Despite his questions, Chen Chuan didn’t let himself get sidetracked when a fight began. He immediately cleared his mind of unnecessary thoughts and entered a combat-ready state.

He practiced the Circulation Technique. It might not have had any special features or strengths at first, but as his foundation grew stronger, the benefits from the growth of the Mutated Organizations throughout his body gradually became apparent.

He could use more of his Mutated Organizations than others to transmit Power, enhance his physical functions, and supply Energy. The combination of these advantages wasn’t a simple sum—it was a qualitative leap.

Now, even without using his Second Self, he was confident he could defeat his former peers.

After he parried Hong Fu’s first strike, her second came immediately, slightly faster than the last. She followed the attack, landing on the same peak as Chen Chuan. When he blocked her second strike, a fierce third one followed, its speed increasing yet again.

Chen Chuan could clearly feel it wasn’t just her speed. The power behind Hong Fu’s blade was also constantly adjusting, rising to match his own performance.

This forced him onto the defensive, unable to execute any of the counterattacks he had planned.

After just a dozen strikes, he felt himself being pushed to his limit. Hong Fu seemed to sense this and stabilized her power at that level, beginning a flurry of complex variations in her Saber Techniques.

If before was a test of his physical conditioning, this was a test of his skill with the Saber Technique.

And technique had always been his weakness. With their physical abilities now matched, there was no way he could out-duel this consciousness collective.

If things went as expected, he would likely be defeated within a few moves, and the test would be over.

But he didn’t give up.

His skill with the Saber Technique might be lacking, but whenever he fought someone or faced a powerful enemy, he always managed to find a way to respond.

And at this moment, he discovered a flaw in Hong Fu—one that wasn’t truly a flaw.

Perhaps to better test him, Hong Fu wouldn’t use power or speed that surpassed his own. But if he demonstrated a new improvement, she would follow suit. The key was that her adjustment wasn’t instantaneous—there was a brief delay.

’That’s something I can use.’

He suddenly kicked off, leaping toward a nearby mountaintop. He knew the training room floor was just below, but since Hong Fu had gone to the trouble of creating this misty, cloud-filled illusion, he was willing to play by its rules.

The moment his foot touched down, before he had even steadied himself, Power surged up from his toes. It shot through his body to his arm in an instant, and with a flick of his wrist, he had already slashed out.

As expected, Hong Fu was right behind him. Seeing his blade coming, she spun in mid-air, red sleeves fluttering. She not only deftly dodged the attack but also flicked her Yanling Blade toward the flat of the Snow Monarch Blade.

If she made contact, she could borrow its force. Her next move—whether soaring higher or leaping forward—would be entirely up to her.

A glint flashed in Chen Chuan’s eyes. His internal Mutated Organizations compressed and writhed, layer upon layer, and his strength surged again. The slash, seemingly containing all his might, forcefully changed direction mid-swing, veering to the side. This slight change was enough to prevent Hong Fu from borrowing any force; her blade merely grazed the afterimage of his.

But in the next instant, Hong Fu’s own power level rose to match his latest slash. Simultaneously, she flicked a long sleeve, sending it coiling toward his blade.

Chen Chuan had deliberately exploited the rules to gain this advantage; how could he let her reverse the situation so easily? He swung his Long Blade again. This time, a fervent emotion erupted within him, as if he had completely unleashed himself. All the Mutated Organizations in his body seemed to cheer with activity. His speed and power surged, and reversing his blade’s momentum, he easily cut through the coiling red sleeve and slashed down at Hong Fu!

CLANG! Hong Fu caught the blow in the nick of time, but the force behind it was now significantly greater. Though she managed to borrow some of its power, it wasn’t enough to carry her onto the mountaintop. Instead, the impact knocked her farther away.

Chen Chuan wasn’t finished. He followed up with two more swift slashes. After parrying them, Hong Fu was driven even farther from the peak.

She was now suspended in mid-air with no leverage. Furthermore, Chen Chuan had held back on his final strike, making it impossible for her to borrow enough force to leap back to her original peak. After parrying that last blow, Hong Fu’s expressive eyes met his, and she plummeted into the sea of clouds below.

Chen Chuan, meanwhile, stood firm upon the cloud-wreathed peak, blade in one hand, half his body bathed in the brilliant Golden Light.

He knew that by using these moves, he had allowed Hong Fu to get a clearer sense of his physical potential, making the data she recorded on him all the more complete.

’But it didn’t matter.’

This was a victory he had won with his own body, without merging with his Second Self. The feeling was exhilarating.

Although he had no way to measure it right now, he could feel that he was one step closer to achieving a twenty-four-Hour merge.

Just then, the surrounding clouds and mist suddenly dissipated. The Golden Light vanished. He was standing in the training area once more, with Hong Fu again before him. A mechanical voice sounded in his ear:

"Cadet Chen Chuan. Power: Above Average. Speed: Average. Technique: Below Average. Combat Reflexes: Superior. Battle Decision-Making: Excellent.

