Report to the Examiner! Someone's Cheating!!

Luo Jun did not expect to see a classmate here. He instinctively used Vital Energy Vision to observe her, but he could not see any Vital Energy Wave coming from Ling Xin.

Body Refinement Realm? Or an Ordinary Person?

Thinking about it, that made sense. Although Ling Xin was only a student, her grades and athletic ability were both outstanding. Even at a prestigious school like Second High School, she stood out from the crowd. She could be called one of the best among Ordinary People, so it was not strange that she had caught the Yuan Cultivation Society's attention and received an Admission Ticket.

When he saw someone he knew, he naturally had to say hello. Luo Jun walked toward Ling Xin with a smile and waved from afar.

"Ling Xin! It really is you!"

But Luo Jun was not the one who said that. A boy darted in front of Ling Xin before him, his face full of excitement.

"That back view... Han Yuri?!"

Luo Jun had not expected to run into two classmates at the exam. Even that annoying class monitor, Han, had come?

"Class monitor?" Ling Xin was also somewhat surprised to see Han Yuri. A trace of barely perceptible displeasure flashed across her brows, but her good manners still prompted her to greet him. "You came too?"

"Yes, yes, yes..." Han Yuri chuckled. "At the beginning of the year, people from Ningdong University came looking for me and invited me to take this exam. You know, I'd originally aspired to get into Ningdong University. With such a special opportunity, of course I couldn't miss it. Ah, I never expected to meet you here, Ling Xin. Fate truly works in mysterious ways, haha..."

Ling Xin frowned slightly and Nodded. "This exam is quite dangerous."

"Hahaha..." Han Yuri threw back his head and laughed. "How can a real man shrink back over a little danger? Besides, if I hadn't come, how could I have run into you here? Wouldn't that be letting down Heaven's arrangements?"

Ling Xin shrugged. "Whatever you want."

"Don't worry, Ling Xin. If there's any danger, I'll protect you!" Han Yuri failed to notice her impatience. He flexed his biceps, showing off his manliness.

"Oh, isn't this an old classmate?" Seeing the class monitor wagging his tail at Ling Xin like a poodle, Luo Jun awkwardly cut in. "Class monitor, I've missed you all so much!"

"Luo Jun?!" Han Yuri stared at Luo Jun in shock, while Ling Xin beside him widened her eyes as well.

"You... why are you here too?" The corner of Han Yuri's eye twitched.

"Same as you." Luo Jun grinned and waved the Admission Ticket in his hand. "I originally refused, but they were too enthusiastic and insisted on shoving it at me... Ugh, it's so annoying. It even kept me from going to school these past few days, and now I've grown distant from the class monitor... Come on, let Dad give you a hug!"

As he spoke, this guy actually spread his arms and moved toward him, scaring Han Yuri into quickly dodging away. "Stop bragging! What makes you think you're qualified to take the same exam as me?"

The moment the words left his mouth, Han Yuri realized he had misspoken. He turned to glance at Ling Xin, coughed, and explained to Luo Jun, "I... I mean, this exam is very dangerous. You could get hurt or even lose your life. You'd better..."

"Don't worry, Class Monitor!" Luo Jun patted Han Yuri on the shoulder. "If anything happens to you, I'll take care of your goddess. Rest easy!"

"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Han Yuri's face turned bright red with anger. He gave a Cold Snort. "We'll see during the exam!" Then he turned and left in a huff.

Luo Jun gave Han Yuri's retreating back the Middle Finger, then turned to Ling Xin. "If you run into danger during the exam, call for me. I'm not good at much else, but I can fight!"

Ling Xin looked at him, sighed, and shook her head. "You... shouldn't have come... You still have time to withdraw."

"Huh?" Luo Jun scratched his head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ling Xin looked at Luo Jun. "Being an Explorer isn't as simple as you think. It's a job where you may have to give your life at any time, even..."

"I know." Luo Jun Nodded calmly, then looked at Ling Xin with some curiosity. "You... aren't worried about me, are you?"

Ling Xin froze slightly, then her face darkened with anger. "I... just don't want to see a classmate's corpse during some mission!"

With that, she gave a Cold Snort, brushed past him, and headed deeper into the crowd.

"That sounded pretty scary... Did I offend her?" Luo Jun had been quite grateful to Ling Xin for speaking up for him in the group chat Last Time. Since they happened to be fellow examinees, he had come over to greet her, only to get snubbed instead.

Soon, it was time for the exam. Five figures walked down from the Trial Stone Steps. The leader was over six feet three, powerfully built, with resolute features. A scar ran across his left eye, making him look particularly fierce.

The scar-faced man checked the time and spoke loudly to the examinees present.

"Alright, the exam has begun. From this moment onward, any examinee who has not arrived will be considered to have forfeited!"

