Chapter 00032: The Rampage of the Beasts in Penglu Mountain
# The Rampage of the Beasts in Penglu Mountain
Chapter 32
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 32: The Rampage of the Beasts in Penglu Mountain
A group of twenty people entered, and in just about three minutes, they completed the test and came out.
Next, the broadcast sounded again, and the next group of twenty entered for assessment.
At this moment, the rankings had already appeared on the large electronic screen outside.
The first assessment was the gene compatibility test, where a score of 60% was considered passing.
In other words, one needed at least 60% gene compatibility to have a chance to proceed to the second assessment.
A gene compatibility score of 60% was classified as E-grade.
Even within the same E-grade, the rankings could differ.
A score of 60% was E-grade, and so was 61%.
The real ranking wasn’t just about a single percentage point difference.
Even a difference of 0.001% could be reflected in the rankings.
Of course, this was only the first assessment.
Once the subsequent assessments were completed, the difference in rankings within the same compatibility grade would become insignificant.
"Yiyi, your gene compatibility is 85%, reaching B-grade. That puts you in the top three in our school."
In the assessment area of Qinghe University, Qu Fei spoke with excitement.
She was Qu Yi's cousin, and naturally, she was happy about Qu Yi's excellent results.
"You passed too," Qu Yi said absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on the rankings on the large screen.
She was eager to know if anyone from Yujiang University, which Ding Huan had mentioned, would appear on the rankings.
Qu Fei pouted, "I only got E-grade. I'm just here to make up the numbers."
In assessment area thirty-eight, Li Wanran, who had been sitting all day, sighed, "Looks like it won't be our turn today."
Geng Qianxing nodded in agreement.
Although the first assessment was quick, with so many participants, it was normal not to get a turn on the first day.
According to tradition, the first round of the admissions assessment for the top ten academies on Blue Star would eliminate over 80% of the students.
In other words, out of two million participants, only a maximum of four hundred thousand would make it to the second round.
And that was just a theoretical number.
The actual number would likely be even smaller.
After the first day of assessments, the hotels around Puhai Martial Arts Square became even livelier.
Many had been eliminated, while some had passed the first round with decent scores.
Those who performed well in the first round had a chance to enter one of the top ten academies on Blue Star.
Investing in them now could yield significant returns if they were admitted to one of those academies.
"Teacher Geng, do you think any of our students have a chance?"
Having not seen any Yujiang University students take the test on the first day, Tan Bei grew increasingly anxious.
Deep down, he knew it was unlikely for any Yujiang University student to pass, but people always held onto a sliver of hope.
What if?
What if one Yujiang University student managed to get into one of the top ten academies? That would be a lifeline for Yujiang University.
It didn’t matter if the student was originally from Yujiang University or just using its assessment quota.
"Principal Tan, don’t worry. Since you trust Teacher Ding and me, we’ll do our best," Geng Qianxing said, though his words were empty.
He didn’t dare make any promises to Principal Tan.
Tan Bei could only sigh.
Rather than asking Geng Qianxing, he was seeking comfort for himself.
Even if Geng Qianxing lied to him, it would give him a bit of hope.
"Wanran, as long as you pass the first two rounds... no, just the first round, we can get you into the Future Gene Planning Bureau in Yanjing..."
As soon as Li Wanran came out, her mother rushed over anxiously.
"Mom, we probably won’t get our turn until tomorrow. I haven’t taken the assessment yet."
Li Wanran was exasperated.
She had told her parents several times that she was confident, but they didn’t seem to believe her or even listen.
Even if she couldn’t pass the first round, could she really change that through effort?
The gene compatibility test wasn’t something one could improve through hard work.
It was entirely dependent on innate ability.
Not just Li Wanran, but most of the families accompanying the candidates were asking the same pointless questions—whether their children had a chance to pass the first round.
...
In a suite on the top floor of Tinghuan Hotel, a man in a white bathrobe sat on a recliner, a cigarette in hand.
In front of him stood a man and a woman.
The woman, in her thirties, appeared very capable.
"Master Quan, three candidates with gene compatibility above B-grade appeared in today’s first round. Two of them are gene affinity carriers, and one is a coupling gene carrier..."
The woman spoke at a steady pace, her words clear.
"A coupling gene carrier? Tell me more," Master Quan sat up from his recliner, his interest piqued.
"Yes, the coupling gene carrier is named Qu Yi. She scored 85% in the first round, is from Anjiang Province, and her family owns some businesses but has no significant influence. The safety factor for taking her is eight."
