Serpent Hour, precisely.
Ninghai Immortal Academy.
Shen Yi stood amid the crowd, looking at the sea of people around him. He could not help but marvel at the madness of people before the Golden Age of Immortality arrived. Ninghai Town was merely a corner of the world, yet by rough estimate, thirty to fifty thousand people had come to take the entrance examination. The Great Era of Contention was already plain to see.
"This entrance examination concerns the cultivation resources for the coming year. The sooner one achieves Qi Condensation, the sooner one can seize the initiative."
With that thought, Shen Yi quickened his pace and headed for the Immortal Academy's examination registration desk.
"Move aside! Move aside! Let my young master go first!"
Before Shen Yi had gone far, he heard an arrogant and rude shout behind him. Just as he turned around, a powerful shove pushed him aside, nearly making him fall.
Several servants surrounded someone in the center, shouting and shoving their way through the crowd, forcibly carving out a path.
The man in the middle wore lavish robes, with the character Li embroidered in golden thread across his chest. He walked with his head held high, as though everyone else stood beneath him.
After walking away, that person suddenly turned back and stopped beside Shen Yi.
"Oh, isn't this Shen Yi, the discarded slave from my estate? You came to take the Immortal Academy examination too? Why not kneel and admit your mistake? This young master might give you a Grade C slot and spare you the embarrassment."
Shen Yi frowned slightly, a flash of disgust passing through his eyes.
"Li Yue, I am no longer your family's slave. I am not under your command, so why would I kneel and admit fault? Besides, you shoved people aside and forced your way through the crowd. You should be the one apologizing to us."
Shen Yi was neither servile nor overbearing, his expression calm and unreadable.
"What a joke! It has always been others apologizing to me, Li Yue. Since when have I ever needed to apologize to anyone else? Do you even deserve it?"
Rather than growing angry, Li Yue laughed. He swept his gaze around before looking back at Shen Yi with a mocking expression.
"That's right. My young master is a descendant of the Li Family of Huafeng Prefecture. His coming to Ninghai Immortal Academy is a blessing earned over several lifetimes by Ninghai Town."
"My young master is a dragon among men and is destined to have immortal fortune. If you know what is good for you, it is not too late to pledge yourself to him."
Before Li Yue had even finished speaking, his two accompanying servants chimed in, their words dripping with flattery and earning the disgust of many present.
Even so, not a single person dared step forward. After all, the Li Family of Huafeng Prefecture was not someone people like them could afford to offend.
"The Li Family of Huafeng Prefecture is a Hidden Family with a century of history. If you truly are a Li Family descendant, why did you come to this tiny place called Ninghai, and why enter Ninghai Immortal Academy? If you ask me, you are nothing but a fallen branch relying on the Li Family's reputation, trying to claim the academy's cultivation resources!"
It was as if Li Yue had been stabbed in a sore spot. His face turned green, then white. For a moment, he was left speechless, unable to find a retort.
Inside a bamboo hut somewhere deep within the academy, a white-haired old man also forced a smile as he explained to the people beside him.
"Cultivation is not merely about fighting and killing. What one cultivates is social graces."
This earned him a round of eye-rolls.
"Sharp-tongued!"
After holding it in for a long time, Li Yue finally squeezed out the words "sharp-tongued."
"Shen Yi, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit! Everyone in Ninghai Town knows that you, Shen Yi, are dull in talent, yet you still dream of entering the Immortal Academy."
Having been exposed by Shen Yi, whom he had always looked down upon, Li Yue had lost all face. Hatred rose in his heart, and he swore that today, he would reclaim his dignity and humiliate Shen Yi thoroughly.
"What do you want?"
Shen Yi did not know what scheme Li Yue had come up with, but with so many people watching, he assumed Li Yue would not dare attack him. He also wanted to teach Li Yue a lesson, so he did not reject him outright.