He did not shout, yet his voice reached every person's ears with perfect clarity.

The Vital Energy Cultivators present had been mentally prepared, but the Ordinary People were quite shocked. They began discussing where these people had emerged from.

Luo Jun recalled what his Master had said: the trial stairway was sealed by a barrier, and only Cultivators could see it. To Ordinary People, this man had Appeared Out of Thin Air.

"Greetings, examinees!" The man stood with his hands behind his back and introduced himself. "My name is Zheng Hu, and I am a combat instructor at the Explorer Academy. I will serve as the chief examiner for the first test!"

"As for the content of the exam..." Zheng Hu waved a hand, seemingly lifting some sort of restriction. The Ordinary People in the crowd cried out in surprise.

"Why did a staircase appear?"

"It wasn't there just now, was it?"

"That's amazing! Is this the Explorer Academy's technology?"

Zheng Hu pressed both hands down, quieting the crowd.

"This section of stairs you see is called the Trial Stone Steps. When climbing it, you will experience immense resistance, making it a hundred times harder than ordinary mountain climbing. The first test is to climb these Trial Stone Steps!"

Luo Jun had already been prepared for this test.

After browsing the forums these past few days, he had long learned that Ningdong Explorer Academy's entrance exams throughout the years consisted of four subjects that progressively eliminated candidates. Subject One and Subject Two were the same every year: the Trial Stone Steps and a combat test against Mechanical Puppets.

This was exactly what Old Yuan had been training him for these past few days. When Luo Jun saw that information, he was deeply moved. His Master might seem strict, but he had actually worried himself sick to help him pass the exam...

Still, there was one thing Luo Jun could not figure out. Climbing the stone steps placed heavy demands on both Vital Energy and physical strength. With so many examinees at different levels, including even Ordinary People, how could it possibly be fair for them to compete together?

No one had mentioned this on the forums. Probably because the first two subjects were held every year and everyone already knew the rules, nobody bothered to ask something so obvious.

But Zheng Hu quickly cleared up his confusion.

"Before climbing the stairs, please come to me for a small test."

As he spoke, the four assistants behind him carried over a long table. Four large antique-bronze discs sat side by side atop it. Each disc had two handles, exquisite beast patterns carved around its body, and water inside.

"This is a Spirit Mirror Disc, an artificial Treasure Tool created by the Refining Masters of the Yuan Cultivation Society. Hold the handles with both hands, and the disc will measure your current level of Vital Energy Cultivation."

As he spoke, one assistant demonstrated on the spot. The water in the disc glowed with a faint Blue Light.

"From low to high, the realms are white, green, blue, purple, and gold. Those who have never cultivated Vital Energy will produce no light. Blue represents Cultivators at the first or second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm."

"To ensure fairness, before climbing the Trial Stone Steps, we will use the Spirit Mirror Disc to determine your realm and set your finish line based on that level. As long as you reach the designated finish line within one hour, you will pass this stage."

"Detection devices have been installed on both sides of the stairs. If you use a Treasure Tool for assistance while climbing, it will be judged as a violation, and you will lose your qualification to continue."

After the rules were explained, the examinees began lining up for testing under the staff's guidance.

The stone stairs could only accommodate three or four people abreast, while there were over a thousand examinees. A long line quickly formed. Fortunately, the test was convenient. As long as someone gripped the handles with both hands, the result appeared instantly, so it proceeded quickly.

"Just like Treasure Tool grades." Luo Jun stood in line, watching lights flare up one after another ahead of him.

The most common result was no light at all, belonging to Ordinary People. Next came White Light and Green Light. An occasional Blue Light or even Purple Light was enough to draw cries of surprise.

It seemed that most examinees were at or below the Body Refinement Realm. Luo Jun felt somewhat reassured.

"Whoa!" "That's amazing!" "This is..."

A commotion suddenly broke out ahead. Luo Jun craned his neck and saw a dazzling Golden Light shine among the crowd.

Golden Light? Could that be the Heart Refining Realm?

The legendary Third Young Master of the Lei Family? Or that Golden Edge Witch who could wield Golden Light?

Luo Jun was curious about what those two Big Shots looked like, but they were too far away. Quite a few people ahead had gathered around, drawn by the Golden Light, and he could not see anything inside.

Luo Jun looked at the hundreds of people still lined up behind him. If he left the line now to watch the excitement, he would only be able to return to the very back...

Suppressing his curiosity, he waited patiently. About half an hour later, Luo Jun finally reached the foot of the stone stairs with the line. He grasped the handles of the Spirit Mirror Disc with both hands, and White Light appeared.

The staff entered Luo Jun's Admission Ticket information, took his photo, then brought out a White Wristband. After scanning it with an instrument, they handed it to Luo Jun and told him that once he reached the place marked by a white banner, he only needed to show the wristband. Staff would then guide him to the next exam site.

