Please give the novel a rating or a review on NovelUpdates
———-

Chapter 10: Arrival at Saint Gobban

Under the chilly moonlight, a black-haired youth galloped madly along the main road.

He steered the racing horse with care while dodging branches that jutted from the roadside trees.

Riding at night was dangerous, yet Ashura could not afford to worry about that.

Today was already the second day of the academy entrance examinations, and the tests lasted only 3 days in total.

If he failed to reach Saint Gobban City by tomorrow, all his efforts would have been wasted.

Fortunately, he knew he was already close to Saint Gobban City.

The youth cracked his whip, and Charcoal, sensing his master’s urgency, dared not misbehave and ran with all its might.

At last, when the eastern sky turned pale at dawn, the boy saw a massive wall built against the mountain in the distance.

He knew he had reached Saint Gobban City, and the Saint Gobban Academy he wished to enter stood within that majestic fortress.

Ashura felt an intense excitement as he recalled the hardships of his journey and his family’s expectations.

The boy leaped to stand on the saddle and let out a long howl.

The w8 that had pressed on his heart eased a great deal, revealing his youthful temperament.

As more travelers appeared on the road, they all sized up the black-haired youngster as though he were a country bumpkin seeing the city for the first time.

Ashura ignored their gazes, yet the upbringing of the General’s household made him promptly sit back down on the saddle.

Charcoal sensed the little devil’s joy and galloped happily toward the city.

Saint Gobban City had been built around the mountain-side Saint Gobban Academy; the city was not large, yet it was a city of freedom.

Here one could see people of every race and every tier living together.

Young students of Saint Gobban Academy could be seen everywhere in the city.

These students were the pride of King’s Continent, and when they graduated and left Saint Gobban City they would be young powerhouses.

The King’s Continent on which Ashura lived had 4 mighty empires: the Valencian Empire, the Pagadon Empire, the Xinde Northern Empire, and the Jiali Southern Empire.

The 4 great empires were vast in territory and roughly equal in strength.

The Olei Kingdom where Ashura was born was one of the Valencian Empire’s 14 vassal states.

The territories of the 4 empires joined end to end to form a ring, and at the center lay the continent’s largest and most dangerous region… the Beasts Forest.

Even the strongest experts of the age dared not venture deep into the Beasts Forest, for high-level beasts and endless beast tides would tear everything apart.

Outside the 4 empires stretched the Endless Sea, and no one knew how vast the ocean was.

Was there another land on the far shore, and did other civilizations exist there?

There were many academies on King’s Continent, but 8 were the most renowned.

Each empire boasted 2 famous academies: the Valencian Empire had Saint Gobban Academy and August Academy, while the Pagadon Empire had Balto Academy and Romeo Academy.

The Xinde Northern Empire had Anas Academy and Tacio Academy, and the Jiali Southern Empire had Berna Academy and Badoli Academy.

Each year the 8 academies trained countless experts for the 4 empires, yet they were not controlled by any empire.

They also shared one feature: each was built at a strategic pass to and from the Beasts Forest, standing as a barrier that protected humans from the greatest threat… the beast tides.

Thus, young powerhouses graduating from the 8 academies were loved by commoners and eagerly courted by every faction.

Of course, other academies existed on King’s Continent; some were royal academies, some were funded by certain powers, and others focused on specialized fields.

Many experts also rose from those schools, yet the 8 academies remained superior in overall teaching strength.

Geographically, August Academy was closer to Olei Kingdom, but because of the threat of the Black Water clan Ashura had come instead to the Valencian Empire’s other academy, Saint Gobban Academy.

He was full of curiosity about everything in Saint Gobban City, and the city was buzzing because of the academy’s triennial entrance tests.

Ashura did not even need to ask for directions and simply followed the crowd up the mountain toward the academy.

A large crowd had already gathered there, so that must be the examination site.

Ashura tugged on Charcoal and squeezed forward with effort, for too many onlookers blocked the way.

Local residents had come for the fun, spies of various factions gathered first-hand information on future talents, and some noble ladies were there to choose prospective husbands.

