Chapter 117: The Examination Questions

The practical skills test began three days later.

This monthly examination excluded the inexperienced first-year students, while the remaining three grades were randomly assigned to three venues: A, B, and C. Though called venues, they were actually "Calamity Cages" specifically designated by Bancroft for training and examination purposes.

The venues were shaped like gladiatorial arenas, surrounded by incredibly sturdy cages on all sides. These cages served as the boundaries. Outside stood the students, braced for battle, while inside lurked ferocious, man-eating calamities hidden in the darkness. Once the main gates opened, these beasts would surge out like a tide, hungering for flesh.

In Venue B, a student attempted to approach one of the cages, only to have a long tongue dripping with viscous saliva shoot out from the darkness without warning. In the blink of an eye, it coiled around his arm and began dragging him toward the cage.

"Damn it! Help! I've been grabbed by a calamity!" the student wailed. His body was wedged firmly against the cage door as the creature’s tongue tightened and released, seemingly trying to use the student’s body to force the door open and devour him.

Just as those nearby were about to step forward, a dark shadow flashed past. In an instant, the long tongue was inexplicably severed, the cross-section clean and precise, as if sliced by something incredibly sharp.

The traumatized student was still reeling when someone beside him said, "Classmate, you really should be more careful. Look around you—there are cameras everywhere, and teachers are watching closely from the perimeter stands. They might have started scoring you already; you wouldn't even know why you failed." The student looked up to see a handsome young man slowly sheathing a long blade at his waist. The blade was engraved with three characters: "Demon-Slaying Blade."

"The Little Grim Reaper?" The student stared at Huo Ye in astonishment. Had he just been saved by the Little Grim Reaper?

Huo Ye ignored him and turned to head back the way he came, toward a group of people gathered there—the members of "Starry Skies" in Venue B.

In Venue B, the Starry Skies members consisted of Shangguan Yudie, Jiang Feng, and Kazama Ruri—four people in total.

"Sigh, Jiajia is so lucky that the first years don't have to face these calamities," Jiang Feng sighed. He then looked at Huo Ye, gaining some confidence. "But fortunately, we're in the same venue as the Boss, so we're quite safe. Boss, I’ll be clinging to your leg for the next while."

Kazama Ruri yawned and said, "Hah... Can you have a bit of pride? The leader can't protect you forever!"

"I'm just saying. Grades still have to be earned on one's own," Jiang Feng defended himself.

To everyone's surprise, Huo Ye remarked, "Even if you didn't want me to protect you this time, you wouldn't have a choice, because my exam questions are different from yours."

The three stared at him in unison. Jiang Feng asked, "Different questions? What do you mean? We're all in the same venue, how could the questions be different?"

Huo Ye simply pressed a finger to his lips and whispered, "Secret. You'll find out in a moment." He then asked, "By the way, which venues are the others in?"

Kazama Ruri replied, "Xiao Ai and Remy are in Venue A, and Little Erha is in Venue C."

"Wait? Little Erha? You mean Xiao Liu?" Huo Ye asked with a strange expression.

"Yeah! Doesn't it fit perfectly?"

"Heh, it fits perfectly," Huo Ye replied awkwardly.

Over in Venue A, Huo Xialan was looking around, seemingly searching for someone. The other members of the Holy Ring of Light present wanted to ask who she was looking for, but she brushed them off with a dismissive "it's nothing." Huo Xialan wasn't looking for Huo Ye; she knew the academy's three S-rank students would definitely be separated into the three venues to serve as anchors. She was looking for the Starry Skies members—or more accurately, Alice, whom she knew for certain would be in Venue A.

Even in such a large venue, Huo Xialan’s sharp eyes easily spotted the striking silver-haired girl in the crowd. She called out, "Alice!"

Alice, who was chatting with Remy, turned around. Her face lit up, and she ran over to Huo Xialan, grabbing her hand. "President? You're here too?"

Huo Xialan smiled. "You're no longer part of my Holy Ring of Light, so don't call me President."

"Eh? Then what should I call you?" Alice pouted, pondering.

Huo Xialan’s lips curled, looking as if she had achieved something. "Just call me Sister Huo. I'm older than you, so calling me sister won't be a loss."

