Chapter Forty-One: The Second Round of Examinations Ends, and the Third Round Begins

"The second round of the exam is finally over!"

"If it hadn't ended soon, I wouldn't have been able to hold on!"

"I never expected the second round to be so exhausting—it's even more tiring than running dungeon raids."

Many people collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.

Although it lasted only an hour, most had already depleted their physical strength. At this moment, Ye Mengyan's face was pale. She had tried to conserve her strength over the hour, but as a mage, it was her mental power that drained most. Now, she was utterly spent.

During the college entrance exam, storage pouches were sealed. No medicines could be used to replenish mental energy. For a mage, this was truly difficult.

"The second round is finally over. I must have slain more than a hundred monsters," Zhao Haoran muttered as he slumped to the ground. Towards the end, his efficiency had dropped. For him, the biggest problem was how quickly his stamina wore out. His combat prowess diminished as he got tired.

Among them all, only Yang Feng was in the best condition. While everyone else was busy slaying monsters, he had spent the entire hour sleeping.

"The second round is over. Over a hundred thousand candidates participated in this round," the chief examiner's voice rang out. "More than fifty thousand have lost their qualification for the next round due to injuries or voluntary withdrawal. The remaining fifty thousand are eligible for the next round. Of course, you may choose to withdraw. The next round is much harder and more dangerous. There is a constant risk to your life—please make your decision carefully."

The examiner’s words echoed in every ear. They could withdraw, or continue. If they quit now, all their efforts would feel wasted; if they pressed on, their lives might be at risk. Many candidates were caught in indecision.

Seeing this, the examiners exchanged smug smiles.

"What do you think—how many will choose to withdraw this time?"

"Based on last year, about half chose to quit at this stage."

"Last year's numbers were about the same as this year's. From over a hundred thousand at the start, only fifty thousand remain—nearly sixty percent eliminated."

"It's a difficult choice for these candidates."

"In that case, let's help them decide!"

With that, the chief examiner spoke again.

"Even if you withdraw now, your exam scores will still qualify you for university admission! You have one minute to decide. If you haven't made up your mind in one minute, you'll automatically advance to the next round!"

This was a final ultimatum. At last, many candidates decided.

"I choose to withdraw from the next round!"

"I'm out too!"

"I'm quitting!"

Many opted out, but some chose to continue, unwilling to give up after coming this far.

Of the fifty thousand who passed the second round, over ten thousand withdrew. Thus, about thirty thousand candidates remained for the next stage.

Even those who withdrew had proven their abilities by passing the second round; admission to regular universities was assured.

The thirty thousand who stayed aimed for even better universities.

"Next, the second round scores and rankings will be announced!"

"First place: Yang Feng—1,300 monsters slain."

"Second place: Ye Mengyan—1,850 ordinary monsters slain."

"Third place: Zhao Haoran—500 monsters slain."

"Impossible!" Zhao Haoran jumped up and shouted as soon as he heard the rankings.

"How could Yang Feng have slain so many monsters?"

Ye Mengyan had chosen the ordinary mode, which allowed for more kills. But Yang Feng and Zhao Haoran had chosen the ultra-difficult mode, where each monster slain was counted as three in ordinary mode.

The second round lasted only an hour. In a minute, at most, a thousand monsters could be slain. Yet Yang Feng, in ultra-difficult mode, had killed 1,300 monsters in an hour.

Everyone stared at Yang Feng as if he were some kind of monster.

Zhao Haoran even suspected Yang Feng of cheating. But with so many candidates present, he dared not voice it. Accusing Yang Feng of cheating would be questioning the fairness of the entire exam—offending the top officials of Jiangnan Province.

Who would dare to cheat in the college entrance exam? Those who tried in the past met miserable ends. Every exam was monitored by the examiners. Cheating was simply impossible.

Outside the examination hall, Qin Han trembled with excitement upon seeing the results.

"Old Qin! Is this Yang Feng really your student from Donghai No. 1 High?"

"Old Qin, how is your student so outstanding?"

"This Yang Feng is simply a monster!"

The people around him exclaimed, and Qin Han’s face flushed red. He, too, was eager to understand how Yang Feng had achieved such a freakishly high score.

Never before in the history of Jiangnan Province's college entrance exams had anyone achieved such an extraordinary result. Previously, the best performance in the second round was slaying a thousand monsters in ultra-difficult mode. Yang Feng had slain 1,300.

At that moment, beams of light shot from the examination institute, falling upon the candidates who would continue. It was the light of healing, restoring their bodies to perfect condition.

"The third round of the exam will now begin!"

"The third round consists of three modes: ordinary mode, worth 100 points; difficult mode, worth 300 points; ultra-difficult mode, also worth 300 points."

"The rules are the same as in the second round."

"The second round tested candidates’ endurance in continuous combat. The third round will pit you against boss-level monsters."

"Alone, without assistance, you must face a boss-level monster in single combat."