Sirius Academy?
Alan looked at the mummified remains hanging beneath the Sky Ladder, feeling a surge of emotion.
As expected, wherever people gather, conflict is inevitable.
Be it the Northern District or the current Imperial Capital, people stop at nothing for their own interests.
The numerous mummies scattered here spoke volumes about how fierce the battles between the two great academies must have been back then.
Suddenly, Harris seemed to recall something and pointed to a distant platform.
"Alan, do you know what that place is?"
Alan followed his gaze. The platform stood prominently at the cliff's edge, adorned with four elemental constructs made of differently colored clays:
Earth, Fire, Wind, and Water.
The four basic elements emanated pure and sharp energy fluctuations from the constructs, like a life-and-death arena.
A trace of astonishment flickered in Alan's eyes as he asked, "Such pure elemental fluctuations... What's it for? Could it have something to do with magi?"
Harris nodded. "Alan, your perception is indeed sharp. This is the Fourfold Elemental Array, something that exists in every Lioncrest Academy.
It is said to have been created by the first headmaster of Lioncrest Academy, who also established a rule:
Anyone under the age of 18 who passes this magical array, regardless of their background, must be accepted as a student of the region's Lioncrest Academy, personally tutored by the headmaster!"
At this, he sighed and added, "However, though this array has existed for ages, no one has ever managed to overcome it."
Fourfold Elemental Array?
Alan felt this magical array had a deep connection to magi.
After all, it typically took a magus with a powerful soul to command the four basic elements—an impossible feat for ordinary mages.
"Have any mages ever tried this array?" Alan asked curiously.
Being accepted as a Lioncrest Academy student was already a dream for many.
Becoming a disciple of one of its mentors, let alone being personally taught by the headmaster, was an aspiration most could never dare to imagine.
Harris nodded. "In the early days of this array, many attempted it, including tier-gold mages.
But in the end, even they barely lasted a dozen moves before suffering severe injuries. Without prior preparation, they would have perished like the others who tried."
Hearing this, Alan's expression grew solemn.
A tier-gold mage under 20 years old was an exceedingly rare genius, even in the talent-filled Imperial Capital.
For even such top-tier prodigies to fail against this array—it was truly terrifying!
"Due to its extreme danger, no one dares to challenge the array anymore.
However, I've heard that Lioncrest Academy once considered inviting Duke Alice to attempt it, though nothing came of it," Harris continued.
Just as Alan was about to respond, Hivrael's raspy voice suddenly rang out, cutting through the air:
"Now, all participants in the assessment, ascend the mountain!"
As his words fell, countless youthful figures eagerly rushed toward the Sky Ladder stretching before them.
Alan glanced at Isabella beside him and said gratefully, "I'll have to trouble you, Head, to look after my sister."
Harris smiled. "Focus on your test. Leave your sister to me!"
Isabella gave Alan an encouraging hug. "Brother, you can do it!"
Alan smiled back, then joined the crowd, surging toward the distant Sky Ladder.
...
Shortly after Alan departed with the group, Isabella suddenly emitted a restless wave of mind power.
"Isabella, what's wrong with you?" Harris asked in shock, feeling a tightness in his chest from the fluctuation emanating from her.
"It's just an old problem acting up. I'll be fine after some rest," Isabella replied, clutching the essence stone in her arms. Her face, twisted in pain, gradually regained composure.
Harris shook his head repeatedly. "Your mental state is severely unstable. You must see an apothecary immediately."
He prepared to take Isabella to the nearest living clinic, but Isabella stubbornly protested, "Harris, this is an old condition.
It's nothing serious. I just want to watch my brother clear the test and become a Lioncrest Academy student with my own eyes."
Seeing the determination in her gaze, Harris turned to Carter and urged, "Go buy some potions to calm the mind immediately!"
Carter nodded hastily and dashed off.
...