"What do I want? This young master is merciful and kind-hearted, so today I shall perform a good deed. If you receive Grade B or above in the entrance examination, I will give you three months of my cultivation resources. If you receive a Class A evaluation, I will give you half a year's worth. But if you fail to reach that, then kneel obediently before me and kowtow on the spot."
"Nine!" Li Yue raised his fingers, his face full of mockery. As a youth still inexperienced in the ways of the world, he believed this was the only way to humiliate Shen Yi.
Hearing this, Shen Yi was overjoyed. That was at least three months' worth of cultivation resources. He truly did not know whether to call Li Yue foolishly rich or someone who delighted in helping others.
Though he wanted to agree immediately, Shen Yi still pretended to ponder for a moment before gritting his teeth and agreeing with the air of someone driven into a corner.
"Alas, Shen Yi is still not calm enough."
"Indeed. I think cultivation resources have blinded him and made him overestimate himself."
All kinds of remarks arose from the crowd, but none thought highly of Shen Yi. They said outright that he was overestimating himself.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three drumbeats sounded, and the examination began.
Li Yue signaled to several of his men, who surrounded Shen Yi to prevent him from denying the bet and running away.
Shen Yi paid them no heed. His expression remained calm, and he even carried himself like someone with victory already in his grasp, making Li Yue and the others tense.
"He is only putting on a show!"
Li Yue consoled himself, then stopped paying attention to Shen Yi and lowered his head to answer the questions. Although his clan had made arrangements for him, he still had to put on an act.
On Shen Yi's side, his brush danced like a dragon and snake. With only one glance, he already had the answers in mind.
Thankfully, after being reborn, I gained this ability to remember everything at a glance. Otherwise, with last-minute cramming, I probably would not have been able to write even a single word.
"Dean, do you think that boy called Shen Yi can reach a Grade B evaluation?"
"Hard to say. Judging by how quickly he is turning the pages, I fear he cannot answer many questions. Young people are ultimately too full of hot blood."
"No, he is standing up! Has he finished already? Quickly, this dean will personally grade his paper!"
Shen Yi put down his brush and rose. He had used only half a shichen. Ignoring the astonished gazes around him, he sat himself right down on the stone steps before the Immortal Academy gates, staring in Li Yue's direction as though afraid Li Yue might break his word and slip away.
Li Yue personally watched Shen Yi become the first to stand and leave. Though he still believed Shen Yi had been unable to answer and had simply given up, his body was more honest than his thoughts. He genuinely felt the pressure and soon found himself drenched in sweat.
"Show off now. Later, I will make you kneel and cry!"
Two shichen passed in the blink of an eye, and the front of the Immortal Academy was once again packed with people. They had come both to await their own evaluations and to see whether Shen Yi or Li Yue would come out on top.
"I heard that Shen Yi was the first to finish. He is really hiding his true strength!"
"Give me a break. He must have nothing in his stomach and only wanted to show off."
"I think Shen Yi and Li Yue are both fame-seeking frauds. Maybe they planned this together from the start. No matter who wins, both of them will gain some fame."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Another three drumbeats rang out, and everyone's expressions sharpened. The evaluation results were about to be announced.
Shen Yi was somewhat nervous as well. His fists tightened slightly as he wondered what rank he could reach among the Class A evaluations this time.
"Grade D, rank thirty thousand: Chen Siwen. One Low-grade Spirit Stone per month.
Grade C, rank twenty thousand: Lin Dong. Three Low-grade Spirit Stones per month.
Grade B, rank five thousand: Duan Tianxiang. Ten Low-grade Spirit Stones per month.
..."
"Damn it! He is not in Grade C or Grade D. Could it be that he really stumbled into dog shit luck?"
Li Yue focused intently, afraid of missing a single name, yet the name he wanted to hear never appeared.
"First in Grade B: Chu Xiong. Ten Low-grade Spirit Stones per month."
At this point, Li Yue's face darkened, and a bad feeling rose in his heart. Could Shen Yi's evaluation be Class A?!
Before you continue