C27 The Second Round of the Examination Began.
Two days later, at the entrance of the dormitory area.
"Are you all ready?" Mentor Yanshan called out to the fourteen eager youths before him.
"Ready!" they responded in chorus.
"Then follow me, let's set out!" With his command, Chen Yi and the other thirteen youths once again mounted the Spirit Rhino, setting off toward the heart of Willow State City.
The venue for the Willow State preliminary exams was none other than the Central Plaza of Willow State City. Contestants from Willow State East were not the only participants; youths from the West, South, North, and the Central Domain were also converging for the trials.
Riding the Spirit Rhino with a mix of nerves and excitement, the fourteen youths quickly arrived at the sprawling venue, a vast space spanning nearly three kilometers. By the time they reached it, the place was already buzzing with activity, and the stands were packed with spectators.
This was no ordinary event. The South Wind Academy's recruitment exam, held triennially, drew massive crowds in Willow State City and commanded significant attention across the South Wind Empire.
In the contestants' corridor, they could glimpse the vibrant scene through the entrance. All were abuzz with anticipation, but none more so than Chen Yi and Du Qianyan, who managed to maintain a semblance of calm. The rest were visibly a mix of nerves and excitement, especially Bei Yu.
The Bei family had invested years grooming Bei Yu for this moment—to make a stunning debut. His goal was not just to gain admission to the South Wind Academy but to do so with such distinction that his name would be etched in the memory of the entire South Wind Empire. And this Willow State Exam was his first step toward that ambition.
"Welcome to the Willow State preliminary exams!" boomed the host's voice, reaching the fourteen youths in the passageway. "Now, let's welcome the participants. First up, the youths mentored by Yanshan from Willow State East!"
Upon hearing the announcement, Mentor Yanshan, standing at the forefront, turned to his protégés and declared, "It's time for us to take the stage."
With a collective nod, the fourteen youths fell into step behind him, approaching the entrance.
As they emerged, the roar of the crowd hit them like a wave—their ears momentarily overwhelmed. The cheers and shouts from every direction enveloped them completely. They had sensed the fervor from within, but stepping out into the plaza, they truly understood the fever pitch of excitement that awaited them.
"Let's give them a warm round of applause!"
A middle-aged man in a white tuxedo called out from the high platform.
Despite the tens of thousands in the arena, his voice reached every ear, a testament to his dual role as both host and a powerful Cultivator!
The applause thundered through the arena!
The excitement was palpable, with Bei Yu and the other youths feeling their blood surge, eager to take the central stage and display their valor!
"Now, let's welcome the youths recruited by Mentor Hei Hu from Willow State West!"
The applause subsided, and the middle-aged man in white gestured towards another entrance.
As the audience watched intently, a procession emerged, led by a burly middle-aged man in a black leather jacket, with a group of teenagers trailing behind him.
"Let's welcome them with a warm round of applause!" the man in white called out again.
Once more, the arena filled with roaring applause!
"Next, we'll bring out the mentors and youths from Willow State South..."
After the applause faded, the man in white seamlessly proceeded to introduce mentors and youths from both the southern and northern parts of Willow State.
Suddenly, the once-empty center of the field was bustling with activity, populated by mentors and their young charges.
Boom! The crowd erupted into a cheer like a seismic wave, startling all the youths present.
A woman with long hair, dressed in a white mentor's robe, led a group of young men and women into the arena.
Their arrival sent the crowd's cheers soaring to new heights!
Indeed, they were the select youths from Willow State's Central Domain.
Willow State City, at the heart of the Central Domain, was the epicenter of Willow State. Thus, Willow State City was the home ground for these young competitors!
While the advantage might seem slight, it cast a weighty look in the eyes of the other youths. Regardless of the home field, this group was undeniably the toughest in all of Willow State.
In the five major regions of Willow State, the Central Domain stood as the core, historically the strongest. And among those who made it through the rigorous selection to the final assessment in the capital, they were always the most formidable!
Atop the elevated platform, the middle-aged man in a white suit swept his arms wide, his emotions cresting in a wave of excitement. "Now, all the young participants of the final examination have arrived. Let's give them a thunderous round of applause!"
The arena erupted into applause, a resounding roar that filled the space!
It took a while for the clapping to slowly subside.
The man in white then continued, "Finally, let's welcome Mentor Yun Feng, the head examiner for this year's test, along with our distinguished guests!"
As he finished speaking, a procession of elegantly dressed individuals, each exuding an air of authority, made their way onto a loft-like platform to the side. They took their seats in a line, facing the assembly of youths below.
The sight of them quickened the breath of many young attendees.
These were the most esteemed figures in all of Willow State.
One in particular caught Chen Yi's eye, prompting a mischievous smirk to play at the corners of his mouth.
On the platform, a silver-haired elder in fine garments stared at Chen Yi as if he'd seen a ghost. Their eyes locked, and the elder couldn't help but tremble, instinctively recoiling.
Indeed, this was Master Qian Yuan, the same man who had previously been intimidated by Chen Yi in Wood County City.
As Willow State's premier Pharmacist, his presence at the examination was expected.
What he hadn't anticipated was Chen Yi's attendance!
