After scanning the crowd for a while, Lin Xiao finally spotted disciples from his outer court. Several familiar faces were gathered in a corner—hundreds in total—led by Duan Cangsheng, with Dao Yi, Huan Die, and others present.
Yet among those hundreds, Lin Xiao still didn’t see Hu Yue or Ling Hu.
“Hey, hey, hey—thank heavens we made it, thank heavens we made it!” At that moment, a delicate voice called out from behind.
Lin Xiao turned to see a dusty group hurrying over.
“Hu Yue!” Lin Xiao called out quickly.
“Lin Xiao?” Hu Yue’s gaze met his, and she cried out in surprise before rushing over with her group.
These were Tianmen’s disciples, numbering just over twenty, including Wang Long, Ba Hu, Gou Shi, and others.
“Boss!”
“Leader!”
The group arrived, greeting Lin Xiao with excitement. They’d heard Hu Yue boast about how formidable Lin Xiao had been in the Monarch’s Cache after obtaining the key.
They’d always admired his strength, and now their reverence grew even stronger.
Lin Xiao glanced at Hu Yue, Wang Long, and the others, asking, “Good that you made it. Where are the rest?”
At this, Wang Long’s brows furrowed. “Some were killed by the Liu and Gong families’ forces, others died along the way, and near the end, we ran into members of something called the ‘First Alliance.’ They cut our numbers in half. We only escaped by luck and later met up with Junior Sister Hu Yue.”
“The First Alliance?” Lin Xiao’s eyes narrowed coldly.
“They were young—don’t know which faction they’re from,” Ba Hu replied, his face simmering with anger.
“No matter their faction, we’ll settle this score in time!” Lin Xiao’s tone was firm, a chill flickering in his eyes. He then turned to Hu Yue, asking, “By the way, have you seen Ling Hu?”
Hu Yue shook her head.
“Ling Hu’s beast transformation is a great opportunity if he can control it. Even if he doesn’t join the Holy Origin Academy, his future achievements won’t fall short of their disciples.”
After a brief thought, Lin Xiao’s expression calmed. He wasn’t overly worried about Ling Hu. With the power of beast transformation, he’d grow rapidly even outside the academy.
He then briefed the group on the situation here and looked at Tianmen’s members, asking, “Ready to check your kill points? Everyone’s got enough, right?”
The group nodded, easing Lin Xiao’s mind.
“Brother, you’ve even recruited so many followers?” Ma Bi asked, eyeing Hu Yue and the others.
Niu Bi was also slightly surprised. With their “energy,” even if they had some fame in the academy, they’d never bothered managing others.
Lin Xiao nodded slightly and pointed at the pair, introducing them to Tianmen’s members, “These two are friends I just met—Ma Bi and Niu Bi.”
“What—Ma Bi, Niu Bi? Bloody hell, how are they so ugly?” Hu Yue’s small face lit up with shock. The others were equally dumbfounded—these two’s appearances and names were beyond quirky.
“Hey, little girl, what’s that supposed to mean? I, Ma Bi, am elegant and dashing, a charming figure loved by all, and you dare call me ugly?” Ma Bi nearly leapt up, cursing in indignation.
“Heh heh!” Niu Bi chuckled honestly beside him, seemingly pleased to be called ugly. After Ma Bi spoke, he reminded him, “You look like a horse.”
“I…” Ma Bi choked on his words, turning to snap at Niu Bi, “You damn fatty, whose side are you on?”
Niu Bi grinned without replying.
Tianmen’s members couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. These two were bursting with personality.
“Below eight thousand points, test first. If you know your kill points are under one thousand, no need to step forward!” At that moment, a voice from an inner court youth rang out, calming the eager crowd.
The ten youths’ task was to record the top fifty and screen out those with insufficient points from slipping through.
Low points were obvious at a glance.
As for the rest, recording them was pointless.
Those below eight thousand points tested first—meaning they wouldn’t even be logged? Just meeting the minimum was enough?
So, no chance at all of ranking in the top fifty?
This announcement dashed many hopes.
Eight thousand points—that meant killing eight low-tier Martial Kings, eighty high-tier Heavenly Martial experts, or eight hundred mid-tier Heavenly Martial, or eight thousand low-tier Heavenly Martial.
The requirement was brutal. Those with weaker cultivation had no shot.
And this was just to be worth recording—not even to rank in the top fifty.
It dawned on them that the top fifty were all Martial King geniuses, each capable of slaying eight or ten low-tier Martial Kings.
The thought was chilling.
The Holy Origin Academy was indeed a colossal entity—Heavenly Martial cultivation was nowhere near enough.
Though disappointed, some saw it differently: the higher the bar, the greater the academy’s might. The prospect of joining such a powerhouse reignited their excitement.
They were mostly local geniuses, many young with room to grow. Once in the academy, their cultivation would rise, offering a chance to shine.
The crowd stepped forward, pulling out their slaughter bracelets and placing them on the platforms. Numbers began forming in the air.
“One thousand three hundred points—barely passing, no need to record. Stand up front!” an inner court disciple said indifferently, his tone almost scornful. This score was the lowest tier.
Even so, the youth was thrilled. A low-tier Heavenly Martial, he’d struggled hard for those points.
The chance to take a mission meant a shot at joining the Holy Origin Academy. Young as he was, he was confident—once inside, he’d rise and rival anyone.
“Two thousand points!”
“Three thousand points!”
“Two thousand five hundred thirty points!”
Numbers coalesced in the air as the group passed this stage, lining up behind the ten youths.
“Sigh, let’s go too. Our kill points won’t make the top fifty either!” Wang Long sighed helplessly. Their journey had been perilous, and though they’d killed many, they hadn’t hit eight thousand.
Lin Xiao nodded to the group, leading them forward. Ma Bi and Niu Bi tagged along.
Ahead, the crowd split into ten lines. They just needed to toss their slaughter bracelets onto the one-zhang-wide stone platforms—no retrieval required. The process was swift; in a quarter-hour, half had finished and moved to the other side.
Lin Xiao’s group of twenty-odd reached a forward position.
“Lin Xiao?” Ahead, as they approached, Huan Die and the others’ gazes turned toward them.
