Chapter 477: Suppressing Tiger Peak with Tiger Peak

"This guy has Tiger Peak? Feels so weak... Is Rose just winging it? Haven’t seen a single legit contender signing up. I suddenly feel scammed..."

"That fishy smell... unbearable. Couldn’t he at least learn from that cart-puller earlier and change into clean clothes first?"

"Ugh, why did I leave the perfectly fine Donghua Holy Sanctuary to come here and mix with these commoners? I must’ve lost my damn mind when I agreed to this!"

"What were our principals even thinking! If they came here and saw this, they’d realize how fake this Ghost Level Class is!"

The chatter mostly came from those wearing various Holy Sanctuary uniforms. Coming to Rose wasn’t their choice—most were pressured by their families or schools. After all, this was the first-ever Ghost Level Class. Who’d give up a stable future to be a lab rat?

They’d been holding back earlier, but seeing so many obvious commoners getting accepted was too much.

Look at this sorry bunch! None of the major families’ core members are here—doesn’t that say enough? They’re using us as glorified guinea pigs by their own Holy Sanctuaries and families! Who wouldn’t be furious?

One person thinking it wouldn’t dare speak up, but once the topic spread and everyone agreed, their courage—and resentment—grew. The whispers erupted into full-blown bitching.

Li Chunyang never expected his outfit to cause such a stir. Embarrassed and nervous, his confidence crumpled in front of his idol. He didn’t care about being called a fisherman—he’d been the big fish back home since childhood and had thick skin—but he felt like he’d caused unnecessary trouble for Rose.

Crap, my idol must hate me now. Damn it, I’m so nervous I can’t even speak...

Head drooping, Li Chunyang suddenly saw a tall figure stand before him, unfazed by his fishy smell, and extend a hand.

Bathed in golden light, Fantexi grinned down at him like a sun god. "I’m Fantexi. Li Chunyang, your registration is complete. Welcome to Rose!"

He shook his idol’s hand! Li Chunyang trembled with excitement, nodding repeatedly.

Fantexi patted his shoulder. "Go crush that Ghost Class trial! As for the rest of you..."

He scanned the crowd, his smile never fading. The Eight Tribes’ battles hadn’t just strengthened Fantexi’s skills—they’d forged unshakable confidence.

Frankly, these once-intimidating elite disciples now seemed like spoiled brats to him. "If you’re just here to whine and sneer," he said flatly, "the exit’s that way—don’t let it hit you. You’re clearly not serious, so don’t waste everyone’s time."

His words silenced the crowd. These loudmouths weren’t core elites, but they were still top-tier disciples—proud and unwilling to test alongside fishermen’s and cart-pullers’ sons. This Ghost Level Class was a joke! No real elites? They’d been scammed!

After a brief pause, the Donghua Holy Sanctuary disciple exploded. "Fine, I’m leaving—"

Before he finished, a large hand yanked his collar and yeeted him aside like a ragdoll. "Hey, buddy, not signing up? Then move!" Mo Tong strutted in with Notes in tow, taking the vacated spot. He grinned at the dazed disciple. "Appreciate the warm-up act! Hey, you up front—hurry up! Speed it up—I’ve got skills to flex during the test!"

Mo Tong and Notes of the Eight Tribes—Dragon City war heroes—were known figures. Mo Tong, the young prince of Mahoraga, and the adorable girl beside him? That had to be Notes of Gandharva. These two were signing up for Rose’s Ghost Level Class?

The crowd was stunned, then shrugged. Mo Tong and Notes were Rose members—just promoting their own class. Whatever. Still, where were the other elites?

"Hah! My little bro’s right—if you’re not signing up, scram and make room!" Another boisterous voice rang out—Aota of Ice Spirit. "Brother Mo Tong! Let me and Her Highness Zhiyu cut in line!"

Mo Tong facepalmed. Regretting ever acknowledging this "big bro"—dumb as a bag of rocks.

"Whoa, Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary? That’s Aota, one of the Top Ten! He’s joining too?"

"And Her Highness Xue Zhiyu! Holy hell, she’s a goddess!"

"Who’s the girl beside her? She’s adorable—where’s my ring?"

