C257 Grouping

Upon entering the Martial Arts Stadium, Chu Yi and his companions had little time to wait, as Fairmoor's prodigies were already present.

The opening ceremony was scheduled for nine o'clock, and with the time being just past eight, there was nearly an hour for everyone to unwind.

This time, only sixty scions of noble families had made it into the true national examination, while their peers who had accompanied them were relegated to mere spectators.

Under normal circumstances, these aristocratic descendants would have promptly departed, as remaining would be tantamount to enduring a public disgrace.

Yet, not a single person opted to leave.

The reason was straightforward: despite the potential embarrassment of being seen, they couldn't bear to miss such an opportunity.

This was a clash among the elite of the younger generation, epitomizing the pinnacle of their collective strength.

Aside from the legendary figures who would emerge in the national battle, this event showcased the utmost power.

The Four Young Masters of Fairmoor and the Three Young Heroes of Grassvale might not be household names, but among the noble youth, they commanded immense respect.

Their presence only added to the prestige of this national examination.

Consequently, everyone was determined to stay.

They wished to witness the ultimate showdown.

Time swiftly elapsed.

At nine o'clock sharp, a figure materialized at the heart of the Martial Arts Stadium.

Upon sighting this individual, a multitude of attendees bowed in deference.

"Greetings, War God Yuan!"

War God Yuan!

Chu Yi gave a slight nod, his predictions confirmed.

The third phase of the Redmarsh City's examination had been overseen by a War God Level expert, so it stood to reason that the national examination would be no different.

Redmarsh City was home to three War Gods: War God Xu, War God Luo, and Sol War God, while Fairmoor boasted two, War God Yuan and War God Ning.

Across the entire Adirang Region, there were merely ten War Gods known to the public.

The others were either cultivating in secret or had left Earth to assist with its progression to a Second Level civilization.

Out of these ten esteemed War Gods, Redmarsh City was protected by three, and both Fairmoor and Grassvale were each safeguarded by two.

Beyond these, three elusive War Gods roamed the vast Adirang Region, their whereabouts unknown to all.

War God Yuan stepped forward, his face beaming with a smile.

"As many of you are aware, this national exam is not only the first since our educational reforms but also the most splendid in our history."

Many, including ordinary citizens, silently nodded in agreement.

The reality was just as described.

In previous national exams, any prodigy who could muster the strength of a Gold rank was virtually guaranteed to be the top scorer.

Typically, the valedictorians from each region possessed Silver Level strength.

It was about strength, not just the level.

But now...

The notion of Silver Level strength had all but vanished by the third stage of the exam.

It's no exaggeration to say that if you hadn't reached the Gold rank, you could dismiss any hopes of advancing to the fourth stage of the national exam!

Lee Zi's case was an exception, but generally, you wouldn't see any geniuses below Gold rank in this year's exam.

In fact, if your true strength hadn't reached Diamond rank after the initial selection round, you wouldn't even qualify for the real national exam.

So, it's accurate to say that this is the most dazzling exam in the history of the Federation.

War God Yuan was concise, speaking briefly before a massive virtual projection screen materialized behind him.

While the War Gods were deeply respected for their strength, no one appreciated a long-winded speech from them.

Thus, when the colossal projection appeared in the void, a wave of excitement surged through the crowd.

They knew that the main event was about to start.

War God Xu then gracefully ascended into the air.

With a casual wave of his hand, numbers 1 through 8 appeared on the vast screen.

The examination rules had been released earlier that day, so even the layperson understood what these eight numbers signified.

Eight groups.

These numbers represented the eight groups of the national examination.

What followed was the selection of the seeded players.

Sixteen seeded players, two for each group, were to be allocated to either the top or bottom half of their respective groups.

By adopting this strategy, they could prevent the competitors from encountering each other prematurely.

Indeed, the importance of these seeded players was clear to all. This particularly dazzling national exam was, at its core, a selection process to identify the elite talents who would compete in the national war.

With only sixteen slots available, these seeded players symbolized the sixteen individuals the Adirang Region was rooting for.

The consensus was that barring any major surprises, these sixteen would be the ones advancing to the national war.

Without the globally anticipated event of the national war, such a method of grouping would surely have sparked endless debates, leaving many dissatisfied.

After all, how different is it from making arrangements based on pre-determined outcomes?

However, with the national war in play, no one raised any objections.

The common folk were eager for this national exam to pick out the finest prodigies, who would then go on to represent the Adirang Region and achieve impressive results.

