Chapter 10: Before the Kulandt Academy Entrance Exam

A few days later, at around seven in the morning, the crowd outside Kulandt Academy was bustling, filling the entrance. Everyone who came for the exam, those who didn't, parents accompanying their children, and onlookers all gathered here. If it weren't for the large size of Kulandt Academy and its multiple entrances, chaos would have already ensued.

Rows of security personnel stood neatly along the twenty-meter-wide gate. In the middle of the gate, a platform was set up, and a magical amplification array on it glowed purple. A teacher stood on the platform and shouted, "Please be quiet, please be quiet."

The loud voice immediately subdued the noisy crowd, and everyone quietly focused on the person speaking on the platform.

The teacher, satisfied with the effect, cleared his throat and said, "Candidates, I know many of you are taking the exam at Kulandt Academy for the first time, and some of you failed last year. You all want to study at the best academy in the empire, Kulandt Academy. However, as usual, our admission slots are limited. I hope that even if you don't get in, you will continue to study hard. In fact, as long as you work hard, you can achieve success no matter where you study."

Many people in the crowd started whispering again. Bing Zhiye, squeezed among the crowd, heard that they were not being encouraged to definitely pass, but rather discussing where to go if they didn't pass. After all, besides Kulandt, the capital city of Dibelas had 247 other schools and colleges of various types and ages for its 17 million population.

The teacher on the platform turned to a new page of his notes and continued, "This year, there are approximately 610,000 candidates."

The crowd was immediately in an uproar.

The teacher continued, "As in previous years, our academy will still admit 50,000 students, of which 6,000 are recommended by schools from various regions. The remaining 44,000 students will be selected from the candidates here."

Out of 610,000 candidates, only 44,000 would be admitted, making the admission rate even more difficult than finding a good job. Most of the candidates were already anxious, and some who were previously confident suddenly felt deflated.

The teacher on the platform smirked and smiled. He wanted to create this pressure. "Alright, I won't say much more. Please take your admission slips and enter the academy. The written exam will start at 10:00 AM in the main square of the academy, and it will last for six hours. When you enter the academy, you will receive a sheet of paper with the specific exam rules. Please enter in an orderly manner."

The six-hour written exam shocked many first-time candidates at Kulandt. Some were already considering giving up, thinking they would definitely fail and that coming here would be a waste of time. Others were asking why the exam started at 10:00 AM and not after lunch.

A confident candidate in front of Bing Zhiye said to the person next to him, "Not letting you eat lunch is just the beginning. Once you see the extremely difficult questions, you'll regret not studying harder."

The person next to him broke out in a cold sweat. "Is it really that hard? Have you taken the exam before?"

The confident candidate replied, "Failing Kulandt isn't something to be ashamed of. Last year, I was among the top three at Pamiz Academy, but I still didn't get in. Those questions were simply impossible."

"Ah!" The person next to him was shocked, his mouth wide open. "I've heard of Pamiz Academy; it's a well-known local college. If the top three didn't get in, what about me, who was only sixth in my ordinary school?" He anxiously patted his head.

"Then I suggest you start planning for the worst. The written exam is just the beginning."

In fact, those who wanted to attend Kulandt Academy were not just these 610,000 people. Most people were too afraid to take the exam. These 610,000 were all top students from various schools or those who believed they had the ability and confidence to pass. Even for them, admission was difficult, let alone for others.

Bing Zhiye queued up, exchanged his slip for an admission ticket and a set of exam rules. The experienced candidate was right; the written exam was just the beginning. After the six-hour written exam, a martial arts competition would start immediately after dinner, with no time for sleep.

Some people clenched their teeth, looking at the devilish exam schedule, their faces turning green.

Bing Zhiye followed the queue to a vast square on the south side of the academy. The square was already filled with examination desks. Bing Zhiye knew there were 100,000 desks, as the exam rules stated that the exam would be conducted in six batches. Those who didn't get an admission ticket would have to wait until the next day.

A huge circular magical array covered the vast square, controlling the weather for the outdoor exam. This array, which controlled the surrounding climate, was actually quite simple, using magical elements to disperse rain, shield the sun, and reduce wind.

Because the written exam would last six hours, the academy's students and teachers distributed free food. Bing Zhiye chose a cake and a glass of milk, finding the taste quite good. Many people came with their friends, chatting casually.

