C39 Successfully Reaching the Top

Frost had stealthily blanketed the uneven ground, and the treetops around were adorned with tiny ice crystals.

A gust of bone-chilling wind swept through, making Jin Haocan shudder involuntarily as he snapped back to reality.

His vacant eyes scanned the ground.

The corpse of the Gold Wilted Beast was gone; only the scattered ice shards bore witness to its former presence.

In that moment, Jin Haocan couldn't help but inhale sharply.

A formidable third-rank, fifth-layer ferocious beast had been effortlessly slain by Xie Yang in a mere instant!

He had never anticipated such an outcome.

The fierce battle he had envisioned never materialized.

It took only one strike, and the Gold Wilted Beast was dead!

The sight before him delivered an unspeakable blow to Jin Haocan.

"This can't be a third-rank pet!"

"Not even a third-rank, ninth-layer pet could instantly kill a third-rank, fifth-layer Gold Wilted Beast!"

"Only a pet of at least the fourth rank could achieve this..."

Jin Haocan swallowed hard, his eyes wide with shock and awe as he looked at Xie Yang.

Everyone had assumed Xie Yang possessed a third-rank pet like theirs.

But they were sorely mistaken.

Xie Yang had a pet of the fourth rank!

Now Jin Haocan truly grasped why Xie Yang could amass points so swiftly.

His strength was simply not on the same plane as theirs.

They had been oblivious to the caliber of genius they were up against.

"Against such a genius, I stand no chance!"

Bitterness tinged Jin Haocan's expression.

He had always been hailed as a prodigy since childhood.

Though he never flaunted it, there was a deep-seated pride within him.

After all, owning a third-rank, second-layer pet at just eighteen, his strength was unquestionably top-tier among his peers.

Yet, his pride was utterly crushed today.

His accomplishments paled in comparison to Xie Yang's.

They seemed utterly insignificant.

Jin Haocan, long viewed as a genius by those around him, was now beginning to understand their perspective.

"He's nothing short of a monster," Jin Haocan whispered to himself.

As he grappled with his shock, the other candidates in the forest were also swept up in a wave of astonishment.

Xie Yang's name shot up the leaderboard, instantly overtaking the three competitors ahead of him!

First place: Xie Yang, 918 points

Second place: Lian Xia, 903 points

Third place: Han Xuemei, 898 points

Fourth place: Yun Ye, 884 points

Fifth place: Jin Haocan, 815 points

"Xie Yang took first place?"

"He just gained 90 points in the blink of an eye!"

"That's incredibly fast!"

"Unbelievably strong! His scoring pace is off the charts!"

The sudden shift in the rankings left all the examinees astounded.

They had anticipated that Xie Yang might outpace the top three, but the rapidity of the event caught everyone off guard.

Han Xuemei, fresh from slaying a ferocious beast, froze in place, her face etched with astonishment.

Lian Xia was equally taken aback, managing only a wry smile.

"He truly is a prodigy who excelled in the superior grade Apprentice Assessment."

In contrast, Yun Ye was seething with anger.

Meanwhile, in a remote part of the forest, Bai Tian, who had been closely monitoring the rankings, beamed with joy.

"I always knew my brother was the strongest!"

The teachers, who had observed Xie Yang's hunting prowess from start to finish, were visibly impressed.

"He's clinched first place."

"It looks like Xie Yang is set to be this year's top new student."

"Indeed."

No one believed that any other student could dethrone Xie Yang now that he had secured the top spot, especially given the astonishing speed of his ascent.

In the final hour, Lian Xia, Han Xuemei, and the others did everything in their power to close the gap, but catching up to Xie Yang seemed out of reach.

"Remarkable strength and talent," Jiang Hao commented, his eyes gleaming with admiration as he watched Xie Yang on the screen. "It appears our academy is on the verge of welcoming a genius the likes of which we've never seen before."

His commendation was no small accolade, coming from a gold Beastmaster of high standing at Nightbay Academy.

The teachers were inwardly impressed, and a hush fell over the room.

To break the silence, one teacher ventured, "Do you think Xie Yang could score the 500 points from the stone tablet challenge?"

The room paused, then filled with quiet chuckles and head shakes, acknowledging the lofty challenge.

"How could that be?"

"For years, no one has ever scored these 500 points. I doubt Xie Yang can pull it off."

"We didn't create this reward with the expectation that candidates would actually achieve it."

"Exactly. The academy introduced this rule to give the freshmen a taste of hardship. Nightbay Academy is never short on geniuses; anyone who enrolls must shed their pride and arrogance."

"As such, this challenge isn't meant to be conquered by a newcomer. Even with a fourth-rank pet, Xie Yang would fare no differently."

A chorus of nods followed among the teachers, clearly resonating with the sentiment.

The teacher who had raised the question didn't believe Xie Yang could do it either, responding with a smile and no objection.

The discussion ceased as everyone's attention returned to the screen.

Time ticked away, and the scores on the leaderboard steadily climbed.

Notably, Lian Xia, Han Xuemei, Yun Ye, and Jin Haocan's scores soared, far outpacing the other candidates.

Their rankings shuffled continuously as they vied to outdo one another.

Yet, no matter the shifts, Xie Yang securely held the top spot.

As the assessment drew to a close, the gap between them and Xie Yang didn't shrink; it only grew wider.

With just ten minutes to go, they trailed Xie Yang by over 300 points.

First place: Xie Yang, 1,638 points

Second place: Lian Xia, 1,321 points

Third place: Han Xuemei, 1,295 points

Fourth place: Yun Ye, 1,263 points

Fifth place: Jin Haocan, 1,202 points

The battle for first place was no longer in question.

Even if Xie Yang were to stop there, the others couldn't hope to catch up.

Yun Ye, Xie Yang's biggest detractor, was forced to concede this point.

Reluctantly, they shifted their focus from chasing the leader to jockeying for second place.

Before long, the five-hour hunt concluded.

The surviving candidates naturally converged on the plains.