Walking along the narrow path, Xiao Yun couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
The Xiao estate, usually bustling with people, felt eerily empty today. His gut told him it had something to do with the Jia Nan Academy admissions team that was scheduled to arrive in Wu Tan City. Judging from how deserted the clan grounds were, it seemed most of the clan had already flocked to the selection site.
And it wasn't just the Xiao clan, he figured—likely all of Wu Tan City had gone to gawk or take part. The admissions square was probably flooded with people by now.
…
He broke into a jog, making his way toward the academy's designated recruitment square. Even though he'd mentally prepared himself, Xiao Yun still froze in shock when he finally arrived and saw the sheer scale of the crowd. It stretched out as far as the eye could see—a sea of people buzzing with excitement and desperation.
"What is this madness? Do they think the test gets easier if you show up early or mob the place?"
The plaza roared with noise as countless young people jostled to get closer to the testing area.
Soldiers dispatched from the City Lord's Manor tried to maintain order, but they were practically useless against the surge. Trying to manage the crowd was like scratching an itch through thick boots.
Xiao Yun sighed at the chaos. Judging by this mess, he wasn't going to make it through testing any time soon.
After circling the plaza once, he ended up right back where he started.
Originally, he'd hoped to spot a group from the Xiao clan and maybe sneak in with them, but all he found were heavily armored guards and nosy onlookers. There wasn't a shortcut in sight.
And without the clout to convince soldiers to let him through, all he could do was return and brace himself.
"Fine. Guess I'll do it the dumb way—squeeze in with the rest."
Thanks to his below-average height, Xiao Yun wriggled his way through the crowd at waist level, sweating profusely by the time he broke free into open space again.
"Whew... Finally!" he panted, spotting a cluster of green tents up ahead. "Seriously, what is wrong with these people? In this heat, and they're still fighting for a spot to watch?"
Between the crowd and the tent, several channels had been opened up. At each, a young academy student held a blue crystal orb, about the size of a fist, testing candidates one by one.
Xiao Yun approached the least crowded lane and soon enough, it was his turn.
The male student administering the test raised an eyebrow at the sight of Xiao Yun's childlike appearance.
"Hey, kid. This isn't some game, alright? This is the Jia Nan Academy entrance selection. Where are your parents? They'll panic if they lose you."
"Uh, I know that," Xiao Yun said, rolling his eyes internally. "I'm here to test, senior. Please, just go ahead."
He was already used to this—being underestimated because of his age. Everyone thought he was just a kid playing make-believe.
"Alright, alright. Just place your hand on the crystal and inject your Dou Qi. If it lights up, you've passed the basic test. You need at least the eighth stage of Dou Qi for that."
The student clearly didn't believe him, but testing Dou Qi was simple, and humoring one more kid wasn't a big deal.
Xiao Yun nodded and placed his right hand on the crystal. After a short pause, the orb lit up with a soft glow.
The student blinked in disbelief. "Huh? It actually lit up?"
He looked suspiciously at the crystal, as if it might be malfunctioning after too many tests.
"Wait here. I'm going to grab another one." Without waiting for a reply, he dashed off and quickly returned with a second crystal.
Xiao Yun silently placed his hand on it, and once again, the orb glowed.
"...!" The student looked like his jaw was about to hit the ground. He couldn't understand how someone so young could already pass the academy's test. At that age, he'd barely been learning to tie his shoes.
"I passed, right?" Xiao Yun prompted.
"Y-yeah! You passed! Go on in!"
With a nod, Xiao Yun strolled toward the green tent. Inside, under its shaded interior, he saw more than a dozen young men and women chatting in small clusters. Outside, however, over twenty more sat on the scorching ground, sweat dripping from their faces as they endured the blazing sun. From their tense expressions, they were clearly the newly tested candidates.
"Xiao Yun, over here!" someone called joyfully from the crowd.
He looked over to see two young men in Xiao clan garb waving at him with beaming faces. He recognized them from the training grounds—both had shown potential to pass the Jia Nan Academy test, and sure enough, here they were.
Their shout drew attention. Other candidates turned to look, curiosity flashing in their eyes. So this was Wu Tan City's so-called top genius?
Ignoring the stares, Xiao Yun approached his clanmates.
"Out of everyone from the Xiao clan, only you two made it?" he asked, surprised.
