Chapter 48 – Appreciation for Talent

“Did he really pass?!”

“Unbelievable!”

“What a beast!”

“I never thought I’d live to see someone clear the Stele Challenge.”

The crowd buzzed with discussion.

Countless gazes—some shocked, some admiring—fell upon Lin Ze.

The first freshman in Ningjiang Academy’s history to pass the Stele Challenge.

This fact left everyone present genuinely awestruck.

“Bro!”

Guan Ning dashed over to Lin Ze, grabbing his arm and looking up at him with sheer excitement.

“You’re amazing, bro!”

Zhang Xiaoyun and Liu Siyan also gazed at Lin Ze with adoration, their eyes sparkling.

Claiming the title of Top Freshman.

Defeating three second-year students in a row.

Clearing the Stele Challenge.

Any one of these feats would be nearly impossible for an ordinary freshman to achieve.

Yet this man before them had accomplished all of them.

In ways no one could have anticipated.

Whether in talent or strength, this man was unquestionably far above every examinee present.

Calling him monstrous wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Lin Ze, however, remained perfectly calm.

He simply smiled faintly at the remarks and reached out to gently pat Guan Ning on the head.

Just then, Wu Tianze walked over.

“Junior Lin, according to the rules, examinees who pass the Stele Challenge are entitled to one baptism. All you need to do is go over and touch that stele.”

Wu Tianze pointed at the towering giant stele in the distance.

“I understand. Thank you, senior.”

Lin Ze gave a slight nod and strode toward the distant stele.

“That guy is something else.”

Jing Tao had appeared beside Wu Tianze at some point, clicking his tongue as he watched Lin Ze’s retreating figure.

“I’ve never seen a freshman with such terrifying talent. He’s like a monster!”

Zhang Man and Wu Tianze glanced at him, surprisingly not refuting that statement.

In truth, they too found it utterly incredible.

An eighteen-year-old Apprentice Beast Tamer with two Tier 4 pet beasts, and a Soul Art Attainment that was astonishingly powerful.

On top of that.

From the staggering amount of Soul Power he possessed, it was clear his Soul Strength was equally exceptional.

Likely on par with a Bronze Beast Tamer, if not better.

A genius like this was simply unheard of!

Even the current Academy Top Student—that young Beast Tamer praised by countless instructors as a once-in-a-century talent, hailed as one of the Federation’s Eight Prodigies—probably didn’t possess such strength at Lin Ze’s age.

“If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe a genius like this existed in the world.”

Zhang Man sighed with emotion.

“After today, the academy will have another dazzling rising star.”

Jing Tao and Wu Tianze nodded in deep agreement.

On the other side.

Guo Xinyi and the others stared at Lin Ze’s back, their expressions mixed.

“Just thinking about having to face a competitor like him in the future fills me with a sense of helplessness.”

Tan Yong shook his head with a wry smile.

Beside him, Li Pengyun also let out a complicated sigh.

He was the first to discover Lin Ze’s formidable strength.

Even so, he had been thoroughly shocked by Lin Ze’s subsequent performance.

Pet beasts, Soul Arts, Soul Strength… in every aspect, Lin Ze had left them far behind.

Compared to Lin Ze, the so-called geniuses in the eyes of ordinary people were hardly any different from common folk.

That fact was undeniably disheartening.

“……”

Guo Xinyi bit her lip, her gaze fixed intently on Lin Ze, lost in thought.

Not far away.

Lv Gang stood frozen in place, his face ashen, still immersed in the overwhelming shock of Lin Ze’s formidable strength.

Jealousy, accompanied by intense frustration, flooded his heart, leaving no room for pride to take root.

Lin Ze didn’t notice the reactions of those behind him.

Nor did he care.

After arriving before the massive stone stele, Lin Ze gave it a brief once-over, then reached out and gently pressed his palm against its surface.

In an instant.

A familiar ripple enveloped his entire body.

The sensation was exactly the same as when he had undergone the Assessment Baptism.

Lin Ze felt his spirits lift, his whole being suddenly refreshed and invigorated.

