As these words were spoken, the expressions of many examinees below the stage subtly shifted, clearly grasping the gravity of the situation.
The staff began distributing wristbands to each candidate.
Liu Yuan extended her hand and received her own wristband.
It felt cool to the touch, unnaturally smooth, devoid of any text or patterns—only a faint, shimmering glow that drifted lazily across its surface.
Curious, she turned it over in her hands several times.
The craftsmanship was far superior to the pair of pink handcuffs and the black thigh strap tucked away in her drawer.
When her fingertips lightly brushed against the wristband, the glow seemed to brighten ever so slightly.
Gradually, a faint warmth emanated from it.
An intangible presence was forming a peculiar connection with her—subtle yet undeniably real.
"Once activated, the wristband will only last twelve hours. It will record your performance within the Source Realm," the Jiangxia Guardian continued explaining the rules.
"The objective of this Martial Arts College Entrance Exam is simple: eliminate Source Realm creatures. Different creatures yield varying scores based on their tier, species, and threat level. Upon death, the sub-ring will absorb the dissipating life force and feed it to the master ring as sustenance."
"Using this mechanism, we can calculate and accumulate your scores."
Admittedly, repurposing such a card’s ability into an exam tool was rather ingenious.
"To err on the side of caution, the exam duration is set at eight hours. During this time, you may freely explore the Source Realm, hunt and eliminate its creatures. Once time is up, scoring ceases, and all must retreat to the exit point."
"You’ll have four additional hours to evacuate, with staff on standby to assist."
"Failure to comply means you bear the consequences—life or death."
"Your final scores will determine your admission into various academies. As for other details, staff will have you sign a 'liability waiver' with further explanations."
The Jiangxia Guardian’s gaze swept across the crowd, and every examinee who met his eyes instinctively straightened their posture.
His tone grew heavier. "The Source Realm is fraught with unknown dangers. Even with the wristband’s protective mechanisms, exercise extreme caution. Act within your limits. Do not recklessly chase glory or meddle with entities beyond your comprehension."
"This year, I estimate roughly two hundred of you four thousand will remain in the Source Realm forever—nourishing its soil."
"If any of you falter, quietly mark 'I refuse' on the waiver."
"We will not disclose the names of those who withdraw, nor will we share their list with the academies."
"However, I can only assign them a randomly low score."
He paused briefly, as if weighing his next words—or perhaps withholding critical information.
A flicker of resignation crossed the Jiangxia Guardian’s mind.
The wristband’s materials emitted a faint, persistent allure to Source Realm creatures.
Due to the unique card’s ability, the sub-rings were designed to hunt life force to sustain the master ring.
This attraction couldn’t be disabled.
While the range was limited—and sheer bad luck was the only real concern—it did marginally increase the examinees’ latent risks.
Still, the seventh-tier defenses in place made the benefits outweigh the drawbacks.
Naturally, such core details couldn’t be disclosed publicly.
As the face of Jiangxia’s authority, his actions were prone to being sensationalized by 'self-media' and 'clickbait accounts,' risking unnecessary panic.
It sounded irresponsible.
But…
Who had time to coddle greenhouse flowers anymore?
If every excursion into the Source Realm was smooth sailing, how could true strength be forged?
Back in the day, did greenhorns on the battlefield expect generals to assign veterans just to guarantee their survival?
They were all adults now.
Accountability fell on their own shoulders.
"Before entering the Source Realm, there’s one final step," the Jiangxia Guardian announced, raising his voice to recapture everyone’s attention.
"Per the Martial Exam regulations set by higher authorities, all examinees must surrender prohibited items. This includes but is not limited to: single-use consumables with power exceeding your tier, cultivator talismans with mass-destructive or uncontrollable effects, and any pills that trade self-harm for temporary strength."
"Comply with proctors during inspections. Anyone caught smuggling prohibited items into the Source Realm will be disqualified immediately and have it noted in their records."