After the woman finished speaking, Master Quan stood up and paced around the room a few times before stopping.
"Did Chang Chongjin record her information and situation?"
The woman replied, "He did. We checked the surveillance and the situation at the time. Many people know about her. If he didn’t record it, Chang Chongjin and Li Xing would be too incompetent."
Master Quan nodded, paced a few more times, and then asked, "Were Chang Chongjin and Li Xing killed because of her?"
The woman hesitated, then shook her head.
"She has an uncle named Qu Jiuyi, but his strength is only at the ordinary internal energy level. He hasn’t even stepped into the realm of martial artists. He’s not capable of killing Chang Chongjin and Li Xing."
The man who had been silent suddenly spoke up.
"Could it be that Chang Chongjin and Li Xing were too arrogant and offended someone?"
In recent days, countless powerful individuals had come to Puhai.
If Chang Chongjin and Li Xing had been killed for being too arrogant, it wouldn’t be surprising.
"No, Li Xing might have, but as long as he was with Chang Chongjin, that wouldn’t have happened," the woman replied.
Master Quan sat back down, took a drag from his cigarette, and said slowly,
"Xiujian, continue the investigation. Recover the missing investigation results from Chang Chongjin and Li Xing. Zhang Tai, you stay by my side."
"Yes."
Both of them bowed in acknowledgment.
They understood why Master Quan wanted Zhang Tai by his side—he was afraid of dying.
They weren’t wrong.
Master Quan was indeed scared.
The person who killed Chang Chongjin and Li Xing was undoubtedly a powerful individual.
If such a person came for him, he couldn’t afford to be without a bodyguard.
As for Chang Chongjin and Li Xing being loyal to the Gene Alliance and not revealing Master Quan’s existence—well, he didn’t believe that himself.
"Also, check if Qu Yi and the other gene affinity carriers have any connection to Zhang Yongcheng from the Great Han Yi Academy, especially that coupling gene carrier."
When mentioning Zhang Yongcheng, Master Quan showed no respect whatsoever.
Both Zhang Tai and the woman named Xiujian knew how significant Zhang Yongcheng’s background was.
Despite his age, Zhang Yongcheng was the former dean of the Great Han Yi Academy, a figure respected worldwide.
The reason Master Quan disliked Zhang Yongcheng was because of the recent killings of Chang Chongjin and Li Xing.
When the Gene Alliance wanted to conduct a thorough investigation across Puhai, Dean Zhang Yongcheng had directly opposed it.
The admissions assessment for the top ten academies on Blue Star was a global matter, concerning the future of humanity.
How could the Gene Alliance act so recklessly in Puhai?
Such behavior was absolutely unacceptable.
...
Ding Huan had been in Penglu Mountain for several days, but he hadn’t ventured deep into the mountain.
He had only been wandering around the outskirts.
It wasn’t that he was afraid of the gene beasts, but because Old Liu had mentioned encountering a two-horned fire lizard.
Old Liu’s strength wasn’t particularly high, at best an external energy martial artist.
No matter how experienced Old Liu was, an external energy martial artist wouldn’t dare venture deep into Penglu Mountain.
From this, Ding Huan deduced that Old Liu had encountered the two-horned fire lizard on the outskirts of Penglu Mountain.
The first few days were fine, but today Ding Huan felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
After some hesitation, he entered a cave he had dug earlier.
Based on his past life’s experience, being cautious was always the right approach.
He had been hunted down by the Du family and eventually died on a desolate planet in the universe.
It wasn’t because he was careless or lacked vigilance, but because his strength and equipment were insufficient.
Just as Ding Huan blocked the entrance to the cave, he heard a sudden rustling sound.
Through the gaps in the cave, he saw a massive black ape leading tens of thousands of gene beasts charging toward him.
Ding Huan felt his scalp tingle.
In his past life, he had seen beast tides before, and those were even larger, thousands of times bigger than this one.
He had even fought in them.
But back then, he had been under the leadership of top-tier experts, with many human gene cultivators by his side.
He didn’t need to be at the front lines; he could just pick off stragglers while the stronger ones held the front.
But now, facing tens of thousands of gene beasts alone, what could he do except wait for death? Moreover, the leading black ape was likely a near-fourth-grade gene beast.
Why were these countless gene beasts charging toward him? Had he offended the black ape?
(End of Chapter)