29: Chapter 29: Successfully formed a team and entered the secret realm.

“Little Wen, get up quickly! The sun is already hitting your backside! Today is the Ability Gaokao, so don't you dare oversleep!” Mother Wang Guihua stood outside the door, urging him anxiously.

Zhang Wen, on the bed, rolled over and muttered, “I know, Mom, I'm already up. I'm just adjusting my state right now.”

“Adjusting your state? You child, hurry up and come eat breakfast. How are you going to take the exam on an empty stomach later?” Wang Guihua nagged.

Little Wen shook his head helplessly and had no choice but to obediently go to the dining table. His mother had already prepared a hearty breakfast for him, consisting of baozi, youtiao, soy milk, and eggs.

“Eat quickly. Once you've eaten, you'll have the energy for the exam. Today, your dad and I will take you to the exam site together to boost your morale,” Mother Wang Guihua said with a smile.

Little Wen looked at his mother gratefully and then began to eat his breakfast in large mouthfuls.

“Good luck, son! Your mom and I don't ask for a great score; we just want you to come back safe and sound. Do you know that in previous years, many students in the Secret Realm never returned? Your mom and I don't want that to happen to you, do you hear me?” Father Zhang Jianguo instructed with a serious face.

Zhang Wen, chewing his food, replied indistinctly, “Don't worry, Dad. Your son's strength is very strong. There definitely won't be any accidents. You two can rest assured.”

Along the way, Zhang Wen listened to his parents' meticulous instructions, from diet to precautions, the nagging words almost wearing calluses into his ears. He listened patiently throughout, nodding occasionally, knowing clearly that this slightly redundant concern hid his parents' heavy care and expectations.

After arriving at the exam site, Zhang Wen said a solemn goodbye to his parents and turned to walk toward the exclusive rest area for Ningjiang District examinees. The Ability Gaokao uses a city-wide unified exam mode; examinees from the various districts and counties under Nanyang City must wait for the Secret Realm to open in designated rest areas according to their region—for areas like Ningjiang District that are closer to the city center, examinees often choose to arrive on the day of the exam, saving the trouble of staying overnight in advance.

“Zhang Wen, over here!” Not far away, Director Wang was tiptoeing and waving at him, his face wearing his usual sternness. Zhang Wen walked over quickly, and Director Wang immediately pulled him aside to emphasize the exam rules once more: “I'll say this key information one last time: Examinees can choose to act alone or form a team. If acting alone, all points obtained from killing Vicious Beasts belong to the individual and do not need to be distributed; however, teaming up allows for synergistic advantages, and efficiency is usually higher, but points must be distributed through team negotiation. Consider your own situation carefully.”

Zhang Wen didn't think about which was better, just waiting blankly. Suddenly, a familiar voice with a light, smiling tone came from behind him: “What are you looking at? It's been so long, have you missed me?”

His heart skipped a beat, and he turned around abruptly. It was the girl he often thought about, standing just a few steps away, the smile in her eyes like crushed starlight.

“Of course I did.” A smile spread across Zhang Wen's face, and he immediately turned to Director Wang, “Director Wang, Siyi has arrived. I've decided to team up with her. Do you think that's okay?”

“Yes, absolutely!” Director Wang's stern face instantly melted, and a smile spread from the corners of his eyes to his mouth, “You two are the school's star players. Teaming up is a strong alliance; I couldn't be happier!”

“Sigh, it's just a pity for that kid Xue Yuan,” Director Wang muttered softly.

After exchanging greetings, Director Wang smiled and took his leave—after all, there was still a pile of students waiting for him to give instructions to, and he truly couldn't be in two places at once.

Beside a bench in the rest area, Zhang Wen had just sat down when his gaze fell on Ding Siyi. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he spoke with some surprise: “This aura of yours... have you had a Breakthrough to the Late Stage of the Initial Bloom?”

Ding Siyi sat down beside him, her chin slightly raised, her face showing undisguised pride, her voice filled with excitement: “No, in order to catch up with you, I haven't dared to slack off these days. I've been training hard every day; I can't let you leave me too far behind, right?”

“Impressive.” Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his tone, “In that case, once we enter the Secret Realm later, can I just slack off?” As he said this, he made a playful gesture of hiding his hands to slack off.

“Stop it!” Ding Siyi reached out and gently patted his arm, then leaned in closer, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, looking at him with some curiosity: “Speaking of which, why is it that I can't seem to see through your Realm more and more? What level are you actually at now?”

Zhang Wen blinked mysteriously, a cunning smile curling the corner of his mouth, his voice low but unable to hide his pride: “It's not that impressive... just, um, a tiny bit stronger than you.”

“Tch, playing coy again!” Ding Siyi snorted softly, but a smile appeared in her eyes, her fingertips unconsciously twisting the corner of her clothes, “Once we enter the Secret Realm, I'll have to see just how much your ‘tiny bit’ is really worth.”

“Attention all examinees—” A clear, calm female voice came over the loudspeaker, instantly drowning out the noise of the rest area, “The Ability Gaokao is about to begin. Please proceed to the designated points to collect your recording watches. These watches not only record kill points in real-time but also have a built-in emergency distress signal that can provide protection in critical moments. We wish all examinees excellent performance and success in entering their ideal Ability academies!”

As the broadcast ended, long queues immediately formed at the distribution points in each area. As Zhang Wen led Ding Siyi over, he couldn't help but click his tongue in his heart: In normal times, with so many people rushing around, it would definitely take half an hour to sort things out. But because it was the Gaokao, the staff's movements were as fast as if they had pressed the fast-forward button; verifying identities, registering information, and distributing watches—the whole process was smooth and flowing, taking less than ten minutes in total.

“This efficiency is really something.” He looked down at the silver-gray watch on his wrist, and his exam number and initial state were pulsing on the dial.

Before he could ponder any further, the second broadcast followed immediately: “Please note, examinees, the Ability Gaokao will officially begin in five minutes. Please tidy up your equipment and prepare to enter the Secret Realm entrance in an orderly manner by batch.”

The surrounding noise dropped suddenly, and the examinees who had been chatting retracted their expressions, some closing their eyes to focus and adjust their state, others checking their weapons or Talismans one last time. Five minutes passed like sand slipping through fingers, silently sliding away amidst the increasingly clear sound of heartbeats.

“Let's go.” Zhang Wen turned his head to look at Ding Siyi, his palms sweating slightly, but he held her hand firmly.

Ding Siyi's fingertips trembled, a flush of red rising to her cheeks, her long eyelashes fluttering gently, but she didn't pull away, only obediently following him as he stepped forward. Their shadows were very close in the morning light, taking steps toward the Secret Realm entrance that radiated a pale blue halo.

Just as their figures were about to disappear into the halo, behind a pillar not far away, a sinister gaze was locked tightly on the entrance. The person's clenched fist had bulging veins, knuckles white, and a barely audible cold snort escaped their throat, their eyes churning with complex and indistinguishable emotions—unwillingness, jealousy, and a trace of deeply hidden gloom.