No sooner had he spoken than a line of uniformed proctors stepped forward, fanning out to inspect each examinee.
Every year, a few tried to game the system…
As if acing the Martial Exam meant winning at life.
In truth, the exam was never the endpoint of one’s achievements—merely a branching path.
The inspection dragged on.
Minutes ticked by.
About half an hour later, a cold female voice rang out.
The Jiangxia Guardian seemed to have left abruptly for urgent matters.
"Five minutes until the Martial Arts College Entrance Exam begins!"
Some stretched their limbs; others shut their eyes in silent prayer; a few greedily inhaled what might be their last breaths outside the Source Realm.
"Three minutes!"
Muffled gasps rippled through the crowd.
"One minute!"
The final countdown pounded like a death knell.
"Ten, nine, eight…"
Each number hammered their heartbeats faster.
"Three, two, one!"
As the last syllable faded into the empty assembly ground—
Chaos erupted.
The mountainside exploded with radiant light without warning.
Thick beams of light descended from the sky, enveloping every examinee with precision.
Liu Yuan’s vision was instantly swallowed by blinding whiteness—so bright she couldn’t open her eyes.
Her body lost all weight, floating in boundless emptiness.
She didn’t even have time to process her surroundings.
Her entire being, even her thoughts, were devoured by the dazzling light.
Her vision spun. Consciousness blurred.
In the next moment, only the faint energy residue of the light beams remained on the scorched ground.
The assembly ground stood empty—every examinee had vanished without a trace.
And a single sigh lingered in the air.
"The slaughter in the Source Realm… begins now."
or! A blessing for those who struggle with love, a guidebook for dating novices. Quickly match with your dream goddess! Complete walkthroughs earn rewards, and perfect walkthroughs unlock limited achievements!】 Shen Yi, an ordinary office worker, accidentally downloads a mini-game called Dating Simulator. The mini-game is simple: randomly search for dating targets, simulate dates, and receive rewards upon successful confession. Rewards include but are not limited to money, attributes, and skills. The higher the evaluation, the better the rewards, with perfect ratings unlocking mysterious achievements. Shen Yi plans to use this mysterious mini-game to continuously pursue targets and improve himself, making his life better and better. ...... However, after several successful walkthroughs, Shen Yi suddenly notices something strange - the targets he previously simulated dating seem to be searching for him in real life?
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
e, Immortal Body, Transmigration, System, Progression Fantasy, Academy Setting, Third-Person Perspective. Alternate Title: Transmigrating into a High Martial World and Reading Live Comments. Bad news: I transmigrated. This is a terrifying high-martial world, and my original, pathetically weak body fell into a coma and never woke up. Good news: I got a Popularity Points system upon arrival. I can see live comments and even create an unkillable alternate identity. Starting out, the alternate identity has all stats at 1. The system tells me that to grow stronger, I must participate in the plot, gain popularity points to allocate stats and grow stronger, and ultimately awaken my original body. And so, carrying my original body on my back, I officially entered Huaqing Academy, where the story's protagonist resides. From that moment on, Chen Guan kicked the original plot to pieces. Live Comments: [Doesn't anyone find this mysterious coffin guy creepy? He can summon indescribable grey misty hands.] [Is this guy a hero or a villain? What kind of onion became a spirit?] [By the way, does anyone know who's in the coffin? Shouldn't the debt for saving his life be repaid by now?] [According to unofficial histories, the person in the coffin was Chen Guan's first love. Their love was once passionate and earth-shattering, but they were separated by life and death due to worldly circumstances. What a star-crossed pair.] ... Years later, the world knew of a demon god born from a coffin, shrouded in grey mist, impossible to gaze upon directly. His foremost divine emissary often wielded a scythe, reaping lives like the god of death. As war approached, facing former friends and a boundless sea of enemies, Chen Guan merely raised his scythe. "Would you like to dance as well?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