Overall Rating: 72.

Potential Assessment: Excellent.

"Cadet Chen Chuan, based on your performance, we will recommend relevant courses and curriculums. You may use the provided descriptions to find suitable courses and academy instructors. For instructor selection, you may also use the academy’s authorized recommendations.

"You may undergo a second evaluation in ten days. You will have a total of three evaluation opportunities during your enrollment. Please make good use of them."

Chen Chuan looked at Hong Fu and gave her a solemn saber salute.

Hong Fu stared back at him, then raised her own weapon in a return salute. She spun once, her red robes swirling, and vanished without a trace.

Watching her disappear, Chen Chuan couldn’t help but wonder, ’So she was just an illusion after all?’

He lifted his blade. The impacts on its surface felt undeniably real. ’How did they do that?’

He mulled it over. Based on the introduction he had read, for Hong Fu to be able to blur the line between real and illusion like that, she must have been using the power of a Biological Domain.

As the Central Hospital’s Biological Consciousness Body, Hong Fu was responsible for testing every student—and perhaps even the instructors. The level she could reach was likely higher than he imagined. Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly impossible to defeat her. This time, he had won through a clever trick.

More importantly, Hong Fu had been willing to abide by the rules she had set. Or rather, she was bound by them. That meant that exploiting those rules could be an extremely effective strategy.

Putting the thought aside, he asked, "Hong Fu, does the academy use my rating to determine my courses?"

The voice replied, "Yes. The academy uses a cadet’s performance and rating to assess their level and recommend corresponding courses and training plans."

"So it’s different for every person?"

"Yes."

Chen Chuan nodded. ’That makes sense,’ he thought. This approach allowed for more specialized, individual guidance. ’The Central Hospital’s standards really are on another level.’

He said, "I’d like to see the academy’s recommendations."

"Based on Cadet Chen Chuan’s combat performance, the academy recommends the following courses and training:

"First, Combat Techniques. This course is designed to improve a cadet’s fighting skills. The cadet may select an instructor for this course or be assigned one through the platform’s recommendation system.

"Note: Given the cadet’s ’Below Average’ rating in this area, this course is mandatory and has been added to your required assessment subjects.

"Second, Intensive Training. It is recommended that the cadet select a high-efficiency Breathing Technique and a corresponding Force Technique to improve efficiency in releasing and applying Power. This is not a mandatory course; please use your own judgment.

"Third, based on a comprehensive multi-faceted assessment, Cadet Chen Chuan’s probability of reaching the Third Limit is 35%. Therefore, the academy proposes the following recommendations:

"Light-Assisted Training. This training has a significant strengthening effect on Mutated Organizations such as bone and fascia, and can be supplemented with medication to maintain peak physical conditioning.

"Note 1: This recommendation can be disregarded if the cadet utilizes Implants such as Bone Reinforcement Surgery, Modified Muscle Grafts, Nervous System Augmentation, or Endocrine System Transplants.

"Note 2: If the cadet has a specialized training plan, they may opt for independent training for all non-mandatory courses."

Chen Chuan reviewed the recommendations one by one and found them genuinely useful. Although these conclusions were based on his performance without the Second Self, strengthening his physical body would also improve his Second Self, so the advice was still valuable.

He paid special attention to the first required course. Technique was indeed his weakness. He couldn’t help that; he had only been learning to fight for a short time, unlike the other cadets who had been training since childhood.

Against his previous opponents, he had mainly relied on crushing them with raw power and speed, avoiding technique whenever possible. But here, it seemed he would have to shore up that weakness. Since it was now a required subject, a significant part of his focus would have to be on it.

He tried searching for teachers in this field. The interface listed over a dozen names, each with a teaching rating below it. There was just one problem...

All of these courses required payment, and the better the instructor, the higher the fee.

The courses were divided into two types: General and Detailed. In General Courses, one instructor taught multiple students. For Detailed Courses, you could hire a tutor for intensive, one-on-one instruction. It was similar to the instructors at Yangzhi Wuyi, only here at the Central Hospital, the teachers also had public ratings, so you didn’t have to worry about being ripped off.

He saw that the courses for some of the highest-rated instructors were already full, a clear sign of their popularity.

For now, these instructors were still on break, so he didn’t make a choice immediately, planning to take a closer look later on.

As for the academy’s second recommendation—to choose a high-efficiency Breathing Technique and a corresponding Force Technique to improve the efficiency of his Power—he actually already had one: the Furnace Breathing Method. He just hadn’t used it during the test.

He Xiaoxing had told him it was one of the achievements of the Pure Sect, a Secret Technique used to counter other factions.

’If that’s true, the Furnace Breathing Method might be even more valuable than I thought.’

’Since I already have something for that and it’s not mandatory, I can set it aside for now.’

As for whether the Furnace Breathing Method had a corresponding Force Technique, perhaps he could try sending a telegram to ask.

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