Who could this possibly be?  

As chaos engulfed the Eastern Tomb, the lifeless bodies along the muddy official road numbered merely in the hundreds, a mere trifle compared to the casualties suffered by the border troops amidst the treacherous mountains and rivers. Yet, because the blood coursing through that woman's veins was the same as that of the current Emperor of the Yunqin, the imperial city of Zhongzhou was thrown into turmoil, the emperor's wrath palpable, as countless ministers quaked in their boots, uncertain of how many nerves had been set on edge. 

At the very moment when the third-ranking official of the Judicial Department, a young and influential figure in the Yunqin Empire, fell into the Peach Blossom River, Vice Dean Xia emerged from his modest dwelling and made his way to the back mountains of the Ailao Academy. 

In recent years, the nine elders who could sit behind heavy curtains in the emperor's court may not have overstepped their bounds, but the current sovereign was still quite young, burdened with a multitude of matters he sought to control. Unlike the previous emperor, he lacked a deep understanding and sufficient reverence for Director Zhang and these elders; he was unaware that no matter how wise a sovereign may be, it is impossible for one to oversee every detail, nor can an entire empire be made to operate solely according to his will. 

However, due to the considerable distance between the Eastern Tomb and the Qingluan Academy, as well as the separation between Zhongzhou's imperial city and the academy, even if the thoughts of those within the imperial city, including the one upon the dragon throne, were tumultuous, the winds stirred up by the chaos in the Eastern Tomb would only serve as a headache. Even with the extraordinary talents of Prime Minister Xiao Mingxuan and the numerous esteemed instructors at Ailao Mountain, more time would be required to deduce the ultimate trajectory of this incident and fulfill the academy's responsibilities. Thus, much like many other tombs and towns in the region, Qingluan Academy remained tranquil. 

... 

"Is this what they mean by serendipity? It seems my decision yesterday was indeed wise..." 

Within the expansive stone hall of the Direct Strike Spear Array, Lin Xi lay on the ground, gasping for breath, his body drenched as if pulled from water. Yet, upon gazing at the entrance of the hall, a triumphant smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. 

The names on the leaderboard at the exit of this trial valley do not necessarily represent the strongest; they merely indicate those who encountered even mightier adversaries, much like the "Golden Sun" he had faced earlier. Although ranked below him, its true combat prowess far surpassed his own, and without Jiang Xiaoyi's assistance, he would have never emerged victorious. 

Just yesterday, Lin Xi had received a letter from home and had a chance encounter with Gao Yanan. He wished to celebrate three joyous occasions, yet the "Spotted Tiger" he encountered in the trial valley, though not on the leaderboard, was also stronger than him. 

After a reckless sprint, he was inevitably defeated by the opponent marked with the "Spotted Tiger" emblem. However, determined to discomfort Xu Shengmo, Lin Xi resorted to a small act of cheating, teleporting back to the tenth stop, skillfully evading this adversary, and retrieving a crossbow he had no time to collect earlier from the forest he had dashed through. Thus, he finally achieved five instances of five-star performance. 

Originally, he had thought he missed an opportunity to hone his skills in the Direct Strike Spear Array, but today, following An Keyi's advice, he exchanged a credit earned from rewards for an Ice Phoenix Pill. As anticipated, after finally breaking through to the rank of a novice Soul Master, he discovered that, imperceptibly, he had become significantly more adept within the Direct Strike Spear Array. 

His strength had notably increased; he could now easily manipulate a hundred-pound stone ball, and drawing the black stone longbow felt nearly as effortless as using the hardwood bow he had previously employed. Consequently, when slashing down the black spears within the Direct Strike Spear Array, he no longer felt the need to exert excessive force as he had before, allowing his movements to become much more fluid... Moreover, an important factor was that Xu Shengmo's rigorous training in the early mornings, though demanding, had indeed improved his balance. In the past, after enduring a heavy blow from a spear, he would struggle to evade the subsequent second or third thrusts, but now, unless struck in a particularly painful spot, he could still manage to dodge in time. 

Thus, by the end of the day, after utilizing his ability once, he astonishingly persevered for a remarkable one hundred fifty-three steps. 

Now, the bronze back door of the Direct Strike Spear Array appeared tantalizingly close... This invigorated Lin Xi's courage and interest, for if things continued this way, it wouldn't be long before he could once again cause discomfort to Xu Shengmo. 

The more he simplified his perspective on this world and life, the easier it became to find joy. 

So, as he glimpsed the back door of the stone hall drawing near, and thought about how his letter home was likely on its way to Lulin Town, Lin Xi felt an overwhelming sense of brightness and happiness as he wriggled back on the ground like a worm. 

