After learning about the Crystal Eye's specific effects, Feng Hao couldn't wait to put it on. Although he had never used contact lenses himself, he'd seen others use them, so he quickly popped the Crystal Eye into his eye.
It felt a bit awkward at first, but after getting used to it, it felt completely natural. And to Feng Hao's surprise, his vision hadn't diminished at all; in fact, it had subtly improved. It felt like a brand-new part that had been integrated into his body.
'This really is some advanced tech!' Feng Hao exclaimed inwardly as his Divine Sense probed the Crystal Eye.
At that moment, Feng Hao's gaze was on Xi Yueyao. After activating the Crystal Eye, a string of light-blue data immediately popped up. It was exactly like a game's status panel, only even clearer and more concise:
Gene Level: 15
Qi Blood: 11,380 (2,380)
Vitality: 36 (21)
Strength: 416 (100)
Defense: 197 (32)
Speed: 423 (98)
Attack Speed: 181 (91)
Although it could only detect basic gene data, it was enough to roughly gauge a target's strength. To be honest, that Yao Girl's aptitude was clearly much better than his.
Feng Hao looked left and right, having a blast. It really felt like he was back in a game world!
The base stats of Zhang Meng's group were also pretty good, especially Tu Xiaoshan, whose defense and health were simply insane. Finally, when he looked at Yue Linglong, he was completely stunned:
Gene Level: 59
Qi Blood: 72,085 (9,740)
Vitality: 36 (108)
Strength: 416 (253)
Defense: 1,802 (199)
Speed: 369 (165)
Attack Speed: 310 (192)
Seeing Yue Linglong's base stats, Feng Hao's first thought was that it was completely illogical. Her low Strength, Speed, and Attack Speed were understandable, since she was a Mage. But what the hell was up with over seventy thousand Qi Blood and a defense of nearly two thousand? 'Since when did Mages get so tanky?'
Yue Linglong clearly noticed Feng Hao's reaction. With a playful look in her eyes, she asked, "So? Your teacher's strength is decent, wouldn't you say?"
"Decent? It's incredibly powerful!" Feng Hao said, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"I know what you're surprised about. I am, after all, fully decked out in [Taishi] equipment, so it's normal to have stats like these. It's nothing compared to some of the prodigies of my generation," Yue Linglong said with a hint of self-deprecation.
This time, Feng Hao wasn't the only one who was stunned. Xi Yueyao, Zhang Meng, and his friends all turned to look at Yue Linglong in confusion.
"What's [Taishi] equipment? The name alone sounds awesome!" Feng Hao asked eagerly, swallowing hard.
Yue Linglong shook her head, as if catching herself. "Why am I even talking about this? You'll learn about all this once you enter an Advanced Academy."
"Teacher Yue, come on, just tell us!" Xi Yueyao pleaded, deploying her ultimate pouting technique.
"Alright, alright..." Yue Linglong gave an exasperated laugh and gave a brief explanation. "Simply put, [Taishi] equipment is gear that has been fused with a [Primordial Essence]. This essence can grant attributes that ordinary equipment can't."
"The essences come from the [Origin Secret Realm]. There are ten levels in total. From lowest to highest, they are: Wuji, Taiyi, Taichu, Taishi, Taisu, Taiji, Hongmeng, Hundun, Taixu, and Celestial Dao. Each corresponds to one of the ten layers of the [Origin Secret Realm]."
Feng Hao's heart pounded as he listened. Although he didn't quite understand what all those terms meant, he was sure of one thing: every single one of them was insanely powerful!
"Oh, I remember now!" Li Mufeng exclaimed. "I heard the elders in my clan mention it before. They all said that the [Origin Secret Realm] is the true cradle of power for Mages."
Yue Linglong nodded with a light laugh and continued, "Many large cities and Advanced Academies are built around [Origin Nodes]. Once you get into an Advanced Academy, you'll naturally have the chance to access the Origin Secret Realm."
Seeing everyone staring at her with eager eyes, Yue Linglong had no choice but to use her Magic Power to materialize her Magic Staff's stats. "Alright, I'll let you take a look at your teacher's Magic Staff."
