Near the Realm Gate Stone sat an old man, his beard and hair white, his face kindly, with no trace of star energy about him, appearing just like an ordinary elder.
Michelle landed in front of the old man and bowed slightly, "Michelle, subordinate member of the Ten Decisions Council, greets the Realm Mentor."
Lu Yin and the others immediately followed, also bowing. Only the black-haired Hei Xu and the grey-haired Bai Ye remained indifferent, not even glancing at the old man.
The old man opened his eyes. It seemed he hadn't spoken in a long time and just as he was about to say something, he couldn't help but cough twice. His murky eyes gradually cleared as he looked at the group.
His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Michelle. "Sorry, my ears aren't what they used to be. Could you repeat that?"
Michelle repeated, "Michelle, subordinate member of the Ten Decisions Council, greets the Realm Mentor."
The old man looked confused, "Ten what council?"
"The Ten Decisions Council."
"Ten what?"
Michelle frowned and repeated herself several times until the old man finally understood, "The Ten Decisions Council?"
Michelle sighed in relief and nodded solemnly, "Mentor, I come from the Ten Decisions Council, tasked with overseeing the Tenth Institute. Could you tell me why students of the Tenth Institute must pass the Hundred Victories Battle to enter the Trial Realm?"
"What? Could you say that again?" The old man leaned forward slightly, straining to hear, his expression very earnest.
Michelle was taken aback for a moment, then stepped closer and raised her voice, "Mentor, I come from the Ten Decisions Council, tasked with overseeing the Tenth Institute. Could you tell me why students of the Tenth Institute must pass the Hundred Victories Battle to enter the Trial Realm?"
The old man stared blankly for a moment, then pointed at the Realm Gate Stone, "That's the Realm Gate Stone. Are you going to enter the Realm Battle?"
Michelle was speechless.
Lulu burst into laughter.
Lu Yin also found it amusing.
Michelle turned and glared fiercely at the two, then looked helplessly at the old man, unsure of what to do. Was he really hard of hearing, or just pretending? It seemed quite likely that he truly couldn't hear well.
Michelle gave up and turned towards the Realm Gate Stone.
At this moment, Bai Ye had already stepped into the Realm Gate Stone's area. Not far away, Zhao Yilong was watching intently.
"Who went in?" Michelle asked Zhao Yilong.
"Someone from the White Night Clan," Zhao Yilong replied coldly.
Michelle looked at the mist beneath the Realm Gate Stone and waited quietly.
Lu Yin and the others also arrived; they all wanted to try the Realm Battle.
Only one person could use the Realm Gate Stone at a time, and the Tenth Institute had only one such stone.
Soon, Bai Ye walked out, looking displeased.
"How was it? You failed, right?" Lulu gloated.
Bai Ye snorted.
"Bai Ye, zero victories, one defeat," a loud voice suddenly announced, startling everyone. They turned to see it was the old man.
Bai Ye's expression darkened. The old man was targeting him, announcing his defeat publicly.
Michelle's face also didn't look good. The old man was clearly pretending; with such a loud voice and accurately calling out names, who would believe he was hard of hearing? Definitely pretending.
The more Lu Yin looked at the old man, the more peculiar he seemed. He had a feeling this old man wasn't as kindly as he appeared, but rather a bit sly.
Zhao Yilong stepped into the Realm Gate Stone's area.
He soon returned, looking displeased.
"Zhao Yilong, zero victories, one defeat," the old man shouted.
Michelle snorted at the old man and entered the Realm Gate Stone's area.
Michelle took slightly longer, but not by much, and soon emerged as well.
"Michelle, one victory, one defeat."
Just as Michelle stepped out, Bai Ye tried to go back in. Originally, it was Zora's turn. "Hey, White Night Clan boy, wait your turn."
Bai Ye sneered, "You're just wasting resources," and he tried to step into the Realm Gate Stone's area.
Zora, furious, raised her hand to attack, but before she could act, Bai Ye was pressed to the ground by an invisible force. Everyone immediately turned to the old man, who said calmly, "No cutting in line, student."
Bai Ye was furious, but the force pressing him down was intangible and irresistible, leaving him no room to resist.
