Rachel couldn't hold back her tears when she learned that she hadn't been selected. Shoyo and Cloude were quick to comfort her, and she paid no attention to what Headmaster said afterward.
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"Well then, I wish you all the best. We look forward to your performance at the 'Imperial Ceremony' one month from now. Dismissed!"
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The two brilliant students known as this year's rising stars, Kazami and Rico, seemed to be the expected choices, and a group of their supporters rushed to congratulate them. Jennie watched with a displeased expression, finding them too ostentatious. She also knew a bit about Lambo, the young heir from a wealthy merchant family who was now the third-generation disciple of "Wuxindao," the martial art style created by Headmaster Baron. He had already mastered ContQi and the martial art technique "Dragon Strike." Lambo was known for his arrogance and disdain for his fellow students.
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"I'm okay," Rachel said tearfully. After all, as long as she was selected, the path ahead would be smoother. But now, everything had fallen apart.
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William, from the instructor's side, also noticed Rachel's disappointment. Her progress had been impressive, but overall, she still had some way to go compared to Shoyo and Cloude.
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Rachel thought about the list of selected participants again and looked at Shoyo and Cloude. "So, you two will be competing against each other in the 'Imperial Ceremony'?"
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"If we really have to determine a winner, I hope it's you," Shoyo said excitedly, looking at Cloude.
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"Same here."
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Cloude smiled in response and then looked at the other selected participants. "After all, there are three more we're not sure about..." His gaze passed over each of the selected participants and finally settled on Jennie, who was watching Kazami. If this represented the order of battles, Jennie would face Kazami, this year's top talent.
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However, Jennie's eyes held no fear. Instead, they showed a mix of disdain and eagerness, as if she were confident and eager to teach this talented student a lesson.
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To be honest, Cloude had never seen that look in Jennie's eyes before. Had he underestimated Jennie, or did she harbor greater ambitions deep within? Perhaps her mental qualities were no less than his own.
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A month later, on the day before the "Imperial Ceremony," in the "Paradise" forest, a circular clearing had been artificially carved out of the green sea of trees. Within this clearing stood a small village, consisting of only a dozen dilapidated houses. It appeared abandoned for a long time.
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Despite this, the animals of "Paradise" seemed to sense danger and avoided entering the village area, choosing instead to navigate around the clearing through the forest.
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However, two figures in black robes ventured into this forbidden area for animals.
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"Is this the place? It's nothing but ruins..." one of them inquired.
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The other drew two swords from their waist and approached the central house in the village. "The instructions were clear."
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Upon opening the wooden door, they found themselves in a large hall with a fireplace at the far end. The fireplace contained only charred wood. Chairs and various objects were scattered about, and cobwebs covered the corners of the room.
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On either side of the hall were two rooms, and each of them entered one.
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The room on the left was a kitchen, where utensils had corroded, and rotten, moldy food emitted a foul stench. The other room was filled with straw, on which several clusters of feces from an unknown creature had been placed. They appeared dry and hard, indicating they had been there for a long time.
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The person with the twin swords used one to push aside the straw, revealing unusually clean soil underneath. Suspicion arose, and they stabbed the ground with their sword, as expected, triggering a mechanism. A metal plate slowly moved aside, revealing a narrow passage only wide enough for one person.
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After tossing a torch inside to gauge the depth, they jumped in. The secret passage was cramped, with the entrance situated about two people's heights above their head. A wall was behind them, dotted with irregular depressions, each about the size of a wrist. In the light of the torch, ahead was nothing but darkness.
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Now, there were only two choices - exit through the entrance above or continue forward. Of course, the person chose the latter because it was their purpose for coming here.
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After just a few steps, the entrance closed automatically, seemingly triggered by some mechanism. However, there was no time to be surprised, as they heard the sound of heavy objects slowly moving from the darkness ahead.
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The person quickly retreated as several beams of starlight flashed from the pitch-black void. They immediately raised their swords to block, realizing that the starlight was a reflection from the torch.
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After deflecting one round of long spears, the next was already on its way, and the sound was getting closer.
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When the torchlight shone on them, it revealed a wall adorned with spikes. Many bones and tattered clothing hung from the spikes, indicating that many had lost their lives in this passage. Now, the purpose of those holes in the wall became clear.
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The person attempted to attack the entrance with their twin swords, but the narrow passage limited their movements. Furthermore, the entrance seemed to have been reinforced and was exceptionally sturdy, offering no effect.
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What should they do? There was no way back; the spikes would merge with the entrance wall, and they would be impaled alive, just like those dry bones.
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