am-books Chapter 797 - Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy
Chapter 797 - Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy
Chapter 797 - Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy
Liu Lin had been lurking in a corner and had only stepped into the queue.
By midday, the score tallying finally neared the conclusion as Liu Lin stepped out. To everyone's surprise, he had accumulated over one hundred points, instantly placing him among the top two thousand contenders. It was impressive he could obtain such a ranking.
"All right. We will compile a list, and the top five thousand will officially join the academy. As for the others, they will be sent back," Qu Su said, sweeping his sharp gaze across the crowd and capturing every flicker of emotion on their faces.
There was a mixture of joy and disappointment—a true embodiment of the bittersweet nature of fate.
Those who achieved a high score cheered, while those who failed were left despondent. The rankings were finalized in less than fifteen minutes, and Qu Su waved his hand to create a luminous screen in mid-air.
"Those whose names appear on the list step to the right!" The examiner announced. There were five thousand names, and Liu Wuxie was at the top, surpassing even Ning Hai. The last person only had ten points.
The participants who had passed the assessment moved to the right, while those who had failed stepped to the left, their dreams shattered.
The disciples cried out in sorrow. Some had been just a step away from acceptance into the academy. If only they had hidden from the start, they might have survived long enough to qualify.
"The top five thousand disciples can return to the platform. You have two hours to bid farewell to your family!" Qu Su said without a hint of emotion. A teleportation array appeared at the center of the Star River Valley, and everyone could return to the platform through it.
The platform buzzed with anticipation as the results were announced. This was the critical moment—spectators stood on tiptoe, straining to catch a glimpse of the depths of the mountain range.
The teleportation array flickered, sending participants back to the platform. The first to emerge were those who had been eliminated, quickly reuniting with their clans and sects.
"You failed? How is that possible?!" a patriarch bellowed, pounding his chest in frustration. He had placed all his hopes on his child, only to have them crushed.
Sighs of disappointment rippled through the crowd—after all, failure was inevitable in every selection.
"Wuxie hasn't come out yet?!" Liu Xiucheng muttered anxiously, his eyes scanning the participants emerging from the teleportation array. Yet, Liu Wuxie was nowhere to be seen.
Five thousand individuals stood on the platform in unison when the second group of participants emerged.
"It's Wuxie! He made it!" Liu Dashan jumped happily when he saw Liu Wuxie. He was so emotional that he hugged his father, tears rolling down his cheeks.
He hadn't caught a wink in the past seven days, and his eyes had become bloodshot from exhaustion. So, anyone could imagine how he felt to see his son safe and sound.
Liu Xiucheng was emotional when he saw Liu Wuxie among five thousand individuals.
"This is impossible! How can someone at the Astral River Realm advance to the fourth stage!" Wang Yuanhou roared. His son was nowhere to be found—not among the eliminated or victorious. This discovery left him on the verge of losing his mind as there was only one explanation for this situation: his son was dead.
The death toll of this assessment had reached a staggering number of six thousand.
Everyone finally noticed Liu Wuxie, who stood out among the crowd even after making a breakthrough to the Nascent Transformation Realm. Most participants were at the pinnacle of the Nascent Transformation Realm, but Liu Wuxie was at the first level.
Everyone turned to look at the ten examiners weirdly.
"We will now announce the results," Qu Su declared as the ranking for each stage would be made public.
"No! You will need plenty of spirit stones in the academy, and this is my heartfelt gift," Liu Xiucheng insisted.
"How about this? I'll only take one hundred thousand spirit stones," Liu Wuxie compromised. He retrieved only what he needed, unwilling to take the other treasures.
"Father, let Wuxie have his way," Liu Dashan said.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye. Liu Dashan’s eyes turned red as he said, "Wuxie, don’t let emotions cloud your judgment in the academy. It's also time to temper your temperament. Focus on your cultivation—you’ll have a chance to visit home once a year, and we will be waiting for you."
Even though he had only been reunited with his family for a month, Liu Wuxie felt a heavy weight in his heart as he prepared to leave. No matter what Liu Xiucheng and Liu Dashan told him, he simply nodded obediently, cherishing every moment.
"Grandfather, be wary of Liu Xiaotian," Liu Wuxie warned, secretly transmitting his voice to Liu Xiucheng as participants began returning to Qu Su.
He knew Liu Xiaotian wouldn't give up so easily and might stage a comeback.
Liu Xiucheng nodded, heeding his grandson's words.
A few tearful farewells took place, but for most, excitement overshadowed any sorrow. Long before the two-hour mark, many participants had already gathered before the ten examiners, eager to step into the academy—their lifelong dream finally within reach.
Meanwhile, those who had been eliminated wore grim expressions. Those at the lower levels of the Nascent Transformation Realm could accept their fate, but for those at the higher levels, the loss was much harder to swallow.
"Enter the teleportation array!" A teleportation array appeared. This was merely the outer perimeter of the academy, and there was a long distance to the academy.
Five thousand people stepped into the teleportation array and disappeared, marking the end of the recruitment test.
"Let's go," Liu Xiucheng said, calling out to his clansmen and leading them back.
This time, three members of the Liu Clan had entered the academy, one of whom had obtained the first rank in all four stages, which naturally sent shockwaves through the Central Plains.
The Liu Clan had declined for too many years and was on the verge of losing its status as one of the Four Great Clans. But Liu Wuxie's arrival brought glory to the Liu Clan once again.
Deep within the Heavenly Spirit Mountain Range, countless palaces stood atop towering peaks, their spires piercing the clouds. Rivers and gorges carved through the vast landscape, winding gracefully around the majestic mountains.
At a single glance, Liu Wuxie could see grand pavilions rising in harmony with nature and rows of buildings stretching as far as the eye could see.
When the five thousand disciples arrived at the outermost training ground, they knew their journey was only beginning—they would have to start from the very bottom.
In the academy, disciples were divided into three ranks: true disciples, holy sons or maidens, and legacy disciples.
All newcomers, including Liu Wuxie, were considered true disciples upon entering. Only those who advanced to the Spirit Profound Realm could attain the status of a holy son or maiden, while reaching the Earth Profound Realm granted the prestigious title of legacy disciple.
Qu Su and the other examiners had become legacy disciples centuries ago, and they could only convert to the role of legacy elders as they had no hope of making a breakthrough into the Those in the Heaven Profound Realm were tasked with mentoring true disciples and holy sons, guiding them to grow as quickly as possible.
The ranking system at the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy differed from that of other sects. While most sects categorized their disciples as outer, inner, elite, and true disciples, the academy placed everyone at the true disciple rank from the start.
This wasn’t surprising—after all, those who qualified for the academy were already regarded as true disciples in their respective sects. For instance, Ning Hai held the title of a true disciple in the Profound Cloud Sect before entering the academy.