Here is the chapter with the Shi Cheng modification applied in both places, so it stays consistent.
Days passed, and light snow fell over the academy training field.
The year-end examination had arrived.
3 arena stages had been built in the training field. Long tables and chairs were arranged beneath temporary covers. Senior Gu Masters, clan elders, and faction representatives had also come to watch the battles.
For the academy students, this was not only a final test.
The results would affect which teams noticed them after graduation, which senior Gu Masters were willing to take them in, and how smoothly their first steps outside the academy would go.
The academy elder stood before the students and spoke in a clear voice.
"This year-end examination will be held through arena battles. First place will receive 150 primeval stones."
The students' eyes changed.
150 primeval stones.
Even Fang Ming cared about this amount.
His expenses were no longer small. Moonglow Gu, Stone Skin Gu, Liquor Worm, and the hidden Gu he did not show to others all required resources in different ways. Cultivation also consumed primeval stones quickly, especially when he wanted speed instead of slow natural recovery.
150 primeval stones would not solve everything, but it was still useful.
Fang Ming stood among the students with a calm expression.
He had to take it.
After the academy elder finished explaining the examination, a female Gu Master stepped forward for the final cultivation check.
One by one, the students were called.
Most were Rank 1 middle stage.
The better students had reached upper stage.
Then the key names began.
"Gu Yue Fang Yuan."
Fang Yuan walked forward calmly.
The female Gu Master checked him and announced, "Gu Yue Fang Yuan, Rank 1 peak stage."
A slight commotion rose among the spectators.
Fang Yuan was only C-grade aptitude, but with Liquor Worm, this result was no longer impossible to explain. Even so, reaching Rank 1 peak stage before graduation as a C-grade student still attracted attention.
Some Gu Masters looked at him with envy.
A Liquor Worm at Rank 1 was truly useful.
Fang Yuan returned to his place without expression.
"Gu Yue Fang Zheng."
Fang Zheng stepped forward.
Many gazes gathered on him.
He was the clan head's A-grade seedling. During this year, Gu Yue Bo had invested heavily in him. If Fang Zheng failed to show results, that would be strange.
The female Gu Master checked him.
Her expression changed slightly.
"Gu Yue Fang Zheng, Rank 2 initial stage."
The training field stirred.
Rank 2 before academy graduation.
This was rare.
Although a few senior Gu Masters had already heard some news, most students and ordinary spectators had not known for certain. Now that Fang Zheng's Rank 2 cultivation was publicly confirmed, many people still showed surprise.
Among the elders, Gu Yue Mo Chen smiled and looked toward Gu Yue Bo.
"Clan leader nurtured Fang Zheng well. This A-grade talent has already begun to bloom."
Gu Yue Bo smiled faintly. "It is mostly Fang Zheng's own effort."
The Shi faction leader, Shi Lian, also followed with a few words of praise.
"Fang Zheng's talent is indeed excellent. The clan is fortunate."
On the surface, the atmosphere was harmonious.
Fang Zheng returned to his position.
"Gu Yue Mo Bei."
Mo Bei walked forward with his head raised.
The result came quickly.
"Gu Yue Mo Bei, Rank 1 peak stage."
There was another small commotion, but not as large as before.
Mo Bei was the next heir of the Mo faction. With his backing, reaching Rank 1 peak stage before graduation was within expectations.
Mo Bei returned, his gaze still sharp.
"Gu Yue Shi Cheng."
Shi Cheng stepped forward.
The female Gu Master checked him and announced, "Gu Yue Shi Cheng, Rank 1 peak stage."
The reaction was similar.
As the descendant of the Shi faction leader, this result was not surprising.
Shi Cheng walked back, but his expression was not relaxed.
Before the competition, his grandfather had analyzed several possible opponents for him, but Fang Ming had never truly been included among those he could realistically defeat.
Fang Ming had already been Rank 2 for over 2 months. That alone placed him beyond Shi Cheng's current level.
And now, Fang Zheng had also reached Rank 2.
Although Fang Zheng had only advanced recently and could not be compared to Fang Ming's stability, Rank 2 was still Rank 2. For Shi Cheng, this meant that the 2 A-grade talents had already stepped into a level he could not easily touch.
Finally, the female Gu Master called out, "Gu Yue Fang Ming."
The surroundings became quieter.
Fang Ming walked forward.
The snow fell lightly around him as he stopped before the female Gu Master.
She placed her hand near his aperture area and checked carefully.
A few breaths passed.
Her expression remained composed, then she announced, "Gu Yue Fang Ming, Rank 2 initial stage."
There was no eruption this time.
