All the disciples attending the recruitment for the sect at this time had assembled to hear the rules for the participants so they could try their luck to join the entourage.
The only purpose the powers kept sending their children and disciples to the Arcane Academy or equivalent sects was that they would have a chance of joining the Daiyu Sacred Land.
Just like Arcane Academy belongs to the titled Empire The Arcane Empire, every Titled Empire has some power at the same level to ease the selection process throughout their vast territories.
If one has to compare the two powers then it is better to say that if one Elder decided something then even Titled Empires have to allow it if they don't have a backer there which they most likely do.
There's no way there is an Empire that big without any strong patron as it would simply get taken over and looted by all its neighbors very fast.
As a heavy aura assaulted all the disciples, they went quiet as the Elders showed respectful expressions to the person to whom the aura belonged.
"You all are present here today which means that you are already aware of the huge opportunity ahead of you, but danger also seeks you along every path"
"Without wasting time, we'll start the rounds to select the best cultivators that would be sent there and we'll start with the strongest ones"
As the Headmaster kept speaking, the Elders gave instructions and separated the disciples into two groups.
The total number of core and legacy disciples being in the next realm from Raon and the top ones 2 realms apart from him was quite low.
Only 128 were selected in the quota of 150 due to the 50-year age limit but with Raelyn and Antonia appearing, it became 130.
Both of them were by the side of the headmaster as they displayed their cultivation of the late stage of their realm which was entirely 2 realms higher than Raon.
Their display of power shut up everyone who wanted to protest but they didn't have the right to say anything currently due to the difference in cultivation.
The only one who could say anything was in the same realm as them but he didn't bother with such stuff as his goal was to reach Daiyu and that was all that mattered to him.
Moving on to the inner district disciples, the top 200 were selected but 13 were missing or dead at the time making them select up to rank 213.
The disciples in the same realm as Raon had to defeat these 200 to get a chance while those just a realm below will have to fight those ranked 457th to 901st as the 300 in that realm varied a bit too much.
Those like Raon who didn't fight in ranks or lost on purpose for other deals kept it like that but it wasn't blocked or anything.
The issue was that in Raon's realm, there were only those in the Inner District but the next 300 had to defend against the Outer District and reserve members also.
The last ones were the top 500 in the Outer District who had to fight amongst themselves as well as the reserve warriors.
It might seem like a waste as the Academy had hundreds of thousands of disciples but the 50-year age limit imposed only applied to Raon's realm the next had a 100-year age limit causing more chaos.
All the duels would happen simultaneously and one can only be challenged once per day to maintain fairness and to give them time to rest.
The most obvious thing was that those ranked lowest would be the ones losing the spot, not the ones who lost the battle.
Due to this reason, everyone wanted to fight about 50 to 100 ranks above the lower limit which delayed the fights but some fought the top-ranked ones due to their self-confidence.
The lower-ranked ones could not challenge those higher than them unless they were kicked out of the number quota to save time.
Raon defeated rank 139 on the 6th day who was also in the late stage and had fought every day helping him cover it up as his enemy underperforming in the duel.
Raon wasn't challenged much though as the late-stage ones were ranked up to 160 by the time he challenged rank 139.
He got the final rank of 157 as Aria got rank 101 with Nerlo getting rank 117 and Elric got rank 46 as he was in the peak stage like Aria and Nerlo.
Ziya had already broken through and was with the other core disciples who will participate in this Entrance Test and the two main bloodline ones were ranked 13th and 24th in the Inner District.
Almost half of the top 100 who were at the peak stage in the Inner District were withholding their breakthrough just like Aria, Elric, Nerlo, and the two main bloodline ones.
The four protectors of Lia were ranked 191-194 in the same realm as Raon even though their target for protection had died leaving them with no other option than trying their best to grow stronger and repay for their life to the Tenk Clan.
It is unmistakable that a power like Daiyu would give generous rewards to the ones who got accepted and even the ones who fail and survive get rewards due to being able to cultivate in such an energy-rich environment for almost a year.
The only downside to joining Daiyu is that then you belong to them and you have to leave the power you belonged to but it doesn't restrict your freedom as an individual.
