Era of Mist

"Brother Chong, what in the world is happening in the exam arena? I can’t make heads or tails of it."

In the very back row, at the very edge of the spectator stands, the ten-person group from Star Worker School craned their necks, trying to get a better view. One of them scratched his head and grumbled, prompting an irritated glare from He Chong.

’You can’t make sense of it? You think I can?’

Although He Chong’s father—an executive vice president at Star Worker Industry—had hired him a private tutor and spent a fortune to get pointers on the intricacies of the preliminary local exam, hearing about it a hundred times was no substitute for seeing it once. No matter how many times you were told, it couldn’t compare to witnessing it firsthand.

What were these radiant figures used in the exam really like? How many patterns were there for the combinations of the Six Heart Techniques? What were the strengths and weaknesses of each pattern during the actual test? And in the Wenxin Secret Realm, so different from a normal duel, what subtle changes affected offense and defense?

If you couldn’t observe the battles closely, secondhand accounts were of little use.

That was why He Chong had placed so much importance on watching this time. Unfortunately, while he’d managed to secure spots for them, Star Worker School’s seating location was just too poor. Staring at the solid wall of people blocking his view, He Chong felt for the first time just how insignificant the so-called Star Worker School really was.

"Brother Chong, I heard that passing the first test gets you on the Bronze List, the second test gets you on the Silver List, and the third gets you on the Gold List. This is the third test now, so how many people do you think will actually make it onto the Gold List?"

He Chong was getting really annoyed. "Stop babbling and just watch!"

’How the hell should I know how many people will make it onto the Gold List? You think I’m some kind of all-seeing prophet? Do you really think I’m that capable?’

Still, it probably wouldn’t take very long.

Sure enough, the intense battles reached their peak in a matter of moments, then came to a brilliant end in the blink of an eye. The sound of shattering secret realms came one after another as the medical teams sprang into action, moving like lightning. The ferocity of this round’s clashes was a clear step up from the second test; many examinees fought tooth and nail until they were on the verge of death before being ejected from their realms.

After all, the difference between making the Gold List and only making the Silver List was significant. Getting on the Gold List was a 100% guarantee of admission into a top-tier academy for advanced studies. If you only made the Silver List, however, your chances were uncertain. It wasn’t impossible, but the difficulty was far greater. If you didn’t have some family connections, you could forget about it.

But no matter how desperately the examinees struggled, the third test was truly difficult. Shi Tiexin looked around and was surprised to see about five hundred people suddenly ejected from their secret realms!

The medical teams’ martial cultivation was quite impressive; at the very least, their Body Techniques were incredibly fast. The leaders of the three small medical squads were probably at the Sharp Qi Realm of the Second Layer of Power Arts. They might have only just entered the Second Layer, but they were still able to snatch and toss the injured examinees through the air, quickly clearing them all from the circular platform. This made Shi Tiexin feel another pang of regret.

’If only I could run into another chatterbox!’

’Oh well, never mind that. Let’s see here... let’s check out the current situation on the field.’

Focusing his gaze, Shi Tiexin was surprised to discover that the shorty closest to him was still in!

This unremarkable person had actually blazed a trail through the competition, passing all three tests!

Shi Tiexin was genuinely impressed.

’Impressive. All the sisters in this family are quite formidable. If I’m not mistaken, Shi Yu Hui’s Power Arts level should be at the Peak of Sharpness. Using Liu Qigang as a benchmark, I can’t accurately judge which of the two is stronger, but they’re definitely both masters. And although Shi Yuwei is only in the Essence Qi Realm, a brief glimpse was enough to reveal her solid fundamentals and vast reserves of essence qi.’

’As for the shorty in front of me, if I remember correctly, her name is Shi Yu Lei. Her Essence Qi Realm is much more profound than her little sister’s—the one with no sense of direction. Just by looking, I can tell her energy is deep and vast, and her fighting style is sharp and ferocious. The six-colored radiance around her isn’t weak, either. She’s truly one of the top contenders among these two thousand four hundred-plus examinees.’

At least, one of the top contenders.

Shi Tiexin glanced around and saw that about sixty or so secret realms remained, showing no signs of dispersing. It seemed these sixty-odd people would proceed to the next test.

’Will new radiant figures appear?’

"Merge!"

With a great shout from the Dragon Map Scholar, the remaining secret realms on the field instantly changed. Like two soap bubbles touching and merging into a single, larger one, they fused in pairs, instantly becoming about thirty realms. Counting carefully, there were exactly thirty-two.

The space within the secret realms didn’t change; it was still the same circular platform.

But now, the examinees inside the realms suddenly had opponents.

They were opponents to each other.

Not all of the thirty-two secret realms could be paired up. Three of them received a lucky bye, and the examinees inside took the opportunity to rest and regulate their breathing. The shorty in front of Shi Tiexin, however, wasn’t so lucky. A woman about 1.9 meters tall appeared opposite her. In terms of height, the shorty was at an absolute disadvantage from the start.

But when she shook her body, clenched her fists, inhaled, and assumed her stance, Shi Tiexin felt the shorty’s presence skyrocket, becoming exceptionally fierce.

"All examinees, the Gold List Ranking is about to begin. Before we start, I will provide a brief explanation." The Dragon Map Scholar’s voice drifted down from on high, entering every Wenxin Secret Realm. "For the Gold List Ranking, you will face off in pairs until the very end. As an official Student Union examination, one of the world’s official trials decreed by the Saint, the Gold List Ranking will award Celestial Golden Light to the top three. How you choose to proceed is for you to decide for yourselves."

’The top three will be awarded Celestial Golden Light?’

Shi Tiexin’s heart stirred. ’It seems these so-called "official world trials" receive greater recognition from the laws of the world than ordinary competitions. A normal contest only rewards the winner, but this official Student Union exam rewards the top three. From that perspective, it’s quite impressive. Statistically, the probability of obtaining the Celestial Golden Light is higher, though I imagine the amount of light awarded to the top three finishers is different.’

Looking at the examinees, all of them were radiating killing intent, eager to defeat their opponents in a single blow. With the Celestial Golden Light on the line, no one would back down. The atmosphere had become incredibly intense.

"Ready—Begin!"

CRACKLE! POP! At the Dragon Map Scholar’s command, fierce battles erupted simultaneously in twenty-nine of the Wenxin Secret Realms. Every fight was intense, every combatant gave their all, and every one of them had their own unique trump cards. Shi Tiexin was dazzled, his eyes darting from one secret realm to the next. It was the first time he had ever witnessed duels on such a massive scale, and he didn’t even know where to look.

Just then, with a sharp CRACK, a secret realm shattered. The sound was close by!

Shi Tiexin whipped his head around, only to discover with shock that the shorty had already beaten the 1.9-meter-tall woman and knocked her out of the secret realm! From the moment the "Begin" command was given to the realm shattering, Shi Tiexin had only been distracted for a few seconds looking around, yet the shorty had already insta-killed her opponent!

’Is the shorty really that strong? They were both contestants who had passed three tests, yet her opponent couldn’t even last a few moves against her?’