“Girl, come with me,” the dean said. “I have something to show you.”
Huang Quan glanced at the college gate, which was just around the corner, and then back at the dean, feeling somewhat helpless. She asked, “Dean, did you intercept me on purpose, or was it just a coincidence?”
“Of course, it’s a coincidence,” the dean replied cheerfully. “If I wanted to find you, I could have just gone to your courtyard. No need to intercept you here. I happened to return from outside and bumped into you.”
Sighing, Huang Quan had no choice but to follow the dean.
They soon arrived at Dean’s office.
“Here,” the dean presented a stack of papers to Huang Quan. “Take a look. This is the list of participants from the four empires in the upcoming competition.”
Huang Quan asked in a bewildered tone, “Why are you showing me this?”
“To make you familiarise with their names,” the dean explained. “Girl, you’re our secret weapon. In past competitions, our college hasn’t even made it to the top ten, let alone the top twenty. With you this time, I’m confident we can at least make it into the top twenty.”
Top twenty?
The dean didn’t seem to hold her in very high regard, did he?
“Girl, don’t stand there daydreaming,” the dean urged, noticing her silence. “Take a look.”
Huang Quan reluctantly accepted the papers and began to scan through them.
The list was quite extensive, but after going through a few names, she stopped and inquired, “Dean, instead of having me review these names, why don’t you tell me what the competition’s top level is?”
The dean replied, “There’s no top level. As long as the participants are aged between fifteen and eighteen.”
Huang Quan was somewhat surprised, “There’s no cultivation level restriction?”
The dean shook his head, “No.”
Huang Quan expressed her concern, “This competition could lead to trouble. Consider a fifteen-year-old who has three years less practice compared to an eighteen-year-old. If they were pitted against each other, the fifteen-year-old would be at a significant disadvantage.”
“Yes, that’s correct. Unless your cultivation is exceptionally against the norm, there’s no way anyone at the age of fifteen would be selected to participate,” the dean explained, looking at Huang Quan with a sigh. “Girl, I had to let you participate under the pressure from higher-ups, so you must achieve a good ranking for the college.”
Huang Quan remained silent, feeling frustrated that such a significant decision had been made without her input. She couldn’t comprehend the urgency of the situation.
“Dean, according to what you said, most of the participants in the competition this time are eighteen years old?” Huang Quan asked, seeking clarification. “Third brother and I are the only ones under eighteen?”
The dean replied, “You and your brother are the only ones in our college under eighteen.”
Huang Quan nodded in understanding, “So, the majority are eighteen. But there are a few exceptionally talented individuals with outstanding cultivation skills at a younger age who are also participating.”
“Yes,” the dean concurred. “That’s the case.”
Huang Quan mused, “In that case, the young participants are the real competition. They must be extremely talented.”
These individuals receive special training and access to the college’s resources, making them stronger than most. They also possess the finest weapons and elixirs. Ironically, they may even be more dangerous than those who are eighteen.
“You’re absolutely right,” the dean acknowledged seriously. “So, on the competition field, the younger participants often garner the most attention. While there are no cultivation limits, participants can withdraw from the competition if they can’t compete.”
Huang Quan nodded in agreement, “I see. That’s why there are no cultivation restrictions.”
