Among the more than a hundred examinees, only five were new students. The rest were old students who had spent a year in the Outer Academy and had unfortunately failed the Dragon Gate Grand Selection.
For them, this Special Exam was nothing less than a revival match. A failure here meant waiting another full year, so every one of them brimmed with fighting spirit.
As the supervising mentor explained the rules, the examinees stepped forward one by one to choose their ferry boats.
The available boats were all small, single-person leaf skiffs; the larger vessels had been cleared away beforehand.
Yan Zhen hopped onto the nearest one—Boat No. 86. Huangfu Wenqing took the spot right beside him on No. 87.
Each boat had a groove that served as a throttle. Step on it and channel mystic power to propel forward. Turning required pushing hard with the other foot—a tricky maneuver at best.
This setup tested the examinees’ precise control of mystic power and their sense of balance.
Yan Zhen scanned the area. The other three new student representatives from rival academies kept a healthy distance from one another, clearly planning to avoid clashes in this trial. But Yan Zhen knew Shan Ben would swerve right into his path for trouble.
Shan Ben caught Yan Zhen’s gaze and flashed a thumbs-down, his eyes screaming, “You’re done for.” Yan Zhen couldn’t be bothered. He started to look away—only to spot Dean Little Aunt and Great Mentor Aunt watching him intently.
He cracked a sunny, boy-next-door grin and shot them a charming wink, cringier than any idol boy band.
Dean Yu Qing shuddered.
“What the hell’s wrong with this brat all of a sudden? Did he take the wrong meds?”
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan blinked her lovely eyes, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. She actually found Yan Zhen’s little act… kinda cute.
“Ahem. The kid’s probably trying to patch things up with you. Acting all obedient like that.”
“Patch up what? I’ve never been on good terms with him!” Dean Yu Qing snorted. “Wait till he steps into the Inner Academy. Big Sis’ll show him—scumbags like that deserve to die!”
“But doesn’t Sister Yu Yan adore well-behaved kids?”
“Since when is he a kid? Just ’cause of that pretty-boy mug?”
“Sister Yu Yan babies all of us like kids. Yan Zhen’s no exception.”
“…”
Dean Yu Qing fell silent, visions of her big sister ruffling her hair with that overflowing maternal vibe leaving her speechless.
Having thoroughly weirded out Dean Little Aunt and Great Mentor Aunt, Yan Zhen wiped the goofy expression from his face and settled back to normal.
With all examinees in their boats and the supervising mentor’s confirmation given, he announced, “Alright, everyone in position. I declare this Special Exam officially underway!”
His words unleashed the fleet. Over a hundred boats shot forward like startled fish, everyone gunning the throttle for the lead.
Hot-blooded youngsters barreling downriver? Predictable chaos. Moments later, boats collided, and fists started flying.
No quarter asked, none given.
【Ding! Key Plot Triggered】
【Current Plot Progress—Chapter 400: Special Exam】
【Role-Playing Requirements: ①In the face of Shan Ben’s provocation, hold nothing back—strike him down and blast him into the water; ②Leak the Evil Dragon aura from your body, drawing the river-bottom Old Flood Dragon and converse with it; ③Before time runs out, unleash Starry Sky Dance to fly straight to the far shore, shocking the crowd】
Staring at the System’s mission popup, Yan Zhen itched to bust out Starry Sky Dance and zip across right then.
In the script, he figured the rules mandated boats, so he played it straight—rowing like mad until desperation hit near the deadline, forcing him to use the body technique.
Lost in stray thoughts, Yan Zhen blanketed his boat in spiritual power for pinpoint control of speed and course. He matched Huangfu Wenqing stride for stride, surging into the lead pack.
The new student reps from the other three academies held strong too, right there in the vanguard.
The two supervising mentors floated overhead, tracking the fleet’s progress.
Then the calm surface erupted. A man-high wave reared up and smashed toward them.
Script intel: Dragon Gate River sheltered Holy Land Academy’s guardian beast—a millennium-old flood dragon.
The Old Flood Dragon slumbered in the depths, hyper-sensitive to outsider auras. Surface mystic power use? Instant alert—massive waves incoming.
Only Inner Academy Badges let students or mentors slip past unscathed.
Their bunch? Prime “outsider” bait.
Wave incoming, Yan Zhen nosed his bow skyward and gunned it. Man and boat vaulted airborne, clearing the crest and splashing down ahead.
Huangfu Wenqing mirrored the move, glued to his tail.
Other examinees pulled fancy dodges too, but some slipped—boats flipping, riders dunked.
Supervising mentor boomed eliminations: “Such-and-such academy’s whosit—out!”
Appetizer over. Yan Zhen touched down only for a taller breaker to slam him back ten zhang or so, resetting his spot. Huangfu Wenqing, Qi Yu Xuan, Chu Nan, and crew blew past.
He revved to chase—then felt an aura barreling from the flank. No hesitation: fist flew.
Bang!
Fist gang detonated, rocking Yan Zhen’s boat.
Peering over: Shan Ben, small boat rammed straight at him, death-wish glare locked.
“I’m eliminating you, Yan Zhen!”
Yan Zhen sneered, whipping his boat around to meet Shan Ben’s snarling charge head-on.
“Fuck your ancestors!”
Boats smashed at full tilt. Both vaulted up, fists cocked.
Shan Ben wielded earth mystic power, Mystic Force Armor plating his limbs like stone skin. His sandbag knuckles sported a quality gauntlet—mystic power amp, shock booster.
Yan Zhen? Imperial-grade Mystic Art under Three Extreme Flames’ boost. Mystic power density rivaled a Mystic General.
Eight Extremes Explosion, second realm—Ninth Explosion!
Gold-Silver Flames-wreathed fist met Black Gold Gauntlet-clad knuckles in a thunderous clash. Shan Ben gaped in horror as his gauntlets ignited. Titanic force rolled in, pulverizing his arm’s crystal armor. Infiltrating dark erupted.
Pfft! Blood fountained from the beefy limb, needle-pain stabbing his brain. Shan Ben’s shriek rent the air.
How? Him—a body-forged Four-Star Mystic Master with Tier 4 gauntlets—half-wrecked arm-to-arm against a Three-Star Mystic Master?
—Cheater!
Shock and rage surging, Shan Ben clutched his mangled right arm with his left, momentum carrying him back. Yan Zhen pursued mercilessly. Mid-air stomp—starlight bloomed underfoot, rocketing him forward.
Scalp prickling, Shan Ben went all-in on mystic power, sculpting a mini-mountain around himself. Trapped inside, immovable.
“Immovable as a Mountain!”
Yan Zhen balled his fist. Gold-silver shifted to Great Crimson Heaven Flame and Body Realm qi flame. Dual powers stacked and detonated on impact.
Mountain crumbled. Shan Ben bloodied the air, cratering his boat—down and out.
He glared up at Yan Zhen, eyes burning with defiance.
“You… cheated! I won’t accept it!”
Yan Zhen dropped to his boat, flexed his aching hand, and drawled coolly, “No cheats. Just playing the pig to eat the tiger, that’s all.”
