Chapter 310: Witnessing History
"Such a racket. You’re killing me."
With a look of displeasure, Lu Dinfeng seized the arm of the man who had pushed to the front. At his grip, the man’s face turned beet red, and he immediately cried out for mercy, "Admiral Lu, I—I was wrong."
He flung the man’s arm aside. The man panicked and ducked behind the rest of the crowd. With that precedent set, the crowd indeed grew quieter, and their questions became more orderly.
Shi Lan hadn’t expected Lu Dinfeng to have this kind of public persona. Perhaps noticing her gaze, he turned to give her a gentle, reassuring look, as if to say, ’Don’t worry, this old man has it under control.’
’I have to admit,’ she thought, ’Grandpa Lu gives you a real sense of security.’
After restoring order, Lu Dinfeng quickly walked to the Director’s side and asked with concern, "Wife, are you all right?"
The Director shook her head and reminded him helplessly, "That temper of yours... you should really try to rein it in when you’re out. Don’t be so quick to get physical."
Lu Dinfeng just smiled, offering no rebuttal. But the Director knew he would do the exact same thing the next time a situation like this arose.
She didn’t press the issue. Instead, she took a step forward, her expression turning serious. "I know you all came because you heard the audio clip circulating online. Since every single one of you is so concerned about this, as the director of Zhenxin Hospital, I will take this opportunity, while you are all here, to set the record straight."
"Let me state this upfront: we at Zhenxin Hospital have always treated every single person seeking medical help with the utmost integrity. We never engage in fraud. The accusations online, from people taking advantage of the chaos to sling mud and claim we’re deliberately creating a publicity stunt, are purely malicious rumors. I have already instructed my people to issue a legal notice."
"Now, regarding the development of an instrument capable of detecting spiritual power above S-level. The truth is, I successfully built this device over three months ago. However, I had very few reference data samples at the time. As an S-level female myself, my own test results for the ranges above S-level were narrow and unstable. I came to believe the instrument was likely incapable of detecting higher Levels, so I never announced it publicly, using it only for internal testing. It wasn’t until I tested Lanlan today that its effectiveness was confirmed."
"Of course, I’m sure you all know that in the history of the Star Calendar, there has never been a female with power above S-level. Therefore, even though the fluctuations in Lanlan’s data were massive—far exceeding the S-level benchmark—I still cannot definitively say she is Level 3S. The only thing I can confirm for certain is that her spiritual power is far, far greater than S-level."
At this, the crowd erupted again, perhaps realizing they were witnessing history in the making.
After a moment, someone asked with lingering suspicion, "Then how can you be sure the results from your instrument are even accurate?"
Before the Director could speak, Lu Dinfeng cut in. "I can. I’ve been tested on it."
"That’s right. Unlike previous instruments, which were different for testing females and males, the device I developed can be used by males as well. Some of the males who have visited our hospital have already been tested with it. If you don’t believe me, we can have a few volunteers come up and experience it for themselves right now."
In the past, testing instruments for males required them to undergo Beastification. The Director’s device, however, works by directly sensing the spirit sea. In her opinion, this method of testing should be far more reliable.
However, the Director had never tested anyone at the 3S Level. She had tested Lu Dinfeng, who scored a 130, and any score over 100 was considered 2S. But since she was uncertain of the numerical ranges between the higher Levels, she could only estimate that Shi Lan was at least 3S.
As soon as the Director finished speaking, several males raised their hands. Lu Dinfeng carefully selected five of them. Then, Jiang Xia, Mu Tangfeng, Yan Huoshui, Ye Ming, and Lu Dinfeng himself each escorted one volunteer, guarding against any sudden attempt to harm Shi Lan and the others.
The volunteers went up to be tested, while the crowd below waited with anxious anticipation for the results. Someone in the testing group even recorded the proceedings.
Soon, the Director announced the specific Spiritual Power Level for each of the males based on their numerical scores. She explained that even among those with the same Spiritual Power Level, there were subtle differences in strength. This variance also determined the difficulty of advancing to a higher Level.
For example, a Spiritual Power A-level falls within the 71-90 range. Someone might reach 90, while another hovers around 71. Obviously, the one who scored 90 has a much better chance of advancing to S-level.
After reviewing the data, one of the A-level males, who had always felt he was stronger than his peers, was left completely convinced and had nothing more to say.
"Incredible!"
He couldn’t help but exclaim in awe, "Director, you are a truly brilliant and great female to have developed such an accurate instrument."
The Director gave a slight nod. "I wouldn’t call it perfectly accurate yet. We still don’t have enough reference samples. The numerical ranges for the Level classifications may need to be adjusted in the future."
Out of curiosity, Ye Ming and the others also gave it a try.
Jiang Xia and the other two were all in the 120-140 range, with Yan Huoshui scoring the highest at 140. Lu Dinfeng couldn’t resist clapping him on the shoulder. "You little brat. So young and already so promising. To think you’ve surpassed this old man."
Yan Huoshui shot him a sideways glance. "That’s to be expected. After all, if we were to fight seriously now, you wouldn’t be my match."
Lu Dinfeng fell silent. ’This kid,’ he thought, ’showing me no respect at all, and right in front of the Director.’
A smirk played on Yan Huoshui’s lips. ’And does he care about his own pride in front of his wife?’
Ye Ming was the last to be tested. As a known Level 3S, everyone was obviously paying close attention to his results. In the end, his score was only 170, not as high as Shi Lan’s 180. This once again proved, clear as day, that Shi Lan was indeed at the 3S Level.
Seeing this, the five male volunteers gasped. "So there really is a 3S Female."
At first, they hadn’t truly believed it. But the audio clip had sounded so real, and they hadn’t wanted to miss the chance to witness history. They never expected it was all true.
Their eyes began to shift, stealing glances at Shi Lan. Jiang Xia and Mu Tangfeng immediately took hold of Shi Lan’s arms, one on each side. Ye Ming and Yan Huoshui moved impassively to stand before her, blocking the men’s gazes, then shot them a cold glare.
They lowered their heads in embarrassment.
After they went back downstairs, the five volunteers shared the results and even posted the recording they had made. At last, everyone was finally convinced.
Just then, someone else called out to Shi Lan. "Miss Shi Lan, we heard you used to be an F-level female. Can you share how you became a 3S Female?"
Regarding this question, Shi Lan suspected it was the Energy Ball. But Bai Rao had also absorbed an Energy Ball and had only reached S-level, which made Shi Lan uncertain.
Xiao Du explained in her mind, ’Actually, Master, what you’re thinking isn’t wrong. But it’s more because your soul is from an Otherworld. Traveling through space and time makes a soul more condensed. Conversely, only a powerful soul could have adapted to such a journey in the first place.’
’As for the Energy Ball, it largely enhances your existing foundation. For example, Master may have already been at the 2S Level, and absorbing the energy elevated you to 3S. Furthermore, your soul is more compatible with the Energy Body, so you absorb its power more effectively. When people of this era absorb that energy, their bodies initially have a rejection response, making the effect weaker.’
’So that’s probably why Bai Rao only reached S-level,’ Shi Lan mused, ’and why the Energy Body inside me was still able to emit power and attract the Insect Clan back then.’