Potential Rating

After a while, everyone came to their senses, and the tent erupted into noise. Someone rubbed his eyes. "Did I see that right? A child put Luo Bu in a sack and gave him a beating."

"And then threw him out," another person added.

"Am I dreaming? Pinch me and see," someone said in disbelief.

"Ahh! Why did you pinch me?"

"Didn't you tell me to pinch you?"

"You..."

At that moment, everyone present looked at Xia Mo differently. Along with wariness, there was a trace of reverence—this was the privilege of the strong.

Instructor Ruo Lin rushed over upon hearing the commotion. The moment she saw the scene, she understood what had happened. As for the little tricks played by older students during recruitment, the instructors would not interfere as long as things did not go too far. After all, in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, the academy could not protect its students forever.

What truly surprised Instructor Ruo Lin was that the ones who had been beaten were older students. One was a youth who looked to have just come of age, while the other was even more absurd—a child.

"These two little ones have such great talent. Looks like I've hit the jackpot this time."

Suddenly, a gentle voice, soft as water, quietly rang out within the tent, intoxicating everyone who heard it. Even Xiao Yan beside Xia Mo seemed somewhat dazed as he looked toward its source.

However, Xia Mo remained entirely unmoved. Though his mind was mature, his body had yet to mature, so he felt nothing at the moment. He only thought that this woman seemed quite gentle.

The woman's eyes shifted as her tender gaze swept over the crowd, like a clear stream quietly flowing through one's heart, making people unable to resist becoming intoxicated by the unique grace and liveliness of a woman.

This woman could no longer be considered young. Her full, exquisite figure exuded the mature charm polished by time, carrying an indescribably captivating allure.

"Instructor."

"Instructor Ruo Lin."

The students in the tent hurriedly greeted Instructor Ruo Lin. Meanwhile, some of the young male students inside the tent secretly gazed at her with burning eyes, their looks carrying an inexplicable affection.

"Instructor Ruo Lin, I missed you so much!" Xiao Yu ran over in delight and hugged Instructor Ruo Lin around the waist.

"Yu'er, how was your time at home?" Instructor Ruo Lin asked with a smile.

"Pretty good," Xiao Yu replied.

It seemed that Xiao Yu truly was Ruo Lin's prized student. The two chatted for a while longer, and Instructor Ruo Lin treated the two people injured by Xia Mo and Xiao Yan...

Instructor Ruo Lin walked over and clapped her hands, smiling at the many new students. "Students, I am your recruitment instructor, Ruo Lin, and I am responsible for this round of recruitment in Wutan City."

"Now, please come forward and report your exact cultivation. This concerns your class placement afterward. Of course, I would be delighted if you joined the Yellow Class Two that I oversee!"

Instructor Ruo Lin sat elegantly in the chair at the head of the tent, smiling as she looked at the new students inside. The Storage Ring on her finger flashed, and a green parchment scroll and an ink brush appeared in her hands.

She raised her eyes slightly and chuckled lazily. "First, congratulations to all of you for passing the preliminary assessment. You have now stepped through the gates of Jia Nan Academy. However, because the academy needs to distinguish the potential ratings of its students, we need to know your exact current strength."

"The eighth stage of Dou Qi is an F-rank potential rating, the minimum standard for Jia Nan Academy."

"The ninth stage of Dou Qi is an E-rank potential rating."

"A one-star Dou Zhe is D-rank, a two-star Dou Zhe is C-rank... and so on. The highest is S-rank, a five-star Dou Zhe, and they must be under twenty years old."

Ruo Lin covered her red lips and chuckled softly, her long eyelashes fluttering as she fixed her gaze on Xia Mo. "In my more than ten years at Jia Nan Academy, I have only seen one new student with S-rank potential—the Little Demoness. I never expected to gain an S-rank student today. Before coming here, I would have been satisfied with recruiting a B-rank or C-rank student."

"I truly didn't expect so many surprises this time." Ruo Lin's gaze swept over the Xiao Clan group, and she smiled faintly. Holding the ink brush in her delicate hand, she said softly, "All right, let's begin. Starting from the left, state your name, rank, and age."

"Shi Yan, eighth stage of Dou Qi, twenty years old."

Ruo Lin nodded and quickly recorded it. "F-rank."

"Huang Ming, ninth stage of Dou Qi, nineteen years old."

"E-rank."

"Zhao Yun, ninth stage of Dou Qi, twenty years old."

"E-rank."

"Wang Ba, eighth stage of Dou Qi, seventeen years old."

"F-rank."

"Wang Teng, one-star Dou Zhe, eighteen years old."

"D-rank."

After recording so many names, a D-rank finally appeared. Although it was only D-rank, it still made Ruo Lin quite happy. After all, in a city like Wutan City, it was difficult for geniuses above C-rank to emerge.

The new students who had passed lined up and quickly reported their information for Instructor Ruo Lin to record. Those who had only just passed were sternly warned by the older students, then obediently followed the instructions and lined up to report their details.

Xia Mo and Xiao Yan were too bored, so they went behind the Xiao Clan group, took out small stools, and sat down to listen.

No one knew how much time had passed. The two were drowsy when they heard, "Xiao Ning, One-Star Dou Master, seventeen years old." "D-rank." Hearing that it was someone from the Xiao Clan, they woke up.

