The ancient bell of the Origin Tower rang for the second time, its deep sound spreading through the enormous structure and reaching even the most distant corridors. The candidates who had been resting in the dining pavilion immediately understood what it meant. Their hour of rest was over.
Chairs scraped against the floor as hundreds of young cultivators stood and began making their way back toward the reception hall. The relaxed atmosphere that had filled the dining pavilion gradually disappeared beneath a growing sense of anticipation. Conversations became quieter as everyone remembered what awaited them.
Zion walked alongside Mira and Kellan, his stomach finally satisfied after the enormous meal he had consumed. Kellan glanced at him and shook his head with amusement.
"I still can't believe your stomach embarrassed you in front of hundreds of people."
Zion looked at him calmly. "You were laughing the loudest."
"Because it was funny."
Mira smiled. "Both of you should save your energy. We haven't even started the difficult part yet."
Kellan's expression immediately became serious.
"You're right."
He looked ahead.
"And honestly, that's what I've been waiting for."
The three entered the reception hall with the rest of the candidates, and Zion immediately noticed that the atmosphere was completely different from before. The empty seats left behind by the eliminated candidates made the enormous hall seem strangely spacious. Hundreds of young cultivators had entered the tower that morning, yet only three hundred and fifty-two remained.
At the center of the hall, the platform had undergone another transformation.
The Spirit Origin Monoliths were nowhere to be seen. Neither were the crimson Bloodline formations or the azure Eye Ability arrays. Instead, a gigantic circular formation occupied almost the entire platform. Several enormous rings were connected by intricate patterns, with countless ancient runes carved across their surfaces. At the center of the formation was a dark circular space that seemed to distort the air around it.
Silver-robed officials stood around the formation in complete silence.
Above them, the elderly examiner stood with his hands behind his back.
Once the final candidate entered the hall, the enormous doors slowly closed.
The examiner's gaze swept across the crowd.
"The preliminary assessments are over."
His voice wasn't loud, yet every candidate heard him clearly.
"Of the six hundred and forty-eight candidates who entered this recruitment examination, three hundred and fifty-two remain."
The number caused a quiet ripple throughout the hall.
Some candidates looked around at the empty seats.
Others simply clenched their fists.
The examiner continued, "Those who remain have proven that they possess the minimum qualifications required to continue. However, do not mistake that achievement for admission."
His expression became stern.
"Star Realm Academy does not accept candidates merely because they possess good cultivation talent, awakened Bloodlines, or rare Eye Abilities."
The examiner raised one hand toward the enormous formation.
"The path of cultivation is not a peaceful road. A cultivator may possess extraordinary talent and still die the first time they encounter an enemy stronger than themselves. Another may possess an ordinary talent yet survive battles that should have been impossible."
His gaze swept across the candidates.
"Talent determines potential. Battle determines whether that potential can survive long enough to become strength."
The hall became completely silent.
"The next assessment will therefore measure your Battle Talent."
Kellan's eyes immediately lit up.
Zion noticed and couldn't help smiling.
The examiner continued, "Battle Talent will be divided into three stages. The first will test your combat ability. The second will test your will. The third will test your judgment and adaptability."
Several candidates exchanged glances.
The examiner pointed toward the enormous formation.
"The first stage is simple in principle. Each candidate will enter an independent combat environment created by the Academy's illusion formation. Once inside, you will face an opponent generated according to your current cultivation and combat ability."
A few candidates relaxed.
Then the examiner's next words wiped those expressions away.
"Do not mistake the word illusion for harmless."
The formation beneath his feet suddenly pulsed.
"The environment will be simulated, but your experience within it will be real. Pain will be real. Injuries will be real. Exhaustion will be real. If your opponent breaks your arm, you will feel your arm break. If you are thrown against a mountain, your body will experience the impact."
Several candidates swallowed nervously.
"Only death will be simulated."
The atmosphere instantly became heavier.
Kellan's grin disappeared.
Mira glanced at him. "You were smiling a moment ago."
Kellan cleared his throat. "I've reconsidered my enthusiasm."
Zion laughed quietly.
