chapter 40 The big exam begins

Below the viewing platform, Garfield and two others sat together. "Garfield, don't be nervous during the bloodline awakening ceremony. Just focus on sensing the power within your bloodline, and you'll make it." "Don't worry, I feel like Garfield has changed from before. This time, he'll awaken his bloodline." In times of trouble, upon hearing the words of Walfred and Jeff, Garfield felt a warm glow in his heart. Suddenly, Garfield turned his head and looked towards the entrance of the square. A graceful figure slowly walked in from outside the square. "Mother!" Grace arrived at the square, and with just a glance, it seemed like the mother and son had a tacit understanding, their gazes instantly meeting. Grace smiled slightly, showing Garfield an encouraging smile. She then didn't approach Garfield, instead finding a seat on the stands and quietly sitting down. Although Grace arrived quietly, her stunning beauty instantly attracted the attention of many. "Who is this woman? She's so beautiful!" a man exclaimed. "Shh!" His friend immediately gave him a nudge, whispering, "Keep it down. Don't you recognize her? She's the eldest daughter of the Quickley family, Grace, the daughter of Laird." "What? It's her? The former number one beauty of the capital, truly worthy of her reputation." On the stands, Cora, who witnessed this scene, narrowed her eyes, a fierce light flashing in them. "Hmph, I didn't expect that this wretched woman, Grace, would also come. It's good, I'll get to see how her precious son was expelled from Skybert Academy. Hahaha..." Beside her, Prince Adam revealed a hint of lecherousness in his eyes. "The Dean is here." At that moment, someone suddenly shouted, and the entire square instantly fell silent. A group of people walked in from outside the square, and among them was an elderly man with white hair, dressed in a pale robe. He was the dean of Skybert Academy, Igor Chapman. Beside him were several extraordinary figures, and they quickly arrived at the main table in the center of the viewing platform. What shocked everyone was that in previous annual exams, it was usually Dean Igor who sat at the main seat. However, this time, after a slight gesture of deference, it was a middle-aged man in a blue martial robe who sat in the top seat, while Dean Igor sat beside him. "Who is this guy?" "He's sitting in the main seat. I've never seen that before." "Could he be a big shot from the royal palace?" Many students below were discussing. "Huh, His Majesty sent the Lord Lincoln, Kale, to participate in this assessment. It seems that His Majesty attaches great importance to this assessment at Skybert Academy," Lord Keighley exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the man in black. Kale, the Lord Lincoln. He was a legendary figure in Quewyn, with cultivation at the peak of the Fourth-realm Profound Level, just one step away from entering the Sect Level. He was known as the strongest individual in Quewyn and was the guardian of the royal palace. Only he could sit above Dean Igor, also a Fourth-realm Profound Level expert. At this moment, some nobles, martial arts experts, and those who had seen Kale before began to discuss secretly, "Although Skybert Academy is the number one academy in the capital, is it really important enough to warrant a visit from the Lord Lincoln? His visit this time should have other purposes." "Could it be because of that reason..." Lord Keighley's heart stirred, suddenly lost in thought. The year-end exam was held in the academy's martial arts arena. Even though the viewing platform was filled with many people, it still seemed very spacious and grand. "Everyone, today is the day of our Skybert Academy's annual exam. Welcome to all who have come to participate." A man in a gray robe ascended the high platform and spoke loudly, his gaze sharp. This man was the Vice Dean of Skybert Academy, Mace. He was the one who presided over all major and minor events in the academy. "This exam is divided into two parts..." Mace began to explain loudly from the platform. The year-end exam is divided into the bloodline awakening and the martial exam. Bloodline awakening is when all disciples who have not yet awakened their bloodlines gather together to undergo a collective baptism. This process isn't taken seriously, it's more like a formality. Almost every student who can join the Skybert Academy can awaken their bloodline. The reason many haven't awakened is simply due to their young age. The majority of these individuals are new students who just joined the academy this year. It's expected that most of them will awaken their bloodlines during the end-of-year awakening ceremony. However, this year's awakening ceremony seems different. Some people who are privy to the inside information have peculiar expressions on their faces, scanning through the students. They've heard that there's a student who has been in the academy for over two years without awakening their bloodline. According to the academy's rules, if a student hasn't awakened their bloodline within three years of enrollment, they will be expelled from the academy. Although this rule has existed since the founding of the academy, in the hundreds of years of Skybert Academy's history, such an event has never occurred. But today, this record might be broken. If this person still can't awaken their bloodline during this awakening ceremony, they will become the first student in the hundred-year history of Skybert Academy to be expelled due to their inability to awaken their bloodline. If it were just an ordinary person, it probably wouldn't attract so much attention. But the student who hasn't awakened their bloodline is none other than Garfield, the illegitimate son of the renowned military god, Prince Caspian of the Quewyn. With all these factors combined, it's impossible not to gossip about it. After Mace announced the procedures, a large group of junior disciples who hadn't awakened their bloodlines were gathered on the square, totaling over a hundred people. On the square, various instruments had already been set up by the bloodline sanctuary personnel. Under the gaze of the people, the students who arrived at the square were internally extremely nervous. "Faster, tell me which one is Garfield from the Quickley family?" "Have you found him?" "Like father like son, how can a disciple of the Quickley family not awaken his bloodline for over two years? It's unbelievable. If he still doesn't awaken today, the Quickley family will probably become a joke in our Quewyn." "Heh, Jacy, you've got it wrong. Although his mother is from the Quickley family, his father isn't. The so-called like father like son, it doesn't match at all." "That's true, perhaps Garfield's inability to awaken his bloodline is because of his father's background. The dignified number one beauty of our Quewyn, how could she end up with such a man? Could it be that during her travels, she was...?" "Shh! Are you asking for trouble? Some words shouldn't be said lightly. Watch out your head." Amidst the noisy crowd, Odell and others cast sinister glances at Garfield, and as they did, everyone was stunned because they realized that Garfield had no intention of getting up and entering the square. ----------