“H-Here’s your token. It’s red because you’ve achieved excellent results.” The examiner handed Shi Lang his token and explained the purpose of it without being asked.
“I see. Thank you.” Shi Lang accepted the token and began making his way towards the portal.
After exiting the portal, Shi Lang found himself standing in front of a massive lake. However, there was something special about this lake.
‘The water is silver? What kind of lake is this?’ Shi Lang wondered to himself as he approached Wang Bingbing.
“I see that you also received a red token.” Wang Ming said with a smile when he noticed Shi Lang’s presence behind them.
“Yes. By the way, what is happening here?”
“I’m not too sure, but it appears to be some kind of exercise where you have to walk on the water.”
“Walking on water? Sounds like the same examination Yuan took at the Dragon Essence Temple when he had to approach a silver tree.”
“Looks like it.”
After waiting for another two hours, it was finally Wang Ming’s turn.
“You will need at least 40 steps to pass this part of the examination.” The examiner said to him.
Wang Ming nodded and took a deep breath before taking his first step into the silver lake.
‘Feels like I am walking on something that’s liquid yet solid at the same time…’ Wang Ming thought to himself as he took his second and third step.
Half a minute later, he was already at the 30th step.
‘Is this supposed to be hard?’ Wang Ming wondered as he approached the 50th step.
On the 61st step, he finally began feeling some resistance, and it would become increasingly harder to move his leg with every step.
By the 70th step, he was sweating profusely.
“Heavens, he’s already taken 75 steps! We have a genius here!” The other participants watched Wang Ming approach his 80th step with admiration in their eyes.
“Ah! I cannot go on!” Wang Ming gave up after taking his 82nd step and collapsed on the water.
One of the examiners there went to pick up Wang Ming before bringing him back to land.
“Congratulations, young man. You currently hold the top score for this examination.” The examiner handed Wang Ming another red token before sending him to the next examination.
Wang Bingbing was next.
Two minutes later—
“Wow! 78 steps! That’s two high scorers’ in a row!” The other participants exclaimed.
“Does anybody know her name? She’s such a fairy!”
“No, I don’t recognize her.”
“Hey, do you think she’s an NPC or a Player?”
“Who knows. She kinda gives me a feeling from both sides.”
“Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s hard to explain, but she gives me the feeling of an NPC but also the feeling of a Player as well.”
“How’s that possible?”
“Don’t ask me. It’s just a feeling.”
After Wang Bingbing received her red token, Shi Lang stepped onto the silver lake and began his test.
Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps.
Fifty steps, sixty steps, seventy steps.
“79 steps… 80 steps… 81 steps… 82 steps! He’s rivaled the top score!” The participants were ecstatic with the results even though they were not the one achieving such a result.
‘D-Damn it! I cannot even lift my legs! Move, damn it! Move!’ Shi Lang shouted inwardly as he pushed himself to make that 83rd step.
However, no matter how hard he tried, he was not able to make the step.
After collapsing on the lake, one of the elders there carried him back to the land.
“Congratulations! Here’s a red token for your excellent results!” The examiner handed a red token to Shi Lang afterward.
“Thanks…” Shi Lang accepted the token in a dispirited manner.
Noticing this, the examiner asked him out of curiosity, “What’s with the long face? You achieved 82 steps, which is the highest score in this examination thus far.”
“You mean one of the highest? I wanted to beat him, but alas…” Shi Lang sighed.
“Him? Are you acquainted with the other participant who scored 82?”
“Something like that, I guess.”
“Anyways, I am going to head to the next examination.”
The examiner nodded and said, “By the way, this examination and the next examination is treated as one examination, so you still have 2 more to go after the next one.”
“Is that so? Good to know.”
Meanwhile, after flying for four hours straight Yuan and his group finally arrived at the spectators’ area, which took place in a massive coliseum.
In the middle of the coliseum was a treasure that projected the disciples’ examination in real time, allowing the millions of spectators to enjoy the disciple examination while being far away.
“Are you sure we should be watching them from up here…?” Meixiu asked Yuan as she sat on the Empyrean Overlord above the coliseum with Chu Liuxiang beside her.
“Why not? It’s not like we’re bothering anyone by spectating up here. And there’s too many people down there.” He calmly responded.
“If you say so…”
Meixiu looked down and swallowed nervously, as she could sense many gazes on them, which is only natural, as they were sticking out like a sore thumb in the sky.
“Oh! Look at the screen on the far right! That’s Wang Ming!” Yuan pointed at one of the projections that was showing Wang Ming during the second examination.
“A silver lake, huh? It sure brings back memories of my disciple examination at the Dragon Essence Temple.”
“I see Min Li. She’s at the bottom left corner.” Meixiu said.
“89 steps, huh? That’s the highest score so far.”
“Oh! I see Xi Murong and Hong Xiuquan! 81 steps and 83 steps!” Chu Liuxiang said.
“As expected of the Six Spiritual Elites. All of their top geniuses are so close to each other in terms of potential and talent— not including Li Jinxi. She’s definitely on another level.” Yuan mumbled to himself, feeling a little pity that he couldn’t see Li Jinxi’s evaluation.
However, just as he had such thoughts, Meixiu pointed at a certain projection and spoke in a puzzled voice, “Hey… That girl on the far right… That’s Li Jinxi, right?”
“What? Really? You’re right! That’s definitely Li Jinxi!” Chu Liuxiang confirmed.
“Huh? What’s she doing at the examination? I thought she wasn’t going to participate.” Yuan muttered in a dazed voice.
