The moment the Patriarch rose from his seat, the entire arena became silent.
Even the youngest children stopped whispering.
Thousands of eyes turned toward the grand platform.
The old Patriarch slowly swept his gaze across the gathered disciples.
For a brief moment, Ye Fu felt as though those ancient eyes had seen through him completely.
Then the Patriarch spoke.
"Our Ye Clan has stood for generations."
His voice was neither loud nor soft.
Yet every person in the arena heard it clearly.
"The annual examination is not merely a competition."
"It is a measure of your effort."
"A test of your determination."
"And a chance to discover your own path."
The crowd listened attentively.
Many disciples unconsciously straightened their backs.
The Patriarch continued.
"Today, I do not care whether you come from the main branch or a branch family."
"I do not care whether your parents are elders or servants."
"I only care about one thing."
His gaze sharpened.
"What have you done with the opportunities given to you?"
Silence.
Not a single disciple dared speak.
Then the Patriarch nodded.
"Elder Zhao."
The elder who had spoken earlier stepped forward.
"The First Trial shall now begin!"
A wave of excitement spread through the arena.
"The Foundation Trial."
"As cultivators, everything begins with a strong foundation."
"Without a foundation, talent is meaningless."
"Without a foundation, strength is temporary."
Several disciples nodded seriously.
This was something every cultivator understood.
Elder Zhao pointed toward the center of the arena.
The crowd immediately gasped.
Ye Fu's eyes widened.
Several massive stone pillars were being carried into the arena by clan guards.
Each pillar stood taller than two grown men.
Ancient symbols covered their surfaces.
"This is the Strength Pillar."
"The first part of the Foundation Trial."
"Each participant will strike the pillar with their full power."
"The pillar will determine your physical strength."
The disciples immediately became nervous.
Some looked confident.
Others swallowed hard.
Soon, the first participants were called.
One after another, disciples stepped forward.
Some produced average results.
Some disappointed the crowd.
A few earned applause.
As time passed, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Then a familiar name echoed across the arena.
"Ye Ming."
The crowd instantly erupted.
"It's Ye Ming!"
"The genius of the main branch!"
"He'll definitely rank first."
Ye Fu looked toward the arena.
Ye Ming calmly stepped forward.
His expression remained indifferent.
As though he expected nothing less than success.
He stopped before the pillar.
Took a breath.
Then punched.
BOOM!
The stone pillar shook violently.
Several symbols lit up at once.
A bright glow spread across the surface.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Excellent!"
"As expected!"
"Ye Ming is incredible!"
Even some visiting clan elders nodded approvingly.
Ye Fu quietly watched.
The gap between them felt enormous.
Meanwhile, Ye Ming simply stepped away.
As though such a result was completely normal.
The examination continued.
One disciple after another completed their test.
Then another familiar name echoed throughout the arena.
"Ye Luo."
For a moment, the crowd became strangely quiet.
Then laughter broke out.
"The glutton?"
"He actually showed up?"
"I wonder if he ate before coming."
Several disciples snickered.
Ye Fu frowned.
But Ye Luo seemed completely unaffected.
In fact, he was still chewing something.
His mother covered her face.
His father sighed.
Ye Tian waved excitedly from the spectator seats.
"Big Brother! Do your best!"
Ye Luo grinned and raised a hand.
Then he slowly walked toward the pillar.
The crowd continued laughing.
One disciple even shouted:
"Try not to break your stomach before the pillar!"
More laughter followed.
Ye Luo ignored them all.
He stood before the massive stone pillar.
Stretched lazily.
Cracked his neck.
Then casually threw a punch.
BOOM!
The laughter vanished.
The pillar trembled.
Dust exploded from its surface.
Several glowing symbols immediately lit up.
Then several more.
Then even more.
The arena became silent.
Everyone stared.
Ye Luo blinked.
Then scratched his head.
"Huh."
"That seems decent."
The crowd nearly choked.
Decent?
Even Elder Zhao looked surprised.
On the spectator platform, several visiting elders exchanged glances.
For the first time that day, genuine interest appeared in their eyes.
The White Bear Clan elder narrowed his gaze.
"Interesting."
Meanwhile, Ye Fu stared at his brother.
He suddenly remembered all those meals.
All that eating.
All those years people had laughed at him.
For the first time…
Ye Fu wondered if everyone had been wrong about Ye Luo.
And somewhere among the visiting clans, a certain mysterious young man finally looked up from his seat.
His eyes settled on Ye Luo.
For the first time that morning.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
The examination had just become more interesting.
For a brief moment, the entire arena remained silent.
Many people were still staring at Ye Luo.
Even Ye Luo himself looked confused.
He glanced at the pillar.
Then at his fist.
Then at the pillar again.
"Did I hit it too hard?"
