"We've arrived. Everyone can disembark," a mentor announced, allowing everyone to see the scenery outside.
Upon disembarking their flying ship, they found themselves in a dense forest. The docking area was a platform, with another flying ship nearby.
They began to queue and walk forward, noticing many people already waiting. These individuals were all wearing white Ziwei Academy uniforms, and some appeared to be over thirty years old.
"Those must be the students who failed the assessment over the years," Zhou Yan mused. He admired their persistence. If he had failed, he wouldn't have wasted any more time lingering here. The number of these older students far outnumbered the new intakes.
As they lined up neatly, a person appeared on a platform in front. It was an elder of Ziwei Academy, clad in red. A voice echoed, "Silence!"
They hadn't seen the elder speak, yet the command reached them. They weren't surprised, as there were countless professions and unique cultivation methods in the world; it was hardly remarkable.
"I hereby declare that the Ziwei Academy entrance assessment officially begins. Anyone who fails to reach that mountain peak after 6 PM will be considered eliminated."
"First, I must state that the journey is fraught with peril, even life-threatening. By choosing to undergo this assessment, you must sign an assessment agreement. Ziwei Academy shall not be held responsible for any accidents, including death."
"To be clear, many students have perished in this assessment throughout the years. Those who are afraid may withdraw now. Are there any who wish to withdraw?"
As the elder finished speaking, the new students began to murmur amongst themselves. They hadn't expected Ziwei Academy to have such stringent assessment requirements, involving life-threatening danger. It was astonishing that the Shenlong Kingdom even sanctioned such a process. Many hesitated, but having come this far, and being among the top students of their generation, they were reluctant to give up so easily. No one stepped forward to withdraw.
Seeing no one opt out, a mentor distributed an agreement. This document was officially certified by the Shenlong Kingdom. It seemed logical; if they dared to make such pronouncements, it couldn't be their first time. Yet, after all these years, they had been unaware of Ziwei Academy's rigorous assessment. This indeed differed greatly from the other three major academies, where admission was direct, with no internal assessments. Since it was legal and compliant, they had no reason to worry about entering Ziwei Academy.
Once everyone had signed, the elder spoke again.
"Those who are eliminated have two choices. First, you may remain as handyman disciples of Ziwei Academy and await next year's entrance assessment. If you fail again, you can wait for the subsequent year, and so on, until you succeed. As long as you are willing to stay, Ziwei Academy's doors will always be open to you."
"The second option is to leave directly. We will escort you back to Luocheng Ancient Capital."
"Everyone will be assigned a number. Even if you reach the mountain peak, if your number is lost, you will also lose your qualification."
"My teachers and I will be waiting for you at the summit. Now, the assessment begins."
With the elder's words, he summoned a snow-white celestial crane. He mounted it and, with a crane's cry, it soared into the sky, heading towards the tallest mountain peak. The other mentors also employed their own methods. Some rode mounts, others used battle qi to manifest wings and flew away, some used treasures to propel themselves, while one mentor simply flew without any external aid. Each mentor was powerful and possessed extraordinary skills.
Aside from the people near the two flying ships in the distance, only the students undergoing the assessment remained.
After the mentors departed, the senior students began to move. They were well-prepared, donning their gear, wielding weapons, or summoning their pets, and then advancing into the forest.
"The senior students are starting. We shouldn't fall behind. Following them won't do us any harm," Ye Bufan said to Zhou Yan and the others.
The two nodded and began to equip themselves, imitating the senior students. However, Zhou Yan didn't need any equipment. For him, it made no difference whether he wore anything. Still, he put on a set of silver gear. He noticed Ye Bufan was wearing a full set of diamond equipment, and Lin Tan had platinum gear. The cheapest diamond item alone cost tens of millions of spirit coins. Ye Bufan's entire set would cost at least seven hundred million spirit coins, indicating his family's immense wealth.
"Luo Wushuang, want to come with brother?" Ye Bufan asked. Although he disliked her sister, he could tell he was worried about her.
"My dear little brother, you'd better take care of yourself. Sister doesn't need your protection," Luo Wushuang replied. She, along with Li Qingjin and several other girls, proceeded into the forest. Ye Bufan didn't mind, as she was also clad in diamond gear and likely wouldn't face significant issues. He then said to Zhou Yan and the others, "Let's go."
As the students commenced their assessment, a group of mentors arrived at the summit. Screens displayed the locations and images of the students.
"I wonder how many will pass this year."
"These challenges aren't that difficult, are they?"
"That depends on who designed them."
"Oh, who is it?"
"Elder Chu Luoyan, the 'Phantom Night Rakshasa'."
"No way! The first stage is her design? Then not even half will pass."
"I doubt even a third will make it, unless there are an extraordinary number of students with strong spiritual power this year. Nine out of ten will likely fail her contraptions."
"This seems unfair to farming-type lords."
"Don't worry, farming-type lords will be automatically teleported to a different location."
"Oh, I see."
...
Upon entering the forest, the students found no immediate danger or abnormalities. Everything seemed normal, except for the pervasive mist. As they plunged into the thick fog, each one discovered that the people around them had vanished, leaving them completely alone.
"Strange, where did everyone go?"
"There's definitely something wrong. I knew it wouldn't be that simple."
"It must be some kind of transfer technique. Regardless of how many people enter this space, each will be individually transported to a separate location."
"Let's see what this year's assessment holds."
Separated, each person had to face the unknown path alone. Zhou Yan's spiritual power was formidable. He had detected the formation as soon as he entered the area, but he chose to proceed, resulting in his teleportation to an isolated space. This was likely the first trial they needed to overcome.
Soon, he encountered a monster. It was only level ten, but its quality was Bronze. He also realized that this was not an illusion, but a real creature. The monster lunged towards him. Zhou Yan walked towards it unhurriedly. The monster opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth, and lunged for Zhou Yan's neck.
"Bang!"
Zhou Yan continued his advance, but the monster had already fallen to the ground, lifeless. There were no visible external injuries. Zhou Yan pressed on, encountering several more monsters, each of Bronze quality. This was likely a test of one's strength. It would indeed take some time for an ordinary novice lord to pass. He swiftly defeated these monsters and spotted a glowing point, which he recognized as the portal to leave this space.