binnovel Chapter 279 Talent Test
Chapter 279 Talent Test
On the top floor of the academy, Huang Xiaoxiao was explaining to Mo Yuming, who was standing by the window watching the scene below.
To reduce suspicion, the university's opening ceremony was held by Su Yangyan and his group, and Mo Yuming did not attend. Besides Huang Xiaoxiao, Qi Mei, and Qing Wei, those watching from the top floor with Mo Yuming included Ji Xianlin, Si Rongnong, and the recently returned Shi Potian and Qing Xiuniang.
Shi Potian was originally a rogue cultivator from Yingzhou, with no ties whatsoever. Besides inquiring about the fate of his three sworn brothers, he was also searching for clues about his old enemies. After leaving the valley, he went directly to the place where he and his sworn brothers used to reside. However, seventy years had passed, and all the familiar places had changed beyond recognition.
For nearly four years, Shi Potian searched every place he had been, but found not a single clue. He couldn't even find his brother's family or distant relatives. Seventy years had passed; the ordinary people had changed several generations. Even the children who were too young to understand back then were now old and wouldn't remember anything from that time. Helpless, Shi Potian had no choice but to return to the Valley of Heartbreak. He never expected that it would have changed so much; even Zhongyuan City had become that kid's territory. Shi Potian had never dreamed of such a situation. He, a homeless old man, had become a respected elder here.
Shi Potian and Qing Xiuniang were naturally delighted to accept Mo Yuming's title and join Ji Xianlin and others in serving this small country.
Qing Xiuniang's experience was similar to Shi Potian's. Although she was the eldest daughter of the Qing family at the time, a hundred years later, when she returned to the Qing family in Suzhou, she wasn't even allowed to enter the gate. If it weren't for the fact that she was at least a second-level Heavenly Rank expert, she would have been beaten by the gatekeeper, who mistook her for an old beggar trying to scam money. Helpless, she could only secretly inquire about the current state of the Qing family. She learned that the current head of the Qing family was no longer a direct descendant. The family had undergone a complete change. The original direct line had long since declined and ceased to exist because they hadn't left behind any ancestral halls.
"That testing platform is way too expensive! It just looks like a black metal lump! It doesn't seem to be of any use at all!"
Although Shi Potian was also a fourth-level Heavenly Realm expert, he was born into a commoner family and had never seen such a thing that only great families and royal nobles possessed.
"This testing platform is of a higher level. After all, it is used by an academy and is used much more frequently than by ordinary families, so it is naturally more expensive. I remember that the Ji family's platform was also ordered from the Dao family. It was smaller than this one, but it still cost 70,000 gold coins."
Ji Xianlin said from the side.
“I saw it in Peach Blossom Village when I was only three or four years old, but I was too young to know what those older brothers and sisters were doing standing there. Not long after, I left Peach Blossom Village with my mother and never went back. I have never tested my spiritual power quality.”
Xiao Xiao said.
"Why don't we all go and test it together?"
Mo Yuming said with a grin.
"The platform can only test young people under the age of 25, whose cultivation level is below the Heavenly Rank. We old men cannot be tested."
Ji Xianlin smiled.
"Then Master Shi will only have regrets for the rest of his life!"
"It can't improve your cultivation level, so what's the point of testing it? I've never used that thing, and I'm already at the Heavenly Rank!"
Shi Potian spoke eloquently.
Mo Yuming, Xiao Xiao, and Ling Yun mingled into the group of young students participating in the selection. Since it was the first year of enrollment, the age limit for students was relaxed in order to expand the enrollment scope. Originally, those under twelve years old were for primary school, those under sixteen years old were for middle school, and those between sixteen and twenty years old were for university. However, the middle school had only just started operating and there were no suitable students to take the exam. Therefore, this year's students were recruited from the community. Any teenager aged fourteen to twenty-five could apply.
Mo Yuming and Huang Xiaoxiao were both fifteen or sixteen years old, while Ling Yun was almost fourteen, so they weren't particularly noticeable among the students. Teenagers of their age made up the largest group, almost two-thirds of the student body. They were all past the age limit for university admissions and had been sent by their parents to take the entrance exams.
Ji Xianlin and the other old men quietly walked into the group of guests and each found a spot to watch the admissions ceremony.
The opening ceremony had already begun, and everyone had arrived at the square outside the college, taking their positions according to the pre-arranged schedule. Seven seats were set up on the stage, and Su Yangyan, Huo Chengde, Ji Jiahe, Duan Shichen, Fang Yixiu, and others were already in their places. However, two seats in the center remained empty, causing much discussion among those unaware of the situation.
