by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
Xiao Wei had nothing to say; his heart was filled with disappointment for Xiang Shaoyun wasting a special-recruit quota. Toward the end of the time limit, quite a number of people had already reached the top. Naturally, there were still a lot of people struggling on the stairs, and some had already given up. Since the pressure wasn't something they could withstand, it was pointless to keep struggling. They all wore listless looks.
Tang Longfei and Lady Shura also noticed Xiang Shaoyun's condition. Their hearts were filled with worry. As for Di Tong, who had also arrived at the top, his face was filled with joy. He wanted nothing more than for Xiang Shaoyun to fail. On the other hand, Di Shang was still stuck at the final 10 steps. However, he did not appear nervous. Rather, he turned around to look at Xiang Shaoyun.
When he saw Xiang Shaoyun bleeding from his seven orifices, he laughed, "Haha, interesting. Do you think you can get through the test just by breaking through? Hah, look how you've played yourself to death!"
Not far from the stairs, the Han Clan sisters couldn't see Xiang Shaoyun clearly, but they also similarly sensed that he was in a terrible condition. Before long, the time period allotted for the test would end. If Xiang Shaoyun still remained where he was, he would be disqualified.
That also signified that they wouldn't be able to join either. They felt that it was a pity, but they felt even more indignation on behalf of Xiang Shaoyun. After all, they both knew his strength and did not believe that he should have been eliminated at this stage.
Time passed, and in the final 30 minutes, a change finally occurred with Xiang Shaoyun.
"Roar! Roar!"
Abruptly, apparitions of dragon and tiger surged out of his body and roared, unleashing a terrifying pressure that caused the stairs to ripple around him. At the same time, all nine of his stars erupted like a volcanic eruption.
The terrifying explosion of energy charged the final node within his body, forcefully smashing through it. Ordinarily, an energy eruption of this level would cause a backlash and directly destroy Xiang Shaoyun's acupoints and meridians. But with the suppression of his armor and the formations, the energy was suppressed, and it coursed smoothly within him, reaching every corner of his body.
Chapter 557: What an Excellent Recruit
Before the Dragon Phoenix Academy's entrance, many elders sensed Xiang Shaoyun's change.
Even Liu Xutian was impressed. "This kid has guts!"
He already had this opinion the moment Xiang Shaoyun had opted to break through on the stairs. He had merely been keeping it to himself. Now that Xiang Shaoyun's breakthrough was about to succeed, he finally expressed his opinion. It wasn't that he enjoyed telling the obvious, but he just wasn't interested in participating in the argument between Xiao Wei and Feng Huosuo.
"Well done! The breakthrough was successful! Hahaha!" Xiao Wei shouted cheerily. He was in a terrible mood being mocked repeatedly by Feng Huosuo. Finally, he could vent his frustration.
On the other hand, Feng Huosuo's face turned ghastly. "Just because he managed to break through does not mean he will become a disciple of the academy. There's not much time left."
"Hah, you don't have to worry about that. He is a special-recruit. Even if he's a little bit late, I reckon the academy won't mind accepting a disciple so outstanding," said Xiao Wei.
"Hmph. Even after breaking through, he will only be an eighth-stage Skysoar Realm cultivator. If he can't even get through the test, it only means that he is not qualified to be a special-recruit," said Feng Huosuo coldly. He then said to Liu Xutian, "Elder Liu, please be just when the time comes for you to make a decision!"
Xiao Wei did not look too happy. He knew that this Elder Liu was known for being strictly impartial and incorruptible.
"If he can reach the top, he will remain a special-recruit disciple. If he can't reach the top, he will be eliminated like the rest," said Liu Xutian, not showing any leniency whatsoever.
There was less than half an hour remaining. After successfully reaching the eighth stage, Xiang Shaoyun was in excellent form. His soul power was growing, his Nether Soul Domain was expanding, his body was surging with power, and his stars and astral cosmos sea were enlarging. His meridians and acupoints were also being cleansed once again as his blood raged within him. The heavy weight of his armor felt almost nonexistent, and the pressure the stairs exerted on him was negligible.
