Chapter 3

Surrounded by many young men and women dressed in expensive clothing, they all burst into exaggerated laughter.

The Ye family had fallen on hard times, with both parents long deceased. In the current social hierarchy of the Snow Kingdom, they were considered a typical poor family, with a very low social status.

However, it was said that the venerable old principal of White Deer Academy, during one of his outings, happened to see the young Ye Qingyu, who was only six or seven years old at the time. He was so astonished that he declared this young boy would not remain an ordinary person, predicting that he would surely make it onto the Deer Cry List and might even enter the Snow Kingdom's Hidden Dragon List...

Who was the old principal?

He held a lofty position, with countless students, and could be said to have students all over the world. He was the top-ranked strongman in Deer Cry County for twenty consecutive years, and his words were almost like law.

Thus, such an evaluation pushed the then young and naive Ye Qingyu, unprepared, into the spotlight of countless gazes.

And because of the old principal's evaluation, Ye Qingyu was envied by many noble students who considered themselves to have exceptional talent. "He's just a poor and lowly commoner, yet he's rated as the top young genius? What does that make us nobles?"

Thus, various covert actions, various difficulties, and ridicule followed.

Four years ago, Ye Qingyu, who had been deeply affected by his parents' deaths, participated in the White Deer Academy entrance examination for the first time at the age of ten, but he attracted attention from all sides, becoming the most notable figure in Deer Cry County at the time.

Many people believed that the old principal's prophecy would come true, and Deer Cry County would witness the birth of a genius. However...

Who knew that the reality was quite the opposite.

Ye Qingyu's performance was a complete disaster; he failed the first test and was immediately eliminated...

He set a record for the fastest elimination in the history of the White Deer Academy entrance examination, and also achieved the worst score.

The following three years of three consecutive examinations were the same.

One after another, these setbacks made Ye Qingyu appear more and more deranged. Every day, except for eating and sleeping, he sat like a statue in front of his parents' graves. As a result, he was given the nickname "Four-time Champion" by those who delighted in his misfortune.

These events quickly became a laughing matter.

At that moment, hearing the responses of his companions, the young man in fine clothing became even more pleased, feeling a sense of recognition and excitement.

He wore a mocking expression, blocking the way provocatively, with a look that seemed to say, "What are you going to do to me?"

"Get lost." Ye Qingyu glanced at the young man and waved his hand impatiently.

"Ha ha ha!" The young man in fine clothing deliberately laughed exaggeratedly. "Get lost? What are you going to do if I don't get lost? I think you should be the one to get lost..."

Smack!

Ye Qingyu simply raised his hand and slapped the young man in fine clothing, sending him stumbling.

No one knew that Ye Qingyu's strength was immense, far surpassing that of his peers.

This was thanks to an unnamed breathing technique.

During these four years, while others thought he was sitting and going mad in front of his parents' graves, Ye Qingyu was actually practicing this unnamed breathing technique.

As time passed, other effects of the technique did not manifest, but Ye Qingyu discovered that his strength was growing increasingly powerful.

Powerful to the point of being terrifying.

Of course, adhering to his father's last words, he did not reveal this strength.

But today, there was no need to hide it.

The young man in fine clothing, caught off guard, was hit squarely, stumbling to the side. It felt as if he had been struck by an iron rod, his eyes seeing stars and half his head numb...

He covered his left cheek, which was swollen like a smashed peach, and looked at Ye Qingyu with a shocked and disbelieving expression.

Ye Qingyu smiled indifferently and said, "If you don't get lost, I'll slap you again. Got it?"

The other young men and women in fine clothing also drew in a sharp breath.

"You dare to hit someone here?"

In the next moment, the young nobles reacted, suddenly angry as if the slap had been on their own faces.

They all screeched like roosters, commanding their guards to surround Ye Qingyu, swords drawn and tensions high.

A mocking smile appeared on Ye Qingyu's lips.

He calmly took out a round yellow copper badge from his pocket, held it in his palm, and showed it to the surrounding young nobles and the guards of the young man in fine clothing, saying with a grin, "Open your dog eyes and look clearly... I hit someone, so what are you going to do about it?"

"That's..."

At the sight of the yellow copper badge, everyone was stunned.

It was a military merit badge!

It was actually a Heroic Yellow Copper Badge!

Legend has it that at the founding of the Snow Kingdom, the first Sacred Emperor, Shi Po Yue, to reward the soldiers and warriors who had distinguished themselves in the battles against the barbarian demon tribes, requested the most talented rune forging master in the history of the Heavenly Wasteland, Mo Pin Han, to forge a total of 108 badges of different ranks using the rare divine material, star meteorite iron.

This was the original source of the military merit badges.

According to the laws of the Snow Kingdom, those who wear military merit badges have a status equivalent to that of nobles.

One of the young nobles suddenly remembered that, according to the legends of the older generation, the Ye family had once produced a Spirit Spring Realm warrior who had made great contributions in the battle to defend Deer Cry County and received a Heroic Yellow Copper Military Merit Badge...

