Chapter 110: The Heavenly- Tier Hunting Ground Begins

The Heavenly- Tier Hunting Ground Begins

The 2891st Martial Exam

Leon stepped into the teleportation array with Selena and Evelyn at his sides.

The array beneath their feet began to hum.

A faint vibration traveled through the stone.

One by one, the ancient runes lit up.

Silver-white light crawled across the patterns beneath them, spreading outward like flowing water. The spiritual energy within the array grew stronger with every passing second.

Selena instinctively moved a little closer to Leon.

Evelyn remained calm beside them, her eyes quietly observing the glowing formation.

Then—

Whoosh!

The world disappeared.

For a brief moment, Leon felt as though his entire body had been pulled through an endless tunnel of light.

Space twisted around them.

The surroundings blurred into streaks of silver.

Then everything suddenly went still.

The light faded.

They had arrived.

Selena was the first to look around.

Her golden eyes widened.

They were standing inside a massive arena.

It was enormous.

Far larger than anything they had seen back in Aurelia City.

Towering stands surrounded the battlefield from every direction. Every seat was occupied. The crowd stretched as far as Selena could see.

And the noise—

It was deafening.

Cheers and screams crashed together from every side. Thousands of voices became one enormous roar that rolled through the arena like waves.

Selena’s fingers tightened slightly around Leon’s hand.

She stared at the sea of people.

There were simply too many.

Above the center of the arena floated a massive screen.

Its surface shimmered with spiritual energy, displaying the ongoing preparations for the examination.

The Heavenly-tier hunting ground matches would be livestreamed across the entire province.

Every movement.

Every battle.

Every result.

Millions of eyes would be watching.

There would be nowhere to hide.

Leon calmly looked around.

Unlike Selena, he didn’t seem overwhelmed.

Instead, there was a faint smile on his face.

He turned toward her.

"Nervous?"

He squeezed her hand gently.

Selena glanced down at their joined hands.

His palm was warm.

The simple gesture eased some of the tension inside her chest.

"A little," she admitted.

She looked back toward the stands.

"Leon... this is the capital city. There are so many people."

Her voice was quieter than usual.

Leon followed her gaze.

The sheer number of spectators was almost overwhelming, even for him.

He remembered Aurelia City.

Compared to this place, it really had been nothing more than a small town.

"Aurelia City was just a small town," he said.

His eyes slowly swept across the enormous arena.

"This..."

He paused.

A quiet smile appeared on his lips.

"This is where our stage really begins."

Selena stared at the arena.

For a moment, she said nothing.

The enormous venue.

The countless spectators.

The cameras and screens.

The powerful cultivators watching from the higher platforms.

Everything made the upcoming examination feel far more real.

Leon looked at her again.

"If we take first place..."

His voice remained calm.

"But these people will cheer for us."

Selena’s eyes flickered.

Leon leaned slightly closer.

"They’ll remember our names."

He gave her hand another gentle squeeze.

"And they’ll worship us."

First place.

The words settled heavily in Selena’s heart.

She took a slow breath.

Then another.

The nervousness didn’t disappear.

But something else began to replace it.

Determination.

Her golden eyes gradually sharpened.

She looked toward the enormous battlefield ahead.

We can do this, Leon.

Her fingers tightened around his.

We will do this.

A loud bell suddenly rang throughout the venue.

DONG!

The sound shook the entire arena.

The conversations stopped.

The enormous screen above the arena suddenly flashed.

Bright light spread across its surface.

Then a powerful voice echoed through the entire venue.

"The 2891st Martial Exam of the Great Dawn Dynasty—officially begins!"

The crowd erupted.

"All examinees—may fortune favor you!"

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then the arena exploded.

"I’m going to make my mark!"

"Supreme Heaven University—that’s my goal!"

"Years of hard work... today, I give it everything!"

"Let’s go!"

"Fight for your future!"

The voices rose higher and higher.

The atmosphere reached its peak.

Young cultivators stood among the crowd of examinees.

Some clenched their fists.

