The next day, I hurried toward Imperial Valley University. It was time to take the entrance exam and get admitted to it once and for all. I also had to deliver the recommendation letter, which would make the enrollment process easier, but it would only get me through the front door and a spot in the entrance exam, not guarantee me an enrollment spot.
In the end, I had to rely on my own abilities to earn an enrollment place in Imperial Valley University. Exactly what I wished for. I didn't like corruption and nepotism.
"Here, sir," I told the invigilator as I passed him the recommendation letter. He checked the contents and then nodded, allowing me in.
I joined a line of hundreds of disciples queuing up to take part in the exam. Many seemed to know each other ad were already chatting away affably, excited as to what the contents of the exam could be. I wasn't sure what it would be, especially since this was the first time I had officially set foot into the proper cultivation world.
Yeah, those fights against gangsters and demonic cultivators out for my life didn't count. Speaking of which, I hoped I wouldn't run into demonic cultivators here.
I suddenly remembered Jin Bai He and how she recalled her memories as the reincarnation of a demonic cultivator from the Celestial Realm. Damn it.
"All right, time to begin the entrance exam," an invigilator wearing the robes of Imperial Valley University spoke up as he stepped forward.
"What's the exam?" Someone asked. The invigilator grinned and stepped to the side, gesturing toward a huge hall at the front of the courtyard.
"All of you will step inside here. There's an alternate dimension space inside this hall, which will transport each and every one of you to a separate pocket of space. Your objective is to defeat the enemies that appear."
"What sort of enemies will there be?" Another candidate asked. The invigilator chuckled.
"Now, now. I won't spoil the fun for you. You should see for yourself. Anyway, let's get started! All of you, get in!"
"Yes~"
The exam candidates chorused and rushed into the hall, eager to get the exam done and over with. I felt exactly the same, but stumbled about as I struggled not to get trampled upon by the others. Damn, I was never comfortable with crowds and this experience merely served to remind me why I hated public places.
Grunting, I managed to step through the gates and into the hall. For a moment, I saw nothing, the darkness enveloping me. Then I seemed to fall forever through time and space before landing on rock solid ground.
"Where am I?"
Looking around, I saw that I was in an enclosed chamber. Spiritual flames raged about, affording dim illumination, but the place looked like a spacious dungeon. I glanced around, noting that I was alone.
No. I wasn't alone.
Creatures filled the place, giant rats the size of humans. Hulking over all of them was a single monster that looked like a cross between a rat and a wolf. A single red eye glowed on its forehead and a long tongue snaked out of its fanged maw.
With a screech, it directed all of its rat minions at me. A quick scan told me that they were cyclops rats. Low tier monsters, usually classified as minions. Probably the equivalent of a Black and Yellow Realm human cultivator.
At least it wasn't a warrior class spirit beast, which would be the equivalent of an Earth and Heaven Realm human cultivator – however the Cyclops Wolf most likely was a minion class on the verge of evolving into a warrior class.
As an aside, the other ranks were commander class spirit beast, which was the equivalent of a Yellowed Lands and Blackened Skies Realm human cultivator, and then the Monarch class, which would be the equivalent of a Silver Moon and Astral Star Realm human cultivator. There were rumors of Deity class monsters, who only a Celestial Divine Realm human cultivator could fight on par with.
Speaking of which, my magic carp was a low-tier minion class spirit beast, which was about Yellow rank. Same as the cyclops rats, technically, but evidently there was still a big gap between their strengths. The ranking system was artificial, and thus it wasn't perfect. It couldn't perfectly encapsulate the vast hierarchy and differences between countless species of spirit beasts. Humans could attempt to impose their systems and categories all they wanted, and Nature would simply disregard their futile efforts.
That wasn't to say the system was completely useless, though. An Earth Realm cultivator like me should technically be superior to these creatures – even the cyclops wolf was equivalent to a Black Realm cultivator at best. Of course, that was assuming they were going to fight me individually.
In sheer numbers, even a horde of minion class spirit beasts would be able to overwhelm me. Cultivation realms were not everything. Anyone who told you that a lower realm cultivator could never defeat a higher realm cultivator was just talking out of his ass. In reality, there were many other factors in place – a higher cultivation realm certainly gave one a tremendous advantage, but it didn't necessarily guarantee victory.
It wasn't as if the battle was decided beforehand just because of the difference in cultivation. It was just like soccer – even though there certainly would be a vast chasm between a team in the Premier League and a team in League One, they actually had to play the match in order to decide the victor. And upsets were possible. Unlikely, yeah, and most bookies would sensibly favor the superior team to win, but in the end, the ball was round and it was eleven men versus eleven men. A passionate and determined team could still overcome a team with superior skill, sucker them with an unexpected goal, and pull off an upset victory.
Too long, didn't read? I couldn't underestimate my enemies just because they were technically weaker than me. Additionally, their sheer numbers more than made up for the lack of their strength. I couldn't get complacent.
"Fortunately, I brought you along."
I drew the dragon sword that Cheng Long gave me. Infusing the blade with qi, I prepared to face the approaching cyclops rats.
