"So, when do you think we can go inside?" Nick asked the only person in his group that actually knew something about this mess.
"That's a bit difficult to tell right now, but since a thousand people are allowed into the secret realm this time there will probably be no competition held, yet even then it is still hard to predict the moves the top powers here will make." Loyd was frowning as well, he felt like things wouldn't be as simple as just walking up to the gates this time.
And so, time froze like this, with the words on the door flashing more brilliant by the second, until finally.
Creeeeeek!
The doors to the secret realm opened with a nasty creek, but to most cultivators, this was the heavenly sound of opportunity knocking!
"Dear cultivators of this great continent, listen here! All those that are not affiliated to an empire or a sect, please turn back now, all those from low-level Empires and sects, please turn back now, and finally, all those whose cultivation base is below the gathering realm, please turn back as well, this is not a place where you can step in!"
After speaking among themselves some of the top powers in the area decided to make up some rules that could help them keep most of the spots for their disciples. This was because, although it was true that a secret realm only had a few treasures, the environment there was still incredibly valuable for cultivation, one day in there could serve as a month's worth of practice!
And these secret realms usually stayed open for weeks, so if more of their disciples were to enter. the stronger their sect would be even without the heavenly relics! So they would make sure to keep most of the vagrant cultivators out and only allow those with power and background which would be few, leaving more spots for themselves.
The Cultivators were furious, how could they stomach being insulted like this?! But sadly they knew they were outmatched here, the people who spoke just now had the ability to wipe out small level Empire's by themselves, so wiping out wandering cultivators like them would be as simple as farting!
But just as these wandering cultivators and those from the low-level powers were about to lose hope, one cultivator stood up and stood tall with his loud voice ringing out righteously throughout the place!
"My fellow cultivators listen to me, why are you being insulted like this, why are you just letting them push you around, why don't you fight for your right?! Chant with me, We want to go into the secret realm and explore too!"
"We want to go into the secret realm and explore too!"The cultivator continued to motivate others to follow.
In case anyone was wondering this cultivator was not, Nick. Nick had better things to do at the moment like trying to decide what to have for lunch! In fact, Nick was angry with the person chanting, what the hell was up with that long ass chant?! Doesn't he know short and catchy is what a chant needed to embody for it to move others?!
But at this time the man realized no one was following his lead and became angry! Since they didn't want to follow him and go in then he decided to take the lead and go in by himself!
The man then walked to the doors of the secret realm with steady steps, and just as a cultivator from one of the top powers was about to attack him he roared out in pride, " My sister is the favorite prostitute of the Dragon sage! Touch me if you dare!"
Then the man took out some token to show them, and with that, he was let in, but he still took time to turn back and smack his bottom in the direction of the stunned crowd. He was so proud of his sister, who was so gifted at her job...
"Brother Nick, please take me with you! I come from a low-level sect you see, and by that fact alone I'm disqualified, but you, you are an alchemist, a mighty alchemist! With you leading the way then you could probably even take your beast in with you!" Loyd was pleading directly at the moment, he didn't want to fall behind when Nick went into the realm later.
Nick withheld the urge to ask Loyd what the hell an alchemist was, but from the way Loyd had phrased it, it was pretty apparent that it was awesome! Nick then began thinking of ways to use this misunderstanding to his advantage as he went onto the system shop and searched for anything related to alchemists.
And when he saw that the system provided their outfits he didn't hesitate in buying it! But he saw that the system categorized the outfits as one star, two star and so on until ten, each one more expensive than the last, but Nick couldn't see their difference from yhe shopping window so he simply purchased a simple three-star outfit.
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In another continent, the Alchemist association that has stood since ancient times was having a particularly prosperous day today, with so many people entering and very few leaving. This was because today was an exceptional day, today was the day of the Alchemy assessment, where alchemists no matter their level would come to see if they could be promoted to the next star.
The association had hundreds upon hundreds of rooms for testing so, they were never crowded and in one of these rooms, particularly room 283, a test for second-star alchemists was being held, those alchemists that passed would successfully reach the third star, but those that fail will have to wait for another year to pass in order to retake the test.