Just as the clueless Su Yangyan was about to look for Mo Yuming, he suddenly noticed someone smiling at him from among the group of students. He was momentarily stunned. Why was their young master in the student group? What was going on? Was he also preparing for the exam? And this little adult had even joined in the fun. Who would sit in the two empty seats on the stage? They hadn't even given any prior notice. Moving the seats away now wouldn't be right; wouldn't that just arouse suspicion?
Fortunately, Huo Chengde reacted quickly and hurriedly sent someone to invite Ji Xianlin and Shi Potian from the guest seats behind the stage. Both were fourth-level Heavenly Rank experts, undoubtedly the most powerful figures in the Great Xia Empire at present. They were also elders whom Mo Yuming greatly respected; their seats were appropriate, at least preventing gossip.
Even in the entire Long Kingdom, there are only a handful of fourth-level Heavenly Realm experts. The fact that two have suddenly appeared in the Great Xia Dynasty will undoubtedly cause a sensation throughout the entire Long Kingdom.
Ji Xianlin and his companion shook their heads without saying anything, and obediently walked to the platform and took their seats. This little incident thus came to an end.
Su Yangyan and his companion delivered opening remarks, followed by invitations to Ji Xianlin and his companion to speak. Ji Xianlin, with his profound knowledge and refined demeanor, won cheers from the audience with his words. Shi Potian, naturally a rough and unrestrained person, immediately released his Heavenly Rank aura upon stepping onto the stage. The entire plaza felt an invisible pressure; those with lower cultivation levels couldn't even breathe. Fortunately, Shi Potian maintained his composure well, withdrawing his aura after a moment and then addressing the students:
"If any of you want to surpass me in the future, hurry up and sign up!" After saying that, he sat back down.
Everyone in the audience was stunned by his actions, and it took them a while to react. In this world where strength reigns supreme, Shi Potian's display of power had earned him the admiration of all the students. Was this the power of a supreme expert? A single glance was enough to intimidate thousands. How incredibly powerful he was!
The students immediately cheered, and the atmosphere became unprecedentedly high.
"I hereby announce that Chung Yuan Christian University is officially beginning its enrollment!"
After Shi Potian returned to his seat, Duan Shichen went to the front desk to announce the start of the enrollment process.
"Please line up neatly and proceed to the first testing point in the order of your registration to have your spiritual power attributes tested!"
As the vice principal, Fang Xiuyi personally directed the examination.
"The testing platform can test four people at the same time. Please have the first four students come up together, each standing in a different position. Then, place your hands on the testing area of the platform and press down forcefully with your spiritual energy," the staff member in charge of the test explained.
The testing platform was a gray-black pyramid about ten feet tall, placed on a platform about three feet high. Each side of the pyramid's base had two palm-sized grooves. When a palm was pressed into these grooves, that side of the pyramid would react, and the smooth metal surface would glow from the bottom up. Different spiritual energy attributes emitted different colors, totaling ten colors. Besides pure white, black, red, yellow, and cyan representing the five normal attributes, there were also green, blue, orange, purple, and silver representing mutated spiritual energy attributes.
Starting from the bottom and going up to the top of the tower, there are eighteen levels in total. Each level represents a different level. The first nine levels represent the Human Rank cultivation level, and the last nine levels represent the Earth Rank cultivation level.
The brightness and vividness of the light representing cultivation level indicate higher attribute quality, better martial arts talent, and stronger cultivation potential. Generally, a dull color indicates low-grade aptitude; even with diligent cultivation, it's difficult to break through to the Earth Rank. A bright color indicates medium-grade aptitude; with effort, one can generally reach the Earth Rank, and with a stroke of luck, might even break through to the Heaven Rank. However, they can only reach the initial stage of the Heaven Rank at most, and it's very difficult to climb higher.
Those with bright, dazzling colors are all geniuses with exceptional martial arts aptitude. With diligent cultivation, they can generally break through to the Heavenly Rank and reach the mid-to-high level of the Heavenly Rank. Barring unforeseen circumstances, they will undoubtedly become top-tier powerhouses in the Tianxuan Continent in the future. However, these exceptionally talented geniuses are extremely rare; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are one in a thousand.
"Number one is Wood type, Human Rank 3, Attribute quality is medium; Number two is Water type, Human Rank 5, Attribute quality is medium to high..."
