Myriad Realms Gatekeeper

"...How can he be changed back?" Shen Ye asked.

"Unless he's completely exhausted and can no longer maintain the transformation," Zhang Xiaoyi said.

Shen Ye looked at the wolf again—no, it should be Doggy.

Doggy seemed very spirited.

Despite being injured, Doggy's eyes radiated a fierce killing intent, now glancing at Shen Ye from the corner of its eyes.

This momentum...

"What's with that expression? It's as if I did something bad," Shen Ye couldn't help asking.

Zhang Xiaoyi covered his face, looking like he didn't want to say it but had no choice.

A muffled voice came from behind his palms:

"He... after transforming, he calls himself Mr. Week."

"Today is Wednesday—his day as a police dog, when he fights crime and upholds justice," Zhang Xiaoyi continued.

"And Thursday?" Shen Ye asked.

"Guide dog."

"Friday?" Xiao Mengyu asked.

"Performing dog."

"Saturday?" Shen Ye became interested.

"Therapy dog—it's not fixed, his jobs are many, each taking a turn every day," Zhang Xiaoyi said.

"Impressive," Shen Ye and Xiao Mengyu remarked in unison.

"This is called being professional," Shen Ye pointed at Doggy and said.

"Actually, this is called Talent, a very rare awakening. Even if he doesn't make the grade, there will be plenty of key schools vying for him," Xiao Mengyu solemnly explained.

"But even with him, I can't beat that scion of the noble family," Zhang Xiaoyi said.

"Does it obey?" Shen Ye asked.

"Today he is a police dog," Zhang Xiaoyi said angrily, "he wanted to fight to the death—if he were obedient, I would have run away with him long ago—I'm really fast at running!"

He made a motion as if to hug Doggy.

Doggy immediately bared its teeth and snarled at him, looking like it was about to leap and bite.

Shen Ye was slightly startled, looking at Zhang Xiaoyi's arms, which were full of bite marks.

He patted Zhang Xiaoyi on the shoulder, and said emotionally:

"A Yi, you're really something."

Indeed.

If Zhang Xiaoyi had ignored Guo Yunye, he could have run away by himself.

But he chose to be bitten, just to escape with Guo Yunye, and that was particularly gutsy.

Then, looking at Doggy.

Doggy was also covered in wounds.

Perhaps caused by that clan young master.

"Something's not right."

Out of the blue, Xiao Mengyu said.

"Right," Shen Ye agreed.

—This part of the examination was not supposed to permit attacks on each other.

Had the rules changed?

But these were the examination rules; how could they change so abruptly?

Shen Ye and Xiao Mengyu exchanged glances, both somewhat perplexed.

Doggy suddenly turned its head and roared in one direction.

"He's coming again!"

Zhang Xiaoyi exclaimed in panic.

Shen Ye's physique vanished in an instant, merging with Xiao Mengyu's shadow.

Xiao Mengyu adjusted her sword-holding posture, standing still in silent wait.

Seven or eight seconds later.

A figure emerged from the depths of the mist.

It was a tall, bulky male student with a beard, a square face, and a scar on his forehead. His hands were donned in distinctive black gloves, and he was wearing chainmail.

"Xiao Mengyu?"

The student looked at Xiao Mengyu, somewhat surprised.

Xiao Mengyu frowned and said, "He Xi Temple, you're the third-ranked expert on the newcomers' list. Why would you strike out at two ordinary students who haven't learned much in the way of techniques?"

"Oh, I'm actually hunting."

The one called He Xi Temple seemed somewhat embarrassed, scratching his head and saying, "My senses are sharper than yours, so I knew I could kill when the rules changed."

"I'll preserve their heads nicely."

"That way, decades from now, when I look at their heads, I'll remember my youth and having taken part in such a grand examination."

"But beating them when they're clearly not at your level makes no sense," Xiao Mengyu insisted.

"So beating them isn't enough, I plan to kill them," said He Xi Temple with a smile.

He spread his hands, seriously explaining, "They could have lived their lives peacefully as normal people."

"But they chose to come to The Three Prestigious Schools, competing with us for resources, and in the future, they might even take our positions and usurp our power—"

"Some might even marry into noble families and bear children for them."

His complexion turned a bit red as he earnestly added:

"Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach."

"The examination would never allow such violence between examinees," Xiao Mengyu stressed.

He Xi Temple became more excited:

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—it's not my fault, it's the exam that's faulty, so if I kill someone, you can't blame me."

"These two are my friends," Xiao Mengyu said.

"Are you kidding me, you're opposing me for these two pieces of trash?" He Xi Temple retorted.

"I won't allow you to kill," Xiao Mengyu asserted.

He Xi Temple paused, then suddenly said, "You were originally only ranked fifth; if not for the Divine Sword choosing you as its master, do you really think you could stand above me?"

"—Maybe I should kill you."

The fifth rank.

That title made Xiao Mengyu's aura change.

"The newcomers ranking list simply estimates our strength based on our accomplishments and then assigns a rank," she said softly.

Continuing, she added, "But in a serious fight, I could definitely kill you."

He Xi Temple grinned broadly.

His gaze fell on the Luo Shui Sword at Xiao Mengyu's waist and then he took step by step back.