"All Alchemist will now take the oral exam!" The Alchemist in charge of this test spoke solemnly, his back was straight, and his chin was lifted, but he was entitled to acting this cocky since he was a revered three-star alchemist who was also the cousin of one of the elders in the association!
In the room, there were twenty students, mostly men, but there were still seven women in the class, and among these women sat a sparkling beauty whose face was just the image of perfection and whose figure left nothing to criticize.
And even the three-star alchemist was glancing at this beauty from time to time while trying hard to placate his heavily beating heart, he has had some sort of a crush on this woman for the past four years now. But he has never been able to say it out loud.
So, instead of just saying it like a man he would just postpone it for the next year and he would make her fail just so he would see her again, and just like that, in order to see this beauty he has already failed her for the past three years, postponing his proposal time and time again, but this year was the year where he would say it, definitely!
"You, what are the herbs needed to calm the effects of the heart-stirring leaf?!" The Alchemist asked the first student in the row, and although this question seemed simple, an alchemist needed to list and define all the pills the heart-stirring leaf could be used in, before he would decide which herb to use with which pill, and if he made even one mistake during this process the student would fail!
And so the questions kept on coming, and out of the twenty nearly nine had already been dismissed, and this was only the first round of the test! Now it was the beauty's turn.
The Alchemist cleared his throat before he asked, "Why are you so pretty?"
"..." The beauty had no idea how to respond to that, was she supposed to be humble or speak confidently, was he just complimenting her, or asking her seriously what herbs she used on her face to make herself look this good?
But how would she answer if the question was the last one, she has never put a single thing near her face all her life, she has always just been pretty, sue her!
"I...don't think that I'm that pretty..." The woman took the humble approach and resigned herself to failing again for the fourth time in a row.
"Correct!" The Alchemist was determined to ask the woman out at the end of this test so he had to make sure she passed no matter what her answer was. Besides, he had initially asked the question as a compliment but who knew the girl would answer this way, but since the girl thought she wasn't pretty it wouldn't be nice to burst her bubble, right?
But the sparkling beauty was slightly upset, why did this teacher seem like he was insulting her?!
Then the man went into the second round of questioning and again it was the beautiful girl's turn.
"Why does your smile trouble me, why does it haunt my dreams?!" The Alchemist was trying his best to let the lady know she was in his mind day and night.
"..." The Beautiful girl was at a loss again, was alchemy so random, since when did alchemy have to do with dreams, or was the man systematically trying to hint that he likes her, or was he just telling her she has an ugly smile and it gave him nightmares?!
"Because it is...ugly...?" The woman chose this answer after seeing how the man had insulted her previously, a man that had just called her ugly wouldn't be saying he likes her in the next second right?
"Correct again!" The Alchemist was feeling pity for this woman, she had such a low opinion of herself. But again, as a true admirer of hers, he needed to respect her opinion.
After the second round, five more people were eliminated, leaving only six in the examination room, but the Alchemist still wasn't satisfied, he wanted to be alone in the room with the beauty when he proposed, so, his next questions became even more unreasonable, ensuring the other disciples wouldn't make it to the next round which was a practical exam.
"You, what is my favorite fruit?!" The Alchemist asked a student sternly.
"Mira Mira fruit!" The student replied confidentially, he had done his homework.
"How did you...wrong! That was my previous favorite, now it's...peach? Yes, peach!" The Alchemist then chased away the student.
"You!" The Alchemist then pointed at the only other girl aside from the beauty in the examination room right now.
"What do think is your strong point?"
"Huh...? My...intelect?" The woman was pretty sure it wasn't her looks because the man had clearly just called the beauty over there ugly.
"No, it's...your...looks..." The Alchemist spoke while staring at the large mole on the girl's nose that took up half of it.
And so the girl left happier than ever, so what if she failed, she was still called prettier than the woman others referred to as, heaven's greatest creation!
To be continued...