Ice Spirit’s arrival set the crowd buzzing. Everyone craned to see Aota, the Top Ten powerhouse, and Xue Zhiyu, the Holy Sanctuary’s crown jewel.

Before the commotion settled, then another squad of big shots rolled in.

"Is that... Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary? Hell, they brought the whole crew?"

"Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary actually sent a full seven or eight—Thomas, Xiao Wuyan, Kant... all elites from Dragon Moon’s last Dragon City expedition. This is their entire elite force, right? All here to sign up?"

"Ice Spirit Holy Sanctuary, Dragon Moon Holy Sanctuary... I thought they were just sending a few random people."

"Pfft, you actually think they're here to study in the Ghost Level Class? Probably just for show!" Some remained skeptical. "These three sanctuaries have always had good relations. Back then, they spoke up for Rose in the Holy Sanctuary’s Light against the Eight Tribes. Now they're just collectively helping Rose advertise!"

"No way, I don’t buy these guys would really risk themselves as guinea pigs... Besides, Dragon Moon’s true core is only Xiao Bang, and he didn’t even come!"

"Right! If Prince Xiao Bang had come, then I might believe it!"

The moment they said it, another celebrity appeared at the entrance—dressed in fiery red uniforms, the people of Fire God Mountain.

"Look! It’s Fire God Mountain’s Captain Valaroca!"

"And Fire God Mountain’s number one beauty, Nailuo Luo! Damn, she’s gorgeous, almost as stunning as Her Highness Zhiyu."

"Is that Retsun Chai Jing? I heard he awakened the Retsun power. Damn, he was already strong just relying on martial arts before awakening—now he’s probably a monster!"

The crowd buzzed again. Let’s be real, Fire God Mountain’s ranking was far below Ice Spirit and Dragon Moon, and their influence paled in comparison. But Fire God Mountain and Rose were supposed to be enemies! Didn’t folks just claim the Ghost Level Class was fake, that the Eight Tribes, Ice Spirit, and Dragon Moon were just here to support Rose? So why would their former enemy, Fire God Mountain, come to show support? That made no sense!

But critics always find an angle, no matter how absurd.

"...Did Fire God Mountain take the wrong medicine? Weren’t they defeated by Rose? And now they’re here to show support... So weak!"

"Got their asses kicked and Stockholm syndromed. Truly the most spineless Holy Sanctuary! The most... Huh? Those two bald guys look familiar..."

"Sakuman’s Thunder God Gule!" someone shrieked. "And Dragon Moon’s Prince Xiao Bang! Are they here to sign up too?"

All eyes turned as Gule and Xiao Bang entered together, having met at the gate and chatted for a while.

Two more top-ten heavyweights—and two iconic figures at that! This blew minds. If Ice Spirit’s Aota and Xue Zhiyu were here due to their special relationship with Rose (especially with rumors that Wang Feng resolved Ice Spirit’s ice bee crisis, saving the entire nation), then what about these two?

Gule may have lost a bet to Wang Feng and agreed to join Rose, but he never promised to join any Ghost Level Class. If this was just a gimmick or a trap, he could’ve easily ignored it. As for Prince Xiao Bang, while Dragon Moon’s friendly ties with Rose were public knowledge, he was still the crown prince of the Dragon Moon Duchy—first in line for succession! Such status! Even if he wanted to show face or put on a show, he didn’t need to come personally!

Yet here they were, quietly lining up at the back of the crowd, not expecting any special treatment from Rose.

Could it be... Rose’s Ghost Level Class was really this impressive?

The previously noisy crowd was stunned speechless. But before they could recover, an even heavier bombshell dropped.

Five figures draped in black cloaks appeared at the end of the line like a sudden gust of eerie wind in broad daylight, standing in silence. The skull insignias on their cloaks were unmistakable.

The surrounding temperature seemed to drop instantly as gasps filled the air. Those standing near them shivered uncontrollably, as if haunted by ghosts.

Dark Demon Island!

If it were anyone else, dressed like this, they might’ve been hard to recognize. But these figures were unmistakable. The leader’s grotesquely hunched back—none other than Dark Demon Island’s captain, Momosang, the bulge in his cloak being his Soul Lantern.

