**Chapter 25: Mock Exam (10)**
Wuquan Mountain Secret Realm – Ninth Day, Sunny
As the first phase of the assessment drew to a close, students began to gather at the foot of the central mountain in Wuquan Mountain.
These students were divided into various groups, though some remained lone wolves.
The team sizes varied—some teams boasted more than a dozen members, while others comprised just two or three.
Interestingly, team size often inversely correlated with average strength. Teams with higher average strength typically had fewer members, while teams with lower average strength relied on larger numbers to compensate for their weakness.
As for the lone wolves, they were exclusively from the Heaven Dao Class. Confident in their superior abilities, they operated independently, unconcerned about forming alliances.
The central mountain peak, the site for the second phase, remained sealed off, cloaked by a massive barrier. The candidates could only wait at the base for the next stage to begin.
Out of the 305 senior students from Jiangnan No. 1 High School, only 98 remained after nine days. Nearly two-thirds had been eliminated.
Among the eliminated were students from the Heaven Dao Class—though their cultivation was exceptional, some had been overly sheltered and failed to adapt to the harsh reality of the secret realm.
The brutal truth was undeniable: the world of immortal cultivation was far more unforgiving than these students had ever imagined.
Five Kilometers from the Foot of Wuquan Mountain
A girl with a ponytail and delicate features sat atop a tamed giant-toothed snow leopard, her feet swinging as she muttered to herself.
"What is Xiao Chen doing? I've been walking around for ages and still haven't seen him. Could he be hiding somewhere and refusing to come out?"
She glanced at the ranking points displayed on her watch.
"Hmph, looks like he already has enough points. I guess I don't need to send him any monsters."
With a sigh, she patted the snow leopard's head. "Alright, Snow Leopard, let's head to the foot of the mountain and wait for him."
"Roar!"
The giant-toothed snow leopard's deafening roar startled Lu Xiaoye. Covering her ears, she scolded, "Snow Leopard, shut up! If you startle me like that again, I'll beat you up!"
The snow leopard flinched, a shiver running through its massive body as it recalled the beating from three days prior.
Life was hard for a snow leopard. To avoid another punishment, it turned to Lu Xiaoye with an ingratiating grin.
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"Meow~"
Satisfied with its obedience, Lu Xiaoye stroked its furry head and smiled. "That's better. Let's go."
The snow leopard nodded and dashed toward the mountain base.
Its mere presence, with its seventh-level Qi Gathering aura, deterred other monsters, who could only watch from a distance as girl and leopard passed by unscathed.
Some students struggled to survive, constantly evading monsters, while others strolled leisurely, commanding beasts as pets.
The disparity between them was stark—sometimes greater than the gap between humans and beasts.
Ten Kilometers from the Center of Wuquan Mountain
Su Chen walked steadily through the forest, his watch now showing a respectable 45 points. Most of these points came from the Blood Amber Demon Wolves.
Unfortunately, unlike in his game, hunting monsters in reality didn't yield experience points. If it did, Su Chen's cultivation would have advanced far beyond its current state.
During his travels, Su Chen also tested an intriguing theory: could his injuries in reality be healed by actions taken in the game?
For example, if his real body sustained damage, could his in-game character consume pills to restore spiritual power, thereby affecting his real-world state?
To his amazement, the answer was yes.
Although the real-world and in-game versions of himself existed in separate time spaces, they shared a single life force.
This discovery was a game-changer. Not only could he develop unique tactics tailored to his abilities, but it also confirmed a critical point—if his in-game character died, his real body would die too.
"I was right," Su Chen muttered. "I need to be more cautious in the game. And becoming an alchemist has become even more important."
He reflected on the benefits of alchemy:
- Safety within the Qingyun Sect.
- A steady supply of elixirs.
Joining Danyang Peak as an alchemist disciple was undeniably advantageous.
"But alchemy… is ridiculously difficult to learn!"
Shaking off the thought, Su Chen resolved to focus on his immediate goal.
"When I see Xiao Ye Zi, I'll borrow her luck. She's a walking lucky charm, after all."
After half a day's journey, Su Chen finally emerged from the dense forest and approached the mountain base.
"Xiao Chen! Over here!"
"Roar!"
"Snow Leopard, shut up!"
Su Chen turned toward the familiar voice and saw Lu Xiaoye standing beside her snow leopard, smacking it on the head.
Curious, Su Chen walked over. "Is this your new pet?"
Lu Xiaoye jumped off the snow leopard, hands on her hips, and grinned proudly. "Yup! My big cat is super cool!"
Su Chen glanced at the subdued snow leopard, marveling at how completely tamed it was. Clearly, Lu Xiaoye's strength far exceeded that of the seventh-level Qi Gathering beast.
But Su Chen wasn't interested in the details of her taming; he had something far more pressing in mind.
"Xiao Ye, come here. I need a favor."
"What favor?"
"I need to borrow your luck."
Lu Xiaoye tilted her head in thought before stepping closer. Then, to Su Chen's surprise, she grabbed his hand and gently blew on it.
"There! I've lent you my luck!"
Nearby, Chen Li, who had been observing the interaction, seethed with jealousy. He bit his collar and glared daggers at Su Chen.
Unbothered by the hostility, Su Chen focused on his phone. Moments later, he stared at the screen in disbelief.
---
[You have successfully refined a furnace of Qi Gathering Pills. New skill unlocked: Basic Alchemy.]
[Basic Alchemy: Getting Started 1/1000]
[Effect: Slightly increases the success rate of alchemy.]
---
"It turns out… alchemy really is all about luck," Su Chen muttered.
Though Lu Xiaoye didn't understand the game, she noticed the flash of golden light on the screen and smirked. "See? Told you I'm lucky!"
Su Chen looked at her, momentarily speechless.
She had relied on her luck for 18 years, and who could say it wouldn't continue? With her around, Su Chen realized he could delegate any luck-based tasks to her.
Grinning, he said, "Xiao Ye Zi, you've helped me a lot this time. I owe you dinner after the exam. Anything you want, it's on me."
"Really?!"
"Yup."
"Hehe, you said it! I'm not holding back this time—I'm going to eat you out of money!"
As the two bickered playfully, the barrier around the central mountain began to dissolve.
The second phase of the mock exam had officially begun.
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