The golden light radiated for quite a long time, each shimmer infused with the aura of life.
Among everyone present, Yali sensed it most clearly. She nodded slightly.
The golden orb rose slowly, like a newly hatched bird breaking through its shell, floating gently in midair. Then something strange happened—it began to circle around Gu You, humming cheerfully like a hatchling that had just found its mother.
Gu You smiled. This was a clear sign that the metal had just been imbued with life and gained sentience. It was an exceptionally rare occurrence.
None of the spirit-forged pieces he had crafted before possessed such vitality. This was the first time he had witnessed such a spirited piece of spirit-forged metal.
He raised his hand, and the golden orb naturally fell into his palm, emanating a warm familiarity and attachment.
Gu You's expression twitched slightly. 'If every future spirit-forged creation ends up like this, how will I ever sell them to others? Why does it feel like I just gave birth to a child?'
"Xiao You! Since we sort of count as master and apprentice, how about we make a little deal?" came Feng Wuyu's voice in his ear. Gu You looked up and was greeted by the old man's smiling face.
"Sure! Just don't ask for this titanium piece. It's already linked to my bloodline. Giving it to you would be a waste." Gu You didn't hesitate in the slightest.
"You little brat!" Feng Wuyu snorted and flew off.
Back on the judges' stand, he was still all smiles.
A creation of life, and a successful spirit-forge. The fact that Gu You could forge titanium into titanium essence—a metal he had never worked with before—meant he already had the heart of a self-realizing forgemaster. Despite focusing on fused forging in recent months, his perception and understanding of metals had only advanced, not regressed. His control over forging, in particular, was now flawless.
"Match concluded. Year One, Class One: Gu You wins." The referee calmly announced the result. But the outcome had already been obvious. He Xiaopeng stepped down in quiet disappointment.
Clap! Clap!
Applause rang out across the arena.
Gu You stepped down and returned to his team's area, where he sat cross-legged and began to meditate.
Every student in Class One had their eyes fixed on him. There was no longer any trace of mockery in their gazes—only respect and admiration.
"The mecha design competition will now begin. Would the representatives of both sides please come forward."
Gu Yue glanced at Gu You sitting calmly on the ground, her eyes narrowing slightly before she turned and headed toward the sparring stage.
…
After the sparring matches, life returned to its usual rhythm.
Classes, forging, cultivation, studying.
But everything was different.
Class One was far more united than at the beginning of the semester. Every student had grown, both in strength and in maturity. There were no more mocking remarks. Now, when they saw Gu You and his companions, their smiles were genuine. Training became more intense. The entire class was ablaze with motivation.
Time passed day by day, and in the blink of an eye, the first term's final exams at Shrek Academy arrived.
"The first half of the academic year is about to end. And the final exams you've all been looking forward to are just around the corner." Shen Yi spoke with a smile, yet every student immediately sat upright.
'Looking forward to exams? Who would look forward to this?' Everyone knew students would be eliminated. In the first year alone, ten students were expected to be cut. No one knew how many would be eliminated in this first semester.
Sure enough, Shen Yi's next words caused the weaker students to turn pale.
"The final exam for the first semester will eliminate five students, as per academy rules. So I hope you all put in your best effort. Otherwise, you may be among those dismissed."
'Five eliminations…'
Seeing their nervous faces, Shen Yi continued smiling. "Weaker students aren't without hope. The exam is scored. As long as you pass, you won't be eliminated. If every student scores above the pass mark, the entire class might survive. But next semester, the passing threshold will be raised by five points."
"Why do I say weaker students still have a chance? Because students who score above the passing line can choose to donate part of their points to others. However, let me remind you—entering the Inner Court requires a certain number of points. If you donate your score to help someone else, your chances of entering the Inner Court will decrease."
The stronger students' expressions changed subtly. Who didn't want to get into the Inner Court? But giving points away would definitely lower their chances. It was a difficult decision.
"Now, here are the details of the final exam. You have fifteen days. In those fifteen days, you must travel to Mingdu. Along the way, you must pass through at least ten cities, including Mingdu. In each city, you are required to defeat one opponent who is at least five levels stronger than you. You may not receive any outside help. How you find opponents, how you beat them, how you reach Mingdu—that's all up to you."
"And one more thing. Before departure, you will be stripped of all storage-type soul tools, communication devices, resources, and money. You will start with nothing. Just yourselves. You have fifteen days. Completing the journey and returning within that time is the minimum requirement to pass. Your score will depend on the strength of your opponents. If you fail to complete it within fifteen days, regardless of who you are, you will automatically fail and lose half your total score. Don't worry about how your performance will be tracked—the academy's instructors will be monitoring you secretly. But they will never interfere. Even if your life is in danger, they will not intervene. So treat this exam seriously and do not pick fights you can't win."
Even Gu You gasped after hearing that. 'Start with nothing? All the good stuff's in my ring! And I have to fight opponents five levels above me? I'm about to become a Soul Sage. Doesn't that mean I'll have to fight people at the Soul Douluo level with one-word battle armor? That's like fighting a Titled Douluo!'
'I really might have to fight nine Titleds!!'
After Shen Yi finished explaining the rules, the classroom of Year One, Class One fell completely silent. Every student was seriously pondering how to tackle the grueling final exam ahead.
"No teams. Everyone travels alone. If you're caught helping each other, you automatically fail." Shen Yi left them with that final warning as she walked out.
(End of Chapter)
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