Michelle was shocked. The old man was hiding his strength well. At least a Starlight Walker, a strong one like him couldn't possibly be hard of hearing. Clearly pretending. She decided to report this to the Ten Decisions Council immediately, to have the Tenth Institute disbanded and replaced by another academy.
Zora entered the Realm Gate Stone's area and soon after emerged.
"Zora, zero victories, one defeat," the old man announced. Zora, frustrated, glared at him.
Next in was Sharlo, with a calm demeanor. His entry caught Michelle's attention; he was the second person after her to receive a gift from the Viewing Rain Platform.
Soon, Sharlo emerged, spreading his hands.
"Sharlo, zero victories, one defeat," the old man shouted.
Lu Yin was surprised. Even Sharlo lost. The Realm Battle was truly as terrifying as it was described. Michelle's single victory was quite impressive, no wonder she could join the Ten Decisions Council with a mere Integration Realm strength.
"Shuz, zero victories, one defeat."
"Hei Xu, one victory, one defeat," the old man said with a hint of surprise, clearly not expecting anyone among them to win.
Everyone looked at Hei Xu, whose black hair seemed to absorb light, giving him a cold and solitary aura.
All the Integration Realm students had tried, with even Zhao Yilong among them. Lulu, cheerfully, jumped in next and soon came out, "Outrageous! I ran into a Da Wei Wyrm Dragon, and an extreme level one at that, utterly unfair."
"Lulu Mebius, zero victories, one defeat," the old man shouted, his gaze lingering on Lulu before moving away.
"Mon Yue, zero victories, one defeat."
"Coco, zero victories, one defeat."
Everyone had tried except for Lu Yin and Silver.
Silver smiled at Lu Yin, making a gesture to let him go first.
Lu Yin didn't hesitate and stepped into the Realm Gate Stone's area.
The feeling inside the Realm Gate Stone was different, like entering another world. As Lu Yin reached the center and touched it, the world spun around him, and he found himself at the edge of a volcano, surrounded by erupting lava.
The Realm Battle copied the person touching the Realm Gate Stone into a virtual space, which could be anything: an ocean, a volcano, or the sky. This time, Lu Yin was at the edge of a volcano.
Scorching lava erupted around him. Lu Yin checked his body. This copy didn't replicate his appearance, only his build, and his face was a blank slate. He operated his Celestial Art without issue, amazed that even his techniques were perfectly copied. This Realm Gate Stone was extraordinary.
The sensations in this body were just like reality. He crouched to touch the volcanic rock—it was scorching hot, with the same tolerance level as his real body.
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead, bringing an overwhelming pressure that distorted the air and shattered the volcano.
Lu Yin's pupils shrank. Before he could react, he was instantly killed. Just before leaving the space, he saw the figure and a strange name above its head—Da Feng Ge.
"Damn, just a youngling at the Seeker Realm. Sorry, should have held back. Poor guy, didn't even have a codename, haha," Da Feng Ge laughed to himself. They couldn't communicate in that space, only think.
Back at the Realm Gate Stone, Lu Yin opened his eyes, cold sweat on his forehead. For a moment, he truly thought he was dead. That person was definitely a Starlight Walker, terrifyingly powerful, leaving no room for reaction. Far more terrifying than Western Marldo and others. That was the level of a top genius eligible for the Realm Battle.
He stepped out of the Realm Gate Stone's area, and the old man shouted, "Lu Yin, zero victories, one defeat."
No one was surprised; winning would have been odd.
Silver passed by Lu Yin, smiling as he stepped into the Realm Gate Stone's area.
"How was it, Brother Lu Yin? What kind of opponent did you face?" Coco asked curiously.
Lu Yin shrugged, "Not sure, but it felt like a Starlight Walker."
Coco stuck out her tongue, "Worse than me. I faced an Extreme."
Lu Yin smiled bitterly. They were too weak. Sharlo was right; in the Realm Battle, they were the lowest tier. One hundred victories were needed to enter the Trial Realm; the Tenth Institute's conditions were too harsh. Unfortunately, Michelle couldn't win the argument. "By the way, what are your codenames?"
In the Realm Battle, one could use their real name or a codename. Lu Yin hadn't thought of one and got defeated instantly. The one who defeated him had the codename Da Feng Ge.
"I'm Hercules," Lulu said, flexing her muscles and proudly declaring her codename.