Number One Ranking

Sol stopped kicking Ulao at that exact moment. Not more than 5 seconds afterward, Ulao slowly evaporated out of the white space along with his knife.

Sol let out a deep inhale, slightly tired from kicking the shit out of Ulao nonstop for over 3 minutes.

"So... this is the part when I find out whether I passed, and by how much, right? The part where I get to choose a cultivation technique or weapon?" He smirked ever so slightly.

Any chance of gaining power excited him, no matter how great or small. Even something like a weak blade would increase his power currently, so he would be happy with something like that too.

[Calculating examinee results...]

*Ding* [Congratulations! You have met all the requirements to pass!]

*Ding* [Congratulations! You have performed above the minimum and maximum score of the Demon Beast Hunting Section: Exam points increased.]

*Ding* [Congratulations! You have performed above the minimum and maximum score of the Knowledge Test Section: Exam points increased.]

*Ding* [Congratulations! You have performed flawlessly against your opponent and took no damage while being able to make your opponent quit: Exam points increased.]

*Ding* [Congratulations! You have exceeded the maximum point range for the exam: Your exam ranking has been raised to Number 1! This will also increase your Exam points again.]

"Exam ranking? I'll take it, I guess."

┏━━━━━━━━┓

You may now choose your prize(s) from these 5 maximum grade options. Your limit is 2 items:

[Cultivation Technique] Seven Frozen Swords Cultivation Technique (1 Star High Grade)

[Weapon] Flame Sword (2 Star High Grade)

[Cultivation Technique] Water Droplet Style Cultivation Technique (1 Star High Grade)

[Weapon] Ice Spear (2 Star High Grade)

[Cultivation Technique] Plum Blossom Chopsticks Cultivation Technique (1 Star High Grade)

┗━━━━━━━━┛

"Oh? These options aren't actually half bad. High-Grade techniques and weapons will highly benefit me."

He looked over the options closely, "Out of all of them, the weapons look to be of slightly higher grade. But choosing two weapons will be pointless..."

It didn't take much thought to know what weapon to choose first, "The Flame Sword. It perfectly matches my Blazing Sun Temperance Cultivation Technique. Now, which Cultivation Technique should I choose."

After looking at the list again, Sol couldn't help but feel as though he recognized the last option.

"Where have I heard of the Plum Blossom name?" It hit him exactly at that moment, "Surely... it isn't *That* Plum Blossom..." He mused, slightly skeptical.

In the Origin Realm, there existed a powerful sect with a Plum Blossom crest as their symbol.

This sect was known as the Mount Hua Sect. However, a Cultivation Technique from such a prominent sect could never be in this measly lower realm.

"Yet, it still says Plum Blossom Chopsticks. Plum Blossom Cultivation Techniques of any kind are extremely rare. There are less than 10 of them in existence, and from what I remember, the Chopsticks version is the weakest out of them all. However... there is one trait in the Plum Blossom Cultivation Techniques that makes them far more valuable. They are also the rare Cultivation Techniques that can be learned through injection into the spirit soul."

Sol smirked at that moment.

*Ding* [You have selected your two prizes. You will be transported back to Vanathril shortly...]

"The Blazing Sun Temperance Cultivation Technique and the Plum Blossom Chopsticks Cultivation Technique... since both of these techniques can be injected into the spirit soul, it also means they can be fused to make a new, even stronger combination." His eyes lit up with greed as he appeared to blink.

Within the timespan of that blink, he was transported back to Vanathril, still standing on his metal plate.

'I'll do that as soon as I get the chance...' Sol mused inwardly before looking up at the stage.

There was something new that wasn't there before that caught his attention.

It was a bright glowing board... a leaderboard. At the top of the list was none other than his name.

The leaderboard read:

»»———— ★ ————««

1. Sol Von Cillion: 189 Points

2. Crimson Seld Illion: 180 Points

3. Selza Mild Cryvor: 175 Points

4. Etos Von Haven: 159 Points

5. Kennan Ivor Ision: 158 Points

[Points required to pass: 120]

-

'I'm quite a bit higher than I thought I was going to be.' Sol thought to himself.

After observing the board, Sol looked down and noticed the crowd of parents sitting in the theater staring at him with mesmerized gazes.

It was as if they had seen an alien, or something equally unexplainable.

They didn't know whether to feel shock, confusion, or disappointment. The last thing that anyone had expected that day was for Sol Von Cillion of all people to be the one to make the top of the leaderboard.

"H-how in the hell..." Some parents whispered amongst each other.

"What did those Von Cillions do? Did they place a demonic pact on him or something?"

"It shouldn't be possible... my boy worked so hard only to lose to that kid?"

Sol's stepmother's reaction was more stunned than the others. She couldn't even speak, like a cockroach after turning the light on in the middle of the night.

Her eyes were hollow. Sol's father, however, had a different look to him.

Instead of shock, or even the look of indifference like before the start of the exam, his eyes squinted slightly as he stared at Sol.

'This boy... how did he do it?' He couldn't help but think to himself. 'He was a lost cause... a failure of birth. How did he manage to not just pass, but come first in the leaderboard?'

Sol then turned and looked behind him. There were a bunch of students already finished, and even they were staring at Sol as if he were a holy entity or something.

"Who is he again?"

"Sol Von Cillion... you know, the talentless one?"

"Oh, that loser. Wait... that loser!?"

At that moment, Sol couldn't help but laugh into his palm.

"Che! Hahaha! Was it really that surprising? I'm impressed... I didn't expect such a reaction!"