"I am Yu Wentong, Adjudicator of Heaven's Punishment Martial Hall, personally overseeing this year's Mecha College Entrance Examination."
With just one glance from Yu Wentong, all students below bowed their heads.
"How is this possible!!"
"Every year's examiner has been an Awakening Officer, why is it an Adjudicator for our batch?"
"We're completely doomed now."
This sudden change left the students below utterly dismayed.
Facing an Awakening Officer, their ratings were already low. Now confronting the even more terrifying Adjudicator, their ratings would be unspeakably worse—poor ratings directly affect admission to Mecha Universities.
Yu Wentong remained expressionless, offering no explanation.
"The Mecha College Entrance Examination consists of two parts: first, ability assessment; second, combat with me!"
Before anyone could react, Yu Wentong's black trench coat fluttered violently as a massive hexagram array appeared beneath his feet. In an instant, a towering mecha emerged from the array.
"Virtual Testing Tower."
A sixth-tier Adjudicator couldn't move the massive testing tower with physical strength alone.
The mecha's arm trembled as it retrieved an ultra-futuristic testing tower from Mecha Space, placing it steadily at the center of the field, causing the ground to shake slightly.
"Begin."
One by one, students entered. The moment they stepped inside, their combat levels were displayed for all to see.
Top university instructors on the platform shook their heads after a glance.
These candidates weren't qualified for elite institutions.
Truthfully, only two or three instructors from top mecha universities remained present—they had all come specifically for Liu Qingxue.
But unfortunately, Liu Qingxue had already been taken by Divine Martial Mecha University. Many had left Canglan City last night.
With the ninth-tier genius gone, they saw no point wasting time here and would rather try their luck in other base cities.
Halfway through testing, most examinees were still single-digit levels—not a single first-tier Mecha Master among them.
Just as the instructors thought there'd be no miracles...
Zhou Luo entered.
[Name: Zhou Luo!]
[Occupation: Mech Battle King!]
[Level: Peak 18th Tier!]
[Destined Mecha: Fire Thunder!]
Zhou Luo knew he couldn't hide from the testing tower's detection, so he'd concealed Swift Blade within the Battle King's Hall. Right now, Swift Blade was probably venting its frustration there.
"Holy shit!"
"What!?"
"Heavens above, what am I seeing? An 18th-tier peak high school Mecha Master?"
"Didn't Zhou Luo lack a Destined Mecha? How is this possible? Is the testing tower malfunctioning?"
"Idiot, even if you malfunction, that tower won't."
Every powerful figure on the platform shot to their feet. Principal Chen Wentai nearly leaped into the air.
"This Zhou Luo belongs to our Imperial Capital Starsea Mecha University!"
"Imperial Capital Starcruiser Mecha University wants him too!"
"What's so special about the Imperial Capital? Today our Jiangnan Mecha University will compete!"
"Jiangnan Mecha University can go play elsewhere—Celestial Vault Mecha University hasn't even spoken yet."
"Old fool, you looking for a fight?"
"I'm from Divine Martial—"
"Get lost! Your university already took one student. How dare a mere student like you interrupt?"
The junior student from Divine Mecha University had barely opened his mouth when a glare from several sixth-tier experts silenced him immediately.
He quickly retreated to the side and kept quiet.
"Gentlemen, why don't we wait a little longer? Let Zhou Luo finish his assessment and make his own choice, alright?" Chen Wentai smiled, calming the group.
Only then did the mentors settle down, though they still wore expressions of mutual disdain.
At that moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the projection.
Zhou Luo had already reached the second floor.
The second floor was a combat arena, and before him stood a pitch-black, angular mecha.
It exuded the aura of a second-tier unit.
Clearly, this was the Adjudicator's mecha projection. The second-tier was the national standard—no one could have anticipated the emergence of a monstrous genius surpassing level 15.
The mentors had already decided that even if Zhou Luo's combat aptitude was mediocre, they would still recruit him into their universities.
After all, combat skills could be trained, but talent was innate.
Now, it all depended on Zhou Luo's performance.
Inside the combat arena...
"Fire Thunder." Zhou Luo's calm voice echoed through the space.
"At your command!"
The next moment, a deep, magnetic voice resounded. Behind Zhou Luo, a six-pointed star formation materialized, and a towering crimson mecha emerged—its feet wreathed in flames, its body crackling with lightning.
The sight of this extraordinary mecha made everyone's eyelids twitch uncontrollably!
Even Liu Qingxue's Ice Empress from last night hadn't exuded such overwhelming might.
It seemed this mecha possessed not only flame energy but also thunder energy.
Zhou Luo's body levitated and merged into Fire Thunder.
Fire Thunder's eyes blazed with deep blue light as it stomped the ground, summoning a three-and-a-half-meter-long Frost Moon Blade before it.
"Combat begins!" A mechanical voice announced.
The opposing second-tier mecha instantly activated, locking onto Fire Thunder before charging forward like a blur.
"Fight!"
Fire Thunder roared, gripping the massive blade and meeting the enemy head-on.
The moment they clashed, the students could only see bursts of combat energy—none could discern the precise movements of their blades. Only the teachers and stronger observers could follow the action.
Over twenty exchanges had already taken place, and Fire Thunder's relentless slashes had reduced the mecha projection to a desperate defense.
Could anyone believe that a mecha was wielding a blade longer than its own height with flawless precision?
The crowd was stunned.
Zhou Luo was only a level 18 Mecha Master—where did such ruthless combat skills and rich battle experience come from? It was utterly baffling.
Not just the spectators, even the Adjudicator watching from the void couldn't help but twitch his lips.
Though this was merely his second-tier projection, was he really this weak?
His combat experience and techniques were at the peak of the sixth tier!
Against this second-tier mecha projection, victory should have been impossible without at least level 23 combat power.
There was only one explanation—Zhou Luo's combat prowess couldn't be measured by ordinary standards.
At that moment...
The two mechas collided violently, their inky-black and crimson-blue combat energies clashing wildly. The residual energy alone could easily topple a first-tier mecha.
"Break!" Fire Thunder's arms surged with power, slashing the enemy mecha away.
But instead of pressing the attack, it stood still and raised a single finger.
"What does that mean?"
"What is Zhou Luo doing? Getting cocky?"
"Don't hold back now, man! You've got this in the bag!"
The moment everyone heard Zhou Luo's voice, they finally understood what true arrogance and confidence meant.
"One strike. I'll only need one strike."
Before the opposing Mecha could react, Fire Thunder raised his long blade with a single hand, threads of lightning flickering at its tip. The surroundings abruptly transformed, as if they had entered a domain.
Behind Fire Thunder, a bright full moon emerged, while violent thunder and scorching flames intertwined, swirling around his body.
At this moment, Fire Thunder's aura reached its peak!
(End of Chapter)