When Earth Awakened, I Became a Sword Saintess

Chapter 43 : The Gathering of Heroes

43: The Gathering of Heroes

Just then, the broadcast announcement sounded: "Students from the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School, Century Campus, who are now entering the venue, have just concluded a two-week-long wilderness special training. They set out from the mountainous region in the early hours of this morning to come here for the exam."

"The Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School!?" Long Xiaotian, standing at the front of Class Two, was startled when he heard this school name. "These... these people are actually taking the assessment with us?"

Although Long Xiaotian had been robbed of first place by a mysterious student last time, he had worked hard after returning. A month of intense cultivation, plus pills provided by his family, had significantly improved him compared to before. He had planned to make a stunning impression today, but he never expected the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School to appear out of nowhere. Long Xiaotian's face immediately turned ugly.

It wasn't just No. 21 High School; the camps of No. 39 High School and Oriental International Academy were also stirred up.

"No way? We have to take the assessment with that bunch of freaks?"

"What? So we can only compete for second place now?" Even the black youth, who was inherently cheerful and confident, seemed to be struck and looked dejected.

Just from the name, the grandeur of their entrance, a police car escort and military buses, Yuyin could tell this school was no ordinary one. Seeing the reactions of the other schools only confirmed it.

"Yingluo, is this Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School really that amazing?" Yuyin asked.

"The main campus of the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School, the Huangpu Campus, is one of the top ten key high schools in the nation. Last year, their Source Martial First Tier university admission rate was 100%. While the Century Campus branch isn't as good as the Huangpu Campus, it's still one of the top five key high schools in Lingdu, with a First Tier admission rate of over 93%," Yingluo answered directly. The Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School was too famous; of course, she knew all about it.

A 100% admission rate to Source Martial First Tier universities, what kind of school was this... a cradle of geniuses? And this Century Campus also had over a 90% First Tier admission rate. Compared to No. 21 High School, where only a handful of students got into First Tier universities last year, the gap was simply too vast... Yuyin couldn't help but sigh.

For the Primordial Energy assessment, strength was fundamental, but the on-site atmosphere, confidence, and even feng shui were all important. Otherwise, why would they dismantle a section of the stands in such a large stadium to build an examination platform? There was a reason for it: facing north and south, observing heaven and earth, breathing in the energy of source and spirit, that was feng shui.

Yuyin was fine, but she was afraid the other students would be intimidated by this sudden appearance of the Academy's affiliated high school, become disheartened, and their performance would be affected. It was like asking a provincial team to play against the Brazilian national team; how could they still have the will to fight?

"Look, they're getting off," someone shouted.

The doors of those dark-windowed buses opened, and the students who stepped down all wore neat, uniform school uniforms of white and blue. The white was so bright it was dazzling, the blue so cool it dampened one's fighting spirit. It seemed as if a faint halo enveloped every one of them.

The eyes of all the examinees fell upon them, but in their eyes, there was only firm conviction, like a sacred army blessed by the god of the college entrance exam!

"The Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School... truly, every one of them has an extraordinary presence." Even Yuyin felt a wave of pressure bearing down on her. It wasn't from any single individual, but the sense of oppression emitted by over two hundred examinees, all seemingly cast from the same mold, gathered together with their powerful Primordial Energy.

And these examinees from the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School, Century Campus, lined up on the empty ground to the left of No. 21 High School, directly adjacent to Class One's Yuyin and the others.

Many students from Class One felt a bit suffocated, their legs turning weak.

Although Yuyin, as always, was full of vigor.

"Yuyin..." Yingluo couldn't help but lean toward Yuyin. Yuyin took Yingluo's hand, pulling her to her right side, while she herself stood next to the examinees from the Academy's affiliated high school.

At this moment, some people went up onto the examination platform for final equipment adjustments. Soon, the large screens lit up, displaying: "The 2018 National Unified Source Martial College Entrance Exam, Primordial Energy Assessment officially begins."

First to take the stage was the head of the invigilating teachers, who explained the exam rules.

"This Head Invigilator..." Yuyin felt that this seemingly ordinary middle-aged female teacher, besides the scholarly air about her, also had a sharp gaze radiating from behind her glasses. This invigilator was no simple figure. Yuyin even felt she was more formidable than the underground fighters she had battled against.

Anyone who could serve as the head in this kind of setting was no ordinary person.

