By the time Xu Yang and the others reached the mountaintop where Heavenly Strategy Academy's gates stood, a crowd had already gathered. Long lines stretched out as people registered their identities, received waist tokens, and were assigned lodgings.
There were two lines: one for ordinary students and one for the geniuses on the Cloud Ascension Rankings.
Carrying their luggage, Xu Yang, Sun Tao, and the others soon joined the back of the line for ranked geniuses. Xu Yang noticed a sign beside the queue, covered with notices for students newly entering Heavenly Strategy Academy.
The first notice told them that their identity waist tokens were extremely important and had to be carried everywhere within Heavenly Strategy Academy.
The second concerned followers. Each genius on the Cloud Ascension Rankings could bring no more than three followers into Heavenly Strategy Academy. Those followers had to register, and once inside, they could not wander freely around the academy. They were restricted to the residential areas.
There were also several other restrictions on followers. Since Xu Yang had no intention of bringing any, he quickly skimmed past that notice.
The third concerned the Cloud Ascension Rankings.
The benefits granted to ranked geniuses were closely tied to their positions. Anyone dissatisfied with their ranking could challenge someone above them. A successful challenge would earn a corresponding reward in credits based on how many places they rose.
Xu Yang checked. Rising one place earned ten credits; two places earned twenty.
The notice also stipulated that no one could refuse a challenge. After a failed challenge, the challenger had to wait three months before issuing another. Private challenges were forbidden as well; an academy teacher had to be present to supervise.
Furthermore, if someone lost to a lower-ranked opponent, then challenged them again and regained their position,