No Shame Left!

Li Qi and Ivanko had just left Zhaoguang Academy and were preparing to take a hovercar back to the family residence in Zhaoguang City.

Beep—!

A piercing sound rang out, accompanied by a slight vibration.

It was the communicator Li Qi had acquired after arriving in Zhaoguang City.

He raised his left hand and opened the communicator, looking relaxed. "Important news. It looks like the notification approving my special admission to Zhaoguang Academy has arrived."

Ivanko stood beside the hovercar, looking at the communicator on Li Qi's wrist.

A holographic screen popped up, displaying numerous lines of Universal Language text, with Zhaoguang Academy's seal at the end.

"Candidate Li Qi Royce, Third Chief Examiner Ian Tuert's application for your special admission to Zhaoguang Academy has been rejected by First Chief Examiner Marcel Holke. Please complete the Trial Tower assessment at Zhaoguang Academy today so that your results may be recorded..."

After reading the new message, Li Qi froze. His application for special admission to Zhaoguang Academy had been rejected.

Instructor Ian hadn't lied. He really did give me a special admission slot at Zhaoguang Academy.

Li Qi felt grateful toward Ian. It's a shame that someone from the Holk Family rejected it in the name of the First Chief Examiner!

"Just as expected, someone from the Holk Family."

Having read the message as well, Ivanko's expression changed only slightly. This outcome was actually within his expectations.

"Eleven, it's only your special admission to Zhaoguang Academy that was rejected. With your talent, as long as your Trial Tower assessment results aren't exceptionally poor, you'll definitely get into Zhaoguang Academy."

He comforted Li Qi. "Come on. Let's go back and take the Trial Tower assessment."

Li Qi said nothing. He nodded and returned with him to the Admission Test site they had visited before.

Marcel sent Li Qi a message telling him to return to the academy for the Trial Tower assessment.

Then he opened Li Qi's file, intending to see what was so special about this little fellow from the Royce Family that Ian had been willing to fall out with him.

An Apprentice Level cultivator killed a Planetary Level demonic beast? They actually dared to write such an absurd achievement into his file?

As a member of a Stellar Level family in Zhaoguang City, Marcel was all too familiar with the practice of fabricating achievements. Quite a few families had done it.

But no family had ever been this outrageous, daring to claim that an Apprentice Level cultivator had killed a Planetary Level demonic beast. Wasn't that practically announcing, "I faked this!"

Skipping past the résumé, he continued downward and found Li Qi's test results.

It would have been fine if he had not looked. The moment he did, he shot to his feet and cried out, "Fourteen years old! A Mental-Force Amplitude of twenty-three times! How is that possible?!"

"How is that possible? Results like these should mark him as a key observation target. Why did no one notify me?"

Marcel slumped into his chair, staring at Li Qi's half-body photo on the light screen, panic rising in his heart.

I have to shift the responsibility. The problem absolutely cannot fall on me. I'll ask the people at the testing site right now.

As a Stellar Level powerhouse who had lived for more than a century, Marcel quickly composed himself and prepared to find someone to take the blame.

He connected to the testing site through his communicator and asked sternly, "Candidate Li Qi Royce is fourteen years old and has a Mental-Force Amplitude of twenty-three times. He is clearly a key observation target. Why didn't you inform me?"

The female examiner at the site panicked. She did not remember testing any candidate with such a high Mental-Force Amplitude.

After thinking carefully, she suddenly realized. Wasn't this the candidate personally tested by Chief Examiner Ian?

Seeing that it was not her responsibility, the female examiner relaxed considerably. "Chief Examiner Marcel, this candidate was personally tested by Chief Examiner Ian. He never passed through my hands."

"What? Ian tested him personally?!"

Hearing that answer, Marcel was helpless. He had no way to shift the blame, because he was the one who had rejected Ian's application.

He shut off his communicator in a daze, then only began considering countermeasures after brooding for a while.

At this point, there's no way to shift the blame elsewhere.

Marcel thought carefully. With a Mental-Force Amplitude of twenty-three times, unless his Movement Technique is exceptionally poor, his Trial Tower results can't possibly be bad.

If his Trial Tower results are average, then even if the academy holds me accountable, I can brush it off by saying I made a mistake in judgment.

But if his Trial Tower results are excellent, given the conflict between the Holk Family and the Royce Family, they'll definitely think I'm abusing my authority for personal revenge!

There isn't enough information to determine his Movement Technique level. I can only find a way to disrupt his state of mind.

Whoosh!

Marcel stood up. For the sake of his future, he had to act personally!

What?

A Stellar Level powerhouse was targeting an Apprentice Level brat? He had completely thrown shame to the wind!

What was shame?

Could it keep his position as an instructor at Zhaoguang Academy?

It couldn't?

If it couldn't keep his instructor position at Zhaoguang Academy, then what was the point of saving face!

After that internal struggle, Marcel decided to abandon all shame!

When Li Qi and Ivanko returned to the waiting area of the testing grounds, some people who had not yet left saw them come back and began whispering among themselves.

"Why have people from the Royce Family come back?"

"Didn't that little fellow already pass the assessment?"

"They..."

Conversations like these continued one after another. Clearly, these people were confused and curious about the pair's return.

At that moment, a well-dressed middle-aged man arrived at the waiting area. He was Marcel, who had rushed over after seeing Li Qi and Ivanko return through the surveillance feed.

"That is...?"

Seeing someone approach, Ivanko frowned slightly after recognizing the man.

When he reached them, Marcel ignored Ivanko and merely stared at Li Qi with a smile. "You're Candidate Li Qi Royce, correct?"

"I am."

Seeing the man ask with a smile, Li Qi answered politely.

Meanwhile, Ivanko asked coldly, "Chief Examiner Marcel Holke, when will the Trial Tower assessment begin?"

Hearing his Third Father Ivanko's question, Li Qi's expression turned cold. So he's Marcel Holke of the Holk Family! The Chief Examiner who rejected my application for special admission to Zhaoguang Academy.

Now that the Royce Family and the Marcel Family had torn away all pretense and become enemies, Li Qi naturally had no reason to show a pleasant face to an enemy.

"When will the assessment begin? I'll have to take a careful look."

Still smiling, Marcel opened his communicator and pretended to glance through it. Then, without the slightest sincerity, he apologized, "I'm terribly sorry, but because you left midway through, you've been moved to the end of the line."

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Li Qi. He did not look at Ivanko beside him at all.

"This feeling..."

Under Marcel's gaze, Li Qi gradually felt enormous pressure, as if he were being watched by an incomparably huge, starving, ferocious beast!

Moreover, this beast had bared its fangs and was ready to attack. The slightest lapse in focus, and it would pounce on him and tear him apart!

The sensation made him deeply uncomfortable, placing immense pressure on his mind!

"Since the Chief Examiner has said so, then we'll wait."

Ivanko stepped forward and stood in front of Li Qi, blocking Marcel's gaze.

Once that dangerous gaze vanished, Li Qi immediately felt much more at ease, as though a heavy burden had been lifted from him.

"Since I was the one who asked you to return to the academy for the Trial Tower assessment, and now you have to wait until the end of the line, why don't I wait with you?"

As he said this, Marcel looked like a responsible instructor.

"As Chief Examiner, Instructor Marcel, you surely have important matters to attend to. There's no need to waste your time on us."

Ivanko refused directly, then turned to Li Qi. "Come on. Let's rest somewhere else."

With that, Ivanko prepared to leave with Li Qi.