2020. This tumultuous year went down in history with two names. The year of disaster. Earthquakes were damaging the land, floods were swallowing entire cities, never-seen before beasts were going beserk, plagues were running rampant amongst the panicked populus.
It seemed like the technological world, with all its marvels, was coming to an end. However, just as the hope was fading from the people's hearts, they came into the light.
The 7 cultivation masters with their many disciplines came out from hiding in order to save humanity. They healed the earth, they stopped the floods, they cleared the sky and they cured the plagues. All these miracles, which not even modern science at its pinnacle could achieve, were possible due to the use of a power hidden deep within all living beings known as ki.
Now that extinction was averted, the masters turned their attention towards the people. With the help of their knowledge and power of their sects they helped the world rebuild, teaching the people about the wonders of Ki in the process. And so, the Year of rebirth came to be.
Aaand dot. He finally finished the test. Well, finally he thinks, but he is by far the first one to complete it. In fact, he is so early that a couple giggles start when he gets up. They most likely think that he didn't know anything. But that doesn't matter to him. A large smile creeps on his face as he turns in the paper and exited the room. He did well on the exam.
He made his way outside of where the written exam was being held. There, he picked a spot on a bench near the entrance. The boys white hair and blue eyes glimmered in the sun while he stared in awe at the building. It was one of the tallest constructions in town, around 100 stories tall, making most other buildings look like dwarfed in comparison. Only the Qu corporation and the Divine flame sect branch headquarters were taller than it.
* The area around the city is muddy, that should make it impossible for building this size to be built... they must have used some sort of ki technique to build this! Oh, I wander what kind of technique they used, it must have been at least high-earth stage in order to achieve this size! the Department of Education and Young Cultivators is really awesome! One day I'll be able to build marvels like this as well! Just you wait gramps, I won't disappoint you, I will fulfill our dream! *
And so the boy stared at the concrete behemoth for a sizeable amount of time, trying to discern any details, any engravings, any formations that would help him understand the inner workings of the technique. His concentration was finally broken when he spotted kid passing trough the gates, his dark- brown hair, pale skin and green eyes where all- too known by Arun. It was his childhood friend, Bohdi.
" Bohdi! Here! How was the exam? Did everything go well? How did you answer this question? " He said as he hurried to his friends side.
Bohdy recoils a bit. He was used to his friends abnormally high level of energy but he was too deep in thought so he didn't notice Arun in time.
" Arun! Calm down, people will be able to hear you from the classrooms 30 floors up. "
" Oh sorry... " the kid said looking a bit defeated.
Bohdi chuckled. " So, judging by the amount of energy you have, I'm guessing the exam went well."
" Yeah! I was surprised tho, the questions were pretty easy, I tough.. "
Arun's phrase got interrupted by loud laughter, but this time it wasn't Bohdi's. Looking behind his shoulder Arun saw another familiar face, but this time not-so-friendly. It was William Qu, one of his classmates.
" Easy? Easy?! You good-for-nothing low-born, you dare lie? We were in the same examination room, I saw you leaving after 25 minutes! I bet you didn't even write nothing on the paper! Hahaha "
" Stop it William! You're going too far? Have you no respect for your classmates? " Bohdi snapped.
" Respect? For a trash like him? This peasant didn't even reach mid- human level and yet you expect me, a son of the Qu family to respect HIM? Watch your mouth Bohdi, you should know your place as a commoner, if I catch you
speaking like that again I can't guarantee your safety. "
" Why you... " Bohdi gnashed.
" You can't guarantee his safety? Since when has Qu family became a bunch of thugs that bully the weak? " A female voice resounded as another character exited the gates. It was Aileen, Bohdi's sister. " And to bully someone in front of the department, aren't you shameless William? "
William went red but he pondered a bit before he made a response. After all, there were people around, he could not sully Qu's family name by being careless.
" Thugs? Shameless? Oh, please I'm just putting them in their rightful place! And you! You commoner! You shoul... " William couldn't finish his sentence a loud shout interrupted him.
" William! " it was Arun " It doesn't matter what you think of me, it doesn't matter what you label me as, but remember this, I will one day become the most powerful cultivator and to do that, I will ace this exam and enter the Divine Flame high! "
William and the people around all paused their speech for a second. Than in the next a thunderous laughter erupted. Everyone, except for Bohdi and Aileen, of which the latter one was holding her face in her hands, couldn't hold their laughter.
" You... you are killing me... if I knew you were this funny I'd have hired you as my personal jester! ". William said.
"Oh, and William, I ain't finished. " Arun, which didn't seem to be bothered by everything threw William a stern look. " If you ever threaten my friends again, I am not going to be able to guarantee your safety".