Mei Hongyi added another incentive, his voice booming with practiced grandeur. "As you all know, the top three participants will earn the privilege of becoming direct disciples of Peacock School's elders."
For many in the crowd, this announcement was far less motivating than the tangible allure of the Talon-level monster core. "We can't get into the top three anyway," one cultivator muttered dismissively, the cynical comment causing Mei Hongyi to pause in momentary exasperation.
Excited voices filled the air as each group finalized its plans. Some discussed how to track down the Talon clone, while others planned to avoid it entirely. For those aiming only to pass, gathering enough points from weaker clones seemed a much better use of the hour they had.
On the sidelines, Mei Hongli sneered at the applicants hurrying to form groups. "Look at these fools! Do they really think sheer numbers can overcome the Talon clone? It'll be nothing short of a massacre."
Ignoring his son's jeering, Mei Hongyi raised his hand high, the crimson core in his palm casting a bloody light over his features. "Now go! Let's see who has what it takes to take the top rank and claim this reward!" he declared.
With that, the exam officially began.
The participants surged forward, a tidal wave of flesh and ambition. Each group disappeared into the shimmering light of the teleportation arrays, vanishing into the exam site. Excitement, fear, and cold determination filled the air as the trial commenced in full force.
Ying Lizhua cast a dismissive glance at Luotian's group, his eyes cold as mountain springs, before confidently striding into the exam site alone. His solitary approach mirrored his conviction that no alliance was needed for him to dominate; to him, the others were merely background noise to his inevitable victory.
Meanwhile, Mei Hongli approached Yue'er with a confident smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Yue'er, shall we go together? If you team up with me, you're guaranteed to secure a spot in the top three."
Yue'er's response was immediate and cold, cutting through his proposal like a blade through silk. "Never mind me, Hongli. I'm going with Luotian and Wuji!" Her sharp rejection stung, leaving him standing in the wake of her floral perfume.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Mei Hongli shot a hateful glare at Luotian, his face contorting into a mask of pure spite. "Just you wait!" he spat, the words a venomous promise, before storming off with his own entourage and disappearing into the exam area.
As Yue'er and Wuji prepared to link their Theríon to form a party, Luotian surprised them, his voice calm amidst the surrounding roar. "You two, go ahead without me."
Both turned toward him, bewildered, their aura halting as they stared at him in genuine shock. "What?!"
"At this stage, partying with me isn't a good idea," Luotian explained, his voice grounding their frantic energy. "Focus on getting as many points as you can. Once you're confident you're in the top three, you can come back and help me get the points I need to pass. Honestly, I'd rather drop this exam than see either of you settle for low rankings."
The sincerity in his tone silenced them, though their faces remained masks of deep concern.
"I promise I won't fail before you come to help me," Luotian added with a reassuring smile, his eyes steady. "And who knows, maybe there are some clones in there I can take on."
Yue'er's eyes snapped with a protective fire as she rebuked him. "No! You're underestimating this trial too much. The clones—even the weakest ones—are likely stronger than most of the participants here. Avoid unnecessary combat, got it?"
Raising his hands in mock surrender, Luotian chuckled, the sound light and airy. "Alright, alright! I'll be careful. Don't worry about me."
Only then did Yue'er retract her glare, though the worry lingered in the slight tremor of her hands. "Be careful and wait for us!" she commanded firmly.
"Got it," Luotian replied with a confident thumbs-up.
With their Theríon linked, creating a faint hum of resonating power, Yue'er and Sun Wuji stepped into the shimmering light of the exam site, leaving Luotian standing alone at the threshold.
Moments later, a familiar, soft voice drifted from behind him, cutting through the ambient roar of the crowd. "Never did I expect you to be the son of that person."
Recognizing the melodic tone, Luotian turned with a genuine smile. "So, you're here too, Lingxi."
The girl nodded before lowering her head shyly, her gaze fixed on the dirt as she kicked at a loose stone. Her face flushed red. "Would you like to party with me and go in together?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely audible against the wind.
