When Wen Qi, this young man, stepped into the group of those taking the senior cultivator assessment, the originally noisy hall fell silent for a moment. But the silence was fleeting, quickly replaced by an even louder uproar than before. Especially those taking the junior assessment—seeing Wen Qi, someone even younger than them, standing in the line for senior cultivators—flushed red with anger, their indignation boiling over.
"What's wrong with this guy? Doesn't he know the rules and just go to his proper place?" a young examinee shouted at the top of his lungs, his eyes wide as bells.
"Hmph, does he think standing over there means he can take the senior cultivator exam? What a pipe dream!" another chimed in, his dismissive tone as if trying to drown Wen Qi out.
Some who recognized Wen Qi were even more agitated, yelling, "Isn't this the show-off from yesterday? That attention-seeker! I can't believe he's so shameless, showing up again today, and actually standing over there. How dare he? Isn't he afraid of being kicked out later?"
As for those taking the intermediate assessment, they were equally furious. They clenched their fists tightly, teeth grinding audibly. If not for the association staff maintaining order, they would have rushed over to point fingers and curse at Wen Qi. But for now, they could only mutter insults from where they stood.
"This kid is way too arrogant. Does he really think he's that capable?" one said.
"Exactly, he should weigh himself first. How dare he stand in the senior spot?" another added.
The senior cultivator examinees, being older and more experienced, remained relatively composed. Unsure of Wen Qi's background, they chose to stay silent. Even Zhu Ximing, who had previously shown disdain for Wen Qi, now kept his lips tightly shut, his expression serious. Though inwardly dissatisfied with Wen Qi's behavior, he opted to watch and wait, wary of unnecessary trouble in such a public setting.
Zhu Xiu and Zhu Qiang, who knew Wen Qi from before, reacted differently. Zhu Xiu's good impression of Wen Qi came mainly from his handsome appearance and calm confidence. But seeing his bold move now, she felt a bit embarrassed, thinking to herself, "Wen Qi, why are you so impulsive? You didn't think about the consequences. Pretending before was fine since no one checked, but this is real—there will be inspections." Still, she didn't criticize him harshly.
Zhu Qiang, seeing the "show-off" again, felt his anger reignite. But he couldn't be bothered to say anything, just thinking, "The exam's about to start. Let's see how long you can keep this up. When they stop you from entering, I'll have a good laugh at you and teach you what happens when you don't know your place."
Wen Qi heard the harsh words around him but acted as if he hadn't, ignoring them entirely. He stood quietly to the side, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed in contemplation. Those badmouthing him, seeing no reaction, assumed he was feeling guilty. But Wen Qi still paid them no mind. Growing bored, they gradually stopped talking, all thinking they'd just wait to see him humiliated.
Soon, the time came. The hall was now nearly full. The junior group, with eight or nine hundred people, packed together densely, their noise threatening to lift the roof. The intermediate group, over three hundred strong, formed a sizable crowd. The senior side was relatively sparse, with only thirty to forty people.
At that point, association staff moved to three passageways. Before letting anyone through, they conducted a thorough check to ensure fairness. Each passageway had a detection gate, sleek and high-tech, capable of instantly spotting any cheating devices. Moreover, passing through the gate would lock any carried Poké Balls with a special mechanism, completely eliminating the possibility of using Pokémon to cheat. Additionally, several Dark-type and Ghost-type Pokémon stood guard at each checkpoint. The Dark-types, sharp-eyed, remained vigilant like hunters; the Ghost-types could keenly sense abnormal energy fluctuations, even detecting a Ghost-type Pokémon hiding in an examinee's shadow. These measures were airtight and foolproof.
Wen Qi watched the rigorous inspection process without a hint of panic. His expression was calm, his gaze steady, as he quietly waited his turn. Around him, others showed varying states: some were tense, sweat beading on their foreheads; others feigned composure, but their trembling hands gave them away; a few muttered complaints about the strictness. From the junior and intermediate lines, uneasy whispers occasionally drifted.
"This check is way too strict. I'm a bit nervous," a young examinee said, his voice shaky.
"Yeah, hope nothing goes wrong," another agreed, his eyes full of worry.
The senior cultivator examinees were generally steadier, though a few frowned slightly, clearly uneasy about the intense scrutiny.
Since Wen Qi stood at the outermost edge of the senior assessment area, he naturally ended up last in line. But others saw it differently, believing it showed his guilt.
"Hmph, this kid knows he's no good, that's why he's hiding at the back," someone muttered quietly, his face full of mockery.
"Exactly, why else wouldn't he move forward? I bet he's about to embarrass himself," another added, his eyes gleaming with anticipation, as if already picturing Wen Qi's disgrace.
Everyone present seemed to be waiting for a good show, hoping to see Wen Qi fail. Their gazes occasionally drifted toward him, filled with scorn and contempt.
At the senior cultivator checkpoint, with fewer examinees, the line shrank quickly. At the other checkpoints, with larger crowds, most were still slowly queuing, occasionally glancing over, eager for Wen Qi's moment of shame.
Soon, only one person remained ahead of Wen Qi. The entire hall seemed to fall silent. Everyone held their breath, wanting to witness the "historic moment" they'd been waiting for. Their eyes locked onto Wen Qi, as if trying to pierce through him.
The examinee in front of Wen Qi completed the check and passed through the passageway smoothly. At that instant, all eyes focused on Wen Qi. The air itself seemed to freeze, everyone waiting for what would happen next.
Even some association staff found it strange—why had the noisy hall suddenly gone quiet? They looked around in confusion, noticing many people staring in the same direction at the senior cultivator checkpoint. Some shorter ones even jumped up to get a better view. Those in the know quickly explained Wen Qi's situation. Hearing this, the staff grew curious too, their gazes shifting to where Wen Qi stood. As his turn for inspection approached, they shared the same anticipation as everyone else. In their minds, this might be a rare bit of entertainment, something to share with friends later, and their faces lit up with the thrill of watching a spectacle.