The sheer cliffs rose like sharp blades piercing the sky, their gray surfaces etched with vertical streaks from centuries of rainwater. Swirling clouds coiled around their midsections, thick and white as cotton wool, occasionally parting to reveal the dizzying drop to the ravine below.
Bai Hao clung to the rock face like a gecko, his fingers finding purchase in microscopic cracks as he carefully made his way down from this high, precipitous spot. The jagged stones scraped against his palms until they went numb, and all he could hear was the constant roar of mountain winds whistling through narrow crevices, mixed with the distant rush of a river – its rumble deep and resonant like muffled thunder rolling across the valley.
He felt a wave of genuine relief wash over him to finally be free of those pesky mountain apes; the creatures were like maggots clinging to bone, always ready to emerge from hidden mist pockets or shadowed rock crevices without warning. More than once during his descent, he'd spotted dark shapes moving just out of sight above, their eyes glinting with predatory hunger whenever the wind shifted the fog.
It took him a full half-hour to carefully navigate the vertical drop of more than 100 meters, testing each handhold and foothold before committing his weight. Finally, his boots touched solid ground, and he stepped out from the confines of the cold, damp clouds and fog that had shrouded the upper peaks.
With both feet firmly planted on relatively flat stone – worn smooth by millennia of water flow – Bai Hao let out a long, slow breath of relief, at last able to relax the muscles in his shoulders and back that had been tensed like bowstrings. He rolled his shoulders, feeling the satisfying pop of joints as circulation returned to his numb limbs.
Once he left the steep peak behind and followed a winding path around the mountainside, the slope grew much gentler. Grass and small shrubs began to appear between the rocks, and the terrain opened up into a narrow plateau. No longer did he need to cling to thin, withered vines just to save his life – a reprieve that made him feel as if he'd narrowly escaped a natural disaster. He paused to wipe sweat from his brow, noting how the air here was slightly warmer and clearer than in the heights above.
But the peace on the mountainside didn't last long.
Several sharp, shrill screeches shattered the quiet murmur of the mountain stream that babbled across the plateau, echoing off the surrounding rocks with piercing clarity. Four or five slender gray-brown figures emerged from behind a cluster of boulders, moving with unsettling agility along the cliff edge that marked the plateau's boundary.
Mountain apes!
They were smaller than the ones he'd faced on the cliffs above, but their fur was darker and their eyes held a more cunning light. They paced restlessly back and forth along the edge of the stream, sharp black claws clicking against the stone as they fixed their gaze on Bai Hao. Low warning calls rumbled in their throats, exchanged between them like whispered threats.
Faced with this all-too-familiar threat, Bai Hao didn't panic – instead, a confident smile crossed his face, and he cracked his knuckles one by one.
This was no longer a narrow cliff face where every movement risked disaster; in this relatively open space, with solid ground beneath his feet and room to maneuver, he could finally unleash his full potential!
With his hands free to move without worrying about maintaining his grip, he could fight with all his strength and speed. Without the three-dimensional cover of vines and overhangs that allowed the apes to strike from above and below, he could effectively counter the agile surprise attacks these beasts relied on to survive. Every angle of the battlefield was visible to him now – no hidden corners for enemies to lurk in.
From every angle, the situation favored him.
"Come on, bring it on."
His voice was low and steady, laced with a hint of mockery that carried clearly across the quiet plateau.
He raised both palms to chest height, and pure light-based spiritual energy began to gather around him like tiny fireflies in the air. It flowed from his meridians to his fingertips, then pooled and condensed between his hands – swirling faster and faster until it formed a glowing vortex. In an instant, two blindingly bright miniature orbs flared to life at the center of the spiral – their radiance so intense it was like holding two scorching suns in his hands, casting golden light across the rocks and turning shadows sharp and black.
The dazzling light burst forth unimpeded the moment he opened his palms, forming two broad beams that precisely illuminated the faces of the peering apes.