Tang Longfei cried out anxiously, "Shaoyun, get up here! There's not much time left!"
When Xiang Shaoyun heard that, he stood up and wiped the blood off the corners of his lips and muttered mockingly, "This is the most dangerous breakthrough yet, but it feels quite nice."
He then stretched lazily before lifting his head and resumed his climb. This time, when he moved, he was hovering slightly above the ground. He was no longer forced to take firm steps on the stairs.
Everyone was shocked by the sight. One ought to know that each step of the stairs contained a different type of pressure. Even regular Emperors wouldn't be able to hover above the stairs. The stairs' pressure wasn't supposed to be something ordinary humans could withstand. Those young geniuses wouldn't have taken so much time to reach the top otherwise.
And now, Xiang Shaoyun seemed to be moving completely unobstructed, as if he was immune to the pressure. It was hard to believe. Of course, the people present also knew that only after possessing a certain degree of strength would one be able to do so.
In fact, the elders of the Dragon Phoenix Academy knew that doing this required not only strength, but also a certain degree of comprehension of presence. Currently, Xiang Shaoyun was exuding the presence of dragon and tiger. This was not just the presence of a King. Rather, it was a type of unrivaled presence.
This was a presence formed of an unrivaled will, etching an unrivaled overbearingness onto his soul, allowing him to charge ahead fearlessly with an unstoppable momentum. Thus, the pressure the stairs exerted did not affect him as badly as others had imagined.
Although he had seemed to have trouble climbing the initial steps, it was mostly due to the heavy armor he wore. Now that he had advanced by a stage, he was able to neutralize the pressure the armor brought him. Combined with his unrivaled presence, he was able to hover above the stairs. In a few seconds, he crossed more than half of them. It was an extremely fast speed.
"H-how is that possible? He is climbing as easily as he walks on flat land! How is he doing it?"
"He had only broken through to the eighth-stage Skysoar Realm, not the Emperor Realm! How can he ignore the pressure? I refuse to believe this! He must be cheating!"
"Did no one notice the presence of dragon and tiger around him? It is no weaker than the presence of an actual Emperor. His powerful presence is able to neutralize the pressure of the stairs. That's why he's not affected!"
"That Xiang Shaoyun is amazing! Looks like he is another one of those freaks. No wonder he managed to kill Da Zixuan so easily."
...
An uproar erupted among the young geniuses who couldn't help talking about what they had just seen. Even the elders were impressed.
"What a good recruit! Possessing such a presence at this age. He has a bright future ahead of him! Few recruits of this batch can do the same! This kid is mine!" said an elder.
A different elder said, "Haha, you're not the one who recruited him. Everyone has the right to take him as a disciple, and he also has the right to select his master. I think I'll be a better teacher for him."
The other elders also started volunteering to take Xiang Shaoyun as a personal disciple, and some of them even got agitated bickering. After all, it wasn't easy to find a good successor. An excellent disciple like this was extremely rare.
Liu Xutian asked Xiao Wei, "Xiao Wei, you're this kid's recruiter. What do you think?"
Finally, all the elders focused on Xiao Wei.
Xiao Wei sank into thought before he smiled and said, "Since I was the one who had recruited him, it's best I teach him myself."
In fact, he al
ready had this thought when he saw Xiang Shaoyun at the Bloodsin City. However, Xiang Shaoyun's cultivation level was still a tad bit too low. Xiao Wei's initial plan was to let Xiang Shaoyun cultivate for about a year at the academy and reach ninth-stage Skysoar Realm before accepting him as a disciple. However, Xiang Shaoyun had attracted the attention of so many elders. He was definitely not willing to lose someone like Xiang Shaoyun.
Liu Xutian had a look of regret as he said, "Alright. We'll talk after he passes the test."
