High Martial: I Grind Professions

Chapter 461: Chapter 299: Bone Age Test

”...is because of the Slaughter Tower’s medal rules. When you advance to a new realm, if you haven’t killed enough same-tier opponents in your new realm—in this case, Tier Five Star Lords—specifically, less than ten percent of the kills required for the Centurion rank, which comes out to one hundred kills,

then your medal rank will be temporarily frozen at its previous tier. For example, it might display as ’Tier Four Centurion’ until you kill one hundred Tier Five Star Lords.

Only then will your medal automatically upgrade to match your current realm, becoming a Tier Five Centurion.

The medal he’s wearing now is the real deal—a ’Tier Five Slaughter Centurion’ medal, drenched in the blood of over one hundred Tier Five Star Lords!”

After hearing Lorne Meck’s detailed and shocking explanation, Li Wen looked again at the grim, emotionless Star Lord instructor hovering in midair.

His gaze was now filled with gravity and a subtle, imperceptible awe. After all, even Ancestral Master Chang Jia was only a Tier Five Star Lord.

Although the man had already retracted most of his aura,

the terrifying killing intent—forged from a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, so potent it was almost tangible—still silently permeated the courtyard like a cold tide.

All the proud, young geniuses present, who had come from all over, felt a heavy pressure that made them more subdued and well-behaved than ever before.

A true master needs no words or actions. His mere presence is enough to command everyone’s respect and fear.

The hovering instructor’s cold gaze swept over the crowd, who were as silent as winter cicadas. He slowly began to speak, his voice like grinding metal:

”I am code-named ’Blood Blade,’ and I will be responsible for your first phase of basic training and assessment.”

Instructor Blood Blade’s opening remarks, cold and saturated with killing intent, swept through the courtyard like a winter squall.

It made every prideful genius present instantly drop their casual attitudes. The atmosphere grew so heavy it almost solidified.

Blood Blade wasted no time on pleasantries and got straight to the point.

With a casual wave of his arm, a cylindrical device approximately three meters tall, made of metal and etched with flowing, dark-silver energy patterns, landed silently on the ground before them.

The surface of the device was engraved with complex runes that emitted a mysterious aura, one that seemed to probe the very source of life.

It was a top-of-the-line instrument used for precisely measuring a living being’s true bone age.

”Since this is a test and evaluation of your talent, bone age is an unavoidable factor. Now, come forward one by one in order to have your true bone age tested.”

Blood Blade’s voice remained devoid of any emotion, like the grating of cold metal.

As his words fell, a wave of suppressed whispers inevitably rippled through the crowd.

”I’m screwed. I heard bone age is weighted very heavily. My true bone age is over two hundred,” a Venerable from a minor race said to his companion, his face paling slightly.

”Mine isn’t low either. I used an accelerated cultivation chamber before to catch up in my realm, so I’m also close to two hundred,” another sighed.

”There’s nothing to be done. We can’t compare to those from the major families in any aspect. We can only rely on time to grind for resources and advance our realms,” someone nearby said in agreement.

”I heard that Keynes Radiance of the Holy Radiance Race has a bone age of less than a hundred years. His talent is terrifyingly high. He’s probably got the lowest bone age in this batch.”

”I wouldn’t be so sure. That guy from the Meck family, Lorne Meck—I hear his bone age isn’t high either.”

As they spoke, some people subconsciously glanced toward Lorne, who was standing beside Li Wen.

”The one from the Monroe family is pretty impressive too. I heard he’s just over a hundred.”

”The core disciples from these major families have never undergone accelerated cultivation. Their foundations are incredibly solid.”

”That’s normal. The major families have extremely strict requirements for their disciples. Before joining one of the four behemoths, they are absolutely forbidden from using time-accelerated cultivation chambers.

This is all to ensure they can get a higher score in the bone age category when being rated by a top-tier organization like the Source Net.”

...

Standing in the crowd, Li Wen just listened silently to these hushed discussions, his face a mask of calm.

He knew full well how unique his journey from Blue Star had been. The planet’s resource-poor environment had, paradoxically, forged for him an unimaginably youthful foundation.

The test began.

”First up, Atum Rockheart,” Blood Blade read from the list.

A stocky xeno-Venerable with rock-like skin took a deep breath, stepped out from the crowd, and walked somewhat nervously into the dark-silver device.

The metal door slid shut without a sound. The runes on the device’s surface lit up, and a soft light enveloped him.

After just a few minutes, the light died down and the metal door opened again.

A number was clearly displayed on the light screen on the side of the device: ”156.”

”Bone age: 156 years. Rating: Average. Next.” Blood Blade glanced at it and announced the result impassively, his tone as flat as if he were reading a string of irrelevant code.

As a veteran instructor at the elite training camp, he had seen countless geniuses pass through each year. An average bone age like this was like dust in his eyes, incapable of causing the slightest ripple.

The testing proceeded in an orderly fashion.

”Bone age: 178 years. Average.”

”Bone age: 162 years. Average.”

”Bone age: 202 years. Below Average.”

...

One genius after another stepped forward, and the bone age assessment results mostly hovered between ”Average” and ”Below Average.”

There were no ”Above Average” results, nor were there any ”Poor” ones. After all, those with a poor bone age wouldn’t have been invited in the first place.

