The Ascension of Contracted Spirits

Chapter 181 - 129: If Youth Is Not Reckless, It’s A Waste To Be Young (6000 words) _3

This was the first time in twenty years that Ye Hanjun had been bitten by a tadpole.

It didn’t hurt nor itch, the icy touch was something which strangely startled him.

"Yiye~~~"

The little tadpole unlocked its jaws, spat out a bubble, and floated around the ceiling of the training room, leisurely like a cloud.

Ye Hanjun sighed with a sense of wonder and, coming back to his senses, continued to guide his three disciples in their sparring training.

...

Days passed one after another.

In less than ten days, Su Mei, Li Jingming, and Wang Xinfei had become much closer, understanding their strengths and weaknesses more clearly.

Regrettably, besides the Ghost-Face Moth Card that is at the peak of Clay Body Great Completion and just a tiny breakthrough away from a further improvement, the Pink Ostrich and armored horse still need some indispensable growth that can’t be skipped to achieve Clay Body Perfection.

Then, the annual Rookie Competition was upon them as promised!

Ye Hanjun, who got up early, deliberately left the house a bit later.

He estimated that Su Mei, Li Jingming, and Wang Xinfei had already reached their destinations.

Only then did he leave his domicile, ride the armoured horse, and slowly ran on a suddenly empty street.

About twenty minutes later, a very special giant building came into view.

It looked like a luxury ship stranded ashore from the outside.

It had no decks or ropes, but there were rows of white seats forming numerous circles.

Just approaching, Ye Hanjun had already heard the thunderous cheers. The passionate atmosphere, only felt when life gathers in one place, covered the sky and the earth.

"It’s so lively."

Ye Hanjun shrugged, feeling relaxed.

Today, and maybe even tomorrow.

He was there as a bystander to witness the results of his disciples’ recent efforts.

In passing, this was also a perfect opportunity to gather information.

As the second-ranked top-most school in the Giant Frog Marsh, it was time to see if the new patron belonging to the North Campus District of Canghai Pavilion was full of talents or just full of mediocrity.

"Beep——"

He still had to swipe his personal badge to enter the gate.

The moment he entered, the hustle and bustle got even louder.

It was a blend of human and beast sounds, laughter mixed with roars, discussions mixed with the sounds of insects, like the grand symphony of life, deafening yet imbued with a unique vitality.

A quick glance from Ye Hanjun revealed soldiers everywhere, armor-clad and sharp, patrolling every corner of the venue in pairs or groups of ten.

Quietly extending his senses, he also detected countless presences that were dangerous to him, whether open or hidden, strong or weak.

Tracing these back to their source, the majority were assistant teachers wearing a silver triangle badge or official mentors wearing a silver five-pointed star badge.

"It’s so lively! Really so lively!"

"Yes! There are over nine thousand students in the North Campus District alone!"

"Apart from those who are adventuring outside and can’t come back in time, and those who are severely injured and can only stay in the hospital, who would want to miss such a grand event?"

Students entering the venue in small groups were all chattering excitedly.

They were all dressed up, in gorgeous dresses and exquisite accessories, they were more like nobles about to attend a ball, each of them young and radiant.

In contrast, Ye Hanjun, who had draped himself in a black robe and didn’t wish to show too much of his face, seemed like a mysterious stranger, as low-profile as it gets.

"Phew—I’m a little excited!"

"Even though we know we’re not strong enough, and we don’t even have the qualifications to participate!"

"But this is the grandest event we’ve attended since we entered the college half a year ago. The seniors we’ve only heard of but never seen, they should all appear on the stage, right?"

A girl clenches her fists, full of excitement.

Another girl, who has similar features and appears to be her sister, replies with a teasing smile:

"Of course!"

"Those at the top of the grade ranking list will definitely appear!"

"Especially those who have been ranked within the top 100 in less than a year since their admission, I’m almost certain the Rookie King of this year will emerge among them!"

"To receive such honor under the watchful eyes of everyone..."

The first girl gets lost in her thoughts, murmuring to herself:

"Such a person would easily advance to higher grades."

"Given time, they’ll probably make a name for themselves in the Blue Frog Kingdom and the Giant Frog Marsh, achieving countless glories and accomplishments in the future!"

"Isn’t that a bit over the top?"

A passing boy heard the sisters’ conversation, scratched his head and said with a weird look:

"Rookie King... is indeed impressive."

"Just that achievement alone is enough to win a huge reputation, attracting the attention and favor of countless people."

"But to make a name for oneself in the Blue Frog Kingdom... well... how should I put it..."

After organizing his thoughts, the boy spoke his mind:

"It’s just Rookie King after all, and there’s one each year..."

"My brother used to study at Canghai Pavilion, and he told me that there have been many Rookie Kings in history who only got this honor because their peers weren’t strong enough."

"Even if they were really strong and stood out among their peers, once they advance to the Southern Campus, once they enter higher grades with many talents, the Rookie King could also ’become ordinary’."

"Why is that?" the two sisters asked in confusion.

"Because the true top students that represent Canghai Pavilion are definitely the ’Three Elites’!"

"And beneath the ’Three Elites’, there are the ’Ten Talents’!"