Chapter 253: The Domain of Time's Phoenix, Prelude to the College Entrance Examination

Above the banks of Lake Nanhu.

Chen Yan looked at the giant scroll spanning several thousand meters in the sky, his gaze trembling.

At this moment, he was completely unable to distinguish whether that scroll was a physical object or an illusion.

The great scroll slowly unfurled.

Wisps of purple mist permeated from within it; there were no words upon it.

Yet Chen Yan clearly felt a trace of an attractive force from that scroll.

"Offer a drop of blood."

Beside him, Chen Xiyuan spoke with a smile:

"The Examination Register is one of the Great Xia's divine artifacts. Only when your blood passes the Examination Register's verification can you obtain the qualification to enter the College Entrance Examination secret realm."

Beside her, Chen Yan nodded; he actually already knew these things.

What shocked him at this moment was that the grandeur of this scroll transcended his imagination, and he suddenly discovered that there were still many unknowns in this world waiting for him to explore.

It was also at this moment that He Youtong had already pricked her fingertip, and a drop of blood floated out from her fingertip, flying toward the Examination Register.

Throughout Xiaoyang City, one figure after another also reached out their hands, pricked their fingers, and offered up their blood.

Under Chen Yan's gaze, those drops of blood flew onto the Examination Register, transforming into rows of names, and soon densely occupied nearly half of the scroll.

It was also at this moment.

Swish!

On the scroll, a row of names written in blood was suddenly corroded by a strange power and disappeared from sight.

Following the disappearance of this row of names, a figure appeared before the scroll that was overflowing with purple light.

Zhang Ting.

"Everyone in Great Xia can only participate in the College Entrance Examination three times. Those who have already participated three times should not harbor any delusions.

Under the detection of the Examination Register, you will never be able to enter."

As his voice fell, the middle-aged man who had just offered his blood hurriedly lowered his head.

It was also at this moment that Zhang Ting, before the Examination Register, had his expression change slightly as he looked at the scroll behind him.

Upon it, a name suddenly turned crimson, and immediately following, a red chain flew out from within that row of names and rapidly slammed into the area below.

On the street, a man's expression changed instantly, and just as he was about to flee, the crimson chain that had flown out from the Examination Register had already trapped him on the spot.

"A member of the Ji family?

After all these years, you are still trying to find a way to enter the College Entrance Examination secret realm?"

Zhang Ting narrowed his eyes and suddenly waved his large hand:

"Take him!"

Boom, boom, boom!

Several figures flew out instantly, heading toward the figure trapped by the chain.

"Ahhhhh!!!"

That person let out a miserable, earth-shattering roar:

"The Elder has ruined me!!!"

As he spoke, a fierce red light suddenly emerged from within his body, and before the people from the Martial Suppression Division could arrive, his body began to swell.

Immediately following.

With a boom.

He self-destructed, turning into countless fragments.

A series of screams instantly erupted within the street.

This scene was merely a small ripple during the signing phase, and soon no one cared about it.

Chen Yan, however, saw it from afar, and doubt arose in his heart.

Beside him, Chen Xiyuan clearly saw that Chen Yan was surprised, but she did not explain out loud; instead, she spoke:

"Before you are strong enough, the less you know about the Five Clans, the better. The only thing you can be certain of is that my Chen clan and the Great Xia have not yet had a falling out.

This is also the reason why I can enter and leave Great Xia freely."

A trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Chen Xiyuan's mouth, but her and He Youtong's bodies had already hidden within the void.

Even if outsiders were to perceive toward Chen Yan's side, they would only be able to see Chen Yan alone.

Soon, Chen Yan also offered his blood.

His blood was summoned by the scroll.

Soon, Chen Yan saw his own name on the scroll.

He had passed the Examination Register's detection.

Hidden within the void, Chen Xiyuan's pair of beautiful eyes remained fixed on the direction of the Tianbu Boxing Tournament, yet she did not see Bing Yi appear.

A trace of astonishment emerged in her heart.

Bing Yi is not participating in the College Entrance Examination?

Is Bing Yi a member of the Ji family?

Or could it be that Bing Yi has already signed her name on the Examination Register?

The more Chen Xiyuan thought, the more suspicious she became, and she suddenly looked at Chen Yan:

"Chen Yan, have you seen Bing Yi over at Shen Yiwei's side?"

"Bing Yi?" Chen Yan looked over; he did not see Chen Xiyuan, who had already hidden within the space, but his eyes were extremely sincere while also carrying a touch of sorrow, and he gave a bitter smile:

"Exalted One, that Shen Yiwei appears to value me, but in reality, he harbors resentment toward me. I do not know what kind of relationship that Bing Yi has with Shen Yiwei.

Furthermore, I have never seen Bing Yi."

