Five grand avenues, adorned with intricate magic patterns, radiated dazzling jade light as they connected to the Academy City. These luminous thoroughfares enveloped and encompassed the entire secret realm, much like the points of a majestic five-pointed star.
You’er and his companions found themselves on one such avenue. Consequently, the upcoming assessment was divided into five distinct examination grounds, one for each path.
The multitude of examinees followed closely behind Sifney, traversing their designated grand avenue. At the avenue’s terminus stood a magnificent, intricately carved archway. Beyond this archway lay a sight that stirred the soul and quickened the pulse.
Gazing upwards, they beheld armored flying dragons, one after another. Though they lay prone and motionless, their immense, several-meter-long bodies exuded an overwhelming sense of oppression. Beside them, standing tall with chests puffed out, were numerous knights.
These knights were clad in exquisite dragon-scale armor and donned valorous dragon-horn helmets. They made no effort to suppress their potent and imposing aura of battle, inspiring profound awe and fear in any who gazed upon them from afar.
“Heavens, they’re Dragon Knights! So many Dragon Knights!”
“Twenty Dragon Knights in total. Are they all here just to guard the academy gates?”
“If the other four directions are likewise guarded, then this is both terrifying and incredibly extravagant!”
“Impossible… Dragon Knights are the elite fighting force of Sky Dragon City. No foolish, blind idiot would dare cause trouble at the academy, so placing them here seems like a waste of their formidable skills.”
“In that case… will our second assessment involve these Dragon Knights somehow?”
“Surely not. Each of these Dragon Knights possesses the strength of a Great Swordsman. Moreover, they are partnered with five-tiered flying dragons…”
“…”
Beyond the carved archway, the final stretch of stairs led into the Academy City. Like the grand avenues, each wide, expansive step was crafted from luminous jade-white stone. Dragon Knights, gripping their dragon lances, stood silently in pairs on either side of the staircase, positioned every ten steps, or roughly three zhang apart.
Such a spectacle left all the arriving examinees stunned. Without a word, their gazes unanimously shifted to their leader, Sifney, awaiting her explanation.
“As you can plainly see, this is the second round of assessment the academy has prepared for you,” Sifney declared, standing with her chest out beneath the archway. She turned abruptly, a hint of playful mockery dancing in her eyes. “Your task is quite simple: ascend these stairs, all one hundred of them.”
“No… it can’t be…”
The moment Sifney’s words left her lips, a collective gasp echoed from beyond the archway. If their understanding was correct, Sifney was demanding they climb all one hundred steps under the immense pressure of twenty flying dragons and twenty Dragon Knights?!
Could such a feat truly be accomplished by mere Sword Apprentices and Swordsmen like themselves?
No! It was utterly impossible!
The suppression of strength and cultivation was absolute. Under the oppressive aura of powerhouses, even moving a finger, or simply breathing, became an arduous struggle for the weak.
Twenty Great Swordsmen, twenty five-tiered dragon beasts—were they expected to gamble their lives for this?!
A profound silence fell across the entire area, broken only by the relentless march of time. Long moments passed, yet no one dared to make a move.
Hidden within the crowd, You’er’s eyes beneath his mask remained remarkably calm. ‘Having slain Great Swordsmen before, he harbored no fear of their intimidating aura.’ His primary concern was how Timobi could possibly ascend. Timobi had yet to awaken his Elemental Energy, not even qualifying as a Sword Apprentice, making his climb significantly more challenging than anyone else’s.
You’er doubted the academy would acknowledge Timobi’s success if he were to forcibly carry him to the top. Such an act would also deal a severe blow to Timobi’s self-esteem and personal growth.
“Oh, right, I forgot to mention something.”
While the examinees hesitated, grappling with various concerns, Sifney’s voice cut through the air, laced with a cunning inflection. “The time limit for the second assessment is one hour. And now, twenty minutes have already elapsed, you know.”
“Damn it!”
Upon hearing this, even the most composed examinees felt their composure shatter. It was clear Sifney had intended this, as a third of their allotted time had already vanished. If they continued to stand there in a daze, they would all be eliminated.
Thousands of examinees surged through the archway, rushing collectively towards the steps. They soon discovered the true taste of agony.
Even though the flying dragons merely lay prone, and the Dragon Knights simply refrained from suppressing their auras without targeting anyone specifically, the immense pressure blanketing the hundred steps was far from something easily ignored.
As they ascended the very first step, examinees felt as though several hundred jin of weight had materialized on their backs. This burden intensified with each subsequent step they took!
Many examinees, reaching the tenth step, began to activate the Elemental Energy within their bodies. They seemingly ascended with ease, reaching the twentieth, thirtieth, or even fortieth step, only to suddenly realize their Elemental Energy reserves were almost entirely depleted. Feeling weak and exhausted, their Star Vortexes hollowed out, they found themselves unable to continue.