Beside him, the short and frail figure—unique on Dark Demon Island—was none other than the second-ranked in the Dragon City top ten, the Thunder Ghost de Broglie.

Two more top-ten elites! And not just any—de Broglie and Momosang! The other three with them couldn’t be weak either—likely elite Dark Demon fighters—probably top-ten tier.

And their posture made it clear they were here to sign up... I mean, Dark Demon Island’s in a remote, mysterious sea thousands of miles away. They didn’t come all this way just to spectate, did they?

What the hell?!

This was the second-ranked Holy Sanctuary sending their entire force! Are they straight-up merging with Rose? Ditching the Blade’s most legendary and mysterious training sanctuary to clown around with Rose? Were they out of their minds?!

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All the previous voices questioning the Ghost-Level Class instantly vanished. Those who thought they were too valuable or that the Ghost-Level Class was beneath them, a scam, were abruptly silenced.

How could you possibly be more valuable than Gule, Chopin, or Xue Zhiyu? How could your status be higher than Aota, de Broglie, or Momosang? Even if you pulled out the top disciples from every Holy Sanctuary here, they’d still have to tuck their tails between their legs in front of these people—who do they think they are? If even these true elites were joining the Ghost-Level Class, who were they to worry about being "disgraced"?

The entire crowd was stunned, unable to snap out of it for a long while.

"Hey, you in front! Hurry up! What are you zoning out for?" Mo Tong was furious. The real protagonist should make a grand entrance at the end! He felt he had arrived too early, becoming mere background for others. Otherwise, he’d be the one stealing the show now! These people were truly sneaky—he had deliberately dragged Yinfu late on purpose, yet these guys still managed to outdo him in grandiosity. They had clearly arrived but dragged their feet until the last moment to make an entrance. So annoying!

Hell, these gawking amateurs were unbearable. "If you’re gonna space out, get lost! Don’t block this master from signing up!"

The minor commotion over registration quickly settled. With so many heavyweight applicants "setting the standard," all the murmurs and complaints disappeared. The queue moved forward swiftly and orderly. The ones handling registration were the four Black Rose Disciples—Fantasy, Hei Wukai, Wang Feng, and Winnie—also the only four Ghost-Level Disciples in Rose Holy Sanctuary.

Saying "only four" was truly a humblebrag. In reality, none of the 108 Holy Sanctuaries, not even the Zenith Holy Sanctuary, had any in-school Ghost-Level Disciples. Yet Rose Holy Sanctuary had a full four!

With these four Ghost-Level Disciples in Black Rose uniforms seated at the long table, the entire registration point for the Ghost-Level Class instantly felt ten thousand times more prestigious.

When Wang Feng said "no exceptions after the deadline," he meant it. By noon, registration closed on the dot. The long table was packed up, and anyone arriving afterward was simply told, "See you next year!" A few disciples from high-ranking Holy Sanctuaries, who had planned to play hard to get, were left dumbfounded. Name-dropping their principals was useless—no matter which Holy Sanctuary, which principal, or whose face was at stake, the rule was absolute!

A quick tally revealed a whopping 697 applicants for the Ghost-Level Class. Over 400 were Holy Sanctuary Disciples from various sanctuaries, forming the majority. The remaining 200-plus were Tiger Peak warriors who had traveled from all over the Alliance, most of them unaffiliated Soul Cultivators like Li Chunyang—commoners without formal training, having picked up scraps here and there haphazardly until they somehow reached Tiger Peak.

Frankly, these people had genuinely strong talent, but their potential had been wasted in terrible cultivation environments. Had they been raised in Holy Sanctuaries from childhood, they likely would’ve been strong enough to compete in the Dragon City battles.

But at their age, with such messy and inconsistent foundations, they were basically washed up—already peaked with no future. Other Holy Sanctuaries would never accept them, but Rose clearly didn’t care, and Old Wang cared even less. The three major assessments were laid out plainly, none involving combat—just pure talent and potential. Pass and rank high? The Ghost-Level Class would welcome them with open arms.

The afternoon was for assessments. The 600-plus applicants stood in a dense crowd on the training grounds as the three assessment methods were briefly explained. To save time, everyone was split into three groups, rotating through three nearby training halls where assessments would run simultaneously.