They lunged at me. I immediately moved into action, slicing through them. Sensing their movements through the flow of their qi, I evaded accordingly and counterattacked, slashing and cutting them apart as they threw themselves at me in a futile effort to swarm my position.
They weren't very bright, admittedly. But I wasn't going to let my guard down until every single one of them was dead. As weak as they were, their bites were nasty and their fangs were undoubtedly filled with bacteria. I didn't want to get a severe infection.
Almost closing my eyes, I waltzed through their midst. I spun abut in what I hoped was a graceful manner, my sword carving a bloody swathe through them. Combined with my qi perception, I was able to launch attacks with impeccable accuracy, my blade eviscerating and dissecting the poor creatures with surgical precision.
Their weak points…I could sense them all through Heavenly Flow and Earthly Paths. Occasionally, I would stand my ground and refuse to yield. Like a rock, I remained stationary and watched as the cyclops rats cut themselves upon my whirring bladed. At other times, I would move with the inexorable current of a raging river, washing aside all opposition with a tide of strikes that cut my foes apart with overwhelming force.
Unable to stand aside while its minions were getting slaughtered, the larger cyclops wolf finally made its move. With a howl, it bounded forward, slashing with its claws. I had sensed its charge long ago, noting the aggressive flow of its qi and the current of its attacks. Evading elegantly, I ducked under its claws and thrust my sword forward.
Unlike the cyclops rats, the cyclops wolf had better reflexes and it jerked to the side in reflex. Its swift response saved it from a hideous evisceration, but I had detected the change in its movements through the flow of its qi and followed up with another attack. While I stretched my arm, I saw that my attack had indeed landed and dealt a long, thin cut across the cyclops wolf's chest. Blood dripped down and stained its black fur.
Snarling, the cyclops wolf swatted my sword aside and swiped at me, forcing me to retreat a couple of steps. Trying to use the footwork that Cheng Long taught me the other night, I managed to retreat as best as I could.
Before I could advance, the cyclops wolf pounced on me, its claws slashing ferociously and its slavering jaws opened wide.
I whirled around, stepping to the side and allowing the cyclops wolf to brush past me. Spinning about on its feet, the cyclops wolf lashed out at me, but I dodged its claws by a hair's breadth. Without pausing, I thrust my sword forward and ran the blade through its single eye.
With a howl, the cyclops wolf staggered back. It groped at its face, blinded, but I put in more strength behind my strike and rammed the blade deeper. My sword burst through the ruined eyeball and socket, sinking deep into the brain housed within its skull.
With a whimper, the cyclops wolf sank to its knees. I then yanked out my sword and kicked it away before it could topple onto me. Flicking the blood off my sword, I looked around the enclosed chamber for more enemies.
The surviving cyclops rats were retreating, I got ready to pursue, but suddenly there was a huge glow and I found myself back out in the open.
"Oh?"
There was visibly a lot less students than before. Less than half, in fact. I couldn't help but be surprised. Many of them were discussing with each other what they had just experienced.
"Ugh, disgusting! I hate cyclops rats!"
"Damn, the cyclops wolf at the end was so annoying! Good thing I had my vile vulture, or I would have suffered at its claws."
"Hah! The cyclops wolf and its cyclops rat cronies were no match for my rock golem!"
"Their claws couldn't penetrate the armor of my crystal scorpion! I let my spirit beast toy with them until they died."
"Whoa, you have such a horrible hobby."
"Who asked them to be so weak? Minion class spirit beasts are no match for my warrior ranked crystal scorpion."
I shook my head at some of the remarks, wondering if they couldn't be more humble. Fortunately, nobody paid any attention to me. I realized that I was still holding my sword and I quickly sheathed it. Unfortunately, several candidates had caught sight of my abrupt movement and they laughed at me.
"A swordsman? What is he doing here?"
"Doesn't he realize this is Imperial Valley University?"
"Yeah, if he wants to play around with swords, he should go to Ten Thousand Swords University instead! Imperial Valley is for summoning cultivators!"
Whoa…what was wrong with these bastards? Did they only know how to look down on other people? What was wrong with using a sword? Did they have something against a swordsman learning summoning techniques?
Shaking my head, I waited, but very few candidates appeared after I did. Then the invigilator strode to the front, clapping his hands to draw our attention to him.
"All right, the entrance exam is over! Those of you here, you are the ones who passed! Congratulations on your enrollment in Imperial Valley University!"
That was great news. I breathed a sigh of relief. All around me, students celebrated and congratulated each other, but I noticed how there was less than half of the candidates who had shown up to take the exam. Of the three hundred or so who queued up earlier, only a hundred and twenty or so had passed.
I hoped the others were all right.
"All right, follow me. We'll start with the administrative procedures…"
Before the invigilator could finish his sentence, someone rushed in and cut him off.
"What are you doing here?"
"Huh?"
Looking up, I caught sight of a furious Na Lan Yan Ran stomping toward me. She jabbed a finger in my direction, scowling.
"Are you stalking me again? You shouldn't be here! Get out of Imperial Valley University, you stalker!"