"Congratulations on securing a Dragon Ascension spot, Junior Brother Xu."
Sun Tao stepped forward to congratulate him, smiling broadly.
"Congratulations!"
Zhang Hong and Zhang Yong also came over, their expressions complicated.
Defeating Lu Ren and achieving Dragon Ascension-both were things they had always wanted to do but never managed.
"The Huang Family must really be regretting it until their guts turn green this time."
Zhang Yong sounded rather gleeful. He still resented the Huang Family's unfair treatment back then.
How blind the Huang Family had been! They had picked up a sesame seed only to lose a watermelon, choosing Lu Ren and discarding Xu Yang, him, and Zhang Hong. Now they had nothing to show for it but a bamboo basket emptied of water.
"My chance is gone, but you still have a chance to keep going alongside Xu Yang," Zhang Hong said bitterly.
He had been eliminated. Zhang Yong only needed one more victory to achieve Dragon Ascension alongside Xu Yang.
He had thought worming his way into Jiang Ping's circle would help him achieve Dragon Ascension in the Martial Examination. Only now did he realize it was utterly useless. Those scions of prominent families merely wanted to use them to charge into battle.
Not only had he gained nothing, he had also drifted away from Xu Yang, a friend he had once gotten along with fairly well. A rift had formed between them.
"Brother Xu, may we have a word?"
Just then, Gu Haoming approached with Jiang Ping accompanying him.
An awkward look flashed across Zhang Yong's and Zhang Hong's faces, and they stepped aside.
"Please speak your mind, Brother Gu," Xu Yang said.
Gu Haoming laughed heartily. "Then I'll be direct. I hope to form an alliance with you, Brother Xu, and have you help deplete my