(A/N: Second chapter of the day!)
--- Chapter 32 ---
Liu Erlong returned to the Ninety-Nine Steps of Perseverance and caught three children breathing heavily on top, soaked in sweat. She looked down and nodded because the others performed quite decently.
"What's the name of you three?" asked Liu Erlong.
The first child on top was a twelve-year-old boy wearing a patched shirt and pants. He looked clean with sharp black eyes. "My name is Ye Shan, Dean!"
The second child on top was a nine-year-old girl wearing an oversized grey robe and using many rags to wrap it tightly. "My name is Luo Li, Dean!"
The last child on top was a six-year-old boy with healthy brown skin and bright green eyes, wearing dark deer-skin clothes, "My name is Du Buzi, Dean!"
Liu Erlong nodded, putting their name aside for "special privilege" later, and said, "Good, very good. You three performed well."
"Now, let's continue to the next test."
"This..." Many children couldn't help but lament as the first test already made them this tired. They couldn't possibly pass the next test with exhausted bodies and minds.
Liu Erlong knew what they had in mind and chuckled, "Once you step off the Ninety-Nine Steps of Perseverance, you will feel your body recover to normal."
"The stair is made of special stones that can restrict movement of spirit energy in your body, which strains your physical strength."
"However, this effect will disappear when you're off the stone."
The children sighed in relief, finally stepping down one by one. Even then, they couldn't help but stare at the Ninety-Nine Stairs of Perseverance in awe because the person who made this was a genius.
Besides testing, this set of stairs is beneficial for training.
Liu Erlong escorted them to the second selection trial, a lush forest with many patches of Blue Silver Grass. Yes, many, many, many of them.
"Dao Academy's 2nd Selection Ground, Blue Silver Maze. You must enter the maze and escape within thirty minutes, and the faster you escape, the higher your qualifications are."
"Warning! You must not break or damage Blue Silver Grass in the maze, or you will get disqualified immediately!"
"Without further ado, start!" Liu Erlong clapped her hand loudly, and the children scrambled into the Blue Silver Maze, carefully walking on the ground because they didn't want to step on the blue silver grass accidentally and fail.
After watching them leave, Liu Erlong smiled and commented, "The first test is to see how well you perform under pressure."
"The second test, however, will push your ability to observe your surroundings to the limit."
"Xiao Yuan said that any candidate who can escape in less than ten minutes has a talent for Observation Haki, so their foresight talent is impeccable..."
"Let's see if any of you possess that rare talent."
In the maze, all the candidates could see was the confusing array of ancient trees and walls of blue-silver grass. The more they looked into them, the more confused they became.
However, some children quickly realized they could use their hands to feel the wall, their noses to smell scents, and their ears to hear in more detail about the surrounding situation. Every step they made slowly became backed with confidence.
Ten minutes later, Luo Li was surprisingly the first person to escape the Blue Silver Maze, followed by two unknown children.
Over half failed to escape the maze in time, leaving Liu Erlong with only twenty-three candidates for the last selection.
Those who failed to escape already prepared themselves for Liu Erlong to tell them they failed. However, Liu Erlong didn't say a word for five seconds before clapping, "Good."
"Those who failed to escape the maze will continue to the left path of the forest. You will find some teachers responsible for your education for the next three months."
"Wait, didn't we fail?" asked one candidate.
Liu Erlong shook her head gently and stated, "I never said you need to finish them all."
"At the opening ceremony, I said as long as you passed the test, you can join the academy."
"The first test allowed you to enter a white grade, the lowest level in Dao Academy. Of course, besides food and other basic accommodation, your resource is nothing like above grade, and you must fight for it."
"Three months later, you will enter Blue Silver Maze again and have a chance to enter the yellow grade."
"This..." They are shocked. "Are we really in such a good situation!"
Liu Erlong chuckled, "Of course, there is. Dao Academy has such generous donors, after all."
"However, you must repay him in the future."
"He might recruit you into his company once you graduate."
"Dean, how many grades are there in the academy?" Ye Shan asked boldly, wanting to know more about Dao Academy.
Liu Erlong rubbed her chin and answered, "Well, I already revealed about white and yellow, so I might as well tell the rest."
"After passing the second test, you can enter a yellow grade and have a chance to enter a mimetic training ground for two hours daily."
"Above yellow is purple grade. You can ask for personal guidance from a senior or teacher in the academy and the daily chance to enter the mimetic training ground for three hours."