By now, Alan had already joined the others on the Sky Ladder. Like the other spirited youths, he was filled with excitement and anticipation.
The path to Lioncrest Academy lay ahead. As long as he passed the trial, he would become one of its students.
And once that happened, Isabella's strange illness could receive the best treatment!
With this thought in mind, Alan glanced at the towering mountain peak and set his jaw with determination.
"Let's go, Alan!"
He gave himself a pep talk and quickened his pace up the Sky Ladder.
...
From afar, the scene was clear: at the start, most youths climbed swiftly, like agile monkeys, leaping and bounding up the Sky Ladder with ease.
However, as they reached the halfway point, their pace visibly slowed.
The further they climbed, the more sluggish they became, as if an invisible pressure weighed heavier and heavier on them.
Their steps grew labored, each one feeling as heavy as a mountain.
Most of them struggled to move forward. Though the summit was in sight, they lacked the strength to continue and were effectively eliminated.
Only a few at the forefront seemed unaffected by the pressure, advancing with remarkable ease.
Compared to the less grounded mages, these individuals exuded deep, restrained elemental fluctuations—profound and powerful, like molten mercury, emanating an aura of terrifying strength.
Alan didn't rush forward recklessly. Instead, he maintained a steady pace, ensuring he could reach the summit in one go without needing to rest midway.
Although the pressure grew increasingly terrifying, it was nothing to someone like him, who had broken past tier-iron level 10 and surpassed his limits.
In terms of both physical body and mental strength, even tier-gold mages couldn't compare to him.
After all, when Alan reached tier-iron level 10, it had been a transformative experience for him.
This was the culmination of his accumulated foundation.
Ordinarily, such depth might not be evident, but in critical moments, the benefits of reaching this tier became clear.
...
As the summit drew closer, the number of people on the Sky Ladder dwindled.
From the earlier grand scene of thousands climbing together, only around 200 remained. Among them, some were visibly struggling, their pace slowing dramatically.
At the forefront was a blond youth dressed in luxurious noble attire, exuding an air of sophistication.
From the beginning, he had led the group, and now, even near the summit, he remained at the front, showing no sign of exhaustion.
This shocked many onlookers.
After all, the closer they got to the summit, the more overwhelming the pressure became!
While most had been forced to slow down, the blond youth was actually picking up speed—an incredible feat!
Behind him, two individuals were in hot pursuit, trailing by only a few dozen meters.
One wielded a black longsword, his expression cold and sharp.
The other had a rainbow-colored gem embedded in his forehead, radiating an illusory and dreamlike aura.
Seeing the blond youth quicken his pace, seemingly intent on leaving them far behind, the two gritted their teeth and sped up as well. They might not overtake him, but they wouldn't let him widen the gap too much!
Behind this trio, about a hundred others were climbing.
Most of them were drenched in sweat, their faces flushed, and their breathing rapid.
Amid this group, Alan maintained his initial steady pace.
Though the increasing pressure was evident, it didn't affect him in the slightest.
Before long, he would likely reach the fourth position in the group.
After all, as long as one ranked among the top thirty, they would qualify to join Lioncrest Academy. There was no need to exhaust his strength early.
Alan wasn't one to seek attention; staying low-key suited him just fine.
...
As they neared the summit, only about sixty participants remained.
The blond youth and the two following him were the first to reach the end of the Sky Ladder.
As Alan approached the summit, his gaze was drawn to the cliffside.
There, nailed to the rocky surface, was a young man with a strikingly bold appearance.
The youth, around twenty years old, had a once-powerful physique that was now mutilated—his severed limbs and head were pinned separately to the cliff, creating a gruesome and bloody sight.
A quick glance at the badge on his chest revealed a howling wolf beneath the moon—Sirius Academy's emblem.
This youth, unlike the mummified remains seen earlier, seemed far fresher, as if he hadn't been dead for long.
Although Alan had witnessed many brutal scenes before, this one still shocked him.