Xia Mo wiped at the corner of his mouth, finding no drool there, and began to focus. It should be their turn soon.

Suddenly, a voice sounded beside them. "Brother Xiao Yan, it's your turn," Xiao Xun'er said softly to Xiao Yan.

"I probably can't compare to the little demon Instructor Ruo Lin mentioned. I'm barely S-rank."

At Xiao Yan's words, the tent fell silent for a moment. In the corner, Luo Bu, who had already awakened, twitched at the corners of his mouth and thought that he had better stay far away from these people in the future.

"Hiss, didn't you say he was at most C-rank or B-rank?" Xiao Yu's friend muttered.

"I don't know either. How did he become more and more monstrous?" Xiao Yu said.

"S-rank? What a pleasant surprise! Coming to Wutan City this time was truly the right choice!" Instructor Ruo Lin said with a surprised smile.

"Brother Xiao Yan is in the spotlight again," Xiao Xun'er said.

"Among the four of us, I'm the weakest..." Xiao Yan said, rolling his eyes.

"Then I'll report the same as Brother Xiao Yan," Xiao Xun'er said playfully.

"No need. Just report your true strength. Letting the academy know your talent will benefit your development," Xiao Yan said indifferently.

"Xiao Xun'er, Seven-Star Dou Master, sixteen years old." Xiao Xun'er had added a year to her age.

The girl's clear, ethereal voice plunged the tent into deathly silence. Everyone stared blankly at the green-clad girl standing beside Xiao Yan with a calm smile. They had yet to recover from the shock Xiao Yan had caused, only to be struck on the head by an even heavier hammer.

"Super S-rank? It seems you're the most terrifying among this batch of new students," Instructor Ruo Lin said, her wrist stiffening as she stared at Xiao Xun'er in shock.

Hearing Instructor Ruo Lin's assessment, Xun Er smiled faintly. Yet, to everyone's surprise, she shook her head and looked toward Xia Mo, Xiao Yan, and Xiao Yi Xian.

"Brother Xiao Yan began cultivating Dou Qi at four. At ten, he reached Nine-stage Dou Qi. At eleven, he condensed his Dou Qi vortex and became a Dou Master. From twelve to fifteen, Brother Xiao Yan fell from the Dou Master realm... to Three-stage Dou Qi. Later, after enduring three years of a cultivation void, Brother Xiao Yan regained his astonishing talent. After turning fifteen, in just a year and a half, he rose from Three-stage Dou Qi to his current Five-Star Dou Master."

With the corners of her lips curled up, Xun Er said smilingly, "So Brother Xiao Yan's current strength is actually the result of only a little over a year of cultivation, while Xun Er has cultivated for a full sixteen years. Who is stronger and who is weaker is obvious at a glance."

"As for Xia Mo and Xiao Yi Xian, let them tell you themselves," Xiao Xun'er said playfully.

Instructor Ruo Lin nodded, anticipation appearing in her eyes. She had thought Xiao Xun'er alone was an enormous unexpected gain, but she had not expected double the joy. She wondered whether she would continue to be proven wrong. With an expectant gaze, she looked at Xiao Yi Xian, ready to eat her words...

"Xiao Yi Xian, Seven-Star Dou Master, sixteen years old." In truth, Xiao Yi Xian was not yet sixteen, but she did not even know exactly when her birthday was.

Instructor Ruo Lin froze, nearly losing her grip on her pen. Had she misheard, or had the girl misspoken? This delicate-looking girl was also Super S-rank? What kind of blessed land was Wutan City to produce so many geniuses?

Instructor Ruo Lin said gently to them, "All of you possess Super S-rank potential, but the academy only has an S-rank classification. This is merely a rough assessment of you. Once we reach the academy, I'll speak with the vice principal. The academy will give special treatment to exceptional individuals like you."

"Alright, thank you, Instructor Ruo Lin," they said in unison.

"And you, little one?" Instructor Ruo Lin looked at Xia Mo.

"Me? Same as them," Xia Mo said blandly.

"Hiss..."

Everyone felt utterly terrified. Compared to them, they felt like a bunch of trash...

"Today's registration will end here. We will remain in Wutan City for three days. To all the new students registered today, congratulations. From this day onward, you are members of Jia Nan Academy. I hope everyone will finish making all necessary preparations within three days. Three days from now, Jia Nan Academy's flying carriage convoy will arrive in Wutan City." Instructor Ruo Lin slowly rolled up the parchment in her hand and said with a gentle smile.

While everyone else was overjoyed, Xiao Yan requested leave, claiming he had a reason he had no choice but to take it. He was even prepared to give up this registration, but Instructor Ruo Lin did not want to let a Super S-rank student go. She proposed a twenty-move agreement, and in the end, with Old Yao's help, Xiao Yan won the wager.

"Xiao Yan, keep working hard. If it were your junior brother, he wouldn't need my help at all. Also, have Xia Mo come to your room tonight. I have something to give him," Old Yao's voice sounded in Xiao Yan's heart.

"Xia Mo, when you go to the academy, you won't be traveling with us. I'll pass on to you the inheritance below the sixth tier now. You can't neglect your alchemy at the academy either," Old Yao said, touching Xia Mo's forehead with a finger.

"Yes, Teacher," Xia Mo said.