Wild beasts' instincts far outmatched their intelligence, and even they recognized the danger in that brilliant glow. The moment the light struck their eyes, they let out shrill cries of pain, clawing at their faces as if pierced by red-hot steel needles. Tears streamed from their eyes, and they stumbled backward in confusion.
Their world dissolved into blazing, blinding light – never before had they witnessed such overwhelming power, which to their primitive minds could only be "divine power" beyond comprehension.
Overcome with primal fear, the creatures that had seemed so fierce and confident just moments ago now saw the light as an impending catastrophe. They turned and fled in blind panic, tripping over rocks and each other as they scrambled up the mountainside toward the safety of the fog-shrouded heights – a truly pitiful sight as they vanished into the white mist.
Only then did Bai Hao have time to turn his attention from the retreating apes and look down over the plateau's edge.
As the morning mist cleared further, the view suddenly opened up to reveal the full scale of the landscape below. A massive river, wide as a city street and dark as obsidian, wound through the valley like a great serpent, rushing violently from the depths of the ravine where the mountains met in the distance.
The water crashed against enormous boulders on both banks – some as large as houses – churning into frothy white waves taller than a person. The sound was deafening, a constant boom that vibrated through the ground beneath his feet and drowned out all other noise whenever the wind died down.
More worrying still, beneath the turbulent, murky current, flashes of enormous silver-scaled fish could be seen from time to time – their bodies catching the rare shafts of sunlight that pierced the canopy of clouds above.
They were easily over a meter long, with powerful tails and jaws lined with sharp teeth. Despite the raging rapids and strong current, they glided through the water with butterfly-like grace – twisting and turning with effortless speed, even swimming against the flow when they wanted to move upstream!
These were no ordinary river fish; each powerful flick of their tails sent water swirling and small rocks tumbling along the riverbed, revealing astonishing hidden strength far beyond that of normal aquatic life. Bai Hao had read about creatures like these in the exam materials – "Iron Scale Pikes," classified as low-level magical beasts that could tear through flesh and bone with their teeth and tails alike.
Though secret realms refreshed periodically to maintain balance and prevent over-hunting, those entering at the same time – such as during the college entrance exam period – generally appeared in the same space, scattered across different areas of the realm but able to encounter one another if they moved far enough.
Sure enough, after walking a short distance along the plateau path, following the course of the mountain stream as it flowed toward the great river below, he spotted movement ahead. A young man and woman were trapped in a small clearing surrounded by a ring of boulders, with three mountain apes circling just beyond their makeshift defenses.
Dark brown lines of hardening covered the young man's arms and back, spreading across his skin like tree bark – barring any unexpected surprises, this was an Earth-rank defensive talent: Stone Skin. The ability allowed practitioners to harden their skin to the toughness of rock, granting extraordinary protection against physical attacks.
As a spiritual practitioner with remarkable defensive abilities, he shouldn't have feared these ape attacks – even a group of them would normally struggle to harm someone with fully developed Stone Skin.
Yet he had only just awakened his ability a few days before the exam and hadn't had time to elevate his power to the Spirit Realm through cultivation. His stone skin was no more than a thin, brittle layer that cracked easily under heavy impacts, completely unable to withstand the full force of the apes' claws and thrown projectiles.
The two largest apes were cunning and cruel, circling at a distance like cats playing with mice. They kept snatching up pebbles the size of fists, withered branches as thick as arms, and even unripe wild fruit from the bushes around the clearing – then chattered with what sounded like malicious laughter as they hurled their makeshift weapons at the trapped pair.
The man grunted in pain each time a projectile struck home, pulling the woman closer to his chest with one arm while using the other to shield their heads. He positioned himself so that most impacts hit his back, relying on his thin "shield" to protect them both.
While the stones and wood fragments weren't fatal, they left his back – wrapped protectively around the woman – battered and bruised, with dark red blood slowly seeping through his torn shirt and the cracks in his stone skin. Already, several deep cuts marked his shoulders and arms where projectiles had broken through his defenses, and his breathing was becoming ragged with pain and exhaustion.
