Most of the academy students were only a year or two older than Lin Xi and his companions. Their blue garments, adorned with a small sword embroidered on the chest and cuffs, appeared quite ordinary; yet each individual radiated an undeniable vitality, as if they were all glowing with an inner light.
Among the remaining five instructors, the eldest, a disheveled old man with a goatee, was over fifty years of age. His pure black robe, edged in gold, was glossy and worn, with frayed cuffs.
The most striking figures were a burly middle-aged man with a scarred face and a young woman cradling a thick book.
The burly man towered half a head above the average person, his scar running from his brow to his left cheek, a menacing mark that, had it been positioned slightly differently, would have cost him his left eye. The scar was grotesque, and he sported short hair, his stern expression exuding an air of seriousness.
The young woman, slender and seemingly in her late twenties, held a thick book with a black cover. She resembled an old scholar, perpetually furrowing her brow, her gaze distant as if lost in the depths of her reading, pondering the questions within.
Aside from the students behind Xia Yanbing, clad in blue, the other instructors had students dressed in black, red, yellow, green, and gray.
"Is this a demonstration of the academy's strength?" Lin Xi and Meng Bai mused, moving closer to the crowd, their hearts brimming with anticipation. These six colors likely represented the six major departments of Qingluan Academy.
However, to Lin Xi's surprise, there was no elaborate procedure; a gaunt, expressionless old man in gray robes stepped forward and simply announced the commencement of the examination.
The old man's gray robe was also embroidered with gold, though the patterns were more intricate, featuring golden feathered arrow designs.
A grayish-white jade sphere, the size of a human head, was brought forth, placed on a mahogany table in the open space before the gaunt elder and the six rows of academy students.
"Whoever's name I call shall approach and place their hand upon this Soul Testing Stone," the old man declared, standing behind the table holding the jade sphere. "He Lianyu."
A rosy-cheeked, round-faced youth stumbled from the crowd, nervously placing his hand upon the grayish-white sphere.
Immediately, the sphere emitted a blue light.
"Qualification: Three." The gaunt elder's expression remained as wooden as ever, simply uttering the three words. Behind him, three students in yellow robes, armed with quills and sheepskin scrolls, swiftly recorded his result. "Step to the back." The elder then gestured toward a large tent behind him, casting a glance at the bewildered youth.
"Qian Fei." The elder called another name.
A tall youth in a blue robe stepped forward, adjusting his attire with an air of maturity as he walked.
Once again, the grayish-white sphere glowed blue.
"Qualification: Three." The elder repeated his monotonous proclamation. "Step to the back." He motioned for the blue-robed youth to enter the large tent.
"He Jie!"
Another youth, dressed in luxurious attire and appearing to be from a distinguished family, approached.
This time, the grayish-white sphere emitted a yellow light.
"Qualification: Two. Step to the back." The elder's demeanor remained unchanged, expressionless. The young man, upon seeing the yellow light, revealed a look of dejection.
Lin Xi had already discerned that this was a means of testing cultivation aptitude. The expression of the young man, along with the glances exchanged among some of the nearby youths, indicated that yellow light was inferior to blue. The higher the number announced by the elder, the better the aptitude for cultivation. It seemed that the yellow light signified a rather ordinary level of talent.
"Zhao Ke'an."
"Wang Chaoyu."
"Qin Shifeng."
...
One by one, over forty youths completed the procedure, most emitting blue light, while only six produced yellow light, all of whom bore expressions of disappointment and embarrassment.
"Zhang Ping," the elder suddenly called, causing Lin Xi and the others to startle.
"Good luck!" Xiang Lin was the first to speak, giving Zhang Ping's shoulder an encouraging pat. Lin Xi, Meng Bai, and Li Kaiyun quickly followed suit, offering their quiet blessings.
Zhang Ping approached, his face taut with tension, his outstretched hand trembling slightly.
This time, however, the grayish-white sphere emitted a red light.
"Qualification: Four!" A flicker of emotion crossed the gaunt elder's face, his eyes momentarily brightening.
"Boom!" The gathering of youths erupted in a stir, "Wonderful! I can't believe his aptitude is so high!" Meng Bai and Li Kaiyun exclaimed in surprise.
Lin Xi felt a surge of joy, knowing his earlier assessment had been correct; Zhang Ping had performed exceptionally well on the aptitude test. As a friend, he was genuinely pleased. Just as he was about to quietly inquire about the significance of the qualifications with Meng Bai and the others, a cold, mocking laugh pierced the air, clear and cutting. "A country bumpkin with a Level Four qualification—so what? If he fails the subsequent exams, it will all be for naught."
