The next to pass was Tyron Chien. From the Chien Royal Family of the Great Zein Clan.
The next was another noble cultivator named Warren Kan. From the royal family of the Chien of the Cerulean Tempest Clan.
Finally, the noble clans were sending their representative cultivators to fight against the power that had always revolved around these three clans, but it was always the Dragon Sage Clan that received victory in countless generations.
When all the new cultivators were finished, Desmond stood up and Clover approached him. "Are you okay?"
Desmond turned to him and nodded. "I'll leave them to you."
Clover sighed, nodded, and faced the guards. "Close the gate. Those who passed, follow me."
"Wait!"
Everyone turned to the newcomer, causing Sai, Loan, and Eris to suddenly look pale when they realized that the man had caught up. And he was still alive, except for his torn and dirty clothes.
"I'm one of the new cultivators entering the institution. I'm Emrys Valestron, fourteen years old, I'm from the Death Lotus Clan!" The young man quickly reported and bowed in front of Desmond.
The three nobles immediately narrowed their eyes and turned to Emrys. It seemed like the young man had said something sensitive, and Desmond and Clover could feel the restrained aura from those three nobles.
"Do you have anyone with you here?" Desmond asked.
"Yes! There are three of them, but they're already here. They're those." Emrys pointed towards Sai.
Sai clenched his fist because of this. "That guy!"
"Calm down, Sai. Don't rush." Eris warned in a whisper.
Desmond turned to the three and asked. "Is what this beggar is saying true?"
Beggar? You're annoying. But even though Emrys was insulted, he knew that the man in front of him was one of the teachers, so if he wanted to be allowed to enter the institution, he had to be nice to him, no matter what.
Sai shook his head. "We don't know him."
"Oh, you're not just a criminal now, you're also a liar." Emrys whispered, staring at the traitorous man.
"What clan are you from?" Desmond asked again, causing Sai to be startled. Loan swallowed nervously, while Eris avoided eye contact.
Desmond narrowed his eyes at them. "If I catch you lying, I'll immediately remove you from the list of those who passed. This is your last chance to tell the truth. Are you with this beggar?"
Is my clothes really that torn for me to be called a beggar? This is getting really annoying!
Sai sighed and spoke, bowing. "We apologize. You're right. He's with us."
"Why did you lie?" Desmond asked. He seemed to be grilling the three, but Emrys smiled and chimed in.
"Ah. It's my fault! I got lost, and they thought I was dead, so I was left in the forest."
"But why are they denying you?"
"Don't worry about that. I guess they were just surprised by my sudden appearance, so they couldn't answer directly. Right, Sai? Loan? Eris?" Emrys asked the three with a wide smile.
"Y-yes. Y-you're right, Emrys. We apologize for that."
"W-we're glad you're safe." Eris said, unable to look directly at the young man. While Loan remained silent.
So, Emrys turned to Desmond. "Is that okay?!"
Desmond sighed. He couldn't understand why this kid was so cheerful despite the bitter experience he had with his friends. But because he was intrigued by Emrys, he just let it go.
"Okay. I'll accept your presence. But before I allow you to come in with us, try to pass the test I'll give you, like them. And because you're the last one to arrive, instead of just one minute, I'll add another minute to the test."
"Desmond, are you crazy?" Clover whispered, wanting to object but stopped when he noticed Emrys.
He nodded with a smile, seemingly not concerned about what might happen. "It's okay, no matter what. As long as I'm accepted into the institution."
"If so, you'll accept the two-minute test, but you'll let the others who came before you have only one minute?" Desmond asked, raising his eyebrows.
But the smile on the young man's lips wouldn't fade, and he answered without hesitation. "It doesn't matter how hard the test is anymore. Because for the world we live in, only the result matters."
"If so, be prepared." They were just standing. He didn't even bother to sit down. "Cultivate now. Keep it going for two minutes without being disturbed by what I'll do to you. If you lose your concentration, it means you failed the test and you'll go home a loser. Clear, Emrys Valestron?"
"Yes."
"If you're ready, start."
Emrys closed his eyes. It didn't take long. Smoke formed all over his body. It wasn't white, but black smoke coming out.
What kind of cultivation is he doing? Standing? And I've never seen that kind of energy in my entire life. Who is this kid? Clover thought, unable to take his eyes off the young man.
Desmond, on the other hand, let half a minute pass before he tried to disrupt the young man's concentration.
But he seemed to have forgotten to lower his own power. Because instead of just twenty percent, he released almost his full potential.
So, Clover's eyes widened when he realized what his fellow teacher was doing. He's really crazy! Does he want to kill another cultivator?!
The cement cracks flew as Desmond's monstrous energy escaped.
A gust of wind spread, and the other onlookers recoiled because if they didn't go with the wind, they would likely be thrown away.
The ground continued to crack, but the only thing everyone was wondering was that Emrys hadn't moved from where he stood since he closed his eyes.
Desmond grinned. He didn't think that in all his years as a teacher at the institution, this was the first time a new cultivator could stand up to his true strength.
Emrys' hair and clothes danced in the strong gust of wind. But his body, stronger than any statue, remained standing straight, not even being disturbed by the fire and wind surrounding him.
When two minutes passed, Desmond stopped releasing energy and looked around at the destruction. Even the institution's walls and gate were damaged in some parts.
When Emrys opened his eyes, he looked directly at Desmond and asked seriously. "What now?"
The teacher sighed, while Clover and the others who witnessed it couldn't even speak.
"You've passed."
Emrys' face lit up at what he heard, and he punched the sky in joy. "Alright!"