Some rubbed their eyes, convinced they were hallucinating. That pile of tokens—easily over a thousand—was produced by a boy not yet fifteen. How could he have amassed so many?
Many in the crowd counted the tokens intently. Ye Yun sucked in a breath, unable to hide her astonishment. "Daoling got this many tokens? Has he broken through?"
"By the heavens, this is incredible!" Tao Kangning pinched his thigh, his face lighting up with狂喜 (ecstatic joy). This was first place in Zone 10—Green Mountain Academy had produced a champion, a moment of tremendous significance.
Between his joy, he shot a smug glance at the stunned Hua Zhicheng and his disciple, laughing heartily. "What a turn of events! Hahaha..."
The white-robed youth's face fell, a mix of shame and anger. He'd just mocked Daoling for hiding, but the boy had produced a mountain of tokens—a blatant slap in the face.
A scarlet Fiendfire Spirit Bird soared in the sky, on the verge of tears. All the tokens it had plundered sleeplessly were now here; the first place should have been its!
"It's him?" Qian Yao was惊愕 (astounded). She knew Daoling's strength—at best, he should have ranked within the top hundred, but claiming first place was beyond her expectations.
"How is this possible for a waste like him?" Wang Junyi's face darkened. He'd dismissed Daoling as irrelevant, but now the boy had won first place and saved Qian Yao, potentially bringing them closer.
"Did you find all these alone?" Elder Sun Xiangshan, the silver-robed elder, studied Daoling's youthful face in disbelief. The Zone 10 champion was just a lad.
Scratching his head, Daoling mumbled, "A little bird was generous and gave them to me. Total accident, really."
"Pfft!" The Fiendfire Spirit Bird spasmed, falling from the sky and spitting blood again. *Generous? He robbed me!* It raged inwardly.
The crowd was speechless. What a "terrible" accident—to gain such a windfall. Envy gnawed at them; they wished the fortune were theirs.
"Impossible!" Wang Ya's face contorted with fury and trembling. Daoling, the former slacker who'd dared to court her, the "waste" she'd tried to kill—had won a top spot in Starfall Academy's trials? Her mind reeled with狰狞 (ferocious) regret. If she'd maintained a relationship with him, how different things would be!
Clutching her palms, she shuddered in恐惧 (fear). Where were Wang Ling and Wang Junfei?
"Did this waste kill them?" she screamed inwardly. It made sense—Daoling and Wang Ling were mortal enemies. But did he have the guts?
Wang Junyi's expression turned阴冷 (sinister). His younger brother Wang Junfei was supposed to join Starfall Academy, and he'd lent him a Void Bracelet—a precious family heirloom. Where was he?
"Regardless of how this youth obtained the tokens, entering Starfall Academy as a top ten freshman will grant him immense benefits. His future achievements will surely be great."
"Agreed. Though not on par with heirs of major forces, he'll secure significant resources. Be sure to build good relations with him."
The crowd whispered, urging their subordinates to befriend Daoling. Starfall Academy's top ten freshmen received丰厚 (abundant) rewards—what had been announced was just the beginning.
Many clan members from ancient aristocratic families hadn't participated, as they were directly recruited for the Starfall Hall, a secret realm that drew prodigies when opened—rumor had it even the Martial Emperor attended!
The 72 Great Divine Abilities, including the逆天 (heaven-defying) *Star Shift*, were coveted. Even ancient clans rarely held such treasures.
"Starfall Academy, an ancient great power—surely they have information about Primal Saint Bodies?" Daoling wondered, curious about his own physique, a secret he'd told no one.
Hoping to find answers, he joined the thousand-strong group of successful candidates, all standing proudly.
"Alright, follow me to Starfall Academy to receive identity tokens and rewards." Elder Sun Xiangshan led the group away, leaving others to sigh—they'd have to wait a year for another chance.
The easternmost part of Qingzhou City differed drastically. A range of continuous spiritual mountains stood, each an ancient peak relocated by Starfall Academy's predecessors. "These spiritual mountains can be refined into treasures with enough nurturing," Elder Sun said proudly.
Daoling was amazed. The heaven and earth energy here surpassed even Qingzhou City. Peaks spewed divine light, with palaces and figures moving in the clouds. Rare spirit beasts wandered药田 (herb gardens), and ancient herbs glowed with divine radiance—treasures beyond imagination.
"What's that?" Someone pointed to a deep area where a star river cascaded from the sky, stars winking in and out. A figure stood beneath it, absorbing starlight, causing the earth to tremble with each breath.
"That's our academy's sacred ground. We gather star power from the cosmos using great techniques," Sun Xiangshan boasted, drawing envy even from members of major forces.
"Who is that cultivating under the star river? He's terrifying," a young woman asked.
"That's Qing Yifei, the number one prodigy of Qingzhou!" Sun Xiangshan announced, proud that the region's top talent trained at Starfall Academy.
Daoling was surprised. He'd heard of Qing Yifei, a legend in Qingzhou, and now witnessed his might firsthand.
"Qing Yifei can rival prodigies from other states. He'll surely become a great figure. I hear he's mastered a Great Divine Ability." Admiring glances and whispers followed, for Qing Yifei had achieved 50,000-jin strength in Body Forging, a near-unbreakable limit, and possessed a Royal Body, as tough as ancient fiendbeasts.
"Those who rank top ten can cultivate in the star river for ten days once they reach Soul Convergence," Sun Xiangshan revealed, causing a stir. The Fiendfire Spirit Bird eyed Daoling resentfully, robbed of this opportunity.
"Awakened energy in Soul Convergence relates to the ambient energy," someone noted.
"True. Soul Convergence is about integrating the body with heaven and earth—the purer the energy, the mightier the awakening."
As they arrived at the registration area, Daoling and the other top ten claimed silver tokens and trial rewards: two Spirit Enlightened Fruits and a Purple Heart Yunling Elixir—sure to boost his strength upon reaching Soul Convergence.
Daoling wasn't eager to choose a divine ability from the Scripture Pavilion yet—his current strength was too low. He planned to wait until Soul Convergence, when he could master more demanding techniques.
"First, settle the sable, then attempt the ninth floor of the Spirit Pagoda." With that, he departed. Starfall Academy offered宽松 (lenient) management, especially for top ten students, who could arrange their time freely.