“Hi, audience bosses! Welcome, everyone! Don’t miss out as you pass by! This streamer is here to bless you with a fortune buff! To everyone who clicked into my livestream, I wish you small gains every day, big profits every month, and that everything you do this coming year succeeds!”
As Xie Zhengxing walked briskly with the flow of people, she cheerfully greeted the audience in the livestream with her usual gentle, lively tone.
From time to time, other outer sect disciples and servant disciples of the Shanghui Sect passed by.
Seeing her talking softly to empty air as though no one else existed, like someone who had gone mad, they immediately looked at her with sympathy and understanding.
Of course.
Who among those preparing for the examination wasn’t a little crazy?
This Outer Sect Promotion Tournament was the fundamental threshold for people with poor aptitude like them to escape the fate of servitude and truly step onto the path of cultivation.
Once someone passed the age of twenty, they would never again have the chance to participate.
Every passing year meant one fewer opportunity.
Who didn’t talk to themselves, cry one moment, and laugh the next under that kind of pressure?
The only difference was the degree.
Some people had even gone insane or committed suicide because of it.
The fact that this young woman could still drag herself here to compete in such a state already proved just how determined and courageous she was.
Suddenly, a muscular man wearing a pink dress walked up beside Xie Zhengxing.
He stuffed something into her hand and said encouragingly,
“Good luck, sister! Don’t be nervous! We’ll definitely make it!”
Then he turned around and left.
As he walked away, he kept looking back and making cheering gestures toward her.
Xie Zhengxing blinked in surprise.
She lowered her head.
It was a triangular piece of folded paper.
A “Guaranteed to Pass Every Exam” talisman.
【Who Do You Think You Are: Whew… This little bo… uh… boy… girl… is actually a really nice person.】
【Three Seconds for You: Is that an actual talisman?】
【Even Dogs Get Kicked When I Pass By: I’m kind of curious too.】
Xie Zhengxing pondered for a moment before lowering her eyes to carefully sense the energy contained within it.
Although she only possessed a Five-Element Mixed Spirit Root and her spiritual energy was extremely weak, she could still tell whether an object contained spiritual power.
After a moment, she arrived at her conclusion.
“It’s not a talisman.”
“It’s the product of people resorting to prayers and superstition when they’re powerless to do anything else.”
There wasn’t even the slightest fluctuation of spiritual energy inside the paper.
The livestream chat filled with regretful comments.
Xie Zhengxing also sighed softly before carefully tucking the paper into her robes.
Looking up with a smile, she said,
“But you should always treasure the kindness others offer.”
“After all, when a complete stranger—someone with absolutely no connection to you—chooses to show you kindness, that’s one of the purest and most precious feelings in the world.”
“And…”
“I’m grateful to all of you as well.”
“There are countless streamers out there.”
“But you chose me.”
“Thank you.”
【Awake at 3 A.M.: Waaaah! Our Xingxing is the sweetest person ever!】
【Xiaoxiao: I literally just opened the stream and saw this goofy streamer suddenly saying something so touching… What can I say? I admit you’re not just good at making people laugh. You’ve actually got something inside you. Good luck in today’s competition!】
Immediately afterward, a red donation notification floated across the screen.
【Xiaoxiao donated: “Healing Injection.”】
【Xiaoxiao: Just a little gift from me. It’s nothing expensive, but if you get hurt during the competition, it should come in handy.】
【Who Do You Think You Are: I’ll send a Healing Injection too. I’ve freeloaded off this streamer for two days already. I suppose I’ll reluctantly let her profit from me.】
【Who Do You Think You Are donated: “Healing Injection.”】
【Awake at 3 A.M.: Xingxing! I think I have something in my drawer that I can donate too!】
【Little Hut: Me too…】
【Even Dogs Get Kicked When I Pass By: A little token of appreciation from Xiaoxiao’s junk collection.】
【Exotic Beast Enthusiast: Don’t forget to show us the strongest spirit beast in this world.】
Soon, the red donation messages began pouring in.
