As Denzel Mornn stepped onto the stage, Felix couldn't help but reflect on the man's impressive accomplishments.

'He is one of the brightest minds in genetics and biochemistry, making strides that few others could claim.'

The majority of humans also kept showering Denzel with respectful looks as they knew he was believed to be one of the few geniuses with the potential to take human evolution to the next level.

His work on genetic enhancements had already led to significant advances in immunity and cellular regeneration, pushing the boundaries of what the human body was capable of achieving.

To Felix and the others, seeing Denzel approach the seven celestial hearts felt like witnessing one of humanity's best hopes stepping forward for a chance of transcendence.

'If only one human can be chosen, then, it's bound to be me.' Denzel thought to himself, his strides brimming with confidence.

Alas, the moment he stood on the platform, no reaction was recorded...

The celestial hearts remained still, offering no recognition or sign.

"Is this normal?" Denzel inquired while his expression slowly turned dark.

"No one knows how the celestial hearts will choose their new host." Empress Emily said expressionlessly, "But, no reaction is no reaction."

"How about I touch..."

Before Denzel could voice his complaint, unwilling to accept his failure, Empress Emily waved her hand and he got teleported to the corner of the hall.

Everyone turned to gaze in his direction, seeing that he was seething in silence. His reaction was understandable since everyone here was given a chance to transcend to godhood and literally own the entire universe.

It was an unimaginable shortcut that no one knew was possible.

That's why when the shock value started fading away, those humans started doing what they knew best...Praying for each other's downfall and begging for themselves to be chosen.

Uncaring about their thoughts, Empress Emily announced the next tester.

"Next, Emilia Hunkens."

A captivating woman walked forward, swaying left and right while wearing tall heels and a pink miniskirt.

Almost everyone knew her as she was one of the most famous megastars in the galaxy with a following crossing the hundreds of trillions.

She was a singer, actor, host, interviewer, and the list goes on.

She might look like any woman, who relied on her beauty to climb the social ladder, but everyone here knew that she must not be underestimated.

'Any celebrity who climbs this high and maintains their position is a wolf in sheep's clothing.' Felix narrowed his eyes, understanding that her IQ and EQ were on the high end.

Thus, everyone's expressions turned solemn the moment Emilia walked in front of the seven celestial hearts.

To their dismay, the seven celestial hearts had made a reaction as the heart on the far right flickered once!

"Ahi? What does this mean?" Emilia wondered with a cutesy confused look.

"It means you proceed to the next stage of screening." Empress Emily responded calmly as she teleported Emilia to the opposite corner of Denzel.

"Thank god, I really thought she was chosen right there."

"Next stage of screening? Does this mean, the seven hearts are going to react to multiple participants?"

"I assume the Empress is planning to give each individual a chance."

Since Empress Emily had made it clear that those tests were new and foreign, it made them understand that a chance would be given to every one of them.

As expected, Empress Emily continued calling names one by one to the platform while the seven celestial hearts remained as quiet as a midnight owl.

After Emilia, more than ten thousand humans were tested over five hours and yet, none of them caused the hearts to react...Not even a little.

This made Denzel's side keep growing at an explosive rate compared to Emilia's side. "This is bullshit! Bullshit I tell you, how can those stupid hearts approve of a f*cking a singer and ignore me, an Admiral with hundreds of battles under my belt?!"

Of course, not every test went smoothly as many participants were considered as the highest upper echelons of the human race, which meant if they were rejected, it caused a massive hit to their ego.

Kings, Queens, Admirals, and such were affected the most, making them create a scene each time one of them was rejected.

Unfortunately for them, Empress Emily couldn't care less about their identities or social standing.

The instant they voiced their complaint, she kicked them off the hall while making sure to erase their memories of the whole gathering!

Although she didn't tell them this, no one was surprised if she went for it. After all, they were not asked to sign a contract or such.

Empress Emily would never make such a rookie mistake unless she was confident that no information would be leaked from here.

As for abusing their 'rights'? The moment they clicked on the link and entered the hall, they gave up on them.

Just like that, hours went by and before long, more than a day had passed. Fortunately, Emilia wasn't the only one chosen as a dozen more were added to her side.

However, the ratio was still as crazy as ever with more than three hundred thousand people getting rejected.

It didn't seem like Empress Emily had any intentions to stop the screening until each individual passed.

Thus, names were called nonstop for hours and hours until finally, Felix's turn arrived.

"Felix Maxwell, please step onto the platform."

The moment Felix heard his name, he was jolted awake.

"Ye...Yes!"

As he stood up and walked through the slightly less crowded hall, he received all types of glances, ranging from curiosity and confusion.

"Felix Maxwell...I never heard such a name before. Is he a reclusive businessman?"

"I have no clue either..."

"How interesting."

Just as Felix's mysterious identity started to build some hype over him, warranting many intrigued glances, a disdainful voice shattered this image instantly.

"What a joke, what kind of algorithm did Queen Ai use to summon a lowly businessman from a backwater kingdom."

"Huh? That can't be right?"

"Hahhaha! It's true, I just searched for him."

As more people started to realize that Felix's social standing was considered significantly lower to them, their curious looks became mocking in the blink of an eye.

Everyone still had access to the network here, which meant, a single search and a photo were more than enough to expose Felix's entire identity.

With such a weak background, each individual looked at him like a peasant, who snuck inside a royal gathering.

Unfortunately for them, if there was one thing Felix prided himself in, it would be his thick skin.

Thus, he didn't bet an eye or lowered his head in shame at their mocking words and disdainful looks.

He just kept walking with a faint polite smile on his face until he reached the platform. The moment he faced the seven celestial hearts, the noise faded into the background.

Deep down, Felix knew that he would be ignored by the seven hearts just like the million other humans, but still...He held onto the fantasy of seeing one of the hearts lighting up.

Alas, seconds went by, and nothing seemed to happen...The seven celestial hearts were as quiet as ever.

"Hahaha, even kings and queens were turned away, yet, he thought he had a chance."

"Hehehe, he might have gotten summoned due to his remarkably thick skin."

"Maybe, hahaha!"

The bitter and irritated rejects on the losers' side didn't let Felix's rejection slide in the slightest. It was like they finally found a target to vent their frustration on; a target, who they knew had absolutely no authority to retaliate.

'Huh, how foolish of me...' While Felix wasn't affected by their words, he sure as hell felt disappointed to see the seven hearts remain dim...But soon, he cracked a faint content smile and turned around, accepting that his destiny wasn't meant to be changed here.

However, just as he wanted to step away, the central core flickered for a split moment, causing everyone's voice to die out bit by bit until silence engulfed the hall.

As Felix gazed at their stunned and dumbfounded looks, he couldn't help but feel his core skip a beat.

'Don't tell me...'

Just as he was about to turn his head, Empress Emily announced, "Felix Maxwell, you have passed to the next screening stage."

"Huh?"