Some took deep breaths.

Others stared toward the massive screen with burning eyes.

They had spent years preparing for this moment.

Today was the day everything would be decided.

Then—

A flash of white light suddenly erupted across the arena.

The teleportation arrays activated.

One after another, the examinees disappeared.

Each person was being sent to an assigned hunting ground according to their ranking.

White light swallowed one figure after another.

Some candidates remained calm.

Others looked tense.

A few shouted encouragement to their friends before disappearing.

"Leon!"

A familiar voice suddenly reached him.

Leon turned his head.

Steffan stood several meters away.

His fists were clenched tightly.

There was excitement in his eyes.

"Come on!"

The white light had already begun to surround his body.

Steffan grinned.

"I’ll catch up to you!"

The next instant—

Flash!

His figure disappeared.

Leon glanced in his direction.

A faint smile touched his lips.

"Try your best."

The teleportation array beneath Leon’s feet began to glow again.

Then the teleportation array activated beneath his own feet.

White light swallowed him.

Inside Jade City’s massive viewing hall, thousands of cameras fed real-time footage from the hunting grounds onto enormous screens.

Recruiters from every major university had arrived.

School administrators.

Principals.

Officials from the Provincial Education Bureau.

Important figures from cultivation families.

They all took their seats.

The once-empty hall quickly filled with people.

The atmosphere was tense.

Everyone knew that the Heavenly-tier hunting ground would determine the final results of this year’s Martial Exam.

Every battle could change a student’s future.

In one corner, Rias sat alone.

Her face was cold and regal, like carved jade.

Her long crimson hair cascaded over her shoulders.

Her fitted red robe was embroidered with delicate golden patterns, and a golden sash emphasized her narrow waist.

Her crimson eyes remained fixed on the enormous screen.

Several nearby recruiters occasionally glanced toward her.

Rias was not only the president of Bellemont Martial University.

She was also a powerful beast-soul master with enormous potential.

But when the feed switched to Leon’s Heavenly-tier hunting ground, her expression changed.

The coldness disappeared.

Excitement flickered in her crimson eyes.

"He’s the only Star-Grade student Bellemont has offered in three years," she murmured.

"I hope he doesn’t disappoint."

The surrounding recruiters exchanged glances.

"Who is this Leon? To have President Rias so invested?"

"Look at her expression—he must be extraordinary."

"Didn’t you see the placement rankings? Leon took first place!"

"I just arrived by airship. Steffan isn’t first this year?"

A weary recruiter looked shocked.

"You’re behind. Watch the replay before the matches start."

"Leon is the biggest dark horse. No wonder President Rias is paying attention."

The murmurs grew louder.

Hmph.

One recruiter couldn’t help but snort.

His face was still bruised.

He was Shin, the Supreme Heaven University recruiter.

And the bruise on his face had come from Leon’s fist.

How dare they hit me!

His uncle was a board member at Supreme Heaven.

He had been sent to poach Leon’s beast-girls.

Instead, they had rejected the offer.

And he had been humiliated.

Shin’s fingers tightened beneath the table.

I’ll make them pay.

Meanwhile, inside the Supreme Heaven University headquarters—

"Professor Sun! What happened?! Why didn’t we secure the number one ranked student in Bellemont Province?!"

The president of Supreme Heaven University slammed his fist onto the table.

The sharp crack echoed through the office.

Professor Yamen spread his hands helplessly.

"President... Leon refused. What was I supposed to do?"

Yamen cursed Leon in his mind.

He had never expected the provincial placement rankings to attract the president’s attention so quickly.

The president’s face darkened.

"Don’t think I don’t know what you did!"

Yamen’s expression stiffened.

"You offered his beast-girls an A-grade contract and him a D-grade! You’re obviously trying to poach!"

"You sent your nephew to poach—intending to give them to him as beast-girls!"

"Th-This..."

Cold sweat appeared across Yamen’s forehead.

He opened his mouth, but no explanation came.

The president stared at him.

"But Leon’s aptitude is only D-rank!"