Fly Ansel had originally assumed that more and more people would step forward, eventually crowding around The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering until there was no room left to stand. However, as the seconds ticked by into minutes, only a scattered few dared to ascend the stage.

  The vast majority chose to remain below, watching from the sidelines.

  It made sense, upon reflection. The trial had no set order, and although the scroll was five meters long, the trial only activated within a two-meter range. Under such restrictions, the stage naturally couldn't accommodate a massive crowd all at once.

  Most of the attendees didn't have full confidence in themselves. Standing back to observe how the pioneers fared was, in itself, a clever strategy.

  But still... was selecting a disciple merely by looking at a painting a bit too much like child's play?

  Fly had initially thought the exhibition was just a gimmick—a flashy opening act. He expected that when it came to the actual selection of a disciple, there would be a rigorous test of their martial prowess.

  Who would have guessed that a painting exhibition really meant the selection process was literally just looking at a painting?

  Just then, Gideon King, the first to undergo the trial, was sent flying backward off the stage.

  This sudden turn of events startled many of the guests, sending the crowd scrambling to dodge. They watched as Gideon carved a perfect arc through the air before slamming heavily onto the floor. He struggled to crawl to his feet, his face an ugly shade of pale, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

  "Holy crap, is it really that hard?" Leo stared wide-eyed at Gideon sprawling on the ground, the words exploding from his mouth before he could stop them.

  Gideon King was the number one freshman of Ironpeak Academy. His performance at the Freshman Invitational had been witnessed by everyone.

  And yet, in just the span of a few breaths, he had been blasted away?

  What on earth had he encountered inside that painting?

  Watching Gideon fly through the air, Cynthia Muse's expression didn't shift in the slightest. She simply gave a faint order for the staff to go over and apply some medicine to his injuries.

  "That Gideon King... he is a counterfeit genius, after all," Genevieve said, her tone icy as she looked at the fallen figure in the distance.

  "A counterfeit genius?" Fly repeated.

  "A Mythical Species Beast Totem acquired through artificial transplant will always be inferior to a native one. It’s a clever method, yes, but it’s also a shortcut. Ms. Cynthia just said, 'to train the body, one must first train the mind.' By taking such a shortcut, he avoided many hardships, but it was ultimately driven by a fear of difficulty. If a Beast Warrior is already afraid before they even begin their cultivation, can they ever truly achieve greatness?"

  Genevieve spoke lightly, though a flash of satisfaction flickered in her eyes.

  She had been ambushed by Gareth during the Freshman Invitational, and as a result, she had lost any shred of goodwill toward Ironpeak Academy. Moreover, Gideon King was the captain of the Ironpeak team at the time. Who would believe that Gareth used underhanded tactics without Gideon's permission? Seeing Gideon eliminated and injured, Genevieve felt like she had finally vented a lungful of bad air.

  However, seeing such a brutal outcome only made Leo, who was already apprehensive, even more terrified to go up. He glanced at Skaar and the others currently undergoing the trial and noticed that their complexions were looking rather grim as well.

  "This..." Fly watched the faces of Skaar and the others in the front row, a glint of surprise in his eyes. "It looks like this painting is far from simple!"

  "Fly, you mustn't underestimate The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering," Genevieve whispered to Fly, noticing his exclamation.

  "Oh? You seem to know something about it?" Fly turned his gaze to her.

  Genevieve didn't answer Fly directly. Instead, she asked him a question of her own. "Do you know of The Demon Within?"

  Seeing Fly's blank expression, Genevieve explained, "Every person harbors an Inner Demon in their heart—a devil that requires constant suppression. If you fail to restrain it, it will break free from its shackles and disturb The Heart Palace. If The Heart Palace is thrown into chaos, your mind and spirit will be damaged. In mild cases, it leads to spiritual deviation; in severe cases, it can cause total paralysis."

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  "As Beast Warriors, we are most sensitive to these things. Therefore, a warrior with a powerful mind can not only suppress the restless agitation of their Beast Totem's origin but also inhibit the chaos caused by The Demon Within. If the heart is not at peace, one cannot achieve great things."

  "This is not just true for martial arts, but for any field where one desires success. Those who cannot focus their minds, who are restless day and night, who rush in blindly, or who only have three minutes of enthusiasm—they will find it difficult to achieve anything of note in any domain."

  "The Martial Art has always been a discipline that emphasizes stillness of the heart—using stillness to control motion."

  Genevieve spoke slowly and deliberately.

  "Did you come up with all of that yourself?" Fly looked at Genevieve with a gaze bordering on disbelief.

  Her words had transcended the scope of standard cultivation and stepped slightly into the realm of philosophy. If Genevieve had realized this on her own through her training, that would be truly terrifying.