The examiner continued, "The opponent you face may take the form of a Spirit Beast, a human cultivator, or another suitable combat entity. It may possess weapons, techniques, Bloodline abilities, or combat methods appropriate to your current level."
His eyes narrowed.
"And it will not fight like a mindless puppet."
The candidates immediately became attentive.
"Your opponent will observe your movements. It will recognize repeated patterns. It will adapt to your techniques and exploit weaknesses it discovers. The stronger your combat ability, the stronger the opponent will become."
The examiner paused.
"Your objective is not merely to defeat it."
"Your objective is to prove that you understand battle."
A silver-robed official stepped forward.
"The Academy will evaluate your reaction speed, offensive ability, defensive ability, combat awareness, control, adaptability, technique, decision-making, and survival ability."
He looked toward the candidates.
"Raw strength alone will not guarantee a high score."
The examiner nodded.
"A cultivator who defeats an opponent through overwhelming power may receive a lower evaluation than another cultivator who survives a stronger opponent through superior judgment."
Zion's eyes narrowed slightly.
That made sense.
The Academy wasn't looking for people who could simply overpower others.
It was looking for people who could fight.
The examiner's voice became colder.
"Those who fail to demonstrate sufficient Battle Talent will be eliminated."
A heavy silence descended upon the hall.
"Remember this carefully. Passing the preliminary assessments gave you the right to participate in this stage. It did not give you the right to become a student."
He looked across the three hundred and fifty-two remaining candidates.
"Star Realm Academy recruits from countless worlds. We do not lack candidates. We do not lack talented cultivators. What we lack are places for everyone who wishes to enter."
The words immediately reminded everyone of the scale of the Academy.
Star Realm Academy wasn't recruiting only from Blue Star.
Across the galaxy, countless worlds were sending their young cultivators toward the major academies. Star Realm Academy was currently regarded as the strongest of the three great Galactic Academies, although its position had changed throughout history whenever another academy produced an extraordinary generation.
The galaxy itself was divided into four great regions. Three contained the vast civilized territories where countless worlds, empires, sects, and academies flourished. The fourth was a place even powerful civilizations treated with caution, a region known simply as the Galactic Hazard Zone.
But the candidates gathered here didn't have time to think about distant regions or the greater galaxy.
Right now, they only had to worry about surviving the test in front of them.
The examiner raised his hand.
"Begin."
The gigantic formation suddenly came alive.
Countless runes rotated at incredible speed as ten smaller formations separated from the main array. Space distorted above each one, creating translucent images that revealed what was happening inside.
A silver-robed official raised his jade tablet.
"Group One. Candidates one through ten, prepare."
Ten candidates stepped forward.
The first young man looked nervous but determined as he walked toward one of the formations. He stopped at its edge and glanced toward the official.
"Enter."
He took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The moment his foot touched the formation, the world around him disappeared.
The enormous hall vanished.
The voices vanished.
Even the sensation of standing on the stone platform disappeared.
He found himself standing in the middle of a dense forest.
Ancient trees towered above him, their branches blocking the sky while thick mist drifted between the trunks. The ground beneath his feet was damp, and the distant cry of an unknown creature echoed through the wilderness.
The young man immediately reached for his weapon.
His sword was already strapped to his waist, and he quickly drew it from its sheath.
His eyes moved carefully across the forest.
"Where is it?"
A low growl answered him.
The young man's body tensed.
Two crimson eyes appeared within the mist.
Then the creature stepped forward.
It was a massive wolf covered in dark scales. Two short horns protruded from its forehead, and its claws dug into the earth as a frightening pressure spread through the forest.
The young man's expression changed.
"Spirit Beast..."
The beast lowered its body.
The candidate tightened his grip.
Neither moved.
For several seconds, the wolf simply stared at him.
Then it disappeared.
The candidate's pupils contracted.
"What?"
A violent gust exploded behind him.
He spun around just as a massive claw came crashing toward his chest.
Clang!
His sword collided with the beast's claws, but the force behind the attack was far greater than he expected. His feet slid backward across the ground as his arms trembled from the impact.
The wolf didn't retreat.
It pushed harder.
The candidate gritted his teeth and suddenly twisted his sword, redirecting the claw to the side. The creature stumbled forward for half a step, giving him an opening.
