Chapter 188 - 94: The Tri-Academy Joint Exam Concludes, First Place

Chapter 188: Chapter 94: The Tri-Academy Joint Exam Concludes, First Place

Since he had long known he possessed Chang’s World, Jiang Xuan had anticipated his victory.

However, the rest of the spectators were completely unaware of this fact.

All they saw was Chen Qianjun, burning his Blood Qi, charging forward unstoppably on a triumphant rampage. Then, just as he reached Jiang Xuan, at the very instant the battle was to be decided, a heavy, ancient Golden Bell suddenly materialized, trapping him firmly within.

In the next moment, his strength plummeted. He froze in place, unable to put up the slightest resistance before Jiang Xuan struck him down.

Such a sudden reversal left many people stunned.

Of course, a few powerful experts with profound Cultivation and keen insight vaguely sensed a part of the truth.

But it was precisely because they understood a part of what had happened that the shock in their hearts was a hundred times greater than anyone else’s.

"That Golden Bell... It seemed to solidify the surrounding energy and lock down that entire area of space?"

"It’s not the Golden Bell. That’s one of Jiang Xuan’s abilities..."

Although everyone could clearly sense that Jiang Xuan couldn’t maintain the Golden Bell barrier, which had a radius of over ten meters, for very long. They also knew the bell’s durability was limited. Once it shattered, Jiang Xuan would not only lose his power to control the Power of Heaven and Earth, but he would also suffer grievous, life-threatening injuries.

But the ability to control the Power of Heaven and Earth, even to a limited extent, was still enough to leave them aghast.

"Is that something a Spirit Core Stage Cultivator can do?!"

Shock and amazement roiled within their hearts.

But regardless of whether they were the ones who had an inkling of the truth or the Cultivators who remained oblivious, everyone understood one thing: Jiang Xuan had won the three-school joint exam.

And so, after a moment of dead silence, the crowd erupted into a tsunami of clamorous discussion.

Especially when Jiang Xuan emerged from the Purgatory Illusion Realm, endless cheers erupted from the Chen Daoist School’s section.

"We won!"

"Victory to Jiang Xuan!"

"Jiang Xuan, I knew you were the strongest!"

Many people were cheering, but among them, the most ecstatic were Dong Hao and Su Linyin.

The battle between Jiang Xuan and Chen Qianjun had been too intense for him to spare any attention for the safety of others.

As a result, during the final battle, the two of them hadn’t followed Jiang Xuan. Instead, they stood on either side of Lin Yiyi from the Yin Daoist School, watching from a distance.

However, while they were watching the battle, the dangers of the third stage quietly activated, eliminating all three of them.

Fortunately, by that point, everyone else had already been eliminated, so their spots for advancement were undoubtedly secure.

Jiang Xuan had also been ejected by the malevolent spirits.

After Chen Qianjun’s death, before Jiang Xuan could even catch his breath, the piercing wails that had been echoing in his mind suddenly intensified, ejecting him as well.

But soon, Jiang Xuan had no energy left to dwell on any of this.

By winning the three-school joint exam—and defeating Tang Yinzheng, the strongest from the Rooster Daoist School; Yun Shengjie of the Daozi Courtyard; and Chen Qianjun, who was widely considered the strongest before the exam—Jiang Xuan’s victory was completely undisputed.

This made everyone present realize Jiang Xuan’s potential.

Immediately, representatives from various factions swarmed forward, scrambling to build a rapport with Jiang Xuan. The stream of people trying to win his favor was endless.

"Young Master Jiang Xuan, I am from the Qiao Family, associated with the Rooster Daoist School. I wonder if you would do me the honor of visiting..."

"Young Master, my daughter felt an instant connection with you..."

The crowd’s frenzy was making Jiang Xuan’s skin crawl. In the end, the three instructors had to step in to maintain order and hold back the throng, finally allowing Jiang Xuan to break free.

"Their reaction is a bit over the top, isn’t it?"

Reaching a quiet corner, Jiang Xuan straightened his robes, which had been pulled into disarray by the crowd, and couldn’t help but mutter a complaint.

Hearing his complaint, Su Wanyi, who had appeared beside him at some point, chuckled. "It’s not over the top at all," she said. "For them to act this way is perfectly normal."