Luotian scratched his head, caught off guard by the sudden invitation. "I'm sorry, Lingxi," he said gently, his voice softening. "I have some business to take care of before I can team up with anyone."
The rejection made Lingxi even more flustered. She spun on her heel, her posture stiff, ready to flee into the teleportation array before she could embarrass herself any further.
Sensing her acute discomfort, Luotian stopped her with a sudden suggestion. "How about this? Go and gather as many points as you can first. Then meet me at the location of the Talon clone. We'll take it on together with my friends. It'll be a good chance for you to gain real combat experience against a much stronger opponent."
Lingxi hesitated for a heartbeat, considering the weight of his proposal. Finally, she gave a small nod. "Okay," she said softly before dashing into the exam site, her silhouette vanishing into the teleportation glow before she could look back.
Luotian could only shake his head with a faint smile as he finally walked toward the shimmering entrance, feeling the weight of a thousand gazes. For a "cripple" without Theríon, he had somehow become the focal point of the day.
Before he could step through the shimmering threshold, a voice heavy with authority echoed from the wooden heights above. "Luotian, why don't you stay out of this and wait with me here?"
Looking up, he saw Mei Hongyi standing on the edge of the stage, his silhouette framed by the glowing scoreboards.
Feng Luotian sighed inwardly, a dry amusement flickering in his mind. I'm quite popular today, huh?
Mei Hongyi's tone softened slightly, though it remained layered with a Wing Realm Master's unshakable confidence. "It's not safe for you. There's no way you can defeat any of my Illusion Clones. The lowest level is calibrated at Four Fangs. How can you possibly handle that?"
Feigning a look of exaggerated shock, Feng Luotian looked up and gasped dramatically, his eyes wide. "Oh? Second Elder! The lowest is Four Fangs? Wow! Not even a fifth of the participants are Four Fangs Fighters or higher. What a high bar you've set! With all that grand speech and the rewards dangling like bait on a hook, you really are a sly old fox, aren't you, Second Elder?"
Mei Hongyi's eyebrows twitched, his face darkening as a vein pulsed at his temple. He was clearly irked by the boy's cheeky lack of reverence. He let out a sharp snort, his tone a volatile mixture of annoyance and grudging amusement.
"Luotian, you brat! Since when did you grow such a sharp tongue? I don't recall teaching you to speak like this to your elders!" The scolding was hollow, betraying a trace of respect for the boy's audacity.
"And what kind of place do you think Peacock School is, hmm? It's not somewhere just anyone can waltz into. This is a sanctuary for the best of the best, not for those who merely dream of greatness."
Pausing, his tone grew deceptively gentle, like silk over steel. "As for you, just listen to me and stay out of this. I'm sure the Clan Chief will arrange a way to get you into the school, so there's no need to trouble yourself with this trivial matter."
Feng Luotian waved a hand casually, a carefree grin playing on his lips as he made it clear he had zero intention of heeding the elder's "advice." "It's fine, Second Elder. Don't worry about me. I just want to take a little stroll and see what everyone else is doing. Consider it a bit of sightseeing."
Before Mei Hongyi could conjure another argument, Luotian stepped firmly through the entrance and into the swirling light of the exam site.
Mei Hongyi's expression darkened instantly. Muttering under his breath, he whispered, "Fine. Let him play his little game. If he gets seriously injured, the system will teleport him back here instantly. I'll heal him personally."
In truth, Mei Hongyi wasn't concerned with the boy's well-being whatsoever. To him, the "cripple" stood zero chance of success, rendering his participation irrelevant to the final rankings. What mattered was a cold, political calculation: he didn't want to be blamed for hurting God's Son. He had no desire to court unnecessary troubles or draw the ire of those still loyal to the boy's lineage.
Watching the entrance seal shut behind Luotian, Mei Hongyi gave a cold smirk. "Let's see how long you last, God's Crippled Son."
