Yan Junyu was observed at the hospital for two days, ensuring there were no issues before returning to school, right in time for the meta-human Martial Tournament. He sat on the judging panel alongside Yan Bo, watching the competitors who had lined up to undergo entrance inspections.
"Over the past few days, Young Master Ouyang hasn't had a single moment of peace, cussing out Ouyang Duanhua countless times on the Star Network. He's stirred up quite a mess on the forums. Everyone's looking forward to seeing him make a fool of himself. Look, his odds are at 1:90, and they're still climbing." Yan Bo tapped his wrist.
But Yan Junyu's gaze was fixed on the stage below, his eyes flickering with an unreadable expression.
"Is that Qi Ze?" He pointed at a tall and lithe figure.
Yan Bo didn't know much about Qi Ze, and after waiting for a while, he didn't see the person turn around. Hesitantly, he said, "I don't think so. As I recall, Qi Ze isn't that tall. Why are you asking about him?"
Yan Junyu shifted his gaze, exhaling slowly. "For no reason. I suddenly recognized him." As he spoke, he glanced back at the stage, only to find that Ouyang Ye and the other person had vanished.
Qi Ze had no intention of further entanglement with Yan Junyu, so he kept a distance. He and Ouyang Ye moved to a secluded corner to talk.
"Did you see that machine that looks like a door? Every participant has to walk through it, and it can detect the type and level of their powers. Any weapons they carry must also undergo a scan, and if they exceed a certain value, they can't be used on stage. Young Master Qi, I won't fail at this hurdle, right? That would be too embarrassing!"
"When being scanned, place your hand on the hilt and activate your inner qi. It will awaken. Don't worry, just walk through, and there won't be any issues," Qi Ze confidently assured him. "And once the sword leaves your hand, it becomes the weakest type of attribute weapon. It won't be prohibited."
Ouyang Ye felt reassured. He had his bodyguards take Young Master Qi to the private box he had reserved and then returned to queue up. Many of the meta-humans shot him disapproving looks, but Ouyang Duanhua gave him a friendly smile. His open and honest attitude was captured by the cameras and broadcast on the public holographic screens, earning him praise and applause from the audience.
"Look at that. These two brothers, one with deep scheming and the other impulsive, are juxtaposed. It's clear who wins and who loses. No wonder Ouyang Tao places more importance on Ouyang Duanhua." Yan Bo sighed with a shake of his head. "I wonder who arranged it, placing them one after the other. Ouyang Ye's strength as a grade four meta-human isn't weak, but Ouyang Duanhua's test results will follow right after, making his face red, right?"
"The level doesn't mean anything. I could challenge a grade six meta-human when I was only grade three," Yan Junyu said calmly.
"But he's not you. Your potential is rated at 3S. What's his?" Yan Bo looked down at the stage, his expression becoming focused because it was now the turn of the Ouyang brothers.
Ouyang Ye walked through the scanner, then unfastened his longsword from his waist and placed it in a transparent case. Within two seconds, the machine provided the data, and the giant screen hanging above the audience's heads simultaneously broadcast the results, causing a stir. No one could have expected that Ouyang Ye was actually a grade four novice meta-human, and he had dual wind and fire attributes. Even more astonishing was that his potential value was three bright red question marks, a situation that had never occurred before.
"What's going on? Why can't the machine detect it?" Yan Bo was startled. "You used the same machine when you were tested, and it could measure a 3S potential score. There's no reason it would malfunction when it's Ouyang Ye's turn. Could his potential score exceed the machine's testing range? 4S? 5S? Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Yan Junyu also showed surprise in his eyes, immediately descending from the judges' platform and heading toward the center of the chaos. As for the long sword judged as a basic attribute weapon, it had long been overlooked by everyone.
"Ah, my potential is too high, it can't be measured!" Ouyang Ye calmly reattached the sword to his waist, exclaiming with extreme arrogance.
"Have him walk through again." Yan Junyu ordered the tester, then a strange feeling arose: this scene seemed familiar, too familiar!
Ouyang Ye's face was full of impatience. "Walking through a hundred times would yield the same result." Although he said this, he still walked back and forth twice, pointing at the repeatedly flashing question marks. "See that? It's called unlimited potential. Can a machine fake that? How about you have Ouyang Duanhua try it?"
Seeing the living, breathing Yan Junyu, he didn't feel any envy or hatred. No matter how cool and domineering this person was, could he be cooler or more domineering than Young Master Qi? In the beginning, he was just a pile of rotten flesh, and without Young Master Qi, he would have been cremated into a pile of ash. Thinking about it, Ouyang Ye suddenly felt incredibly relieved.
The one originally behind him, planning to overwhelm him with his level, Ouyang Duanhua, now had a very grim expression. Compared to those three bright red question marks, his S-level potential was simply not impressive enough. No one could explain what the question marks meant, but it wouldn't be underestimated. Because this device used the most advanced energy detection technology in the Black Eye Galaxy, meta-humans below 3S absolutely wouldn't escape its detection.
