With the tense atmosphere, no one noticed that this frail youth's clothes were impeccable and clean.

Everyone was focused on Ping Yang and Xing Qingsui.

Ping Yang was attacking manically...

However, even the wildest of storms had to break sometime.

After all, Ping Yang was only at the pinnacle of the Star Conglomerate State. There was a limit to how much she could attack with the Blazing Qilin Spear.

"Boom!"

The two figures parted.

Ping Yang fell back.

She did not want to fall back, but Xing Qingsui's sword had impacted her arm.

So she fell back.

Even so, thanks to her Red Flame Flower Armor, she was unhurt.

When Meteor impacted the armor on her arm, a flash of red light ensured that she took no damage. Even so, she was forced backwards.

She began to pant as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. The arm holding onto the Blazing Qilin Spear began to tremble.

Xing Qingsui was also panting heavily. His breathing was hastened as he began to sweat even more profusely. Despite all this, his sword arm was still extremely stable.

"How powerful!"

"It is no wonder their constabulary leads the thirteen. It is extremely admirable of him to continue to charge forward in the face of the Blazing Qilin Spear."

All of the candidates began to discuss the battle, focusing their gazes on Xing Qingsui. They momentarily forgot about the sealed sword on the rock.

"You've... lost!" Xing Qingsui looked at Ping Yang and gasped for air.

Ping Yang did not speak. Even though she knew that it would be difficult for her to raise her spear, she did not believe that Xing Qingsui could raise his sword either.

This notion was dispelled quickly.

Xing Qingsui raised his sword.

The Meteor was raised and pointed at her. Xing Qingsui's sword arm did not shake.

Ping Yang bit her lip. She was silent for some time. Then, she walked to Fang Zhengzhi, "I've... lost, so I'm... about to be eliminated. However, I am curious... what did you see in the stone... stone house?"

"Hallucination!" Fang Zhengzhi looked at the panting Ping Yang. He could not describe what he had seen, so he used the simplest possible explanation he could think of.

"Hallucination? I see that it is testing... your character! Hang on, in the hallucination... were...were there any ladies?" Ping Yang suddenly thought of some of the character tests using hallucinations.

There were usually some unspeakable scenes.

Fang Zhengzhi did not understand why Ping Yang would ask this. He wanted to ignore her, but, after recalling her understanding of the Twin Stone Tablets, perhaps she had found out something about the stone house?

He began to think, then recalled that he had seen her after coming out of the door.

"Mm, I saw you."

"You saw me?! You're... completely shameless!" Ping Yang's face flushed as red as an apple.

She immediately thought of the time when Fang Zhengzhi had saw her naked. She simply could not understand why Fang Zhengzhi would say something so shameless in public.

Even though Fang Zhengzhi did not mind being called shameless. However, this was a little too much. She had asked if there were any ladies and he had just replied honestly. Yet, he was being scolded for that?

Was it possible to be even more wronged?

"You son of a b*tch!" Fang Zhengzhi replied rudely, his voice having the accent of a northern villager.

"You... you f*cking hillbilly. How dare you scold me?!" Even though Ping Yang did not understand the slang, she knew that the phrase was definitely not nice.

"So what if I'm scolding you? Do you want to fight it out with me? Do you even have the energy?" Fang Zhengzhi looked at Ping Yang's trembling arm with condescension.

"You, you..."

"Why aren't you out yet?" Fang Zhengzhi stared into the sky, ignoring the fuming Ping Yang.

He had found it a little weird.

He had his doubts from the moment the candidate fell off the rock.

That candidates wounds made it impossible for him to continue partic.i.p.ating in the combat examinations. He should have been immediately evacuated for treatment.

But now...

That candidate was still lying on the ground, in a puddle of his own blood.

Right now, Ping Yang had already admitted defeat.

Why was she still able to stand here and argue with him?

Fang Zhengzhi's question p.i.s.sed Ping Yang off. Just as she was about to gather her last bit of energy to attack him, she stopped.

She realized the implications of Fang Zhengzhi's question.

Fang Zhengzhi was right, this was the combat examinations...

Why was she still here?

"Han Zhangfeng, are you sleeping? Why aren't you letting me out?!" Ping Yang stared into the sky, knowing that Han Zhangfeng would be looking down at this.

The other candidates also began to react after hearing what Ping Yang said.

The intense battle atop the rock had caused serious injuries to a few candidates. They should all have been eliminated.

But...

They were still here.

The sky was still silent, and no candidate was eliminated.

"What's going on?"

"Have the rules changed? Are there no more eliminations?"

"How is that possible?"

All of the candidates looked at each other in doubt.

Then, they all thought of the same thing.

Previously, they were all too attracted by the sword to think of the issues that stemmed from its appearance.

Now that they thought about it, there were way too many issues...

Xing Qingsui and Nangong Mu had already advanced to the fourth round.

Why are they still here?

Furthermore, what was up with that feeling of crumbling? It was almost as if the World of the Sage was completely smashed, then reformed.

Advancing into the fourth round should not have had such a strong sensation.

"Where is this?"

"Is this still the World of the Sage?"

"Why is everyone here at the same time? Where... did the blades come from?"

Questions began to surface in everyone's mind. No one could figure out what was going on. None of them had ever experienced something like this.

