Profound Light Stele

Hearing the county academy instructor loudly announce the entry procedures, all the young examinees present immediately composed themselves and consciously formed several long, orderly lines to await verification.

One after another, they took out their admission slips, held them out with both hands, and handed them to the duty instructors for inspection, verification, and registration.

Every admission slip clearly listed the candidate's name, county academy enrollment, native place and age, build and appearance, family background and record, along with the vermilion official seal stamped by the county office. It was the sole credential for entering the county examination.

The students stepped forward in turn while the instructors compared their appearances and checked their admission slips one by one, guarding strictly against impersonation and cheating. The atmosphere was exceedingly solemn.

Seeing this, Chen An did not hesitate. Together with Shen Qinglan, he took out his own admission slip, chose a line at random, and quietly joined the back to await verification.

"All students who have completed verification are to enter at once and proceed to Martial Arena No. 1 within the academy. No lingering, no noise! Any violation of the rules will result in immediate disqualification from the examination!"

As soon as those words fell, the young martial artists who had passed inspection composed themselves and entered the county academy's vermilion gates in order, making their way toward Martial Arena No. 1 deep within.

After completing their verification, Chen An and Shen Qinglan also headed together toward Martial Arena No. 1.

"What's going on? Why do I feel like Liu Qingyun wants nothing more than to eat your flesh and drink your blood? Did you offend him?!" As they walked together, Shen Qinglan recalled the expressions on the Liu father and son's faces earlier and could not help asking with some concern.

As fellow students of Class A, Shen Qinglan naturally knew Liu Qingyun and also knew that his father, Liu Zhixing, was an instructor of Geng Class.

It was precisely because of this that Shen Qinglan felt somewhat worried.

After all, leaving aside Instructor Liu Zhixing, Liu Qingyun alone was already a martial artist at least in the late Qi Condensation stage, close to perfection. He was not someone Chen An could handle.

"It was nothing. That father and son wanted me and the other nine Geng Class students to give up the county examination. They even planned to secretly sell us to the Treasure Gathering Trading Company as servants and laborers. Fortunately, the matter was exposed, and the academy head elder discovered it in time and stopped them."

Chen An's expression remained calm, his tone without a ripple, as he slowly recounted the foul deeds of the Liu father and son from the previous day, as though he were merely speaking of some trivial matter unrelated to himself.

"What?! They actually dared do something so vicious?!"

Hearing the inside story, Shen Qinglan's lovely face changed abruptly. Her delicate brows knitted tightly, and her expression turned icy.

She clenched her pearly teeth and cast a cold glance at Liu Qingyun's figure not far away. A flash of chill gleamed in her beautiful eyes as she said, "Don't worry. If I run into Liu Qingyun on the Martial Examination stage this time, I'll definitely break that dog's legs for you and let you vent this anger!"

"Alright, then I'll thank you in advance." Seeing her look so righteously indignant, gritting her teeth in fury, Chen An could not help smiling and nodding.

"Oh, right. If you run into Liu Qingyun on the stage, just surrender immediately!"

Shen Qinglan suddenly changed the subject and earnestly instructed him, "Don't try to show off. Liu Qingyun's cultivation is close to Qi Condensation perfection. You're no match for him. As long as the green hills remain, there will be no lack of firewood!"

"Mhm, don't worry." Chen An nodded slightly.

Before long, the two entered Martial Arena No. 1 together.

Martial Arena No. 1 was the county academy's largest training ground, covering a full hundred mu. Its entire floor was paved with black ironstone, as hard as refined iron. It was smooth and level, and even the full-force strikes of martial arts masters would not leave the slightest crack upon it.

At this moment, the martial arena was already buzzing with voices. Three arenas stood firmly in the central area, broad and solid, with stone viewing steps surrounding them for proctoring instructors and waiting students to stand and watch.

On the open ground to the right of the martial arena stood five ancient stone steles, each more than a zhang tall, arranged neatly in a row. The steles were dark as ink throughout, their material heavy and cold. Around one and a half meters up their centers was set a silver-white section, lustrous all over and glowing with faint flowing light. Faint patterns appeared within it, emanating an abstruse ripple.

Beyond that, faint markings seemed to be carved onto the steles as well, though no one knew what they were for.

"I never expected the county academy to bring out the Profound Light Steles for this county examination." At the sight of the five stone steles, Shen Qinglan could not help sighing softly.

"Profound Light Steles?" Chen An raised a brow.

"The Profound Light Steles are said to be peculiar instruments forged by third-rank artificers. They can be used to test the strength of one's true qi."

Seeing that Chen An did not understand, Shen Qinglan spoke in a low voice. "It seems this county examination really is different. I've never heard of Profound Light Steles being used in past county examinations."

Testing the strength of true qi?!

Hearing Shen Qinglan's explanation, a strange glint flashed through Chen An's eyes. He had not expected such an instrument to exist in this world.

Besides that, Chen An noticed that a broad viewing platform had been specially erected at the rear of Martial Arena No. 1.

The platform was built of solid wood, with ancient-looking eaves and a solemn air. Several upright figures were seated upon it at this moment.

The auras of three among them were as deep as abyss and lofty as mountains, dense Xiantian true qi faintly circulating around them. They were clearly Xiantian Realm martial arts powerhouses.

Not long afterward, all thousand-plus students participating in the Martial Examination had arrived. Standing in orderly ranks, they were led by the instructors to the area beneath the viewing platform at the rear.

The entire venue fell silent in an instant, and no one dared make another sound.

At this moment, a middle-aged man on the platform slowly rose to his feet. He wore a black brocade robe and had three wisps of long beard beneath his chin. His bearing was steady, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's as it swept across the mass of young students below.

He was Fan Suiyun, the academy instructor of Martial Glory County Academy and a Xiantian Realm powerhouse!

Only after the arena had become quiet enough to hear a needle drop did Fan Suiyun speak in a deep voice. His words carried a faint layer of true qi and rang clearly through all of Martial Arena No. 1:

"Students, I am Fan Suiyun, academy instructor of Martial Glory County Academy!"

His gaze slowly swept over the entire crowd before he said with a stern expression, "In today's county academy Martial Examination, favoritism, cheating, private fights, and provoking trouble are forbidden. Anyone who deliberately injures others beneath the stage will be stripped of their examination eligibility on the spot, permanently barred from entering the county academy, and forbidden from participating in future Martial Examinations!"

"This Martial Examination will proceed in two rounds. The first round is a cultivation test, judged by the Profound Light Steles in the arena. Anyone whose cultivation has not surpassed the fifth level of Qi Condensation will be eliminated!"

"The second round is practical combat on the stage. Lots will be drawn to determine pairings, and opponents will compete upon the same stage. A match ends when one side admits defeat or falls and loses the ability to resist!"

"The results of this prefectural examination will be assessed comprehensively based on cultivation realm and stage record. The top thirty will be entered into the prefectural academy register and may proceed to the joint examination of the thirty-six counties of Chengtian Prefecture, and even the Five Prefectures Joint Exam, stepping onto a higher martial path!"

Whoosh!!~~

When Fan Suiyun announced the county examination rules—especially the requirement that one had to reach at least the fifth level of Qi Condensation to advance past the first cultivation verification round—the thousand-plus students present instantly erupted into an uproar.

Quite a few youths whose cultivation was stuck at the third or fourth level of Qi Condensation went pale at once, despair showing on their faces.

Students who had harbored a faint hope and wanted to try their luck turned ashen one after another, their faces filled with shock and unwillingness...