With that in mind, Ouyang Duanhua gritted his teeth and declared, "Instructor, this machine must be malfunctioning! Can we use another one?"
"Use as many as you want. You want to waste time, right? I'll accompany you until the end!" Ouyang Ye simply sat down, crossing one leg over the other.
The audience, judges, participants, and organizers all demanded a replacement machine for testing, and Yan Junyu wouldn't obstruct it, even sending people to prepare several more for replacement. However, no matter how many times Ouyang Ye walked through, the results were the same. Three bright red question marks repeatedly appeared on the large screen, stinging the eyes.
"Want to test again?" Ouyang Ye spread his hands, his expression incredibly provoking.
Sitting in the VIP box, Li Yu looked at Ouyang Tao beside him with a smile. "What level do you think my son, Ye, will be in the future? Can he surpass Young Master Yan?"
A blue vein faintly bulged at Ouyang Tao's temple, but his expression was very calm. "Who can say for sure? He still has to work hard on his own. But with his current strength, it's very difficult for him to win the championship. There are too many people in the field with higher levels than him."
Li Yu said dismissively, "Level isn't the only standard for evaluating strength. Otherwise, why would we have a martial tournament? Just set up a scanner and pick the champion based on the test results. Wouldn't that be more convenient?"
"This is true. When Young Master Yan first participated in the martial tournament at the age of twelve, he was at a level three meta-human but challenged a level six meta-human and won a great victory. Who could have thought that the champion would be him? So, don't jump to conclusions too quickly. Be careful not to kick an iron plate," the head of the Hai family said with a chuckle. Ever since falling out with the Meng family, he had become extremely displeased with the Ouyang family, who bullied people with their power. Without Ouyang Duanhua's support behind her, would Meng Yao dare to be so arrogant?
The head of the Meng family wanted to refute, but shut his mouth at Ouyang Tao's indication. Saying anything now would be empty. It was better to continue watching the competition. Who wins and who loses will naturally be revealed in four days.
In the arena, several machines were all tested in turn, but the results remained the same. Yan Junyu made the decision, "Continue with the testing. There's no problem."
The other meta-humans requeued, but their looks at Ouyang Ye became much more cautious. What level would a person whose potential couldn't even be measured by the machine reach in the future? They couldn't imagine, but they could weigh themselves on the arena.
After being arrogant, Ouyang Ye gradually regained his senses, unable to help cursing "what the hell." He had originally planned to hide his strength and catch others off guard, playing the fool to devour the tiger, but now, all his plans were ruined. Just because of this mysterious potential value, wouldn't the opponents he met use all their strength to fight? What was originally a simple mode competition had been raised to hell mode by the Wind Forest and Fire Sea, and it couldn't be more vexing.
He hurriedly looked up to the third-floor box, sending a distress signal with his eyes.
Qi Ze stood by the window with his hands in his pockets, his red lips slightly curled in an unusually relaxed manner. Seeing Young Master Qi's expression, Ouyang Ye instantly relaxed, stroking the Wind Forest and Fire Sea, and sat back in the waiting area. Suddenly, a hand stretched out from the side, saying in a deep voice, "This sword is quite special. Can I take a look?"
Ouyang Ye was startled, recognizing the person as Yan Junyu, and his heart couldn't help but tremble. But he didn't show the slightest anomaly on the surface, readily unfastening the sword and handing it over. "Just a basic attribute weapon, nothing special."
Yan Junyu gripped the hilt, his thumb slowly stroking the four ancient characters carved upon it, asking, "What does this mean?"
Those were Young Master Qi's clan emblems. With every item he created, he would engrave these four characters. But their exact meaning, even Ouyang Ye was clueless, so he shook his head. "It came with it when I bought it. It's probably something like a trademark."
"It's not a trademark." Yan Junyu's tone was certain. "In my memory, none of the stores selling attribute weapons use this logo. It should be left by the artificer, a unique mark of the other party."
"Just a basic weapon, what mark or no mark," Ouyang Ye took back the sword but didn't dare hang it at his waist. Instead, he casually crossed his arms, firmly gripping it in his palm and tucking it under his armpit. He didn't question Yan Junyu's words. Everyone knew that meta-humans were not only powerful but also very intelligent, the darlings of heaven. If they were willing, they could practically handle all jobs. Especially Yan Junyu, it was said he had a photographic memory.
Yan Junyu didn't press for more questions, nodding. "Wish you success in the competition." He then walked unhurriedly back to the judges' seats. Sitting down, he immediately sketched the four characters, then searched in the central database. But he found nothing, and the database administrator told him that it could be an undiscovered ancient Chinese character, suggesting he consult the ancient language professors of the capital's university.
He rubbed his slightly aching temples, then quickly composed an email, sending it to the three most authoritative ancient language research experts. For some reason, he was very concerned about these four characters. If he didn't understand their meaning and origin, it would feel like a thorn stuck in his heart.