One can without a doubt go and fight to protect their clan/family/power/kingdom/empire but they can't expect reinforcements unless they have an Elder backing them or they use precious resources to post missions for help.
Coming to the 1.130 disciples ready to fight to get selected by Daiyu who had already rested for a week to be in their best conditions.
There were also about 370 more disciples who would be leaving with them to participate but they were not from the Arcane Academy rather searched and fetched throughout the Empire.
The 1.130 disciples as well as the Elders who had legacy disciples alongside the vice-headmaster left to reach the teleport formation that wasn't activated yet.
They had to wait there for 10 minutes for the 370 participants as well as a few more Elders to appear who would leave alongside them as guardians and witnesses.
With the 1.500 participants as well as 10 Inner Elders, 5 Core Elders, and 4 Elders from other powers ready for the teleport, they finally activated the formation.
As the cost of activation was too high even for the Arcane Academy, they could only activate it once and the one returning them would be activated by Daiyu itself.
Everyone in there was covered in a silver flash before they vanished from there and the teleport formation became deactivated but the formation masters had to work to maintain it to prevent any accidents when they returned.
Far away in a big building in the center of a city, people kept appearing nonstop and just then, a silver light flashed in one such formation where the entourage from the Arcane Empire arrived.
Just then another silver light flashed a little distance away from them, making another entourage arrive who looked around before looking in the direction of Arcane Empire's entourage and walking towards them.
"Look, look who it is. The idiots who call their sect an Academy. Hahaha" said an elegantly dressed female who had ocean-blue hair and eyes, similar to the ones following her.
As her laugh echoed, the vice-headmaster of the Arcane Academy turned his head and his expression turned grim as he seemed to recognize the female but his expression changed into a jovial one the next second.
"Hahaha. It's been a long time, old woman. Oh my, I meant the young Princess Kakoline" said the vice-headmaster.
"Oh my, it looks like I have to meet you again Joseph" said Kakoline as her forehead creased hearing him call her old woman.
Just before the two could delve deeper or start a fight with each other, someone arrived unbothered by their presence as he approached them calmly.
"The Arcane Academy and Cloud Sea Sect, I presume? Please follow me to your residences before the competition starts" he said as his eyes shifted between the two.
The two looked at each other then at him and snorted towards each other before bringing their entourage together with them.
The Cloud Sea Empire had 1.550 disciples who kept quiet just like the 1.500 from the Arcane Empire while following their leaders.
A day passed by normally as all the disciples were being brought near Daiyu Sacred Land for the participants to hear the rules from them as everything changes here every time.
As the entourage from 51 Titled Empires on the Daiyu Continent all arrived surrounding the entrance, only a few disciples were present there waiting for their Elders.
The entire Continent had enough area for more than 60 Titled Empires but 51 including the Daiyu Country covered most of the land while the rest was either forbidden or undiscovered or at war or demon beast regions.
Waiting for the Elders from Daiyu Sacred Land to appear and start the test, the disciples couldn't help but whisper among themselves to hide their nervousness and flaunt their knowledge.
"Look, that's the Snow Leopard entourage, I heard that they are all yin energy cultivators. They have 2.500 disciples"
"Next to them is the Fiery Lion entourage, they are all yang energy cultivators and they have the same number of disciples"
"I heard that those two always fight for supremacy as one is filled with pretty females while the other is filled with macho men"
"Hah! You haven't seen the Mud Rocks if you are calling them macho"
"Look there. It's the Glutton Soul entourage. I heard they sacrifice even newborns"
"Shh. Idiot, if they get offended, everyone in our group will be targeted"
...
"The Daiyu Country disciples are finally here" This one whisper among many caught the most attention as the Daiyu Country was controlled by the Sacred Land but even they had to participate just like the other powers to join the Sacred Land.
As soon as the 3.000 disciples arrived, all the guardians and Elders were segregated from their entourage as they gathered together midair.
Just then, a few figures arrived flying which seemed more like appearing from nowhere to most of the disciples and some of the Elders.
The Elders who arrived outside the floating island on which Daiyu Sacred Land was located were the conductors of this competition.
No one had noticed it beforehand as it only becomes visible during this competition every 100 years which is also their recruitment Test.
Only those born and raised in the Sacred Land by the Elders are members of the Sacred Land directly without any such competition.