Announcing the Results
In addition to forming gangs, the trial participants of Tai'a Divine City also formed some associations.
The largest association is the Divine Wilderness Adventurers' Alliance, whose members mainly travel together to the Divine Desolation Training and hunt wild beasts.
The second largest association is the Savage Heaven Master Association.
The Savage Heaven Master Association is located in the Central Divine Tower. Every month, the Savage Heaven Master Association holds various events, some of which are even supported by the official Tai'a Divine City.
Today, the Savage Heaven Master Association had no scheduled activities, but the hall was packed with people!
Four or five hundred people gathered here; they were all apprentices of the Savage Heaven Master. Eighty or ninety percent of the Savage Heaven Master apprentices in the entire Tai'a Divine City had come.
Today is the day Yue Hua announces the exam results.
Originally, Yue Hua's courses only had a little over a hundred students. Many of the Savage Heaven Master apprentices couldn't attend because they couldn't afford the tuition. But even so, they heard that Yue Hua had conducted exams during the courses and wanted to see how those geniuses fared.
This assessment is crucial as it relates to scholarships and stipends, and everyone agrees that it largely reflects the skill level of all the apprentices of the Savage Heaven Master in Tai'a Divine City.
Let the scores speak for themselves!
In fact, there was no doubt that Luo Huo'er was number one. She had already proven her talent in the Savage Heaven Technique more than once, and her record-breaking performance a few days ago made Luo Huo'er even more outstanding!
People are only concerned about those who came in second place and beyond.
Yang Yuefeng, Li Daohuo, and Zhou Shiguang are all potential contenders for second place!
In the ranking of the Human Ranking, all three are in the top ten, with little difference between them. However, not all of the people in the top ten of the Human Ranking are disciples of the Savage Heaven Master. For example, Qin Haotian and Li Xiao are also in the top ten of the Human Ranking because they obtained Dragon Scale Rune by hunting wild beasts.
The Yue Hua Examination is a comprehensive assessment of all the Savage Heaven Master apprentices in Tai'a Divine City, and its evaluation is of great significance. Not only are the Savage Heaven Master apprentices in Tai'a Divine City concerned about it, but even some major forces have sent their own informants to obtain first-hand information about the rankings.
Those ranked second to tenth are definitely the focus of attention for all major powers.
At this moment, in the training ground on the sixty-ninth floor of the Central Divine Tower, Luo Huo'er was wearing a snow-white training uniform. Her two long, shapely legs were spread apart at a 180-degree angle, with the insides of her legs pressed against the ground. Her upper body was bent backward, her slender waist arched into a perfect curve, and her smooth, long hair hung down, spreading out on the carpet.
Luo Huo'er is practicing her family's secret martial arts technique.
Just then, Dong'er pushed open the door and ran over furtively.
"Miss, today is the day the results are announced. The Savage Heaven Master Association has a lot of people gathered here, all waiting to see the list. Why aren't you there yet?"
Luo Huo'er didn't reply. She braced herself with her hands on the ground, slowly lifting her entire body off the ground. Her legs remained in a 180-degree split and taut position, like the wings of a flying bird.
Because of Luo Huo'er's movements, her training clothes clung tightly to her body, perfectly accentuating her pert, round buttocks and breasts.
She completed the remaining movements with great care, then casually tossed her long hair and said nonchalantly, "Anyway, I'm number one. What's so interesting about that? Those people's skills are all terrible. I can easily beat them all with just half a hand seal!"
Luo Huo'er pouted and continued practicing her skills.
Dong'er chuckled and said, "Miss is right! There's no doubt that Miss will be first, but Miss should also consider her own performance, shouldn't she?"
"The exam was difficult, and I have a vague idea of how many points I'll get. I can guess even without looking at the score. Besides, with so many people crowding around to see the results, wouldn't it make me look low-class if I joined them?"
Luo Huo'er pouted. Actually, this was the main reason she didn't look at the results. How could she squeeze into the crowd and stand on tiptoe to look at the list? Such a lowly thing was not in line with her status.
