Drake was still staring at the wall when he noticed that there was another little boy doing the same. He should be about my age, I wonder if he's here for the exams too. Comparatively speaking, the other boy looked quite poor. "Grandpa, how many students will be in these exams? What about that boy over there? Is he able to take the exams too?" Drake wanted to know.
"He should be able to. However, a major part of the exams is the tournament on the last two days. As he is poorer, he probably won't do well. Even if he manages to win a few rounds, he probably doesn't have the recovery pills to make it into the top 100." Elder Drake answered without giving it too much thought.
Drake identified with this boy a lot. Even though the other boy had his freedom, in reality, he had been confined by his means. It seemed a hard rule in every world. The rich always had the advantage.
Drake walked up to the boy." Hi, my name is Drake. What's yours?" Drake extended his hand to greet the other boy. Just then, Elder Neim walked over to see what Drake's intentions were.
"Huh, oh I'm, Josh, how are you? Are you here for the exams, too?" The boy seemed friendly enough. He even shook his hand. "I hope to get first place, but it will be difficult." Josh had high aspirations. "How do you think you'll do? Do you think there are many strong kids here? Did you know I'm already a cultivator, I'm even at low level eight." Josh was getting more excited as he talked, and it was coming out as questions.
"Yes, I'm here for the exams. I think I'll do well. there should be a lot of strong kids here, but not as many as young as us. I'm only seven, and I'm a cultivator as well. However, I'm only at low level nine. Here, you can have this." Drake passed Josh some recovery pills. Josh was stunned. He'd never expected someone to help him with the battle part of the competition.
"Thank you, but I can't take these. How are you supposed to compete in the battle portion of the exam without recovery pills." Josh tried to give the pills back.
"No need for that." Elder Neim stepped in."This little rascal is part of both the Almeideis and Calhoun Clans he has plenty." Elder Neim wanted to trust Drake and see where this would go. Also, Drake didn't have any friends, so making one early could only benefit him in the long run.
"Umm, did you say The Almeideis and Calhoun clans?" Josh paled a bit. He had no idea that powerful people would come to this academy.
A teacher had brought him one robe and a letter of invitation because only being 8 and already at the low level 8 was something unheard of around Solgard.
Usually, kids like that only came from the royalty, and they were more manufactured than natural talent. Those kids had the best pills and teachers from birth. Therefore, they could use pills to awaken their dantian earlier. This would sacrifice power in the long run but not by a whole lot. This made for a stable monarchy.
Josh Rahn was a true genius. However, he was born poor. Many of the teachers already wished to take him as a direct disciple. He was the once per hundred year prodigy. He was also a clean slate his parents were barely cultivators. So he could easily be swayed to whichever side nutured him.
"Alright, you two exams are gonna start while you two make idle chat. Let's hurry inside so that you don't miss the examination part of the exam." Elder Drake was interested in this boy as well. It was clear he was poor, yet he still received recognition from the school.
As all four walked into the academy, people began to stare, and both Drake and Josh were the smallest kids there. On top of that, both Elders were quite well known at this school as both clans had a lot of their progeny here. Teachers especially eyed them because of Josh.
Those damn bastards are already so powerful, but now they are aiming to recruit a true genius. This thought ran through a lot of teachers' minds at this time.
"ALRIGHT," the man on stage seemed to yell without actually yelling. Drake wondered if it was something like a P.A. system back on earth."Gather round my name is Dean Torah," everything had gone silent with his first word, so he was much quieter now."The first round of the exams is to test age, dantian, and meridians open. After that will be the written exam where we test your basic cultivation knowledge. Thirdly, and lastly, tomorrow morning, we will test your comprehension abilities with a diamond level skill that, to this day, has at most been only a quarter worked out. The founder of this branch inscribed it on a part of the wall surrounding this school. That will be followed by the new students having a battle tournament to see where your martial ability is at."
"Now there aren't many of you this year, so you'll all be bunched into one exam class. This does not mean you'll all pass. You must have at least stepped into the low level nine if you are ten, the low level eight if you are twelve and low level seven if you are 14. If you are 15 or older, this school will not accept you.
"The first test is age. When your name is called, please come up. Pass through the age arch it will measure your bone age, and it will not hurt. " Dean Torah reassured the kids who began to sit below the stage he was on.
"Michael Sanderson," was the first kid called. He was big. In fact, he was as big as some of the teachers. Drake thought he would fail. There was no way he was under fourteen years of age. "Michael Sanderson twelve years old," the dean announced. Drake was shocked. What have they been feeding him? What a monster.
As more kids were called up, most were between the ages of ten and twelve. A couple were thirteen, and surprisingly, one was sixteen. He was immediately expelled. Finally, Josh was called up. "Josh Rahn, age eight," many parents who had brought their kids were shocked. Many could only think that he had just started cultivating. They would continue to be shocked as the tests continued.
"Oh, it would seem we have one more. Who would you be?" Elder Dean didn't have this child on his list, but he was here, so he'd have to test him.
"This is Drake Almeideis, sir," Elder Neim explained."He would like to take the exams as well." Dean Torah was at this time shocked as well.
"You know he doesn't have to. Also, if he fails any part of the exam, he'll be expelled for the year. I can't bend the rules even for your clan." Dean Torah explained. Drake didn't know this. However, he wasn't worried.
"That's fine at most. we'd have to get him a tutor for the year." Elder Drake explained. Now everyone was shocked this boy was part of the two most powerful clans in Solgard. Parents immediately started telling their children under no circumstance should they offend this boy if he passed the exams.