What kind of bitter grudge existed between Sirius Academy and Lioncrest Academy for such cruelty to arise?
Shaking his head with a sigh, Alan pressed on and soon reached the summit.
...
Shortly after, as about fifty others arrived at the summit, a one-horned steed carried Hivrael to the scene.
From his high vantage point, Hivrael scanned the group with a sharp gaze, initially intending to dismiss the last twenty participants.
But then his cold, knife-like eyes fell upon Alan.
Feeling Hivrael's hostile gaze, Alan suddenly had a bad premonition.
"You—yes, you!" Hivrael pointed at Alan. "Step forward!"
Alan paused briefly before walking out of the crowd.
Hivrael sneered, "You should know Lioncrest Academy's admission requirements, correct? Anyone below tier-bronze is unqualified to become a student of Lioncrest Academy!"
...
Not tier-bronze?!
The crowd's collective gaze turned toward Alan in disbelief.
As the foremost academy of the Plantagenet Kingdom, Lioncrest Academy was the learning ground for princes and princesses alike. Its standards were naturally high.
Tier-bronze was the absolute minimum qualification!
Without reaching tier-bronze, Alan shouldn't even have been eligible to participate!
Frowning, Alan replied, "Mentor Hivrael, it's true that I haven't reached tier-bronze, but this trial—"
"Aren't you just a worthless waste if you haven't reached tier-bronze at your age?" Hivrael interrupted. "Accepting you into Lioncrest Academy would be a waste of resources!"
"You lack the most basic qualifications yet dare to participate in this trial? Leave the mountain at once!"
Hivrael's tone turned colder. "And as punishment for disrupting the trial, leave one of your arms behind!"
With that, two tier-gold disciples immediately stepped forward, closing in on Alan.
...
Alan's heart sank as he questioned, "Mentor Hivrael, I have no prior grudge against you. Why are you targeting me like this?"
Although he hadn't reached tier-bronze, being disqualified and maimed seemed excessively harsh.
Hivrael smirked cruelly. "Weren't you acting so arrogant last night? Where's that arrogance now?"
In a flash, Alan connected the dots—Wilson from the second prince's banquet!
Wilson, who had been favored by a Lioncrest Academy mentor, was likely under Hivrael's wing.
Just as Alan was about to speak, a burly youth stepped forward from the crowd, glaring coldly at him.
"Stop struggling. You won't get out of this," the youth sneered.
Alan recognized him immediately—it was Caesar, the one who had first provoked him at the banquet.
Caesar smirked darkly. "Just because Duke Alice favors you doesn't mean you can look down on us.
No matter how strong a dragon is, it's no match for a local serpent. Who do you think you are?"
Several sycophants of Audrey, who had attended the banquet the previous night, chimed in with sneers.
"Mentor Hivrael, this guy broke the rules. Punish him severely!"
Hivrael nodded. "Indeed. The prestige of Lioncrest Academy cannot be challenged. Take him apart and nail him to the cliff!"
The two tier-gold disciples lunged toward Alan.
...
Alan swiftly pulled a ring from his pocket, raising it high as he declared,
"This is Duke Alice's token, given to me for admission to Lioncrest Academy!"
The sight of the ring sent shockwaves through the crowd.
No one had expected Duke Alice to hold Alan in such high regard.
In the Plantagenet Kingdom, Duke Alice was a living legend—an untouchable existence.
The previously raucous crowd fell silent.
Who dared to disrespect Duke Alice?
Even Hivrael's expression flickered with hesitation.
Caesar, however, grew increasingly agitated.
"Impossible! The Duke would never give you her ring. It must be fake!"
Before Caesar could finish his sentence, Alan stepped forward in a flash.
With a single slap, Alan sent Caesar flying, leaving him stunned and sprawling.
"Shut up already. Did I permit you to speak?"
The crowd watched in stunned silence as Caesar's body landed heavily on the ground.