Eternal Paragon Of Slaughter

Elder Wang Kai stood tall, one hand resting behind his back, the other holding a paper. Two guards stood a few steps behind him, silent and stern. In front of him, the children were assembled in four straight rows, their postures tense, their expressions uncertain.

He glanced at the paper in his hand before speaking, his voice calm but authoritative.

"Thirteen of you didn't even participate in the test," Elder Wang Kai announced. "You are all now declared failed candidates. You will not receive any spiritual stones until your punishment period is over."

He didn't spare even a glance at the group he just condemned. Without pause or emotion, he continued, "Among the rest, nine of you failed to reach the minimum score of one thousand points. You too will be considered failures and will receive no spiritual stones."

The children whose names had been called stood frozen. Some clenched their fists; others lowered their heads. But Elder Wang Kai remained indifferent, not allowing a single ripple of sympathy to cross his face.

Then his voice rang out again.

"Now for those who passed," he declared. "First is Wang Mei with thirteen thousand seven hundred points, followed by Wang Shui with ten thousand two hundred and eighty points..."

The list continued, names and numbers echoing across the silent platform, each one a judgment, a label, a measure of worth.

Finally, he reached the last name.

"Wang Ming — one thousand points."

As he said the name, Elder Wang Kai cast a long, unreadable look at Wang Ming.

Feeling the weight of that gaze, Wang Ming didn't react. He didn't flinch, didn't respond. Instead, he thought to himself:

"The clan... Even though they strive to grow stronger and cultivate new formation apprentices day by day, reality remains cruel , even for them. Despite controlling three mortal kingdoms, they still cannot afford to train the useless ones who fail to meet their expectations."

"Of course, there's another reason too. Even in a world where two hands can fight ten using formations and spiritual energy... when a hundred hands rise together, they become hard to suppress. The clan knows this. That's why they only nurture those they can control ,children who can bring results without ever becoming threats." freewёbnoνel.com

As he stood immersed in thought, he felt the stares of several children on him , sharp, lingering glances. Wang Shui and Wang Mei were among those who looked at him with particular intensity. Everyone in the class knew that Wang Ming hadn't killed anyone in the test except elderly prisoners the ones with the least merit value despite being fully capable of earning more.

Sensing their gaze, Wang Ming's mind wandered again.

"To most people, an elder's death is less impactful than a child's. Subconsciously, people believe that since the elderly already have little life left, it's better to trade their lives for those of newborns. But in doing so, they forget both are creations of the heavens, which is impartial... unlike us, human beings."

"My move today... it wasn't random. I was targeting the clan leader. I needed him to form an image of me even if it's inaccurate. If someone has a clear image of their opponent's personality and believes they understand their opponent's needs, they'll feel confident predicting every move, no matter how smart the opponent truly is."

"What I did today... was follow the same path as most of the others. Nothing unique. But when seen in the light of my earlier actions like the first day at the academy, the incident with my maid, and my refusal to meet those relatives who ignored me in my time of need ,the clan leader will form a particular image of me."

"A talented child. Scheming. One who takes revenge when given the chance. Someone who refuses to cross a certain moral line, even when presented with great benefit. After all, I didn't kill a single child today. I didn't even kill the middle-aged men, most of whom were likely those children's parents. Killing them would've made the lives of those kids even more hellish. I stopped short of that."

"This is the art of shaping one's character image , giving your enemy pieces, letting them think they figured you out, while keeping them blind to your real self. When the day comes that we are enemies... it'll be this false image they hold that will lead to their greatest mistake."

Finishing his thoughts, Wang Ming ignored the stares thrown his way and stood tall — his face calm, his posture steady, as if nothing at all had happened.