Challenge and Genius Pavilion Merit Points

As time passed, the examiner silently prayed he could last a quarter hour—because Evan Yang in front of him was simply terrifying. No matter how much he boosted his own strength, Evan’s speed increased just as much, almost as if he were hiding his true power.

Gavin Qiao frowned from the side, muttering to himself, "This kid... it doesn’t look like he’s going all out."

Not only Gavin, but Reed Kong and the proctor also guessed that Evan Yang wasn’t using his full strength; meanwhile, the examiner was drenched in sweat.

Finally, Evan Yang barked, "Fall."

Unable to withstand Evan’s final attack, the examiner crashed to the ground and began twitching.

"Twentyfold force, and that’s all?" Evan mused inwardly. Still, this was a sign that after entering the Out-of-Body Realm, his cultivation and overall power had risen.

Reed Kong stood up and laughed, "Good, good!"

The proctor picked up a token—it was green, blank at first, but soon engraved itself with the characters 'Evan Yang,' then tossed it to him.

Evan took the token and saw his name carved on the front, and 'Genius Pavilion' on the back.

"That’s it for today," the proctor said, rising and leaving. Reed Kong, excited, walked over—just as Gavin Qiao came up laughing, "Professor Kong, I didn’t expect you’d manage to land a Green Fourth-Tier, but hey, it’s only Green Fourth-Tier! You want to climb higher? Dream on!"

After finishing, Gavin snorted and swept his oppressive aura across Evan again—even more unfriendly this time. Evan managed to withstand it, and Reed Kong blocked from the side, laughing, "This is the Genius Pavilion. Don’t go around attacking people. Be careful—I can report you, and you know what happens then."

"Consider yourself lucky!" Gavin Qiao transmitted to Evan, then angrily walked to the examiner, snorted, and left.

The examiner, frustrated, was carried away by the newcomers, while Evan left the assessment arena with Reed Kong.

"Come on, today’s meal is on me," Reed Kong said excitedly.

"There’s food here?" Evan had already stowed his token and smiled.

"Of course. And the food here is special—you'll see when we get there," Reed Kong replied with a laugh.

Evan was curious about how food on this planet differed from the outside. Soon, Reed Kong led him to another district.

That area was filled with buildings, and all sorts of aromas drifted out.

"Smells amazing," Evan remarked, catching the scents before even entering the district. Although he was no longer a mortal and didn’t need to eat, the aromas still tempted him.

Reed Kong smiled and led Evan to a restaurant called Genius Restaurant.

Once inside, Reed Kong asked the waiter for a table, then sat down with Evan and ordered some dishes. Here, you could see many other geniuses or Genius Pavilion staff dining.

"A lot of geniuses really like the food here, so whenever they come, they always have a meal before leaving," Reed Kong explained with a smile.

"I can see why. If it were me, I’d do the same," Evan said, savoring the aromas and feeling the lively atmosphere—especially the excited drinking and the variety of delicious dishes all around, which made his appetite surge.

"Glad you like it. Let’s enjoy a good meal here today—it’s to celebrate meeting you and to congratulate you," Reed Kong laughed.

Evan smiled, but just then, a group of uninvited guests appeared at the entrance—the leader was none other than Gavin Qiao.

"What a tag-along!" Reed Kong snorted. If Evan’s hearing weren’t so sharp, and they weren’t so close, he probably wouldn’t have caught it.

Evan noticed the group as well.

"I was just looking for you, Professor Kong! You see, these geniuses all passed today’s assessment, so I brought them over to join the fun. You don’t mind, do you?" Gavin Qiao said, his smile making everyone uncomfortable.

Reed Kong frowned as they moved to sit down, but Evan spoke up: "Sorry, I only like dining with friends. You should find another table."

It wasn’t arrogance—Evan just couldn’t stand it anymore, especially since Gavin Qiao had repeatedly schemed against him and even tried to kill him several times.

Since he’d already offended Gavin, Evan figured he might as well embarrass him openly and see if he could still keep smiling.

Gavin Qiao’s face twitched, and the three men with him looked even worse. The trio stepped forward, whether to impress Gavin or because they couldn’t stand Evan.

One of the three said to Evan, "I heard you just passed Green Fourth-Tier today? We just advanced from Third-Tier to Fourth-Tier as well. Perfect timing—we want to spar with you!"

"Spar?" The words were loud enough that nearby diners turned to look.

Gavin Qiao’s expression improved considerably. Trying to save face, he smiled, "Professor Kong, these geniuses are all hand-picked by me—just promoted today, so they’re happy and want to compete. What do you say?"

"No need!" Reed Kong replied.

Evan wasn’t sure how sparring worked here, especially since fighting was supposedly forbidden in the Genius Pavilion. Was there another way to compete? He listened curiously to their conversation.