Fang Ming's Rank 2 cultivation had long since spread through the clan. Everyone knew he had advanced far earlier than Fang Zheng. The check only confirmed what people already knew.
Even so, many students still looked at him.
Fang Zheng had just stepped into Rank 2.
Fang Ming had already been there for over 2 months.
The gap was obvious.
Some students whispered quietly.
"Rank 2 initial stage…"
"He really reached it so early."
"Fang Zheng only caught up recently."
"Then this final examination…"
Their words did not need to be finished.
The final examination now had a clear focus.
2 A-grade Rank 2 Gu Masters.
Fang Zheng, backed by the clan head.
Fang Ming, sponsored by the Shi faction but always acting as if no one could control him.
Who would stand higher?
Among the elders, Gu Yue Bo looked calm.
Fang Ming's cultivation was no longer new information, so there was no need to show surprise. Compared to that, Fang Zheng's recent advancement was the matter that had just been confirmed before everyone.
Still, Gu Yue Bo could not ignore Fang Ming.
Fang Zheng was his chosen seedling, but Fang Ming's existence reminded everyone that the clan did not have only 1 A-grade genius.
Gu Yue Bo wanted Fang Zheng to shine.
Fang Ming made that more difficult.
Shi Lian's expression was also calm on the surface.
Fang Ming had reached Rank 2 without relying on him heavily, and that fact still left Shi Lian displeased whenever he thought about it. But this was not the time to show anything. Fang Ming's Rank 2 cultivation had already become known. Arguing over it now would only make the Shi faction look petty.
Below the stage, Fang Yuan looked at Fang Ming with interest.
Fang Zheng reaching Rank 2 was not a big issue to him.
Fang Zheng was straightforward.
Predictable.
Even with Rank 2 cultivation, Fang Yuan was confident he could handle him.
Fang Ming was different.
Fang Ming's use of Moonlight Gu had always been better than Fang Zheng's. His close combat was even more troublesome. Fang Yuan had fought him many times during this year and knew this clearly.
Fang Ming was not only skilled.
He had monstrous natural strength.
Even after Fang Yuan used White Boar Gu to increase his own strength, Fang Ming's raw power had become superior. Worse still, Fang Yuan had not fought him recently. He did not know how much Fang Ming's strength had grown now.
If Fang Yuan used all his Gu and methods, he was confident he could win.
But in the academy examination, under the eyes of elders and spectators, he could not reveal everything.
With only Moonlight Gu and ordinary means, fighting Fang Ming would be tricky.
Approaching him for close combat was not safe.
At the same time, Fang Yuan also noticed something else.
Fang Ming's Rank 2 cultivation was already known, but the details of his combat ability were still unclear.
A Rank 2 Gu Master without a proper Rank 2 Gu was very different from a Rank 2 Gu Master with one.
If Fang Ming only had Rank 2 cultivation and still relied on Rank 1 Gu, then he was still beatable under academy rules.
But if Fang Ming had already prepared a Rank 2 Gu…
Fang Yuan's gaze became calm again.
There was no need to decide now.
The arena would show the truth.
Fang Zheng stood among the students.
Today, his own Rank 2 cultivation had finally been announced before everyone.
He should have been happy.
But as his gaze moved toward Fang Ming, that happiness became difficult to keep pure.
Fang Ming had already been Rank 2 for over 2 months.
Fang Zheng had not climbed to the highest position. He had only reached the place Fang Ming had been standing on for a long time.
Mo Bei's eyes burned with fighting intent.
Fang Ming was one of the people he wanted to fight most.
Their relationship was not good. They came from different factions and often threw sarcastic remarks at each other. But they had also sparred many times and trained together for a period.
That had stopped later, when Fang Ming began preferring wild boar hunting over sparring with him.
Mo Bei wanted to know how strong Fang Ming had become.
Shi Cheng looked toward Fang Ming, then toward Fang Zheng.
His expression became even worse.
Before the examination, he had known that Fang Ming was already beyond him. There was no need to test it. Fang Ming had reached Rank 2 earlier, had monstrous strength, and had never been someone Shi Cheng could easily deal with.
But Fang Zheng reaching Rank 2 changed the situation again.
Fang Zheng was newly advanced, but Rank 2 was still Rank 2.
Among the academy students, the 2 A-grade talents had already stepped onto another level. Shi Cheng was still Rank 1 peak stage, standing below them no matter how unwilling he felt.
That made him uncomfortable.
As for the other students, most of them were not politically sharp.
Their thinking was simple.
Fang Ming was A-grade.
Fang Zheng was also A-grade.
Both had reached Rank 2 before graduation.
That alone was enough to make them feel that this year's final examination would be different from all previous years.
The cultivation check ended soon after.