"What you say is true, Miss. I'll go take a look."
Dong'er volunteered and ran out of the training field with her short legs.
When Dong'er arrived at the training ground, it was already crowded with people, including envoys from various forces who were not actually trial participants from Tai'a Divine City.
Firstly, they wanted to see the results, and secondly, they wanted to build good relationships with these future rookies.
Among the crowd, Yang Yuefeng, Li Daohuo, and Zhou Shiguang were the most eye-catching. In the absence of Luo Huo'er, they were the leaders of all the Savage Heaven Master apprentices present.
"Brother Daohuo, Brother Shiguang, it's been a long time!"
Yang Yuefeng greeted Li Daohuo and Zhou Shiguang.
"Brother Yuefeng, how have you been? I heard you did exceptionally well in the recent exams and have already hosted a banquet at Divine Moon Tower to celebrate your success. It seems that second place is definitely yours!"
Li Daohuo responded with a smile.
"Not at all, my grades are just average, I'm afraid they can't compare to Brother Dao Huo's."
Yang Yuefeng said "modestly" that when the young masters got together, they just flattered each other and deliberately praised each other too highly, but only they themselves knew what they were really thinking.
This exam not only concerns their personal reputation, but also their substantial scholarships. If they can gain the appreciation of Master Yuehua, there is even a sliver of a chance to learn the "Thousand-Hand Moon Buddha"!
Who wouldn't want to come in second place for such an important exam?
The three of them outwardly flattered each other, but in reality, they harbored ulterior motives and each wanted to suppress the other!
"Hypocritical!"
Dong'er watched from afar as the three people fiercely competed for second place while feigning flattery. She curled her lip in disdain. Although she was young, she sometimes understood the ways of the world.
Just then, the doors of the Savage Heaven Master Association were pushed open, and two Central Divine Tower Enforcement Envoy dressed in black cloaks walked in, carrying a scroll as thick as a water bucket.
Everyone immediately fell silent. They realized that the two Enforcement Envoy were likely there to announce the results, and the thick scrolls in their hands were the results list!
As expected, the two Enforcement Envoy walked to the center of the arena and stood there. One of them spoke up, "Master Yuehua has asked us to announce the results. I will first relay Master Yuehua's words. Master Yuehua said that the top two in this exam will receive the inheritance of the 'Thousand-Hand Moon Buddha,' and if they are willing, Master Yuehua will carefully teach them."
The words of this Enforcement Envoy were like a stone thrown into spring water, instantly turning the once quiet scene into a noisy one!
The top two winners will receive the inheritance of the 'Thousand-Hand Moon Buddha'!
If the two are willing, Master Yuehua will carefully instruct them; in fact, to put it bluntly, he will take them as his Personal Disciple!
Everyone knows that Master Yuehua came to Tai'a Divine City with the intention of taking on a disciple, but she only took on Luo Huo'er. Everyone else was just hoping for the best. They would be very content to be chosen by Master Yuehua, even if it was just as a nominal disciple.
Even for those who are only registered disciples, it would likely require passing multiple exams and achieving excellent results each time before they could become disciples.
To their utter surprise, this was only the first test. Master Yuehua decided to take on another disciple besides Luo Huo'er!
This is truly an incredible opportunity!
Who came in second place and had such incredible luck?
Some of the top-ranked apprentices of the Savage Heaven Master all became excited.
"Brother Daohuo, Brother Shiguang, I never imagined that the three of us would have such an opportunity. Perhaps one of you, Brother Daohuo or Brother Shiguang, will be chosen by Master Yuehua!"
Yang Yuefeng said insincerely, his voice trembling slightly. He wished Li Daohuo and Zhou Shiguang were dead, leaving him the only one who would be accepted as a disciple by Master Yuehua.
"Haha! Brother Yuefeng, you're too modest. I think you'll most likely be second place this time. If that's the case, you're going to rise to great heights. You'll have to take good care of us in the future!"