“I forfeit!”
“I forfeit!”
“I… I forfeit too!”
“I… forfeit as well…”
…
Minutes passed, and one after another, cries of forfeiture rang out. Despite their reluctance, the examinees had no choice but to withdraw to preserve their lives. Deprived of Elemental Energy and physically exhausted, continuing would have been tantamount to courting death.
With successive flicks of Sifney’s delicate fingers, rescue spells materialized instantly, one after another. These spells retrieved the withdrawing examinees, then deposited them unceremoniously outside the archway, signifying their elimination.
While many foolishly succumbed, a considerable number understood the value of endurance. They had yet to tap into their Elemental Energy even after reaching the twenties or thirties, instead ascending step by arduous step. They soon discovered that beyond the fiftieth step, the pressure ceased to intensify, stabilizing at a constant level.
Other examinees, though physically weaker, gritted their teeth and endured the crushing weight, even knowing they might not reach the summit. They clung stubbornly to their current steps, determined to die on the stairs if it came to that.
“Haha, haha… I made it up, I made it up! I’m the first! I’m the first!…”
Slowly, ten minutes later, the first examinee finally reached the summit. He was a High Great Swordsman, and amidst the countless envious gazes from beyond the archway, he cried out in wild jubilation, utterly beside himself with joy.
“Only thirty minutes remain. What, are you still not planning to set off?”
Only three individuals remained at the archway entrance: Sifney, You’er, and Timobi. As Sifney spoke, her gaze fixed intently on You’er. ‘She found herself unable to fully decipher the masked… girl? …standing before her.’
“Honorable Instructor, this student was just about to depart.”
You’er offered Sifney a respectful bow, his arms crossed, then turned his head to Timobi, asking with a smile, “Little Ti, are you ready?”
“Mm! Little Ti will try his best!” Timobi affirmed, raising a fist and nodding vigorously.
At his words, You’er turned back and began to walk, with Timobi following close behind.
“Ugh~~ It’s so heavy!”
The moment Timobi stepped onto the staircase, he understood why so many had been unable to persevere and had been forced to give up. The pressure, severe enough to feel as though it would snap one’s spine, was truly unbearable.
“Can you endure?” You’er asked, standing on the first step, not rushing ahead, his gaze fixed on Timobi with concern.
“Yes!”
Timobi took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, straightened his body, and stepped forward, ascending to the next step, and the one after that…
By the tenth step, Timobi’s breathing had grown ragged.
“Can you endure?” You’er inquired again, turning back from the eleventh step, repeating the same question.
“Yes~~!”
Gasping for air, Timobi’s back hunched slightly, yet he continued his ascent.
By the twentieth step, Timobi’s face had turned stark white. Beads of sweat, as large as beans, covered his entire face, and his legs trembled ceaselessly.
“Can you endure?” You’er asked for the third time, standing on the twenty-first step.
“Yes~~~~!!”
Timobi gave the same answer, but his teeth were clenched so tightly that blood trickled from the corners of his mouth, dripping steadily onto the jade steps.
“Hey, hey~~ Look over there! That kid isn’t an Elemental-less, is he? And he still expects to climb to the hundredth step like that?”
“He must be crazy, relying only on his physical body. Isn’t he afraid of suddenly dying?”
“The assessment deadline is in twenty minutes, and he’s taking ages just to move one step on the twenties. Is he seriously not here to make a joke?”
“I’ll bet you all, if that kid passes this assessment, I’ll eat my own shit!”
“…”
This particular scene naturally caught the attention of all examinees. However, only those who had been expelled beyond the archway had the leisure to chat, their faces clearly etched with scorn as they watched Timobi struggle desperately, yet make meager progress, on the stairs.
Yet, at this moment, both You’er and Timobi were so utterly focused that they had cast aside all external distractions.
At the thirtieth and fortieth steps, You’er ceased his questioning. He simply watched Timobi in silence, consistently maintaining the same level as him.
Timobi gradually lost the ability to stand upright. He began to crawl, using not only his feet but also his hands, inching forward on all fours.
Beyond the fortieth step, Timobi’s body started to contort, becoming almost grotesque. He was covered in ruptured bloodstains from the crushing pressure, blood gushing forth, making him appear like a man carved from crimson.
Yet he continued to climb, from the forty-first step, to the forty-second… all the way to the forty-ninth.
The mocking voices faded away. Gradually, the examinees’ focus shifted from whether he could complete all hundred steps, or how much time remained. Instead, their gazes became fixed, almost numbly, on that small, struggling figure.