Luo Jun Nodded in agreement. He turned to look at the all-too-familiar Trial Stone Steps, strode forward with his head held high, and ran upward seven or eight steps at a time.

Quite a few people around him sprinted upward just as quickly. Anyone who had come to take this exam had some skill and was proud of it. How could they be frightened by a mere flight of stairs? They all wanted to reach the finish line as quickly as possible and earn a good result.

But the vast majority noticed something was wrong before they reached fifty steps.

The higher one climbed the Trial Stone Steps, the greater the resistance became. Even the Vital Energy within their bodies was consumed faster. Those Ordinary People wearing Gray Wristbands found it difficult to take another step by around two hundred steps. Many collapsed beside the stairs and began gasping for breath.

Even the Body Refinement Realm Cultivators wearing White Wristbands could only climb one step at a time once they reached two or three hundred steps. They were still steadily ascending, but the beads of sweat on their foreheads made it obvious that they were struggling.

Only Luo Jun maintained his sprinting momentum all the way, soon spotting a gray banner hanging above the stairs.

So this was the finish line for Ordinary People?

Having climbed up and down the Trial Stone Steps for over twenty days, Luo Jun was extremely familiar with this route. This spot was still far from the small pavilion, probably only four or five hundred steps up.

A great number of Ordinary People wearing Gray Wristbands had gathered here. By this point, most people were practically exhausted. Most examinees lay sprawled across the stone steps, able only to groan weakly. After panting for a long time, they would use both hands and feet to inch themselves another step upward. From afar, they looked like caterpillars wriggling across the stairs.

There were only a few dozen steps left to the finish line. No one who had made it this far wanted to give up.

Yet these caterpillars sprawled everywhere also obstructed the examinees behind them. Those wearing Green Wristbands or even Blue Wristbands were fine; they were still agile upon reaching this point and could easily weave through the obstacles. The Ordinary People with Gray Wristbands were not particularly hindered either. Those who made it this far were all in the same miserable state. Even if they wanted to overtake someone, they lacked the strength and could only groan and wriggle forward with the crowd.

The ones most affected were actually those wearing White Wristbands.

They had only recently begun cultivating, novices at the first or second level of the Body Refinement Realm. Their stamina was not much better than that of Ordinary People, and after climbing all the way here, their limited Vital Energy had nearly been exhausted. Their legs already felt as heavy as lead, yet the climb had now turned from stair climbing into an obstacle course, sending the difficulty soaring.

Many White Wristband wearers carelessly tripped over Gray Wristband wearers lying on the ground. Once they fell, getting back up was difficult. They could only become slightly more nimble caterpillars...

"This is going to be tough..."

A White Wristband wearer with dyed red hair wiped away his sweat and looked despairingly at the people sprawled across the steps ahead. Then he turned and noticed Luo Jun standing beside him.

"Bro, are you Body Refinement Realm too?" The red-haired young man adjusted his breathing and glanced at Luo Jun's White Wristband. "Not bad. You climbed all the way here without even turning red or running out of breath. Your cultivation is pretty solid!"

"Yeah, it's alright..." Luo Jun answered absentmindedly, his eyes scanning the crowd of Gray Wristband wearers ahead.

"Looking at this mess, it won't be easy for either of us to keep moving forward." The red-haired young man extended a hand toward Luo Jun. "How about this? Let's hold hands and go together. If either of us trips, we'll have someone to help us out."

Luo Jun had not heard a word he said. His attention was entirely on the people ahead. After watching for a while, surprise appeared on his face. "Ling Xin and Han Yuri aren't here. They were ahead of me in line, but I haven't seen them this whole way... Have they already passed?"

"What are you muttering about?" The red-haired young man raised his hand. "Give me a straight answer. Are you in or not?"

"Huh?" Only then did Luo Jun notice the examinee beside him. He looked at the raised hand, froze for a moment, then suddenly understood. Smiling, he extended his hand as well and slapped his palm against the other man's.

"Good luck!"

Leaving behind that encouragement, Luo Jun crouched slightly, gathered strength in his legs, and kicked off. He shot into the air with a whoosh, instantly clearing the ten-plus-meter obstacle zone formed by the examinees. He sailed over the gray banner and continued striding upward.

"Holy shit?!!"

The red-haired young man watched Luo Jun's back grow farther and farther away, his jaw nearly hitting the floor. After a long while, he finally came to his senses and shouted:

"Report to the examiner, someone's cheating!"

PS: One long chapter today. I'm sorting out the upcoming plot.

Thanks to Wild Goose Sinks Fish for the reward of 297 Origin Point Coins!

Thanks to Scattered Splendor, Ancient Wind for the reward of 200 Origin Point Coins!

Thanks, everyone, for your monthly tickets and recommendations!