* * *
Feng Luotian stood atop the crumbling spine of the tallest ruin, the wind whipping his hair as he surveyed the battlefield. From this vantage point, the entire exam site was laid out like a chessboard, and he was the only player who could see every piece's true value.
"Wow, what a great start!" he exclaimed, his blue eyes bright as he surveyed the site.
Turning his gaze eastward, he spotted two familiar flickers of light. "Yue'er and Wuji are doing great, as expected." His vision pierced through the distance, focusing on the vibrating density of their spiritual signatures.
"Yue'er's already reached Eight Fangs, and Wuji's at Seven Fangs. They're moving like a perfect duo—Wuji the shield, Yue'er the spear. As long as neither slips up, the top three are practically guaranteed for them."
His expression turned contemplative, a shadow of rivalry crossing his face. "But then again, we've got that other guy."
His gaze shifted southward, locking onto Ying Lizhua. The lone cultivator was a blur of efficiency, carving through the brush with a cold, singular focus. "A lone wolf, as always," Luotian muttered with a smirk. "Eight Fangs Fighter too. Impressive. Lizhua's definitely a solid contender for the top spot."
He tilted his head thoughtfully, calculating the odds. "As long as none of them gets defeated early, the top three slots are basically set."
Next, he turned westward, his eyes narrowing at the rotund figure of Mei Hongli. "Still stuck at Seven Fangs since last month. No progress at all," he scoffed. "So, you think just because your father's the proctor, you don't need to train anymore? Pathetic."
Luotian's expression darkened as he observed the tactical cowardice in the west. The area was swarming with low-level clones—an ideal spot for quickly amassing points. Hongli had formed a wall of his own lackeys, keeping other participants out while he picked off the illusions with lazy strikes. It wasn't a test; it was a harvest.
"And you said you wouldn't cheat?" Luotian muttered, his tone dripping with acidic disdain. "Winning fair and square? What a load of bullshit."
He shook his head in disapproval, then turned his attention northward, where the air felt heavy and charged with static.
There, on a vast, desolate plateau, a single clone stood motionless. The pressure it emitted was unmistakable, a physical weight that pressed against the earth even from miles away. It radiated an overwhelming presence, a cold, sharp aura that would make any ordinary Fang Realm cultivator freeze in fear.
"That's it," Luotian murmured. "The five-thousand-point clone."
Though the distance was too great to pin down its precise cultivation, a creeping certainty settled in his gut. "And it isn't just a One Talon clone," he said to himself. The sheer intensity of the spiritual pressure made his blood sing with a mix of caution and predatory excitement.
"Well," he said, letting out a slow breath as he stretched his arms and cracked his neck. The sound echoed off the ancient stone. His lips curled into a confident, dangerous smile. "Let's do this!"
Without hesitation, he leapt from the ruin. He was a silent shadow against the sky before landing gracefully in a crouch, instantly sprinting toward the west.
His sharp mind raced, refining strategies and mapping out the most efficient route for execution. With each stride, the ground vanished beneath him—this was no longer an exam; it was his debut.
Along the way, he called his bloodline to check his stats, the data manifesting in his mind's eye to mark just how far he had progressed.
///// Six Fangs (34%)
///// [Last Dance Curse] Level 6: Temporarily increase the user's level by 1 for 10 minutes. However, the user must collect 10 souls within this time. Failure to do so results in a decrease of 2 levels.
///// [Momentum Eyes] Level 6: Allows the user to perceive the momentum and trajectory of objects within a 45-meter radius.
///// [Evil Cyclone] Level 6 : Maximum of 6 cyclones at a time; each melee hit generates a cyclone for either attack or healing.
///// [Pinnacle Flash Lightning] Level 3 (6/100): Wrap the user's body in lightning. Speed +400%. Lightning Resistance +6%. Attack +40%. Defense +20%.
///// [Underworld Physique] Level 2 (22/100): Multiply the weight of the user's body by 20 upon activation.