Edward Bennett screamed in fright. It was a strong and sturdy boy beside him who had snatched away Edward Bennett's quilt. After grabbing it, he glared and cursed, "What are you yelling for! If you have the guts, take it back yourself!"

Startled by his shout, tears welled up in Edward Bennett's eyes from grievance. But as a frail boy, he dared not argue back—at times like this, reasoning was useless; whoever had the stronger fist was in the right.

Next to Edward Bennett, Henry Sullivan saw everything. The boy who snatched the quilt was so brazen that it made Henry Sullivan furious. If he hadn't been mindful of not drawing too much attention as a newcomer, he would have punched him already.

"Come on, let's share a bed. That way, we can stay warmer!" Henry Sullivan pulled the shivering Edward Bennett, who was curled up from the cold, and covered him with half of his own quilt. But the quilt was really too small, so he had to hold Edward Bennett in his arms.

Edward Bennett's face, pale from the cold, instantly turned burning red. Being held by Henry Sullivan, he didn't dare move a muscle.

Holding Edward Bennett, Henry Sullivan didn't feel embarrassed at all. Two men sharing a bed was no big deal. A faint fragrance from Edward Bennett drifted to his nose, which actually masked the musty, unpleasant smell of the quilt.

Once the precedent of snatching quilts was set, the shivering boys suddenly saw the light. A few who considered themselves strong began to brazenly snatch quilts, while those being robbed fought desperately to defend their own. In several places, fights broke out in full swing.

Not far from Henry Sullivan, George Washington was also itching to act. At his signal, a few noble-born boys beside him swaggered out to snatch quilts as well.

These noble-born boys had trained in martial arts since childhood and were much stronger than the others. As soon as they joined in, they snatched several quilts. Anyone who resisted was beaten up badly, left with bruised faces, and after that, no one dared to fight back.

Snatching quilts soon turned into collecting quilts, and before long, the collection reached Henry Sullivan.

The noble boy named William Parker grabbed Henry Sullivan's quilt and yanked it away. Just as Henry Sullivan was getting warm, he suddenly felt cold again. Edward Bennett shivered, and, both cold and scared, tears streamed down his face.

Without a word, Henry Sullivan sprang up from the bed with a kip-up, a deep, forceful hum resonating from his chest.

"Smack!"

He punched William Parker right in the face.

William Parker was sent flying sideways like a leaf in the wind, landing a meter or two away and unable to get up for quite a while.

It wasn't until William Parker cried out in pain that the others snapped out of it, each one staring in shock at Henry Sullivan's fighting skills.

William Parker came from a military family and had trained in martial arts since childhood, learning real combat techniques from the army. Among them, his reflexes were the fastest.

But even the strongest William Parker was taken down by a single punch from Henry Sullivan. The other noble-born boys were about to grit their teeth and rush forward when the always-silent George Washington spoke up: "Enough! Who gave you permission to disturb Brother Sullivan's rest?"

The noble-born boys immediately backed off. Although they feared George Washington somewhat, they were even more afraid of the beast-like ferocity of Henry Sullivan.

However, William Parker, who had just gotten up from the ground, ignored all that. With a strange cry, he drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed at Henry Sullivan. The distance was short and the speed was fast, the dagger making a sharp whistling sound as it cut through the air.

But Henry Sullivan, as if he had eyes on the side of his head, was clearly no pushover. He grabbed William Parker's wrist in a reverse grip, pinning down his artery. The dagger in William Parker's hand was clearly a fine blade, able to cut through iron like mud. When it hit the ground, it stuck deep, leaving only the handle exposed.

Still holding William Parker, Henry Sullivan kicked him in the butt, sending him flying, and then glared coldly at the mastermind behind the scenes, George Washington.

Henry Sullivan's ruthless skills truly shocked George Washington. He thought to himself that this man was quite capable—if he could recruit him to his own side, it would be a great asset.

He walked over and sternly scolded William Parker and the others, then picked up the quilt that Henry Sullivan had dropped on the ground and handed it back to him, offering goodwill: "The final test is early tomorrow morning, Brother Sullivan, you should get some rest."

Henry Sullivan continued to hold Edward Bennett as they slept. Although there were still a few scattered attempts to snatch quilts, no one dared to mess with Henry Sullivan again.

Some people gloated over the fact that Henry Sullivan had offended the Third Prince George Washington as soon as he arrived. Was the Third Prince someone he could afford to offend?

Considering that tomorrow was the final test, Henry Sullivan forcibly suppressed his urge to go treasure hunting in the Deadly Immortal Poison Valley. After all, the final test was extremely important—if he was drowsy and unfocused, it would be a real problem.

The next day, just as dawn was breaking, the more than two hundred boys immediately got up at the sound of three crisp chimes. After tidying up their clothes, they gathered on the open ground in front of the dormitory.

Led by the Daoist guide from last night, they had breakfast, passed through rows of exquisite buildings, and headed to the site of the final test.

After walking for about half an hour, the Daoist guide brought them to an open-air square. By then, the senior experts of the Taichu Sect in charge of the final test had already been waiting for some time. An old man dressed like an immortal Daoist was surrounded by them—he was the head of the Taichu Sect, Elder Howard.

The final entrance test for new disciples was a major event in all the great sects, and the Taichu Sect was no exception. This year, even Elder Howard, who had been in seclusion for a long time, came in person.

Incense was burned in worship to the heavens, and as celestial music floated in the air, Elder Howard personally announced the start. An elder stepped onto the stage and announced the content of the final test.