Shen Ye stared at his reflection in the mirror, remained silent for a few breaths, and muttered two words:
“Damn it.”
He had no idea where those bloodstains had come from.
So—
Someone was lurking in the shadows, already prepared to kill him.
Was that it?
Suddenly, his pocket vibrated.
Shen Ye reached inside and found that it was the card.
He took it out and spread it in his palm, only to see that the evaluation on it had changed:
“A prey lingering before the trap.”
“You have realized your fate and now possess claws and fangs, but can you escape death?”
—No longer a drowning man!
This thing was surprisingly accurate.
But anything related to it must not be revealed to others.
First, it wouldn’t help. Second, it might lower his evaluation.
However—
Maybe it knew who was trying to kill him.
“I’m the prey, so who is the hunter?”
Shen Ye tried asking the card.
The card remained motionless.
But then, it started to change.
The black and red interwoven background faded like ink dissolving in water, gradually washed away by a moonlight as pale as frost.
A cold moon appeared behind him.
He found himself clad in an ancient long robe, standing atop the clouds, facing the wind, gazing up at the ethereal palace in the sky.
A line of majestic calligraphy appeared below the clouds:
“To kill within ten steps, leaving no trace for a thousand miles.”
From the depths of the sky, stars began to emerge, one after another.
Five in total.
He had jumped straight from two stars to five!
“Shen Ye.”
“Candidate of the Mortal Martial Group.”
“Strength rating: Five stars.”
“‘Newcomer’ deck ranking: Eleventh (tentative).”
“The fastest progressing candidate among all, without a doubt.”
“Five-star privileges:”
“1. Your final evaluation before the exam will grant you a special power for use in the exam;”
“2. You can conceal your ranking and still appear as a two-star.”
“Special note: Because you have awakened the Heavenly Eye, your other performances are disregarded, and you are forcibly promoted to five stars. (This note is visible only to you.)”
Heavenly Eye?
—It must refer to Moonlit Divine Reflection.
So…
Was this Heavenly Eye considered impressive among the candidates?
As for concealing his rank, Shen Ye made a decision almost instantly.
“Hide!”
He said.
On the card, three of the five stars vanished.
Another line of small text appeared:
“After hiding, your rank in the leaderboard will be based on two stars.”
Shen Ye let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Appearing unremarkable? No problem at all.
After all, trump cards were never meant to be flaunted.
With a bunch of noble heirs wanting him dead, staying cautious was the right choice.
Besides, there was another thing worth noting.
Perhaps there were other newcomers hiding their true strength in the shadows, waiting silently for their chance—just like him.
Suddenly, the card flickered, and Xiao Mengyu appeared.
She was requesting a call.
“Eh? Eh? Your image changed? Not bad! How much did it cost?”
On the card, she still stood with her sword in hand, looking somewhat surprised.
Shen Ye’s mouth twitched.
Big sister, I didn’t buy a new look.
This is real strength!
Forget it, I’ll explain when the exam comes.
“Don’t worry, I’m not into pay-to-win,” Shen Ye said.
“What does ‘pay-to-win’ mean?” Xiao Mengyu asked.
“It means spending money.”
“Oh. Come to the gym when you’re free—I want to see how much you’ve improved,” she said.
“Alright, I’ll come after my training this afternoon,” Shen Ye replied.
“Don’t focus too much on the image on your card, or even the strength and star ranking.”
“Why?”
“This ‘Newcomer’ deck can only estimate your power roughly. Besides, battles are unpredictable—how many strong fighters have been ambushed and killed by weaker ones?” Xiao Mengyu said seriously.
Shen Ye asked, “So you mean—”
“Don’t accept any challenges. Save your strength for the exam,” Xiao Mengyu said.
“That was my plan anyway. I don’t have time to play with them,” Shen Ye replied.
“It’s good that you think that way,” Xiao Mengyu said approvingly.
Shen Ye nodded slightly.
—An enemy was lurking in the shadows, ready to take his life at any moment.
He had no time for pointless fights.
Xiao Mengyu ended the call.
But then, his phone rang again.
As soon as Shen Ye answered, Qian Rushan’s loud voice came through the speaker:
“Several candidates from different groups just got beaten up. You weren’t involved, were you?”
“Relax, I’m hiding in my dorm,” Shen Ye said.
“Listen, don’t let anyone provoke you. Even if they insult your parents, you wait until the exam is over before fighting, got it?” Qian Rushan warned.
“Got it, I’m just sleeping,” Shen Ye said.
“Alright, then rest up. I won’t bother you. Don’t forget about the afternoon training.”
…
At 2 p.m.
63rd-floor training arena.
“The three major high schools are Jialan, Guixu, and Xirang, each with a different focus.”
“Jialan emphasizes combat power, Guixu pursues the history of humanity, and Xirang combines both.”
A huge man was introducing.
At this moment—
Shen Ye had already arrived at the corporate headquarters’ exclusive training facility.