Soon, it was the turn of the Maka Race genius who had mocked Li Wen yesterday, Pato Ironscale.

Under the shroud of Blood Blade’s intangible killing intent, Pato Ironscale reined in the arrogance he had displayed the day before, not daring to step out of line in the slightest.

But the sense of superiority stemming from his family was still clearly visible in his expression.

He puffed out his chest, which was covered in fine scales, and strode into the testing device with absolute confidence.

The device activated. A moment later, the result appeared: ”Bone Age: 126.”

”Bone age: 126. Rating: Above Average.”

Blood Blade’s voice was still flat, but the ”Above Average” rating itself made Pato stand out like a crane among chickens compared to those already tested.

”Above Average!”

”As expected of an elite from the Maka Race!”

A chorus of envious whispers immediately rose from the crowd.

With a bone age like that, combined with his peak Venerable Realm cultivation, his talent was truly commendable.

Pato Ironscale stepped out of the device. Hearing the discussions around him, he lifted his chin even higher. His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for an extra moment on Li Wen, filled with undisguised smugness and disdain.

It was as if his eyes were declaring: ’See? This is the bone age a true genius should have!’

Several more people were tested after him, but their results remained in the ”Average” and ”Below Average” range.

”Next, Lorne Meck,” Blood Blade called out.

”Li Wen, I’m up,” Lorne Meck said to Li Wen with a warm and confident smile before stepping forward.

Light flowed through the device, and the result was quickly displayed: ”Bone Age: 102.”

”Bone age: 102. Rating: Above Average,” Blood Blade announced.

”102 years! Even lower than Pato’s!”

”The Meck family truly lives up to its reputation!”

”What a shame, just two years off! If he were exactly 100, he could have gotten a ’Superior’ rating!” someone in the crowd lamented in a low voice.

According to the Source Net’s universal bone age rating standards:

150–200 years was Average; 100–150 was Above Average; 50–100 was Superior; and under 50 was Exceptional.

The two-year difference was like the gulf between heaven and earth.

Faced with the crowd’s sympathy, Lorne Meck just smiled calmly, as if he had long expected this result and felt little regret.

He calmly walked back to Li Wen’s side and stood still.

The one called immediately after Lorne was the silver-armored youth from the Monroe family.

His test result was also out quickly: ”Bone age: 108. Rating: Above Average.”

Another ”Above Average” rating, drawing another round of admiration.

The youth from the Monroe family returned to his spot with a blank expression. His eyes met Lorne Meck’s for a brief moment, and faint sparks seemed to fly.

A few more people went, but none of their results surpassed ”Above Average.”

Finally, a name was called that seemed to make the air in the entire plaza freeze for a moment:

”Next, Keynes Radiance.”

The genius of the Holy Radiance Race, the publicly acknowledged number one of this batch, Keynes Radiance, began to move.

His steps were steady, his body seemingly wreathed in a faint glow. Every move he made drew everyone’s gaze.

Even Instructor Blood Blade, who had kept his eyelids lowered as if indifferent to everything, finally raised them at this moment.

He wanted to see if the bone age of this much-lauded genius from the Holy Radiance Race was truly as outstanding as the rumors claimed.

The device door closed, and the runes lit up.

This time, the wait seemed a fraction longer than before.

All eyes were locked tightly on the device’s display screen.

The light faded, the metal door opened, and a number leaped clearly onto the screen:

”Bone Age: 96.”

Blood Blade’s gaze paused on the number for a fraction of a second before he announced loudly:

”Bone age: 96. Rating: Superior!”

”Superior!”

”It really is Superior! 96 years!”

”As expected of an elite from the Holy Radiance Race!”

”He’s got to be number one for bone age in this batch!”

”So strong!”

After a brief silence, the crowd instantly erupted.

Gazes of astonishment, envy, and awe focused on Keynes Radiance as if they were tangible.

A bone age of 96, combined with his Master 9-Star rank in the Ultimate Fighting Arena—this level of talent was enough for him to look down on all his peers, truly worthy of his number one title.

Keynes Radiance himself remained calm, but the corner of his mouth curved slightly into a matter-of-fact smile as he basked in the glory of being the center of attention.

”Silence!” Blood Blade’s cold shout was like a bucket of ice water, instantly reducing the boiling plaza to dead silence once more.

A powerful killing intent spread out, and no one dared to make another sound.

In this silence, Blood Blade’s eyes fell on the next name on the list.

Whether by coincidence or by design, the person listed after the radiant Keynes Radiance was none other than Li Wen—the one Pato Ironscale had mocked yesterday for his ordinary aura.

”Next, Li Wen.”

The calling of this name didn’t cause much of a stir.

Except for an encouraging glance from Lorne Meck, who stood beside him, everyone else’s attention was still reeling from the shock delivered by Keynes Radiance.

Almost no one paid any attention to the test of this ”nobody,” Li Wen.

Pato Ironscale even curled his lip in disdain, as if to say, ’He’s just here to fill a quota. It doesn’t matter if he’s tested or not.’

”Li Wen, you got this!” Lorne Meck said in a low voice.

Li Wen returned his encouragement with a calm smile, stepped out from the crowd, and walked toward the device that had just tested the genius of the Holy Radiance Race.