquitoes. Candidate 100 and Moon’s Surface, standing nearby, were utterly dumbfounded. Their initial feelings, whether envy or jealousy, had now universally transformed into a state of numb resignation. The disparity was simply too vast! They were not even on the same level as competitors; any comparison would be meaningless. “You’re much stronger than I am. You should be the main attacker; I’ll be your wingman and provide support,” Candidate 100 suddenly declared, lowering his head. These words earned him an appreciative glance from Moon’s Surface. To acknowledge one’s shortcomings so readily was a trait superior to most. “Alright,” Huang Xiu nodded, just as she was about to outline the defensive measures for the botanical garden. Suddenly, earth-shattering roars erupted in succession from the distant reaches of the examination grounds. Time was up; the monsters had been unleashed! The ground abruptly began to tremble, a seismic rumble traveling across the earth from afar. Even the dust on the perimeter walls was shaken loose. ‘The number of monsters appears substantial!’ Huang Xiu thought, a flicker of understanding in her mind. Over thirty mutated plants surged out of the botanical garden, forming four small teams to guard the four cardinal channels: east, south, west, and north. By her side, only the mutated vines and Huang Xiaoxian remained. “Let’s go up and assess the situation,” Moon’s Surface suggested, pointing to the only vantage point available—the outer wall. They ascended the inner staircase, while Huang Xiu seized the opportunity to continue creating mutated plants. Moon’s Surface steadied himself, immediately moving to the wall’s edge and scanning the distant horizon. There, a vast cloud of dust billowed into the sky, revealing hundreds of silver-white creatures charging forward. Tigers, leopards, elephants, and even a tiger shark equipped with powerful legs, were among them. At that moment, Moon’s Surface suddenly understood why most candidates could only endure for a short while. ‘How could anyone possibly withstand an assault like this?’ ‘Even Candidate 122 couldn’t handle this… probably.’ “There are so many monsters, at least a hundred!” Moon’s Surface shouted, turning and leaning over the wall towards Huang Xiu below. The silver-white beast tide advanced with astonishing speed, much like the famous Qiantang River tidal bore—appearing distant at first glance, but upon closer inspection, already upon them. Even the mutated plants, equipped with long-range attacks, could only manage a single volley against such overwhelming speed. Boom! The silver-white ocean instantly engulfed the green lake, a chaotic intermingling of verdant and metallic hues. Both sides plunged into a brutal melee. From their elevated position, the three watched, as if observing an ever-shifting tapestry. “No, this is too chaotic.” Candidate 100 had initially intended to throw fireballs to kill a few monsters and score points at this moment. However, the situation below was far too tumultuous. A silver-white monster standing one second might be torn apart by a mutated plant the next, or tear apart another plant. Positions shifted constantly between offense and defense. With his current accuracy, a fireball would likely either miss entirely or strike an ally. Furthermore… with his current Void Energy reserves, he would be completely depleted after launching ten fireballs at most. It would be better to save them for survival later. Chi Xue, sharing a similar line of thought, had gathered a pile of stones from the ground, tucked them into her pockets, and climbed up. Unlike Candidate 100, however, while her Void Energy concentration was only C-grade, her [Great Momentum] ability merely amplified kinetic energy, thus consuming very little Void Energy. With her current Awakened stage strength, throwing dozens of stones posed no problem. Consequently, she simply threw herself into it with full force, unleashing a barrage of stones towards the densest concentrations of silver-white monsters. Having never specifically practiced, Chi Xue’s aim was poor. Yet, with stones raining down like a deluge, she still managed to strike down several silver-white beasts.