Gatekeeper Of All Realms Chapter 96

The stone ball kept rolling forward under Shen Ye’s push.

Finally, it rolled into a side path, down a slope, and disappeared into the underground river.

The few people continued to run forward.

Xiao Mengyu said, “Up until now, it has tested our intelligence, resonance, strength, comprehension, and combat ability. I guess next is mental power.”

“When did it test intelligence?” Zhang Xiaoyi asked.

“Finding a way to land on this floating island – oh, how did you get down?” Xiao Mengyu asked.

“I made a parachute, and my agility is quite high, so I landed in the lake at the end of the stream with the dog,” Zhang Xiaoyi said.

“I see,” Shen Ye said, “But how will it test mental power?”

“I’m curious too,” Xiao Mengyu said.

About seven or eight minutes later.

The few people arrived in a spacious hall.

It was empty, with only three small doors at the end of the hall.

The first small door had a cloud pattern carved on it, with the words “Jialan” written on top of the cloud pattern.

The second small door also had a pattern carved on its top edge, but it was a fine wave shape, with the words “Guixu” written on it.

The third small door had a lump of earth carved on it, with the words “Xirang” written on it.

“Huh? It’s not quite what I expected.”

Xiao Mengyu looked a little embarrassed.

The playing cards in everyone’s pockets vibrated simultaneously.

Lines of small text then appeared:

“You have passed various tests and are about to face the final test.”

“However, the final test is divided into three types, corresponding to three high schools. Please choose your preferred high school and take its final entrance exam.”

All the small words disappeared.

The cloud pattern then appeared.

Below the pattern was an introduction to Jialan High School.

If you swiped your hand, the cloud pattern would change to a wave, and the introduction would change to Guixu High School.

The same was true for Xirang High School.

Shen Ye found it difficult to read, feeling that he couldn’t get anything useful from these introductions.

—The introductions to the three high schools were basically the same, steady and error-free, much like the material articles of his previous life.

He looked up at Zhang Xiaoyi.

—Zhang Xiaoyi was the same.

The dog’s face also showed confusion.

Xiao Mengyu glanced at the three of them and shook her head, saying,

“These introductions are too official. If you haven’t been in contact with the three high schools, I might as well tell you about them.”

Shen Ye was overjoyed and said, “That would be great, of course.”

—Xiao Mengyu was a girl from a prominent family; her vision and knowledge were naturally superior to those of a few nobodies like them.

“Jialan High School is indeed the strongest, but it also pays most attention to background. Generally, children from prominent families like to apply for this high school.”

“Guixu High School has too much contact with prehistoric civilizations and secrets, so they know more than others, but because of this, they are prone to becoming crazy.”

“Xirang High School is also very good, but there’s one thing: sometimes, attending this high school means digging up underground ruins—that is, digging graves.”

Xiao Mengyu finished speaking in one breath, took out a waterskin, and gurgled a few sips of water.

Shen Ye and Zhang Xiaoyi fell into thought.

The dog, however, moved first.

It ran without hesitation towards the door of the Xirang High School.

“Hey, wait for me,” Zhang Xiaoyi was startled and quickly chased after it. “Be careful, there might be a trap inside!”

However, the dog had already disappeared through the door.

Zhang Xiaoyi reached the door, seemed to realize something, and turned to Shen Ye and Xiao Mengyu with a wry smile:

“His parents and my parents are gone; I have to look after him.”

“Go, be careful,” Shen Ye said with a smile.

Xiao Mengyu also nodded in acknowledgment.

Zhang Xiaoyi bowed to the two and said solemnly, “Thank you for saving our lives. I will repay you someday.”

With that, he turned and entered the door.

In the hall, only Shen Ye and Xiao Mengyu remained.

“Have you made up your mind?” Xiao Mengyu asked.

“Jialan High School is the strongest; I want to go to the strongest,” Shen Ye said.

“I thought you’d think that,” Xiao Mengyu said with a smile.

“What about you?” Shen Ye asked.

“Me too,” Xiao Mengyu said.

“Then let’s go.”

The two came to the entrance of Jialan High School and pushed the door open to enter.

In an instant.

Xiao Mengyu disappeared from in front of Shen Ye.

The playing card vibrated slightly, displaying a line of small text:

“This exam is for each individual candidate. Everyone will face the exam content alone.”

So that’s how it was.

Shen Ye composed himself and looked around.

He found himself standing in the center of a large hall—

This hall was identical to the previous one, except there was only a single door at the end of it.

Three lines of small text appeared on the playing card:

“The exam will begin in one minute.”

“Please remain stationary.”

“After one minute, successfully passing through that door will count as completing Jialan High School’s exclusive assessment.”

A profound silence.

Shen Ye cautiously observed his surroundings, waiting for the exam to begin.

The Big Skeleton’s voice suddenly rang out:

“We need to pass this stage quickly and leave this place.”

