143: Chapter 143 Choosing the Peak

Galactic Calendar, July 12th, Year 226.

Ten days had passed since Li Wen consumed the last sacred body golden vein fruit and pushed his Physical Body to the Peak of a High-level Martial Artist.

Their batch of Class of 226 freshmen was once again gathered at the core area of the Xinhuo Ancestral Vein—the Wudao Peak Plaza.

Today, the most important event concerning their martial Dao Foundation and even their future path would take place—Peak Selection.

Peak Selection meant choosing the Divine Demon cultivation method they would major in for the future.

The twelve Peaks of Kindling University each represented one type of Transcendent Grade Divine Demon Legacy method and various High Grade Divine Demon Legacy methods; once chosen, it would determine the Foundation and direction of their Super Martial Artist stage.

Its importance far exceeded any previous assessment.

When Li Wen followed the crowd to the massive plaza on Wudao Peak, which resembled an ancient Sect's martial arts field, it was already bustling with noise.

Not only were the two hundred freshmen gathered, but many Senior Disciples wearing the unique attire of their respective Peaks had already surrounded the plaza. Each possessed a deep aura and sharp gaze, sizing up the newcomers with great interest.

Even more eye-catching was an area with an excellent view on the side of the main stage, where over a dozen powerful existences with auras as deep as the sea were gathered. They didn't intentionally release any pressure.

But their presence, as steady as a mountain, was enough to make the air slightly stagnate—those were the Marquis-level Divine Demons of Kindling University who were not on urgent missions.

This was also a tradition passed down at Kindling University; during the Peak Selection for new Disciples, some Senior experts were invited to witness the ceremony. This was both a sign of respect for the freshmen and a vessel for the ancient blessing of "passing on the Kindling."

Li Wen walked straight toward the area where the Jiangnan Province small group was located.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of the "naturally familiar" and "know-it-all" Wang Shuo over the past month, Li Wen, Fang Chenghong, Chu Feng, and Nangong Xue had gradually come together with Wang Shuo, forming a five-person small group with Li Wen at its core.

In this unfamiliar environment, huddling for warmth and sharing information was also common practice for the freshmen.

Similar small groups were everywhere among the two hundred freshmen, mostly formed based on being from the same province, the same country, or having similar backgrounds.

“Brother Wen, over here!” Wang Shuo was sharp-eyed and immediately waved at Li Wen with a smile.

Beside him, Fang Chenghong, Chu Feng, and Nangong Xue also nodded to Li Wen one after another: “Brother Wen.”

“Li Wen.”

“Mm.” A gentle smile appeared on Li Wen's face as he walked over and stood beside the four.

As soon as Li Wen stood still, Wang Shuo leaned in, lowered his voice, and gestured with his chin toward Du Yun, who was surrounded by a crowd like a crane among chickens: “Hey, Brother Wen, see that? Over by Du Yun. Have you heard? That guy actually broke through to the Concept realm yesterday. It’s gone crazy in the freshmen group; everyone says he’s the first in our batch to touch the 'Third Realm, the Intent Realm.' His fame is unmatched for a moment. Tsk tsk, it’s really funny when you think about it—”

Wang Shuo couldn't help but curl his lip with a bit of mischief on his face. “If those overly excited guys knew that you, Brother Wen, had already stepped into the Saber Intent Realm more than half a month ago when the college entrance exam results came out, I wonder how wonderful the expressions on their faces would be, haha!”

Indeed, the fact that Li Wen had comprehended Saber Intent was currently only known within their small circle of five.

In the eyes of others, Li Wen was still that number one freshman with "peerless" spiritual sense, whose tenth strike in the comprehension assessment was earth-shaking, and whose combat power suppressed all peers, but he had not yet reached the Concept level.

Li Wen hadn't taken the initiative to publicize it either.

Hearing this, Li Wen just smiled faintly. With a slight thought, a wisp of pure Primordial Spirit Power spread out silently like a water ripple.

In an instant, the subtle whispers around him became clear.

Just as Wang Shuo said, the crowd everywhere was discussing the same name in low voices—“Du Yun”—and that even more eye-catching achievement—“comprehending Spear Intent.”

Their words were filled with amazement, envy, and even a faint sense of awe.

The gazes of those in the Marquis-level Expert viewing area also lingered on Du Yun from time to time.

“You, pay less attention to these empty titles.” Li Wen smiled and shook his head, quietly withdrawing his Primordial Spirit Power.

Discussions of this level had long been unable to shake his state of mind in the slightest.

“True, if you, the genuine number one, aren't in a hurry to stand out, what am I worried about down here?” Wang Shuo shrugged, being quite open-minded. “Besides, for you as number one, you really don't lack this bit of spotlight.”

The five of them chatted casually for a few more minutes, mainly exchanging views on these twelve Legacy method Peaks.

Time passed quickly, and the scheduled time for the official start of the Peak Selection Ceremony was approaching.

At that moment—Buzz!

As if space itself was humming, an invisible but massive pressure enveloped the entire plaza.

Everyone instantly went silent and involuntarily looked up at the main stage.

The twelve Peak Masters had arrived!

They seemed to step out from the Void Realm, one after another, as if following some ancient order, their figures silently condensing on the main stage.

The appearance of each Peak Master was accompanied by a massive wave of cheers from their respective Peak's Disciple camp.

