Chapter 469: Pinnacle Showdown

As for Xiao Ping, he just shook his head.

He had set a goal of seventy meters for himself. Unfortunately, he hadn’t reached it.

He glanced back at Hou Fei and Ye Xuan. Among this year’s male Martial Artists, the three of them were the most outstanding.

’I wonder how the other two will do.’

The assessments continued.

At this point, most of the remaining participants were able to leave their names on the Memorial Stele, with many even reaching heights of over forty-five meters.

Soon, the third round of the assessment was drawing to a close, with only three people left to be tested.

Xia Qixi, Hou Fei, and Ye Xuan.

"Next, Xia Qixi."

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Xia Qixi slowly approached the Memorial Stele.

"Xia Qixi took third place in the second round with a huge lead. I wonder how she’ll do on the Memorial Stele assessment."

"She can’t be weak, right? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have stood out so much in the second round."

Initially, given Xia Qixi’s age, many people didn’t think highly of her chances.

But after what had happened with Yun Aoxue, no one dared to underestimate these two beauties from the Thirteen Nations Alliance anymore.

In fact, many people believed she would surely break Yun Aoxue’s sixty-three-meter record.

WHOOSH!

As the crowd watched with anticipation, Xia Qixi shot up toward the sixty-meter mark on the Memorial Stele. However, just as she reached it, she seemed to lose her momentum and carved her name.

"Sixty meters!"

"How is that all she got?"

A height of sixty meters was an excellent, top-tier result, whether compared to the other contestants so far or even to past generations of Gale Light Academy students.

But for Xia Qixi, this result was a letdown.

Xia Qixi and Yun Aoxue, the two students from the Thirteen Nations Alliance, were identical in age and cultivation level.

But in both the first and second rounds of the assessment, Xia Qixi’s performance had surpassed Yun Aoxue’s.

Therefore, everyone had assumed it would be no problem for Xia Qixi to surpass Yun Aoxue’s sixty-three meters, and that she might even contend with Xiao Ping’s sixty-five meters.

However, the outcome was contrary to everyone’s expectations.

At the foot of the black stele, Xia Qixi’s face was devoid of expression.

’A score of sixty meters is what I expected, since I didn’t use my full strength at all.’

’If I’d used the Dragon Essence Shocking Skill, I could have achieved a much better score. I might even have been able to make an attempt at the seventy-meter mark.’

Thoughts flashed through Xia Qixi’s mind. ’But Grandpa told me never to reveal the Dragon Essence Shocking Skill to outsiders. A score of sixty meters is enough to get Gale Light Academy’s attention. There’s no need to stand out too much.’

With this in mind, Xia Qixi quietly retreated to the side.

’I get the feeling that Xia Qixi didn’t use her full strength,’ thought the elder Qingfeng from a short distance away, his brow slightly furrowed.

Xia Qixi, Hou Fei, and Ye Xuan were the three students he had the highest hopes for, but Xia Qixi’s performance had been somewhat of a letdown.

Moreover, he had a nagging feeling that Xia Qixi hadn’t given it her all.

’It must be my imagination.’ He shook his head and put the thought aside.

Among the crowd, the most dejected person was probably Zhou Qingwei.

Her fifty-two meters was the lowest of the four of them, leaving her utterly crestfallen.

Now, only Hou Fei and Ye Xuan were left to be tested.

"Xuan Ye, let’s settle this in the third round. We’ll see who is the true number one genius of this year’s class at Gale Light Academy."

Before the test, Hou Fei deliberately walked up to Ye Xuan and spoke in a cold tone.

"Who do you think you are? Get lost. How can you compare yourself to Young Master Ye?" Luo Cheng stepped forward and shouted at Hou Fei.

Hou Fei didn’t budge. He shot Luo Cheng a cold look. "I’m speaking to Xuan Ye. Irrelevant people should step aside."

"You..." Luo Cheng was fuming. Just as he was about to speak again, Ye Xuan gently stopped him.

"Sorry, but if you want to be number one, go ahead. I’m not interested in that title," Ye Xuan said faintly.

Hou Fei remained noncommittal, stating coolly, "Whether you’re interested or not, I hope you’ll go all out. Because I will be giving it my all."

With that, Hou Fei walked straight toward the Memorial Stele.

Luo Cheng said, "What a weirdo. Young Master Ye, just ignore him."

"Heh." Ye Xuan chuckled lightly, watching Hou Fei. "Luo Cheng, that man’s fighting spirit is admirable. You should learn a thing or two from him."

"Me? Learn from him?" Luo Cheng was speechless.

Ye Xuan just smiled without a word. He actually quite liked Hou Fei’s personality.

Hou Fei had lost to him in both the first and second rounds, but instead of being discouraged, he kept challenging him again and again.

Hou Fei’s actions just now had seemed like a provocation.

In reality, there wasn’t a trace of provocation in his words, only boundless fighting spirit.

The Martial Dao is vast and profound; who can claim to see its end?

Often, only those like Hou Fei, filled with fighting spirit and an unwillingness to ever admit defeat, can advance step by step to ascend the peak that all others look up to, and gaze down upon the world.

WHOOSH!

Under the crowd’s gaze, Hou Fei calmly arrived at the base of the Memorial Stele.