【Awake at 3 A.M. donated: “Water Quality Tester.”】
【Three Seconds for You donated: “Harmless Flash Stun Orb.”】
【Even Dogs Get Kicked When I Pass By donated: “Personal Protective Force Field Bracelet (Children’s Edition).”】
【Exotic Beast Enthusiast donated: “Portable Folding Chair.”】
【Your Strong One Has Arrived donated: “Basic Language Translator.”】
The regular viewers who usually joked around in Xie Zhengxing’s livestream all began donating one after another.
None of them were wealthy bosses.
None of their gifts were especially valuable.
But they were the kinds of items ordinary civilians could afford…
And things Xie Zhengxing might genuinely find useful.
At that moment…
They were no longer simply watching for entertainment.
They had truly come to acknowledge Xie Zhengxing herself as a streamer.
In the Interstellar Plane.
Oviselas glanced at the floating light screen before him.
Watching the young woman surrounded by one donation effect after another, the corner of his normally cold expression lifted slightly.
His hand, which had originally been about to send a donation…
Lowered instead.
A small-scale competition like this…
She probably won’t need me to intervene.
Shanghui Plaza was packed with people.
Although Xie Zhengxing had already realized during her walk that many people were participating in the Outer Sect Promotion Tournament…
Seeing the crowd with her own eyes still shocked her.
Everywhere she looked was a sea of people.
Conversations buzzed endlessly throughout the plaza.
Under the watchful eyes of her livestream audience, Xie Zhengxing queued up to draw her lot before taking her numbered token to the examination grounds.
The assessment was simple and direct.
First Trial: Practical Combat.
Every disciple applying for promotion had to spar against four inner sect disciples at different levels of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Anyone who remained undefeated for the duration of one incense stick would be considered to have passed.
Xie Zhengxing stepped onto the arena.
Standing opposite her was the first examiner—
A broad-shouldered, heavily built body cultivator at the early Foundation Establishment stage.
Xie Zhengxing cupped her fists in greeting.
Then she slowly walked toward the male disciple…
And blinked her eyes once.
Seeing that, the man immediately released his full aura and barked angrily,
“Trying to seduce me?”
“If you don’t make your move now, I’ll knock you right off the arena!”
A large crowd had gathered around the stage.
The moment they heard his words, the spectators erupted in righteous indignation.
They hated people like this the most.
Women who relied on a little bit of beauty…
Neglected their cultivation…
Failed to reach Foundation Establishment before the competition…
And then tried to resort to underhanded tricks, stalling for time and pretending to act cute in hopes of slipping through.
Unfortunately for her…
She had picked the wrong target.
Before the tournament began, every participating inner sect disciple had undergone three days and two nights of closed-door “beauty resistance training,” staring at a portrait of Senior Sister Luo.
Unless someone possessed beauty equal to Senior Sister Luo’s earth-shattering appearance…
Their Dao Hearts would never be shaken.
The crowd below immediately began shouting.
“Senior Brother! Teach her a lesson!”
“Punch her right in the face! Let’s see if she still dares rely on her looks to fool people!”
“Don’t let her stall! Don’t go easy on her!”
The male disciple glanced around confidently.
Raising both hands, he gestured for everyone to quiet down.
“Don’t worry.”
“I, Xiong, will never allow a woman who spends all day studying crooked tricks instead of cultivating properly to enter the inner sect!”
After speaking, he rolled his neck.
His fingers interlocked as he cracked his knuckles loudly.
Then he let out a tremendous roar and swung his massive fist straight toward Xie Zhengxing’s face.
Xie Zhengxing reacted instantly.
With lightning-fast reflexes, she raised her hand…
And pressed the switch on her Quantum Pulse Stun Baton.
Bzzz!
“AAAHHH!”
The male disciple let out a miserable scream.
His entire body immediately went limp.
Then he collapsed weakly onto the arena floor.