Chapter 178: The Uncertain Trial

“Could it be… that something went wrong?”

In the hall, numerous high-ranking officials watched the flickering vortex with deep concern.

No one had entered the Awakener Trial with a clear mind, and in their uncertainty, they even began to suspect that something about the trial had changed.

“It makes no sense… he cleared it so quickly before. There’s no reason for him to be stuck in the trial he excels at for so long…”

“What on earth happened…?”

Led by Li Xuanguo, several top officials already harbored a bad feeling.

The trial can be deadly!

If Yenir were to perish inside, all this massive mobilization would turn into a farce! Moreover, their expectations for Yenir had been sky-high—finally erasing decades of disgrace—only to end up with nothing!

Such crushing disappointment was hard to bear.

The trial had been underway for nearly nine hours, stretching from daylight into night. Even though every light in the Giant Tower was on, nothing could dispel the gloom in everyone’s hearts.

During those nine hours, no one dared to back out. From the Prime Minister to the top officials arriving one after another, not a single person had even managed a bite, all waiting for the final result.

The level of attention paid was almost equivalent to that of a grand award ceremony for top commanders.

As the atmosphere grew more oppressive, Yang Guoping repeatedly checked the Information Panel, his palms sweating with anxiety.

Everyone was present, and under the weight of the tension, even the lower-ranking Third-Stage Awakeneds dared not breathe too loudly.

“Could it be that Yenir’s Willpower Type talent is flawed?”

“He can convert his will talent into other enhancements, yet his raw willpower remains quite weak…”

The silence was so absolute you could hear a pin drop.

An experienced Third-Stage Awakened standing behind the commander whispered softly. With his long tenure and rich experience, he could only arrive at one reasonable explanation.

Admittedly, his keen insight had managed to uncover part of the truth.

The moment his words died, every eye turned to him in unison:

“It’s not impossible, but it surely shouldn’t have taken this long.”

With his hands clasped behind him, one of the commanders—General Qin Feng, who had rushed in from the Military Region—shook his head:

“Assuming Yenir’s talent can transfer attributes and bonuses to other types, that might make his willpower appear weaker.”

“But even if it’s weaker, dropping a couple of skills shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“No one has passed with purely Willpower talent, yet quite a few have cleared the trial as dual-users.”

“As long as he can deploy his skills alongside his physical strength, clearing it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

Flipping through his documents, Qin Feng paused briefly before continuing:

“Unless…”

“Unless Yenir chose the second challenge option—relying solely on his will attribute to pass the trial! Completely abandoning the multi-attribute abilities we assumed he had! Not even using any skills!”

“On the other hand, if he dares choose that route, he must have absolute confidence in his willpower; he must believe he can clear the trial no matter what!”

“In that case, logically, nothing should go wrong…”

Everyone was utterly baffled.

In his mind, unless Yenir had lost his mind, he would have chosen the first option!

Tossing in a few skills at random, combined with his previous battle prowess, should have been a cakewalk. Qin Feng simply couldn’t believe that a genius, who had clinched three global firsts, would knowingly opt for a suicidal second option!

It was no wonder his judgment failed—no one had expected that Yenir possessed no basic skills at all; his entire combat power was derived solely from ‘cheats.’

With Qin Feng’s dismissal, silence once again fell over the hall.

Yes… there was simply no logical explanation.

They had tried every method to contact Yenir within the trial, even considering dispatching another team to see what was happening. But under the system’s strict limitations, not a single solution was found throughout the Huaxia Battle Zone.

“Could it be due to excessive strain?”

“After three rounds of the trial, Yenir might have reached his limit… now gravely injured and perhaps stuck somewhere, unable to move…”

From a corner of the hall, a Third-Stage Awakened softly offered his opinion.

But in the very next second…

Everyone shot him strange looks; many were on the verge of covering his mouth in disbelief.

He had raised a topic best left untouched.

They hadn’t overlooked this possibility—it was just that no one dared to say it out loud.

Among all the theories, this one seemed most plausible: Yenir must have encountered trouble, which explained why he hadn’t emerged.

But who dared to voice it?

With so many high-ranking officials present and a military medical unit nearly forming a full regiment, their mission was clear: to rescue Yenir immediately, out of fear he might emerge critically injured!

Noticing the many signals urging him to shut up, the Third-Stage Awakened who had spoken awkwardly fell silent, no longer daring to voice his opinion.

Then, from the back of the group, Zhang Meng suddenly spoke up:

“Everyone, I think we’ve overlooked something! The fact that Yenir hasn’t emerged might indicate another possibility!”

His voice landed with firm conviction.

The crowd looked on in astonishment as Zhang Meng, the commander, stepped forward—it was clear he had much to say.

“Zhang Meng?”

Frowning, Vice Chairman Fang Hao shot him a puzzled look and asked,

“What do you mean? Just say it directly.”

Not one to beat around the bush—especially at a time like this when Yenir still hadn’t emerged—Zhang Meng’s words only heightened Fang Hao’s irritation.

Unperturbed by Fang Hao’s tone, Zhang Meng simply fixed his gaze on Prime Minister Li Xuanguo.

“Prime Minister.”

“What I’m about to speculate is crucial—it concerns national interests!”

“I request you issue the highest order: cut off all communication channels! Make sure no information is leaked!”

“Moreover, no one here is to leave until this matter is resolved! If necessary, every individual aware of this trial will be subjected to Level One control!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a clamor erupted; even the normally composed Li Xuanguo couldn’t help but frown.

“Commander Zhang, what exactly do you mean by this?!”

“What are you trying to say? Are you guarding against us? Are you implying we’re compromised?!”

“Leak? Leak what? Commander Zhang, some things must not be spoken cavalierly!”

Despite the barrage of questions and even angry rebukes, Zhang Meng remained resolute, his gaze fixed on the highest leader, Li Xuanguo. He knew his words would offend many.

But he had to say it!

“This is my only chance to turn the tide—and I’m 90% sure my suspicions are correct! Just thinking about what’s at stake makes my heart tremble!”

“Prime Minister! If it turns out that my speculation isn’t that vital, I’ll gladly resign and take full responsibility for all consequences!”

With that single sentence, everyone was stunned.

Even Zhang Yang and Tang Zhen, standing behind Zhang Meng, couldn’t help but gasp in astonishment.

If Zhang Meng were to fall, they were all doomed!

In a brief exchange of glances, Li Xuanguo thoroughly studied Zhang Meng. He could see that Zhang Meng’s eyes brimmed with confidence. Daring to speak at such a time indicated he had uncovered something significant. Although Zhang Meng wasn’t among the very top echelon, he was still an important official.

After a moment of silence, Li Xuanguo waved his hand and spoke in a deep voice:

“All right.”

“Commander Zhang, I hope your theory is truly as crucial as you claim. Otherwise, you know well the cost of locking down so many people.”

“Relay my order: enforce regional vigilance immediately! Initiate Level One confidentiality!”