"Rise!"

With a thunderous shout, he shot into the sky like a cannonball.

Forty meters!

Fifty meters!

Sixty meters!

In the blink of an eye, he reached a height of sixty meters and was still climbing.

His speed was shocking to all.

After sixty meters, his speed slowed considerably.

He ascended meter by meter.

Sixty-five!

Sixty-six!

Sixty-seven!

Sixty-eight!

Sixty-nine!

Finally, at a height of sixty-nine meters, he stopped and forcefully carved his name into the Memorial Stele with both hands.

"Sixty-nine meters! Only one meter shy of seventy!"

"What a shame. Reaching seventy meters would have meant something entirely different."

"In the last hundred years of Gale Light Academy’s history, only a handful of people have ever reached seventy meters. Every single one of them went on to become one of our academy’s most dazzling figures."

The countless watching Martial Artists sighed in unison.

And as the older students sighed, they were also utterly shocked. Hou Fei’s result clearly indicated that another heaven-defying prodigy was about to emerge in Gale Light Academy.

"It seems our academy has found another promising talent," the elder Qingfeng said with a smile, stroking his beard.

’What a shame.’

Hou Fei knelt on one knee, shaking his head in frustration.

His goal had been seventy meters, but unfortunately, he had fallen short at the final hurdle.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to climb that last meter, but he knew with certainty that the pressure would skyrocket upon entering the seventy-meter range. At that point, he might not have even had enough strength left to carve his name on the Memorial Stele.

"Next, Xuan Ye," the elder Qingfeng announced, his booming voice directed at Ye Xuan.

"It’s finally Xuan Ye’s turn."

The crowd instantly erupted with excitement.

Ever since Crazy Battle had made his move, Ye Xuan had been the focal point of this year’s Gale Light Academy entrance examination.

Ye Xuan had displayed astonishing talent in the first two rounds, and now the final and most crucial round of the assessment was finally about to begin.

’So, it’s my turn?’

A smile touched the corners of Ye Xuan’s lips.

’This Memorial Stele is interesting. Let’s see just how difficult it really is!’

With that thought, Ye Xuan’s figure flickered and, like a phantom, he shot toward the Memorial Stele.

"He’s starting already?"

"Doesn’t he want to prepare for a moment? Or at least feel out the Memorial Stele’s oppressive aura first?"

"He’s not taking the Memorial Stele assessment seriously at all, is he?"

The watching Martial Artists exclaimed in astonishment.

Even Hou Fei’s brow furrowed slightly.

An oppressive aura from the Memorial Stele enveloped Ye Xuan.

’Interesting. This oppressive aura doesn’t just affect a regular Martial Artist; it also puts pressure on one’s Profound Sense and even Soul Sense. It seems that in this trial, Alchemists and Soul Refiners won’t have any advantage over ordinary Martial Artists.’

Only after starting the Memorial Stele trial did Ye Xuan clearly understand the specifics of the challenge.

WHOOSH!

Arriving before the Memorial Stele, Ye Xuan shot skyward without a moment’s hesitation.

The Profound Power in his body surged, channeling down through the Profound Veins in his legs and into his feet, before he stomped forcefully into the ground.

BOOM!

The powerful impact made many people feel the ground tremble.

"So fast!"

"Isn’t that speed way too fast?"

Ye Xuan shot straight up like an arrow released from a bow.

The powerful oppressive aura enveloped him, but he seemed completely unaffected.

Forty meters!

Fifty meters!

Sixty meters!

In the blink of an eye, he reached a height of sixty meters.

Everyone’s hearts clenched. Ye Xuan had placed first in both the first and second rounds. Could he break the seventy-meter record?

Before the thought had even fully formed in their minds,

Ye Xuan had already broken through the seventy-meter mark.

"He broke it? Just like that?"

"He’s still rising."

"My heavens!"

Everyone was completely stunned.

After breaking the seventy-meter mark, Ye Xuan was somehow still ascending, pressing on toward the eighty-meter mark.

"Is he trying to defy the heavens?"

"He’s already at seventy-five meters!"

"This guy still hasn’t carved his name? Even if he can get higher, what if his Profound Power runs out? Will he have any strength left to write his name then?"

The discussions below swelled like a crazed tide.

But Ye Xuan, before the Memorial Stele, paid them no mind. Under the stunned gazes of the entire crowd, he broke through the eighty-meter mark.

At this moment, the section of the stele above Ye Xuan was completely blank. There wasn’t a single name.

In the last hundred years of Gale Light Academy’s history, not a single student had ever been able to leave their name at a height of eighty meters.

ROAR!

The entire crowd erupted into a deafening uproar.

’This should be about enough.’

Ye Xuan glanced down. The closest name below him was a full ten meters away.

He had now reached a height of eighty-eight meters.

The terrifying oppressive aura coming from the Memorial Stele made his very bones creak under the strain.

’I want Gale Light Academy to take me seriously, but there’s no need to be too heaven-defying. If I’m too much of an outlier, I won’t be seen as a genius, but as a monster.’

Ye Xuan could clearly feel that the pressure he was currently withstanding was equivalent to that of a Tier Six Peak Martial Venerable.