It wasn't shocking that the Xiao clan had some successful candidates—after all, they were one of the city's top three clans. But only two passing? That was unexpected.
The Xiao clan's coming-of-age standard was reaching the seventh stage of Dou Qi by age sixteen. That meant any younger members failing the test was understandable. But the older ones?
"Only us two passed," said one. "Though to be fair, a few others back home did meet the requirements. They just chose to join other sects instead of coming to the academy."
Xiao Yun nodded. For many, Jia Nan Academy was a dream. But some still believed that sect training offered more promise.
He sat down with the brothers under the blazing sun, casually chatting to kill time. Eventually, he learned their names—Xiao Long and Xiao Hu. The elder brother, Xiao Long, was a year older than Xiao Hu, but both had reached the ninth stage of Dou Qi.
As they grew more familiar, Xiao Hu started to complain. "Ugh, those senior students are just trying to mess with us. Leaving us out here in this heat..."
Xiao Yun glanced at him, amused. He knew this was an old tradition at Jia Nan Academy. Most new recruits were used to being the big fish in their small ponds. But once they arrived at a place full of talent, the academy had to knock their egos down a notch.
Making them wait under the sun was one way to remind them they weren't special.
Xiao Yun didn't really mind. He wasn't the kind of protagonist who picked fights at every slight. As long as they didn't target him directly, he didn't care.
But if some idiot did come asking for trouble, well... he was happy to provide a reality check.
Seeing Xiao Hu fuming, Xiao Yun chuckled. "Just bear with it. They're trying to wear down our arrogance. Complaining won't help if our strength can't back us up."
"Well, sure, our strength isn't great," Xiao Hu grumbled. "But you're different, Cousin Xiao Yun. You're crazy talented! I bet you could wipe the floor with those senior students!"
Xiao Yun facepalmed. "Come on, man. I am talented, but I'm also seven years old. What good is talent when my cultivation's only at one-star Dou Practitioner? Those seniors have all trained at the academy for over a year. Most of them are stronger than me. If I try to act tough now, I'll end up with more lumps than pride."
Xiao Hu had no response to that. If even their clan's number-one genius could endure this treatment without complaint, what right did he have to whine?
Luckily, they didn't have to wait much longer. Eventually, a senior student emerged from the tent to call the new recruits inside.
Cheers erupted as the candidates scrambled to their feet and filed into the tent, brushing off dust and sweat as they went.
Xiao Yun tugged on Xiao Long and Xiao Hu's sleeves and ran ahead. He hadn't said anything earlier, but the heat had really been getting to him.
"Hahaha! Looks like I've found myself a little monster!"
As soon as Xiao Yun stepped into the tent, a burly, wide-shouldered man beamed at him like he'd struck gold. The students nearby addressed him respectfully as Instructor Xu Ning.
"Good day, Instructor," Xiao Yun greeted politely, nodding.
"Very good. Polite too. Excellent!" Xu Ning was clearly pleased. Even a simple show of manners became a sign of greatness in his eyes.
To be fair, Jia Nan Academy's harsh traditions did have one benefit—after being roasted outside, even the most arrogant new recruits had their egos thoroughly deflated. Now, all of them huddled quietly in the shade, not a single one daring to act out.
Once everyone had assembled, Instructor Xu Ning pulled a scroll and a brush from his spatial ring.
"Congratulations on making it through the first trial and stepping into the gates of Jia Nan Academy. Before you officially enroll, I need your actual age and cultivation level. We assess your talent based on a potential ranking system."
"Eighth-stage Dou Qi gives you an F rank—that's the bare minimum."
"Ninth-stage is E."
"One-star Dou Practitioner earns a D."
"Two-star is C... and so on. The highest potential rank is S, reserved for five-star Dou Practitioner."
"Keep in mind, all of this applies only if you're under eighteen."
"We haven't seen an S-rank in ages... but I've got a feeling someone in this group might just break that streak."
As he said that, he cast a meaningful look at Xiao Yun. It wasn't subtle—everyone could tell who he meant. Age really did matter. With Xiao Yun's youth and power, S-rank was practically guaranteed.
"Alright, everyone form a line and report your age and cultivation one by one, from left to right!" Xu Ning barked.
"Wang Lin, age eighteen…"