Her gaze fell on Jiang Xuan, and she said admiringly, "After this battle, anyone with a shred of foresight can see that your future is limitless."

"Of course, that alone isn’t enough to make them act so shamelessly. But for one thing, many people have already looked into the matter of you helping Dong Hao."

"Now, everyone knows you’re the type to repay a drop of kindness with a gushing spring."

"With a character so loyal and righteous, so clear about repaying both kindness and enmity, who wouldn’t want to befriend you early on and sow a seed of goodwill?"

As she spoke those last words, Su Wanyi’s gaze toward Jiang Xuan was also filled with admiration.

Clearly, Jiang Xuan’s good reputation made her want to invest in him as well.

Ignoring this, Jiang Xuan’s attention shifted to another matter.

"You said ’for one thing.’ What’s the second?"

"Yes." Su Wanyi nodded and said with some gravity, "This exam is, after all, just a rehearsal. The event that truly determines if a Daoist School student can leap the dragon gate is the Hundred-Day Exam. That is the Sect’s main event."

At this, Su Wanyi’s expression grew more serious, her gaze toward Jiang Xuan filling with eager expectation.

"Everyone knows you’re a loyal person who went all out just to help a friend advance. Naturally, they’re all hoping that during the Hundred-Day Exam, you might lend a hand to their own juniors, helping them achieve outstanding results and soar to new heights."

Jiang Xuan shook his head, speechless. "Madam Su, you overestimate me. I didn’t help Dong Hao purely out of friendship; I was actually paid for it. Besides, this operation was already very difficult for me. During the Hundred-Day Exam, I’ll be competing against people from the Daozi Courtyard. Facing those monsters, I can’t even guarantee my own victory, let alone carry anyone else."

He was determined to refuse. After returning from the Road of Purgatory, Jiang Xuan had realized that the sudden spike in difficulty he’d encountered was likely a backlash from bringing others with him.

The Shenxiao Sect placed great importance on the Hundred-Day Exam, offering generous rewards and numerous opportunities. Because of this, Jiang Xuan had no intention of letting anyone drag him down again.

Seeing that Jiang Xuan was unwilling to bring anyone along, Su Wanyi was inevitably a little disappointed, but she quickly regained her composure.

’Of course you wouldn’t be willing to carry someone with an ordinary relationship. But if Linyin becomes your Daoist partner, I refuse to believe you’ll still sit by and do nothing...’

BUZZ!

While Jiang Xuan and Su Wanyi were talking, the three instructors finalized the list of the top eighteen participants in the three-school joint exam.

As expected, Jiang Xuan was in first place, and Chen Qianjun was ranked second.

Because the trial took place in an Illusion Realm, his physical body in the outside world was, of course, unharmed.

However, despite being clearly unreconciled to his defeat by Jiang Xuan, he did admit one thing.

"Right now, you are indeed stronger. But I won’t give up. I’ll be waiting for you at the Hundred-Day Exam!"

What made Jiang Xuan raise an eyebrow, however, was that Yun Shengjie from the Daozi Courtyard walked straight over to him next. The moment he opened his mouth, Song Zhou’s expression, standing nearby, instantly darkened.

"Jiang Xuan, come to the Daozi Courtyard. I can recommend you to the instructors there. With your strength, you’ll definitely pass the assessment and be able to join."

He then continued, speaking bluntly without any attempt to be subtle:

"The Daozi Courtyard is where prodigies like us truly belong. It has the best instructors, the most resources, and the best Cultivation facilities. It’s far beyond what an ordinary Daoist School can offer..."

Yun Shengjie was about to say more, but before he could finish, Song Zhou cut him off with a dark expression.

"Yun Shengjie, have you ever heard the saying, ’It is better to be a big fish in a small pond than a small fish in a big sea’?"

"I admit, the resources and benefits at the Daozi Courtyard are better, but the competition there is also far more intense. Didn’t you come to the Rooster Daoist School as outside help precisely because you couldn’t get more resources there?"

"Our Chen Daoist School, on the other hand, is different."

