Dai Huabin grinned smugly, then threw a condescending glance at Tianyu. "Take a good look, rookie. This is the difference between the offspring of a noble family and street trash like you."
Tianyu ignored the provocation. When his name was called, he stepped forward calmly. The atmosphere suddenly turned quiet—everyone was curious about the boy under Princess Xu Jiujiu's protection.
"Place your hand on the testing orb," the supervising teacher instructed.
Tianyu's palm touched the surface of the orb.
Immediately, the orb lit up brightly. A dominant golden light radiated across its entire surface.
The supervising teacher was shocked. His eyes widened as he stared intently at Tianyu. "This... Spirit Power Level 20? How is this possible? This child reached Level 20 in just three months?"
The ceremonial grounds fell into complete silence, as if everyone was holding their breath. The golden light from the orb did not fade; instead, it grew even more intense, projecting Tianyu's silhouette as a towering figure on the ground like a giant shadow.
Some students in the front rows had to shield their eyes from the blinding light, while others were simply left speechless.
"Level 20…?" a student whispered with a trembling voice. "Even third-year seniors might not have reached that yet!"
Dai Huabin, who had been standing arrogantly, now turned pale. His fists clenched unconsciously, knuckles turning white. "Impossible… This must be cheating!" he shouted, his voice hoarse.
Xu Jiujiu, standing among the teachers, gave a faint smile. Her sharp eyes observed everyone's reactions with satisfaction. "I told them he was talented," she thought. Still, even she was surprised to find that Tianyu's spirit power had reached Level 20. Although senior students were supposed to be in class, his special status had allowed him to be here.
"I look forward to his reaction when he sees the gift I've prepared," Xu Jiujiu mused, smiling to herself.
The supervising teacher examined the orb carefully, suspecting a malfunction. But after confirming everything was functioning correctly, he nodded slowly. "There is no mistake. Long Tianyu, your spirit power has indeed reached Level 20."
A wave of astonished gasps and frantic whispers rippled through the grounds.
"He must be from a hidden ancient clan!"
"Maybe he inherited a rare Martial Soul?"
"I heard Princess Xu Jiujiu personally brought him to the academy…"
Dai Huabin couldn't accept this. With heavy steps, he marched forward, face flushed with anger. "This is unfair! I demand a retest!"
Headmaster Lao Jun, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke. His voice echoed across the arena. "Dai Huabin, control yourself. The testing orb does not lie."
But Dai Huabin was already too emotional. His White Tiger Martial Soul nearly emerged on its own, the shadow of a great feline roaring behind him. "If he's really that great, I challenge him to a fight right now! The next test is combat anyway, isn't it?"
The real reason he was furious was because his pride couldn't bear the fact that he, a descendant of the White Tiger Duke, was weaker than a boy from who-knows-where. Especially after making such arrogant remarks to Tianyu the day before. Thinking about that only enraged him further.
Tianyu, who had been silent all this time, finally looked at Dai Huabin calmly. "Are you sure?" he asked simply.
"Shut up! I'll teach you what pride means in front of everyone!" Dai Huabin growled.
"That's enough." Lao Jun's voice was calm, yet carried such authority that no one dared argue. "Dai Huabin, Long Tianyu, save your fighting spirit for the upcoming combat test. For now, let the other students complete their spirit power assessment."
Dai Huabin clenched his jaw, eyes still blazing with unresolved anger. After a few tense seconds, he finally looked away and reluctantly stepped back. The white aura of his Martial Soul faded, though his gaze still pierced sharply toward Tianyu.
Tianyu said nothing. He simply nodded to Lao Jun and quietly returned to his place among the examinees, as if nothing had happened.
But the atmosphere on the field had changed. No one underestimated Tianyu anymore. Every gaze now subtly followed him—some curious, others wary, and some filled with an unspoken envy.
The Supervisor glanced at the list of names in his hand, trying to refocus the test proceedings. "Next, Feng Xiao!" he called out loudly.
The crowd began to murmur again, but this time only a few were truly paying attention. Most were still sneaking glances at Tianyu, trying to guess where the boy had come from—and just how deep his hidden potential might go.
Meanwhile, Tianyu ignored the stares directed at him. He just wanted this to end quickly so he could return to the pavilion. It had been several days since he last did any physical training.
The Supervisor called out the following names one by one. After Feng Xiao, other students stepped up to the platform, placed their hands on the test orb, and revealed their soul power levels.
Most students were only around level 7 or 8, which was normal for children their age. Some hadn't even reached level 6, leaving them embarrassed in front of the others. There was even one student at level 2.
However, since everyone's attention was still fixated on Tianyu, many results passed by without much reaction.
Once all the students had completed the soul power test, the Supervisor announced:
"The second part of the test is a one-on-one battle. We will draw lots to determine matchups, and the winner will proceed to the next round!"
Dai Huabin immediately shot a sharp glare at Tianyu. "I hope we get matched up. I'll prove who's really strong around here!"
Tianyu ignored him, but his fingers clenched slightly. He did want to fight Dai Huabin—not to prove anything, but simply to teach that arrogant fool a lesson.
Liu Feng, a tall but skinny student, was already waiting with his Martial Soul—a gleaming spear.
Before the match began, both participants were required to report their Martial Soul and soul power level.
"Liu Feng, Martial Soul: Light Spear, Level 8. Please take care of me."
"Long Tianyu, Martial Soul: Golden Dragon, Level 20. Please take care of me." Tianyu didn't reveal that his Martial Soul was the Golden Dragon King. He was cautious—if he became too well known, servants of the gods might hear about it. Tianyu was confident that with his talent, his name would eventually spread across the continent.
His voice was calm and polite, yet carried a quiet firmness that couldn't be underestimated. A few students whispered among themselves after hearing his name again.
"Level 20 versus level 8… That's like comparing a tiger to a rabbit," one student muttered.
Still, Liu Feng stood tall, though his face was slightly tense. He knew his strength was far below Tianyu's, but he had to fight. This test would determine his future.
"Begin!" the Supervisor called.
Liu Feng immediately lunged forward at full speed with his spear. "Hyaa!"
His Light Spear glowed brightly, leaving a trail of white light in the air.
Tianyu stood still, his eyes calmly following Liu Feng's movement.
"He's not even summoning his Martial Soul?" the spectators thought, puzzled.
Just as the spear was about to touch his chest, Tianyu moved—with a slight shift of his body, he dodged it effortlessly.
"Too slow," he whispered.
In a single step, he appeared directly in front of Liu Feng, and with one simple kick—
"WHAM!"
Liu Feng was sent flying out of the arena, landing hard on the ground.
"…!!"
Everyone fell silent.
The Supervisor stood stunned for a moment before announcing, "The winner… Long Tianyu!"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you'd like early access to over 10 advanced chapters and want to support the continuation of this story, please consider subscribing to my Patreon.
Your support means a lot to me and will greatly help in continuing to deliver high-quality content for all of you!
👉 Patreon Link: patreon.com/Xeons
Thank you so much for your understanding, and happy reading! 💙