Translator: AnubisTL
"Ah—this grand examination has finally been held safely!"
After so many unexpected incidents, the fact that the examination started on time made Ouyang Qi, the chief examiner, breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
The other examiners also showed expressions of having survived a disaster—it had been too thrilling and perilous.
"Gu Feng is really good at stirring up trouble!"
"Yes, yes, wherever that kid goes, chaos follows!"
"..."
The enrollment examination organized by the Grand Harmony Academy had its rules set in advance, and everything else was left to the candidates. Within the enclosed examination grounds, there were only Demon Beasts and candidates—not a single examiner was present, ensuring absolute fairness and impartiality.
After the candidates entered the examination grounds, the Elders from various sects returned to Tranquil Sky City to rest.
At this moment, outside the rolling mountain ranges, only a few hundred examiners remained, maintaining the Array Formations around the examination grounds to prevent anyone from sneaking in or out.
"Seniors, how about a little bet?"
Sima Juncong drove his 'Hundred Birds Glazed Carriage' and swaggered around the examination grounds.
"How do you want to bet?" one examiner chuckled, curious.
"Let's bet on the top scorer in the Nurtured Spirit examination ground. For Zong Shixuan, Hua Wenyue, Duan Yansheng, Wu Sheng, and Dugu Ao, the odds are one to five. For Liu Bingbing... and others, the odds are one to eight... one to twelve... one to eighteen..."
Sima Juncong took out a piece of paper densely filled with names, each followed by corresponding odds.
Several examiners glanced at it, and their eyes immediately lit up. These odds were clearly set by an amateur—any real gambling house daring to do this would surely go bankrupt.
Although they initially had some doubts, considering Sima Juncong's character, it wasn't surprising.
"Sima Juncong, do you even have the money to cover the bets?" one examiner asked with a smile.
"What's this? Treasures worth thirty million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. Leader Gu said I could use them freely. Are you worried I won't be able to pay?" Sima Juncong proudly held up the Storage Ring Gu Feng had given him.
"Then I'll bet on Hua Wenyue..."
"I'll wager five hundred thousand on Dugu Ao..."
"Three hundred thousand on Zong Shixuan!"
"..."
Wherever Sima Juncong went, the examiners eagerly placed their bets. The odds were simply too high and too tempting.
In fact, based on the past five examinations, the top scorer in the Nurtured Spirit examination ground had never come from outside the five major sects.
This was because these sects were powerful, with numerous candidates who could accumulate massive points. Moreover, points could be transferred among candidates, making it easy to produce a top scorer if desired.
"Hahaha, Gu Feng is really something. He gathered so many Natural Treasures, only to lose them all to us!"
After placing their bets, both sides were delighted. The examiners felt like they were picking up money for sure. Even Ouyang Qi bet one million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, though he was clever enough to split his bet among three Heaven's Chosen. As long as one of them became the top scorer, he would earn five hundred thousand Mid-Grade Spirit Stones—a safe bet.
Sima Juncong was also pleased because this was a task Gu Feng had assigned him—to trick the examiners into betting. In exchange, Gu Feng promised to give Dugu Ao a thorough beating, the kind that would be visible to the naked eye.
...
By the time they entered the examination grounds, it was already night. Since no points would be awarded on the first day, all teams gathered together to further refine their battle plans based on the terrain of the mountain range.
However, the Sunset Glow Sect was different. The first order Gu Feng issued was to find a secluded mountain, hollow it out, and use it as a hiding place for everyone.
"Your only task is to stay here honestly, eat, drink, and have fun for a month!"
Gu Feng addressed the 470 elderly candidates. As for Chu Youhuan and the others, who were proud and ambitious, he allowed them to act freely, but they had to return here in the last three days.
Because Gu Feng needed to tally the final scores to ensure no one slipped through the cracks, lest all their efforts be in vain.
It must be said that the Nurtured Spirits of these elderly candidates were somewhat useful, at least in speeding up the mountain excavation.
In just half a night, they dug out a hidden cave large enough to accommodate 500 cultivators.