Several disciples nearly fell over.
Too hard?
The elders exchanged strange looks.
Elder Zhao cleared his throat.
"Ye Luo… pass."
Only then did the crowd gradually recover.
Whispers immediately spread throughout the arena.
"I didn't know he was that strong."
"Neither did I."
"I thought he only knew how to eat."
The White Bear Clan elder stroked his beard.
"Hm."
His gaze lingered on Ye Luo for a moment longer before returning to the arena.
Meanwhile, Ye Luo casually returned to his seat.
As though nothing unusual had happened.
Ye Fu stared.
"Brother."
"Hm?"
"Since when were you that strong?"
Ye Luo thought for a moment.
Then answered honestly.
"I don't know."
Ye Fu nearly coughed blood.
The examination continued.
One disciple after another stepped forward.
The atmosphere gradually returned to normal.
Soon…
Another name echoed throughout the arena.
"Ye Fu."
Instantly, Ye Fu felt every muscle in his body tighten.
His turn had arrived.
The crowd was much quieter compared to when Ye Ming had stepped forward.
Few people expected anything from him.
After all…
He was merely a branch family disciple.
The son of Ye Chen.
The overlooked son of an overlooked father.
Ye Fu slowly walked toward the arena.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
From the spectators' area, his mother clasped her hands together nervously.
Ye Tian jumped up and down.
"Second Brother! Do your best!"
His father remained calm.
But his eyes never left Ye Fu.
Finally, Ye Fu stopped before the Strength Pillar.
The enormous stone towered over him.
For a brief moment, self-doubt entered his heart.
Then he remembered.
The nights spent training.
The lessons from Elder Han.
The story his father told him.
The advice from Ye Luo.
Slowly…
His breathing steadied.
He clenched his fist.
And struck.
BOOM!
The pillar trembled.
Several runes lit up immediately.
Then another.
Then another.
The glow wasn't as dazzling as Ye Ming's.
Nor was it as shocking as Ye Luo's.
But it was far better than many had expected.
Murmurs spread throughout the arena.
"Not bad."
"He improved."
"Much better than last year."
Ye Fu exhaled quietly.
He wasn't outstanding.
But he wasn't at the bottom either.
For now…
That was enough.
After the strength test came the second part of the trial.
The Agility Assessment.
Several elders quickly rearranged the arena.
Dozens of wooden stakes rose from the ground.
Ropes stretched between them.
Moving targets were placed throughout the course.
Many disciples immediately looked nervous.
Elder Zhao raised his voice.
"This test will evaluate speed, balance, and movement."
"The faster your completion time, the higher your score."
The first few participants struggled.
Several fell.
Others lost their balance.
The crowd laughed repeatedly.
Then Ye Ming entered.
Like a swift hawk, he crossed the course.
Every movement was smooth.
Every step was precise.
His result once again ranked among the best.
Cheers erupted.
The main branch disciples smiled proudly.
Soon, Ye Fu's turn arrived.
He stepped onto the course.
His heartbeat quickened.
This was different.
This was the one area where he had improved.
The Wandering Mist Step.
His father's technique.
The elder raised a hand.
"Begin!"
Ye Fu moved.
At first, the crowd saw nothing special.
Then something changed.
His movements became strangely fluid.
Whenever he seemed about to lose balance…
He recovered.
Whenever he approached an obstacle…
His body shifted naturally around it.
Like mist flowing around rocks.
Even the elders became attentive.
Ye Fu himself felt surprised.
For the first time, the countless nights of practice were paying off.
One stake.
Two stakes.
Three stakes.
His feet moved instinctively.
The course that had troubled others suddenly seemed much smaller.
When he finally crossed the finish line—
The crowd became quiet.
Several disciples stared in disbelief.
Even Ye Ming's eyes narrowed slightly.
That movement…
It wasn't ordinary.
Among the visiting clans, the Silver Viper Clan elder spoke for the first time.
"Interesting footwork."
The White Bear Clan elder nodded.
"Very interesting."
Even the mysterious youth sitting beside the visiting elders glanced toward Ye Fu.
Unlike before…
His gaze lingered.
Meanwhile, in the spectator seats, Ye Luo grinned.
"Told you he'd do well."
His mother smiled proudly.
His father simply nodded.
But deep inside…
A trace of emotion flashed through his eyes.
He recognized every step.
Every movement.
It was his technique.
And Ye Fu had learned it far better than he expected.
As the Agility Assessment concluded, Elder Zhao stepped forward once more.
"The final portion of the Foundation Trial…"
"The Mental Assessment."
Immediately, the atmosphere became serious again.
Many disciples who excelled physically suddenly looked worried.
Because everyone knew…
This final test was often the most difficult.
And for Ye Fu…
The real challenge was only beginning.**