Zhou Shiguang's words were not what they truly felt; as he spoke, his heart raced, and he silently chanted, "It must be me, it must be me!"
At this moment, Li Daohuo, Zhou Shiguang, and Yang Yuefeng were the most nervous. This was a moment that would determine their fate, and none of them had enough confidence to defeat the other two.
The two Enforcement Envoy said, "We are now posting the results; the maximum score is seven hundred."
One of the Enforcement Envoy tore off the seal on the results list, a list that no one had ever seen before.
The list was very long. One Enforcement Envoy held the end of the scroll, while another Enforcement Envoy held the beginning. The two of them unfolded the list of achievements slowly, like opening a scroll.
Everyone held their breath!
After a short period of silence, the names appeared one by one.
These names are arranged in order of score from lowest to highest. The first ones to appear are all at the bottom of the ranking, with scores of just over two hundred.
"Such a low score!"
Some people were secretly astonished. Although it was at the bottom of the list, it only scored about 200 out of a possible 700 points, less than a third of the total.
The list unfolded slowly, with one name after another appearing. The teenagers looked at their scores with complicated expressions; being ranked so low was hardly something to be proud of.
Gradually, dozens of names emerged, and those further ahead were all in the middle to upper ranks, with their scores slowly rising and exceeding 250 points.
Next, 260 points, 270 points, 280 points...
The score kept jumping forward, and it was almost three hundred points.
The boy who saw his name at this moment already had a look of joy on his face. Although his score was a bit poor, being ranked at the top among a group of geniuses was enough to make him proud.
The list is three-quarters complete, and we expect to see the top twenty by now.
The remaining people all tensed up.
Yang Yuefeng pretended to be calm as he waved a folding fan, but his palms were covered in fine beads of sweat, and he waved the fan faster and faster until it was almost broken.
Li Daohuo had a smile on his face, but it was a very forced smile, almost frozen on his face.
Zhou Shiguang didn't hide his feelings; he clenched his fists and stared intently at the names that popped up on the list.
He was afraid of seeing his own name appear.
The list has moved past a dozen or so names; it's estimated that it should be time for the top ten!
Everyone who appeared at this time was famous; they were all geniuses of the Savage Heaven Master who came from various prominent families!
However, these people only scored 320 or 330 points.
With a total score of 700, even a genius from a prestigious family scored less than half, demonstrating just how difficult this exam was!
Those who hadn't yet appeared on the list were all extremely nervous, hoping they would be one of the lucky ones besides Luo Huo'er.
A few more names appeared, and only a small section of the scroll remained rolled up on the list. Several people's faces showed disappointment.
Just then, the names on the list changed to a much larger font. Each character was more than three times larger than before. Because of the larger font, the scroll unfurled more slowly, so each name took longer to appear.
Yang Yuefeng and the others felt as if every second was an eternity!
They both wanted to see each other's names first, leaving their own names for last.
"Zhou Shiguang, 345 points!"
When Zhou Shiguang's name appeared, Zhou Shiguang, standing below the stage, felt a sudden boom in his head, his ears ringing, and he felt dizzy and lightheaded...
He was eliminated...
His name appeared before Li Daohuo and Yang Yuefeng, which means that he scored the lowest among the three.
"Brother Shiguang, what a pity..."
Yang Yuefeng said, waving his fan. He was overjoyed, but deliberately put on a regretful expression.
"No... it's nothing. Congratulations, Brother Yuefeng and Brother Daohuo. I'm simply outmatched."
Zhou Shiguang clasped his hands in greeting, but the smile on his face was extremely forced, almost more like a grimace.
At this moment, Yang Yuefeng and Li Daohuo couldn't afford to say anything more to Zhou Shiguang, because the next name was about to appear, and this was the most crucial moment. Both of them had hearts pounding like drums, pupils contracting, and were staring intently at the slowly unfolding results list.
If eyes could burn with heat, this list would probably be on fire.
