Immortals and Daoists Awaiting the Entrance Examination! (Please Bookmark, Please Vote at the Start of the Month)

"Young Master, we're here." Beishan Hu pointed ahead.

Xia Manggan looked up.

Before him stood an enormous structure.

Above its hundred-zhang-tall main gate,

the four large words "Black-White Academy" could be seen clearly even from several miles away.

At the center of those four words was a black-and-white millstone diagram.

"The Black-White Millstone Diagram." Xia Manggan's eyes lit up.

Looking closely, he could indeed sense endless mysteries contained within it.

"The four words 'Black-White Academy' and the Black-White Millstone Diagram were both left behind by the Heavenly Immortal patriarch of the Black-White Academy," Beishan Hu introduced. "I heard there's an even larger millstone diagram beside the true Black-White Diagram. It's far more intricate and detailed than this one. After you enter the Academy, you can study it properly."

"Mm. Wait for me here."

Seeing that it truly was getting late, Xia Manggan naturally went along with it and entered the main gate of the Black-White Academy alone.

By the lake not far from the main gate, there were no longer any young cultivators waiting to be tested.

Only some elders who had accompanied their juniors to the entrance examination remained gathered by the lake, waiting anxiously and expectantly.

The sun was already setting.

Only half the outline of the Sun Star remained visible.

Amid the lingering glow of the setting sun, Xia Manggan slowly approached.

The black-haired middle-aged man, who had nearly turned into a "husband-waiting stone," finally let out a sigh of relief.

He finally came!

The two Immortal senior uncles, especially Senior Uncle Hanshan, the oldest and highest-ranking figure in the Academy, had been waiting at the entrance examination site since early morning.

As a result, while conducting the first round of tests by the lake, he had felt as though a pair of icy eyes were watching him every moment.

And the person Senior Uncle Hanshan was waiting for had stubbornly refused to appear.

That chill running down his spine, piercing straight into his heart...

Even as a Primordial Spirit Daoist of the Black-White Academy, whose strength did not lose out to ordinary Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals outside, he truly could not take much more of it.

"Senior." Xia Manggan calmly walked up to the black-haired middle-aged man.

As for Beishan Yin, since they had no relationship whatsoever, he could address him directly by name.

But when facing a Primordial Spirit Daoist of the Black-White Academy, basic etiquette was still necessary.

After all, these would be members of his sect in the future.

"Mm." The black-haired middle-aged man nodded and was about to tell him to go over.

Then he suddenly looked toward the Bronze Mirror in the sky and said in astonishment, "You... you broke through in Qi Refining from the Early Purple Mansion Stage to Purple Mansion Perfection?"

"Purple Mansion Perfection?"

"Haha, is this guy an idiot? He's already at Purple Mansion Perfection, yet he still came to take a master!"

The black-haired middle-aged man's words immediately drew a wave of ridicule and discussion from the spectators in the distance.

Not to mention that they were all cultivators from the major tribes of Anchan Commandery, with no shortage of experts at the level of Wanxiang Daoists among them.

Even those who knew nothing had watched the tests all day and understood by now.

For entering the Academy under a master, the Black-White Academy only accepted young cultivators at the Early Purple Mansion Stage.

They did not even accept cultivators at the Purple Mansion Middle Stage, much less someone at Purple Mansion Perfection.

Among the crowd, only White Water Marsh realized what was happening after recognizing Xia Manggan.

No wonder this Primordial Spirit Daoist had seemed to be waiting for someone all along. So it was him...

Xia Manggan frowned slightly, pondering how to explain.

Then he felt a vast, icy force sweep over from afar and envelop him. Yet rather than making him uncomfortable, it left his mind clear and cool.

Soon after, an aged voice sounded beside his ear.

"Don't resist. I'm going to inspect your Purple Mansion. There is no ill intent."

Xia Manggan's frown eased, and he allowed the other party's Divine Sense to inspect him.

I wonder which Immortal from the Black-White Academy in the original novel this is? Xia Manggan secretly guessed.

Given the talent he had displayed and the fact that he had already met with the headmaster, Jade Sea Daoist,

once he entered the Black-White Academy, he would certainly be taken as a disciple by one of the highest-ranking Earth Immortals or Loose Immortals.

Therefore, this Divine Sense, which clearly surpassed the level of an ordinary Primordial Spirit Daoist, was very likely from one of the Academy's Immortals.

And quite possibly his future master.

"Good. He cultivates an Immortal Rank Qi Refining technique, so it's not a problem."

The aged voice sounded from the void.

The black-haired middle-aged man's expression relaxed. He said to Xia Manggan, "That's enough. Go on over."

After speaking, he did not wait for Xia Manggan's response. He directly waved out a stream of Origin Force and sent Xia Manggan across the lake.

"What's going on?"

"Why can that youth pass even though he's already at Purple Mansion Perfection?"

"Exactly! The second young master of our tribe only cultivated to the Purple Mansion Middle Stage because his aptitude was too good and he didn't know the rules. Why wasn't he allowed through?"

At the sight of this, the waiting crowd immediately erupted.

Many whose tribe members had been eliminated in the first round began shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Shut up!"

The black-haired middle-aged man suddenly roared.

His gaze instantly became terrifying.

A powerful Divine Sense fluctuation swept through the crowd, causing several cultivators who had been shouting the loudest to freeze before collapsing to the ground as though stunned senseless.

"The affairs of my Black-White Academy are beyond even the Anchan Marquis Mansion's authority to interfere with. Who do you think you are? Get lost!"

As soon as his words fell, several hundred Black Armor Soldiers guarding the gate immediately flew over, raised their spears and halberds, and charged toward the crowd.

