After waking up, Neil left Dragon City and headed towards the Sky Palace. After almost a week, he finally emerged from the Dragon Mountain Range. His journey was exhausting, but for Neil, it was more of an enjoyable challenge.
As he exited the dense forest, Neil looked around and found himself surrounded by numerous small huts and simple shops. The area was bustling with activity as merchants eagerly awaited the chance to bargain with adventurers returning from the Dragon Mountains. Neil felt relieved but didn't lose sight of his goal.
He approached the nearest shop and asked the shopkeeper, "Sir, do you know the direction to the Sky Palace?"
The shopkeeper looked at Neil with clear disdain and thought to himself, "Does this boy really aspire to enter the Sky Palace?" However, he didn't voice his thoughts and simply pointed Neil in the right direction.
After receiving the directions, Neil continued his journey and soon noticed a large number of people gathered ahead. He approached one of them and asked about the situation. The man replied, "The Sky Palace admission test will begin in two hours. These people here are all trying to take the test."
Upon closer inspection, Neil noticed that many of these individuals were dressed in extravagant clothing. He then understood why the shopkeeper had looked down on him. As Neil observed his surroundings, a middle-aged man approached him with a friendly smile and said quickly, "Young master, you seem new here. Would you like me to help you understand the Sky Palace test?"
Hearing this, Neil immediately realized that the man was likely a swindler. However, feeling bored and longing for some company, he agreed and said, "Sure, how much do you want?" The man quickly responded, "Two mana stones." Neil agreed without hesitation.
The man began to explain, "Young master, the Sky Palace test is shrouded in mystery. Very few are allowed to know its details, but here is what is publicly known." He continued, "In fact, if you pay a certain price, any disciple will tell you about the test."
The man went on to say, "The first test is to measure the individual's talent, and the second test assesses their mental state. That's what the Sky Palace test consists of, but how these tests are conducted is known only to a select few, perhaps the princes of the great empires."
Neil asked, "Is the test the only way to enter the Sky Palace?" The man replied, "No, there are other ways. You could be the son of a master or receive a recommendation from at least a master."
Neil now understood. His father had told him that his admission to the Sky Palace was guaranteed, and it became clear that this was because he could obtain a master's recommendation. While Neil was deep in thought, the man continued speaking with a tone of regret and frustration, "But who among us could obtain a recommendation from a master in the Celestial World?"
At that moment, a flying carriage descended from the sky and landed outside the Sky Palace. A young boy, around 8 years old, stepped out of the carriage, gazing at the crowd with disdain before confidently making his way to the front of the line.
The man exclaimed, "Oh, that's the ninth prince of the Axe Empire. They say he has exceptional talent and is destined to break through to the Sky Realm, with even a chance of reaching the Legendary Realm."
As the ninth prince arrived, more prominent figures began to appear. The man eagerly introduced them, saying, "That's the head of the Ni family from the western side... Impressive!" He then continued in shock, "And that's the princess of the Phoenix Empire, said to possess legendary-level talent!"
When Neil heard this, he looked at the young girl standing before him, who was slightly older than him, and sensed a faint aura of mana emanating from her. He thought to himself, "A first-level mage, not bad." Neil was interested in her because he had once possessed legendary-level talent in magic.
Neil felt a bit strange about his early breakthrough to the first level of the mage realm, but he understood that it was due to his talents in increasing cultivation speed and mana manipulation. After about two hours, the massive gate finally opened, signaling that the time for the test had come.