But the rankings had already been set; they weren’t going to change just because a few people were making a fuss.
Instead, the expression of the other Marquis Level expert co-hosting the event with Marquis Qingyuan darkened, and a cold snort, heavy with authority and displeasure, suddenly rang out.
"HMPH!"
The sound wasn’t loud, yet it was like a clap of thunder from the highest heavens, exploding in everyone’s heart.
A terrifying aura—as vast as an abyss, cold and murderous—instantly pressed down.
It was as if space itself had frozen; the very air across White Jade Plaza seed to congeal.
The few geniuses who had been shouting were instantly silenced, as if an invisible giant hand had seized their throats. Their faces went white as a sheet, pupils dilating as their bodies trembled uncontrollably. All sound ca to an abrupt halt.
The shadow of death lood over them, so clear and cold.
They felt it with stark clarity: before that Marquis Level expert, they were more insignificant than dust.
A single thought from that expert was all it would take to obliterate juniors like them—who weren’t even Super Martial Artists—a thousand tis over.
This wasn’t a deliberate show of pressure, rely the faintest leak of his imposing, displeased aura.
Stark terror rendered them silent. They didn’t dare utter another word, leaving only the chattering of their teeth.
"The selection assessnt is now concluded. All those not on the list must descend the mountain today."
Chuhe King rose to his feet, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable tone of finality.
"I’ll trouble my junior brothers and sisters to lead them back."
Chuhe King directed these last words to the Marquis Level experts on the main platform, the ones from the various major provinces who were responsible for escorting the geniuses from their regions to Fire Hall.
"Senior Brother Zhou, we shall take our leave and head down the mountain," a group of Marquis Level experts said as they rose in unison, respectfully bowing to Chuhe King before departing.
Their movents were perfectly synchronized. Although they kept their auras restrained, the formless presence they montarily exuded was still enough to make one’s heart shudder.
Their figures flickered, and they each landed before the geniuses who had failed to make the cut. With a brief word, they swept up the dejected youths, transforming into streaks of light that soared into the sky and shot down the mountain.
In the blink of an eye, White Jade Plaza had half-emptied, leaving only Li Wen, the other top two hundred candidates, and the few figures on the platform, including Marquis Qingyuan and Chuhe King.
A rare, gentle smile graced Marquis Qingyuan’s face as he gazed down at the most brilliant collection of rising stars of this generation, not just from Blue Star but from the surrounding Star Domains as well.
"Congratulations, you are now officially students of Fire Hall." Chuhe King’s voice rang out. His gaze swept across the crowd, finally pausing for a mont on Li Wen.
"May the fla be passed on, and may the Martial Dao flourish. I hope none of you forget the conviction that brought you here today. Strive onward, and in the future, achieve the realm of gods and demons, beco Marquises and Kings, or even glimpse the supre state beyond. Only then will you be worthy of this opportunity. The future of Blue Star and the hope of the Human Race now rest on your shoulders."
His words were simple, but they carried imnse weight.
Especially upon hearing the phrases "beco Marquises and Kings" and "the supre state," even soone as resolute as Li Wen couldn’t help but feel his heart surge with emotion, sensing the heavy burden of responsibility.
With his words of blessing delivered, Chuhe King’s figure rippled like water and vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there at all.
Only Marquis Qingyuan remained on the main platform.
"Everyone, follow ." Marquis Qingyuan wasted no ti on pleasantries. With a wave of his hand, a gentle force lifted them all, as if they were riding an invisible cloud. They flew swiftly and smoothly away from White Jade Plaza, heading toward Star-Picking Pavilion.
Star-Picking Pavilion, the elite dormitory.
It was the sa luxurious hall, but with only two hundred people left, it now felt much more spacious.
Marquis Qingyuan stood in the center of the hall, hands clasped behind his back, and began to explain the arrangents.
"The selection is complete. You have ten days to go down the mountain and attend to your personal affairs. Rember," Marquis Qingyuan’s voice suddenly turned grave,
"these ten days are not a vacation. You are all future pillars of the Human Race, cultivated with great care. With your talents now revealed to the world, it’s impossible to guarantee that you won’t attract the prying eyes of the Demon Race. Henceforth, after you formally enter the mountain, you are strictly forbidden from descending on your own until you have reached a level of strength sufficient for self-preservation, so as to avoid the tragedy of perishing prematurely! Do you understand?"
A chill went down everyone’s spines, and they all nodded grimly.
Teacher Fang Chengwu had also ntioned the threat of the Alien Demon Race, so they knew this was no empty threat.
"In ten days, on June 12th, you must return here on ti to attend this year’s new student orientation ceremony. Do not be late! The specific eting location will be announced beforehand."
"Third," Marquis Qingyuan’s tone softened, now tinged with a hint of anticipation,
"after the orientation ceremony, you may begin your breakthrough to the Super Martial Artist Realm. Use these ten days off the mountain to clear your minds and consider which Divine-Demon Cultivation Technique you intend to choose."
At these words, the atmosphere in the room instantly grew feverish. Even the eyes of the ever-composed Fang Chenghong flashed with brilliant light.
Nearly all of them had reached the peak of the High-level Martial Artist Realm, so why had they delayed their breakthroughs for so long?
Wasn’t it for this very reason—to enter Fire Hall and choose a powerful, compatible, top-tier Divine-Demon Cultivation Technique, one for which only Fire Hall could provide the perfect cultivation environnt?
"Divine-Demon Cultivation Techniques are divided into four grades: Upper, Middle, Lower, and Super Grade. Super Grade is the highest, and Lower Grade is the lowest."
