MIGHT AS WELL BE OP

Chapter 1238: Final Test

Silence swept through the hall as nobody had any words for what they had just witnessed. What they had just seen was simply impossible, yet somehow, making the impossible possible seemed to be Anthony’s innate talent and unparalleled skill.

The Origin Essence and Soul Force they had both sensed from Anthony were immense and should have only been possessed by someone at the Starseer Rank, so how was it possible that he possessed such a staggering amount of energy immediately after he had just ascended? It completely defied everything they knew about cultivation.

Another maddening part was the fact that Anthony had drawn the Runic Evaluation Formation within a few minutes, yet such a Rune Formation had taken The Changing Star over ten entire hours to complete, which spoke volumes about just how difficult a Rune Formation of this level truly was.

But the reason behind this was simple. Anthony was a Twelve-star Rune Formation Master, so a mere Ten-star Rune Formation was no different from a joke to him. The Changing Star, however, was only a Ten-star Rune Formation Master, so he naturally required far more time, concentration, and precision to perform such an extraordinary feat.

The Punisher, The Slumbering Storm, The Decipherer Of The Heavens, The Deceiver Of Laws, and Chaos Betroth no longer knew how to classify Anthony.

They had initially thought the Sect Master was doing far too much and showing excessive preferential treatment right from the beginning. After all, The Sword Ruler had given Anthony a cottage in an area reserved exclusively for the Core Elders and had even instructed the Third Core Elder to personally escort him. But now, such treatment no longer seemed excessive… no, it seemed almost basic and woefully inadequate for someone of Anthony’s caliber.

They wanted to pry Anthony’s skull open and see what was hidden inside. They wanted to tear him apart and discover what exactly made him so monstrously abnormal. But alas, this was someone who belonged to their own sect, making such thoughts nothing more than impossible fantasies. If it had been some random cultivator instead, that person would have undoubtedly been dead by now, or, at the very least, enslaved and thoroughly studied.

Five pairs of eyes shifted toward The Decipherer Of The Heavens. With his Laws and unique abilities, he should be capable of seeing through Anthony’s secrets completely, or at least to a certain extent. Perhaps the boy also possessed a method of concealing himself from heavenly observation and deduction, but even the smallest clue would still be invaluable.

The Decipherer Of The Heavens said nothing. He had already decided to make the attempt once he returned to his own cottage. He would peer into the Heavens themselves and search for every fragment of information related to Null Anthony, no matter how insignificant it might appear. Only then could they truly begin to understand what kind of existence stood before them.

As for calling him an Anomaly, they didn’t even bother. At the end of the day, even Anomalies followed logic every once in a while, not whatever Anthony had going on.

“We should proceed to the final test,” The Punisher finally said, his voice low as he looked forward to the next display.

“What test?” The Slumbering Storm asked, already knowing that The Punisher wasn’t referring to the Bloodline assessment.

“A combat experience test…” The Punisher replied in a stern tone.

Chaos Betroth was about to speak and point out that this wasn’t among the standard assessments they usually conducted, but she immediately stopped herself as she and everyone else understood exactly where The Punisher intended to go with this.

Anthony appeared to be an all-rounder. He had cultivated and ascended by the age of twenty, while also possessing the capabilities of a Ten-star Rune Formation Master. They wanted to determine whether Anthony had merely cultivated his way to ascension with the aid of his absurd Physique and Bloodline while avoiding genuine combat altogether.

The theory wasn’t unreasonable, as they had encountered two similar cases a few thousand years ago, one of which had ultimately ended with Chaos Betroth personally killing the ascendant in a fit of rage after discovering the truth.

They couldn’t help but hope Anthony wasn’t merely an empty vessel making the loudest noise. Even if he truly was such a person, they would still gladly accept him. After all, he was a Ten-star Rune Formation Master, and such a master had practically fallen into their laps for free. Rune Formation Masters rarely swore loyalty to any individual or sect unless they had grown up within that sect or had some other deeply rooted connection.

At The Punisher’s words, The Sword Ruler merely smiled and remained silent. He had personally witnessed Anthony hold his own against four opponents immediately after his ascension. From that brief battle alone, he already knew Anthony possessed combat experience that was very deep.

The Core Elders’ eyes shifted toward Null Nathaniel, who simply nodded before saying, “I agree, but who will face him?”

There was no point in finding an ordinary disciple because ascendants almost always possessed exceptionally deep combat experience after clawing their way to the very top of their respective Lower Galaxies. They didn’t suddenly lose that experience, nor was it weakened or suppressed upon ascension. Therefore, if Anthony truly wasn’t an empty vessel making the loudest noise, they needed someone whose combat experience could genuinely match his own.

“I will fight him,” The Slumbering Storm, the Second Core Elder, spoke as she calmly stepped forward, her robes flowing gently behind her with every measured step.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward her, wondering why she had chosen to make the first move, but they refrained from saying anything and simply continued watching.

“I will draw a sealing Formation to limit us to the same physical prowess,” Anthony stated as his Origin Essence and Soul Force erupted outward once more. Instantly, a Formation spread across the entire hall, sealing both his and The Slumbering Storm’s Laws, Physiques, abilities, Energy, and virtually everything else.

The spar was going to be nothing but pure hand-to-hand combat. Even at this moment, Sense Dome, All Seeing Eyes, and every other extraordinary advantage Anthony possessed had been completely sealed away.

“We will only fight for one minute,” The Slumbering Storm stated, as that was more than enough time to determine the depth of someone’s combat experience.

Anthony simply nodded as his Inscription Pen vanished from his hand. There was no need to expand the hall through Runes or Formations. Any truly capable warrior should be able to move, adapt, and fight effectively regardless of the environment they found themselves in.

Neither Anthony nor The Slumbering Storm assumed a martial stance. Instead, they stood with their hands behind their backs, silently staring into each other’s eyes, sky-blue irises meeting crimson ones.

“Begin,” The Sect Master gave the signal.