C41 Sophomore

The man speaking sported a head of dyed yellow hair and a pair of earrings, his demeanor flippant as he introduced himself, "Nice to meet you all for the first time. I'm Luh Qiu, one of your seniors. These two beside me are also your upperclassmen."

The examinees exchanged uncertain glances, none speaking up.

The female among them strode over and smacked Luh Qiu on the back of his head, chiding, "Cut the act and introduce yourself properly!"

Having reprimanded her peer, she turned to the crowd with a composed expression and said, "I'm Moo Yaoyao, and this is Luo Tu. We're all sophomores at Nightbay Academy and we'll be serving as the examiners for this stone tablet challenge."

Examiner?

A flicker of realization crossed Xie Yang's mind.

Moo Yaoyao went on, "As per the rules, any examinee who manages to defeat all three of us will receive the stone tablet challenge's special reward."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

Unable to contain his curiosity, someone called out, "Senior, what exactly is this special reward?"

Moo Yaoyao answered with poise, "A baptism. This baptism can only enhance a Beastmaster's constitution and Soul Strength, but it carries the potency of an intermediate Apprentice Assessment."

The crowd erupted into a buzz of excitement.

A baptism of intermediate Apprentice Assessment caliber could boost Soul Strength by two points and constitution by one. Given that Soul Strength was notoriously difficult to enhance, even a single point was a herculean feat.

The majority of the examinees present hadn't even reached a Soul Strength of 5. An increase of two points was nearly half their current level. And that wasn't even considering the physical enhancement.

The prospect was an irresistible lure.

Even Lian Xia, Han Xuemei, and others couldn't hide their tempted expressions.

Suddenly, many examinees were itching to take on the challenge.

Luh Qiu broke into a sly grin and interjected, "Hold your horses, I haven't finished laying out the rules yet. The challenge comes with a cost. Anyone who fails must forfeit their academy-allocated cultivation resources for the next month to us!"

His words swiftly quelled the examinees' fervor.

Most of them promptly dismissed the thought of taking on the challenge.

The stone tablet challenge had remained unconquered for years, its difficulty legendary.

If the challenge were without consequence, they might have been tempted to try.

But with a month's worth of cultivation resources at stake, everyone opted out.

"I'm not taking the challenge."

"Neither am I."

"The cost is too steep!"

"It's mainly the difficulty that's daunting. Sophomores are no slouches in strength!"

The murmurs ebbed and flowed.

Luh Qiu and his companions seemed to have anticipated this scene, unfazed by the turn of events.

"Doesn't anyone dare to take up the challenge?" Luh Qiu scanned the crowd, a teasing smile on his lips.

Silence reigned until a voice cut through, "I will!"

All eyes turned to the source: Yun Ye had stepped forward.

He positioned himself a short distance from Luh Qiu and his group, defiance etched on his features. "I'm curious about the sophomores' prowess," he declared.

Luh Qiu, unruffled, gave Yun Ye an appraising look. "What's your name, Junior Brother?"

"I'm Yun Ye."

"So you're the fourth-ranked among the freshmen? That explains your boldness," Luh Qiu remarked with a grin, stepping closer. "Well then, your first opponent is me."

An arena formed as the crowd withdrew, leaving a space for their duel.

They faced off, standing over twenty meters apart.

Yun Ye's Iron-armored Dragon Snake was already coiled at his side, hissing towards Luh Qiu, its forked tongue darting in and out.

In a burst of light, Luh Qiu's Insect Beast materialized.

A colossal mantis, emerald in hue, with scythe-like limbs sharp as blades.

"It's the Wind Slasher Mantis!"

The creature's identity was recognized by an onlooker.

"Is it a wind attribute pet?"

"I believe it's the evolved form of the Wind Slice Mantis."

"Exactly. It's known to start at third rank, with the potential to reach fourth rank at full maturity!"

"It's incredibly formidable!"

"A mature Wind Slasher Mantis has wind patterns on its scythes, but this one doesn't, indicating it's still at the third rank."

A soothing female voice broke the silence.

Luh Qiu turned to see a strikingly attractive young girl speaking. His eyes sparkled with interest.

"You seem to be quite well-informed. What should I call you?"

Han Xuemei cast a brief glance his way but remained silent.

Luh Qiu's response, though, was a tacit acknowledgment of Han Xuemei's insight. Yun Ye felt a surge of confidence at this.

If he was up against a third-rank pet, victory was still within reach.

"Enough chatter. Let's get started," Yun Ye declared with an icy snort.

The battle ignited without delay.

The Iron-armored Dragon Snake let out a hiss, initiating the attack.

Its body, sheathed in tough scales, darted swiftly towards its adversary.

The Wind Slasher Mantis unfurled its wings in a flash, hovering just above the ground, then lunged forward with unyielding resolve.

In the moment before the imminent clash, the Wind Slasher Mantis deftly pivoted, its razor-sharp sickles striking the Iron-armored Dragon Snake.

The sound of metal on metal echoed sharply.

Sparks flew as the sickles scraped across the scales, etching a pale white groove.

Yun Ye's lips curled into a smug smile at the sight.

He had sized up the Wind Slasher Mantis—it wasn't particularly powerful.

Its capabilities were on par with his Iron-armored Dragon Snake.

With their levels nearly matched, the defensively formidable Iron-armored Dragon Snake was poised to triumph over the Wind Slasher Mantis.

If the mantis couldn't penetrate the dragon snake's armor, victory was his by default.

This realization dawned on many of the onlookers as well.

"Looks like Yun Ye has the advantage."

"The sophomore's strength doesn't seem all that impressive."

"Yun Ye is the fourth-ranked freshman for a reason—his prowess is undeniable."

Amidst the murmurs, Luh Qiu maintained his nonchalant grin.

With his opponent's capabilities assessed, Yun Ye commanded the Iron-armored Dragon Snake to launch an all-out offensive.

The Wind Slasher Mantis quickly found itself on the back foot.

But just as the crowd was ready to declare the Iron-armored Dragon Snake the victor, the tide of battle took an unexpected turn.

As the Wind Slasher Mantis initiated yet another strike, a brilliant glint of light flashed suddenly across its scythe-like blades.

In the blink of an eye, a layer of inky blackness enveloped the twin scythes.

A pulse-quickening aura instantly permeated every inch of the surrounding space.

Under the wide-eyed stares of onlookers, the Wind Slasher Mantis's blades sliced effortlessly through the Iron-armored Dragon Snake's tough scales, plunging deep within.

A spray of crimson blood burst forth!