Most of the students from the academy were only a year or two older than Lin Xi and his peers. Their blue uniforms were plain except for a small sword embroidered on the chest and sleeves, but every one of them appeared radiant and energetic—as if glowing with inner light.
Among the five remaining lecturers, the oldest appeared over fifty years old—a scruffy man with a goat beard. His black robe trimmed in gold shimmered with oil stains, and the cuffs were worn thin.
The most eye-catching among the group were a burly, scar-faced man and a woman holding a book.
The burly man was half a head taller than average, with a vicious scar running from his brow down to his left cheek—any deviation, and his left eye would've been ruined. His short hair and stern face gave him a serious, intimidating air.
The woman clutching a thick, black-covered book was petite and looked around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. She resembled a reclusive scholar, her brow perpetually furrowed and eyes distant as if still lost in thought over the book's contents.
Behind Xia Yanbing, the academy students all wore blue, but behind the other lecturers were students clad in black, red, yellow, green, and gray—six colors in total.
"Are they showcasing the strength of the academy?" Lin Xi and the others moved closer, hearts filled with anticipation. These six colors likely represented the academy's six major divisions.
What surprised him was that there was no pomp or delay. A dull-faced, gray-robed, emaciated old man stepped forward and directly announced the start of the entrance trial.
The gray robe he wore was also trimmed with gold, but the embroidery was more intricate—featuring golden tail feathers of an arrow.
A grayish-white jade orb the size of a human head, attached to a table, was carried out and placed in front of the emaciated elder and the six student columns.
"I'll call your names one by one. When I do, place your hand on the Soul Testing Stone," said the elder woodenly. "He Lianyu."
A plump, red-faced boy stumbled from the crowd and nervously placed his hand on the orb.
It immediately glowed a greenish-blue hue.
"Aptitude: Three," the elder reported flatly. Behind him, three students in yellow robes swiftly jotted the result into their sheepskin booklets. "To the back." He gestured toward a large tent behind him.
"Qian Fei."
A tall youth in green strode forward, adjusting his robe with practiced calm.
The orb again emitted green light.
"Aptitude: Three." Again, flatly. "To the back."
"He Jie!"
Another boy in ornate clothing stepped up. The orb glowed yellow.
"Aptitude: Two. To the back."
Lin Xi now fully understood—this orb tested a person's cultivation potential. Based on expressions of those who glowed yellow, it was clearly worse than green. The higher the number the elder reported, the better the aptitude. Yellow meant a very average potential.
"Zhao Ke'an."
"Wang Chaoyu."
"Qin Shifeng."
...
Name after name was called—over forty in total. Most received green light; six emitted yellow. All six wore frustrated or embarrassed expressions.
"Zhang Ping." The elder's voice called out.
Lin Xi and his friends perked up instantly.
"Good luck!"
Xiang Lin was the first to pat Zhang Ping's shoulder. Lin Xi, Meng Bai, and Li Kaiyun followed, offering support.
Zhang Ping walked up, nervous and trembling, hand extended.
The orb glowed red.
"Aptitude: Four!" A slight flicker crossed the elder's dull expression.
"Whoa!" Excitement spread. "He scored a four?!" Meng Bai and Li Kaiyun gasped in delight.
Lin Xi confirmed his earlier judgment—Zhang Ping had excellent aptitude. He was truly happy for his friend and turned to ask about the ranking system when a sneering voice rang out nearby:
"A bumpkin with level four aptitude? So what? He'll fail the next part anyway—empty joy."
"Jealous, are you? I think you'll be the one who fails next," Li Kaiyun snapped back.
The speaker was a short boy in an embroidered white robe with slicked-back hair and a pointed face—a typical "Golden Spoon" brat.
Terms like "bumpkin," "Golden Spoon," and "Frontier Folk" were commonly used. Though inherently condescending, no one usually got mad over them. But cursing someone to fail the exam crossed the line.
"Bumpkin," the oily-haired boy sneered and turned away.
"You—!" Li Kaiyun flushed with rage.
"Don't waste your breath," Lin Xi tugged his sleeve. "Let's see how he performs later."
"Xiang Lin."
Soon another ten names were called—mostly green again, no threes or higher. Then, the elder called out Xiang Lin.
He jogged up, almost involuntarily.
The orb glowed green.
"Aptitude: Three."
Xiang Lin looked relieved, turned, nodded at Lin Xi and the others, and headed to the back tent.
"Leng Qiuyu."
A girl suddenly drew everyone's gaze.
Female participants were rare—only about a tenth of the crowd. This girl, dressed in snow-white robes, was stunningly beautiful. With delicate features and a frosty expression, she was the epitome of an ice-cold beauty.
"Aptitude: Four!"
As her hand touched the orb and it glowed red, the crowd stirred again. Even the elder's voice rose slightly in pitch.
"She's got level four aptitude."
Still icy and aloof, she didn't even glance back. Lin Xi stared, captivated.
"Li Kaiyun, don't tell me you've fallen for her," Meng Bai teased.
Li Kaiyun was staring, clearly infatuated. Caught off guard, he blushed deeply.
"I think I have. Love at first sight," he admitted, solemnly.
Lin Xi and Meng Bai burst out laughing. "Then you'd better work hard. Word is, she's from the Cold family in the Central Capital."
"What's her family background?" Lin Xi whispered.
"Her father, Leng Zhennan, is the Head of the Imperial Household Department—a first-rank official. Though not exactly powerful, his status is higher than most provincial governors," Meng Bai replied with a grin. "She's a Golden Spoon among Golden Spoons."
"That just firmed my resolve to enter the academy's Combat Division," Li Kaiyun said solemnly, hand on his chest.
"Lin Xi!"
Just then, the elder called Lin Xi's name.
All eyes turned to him.
After last night's incident, he was already well known, and word of his local recommendation had spread.
Everyone was eager to see his results.
"Good luck!" Meng Bai and Li Kaiyun patted his shoulder seriously.
With hushed whispers around him, Lin Xi approached the orb and touched it curiously.
It felt cool, almost electric, sending a faint tingle through his body.
Then, the orb glowed yellow.
"Aptitude: Two," the elder declared flatly. "To the back."
"Only level two? That's poor, isn't it?" Lin Xi was stunned—he hadn't even reached the average level among the examinees.
"Only level two?!" gasps followed.
"That's it? The provinces must be blind to recommend this bumpkin," sneered the same oily-haired Golden Spoon youth from earlier.