Chapter 448: Combat Assessment
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The square in Starry School was extremely huge and could easily accommodate tens of thousands of people. At the viewing platform in front, one could get a very good view of the entire square in just one glance.
When Long Ling’er appeared, many people started to pay attention to her. The top clans in Divine Sky City were all able to attract much attention. In addition, many people in the Top Three Schools in Divine Sky City were in fact from the top clans.
After all, the various top clans had all existed for at least a thousand years and had very stable foundations in Divine Sky City as they passed down the generations. It was obvious that they would have people in the Top Three Schools and many people knew this well. Of course, on the surface, the people who controlled Starry School were still those from the school itself.
Long Mu looked at Long Ling’er, while Gu Yunxi looked at Ye Futian. A few days ago, Ye Futian had said that he would not join Starry School. Thus he was here probably to accompany Long Ling’er.
Jiang Nan and Wang Yuqing were standing together. Seeing Ye Futian and his friends who were behind Long Ling’er, they immediately had a mocking expression on their face. Smiling, Jiang Nan said, “It’s no wonder that he’s not participating in the assessment. Since his master is joining the school, it’s clearly inappropriate for him as a servant to take part as well.”
Wang Yuqing seemed to be somewhat disgusted, perhaps because of Ye Futian’s words before he left on that day. She disliked Ye Futian more and more; he had a poor character and weak background but still had a holier-than-thou attitude.
Turning her eyes, Wang Yuqing found one person in the crowd. It was her sister Wang Yurou.
Wang Yurou passed the first round of assessment and survived the cruel elimination. However, Wang Yuqing knew well that the real assessment was only about to begin.
Today, most people would still be eliminated.
Ye Futian and Long Ling’er stood among the crowd. There were fewer people in the college than the outside, but they still managed to fill the square. At the front of the stairs before them, there was a row of elders of the college. They were the examiners of the assessment and were in charge of selecting the disciples. If there were any doubts, the more senior members behind them would decide.
Every year on this day, many important people in the college would come here themselves. After all, the strength of the newcomers of Starry School would determine the strength of Starry School in the future. Only when they were always strong, the school could maintain its excellence. Moreover, there were three top schools in Divine Sky City and none of them wanted to lose to the other two. There was intense competition between the schools and also frequent conflicts between the disciples of the different schools.
Standing behind Long Ling’er, Ye Futian asked softly, “How many people are in this round, and how many would the college choose?”
“After the first round of elimination, there are about over ten thousand people left. Next, it will be the actual combat round. Every year Starry School admits roughly a thousand people but this is not fixed. If the applicants are stronger on the whole, they would admit more people, and less people if they are weaker in general,” Long Ling’er replied.
“That’s less than one in ten,” Ye Futian muttered. Furthermore, there were even more people eliminated in the first round.
In the first round, applicants were quickly selected based on their ages, levels, talents, and other general areas, while the second round would simply be actual battles. This was indeed the most efficient method. Moreover, in the combat assessment, the applicants would not be fighting against each other. Instead, they would be fighting against a Starry School disciple of the same level as them. This was simple and direct as the examiners could see the difference at once.
If an applicant could win a Starry School disciple of the same level, he would undoubtedly become a disciple himself, but most people would lose. In that case, it would depend on their performance during the combat.
People who performed well would be admitted directly and those who performed very poorly would be eliminated. The rest would enter a waiting list and be selected again in a final assessment.
This was the entire process which Starry School used to choose its disciples. In this way, it could efficiently select the most outstanding group of people to enter the college.
Time passed slowly. An elder on the stairs raised his head to look at the position of the sun, after which he said, “Time’s up. Close the gates and reject the latecomers.”
“Yes,” the guards outside the college replied. If a person was late for such an important assessment, he could forget about joining the college as he was too poorly disciplined.
“Since you’re all here, let’s start now. I believe all of you know the rules. Just like the previous years, we’ll start from the ninth level of the Arcana Plane,” the elder continued. “Starry School disciples, you may enter the arena.” After he finished speaking, a group of people walked out from both sides of the stairs towards the center of the square. There were nine of them.
“Applicants, nine of you may enter,” the elder added. The assessment this time was only targeted at those who were below the Noble Plane. If a noble wanted to enter Starry School, there would be a separate assessment instead of a combined assessment like this.
The applicants this time were almost all in the Arcana Plane, which was also the most common level of Starry School disciples. Then, a group of people walked out one after another. When there were nine of them, the rest backed off and did not contest.
The 18 people stood opposite each other in pairs. The applicants were all somewhat anxious, while the Starry School disciples all had a faint smile on their faces. One of them said, “Be careful. We will not show any mercy.”
