"Little friend Shen! Even if your performance was bad, it can't be that bad! Why don't you show me your badge! Let me see your score for a moment?" Prince Lu said in a loud voice.
"Isn't there a second list with the elders? Why don't you go check my score on that?" Long Chen responded without opening his eyes.
"There's no need to make that much effort. You're already here, you should show us your score. Come on, there's no need to be embarrassed." Prince Lu said with a smile. Even some of his supporters began urging him to show his score.
"Show us the score! Show us the score!"
Soon, the whole place started chanting in a similar tone.
Long Chen finally opened his eyes as he gazed at Prince Lu with annoyance.
"Alright..." Long Chen muttered as he stood up. He began walking towards Prince Lu and Elder Yi.
"Elder Yi, why don't you take his badge and read his score aloud. So that all of us can understand the incredible battle prowess that little friend Shen possesses." Prince Lu said when Long Chen was mid-way.
Long Chen didn't react as he continued forth. He handed over his Platinum moon badge to Elder Yi.
Elder Yi smiled as he brought the badge closer. A beautiful moon was carved on the front of the badge along with the number '1'.
He flipped the badge over to see the backside of the badge. As soon as he gazed at the backside of the badge, his eyes opened wide in shock.
"Impossible!!!" He let out with a look of disbelief on his face. He hurriedly ran towards the score room without a single care in the world for anything else.
People in the hall were stunned as they saw the strange actions of Elder Yi. They wondered what had happened to him. Even Prince Lu didn't understand what Elder Yi was doing.
Elder Yi entered the score room and looked at the wall again but his expressions grew even stranger as he saw the first name.
The first name on the wall was 'Tian Shen'. In front of his name was a score that made Elder Yi think that he was dreaming. The second name on the wall was Prince Lu with 320 points. The third rank was Duan with a score of 180 points.
"Why wasn't his name there the last time? Was it because his score was so high, thus it took a long time for his score to be calculated?" Elder Yi muttered with a perplexed look on his face.
"That boy... he really is a monster, isn't he?" Elder Yi shook his head as he left the room.
"You're back, Elder Yi. Was the score so bad that it was really out of your expectations? He had 60 bonus points, so it can't be that his total score is less than a hundred?" Prince Lu said with an amused smile on his face.
"His score is twelve...." Elder Yi had just spoken till here when Prince Lu cut off his words.
"A score of 12? Little friend Tian... you should work on your battle skills as well or your talent would only go to a waste. Though it can't be helped, you must be from a poor place...I can't blame it on you. I'll teach you some decent skills later on" Prince Lu said with a smile.
Elder Yi couldn't help but gaze at him with pity in his eyes. He didn't know if he should scold Prince Lu for his short-sighted nature or feel bad for him because of what was able to happen next.
"Prince Lu... that's not it. His score is twelve hundred sixty-one."Elder Yi said with a wry smile on his face.
"T...t....twelve hundred...sixty " Prince Lu stuttered as his head started spinning.
"You forgot one... it's Sixty one...but you are right... It is an embarrassing score for me. I hoped to do better " Long Chen said with an indifferent expression as he patted the shoulder of Prince Lu. The whole world started spinning for Prince Lu as extreme embarrassment engulfed him. He fell down to his knees.
" My badge?" Long Chen said as he extended his hands towards Elder Yi.
"Ah...yes..." Elder Yi returned his badge.
The whole place was dead silent as Long Chen returned to his place.
"A score of over 1200? Does it not mean that he only lost when he faced 10 beasts that had a cultivation stage that was 7 stages higher than his?"
"He is a 4th stage gold realm cultivator! Doesn't it mean that his actual battle strength is comparable to an average 1st stage Earth Realm cultivator?"
"So fearsome!"
People couldn't help but talk about him in absolute shock.
"Alright. I will declare the final result. First Rank Tian Shen, Second rank Prince Lu, Third rank Duan...five hundredth rank Min Gu. The ones just I named shall be the ones going through to the third and final stage of the selection exams." Elder Yi said as he glanced at everyone in the hall.
