Chapter 487 - 221: Unprecedented in the History of Martial Arts
Chapter 487: Chapter 221: Unprecedented in the History of Martial Arts
This was the solid, heavy spear Lan Yunxi had specially commissioned for him, designed to maximize both energy conduction and physical destructive power.
"The craftsman who forged this spear, Mr. Xu, named it Dark Night."
The staff member bowed slightly. "Now that I see it, the name is a perfect match for your aura."
Lin Ye repeated the name to himself and nodded in satisfaction.
"Alright, that’s enough pleasantries."
Li Kai Nian clapped his hands from the side. He raised his wrist and tapped his watch. "It’s about time. The entry check will take a while, so we should get going."
...
Guided by a staff member, Lin Ye and the other three arrived before a wide entrance channel.
Outside the entrance, hundreds of people with all sorts of auras had already gathered.
Among them were elders from prominent families, as well as officials like Li Kai Nian from various local education bureaus, who were there to see off the candidates.
Lin Ye’s gaze swept across the many young faces.
’These must be the actual candidates taking the exam.’
After a quick estimate, Lin Ye came to a startling conclusion.
There were probably no more than 150 people taking the exam today.
This number was a stark contrast to the sea of people at the mock exam back in Dongjiang.
’It makes sense, though.’
’Only four people made it here from all of Dongjiang. Even for the stronger provinces, sending more than ten candidates would be pushing it.’
’So it was understandable why the total number was so low.’
As Lin Ye’s gaze swept over the crowd, he quickly discovered that this group of heaven’s chosen prodigies was clearly divided into two factions.
One faction was centered around a young man with a warm smile and the friendly air of an older brother from next door.
The people around him all seemed relaxed, chatting and laughing amongst themselves.
The other faction, however, was completely different.
A stunningly beautiful but cold and indifferent woman stood at its center, with everyone else gathered around her like stars orbiting the moon.
Her gaze was frigid, as if she held everyone in contempt, and the atmosphere around her was consequently rather stifling.
The arrival of Lin Ye’s group instantly drew the attention of everyone present.
The young man and the woman at the center of the two factions both fixed their scrutinizing gazes on Lin Ye simultaneously.
Lin Ye remained composed, his mind tranquil.
Dongfang Zhen leaned close to Lin Ye’s ear and whispered, "Brother Lin Ye, those two are the heavy hitters you’ll be competing against for the top rank."
"The guy’s name is Xiao Lingchen, from the Imperial Capital’s Xiao Family. Rumor has it he broke through to the Divine Realm six months ago. His Martial Arts Spirituality is SS-rank, just like yours, but no one knows what his specific ability is. He’s shrouded in mystery."
"That ice queen is Xia Lianxue, a dark horse from the Xia Family who burst onto the scene this year."
"The moment she appeared, she snatched the title of the nation’s top prodigy right from Xiao Lingchen. She also has SS-rank spirituality, and in their few clashes, rumor is she’s won more than she’s lost."
Lin Ye gave a slight nod.
But his gaze didn’t linger on either of them. Instead, it roamed through the crowd as if he were searching for someone.
Xiao Lingchen noticed Lin Ye and clearly sensed the fluctuations of Gang Sha emanating from him—an aura in no way inferior to his own.
What surprised him, however, was that this young rival, who seemed to be his match, didn’t even have him in his sights.
Or Xia Lianxue.
Meanwhile, Xia Lianxue’s icy gaze swept over Lin Ye, but she quickly lost interest and resumed her unapproachable demeanor.
Perhaps it was due to her absolute confidence in her own power.
It made every opponent her age look like trash in her eyes.
Of course, Lin Ye wasn’t being arrogant.
He was simply searching for a more important target.
Unfortunately, though he scanned the entire area, he couldn’t find anyone whose aura matched that of "Ye Wujiang."
「Just then.」
"—Attention, all candidates. The exam will officially begin in thirty minutes. Please enter the venue immediately to undergo identity verification and pre-exam preparations."
A monotone, synthesized voice boomed from the broadcast system, echoing across the plaza.
The once-noisy area fell so silent you could hear a pin drop.
As the announcement faded, dozens of proctors in black uniforms emerged silently from both sides of the channel, lining up in two rows. Their auras were so powerful they made the hearts of most candidates pound in their chests.
A grim, solemn atmosphere instantly enveloped the area.
All at once, every sound vanished.
This was the most bustling, central district of the Imperial Capital.
Yet the area around the Dubhe Cube seemed to be encased in an invisible barrier, cutting off all sound from the outside world.
There were no blaring horns, no urban clamor, not even the chirp of an insect or the call of a bird.
A pure, suffocating tension began to permeate the air.
Lin Ye saw that Chen Qingyao, who was not far off, was starting to breathe erratically, cold sweat beading on her forehead.
Zhang Daoxuan’s face was also drawn tight with tension.
Even Dongfang Zhen, who usually seemed so carefree, had wiped the smile from his face, his expression now more serious than ever.
"Go on, then. I’ll be waiting for good news."
Li Kai Nian waved to the four of them, then turned and headed for another passage reserved for the chaperones.
Guided by the proctors, the candidates began to line up and file through a series of sophisticated security gates.
ID scan, iris verification, genetic sequence comparison, full-body energy-field scan...
The candidates were funneled into separate paths after each checkpoint.
Soon, there were no other candidates to be seen around Lin Ye.