“Is this kid… really crazy? What on earth is he doing?”
“Could he be an exotic beast from outside the city in disguise? I remember that once exotic beasts reach Level 7, they can transform into human form… I don’t think a normal human would do something like this.”
“Investigate him thoroughly! I strongly suggest a thorough investigation! Even if he is human, I suspect his urine test would show only a small amount of urine and the rest all stimulants!”
The discussion in the arena was deafening. Even the exam supervisors were alarmed and hurried to consult their superiors to see if something had gone wrong in the Star-Gazing Secret Realm. The reply they received was that everything was normal.
The supervisors reported this information to Mayor Lin Zhao. After Lin Zhao nodded, his deep and resonant voice instantly suppressed the noisy discussion.
“Everyone! After inspection by the supervisors, there are no abnormalities in the Star-Gazing Secret Realm. Zhu Ping’an’s pre-exam urine and blood tests were also normal. Please remain calm!”
With Lin Zhao speaking, the noise finally subsided, but countless faces were still filled with confusion.
The energy within Star Radiance had long been studied by top martial artists. It truly could not be absorbed by the human body.
There had once been an 8th stage Martial Artist who was extremely arrogant and claimed to be the reincarnation of Sirius. He forcibly absorbed the energy within Star Radiance. When he reached the 152nd point, his entire body exploded like a punctured balloon, bursting into a cloud of blood on the spot.
Zhu Ping’an was only a 1st stage Martial Artist. How could he absorb so much Star Radiance and still be alive? Had he mastered some secret method of absorption?
Even Zhu Ping’an’s parents looked bewildered.
“Wife, when did this kid learn to absorb the power of the stars? Even we don’t know how to do that. Who taught him?” Zhu Jianghua asked in a low voice.
Xia Yue remained silent for a long time before speaking.
“Do you know whales?”
“Yes!” Zhu Jianghua nodded.
“Humans evolved lungs to breathe on land. Fish evolved gills to breathe in water. As for whales… they evolved big lungs and then just hold their breath in the ocean.” Xia Yue said quietly.
“Mm… Mm?!” Zhu Jianghua’s eyes widened. “You mean this kid doesn’t know any absorption technique at all? He’s just forcibly swallowing the power of the stars and enduring it?”
“If I’m not mistaken… that’s exactly what he’s doing…” Xia Yue’s expression was rather strange.
“Damn… As expected of my son. To push himself like this and still be alive? Though foolish, his lifespan rivals a turtle’s!” Zhu Jianghua could not help but praise him. Find the original chapter at novelping(.)com.
As the 500 points of Star Radiance were swallowed, Zhu Ping’an’s figure disappeared from the projection once more under the crowd’s uncertain gazes.
Everyone felt restless, eager to see Zhu Ping’an appear again.
Zhu Ping’an did not disappoint them. Two and a half hours later, he returned with over 500 points of Star Radiance. Under the crowd’s stunned gazes, he swallowed them again and disappeared once more.
By now, the crowd was almost numb from shock.
It was important to know that the further the exam progressed, the harder it became to collect Star Radiance. The Star-Gazing Secret Realm was divided into dozens of regions for candidates across the Nation to use simultaneously. Within Qingcheng’s allocated area, the amount of Star Radiance was limited.
Moreover, students with lower vitality values were not foolish. After collecting a certain amount of Star Radiance, they would hand in their exam early to prevent being robbed.
Compared to the question of how Zhu Ping’an could swallow so much Star Radiance and remain alive, they were even more curious about how he could collect over 500 points again in such a short time.
This time it was even faster. In just two hours, Zhu Ping’an returned once more, appearing again on the projection.
This meant that the amount of Star Radiance he had collected had once again entered the top ten.
“This guy… is he really not cheating? He must have collected over 1,000 points in total by now, right? Since the Star-Gazing Secret Realm was included in the exam, has anyone ever collected this much in a single day?”
“He’s going to swallow them again…”
“What a monster…”
The crowd’s expressions had shifted from shock to something strange. If he simply exited with more than 1,000 points, he would undoubtedly be this year’s top scorer of Qingcheng. Yet he swallowed all the Star Radiance he collected.
After swallowing them, Zhu Ping’an’s figure disappeared from the projection again.
At this moment, the exam supervisors had already obtained all the recordings of Zhu Ping’an after entering the Star-Gazing Secret Realm. Due to the great controversy surrounding him and suspicions of cheating, the exam authorities directly released the footage.
At last, the crowd had the chance to see how Zhu Ping’an had obtained so much Star Radiance so quickly. If they could learn his technique, it would be like obtaining a top scorer’s secret manual.
But the more they watched, the stranger it felt.
Starting from his first point of Star Radiance, which he obtained by killing a Star-Devouring Worm, everything seemed normal. But afterward, the style became increasingly absurd. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Zhu Ping’an’s methods of obtaining Star Radiance included, but were not limited to…
First, walking along the road and encountering two people fighting until both were severely injured, then taking advantage of the situation and robbing them both.
Second, encountering a Star-Devouring Worm whose strength was close to that of a 2nd stage Martial Artist, but which was at the end of its lifespan and died of old age at the entrance of its nest, allowing him to find over 100 points of Star Radiance inside.
Third, meeting a candidate who felt an instant affinity with him and insisted on giving him half of the Star Radiance he had painstakingly collected.
Fourth…
After watching, everyone fell silent.
There was indeed no cheating, but it somehow felt worse than cheating.
It was as if he had a halo of destiny above his head. Wherever he went, Star Radiance chased after him. How could anyone learn that?
It was like someone scoring full marks on an exam. You thought it was because he studied well and wanted to learn from him, only to find out he guessed every answer correctly by blind luck. Who could accept that?
“Those blessed by fortune truly deserve to perish,” a dark-skinned man in the crowd said tearfully.
While the outside world was busy debating whether Zhu Ping’an had cheated, inside the Star-Gazing Secret Realm, Zhu Ping’an had once again collected over 500 points of Star Radiance.
He had already discovered that every time he reached over 500 points, the speed at which he collected Star Radiance would drop significantly.
But that was enough. By exploiting the plot loophole, he could continuously obtain Star Radiance.
Tilting his head back, Zhu Ping’an swallowed the newly collected Star Radiance once more. Even he no longer remembered how much he had devoured. His body seemed to be gradually adapting to the violent energy. There was even a faint warm sensation emerging.
He could clearly feel that as he devoured more and more Star Radiance, his body was transforming toward a strange state.
Deep beneath the layers of the Star-Gazing Secret Realm, magma churned violently. Several iron chains as thick as thighs were engraved with strange patterns, tightly binding a humanoid creature. The chains emitted a faint starlight.
As Zhu Ping’an continued devouring Star Radiance, the starlight on one of the chains gradually dimmed before shattering completely.
The moment the chain broke, the humanoid creature opened its eyes. They were blood-red vertical pupils.