"Very well. Follow me." The old man said as he got off the stool and headed towards the evaluation room deeper into the Reception Hall. He didn't look surprised after hearing what Arslan told him. After all, he saw many talents passing through the Academy. Arslan, in his eyes, was just another pearl that started to glow later than the previous ones. Moreover, Arslan had never fought in an official battle before, so he didn't need to have his cultivation level checked, thus the old man just thought that he could have been hiding his real cultivation level all time long.
Arslan instead wide opened his eyes as he noticed the old man's height,
'He looked taller on the stool.' He thought as he followed the receptionist while turning his head on the left to check the stool's height, 'Indeed, the stool is so high. Probably he doesn't like to be considered short.' He said as he covered his mouth with a hand to hide his little laugh.
The old man turned his head and gave him a glare that made his blood freeze,
'Holy sh*t, can he read my mind?' Arslan thought as he noticed the old man's gaze on him. Obviously, he wasn't able to read someone else's mind, not having cultivated at all in his long life, but he was used to hearing that laugh every time he stepped off his stool, and he found that really annoying.
After some more steps, during which every student they met, understanding what Arslan was there for, looked with shocked faces at Arslan, they arrived at their destination,
"This way please." The old man said as he turned around and with his hand indicated the room in which Arslan should have gone.
Arslan entered, bowing his head to the old man in a sign of respect and thankfulness for his help.
"Wait inside here for a bit. An elder will come to evaluate you in a moment."
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A few minutes passed, with Arslan looking around to memorize the shape of the room he was in. It wasn't that big as disciples didn't come often to get evaluated. It was a squared white room with 5 chairs near a wall and others 2 placed one in front of the other one at the center. Arslan sat on one of those two chairs and waited for some to enter.
Suddenly, the door opened and an elder came in,
"Elder Song?" Arslan said as he was surprised to see him there.
"I know you think I didn't do anything to have your respect, but, as a disciple, you are obliged to bow when you see me." Elder Song said as he entered the room sighing after seeing Arslan not even standing up from the chair.
"..." Arslan looked at Elder Song with a cold gaze.
"Disciple Arslan, don't make me do it myself. You know the consequences." Elder Song said as he noticed Arslan's undisciplined behavior.
Arslan remembered well the last time Elder Song exerted his pressure,
"Disciple greets Elder Song." He said as he stood up and bowed to the elder. His gaze didn't change though, as it always transmitted what Arslan was thinking, 'He is so annoying.'
"It seems you still remember the good manners." Elder Song said while smiling. A moment later he sat on the chair in front of Arslan.
"..." Arslan sat on his chair too. Both of them stared at each other for a second and then started talking.
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After finishing the cultivation evaluation, Arslan and Elder Song came out of the room they were staying in.
"Guys, they came out!"
"Yeah, I wonder if he was saying the truth."
"That's impossible. He is the trash we all know. How can someone like him become a middle-stage Earth-level?" A reluctant disciple said with a face of disgust.
"I think so too, but why should he have lied when he was going to get evaluated anyway?"
"I don't know, maybe Elder Song and Arslan decided to collaborate!"
"And for what reason? Do you know what you are saying doesn't make sense?"
"Maybe Arslan is too scared of Jacob and wants to make him think to have become stronger all of a sudden to make him surrender!"
"Shhh!! Shut up guys, Elder Song is about to say Arslan's true level!"
The disciples who were waiting for the result were having mixed emotions, but most of them hoped for Arslan to be a liar, in order not to feel inferior to him. After all, they all felt good knowing that there was always someone worse than all of them... if he had got stronger, then who would the new weaker have been? They couldn't accept such a scary reality.
"Old Jack, he said the truth. He is a middle-stage Earth-level cultivator." Elder Song said to the receptionist, under the astonished eyes of all the other disciples.
"Really???? So, he wasn't lying??"
"Seen?? I told you they are working together to scare Jacob!!"
"I'm starting to think that you are right! I can't accept John being stronger than me!"
"Indeed, it is impossible! He must have cheated Elder Song! I can't believe Elder Song would lie. What benefit could he have from helping that trash?"
The disciples couldn't accept reality and continued lying to themselves, but Arslan didn't care at all, as he had only an objective in mind,
'Elma, wait for me!' His decisiveness was absolute and no one could have stopped him from achieving his revenge on those who kidnapped his sister. A storm was about to come.