As the lights on all four sides of the pyramid continued to illuminate, the spiritual attributes and potential of the first four students were quickly determined.
Those with average or higher attribute quality in the test can enter the martial arts academy to study, while those with below-average quality can only take the exam at the literature academy. Those who meet the requirements can stay, while those who do not can be eliminated.
The academy is divided into two departments: the Arts Department and the Martial Arts Department. Those with martial arts talent stay in the Martial Arts Department to study, which, in addition to cultivating profound martial arts, also has two sub-departments: alchemy and weapon crafting. Students in the Arts Department study subjects such as construction, divination, management, and agriculture, which do not require a high level of profound martial arts cultivation.
"Students number 197, 198, 199, and 200, please come forward for the test."
As the staff called out names, Mo Yuming, Huang Xiaoxiao, Ling Yun, and a boy about Ling Yun's age walked to the testing platform. The staff present were all recently hired and naturally didn't recognize Mo Yuming and the others. However, most of those sitting in the guest seats knew Huang Xiaoxiao and Ling Yun, as they were expected to recognize the Minister of Finance of the Great Xia Empire and her assistant. Mo Yuming knew fewer people, but many recognized the very ruler of the Great Xia Empire.
Upon seeing them step onto the testing platform, almost all the guests stood up simultaneously, their faces filled with astonishment. Fortunately, Ji Xianlin reacted quickly, employing his methods to force them back to their seats. Because everyone present was focused on the testing platform, the unusual phenomenon in the guest seating area went largely unnoticed.
"Number 197, superior metal type, human level 8; Number 198, superior water type, human level 7; Number 199, superior mutated lightning type, human level 5; Number 200... Headmaster, is there something wrong with this testing platform? Why are the colors all messed up?"
When the staff approached Mo Yuming, they discovered that the surface of the table had become multicolored and was flashing brightly. They were immediately startled by this strange phenomenon and shouted to Duan Shichen, who was proctoring the exam nearby.
Mo Yuming hadn't expected to create such a situation. After placing his hand on the surface, he pressed down on the groove as instructed. Initially, the entire surface remained dark, but after a few moments, it suddenly lit up completely, emitting multicolored lights as if a paint vat had been overturned. This startled even Mo Yuming himself.
"There might be a problem with the platform. After all, this set of magical artifacts is newly used, so some minor issues are inevitable. We won't record this student's score; we'll test again next time!"
Duan Shichen hurriedly offered an awkward explanation. As an elder serving Mo Yuming, he naturally knew about Mo Yuming's eccentricities. However, he couldn't say it outright, so he simply brushed off the staff.
Mo Yuming had no choice but to awkwardly walk out.
"These four... three students are all rare geniuses, all possessing superior attribute spiritual power. Especially the little girl number 199, who is actually a mutated lightning type! If number 200 is also a superior attribute, these four students are among the most promising in the top two hundred, and they are all young, with limitless potential for the future!"
Many people in the audience started talking about it.
"That's right, especially that mutated girl. She's probably not even fourteen years old yet! It's said that mutated cultivators of profound arts become powerful figures who can suppress their own territories once they grow up."
"That little boy is not bad either. He's not even fifteen years old, yet he's already at the eighth level of the Human Rank!"
"What exactly is the attribute of that older boy's cultivation technique? We've tested so many students, and only his appearance caused such a huge screen to be flooded. I really hope it's a platform glitch. If the platform isn't malfunctioning, what is that boy's cultivation level? Could it mean he's already at the peak of the Earth Rank? If that's the case..."
"How could such a heaven-defying thing exist? If that were true, would they even be human? I'm almost eighty years old and I've never seen a monster who's already at the peak of the Earth Rank at the age of fifteen or sixteen! That's impossible! There must be something wrong with the platform!"
"That's the Dao family's highest-level testing platform. Even ordinary marquises and nobles don't have it, and only the royal family has one of the same level. It's brand new! It shouldn't be so easy for something to go wrong! Isn't this a slap in the face for the Dao family? I think there's more to the story!"
……
Duan Shichen was speechless upon hearing these comments, and had no choice but to go along with the mistake, ordering his staff to change the rule of testing in groups of four to groups of three, leaving one test panel empty. His reasoning was that testing with four people at once would put too much pressure on the testing platform and affect the test results.
After this unexpected turn of events, Mo Yuming felt too embarrassed to participate in the other tests, so he secretly slipped away to the library to have some tea.