"Are you jealous? I suspect you will be the one to fail the next exam," Li Kaiyun retorted, unable to contain his indignation. The speaker was a short youth clad in a white robe embroidered with silver flowers, his sharp features and slicked-back hair suggesting a privileged background.
While the terms "country bumpkin" and "golden spoon" had become familiar jibes, laden with disdain, Lin Xi and his friends were not particularly offended by the former, especially in such a setting. However, the other youth's curse upon Zhang Ping's prospects ignited their fury.
"Country bumpkin." The slick-haired "golden spoon" youth sneered, casting a disdainful glance at Li Kaiyun and the others before dismissing them.
"You..." Li Kaiyun's face flushed with anger at the arrogance displayed. "Don't stoop to his level; he will surely fail himself, and we shall see what happens then," Lin Xi murmured, tugging at Li Kaiyun's sleeve gently.
"Xiang Lin," in the blink of an eye, over a dozen youths had completed their tests, most emitting blue light, with none achieving a qualification above three. Suddenly, the gaunt elder called out Xiang Lin's name.
Xiang Lin instinctively broke into a light jog, hurrying forward.
Upon touching the grayish-white jade sphere, it emitted a blue light once more.
"Qualification: Three."
Xiang Lin appeared somewhat satisfied, letting out a sigh of relief. After nodding toward Lin Xi, Meng Bai, and Li Kaiyun, he turned and swiftly made his way toward the large tent at the back.
"Leng Qiuyu."
At that moment, a young woman captured everyone's attention.
The number of female participants in the Qingluan Academy entrance examination was already scarce, comprising only about one-tenth of the total, and this particular young woman was exceptionally beautiful.
Clad in a gown of pristine white, with striking features and a cold, oval face, she resembled a frosty beauty.
"Qualification: Four!"
After placing her hand upon the grayish-white sphere, the atmosphere became charged with excitement, and the gaunt elder's voice noticeably rose. The sphere glowed red.
"Li Kaiyun, you aren't developing a crush on her, are you?"
The white-clad girl, upon achieving a qualification of four, maintained her icy demeanor, not glancing back even once. Li Kaiyun, captivated by her beauty, was transfixed. Meng Bai tugged at his sleeve and remarked.
Li Kaiyun stared at the girl, visibly enamored, and only snapped back to reality when he heard Meng Bai's comment, his face flushing crimson.
"Indeed, I think I've fallen for her at first sight." He readily admitted, nodding earnestly in response to Meng Bai.
Lin Xi and Meng Bai burst into laughter. "Well, you'd better put in some serious effort," Meng Bai winked. "As far as I know, she hails from the Leng family of the Imperial Capital."
"What is the background of the Leng family?" Lin Xi couldn't help but inquire in a hushed tone.
"Leng Zhenan, the head of the Internal Affairs Department, is her father—an official of the first rank. While his actual power may be debatable, his rank surpasses that of provincial governors by a half-step," Meng Bai chuckled. "She is truly a golden spoon among golden spoons."
"This only strengthens my resolve to enter the academy's Peacekeeping Department," Li Kaiyun declared solemnly, his face slightly flushed as he gazed at the retreating figure of the white-clad girl.
"Lin Xi!"
Just as Lin Xi and Meng Bai were suppressing their laughter, the gaunt elder suddenly called out Lin Xi's name.
All eyes immediately turned to Lin Xi.
The previous night's altercation had garnered Lin Xi considerable attention, and news of his recommendation from the local authorities had already spread.
Everyone was eager to witness the extent of Lin Xi's aptitude.
"Good luck!" Meng Bai and Li Kaiyun earnestly patted Lin Xi on the shoulder.
Amidst a flurry of whispered conversations, Lin Xi approached, curiously reaching out to touch the grayish-white jade sphere.
The sphere felt cool to the touch, and upon contact, it sent a slight tingling sensation through his body.
Then, he noticed the sphere glowing yellow.
"Qualification: Two!" The gaunt elder regarded Lin Xi with a blank expression. "Step to the back."
"My qualification is only two? Does that mean I've performed poorly?" Lin Xi was momentarily stunned, unable to believe that he had not even reached the average standard among the examinees.
"A person recommended from the local area has a qualification of only two?" Many were equally taken aback.
"Only two?" The previously confrontational slick-haired "golden spoon" youth sneered derisively, "Is there no discernment in the local recommendations to have brought such a country bumpkin here?"