Under the watchful eyes of the masses, a tall and straight figure calmly stepped out of the Domain Gate.
He carried nothing in either hand, his clothes unstained by dust, a leisurely smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
His unhurried bearing did not resemble someone who had endured a life-or-death battle. Instead, he looked like a wandering scholar returning from an outing in the countryside.
"Is this person Shen Yun?"
The whole scene stared at him with blazing eyes, as though an invisible net had enveloped him.
The experts present held differing opinions about this rising young talent—some were skeptical, some dismissive, and others regarded him with newfound respect. Their varied reactions were impossible to describe in full.
However, once they saw Shen Yun's current appearance clearly, most of them arrived at the same thought:
"Meeting him is worse than hearing of him... This person was probably praised beyond all reason."
Several faint sighs sounded softly through the crowd.
After all, this was not an ordinary imperial examination. Leaving early was by no means a sign of confidence; rather, it carried the suspicion of weakness.
The final few hours of the trial should have been the critical moment when the Heavenly Prides competed fiercely, fighting to outdo one another. Everyone would give it their all in pursuit of a glorious result.
Withdrawing at this time was most likely due to fear that the crystal cores in his possession would be seized, causing all his previous efforts to come to naught and his ranking to plummet.
"Did he obtain a few high-grade crystal cores and then choose to protect what he had?"
On the high platform, Immortal Elder Yunhe murmured softly, "Seeking progress while maintaining stability—this can also be considered a form of wisdom."
He had witnessed every kind