Chapter 468: Clash of the Ladies

A height of fifty-two meters was, without a doubt, the best result among all the participants so far.

"Hmph."

Zhou Qingwei looked with satisfaction at the name she had left behind. She shot a glance at Murong Yunxiao and Yun Aoxue, let out a soft snort, and then arrogantly turned to rejoin her group.

Her gaze was filled with open provocation.

Murong Yunxiao, well aware of Zhou Qingwei’s nature, maintained a tranquil expression and paid her provocation no mind.

Meanwhile, Yun Aoxue and Xia Qixi exchanged a baffled glance.

’Is there something wrong with this Zhou Qingwei?’

As women, they were both perceptive, and it seemed that throughout the assessment, Zhou Qingwei had been provoking them, whether intentionally or not.

’This is our first time in the Dream Realm Plain. We couldn’t have possibly offended her, right?’

"Huh, is Zhou Qingwei provoking Yun Aoxue and her group?"

Zhou Qingwei’s actions were hardly subtle, and they were immediately noticed by the many spectating Martial Artists.

"Among this year’s female examinees, Zhou Qingwei, Murong Yunxiao, Yun Aoxue, and Xia Qixi are the top four. When it comes to looks, each is a beauty in her own right. As for talent, they are all extraordinary. They must be incredibly competitive with one another."

"No doubt about it. When you have a group of talented women like that, none of them are going to concede to the others."

"Look at Zhou Qingwei. It seems like she’s challenging Yun Aoxue and the others."

"Heh heh, this is interesting. Very interesting."

The crowd broke into an animated discussion, their interest thoroughly piqued.

A competition between women is always the most interesting thing to watch, especially when it involves four such stunning beauties.

A faint smirk touched the corner of Zhou Qingwei’s lips.

’This was precisely the effect she wanted.’

The assessment continued.

Now, only the last few dozen people remained. At this stage, aside from a few exceptions, most of the remaining participants could easily leave their names on the Memorial Stele.

The only differences were the height at which they left their mark and the size of the name they wrote.

The best score so far still belonged to Zhou Qingwei.

"Next, Murong Yunxiao!"

Qingfeng’s voice boomed.

The eyes of the crowd lit up.

It was finally Murong Yunxiao’s turn.

Murong Yunxiao and Zhou Qingwei were both scions of prominent families from the Sky Empire—one from the Zhou family, the other from the Murong family. Back in the Sky Imperial Capital, they had been fierce rivals, known as the "Twin Flowers of the Capital’s Great Houses." Now at Gale Light Academy, they remained figures of great interest.

’Murong Yunxiao, back in the Imperial Capital, they called us the "Twin Flowers." But I, Zhou Qingwei, couldn’t care less about that title, because I will always be the superior one. What nonsense "Twin Flowers"? You’re nothing but a green leaf meant to accentuate my brilliance—you’re just my foil.’

Zhou Qingwei narrowed her eyes, thinking this to herself as she shot Murong Yunxiao a provocative glare.

Murong Yunxiao, with her usual air of calm detachment, paid Zhou Qingwei’s provocation no mind.

She raised her head, her gaze traveling up the Memorial Stele, but it didn’t stop on Zhou Qingwei’s name. Instead, it settled on an area to the left, reserved for previous years’ students.

A name was there, hanging high at over sixty meters. The calligraphy was flamboyant and powerful, exuding an extraordinary aura.

"Murong Yunyu!"

’Brother, I am finally standing where you once stood. This time, I will aim for your record and leave my own name upon this Memorial Stele.’

Murong Yunxiao thought to herself.

SWOOSH!

In the next instant, her figure rose like a fluttering petal, spinning as she soared into the sky. Streams of Profound Power coiled around her, bursting forth in a brilliant radiance.

Twenty meters!

Thirty meters!

Forty meters!

Fifty meters!

She reached Zhou Qingwei’s height of fifty-two meters, and still, she continued to rise.

"This... Is Murong Yunxiao going to break the sixty-meter mark?"

The crowd gasped in astonishment.

Sixty meters!

At sixty meters, Murong Yunxiao’s body didn’t pause for a second. Incredibly, she was still ascending.

The entire crowd went wild.

’I can’t go on.’

An immense pressure bore down on Murong Yunxiao.

At a height of sixty-one meters, Murong Yunxiao finally couldn’t hold on any longer. Biting her lip, with a flash in her eyes, she quickly carved two large words onto the Memorial Stele: Murong Yunxiao.

Then her body drifted back down, and she landed on the ground, panting heavily.

The entire arena was stunned. Sixty-one meters—a new record for the third round of the assessment.

Everyone stared dumbfounded at Murong Yunxiao, their hearts reeling with shock.

At Gale Light Academy, the Memorial Stele assessment was the clearest indicator of a student’s standing.

Generally, reaching forty meters was considered an upper-mid-tier result.

Fifty meters was considered absolutely top-tier.

And sixty meters... that meant you were a dazzling star in Gale Light Academy, one of the absolute top elites of your class.

As for seventy meters, not every generation produced a monster capable of such a feat!

Murong Yunxiao’s sixty-one meters placed her at the very forefront of all the geniuses at Gale Light Academy. Her entry into the Inner Division was now a near certainty, and even there, she would surely have a place.

"No, impossible..."

