Ge Hong pondered briefly before declaring, "Very well, Qin Chen. Since you claim to have awakened your bloodline, join the awakening ritual. If any trace of bloodline aura manifests during the ceremony, you'll pass. But if you haven't awakened and disrupt the year-end exam's order, I'll have no choice but to expel you publicly."
His tone was stern, his voice resonating like a bell.
Qin Chen bowed. "Understood, Vice Dean."
Qin Fen watched Qin Chen step toward the plaza, sneering, "Vice Dean Ge is too lenient. Qin Chen's clearly trying to bluff his way through, and he's still given a chance? I'd be shocked if that failure awakens a bloodline."
Qin Chen paused, turning back. "Qin Fen, you keep saying I'm trying to slip by. Care to make a bet?"
"A bet? What kind?"
"If I haven't awakened my bloodline by the ceremony's end, I'm at your mercy. But if I have awakened, I won't ask much—just that you bark like a dog in this plaza and shout that you're a fool. How's that?"
"Hmph, you're the fool!"
"What's wrong? Don't tell me you're scared," Qin Chen said, his smile teasing.
"Scared? Me?" Qin Chen's taunt struck a nerve. Qin Fen glanced at Gou Xu, his confidence surging. "Fine, if you're so eager to die, I'll humor you."
"Haha, with so many witnesses, Second Young Master Qin, you'd better not back out," Qin Chen said with a cold laugh, striding onto the plaza.
This exchange injected intrigue into the exam. Two Qin family scions publicly clashing piqued the interest of the nobles and dignitaries, who sensed an undercurrent of family tension.
"You, stand here," Gou Xu snapped, positioning Qin Chen before a white crystal.
In the plaza's center, over a hundred unawakened students gathered, each holding a white crystal.
"Awakening ritual, begin!"
A bloodline mentor from Tianxing Academy stood at the center, his voice booming.
A misty white glow rose across the plaza, a sacred aura spreading outward.
Tianxing Academy's year-end awakening was co-hosted with the capital's Sacred Bloodline Grounds, which had dispatched five first-tier bloodline masters to assist.
Whoosh!
A powerful guiding force enveloped the plaza. The white crystals in the students' hands lit up, bathing each in radiant light.
On the platform, Qin Yuechi's hands clenched, her eyes fixed nervously on Qin Chen.
She wasn't alone—over half the crowd's attention was on him.
As the bloodline power flowed, Qin Chen stood shrouded in white light, but no trace of bloodline aura emerged.
"Haha, what did I say? Qin Chen's a liar!" Qin Fen crowed, laughing uproariously.
The crowd frowned but held their tongues. The ritual had only just begun; it was too early to judge.
Suddenly, a tiger's roar echoed. A twelve-year-old student, his face still boyish, held a crystal that projected a phantom red tiger. The roaring beast, bathed in crimson light, merged with the boy, a dazzling sight.
"Someone's awakened! It's Gao Hong from the junior class, second son of Deputy Commander Gao of the city guard!"
"Red Tiger Bloodline! At twelve, Gao Hong's awakened a second-grade bloodline. His future is boundless!"
A twelve-year-old awakening a second-grade bloodline marked him as a prodigy in Great Qi, his path radiant with promise.
"Haha, I'm hosting a banquet at my residence tonight. If you're free, please honor me with your presence," Deputy Commander Gao called from the platform, beaming as he bowed to those around him.
"Heh, a twelve-year-old with a second-grade bloodline—leagues above a certain failure," Qin Fen sneered, relentlessly mocking Qin Chen.
Buzz!
Across the plaza, more crystals glowed. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet—vibrant colors bloomed as diverse bloodlines manifested, creating a spectacular scene.
Most students awakened first-grade bloodlines, with a few achieving second-grade. A closer look revealed that second-grade awakenings were almost exclusively nobles, while commoners typically awakened first-grade bloodlines.
By now, about half the students had awakened, their faces alight with excitement. Awakening a bloodline marked their true entry into the martial path.
Those who hadn't awakened felt disappointment but not despair. For most, it was only a matter of time.
As the ritual neared its end, Qin Chen's crystal remained dim, his body devoid of bloodline aura.
If no aura appeared by the ceremony's close, his claim of self-awakening would be exposed as a lie.
"Haha, I knew it—this kid's a fraud!" Qin Fen crowed, addressing the surrounding students with glee.
"Deceiving the academy is a grave offense," one of Qin Fen's companions sneered.
"Qin Fen, shut up! Young Master Chen will awaken his bloodline!" Lin Tian and Zhang Ying, red-faced with anger, shot back.
Qin Fen's eyes glinted coldly as he sneered at them. "You two keep interrupting me. You'll pay for that later."
One of his companions grinned maliciously. "No rush, Qin Fen. The martial trials are next. I doubt their luck will hold—neither will slip through our grasp."
Another frowned. "The worry is they might not even pass the first round."
"True, but there'll be plenty of chances to deal with them later," a third chimed in.
"Hahaha!" Qin Fen's group laughed, their gazes on Lin Tian and Zhang Ying filled with ill intent.
On the platform, Zhao Feng's eyes gleamed with excitement, fixed on Qin Yuechi. Look at your precious son, Qin Yuechi—a failure through and through.
Dean Chu Weichen's brow furrowed. Qin Chen's expulsion would tarnish his reputation as dean.
Qin Yuechi watched her son with tender love. Seeing his unmoving crystal, her clenched hands slowly relaxed. A flicker of resolve passed through her eyes as she murmured, "Potian, if our child lacks martial talent, let him live a simple, peaceful life."
She'd clung to hope for a miracle, but in the end, none came.
On the plaza, Qin Chen stood expressionless, sensing the crystal in his hand. A cold smile flashed in his heart.
From the moment he touched it, he knew—this "awakening crystal" was a dead one.
What a vicious scheme, Zhao Feng.