At this, he glanced at Jiang Xuan and said apologetically, "I failed to notice you before. That was my failure to recognize talent, and for that, I apologize. But I can guarantee that from this day forward, all resources in the Daoist School will be prioritized for you."

"Furthermore, aside from the public resources provided by the Shenxiao Sect, I will personally contribute a portion to aid your Cultivation!"

With that said, the choice was obvious.

No matter how abundant the Daozi Courtyard’s resources were, it couldn’t compare to the practical benefit of having the entire Chen Daoist School prioritize him.

However, despite being interrupted, Yun Shengjie didn’t give up. He simply continued to persuade with a sincere expression:

"Jiang Xuan, I still suggest you come to the Daozi Courtyard. Besides resources, the more important thing is the abundance of prodigies. Iron sharpens iron. Only by competing on the same stage as top experts can you grow at maximum speed. Reigning as the undisputed king in a Lower Court will only waste your Talent and hinder your own progress."

Yun Shengjie’s words did hold some truth.

Competition and pressure could indeed lead to faster progress.

Unfortunately, that only applied to others. For Jiang Xuan, who possessed a professional panel, he never lacked the means or motivation to improve. What he lacked were resources.

’As long as I have enough Spirit Stones to buy more Daoist Books, my progress will never be slow.’

Of course, there was no need to tell Yun Shengjie any of this.

Facing the latter’s invitation, Jiang Xuan just shrugged and politely refused, "Thank you for the invitation, Brother Yun, but I’m afraid I prefer the atmosphere at Chen Daoist School."

Seeing this, Yun Shengjie could only shake his head and sigh. "I hope you won’t regret today’s decision in the future."

With that, Yun Shengjie collected his personal reward and turned to leave.

After him, the other students on the list collected their joint exam rewards in an orderly fashion. Only Jiang Xuan, the one at the top of the list, had yet to receive his own Treasure Level prize.

Before Jiang Xuan could even say anything about this, Song Zhou had already stepped forward.

"Chen Chengguang, what is the meaning of this? Are you planning to go back on your word?"

Just as he finished speaking, before Chen Chengguang could offer an explanation, a hearty laugh rang out from the distance.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist Song, that’s not a joke to be taken lightly..." As the voice faded, a middle-aged man who bore some resemblance to Chen Qianjun appeared before Jiang Xuan as if out of thin air.

Seeing the newcomer, Chen Qianjun immediately and respectfully called out, "Father."

However, Chen Wandie didn’t immediately acknowledge his son. Instead, he looked Jiang Xuan up and down, his gaze lingering for a long time on the spot between Jiang Xuan’s eyebrows.

Then, this middle-aged man, who radiated an extraordinary and uninhibited aura, showed no anger that Jiang Xuan had defeated his son. Instead, he laughed and praised him, "Such a Dharma Eye... even I cannot see through it. Truly, heroes rise from the young. By defeating Qianjun and teaching him that there is always a heaven beyond the heavens and someone better out there, you have done well, Jiang Xuan. Very well indeed."

After his praise, he finally turned to Song Zhou. "My Chen Family can certainly afford a single Treasure Level item."

"The reason it hasn’t been awarded yet is simply that we originally expected Qianjun to be the victor. The Treasure Level item we prepared is compatible with Qianjun’s Blood Qi and Life Chart, but it clashes with young friend Jiang Xuan’s physical Attributes. To give it to him rashly would do more harm than good."

"Therefore, I intend to exchange it for a more suitable one for young friend Jiang Xuan."

"Don’t worry that I’ll just grab any random item to make up the numbers. The reputation my Chen Family has built over a thousand years is not something I would tarnish over a single Treasure Level item."

"Tomorrow, I will prepare seven Treasure Level items and let young friend Jiang Xuan choose one for himself."

Hearing this, Song Zhou said no more.

He only made one request: that he be allowed to accompany Jiang Xuan to make his selection tomorrow.

To this, Chen Wandie readily agreed. "No problem. Bring as many people as you like."

And just like that, the matter of Jiang Xuan’s first-place reward was settled.

With this, the tumultuous three-school joint exam came to a complete end.

But while the exam was over, the storm it had stirred up was only just beginning.

And this time, the first place the ripples of the storm were felt was Zi’s Daoist School.