They were all here to partic.i.p.ate in the Combat Examinations.

But now...

The rules seemed to have changed.

There was no voice in the air, the injured candidates were not eliminated. Everything seemed strange and unexpected.

"Could it be that the World of the Sage..."

All of their expressions changed as the possibility surfaced in their minds.

"Is the World of the Sage out of control?"

"How can it be? The World of the Sage was created by Meng Tian! And Meng Tian has already left for so long..."

"What if this wasn't the World of the Sage? Why are there no eliminations?"

"The sword... the problem is with the sword!"

When someone exclaimed, everyone turned to look at the sword on the rock. It still glowed with a golden light, but everyone's feelings about it had changed.

Previously, everyone wanted to get hold of that piece of treasure. But now, the feeling was completely different.

It would be great to be in possession of a piece of treasure.

However, if the treasure was controlling them.

Then it was quite dangerous.

"The World of the Sage is out of control, and that sword... that sword is controlling it?" One of the candidates guessed.

"It could be a test. A test in the middle of the combat examinations to see how we adapt to such challenges?" Another candidate suggested.

All of the candidates were at a loss. Who knew what was happening?

Inside Yan Capital, it continued to pour.

A soldier in flashy armor galloped into the palace complex.

When the guards at the gate saw this man, they did not stop him. They did not even ask for his ident.i.ty.

Everyone who saw this soldier accorded him a lot of respect.

Not long after the soldier entered the palace complex, the Ninth Prince galloped through the gates. He did not hold an umbrella, and did not have many guards around him.

"Did the Emperor ask for you to be here?" The guards immediately extended their hands when they saw the Ninth Prince.

"There is an emergency at the Imperial Examinations. I need to see the Emperor right away." The Ninth Prince was not angered by the blockade, but he was in a hurry.

"If the Emperor did not ask for you, we will have to inform him first and wait for the Emperor..."

"I know the rules, but this is an emergency. I have to see him right away!" The Ninth Prince interrupted the guard and repeated.

All of the guards looked at each other, slightly hesitant.

"The Ninth Prince is invigilating the Imperial Examinations. If it is an emergency, there is no need to report, just let him go!" A voice rang out from inside the palace complex.

"Yes!" The guards replied immediately.

"Ninth Prince, please!"

"Thank you!"

The Ninth Prince said a simple thank you. Naturally, he knew where the Emperor would be at this time of day and headed straight for the Imperial Academy.

Inside the World of the Sage, almost everyone was staring at that blade.

"Regardless whether the World of the Sage is out of control, or the rules have changed, the problem must be with the sword. Everything should be resolved if we manage to take it out!" A candidate suggested.

The other candidates nodded as they heard the suggestion.

So, who was going to do it?

It looked like a simple question.

But it was difficult to execute.

Because...

There was a problem that no one was willing to raise.

If the World of the Sage is out of control, and the problem is with the sword, then this sword has a consciousness.

In other words, the sword was in control of the World of the Sage.

Whoever could extract the sword...

Was basically in control of the World of the Sage.

This was something no one was willing to say, but it was something everyone knew deep in their hearts.

"Since we are in the Imperial Examinations, let's go by the rules? Whoever is the final victor will have the right to extract the sword!"

A suggestion was thrown out very quickly. This was a suggestion that was fitting for the time and the environment.

No one objected.

Everything was based on one's ability.

The students on the rock came down unwillingly. Even though they agreed with the suggestion, they were slightly unhappy.

After All, they had all fought for the sword previously.

Of the 30 candidates, less than 25 still had the ability to fight.

Xing Qingsui kept his sword. He had spent a great amount of energy in the battle with Ping Yang. According to the rules of the Imperial Examination, he should be in the fifth round.

As such, his opponent would also have to be someone in the fifth round. This gave him some time to rest.

Everything seemed very normal.

Xing Qingsui kept his blade and walked to the middle aged man. He sat down and closed his eyes.

No one bothered to look at Xing Qingsui any longer. All of the candidates who had yet to pa.s.s the third round began to fight.

Ping Yang was resting as well.

However, her expression was not good as she grit her teeth everytime she looked at Fang Zhengzhi.

Fang Zhengzhi ignored Ping Yang.

After coming out of the stone house, he was through to the fourth round.

Some people were not too happy about that.

However, this did not matter to Fang Zhengzhi. He could easily subdue them later.

With Fang Zhengzhi, Yan Xiu and Ping Yang teaming up, the rankings were quickly set. Those who were displeased with Fang Zhengzhi were all subdued.

The rest of the candidates continued to fight.

Everything seemed to be in order. Everyone was here for the examinations. There were no personal feuds here, so no one went for the kill.

Even so...

The orderly atmosphere was quickly shattered.

This sound did not come from the battle. The position from which the sound originated from was not quite right. It's tone was also filled with disbelief.

"You..."

All of the candidates battling stopped.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

Then, everyone's eyes widened. No one wanted to believe what was unfolding before them.

No one could believe that Xing Qingsui was the origin of the sound.

No one expected Xing Qingsui to cry out like that.

Right now...

There was a blade sticking out of Xing Qingsui's chest. The blade was driven in from the back and came out on the other side. Blood dripped from the tip.