At the same time, deep within the magical tower of the Imperial Cultivation Academy...
The headmaster, Morton, was watching the assessment process through a magical screen when he was nearly knocked off his chair by the astonishing scene before him!
"What?!"
Morton exclaimed in horror, "How is it possible for this kid to summon so many summoned beasts?"
"I... I don't know either..."
Krud, equally bewildered, couldn't tear his gaze away from the magical screen!
The sheer number of undead creatures summoned by Link was overwhelming, nearly filling the entire magical display. A rough count revealed at least ten thousand!
What does ten thousand skeletons mean?
To put it into perspective, the first assessment of the Imperial Cultivation Academy, the "Thunderstorm Magic Array," covered a mountain path that was only about three meters wide at its broadest point!
As Link summoned these ten thousand skeletons, it created a spectacle unlike any other!
Countless skeletons piled on top of each other, forming a towering mass that reached four to five meters high along the mountain path!
Meanwhile, the "Three Radiant Ones," who had intended to stop Link, were quite literally overwhelmed, buried beneath the sea of skeletons, with no one escaping, including Roy's red dragon...
At that moment, Link, seeing the three completely submerged by the sea of skeletons, finally let out a quiet sigh of relief. Without hesitation, he urged his zombie mount and swiftly dashed out of the exit!
"This…"
Morton and Krud were left utterly dumbfounded, feeling as if their entire worldview, values, and even their understanding of reality had been completely shattered in that instant...
After a long pause, Morton was the first to regain his composure, staring at Krud in disbelief as he asked, "I remember this kid's name is Link, right?"
"That's right," Krud nodded instinctively.
"But he... really only has half-step cultivation talent?" Morton pressed further.
"Absolutely not."
Frowning, Krud replied with some irritation, "That 'Talent Testing Matrix' was personally crafted by me. It has never malfunctioned in all these years. There's no reason it would fail with Link!"
"Krud, I'm not questioning your abilities; it's just that this kid is too strange for me to believe!"
Morton, sensing Krud's displeasure, quickly clarified, "After all, no summoner from our Roland Continent has ever summoned so many beasts at once like Link!"
"I understand your concerns, Headmaster, but please see clearly: the summoned creatures Link conjured are all at most peak apprentice level. I believe his strength is limited; he must have used some special method to summon so many at once, which should have nothing to do with talent," Krud said solemnly.
"That's true."
Morton glanced again at the magical screen, where Link's skeletal army was displayed.
At this point, the "Three Radiant Ones" had managed to break free from their restraints and had shattered all the surrounding skeletons, but where was Link's figure in the chaos?
At this, the three of them were left fuming!
"Humph! That damned brat dares to ruin my plans!"
Seeing this, Morton realized Krud was right; if Link's skeletons had been strong enough, the "Three Radiant Ones" would never have escaped so quickly!
"Headmaster, it seems this kid has secured first place!"
Krud, looking grim, asked, "Are we really going to give him the 50,000 gold coins we reserved for the 'Three Radiant Ones' as a reward?"
"Absolutely not!"
Morton gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "That's a staggering sum of 50,000 gold coins, specifically set aside for the 'Three Radiant Ones' to purchase high-tier cultivation equipment!"
At this point, Morton added, "Regardless of how Link summoned so many beasts, if he truly only has half-step cultivation talent, he is not worth such a significant investment in training!"
"But he did achieve first place in the 'Thunderstorm Magic Array' assessment; that's an undeniable fact. What should we do?" Krud asked, puzzled.
"Send a message to Gabri, let him figure it out. In any case, that 50,000 gold coins must not be wasted on a useless person!" Morton waved his hand decisively.
"Understood, Headmaster!"
Upon hearing this, Krud quickly chanted a few incantations under his breath and transmitted a message to Gabri, who was in charge of the assessment.
Though their conversation seemed brief, neither Morton nor Krud realized that their misguided decision would soon bring unimaginable disaster to the entire Imperial Cultivation Academy!