The Awakening Ceremony ended before noon.
By afternoon, the results had already spread throughout Guangchuan City Second High School.
In the outer courtyard, a massive ranking stone tablet shimmered faintly as new names were engraved one by one.
This ranking was not limited to cultivation alone.
It represented overall potential—body cultivation, demon spirit realm, and demon spirit stars.
Students crowded around it.
"First place—no surprise."
Someone read aloud.
"Zhao Ming. Body Tempering Nine Stars. Demon Spirit: Spirit Refinement, One Star."
A wave of awe rippled through the crowd.
"To awaken a Spirit Refinement demon spirit directly… that's monstrous."
"He's guaranteed a spot in the city exam."
Another student swallowed hard.
"In three months, the Guangchuan City Joint Examination begins."
That single sentence sharpened the atmosphere.
Guangchuan City had four high schools.
Second High School was only one of them.
"In the city-wide exam, only the top twenty-five students advance."
"And those twenty-five will be sent to Qingyuan County."
Everyone knew what that meant.
In Qingyuan County, sects from Bright Sun Prefecture would personally oversee recruitment. For ordinary cultivators, this was the only path out of obscurity.
Continue studying here—or step into the wider world.
Only twenty-five would be chosen.
The ranking continued.
"Second place: Lin Yue. Body Tempering Eight Stars. Demon Spirit: Spirit Awakening, Eight Stars."
Murmurs followed.
"She's already at eight stars… she could reach the peak before the exam."
"The competition is brutal this year."
Names continued to appear.
Talented students. Familiar elites.
Then—
"Thirty-seventh place… Yu Chen."
A brief pause.
"Body Tempering Six Stars. Demon Spirit: Spirit Awakening, Five Stars."
A few people chuckled.
"Thirty-seventh? That's outside the cutoff."
"With four schools competing, he's not even close."
"But for an orphan, that's still respectable."
Yu Chen stood at the edge of the crowd, watching quietly.
Thirty-seventh.
Too high to be mocked openly.Too low to be taken seriously.
That was the cruel middle.
"Three months," someone said nearby. "If you can't climb into the top twenty-five by then, it's over."
Yu Chen turned away from the ranking stone.
Three months.
That night, the dormitory was silent.
Yu Chen sat cross-legged on his bed, a weak oil lamp flickering beside him.
In his palm lay ten low-grade spirit stones.
Each one represented days of work. Each one carried his future.
He closed his eyes.
The world faded.
The Nether Shadow Wolf appeared in his consciousness, its form clearer than before. Its crimson eyes regarded him calmly, as if waiting.
Yu Chen focused his intent.
The familiar interface surfaced.
Demon Spirit: Nether Shadow WolfRealm: Spirit Awakening (5 Stars)
Upgrade Condition:– Consume 10 Low-Grade Spirit Stones to advance to the next star
Yu Chen did not hesitate.
He crushed the spirit stones.
Spiritual energy surged, pouring into the demon spirit. Shadows gathered faintly as pain bloomed within his soul—not violent, but relentless.
Yu Chen clenched his teeth.
Moments passed.
Then—
The pressure vanished.
The Nether Shadow Wolf's form sharpened, its presence heavier, more complete.
The interface flickered.
Demon Spirit: Nether Shadow WolfRealm: Spirit Awakening (6 Stars)
Upgrade Requirements:– Advance to 7 Stars: consume 25 Low-Grade Spirit Stones
Yu Chen opened his eyes slowly.
Six stars.
Outside, the strongest students were preparing for the city-wide exam, confident in their advantages.
Inside this quiet dorm room, someone else had taken a step forward—unseen.
Yu Chen looked toward the dark window.
"Top twenty-five," he murmured.
Three months.
That was enough.