The first to appear was the Peak Master of Nine Heavens Peak, carrying an ancient sword with Sword Qi piercing the sky—a cold-faced, middle-aged man in black robes whose gaze seemed able to pierce through everything.

Although there were only a dozen or so Disciples from Nine Heavens Peak, their cheers were exceptionally sharp and high-pitched, carrying a sense of aloofness and disdain.

Next was the Peak Master of Lietian Peak, a burly man like a demon god with crimson hair standing on end. As soon as he appeared, the cheers from the Lietian Peak Disciple camp were like a tsunami erupting, deafening and instantly drowning out all other sounds—for no other reason than Lietian Peak having the most Disciples.

Then came the Peak Masters of Xingyan Peak, Wutu Peak, and so on—each Peak Master had a vastly different temperament, some deep, some fiery, some ethereal, or some heavy. But without exception, they all radiated a terrifying aura as vast as the sea that made space faintly distort—all were King-level Experts.

The waves of cheers triggered by the appearance of different Peak Masters clearly indicated the current power structure of each Peak.

Lietian Peak had the most people, the deepest Foundation, and the greatest influence.

And Nine Heavens Peak was undoubtedly the Peak with the fewest people.

However, when that black-robed figure stood aloof, even the tsunami-like cheers of Lietian Peak could not overshadow the strong sense of presence emanating from the Nine Heavens Peak Disciples.

Everyone understood that although Nine Heavens Peak Disciples were rare, those who dared to choose and successfully tread that perilous path were all true freaks among their peers. The quality of their individuals could be called the best among the twelve Peaks.

The weight of those few people could not be ignored by anyone.

When the last one, the Peak Master of Bibo Peak—a woman with a graceful figure shrouded in misty water vapor—took her place, the array of powerful experts representing the highest legacies of Kindling University was complete.

Immediately after, a figure with hair as white as snow quietly emerged at the very center of the main stage, without any fanfare, as if he had been there all along.

It was that refined Principal with the white hair and an aura as if he were looking down upon the galaxy.

“Principal!!”

“Principal!!!”

The entire Wudao Peak Plaza completely boiled over.

Whether they were new or old Disciples, regardless of their cultivation level, everyone erupted in the most fanatical cheers. The sound waves shot straight into the clouds, shaking the originally drifting mist until it vanished.

This was not just awe for the powerful, but also faith and yearning for the path of Xinhuo.

The Principal had a gentle smile on his face as his gaze slowly swept across the young and energetic faces below, pausing slightly on Li Wen and a few other outstanding freshmen.

His peaceful voice wasn't loud, but it clearly suppressed all the clamor and reached every corner of the plaza: “Silence.”

As the voice fell, the plaza instantly became so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

“The auspicious hour has arrived. I announce that the Kindling University Class of 226 Freshman Peak Selection Ceremony officially begins!”

As the Principal's steady voice fell, the atmosphere of the entire venue was pushed to a climax once again. Countless nervous, expectant, and apprehensive gazes focused on the main stage.

The white-haired Principal scanned the crowd with a peaceful gaze and announced the rules: “Choosing a Peak is a major matter concerning your martial Dao Foundation. According to custom, to make your chosen path more solemn and to let the Disciples of the same batch temper each other, this Peak Selection will be conducted in reverse order of the final gold rankings from the freshman selection.”

As soon as these words were spoken, a startled uproar instantly erupted from the crowd below.

Reverse order?! This meant the 200th-ranked freshman would be the first to go on stage to choose their Peak, while the 1st-ranked Li Wen would be the last.

Wang Shuo, who had been standing "low-key" beside Li Wen, had the expression on his face instantly freeze. His whole body seemed as if it had been struck by lightning.

He, Wang Shuo, just happened to be—the 200th of this batch.

“Ah? Reverse order?!” Wang Shuo felt his vision go dark, and his mouth unconsciously opened wide enough to fit an egg.

These past few days, he had been trying hard to downplay the embarrassing fact that he was the "tail of the crane." He had been thinking that the Peak Selection would definitely have him in the last batch. Once the prodigies in front had finished choosing and everyone's attention had waned, he would quietly pick a suitable Peak and slip away. Then no one would notice him, the lowly last-place finisher.

Who would have thought! It actually—it actually made him, the last-place finisher, the first to go on stage to choose a Peak?!

Under the scrutiny of the entire venue?! Under the gaze of hundreds of Senior Disciples, over a dozen Marquis-level Divine Demons, twelve King-level Peak Masters, and the Principal?!

A massive sense of tension and embarrassment instantly enveloped him, making him almost feel suffocated.

“Go on, don't keep everyone waiting.”

Li Wen's voice, tinged with a smile, came from beside him. A slender and powerful hand also lightly patted his shoulder, carrying both comfort and encouragement.

Wang Shuo swallowed hard with difficulty. His face was pale, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his forehead.

He looked at Li Wen's calm and encouraging gaze, and felt the surrounding looks that contained surprise, curiosity, and even a hint of watching a show, as well as those gazes from the main stage that were powerful enough to make planets tremble—

He understood that there was absolutely no way to hide.

In such a setting, making a group of King and Marquis-level Experts wait—even if he were given a hundred times more courage, he wouldn't dare.

“I'm going for it!” Wang Shuo steeled his heart, gritted his teeth, and with a sense of tragic heroism, he moved out of the crowd step by step toward the main stage.

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