"You should thank your luck, Xiao Mengyu."

"Before entering the exam, you actually obtained this 'Luo Shui' Divine Sword."

"But I guess you can't use it yet—"

"Divine artifacts are not so easily activated."

With that said,

he turned and left, disappearing from everyone's sight.

"So arrogant… Hmph, what a presumptuous fellow," Zhang Xiaoyi said indignantly.

A sudden change occurred—

The great sword floating behind Xiao Mengyu suddenly fell down, embedding itself in the ground, motionless.

Mu Tou also rolled into the corner.

A wooden bird flew out from Zhang Xiaoyi's body and landed on a branch, coming to a halt.

All the cards trembled slightly.

Xiao Mengyu took out her card and saw a few lines of small characters appearing on it:

"A hunting rule is temporarily added to this exam:"

"1. Examinees may hunt each other, but statues may not participate."

"2. Combat with other examinees is recognized as part of the exam content. The victor will receive some power enhancement within the exam hall."

"3. All deaths are normal exam conduct. After the exam concludes, all traces will be immediately erased, and no one will be able to investigate."

Killing someone would grant power enhancement!

Xiao Mengyu looked at the card lost in thought, muttering to herself in a low voice:

"Impossible, there must be some mistake."

"Has killing been allowed in past exams?" Zhang Xiaoyi asked.

"How could it be possible! Murder is such a grave crime; high schools wouldn't openly recruit murderers," Xiao Mengyu said.

"But what about the proctoring examiners? The other staff? Not one of them has come out to speak," Zhang Xiaoyi said in despair.

Xiao Mengyu was at a loss for words.

"Those who were initially ranked lower might make a move to kill," she said hesitantly.

Zhang Xiaoyi suddenly sighed, looking sad.

Xiao Mengyu asked, "What's wrong? Could it be…"

"Yes, that guy, we saw him kill someone," Zhang Xiaoyi said.

Xiao Mengyu's face turned white, filled with anger.

"This is not over, I must report this!"

She said to Zhang Xiaoyi.

Suddenly.

Two hands appeared behind her.

The hands wore black gloves and struck at her silently and with incredible speed.

He Xi Temple!

He had not left after all, but was waiting for an opportunity to launch a surprise attack!

In the blink of an eye—

A pair of hands glowing with Thunder Light emerged from Xiao Mengyu's shadow and met the black hands with a palm strike.

In a thunderous rumble, He Xi Temple staggered several steps backward.

Clang!

Xiao Mengyu drew her sword to stab.

Angered, her strike was incredibly fast, even the air burst with a mournful wail.

He Xi Temple spread his arms and moved to clamp the long sword between them.

Bare-handed blade snatching!

Xiao Mengyu neither dodged nor avoided; she let him hit the blade and successfully trap it between his hands—

Whoosh!

Xiao Mengyu forcefully pulled the sword back and drew another blade from within, swinging out a frost-like sharp Sword Qi.

A sword hidden within a sword!

He Xi Temple stiffened in place, slowly lowering his head to look at the bloodline that had appeared on his chest.

"Hahaha! What a move, Snow Cloud Returning Shadow, I've heard it's a masterful sword technique of the Luo family. I didn't expect you to have learned it so early!"

He Xi Temple burst out laughing, his body shaking.

Clatter—

The chainmail shattered and fell to the ground.

A fierce sword cut did appear on his body, but his muscles were like bursting steel, and he managed to control the wound with his muscular strength alone.

"To kill you, the Remnant Snow Sword will suffice,"

Xiao Mengyu said coldly.

With a slight twist of her short sword, the blade on the ground suddenly flew up, reassembling the Child Sword back into it.

The sword once again became a long sword.

But in He Xi Temple's eyes, it was not that simple.

Next time.

When Xiao Mengyu made her next move,

Would she switch to the Child Sword midway through the attack, or would she still wield the Mother Sword to execute a complete move?

Unpredictable.

This made the battle even more complex.

"There's another friend, who might that be? The one who claims to understand fate and hold no fear?" He Xi Temple looked towards Xiao Mengyu's shadow.

"You don't need to concern yourself with him," Xiao Mengyu said.

"Playing gods and ghosts, afraid to show yourself?" He Xi Temple sneered.

Xiao Mengyu retorted with a cold laugh:

"He says he doesn't need to talk about any Jianghu code of ethics to deal with the likes of you—after all, you pretended to leave just now but sneaked back to ambush me. Truly despicable!"

"He will stay hidden by my side all along, waiting for a chance to kill you."

He Xi Temple's expression darkened.

The ordinary student by his side was useless except for running fast and nothing else.

Doggy was the same.

Originally, he figured he could fight Xiao Mengyu.

However, he hadn't expected that at such a young age, Xiao Mengyu had already mastered the Snow Cloud Returning Shadow Mother-Child Sword Technique of the Luo family, and now she also had the Luo Shui Sword in hand.

—Although she hadn't received the true transmission of Luo Shui, the sword was still a Divine Sword.

If there was another person hiding in the shadows—

It would be even harder to kill her.

Especially that palm strike just now.

The strike was extremely powerful, wielding the attribute of thunder, which could not be underestimated.