Chapter 23: Initial Emergence

Bang! Bang!

On the training ground, as more and more new students gathered, a loud voice echoed from the high platform. Everyone looked up to see an examination proctor standing there.

"For this grand examination, opponents will be determined by drawing lots. Everyone, step forward and draw a number; those with matching numbers will be paired against each other," the examination proctor's resonant voice boomed, echoing across the training ground.

As the proctor finished speaking, a multitude of new students surged forward to draw their numbers, and the atmosphere grew increasingly fervent.

On the viewing platform to the west of the training ground, high-ranking officials from the Great Zhou Prefecture had also convened. In the central seat sat Chu Tianyang, the Prefect of the Great Zhou Prefecture.

Seated next to him was a middle-aged man in purple robes, with a gaunt face and deep-set eyes that gave him a stern appearance. He leaned back in his seat, holding a teacup, his expression one of indifference. This was Xu Hong, the Deputy Prefect of the Great Zhou Prefecture and the Dean of Academy B.

"Prefect Chu, it seems your Academy A will only be able to select students from beyond the top ten this time," Xu Hong remarked with a faint smile, his gaze fixed on the training ground.

Chu Tianyang remained expressionless. He was well aware that most of the top-performing new students in this cohort had been swayed by Qi Yue, and after passing the grand examination, they would undoubtedly join Academy B.

"Deputy Prefect Xu, it's unwise to get ahead of yourself," Chu Tianyang retorted coldly.

Unfazed by Chu Tianyang's angry words, Xu Hong's lips merely curved into a mocking smile. His Academy B had clinched first place in the prefectural examinations for two consecutive years. If they secured first place again this year, he would, by the rules, be eligible to contend for the position of Prefect. Then, he, Xu Hong, would be the new Prefect of the Great Zhou Prefecture.

The other deans present, witnessing the two men's sharp exchange, could only remain silent. They were all keenly aware that the conflict between Chu Tianyang and Xu Hong for the Prefect's position was rooted in the broader power struggle between the Great Zhou Royal Family and the Qi Royal House.

Chu Tianyang felt an immense frustration towards Xu Hong, yet he was powerless, as many of the terms Qi Yue offered to entice new students were beyond his own capacity to provide.

"For now, I can only hope Su Youwei performs well. Her talent is exceptional. If she joins Academy A and is properly cultivated, she might be able to contend with Qi Yue in the year-end prefectural examination."

Chu Tianyang sighed softly. His gaze then shifted, turning suddenly towards Zhou Yuan, a flicker of worry in his eyes. Though he knew Zhou Yuan had managed to open his meridians, it had only been a month. Even if Zhou Yuan’s talent rivaled Su Youwei’s, he likely had only opened a single meridian. At this strength, let alone ranking among the top ten, he might not win many matches today. As the Prince of Great Zhou, Zhou Yuan's status always drew attention, so a heavy defeat would undoubtedly tarnish the Great Zhou Royal Family's reputation.

"I hope His Highness can last a few more matches," Chu Tianyang murmured to himself, shaking his head.

At that moment, on the training ground, Zhou Yuan and Su Youwei had also drawn their numbers: Zhou Yuan received number eighteen, and Su Youwei number forty-seven.

"It's a good thing we didn't draw the same number," Zhou Yuan chuckled upon seeing the results.

Su Youwei let out a soft laugh, then declared seriously, "If you ever face me, I won't hold back."

Zhou Yuan could only roll his eyes.

As they bantered, supervisors began to appear on the various combat platforms, followed by a succession of booming announcements.

"Number one: Qin Ya versus Liu Ying!""Number two: Cheng Yu versus Zhao Qingshan!"

As agile figures swiftly ascended the combat platforms, the entire training ground quickly erupted into a frenzy. The platforms were encircled by throngs of young men and women, their cheers and shouts of encouragement echoing through the air.

Zhou Yuan and Su Youwei, however, did not join the throng, preferring to observe from a distance.

As time passed, outcomes quickly emerged on the combat platforms. Victors cheered, while the defeated stood dejected.

However, the grand examination did not pause for anyone's defeat. Therefore, fierce battles continued to unfold on the combat platforms, and soon, it was Zhou Yuan's turn to be called.

"Number eighteen: Zhou Yuan versus Pei Yun!"

As this announcement rang out, many young men and women on the training ground immediately shifted their attention, their interest piqued by Zhou Yuan's widely known identity within the Great Zhou Prefecture. What surprised them even more was Zhou Yuan's opponent: Pei Yun. This individual was quite notable among the new students, having already opened three meridians and being considered one of the strongest among them.

"Prince Zhou Yuan is facing Pei Yun in his very first match?!""This is just too unlucky; Pei Yun is one of the strongest among those with three meridians...""Although Prince Zhou Yuan is skilled in Genesis Runes, it's probably quite unlikely he can defeat someone who has opened three meridians.""Will Prince Zhou Yuan be eliminated in his first match?"

Whispers spread across the training ground. Zhou Yuan's reputation within the Great Zhou Prefecture was generally good, so many felt a sense of pity for him.

"It's Pei Yun?" Su Youwei's pretty face clouded with concern. She had certainly heard of Pei Yun and knew he possessed considerable strength.

Zhou Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Suddenly, he seemed to sense something and looked towards the nearby high platform, where he saw Qi Yue watching him with an unusual smile. His heart stirred, and he murmured to himself, "To meet such an opponent in the very first match, it's truly quite a coincidence." His gaze flickered; he suspected Qi Yue's hand in this. The fact that Qi Yue could arrange this indicated a significant infiltration of the Great Zhou Prefecture by the Qi Royal House. "To cause me trouble, he's even willing to expose some of the Qi Royal House's hidden assets..."

