Chapter 39: THE EXAMINATION(13)

Meanwhile, at the back, surrounded by four to five men, was Mo Lang. Seeing that he was a wealthy young master who possessed a blue spirit root and also scored two thousand and three hundred on the exam.

He instantly became more popular amongst the young men and women.

"Brother Lang, will you protect me once we enter the array? You promised." The woman smiled as she hugged Mo Lang’s arm tightly.

The man nodded, feeling a sense of pride seeing the woman being submissive to him. "Of course, Lianhua, all you have to do is stay by my side."

Su Lianhua smiled; men like Mo Lang were the easiest to tame; all she had to do was act like a delicate flower, and he would be at her beck and call.

Weak men had the strongest desire to protect.

At first, she wanted to be with Li Yan, but he was too much of an introvert, and he did not give off an easy-to-tame vibe.

She would rather not waste her time.

One of the men beside Mo Lang, who had a rather darkish skin with shaggy blonde hair, sneered slightly.

He did not know who was more annoying, Li Yan or Su Lianhua, who was pretending to be a delicate flower.

Seconds later, the scale tipped and Li Yan emerged as the most annoying. Since he could not attack Su Lianhua because she was Mo Lang’s woman, he would attack Li Yan, who had no one but that useless street rat by his side.

"Senior Brother Mo, do you not think Li Yan is a little pompous? All he did was get three thousand points; why does he get to act like he is above us all? I heard Elder Mo even gave him an award for first position..."

Mo Lang gritted his teeth; that first position should have been his. How dare an ugly street bumpkin like him claim first position?

His grand uncle must have gone mad! That was the only explanation.

"We should teach him a little lesson on etiquette once we enter the array. We should remind him that a little intelligence does not make him invisible."

Mo Lang turned to the darker man, taking note of his presence.

"You make a fine lackey, Bi Chen. Here is a reward." As he said this, Mo Lang retrieved a low-tier spirit stone, making sure to choose one close to mid-tier.

So they could see just how magnanimous he really was.

He tossed the stone to Bi Chen, as though he was offering food to a beggar.

Bi Chen’s lips twitched. Was he supposed to thank Mo Lang for this downgrading gift?

He was not as rich as Mo Lang, but he could also afford Mid-tier stones.

Bi Chen thought of tossing the stone back at Mo Lang but then changed his mind. He still had use for Mo Lang, so he would keep him closer for a little bit.

Bowing slightly, he brought the stone to his chest as though it was his most precious treasure.

"Thank you for your generosity, Senior brother. I have never received such a high-level gift before."

Bi Chen’s insides curled in disgust, but he knew he had to keep a face; people like Mo Lang loved being praised for their generosity.

Despite knowing how shallow this gift really was.

Not far away, the high-ranking disciple who had announced the examination rules stepped onto the platform again.

"Examinees, prepare yourselves. The mountain array will open shortly."

The conversations around the examination grounds gradually died down as everyone turned their attention toward the formation.

"The mountain examination will test your mental and physical capabilities. The array will provide each of you with three days inside, while only twenty-four hours will pass in the outside world. The exit is located at the summit."

The examinees listened carefully because the rules determined how they would approach the examination.

"If you encounter an unavoidable danger, an injury, or a situation that threatens your life, break the token you have been given. The token contains a beacon, and the sect will send someone to your location. However, once your token is broken, your examination will end immediately."

A few examinees looked down at the tokens hanging from their waists.

Li Yan did the same. He had already known about the beacon from Hu Biyan.

Hearing the official explanation made him understand that the sect was serious about preventing unnecessary deaths.

The high-ranking disciple continued, "The summit is the only official exit. Those who reach it will be judged according to their performance inside the array. Do not assume that the strongest cultivator will necessarily be the first to leave. This examination is testing your mind, not simply your cultivation."

Li Yan looked toward the mountain hidden behind the formation.

That was an interesting rule.

If the examination truly focused on mental ability, then relying solely on strength could actually become a disadvantage.

The sect clearly wanted to see how the examinees responded when they could not simply solve every problem with their fists.

Gu Jun stood beside him and listened carefully to every word; he had no intention of making a careless mistake during the final examination or worse—embarrassing Li Yan.

Once the disciple finished explaining the rules, the formation began to glow.

The final examination had officially begun.

Li Yan checked his token one final time; losing it would leave him without the emergency measure the sect had provided.

Gu Jun noticed his movement and checked his own token as well. "Everything is ready."

Li Yan nodded after confirming that his token was securely attached. "Then we should enter."

Hu Biyan remained outside the examination area since companions were not permitted to enter the array with the examinees.

Instead, there was an area where they could sit and watch the array from the outside.

He looked at Li Yan with pride and then turned toward Gu Jun. "Take care of each other inside."

Gu Jun nodded seriously. "We will." Li Yan also gave Hu Biyan a reassuring look before turning toward the mountain array.

The formation had begun opening, and the mist covering the mountain slowly became visible through the spiritual light.

Around them, the examinees began moving forward in an orderly manner.

Li Yan walked beside Gu Jun; they had already agreed to remain together during the examination.

Behind them, Mo Lang and his group also entered the line, while Su Lianhua remained close to his side.

Bi Chen glanced toward Li Yan one last time.

He had already decided that once they entered the array, he would find an opportunity to deal with him.

As for whether Li Yan would be able to protect himself, Bi Chen did not think much of it.

After all, strength was everything in the cultivation world.

The strong were respected, while the weak were preyed upon.

The entrance to the array finally opened completely.

Li Yan took one step forward with Gu Jun beside him, and the moment they crossed the boundary, the scenery before their eyes changed.

"Is this the inside of the array?"