"Out of the five hundred, only a hundred people will clear the third stage of selections. Some people will be chosen amongst the people that clear that stage by the sect masters of the five sects to join their sect as an inner disciple. Some of them might get even better offers from sect masters" Elder Yi said though he didn't forget to glance at Long Chen at the end of his sentence.
"Those who aren't selected by the sect masters will still get to join the sect they desired, but only as an outer sect disciple."
"The 3rd stage of the sect entrance exam will be tomorrow. We have arranged a place to stay inside the sect for the candidates that have been selected in the second stage. Those who failed the second stage may take their leave. Those who passed will be escorted to the guest quarters by the servants." Elder Yi finished his words before he walked towards Long Chen.
"Come with me, I'll take you to your room." Elder Yi said to Long Chen with a gentle smile on his face.
"Airtight," Long Chen nodded his head. He followed the Elder and left the hall under the gazes of everyone present. Some gazed at him with jealousy while others gazed at him with amazement. Some even had a frown on their faces.
_____________________________
Long Chen was escorted to a beautiful looking courtyard that was fully furnished. It was covered by a beautiful garden and had a large area.
"This place looks quite good." Long Chen said as he looked at the place.
"Yea, The place that was selected for the 1st rank participant was really amazing, but after seeing your performance, We felt that it was quite lacking. So we changed the place with an even better courtyard for your rest." Elder Yi said with a light chuckle.
"Elder Yi, can I ask you something?" Long Chen inquired.
"Of Course! You can ask me anything." Elder Yi said as he smiled.
"Elder Yu Tianhao... where does he live in the sect?" Long Chen asked in a casual tone.
"Hmm? Why would you ask that?" Elder Yi let out with a confused look on his face.
"It's just that he looked like he was quite high in the hierarchy of the sect. He must have a special place to live in the sect." Long Chen responded.
"Well, that's true. He does have quite an amazing courtyard. In fact, it's near your courtyard. If you'll walk straight for over a kilometer, you'll be standing at the front of his courtyard. Though he doesn't always stay in the courtyard given by the sect and occasionally goes back and spends nights at the Yu clan." Elder Yi said with a thoughtful look on his face.
"The sect entrance exam is an important occasion, he won't go to the Yu Clan today, right?" Long Chen inquired with a thoughtful look on his face.
"Yea, he will be staying in the sect." Elder Yi nodded his head.
"Thanks for escorting me, Elder Yi. You are really helpful." Long Chen thanked him before entering the courtyard. He closed the doors and used his divine senses to scan his surroundings. He relaxed as he found that the place was really empty.
He rested in his bed for half an hour before he stood up and left his courtyard. He kept using his divine sense as he walked through the sect. Every time he sensed a guard, he used his law of illusion to pass them safely. His heaven's Shroud also helped him in hiding his aura completely.
After walking for a short while, he stood in front of a beautiful looking courtyard. He moved towards a window. He looked inside and saw an empty-looking room.
He disappeared from his original position and appeared inside the room. He had already used his divine sense thus he knew where the owner of this place was.
Long Chen walked towards the bedroom. There was a voice coming from inside the room that sounded like a person was talking to himself.
"Hmph...I have to be humble in front of that arrogant kid. What a hassle... My daughter Ling is a real genius! Hmph, if it weren't for the sect masters orders, I wouldn't be doing this. So what if he's a grade 7 talent! So what if he's a good fighter! In the end, he'll join the glorious blossom Sect as we are the strongest! Even if we didn't invite him, he'd beg us to join!"
"Sigh... it's the sect master's orders after all. I need to go convince him again in the night. Sect Master is really trying to pull that boy towards us." The man said as he walked back and forth.
"Hi, there old friend. Long time no see" Another voice sounded.
"Huh...Long Jun? You're alive?" He screamed loudly as he took a step back in shock.