Chapter 155 - 152: Heart Sea Glazed Tower: The Manifestation of Mental Power Talent

「Before the Heart Sea Glazed Tower at Hong Kong Island University.」

Many of those who had just challenged the tower emerged with pale faces, unsteady on their feet, as if they had been completely drained of all energy and spirit.

Some couldn’t even walk, collapsing to the ground and dry-heaving nonstop the moment they came out.

Watching this scene, Li Wenbo and the others couldn’t help but feel a little scared. ’No, seriously... what on earth happened to these people inside the tower? It looks like they’ve been ravaged or something.’

Mu Yunfei stood to the side, smiling. "Since this is everyone’s first time here, allow me to explain the mechanics of the tower challenge."

"The Heart Sea Glazed Tower has nine floors. After a challenger enters, an extremely complex and profound ’Dao Pattern’ constructed from Divine Thought will appear on the stone wall of each floor."

"And what you must do is, after the Dao Pattern disappears, use your Mental Power to replicate it on the stone wall."

"The replicated Dao Pattern’s trajectory and Realm must be a perfect match. Being off by even a little bit means failure!"

"With each floor you ascend, the Dao Pattern becomes more complex and profound. By the third or fourth floor, those with insufficient talent in Mental Power will find it difficult to even draw a single stroke..."

"So, how about it? Sounds simple, doesn’t it?"

Mu Yunfei looked at the group with a smile.

’It certainly sounded simple.’

’Just use Mental Power as a brush to copy it on the stone wall, right?’

However, Li Wenbo and the others were still a bit scared, especially the girl with heavy makeup, who asked worriedly,

"Then those people... why do they look so miserable?"

Mu Yunfei shook his head.

"These are all people who lack the talent but try to force their way through the challenge anyway. They can’t replicate the pattern, but they forcibly expend their Mental Power trying, so naturally, they end up like this."

"You all are just here for the experience. As long as you don’t overexert yourselves, this won’t happen to you."

Hearing this, Li Wenbo and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Challenging the tower required queuing up and taking a number. Mu Yunfei led the group and successfully got them a spot in the queue. There were still about a dozen people ahead of them, so they could only wait.

Among these dozen or so people were first-year freshmen who had just enrolled and fourth-year seniors on the verge of graduation.

But without exception, every single one of them emanated powerful Mental Power fluctuations, their expressions filled with confidence and pride.

Just by standing near them, Li Wenbo and his group felt an inexplicable pressure.

’Damn, so this is the atmosphere at Hong Kong University? The competition here is insane!’

’It feels like if you just randomly picked anyone here, their talent in Mental Power would be no worse than that woman from out of town who took down Ouyang Yunhe in one move! Some might even be better!’

Just then, another person emerged from the tower, looking dejected and defeated. He had clearly just failed as well.

This person seemed to be some kind of big shot, as his appearance immediately sparked a heated discussion among the surrounding crowd.

"Look, it’s Wang Hao!"

"Looks like he failed on the Fifth Floor again... Man, that Fifth Floor really is a monster."

"Of course it’s a monster. If even Wang Hao can’t get past it, we have no chance."

"You? Why don’t you try passing the third floor first..."

Beside Li Wenbo, Mu Yunfei also started to explain Wang Hao’s situation—and who doesn’t love a bit of gossip?

"Heh, don’t be fooled by how Wang Hao looks now. He’s actually a second-year, Fourth-Grade Early Stage Warlock. His grades are among the top in his entire year."

"This Wang Hao has been trying to clear the Fifth Floor since his first year. He’s almost a third-year now, and who knows how many times he’s tried. He’s still stuck on the Fifth Floor. I reckon he’ll never get past it in his lifetime!"

Li Wenbo sucked in a sharp breath. "No way. He can’t get past it even after three years?"

Mu Yunfei chuckled. "Of course."

"This tower challenge tests your talent in Mental Power, not its strength! Talent is predetermined. Unless you have some special stroke of fortune, it’s basically impossible to improve through effort."

"So, for everyone who comes here, the floor they can reach is basically set in stone. But there are always people who refuse to accept their fate, and Wang Hao is one of them."

At this point, Mu Yunfei suddenly lowered his voice.

"I heard that Wang Hao’s ex-girlfriend ran off with someone who reached the 6th Floor. That’s why he’s so obsessed..."

’Damn, you can even steal someone’s girlfriend by challenging this tower?’

’But it wasn’t that strange, really. Someone who could reach the 6th Floor had the potential to step into the King-level in the future. It was entirely possible for them to lure away someone else’s girlfriend.’

The queue in front of them slowly shortened, but almost everyone who entered the tower stopped at the Fifth Floor.

These people were from various colleges, some first-years, some fourth-years. Their talent for Mental Power was no less than what Gu Yuexi had displayed earlier, yet the final result was the same.

The Fifth Floor was like an insurmountable obstacle, blocking the path of countless so-called "geniuses"!

This made Li Wenbo and his friends a little nervous all over again.

"What the hell is with this Fifth Floor? Why is it so difficult?"

Hearing this, Mu Yunfei instantly recalled the fear of being dominated by the Fifth Floor back in his day. He smiled wryly and said, "The Dao Pattern on the Fifth Floor is more than ten times as complex as the one on the fourth floor. Moreover, it contains a sliver of true Emperor Realm Divine Thought. If your talent is even slightly lacking, forget about replicating it—just a single glance will get your soul damaged by that Divine Thought!"

"In all the years since Hong Kong University was founded, out of hundreds of thousands of students, the total number who have managed to pass the Fifth Floor is probably less than a thousand! Every single one of them is a true prodigy with limitless future achievements!"

Upon hearing this, Li Wenbo and the others gasped in shock.

’Fewer than a thousand out of hundreds of thousands? Those odds are way too low!’

Soon, everyone ahead of them had finished their attempts.

It was Li Wenbo’s group’s turn.

Ouyang Yunhe was the first to brace himself and go in. The result... he didn’t even make it past the second floor and came scurrying out dejectedly, drawing a burst of laughter from the crowd that made him wish he could find a hole to crawl into.

Li Wenbo and the others performed slightly better, but they were all defeated on the third floor, leaving each of them incredibly embarrassed.

They finally understood just how big the gap was between their group of wealthy dandies from the Capital City and the true geniuses of Hong Kong University.

"Sigh, I guess no one from our group can get past the third floor..." Ouyang Yunhe’s expression was absolutely awful, but his gaze couldn’t help but fall on Gu Yuexi.

’Except for her, of course.’

’But... seeing how difficult this tower is, she probably won’t get very high either. The most she’ll manage is the fourth or Fifth Floor.’

Li Wenbo and the others were also secretly sizing up Gu Yuexi, their gazes complicated and their hearts filled with emotion.

Just a moment ago at the university gate, they had been thoroughly shocked by the talent in Mental Power this girl from out of town had displayed.

But after entering Hong Kong University, they discovered... prodigies with talent comparable to hers were a dime a dozen here! She was instantly reduced to just another face in the crowd!

’Is this the intimidating pressure of a top-tier institution?’

Li Wenbo and the others’ hearts were filled with bitterness.

’Damn it, if I’d known, I never would have come here just to make a fool of myself!’