C40 – A Stone Tablet Challenge
On the expansive plain, thousands of examinees had already assembled. Since the examination began, the crowd had dwindled by nearly a fifth. The early eliminations were either victims of ferocious beasts or those unfortunate enough not to have made it out of the forest in time.
Yet among the four thousand remaining examinees, joy was scarce. Most were disheartened, their prospects clear from the scores and rankings on the leaderboard. Those who didn’t make the cut were understandably downcast.
In the midst of the crowd, Xie Yang surveyed the leaderboard with a calm demeanor. Around him, a clear space emerged as other examinees kept a respectful ten-meter distance. His previous hunting rank had earned their awe; Xie Yang’s overwhelming victory had elevated his stature to unprecedented heights. To them, he was the epitome of a true genius.
Many female examinees gazed at him with adoration, but Xie Yang paid no mind to their looks. His attention was on locating the rankings of Bai Tian and the other two girls.
34th place: Bai Tian, 1045 points
428th place: Moo Shuqin, 720 points
443rd place: Zou Xinrui, 703 points
“34th place? Not a bad score at all,” Xie Yang mused with a hint of a smile. Bai Tian’s Demon Flame Bird was formidable, ranked second only to the likes of Lian Xia. But it wasn’t just about raw strength; the number of pet skills, proficiency in Soul Techniques, and Soul Power were crucial to success. Those from Beastmaster families had a clear edge, and there were many such competitors. Bai Tian’s 34th place was a testament to her exceptional talent.
For Moo Shuqin and Zou Xinrui, their results were expected given their more modest abilities.
It’s worth noting that the current leaderboard’s top five stand as follows:
In first place: Xie Yang, with 1772 points
Second: Lian Xia, scoring 1369 points
Third: Han Xuemei, at 1352 points
Fourth: Yun Ye, with 1340 points
Fifth: Jin Haocan, tallying 1305 points
The final rankings remain unchanged from before.
Yet, the four trailing behind Xie Yang now face a daunting gap of over 400 points—a margin that could easily lead to despair.
“Brother!”
A familiar call rang in his ears.
“Remember the initial rule? Touch the stone tablet, and you earn 500 points. The test may be over, but I’m offering you another shot. Anyone up for the challenge?”
Xie Yang couldn’t shake the feeling that Jiang Hao’s invitation was laced with seduction.
Yet, as he scanned the crowd, he noticed a sea of apathy.
It was as if Jiang Hao’s words had fallen on deaf ears, Bai Tian and the other two girls included.
“Is there something unique about this challenge?” Xie Yang whispered to Bai Tian.
Bai Tian’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Brother, you’re not aware?”
Moo Shuqin and Zou Xinrui shared her surprise.
Xie Yang was baffled. Was this common knowledge?
Bai Tian felt compelled to clarify, “The stone tablet challenge is a longstanding tradition at Nightbay Academy. The reward is substantial, enough to significantly shift the assessment rankings, but no one has ever conquered it. That’s probably why no one bothered with it during the assessment period.”
Suddenly, it clicked for Xie Yang.
That explained the lack of buzz about the stone tablet challenge—it had been universally dismissed.
“Brother, if you’re clueless about this, why didn’t you give it a go?” Bai Tian probed with curiosity.
Xie Yang shrugged. “Without knowing what I’d be up against, hunting ferocious beasts in the forest seemed like the safer bet. I wasn’t about to blindly take a stab at it, risk coming up empty-handed, and squander precious assessment time.”
Of course, if someone’s score had dwarfed his own, Xie Yang might have considered taking the plunge.
“Oh, what’s the challenge about?” Xie Yang inquired once more.
Bai Tian was on the verge of responding when a sudden flash of light caught their attention up ahead.
Three figures materialized out of nowhere, standing on the open plain.
Xie Yang took a closer look and discerned two men and a woman.
They seemed to be around the same age as the other candidates there, though they carried themselves with a slightly more mature air.
As he was trying to make sense of it, one of the young men spoke up, “So, you’re this year’s freshmen, aren’t you?”