"This boy has both your bloodlines, well then he should be exceptional," Dean Torah happily stated. The dean, unlike many of the teachers, was quite secure. As long as his school continued to produce talent, he would receive praise from the crown.
At this time, Drake had already made his way up to the age arch and was passing through. The dean paused for a moment, it seems like the two most powerful clans just became that much stronger."Drake Almeideis age seven." Josh may have surprised the surrounding people, but Drake drew gasps from them.
"Alright, everyone, it's time for the dantian affinity test. We'll call everybody up in the same order as the age test." Dean Torah announced.
Michael was the first to come up."Alright, just place your hands on the affinity stone. You don't have to do anything other than this."
The affinity stone was a rare ore that hadn't absorbed any ki from its surroundings. As such, it was the perfect conduit for ki to flow through. This was because by merely touching it, a cultivators natural aura would shine through. Many high-grade weapons had affinity stone in them. This was because it would be easier for the cultivator to channel their own ki through it.
The affinity test helped the teachers place students under the correct teachers. However, one needed to learn to read the ki fluctuations. This skill was only taught to the deans of schools. This was mandated by the crown.
"Affiniy earth giant. It's no wonder you are so big, young man. Please go down next." Again, the line moved in an orderly fashion. As more kids came up, there weren't many surprises. Most kids were an affinity of an element. They were usually be either fire, water, earth, or wind. There were two kids who had gotten a rarer element. One was lightning, and the other was metal. Both of these two got considerable attention from the teachers.
"Josh, please come up. I'm sure many are interested in taking you as a personal disciple. However, don't feel pressured. I will guarantee your safety no matter who you pick." At this time, Josh did look nervous. It was the exact reason the dean had stated he knew he was special already and didn't want to offend whoever he didn't choose.
Drake nudged his grandpas. He could see a sigh escape from Elder Drake, but as a pair, they stepped forward and placed a hand on each shoulder of Josh. Then they looked at everyone present. As the two most powerful men in Solgard, this simple action told everyone present that this young man was someone they couldn't afford to offend.
Josh walked up to the stage and placed his hands on the affinity stone. A glowing white light shone out with a heavy green tinge around it. Dual elements."Light and Luck my, my, you are a lucky young man." Dean Torah happily stated. One of the rarer elements and a dantian representation which was even rarer than the rare elements.
Usually, he had one rare student in the entire class. This year, he already had four, and the class size was small. Now, if Drake is special, too, then a full ten percent of his class would be considered elite.
"None of you better fight me he is perfect for Buddha's teaching." A teacher suddenly spoke up.
"Your bald donkey ass he's perfect for you. At least you have disciples. As a light cultivator, I haven't had a proper disciple in two decades." Another teacher retorted. As more teachers were about to retort to the two, Dean Torah yelled.
"QUIET!!" The place became silent in an instant. "Ok, enough all teachers are dismissed from the rest of this test. I'll deliver reports to you on each child at the end of the day." Dean Torah had to take decisive action, or the test would devolve into a debate about how each teacher had the best qualifications to nurture each student. He had seen it before. Whenever a talented student stepped into the school, the teachers would fall into heated arguments until fighting broke out. The tests would then take longer."Once you all get the reports, you can make up a proposal to try to sway him to your department. All of you who are interested will get an opportunity to talk to him. But let me remind you, as a prodigy, he has my full protection, and I will not be polite with anyone who forgets that." Dean Torah made his voice stern so that none would forget.
After the teachers left, he called Drake up to the stage."Alright, place your hands on the stone." Drake did as he was instructed. Suddenly, a darkness shone out that was slightly warped and seemed to flow in a slow circle. Now Dean Torah was shocked. Supreme elements. Dean Torah gulped before he announced, " Gravity, space and time. Elders Drake and Neim, I hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking this child as my personal disciple." Both Elders were shocked they knew about the gravity, and time elements it had been obvious from his birth. However, space as well, Drake was a true monster.
"As you two know, I'll also have to report his presence to the crown. He is one in a billion and could easily affect our political situation." Both Elders nodded, they knew. But as long as the dean took him as a disciple, then he should be safe or least as safe as can be.
"Ok now, the meridian open test, this one is easy, and as long as you have all reached the low level nine, then all your meridians should be open." This test created no suspense all the children passed. Dean Torah also had a chance to sense their levels as they had to channel their ki through a stone that had a body depicted on it with all the meridian points. Again no child failed on their age and level requirements.
" Alright, now the final part of today will be the basic cultivation knowledge test. There are desks over to the right. Please be seated, and I'll hand out the tests. All materials will be handed to me directly at the end of the test."
As the kids took their seats, the dean handed out the tests. Drake breezed through this part he had long familiarized himself with the basics. The questions mostly dealt with how a cultivator advanced from stage to stage and how to properly cultivate without hurting yourself. once all the kids finished, Dean Torah announced that tomorrow they would start with the comprehension ability test in the morning. Then, the battle portion would start in the afternoon and would conclude on the third day.
"Elders Neim and Drake, could I bother you to take care of Josh tonight. I fear that some of the teachers may not heed my warning, and as you have a prodigy as well, they may get along." Both Elders nodded. In fact, it was already their intention to take him in as Drake had already expressed interest in this young boy.
"One question dean," Elder Neim stepped forward." How long will it be till we hear from the crown?" Both the elders were slightly nervous on this point.
"For this type of issue, the general response is two days. There should be no problem as I'll also be starting the conversation with how he is my new disciple. Now everyone go home and get a good rest. The comprehension test will be the most difficult of the three tests." Dean Torah followed his own advice and immediately left for his quarters located in the central building of the school grounds.