But in recent years, the Ye family had fallen, and the badge had never been seen, leading many to believe the legend was false. They never expected the legend to be true.

With a Heroic Yellow Copper Badge!

And at the entrance of White Deer Academy!!

Who would dare to touch Ye Qingyu, except for the top nobles?

Disrespecting someone wearing a badge was tantamount to disrespecting the royal family of the Snow Kingdom, a grave offense.

These young nobles, including the young man in fine clothing, who did not have noble titles and were far from noble status, were immediately frightened, their faces turning pale, and they fell to their knees.

The guards, who had been like wolves and tigers, were now trembling, like jackals with their tails between their legs, not daring to raise their heads.

The laws of the Snow Kingdom were strict, and offending a noble was a capital offense.

The young man in fine clothing was also stunned, taking a while to react, his face full of resentment, one hand covering his swollen cheek, which looked like a smashed peach, and he glared at Ye Qingyu with a vicious look.

Ye Qingyu did not back down, shaking the badge and raising an eyebrow, "What? Still not convinced?"

The young man in fine clothing struggled for a moment, then, full of resentment, knelt on one knee.

He was just a young noble, not a true noble, and upon seeing the Heroic Yellow Copper Badge, he had to kneel and bow, a sign of respect for the royal authority and heroes. Otherwise, it would be a grave offense.

"You're a scoundrel, offering your face for me to slap."

Ye Qingyu's words made the young man in fine clothing almost explode with anger.

"I know you're not convinced, but you need to understand that the humiliation you're suffering now is all because of your own actions. Otherwise, would I even know who you are? Everyone must pay for their words and actions. You're full of resentment now, but that's fine. When you think you're qualified, you can come and take revenge on me."

Ye Qingyu said with a smile.

He made no effort to hide his arrogance, thoroughly mocking these young nobles with their sense of superiority.

In fact, this young man in fine clothing had done many evil deeds over the years and had already provoked Ye Qingyu more than once. In the past, Ye Qingyu had endured it for various reasons.

But today, he no longer needed to endure it.

Ye Qingyu had known about the power of the Heroic Yellow Copper Badge for a long time.

However, for him, the greater significance of the badge was not in this, so he had never shown it before.

But when necessary, he was not averse to using it.

Putting away the Heroic Yellow Copper Badge, Ye Qingyu walked to the redwood table with a smile.

From a second-year student of White Deer Academy responsible for distributing the badges, Ye Qingyu received the badge for the entrance examination.

"8888? This number is good."

Looking at the badge in his hand, Ye Qingyu smiled.

He began to queue up, waiting for the test to begin.

The young man in fine clothing, covering his face, wore an expression of both fear and hatred.

His eyes flashed with a vicious and resentful look.

"Why? Why does this scum seem like a different person today? How does he have a Heroic Yellow Copper Military Merit Badge? Damn it, being hit by this acknowledged scum, I can't even summon a spirit beast. If this spreads, it will surely become a laughing matter in Deer Cry County!"

The young man in fine clothing was almost driven mad with anger.

"The humiliation I suffer today, I will surely avenge... Wait, that's not right. Ye Qingyu is already fourteen this year. If he still can't become a warrior, then it means..."

The young man in fine clothing suddenly thought of something.

A flash of excited and vicious light appeared in his eyes.

...

...

Waiting in line was a long and boring process.

After a full hour, Ye Qingyu finally arrived at the first testing ground.

Among the six entrance examinations of White Deer Academy, the first was to test the body's blood and qi.

In the martial arts cultivation of the Heavenly Wasteland, regardless of who it was, it all began with the tempering of the body. Only by tempering the body to the extreme could one sense the elemental energy of heaven and earth and achieve the elemental energy martial arts. Therefore, the innate blood and qi of cultivators were very important.

The more vigorous the blood and qi, the easier it was to temper the body, and the greater the cultivation achievements.

The process of testing blood and qi was also very simple. In the testing ground, there were nine ancient stone cauldrons of different weights, each engraved with runes. By lifting the cauldrons, the runes on the cauldrons and the elemental energy array below would be activated, allowing the testing of the candidate's blood and qi vigor.

This was the most primitive method, but also the most effective.

One after another, young men and women were arranged by the academy instructors to take the test.

As the cauldrons were lifted, dark red patterns appeared on the cauldrons, and the elemental energy array below would inject power into the candidates' bodies. Then, a blood-colored flame would radiate from the candidates' bodies, spreading to the surrounding areas.

The larger the area of the blood-colored flame, the stronger the blood and qi.

Candidates with exceptional talent and vigorous blood and qi would have their blood-colored flames radiate like fire, illuminating the entire testing ground.

"Number 8677, Ma Rulong, lifted four cauldrons, 320 pounds of strength... Passed!"

"Number 8884, Gu Zhao, lifted one cauldron, 80 pounds of strength... Failed!"

"Number 8885, Xu Fei, lifted three cauldrons, 180 pounds of strength... Passed!"

"Number 8886, Jia Ren, lifted..."

The voice of the examiner, amplified by elemental energy, spread clearly to everyone's ears.