Early the next morning, just as dawn broke, Gavin Wei knocked on Evan Chu's door. "Brother Long, it's time to head out! Don't tell me you're still absorbing Stellar Power!"
Evan wasn’t actually absorbing Stellar Power at this moment, but he was mentally rehearsing the fifth form of Demon-Breaking Fist. After merging strands of bloodline power into his Earth Star Pellet, he felt his Chaos Qi growing even stronger.
With the Chaos Qi in his Earth Star Pellet now, using the fifth form of Demon-Breaking Fist should only consume about half of it. If that’s the case, he could unleash the fifth form twice—maybe that would give him a real shot at making the top hundred.
He’d already mastered the first five forms in his mind; the only thing missing was hands-on practice. Evan knew that only by actually burning through his Chaos Qi in real combat could he spot any real problems.
Hearing Gavin’s voice, Evan smiled to himself: "This kid really is impatient. It’s just another trial—what’s the big deal? He’s ninth-layer Earth Martial, he’ll pass easily."
"Come in!" Evan called out. He genuinely treated Gavin as a brother.
Gavin stepped inside and saw Evan still sitting on the bed. "Brother Long, are you really absorbing Stellar Power? I didn’t interrupt, did I?" he asked.
"Not at all. What, you really have that little confidence? I actually think you’ve got this!" Evan said, getting out of bed.
"I’m confident, just a little scared. If I can’t make it, how am I supposed to keep following you around?" Gavin joked.
"Let’s go. As long as you give it your all, you’ll pass! Let’s see how tough this so-called second trial really is." Evan said, and the two of them headed out.
Stepping outside, they saw a crowd had already gathered—everyone wanted to see what the second trial was like, hoping to get a feel for it before their turn.
As they walked, Evan became the center of attention. Everyone was curious how such a young candidate had taken first place in the first trial, and now they all wanted to see how he'd perform in the second.
"Brother Long, you’re the hot topic now. Everyone’s betting on whether you’ll make the top three in this second trial," Gavin joked.
"Top three? That’s way too much pressure. You know my real strength—if I crack the top hundred, I’ll be happy. I couldn’t care less about their gossip," Evan said with a wry smile.
Soon they reached the site where the giant bell for the trial was set up. Over a thousand people had gathered, with many standing right in front of the bell, watching closely.
A few candidates were testing their martial arts against the bell, and waves of ringing echoed through the training field, stirring the crowd to excitement.
Evan and Gavin stood off at a distance, watching the attempts. Gavin said, "Doesn’t seem that hard—any random hit makes it ring. Looks like not many will get eliminated this round."
"You’re way too naive. It’s not about making it ring—the key is how long the bell sounds. Listen, none of them last more than three seconds. At that level, I guarantee they’ll be eliminated," Evan said firmly.
"Well said! Didn’t expect you to have some real insight, kid. But let’s see if you’ll keep your first-place title this time," a cocky voice called out to Evan and Gavin.
They turned to see two young men approaching, one of them unmistakably Aiden Ying.
Evan didn’t like this guy one bit. The look in Aiden Ying’s eyes was pure hatred—he’d stolen the glory Aiden thought was his in the first trial and made him lose face.
But what Evan couldn’t figure out was why the prime minister’s son would even bother competing for a Royal Capital Guard post. Was he just bored, or was there some secret agenda?
Lately, Evan had heard a few things about the prime minister’s behavior at court. The man’s status was just below the throne and above ten thousand—he held so much power that even the current monarch was wary of him.
Royal Capital Guards might not have official rank, but they could freely enter and exit the palace. If the prime minister had any treacherous intentions, putting his own son in the Guard could shake the whole Heavenly Dragon Kingdom.
The two walked up to Evan, and Aiden Ying sneered, "Didn’t expect you to snatch first place from me. Impressive! But do you dare make a bet with me?"
Evan sized him up—good-looking, sure, but those eyes were full of arrogance and cruelty. One glance, and you could tell he was narrow-minded to the core.
"Not interested. Besides, I don’t even know you—why would I bet with you?" Evan replied coldly. "So what if you’re the prime minister’s son? I don’t have to give a damn."
"Do you even know who you’re talking to? Maybe you don’t want to stay in the capital—believe me, after this trial ends, you could end up dead," Aiden’s sidekick said, full of swagger.
"Who I’m talking to is none of your business. You’re just a lackey—there’s no shortage of people who want me dead. What I don’t get is why you’re going so far over nothing—is it just because I beat him?" Evan said, meeting their eyes without a hint of fear.
"Good! You’ve got guts—I like that. I hear you haven’t even broken into the Heaven Martial Realm yet, which is what shocks me most. I want to see if you can make the top three this time. If you do, you get to live. If not, you’re dead when this is over," Aiden said flatly.
"Don’t try to scare me—I was born a coward! Who do you think you are? Whether I make the cut is my business, not yours. So what if you’re the prime minister’s son? My goal is the top hundred," Evan shot back.
A flash of viciousness crossed Aiden Ying’s face. He smiled, "No one in the capital has ever dared talk to me like that—you’re the first. But let me remind you, anyone who opposes me never ends well."
"Thanks for the warning. My life’s cheap—I just can’t seem to die no matter what. I’m curious to see which bastard will try to take me out this time," Evan said, then turned away and headed for the bell.
As Evan walked off, Aiden’s companion muttered, "Aiden, that punk is way too cocky. Even if you don’t send someone after him, I will. Acting tough in the capital—doesn’t he know whose turf this is?"
"If he can be useful to me, I’ll keep him around. If not, he disappears from this world," Aiden said.
Gavin hurried after Evan, whispering, "Brother Long, why’d you have to piss off the capital’s number one fiend? He really means what he says—no one knows how many people he’s killed."
"I know. But I can’t stand arrogant bullies. If he wants my life, he’ll have to work for it. Let’s wait and see," Evan replied calmly.
The crowd in the training field kept growing; it looked like everyone was here to watch the first group attempt the trial.
Just then, dozens of Royal Capital Guards appeared before the crowd. Evan knew the trial was about to begin...