At dawn, Gu Feng inspected the surrounding environment to ensure the place wouldn't be exposed, then stepped out.
He didn't plan to hunt Demon Beasts or compete for points. Instead, he found a place to refine the Divine Fluid, aiming to elevate his cultivation to the sixth level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm as quickly as possible.
According to his estimate, it would take at most half a month to complete the refinement.
Based on previous exams, within 20 days, all the Demon Beasts in the examination grounds would be killed. The following ten days would be the stage of mutual plundering.
...
On the other hand, Chu Youhuan, Yan Yexue, and the other 29 young talents of the Sunset Glow Sect tried their best to avoid the major sects, hunting Demon Beasts in inconspicuous valleys.
Their actions were insignificant compared to those of the major sects like the Blazing Light Sect.
The five major sects—the Blazing Light Sect, Flower Sect, Tyrant Body Sect, Sword Gate, and the Military Academy specializing in training soldiers—tacitly occupied advantageous positions, killing Demon Beasts and plundering points!
"Senior Sister Hua, we gained 1,800 points today!"
"Good, keep it up. By the way, have you found any trace of Gu Feng?" Hua Wenyue, sitting steadily in the command center, directed the team while also keeping an eye on Gu Feng's whereabouts.
"No, Gu Feng must be hiding."
"Hmm!" Hua Wenyue responded softly. With more than 20 days left, she didn't believe Gu Feng would hide for that long; he would surely show up eventually.
Meanwhile, similar scenes were unfolding in the other sects!
"Damn it, where has Gu Feng hidden? Why can't I find him?"
The fat monk gnawed on a greasy beast leg, occasionally gulping down Spirit Wine, muttering to himself.
His only purpose in entering the examination grounds was to rob Gu Feng.
As for how to escape, he had a clever plan!
"No, I can't let such a fat sheep slip away!"
Thinking this, the fat monk threw away the roasted beast leg, took out an ancient kasaya, and draped it over himself. A miraculous scene unfolded—his body and aura vanished instantly.
He was like a ghost walking in the darkness, passing by the gathering places of candidates from major sects, watching for a while, then silently leaving.
"Too many people, not a good time to act. I'll wait for later."
Suppressing the urge to rob, he continued searching for Gu Feng in the examination grounds.
...
Boom—
In the shade of the trees, a cave exploded, and a tall figure emerged from within.
Gu Feng felt his current state and felt comfortable. With his cultivation at the sixth level of the Spirit Nurturing Realm, he feared no other Spirit Nurturing Realm cultivator. In this examination ground, he was invincible.
"The twelfth day? A bit faster than expected."
Gu Feng concealed his aura and began searching for traces of examinees in the examination area.
Two days later, he sat in a valley, furrowing his brows in deep thought.
At this moment, he discovered a serious problem: although his strength was sufficient, he couldn't guarantee that he could seize the points before the examinees transferred them away.
After all, no matter how strong he was, he couldn't silently appear behind the examinees.
"Damn it, I miscalculated! If only I had a treasure that could conceal my presence, it would be perfect!"
Gu Feng felt a headache coming on. Frustrated, he took out a roasted beast leg and tore into it fiercely.
Just as he discarded the bone and was about to take out some Spirit Wine, a sudden sense of danger struck.
He reacted quickly, dodging immediately, but the opponent was just as fast. A bronze-colored demon-subduing pestle appeared out of thin air and struck heavily on his forehead.
BANG—
The intimate contact between his forehead and the pestle left Gu Feng feeling dazed, nearly losing consciousness. Alarmed, he bit the tip of his tongue to regain his focus.
Strangely, after hitting him once, the pestle miraculously disappeared.
Gu Feng was stunned, unable to sense the opponent's presence at all.
BANG—
Another heavy blow landed on the back of his head!
Furious, Gu Feng pulled out the Soul Shattering Whip and swung it wildly around him, creating an impenetrable defense.
CLANG—
The Soul Shattering Whip collided fiercely with the demon-subduing pestle.
"Ouch—"
A low groan echoed from the void. "What the hell is this thing!"