“Are you worried Zhao Yibing will catch up?” Shen Ye asked.

“It’s not a human girl,” Big Skeleton sneered. “It’s an alien god. If we encounter it again, it will be dangerous.”

“What is an alien god?” Shen Ye asked.

“A deity from another world—deities themselves are incredibly powerful world-level weapons. It is currently attached to a human girl in your world, and its schemes must be far-reaching and deep. We must avoid it,” Big Skeleton said.

“Huh? You never used to tell me these things before,” Shen Ye said.

“I’ve figured it out—hiding my true strength any further would genuinely lead to death—in fact, if it weren’t for you, I would have died in obscurity at position number five in the Gloom Highlands long ago,” Big Skeleton said.

“Alright, who exactly are you?” Shen Ye asked.

At this moment, spheres of fire began to light up around them.

The floor trembled slightly.

Something was coming!

“Let’s finish the exam first, and once we’re in a safe place, we can talk in detail,” Big Skeleton said.

“Alright,” Shen Ye said, staring at the wall on the other side of the hall.

The wall swayed a few times, then collapsed with a crash, revealing something behind it.

—The moment it appeared, the entire hall’s floor melted into water, sinking into the earth, turning into a swamp.

Such a strange phenomenon!

Shen Ye looked on in surprise.

—He saw a serpentine monster, tens of feet long.

Its body was as thick as a giant pillar in the hall, covered in black scales, coiled in a circle, with its head held high.

—It had nine heads, three in a row, making three rows in total, all with human features.

The nine human heads saw Shen Ye and all cried out like infants.

“Jiuying.”

Shen Ye exclaimed.

—He never expected the monstrous snake from myths and legends to appear before his eyes.

“Calm down!”

“How old are you guys? This exam absolutely won’t release high-level disasters. This guy looks formidable, but it should be a fake clone!” the Big Skeleton shouted.

Shen Ye thought about it carefully, and it seemed to make sense.

He had really overreacted.

Perhaps it was because his nerves had been too tense recently?

How ridiculous.

Jiuying stared at him from a distance, then suddenly opened its nine mouths and let out an incredibly mournful cry.

Boom—

The earth of the entire hall sank completely.

Water surged up.

Floods rose ferociously, submerging everything.

Shen Ye clung to a pillar, preventing himself from being swept away by the water.

Looking at Jiuying again, intense flames erupted from its body, scorching all the stone bricks on the hall’s ceiling crimson.

The stone bricks melted.

The floodwaters in the hall boiled, making it impossible to find a foothold.

Everything was exactly as the legends said.

“Ferren, brother, I don’t think this is a fake clone,”

Shen Ye shouted, hugging the pillar tightly.

“I just tested it; it should possess more than a tenth of its true body’s power,” the Big Skeleton stated gravely.

“A tenth? Do I even have a chance to win?” Shen Ye’s hope flared.

“You’re very likely to die without even feeling any pain,” the Big Skeleton said in a definitive tone.

“Then what’s the point of fighting!” Shen Ye said.

But could Jialan High School’s exam really be that difficult?

Unlikely.

No one else would be able to pass this stage if it were that hard.

“Wait, I will come out and give you a hand,” the Big Skeleton said in a low voice.

The ring moved.

Splat.

A colossal creature landed on the water, bobbing unsteadily.

Jiuying, who had been staring at Shen Ye, had its attention drawn by the sudden appearance of the thing.

—It was a monster made entirely of bone and carapace.

The monster was about half the size of a basketball court—

If one didn’t look at its shell, the monster did indeed look somewhat ferocious.

But if one did look at its shell…

“Skeleton King—”

Shen Ye cried out in alarm.

“If you dare to say the next word, I’ll break ties with you,” the monster said sharply.

Shen Ye swallowed the “turtle” that was in his mouth.

This Big Skeleton is quite something.

—It can truly adapt its form accordingly!

“I mean, Skeleton King—you are the best of all skeletons to me! You are the King!”

Shen Ye loudly tried to make amends.

“Jump down, I’m not afraid of this boiling water, I’ll take you across.”

The monster—or Skeleton King, or Big Skeleton—shouted to him.

Shen Ye let go with both hands and landed on the turtle.

Something suddenly emerged from the water and also jumped onto the turtle’s back.

—That piece of wood!

A line of small text appeared on the wood:

“When in danger, throw me far away!”

Shen Ye’s spirits lifted.

He couldn’t beat Jiuying at all; even if it only had a tenth of its original power, he shouldn’t even think about it.

But with the wood and the turtle, he might be able to escape!

“Skeleton King—”

“What? Please don’t drag out the sound so long, making everyone think there’s another word coming.”

“Skeleton King––let’s go!”

“Alright!”

The turtle began to paddle its four leaky bone claws, swimming strenuously towards the door.