"Above purple is black grade, you can not only ask for personal guidance, but even accept a teacher as your personal mentor, and a daily chance to enter a mimetic training ground for five hours."
"Last but not least is the red grade..." Liu Erlong smiled mysteriously.
"I can't explain much about this grade, but anyone who enters it can be considered the core students of Dao Academy and will get taught many things, including self-created skills."
"On top of that, there are "limited" resources that might improve your talent and give you a chance to become a Title Douluo."
"Self-created Skills? Title Douluo?!" They were shocked. Not even Heaven Dou Imperial Academy will teach them such things.
Above all things, they knew their talents.
Reaching Title Douluo is nothing but a pipe dream.
However, they are willing to believe Dao Academy for that sliver bit of hope!
"Now, go! Don't make the teachers wait." Liu Erlong sent the failed candidates away.
She turned around and stared at the remaining candidates, "Well, those two who escaped the maze right after Luo Li, step out and introduce yourself."
"M-My name is Zhang Lie, Dean!" said a thirteen-year-old boy. He looks very humble with a thin body and a bookish appearance.
"My name is Hong Jia, Dean!" said a young lady in an old but clean green dress. She appeared to be ten or eleven years old.
Liu Erlong nodded, "I will remember you two."
"Now, let's proceed with the last selection."
...
...
After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrived at the last site to select new students.
"What is this place?"
It's a narrow cave entrance, darker than any place they had visited. It gave them an eerie vibe they couldn't explain.
"Dao Academy's 3rd Selection Ground, Path of Doubt." Liu Erlong calmly introduced. "Your test is to walk through this dark cave and reach the end without passing out."
"There is no time limit..."
"Anyone who reaches the end will become a black-grade student."
"Some with exceptional performance could even have a chance to reach a red grade."
"What?!" The twenty-three students were dumbfounded.
Yet, they quickly calmed down because the first and second tests taught them a lesson that Dao Academy's test is unique. Walking through a cave can't be simple.
"I will try it first!" said a brave young man.
Unfortunately, one step into the cave, and he passed out immediately.
Thud!
"..." Everyone blankly looked at the young man who fell face-first on the ground.
Liu Erlong also didn't expect the cave to be this strong. The cave wasn't ordinary. It was 'skillfully' made by using the skull of the Fear Dragon and spreading the "spiritual power" into an illusion that makes people face their greatest fear, therefore testing one's character.
Of course, the "spiritual power" used here is safe. So no one will become mentally retarded from it.
If one has a weak character and will, they will fail immediately.
Liu Erlong's mouth when she realized what the fainted young man had in mind, 'You're so scared and anxious that you wanted to be the first to end the suffering faster...'
"Let me try!" Du Buzi helped the fainted young man to lean on the nearby wall and finally step into the cave. Soon, the chaotic spiritual power drew him into the illusion.
Du Buzi's body trembled, but he quickly adjusted and walked deeper into the cave.
"Wow!" The rest of the candidates clapped their hands.
Seeing that Du Buzi was fine, the others tried their luck, too.
More than half were "instantly" eliminated.
Besides Ye Shan, Luo Li, Du Buzi, Zhang Lie, Hong Jia, and three more students, the others failed miserably.
The three new students are a young man named Huo Xi, a boy named Yu Bai, and a girl named Sun Yi. They are twelve years old.
"Eight students..." Liu Erlong bitterly sighed in her heart. She had over a hundred students in the Blue Tyrant Academy, though she didn't personally teach them.
Then, again, Dao Academy believed more in quality than quantity.
Liu Erlong looked at these eight children and recognized Xiao Yuan's ability to judge their potential from those tests. Since they passed three tests, their potential must be the best!
"Congratulations on passing the three selection tests." Liu Erlong praised them. "From now on, the eight of you will be the core students of Dao Academy."
"That's right, you have become red-grade students."
"But don't get too happy soon."
"Reaching this grade means you must train hard, break your limitations, and prove to the world that even commoners can be strong!"
"Do you understand?"
"YES, DEAN!" The eight children responded happily.
"Good, now follow me." Liu Erlong already called some teachers to bring the "fainted" students to the infirmary. After making sure everyone was fine, she escorted the eight students who passed the three tests to a lonely path of Desolate Mountain.
"Dean, where are we going?" asked Du Buzi.
Liu Erlong looked ahead and giggled, "Well, we are going to meet the headmaster of Dao Academy."
"Prepare yourself for the shock because you will never be ready when you meet him in person."