Gus Bullard glanced at Roxanne Lin, then at Lily Tang, and said, "You two are both pretty strong—about on par with me. But you're both way too pretty. Even if I could compete with you, I wouldn't want to."
Evan Chu chuckled, "Purple Cloud Fairy, Fire Spirit Fairy—those are some impressive titles you two have. You haven't even entered Heavenly Dragon Academy yet and already have such famous nicknames."
"Are you envious, or just jealous?" Lily Tang retorted, not in the mood for his teasing.
"Both envious and jealous, but this young master doesn't care, hahaha!" Evan Chu rolled his eyes at Lily Tang, then smiled at Roxanne Lin. "That nickname suits you well."
"I don't care about nicknames. They're all just empty titles. As long as I have you, that's worth more than anything." Roxanne Lin's beautiful eyes shone with sincerity.
"Hey! Can you two not flaunt your love in front of me? You know my situation—don't make me lose my temper."
Gus Bullard stood there, baffled by their banter. After a long pause, he finally squeezed out, "So... you two are both his women?"
Lily Tang's face instantly flushed. She shot Evan Chu a quick sideways glance, then snapped, "Damn bull, if you keep spouting nonsense, I might just add braised beef to tonight's menu!"
"So fierce—I like it!" Gus Bullard suddenly blurted out, nearly driving Lily Tang crazy.
"Alright, enough messing around. Haven't you noticed all those eyes watching us?" Evan Chu said.
The four of them were easily the center of attention throughout the entire test. Now that Evan, Roxanne, Lily, and Gus were gathered together—and with Roxanne and Lily's breathtaking beauty—it was impossible for them not to attract every eye.
Countless jealous stares seemed to drown them. If looks could kill, Evan Chu would have died a thousand deaths by now.
Time ticked by; over three thousand candidates tested at ten screens, and it took more than five hours to finish. Many people were left with aching legs, and complaints filled the air.
Just then, the Vice-Dean's voice rang out: "This first trial was truly surprising. I hadn't expected so many hidden talents among this year's Heavenly Dragon Academy applicants—ten yellows and one green result.
Of course, there were also several hundred orange results. To ensure everyone is in top condition, today's testing ends here.
Those who triggered red light are eliminated. Orange, yellow, and green qualifiers will face the Literary Gate trial tomorrow.
All candidates advancing to the Literary Gate, please follow the elite academy students to the rest area, where lodging is provided. Those eliminated must leave—the academy does not keep the weak.
Now for the final round of tests: the weapon-smiths and alchemists. Everyone knows what these professions represent.
This time, the academy has relaxed the rules: anyone who reaches primary blacksmith or alchemist level will be admitted directly. We hope those participating will do their best and bring everyone another surprise."
Those eliminated could only watch as the qualifiers headed for the rest area. No matter how bitter they felt, they had no choice but to leave the training grounds.
Evan Chu's mind stirred—Xue Jinshan was sure to take the smith test. He decided to go watch and see how his friend performed.
"Let's go. Rest up and save our strength for tomorrow—let's aim for an even better result!" Gus Bullard suggested.
"I'm not leaving yet. I have a friend here too—she's also come to study at the academy. I just saw her a moment ago.
Her strength isn't as freakish as you guys, but she did pass the test. And she's an absolute beauty. Interested in an introduction?" Lily Tang grinned.
"Your friends are our friends too. Meeting a beauty is always an honor. If there's a chance, let's all get together." Evan Chu said, sneaking a glance at Roxanne Lin to see her reaction.
"Exactly, Lily—I want to see just how beautiful this friend of yours really is. Just don't let her steal someone's soul right away!"
Roxanne Lin said it on purpose. She knew she couldn't demand too much from Evan Chu; with his talent, he'd soon be the center of attention here—the object of countless beauties' admiration.
There was another reason too: after returning from the Chu estate, she'd read through some ancient family texts and learned that men with Pure Yang Constitution needed at least five or six women in their lifetime to stay safe.
If Pure Yang Qi built up too much, it had to be released, or his life would be at risk. No single woman could absorb it all.
Even with her Profound Yin Constitution, she could at best 'count as three women.' If Evan really liked another girl, she wouldn't mind.
Since ancient times, men have had three wives and four concubines. As long as she held a place in his heart, Roxanne Lin was content—there was no need for jealousy to ruin everyone's happiness.
"Heh, I promise I won't let you down. Alright, I'm off." With that, Lily Tang left, leaving Gus Bullard gazing after her, reluctant to see her go.
"Let's go too. No point staring after someone who's already left—careful, or your eyeballs will fall out," Evan Chu teased, finding Gus's personality amusing.
After a few steps, Gus Bullard suddenly asked, "Hey, Evan, aren't you heading to the rest area? Why are you going toward the smith test instead?"
"I've got a friend over there. If you're tired, go rest—I want to check on him. He's an amazing smith," Evan Chu said, speeding up his pace.
"You guys go ahead. I'm really worn out today—better rest early, there's another test tomorrow!" Gus said, heading off toward the rest area.
The smith and alchemist test area was much quieter, with fewer than a hundred participants. Evan Chu quickly spotted Gabe Goldstone.
Roxanne Lin followed silently. Anyone Evan Chu considered a friend surely wasn't ordinary—she wanted to see for herself.
From afar, Gabe Goldstone spotted Evan Chu, but when he saw Roxanne Lin behind him, he paused for a moment—stunned by her beauty—then quickly recovered.
"Big bro, I can't believe you really came! How have you been lately?" Evan rushed up to Gabe Goldstone and gave him a bear hug, leaving Roxanne a bit startled.
"Well, well, well! Little brother, you’re doing great—never thought you’d end up with such a stunning fiancée!" Gabe Goldstone teased.
"Roxanne, this is Big Brother Gabe. Just call him Brother Gabe!"
"Brother Gabe, Roxanne is my fiancée. Not bad, right? She’s got some serious skills too!" Evan Chu couldn’t help feeling proud—his woman was both gorgeous and powerful.
"She’s absolutely breathtaking—kid, you’re living the dream!" Gabe laughed, glancing between Evan and Roxanne. The two looked like a perfect match.
"Did you two pass the first trial? With your skills, I bet you breezed right through it."
"Brother Gabe, didn’t you watch the attack test? Roxanne and I were basically the stars of the show." Evan said, a bit surprised.
"No, I just got here and missed all the excitement. But the smith test coming up will be just as thrilling!" Gabe replied, brimming with confidence.
Far fewer people came to watch the smith and alchemist tests—most preferred martial prowess, even though these professions earned enormous respect. In this world where strength reigned supreme, martial skill was always number one.