Evidently, Elder Liu Xutian had also been attracted by Xiang Shaoyun's potential. Meanwhile, Xiang Shaoyun had reached the 72nd step of stairs. Here, he could sense some suppression on his soul, but still not enough to pose him any sort of trouble. After all, his soul power had reached a level comparable to a peak Emperor's, getting nearer and nearer to the level of a Sovereign's.
No wonder so many people stopped here. This place has a suppression on both the flesh and the soul, thought Xiang Shaoyun as he continued his climb. With a few jumps, he reached the top.
Chapter 558: Physique Assessment
When Xiang Shaoyun reached the top, the Han Clan sisters burst out in tears.
"Big Sister, he passed, he passed!" Han Xuewei cheered.
"Yes, it is only natural that he managed to get through the test," replied Han Qianwei.
They hugged each other, unable to hide their excitement. Xiang Shaoyun passing the test also meant that they would be able to join the academy as well. And finally, the test reached its end. Less than 20,000 people had passed, while about 40,000 people had been eliminated.
Including everyone who had participated in the first round, only slightly more than 10 percent of the participants had passed. One ought to know that the participants were the young geniuses from all over the dominion. They were all individuals with massive popularity where they came from. But here, at the gathering of young geniuses, the halo around them no longer seemed so bright.
"Damn it! I was three steps away! Elders, I beg for a chance to join the academy!" begged a crying young man who was stuck at the 78th step.
"So what if you were three steps away? I was only one step away, yet I wasn't given a chance either. I refuse to believe that I won't be able to do something with my life without joining the Dragon Phoenix Academy!" said an unyielding young man as he left without any hesitation.
It was natural that there would be all sorts of reactions to failing the entrance test. There were also a lot of failed participants who did not leave directly. Rather, they were gathered in front of the stairs. They weren't staying because they hoped that the elders would accept them as disciples. Rather, they were hoping that some of the special-recruit disciples would accept them as followers, allowing them to join the academy in a different way.
However, they wouldn't be able to stay for more than three days. If they weren't accepted by anyone within that time period, their journey of entering the Dragon Phoenix Academy would come to an end.
"Alright. Congratulations to all who have passed. You are now officially Dragon Phoenix Academy disciples," declared Liu Xutian. The young geniuses were overjoyed. This was a moment they had waited a long time for.
Liu Xutian continued, "You have an additional test left, the assessment of your stars for your talent. I'm sure all of you are familiar with this test. Those with better potential will have a chance to become core disciples or even personal disciples of the elders present. Of course, the result of this assessment will not change the fact that you are already the disciples of the academy."
Everyone understood the purpose of this assessment. After all, they had all taken similar assessments when they were young. With so many young geniuses gathered, an assessment was necessary to dig out the freaks among the geniuses.
And thus, Liu Xutian led the new disciples into the academy proper. Shortly after, nine old stones entered their vision. The nine stones were glossy and clean and seemed to be rippling with the radiance of nine different colors, looking extremely enigmatic.
Many of the knowledgeable ones were able to see with a glance that these were nine-colored stones, a saint-grade stone best used for assessing one's stars. These stones were extremely rare and hard to get, yet there were nine of them. It was evident how wealthy the Dragon Phoenix Academy was. A number of overseers arrived and started issuing the new disciples their respective badges.
The disciples were required to drip a drop of their blood onto the badges and leave a simple record of their personal information behind. These badges would also be responsible for recording their growth and achievements in the academy moving forward.
When all the procedures were done, Liu Xutian announced, "Alright. Now, go before the assessment stones to assess your stars."
The disciples started lining up before the nine stones to take the assessment one by one.
"Let me be the first," said a young man confidently. When he placed his palm on the stone, it was as if everything within his body were revealed to the stone.
Swish! Swish!
Abruptly, the stars in the skies high above started shining as strands of astral energy flowed toward the young man. At the same time, seven stars separated themselves from the others, revealing seven bright stars that were fascinating and enchanting.
Seven-stars physique!
