Was that him?
Enemies truly met on a narrow road.
I thought he had some kind of backing. So everything before had just been a bluff.
Hmph~
The humiliation from before would be repaid twofold shortly.
The Round-faced Youth stood not far away, staring at Qin Jishi with a vicious glint in his eyes.
He could tell that Qin Jishi had come to apply as a menial laborer at the Black and White Academy.
They had all been fooled. If Qin Jishi truly had a background, would he come apply as a menial laborer at the Black and White Academy? At the very least, he would be a formal disciple.
The Round-faced Youth had already been bottling up a bellyful of resentment. Now that he had his answer, would he simply let it go?
A'si beside him noticed something amiss. When he followed the Round-faced Youth's gaze, his brows unconsciously furrowed as well.
However, that change in expression vanished in an instant, and he soon returned to normal.
"Third Brother, don't forget what Young Master instructed us to do."
Apparently understanding the Round-faced Youth's temperament, A'si could not help reminding him.
"Don't worry!" The Round-faced Youth's lips curled upward. "I know what I'm doing."
No matter how much the Round-faced Youth hated Qin Jishi, he knew this was not the place to make a move. The steward of the Black and White Academy's Menial Labor Quarters was here. If he displeased him, how would he get by in the Menial Labor Quarters afterward?
As they spoke, Qin Jishi casually glanced over, a faint smile rising at the corner of his lips.
At the same time, the fat man's voice rang out from atop the platform again.
"Very good. Ten breaths have passed. Follow me to the academy shortly."
A'wu walked down from the platform, drenched in sweat. The agony he had endured could be seen from his twisted face.
"Everyone, two hundred and ninety-seven disciples have passed the assessment so far. There are only three slots left, so hurry."
"I'll go!"
As the words fell, A'si lightly pushed off the ground with both feet. Before anyone could react, he had already arrived atop the platform.
Based on those who had just passed, Qin Jishi judged that the pressure released inside the circle of light was roughly at Nascent Breath Level 7. In other words, anyone whose cultivation reached Nascent Breath Level 7 should have little trouble passing the menial labor assessment.
The facts proved him right. A'si held on for ten breaths and passed the assessment smoothly.
Only two slots remained now, and the people present began to grow anxious.
They stared fixedly at the platform, waiting only for the fat man's voice to fall before appearing atop it at the first opportunity.
Unlike those anxious people, Qin Jishi remained calm.
Pretending!
Keep pretending!
The Round-faced Youth snorted coldly. "Wait until I pass the assessment, then see how I'll torment you..."
Almost the instant his words fell, the fat man's voice sounded.
The Round-faced Youth had long been poised for action. With a light tap of his foot against the ground, he took the lead and leaped onto the platform.
He was a Nascent Breath Level 8 martial artist, one of the outstanding figures among the younger generation.
Unfortunately, such talent was only barely enough to meet the standard for menial laborers in the Black and White Academy's eyes.
As expected, the Round-faced Youth passed the assessment.
He held his head high and looked toward Qin Jishi with arrogant pride, his expression dripping with contempt.
Uh!
Everyone followed his gaze, utterly confused.
"That kid seems to be an ordinary person without any profound energy. Do they have a grudge?"
"Probably. Sigh... An ordinary person offended a martial artist, and one with the status of a Black and White Academy menial laborer at that. Can anything good come of it for him?"
"..."
Qin Jishi's expression did not change, as though he had not heard their discussion at all.
Still pretending!
Fine!
The Round-faced Youth's gaze turned sinister. "I'd like to see how long you can keep pretending."
When he stepped down from the platform, the field fell silent in nearly an instant.
Everyone widened their eyes and tensed their nerves, waiting only for the fat man to give the order.
"Only the final slot remains. Please, the next candidate."
Whoosh~
The moment the final word left his mouth, before anyone could react, someone left an afterimage where he stood and appeared atop the platform.
Uh!
They blinked rapidly.
That speed?
Not only them—even the fat man was stunned.
No profound energy?
Almost immediately after his shock, black lines appeared across everyone's foreheads, followed by indignation...
"Steward Jiao, this person has no profound energy. He is here to cause trouble."
"Make him get down immediately. The Black and White Academy's recruitment of menial laborers is such an important grand occasion—how can an ordinary person like him be allowed to make trouble?"
"..."
Everyone in the field was condemning him, though even more looked at him with disdain.
The fat man's face darkened. "An ordinary person like you dares dream of joining our sect? Get down at once. Do not make me punish you."
Qin Jishi smiled. "Steward, has the Black and White Academy ever explicitly stipulated that ordinary people cannot participate in the recruitment of menial laborers?"
"Not exactly!"
"Since that is the case, now that I am on the platform, why can I not take the assessment?"
"Hmph~" The fat man snorted. "Do you know how dangerous our assessment is? As a mere mortal, how will you withstand that gravitational pressure?"
"Steward, if I cannot withstand it, then even if I lose my life, it will be of my own accord and have nothing to do with anyone else. Could it be that you intend to break the rules?"
These words clearly displeased the fat man somewhat. A mere mortal dared speak to him like this?
"Fine. Since you are bent on seeking death, I will grant your wish."
"Begin."
In the fat man's eyes, Qin Jishi would undoubtedly die the moment he entered the circle of light.
No one knew better than him how powerful the pressure inside the circle was. Anyone below Nascent Breath Level 7 could not withstand it.
Good words could not save a ghost bound for death. Let him go, then.
Having received permission, Qin Jishi did not waste words and stepped toward the circle of light.
"Hey, why is an ordinary person here making trouble? If he doesn't die, I'll eat shit."
"Count me in. Even descendants of lineages with exceptional talent cannot complete the assessment. Him? He will probably be crushed into a bloody pulp in an instant."
"Forget it, forget it. This works out nicely—we can adjust our condition and fight for the final slot."
"..."
Their mockery was not without reason. If the assessment set by the Black and White Academy were truly so easy to complete, would so many people have been eliminated?
Even those martial artists could not withstand the pressure within the circle of light. What gave an ordinary person like him the right?
Amid their contemptuous gazes, Qin Jishi lifted his foot and stepped into the circle of light.
At that moment, many could not help closing their eyes, unwilling to witness the scene of shattered limbs and mangled flesh.
Silence!
When Qin Jishi stepped into the circle of light, the entire scene fell silent.
Even the fat man stood frozen in place.
Unharmed?
Was he an ordinary person?
The fat man furrowed his brows tightly, releasing his spiritual sense and confirming again and again that there had been no mistake.
His physical body was as strong as black iron?
How?
Whew~
Three breaths!
Five breaths!
Ten breaths!
Not until Qin Jishi passed the assessment and calmly walked out of the circle of light did those present recover their senses.
Anyone could see how composed Qin Jishi had been beneath such pressure... Almost no one doubted that if he had not voluntarily walked out of the circle of light, he could have held on even longer.
"Your physical strength?" The fat man narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Hehe!" Qin Jishi had long prepared an explanation. "Steward, I have been physically robust since childhood and possess Innate Divine Strength, so..."
"Steward Jiao!" At that moment, the Round-faced Youth also recovered from his shock, his voice ringing through the surroundings. "I question him... This person must have cheated."
Before you continue