The First Summoner - Chapter 97

The black-clad youth was at Earth-rank level four!

Was he not stronger than Pei Su, once the foremost genius of the Pingze Western Region?

Pei Su had been Earth-rank level two. Pei Wusu surpassed him by two minor levels.

Unfortunately, Pei Su had vanished and might already be dead.

Still…

They shared the surname Pei. Could there be some connection?

As speculation spread, Elder Hong Xian suddenly rose and applauded with a smile.

The crowd looked at him in confusion.

“Wusu, do your best,” Hong Xian called heartily. “I will await you at Western Region Academy.”

Headmaster Xuanyun arched a brow. “Hong Xian, why do you care so much about this youth?”

“Because he is my nephew. Naturally, I should encourage him.”

The crowd was startled.

Pei Wusu was Hong Xian’s nephew.

On reflection, Wu Kingdom belonged not to the Pingze Western Region but to the Northern Region. Hong Xian’s younger sister had married into Wu Kingdom long ago.

Everyone regarded Pei Wusu differently.

Not only was he powerful and talented, but he was nephew to Western Region Academy’s strongest elder. His future was limitless.

Pei Wusu nodded faintly toward Hong Xian, then returned to the waiting area.

Some girls found his face too ordinary. Had he been more handsome, they would certainly have fallen for him.

Still, he was undeniably strong.

People approached to befriend him, but his icy gaze and killing intent drove them back.

Many continued observing from a distance. To them, Pei Wusu was their strongest opponent.

He stood alone in a corner, cold and withdrawn.

Seated nearby, Shen Yan looked at him thoughtfully before withdrawing her gaze.

No one with Heaven-rank aptitude appeared over the next fifteen minutes.

Then Chi Yue drew everyone’s attention.

Still wrapped in vines and sleeping, he did not walk forward himself. Roots crawled over the ground and carried him along.

The sight provoked heated criticism.

People called him brazen, rude, arrogant, and deliberately obtuse.

Despite his incomparable beauty, dissatisfaction with him spread—even among Western Region Academy’s elders and instructors.

When his turn came, the instructor frowned at his sleeping figure.

“Wake up!”

Chi Yue slowly opened his eyes. A sharp, frigid light seemed to flash within them, then vanished.

The vines instantly dispersed. He stepped forward and placed a hand on the pillar.

Hum!

Light filled it completely.

Before it stabilized, Chi Yue withdrew his hand.

The instructor stared at him strangely, then announced, “Chi Yue, eighteen, Earth-rank level two. Heaven-rank aptitude.”

The crowd felt conflicted.

The Chi Clan’s young master truly possessed ability.

No wonder he acted as though everyone were beneath him and showed no courtesy!

With eyes as indifferent as water, Chi Yue turned toward the waiting area at his unbearably slow pace.

Just as everyone thought the walk would take forever, vines wrapped around him again. Their roots rapidly crawled toward the waiting area while he closed his eyes and fell deeply asleep.

The crowd’s mouths twitched.

They had never seen anyone so bizarre.

And he was a peerless genius!

The Chi Clan relaxed in the stands. At least he had caused no trouble.

Someone beside them said, “Family Head Chi, your son’s talent is enviable, but his temperament seems rather incompatible with others…”

The family head smiled. “He has always been unsociable. I cannot force him, so I let him be.”

An old man said, “But how will such a person inherit the Spirit-Plant Chi Clan? You cannot let him remain like this forever.”

“I have my own considerations.” The family head’s smile faded.

The old man continued mockingly, “Sleeping everywhere is hardly a good habit. No wonder your clan kept him hidden. So he has such a strange quirk!”

“Enough!” the family head roared. “What my son does is none of your damned business, you old fossil! Why are you prattling on here?”

The old man jumped.

Recovering, he said unhappily, “I only criticized him a little. Was that worth losing your temper?”

The family head sneered. “He isn’t your son, so of course it doesn’t hurt you!”

The old man was about to reply when every Chi Clan member stared at him with crushing pressure.

He silently shut his mouth.

Spirit-plant masters might fill a support role, but they were far from weak in battle.

The aptitude test approached its end.

Finally, Lu Jing of the Cangyu Sect, independent cultivator Qiu Yaqian, and Xiao Zechuan of Nanshang Kingdom all achieved Heaven-rank aptitude.

The final count was eleven candidates with Heaven-rank aptitude, sixty with Earth-rank aptitude, and one with Transcendent Heaven-rank aptitude.

Overall aptitude was far higher this year. The number of geniuses with Heaven-rank aptitude was astonishing.

And there was even one Transcendent Heaven-rank genius.

Headmaster Xuanyun was delighted. After all applicants returned to the waiting area and the pillars were removed, he stepped onto the platform.

“The aptitude test has concluded. Next comes the intelligence test!

“The rules are simple. All of you will enter an illusion. The first one thousand to break free will pass. This category assesses your reactions, judgment, and intelligence.”

The youths’ expressions changed.

More than eight thousand had applied, but only one thousand could pass this category.

The competition was merciless.