The huge man’s name was Sun Biao.
He was the resident combat instructor in the Sky Ruins, responsible for training newcomers preparing for the upcoming exams each year.
“Are these three high schools the strongest in the world? Are there other high schools?” Shen Ye casually asked.
Sun Biao said, “These three schools evolved from ancient sects, with a long heritage and deep foundations. No other school can compare to them.”
He seemed to recall something and muttered, “Yes, there used to be many great sects…”
“Many great sects?” Shen Ye asked curiously.
“That’s right, there were also other sects… In ancient times, four great sects stood at the top. But let’s not dwell on that.” Sun Biao said.
Then, he began formally introducing the three major high schools.
“Sky Jialan High School is the strongest of the three. It directly studies divine beings and the arcane realm’s magic, making it the most prestigious. Most aristocratic families send their children there.”
“Endless Guixu High School specializes in uncovering secrets and archaeology. It’s said that before our time, history had discontinuities. The ruins of pre-cataclysmic civilizations are mostly under the sea. Graduates from this school are the most knowledgeable and highly sought after in the job market. However, because this school touches on prehistoric knowledge, many graduates end up joining various religious orders.”
“Earth Xirang High School is built atop a massive underground tomb, considered the birthplace of human historiography. Its approach leans toward practical combat—since there are many terrifying creatures lurking underground. Of course, it is also the wealthiest school, as everything from monster body parts to underground rare minerals and spirit herbs can be exchanged for great wealth.”
“These are the commonly accepted characteristics of the three major high schools. Keep them in mind.”
“Mr. Sun, I’d like to ask about resonance.” Shen Ye said.
“Resonance?”
“I heard that high school studies require resonance. Plus, those noble kids have probably trained since childhood, so I wanted to ask about it.”
“Alright, I’ll explain—aside from techniques, ancient legacies also include divine weapons, armor, and specialized secret arts.”
Sun Biao smiled and said, “To wield these things or perform secret arts, you need an extremely high resonance level.”
“So resonance is ‘recognition’?”
“Recognition?” Shen Ye repeated.
“Yes, it means they recognize you—or rather, you are acknowledged by the arcane realm and granted the authority to use them, while they willingly serve you.” Sun Biao explained.
Shen Ye was somewhat puzzled.
Weapons and armor were understandable, but did magic itself require resonance?
As for the arcane realm—
“The arcane realm is the source of power and serves as the basis for classifying one’s strength—”
“Alright, this is still too early for you. You’ll learn about it in high school. Don’t think too much about it for now. Come, I have some techniques prepared for you.”
Sun Biao flipped his hand and produced several manuals.
Shen Ye looked carefully and saw the titles:
Tiger Subduing Seventeen Palms, Twin Sun Finger, Solitary Eight Swords, South River Chain Kicks, North-East Divine Fist, Devouring Mouth Technique.
…Wait, what’s with the Devouring Mouth Technique?
A secret art from Guangdong?
“Mr. Sun, this mouth technique…”
“This? It’s a taunting technique meant to provoke opponents into a rage, making them reckless in their attacks and prone to mistakes.”
“What about South River Chain Kicks?” Shen Ye asked.
“It was discovered in ruins south of the Great River.” Sun Biao explained.
“And North-East Divine Fist? Does it have anything to do with the Big Dipper?” Shen Ye asked.
“No, this technique was found in ruins at the extreme eastern end of the northern region, hence the name ‘North-East Fist.’”
Sun Biao remembered and recounted:
“At the time, the excavation at that ruin had been completed, and the team was preparing to leave. However, a senior archaeologist felt uneasy, as if something was still hidden.”
“So he kept staring and staring and staring…”
“Suddenly, a voice asked him, ‘What are you looking at?’”
“He thought it was a prank and instinctively responded, ‘I’m looking, so what?’”
“And then this fist technique manual dropped out on its own.”
“This was a manifestation of resonance. The technique acknowledged him, which is why it emerged.” Sun Biao said.
“All because of ‘I’m looking, so what?’” Shen Ye found it hard to believe.
North-East Divine Fist? This sounds more like Northeastern Divine Fist.
…This is way too ridiculous.
But Sun Biao remained serious and explained, “This is called compatibility. When your temperament aligns with the legacy, it naturally bestows itself upon you.”
“There are people with high resonance who still don’t get recognized by divine weapons. What can you do about that?”
“Even high resonance isn’t enough?” Shen Ye asked.
“Resonance is just the threshold. Passing it only means you have a chance.” Sun Biao said.
“I see.” Shen Ye sighed.
“Young man, choose a technique. If you have to fight during the exam, at least you’ll have something to rely on.”
Shen Ye scanned the manuals.
Each one had small floating text:
“White (Ordinary).”
Only the North-East Divine Fist displayed:
“Green (Excellent; requires specific conditions to enhance compatibility and increase power).”
