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."
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
ive and Ruthless] Before his transmigration, Ye Xuan was playing a game called "Severing Emotions to Attain the Dao." The game's core wasn't about leveling up by fighting monsters, but about conquering various "bad women" with wicked personalities and cold, fickle natures. There was only one method to conquer them: stay unwaveringly by their side, then die at a critical moment, driving them to madness after losing the protagonist. The higher their level of regret, the higher the player's score. To dominate the server, Ye Xuan conquered all the bad women. In the early stages, he showered them with boundless tenderness, only to choose to sacrifice himself for them later, making them weep bitterly and drown in regret. Among them were: Xia Lengyue, the unfaithful immortal wife who chased after powerful men and discarded her husband like trash. Ye Qingcheng, the Demonic Venerable of the Joyous Union Sect, who appeared pure and innocent but was, in reality, promiscuous. Wu Lingxiao, the Empress of the Great Xia Dynasty, who lusted after men and loved maintaining a harem. Bai Qiangu of the Endless Demonic Sect: a bloodthirsty mass murderer. However, when the protagonist transmigrated into the game world, he made a horrifying discovery. Eight hundred years had already passed. The bad women he had conquered had now each become deities and revered ancestors. Faced with the endless stream of toxic women coming for him, Ye Xuan could only rely on his god-tier acting skills to carve a path of survival through this world of treacherous women.
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