To marry a student of Saint Gobban Academy, even as a concubine, was still a fine fate for them.

Likewise, some students needed the power and resources of noble families to climb higher.

Excellent candidates who passed the exam would receive the ladies’ invitations at once, and what happened next depended on both parties.

Ashura finally pushed his way to the examination site and found only a few test-takers inside; apparently most students had already finished the exam during the first 2 days.

Ashura was both excited and thrilled, and the thought that he was about to join Saint Gobban made his heart leap with joy.

He smoothed his travel-tousled hair and strode quickly to the testing desk.

Three examiners, two men and one woman, sat behind a long stone table at the front, all wearing the academy’s instructor robes.

Aside from the slightly older man in the middle, the other two instructors were young; all three wore stern, businesslike expressions.

Ashura stepped forward and filled out a personal résumé containing only basic details and his hometown address.

After taking a deep breath, he presented the form with both hands to the young male instructor seated beneath the sign that read “Warrior Examination Point.”

The young male instructor accepted the résumé, glanced over it quickly, and then looked at the tall, well-proportioned youth before him.

He said flatly, “Candidate, grasp the blood-qi testing stone and release your power to determine your martial level.”

Ashura glanced at the red stone before the instructor, calmed himself, gripped it, and urged his blood-qi; the red stone immediately glowed warmly but without glare.

Seeing the glow, the instructor said just as blandly, “Assessment result: Warrior Stage 3.”

Ashura felt elated, for he knew the academy’s entry threshold was Warrior Stage 3 or higher.

He had met the requirement, yet the onlookers behind him began whispering and even snickering with schadenfreude.

Before Ashura could figure out why, the young instructor continued, “Result invalid, you may not enroll, please leave.”

The words hit the boy like a bolt from the blue.

The onlookers laughed even louder, and Ashura could not believe what he had heard.

He shouted furiously, “Why am I disqualified? Isn’t the entry standard for the 8 academies Warrior Stage 3 or Mage Adept Stage 3?”

“I clearly reached the requirement, so why won’t you accept me?”

The young instructor seemed to expect this and replied calmly, “Because the quota for Warrior Stage 3 students is full; every 3 years the academy admits 1,600 Warriors at Stage 3 or above and 300 Magicians at Mage Adept Stage 3 or above.”

“There are also 100 places for special programs, so about 2,000 students in all, and that is the academy’s capacity for resources.”

His voice turned stern as he added, “The 2,000 places were filled yesterday; the path of the strong is reserved for the active and the prepared.”

“Arriving on the last day shows your laxity… do you even value this chance?”

“Go home and try one of the ordinary academies.”

Ashura did not feel ashamed at the rebuke, for he knew how much hardship he had endured to reach this place.

The instructor did not know his circumstances, and Ashura did not wish to plead; suppressing his dissatisfaction, he asked, “Since enrollment is full, why are you still sitting here recruiting?”

The young instructor had not expected such a quick retort; other latecomers either made a noisy scene or burst into tears.

It was rare that this boy could still ask calmly.

The instructor said lightly, “Because we still have places reserved for geniuses; if you were at the Martial Master realm right now, you could enroll as well.”

“Sadly, you do not meet that standard, so go back and stop hindering the candidates behind you.”

Ashura turned numbly and walked away, his heart in turmoil.

What should he do? He could not simply return… he was his family’s hope… yet what could he do now?

Representatives of various factions and recruiters from ordinary academies crowded around him.

They thrust invitations at him, eager to pull the youth into their groups or schools.

Perhaps because he was young and plainly dressed, few noble ladies approached.

The clamoring crowd made Ashura’s mind even more chaotic.

At that moment, a luxurious silver-white carriage, escorted by guards, pushed through the crowd and stopped before the examination site.

———-
Support the Translation! 🌐✨

Your donations not only show appreciation but also keep the translator motivated! Every contribution helps continue bringing you more of what you love. Thank you for being a part of this journey! 💖

https://www.ko-fi.com/maxoofie