Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

Shen Ye stared at his reflection in the mirror, silent for several moments before exhaling two words:

"Damn it."

He had no clue where the bloodshot had come from.

Therefore—

Someone was lurking in the shadows, ready to kill him.

Is that the case?

Suddenly, there was a vibration in his pocket.

Shen Ye reached in and found it was that card.

He took out the card and spread it out in his palm to look, only to see that the evaluation on it had changed:

"Prey hovering before a trap."

"You already know your fate, and you have gained claws and sharp teeth, but can you escape the fate of death?"

—No longer a Drowner!

This thing is quite responsive.

But he couldn't tell anyone about anything related to it.

First, it was useless; second, it would lower the rating.

However—

Maybe it knew exactly who was trying to kill him.

"I am the prey, so who is the hunter?"

Shen Ye tried asking the card.

There wasn't the slightest movement from the card.

But the card began to change.

The intermingled black and red background, like thick ink dropped into water, gradually faded away, washed clean by the frost-like moonlight.

A pale moon emerged behind him.

He was wearing an ancient robe, standing amidst the clouds against the wind, his head raised towards the ethereal Imperial Palace in the sky.

A row of dragon-like and phoenix-like characters fell beneath the clouds:

"Kill a person within ten steps, leave no trace thousands of miles."

Stars began to pop out one by one in the depth of the sky.

There were five in total.

He had jumped directly from Two-Star to Five-Star!

"Shen Ye."

"Human Martial Arts Group selection candidate."

"Strength Level: Five Stars."

"'Newcomer' deck ranking eleventh (preliminary)."

"The fastest progressing person among all candidates, without a doubt."

"Five-Star Privileges:"

"1. The final evaluation before the exam will grant you a special power to use during the test;"

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"2. You may conceal your level, still presenting yourself as Two-Star."

"Special Note: Because you have awakened the Dharma Eye, ignoring your other performances, you have been forcefully promoted to Five-Star. (This note is visible only to you)"

The Dharma Eye?

—That refers to "Moonlight Divine Illumination," right?

So...

This Dharma Eye ranks as pretty powerful among the candidates?

As for concealing his level, Shen Ye made his decision almost immediately.

"Conceal!"

He said.

On the card, three of the five stars disappeared.

Another line of small text emerged:

"After concealment, you will participate in the ranking based on a Two-Star level."

Shen Ye breathed a sigh of relief.

Being inconspicuous in strength wasn't an issue at all.

After all, trump cards were never meant for showing off.

With a bunch of Clan Young Masters wanting him dead, it was no mistake to be cautious.

Besides, there was one more thing to note.

Maybe there were other newcomers who had hidden their star levels, lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance just like him.

Suddenly, the image on the card changed, Xiao Mengyu appeared.

She was requesting a call.

"Hmm? Your image changed? Not bad, how much did you spend?"

On the card, she still stood with her sword, her face showing surprise.

Shen Ye's mouth twitched.

Big sister, this isn't some skin I paid for.

This represents strength!

Forget it, I'll explain it during the test.

"Don't worry, I'm not too fond of pay-to-win." Shen Ye said.

"What does pay-to-win mean?" Xiao Mengyu asked.

"It's the act of spending money."

"Oh, come to the gym when you're free, and I'll see how much you've improved," she said.

"Sure, I'll go there after my afternoon training," Shen Ye said.

"Don't take the image on the card too seriously, even your strength and star level," she advised.

"Why?"

"This 'newcomer' deck can only roughly sense your strength. Besides, the battlefield changes in the blink of an eye—there have been many cases where stronger fighters are killed by weaker ones who seize the opportunity," Xiao Mengyu said earnestly.

Shen Ye asked, "So you mean—"

"Don't accept any challenges. Conserve your energy for the exam," Xiao Mengyu said.

"That's what I'm thinking too. I don't have time to play their games," Shen Ye said.

"It's best that you think this way," Xiao Mengyu said with satisfaction.

Shen Ye nodded slightly.

——The enemy hides in the shadows, ready to take one's life at any moment.

I'm not in the mood to fight with anyone.

Xiao Mengyu ended the call.

But the phone rang again.

As soon as Shen Ye answered, Qian Rushan's voice came piercing through the handset, loudly saying:

"Just now, several candidates from the groups were injured in a fight; you weren't involved, were you?"

"Don't worry, I'm hiding in the dorm," Shen Ye said.

"You mustn't let yourself be provoked, even if they insult your parents. You have to wait until the exams are over before fighting, understand?" Qian Rushan advised uneasily.

"I got it, I'm sleeping now," Shen Ye said.

"Then rest up, I won't disturb you anymore; remember the training this afternoon."

...

At two o'clock in the afternoon.

Training ground on the 63rd floor.

"The Three Great High Schools are Azure, Guixu, and Breath Soil; each has its focus."

"Azure values combat strength, Guixu seeks human history, and Breath Soil combines both aspects," a burly man explained.

At this moment.

Shen Ye had already arrived at the group's exclusive cultivation venue in the corporate tower.

The burly man was named Sun Biao.

He was a combat instructor permanently stationed in the Sky Relic by the group, responsible each year for training the newcomers who were about to take the exams.

