The First Summoner - Chapter 92

Chi Yue unhurriedly handed his registration token to the instructor.

The man finally came back to his senses. After swiftly checking the token and finding no problem, he admitted Chi Yue into the martial grounds.

Now that Shen Yan and the brothers had seen his true face, their curiosity faded.

“Let’s go,” Zhuge Youlin said.

“All right.”

They headed toward the waiting area, where more than a thousand young cultivators had already gathered.

Zhuge Weiran marveled, “So many people applied to Western Region Academy.”

“Of course they did.” Zhuge Youlin smiled.

Sensing something, Shen Yan glanced behind her. To her surprise, Chi Yue walked exceptionally slowly. More importantly, his eyes were closed, and he looked half asleep.

The brothers followed her gaze and were equally astonished.

“Can he really sleep that much?” Zhuge Youlin exclaimed. “He can fall asleep while walking?”

Zhuge Weiran said nothing.

Although Chi Yue moved slowly, the sight was strangely pleasing. His tranquil aura flowed like a clear stream, untouched by time.

Applicants behind him passed on either side, regarding him with peculiar expressions. Several girls watched him with shining eyes, plainly captivated by his appearance.

Chi Yue walking with closed eyes and swaying faintly drew widespread attention, even from spectators already seated in the stands.

Members of the Spirit-Plant Chi Clan watched with worried frowns, hoping he would control his temper.

One elder sighed. “Family Head, you know the young master’s temperament. Why insist he enter Western Region Academy? What if he causes trouble there?”

The family head’s expression was unreadable, and he did not answer.

He had sent Yue’er to Western Region Academy for one reason: the opportunity to participate in the Three Top-Secret Missions.

Shen Yan and the brothers entered the waiting area.

Most of the young geniuses were fifteen to seventeen years old. Confidence filled their faces, as though each was certain of passing.

Western Region Academy had dispatched many students to maintain order. All wore matching white robes that looked stately and impressive.

Among them, Shen Yan spotted Huo Wanchen, the Summoner she had met the previous night. He was speaking with a girl who bore some resemblance to Shen Xue.

On closer inspection, even Huo Wanchen somewhat resembled Shen Xue.

Shen Yan frowned thoughtfully.

As they waited, thirty enormous pillars used to test aptitude were set up in the open ground ahead.

The cultivation-testing pillars had been small. These were nearly two meters tall and one meter wide. Thirty such pillars presented a breathtaking sight.

“Western Region Academy really is wealthy,” Zhuge Youlin marveled.

The heads and elders of other academies watched from the stands, consumed with envy.

The applicants were divided into thirty lines for the first round’s aptitude test.

Cultivators and representatives of major factions occupied the stands on either side. Western Region Academy’s elders, instructors, and senior students sat at the front. The waiting area packed with the Pingze Western Region’s young geniuses lay behind.

The vast central ground held the thirty testing pillars.

Soon all the applicants had assembled.

There were at least eight thousand, densely packed together.

Nearly sixty thousand spectators filled the stands.

Shen Yan’s trio stood midway along their line.

A commotion arose behind them. She turned to discover Chi Yue at its center yet again. Vines and spirit plants had wrapped around him until he resembled a cocoon.

People repeatedly looked over and whispered.

Zhuge Youlin said with distaste, “How bizarre. I can’t understand his behavior at all.”

“He doesn’t need you to understand,” Shen Yan replied.

“True.” Zhuge Youlin nodded.

Shen Yan scanned the crowd for Jiang Xianyue, but there were far too many applicants.

Just then—

A terrifying presence descended, stealing everyone’s breath.

They turned toward its source. A tall, stern old man with white hair and a youthful face stood at the front. He wore a teal robe with jade ornaments and tassels at his waist, and his gaze was razor sharp.

“Greetings, Headmaster Xuanyun!”

Nearly sixty thousand spectators rose and saluted with cupped hands.

Xuanyun, headmaster of Western Region Academy, was one of the strongest figures in the Pingze Western Region. At the peak of Heaven-rank level eight, he had led the academy for eighty years.

He looked relatively young but was actually over a century old.

Headmaster Xuanyun raised a hand, signaling everyone to sit.

“Today is Western Region Academy’s annual recruitment day. I am pleased that all of you have come to observe. I guarantee this entrance test will be fair and impartial. I must also announce that this year, the academy will admit only the top one hundred geniuses.”

The final sentence shocked the crowd.

Only one hundred new students?

Far fewer than before.

Heads of the other academies secretly smiled. They would have far more overlooked candidates to recruit.

Everyone else felt conflicted.

Xuanyun amplified his voice with spiritual power. “This year’s first round follows past practice. It assesses aptitude, intelligence, and martial strength. Passing any two categories allows an applicant to advance to the second round.

“Before the aptitude test begins, I will explain its ranks. From highest to lowest, they are Heaven-rank, Earth-rank, Mystic-rank, and Yellow-rank aptitude. Reaching Earth-rank aptitude is enough to pass this category.”

Pressure settled over many applicants.

Earth-rank aptitude was extraordinarily difficult to attain.

In the previous year’s test, only slightly more than fifty candidates had achieved Earth-rank aptitude.