Ever since that encounter in Wood County City, Master Qian Yuan had kept a close watch on Chen Yi. He was no fool; despite his initial embarrassment and annoyance, he had come to a sobering realization. Chen Yi's formidable spiritual force, though hard to believe, was undeniable—a trait befitting only a high-level Pharmacist.
This was further confirmed by the Medicine Pills submitted by Elder Weng.
Chen Yi, a mere sixteen-year-old, was in fact a Pharmacist of even greater prowess than himself!
This revelation had dealt a heavy blow to Master Qian Yuan. As his disciple had put it, he had toiled for decades to craft a Rank Two Top Quality Medicine Pill, yet here was Chen Yi, at sixteen, effortlessly producing multiple Top Quality Rank Three Medicine Pills. Such comparisons were enough to drive one to madness!
Master Qian Yuan had taken this time to rest and had slowly regained his composure. He had intended to observe the recruitment examination to ease his mind, but unexpectedly, he crossed paths with Chen Yi once more.
"It's like I walked out without checking the almanac!" he muttered, a twitch forming at the corner of his mouth as his recently restored mood soured again.
"Master Qian Yuan, what's the matter?" someone nearby inquired, noticing his discomfort.
"It's nothing," Master Qian Yuan replied, shaking his head. The last thing he wanted was for word to get out about how he had been intimidated by Chen Yi in Wood County City!
Despite this, seeing Chen Yi below made him feel uneasy. But having already entered the venue, leaving now wasn't an option. He was relieved that Chen Yi spared him only a brief glance; any more attention would have been unbearable.
Chen Yi's focus, however, was on a long-haired middle-aged man on the stage. Dressed in the South Wind Academy's mentor robe, it was clear he was the presiding mentor, Yun Feng.
"I am Yun Feng, the Mentor overseeing Willow State's recruitment this time," he announced, confirming his identity with a single statement.
As the Mentor responsible for Willow State's recruitment, his authority surpassed even that of Mentor Yanshan and his peers.
Mentor Yun Feng, not one for idle chatter, cut straight to the chase: "This year, 106 candidates are participating in Willow State's retest, which consists of two rounds. The first round is the Arrow Array test. I will score each of you based on your performance and then rank you accordingly. Only the top fifty scorers will advance to the next round; the rest will be eliminated."
His calm words significantly heightened the tension among the young participants.
Advancing to the top fifty meant that over half of the 106 youths would face elimination after just the first round.
"Mentor, what exactly is the Arrow Array test?" a youth called out, unable to contain his curiosity.
Yun Feng, perched on the high platform, cast only a fleeting, indifferent glance and remained silent. Meanwhile, the five mentors below began to elucidate the challenge to their respective protégés.
With the explanation, the youths had their moment of clarity. The Arrow Array test required them to step into an energy-formed array, prearranged on the sole platform at the venue. Upon entry, the array would activate instantly.
Comprising 120 waves, the array would launch arrows at random from any direction. As the challenge progressed, the arrows would come faster and in greater numbers. The youths' task was to evade these projectiles. Being struck signified the end of the test, with the number of waves withstood serving as their final score.
"Now, step forward for the test when your name is called!"
Mentor Yun Feng, list in hand, called out, "Yuan Long!" His name elicited a chorus of cheers from the crowd.
From behind the female mentor, representing the Central Domain of Willow State, a youth in yellow emerged.
As he ascended the platform, a visible energy barrier hummed to life, encircling the stage.
Whoosh!
A silver arrow sliced through the air from the barrier's right side, speeding towards the youth in yellow. He was quick to react, leaping aside with a decisive stomp.
Whoosh!
Before he could even steady himself, another arrow zipped from the barrier.
The youth's face tensed as he executed a swift halt and contorted his body in a complex maneuver, narrowly avoiding the arrow by a hair's breadth.
The crowd inhaled sharply at the close call. The second arrow had nearly concluded the yellow-clothed youth's trial.
A sense of gravity settled over the youths spectating. The second arrow had followed the first so closely that, had they been in his place, dodging might not have been possible, and the test could have already ended for them.
Of course, this was partly because the yellow-clothed youth was the first to face the Arrow Array, with no prior knowledge of what lay ahead.
For many young competitors, there was a silver lining. Having someone else go first to scout the path meant that they could get a feel for what lay ahead when it was their turn.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
Arrows whizzed continuously from the barrier. But the youth in yellow, still on edge from his recent close call, was hyper-alert. His focus was razor-sharp as he nimbly dodged each incoming arrow.
But at the eleventh wave, the barrier's challenge escalated: it fired not one, but two arrows simultaneously, each from a different angle, targeting the youth in yellow.
His face fell as he scrambled to evade them. He managed to sidestep one, but the other was hot on its heels. Despite his best efforts to twist away, he couldn't avoid the second arrow, which struck him squarely in the shoulder.
"It's over."
From the elevated platform, Mentor Yun Feng declared the end without a hint of sympathy, causing the youth's complexion to blanch.
He had only made it to the eleventh wave before his trial came to an abrupt halt. Such a performance was far from impressive. The hope of ranking in the top fifty seemed like a distant dream, especially considering the Arrow Array consisted of a daunting one hundred and twenty waves.
Having not even conquered a tenth of the challenge, how could he possibly hope to make it into the top fifty?