The candidates were 13 to 16 years old, and the younger classes were not included in these 610,000. After passing the exam, students would not be divided by age but by their exam scores and teacher evaluations.

The packaging and waste from the food were quickly collected by staff. The clock tower in the center of the square struck 9:30. The candidates found their seats according to the numbers on their admission tickets. Bing Zhiye's number was 110.226.

The first number, 110, referred to the longitudinal sequence, like coordinates, and 226 referred to the 226th row horizontally.

"Bing Zhiye!"

Just as Bing Zhiye found his seat, he heard someone call his name. Looking up, he saw Konelia. He didn't expect to run into her among 610,000 people.

Konelia was sitting at 111.226, right next to Bing Zhiye. She was delighted. "I didn't expect you to sit next to me. Where have you been staying these past few days? We thought you weren't a candidate. Wayne has been worried, saying he didn't get to be good friends with you. Now that he knows you're here, he'll be so happy. By the way, he and Yilina are at 036.177 and 299.007. I'll take you to see them after the exam." Konelia then realized she had been talking too much and lowered her head. "N-nothing, just that Wayne really wants to be friends with you."

"Hmm?" Bing Zhiye's eyes were not on her but on something behind her.

Konelia noticed his gaze and turned to look. "Ah! B-Bimoye..." Her pale face turned red, and her hand on the desk became uneasy, gripping her pen tightly.

Bing Zhiye glanced at Bimoye and then turned away.

Bimoye also noticed the man who had bet on the same outcome as him. He glanced with his red eyes and then sat at 112.226, not looking elsewhere.

Konelia lowered her head, her mind not on her pen. Her heart pounded like a mischievous child, unable to be calmed. "What should I do? What should I do? How can he be sitting next to me? No, I should be happy that he's sitting next to me, so why am I afraid?" Her thoughts drifted back to a scene from seven years ago...

"Excuse me, classmate, classmate..."

"Hmm?" Konelia's thoughts were interrupted. She looked up to see the invigilator distributing the exam papers. "Oh! So many, are they all mine?"

The invigilator joked, "Whose else would they be? Ten papers, 500 questions, and only six hours. You need to work hard."

"Yes, yes..." Konelia wrote her name and exam number on the papers. Her thoughts were now completely focused on the exam questions.

Most students gasped when they received the thick stack of papers.

Konelia looked at the first question: "What happens when you refine a mixture of luster sand, rainbow paulownia tree sap, and limb-tailed beast blood? Hmm, this question is easy. After refining with magic, you get luster crystal, which is a common magic experiment. Maybe the exam questions aren't as hard as people say?"

One of the main invigilators at the front of the large table spoke, "Everyone has their papers, right? I'll repeat the exam rules. The exam starts at 10:00 AM and ends at 4:00 PM. You cannot leave to eat during the exam. There are over 10,000 invigilators supervising, with each invigilator overseeing 9 candidates. So, don't even think about cheating."

For an academy with over a million students and faculty, 10,000 invigilators were not a big deal.

"Once cheating is detected, you will be immediately expelled from the exam. Each candidate has one chance to use the restroom. There is a red crystal on your desk. Inject magic or battle qi into it, and someone will blindfold you and take you out. However, I doubt you'll waste your only six hours on a bathroom break." The invigilator cleared his throat and continued, "Alright, before the exam, I'll teach you the first question. Listen carefully."

The students were puzzled. The invigilator was actually teaching them a question, and the first one wasn't even difficult.

The invigilator's voice, amplified, was heard clearly by everyone: "What happens when you refine a mixture of luster sand, rainbow paulownia tree sap, and limb-tailed beast blood? Answer: 1. When refining luster sand with the mixture, a strong fire element will cause an explosion; 2. When refining luster sand with the mixture, injecting wind and water elements will produce fragmented luster sand; 3. ..."

The invigilator listed over a dozen different outcomes based on different methods of refinement. The students were stunned, their mouths agape. "No way!"

Konelia was also dizzy. Everyone knew that refining these materials would produce luster crystal, but she didn't expect to have to write down the outcomes for different magic strengths and elements. Writing 500 questions in six hours was already challenging, but if they had to write this much detail, it was unimaginable.

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End of Chapter 10