After having his breakfast, Bai Hei rushed out of his house, heading towards the academy. on the way, he encountered some cultivators but he didn't pay them any heed. In the blink of an eye he had appeared before the enormous gate.
From outside he could already hear the crowd, so he immediately rushed in. fortunately There were no guards present this time—everyone knew that today, which was the day for the final exams, countless cultivators would flood the grounds.
Bai Hei soon reached his classroom; the instructor inside had already started discussing with them. He silently slipped into the crowd, not alerting anyone, and listened in as well.
"In the secret realm, the more genetically mutated creatures you kill, the more points you gain. Rankings for this final examination will be determined based on your total points," said a stern female voice.
Bai Hei recognized the instructor as a homeroom teacher from another class, someone he had seen only in passing. From the memories of his predecessor, he recalled that she was known for being strict yet fair.
The instructor's tone grew sharper. "This will be your first contact with genetically mutated creatures. Do not underestimate them. These extraterrestrial beasts have ended the lives of many arrogant cultivators."
Over the years, there had been many cultivators who dared to underestimate the extraterrestrial creatures, which ultimately resulted in their death. Even though she knew that some of them wouldn't heed her advice, she still warned those that cared to listen.
"You will also be given a teleportation scroll; if you encounter a great danger where there is no way to escape, ensure you crush it. However, by doing that, you will also have failed the entrance examination."
As he listened from the side, Bai Hei soon got the gist of it. For the entrance examination, they would go into a secret realm where the creatures that invaded this planet were. Of course this was just a small secret realm where the highest cultivation realm of the creatures was at the initial stages of the golden core realm, or rank 3.
Bai Hei could feel his hand faintly tremble; he felt that the examination would be dangerous. Fortunately, the mention of the teleportation scroll seemed to calm his emotions. if anything were to go wrong or he encountered a dangerous enemy, he could immediately use it and leave the secret realm.
After the instructor was done explaining, she led them towards a spiraling grey portal. just from standing close to it, Bai Hei could feel a destructive aura. he stared at it for a while before turning his gaze away. Ahead, similarly close to the portal, there were other cultivators who appeared old; their aura was unfathomable, but he could feel a faint sense of oppression, even though he wasn't close to them.
He immediately guessed that those were the experts of the academy; an old man in plain robes was distributing something similar to a worn-out scroll and a book that should be the teleportation scroll, he immediately guessed, but was curious about the books as well. The queue moved fast and soon it was his turn to collect a teleportation scroll and the book
Without any delay, he collected them both. the scroll looked quite normal, but he could see inscriptions on it. He could also feel faint mana fluctuations from the scroll; he clenched it in his fist as though he was scared someone would snatch it from him.
The book, on the other hand, felt light; it was smooth and on the cover Bai Hei could see the words helixar written on it. is this the name of the alien race? He faintly guessed.
They had been taught over the years that their planet had bee invaded but they hadn't informed them what kind of creatures invaded the aurora continent. Fortunately, he now had the information.
"Students, ensure you use your strength to the maximum; those ranked in the top 10 will receive the corresponding rewards." the old man who handed them the scroll advised them after he was done.
With a single wave of the elder's hand, the grey portal shimmered as foreign runes activated. A silvery glow radiated outward, illuminating the courtyard.
"Step into the portal. Remember, while you are there, it is best to be cautious," the principal emphasized, causing them to nod. Soon after, Bai Hei took a deep breath and joined the others as they stepped into the light.
As soon as they disappeared, the principal waved his palm and summoned a small mirror from his storage ring. With a flick of his wrist, the mirror floated into the air and expanded into a massive display. Within the mirror, by the side were displayed the names of the students and their corresponding points. On the other side was the view of what was happening in the secret realm.
However, just as the information was displayed, the principal's expression changed drastically. The grey portal in front of him had turned blood red as soon as the students finished entering and the mirror, which previously displayed the students' information had cracked slight and turned blank once again
"Not good, someone has messed with the portal! It is not a grey portal but a red portal!" the principal was panicked. The color of the portal determined what kind of beast was held inside: a grey portal for rank 1-3 beasts, green for rank 1-4, blue for rank 1-5 and red for rank 1-6!
"This, this… who did this!!!" the principal was immediately furious, unable to restrain his aura. everything around him smashed apart. he turned to to glare fiercely at the female instructor who was with Bai Hei and the rest previously.
At this moment the instructor was trembling in fear as well; she knew nothing about this. "i… i didn't do anything," she could only force herself to say, "perhaps, they can still survive with the teleportation scroll." her eyes lit up at the thought.
However, the principal snorted, "that jade scroll was a lower-grade one that only worked in green portals and below." with that he flicked his robe and walked away in a furious huff. Their goal of nurturing this year's students was destroyed; he even started feeling a headache on how to explain his inadequacies to the parents of the cultivators.
…
Meanwhile, in another corner of the world, in a particular secret realm, a young man opened his eyes and glanced at everything in front of him. Holding a scroll firmly in his right hand, the young man cautiously walked forward.
He knew the first thing he had to do was find a safe place to stay in the meantime before deciding on how to earn points.