Chapter 67: The Exam Begins

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: The Exam Begins

Soul Energy Alliance. The day of the national unified Secret Realm College Entrance Exam.

Li Heng was up at six. Last night, despite his "declaration" to go to bed after one last grind, he’d kept at it until midnight, only getting a total of six hours of sleep.

’It’s a good thing I’ve become a Soul Master. If I still had the constitution of a normal person, I... would probably have had a nervous breakdown by now.’

Li Heng was up early, but his parents were up even earlier. Worried he might oversleep, they had knocked on his door to wake him and had already prepared breakfast.

Although Li Heng wanted to go to the testing center alone and let his parents get some more rest, Li Guobin and Zhang Yu Yao insisted on taking him to Seventh Middle School and seeing him enter the exam hall with their own eyes.

All along the way, they saw parents accompanying their children to the testing center, and the air was filled with words of encouragement.

There was a small incident along the way.

Since Li Heng had a Space Stone, he kept most of his belongings inside it, wearing only his Thirteenth Middle School uniform.

The Soul Energy Alliance stipulated that uniforms issued by middle schools must be complete sets imbued with soul energy, for which the Alliance provided technical support. This ensured that when students entered a secret realm, their uniforms would remain intact, preventing them from ending up naked!

On any other day, Li Heng’s attire wouldn’t have been an issue, as this was how most students dressed.

Today, however, compared to some of the other candidates, his attire looked rather "meager."

There were long robes and gowns in every color of the rainbow, not to mention some girls who had even shown up in cheongsams and long dresses.

’Fighting Soul Beasts in long dresses and cheongsams? Seriously?’

Beyond just clothing, there was a dazzling array of equipment: weapons, capes, pauldrons, plate armor, chainmail, and even externally worn breastplates.

Compared to these "magnificent" getups, Li Heng, in his simple school uniform, certainly stood out.

"Hey, it’s our kid’s Secret Realm College Entrance Exam! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You’ve gotta spare no expense, right? You have to spend the money... otherwise, they’ll lose out right from the starting line!"

"Exactly! If you ask me, they probably just can’t afford it!"

Some people with too much time on their hands just loved to make comparisons, sizing up anyone they could. As Li Heng and his family walked along, they abruptly overheard a few remarks that seemed to be directed right at them.

Others chimed in to agree.

Li Heng and Li Guobin said nothing, but Zhang Yu Yao shut them down completely with a single sentence.

"Son! You said you’re a Soul Apprentice now. When we get to the testing center... will that get you extra points? Your mom doesn’t understand any of this, see? I’m probably just making a fool of myself asking silly questions."

After Zhang Yu Yao said that, things quieted down considerably. At least, the parents who were also heading to Seventh Middle School went silent.

It was just a small interlude. A little over an hour later, the family arrived at the gates of Seventh Middle School.

Seventh Middle School was an official testing center. Only candidates, authorized teachers, and Soul Energy Alliance staff were permitted entry. Parents and all other personnel were forbidden from entering without permission.

"Hengzi! Don’t feel pressured, just do your best on the exam! Your mom and I both believe in you!"

"Yeah! Okay, Mom, Dad, you two should hurry home and get some rest. Don’t wear yourselves out. I’m heading into the testing center now. I’ll come back with good news!"

With one last encouraging look from his parents, Li Heng walked through the main gates of Seventh Middle School.

Li Heng had never set foot in Seventh Middle School before, only ever passing by the front. Judging from the main gates and the basic architecture, it didn’t look all that different from Thirteenth Middle School.

"Please present your ID, student card, and examination permit!"

The security booth by the main gate had been turned into the first checkpoint to ensure that only candidates, and no unauthorized individuals, entered the testing center.

Li Heng waited in line, submitted his documents, and was only allowed to pass after they were verified.

As he looked around, he saw about a hundred other candidates, most of them searching for their assigned classrooms.

Li Heng’s assigned exam room was in the Third Academic Building, on the fourth floor, the third room on the left.

Thanks to the clear signage, Li Heng quickly found his assigned classroom and saw his name posted outside.

Two teachers stood at the door, scanning each student with a device that resembled a metal detector. Li Heng didn’t ask questions; he just got in line with the others.

BEEP BEEP BEEP~

"You’re carrying Soul Energy Herbs! Please sign this examination agreement."

’So that’s how they check for Soul Energy Herbs.’

As one candidate’s backpack was being inspected, the metal-detector-like wand suddenly beeped, indicating that the student was carrying Soul Energy Herbs.

Before the exam, Li Heng had placed the ten-year Wolf Blood Grass and Sword Qi Grass under his bed; he had no intention of bringing any herbs into the examination secret realm.

Consequently, when it was Li Heng’s turn, the inspection was over in a flash. After being cleared, he finally received a Teleportation Talisman from the teacher.

Teleportation Talisman (Desolate Moon Islands).

Inside the classroom, a staff member in a Soul Energy Alliance uniform stood beside the portal to the examination secret realm.

Li Heng didn’t see any other candidates; he figured they must have already entered the secret realm.

"You may tear the Teleportation Talisman at any point within the secret realm to teleport out. At the conclusion of the one-week examination period, the talisman will trigger automatically, returning you to this testing center."

"Regardless of how you return, your results will be calculated immediately. Any herbs and medicinal materials you acquire will be your personal property. In the event of injury or disability, your case will be handled in accordance with Article 32 of the Alliance Examination Regulations."

"If you have no further questions and have confirmed everything, you may begin your examination!"

"Thank you! I have no other questions."

Li Heng had nothing else to ask, and just took a deep breath.

It wasn’t his first time entering a secret realm, but this time was incredibly important. For a moment, Li Heng felt a surge of nervousness.

Li Heng: Soul Apprentice

Soul Energy: 13,016

Strength: 32 (+5, +5)

Agility: 38 (+5, +3, +3)

Spirit: 18 (+3)

Soul Energy Skills: Wolf Walk Technique Lv. 10 (Rare), Ghost Butterfly Illusion Sword Lv. 10 (Rare)

Soul Energy Pet: None

Soul Energy Equipment: Empty Cicada Longsword (Rare), Blood Soul Wolf Fang Bracelet (Rare), Snow-Binding Ring (Rare)

Soul Energy Items: Space Stone (Uncommon), Bandit Leader’s Waterskin (Uncommon), Fire Army Flint (Uncommon), Teleportation Talisman (Desolate Moon Islands), Wild Wolf Meat (Common) x9

Skills: Basic Swordsmanship (Lv. 5), Basic Body Technique (Lv. 5), Rudimentary Sword Intent (Passive)

However, Li Heng quickly shook off that bit of nervousness. A glance at his stats gave him a boost of confidence, and he stepped into the secret realm.

’Secret Realm College Entrance Exam, let’s do this!’