Marquis Qingyuan briefly explained,
"Not only are Super Grade Divine-Demon Cultivation Techniques incomparably powerful, but they also lay an unparalleled foundation, offering limitless potential. However, their cultivation requirents are also the most demanding. All of you must carefully consider your own circumstances, bloodline traits, and Martial Dao aspirations to choose the path that is most suitable for you."
Having given his instructions, Marquis Qingyuan transford into a streak of light and departed.
The instant he vanished, the quiet hall erupted into a frenzy.
"Hahaha! I’ve finally been waiting for this day! I’ve been bottling this up for half a year, just waiting for a Super Grade Divine-Demon Cultivation Technique!"
"The Red Fla Divine Body! I have to choose that Super Grade Divine-Demon Cultivation Technique! I heard that at high levels of mastery, a single slash of a blade can incinerate mountains and boil the seas!"
"I hear the Cyan Lotus Divine Body is a perfect match for my constitution..."
"Sigh, a Super Grade technique would be amazing, but the requirents are insane. I’ll probably have to settle for an Upper Grade in the end..."
Excited discussions rose and fell, with dreams and debates about Divine-Demon Cultivation Techniques dominating almost every conversation.
A top-tier Cultivation Technique determined the heights one could reach in the future, and this excitent, for a ti, even surpassed the joy or disappointnt they felt about their rankings.
...
The night passed peacefully.
Ti passed quietly, and soon it was the next morning.
Morning light stread through the porthole, spilling into the finely decorated room.
The two hundred chosen candidates had already begun to pack their bags.
Aside from the geniuses from the three other habitable planets, most local students from Blue Star, like Li Wen, chose to go straight ho.
Li Wen was, of course, no exception.
He carefully checked his personal belongings—most importantly, the Jade Talisman that signified his status as a Fire Hall student.
He not only had to go back to settle in his recovering father and care for his weary mother, but he also had an important plan: to participate in the national college entrance exam in a few days.
’The college entrance exam!’ The thought made Li Wen’s heart burn with excitent.
The provincial exam alone had given him over ten thousand scholar experience points. An event of this magnitude, covering millions of candidates nationwide, was bound to offer a spectacular amount of "experience" to be fard.
Although he had already been accepted into Fire Hall, raising his scholar level was an urgent matter, as it was directly related to his comprehension.
There was no way Li Wen was going to miss this perfect opportunity to level up.
He straightened his clothes, picked up his simple bag, and was about to head to the hall to et up with the others before leaving.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.
Just as he reached the door, a knock sounded.
Li Wen opened the door to find two people standing outside.
One was Fang Chenghong, who had traveled with him yesterday. He now wore a friendly smile.
The other man had a profound aura, as still as the water in an ancient well. He wore a simple, cyan Daoist robe and was one of the Marquis Level experts who had escorted them at the end of the previous day.
"Student Li Wen, sorry to bother you," Fang Chenghong said, taking the lead. His tone was quite polite. "This is my second grand-uncle, Marquis Jingshan, Fang Jingshan."
As he introduced the Marquis Level expert beside him, Fang Jingshan gave Li Wen a slight nod. His gaze was serene, yet it felt as if it could see into a person’s very heart.
"Greetings, Marquis Jingshan." Li Wen bowed, neither servile nor overbearing. ’I think I know what this is about.’
’There’s no way Fire Hall would let this group of prized geniuses go down the mountain without protection, especially a ’hot commodity’ with unparalleled talent like ,’ he thought. ’Having a Marquis Level expert for a secret escort is perfectly logical.’
’Fang Chenghong must be stopping by on his way sowhere,’ Li Wen surmised.
Fang Chenghong smiled and said,
"We heard you’re also heading back to Bluestone County. My second grand-uncle and I happen to be going there as well to take care of so family matters.
Would it be convenient for you to travel with us? That way, my grand-uncle’s protection would cover both of us, and it would save another Marquis from having to make an extra trip."
’Just as I thought,’ Li Wen realized.
The first day, when he had heard the na "Fang Chenghong of Red Fla Star," he had already suspected a connection to Teacher Fang Chengwu.
Now that they were also going to Bluestone County, it confird Li Wen’s suspicions beyond a doubt: Teacher Fang Chengwu must have co from the Fang family.
"That would be wonderful. I couldn’t ask for anything better. Thank you, Marquis Jingshan and Brother Chenghong, for your consideration." Li Wen broke into a sincere smile and readily agreed.
Traveling with a powerful Marquis Level expert would certainly make the journey safer, and it was also an opportunity to learn more about Teacher Fang Chengwu and the Fang family.
"Good. Then let’s not delay. Let’s go." Fang Jingshan was concise and wasted no words, but his intention to protect them was already clear.
The three of them started walking out together. In the hallway, Fang Chenghong smiled and said in a low voice, "Brother Wen, you’ve probably guessed it, right? Brother Chengwu is my older brother."
Li Wen smiled and nodded. "I had a rough idea. I made the connection when I first heard your na. Teacher Fang is my Martial Dao ntor, a benefactor who has given a new lease on life."
Fang Chenghong’s eyes lit up, and his attitude beca even warr.
"Haha, it must be fate! Co on, let’s talk as we walk. You can tell what Brother Chengwu has been up to all these years. Is he still as stubborn as ever? Back then..."
Fang Jingshan listened from the side, a flicker of warmth, almost imperceptible, passing through his eyes.
Thanks to their strong, shared connection to Fang Chengwu, the awkwardness among the three quickly vanished, replaced by a familiar and friendly atmosphere.
Led by the Marquis Level expert Fang Jingshan, the three of them rged into the stream of other geniuses preparing to descend the mountain, heading toward the flight pad.
Destination: Bluestone County.
A Fire Hall shuttle descended silently, landing smoothly on the tarmac of the Bluestone County branch hall.
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