Below the viewing platforms, Qin Chen sat with Lin Tian and Zhang Ying.
"Young Master Chen, don't be nervous during the bloodline awakening ceremony. Just focus on sensing the power within your bloodline. You'll definitely succeed," Lin Tian said earnestly.
"Exactly. I feel like you're different now, Young Master Chen. This time, you'll awaken your bloodline for sure," Zhang Ying added with conviction.
Their heartfelt encouragement warmed Qin Chen's heart, a reminder of true friendship forged in adversity.
Suddenly, he turned toward the plaza's entrance.
A graceful figure entered slowly—Qin Yuechi.
Their eyes met across the crowd, an unspoken connection binding mother and son. Qin Yuechi offered a gentle smile, her expression brimming with encouragement. Instead of approaching, she found a quiet seat on the viewing platform and settled in.
Though she arrived discreetly, her breathtaking beauty drew immediate attention.
"Who's that woman? She's stunning!" a man exclaimed.
Smack!
His companion swatted his head, whispering, "Keep it down! Don't you know her? That's Qin Yuechi, the eldest daughter of the Qin family, Duke Dingwu's youngest child."
"What? Her? The capital's legendary beauty? She lives up to the hype."
On the platform, Zhao Feng's eyes narrowed, a venomous glint flashing. "Hmph, so that wench Qin Yuechi showed up. Perfect. She'll get to watch her precious son get expelled from Tianxing Academy. Hahaha…"
Beside her, Prince Qi's gaze lingered on Qin Yuechi, a lecherous spark in his eyes.
"The dean has arrived!"
A shout silenced the plaza. A group entered, led by an elderly man with white hair and beard, dressed in a moon-white robe—Chu Weichen, the dean of Tianxing Academy.
Accompanying him were several imposing figures. They ascended to the central table on the main platform.
To the crowd's shock, while Dean Chu typically occupied the head seat during past exams, this time, after a brief exchange, a middle-aged man in a cyan martial robe took the prime position, with Chu seated beside him.
"Who's that guy?"
"Sitting in the head seat? Never seen him before."
"Could he be a big shot from the palace?"
Whispers rippled through the students below.
"Well, well, His Majesty sent Lord Xiao Zhan, the Spirit Martial King, to oversee this exam. The king must place great importance on Tianxing Academy's assessment," Prince Kang remarked, surprised, spotting the man in cyan.
Lord Xiao Zhan, Great Qi's war god, was a peak fourth-tier Mysterious Level martial artist, a step from Martial Ancestor Level. Known as Great Qi's mightiest warrior, he was the palace's guardian. Only he could outrank Dean Chu, a fellow fourth-tier Mysterious Level expert.
Nobles and martial experts who recognized Xiao Zhan murmured among themselves. "Tianxing Academy is prestigious, but not enough to warrant Lord Xiao Zhan's presence. There must be another reason."
"Could it be that reason…" Prince Kang mused, a thought dawning.
The exam took place in the academy's training grounds, a vast, imposing space despite the crowded platforms.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today is Tianxing Academy's annual exam. Thank you for attending," announced Vice Dean Ge Hong, a gray-robed elder with a commanding presence, his voice booming across the plaza.
Ge Hong, who oversaw the academy's major events, outlined the exam's structure.
The exam comprised two parts: bloodline awakening and martial combat trials.
The bloodline awakening gathered all unawakened students for a collective ritual. This segment was largely ceremonial, as most Tianxing Academy students could awaken their bloodlines. Those who hadn't were often simply too young.
Most participants were new students, and, as expected, the majority would awaken their bloodlines during the ceremony.
This year, however, the ceremony carried a different weight.
Those in the know exchanged odd glances, their eyes scanning the students.
Word had spread of a student who, after over two years at the academy, still hadn't awakened his bloodline. Per Tianxing Academy's rules, failure to awaken within three years meant expulsion—a rule established at the academy's founding but never enforced in its century-long history.
Today, that record might be broken.
If this student failed to awaken his bloodline, he would become the first in Tianxing Academy's history to be expelled for this reason.
Had he been an ordinary student, the matter might have passed quietly. But this was Qin Chen, grandson of Duke Dingwu, the "military god," and the Qin family's illegitimate son.
The confluence of these factors fueled rampant gossip.
After Ge Hong detailed the process, over a hundred junior-class students who hadn't awakened their bloodlines were summoned to the plaza, where the Sacred Bloodline Grounds had set up various instruments.
Under the scrutiny of countless eyes, many students grew visibly nervous.
"Quick, which one's the Qin family's Qin Chen?"
"Have you spotted him?"
"The Qin family's mighty lineage, yet a son who can't awaken his bloodline after over two years? Unbelievable. If he fails today, the Qin family will be a laughingstock."
"Heh, Li, you're off. His mother's a Qin, sure, but his father isn't. The 'mighty lineage, weak son' saying doesn't apply."
"True. His bloodline failure likely stems from his father. How could Great Qi's foremost beauty choose such a man? Unless, during her travels, she was…"
"Shh! Are you trying to get killed? Watch your tongue, or you'll lose your head."
Amid the crowd's chatter, Qin Fen and his group fixed Qin Chen with sinister stares. But their gazes faltered in surprise—Qin Chen showed no intention of rising or joining the students on the plaza.