41.
The moment the figures came into view, the entire stadium plunged into silence. Most of the people here were from martial families, only a few of them were passersby who joined in for fun. Yet at this time, none of them dared to speak. The sheer impact of a flying boat was enough to put them in awe.
There were around ten people who came down from the boat. Most of them were in their middle age with the exception of an old man who was walking in the middle.
"He is?" Looking at the older man, Yang Ze's eyes narrowed to a slim. Compared to the other people, the appearance of this man was extremely ordinary. Yet it was this very thing that gave him a sense of extraordinary presence.
He looked to be in his eighties, with a head full of white hair tied up in a bun. With an amiable smile, he occasionally stroked his long white beard. All this, coupled with the white robe on his body gave him the appearance of a wise old man.
Looking at the crowd, Yang Ze wasn't the only one confused. Only a few people from the martial families who knew something had their eyes lit up. Many of them passed on the information to their younger generation. In an instant, the atmosphere there became extremely dignified.
With a smile, the old man moved to the corner of the stadium and took a seat there. The rest of the people from the Xuanwu Martial Academy made their way to the centre of the stadium.
By the time it took a cup of tea to finish, they were finished making their preparation. In the centre of the stadium, a large slab of stone that seemed to be three meters long and one meter wide was placed. On the ground below it, different symbols were made using unknown things.
After the preparations were done, a young man made his way toward the old man before bowing respectfully to him and saying something.
Though the man said in a whisper, Yang Ze's sense of hearing coupled with the silence of the stadium was enough for him to hear the words he spoke.
"Elder, the preparations are done."
...
The old man nodded before making his way toward the centre of the stadium. With every step he took closer to the centre, everyone felt their heartbeat speed up. The event that was about to change the lives of many people was about to begin.
"Hello, people. I am Fang Ping, an elder of the Xuanwu Academy."
"As all of you already know, the Xuanwu Academy is going to recruit disciples today. So, without wasting any more time, the families that have registered for the exam can come up one by one."
Nodding his head, he moved to the side before another person from the Xuanwu Academy came forward with a list of names in his hand.
"Chen Murong.'
After a loud shout, the figure of a young man in his twenties stepped forward from the crowd.
"Place your hand on the stone."
Nodding his head, the man put his hand on the stone. Yet after a short while, nothing happened.
"FAIL."
Without wasting his time with words, the examiner announced the result in front of everyone.
"HUH?"
"No, no... It's not possible." The young man didn't even realize what happened. He came forth with great hopes, yet before he could even say or do anything, he was rejected brutally. Not to mention him, anyone would be flustered in this situation.
The examiner didn't waste time with him. Without waiting for him to speak further, he signalled the man on the side before announcing another name.
"Wang Li."
Another person came forward.
After a few moments, the result was announced.
"FAIL."
"Wu Li."
.
.
"FAIL."
...
Fifteen minutes passed, yet there wasn't a single person who passed the test. The rest of the examinees who were waiting for their turns were now pale-faced. Though they knew the academy only accepted talented individuals, the results still overwhelmed them.
The examiners of the Xuanwu Academy seemed oblivious to all of this.
Just when everyone thought the failing streak was going to continue, a loud voice suddenly attracted their attention.
"PASSED."
"HUH?"
In an instant, the crowd boiled. At the place of examination, a young man was standing with his hands touching the stone. Compared to before, the stone was giving out a hazy glow of light.
"This... This..." The young man still seemed to be in a daze. Even in his wildest dreams he never thought of once passing the exam. The people who came before him had a better background and more resources than him, yet at this moment, he was the one who got selected.
In a daze, he stood on the side with the people from the Xuanwu Academy.
To the young people, it was a much-needed air of relief. After the constant failures, this one success injected them with newfound energy.
"Zhao Mei."
.
.
"FAIL."
The process went on for a long time. Though the majority of the people failed, there were still a few who managed to pass the test, though their numbers were less than ten.
By now, half of the people that were gathered for the test had failed. The only people that were still standing were the people from the big families. And sure enough, the next name came.
"Yang Hai."
With this name, the eyes of the entire crowd gathered on the young man from the Yang family.
Yang Hai, the elder brother of Yang Ze and the most talented person in the entire Yang family was already famous enough in the city.
Even though he already had a quota, he was still willing to come up and test in front of so many people. Perhaps it was his way of showing off, or perhaps it was due to his vanity.
Without speaking a word, he walked in front of the stone and placed his hands on it. As soon as his hands were placed, the stone gave off a bright glow incomparable to before. The bright white glow lasted for a long time before subsiding.
"PASSED."
With a smile, the examiner announced the result. From his expressions, it was pretty clear he was very pleased with him.
Yang Hai, whose face was still full of arrogance, walked to the side before standing at a distance from the other passed candidates. It was as if he didn't want to be in the same group as them.
"Yang Deyi."
It was the turn of Yang Ze's cousin.
.
.
"FAIL."
Without wasting further time, the next name was called.
"Yang Che."
It was at this moment, that the name Yang Che was called. Yang Ze looked at Yang Che who slowly stepped out nervously.
Standing in front of the stone, Yang Che took a deep breath and closed his eyes before placing his hands on it.
In his mind, his life flashed before his eyes.
Passing means, changing his fate.
Passing means, an entirely new world.
Passing means, being together with her.
Passing means, the ability to change his life.
Passing means...
"FAIL."
.
.
.
.
.
It was a simple word, yet it was this very word that sealed his fate.
Even though he had some hope in his heart, this was the moment where even the last of his hopes were shattered.
Yang Che stood there blankly. His dreams, his ambitions, everything came down crashing at this moment. There is an old saying, 'The bigger the expectations, the bigger the disappointment."
Yang Che slowly moved out off the stage with a lifeless expression. His plans, his dreams, everything seemed like far-fetched things.
Looking at the figure that was walking out, Yang Ze shook his head. He knew how much the other person valued this opportunity, yet couldn't do anything about it.
Before Yang Ze could follow him, another name attracted his attention.
"Hua Lin."
"Huh?"
Looking at the familiar figure of the Young woman, Yang Ze was stunned for a while before nodding in realization. The entrance exam of the Xuanwu Academy was already a big event, so it was no wonder that the martial families from other cities joined in too. After all, there was no rule preventing them from taking part here.
"PASSED."
After getting the approval, Hua Lin walked silently toward the centre. If this was any other day, she would have taken pride in her achievement, yet after meeting the mysterious 'Meng Hao' all her pride and arrogance seemed to be nothing but a joke.
Compared to that mysterious figure who reached the late-stage Qi guiding before the age of twenty, this seemed like a child's play to her.
Even after standing with Yang Hai, her eyes were drifting across the people who came to enter the Xuanwu Academy. She was looking for the familiar figure. In her eyes, this was the perfect place for that mysterious figure to show off his talent in front of the entire world and to amaze everyone in a single go. However, to her disappointment, she couldn't find that figure here.
"Is he really not coming?" Looking around with a sullen gaze, she kept her eyes on the people who were yet to be tested. This was her last and only hope to see him once again.
...
Time passed in the blink of an eye. Almost all of the people who came here were tested. Out of all the people who appeared, only twenty-six passed the exam. Though it wasn't a big number, it was a good enough result for the elder of the Xuanwu academy who was nodding his head with a smile.
At this moment, the examiner announced the last name on the list.
"Cang Yue."