The day of the great competition had finally arrived.
As usual, they began by testing one’s cultivation base as everyone happily talked and laughed. They were testing whose clan’s sons and grandsons had made the most progress and put in the most work in the past year.
However, this year’s testing method was somewhat different from previous years.
Only the top three would be decided by cultivation base. The remaining places would need to fight to determine their placing.
Everyone always said that the test was not child’s play.
However, in reality, when the test was not beneficial for those in power, it could become child’s play.
The end-of-year competition changed every year.
Su Chen had also witnessed it.
If he still harbored some hope towards the system, his clan, or his loved ones, then he would have lost it completely by now.
The old beggar was absolutely correct.
The pair of eyes that he had given Su Chen had not only allowed him to see more, but had also allowed him to see the world’s true appearance.
Just like Su Keji no longer cared for this last Verdant Wood Essence, Su Chen did not care for it either at this point.
But not caring did not mean that he would give up.
Both Su Chen and Su Keji were actually fighting for their pride.
On the Star Origin Stone, the first Su Clan disciple had already begun the test.
Those stars that lit up indicated their effort in the past year, and affected the hearts of many of those who paid close attention.
According to the rules, the person with the best results would go last. As the previous champion, Su Chen idly sat on his own seat, listening to the elders report out the numbers.
From time to time, there would be an uproar from the crowd. Evidently, some Young Master had performed beyond expectations of him.
“It seems as if this year’s battle is much more fierce,” someone said from behind Su Chen.
Without turning his head around, Su Chen knew who it was.
His face revealed a slight smile. “Of course. Even our Twelfth Junior Sister has reached the seventh layer of Body Tempering. How could others dare to slack off.”
A young girl appeared near Su Chen’s side. “Fourth Senior Brother, are you looking down on me? Reaching the seventh layer is incredible? I am still far from you, Second Brother, and the others.”
The young girl was extremely beautiful. She wore a flowered robe embroidered with peonies, and her shoes were lined with gold gilding. Her hair was tied up in a bun, and a jade ornament was stuck through it. When she walked, it seemed as if she did not shake at all.
She was called Su Ling’er. If Su Chen was the first of the Su Clan’s third generation, then Su Ling’er was the Su Clan’s number one female of the third generation.
Although her face was very cute, Su Ling’er’s personality was quite intelligent for her age.
At this moment, Su Chen said, “You are still only fourteen years old. I was only at your level when I was fourteen.”
Su Ling’er replied, “Fourth Senior Brother, don’t lead me on. That was just because you didn’t receive the clan’s support. Ever since you lost your sight, what resources have you obtained apart from every year’s competition?”
Su Chen smiled. “There’s no need to be so serious about some things.”
“You are quite open-minded.”
“Regardless, right now the number one of the clan’s third generation…… is still me.”
Su Ling’er remained quiet for a moment, then shrugged her shoulders. “That’s true. You still haven’t reached the point where I need to comfort you or fight for your injustice. Perhaps this is also why I don’t like being with you. There’s too much pressure when I’m around you. Look at how good Brother Xing is; even though he’s older than me, his cultivation base isn’t higher, and I can beat him up if I want to. Now, he obeys me completely, and whatever I tell him to do he will do. As for you, even though you’re a blind person, and we should all take care of you, what’s the truth? The truth is that you’re stronger than all of us, meaning that you can beat all of us even if your eyes were closed. This kind of feeling is too frustrating.”
Su Ling’er’s words reflected the thoughts of many peoples’ hearts.
This was why many people in the Su Clan didn’t like him. His existence only manifested the inability of others.
Su Ling’er was a good girl, but this didn’t mean that she had to empathize, like, or help Su Chen…… There was nothing that she could help him with anyways.
Thus, she could only stay far away from him. At most she would occasionally greet him just like now and leave after conversing a bit.
They were not enemies, yet they were not friends.
The two of them were destined to walk two different kinds of roads and would not have many interactions.
After saying this, Su Ling’er turn around and walked away – her greetings had finished, and she was going to do her own things and walk her own path.
Before the Star Origin Stone, one Su Clan disciple after another retreated after displaying their cultivation base.
There were less and less people, but the ones remaining were all stronger and stronger.
Su Tong was the third to last person to step onto the stage.
He had placed third in the previous competition. When he placed his hand on the Star Origin Stone, the white starlight dazzled everyone’s eyes.
“Whoa!” The entire crowd let out a gasp of surprise.
Peak of Body Tempering.
Compared to Su Tong’s previous improvements, this was truly a surprising result.
Every person had been working hard, and in the last moments everyone was sprinting forwards.
Su Tong excitedly waved his fists in the air and got off the stage. His face was filled with confidence.
However, when Su Qian stepped onto the stage, the yellow light rendered everyone speechless.
“Old Second has a good son,” the Second Elder Su Changqing praised.
Su Keji laughed as he replied, “What a shame that a great talent emerges slowly. If this had happened a little earlier, then we wouldn’t have had to give up on those…… resources.”
His words contained a hidden meaning.
Su Cheng’an’s face was steely, and Su Feihu couldn’t resist speaking out. “Bullshit, ‘a great talent emerges slowly’. The Treasure Light Illusion Realm isn’t a resource? Don’t think that we don’t know what you did for Su Qian. In these years, which child received less resources than Su Chen? All you do all day is scheme for such a tiny amount of Verdant Wood Essence, how embarrassing!”
Su Keji’s face sank. “Old Third, what is with that tone?”
Su Feihu was about to retaliate when Su Changche’s expression stiffened. “Enough.”
Everyone fell into silence.
Su Changche said, “Su Chen is a good child. However, no matter how outstanding he is, he is still blind and isn’t suitable to be fostered; I recognize this. However, what Su Feihu said is also correct. If you don’t have the ability to win, don’t keep thinking about such small things. It’s just a few bottles of Verdant Wood Essence; is that really worth it?”
As he spoke, his tone had become angry even though he did not display it.
Everyone else blushed with shame and stopped arguing.
At this moment, another bright yellow light shown.
Once again, a collective gasp of surprise was heard. Countless people were once again shocked.
This time, it was Su Chen’s hand that was placed on the Star Origin Stone.
“As expected, he is already an Origin Qi Scholar.” Su Changche was not surprised at all.
Not only him, even Su Changsheng, Su Changqing, Su Maodong, and Su Meixi, the Su clan’s four elders, all wore tranquil and calm expressions. Evidently, it hadn’t been just Su Keji who had guessed that Su Chen’s strength had increased. However, when Su Cheng’an saw this scene, he was instantly rooted in place.
He had not expected that his son was already an official Origin Qi Scholar.
Apart from the end-of-year competition, he had no resources to help him, yet he had actually reached this stage!
“In the end, the battle still determines victory,” Su Changqing coldly stated with hatred as he gazed at Su Chen.
“He might not lose in battle,” Su Feihu countered coldly. These words were too filled with hatred, and everyone stared at him.
Su Changqing gritted his teeth and said, “Su Chen must lose this time.”
“Hm?” Su Feihu laughed, “Since Second Senior Brother has so much self confidence, should we make a bet?”
“How will we bet?” Su Keji asked.
Su Feihu laughed. “Second Senior Brother’s shares are all with father. If we were to bet, he probably wouldn’t be able to offer much. If Su Chen loses, I will give you five thousand Origin Stones. If Su Chen wins, I don’t need you to pay me as long as you crawl a circle around this stage. How does that sound?”
Su Keji’s expression sank. “You have quite a bit of faith in him.”
“I just have no faith in Su Qian, is all.” Su Feihu curled his lips. “Trash will always be trash. How could he possibly win against a dragon among men?”
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