Entrance Exam

Under everyone's eyes, Felix stood on the 91st step for a while making it light up like the brightest star in the sky, after which he stepped on the 92nd stair where he stood still until it also dazzled everyone by shining, whereupon he went to the next step. 

While this continued, the crowd below noticed that something seemed special about the stairs Felix was walking on. One of them walked forward and built up the courage. 

"Senior Phoebe, is there something special about those final steps?"

Showing appreciation in her eyes towards the one who dared ask the question, Phoebe kindly explained to everyone who was here to join the Ethereal Dao College 

"As you all know each step allows you to learn a different Dao. And the last nine steps also give you the opportunity to learn nine different Daos. However, unlike the remaining Daos which you can comprehend fully on the stairs, those nine steps contain only partial Daos."

"Partial?"

"Yes. The Dao you can comprehend from the last nine steps isn't complete, and only a part. However, if you can even learn a little Dao from them, you'll be directly recruited to join the respective mountain. After all the Dao on each of those stairs represents the core Daos of our Ethereal Dao College."

"What core Daos senior Phoebe?"

"Out college has Nine Mountains of Dao, and each of them has its own core Dao. The Nine Mountains are related to Sword, Sabre, Spear, Elements, Alchemy, Formation, Space, Creation, and Chaos."

Listening to Phoebe everyone who came here to join the college felt enlightened as they started thinking about learning any one of those Daos.

However, Phoebe's next words poured cold water on such thoughts. 

"Unfortunately even though you can learn one of the college's Core Daos on the Stairs of Dao, the last nine stairs have been lit up less than fifty times since the time the college has been set up."

"And this includes the four times that boy has made them dazzle."

Gulping hard as they understood that Felix might possibly be the best talent of the year, many started racking their brains to figure out the slightest possible information about him. 

But no matter how much they thought not even one of them could remember of having heard the name Felix until now. 

As everyone was thinking this Felix had already stepped on the final step making all of the last nine steps glow at once. They shone so brightly that the light was visible to everyone inside the college who were living on the Nine Mountains of Dao. 

... 

"I can't believe it! Someone had comprehended all nine core Daos!"

"Come! Let's go and see who it is!"

... 

"He's here! After waiting for so long, my destined one is finally here!"

...

As students and teachers alike rushed to from all over to see the one who managed to make the last nine Stairs of Dao light up for the first time ever, under Phoebe's shocked eyes Felix disappeared into the mist and entered the college. 

The next moment Phoebe no longer cared about the remaining who still had to cross the stairs and followed behind Felix to see what would happen during his entrance exam, and which mountain he'd choose. 

.... 

After Felix, Wendy was the next one to cross the stairs, followed by another black horse known as Noah Arnold, and Hector Wade unexpectedly against all expectations finished fourth. 

However, none of them were even able to make a single one of the last nine stairs shine. 

One by one the remaining applicants walked on the stairs, and a few passed while most of them were kicked down the stairs due to their lack of talent. 

Slowly more and more of those who passed the Stairs of Dao assembled together on the other side which was covered in mist as they waited for the real test to start anxiously. 

Throughout the whole time, students of the college came one by one and observed Felix who was standing alone in a corner all alone not even affected by the atmosphere. 

"Is he the one?"

"It does look like it."

"He looks sooooo handsome! Do you think he had a girlfriend?"

"He does, it's me."

"Yeah right, just look at..."

"Everyone shut up, the teachers are coming."

As one of them spoke up and silenced the others, the college's teachers cam down the Nine Dao Mountains and joined them. 

However, none of them spoke, because they were waiting for the headmaster to come. And only after she came did one of the teachers tell Phoebe to begin the Entrance Examination. 

This was because climbing the stairs only gave them the qualification to try and join the college, it didn't mean that they were selected to study in it. 

"Congratulations to every one of you for passing the Stairs of Dao, however, don't celebrate too fast since the real examination starts now."

"Now one by one your names will be called upon, and those who have been called are to step forward and place your hand on this."

"This ball will show us all the Daos you have comprehend on the Stairs of Dao, and how much you've comprehended them."

"Depending on how many various Daos you have comprehended at fifty per cent or above, we will decide if you have passed or failed."

Not telling exactly how many Daos one should comprehend, Phoebe started calling forth the ones who walked past the Stairs of Dao one by one, and place their hands on the ball.