Within the hidden space, Chen Xiyuan felt a tremor in her heart, but she quickly smiled artfully:

"Are you not toying with me? If Shen Yiwei did not value you, would he entrust Heaven Patrol and the Heaven Patrol Ultimate Dao to you?"

Chen Xiyuan narrowed her eyes; Chen Yan had already visualized that Seventh-Rank Fist Intent Stone, so he should have been interfered with by the malice crystal.

Yet she saw Chen Yan still offer a bitter smile:

"Honored One, why don't you think about it? I have only entered the Dao for a few months; why would Shen Yiwei entrust a breathing technique like Heaven Patrol to me?"

Chen Xiyuan's brows furrowed slightly, and He Youtong, standing to the side, also watched Chen Yan coldly.

Yet she saw even more bitterness in Chen Yan's eyes:

"At first, my talent was not apparent. Shen Yiwei chose me because I was hostile to the Chu family and he wanted to use me.

He gave me Heaven Patrol because he calculated that I would be unable to cultivate such a powerful breathing technique, using it to hoodwink me."

Chen Xiyuan's gaze trembled.

Yet she saw Chen Yan clench his fists:

"But he was wrong. Not only did I succeed in cultivating it, I even reached the Micro level. I, Chen Yan, am no weaker than anyone!"

As he said this, Chen Xiyuan's gaze suddenly softened.

Indeed, if she were Shen Yiwei, she would never have imagined that a boy who had only entered the Dao for a few months could master a powerful breathing technique like 【Heaven Patrol】.

"Shen Yiwei was wrong; you, Chen Yan, are a supreme genius," Chen Xiyuan said gently.

"Yes!" Chen Yan nodded:

"Honored One, you are the only person in all these years who has been so good to me!

I want to become stronger; even if requesting precious medicinal herbs makes you dissatisfied, I must still request them.

Because only by becoming stronger can I better repay you, Honored One!"

His voice was clear and bright, and suddenly Chen Xiyuan's gaze changed once again.

She suddenly felt that she had been too vicious toward Chen Yan.

Such a genius, blocked by the Chen Seal, targeted by the Chu family and the Gong family, and even after seeking refuge with Shen Yiwei, he was still treated with suspicion by him.

Yet Chen Yan had still risen up.

Such aptitude, such character—it was shocking.

At this moment, she suddenly felt that Chen Yan was a genius not inferior to Bing Yi.

Moreover, Chen Yan's appearance and temperament were both supreme in this world, rarely seen even in the main lineage of the Chen clan.

Chen Xiyuan revealed a smile.

What Chen Xiyuan did not know was that in a hidden space higher up, two pairs of eyes were watching this scene.

Shen Keqing stood alone within the hidden space, with a light screen beside her manifesting the figure of Xia Hanzhou.

They had heard every word of the conversation between Chen Yan and Chen Xiyuan just now.

"I think you might not need to prepare so many life-saving trump cards for Chen Yan at all," Shen Keqing said, speechless; the words Chen Yan had just spoken had shocked her directly.

"I..."

Inside the light screen, Xia Hanzhou was at a loss for words.

He had just come to find Shen Keqing as a matter of routine to ask about Chen Yan's situation.

He had not expected to see this scene the moment he arrived.

"I didn't know," Xia Hanzhou said, stunned:

"Who knew he was so good at deceiving people? I've always seen this kid as single and thought he was very straightforward..."

Shen Keqing raised an eyebrow:

"Do you think everyone is like you?"

Xia Hanzhou was speechless, while Shen Keqing sighed softly and said:

"Having been by Chen Yan's side for so long, I have discovered that he possesses a merit that no one else has."

"What merit?"

Shen Keqing said quietly:

"Unity of knowledge and action!"

Four words—very simple, yet very difficult.

"You see him as indifferent to the outside world, but in reality, Chen Yan is sharp and perceptive regarding external affairs, yet he does not show it; he knows what he ought to do!"

Shen Keqing sighed with emotion.

In her mind, she vaguely recalled the words Chen Yan had said to Chen Min at the time.

I, Bing Yi, act only so that my heart is free of worry, only so that there are no thieves in my heart, only so that this heart is bright!

Extinguish the thieves in the heart, and mold the brightness within the heart.

Your laziness, your worries, your fears, your greed, your panic...

All of these are the thieves in the heart.

Everything you do—deception, resilience, suffering—is all to reach the place where brightness resides!

A very shocking statement.

What was even more shocking was that the person who said these words understood better than anyone what they truly represented.

"Xia Hanzhou, you absolutely did not choose the wrong person; you did not choose wrong," Shen Keqing said solemnly.

Inside the light screen, Xia Hanzhou's gaze trembled, his breathing grew heavy, and it was a long while before he spoke slowly:

"Do I need you to tell me?

I know I didn't choose wrong."