After entering the Grand Void Manor, Darren realized that the powerful aura in the manor was much stronger than what he had felt in the Holy Lands.
As soon as Darren walked into a hall, he saw hundreds of youngsters, including boys and girls. All these cultivators had assembled in the manor for the test. They had the same goal as Darren—to defeat their rivals and rank among the Top 100 on the Talent Roll.
The youngsters who were permitted to enter the Grand Void Manor were powerful. They were comprised of superior talents who ranked within the Top 500 on the Talent Roll. Some were talents who had been recommended for the test by a powerful sect. None of them were weak.
What surprised Darren more was that none of these talents were inferior to the Top 500 superior talents on the Talent Roll.
Darren wondered why they weren't ranked high on the Talent Roll despite their strength.
Perhaps it was because they had not killed demonic monsters or high-ranked cultivators to secure a position on the Talent Roll even though they had upgraded their realm and strength. They were powerful but kept a low profile, which was what made them hard to deal with.
Darren studied all the talents present. Soon he perceived that at least ten youngsters emitted an exceptionally powerful aura. And, they were part of famous alliances. Obviously, they had been recommended by the powerful alliances of which they were part.
"Humph. The young lad we met on the street the other day is present today."
Several cultivators from different alliances grumbled when they saw Darren. They were upset with him as Darren had refused their invitations to join their alliances.
"I am surprised to see him here. Perhaps he has joined another alliance. We should teach him a lesson during the test. That will be his punishment for refusing the great opportunity we offered!"
Of course, Darren knew that the other cultivators were staring at him and whispering about him. But he didn't care about their opinions.
"It is time to begin. All the test takers need to form two rows. The talents recommended to take the test should stand in the line on the left, while the talents, who rank within the Top 500 on the Talent Roll, need to come to the right."
Just then, a dignified old man with an imposing demeanor appeared. His commanding voice quietened all the people present.
Soon, the cultivators had formed two rows just as the old man had instructed. There were only twenty cultivators in Darren's row.
Although only twenty cultivators from the Top 500 of Talent Roll had come here today, it was a considerable number. After all, not everyone on the Talent Roll was willing to go to Talent City.
"That young lad is in the Top 500? I can't believe it."
"Humph. Just because he has a position on the Talent Roll doesn't mean that he is powerful. I'll teach him a lesson if I find an opportunity later."
"Be quiet!"
The old man shouted c
rren had to admit that Boyce was a real talent.
"The Dragon Alliance is so arrogant!" Betty lashed out as she pouted.
"Humph. If Darren and I work together, we need not to be afraid of anyone from the Dragon Alliance except for a few superior talents." The young man was intelligent. His words showed Darren that he was in the same boat as Darren. And, he regarded Darren as his friend.
Darren also felt that Boyce was sincere. He was not just talking—he meant what he said. If the cultivators from Dragon Alliance messed with Darren, Boyce would help him. He was not pretending to be Darren's friend.
"Ha-ha. Boyce, thank you for blocking the attack." Although Darren was not afraid of the cultivators from Dragon Alliance, he thanked Boyce for his thoughtfulness.
"Don't be so formal. We're friends, right?"
"Yeah. Darren, if the test continues later, we can temporarily work as a team. Do you agree?" Betty asked with a smile. She didn't miss this opportunity to convince Darren to work with them.
"Err... Okay." Since Betty was so enthusiastic, Darren didn't have the heart to refuse her.
An hour later, the old man, who was in charge of the test, returned to the hall. However, the people accompanying him were not the disciples of Grand Void Manor. Instead, he had been escorted by a dozen youngsters, all of whom exuded threatening aura. Among them were four gorgeous girls. They were very young and appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old.
"Logan is here as well?" Both Boyce and Betty were surprised when they identified that Logan Luo, a superior talent from their alliance, was one of the youngsters accompanying the old man. He was ranked within the Top 100!
As for other cultivators brought by the old man, they needn't guess their identities because they were obviously superior talents ranked within the Top 100 too.
Darren was surprised as well. 'Why have these powerful superior talents come here?' he wondered.