62 Level Challenge and Elimination
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When they returned to the manor, Kong Hong was already waiting there.
He had already learned about the examination from the candidates who had left early. At this moment, he was still adrift and stood rooted to the ground.
It was only when he saw Lin Shen come out that he snapped out of his daze and looked at Lin Shen in surprise.
Over the past few months, Lin Shen had brought him one surprise after another.
Every time he thought Lin Shen had reached his limit, the latter would often surprise him more.
Now, he had even obtained the position of a chief disciple!
This was undoubtedly the first time in the history of the Nine Yang Academy!
Kong Hong didn’t know how to describe his feelings. His chest was filled with shock and admiration.
Only when Lin Shen came closer did Kong Hong calm down slightly. He smiled and said,
“The academy will definitely give you a handsome reward for winning first place in the examination this time. Remember to come to the academy to collect it tomorrow!”
“I see. Thank you, Mr. Kong.”
Lin Shen didn’t take Willow Academy’s bus. Instead, he left with Yang Zhongyi and Su Nian.
Watching the three of them leave, Kong Hong slowly looked away and sighed with emotion.
“This time, the academy will probably be in an uproar!”
…
“Cheers!”
In the spacious and bright private room, Lin Shen, Yang Zhongyi, and Su Nian sat together and raised their glasses.
“Lin is famous this time. He’s the first new champion in the history of the Nine Yang Academy who didn’t come from an influential family!”
Yang Zhongyi gulped down a full glass of beer in one go and shook his head as he sighed.
“Zhao Xueying, Xue Feng, Chong Yanhe… There were so many powerful people this year, but they were all defeated by Lin. If someone told me so before the exam, I would never have believed it!”
“Lin Shen was indeed stunning today,” Su Nian agreed.
“Alright, stop praising me.” Lin Shen shook his head and laughed. “The two of you have also entered the top 15.”
At the mention of this, a smug smile appeared on Yang Zhongyi’s face.
Even for a direct descendant of the five great clans like him, being able to obtain 12th place in the exam wasn’t an easy task.
Moreover, there were many elites in this year’s examination. The competition was far more intense than in previous years, and the ranking was even more precious.]
The corners of Su Nian’s mouth curled up into a smile.
Although he was far inferior to Lin Shen, 15th place had already met his expectations.
“Yang, tell me about the Nine Yang Academy,” Lin Shen suddenly said.
Although he had investigated the Nine Yang Academy in private, there were some things that outsiders couldn’t know.
Only someone like Yang Zhongyi, who came from one of the 18 cultivation families, could have a deeper understanding of the Nine Yang Academy through the family’s channels.
Su Nian also looked like he was listening.
Due to his family background, his understanding of the Nine Yang Academy wasn’t much better than Lin Shen’s.
Hearing this, Yang Zhongyi naturally had no objections. He organized his thoughts and began to speak slowly.
“I think you all know the Nine Yang Academy is divided into upper and lower houses. The upper house is too far away from us, so let’s not talk about it for now. As for the lower house, the disciples are divided into four levels according to their status. From the highest to the lowest, they’re Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow.
“The cultivation resources that disciples can obtain are also different depending on their level. The difference in cultivation resources between the two levels is huge, so the disciples of the academies are all eager to increase their levels.”
“Then how do I increase my level?” Su Nian asked.
Yang Zhongyi picked up a mouthful of food unhurriedly and continued,
“The number of disciples of each level is fixed.
“For example, Heaven, the highest level, has 50 spots. If an Earth disciple wants to increase his level, he can only defeat a Heaven disciple and replace him!
“It’s the same if a Black disciple wants to become an Earth disciple.
“Every three months, the academy will hold a level challenge. The lower-level disciples can apply to challenge the higher-level disciples. As long as they succeed, they can replace them!”
“Then what level are we freshmen at?” Lin Shen asked.
“As far as I know, there are a total of 571 people in the lower house. There are 50 Heaven-rank disciples, 100 Earth-rank disciples, 200 Black-rank disciples, and the remaining 221 are Yellow-rank disciples.
“There are a total of 300 spots for Yellow-level disciples. In other words, the top 79 new students in this year’s exam will become Yellow-level disciples. The remaining 121 new students will have no rank and will only be given the least cultivation resources.”
Lin Shen and Su Nian couldn’t help but be stunned. They didn’t expect the Nine Yang Academy to have such a rule.
Suddenly, Su Nian thought of something and hurriedly said,
“That’s not right, Zhongyi. I remember that the Nine Yang Academy has a five-year system. Every year, they recruit 200 disciples. Even if one batch of disciples has already graduated, there should still be 800 disciples left.”
Lin Shen’s expression changed. He suddenly recalled what Ke Ya had said after the exam.
“Entering the academy doesn’t mean that you can successfully graduate.”
As expected, Yang Zhongyi said,
“Every year, the lower house eliminates the last fifty disciples. In addition, there are those who have Qi Deviation while cultivating and those who died while carrying out missions. All kinds of accidents resulted in the death of disciples. 500 people is already quite a lot!”
Lin Shen’s eyes flickered.
It was no wonder people said that the competition in the Nine Yang Academy was especially intense. Now, it seemed that it was indeed true.
“Fifty disciples are eliminated every year… Isn’t that too unfair to the disciples who come in later?” Su Nian frowned and questioned. “They have at least a year less cultivation time than the older students, but they have to face the same competition. They’re at a disadvantage.”
“So what?”
...
Yang Zhongyi spread his hands.
“There’s no such thing as true fairness in this world. If we really have to be particular, the difference in talents between cultivators is the greatest unfairness!
“Moreover, in the eyes of the high-ranking officials, if a disciple is outstanding enough, even if they cultivate less than others, they will definitely be able to stand out. Only those with insufficient talent and who didn’t work hard enough will be eliminated!
“No matter how many such people are eliminated, the high-ranking officials won’t feel sorry.
“To be honest, although this method is a little harsh, it also makes the disciples of the academy more outstanding every year. This is an indisputable fact!”
Su Nian was speechless.
“Of course, those eliminated disciples aren’t abandoned. They can choose to become outer disciples of the Nine Suns Sect and take on various basic positions. They can also join the Martial Enforcement Hall and have a carefree future.”
Yang Zhongyi poured a glass of wine for Lin Shen and Su Nian respectively and continued.
“Alright, don’t just worry about the others. You should also think about yourself.
“There’s still a month before we report to the academy. We still have an obstacle to face.”
Lin Shen was surprised. “What obstacle?”
...
“The guided battle!”
Yang Zhongyi chuckled and took a sip of wine.
“It’s said to be an occasion where senior brothers and sisters give guidance to junior ones who have just entered the academy, but the senior students are actually dealing us a head-on blow at the first encounter!”