Both of them stared eagerly at the screen. But after only a few seconds, their eyes widened, and their jaws dropped to the floor as they watched Wang Ming effortlessly massacre wave after wave of beasts using a terrifyingly refined technique. Cold sweat began to drip from their foreheads.

Gudong

“U-Uncle… he’s not petty, right? He won’t come after me… right?” Fang Juan asked fearfully, swallowing hard as he turned to his uncle. If he was in Wang Ming’s place, he would certainly take action and crriple the person who offended him.

“How the fuck am I supposed to know that, you bastard?!” the elder glared at Fang Juan when he heard the question.

“If he tries to attack me, you’ll back me up, right, Uncle?” Fang Juan asked with hope in his eyes, but the elder just looked at him indifferently—and even sneered.

“Hehe,” the elder chuckled ominously.

“Right? You’ll back me… right?” Fang Juan repeated, dread creeping into his voice.

“Hehe,” the elder laughed again, causing Fang Juan to gulp down a mouthful of saliva.

“Back you? Back you, my ass! I’d be targeted too if I tried to save you. If it comes to that, I’ll serve your head to him on a silver platter. You better start praying that he thinks you’re just some insignificant insect and completely forgets about you,” the elder sneered, and Fang Juan looked at him in horror and despair.

Fang Juan now desperately wished that Wang Ming would forget him—treat him as an unworthy, insignificant creature. In the past, being ignored would have infuriated him due to his pride as an inner court disciple. But now? He was praying for it.

“Damn,” Fang Juan, who was sinking into despair, suddenly heard his uncle’s voice. He turned to look at him and saw his uncle staring at the leaderboards, jaw slack and eyes wide. He even saw the old man pinch himself a few times. Curious, Fang Juan also looked at the screen—and his pupils dilated at what he saw.

“Another one,” the elder said in disbelief, rubbing his eyes as he watched a new name appear with a golden highlight, signifying another person had entered the rankings for the first time. His body trembled when he read the name—she was also participating in the promotion exam.

“Bai Lingxi… this name… where have I heard it before?” the elder murmured as he stared at the name and the image next to it. It looked familiar. But soon, the image was replaced by question marks. Knowing it was the work of the sect leader, he wasn’t surprised—it was likely meant to protect her from being targeted.

Then he turned to his nephew, who had gone even paler for some reason—and suddenly, it clicked.

“Heh, you’re completely screwed now, aren’t you? Bastard. I told you to control yourself. That girl is the one you targeted—and she’s Wang Ming’s partner, isn’t she?” the elder said with a sneer and a trace of fear. He had, of course, researched Wang Ming and knew who his partners were. He just hoped they’d target his nephew and not him.

His nephew didn’t respond. He simply kept staring at the screen in a daze—until a dark stain formed on his pants.

“From now on, you’re on your own. If you survive, I’m done covering up your messes. Goodbye.” With a swosh sound he dissapered from his previous place leaving Fang Juan alone without sparing a glance.

—

“Damn, I thought I closed the gap by increasing my cultivation, but who would’ve thought he’d go straight for the rankings?” Bai Lingxi said, speechless as she read the notification.

“Tsk, he really can’t stay quiet without causing a commotion, can he?” Shi Yu clicked her tongue and gave a helpless smile.

“Sister Lingxi, what are you going to do now? Should we log out? We’ve already qualified and passed the exam,” Luo Li asked curiously, looking at Bai Lingxi.

“Nope. I’m going to aim for the rankings too. If he can do it, so can I,” Bai Lingxi said, a fierce glint in her eyes.

Huh, I didn’t know she was this competitive, Luo Li thought, surprised as she saw a new side to Bai Lingxi. On the other hand, Shi Yu didn’t look surprised at all.

“Are you guys going to try to get into the rankings too?” Bai Lingxi asked, only to have the girls roll their eyes at her.

“Not everyone is a monster like you and Wang Ming,” Shi Yu snorted. She knew even her physic skills wouldn’t be enough to make the rankings.

“Alright, let’s begin. Primordial Ice Maker and Manipulation,” Bai Lingxi muttered as the temperature dropped and black frost began to spread across the ground.

—

“Fuck, you can’t be human, can you?” Tang Nian murmured as she watched Wang Ming effortlessly kill one beast after another.

“Eh? How did you know I’m not just a human, but an extremely special human—strong, handsome, and unique?” Wang Ming said in a narcissistic tone, causing Tang Nian’s lips to twitch.

[ Ding Dong ]

[ A disciple from the Yang-Yin Sect has entered the rankings ]

Tang Nian’s eyes widened in shock as she saw the message, but before she could say anything, she noticed a flicker of surprise on Wang Ming’s face.

“Hey, do you know who it is? Is it a Core Disciple?” Tang Nian asked curiously.

“No…” Min Li, who had overheard the question, muttered in disbelief, her jaw hanging open.

“Yes, I know her. She’s my Dao companion—and like me, she’s also participating in the exam,” Wang Ming said nonchalantly.

“WHAT?!” Tang Nian shouted in disbelief, staring at Wang Ming as if he’d grown a second head. But seeing that he wasn’t joking or lying, she was completely dumbfounded.

Gulp.

Tang Nian swallowed a mouthful of saliva as sweat started dripping from her forehead—soon it felt like she was taking a shower in it. She didn’t move for several seconds, her brain struggling to process what she’d just heard.

‘Fuck, what kind of monsters are participating this year? First it was Wang Ming, then another—and they’re both from the same sect?!’ Tang Nian cursed inwardly, realizing her elder sister might not even secure second place this year thanks to these anomalies.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep