Liana Xiao was dead.
The shocking news quickly spread throughout the Xiao family, leaving them in turmoil. As one of the family's few young awakeners with a high-level Guardian Spirit, Liana had been considered talented and even had a chance at university admission, making her a key focus of the Xiao family's resources. Furthermore, as a member of the direct line, her position in the family was elevated.
But now, she'd been assassinated. Though the identity of her killer remained unknown, the Blood Hand Syndicate was the primary suspect. Their assassins were known for their proficiency with firearms, and Liana had been killed by a bullet. Given that Xena Xiao had narrowly survived an assassination attempt just days earlier, the family was inclined to believe Blood Hand might be responsible for this reprisal.
In response to the murder of a direct descendant, the Xiao family launched a swift retaliation. They dismantled one of Blood Hand's smaller outposts, eliminating several low-level operatives. The Syndicate's higher-ranking assassins, especially those in the Purification and Blood Transformation stages, were forced to retreat from Feilan City and lay low until things cooled down.
…
"Blood Hand Syndicate…why did you take my daughter's life!!" Yara Li grieved, her heart consumed with bitterness.
She knew her daughter Liana had hired the Syndicate to target Xena, but after their mission had failed, the Syndicate had suffered heavy losses, losing six Purification Stage assassins. In her mind, her daughter's death was nothing more than Blood Hand's brutal retribution.
Of course, her hatred for Xena Xiao ran deep. If not for Xena, Liana wouldn't have attempted an assassination in the first place, and she would still be alive, free from the Syndicate's wrath.
"Don't worry, my daughter," Yara swore with a look of twisted determination. "I'll avenge you and wipe the Blood Hand Syndicate off the map! And Xena…you won't be safe forever. I'll make you pay for this."
…
In the blink of an eye, five months passed.
With the college entrance exam now only ten days away, every student at Feilan High School was locked in preparation. The exam itself was divided into two parts: a cultural knowledge exam and a cultivation assessment. The cultivation exam was the more important of the two, but the cultural portion could not be ignored, as it was considered a measure of insight and wisdom—both essential qualities for successful cultivation.
During these last few months, Xena buried herself in her studies. Unlike other students, she frequently recited and pondered the Tao Te Ching, and this profound Daoist classic nourished her mind, strengthening her memory and comprehension to extraordinary levels. Books that would take others days or even weeks to memorize became etched in her mind with just one reading.
Xena's study efficiency soared far beyond that of her peers. Despite her frequent absences, she had thoroughly mastered every high school subject and could recite entire textbooks verbatim, along with knowledge from supplementary texts and obscure topics.
"Finally done! I've memorized countless books and thoroughly grasped all the material. If I don't score over 900 now, I'll accept my fate!" Xena remarked as she closed an ancient text.
Ethan Lin's voice echoed from her Guardian Spirit space. "Xena, Galaxy University requires awakeners to be at the fifth level of the Purification Stage. Over these six months, you've been diligently training and have reached that level, so you meet the requirement. However, I'm still classified as only a mid-level Guardian Spirit. Galaxy University mandates a high-level Guardian Spirit, so I don't quite meet that standard."
Over these months, Ethan had advanced rapidly, reaching the ninth level of the Purification Stage. His twelve primary meridians and eight extraordinary ones had been fully opened, and his bones and marrow had been refined to the point that each one was as strong as a divine weapon. If he could unlock the elusive hidden bones and hidden meridians, he would achieve the tenth level of the Purification Stage, a feat few could imagine.
Despite his astonishing progress, Ethan was still only considered a mid-level Guardian Spirit, as the high-level designation required at least peak Primal Level strength, a realm he had yet to reach.
"Ethan, I found out that while Galaxy University's baseline requirement is a high-level Guardian Spirit, they occasionally make exceptions for awakeners who have mastered a martial technique to the Intention level. So, if I can demonstrate that, I might still get in," Xena said excitedly.
"Intention level?" Ethan hesitated. "Xena, your mastery of the Vajra Palm has indeed reached the Intention level, but using it could expose its nature as a Divine Skill."
"Then I'll just pick a different, lower-level martial skill," Xena said confidently. "Our family has plenty of martial techniques. If I've managed to cultivate the Vajra Palm to the Intention level, achieving that with something simpler should be easy. Besides, with the Tao Te Ching enhancing my insights, I'm sure I can get another technique to the Intention level in a few days."
"That's actually a solid plan," Ethan agreed.
With this strategy in place, Xena was prepared to meet Galaxy University's standards and was ready to face the entrance exam just days away.
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