The voice was unfamiliar, and Gu Feng was certain it wasn't any of the top Heaven's Chosen.
After all, Gu Feng's cultivation far surpassed the opponent's. Once he adapted to their elusive movements, he no longer suffered heavy blows.
"Who's there? Show yourself!"
"I didn't expect you to be the strongest one in this examination area. Everyone's been fooled by you!
Sorry for the disturbance, goodbye!!!"
The reluctant voice faded into the distance. Gu Feng's expression darkened as he finally remembered to activate his Immortal Eye: Void Break!
Under the gaze of the Immortal Eye, Gu Feng finally caught a glimpse of the opponent's blurry figure and was momentarily stunned.
"It's him? That bald monk I caught a glimpse of in Tranquil Sky City???"
The monk's kasaya was incredibly mysterious. Even with the Immortal Eye, Gu Feng couldn't see through it beyond a certain distance.
Moreover, the opponent's movement speed was extreme. Having lost the initiative, Gu Feng hesitated for a moment before ultimately giving up the chase.
"Damn it! That bald monk, next time I see him, I'll teach him a lesson!"
Huff, huff, huff—
After fleeing dozens of kilometers, the fat monk stopped to catch his breath.
His chubby face was filled with terror and disbelief.
"That scared me to death! How can the Myriad Tribulations Physique, which just broke through to the Spirit Nurturing Realm, be so strong!!!"
"Forget it, I can't afford to mess with him!" he thought gloomily.
What frustrated him even more was that failing to rob Gu Feng forced him to change his plans.
Originally, he had planned to rob a few people, then use his kasaya to conceal himself and hide in the examination area, waiting for the Grand Harmony Academy's examiners to leave before swaggering out.
He was confident that, apart from the chief examiner Ouyang Qi, no one could see through his movements.
He was betting that Ouyang Qi wouldn't personally come to the examination area to search.
But now, he was conflicted.
Failing to rob Gu Feng, the big fat sheep, made him feel that robbing others was pointless. It would be better to take the top spot, claim the reward of 100 million Low-grade Spirit Stones, infiltrate the Grand Harmony Academy, pull off something big, and then leave.
And so—
The fat monk began ambushing examinees, stealing their points.
Time flew by, and it was already the twentieth day of the grand examination.
On this day, Gu Feng was hiding at the entrance of a valley. Just as he had figured out the number of examinees inside and was about to make his move, something strange happened.
One by one, the examinees mysteriously collapsed.
Within a few breaths, the figure of the fat monk appeared.
He cautiously scanned his surroundings and then began looting the points.
Seeing this, Gu Feng couldn't help but smile. He activated his Immortal Eye: Void Break and silently moved closer to the valley.
When he was at the right distance, he suddenly charged out, shouting loudly.
"Damn bald donkey, I finally caught you!"
"Holy crap, it's you, the harbinger of doom!"
The fat monk shuddered, not even bothering to loot the points. He immediately draped his kasaya over himself and concealed his form.
Gu Feng looked around, pretending not to notice him. As the fat monk passed by, Gu Feng suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled out the Soul Shattering Whip.
He then proceeded to mercilessly whip the monk's bald head.
Bang— Bang— Bang—
The fat monk was completely stunned, barely putting up any resistance before he started foaming at the mouth, convulsing on the ground, and soon fell unconscious.
Gu Feng stroked his chin, a strange smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
He stripped the monk of his kasaya, took his demon-subduing staff, and finally used a secret technique to seal all the acupoints in the monk's body. He then found a hidden cave, threw the monk inside, and blocked the entrance.
"Amitabha!! This old monk is going out to beg for alms!! Hahaha—"
Soon, the entire examination grounds were in chaos. Almost all the examinees knew that there was a monk wearing a kasaya that could conceal his form and wielding a demon-subduing staff that could knock people unconscious. He was appearing and disappearing mysteriously, ambushing everyone.
This damn monk not only stole points but also blatantly violated the examination rules, brazenly robbing Spirit Stones and Natural Treasures!!
(End of the Chapter)
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