The next one is -- "Li Daohuo. 347 points!"
Li Daohuo's body trembled, and his face turned deathly pale! His fingers shook, and he could hardly believe what he was seeing.
He lost too, he lost to Yang Yuefeng!
At this moment, Yang Yuefeng was overjoyed!
"Brother Dao Huo, what a pity! It was just a little short!"
Yang Yuefeng's heart was pounding and his blood was rushing. He tried to appear calm and composed, but he couldn't fake it anymore. His voice trembled slightly with excitement.
Anyone could see that Yang Yuefeng was absolutely ecstatic at that moment.
Sure enough, Yang Yuefeng's name appeared after Li Daohuo.
"Yang Yuefeng, 360 points!"
Yang Yuefeng, perhaps due to an extraordinary performance or divine intervention, suddenly surpassed Li Daohuo by thirteen points, breaking the 360-point mark.
That score is indeed high! No wonder he was chosen along with Luo Huo'er.
Many people shared this sentiment, and they had already begun congratulating Yang Yuefeng.
Congratulations, Brother Yuefeng!
"Brother Yuefeng, you're treating us! It has to be the most luxurious private room at Divine Moon Tower, and you have to treat us for three days straight."
Many people offered their compliments with smiles, but their smiles carried a hint of bitterness.
However, some of Yang Yuefeng's faction members, or those who had pledged allegiance to the Prince Chu's Estate's Mansion, were genuinely excited. With their master becoming stronger, they felt more emboldened as well. Many were glad they had previously pledged allegiance to the Prince Chu's Estate.
At this moment, Yang Yuefeng was already so excited that his cheeks were flushed, and his whole body was like a boiling boiler about to erupt.
However, he still retained a sliver of rationality; it wasn't the end, and he couldn't afford to be complacent, lest a dark horse emerge.
"Don't congratulate us too soon, everyone. Tai'a Divine City is full of hidden talents. There might even be people stronger than me, Brother Shiguang, and Brother Daohuo."
Yang Yuefeng spoke with apparent humility and composure, but the veins on his forehead were bulging. His eyes were fixed on the unfolded results list, and the names that had just appeared were going through his mind over and over again.
When the results list was first displayed, Yang Yuefeng had already been counting down those who posed a threat to him. Every single one of them had appeared, which meant that no one should be able to threaten his second place anymore.
He should have been chosen as a disciple by Master Yuehua!
This is like a dream!
"Brother Yuefeng, you're too modest. How could that be? Everything that was supposed to happen has already happened."
As someone was speaking, a name that made Yang Yuefeng breathe a sigh of relief appeared—
"Luo Huo'er, 494 points!"
The font of this line of text was larger than before, and it was written horizontally, taking up a full two feet of the scroll's width. Each character was not written with ink, but rather formed from condensed energy runes, which immediately revealed the difference.
494 points!?
So tall!?
Upon seeing this terrifying score, everyone present stared wide-eyed.
Yang Yuefeng, who ranked second, only scored 360 points.
Luo Huo'er suddenly took the lead by more than 130 points, which is simply outrageous!
Everyone knew how formidable Luo Huo'er was, but it wasn't until such an exaggerated comparison of their achievements that people truly realized what an unattainable gap really meant.
In the crowd, Dong'er saw Luo Huo'er's results and raised her little fist forcefully, as if the honor belonged to her.
"Hehe. Miss is really amazing. Not only did she get first place, but she also led second place by such a large margin. I'll go tell Miss the good news in a bit, but I doubt she'll be too happy. She'll probably just say it's only natural."
Dong'er had already anticipated Luo Huo'er's reaction.
Luo Huo'er's results were indeed amazing, but at this moment, Yang Yuefeng didn't care about any of that; he only had one thought in his mind.
Luo Huo'er has come out, there's no mistake!
He came in second place. Because Luo Huo'er was first, it was impossible for anyone to be higher than Luo Huo'er!
Congratulations, Brother Yuefeng!