"Tan Linfu, primary-grade seven-star physique, regular disciple," an overseer's voice rang out.
The young man was astonished as he asked, "How can I be just a regular disciple with my seven-star physique?"
"I'm only in charge of recording the result. I don't have the time to answer questions. You can stand to the side and wait if you have any issues," said the overseer expressionlessly.
At the same time, a different disciple was also undergoing an assessment. Six stars appeared in the sky, shining brightly.
An overseer announced, "Qian Jinsheng, high-grade six-star physique, regular disciple."
At this time, a different overseer's voice rang out, "Mo Luo, mid-grade seven-star physique, core disciple."
As more and more disciples took their assessments and were assigned their corresponding positions in the academy, the new disciples finally understood the requirements for core and regular disciples.
They learned that astral physiques could also be graded as primary, mid, and high. Those below the mid-grade seven-star physique could only be regular disciples. Those with better physiques could become core disciples. That was also why the first young man with a seven-star physique could only be a regular disciple: he only had a primary-grade seven-star physique and did not meet the requirement of a core disciple.
As for the method of determining the grade of one's physique, that depended on the condition of the stars that had appeared. Those that were slightly dim would be primary-grade physiques. Those that were clear were mid-grade physiques. As for those that were bright, they were high-grade physiques.
After a while of assessment, it was revealed that these young geniuses possessed at least a mid-grade six-star physique. A majority of them had a high-grade six-star physique and a primary-grade seven-star physique.
Only a small number of them possessed a mid-grade seven-star physique or even better physiques. Not a single one of them had a physique below six-star. As for physiques of eight-star and above, it hadn't appeared thus far.
One ought to know that in regular cities, even possessing a five-star physique would make one a genius. It was clear how talented all these new disciples were. In fact, a long time ago, not even seven-star physique holders could join the academy because the strength of a cultivator relied not only on one's physique but also on one's process of growth.
The geniuses capable of joining the Dragon Phoenix Academy not only had great physiques, but they had also been nurtured properly to grant them the strength required to step foot here. Time passed, and finally, the first eight-star physique appeared.
Eight stars hung on the sky, forming an outline akin to a graceful celestial crossing the sky
, presenting an enchanting and enigmatic scene. This was a physique that gave rise to envy in the hearts of many people present.
Chapter 559: Di Lin and Xia Yunxi
"Li Li, primary-grade eight-star physique, core disciple," announced the overseer.
Li Li was a woman of an extraordinary temperament. She was in her early twenties, yet her draconic aura was already about 70 percent complete. She attracted the attention of many elders, who then attempted to take her as a personal disciple. After all, even in the Dragon Phoenix Academy, an eight-star physique was still rather rare.
Subsequently, a few more seven-star physique holders appeared. They were also accepted by the various elders as personal disciples. Of course, some unique six-star physique holders were also made core disciples. From this, it was obvious one had to either possess at least a mid-grade seven-star physique or a unique physique to qualify as a core disciple.
Xiang Shaoyun and company felt their horizons expanding as they watched the assessment. Of course, the people currently taking the assessment weren't too special. Toward the end, the special-recruit disciples would be the ones that would cause a commotion with their physiques.
"Shaoyun, as a special-recruit, you are destined to be a core disciple. So what physique do you have exactly?" Ning Wenhuang asked curiously. During the second round of the test, she had reached the top of the stairs toward the end of the allotted time period, officially becoming a disciple of the Dragon Phoenix Academy as well.
Xiang Shaoyun rubbed his nose and said, "You'll know after I take my assessment."
His physique was a tad bit too special. He was afraid she would think he was showing off if he told her straight away.
"My guess is an eight-star physique. Otherwise, your combat prowess wouldn't be so scary," said Tang Longfei with a smile. He then sighed, "I have a barely seven-star physique. I reckon I can only be a regular disciple."
"Big Brother Tang, physique only decides one's talent. True strength comes from hard work, and only through hard work will one be able to reach the summit," said Xiang Shaoyun.