"Oh, okay, Sister Huo!" Alice giggled, calling out casually.

"Mhm." Huo Xialan responded nonchalantly, though she was overjoyed inside. If Alice was calling her "sister," the day Huo Ye called her sister probably wasn't far off. Recently, her desire for Huo Ye to return to the family and take over her position as heir had grown stronger. The burden on her shoulders was heavy, and she truly wanted someone to share it. While she was strong-willed, she was still just a girl at heart. She didn't dream of family revitalization or grand hegemony; she only wanted to find a suitable partner and live a peaceful life. There was only ever one legendary Empress Wu Zetian; women didn't naturally crave such endless strife.

Before, she had no choice but to bear these burdens, but now things were different. With Huo Ye—a male of the main branch and her aunt's son—she could finally breathe easier. Even this Ya Zi sword, which symbolized the head of the family’s authority to kill, could be handed over to him without hesitation. This sword was the lifelong masterpiece of the legendary craftsman Huo; it was the finest of the Nine Dragon Swords. Perhaps the only thing in this world stronger than it was Eddie Hall's "Wings of Lucifer."

Of course, Huo Xialan did not know that the "Frost Morning Dew" was also a masterpiece by the "Copper-Armed Ghost" Shangguan Qingcai, so it wasn't included in her assessment.

"By the way, I have something I'd like to ask you. Would you mind answering?" Huo Xialan asked.

"What is it? Go ahead, Sister Huo!" Alice replied readily.

"I want to know, how was your brother adopted by your family? Where did your parents find him?" Huo Xialan asked. She had her reasons for asking. While they were certain Huo Ye was of the Huo family, the mystery remained: where was her aunt, Huo Xiang? Who was Huo Ye's father? Her aunt had gone missing on the battlefield twenty-three years ago. Huo Ye was nineteen. Even accounting for pregnancy, what had happened in those three years in between?

Alice suddenly became vigilant, though she didn't make it obvious. Instead, she flashed a bright smile. "I don't know! I never asked my parents about that. Ever since I could remember, my brother has always been my brother! Such an obvious thing, there's no need to ask."

"I see."

In Venue C, Tan Xiao stood his massive hammer firmly beside him and sat cross-legged in meditation. No one dared to approach him; as the undisputed number one student in the academy, his presence was simply too overwhelming.

At that moment, he was thinking, "This exam has specific tasks for us three S-ranks. Huo Xialan is just a woman; I won't compete with her. But Huo Ye... let's see who is stronger. Consider this a warm-up before our official duel."

Just then, three large virtual projection screens appeared above the three venues. On the screens was the academy's Chief Dean, Jiang Tong.

"Dad?" Jiang Feng muttered.

"Greetings, students. I am Chief Dean Jiang Tong. I am now announcing the topics for this monthly exam. As you can see, you are in venues A, B, and C. Your assignments were completely random. Here, we have imprisoned the calamities captured by the academy over the years, including some left over from the initial term exams. They are generally B-rank, with a few A-rank specimens. They have endured at least a month of starvation and are extremely fierce, cruel, and bloodthirsty. Once the exam officially begins, we will release them in waves. Your task is simple: survive for two hours and kill as many calamities as possible. Your performance will be recorded, and the academy will provide a fair and systematic evaluation for each of you afterward."

As Jiang Tong announced the task and uttered the word "survive," everyone realized this wasn't a drill—it was a real fight to the death. They had all signed life-and-death waivers; from the moment they stepped into the venue, their fate was in their own hands.

Many students in all three venues looked instinctively toward Huo Ye, Huo Xialan, and Tan Xiao. For these three S-ranks, the exam should be a piece of cake. Maybe... they could let them handle the A-ranks while everyone else dealt with the B-ranks just to scrape by?

But just as this thought occurred, Jiang Tong added: "As for Tan Xiao, Huo Ye, and Huo Xialan, given your S-rank strength, the academy has prepared special tasks. Phase one: Protection. Do your utmost to ensure no students in your venue die. However, you are restricted from actively attacking any calamity that does not pose an immediate threat to a student's life. Finally, a reminder: this is only the first stage. I hope you conserve your strength, as even more rigorous individual tasks await you afterward!"