"Professor Kong, are you afraid your newly certified genius can’t win? Or what? If you’re scared, forget it—pretend I never said anything," Gavin Qiao laughed, then turned to leave with his three followers, heading for another table.

"How does the duel work? Tell me," Evan asked.

Who was this kid, really? He actually wanted to fight. The onlookers were all curious about this newcomer.

Reed Kong hadn’t expected Evan to speak up.

Gavin Qiao was delighted, stopped, turned back and said, "Tomorrow then. See you at the appointed place." He left with a cheerful smile.

"Why did you agree to his challenge?" Reed Kong asked anxiously.

"You fear his clan—I don’t. He’s provoked me again and again; I can’t keep backing down. Since he wants someone to challenge me, I won’t hide. Now tell me, how does dueling work in the Genius Pavilion?" Evan said with a fearless smile.

(Irrelevant webnovel navigation line skipped.)

Reed Kong sighed helplessly, "In the Genius Pavilion, duels are allowed, but must be within the same tier—so Green Fourth-Tier can only duel Green Fourth-Tier, and the cultivation level must be comparable."

"He really picked well—three early-stage Out-of-Body Realm fighters," Evan said, understanding now and smiling.

"He has a plan! And those three are not simple. From what I know, Gavin Qiao commands all kinds of geniuses, including several Third-Tier ones. These three just advanced, and rumor has it one of them can defeat a same-tier Azure Fifth-Tier opponent," Reed Kong said worriedly.

"Azure Fifth-Tier? He’s hiding his true strength?" Evan said, now certain that at least one of the trio possessed such power—though he wasn’t sure which; only the duel would reveal it.

"Exactly. Many people conceal their strength—they don’t want to expose themselves unless necessary. I suspect they advanced just now specifically to challenge you, moving from Third-Tier to Fourth-Tier for this purpose," Reed Kong analyzed.

"Gavin Qiao really thinks highly of me—he’s sending a Green Fourth-Tier with Azure Fifth-Tier strength to deal with me," Evan said with a cold smile.

"I hope my guess is wrong," Reed Kong said worriedly.

"Right or wrong, I still have to fight. Are there any rules for these duels?" Evan asked, resigned but not worried.

"Not really. Life and death aren’t fixed—meaning you can use any method. There’s a dedicated referee, and the winner’s record is officially documented," Reed Kong replied.

"Official record? What’s the use of that?" Evan asked, puzzled.

"Fourth- and Fifth-Tier talents are recommended to the Three Palaces, so they look at these records and your usual performance. That’s why Fourth- and Fifth-Tier talents often challenge others—to qualify for the Elite Division," Reed Kong explained.

After hearing this, Evan finally understood—competition among geniuses in the Pavilion was pervasive.

Evan smiled, "How many duels have these people fought?"

"I don’t know exactly, but if you defeat someone, you can take their record. For example, you have zero points now—if your opponent has ten victories, he has ten points. If you win, all his points transfer to your record. That’s why even powerful geniuses get challenged, especially those who need high merit points," Reed Kong said, shaking his head helplessly.

"Aside from being used by the Three Palaces to select talents, do these merit points have any other purpose?" Evan wondered aloud. He thought only Fourth- and Fifth-Tier talents needed them—why make it so complicated?

Sure enough, Reed Kong explained, "You’re right—merit points have another use: you can exchange them for items in the Genius Pavilion’s Treasure Vault, or use them for special cultivation opportunities. The higher your points, the greater your advantage."

"Oh? So if two geniuses in the same tier have very different scores, the gap is huge?" Evan asked, surprised.

"Exactly. Within the same tier, merit points are the best proof of strength," Reed Kong replied.

"I wonder what you can exchange for in the Treasure Vault?" Evan asked curiously. After all, it was the Genius Pavilion’s Treasure Vault.

The Genius Pavilion stood independent among the Three Palaces, proof of its strength—so the Treasure Vault’s offerings must be impressive, which piqued Evan’s curiosity.

Reed Kong smiled, "I don’t know the specifics. I’ve only seen a few geniuses exchange things there. I’ve heard that if your points are high enough, you can even trade for immortal artifacts—but the required points are enormous. Only a handful of people, or those who’ve been geniuses for a long time, ever manage it."

"Immortal artifacts? The Genius Pavilion is really generous. Aren’t they worried about geniuses fighting each other?" Evan asked, curious.

"Fighting? If geniuses battle outside, their status is revoked, and they may be punished by the Genius Pavilion. Only duels inside the Pavilion are legitimate—anything outside doesn’t count," Reed Kong explained, seeing Evan’s misunderstanding.

"So earning merit points isn’t easy—unless you’re inside the Pavilion, and your opponent agrees," Evan concluded.