“Begin,” the elder announced. Immediately, many brilliant beams of light bloomed on the battle platform. Before the battle started, none of the participants knew their opponents, whether they were sorcerers or martial arts cultivators, or perhaps skilled in both.
At this instant, many Life Spirits and Dharma erupted. Spiritual Qi raged in the air and spells swept across. However, one of the applicants only stood at his spot, looking coldly at the battling crowd before him.
“Humph.” Noticing the scene, the Starry School disciple who spoke earlier smiled and suddenly moved, charging towards the motionless applicant like a bolt of lightning. His speed was astonishing and created many afterimages.
The Starry School disciple waved his palm. Immediately, a wind-elemental spell was formed and a ring-shaped storm swept towards the applicant like a chain.
“Such a perfect combination of wind-elemental and wood-elemental spells. He’s so skilled,” many people complimented.
Ye Futian also looked at the Starry School disciple who could cast two spells simultaneously and achieve such an effect. Indeed, Starry School disciples were all talented and had their own strengths.
Realizing that the applicant was still standing motionlessly there, the Starry School disciple said, “Why are you still not attacking? Do you want to die?” The sharp storm circling around the applicants was releasing an ear-piercing noise who seemed to be able to cut space apart. After he finished speaking, he clenched his fist and the two spells gathered towards his opponent with a shocking power.
Many people frowned. Attacks from Upper Arcana Plane cultivators were all very powerful. The space around him seemed to be filled with an appalling storm which could crush everything there. However, the applicant was still not doing anything.
Suddenly, everyone saw the person move. An extremely dazzling golden radiance bloomed from his body as if he was covered with a divine golden armor. Moreover, the armor actually seemed to be flowing on his body. He stepped out, ignoring the terrifying storm. The storm swept towards him and tried to cut his body apart, but no sound was produced. Instead, the spell slowly merged with his body and then froze, dissipating into nothingness. The wood-elemental spell also ended up with the same outcome.
The person walked out directly from the attack. On his golden armor, a silvery light was also faintly visible.
He put his palm in front of him, after which his arm actually started extending. Covered in golden and silvery light, his arm grabbed towards his opponent.
“A spell fused with the elements of metal and water?” The expression of the Starry School disciple changed. The two different elements actually merged together.
He stepped back with the wind, and his body ascended into the air. However, suddenly, a freezing aura erupted and Ice Will engulfed the space. Soon, his body was covered in silvery frost, as if he was going to turn into a silver statue.
Apart from that, two liquids of different colors flowed towards him from the sky like water. The Starry School disciples still wanted to struggle but were wound by the spells directly. He turned into a real statue, not being able to move at all.
“Err…” Looking at the scene, everyone’s expression changed. In the first battle, such an outstanding person already appeared and easily defeated a Starry School disciple. The battle was so astonishing that nobody even paid attention to the other fights.
Every year during the assessment of the Top Three Schools, many powerful people would appear. It seemed like this was indeed the case.
The first round of battle ended and only this person managed to defeat his opponent easily. He was from an ancient clan very far away and had a unique talent. He had come to Divine Sky City to cultivate.
In the first round, he was admitted into the college directly as an official disciple. As for the rest, two people went onto the waiting list and six were eliminated. It was indeed very cruel.
The second round of battle then followed and it was still the same nine Starry School disciples just now. The person who lost in the previous round seemed to be furious and defeated his opponent directly with a powerful attack. The applicant who was defeated by him felt somewhat speechless.
In the second round, only one person went onto the waiting list and the rest were eliminated. They were all easily defeated by their opponents from Starry School.
At this points, everyone realized that applicants who were defeated immediately by Starry School disciples would be eliminated. Those who won would be admitted directly, while those who would persist for a while would enter the waiting list.
In the combat assessment, Ye Futian also saw Jiang Nan participate. As a Starry School disciple in charge of assessing the applicants, he was quite strong. In the midst of the battle, he even gave Ye Futian a mocking smile. Clearly, Jiang Nan despised Ye Futian.
Time passed by slowly. After all the Upper Arcana Plane cultivators finished, it was the round for Middle Arcana Plane cultivators. Ye Futian saw Wang Yurou participate as well. At the moment, she had already entered the fourth level of the Arcana Plane. However, unfortunately, she lost badly to a Starry School disciple. Her combat abilities were still significantly weaker than the Starry School disciples and she was eliminated.
Wang Yuqing seemed to be somewhat disappointed, but it was within her expectation anyway. She was not very hopeful for it and only wanted her sister to try.
In the future, Wang Yurou could still stay in Divine Sky City to cultivate which would broaden her horizons. She would be better off here than in Yunyue City, as long as she did not go onto a self-degrading path like Ye Futian.