The terrifying waves surged toward the research base with unstoppable force.

The thunderous roar echoed through the entire facility.

“There’s a woman on the waves!”

“She has dragon horns—she’s a dragon woman!”

“She’s so beautiful!”

A student shouted in astonishment, eyes wide.

He switched his phone camera to telescope mode and clearly saw the woman riding the towering waves from several kilometers away.

Everyone turned toward her at once.

Realizing that their phones had the same function, many others quickly took out their phones, switched to telescope mode and stared intently at the dragon woman striding across the sea.

Lin Zichen did the same.

Soon, he saw her too.

She looked around forty, with an elegant and aloof noblewoman’s face, wearing a blue-and-white porcelain qipao that revealed long, fair, shapely legs, exuding the grace of a woman in her prime.

At first glance, she resembled a sultry stepmother from an urban novel, or perhaps a beautiful martial arts master—or even a cold fairy-like teacher from a cultivation story, sparking wild imagination.

“Hey, won’t those massive waves crush the base?”

A student’s question snapped everyone out of their daze.

The next second, panic spread through the hall.

“The woman’s getting faster—what if she’s a cultist attacking the exam site? She’ll kill us all!”

“No way! Don’t scare me like that!”

“I don’t want to die! I’ve studied for years just to take this exam! I haven’t even gone to college yet!”

More and more students began to panic, their emotions spiraling.

Finally, the base director appeared and assured everyone that the woman on the waves was a leader from the Provincial Education Headquarters, calming the crowd.

At the same time, He Yu, who had been closely observing the woman through his phone, finally recognized her.

“Guys, I know who she is! That’s Yuan Dongzhi, the vice principal of Shanhai University!”

He then proudly began explaining, eager to show off his knowledge.

“Listen up, this woman has a crazy background. She’s from the Yuan Family—a thousand-year-old martial arts family in Southern River Province.”

“The Yuan Family originally ruled only within Shanhai City as a martial clan. But when the Gene Fusion Era began, they produced many powerful Gene Fusers and their family’s power skyrocketed. Within decades, they became the number-one family in the entire province, rulers of their own domain.

See those dragon horns on her head? My grandfather once told me that the Yuan Family slew a dragon and fused its genes into their younger generations, creating many water-attribute Gene Fusers capable of controlling water. And that woman—she’s one of them.”

He Yu looked around proudly, waiting for admiration.

Li Chuxin rolled her eyes, “Yeah, yeah, we get it—you know everything.”

But Shen Qinghan’s eyes sparkled with genuine awe, “He Yu, you know so much.”

He Yu felt a surge of satisfaction—showing off felt amazing.

“Of course! I’m the heir of the He Family from Nanguan City. I know plenty about the big figures—even the ones who’ve never appeared on TV. You can always ask me for advice.”

As he said that last line, he glanced at Lin Zichen, hoping for his acknowledgment.

But Lin Zichen was deep in thought, barely hearing him.

‘Water-attribute Gene Fusers… Was the woman controlling the waves coming here for Shen Qinghan? After all, Shen had just scored twenty-one percent in gene fusion adaptability and now this woman appeared.

She was the vice principal of Shanhai University, a provincial education leader and from a family of water-type Gene Fusers. It wasn’t hard to guess she’d realized why Shen Qinghan’s adaptability was so high. If she was coming here personally, it had to be because of that.’

A tinge of unease crept into Lin Zichen’s heart. Was Yuan Dongzhi’s arrival good or bad?

Before he could think further, shouts erupted.

Yuan Dongzhi had arrived, riding the monstrous waves right up to the base.

The tens-of-meters-high tide loomed over the facility like a living wall, casting everything into shadow.

Lin Zichen was awestruck.

To control such a massive wave effortlessly—what kind of power was that?

An Advanced Being?

A Rare Being?

Or even… an Epic Being?

At that moment, Lin Zichen felt small, realizing he was still only a king within school walls. Beyond that lay a vast world of power far beyond his reach.

* * *

Outside the base.

With a mere thought, Yuan Dongzhi sent the roaring tide back into the sea.

Under countless gazes, she strode gracefully into the base, her long white legs swaying elegantly beneath the slit of her qipao—enough to make several teenage boys blush.

She approached the director and said, “Director Gao, please bring me a student named Shen Qinghan.”

Moments later, the balding, bespectacled director led Shen Qinghan forward with a flattering smile.

“Principal Yuan, this is the girl you asked for.”

Shen Qinghan stood frozen, unsure what was happening, glancing helplessly at Lin Zichen.

Lin held her hand gently, “It’s probably about your adaptability score. Don’t worry—it’s likely not a bad thing.”

Hearing that, Shen Qinghan relaxed a little.

Then Yuan Dongzhi said, “Student, there might be an issue with your gene fusion adaptability results. You’ll need to come with me for a retest.”