Without help from others, he might well be pummeled to death by the relentless assault, or left too weak to defend himself when the apes finally decided to close in for the kill.
The woman's awakened ability was unclear – she wore simple clothing with no visible signs of a combat talent, and judging by her terrified expression as she huddled in his embrace, trembling uncontrollably and keeping her eyes squeezed shut, she was clearly not someone to rely on in a crisis. She occasionally let out soft sobs, her fear only seeming to encourage the apes' aggression.
"This is why I say pairing boys and girls like this makes no sense at all," Bai Hao muttered to himself, watching from behind a large boulder that provided cover. "The exam organizers act like it's some romantic partnership that'll bring out the best in people, but this is a battlefield where lives hang in the balance. Pairing a beginner with defensive abilities with someone who can't even protect themselves just creates a liability for both."
He stood a fair distance away – just a few dozen meters from where the couple was trapped – but a wide ravine cut between their positions, its walls too steep to climb and its bottom too deep to jump across safely. The only way across was a narrow log bridge that had long since rotted away and fallen into the chasm below.
Even if he wanted to help – and part of him did feel sympathy for their plight – he was powerless to do so from his current position.
With his current level of control over his Daylight ability, the distance was still too great to maintain accuracy. At best, he might be able to scare the apes away with a wide burst of light, but he couldn't possibly hit the targets accurately from this far away without risking hitting the trapped pair instead.
"The college entrance exam in this world is far too cruel," he said quietly, shaking his head as he watched the man take another hit to the shoulder, wincing but refusing to let go of the woman. "It's like attacking these naive kids from an entirely different dimension – they've barely had time to understand their own abilities, and now they're thrown into a place where one mistake means death."
Bai Hao felt a genuine twinge of pity for them. He remembered what it was like to be new to cultivation, to feel overwhelmed by powers he couldn't yet control – though his own awakening had been far more unusual than most, thanks to the sacred mark that had appeared on his chest.
Suddenly, a golden shadow flashed across the edge of his vision, moving so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye.
The newcomer moved with incredible speed, streaking across the rocky terrain on the other side of the mountain stream like a bolt of golden lightning cutting through the air. Dust and small stones were thrown into the air with each step he took, and he covered the distance from the far side of the stream to the clearing in mere seconds – racing directly toward the two apes tormenting the trapped pair.
His target was clear, his movements purposeful and unhesitating.
"Incredible speed!" Bai Hao whispered, his eyes widening slightly as he tracked the figure's movement. His pupils narrowed to slits, and a flicker of wariness rose in his heart – this was no ordinary beginner cultivator.
The man wasn't racing along flat ground where speed came easily; instead, he moved at high speed across steep, rocky terrain that would have slowed most people to a crawl. He leaped over boulders, bounded up small cliffs, and navigated loose scree with extraordinary control and explosive power in every muscle of his body.
The golden figure swept forward like a storm, his movements leaving afterimages in the air as he quickly closed in on the two apes. A faint golden aura surrounded his body, shimmering like molten metal in the sunlight and enhancing his speed even further.
His approach was loud enough to immediately draw the apes' attention away from their victims. They turned toward him, letting out aggressive roars and pounding their chests with their fists.
Sensing his overwhelming ferocity and the power radiating from his aura, the wild beasts didn't flee as Bai Hao might have expected. Instead, they grew even more aggressive, baring their sharp fangs and letting out ear-splitting screeches as they dropped their projectiles and charged directly at him!
In their primitive minds, showing fear meant weakness – and weakness meant death. Why should they avoid an opponent's sharp edge when they could use their own strength to overwhelm him?
The three forces collided in an instant, with no time for either side to adjust their tactics!
There was no prolonged, fierce battle as Bai Hao had anticipated – only two heavy thumps, loud and final, like sacks of grain hitting the ground with crushing force.
With that sound, the golden figure finally came to a stop, his momentum carrying him a few more steps before he planted his feet firmly on the ground and turned to face the remaining ape, which had frozen in place with fear. He slowly straightened up, revealing his true form for the first time.
