The College Entrance Examination Begins, a Pillar of Light, a Gaze from the Forbidden Zone

"Yuanzi!"

A familiar voice came from behind.

Jiang Yuan turned his head and a smile appeared on his face.

"Haozi, you came too."

Chen Hao walked over, spreading his hands and shaking his head. "I didn't want to come, but my dad insisted I experience the atmosphere of the college entrance exam. He said not to leave any regrets in my youth."

He looked at his best friend with a sense of emotion. "But you... you've changed so much I barely recognize you. I saw what happened at the Thunder Martial Arts Hall last time. I never imagined you'd become this powerful. It's just... it's just..."

"It's just so impressive! You guy! You're seriously awesome!"

Unable to contain his excitement any longer, he rushed over and threw an arm around Jiang Yuan's neck.

"You have no idea how people at school look at me now that they know you're my brother."

"It feels so good!"

Feeling the long-lost, familiar headlock, Jiang Yuan's face was filled with smiles.

As it turned out, no matter how much time passed or how many changes occurred, friends remained friends. Nothing would change that.

Not far away, Guan Xiaoxiao stole a glance at the two of them.

That guy Jiang Yuan hadn't even come over to say hello after not seeing her for so long.

Hmph.

So what if he's become powerful?

If you aren't coming to find me, this young lady isn't going to talk to you either!

The tsundere girl thought to herself.

On the other side, Lin Qingyan also spotted Jiang Yuan. A brilliant starlight flashed through her icy-blue right eye, vanishing in an instant.

Already LV9, damn it. He's actually a level higher than me.

Lin Qingyan thought with annoyance, the cold aura she radiated intensifying, causing the surrounding students to look on in fear and move even further away.

"Jiang Yuan."

Their homeroom teacher, Zhang Yiming, walked over, interrupting the playful scuffle between Jiang Yuan and Chen Hao.

"Teacher Zhang."

Jiang Yuan stopped wrestling with Chen Hao, still holding a great deal of respect for the teacher who had helped him so much.

Zhang Yiming looked at him with a gratified smile. "Not bad, not bad at all. You've polished your blood energy and foundation well. You even knew how to keep a low profile; you even fooled your teacher."

Jiang Yuan said sheepishly, "Sorry, Teacher Zhang. It's just that my profession is a bit difficult to explain..."

Zhang Yiming waved his hand. "It's fine, it's fine. If it's hard to say, then don't say it. I've always believed that knowing how to hide one's light when weak is an excellent quality. Only by knowing how to avoid danger can one climb high and go far."

He stepped forward and patted Jiang Yuan on the shoulder.

"Do your best in today's exam. I hope to see your name in the top one hundred."

Jiang Yuan nodded with a smile.

Soon.

Xia Qinghou, Qin Nansun, Luo Xi, and other notable prodigies arrived one after another.

Principal Liu He appeared on the high platform to explain the exam and deliver his pre-exam speech.

"Today is the day of the college entrance exam, and it is a crucial juncture that will determine your future path."

"Three years of cultivation have all been for this moment."

"In a moment, you will receive a Teleport Stone. Once the magic array is activated, holding the stone will teleport you to the exam venue, which is a small-scale dungeon. Students from the entire Jiang Province will go there, and you will compete on the same stage as students from other cities."

"You must survive in the dungeon for three days. You may form teams or go solo; judge for yourselves based on your own strength."

"If you encounter a life-threatening situation, crush the Teleport Stone to be transported back to your original position."

"You may use the equipment you have equipped, but you cannot use items. All other rules are unrestricted. Please be careful and try to choose teammates you can trust to avoid being eliminated by others."

"Killing fierce beasts or participating in their defeat will earn you a score. Those with higher scores will achieve higher rankings."

"Students who rank in the top ten of the province in this exam will receive additional rewards issued by the Department of Education. The top three will receive even more generous rewards. Even I, as principal, am quite envious of the first-place prize, hahahaha!" Liu He laughed.

The students on the field were also filled with excitement at his words.

"Anything you obtain within the small-scale dungeon belongs to you as spoils of war."

"The points earned from killing fierce beasts are extremely valuable; they can be exchanged for resources at higher institutions, and their value exceeds that of money."

"Next, we will distribute the Teleport Stones."

The dean waved the staff in his hand, and countless Teleport Stones emitting white light fell from the sky, landing precisely in front of every student.

Jiang Yuan reached out and caught one, feeling extraordinary power surging within it.

"The upcoming trial is the most important examination of your student years."

"Good luck to you all."

Liu He finished speaking.

A loud bell tolled from the Martial Artist Association's clock tower in the distance, and a massive magic circle appeared on the First High School's field, forming a thick pillar of white light that shot into the sky.

Second High School, Third High School... all the other Martial Arts High Schools were the same, with several white beams of light surging toward the heavens!

People across the city looked up.

Some parents prayed silently, hoping their children would achieve good results.

"Xiaoyuan, stay safe," Aunt Tao Yufeng whispered as she watched the pillars of light.

Jiang Damu, stationed outside the city, looked up at the sky and prayed silently, "Xiaoyuan, do your best..."

It was not just Nanjiang City; Beijiang City, separated by only a river, was the same, with several teleportation beams shooting into the sky.

If one were to look down at the territory of Great Xia from high above, they would see pillars of white light rising across the map of Great Xia, a truly spectacular sight!

Some terrifying entities opened their eyes, but the moment they cast their gaze toward Great Xia, their vision was severed. Several voices of extreme majesty emanated from within Great Xia, spreading across the four seas.

"Do not cross the boundary!"

"Begone!"

"Those who dare to offend my Great Xia shall be executed without mercy."

"Cast one more glance, and I will annihilate your entire Abyss clan!"

Some terrifying entities retreated, letting out strange, mocking laughs before they left.

In the dark Abyss, unknown to any, a mountain-sized, hundreds-of-meters-tall mountain of flesh covered in single eyes and thousands of tentacles swayed, emitting a strange, mentally corrupting laughter that sounded like the wailing of an infant.

"Kukukukuku..."