Zhou Qingwei was completely dumbfounded. Murong Yunxiao’s result had shattered her expectations. Sixty-one meters versus fifty-two meters—the difference was like that between heaven and earth.

But while everyone was in shock, few noticed that Murong Yunxiao herself gave a slight shake of her head.

’It seems I’m still a long way from my brother!’

Murong Yunyu’s record was sixty-seven meters.

Hers was only sixty-one.

Sixty-one meters and sixty-seven meters—it was only a difference of a few meters.

But on the Memorial Stele, those seemingly insignificant few meters represented a massive chasm.

Murong Yunxiao’s achievement ignited the crowd, making the subsequent assessments even more intense.

Soon, it was Yun Aoxue’s turn.

"This Yun Aoxue... her results in the second round were better than both Zhou Qingwei’s and Murong Yunxiao’s. I wonder how she’ll perform in this third round."

"Her cultivation is higher than both Zhou Qingwei’s and Murong Yunxiao’s. Unfortunately, she’s also a bit older, which means the difficulty for her is significantly greater."

"Murong Yunxiao is eighteen and a First Layer Tier Five Martial Sect. That Yun Aoxue is twenty-four and only at the Second Layer of Tier Five. Our own Senior Sister Dongfang Zisi from Gale Light Academy is twenty-two and already a Third Layer Tier Five Martial Sect."

"Her age is a real handicap."

Many people murmured amongst themselves, not very optimistic about Yun Aoxue’s final result.

Some even doubted if Yun Aoxue could leave her name on the Memorial Stele at all.

Yun Aoxue turned a deaf ear to the surrounding chatter and quietly approached the Memorial Stele.

’I come from the Thirteen Nations Alliance. For the sake of my home, and for my own sake, I must leave my name on this Memorial Stele.’

HAH!

With a low cry, Yun Aoxue erupted in a brilliant light and shot into the sky.

SWOOSH!

Her body shot straight up, lacking Zhou Qingwei’s dancelike grace or Murong Yunxiao’s ethereal elegance. She was like a white egret, soaring straight into the heavens.

Thirty meters!

Forty meters!

Fifty meters!

Sixty meters!

Yun Aoxue’s rapid ascent left everyone aghast.

At such a height, could she possibly carve her name?

Many before her had been too rash, reaching for a height beyond their capabilities, only to be blasted away. They could have left their names, but were eliminated instead.

Would Yun Aoxue suffer the same fate?

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yun Aoxue finally stopped at sixty-three meters.

At this height, the oppressive pressure made the very bones in her body creak and groan.

"Go!"

With a furious cry, her right hand shot out.

That furious cry contained all her defiance against reality, exploding like a thunderbolt from a clear sky.

She refused to accept the endless hardships and the cold scorn of others.

She refused to accept being unable to acknowledge Ye Xuan, even when they met.

She refused to accept the strong running rampant, oppressing her homeland.

She had to enter Gale Light Academy. She had to change all of this with her own two hands.

Filled with her rage, her defiance, and her longing, Yun Aoxue’s right hand plunged fiercely into the stone stele.

CRUNCH!

Stone fragments flew. Two magnificent, powerful words were left upon the Memorial Stele.

Yun Aoxue!

These two words contained an immense will that seemed to burst from the stele itself.

THUD!

She fell to the ground, panting raggedly, a wretched sight.

But no one dared to look down on her.

Twenty-four years old, Tier Five Second Layer!

To leave her name at sixty-three meters on the Memorial Stele... this...

It was simply a miracle.

Especially Yun Aoxue’s magnificent name; gazing at it from a distance, one could feel a soul-stirring aura emanating from it, deeply shaking everyone present.

Qingfeng, who had been watching with narrowed eyes, suddenly snapped them open as a brilliant light flashed within them.

"Such spirit... If this girl is allowed to mature, her future achievements will be anything but ordinary!"

The elder, Qingfeng, muttered to himself.

’Teacher Yun has matured.’

Ye Xuan mused to himself with a slight smile.

These prodigies, born into the great powers and prominent families of the Dream Realm Plain, would never understand. The path of a true powerhouse isn’t paved in a greenhouse; it must be forged through the wind and rain of real hardship.

Yes, among this group of geniuses, Yun Aoxue’s age was certainly not considered young.

And her Tier Five Second Layer cultivation wasn’t particularly outstanding either.

But Yun Aoxue was forged in the crucible of life and death, a stark contrast to those like Zhou Qingwei and Murong Yunxiao, who had achieved their rapid breakthroughs in comfortable environments.

"No, impossible..."

Zhou Qingwei’s expression went blank once again, her mind refusing to believe it.

Even the ever-composed Murong Yunxiao glanced at Yun Aoxue in surprise, a flicker of something new appearing in the depths of her eyes for the first time.

The sixty-three-meter height set a new record, making the rest of the assessment even more fervent.

Soon, the record Yun Aoxue had just set was broken.

The one to break it was none other than Xiao Ping.

"Sixty-five meters!"

"That score is simply heaven-defying! It’s an exceptional result even when compared to all previous assessments."

"As expected of the genius who lasted two hours and fifteen minutes in the first round."

"Incredible, just incredible!"

Watching Xiao Ping’s composed landing, the crowd buzzed with excitement. It was yet another new record.