A thought flashed through Zhou Yuan's mind. Then, he smiled at Su Youwei, whose eyes were filled with worry, and said, "Don't worry, someone with just three meridians won't be enough to stop me.""I'll go first."

With that, Zhou Yuan waved at Su Youwei and swiftly made his way to the combat platform.

On the high platform, Qi Yue witnessed this and couldn't help but smile at Lin Feng and Liu Xi beside him. "The show is about to begin," he said. "I hope His Highness can hold out a bit longer, so we can have a good watch."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng and Liu Xi also exchanged gleeful glances, smiling as they turned their attention to the combat platform.

On the viewing platform to the west, Chu Tianyang also noticed the situation. He immediately frowned slightly and sighed helplessly, realizing that with such an opponent in his first match, Zhou Yuan would likely find it very difficult to win.

Amidst numerous sympathetic glances, Zhou Yuan calmly ascended the combat platform. He looked up to see a youth in blue robes standing tall, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan with an amused, mocking expression.

"I truly didn't expect to meet His Highness in this very first match. If I happen to be a bit heavy-handed later, I hope Your Highness won't hold it against me," Pei Yun said with an odd, smiling glint in his eyes.

"Did Qi Yue arrange this for you?" Zhou Yuan asked calmly.

Pei Yun's eyes narrowed, and he chuckled, "I have no idea what His Highness is referring to."

Zhou Yuan adjusted his sleeve. "Being a willing pawn rarely ends well," he stated.

Pei Yun grew slightly irritated. "Your Highness should worry about yourself," he said coldly. "Just make sure you don't lose all your dignity today."

As they spoke, a referee sharply called out, "Begin!"

Pei Yun's eyes were filled with cold resolve. The moment the referee's call ended, he shot forward like a cheetah, his fingers clenched into a fist, and delivered a powerful blow towards Zhou Yuan. He held nothing back; the full force of his three opened meridians surged forth, Genesis Qi swirling around his fist. The sheer power of his punch caused a whistling sound as it cut through the air. This was clearly an extremely fierce and dominant strike, one that even those with three open meridians would not dare to underestimate.

The crowd around the combat platform shook their heads in dismay, anticipating Zhou Yuan's defeat from this single punch.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the fierce punch wind assailed him. Zhou Yuan looked at Pei Yun's somewhat ferocious expression, then suddenly extended his palm and moved to grasp the incoming fist.

"Seeking death!" Pei Yun scoffed, a furious laugh escaping him. Had Zhou Yuan lost his mind from fear? His punch could shatter even rock, yet Zhou Yuan dared to meet his brutal strike with a bare palm? Was he not afraid of breaking his arm?

As Pei Yun's eyes gleamed ferociously, his punch, infused with a sharp gale, collided heavily with Zhou Yuan's palm. A triumphant smile began to form on his lips. However, that smile abruptly froze the very next instant. For he saw that Zhou Yuan's outstretched palm remained utterly still; his surging, violent power seemed to rush into a black hole, eliciting no reaction whatsoever.

"How is this possible?!" Pei Yun's mind screamed in horror, his face drastically changing as a terrible premonition washed over him.

Zhou Yuan gazed at the bewildered Pei Yun, a cold smile playing on his lips. Having now opened his second meridian, his physical constitution had vastly improved, surpassing even those with three meridians. His grip on Pei Yun's fist slowly tightened, firm as an eagle's talons. The steadily increasing pressure made Pei Yun feel as though his fist was about to be crushed.

"Three Meridians Open!"Pei Yun's face contorted in horror, and he fiercely gritted his teeth, letting out a low roar. The three meridians within him suddenly vibrated, drawing in the Genesis Qi from the surroundings, and a powerful force instantly erupted from his body.

However, just as he was about to break free from Zhou Yuan's grasp, Zhou Yuan suddenly moved—or rather, kicked. His leg swept out with fierce speed, faint traces of Genesis Qi coiling around his foot, and struck Pei Yun's chest with the swiftness of lightning."Get out of here!"

A low thud echoed, and Pei Yun instantly felt an indescribable, colossal force surge through him—a power he couldn't resist, even with his three meridians activated and drawing in Genesis Qi. Consequently, his body was sent flying backward from the combat platform in a disheveled state, crashing heavily to the ground, and a mouthful of blood gushed forth.

The sounds around the combat platform immediately fell silent. Everyone stared at the scene, dumbfounded. The exchange between Zhou Yuan and Pei Yun had been too swift; they had only just seen Pei Yun charge at Zhou Yuan, and before they could even react, the next moment, the aggressively charging Pei Yun was directly kicked off the combat platform by Zhou Yuan...How terrifyingly powerful must that kick have been?!

All around the combat platform, everyone stared at Zhou Yuan as if he were a ghost, for they clearly understood that this time, Zhou Yuan had not activated any Genesis Rune power. Thus, that kick was entirely the result of Zhou Yuan's physical strength. But this level of physical conditioning—surely it surpassed even those who had opened three meridians?!

Su Youwei also covered her crimson lips with a delicate hand, her beautiful face filled with disbelief. She had never understood Zhou Yuan's unwavering confidence, but now, she finally understood... Zhou Yuan had been concealing his true abilities all along!

On the high platform, the smiles on the faces of Qi Yue, Lin Feng, and Liu Xi, who had been anticipating a good show, froze in that instant, their complexions turning utterly ashen. Such a drastic turn of events had vastly exceeded their expectations.