UNBEATABLE! INVINCIBLE! UNPARALLELED!
Ramzey Ramzo
Chapter 11: The tests to enroll!
After roughly another 30 minutes soaring through the air with extreme speeds, they could finally see people lining up to form multiple long queues.
"We have arrived! Let's go to the counter to buy the tickets!" said Ling Yu after they landed down from the air.
This time, Duan Li's complexion was much better than before. His body had somehow adjusted itself to the heights and speed they were flying with.
"Perhaps this is the effect from the mysterious pearl as well?"
He then looked around as he could find a myriad sorts of people queueing up while others are opening up some portable stalls taking advantage of the crowd to do some quick business. The place was extremely busy.
"So this is the Airtrain stops huh?.. I wonder if the Airtrain would have enough spaces for everyone here.." thought Duan Li feeling curious of what the airtrain would look like.
"Two-One way ticket to the capital city please!" Ling Yu said to the official in charge of the tickets. She also handed in her emblem, and upon seeing it, the official gave a nod after verifying it and pressed a red stamp to both of their tickets. The stamp spelled out '30% discount'.
This was the privilleges given out by the empire towards senior teachers of the Jixue Knights Academy. For normal teachers, they would be given 20 percent discount, while students would get a 10 percent discount.
"Okay, let us queue up at the gate number eight!"
...
Shortly after arriving at gate 8..
"Ohh! Senior teacher Ling Yu! What a surprise to see you here!" shouted a tall man with a muscular body from afar as he waved his hands excitedly.
"Hmm?" Ling Yu turned her head as she frowned.
Seeing who it was, Ling Yu's complexion turned slightly awful. This muscular man was also a senior teacher back at the Jixue Knights Academy and has been trying to court her for a while now.
Its not to say that he is a bad man, just that he was not her type. Nevertheless, as a fellow senior teacher, it would be quite rude to not exchange greetings, especially looking at how sincere and excited the other party was after stumbling upon them.
She sighed and replied, "Hello Wang Guozhi, its a pleasure to see you here as well.."
"Hehehehehe! the pleasure is all mine!" replied the man, seeming quite happy from her short gesture alone.
Although he knew that Ling Yu does not have the same kind of feeling towards him, he was the kind of man who believed in 'persistence is the key' concept, like how he trained his muscles.
It was not to the stage of being an annoying pest though, as he knows where to draw the boundary and respect her comfort space as well. This was also the reason why Ling Yu could not find it in her heart to chase this man away, for while he is not the type of man that she likes, he has that kind of quality that she does not despise.
Behind him was a young girl with the Jixue Knights Academy's uniform as well. Noticing the look on Duan Li's face, Wang Guozhi turned to introduce her.
"Ahh, this young girl here is my niece. Go on, introduce yourself." he said with a big smile towards the latter.
"Hello.. I am called Xiahou Yu.. 16 years old.." the young girl said while avoiding direct eye contact with Duan Li. It seems that she is quite the shy person as well, thought Duan Li.
"Hello.. nice to meet you Xiahou Yu, I am Duan Li, 21 years old.. " he replied with a slight smile.
While he could consider himself to be on the shy category as well, but being much older than the other party, especially as a man, he needed to show some more backbone. If he didn't, and this somehow travelled to the ears of his mother, who knows if she would tease or lecture him all day.
"Ohh? 21 years old? Are you a senior boy?" questioned Wang Guozhi as he had never seen him in the academy before.
"Ahh, no.. I am a new student that will start my enrolment today.." replied Duan Li feeling a little bit embarrassed when his age was mentioned.
"A fresher..? At your age? Hmm that's weird.." thought Wang Guozhi as he cupped his chin to contemplate. Then, coming up with a possible theory, he asked curiously, "Have you already studied martial arts before?"
"Yes.. I have studied and mastered some crucial stances.." replied Duan Li. "I didn't enroll earlier in my younger days, because my mother wanted to teach me herself and pass down some techniques.." he added.
The reason he had said that was because to make it look more believable for the other party to accept. Otherwise, a fresher at the age of 21 years old without knowing anything, would definitely be left in the dust even if he were to practice day and night.
"Ahh.. I see.. no wonder.." said Wang Guozhi as he touched his chin once more and nod. This was actually quite normal for a big and influential family in the empire. These sorts of people have a very deep inheritance, and they would usually only allow their sons and daughters to enroll after they inherited their family's heritage.