"Next, let us welcome the examinee representatives, two students from the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School, to the stage to give a speech and to take the oath on behalf of all examinees," the Head Invigilator said.

From the group of students whose uniforms seemed to radiate a "halo," a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman stepped out and came onto the stage.

The young man was very tall, with a buzz cut, a very round head shape, and cold, handsome features. His eyes were particularly sharp. The young woman had long hair, a tall and light figure, and a face that was the quintessential, standard example of an Eastern beauty. She had an extraordinary temperament.

"Those... those two, I've often seen them in High School Source Martial magazine."

"I'm even a fan of their Weibo."

Someone from below shouted.

"Oh, she used to be my dream girl," the black youth, Thomas, said, pointing to the girl on the stage. "But now, I'm smitten with someone else. Just now."

Yingluo said beside Yuyin, "Those two are the top students of the Century Campus branch of the Affiliated High School. Online, they're called the Century Twin Jewels."

Just from looking at them from afar, Yuyin could see the sharp light in the young man's eyes. This pair, their Primordial Energy values must not be low.

The young man spoke first.

He came to the microphone, but unlike most students from the Academy's affiliated high school, his uniform was unbuttoned, and on his feet were a pair of very expensive, ostentatiously styled sneakers.

This young man's eyes were bright and spirited. He took the microphone and said with a cold expression, "Hello everyone, I am Yuwen Wenzhi, one of the Century Twin Jewels from the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School that you usually talk about. My current Primordial Energy value is 168, and the average Primordial Energy value of our Century Campus is over 110. You are only going through the motions by taking this exam with us."

With that, he put down the microphone and, without so much as a glance at the invigilating teachers, turned and walked off the stage.

When Yuwen Wenzhi, one of the Century Twin Jewels, said this, the entire venue fell into a moment of silence.

Shock. A Primordial Energy value of 168. Most examinees had never met a peer with such a high value.

Humiliation. All the students felt insulted, as if all their years of desperate effort were meaningless.

This Yuwen Wenzhi was simply insufferably arrogant!

"Bastard..." Long Xiaotian also lowered his head, his fists clenched. But the opponent was too strong, the gap too vast. To be humiliated like this, yet be unable to retaliate.

For a moment, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

The Head Invigilator quickly had the other Twin Jewel speak.

Fortunately, the young woman did not disappoint the teachers. She seemed to be the Student Council President of the affiliated high school. She read a very standard exam speech, and her attitude was very polite, showing sufficient respect to everyone.

But the students from the other three schools were still holding a grudge.

The atmosphere was truly terrible. Even the teachers watching the live broadcast outside the venue were outraged, and some had even raised protests. Several invigilating teachers discussed it among themselves; to restore balance, they needed a countermeasure.

During their discussion, the eyes of the invigilating teachers turned toward Yuyin's direction.

Yuyin was perplexed.

"Next, let us welcome the Student Council President from our sister school, No. 21 High School, the well-known city tennis champion, Xia Yuyin, to the stage to give a speech."

"Huh?"

This hadn't been arranged in advance.

The entire venue was now looking at Yuyin.

"Oh? Right, that tennis princess, Xia Yuyin, is at No. 21 or whatever," even Yuwen Wenzhi looked over. "Ho, so she really is a princess lost in the mortal world. There's really no girl at our school who can compare. But... this is a proving ground of strength, not a beauty pageant runway."

Yuyin was in a position where she couldn't really refuse, so she could only walk onto the stage, puzzled. On the stairs, an invigilating teacher leaned in and whispered, "Student Xia, you just need to soothe the emotions of the students from the other three schools and give them some encouragement. I'm counting on you."

So they were trying to restore balance. Yuwen Wenzhi had embarrassed all the other schools.

Yuyin, helpless, could only stand on the high platform. She was a little nervous, but having grown used to the crowds at the fighting arena, she quickly controlled her emotions.

"Fellow students, regardless of whether you hold lofty ideals, whatever your aptitude may be, whether you have given your all in your efforts for this college entrance exam..."

Yuyin's gaze was gentle, carrying in its elegance an inescapable, poignant beauty. Her chest rose and fell deeply, her moist, jade-like lips parting.

"The moment you truly stand upon this stage, there is no one who does not wish to win."

Silence...

It was as if the entire stadium had fallen quiet.

And then...

A roar of applause erupted from the audience below!

Even the students from the Lingdu Source Martial Academy Affiliated High School joined in, clapping and cheering.