Following that.

Another surge of warmth erupted from his abdomen, transforming into vibrant vitality that instantly coursed through every limb and bone.

In a single moment, his body was tempered and strengthened hundreds, even thousands of times over.

This lasted for a full several seconds.

Only then did the pleasant sensation slowly fade away.

Coming back to himself, Lin Ze immediately summoned his Personal Panel and was pleasantly surprised to find that both his Constitution and Soul Attribute had seen considerable improvement.

【Lin Ze】

【Constitution 6.2 / Soul 12.1】

【Level: Apprentice】

【Soul Power: 247/1210】

【Soul Arts: Soul Guardian (Tier 2), Soul Arrow (Level 5), Soul Power Impact (Level 1)】

【Pet Beasts: Snow Maiden, Rock Ghost】

【Achievement Points: 318】

“Soul Strength increased by 2.3, Constitution increased by 1.2.”

Lin Ze nodded to himself.

This degree of enhancement was indeed on par with the Intermediate Difficulty Apprentice Baptism.

“A Soul Strength of 12.1 is already comparable to the elite among Bronze Beast Tamers.”

The Soul Strength of Bronze Beast Tamers generally ranged from 8 to 10.

A select few elites could reach above 12.

And Lin Ze’s current Soul Strength happened to fall right into that tier.

This was still without having undergone the Bronze Baptism.

It was easy to foresee that once he passed the Bronze Assessment and completed the Baptism, his Soul Strength would inevitably surpass all Bronze Beast Tamers.

“Although this stele challenge is difficult, the rewards are indeed quite generous.”

A hint of a smile flickered across Lin Ze’s face, his heart filled with satisfaction.

Just as he was thinking this, the scenery before his eyes suddenly blurred.

A sudden sensation of weightlessness struck him.

Lin Ze’s expression shifted slightly, and he immediately closed his eyes.

When he opened them again and his vision cleared, he found himself back in the plaza outside, just as expected.

Compared to when the assessment had first begun, the number of people in the plaza had noticeably decreased.

The examinees who had been eliminated had already left early.

Only the thousand students who had successfully passed the assessment remained in the plaza.

“Quiet!”

Gao Wenbai’s steady voice rang out, suppressing the murmurs of the crowd.

“I won’t waste words. You may all return home now. Report to the academy by nine o’clock tomorrow morning, where senior students will be there to receive you.”

The examinees acknowledged in unison.

Then they departed joyfully.

For most examinees, simply getting into Ningjiang Academy was already a delightful surprise.

Things like rankings were secondary.

Lin Ze was about to leave with Guan Ning and the other two girls when the corner of his eye caught Gao Wenbai walking over in their direction.

“Teacher Gao.”

The group stopped and greeted Gao Wenbai.

Gao Wenbai first gave a slight nod to Guan Ning and the other two girls, then turned his gaze to Lin Ze.

A rare warm smile appeared on his usually stern face.

“You performed exceptionally well in the assessment—so much so that even we were quite surprised.”

“I hope you continue to build on this momentum in the future. Do not, under any circumstances, let your guard down.”

The teachers following behind Gao Wenbai all wore peculiar expressions.

Gao Wenbai was well-known throughout the academy for his coldness and severity.

Having presided over the Admission Assessment for so many years, he had never been seen offering this much encouragement and praise to any examinee.

This made it clear just how much he admired Lin Ze.

But then again, it was understandable.

This was the first Freshman to ever pass the Stone Tablet Challenge.

In terms of substance, it far surpassed even the title of Top Freshman.

More importantly, at just eighteen years old, he possessed a Tier 4 Pet Beast and displayed breathtaking talent in Soul Arts.

As long as he didn’t meet an untimely end along the way, he was absolutely destined to become one of the Federation’s foremost pinnacle powerhouses.

Becoming a King Rank Beast Tamer wasn’t out of the question either.

With such an extraordinary genius before him, it was no wonder Gao Wenbai had taken such a keen interest in nurturing his talent.