Although, for someone like Duan Li who was not from any of those families to enroll a little bit too late, is quite rare and weird but it was understandable at least.
- PTOOTT TOOTT!!
A heavy sound came from the distance as a large and an extremely elongated vehicle that resembled a snake appeared. It slithered effortlessly onto the tracks that floated up in the air with a breaking speed.
"The Airtrain is here!" said Ling Yu.
Duan Li was mindblowned as he observed this gigantic public transport that looked extremely flashy and tough, with that thick, metallic appearance. The Airtrain was coated with a white base along with blue streaks that perfectly acentuates its aerodynamic body.
Wang Guozhi threw sneaky smiles at Duan Li due to the latter's shocked expression as if looking at a country bumpkin.
'Seems like this is his first time huh?' he thought.
...
Aboard the train...
"Duan Li, although you are already 21 years old and has mastered quite a bit of the basics, you will still start as a fresher, you do know that right?" told Ling Yu.
Duan Li nodded slowly while looking around at his surrounding.
The inside of the Airtrain was wide and spacious. In each compartment, there were roughly around twenty rooms where each could fill roughly about ten people inside. Furthermore, they were minimalistically decorated, which suited the taste of Duan Li.
However, among the twenty rooms, there exist some separate private VIP rooms for important individuals. Duan Li was currently in such a room right now.
'The cabin inside this Airtrain is even more impressive, and this VIP room.. how extravagant.. ' thought Duan Li.
"Good, now remember carefully. To decide which class each fresher would be in, the academy has prepared several test to measure one's own aptitude." she explained.
"Test? What.. sort of test?" asked Duan Li sounding a little bit nervous.
At this moment, Wang Guozhi who had been sticking closely with them ended up using this room as well, which Ling Yu was quite reluctant at first. But seeing the former's bright smile, she sighed and just let them share the same room.
Wang Guozhi waved his hands to signal that 'Let me do it' meaning. Ling Yu sighed again as she nodded.
Xiahou Yu who was previously looking at the fast changing scenery outside through the window, turned to listen to the explanation as well.
"There are five levels to measure one's aptitude to become a martial artists and a cultivator. The first level is the measuring of spiritual Qi one could hold within their dantian. The method will be explained later, but you should know that there will be a minimum threshold that a student should have to become part of the Jixue Knights Academy." he said.
"The second level will be a test regarding one's spirit and will using illusions. The path to become a martial artist is long and painful. Thus, if one's spirit and will is horrible, the academy will not permit them entry. As usually, these types of people will be easily discouraged and quited halfway, wasting precious resources of the academy." he continued.
"En. Next, the third level will be a personality test. In this test, the academy will cast on you a high level truth spell that will compel yourself to tell the truth. From then on, they will ask you a series of questions and scenarios which you will have to answer truthfully." explained Ling Yu as she waved to take over the explanation.
"Of course, this test will be conducted by a senior teacher and will be observed by other senior teachers as well. This is in order to prevent the conductor from breaching the student's privacy and ask irrelevant questions. Thus, you do not need to worry about leaking any sorts of confidential secret and private matters.." she continued.
At the thought of this, Duan Li felt relieved. If he were to accidentally reveal about his secret abilities, it will spell quite the trouble for him.
"Finally, the fourth and fifth level are special tests, provided that you scored flying colors in all the three tests and fulfilled the hidden conditions to trigger it." Ling Yu said and added, "At that point, even we the senior teachers do not know what the test would be. However, as long as you passed the previous three tests, then you have successfully enrolled as part of the Jixue Knights Academy!"
"En. Furthermore, the two final tests will be conducted personally by the principal of the academy himself! Rarely does anyone made it to the fourth and fifth level as far as we know. And even if one did, they are forbidden to tell a single soul about it, or so I've heard." explained Wang Guozhi as he cupped at his chin.
Hearing this, Duan Li thought for a while and conjectured that he would be fine. He wasn't really worried about the first three levels, if he passed, then he would enroll. If he didn't, then so be it! He would be able to go back home continuing his lazy days.
What he really felt some forboding sense was towards the fourth and fifth level of the tests. However, knowing that only a few people ever made it, he wouldn't be one of them... right?
The four of them continued to exchange some small talks before the Airtrain eventually slowed down as an announcement was made that came out from nowhere.
- Ting Tong!
"Next stop, Triding river town! Please remember to take your belongings with you and to exit with orderly manner. Thank you for your patronage."
...