A flicker of light flashed, and at that moment, movement came from other positions. The sharp-faced youth and Gu Han acted first, two numbers materialising in the air.
One at sixteen thousand points, the other at twenty thousand.
The twenty thousand kill points belonged to Gu Han, towering impressively, leaving the crowd in shock.
Sixteen thousand and twenty thousand kill points meant the sharp-faced youth and Gu Han had effectively slain sixteen and twenty early-stage Martial Kings, respectively.
Such a record was undeniably resounding.
“As expected of the First Outer Courtyard, both are so formidable, amassing such kill points.”
At this point, the Second and Third Outer Courtyards also made their moves. Apart from their top figures, others tested, but their kill points were firmly overshadowed by Gu Han.
Lin Xiao was mildly surprised. This Gu Han was no pushover, having accumulated twenty thousand kill points.
He must have killed quite a few, including, likely, many Tianmen disciples.
After one round, the First Outer Courtyard had two left standing, the Second through Seventh each had one, while the Eighth and Ninth had none, their final testers’ points falling short of Gu Han’s, so they tested and blended into the crowd.
Yet the Tenth Outer Courtyard still had three standing, prompting sneers from the crowd. Were all three so unwilling to bow out, none stepping forward? Could their kill points possibly exceed twenty thousand?
Of course, they didn’t believe so, especially since Lin Xiao was only at the Heavenly Martial realm. Twenty thousand points seemed utterly impossible.
Seeing no reaction from the pair, Duan Cangsheng grew restless. Were these two competing with him in shamelessness, delaying endlessly?
Others cast scornful glances at the trio.
This was nearly the final wave, yet none of the three had tested. Did they truly intend to linger until the end?
A flicker, and the Seventh Outer Courtyard’s final tester acted, revealing twenty-three thousand points, astonishing the crowd. As expected, it surpassed Gu Han, standing among the top.
Another flicker at the Sixth Outer Courtyard revealed twenty-five thousand points, and at the Fourth, above the stunning woman’s head, twenty-seven thousand points appeared.
The crowd was stunned. These individuals were more monstrous than the last. Only now did they grasp what a gathering of geniuses truly meant.
So many young Martial Kings, each capable of defeating peers or even fighting above their rank.
These were Martial Kings of the first or second tier, equivalent to slaying twenty-some Martial Kings of the first to third tiers—a terrifying feat.
“Didn’t expect Miss Yu Hong to be so beautiful yet so bloodthirsty,” Bu Xi teased with a smile from the third row.
“Hmph, those men in the Chaos Lands—which one didn’t deserve it?” Yu Hong snorted coldly. “You lot have killed your fair share too, haven’t you?”
“For a secure entry into Shengyuan Academy, I had to take out a few fools,” Bu Xi chuckled, not rushing to toss his kill bracelet onto the platform.
Yu Hong gave another cold snort, said no more, and strode into the crowd.
Seeing Yu Hong’s number in the air, Duan Cangsheng couldn’t hold back. He’d been confident he could last until the end.
But now, delaying further risked being eclipsed by others’ brilliance. These people were too monstrous, amassing such kill points.
Glancing at Lin Xiao and Shura Butcher, he wasn’t sure about the latter, but Lin Xiao? He was certain he couldn’t outdo him in shamelessness.
So, he tossed out his kill bracelet.
A flicker, and a number formed in the air—twenty-nine thousand points!
The number stunned the entire scene, faces filled with disbelief.
A Tenth Outer Courtyard disciple with such a score, surpassing even the Fourth Outer Courtyard’s?
Even the Martial Venerables on the city wall nodded approvingly. This number was enough to catch their eye.
Equivalent to slaying twenty-nine peers or those a tier above, it was a remarkable talent.
Duan Cangsheng was worth the academy’s focused cultivation.
“Hmph, who says our Tenth Courtyard is the bottom? How many of your courtyards can match Senior Brother Duan Cangsheng?”
“Exactly! What’s wrong with the Tenth Outer Courtyard? It still towers over you!”
“Anyone who says the Tenth ranks last, I’ll have words with them!”
The Tenth Outer Courtyard disciples in the crowd spoke up. Having been mocked earlier over their ranking, they’d felt humiliated.
Now, Duan Cangsheng’s kill points stood there, letting them vent their frustration.
And behind Duan Cangsheng was Shura Butcher! In the Tenth Outer Courtyard, Shura Butcher’s fearsome reputation rivalled, if not surpassed, Duan Cangsheng’s.
The crowd was silenced, as if slapped across the face.
Apart from the First Outer Courtyard with two left, and one each from the Second, Third, and Fifth, who could top the Tenth’s numbers?
Some even wondered if the courtyards’ order was based on strength.
The Tenth Outer Courtyard was charging toward the front.
Their own courtyards paled in comparison, yet they’d dared to mock the Tenth as the bottom…
Even the inner courtyard youth before Lin Xiao was stunned, his expression uneasy. He’d been among those dismissing the Tenth Outer Courtyard.
In his mind, the Tenth was the bottom rung, but now, how had so many noteworthy youths emerged?
Their overall strength clearly outshone half the other courtyards.
On the city wall, even the Martial Venerables were mildly surprised. By tradition, the Tenth Outer Courtyard’s strength was indeed the weakest, but this time, it had leapt to the top five.
Seeing the crowd’s astonishment, Baili He shook his head with a sigh. “Heh, you lot don’t know. Back in its glory days, the Tenth Outer Courtyard was the most dazzling. Those few were truly brilliant. Otherwise, why would those old fellows stay there?”
A reminiscent look crossed Baili He’s face.
The group paused, recalling something, but said no more.
Those were old tales. Though they didn’t fully agree, they couldn’t argue.
At this moment, on the wide field outside the wall, only seven remained: from the First Outer Courtyard, Gu Juejin and the red-robed man, Hong Feng; from the Second, a yellow-robed youth, Yu Long; from the Third, a silver-shirted man, Bu Xi; from the Fifth, a burly youth, Wu Ke; and from the Tenth, Lin Xiao and Shura Butcher.
Throughout, these figures remained calm, especially Gu Juejin, whose serene expression and extraordinary poise made it hard to gauge his limits.