"Who are the sixteen seeds?"

"The Four Young Masters of Fairmoor, the Three Young Heroes of Grassvale, Helian Zhida from Redmarsh, Feng Wuji from the South River Region, Chen Yu from the East Mountain Region, among others. The capabilities of these prodigies should not be taken lightly. They all deserve their seeded status."

"As for the others, I'm at a loss."

"Oh, and let's not forget Chu Yi from Redmarsh!"

"Definitely Chu Yi. Despite the skepticism surrounding him, I'm convinced that Chu Yi has earned his place as a seed!"

"Absolutely. Regardless of any issues with that video, Chu Yi's abilities are not to be overlooked!"

The stands were mostly filled with ordinary citizens, while the real elites and government heavyweights had secured their exclusive spots long before, avoiding the crowds.

These citizens had now turned into armchair experts, rattling off names of renowned talents from various regions as if they were common knowledge. In no time, they had listed more than sixteen names.

"Still, if we're talking about sure bets, it has to be the Four Young Masters of Fairmoor and the Three Young Heroes of Grassvale. The other regional prodigies are formidable, but they fall just short of these seven, or eight if you include Chu Yi."

Since the announcement of the new rules this morning, there's been non-stop speculation about who would secure the final seeded player spots. The moment of revelation was drawing near.

Hovering in the void, the War God offered a slight smile, his gaze sweeping over the myriad of prodigies before he began to speak. "Now, let's introduce the two seeded players from the first group."

"First up, Chu Yi..."

The crowd stirred, but not with skepticism. It was more an air of anticipation, as if they had expected it, yet were surprised to see him named first. Chu Yi's name materialized on the ethereal screen.

As the top candidate promoted by the A Lang network, Chu Yi's information was well-known to all. They understood just how formidable a talent like Chu Yi could be.

Naturally, there were those who still harbored doubts about Chu Yi's abilities, but regardless, his was the most resonant name among the candidates. His selection as a seeded player was anticipated by all.

The War God didn't allow the crowd to dwell on their realization for long, as his voice echoed once more.

"The second contender from the first group—"

"Zhao Wuheng."

This time, the announcement of the name was met with complete silence, a stark contrast to the response to Chu Yi. The silence was so profound that one could hear a pin drop.

A wave of confusion swept through the crowd.

Zhao Wuheng...

"Why haven't I heard that name before?"

"Not just you, even I, the All-Knowing Scholar of Fairmoor, am unfamiliar with it!"

"Could there have been a mistake?"

"That's impossible! How could there be a mistake at such an event? I refuse to believe it!"

"No way, this can't be right. I just looked up Zhao Wuheng online, and none of the results matched the Zhao Wuheng mentioned here!"

"I searched too, and there's absolutely no information about him..."

The air was thick with puzzlement, as eyes darted around, seeking answers.

Observing the murmurs and debates, the War God remained unfazed. Without further ado, he proceeded to announce the two seeded players from the second group.

This time, the names were familiar to all. One was Young Master Han, one of Fairmoor's Four Young Masters, and the other was Young Master Zhuge, one of the Three Young Masters from Grassvale.

However, confusion arose again when the third group was announced. Beyond one of the three nobles from Grassvale, there was another individual whose name was unfamiliar to them. This puzzlement reached a boiling point as the rosters for all eight groups were disclosed.

And rightly so.

Out of the sixteen seeded players across the eight groups, they recognized a mere seven. All three of Grassvale's finest were chosen, as was Chu Yi. Yet, astonishingly, one of Fairmoor's Four Young Masters didn't make the cut! This was inconceivable, leaving many bewildered.

Had they misunderstood something?

"Could there be some sort of inside influence at play?"

Someone hesitated, then voiced their suspicion. They couldn't fathom any other explanation. But this skepticism was quickly countered.

The explanation was straightforward.

"There's no way it's an inside job. This national conflict is tied to many significant issues. There are even whispers that it's linked to the redistribution of power among the major districts!"

"We're concerned with honor, but what the government's top brass are after is control over their domains!"

"Even our voting could be tainted by underhanded dealings, but with them, that's absolutely out of the question!"

Indeed, if it were up to us, personal preferences might influence the selection of seeded players. But for the government's heavy hitters...

They would never permit such interference, not when their own authority is at stake!

So, although there are nine unknown entities among the competitors, rest assured, they must possess the requisite prowess.