The students were all gathered at the school plaza. He saw a few familiar faces around him, Julius was just a few meters away from him with Stella and while he didn't notice it, Silvia was just behind him at the side, but he wasn't able to talk to her as a group of people arrived.
Soon the teachers stood before them one by one while five of them floated in the skies causing the students to marvel at them. These were the Core teachers at this academy. They were different colored outfits, three of them were males with two middle-aged men, who wore red and black clothes and an old man had a white robe. The other two were two beautiful women who had blue and green dresses respectively.
Core Formation realm...
Even Samael had to nod in satisfaction, even if these teachers are not the trump cards of the academy they are enough to act as a deterrent to other schools and sects. Plus, having a Core Formation realm expert guide you will make your cultivation path relatively easy.
"It is a tradition of the academy to conduct a series of tests for all new students. At the end of these tests, the top ten students may choose a master from any of the esteemed ladies and gentlemen up above."
As the announcer's voice entered their ear, many of the students clamored at the possibility of being taught by a Core Formation Realm expert but their delusions were swiftly ended when they thought about the other students who had violet-colored talents and especially me who scored a black one.
"These tests will not only test your physique, cultivation, and understanding of combat. It will also test your will and your heart..."
"Will and Heart...Interesting, are they going to use some form of illusion to test the student's Martial Heart?" Samael mused.
The quality of one's Martial Heart can be argued to be more important than the level of cultivation or talents as those with a weak Martial Heart will not go far on the road of cultivation. There were many figures in history who had normal talents with a strong Martial Heart who were able to surpass and beat those with superior talent. This is true even in the higher realm where Samael came from.
Because those with a strong Martial Heart will be able to brave all danger and face even the heavens themselves for their ambition. Because they have a heart that would not submit.
"The first test will test your physique and cultivation."
Once the announcer finished speaking, many of the students felt tense as the female Core Formation expert in blue stood up and made mystical hand signs.
"An array..." As someone who has read a lot of books, Samael naturally recognized those hand signs.
The Female Core Formation expert swiftly finished her hand signs and all students felt their feet sink to the ground.
It was a gravitational array. Since this was to test the student's physique, those who can stay longer in the array means they have a stronger physique. Those who were unprepared quickly tumbled back or knelt on the ground after experiencing twice the gravity they were accustomed to after a few minutes. They were quickly brought out by the teachers presiding over the event. Many were surprised and were able to steady themselves but after three minutes, they were already sweating.
The current remaining students were 87 out of 100
Once five minutes passed by, the Female Core Formation expert made another hand sign, and the remaining students quickly felt their bodies becoming heavier once again. Like earlier, a couple of students tumbled but a few fell face firsts. While others struggled by grunting as they forcefully stamped their feet on the floor, cracking it.
To Samael and those who have practiced stronger cultivation arts, this much gravity was still manageable as their cultivation arts refined their bodies stronger than those in the same level who practiced weaker techniques.
A minute went by and many more were eliminated.
53 out of a Hundred.
Once again, the Female Core Formation expert made a hand sign. This time, even those like Silvia, Julius, and Dominic who came from noble families had to take things seriously and prepared for the incoming increase in gravity. But what they didn't expect was that the moment the gravity increased, their minds were shocked.
Many of the remaining students instantly fell down, face first when the gravity increased while many of those who persevered suddenly felt fear as they began to sweat uncontrollably and their knees began trembling.
Killing Intent!
Samael quickly knew where this feeling came from. It was killing intent, a sort of aura that a person accumulates from killing other people or when their desire to kill becomes so great that they can project it to affect others.
He knew that this killing intent was coming from one of the other Core Formation realm experts from above.
It quickly eliminated 20 students, leaving only 33 out of a hundred
"I guess, this is how they test our will...Still, it's a bit too weak!" Samael muttered to himself as sweat slowly poured at the side of his face and he started to push back.
He didn't notice it but Silvia who was near him and was able to see his distinct crimson eyes that started to glow could have sworn that the fear she was feeling started to lessen.
The killing intent that the core formation expert exuded was spread out equally to all remaining students but when Samael started pushing back and slowly released his own killing intent. It managed to lessen the effects around him but only Silvia was able to feel it as she was the only one left near his immediate surrounding.
Up above, the old man in white raised an eyebrow upon seeing the changes around Samael. He was observing each remaining student and while it was admirable for them to last long under the dual influence of four-fold gravity and a Core Formation expert's killing intent, his curiosity was piqued when he saw Samael slowly pushing back against the killing intent with his own.
"To have such a raw killing intent...but there is no aura of slaughter around him. How?" the old man mused.
After a minute under these conditions, the old man in white waved his hands, and the effects of both four-fold gravity and killing intent ceased. When the pressure vanished, many of the remaining students relaxed and fell to their knees while others like Samael only have a hand on their thighs as their breathed heavily.
But even after the pressure vanished, Samael's mood didn't change he was still in some sort of "Battle Mode" as a little bit of his killing intent was still exuding out of his body. At this moment, even Silvia, Julius, Lina, and Julian who were observing from the sides couldn't see a hint of the usual Samael. His aura was sharp and detached while there was a sense of danger coming from within him like a fierce beast that was poised to hunt.
Silvia who was closer could sense these changes clearly and she could even see that beneath Samael's feet, a layer of black ice was slowly forming as well as an occasional flicker of black lightning around him. Samael wasn't even operating any of his two cultivation arts to cause these effects.
"This concludes the first test, those who were eliminated will be divided amongst the outer core teachers. Those who passed will be given a period of rest before we given on the second test."