"Are the Three Great High Schools the strongest in the world? Are there other high schools?" Shen Ye asked casually.

Sun Biao said, "These three schools have evolved from sects in the Ancient Era and have a long-standing and profound heritage. No other school can compare to them."

He seemed to remember something and said softly, "Yes, there were many great sects back then."

"Many great sects?" Shen Ye asked curiously.

"That's right, there were also some sects... During the Ancient Times, there were four major sects that stood at the pinnacle, but it's better not to talk about those matters," Sun Biao said.

He began to formally introduce the Three Great High Schools.

"Sky Azure High School is the strongest among the three, studying divine spirits and techniques of the Dharma Realm. It is also the most prestigious, with most scions of noble families attending this high school."

"Endless Return to Ruins High School leans towards research of secrets and archaeology. It is said that before our time, history had missing eras, and the relics from those bygone civilizations all lie beneath the seas. Therefore, students from this high school are the most learned and talented and are highly sought after in the job market.

However, since they come into contact with prehistoric knowledge, many students become disciples of various churches after graduation."

"Great Earth Breath Soil High School is also located atop a massive underground burial site, the birthplace of human historical studies. Its style leans toward practical combat—the underground is actually full of many monstrous creatures that are quite terrifying.

Of course, it is also the richest high school, because all parts of the monsters, as well as their fur and the rare ores and spirit herbs underground, can be exchanged for large sums of wealth."

"The above are the recognized characteristics of the Three Great High Schools; you should be aware of this."

"Teacher Sun, I wanted to ask about Resonance," Shen Ye said.

"Resonance?"

"I heard that study during the high school phase requires a Resonance Degree. Also, those clan young masters have definitely been practicing from a young age, so I wanted to ask."

"Alright, let me tell you—apart from Cultivation Techniques passed down since ancient times, there are also various Divine Weapons and Armor, as well as all kinds of specific secret techniques."

Sun Biao said with a smile, "To use these items or to perform secret techniques, you need a very high level of Resonance."

"So Resonance is essentially 'Recognition Degree'."

"Recognition Degree?" Shen Ye repeated.

"That's right, you have been acknowledged by them— or rather, you have been recognized by the Dharma Realm and granted the authority to use them, and they are willing to serve you," Sun Biao said.

Shen Ye was somewhat confused.

It made sense for weapons and armor, but does Technique also require Resonance?

And as for the Dharma Realm—

"The Dharma Realm is the domain of the source of strength, used to divide everyone's Strength Level—"

"Alright, this is still too early for you to worry about; you will learn about it when you attend high school. Don't think too much about it now, come on, I have some Cultivation Techniques here that the group has prepared especially for you."

Sun Biao flipped his hand and took out several manuals.

Shen Ye looked intently and saw that the manuals were labeled:

"Subdue the Tiger Seventeen Palms, Dual Yang Finger, Lonely Eight Swords, Southern River Chain Kicks, Northeastern Divine Fist, Heaven-Devouring Mouth Technique."

...Why is there a Heaven-Devouring Mouth Technique?

A secret technique from Guangdong?

"Mr. Sun, this mouth technique is...?"

"This, well, is a kind of ridiculing technique to provoke opponents, making them so furious they chase after you and fight. When they lose their cool in the midst of attacking, they naturally make mistakes," Sun explained.

"And what about the Southern River Chain Kicks?" Shen Ye asked again.

"They were discovered in a relic excavation near the south of a large river," Sun Biao said.

"What about Northeastern Divine Fist? Does it have something to do with the North Star?" Shen Ye asked.

"Not at all. We found this Fist Technique in a relic to the far east of the northern region, so it was called North-Eastern Fist Technique," Sun Biao said, his face showing a look of reminiscence as he narrated:

"Back then, the excavation work at that site had been completed, and everyone was about to leave. But one senior archaeologist wasn't convinced and felt there was still something there."

"He just kept staring and staring and staring."

"Suddenly, a voice asked him 'What are you staring at?'"

"Thinking it was someone playing a prank, he instinctively shouted back 'I'm looking, what's it to you?'"

"And this Fist Technique Manual dropped out all by itself."

"——In fact, this is also a manifestation of Resonance; he received recognition from the Fist Technique, and that's why it made its appearance," Sun Biao said.

"Just with that sentence, 'I'm looking, what's it to you?'" Shen Ye found it hard to believe.

What Northeastern Divine Fist? This was clearly the Northeastern Fist.

...It was too far-fetched.

But Sun Biao had a serious look and pointed out, "This is called matching temperaments. When your Compatibility meets the requirements, you naturally receive the relic's gift—"

"In fact, some people have very high Resonance but still aren't recognized by Divine Weapons. Where can you even reason about this?"

"High Resonance is still not enough?" Shen Ye couldn't help asking.

"Resonance is just the threshold; once you cross that threshold, it just means you have a chance," Sun Biao explained.

"I see," Shen Ye sighed.

"Young man, choose one to study; in case there's combat during the exam, it might come in handy," Sun Biao said.

Shen Ye's gaze swept over the several manuals.

He saw that each manual had a line of small text emerging on it:

"White (Normal)."

Only on the Northeastern Divine Fist appeared the text, "Green (Excellent, requires specific conditions to trigger a higher compatibility to enhance potency)."