[Mountain Fire Staff] (Taishi)
Tier: Five
Damage: 59
Magic Damage: 665
Fire Attribute Boost: 20
Flame Intensity +12
Channeling Speed +15%
Weight: 98
Everyone gasped in amazement, and Feng Hao was no exception. He took out his Dark Moon Dagger for a look, and it instantly felt pathetically weak in comparison!
"Alright, you've seen it. Everyone, head back now!" Yue Linglong waved her delicate hand, and the stats for the Mountain Fire Staff instantly vanished.
The group snapped out of their shock and left Yue Linglong's office in a daze.
Feng Hao even forgot to ask Zhang Meng for information about the second and third-year matches...
Back in the Enhanced Cultivation Pod, thoughts of the [Origin Secret Realm] kept swirling in his mind.
'The [Origin Secret Realm], huh? I have to go check it out when I get the chance!' Feng Hao subconsciously clenched his fists, his eyes filled with determination.
Ever since he transmigrated, Feng Hao's greatest goal had been to reach the pinnacle of the Mage World and recreate the glory he once had in the game *Mage*. The [Origin Secret Realm] Yue Linglong mentioned was undoubtedly a dungeon-like instance, the kind that dropped top-tier equipment.
Whether this world was real or an illusion, Feng Hao always faced it with a gamer's mentality. This had always been his philosophy as a professional player: push the limits and treat life like a game!
...
「The next day」
The combat assessment continued.
After yesterday's eliminations, only sixty-three first-year students remained. For fairness, the academy decided to hold another lottery. Whoever drew number one would get a bye in the first round.
For this new lottery, Feng Hao had none of his previous day's excitement. But Xi Yueyao was a different story; that girl was always brimming with passion!
She was the first to rush up to the lottery machine. She rubbed her little hands together and slammed the draw button.
BZZT! BZZT!
The lottery machine twitched for a moment and spat out a numbered card.
Then, under everyone's speechless gazes, Xi Yueyao started gloating again. "Gaga, my luck is as amazing as ever! I got number one again!"
"Damn, that's just freaky." Feng Hao was left speechless, completely defeated by Xi Yueyao's luck.
Elsewhere, Beixing Ran's face turned ashen with rage. She unconsciously gritted her teeth. 'Damn it! Why does that brat get to be number one again?'
Zhou Chen was also a bit surprised, but he turned to comfort her softly, "Xiaoran, don't be angry. It's just a bye for one round."
"I'm not angry. I just can't stand how arrogant that girl is!" Beixing Ran huffed.
"Don't worry. If she runs into me, I'll be sure to teach her a lesson for you," Zhou Chen said, his brow furrowed.
Beixing Ran gave a sweet smile, stepped forward to take Zhou Chen's arm, and said with sparkling eyes, "You're the best, Big Brother Zhou Chen!"
Zhou Chen couldn't help but break into a dopey grin, looking as happy as if he'd just eaten honey.
Feng Hao naturally noticed their interaction and almost burst out laughing. Zhou Chen might have strong aptitude, but his emotional intelligence was pitifully low. It was obvious Beixing Ran already had him wrapped around her little finger.
"What are you spacing out for? It's your turn!" Instructor Huang, who was in charge of the lottery, snapped.
"Oh." Feng Hao looked away and hurried forward to press the draw button. He quickly received his new number: thirty-two.
According to the rule of pairing from the ends, his opponent would be number thirty-three, and they would be the last match.
"Sigh... My luck really can't compare to the Yao Girl's. I guess I'll just have to wait." Feng Hao shook his head with a wry smile and walked over to where Xi Yueyao was.
She had a bye for the first round, and he was in the very last match, so their waiting times were basically the same.
Xi Yueyao was laughing her head off. Seeing Feng Hao approach, she hollered, "Come on, let's go watch your big sister's match!"
"..." Feng Hao was speechless.
Before he could even say anything, he was already being dragged by Xi Yueyao toward the third-year competition area.