Chapter Twenty-Six: The Entrance Examination, Part Four

Chapter Twenty-Six: Entrance Examination (4)

Before them stood the Qilin Stele, bearing records of those very deeds. Yet, this monument, standing tall and unwavering, forever preserves the legacy of their ancestors, allowing future generations to pay their respects and understand that the lives they now enjoy were hard-won.

“Hurry up, you youngsters, we’re almost at the city,” the elderly guide urged, encouraging the examinees forward.

“Grandpa, why is the main city now built at the center of these trees?” someone among the crowd, a sweet-tongued candidate, asked the old man. He seemed to relish being addressed in such a familiar way, stroking his beard and squinting his eyes as he replied, “Silly child, that’s another story altogether.”

He strode over and gave a gentle kick to the slowest walker, continuing, “When Greenforest’s main city was first completed, the King of Heavenly Wood went out again. But upon his return, mutated beasts attacked the newly built city, and many perished. Perhaps, when the King was present, those high-level beasts sensed his regal aura. But once he left, it was different.”

The grand city gates were slowly opening, and nearly all the candidates, Ye Bai among them, listened to the old man’s tale.

Catching his breath, the elder went on, “When the King returned, he was furious, but could not seek revenge on the mutated beasts. No one knows what lies in the deepest part of the Divine Wood Mountains. Yet one day, the King brought back ten Divine Wood Trees.”

“I know, I know! Are those the trees we just saw?” a girl raised her hand in the crowd.

The old man nodded, “He planted those trees around the city and smeared the blood of slain king-beasts on their trunks. Then, with his towering power, the King raised the entire city and set it atop the trees’ trunks. Ever since, mutated beast attacks have grown rare.”

He finished with a gentle cough. All the candidates looked at him, lingering in the story’s aftermath.

“Ha! Enough now, move along,” the old man gestured, and a gust of wind seemed to sweep them forward. “If you don’t hurry, the gates will close.”

Outside the city, greenery flourished, but even the air carried a sense of severity. Within, it was bustling and vibrant with people coming and going.

As soon as Ye Bai and his group entered, they saw a few youths waiting for them, standing in two groups.

From each group, one person stepped forward, “Greetings, candidates. If you pass this round, we’ll be your seniors.”

They took a step closer, adding, “Those from Sun City and Departure City, follow us. The rest from Muyang City, split into two and come with us.”

As fate would have it, Ye Bai and Li Fei were assigned to different groups.

They moved on, journeying from prosperity into solitude, as if returning to the depths of the forest once more.

Three upperclassmen led the way. The seniors kept silent, and none in the group dared to speak. At a certain point, a senior girl extended her jade-like wrist, revealing a green bracelet.

The bracelet glowed, and soon the forest ahead vanished, replaced by a gateway of carved jade. Though the gate appeared modest—plainer than even the entrance to a wealthy household—the words “Zixing Academy” inscribed at its center radiated an imposing aura, sharp and bold.

Inside, the contrast with the unassuming gate was striking.

“Welcome to Zixing Academy.” The senior girl turned, smiling gently at the group. “If possible, I hope you’ll all become my juniors.”

Her legs were slender and straight as she stepped into their midst. “You may call me Senior Song. As for my full name, you’ll learn it once you’re admitted. Now, go to your assigned rest areas. Gather here at eight tomorrow morning.”

“Remember, don’t wander. Not all seniors are as friendly as I am,” she cautioned, turning to go.

The examination process was well established after many years, so most candidates were familiar with the routine.

When Senior Song left, each person took out their admission slip, Ye Bai included. On the back, a red dot blinked, indicating their current position. A blue line showed the route, and a yellow dot marked their lodging for the night.

Ye Bai lay in his assigned space, ate a little, and went to sleep. He tried to contact Li Fei, but couldn’t reach him; here, only the smart terminal functioned.

The next morning, the slip’s preset alarm sounded, waking Ye Bai. He arrived early to wait for the others.

Few candidates appeared on time, but Senior Song arrived promptly. Noting those present, she closed her eyes and waited without a word.

At precisely eight o’clock, without counting heads, Senior Song headed off in a particular direction.

The Technology Building.

Ye Bai gazed at the building before him, its metallic sheen mingled with the green and grain of wood—like something from a fairy tale, where elves might dwell. Only, it wasn’t a treehouse.

Inside, staff in white coats bustled to and fro on the first floor. At the center, a pillar displayed specimens of various flora and fauna. Following the stairs beside the pillar, they ascended.

The Arya Laboratory. An elderly man, hair white as snow, lay on a reclining chair, eyes closed, wearing a virtual headset. Senior Song stepped forward and removed the ID card from his helmet.

“Teacher, I told you not to enter the Arya Space anymore. It’s bad for your mind.”

The old man opened his eyes, shook his head, and gestured that he was fine.

“Ah, Aoyang, these old bones aren’t worth much. But if I could uncover the secret of the Illusory Stone, I’d gladly spend my whole life inside.”

He rose from the chair and faced the candidates. “So, these are this year’s examinees? I’ve already calibrated Arya Combat Suit No. 1. Aoyang, take them in.”

Song Aoyang nodded and led them into another room, where compartments housed rows of Arya Combat Suits.

“Put them on according to your assigned numbers and enter the combat chambers. I’ll check on you this afternoon.”

Following the instructions on his admission slip, Ye Bai found his designated chamber and inserted his slip into the slot. The dim room’s lights flickered, and then, from the center, a capsule-like pod materialized.

“Beep. Arya Combat Suit activated.” A red light blinked at the suit’s apex. “Connected to Arya Space. Please suit up within thirty seconds.”

He removed his outerwear as required and lay inside, closing his eyes. Soon, he felt tendrils brushing gently at his temples and brow, lulling him into sleep.

When Ye Bai awoke, he was in a world of ice and snow.

Dazzling white snow reflected sunlight in every direction. Shielding his eyes, Ye Bai needed a moment to adjust to the glare.

Standing in the snow, he tried to channel his elemental power—and found that, in this frozen world, his water affinity operated as effortlessly as a fish in water.

Outside, the elderly teacher and Song Aoyang stood by the rows of combat suits, watching the candidates’ progress on screens that flickered through different scenes.

“Teacher, why did they select the cataclysmic Ice Age from the era before the Dark Age? The difficulty is so high.”

“That’s beyond my control. This is a joint examination of the three major cities—the test world is chosen at random.” The old man swiped through the screens and paused on a girl.

On the display, a young woman in water-blue clothing wielded a long whip woven from elemental force. She cracked it across the back of a saber-toothed tiger beneath her, the strokes leaving watery marks that almost immediately froze in the bitter air, inflicting a second wave of damage.

A cold wind swept the icy expanse, making Ye Bai shiver. He felt a chill, though his new mastery should have rendered him resistant; it was more a mental reaction.

Since the advent of the Dark Age, humanity’s physical resilience had improved with each generation—a trait shared by all life on Earth. The principle of survival of the fittest seemed etched into the genes of every living thing. To live for the sake of the species, to evolve for survival.