As Gu Yuan stepped through the portal, his vision went black, followed by a dizzying swirl. When he reopened his eyes, the surroundings had transformed. He found himself in a vast square, teeming with people. Students in various school uniforms bustled about, and neat formations of students were orderly arranged.
This was the Martial Artist Square in Zhongzhou City, the very heart of the entire Zhongzhou Prefecture.
At the front of the formation, a staff member in black martial artist attire approached Li Qing swiftly, inquired about basic information, and then guided them to their designated area.
Following the staff member, the group wove through the crowds. After five minutes, they reached a demarcated zone marked by a sign.
The sign read: Zhongzhou Prefecture, Tianyuan City, Qingli High School, Third Year Class 5 Area!
After arranging the group, Li Qing instructed Gu Yuan and the others, "Stand here and don't wander off. I'll find the staff to get your admission tickets."
The group acknowledged, and Li Qing then departed with the staff member.
Discussions began to ripple through the ranks, a mix of excitement and apprehension. For them, this was an examination that would largely determine their future. Gu Yuan remained silent, partly due to having no friends and partly due to his absolute confidence in his own strength.
Five minutes later, Li Qing returned with a female staff member to the front of the group.
The female staff member held a stack of cards and a black device. This was their admission ticket. She addressed the group, "Those whose names I call, please come forward."
"Li Yaozhi."
A male student from the group stepped forward. The female staff member first scanned Li Yaozhi's admission ticket and then had him place his index finger on a spot on the device. The device emitted a beep. She then pointed the device at Li Yaozhi's pupils, which glowed with a white light before another beep sounded, confirming successful verification.
This procedure was in place to prevent imposters and dangerous individuals from infiltrating the examination grounds.
Name after name was called. Gu Yuan also went forward to collect his admission ticket. It was blue, about the size of a student ID card, and bore the following details:
Candidate Name: Gu Yuan.
Zhongzhou Region, Tianyuan Qingli District, Candidate Number 30535.
Dormitory Assignment: Dormitory 0535, Qingli, District 18.
He carefully put the ticket away. After a few more minutes, all admission tickets had been distributed. The female staff member departed, and Li Qing then led them towards the dormitory area.
Approximately ten minutes later, they arrived at the Qingli District within District 18.
The dormitories here resembled hotels, with numerous dormitory buildings filling the area. Each building stood ten stories tall, and each building represented a high school. Some high schools with larger student populations even had two or three buildings. This was Tianxia's grandest examination: the Martial Examination.
This was merely the provincial level. Those who ranked in the top one hundred in the province would then proceed to the national examination. The entire Martial Examination spanned a month, as it did every year. Achieving a decent result in the Martial Examination essentially guaranteed a comfortable life.
The Martial Examination relied solely on one's own strength. External influences held no sway here. As long as you possessed strength and trump cards, you could unleash them freely. The higher your ranking, the more resources the Tianxia government would allocate to you.
Consequently, Tianxia saw brilliant geniuses emerge every year. The Martial Examination had been ongoing for over a hundred years, contributing a vast number of talents to Tianxia. From being confined to base cities, they now began expanding their territories, confronting fierce beasts and demons with the power of humanity, with the vast majority having emerged victorious.
The entire Third Year Class 5 entered the dormitory building designated for Qingli High School. In the first-floor lobby, Li Qing instructed Gu Yuan and the others to rest well and explore the dormitory area if they wished, reminding them to gather at seven in the morning.
With that, he left the dormitory building.
Following the instructions on his admission ticket, Gu Yuan located his dormitory. He swiped his ticket on the lock, and the door clicked open.
He pushed the door open and stepped into the room, greeted by soft light. Gu Yuan observed that the room was a one-bedroom, one-living room, one-bathroom layout, nicely furnished.
After putting his luggage away, Gu Yuan checked the room for any hidden cameras. Once he had a thorough look, he felt at ease.
Entering the bedroom, he sat down cross-legged on the floor. Gu Yuan's consciousness delved into his body. After a period of cultivation, his "Eight Elephant Body Tribulation" had entered its second stage: Kun Xiang!
Kun Xiang represented the earth, and in the human body, it corresponded to the abdomen.
The essence of the "Eight Elephant Body Tribulation" flashed through Gu Yuan's mind. Pure energy, imperceptible and deep within the earth, began to rise, gradually entering Gu Yuan's body.
As this pale yellow energy passed through his physique, his muscles became taut, his bones hardened, his blood thickened, and his entire body grew heavier.
The power of the earth began to gather in Gu Yuan's abdomen. After a while, it coalesced into a fist-sized mass of earth energy. It circulated through a special method, repeatedly striking a specific point within his abdomen. With each impact, a powerful tremor emanated, making Gu Yuan feel on the verge of spitting blood.
He endured the discomfort, guiding the earth energy to continue its assault. After an indeterminate amount of time, the tremors reached an unbearable intensity. With a sound like shattering glass, Gu Yuan suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. He quickly adjusted his state, guiding the earth energy into the Kun Xiang of his body.
The Kun Xiang then began to operate autonomously, establishing a subtle connection with the earth.
Simultaneously, a technique materialized in his mind:
Kun Xiang: Kun Ling!
Summoning the power of the earth, controlling it as if it possessed a spirit, allowing for complete control over the earth.
Understanding the technique, Gu Yuan opened his eyes. He channeled the blood essence stored by the "Giant Whale Technique" to slowly repair his body, damaged by the tremors.
Glancing at the time, it felt like only a few minutes in his consciousness, but in reality, several hours had passed, and it was now noon.
Time to eat!
Gu Yuan cleaned the bloodstains and headed to the buffet on the second floor.
He selected a large amount of meat dishes and found an empty corner to enjoy his meal. For Gu Yuan, the only things in the world that could not be disappointed were exquisite food.
"Gu Yuan!"
A clear girlish voice rang out.
A graceful figure appeared in Gu Yuan's sight.
Gu Yuan sensed the envious gazes around him and paused his meal, sighing softly. He recognized Chu Ling's voice instantly.
Women were truly troublesome!
"Is anyone here?" Chu Ling asked softly, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking at Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan shook his head and resumed eating. The ingredients used in the buffet were infused with vital energy, effectively replenishing Gu Yuan's blood and energy.
Chu Ling gently placed her plate down. Her delicate hands picked up only small morsels with her chopsticks, and then, opening her cherry-like lips, she chewed delicately, a sight that was pleasing to behold.
Gu Yuan glimpsed this out of the corner of his eye. He had to admit, Chu Ling was indeed charming, and he even felt a flicker of attraction.
What was he thinking! Gu Yuan mentally slashed away the wavering emotion. Women only brought trouble.
"Gu Yuan, do you know who the popular contestants are for this Martial Examination?" Chu Ling broke the slightly awkward silence.
"No," Gu Yuan shook his head.
"Then take a look. I've collected some information." Chu Ling opened her phone, scrolled through, and with a sweet smile, handed the phone to Gu Yuan.
Gu Yuan looked at the sweet smile of the girl before him, and his heart skipped a beat. He quickly took Chu Ling's phone and lowered his head to look at the content.
Yes, he was smitten. In both his lives, he had walked alone, a lonely old virgin, so to speak. After coming to this world, a girl suddenly entered his life, and she was truly beautiful. Both the original owner of this body and his current self had changed because of this girl. This was something he had never experienced in his past life.
The feeling was strange. Fine, let women be troublesome. After all, having someone by his side seemed rather nice...