Let the exam begin.

Chapter 60: Let the exam begin.

The boy with midnight blue hair looked up and down at the building like he had never seen one that big before, much like Kalon did when he first saw it and then turned around and started to look at all of the people in the courtyard who were all spaced apart, except for Kalon, Igris and Sam. As the boy looked over at Kalon, the other person he was with reached out and forced his head back to the door at the front of the building as it began to rattle.

The sounds of metal scraping together scratched the inside of Kalon's ears as the locks on the door were opened up. It creaked as a hand reached around the side and opened it with a tug before stepping outside.

"I hate this old thing. It's always getting stuck. I've been nagging them to get a new one for years, but no one listens." An old man complained as he stepped out of the building wearing a long white and blue robe. He looked around the yard to see only a few people standing there and sighed.

"I swear the number of people that make it through the illusion gets fewer and fewer every day." He spoke with a sad tone to his voice as he looked around at the children with interest.

Kalon felt a wave of warmth surround him for a moment as the old man looked at him and then sighed.

'What was that?' Kalon thought as he looked up at Igris, who looked angry for some reason.

"How dare he try to test my cultivation. He's lucky that I'm just here to bring the boy, or I would beat him senseless." Igris said with a furious look on his face as Sam also looked at the old man with a death glare.

"I feel you on that one." Sam agreed as his son called out to him.

"Dad, What should I do now?" He asked and turned back to look at his father. Sam sighed loudly and then walked back over to his son and rested his hand on his shoulder.

"That's right? What are we supposed to do now that someone has come out?" Kalon looked up and asked Igris with a confused look in his eyes. He had experienced many things like illusions and being told that there was a way to see a sword's history with just a touch and was now having a hard time understanding even the most basic of things since he was still trying to wrap his head around it.

"Just wait patiently. That old man up there will explain everything in just a few moments. Don't worry too much." Igris replied and then reached down to ruffle Kalon's hair for the second time since they arrived at the school, but this time Kalon noticed.

"Stop messing up my hair!" Kalon complained as his hair which was neatly tied back, now looked as though it had been blowing in the wind. Kalon pulled his head away from Igris and then retied his hair into the style that he liked and continued to watch as the old man looked at all of the other people for a few moments before speaking.

"Welcome, youngsters," The old man spoke and then paused for a moment to look at all of the adults standing with their children.

"And oldsters." He added with a smile.

Igris looked up after hearing what he had said and gritted his teeth out of anger. For someone over sixty, he looked relatively young, so he felt insecure when the old man mentioned it.

"I'm sure many of you already know, but the first part of your entrance exam is already completed. Getting to this point is already an achievement. Becoming a cultivator is hard, and all of you have managed to take the first step onto the path of cultivation despite your young ages.

You should all feel proud of yourself. But as the first part of the exam, it's only natural to say that it was the easiest, and from here on out, it will only get harder and harder. I suspect that forty per cent of you will fail, and that might seem like a lot given that there aren't many of you here. But that is just how hard it is to become a student here.

So I will give you all one chance right now. Go home right now, and you will be able to try some other time again. But if you decide to stay and take the exam, then you won't be able to try again for the rest of your life." The old man said and then took a moment to watch as chaos broke out.

"Come on, let's go home. We can come back when you are older. It's not worth it if you're not able to try again if you fail." A woman called out to her child and then grabbed him by the hand.

"But mom, I'm ready. I know I can pass it." The child protested, but his mother's grip was stronger.

"You're not strong enough yet. Come on, let's go home, and I will buy you some pills to help you get stronger." His mother said as she dragged him back outside the illusion and into the street.

"Well, that's new. Are you sure you want to try it today? I can always bring you back some other time and even train you a little so that you will pass with flying colours." Igris looked down at Kalon with a questioning gaze. It seemed like he had no idea that there would be a rule like that put in place to stop people from coming back.

'I won't be able to try again if I fail? But what would I do then? I can't live with Igris and Aria. I don't even know them. And Roah is gone now so I can't travel with her. What should I do?' Kalon thought to himself as he heard Igris speak.

'Roah brought me here after testing my strength with her own hands. If she thought that I would fail, then she never would have brought me. There is no way that she would waste her money like that. She said that she believed in me in the letter she wrote, so I can't let her down and walk away just because I'm met with a challenge.' Kalon thought as he trusted in her judgement.

"I'll do it!" Kalon said with a fierce look of motivation in his eyes. He looked as though a fire had lit within his eyes, and it was fuelling the rest of his body as a thin layer of Qi surrounded his body.

"I see why Roah brought you here. You're just like her. Naive. But sure, if you want to do it, then I won't try to stop you. I can always get you a job as a guard or something if you fail." Igris sighed, which wasn't very reassuring but still made Kalon happy that he wouldn't be alone if he were to fail.

"Thank y-" Before Kalon could get the words out of his mouth, the old man spoke once again.

"Now that we have gotten rid of those of you with a weak soul. Let the exam begin." The old man said with a smile as he opened up the door to the building and stood to the side.

"We have a strict policy that only the examinees can enter. So if you aren't taking part, then you will have to wait outside. But rest assured that we will return your children to you in one piece." He said while holding his hand out towards the door.

"Well, you heard him. You will be fine so go. I will be here when you get back, don't worry." Igris said and then smacked Kalon on the back and pushed him toward the door.

Kalon nervously walked forward and up the steps, being the first one there. The old man looked at him for a few moments and then smiled as Kalon walked past him. He stepped over the threshold, and the light from the outside world faded as he entered a dark room and heard the sound of wood creaking below his feet as he continued to roam around in the darkness.