Chapter 169: Sima Tianci

"I'll go participate in the Heavenly Pride Apotheosis Battle first, then ask Sima Bang and the others later; maybe I'll find something out," Yang Fan murmured to himself.

With a thought, his consciousness exited the God-Kingdom, and he stood up to leave the small courtyard.

Soon, he met up with Sima Bang, Ye Jianfeng, and Wen Yushui.

"After we go in, follow me," Sima Bang said seriously. "Once the test begins, follow my instructions."

The three of them nodded.

Then, led by Sima Bang, they arrived at a special area—the "Entrance to the Heavenly Pressure Realm."

There were no buildings here in the conventional sense, only a massive passage resembling a spatial rift suspended in mid-air.

"Let's go." Without another word, Sima Bang took the lead and stepped inside.

In the next moment, the space changed abruptly, as if they had crossed into another world and arrived in an independent space.

As soon as they landed, the clamor of voices rushed toward them.

Looking around, figures were densely packed; a full five thousand or so Human Race Prodigies were gathered here.

This place seemed designed specifically for testing; the scale of the space was just right to accommodate this number, appearing compact but not crowded.

In Taichu City, except for a few public areas like the trading market, most people were accustomed to staying in their own rooms.

A scene like this, where thousands of prodigies gathered in one place, was extremely rare.

Standing in the crowd, Yang Fan's gaze slowly swept across, and a hint of shock couldn't help but arise in his heart.

In the entire Tiannan City, the number of Human Race Prodigies was likely fewer than five.

But in Taichu City, the number of Human Race Prodigies was actually comparable to the students of the entire Yang County No. 1 Middle School!

Yang Fan's Cultivation path involved three parallel routes; although he focused on Cultivation, his Physical Body was powerful, and his Mental Energy far exceeded those of the same rank. Coupled with his deliberate concealment of his aura, he was almost inconspicuous in the crowd.

But others were not so; many prodigies deliberately emitted powerful auras.

Waves of powerful auras flickered within the crowd. A few of them even made Yang Fan feel a faint sense of pressure.

That level of intensity was far above Sima Bang and Ye Jianfeng, several times or even a hundred times stronger!

"Are these… the seniors from the junior and senior years?" Yang Fan's heart sank slightly. "As expected, none who can be called a Human Race Prodigy is a simple character."

On the high platform, five figures stood tall, their divine auras enveloping the entire field.

"That one is my brother. He's two years older than me. After graduation, he went to the front lines to join the army. He just came back a few days ago and was immediately arranged by my old man to preside over this Heavenly Pride Apotheosis Battle!" Sima Bang spoke in a low voice, his tone carrying a bit of pride.

He pointed his finger at the figure in the very center.

Yang Fan followed his gaze. Although that person stood in the center, he did not show any sharp edge; his temperament was gentle, as if he were integrated with the surrounding space.

The man appeared somewhat lazy, even letting out a yawn, looking quite bored.

"Only two years older than you?" Ye Jianfeng frowned slightly.

Sima Bang explained, "My brother, named Sima Tianci, has the SS-class talent 'Dao Child.' He is the strongest Genius the Sima Family has seen in nearly a hundred years."

"He was admitted to Taichu Academy through early recruitment with a Prodigy rating. He broke through to become a First-Order God in his junior year and graduated early. He just returned a few days ago and was snatched by my old man to be a laborer."

Speaking of this, he smiled. "We are biological brothers from the same parents, and our relationship is very solid. When the assessment is over, I'll introduce you to him."

Hearing this, Yang Fan and the other two were all shocked.

They had originally thought that Sima Bang, being the son of the Family head, already had an impressive background.

They hadn't expected that he had such a Prodigy-level biological Elder brother behind him. He really had many powerful connections!

In a super Family like the Sima Family, it was almost impossible for the Family head and Elders to have only one partner.

Whether it was true love or a Family marriage alliance, over a long lifespan, Bloodlines and interests would eventually intertwine into a vast and complex web of relationships.

For instance, Sima Bang had over a hundred Elder brothers, but biological siblings like Sima Tianci naturally had closer relationships.

"Then I'll have to trouble Brother Sima," Ye Jianfeng laughed. "It would be a waste not to cling to such a 'powerful leg'."

"Yes, Brother Sima, please introduce me more," Wen Yushui softly agreed.

However, her gaze couldn't help but fall on the high platform again. In that moment, her eyes were almost overflowing with admiration.

Admiring the strong is a female instinct, even if Wen Yushui possessed an S-class talent and was rated as a Human Race Prodigy. In front of a Prodigy like Sima Tianci, she still appeared inferior.

A so-called Dao Companion is nothing more than complementary values; rather than walking side-by-side, it's better to climb the social ladder by associating with the powerful.

This world has always been this realistic, regardless of gender.

Seeing Wen Yushui's reaction, Sima Bang was not surprised at all, as if he were already used to it.

"Sister Wen, don't even think about being my sister-in-law," he waved his hand. "My brother isn't interested in women."

"Huh?" Ye Jianfeng was stunned and immediately took a step back subconsciously, pulling up his pants.

"Old Ye, what the hell are you thinking?" Sima Bang rolled his eyes and said irritably, "My brother is just influenced by his talent; he's a bit devoid of desires. Besides cultivating, he basically has no hobbies."

"As for a Dao Companion, he will most likely follow the Family's arrangements and pick a gifted daughter from one of the other four great families for a marriage alliance."

Hearing this, a flash of disappointment that was hard to hide crossed Wen Yushui's eyes.

With her status as the legitimate daughter of the Wen Family from Tiannan City, without the addition of emotional attachment, based solely on background and potential, she was simply not within Sima Tianci's range of choices.

The gap was right there; it wasn't something that could be crossed just by hard work.

Sima Bang said, "I've also seen the other four on the stage a few times. Lu Chengyuan of the Lu Family, Han Wuji of the Han Family, Gu Changkong of the Gu Family, and Qin Lie of the Qin Family. They are all First-Order Gods."

"However, their talent is not even close to my brother's; they are considered the backbone of their respective families' current generation. I've greeted them, but that's about it—we're not that close."

As expected of the young master of the Sima Family who grew up in Taichu City, his social circle was clearly not on the same level as theirs.

While they were talking, people around them also began to notice Sima Bang.

"Hello, Young Master Sima!"

"Brother Sima, long time no see!"

"Old Bang, what have you been busy with lately? Let's team up to invade an Alien God-Kingdom another day!"

Voices came from all directions.

Some were polite, some were familiar, and some carried a hint of deliberate closeness.

Sima Bang responded to each one with a smile, his tone casual yet skillful. Clearly, he was already accustomed to such scenes.

In contrast, Yang Fan and the other two were much quieter, even finding it difficult to join the conversation.

Ye Jianfeng and Wen Yushui were already considered to have extraordinary backgrounds in the outside world, but at a level like Taichu City, they could only be considered "ordinary people." As for Yang Fan, it went without saying; behind him was the Luo Family of Yang County, which in Taichu City might not even qualify as a "low-income household."