  Genevieve smiled and shook her head. "No way. My teacher told me that."

  "Your teacher?" Fly was even more curious now.

  "Blegh, not telling you." Genevieve stuck out her tongue and turned her face away.

  Fly smiled and didn't press the issue further.

  Just then, Jade Bell from Concord High also reached her limit, collapsing to the floor with a thud.

  Skaar also buckled under the pressure, dropping to one knee, his expression twisted in agony.

  Yet even so, Skaar showed no sign of retreating, still gritting his teeth and holding on bitterly.

  On the other hand, Hugh from Merit Academy let out a long breath and stepped back from the front row.

  Just as everyone thought Hugh had successfully passed the trial and was about to congratulate him, he walked to the side and spoke to Cynthia. "I forfeit..."

  Cynthia nodded slightly, a look of appreciation flashing in her eyes. "Knowing when to retreat—that is a wisdom all its own."

  "Although you have not met my father's requirements today, that wisdom of knowing when to advance and when to withdraw will one day lead you onto the correct path."

  Even though Hugh had failed the trial, Cynthia's evaluation of him was not low.

  "Thank you, Senior Cynthia." Hugh bowed slightly in respect.

  On his way back, his eyes happened to meet Fly's, who was standing in the back row waiting.

  "What did you see?" Fly asked curiously.

  Judging by the performance of Gideon King, Skaar, and the others, The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering was clearly full of strange mysteries. Before starting the trial, getting some insider tips from Hugh, who had already attempted it, seemed like the best move.

  "Well..." Hugh laughed awkwardly, then said, "I saw you."

  Fly: "???"

  Ten thousand question marks floated through Fly's mind.

  Isn't this The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering?

  What does seeing me in the painting mean?

  What does that have to do with me?

  "It's a bit embarrassing to say..."

  Hugh took a deep breath and began to explain what he had seen while observing the scroll.

  "When I looked at it, I felt the surrounding scenery changing rapidly. By the time I came to my senses, I found myself back on the stage of the Freshman Invitational."

  "And the opponent I was facing was you, Fly! You, and the terrifying phantom of that Thunder-Roach behind you."

  "The harder I fought, the more despair I felt in my heart."

  "It was a battle without hope."

  "I even felt as if your figure was constantly growing larger, like an insurmountable peak. That towering silhouette seemed to be a mountain I could never cross in my entire life."

  Listening to Hugh's description, Genevieve whispered to Fly from the side, "It seems the psychological trauma you caused him is not small."

  "This..." Fly clicked his tongue. "I'm not taking the rap for that!"

  Soon enough, Skaar also succumbed to the trial of The Scroll of Martial Heart-Tempering. Supported by security personnel, he walked to the side to rest.

  Many students from Ironpeak Academy immediately crowded around, asking Skaar what exactly he had seen.

  Although Fly and his group had always been at odds with Ironpeak Academy, they couldn't help but prick up their ears at this moment.

  However, Skaar didn't say much. He simply shook his head slightly.

  In reality...

  The image he saw was Gideon King.

  No...

  More accurately, he saw a world without Gideon King.

  If it weren't for Gideon King, that rich second-generation heir, Skaar could have relied on his own talent to secure the resources and status he deserved. His future would have been brilliantly bright.

  He could have entered Star City High without being controlled by anyone.

  Even if he had entered Ironpeak Academy, without Vice-Principal King's massive financial backing of Gideon, Skaar could have won the school's attention with his innate talent, perhaps even directly becoming the number one freshman of this Ironpeak class!

  He would have been the unfettered, universally admired Chosen One!

  But...

  That beautiful world collapsed rapidly. Gideon King, with his Golden Draconian Totem, crashed in forcefully, snatching away everything that should have belonged to Skaar.

  "Damn it!"

  He roared unwillingly in his mind, yet his entire body was enveloped by a deep sense of powerlessness.

  He had already boarded Gideon King's war chariot. He was firmly bound to Gideon King.

  From now on, only if Gideon prospered could he prosper; if Gideon fell into ruin, he would follow suit.

  He regretted it. He regretted trusting Vice-Principal King's words so easily.

  However, it was too late for everything now.

  Facing Gideon King, he couldn't utter a single word of complaint.

  He knew Gideon's character too well. If Gideon found out he harbored disloyal thoughts and had lost his value as a tool, then Gareth would be his role model.

  So, filled with pent-up resentment, looking at the crowd of Ironpeak classmates surrounding him and asking questions, he couldn't say a sentence. He didn't dare say a single word.

  "Ahhhhhhh!"

  Skaar screamed like a madman, clenching his fingers into a fist and smashing it viciously against the ground.

  This sudden outburst scared the surrounding classmates into taking a large step back.

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