He was a handsome young man with a powerful, athletic build – broad shoulders, defined muscles, and a posture that spoke of rigorous training. His hair was short and dark, sticking up in messy tufts from his rapid movement, and he wore a simple gray training uniform that showed signs of wear. His arms, visible through the short sleeves of his shirt, were muscular and well-defined, with veins standing out along his forearms.
Most notably, his hands were not human – instead, they were a pair of terrifying claws resembling those of a legendary dragon, curved and sharp with surfaces that gleamed with cold metallic light. Each claw was at least six inches long, tapering to needle-sharp points that seemed capable of cutting through anything they touched.
Thick, warm dark red fluid still dripped from the tips of his claws, splattering onto the stone ground below and steaming slightly in the cool mountain air.
As the saying goes, onlookers see most clearly. Watching from afar behind his cover, Bai Hao sharply observed every detail of the encounter – noting that the moment man and apes met, those sharp claws had moved with impossible speed, tearing through the apes' bodies and hard bones alike as easily as cutting through soft tofu. There had been no need for him to dodge or block; his speed and strength had been more than enough to overwhelm the beasts completely.
"What devastating destructive power!" Bai Hao murmured, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the newcomer. "This is clearly not the strength of an ordinary talent – not even a high-level Earth-rank ability could do that much damage so quickly. This must be a Heaven-rank talent, or something even more rare."
A deep sense of caution settled in his heart as he considered what this meant. Even the sharpest weapons he could project using his Projection ability might not withstand a direct hit from those claws – and if such a terrifying creature decided to turn his attention to Bai Hao himself, death would be nearly certain unless he could keep his distance.
"Fortunately, the martial arts exam tests our ability to face the secret realm and its creatures, not combat between students," he reminded himself, trying to push down his unease. "There's no rule that says we have to fight each other – and even if there was, I have no intention of picking a fight with someone that strong unless I have no choice."
He nodded to himself, then shook his head slightly, a faint sneer touching his lips as he considered the man's display of power.
"Heh, what nonsense are you thinking? The exam tests our ability against the realm, not murder and robbery… Besides, no matter how strong your attack is, you still need a chance to get close to your target!" he said quietly, speaking more to himself than anyone else. "My Daylight ability is built for long-range combat – within my effective range, if I keep my distance and use my speed to stay mobile, you might not even get to touch the hem of my clothes, no matter how strong those claws are!"
Bai Hao glanced toward the clearing where the golden-clawed youth now stood, having scared off the remaining ape with a single glare. He didn't intend to make his presence known – he preferred to observe and gather information about other strong cultivators before revealing his own abilities – but to his surprise, the man's eagle-like gaze had already pierced through the thin mountain mist and the cover of Bai Hao's hiding place, fixing directly on him.
His stare was intense and assessing, taking in every detail of Bai Hao's appearance and posture with sharp eyes that missed nothing. There was a hint of barely noticeable disapproval in his gaze, as if he'd already judged Bai Hao and found him lacking.
"Hey! You over there!" the dragon-clawed youth suddenly shouted, his voice loud and strong, carrying clearly across the distance between them. There was a condescending tone in his voice, as if he was speaking to someone far beneath him. "Isn't it wrong to just stand there doing nothing while others are in danger?!"
As he spoke, his hands shifted back to their normal human form – the golden claws retracting into his fingers like a cat's – and he ruffled his messy hair with one hand. He stood up straight, casually showing off his powerful physique to the young woman and man beside him, who were now staring at him with a mix of awe and gratitude.
Haha, moral coercion? Bai Hao thought to himself, rolling his eyes slightly as he stepped out from behind the boulder and made no attempt to hide his presence any longer.
He scoffed aloud, then pointed to the wide ravine that separated their positions, speaking in a clear, sarcastic voice that carried across the gap between them: "Just standing there doing nothing? If it's so easy to help, why don't you jump over here and show me how it