Not long after Lin Xi exited the yellow-walled enclosure, Wen Xuanyu entered through another gate of the same enclosure, making his way toward the stone hall of the Direct Strike Spear Array. 

The mark on his chest was that of a black bat, the "Black Bat." Just two days prior, his record on the leaderboard stood at three five-star exits, but today, it had risen to five. 

Wen Xuanyu moved slowly today, his head bowed, as he pondered the issues raised in yesterday's letter from home. 

As chaos erupted in the Eastern Tomb, Zhu Moyun's demise... What actions would the individual mentioned in that letter take next? What moves would the nine elders hidden behind heavy curtains make? These matters, which ordinary students and even influential local officials could scarcely touch, were laid out plainly in his letter. 

As the sole heir of the Wen family and the son of one of the eight heads of the Yunqin's various departments, he received such "letters from home" daily. Unlike other students, he was compelled to understand these matters and assess their developments to verify the accuracy of his previous judgments. Each day, he replied with his thoughts on the issues his father had mentioned in the letters. He was acutely aware that his father's capabilities rendered it unnecessary for him to seek advice from his opinions; this method merely prepared him to possess the ability to one day ascend to his father's position. 

His father, more knowledgeable about the academy's capabilities than he, ensured that these straightforward letters contained no concealments. 

"This affair, while certain to affect many, is not solely about the event itself... but rather about what my father intends to do..." As the sole heir of one of the empire's most influential families, this aloof and proud young man contemplated how to respond to his father while stepping into the stone hall of the Direct Strike Spear Array. 

In his view, although the Eastern Tomb incident was significant, the Wen family must not become blinded by it... The crucial point is that among the nine elders seated behind the heavy curtains, one was quite old and afflicted with an incurable illness, and based on earlier information, he should relinquish his position within the next few years. 

Though the current sovereign was wise and martial, he was still an insider, unable to see as clearly as the outsiders like the Wen family. Over the years, he had been seeking to diminish the power held by the nine elders, and according to his wishes, if any of those positions became vacant, no one should be allowed to fill them again. However, these positions were originally established by the previous emperor to prevent him from making mistakes and to guard against certain individuals, so those who understood this principle and had the reason and strength to assume those roles were destined to take them. 

Based on his own assessment, the Wen family, the Leng family, and the military faction in the west were the most likely candidates for those positions, and his performance at the Qingluan Academy would naturally influence his father's standing to some extent. 

Fortunately, the Wen family had always boasted an excellent lineage, ensuring that he would stand out among others. 

Taking a deep breath, he glanced at the record affixed to the wall at the entrance before charging into the vast hall, wielding his black longsword. 

... 

One by one, he cleaved through the black long spears. In contrast to Lin Xi's graceful movements, Wen Xuanyu advanced with bold strides, exuding an exceptionally fierce demeanor. His strength far surpassed Lin Xi's, and his actions seemed to possess an innate talent, striking with remarkable precision and speed that few could replicate. 

After felling dozens of spears, he was finally pierced by one and began to fall. 

After countless falls, the once lively stone hall grew quiet once more, and Wen Xuanyu lay motionless on the ground, devoid of strength to continue. 

Suddenly, his pupils constricted, and his body instinctively yearned to rise, but as his feeble hands moved, they instead elicited a wave of searing pain, causing him to emit a low, shocked cry of agony. 

For he realized that between himself and the bronze back door, there were still fresh spear marks embedded in the ground. 

This could only mean that someone had traversed a greater distance in this stone hall before him! 

Upon closer inspection, this individual had surpassed him by a staggering seventeen or eighteen steps! 

How could this be possible?! 

Wen Xuanyu was acutely aware that for them, the new students, traversing this Direct Strike Spear Array relied primarily on martial skills and the reflexes honed through training. Unless one reached the rank of Soul Master, capable of channeling soul power to the surface, even a slight increase in strength at the intermediate or advanced Soul Master levels would still result in excruciating pain from spear wounds, which would affect subsequent actions. Being struck by several spears could easily render one powerless. 

Yet, among the new students, no one had yet reached the rank of Soul Master. 

Given Wen Xuanyu's talent and confidence, he believed that even those from the border tribes could not surpass him in martial skills and reflexes, so if anyone were to break the record here, it would undoubtedly be him! 

But at this moment, someone had already outpaced him by seventeen or eighteen steps! 

This was utterly unbelievable. Since the permission to enter the trial valley had been granted, he had practiced daily within the Direct Strike Spear Array... In such circumstances, how could anyone possibly perform better than him? 

If this were true, then who could this person be?