Countdown to the College Entrance Trial

Early the next morning, Xing Yao opened his eyes, and his first reaction was to count on his fingers-only three days remained until the college entrance trial that would decide his fate. Honestly, for other cultivators, this might just be a major entrance exam: pass, and they would soar; fail, and they would stay right where they were. But for Xing Yao, this was no joke. This was the most crucial round of his life, and he could not afford to drop the ball in the slightest.

He took a deep breath and furiously psyched himself up inside: I have to secure a place at Azure Dragon Academy, one solid step at a time, then find a way to reach the threshold of Abyss Suppression Academy. Others did not know, but he knew perfectly well: Abyss Suppression Academy was his only breakthrough in finding his parents and older brother, who had been missing for years. The only one. All these years, he had kept his head down and developed, frantically built up his strength, hidden his trump cards, and clawed his way upward with everything he had. Hadn't it all been for this day? Every faint clue pointed toward this absurdly mysterious academy. This was his obsession, and a road he had to follow to the end.

But Abyss Suppression Academy was far too mysterious. It was practically a legendary invisible academy. He had combed through every source and asked every big shot, yet he could not dig up so much as a hair's worth of information. Its whole thing was being utterly unfathomable. Xing Yao could not help sighing, his composure nearly cracking a little. But the next second, he thought of his bunch of cheat-like clones and immediately perked up again, his confidence maxed out and his mood instantly restored.

With a thought, Xing Yao plunged his consciousness straight into his mental world. Inside, four clones sat ramrod straight with their legs crossed and eyes closed, furiously comprehending laws, fully immersed in cultivation. Even his arrival did not disturb them. At the sight, Xing Yao felt steady as hell. These clones were his ultimate cheat, and the reason he dared to go on a killing spree in the college entrance trial.

He immediately issued orders to the newly unlocked clones No. 5 and No. 6. "No. 5, you're in charge of selling cards to make money. No. 6, go bargain hunting for cards on the black market."

Xing Yao repeatedly warned them in all seriousness, putting secrecy first. "Keep your identities hidden. Don't get reckless, and whatever you do, don't expose yourselves! No. 5, you don't need to wear a mask. Just act normally."

After hearing this, clone No. 6 casually drew a card, taking the three of hearts from the second set. His movements were smooth as hell-the mark of a professional.

Two days hurried past.

They had finally scraped together enough money to buy a villa, too. Just yesterday, clone No. 5 had quietly purchased one in the suburbs.

He had also accumulated enough resentment points. Xing Yao had a feeling that perhaps these resentment points would prove very useful in the future. Now was not the time to squander them, so he temporarily abandoned the idea of upgrading clones No. 5 and No. 6.

Xing Yao and the other clones had also just moved out of their previous mansion.

He glanced at the clones still absorbed in comprehending laws in his mental world and ultimately did not tell them about this.

But what increasingly made his skin crawl was how wildly off the atmosphere throughout the city had been these past few days. Large numbers of officially employed awakened were being deployed frequently, patrolling the streets, city entrances, and areas around the trial grounds, one squad after another. Their presence was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe, nothing like the normal arrangements of previous years. Every one of these awakened possessed a powerful aura, and their movements were strictly disciplined. At a glance, they were clearly carrying out some highly classified mission.

At first, Xing Yao had thought it was a routine security upgrade. But the more he watched, the more outrageous it seemed. This level of vigilance did not look like preparations for an entrance trial at all. It looked more like they were responding to some major crisis.

Xing Yao had already been somewhat apprehensive. Now, his unease shot to the limit, the panic in his heart growing heavier by the day until he could hardly settle his mind.

And what truly jolted him awake and instantly shattered his composure was a bombshell announcement the authorities had just released-

This year's college entrance trial would actually be livestreamed nationwide from start to finish!

Coverage across the entire internet, filming without blind spots, real-time broadcasting, hundreds of millions of viewers watching online-every move every examinee made would be exposed to the sunlight, with not even the tiniest furtive action left hidden.

The instant he saw those words, Xing Yao's heart lurched. This is bad.

I absolutely cannot use the clones.

This was his greatest trump card, and the taboo he could least afford to expose. If the secret that he could control clones and share laws were revealed on a nationwide livestream, what awaited him would definitely not be flowers and applause, but the miserable fate of being targeted by major powers, studied, controlled, or even placed under house arrest. Forget finding his parents and older brother-he himself would be done for.

In an instant, Xing Yao made his decision:

For this college entrance trial, I can only rely on myself. I absolutely cannot depend on any clones!

Once he had thought this through, he instead settled down completely, no longer restless or anxious.

He had long since copied the abilities of clones No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4. He simply had never used these origins to create skills of his own.

Yes, Xing Yao called the talents awakened by his clones "origins." Origins and laws were two entirely different things-origins were the innate foundations of the clones' talents, while laws constituted a complete system of power. He held the copied origins in his hands, yet he had never used this system to truly create skills of his own.

Now, looking again at the clones in his mental world, still furiously comprehending laws and steadily improving, Xing Yao no longer hesitated. He, too, quieted his mind, preparing to formally begin creating his own signature skills.

There was no cheat to coast on, no clone to carry him.

With a nationwide livestream looming, he had to use his own two hands to turn the laws he had copied into combat power that could truly take the field and slaughter the opposition!

Xing Yao sat cross-legged in the villa's quiet cultivation room, his aura completely withdrawn, his gaze sharp as a blade. He entered a state of utmost focus on creation.

The energy in the air began to stir slightly, and the power of laws flowed slowly through his body.

Xing Yao's very first attempt at creating skills officially began...

A night hurried past.

The entire city had long since sunk into the stillness of late night. Even the awakened squads that patrolled everywhere during the day had left only a few concealed sentries standing watch in the shadows. The streets were empty and silent, with only the long stretches of light and shadow cast by the streetlamps remaining. Far from the bustle, the suburban villa was so quiet that the faint sound of wind brushing the treetops could be heard. It had become a perfect place for Xing Yao to cultivate alone.

He had not shut his eyes all night, immersing himself wholeheartedly in sorting through origins and laws. As he understood it, origins were the innate foundations of the clones' talents, the most fundamental and primal seeds of power; laws, on the other hand, were a vast, rigorous system of power that could be extrapolated and applied. The two were entirely different concepts.

Previously, he had relied too heavily on his clones to do things for him. He hardly ever had to act personally and could not be bothered to ponder skills. But now that the college entrance trial would be livestreamed nationwide, his clones absolutely could not be exposed. He could only rely on himself.

Outside the window, the darkness faded little by little, and a faint fish-belly white appeared on the horizon. Dawn was approaching.

Xing Yao slowly opened his eyes, an almost imperceptible gleam flashing through them. An entire night of reflection and extrapolation had completely calmed his previously restless heart, and his thoughts had become clearer than ever.

After an entire night of wholehearted effort, repeated extrapolation, and refinement, Xing Yao had finally finished creating all his skills.

The college entrance trial was tomorrow!