"Brother Yuefeng is truly a dragon among men!"
A group of people immediately came up to congratulate and offer their congratulations, whether they were insincere or genuinely wanted to achieve great success with Yang Yuefeng. In short, at this moment, everyone was singing his praises.
Yang Yuefeng was chosen by Master Yuehua, and his future is limitless. He is currently at the height of his career, so of course we should befriend him.
"Haha, you're too kind, everyone." Yang Yuefeng turned around and accepted their congratulations with composure.
He cleared his throat and addressed those around him. "Over the years, I, Yang, have diligently practiced the Savage Heaven Technique. Although my aptitude is dull, I have worked tirelessly, never daring to slacken for a moment. I am deeply honored by Master Yuehua's kindness in accepting me as her disciple. I am filled with humility and fear that I may fail to live up to Master Yuehua's expectations. In the future, I will certainly strive even harder in my cultivation, encouraging everyone to work together for the Tai'a Divine Kingdom and to protect all living beings under heaven..."
Yang Yuefeng was in high spirits at this moment, his voice was eight octaves higher, and he wished he could fly to the sky.
He had actually tried his best to maintain his image of being "unmoved by external gains or losses," but when he said these words, his mouth was practically stretched to the back of his ears.
However, just as Yang Yuefeng was finishing his impassioned speech, he suddenly stopped.
"Uh... what's wrong?"
He was surprised to see that those who had congratulated him earlier had all become stunned, staring at what was behind him as if they had seen a ghost.
At this moment, all that was behind Yang Yuefeng was the ranking list.
Yang Yuefeng's heart skipped a beat. What happened?
Is there a problem with the rankings?
He was a little afraid to turn around, but by then, the scene had become eerily quiet. Everyone stood there blankly, their expressions as if they had been bewitched or possessed.
Yang Yuefeng felt a cold wind blow past, and goosebumps rose on his back. He even felt as if he wasn't in the Savage Heaven Master Association, but in a desolate mass grave.
"Luo Huo'er... Luo Huo'er... how could this happen..."
After a long period of stunned silence, a young man pointed at the list and muttered to himself, his face full of disbelief.
Seeing the boy's reaction, Yang Yuefeng felt as if he had been stabbed in the chest.
Everything around us slowed down.
Yang Yuefeng's entire body stiffened, as if he had become a zombie crawling out of a mass grave. He twisted his body with difficulty, turning his head little by little.
The list that had just brought him endless glory and aspirations now seemed like an evil scroll stained with curses, making it too daunting to look at.
Yang Yuefeng forced his gaze to fall on the list, on the list ahead of Luo Huo'er.
A line of text was written using characters formed from shimmering golden runes.
"Yi Yun, 515 points!"
The moment Yang Yuefeng saw those words, he felt as if all the blood in his body had been drained away, and his body seemed to lose its support, almost collapsing to the ground.
515 points?
515 points?
These words swirled in Yang Yuefeng's mind like a curse; the golden characters seemed to transform into the color of blood, engulfing him!
Yi Yun... It's Yi Yun, how could it possibly be Yi Yun!?
Of these more than one hundred apprentices of the Savage Heaven Master, only one was named Yi Yun, and he was also the least likely person to be chosen!
No! I don't believe it!
Yang Yuefeng screamed wildly, his face contorted in agony, veins bulging on his neck and cheeks like earthworms wriggling under his skin, making Yang Yuefeng look incredibly ferocious!
"There must be a mistake! Yi Yun doesn't know the Savage Heaven Technique at all, how could he be ranked ahead of Luo Huo'er!? How could he be ranked ahead of me!? There must be a mistake! There must be a mistake! I'm second! I'm second!!"
Yang Yuefeng was already incoherent.
He couldn't accept this fact. After giving him endless hope and letting him enjoy success in front of others, they cruelly took it all away! It was as if a knife had been ripped into his heart!
(The chapter cannot be split into two parts; both chapters are combined into one. That's all for today.)
...(To be continued~^~)