Li Chunyang’s first test was physical fitness, overseen not by his idol but by Hei Wukai from the Eight Tribes.

Many waiting applicants crowded around the training hall’s windows to watch. Li Chunyang, taking advantage of his fishy smell keeping others at bay, secured a prime spot. He stared nervously inside, where a female wizard in robes was undergoing assessment.

The tasks seemed simple: shuttle runs, high jumps, side-to-side jumps, weightlifting... The wizard clearly struggled. Without using Witchcraft, the 800-meter shuttle sprint left her wheezing long before finishing, and the last 200 meters were more of a jog than a sprint.

Weightlifting was worse. The smallest stone block, weighing 500 pounds, barely budged despite her red-faced effort—she couldn’t even lift it. By the side-to-side jumps, she was so exhausted she twisted her ankle, collapsing to the ground, unable to get up.

The evaluators shook their heads in disappointment, but Hei Wukai, dressed in black, smiled faintly. He helped the nearly tearful wizard up and even handed her a bottle of water gently...

Snickers erupted outside the windows. If all competitors were like this, they had nothing to worry about!

Li Chunyang’s eyes gleamed with excitement. Was this the level of Holy Sanctuary Disciples? Then he...

Before he could finish the thought, the next applicant eagerly jumped in: "Old Hei! My turn, my turn!"

Li Chunyang didn’t recognize this seemingly silly guy, but he looked strong—probably better than the woman, right? But then...

High jump—BOOM!

Mo Tong shot up, leaving a crater in the floor and punching a hole straight through the ceiling. He disappeared through the roof, leaving only shattered beams raining down, forcing the instructors to dodge.

Li Chunyang’s jaw dropped. The chattering around him fell silent.

Shuttle run—KABOOM!

The terrifying man’s legs roared like a locomotive, chewing up the hard training floor, leaving countless pits and torn-up patches.

The onlookers at the windows were now utterly speechless. Many knew Mo Tong’s reputation, but this physicality was absurd! He was just Tiger Peak! Weren’t Tiger Peak differences supposed to be in techniques and soul power application?

Weightlifting!

Mo Tong strode straight to the largest stone block—5,000 pounds. He grabbed it, barely strained as he lifted it. "Up!"

The boulder, far larger than his entire body, was effortlessly lifted with a single hand and raised steadily overhead. He even showed off with a few extra pumps, rubbing salt in the wound, before finally...

BOOM!

The massive stone crashed onto the floor, shattering the ground and sending debris flying in all directions. The instructors dodged frantically, unable to hold back their scolding: "Mo Tong! What the hell are you doing?!"

"Take it easy! Are you here for the test or to wreck the place?"

Old Hei covered his face, barely suppressing his laughter. This... kid clearly had an attitude today—hard to rein in.

Originally, Mo Tong had wanted to skip the test altogether, claiming his skills were beyond needing evaluation. But Old Wang had shut him down with a single retort: "Prove it first." Furious, Mo Tong swore to prove himself, vowing to dominate the test and claim the top spot. No one could stop him—he was dead set on giving it his all.

"Respected instructors, one must give their all in an exam!" Mo Tong clasped his fists, showing off his oiled-up biceps for emphasis. "That's just how fired up I get! One last test to go!"

His eyes flashed with intensity. Taking a deep breath, he exploded with soul force with a roar: "Mahoraga—Hundred-Battle Lateral Leaps!"

BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!

In an instant, he darted left and right at blinding speed, leaving behind seven or eight afterimages—like multiple Mo Tongs hopping at once. Each thunderous stomp shattered the floor, sending chunks of debris flying.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The terrifying speed and force of his movements caused the entire training hall to tremble violently. The frantic instructors screamed, "Stop! Stop! We'll give you full marks! Just STOP—you're gonna bring the whole place down! HALT!"

Full marks? That's it? No bonus? Come on...

Mo Tong reluctantly ceased, muttering under his breath. Meanwhile, outside the window, the confident crowd that had been brimming with confidence after witnessing the witch's performance now stood slack-jawed, their jaws nearly hitting the floor.

Li Chunyang's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

Holy shit, is this guy even human? Can the gap between Tiger Peak levels really be this huge? Wait... what if I fail? Is this the standard they expect?

What the fuck!