"All of you, leave the Academy immediately! Any who resist will be killed without mercy!"

Whoosh!

The crowd instantly scattered.

A few whose souls were too weak and who still lay unconscious on the ground were dragged away by their companions as well.

"Ridiculous. If your tribes possessed Immortal Rank Qi Refining techniques, then naturally you would not need to comply with the Early Purple Mansion Stage cultivation restriction. Unfortunately, you don't."

After snorting coldly, the black-haired middle-aged man could not be bothered with this side any longer and Teleported away as well.

He had waited for a month, then another full day.

He also wanted to see just how monstrous this genius was, someone who had entered the Great Dao of Life and Death at the Purple Mansion realm and comprehended a trace of Great Dao True Intent.

Whoosh!

Space shifted.

The black-haired middle-aged man appeared above the gorge.

More than twenty figures were already standing atop the clouds.

At the very front stood none other than the two senior uncles, Immortal Hanshan and Black Crown Immortal.

They're all here? The black-haired middle-aged man was secretly shocked.

Good heavens.

Nearly all the Primordial Spirit Daoists who had remained in the Academy instead of venturing outside had come.

The few who had not come were probably watching with Water Mirror Techniques from their own caverns.

"Junior Brother Wu Xiu is here too."

"It's been years since we last met. Junior Brother, your Soul Shaking Technique has grown ever more profound."

Several Primordial Spirit Daoists who were rather close to the black-haired middle-aged man spoke in greeting.

But more Primordial Spirit Daoists were watching below.

More than nine hundred young cultivators who had passed the first round of cultivation aptitude screening had already entered the gorge under the lead of a young man dressed in a Shuimo Daoist robe.

"How many of these nine hundred little fellows do you think can pass the Thunder Dragon Puppet Formation today?"

"Ask Wu Xiu. We weren't responsible for the aptitude screening, so how would we know... But judging by the usual ratio of one in a hundred, it would already be decent if nine, at most ten, pass this second-stage Puppet Formation."

"Mm, that's right. But that little fellow from the imperial clan will definitely pass."

...Amid the low discussions of the Primordial Spirit Daoists.

The eight hundred and ten puppet dragon heads protruding from the rock walls on both sides of the gorge simultaneously erupted with dazzling cyan light.

Then, bolts of cyan lightning shot from the mouths of every dragon head.

Instantly—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A thousand bolts of lightning erupted at once.

The sky above the broad valley floor, which stretched several miles in every direction, nearly instantly became a sea of lightning.

"Watch carefully. It's starting."

"Quick, let's see how that imperial clan brat gets through."

The Primordial Spirit Daoists all spoke with great interest.

"With that kid's unhurried nature, he'll probably wait until the final moment before attempting the trial."

The black-haired middle-aged man, who felt that he had already grasped some of Xia Manggan's temperament, had just finished speaking to the fellow disciples beside him.

When a massive mountain suddenly rose from the floor of the gorge below.

After directly withstanding a thousand or so cyan lightning bolts fired by all eight hundred and ten puppet dragon heads,

it flew straight into a cave above the gorge.

"..."

The black-haired middle-aged man was stunned.

The other Primordial Spirit Daoists were speechless as well.

So we waited all this time, and this was what you showed us?

He simply used a magic treasure to force his way through without revealing even the slightest true intent technique?

"Ah, right." The black-haired middle-aged man came to his senses.

"This little fellow's Qi Refining cultivation is already at the Late Purple Mansion Stage. He also cultivates an Immortal Rank technique, so his Origin Force is abundant. With a top-grade Human Rank magic treasure activated, the Puppet Formation can do nothing to him."

So that was it.

The Primordial Spirit Daoists came to an understanding and all said, "Then we can only watch the third stage."

...At the very front of the clouds.

"Jade Sea,"

Immortal Hanshan, who looked like a young child, said, "Inform the little fellow guarding the third stage. There's no need to suppress his cultivation. He may use his immortal arts and secret techniques freely as well; only restrict the grade of his magic treasures."

"Senior Uncle." Jade Sea Daoist was startled. "But the one guarding the stage is—"

"Give the order as I said." Immortal Hanshan's aged voice carried a trace of delight. "Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't be able to force this little fellow to reveal his true strength."

"...Yes."

Within the gorge.

More than nine hundred young cultivators stared blankly at the gray-robed figure above them.

Too fast.

Far too fast!

Before the lightning unleashed by the eight hundred and ten puppet dragon heads could even descend, he had already forced his way through the test using the mountain seal magic treasure he had activated.

"Didn't he even test the power of the lightning first?"

A young cultivator dressed in luxurious black robes muttered, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Perhaps those lightning bolts only look impressive. Maybe they're actually weak and merely meant to scare people."

Several young cultivators followed suit, activating magic treasures of their own and rushing toward the cave at the top of the gorge.

Crackle, crackle~~~

The few young cultivators who had just been brimming with confidence fell straight down from the sky.

Some were even smoking.

One young cultivator had suffered serious injuries. Seeing that he could no longer attempt the trial again, he said to the others, "Those lightning bolts are extremely powerful. Every single one carries the force of a full-strength strike from an Early Purple Mansion Stage cultivator."

What!?

Everyone was shocked.

Then how had that person managed to charge through while enduring all the lightning attacks?

That shouldn't have been possible!

"Every lightning bolt is equivalent to a full-strength attack from an Early Purple Mansion Stage cultivator?"

Ji Ning looked up at the sky above the gorge.

He could do it.

So could I!

Whoosh~~~

A flower with six layers of Water-Fire Lotus Petals immediately formed around Ji Ning's body.

At the same time, a flying sword appeared beneath his feet, and he shot into the sky.

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