He immediately stepped inside its range and slashed toward its neck.
The wolf reacted instantly.
It lowered its head.
The sword cut across one of its horns instead.
Sparks flew.
The candidate's expression changed.
"It can read my attacks?"
The wolf turned and swung its tail.
He barely managed to raise his arm before the impact struck him and sent him flying several meters.
He crashed into a tree.
Pain exploded through his back.
For a moment, his vision blurred.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He pushed himself upright and stared at the beast.
The wolf hadn't attacked again.
It was watching him.
Studying him.
The candidate's breathing became heavier as realization dawned on him.
"It isn't trying to kill me immediately."
His fingers tightened around the sword.
"It's learning how I fight."
The wolf suddenly disappeared into the mist again.
The candidate didn't move.
He didn't chase.
He listened.
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No growl.
No movement.
The forest became unnaturally quiet.
Then his instincts screamed.
He dropped to one knee.
A massive claw swept over his head.
The candidate rolled across the ground, came back onto his feet, and immediately swung his sword toward the creature's exposed side.
This time, the wolf anticipated the attack.
It twisted its body.
The sword missed.
The creature opened its jaws.
The candidate's expression changed.
"Too close!"
He abandoned his sword swing and slammed his shoulder into the beast's chest.
The unexpected movement disrupted the wolf's balance.
The candidate took advantage of the opening, grabbed its foreleg, and used the beast's own momentum to throw it over his shoulder.
The wolf crashed into the ground.
Before it could recover, he rushed forward and drove his sword downward.
The beast rolled aside.
The blade struck the earth.
The wolf's claws immediately tore across the candidate's thigh.
Blood sprayed across the forest floor.
He staggered.
The pain nearly brought him to his knees.
But instead of panicking, he looked down at his wound.
Then at the wolf.
A strange smile appeared on his face.
"I understand now."
He raised his sword again.
"You aren't stronger than me."
His eyes became sharp.
"You're simply better at adapting."
The wolf lowered its body.
The candidate adjusted his stance.
For the first time since entering the illusion, he stopped trying to defeat the beast through brute force.
He began thinking.
The battle continued.
Outside the formation, hundreds of candidates watched in silence.
Kellan's expression was unusually serious.
"So that's the first stage."
Mira nodded. "The opponent keeps changing its approach."
Zion remained focused on the formation.
His eyes followed every exchange.
"The Academy isn't testing whether someone can win their first fight."
Mira looked at him.
"Then what are they testing?"
Zion's gaze remained fixed on the battlefield.
"How quickly they learn."
Inside the illusion, the young candidate suddenly changed his entire fighting style.
Instead of attacking first, he began waiting.
The wolf lunged.
He stepped aside.
The wolf attacked again.
He blocked.
It attempted to circle behind him.
He changed his position before it could complete the maneuver.
Gradually, the battle began to change.
The candidate was no longer reacting blindly.
He was beginning to understand his opponent.
Above the platform, the elderly examiner watched quietly.
One of the academy officials beside him looked at the jade tablet in his hand.
"Candidate One's combat score is rising."
The examiner nodded.
"He adapted."
"Will he pass?"
The elderly examiner looked toward the battlefield.
"That depends on whether he can continue adapting after the opponent changes again."
As if responding to his words, the wolf suddenly raised its head.
Its body began changing.
The scales along its back thickened.
Its claws lengthened.
Its pressure increased.
The candidate's face turned pale.
"What..."
The wolf roared.
The entire forest shook.
The examiner's expression remained calm.
"Now the real test begins."
Zion's eyes narrowed.
The battle had only just started.
And already, he understood something important.
The Academy wasn't asking them to prove that they were strong.
It was asking them to prove that they could become stronger in the middle of a fight.
Far from the platform, the old janitor continued sweeping the spotless corridor.
His cloudy eyes briefly turned toward the distant hall.
A faint smile appeared beneath his beard.
"Interesting."
He continued moving the broom across the floor.
"Let's see how these little monsters perform when the Academy stops being gentle."
Inside the formation, the scaled wolf lunged once more.
The candidate raised his sword.
This time...
He didn't retreat.
He stepped forward to meet it.