Enrollment Test

A black stairways of fifteen steps was carved to the tiny entrance of the temple, and the two masked men walked on the stairways with Sifeng in between them, looking at the tiny entrance, he couldn't see the other side as it was covered with the remnants of the fog of nothingness. The entrance does not have a gate or a barrier of some sort, no guards was even stationed there as it was wide opened.

'Who would be crazy enough to build a temple on a lone mountain in the middle of a boundless water with no guards protecting it.'

He knew for a fact that the sect are confident that no human will be able to come here if they're not part of them, but what about those creatures, those deadly creatures he saw in the evil forest on their way here. Just thinking back to the memory of seeing them made him shiver.

Sifeng followed the men as they walked into the tiny entrance, for a moment, he felt nothing, it was as if his mind has gone as his body was wrapped in the cloth of numbness.

But it's just for a moment as he could feel his body a second later and when looking around, he found himself standing in front of a battlefield with a large building standing several meters opposite him, away from the battlefield.

A group of several masked men in the same dress as the two men who came to fetch Sifeng stood on a small arena built just outside the large building, seven old men could be seen sitting in front of the masked men and sitting few inches away from the seven men are two men on a well sculptured luxurious chair with a stern yet composed expression on their face as they watch the display on the battlefield.

One of them is a middle aged man with square shaped head, short curly black hair and a goatee. He wore a regal, flowing robe of deep indigo which was intricately embroidered with golden threads depicting ancient symbols and mythical creatures. He sat calmly with his palm on his chin, looking at the battlefield.

Sifeng could only guess he's the sect leader and the head of the Academy, he's the only one with a royalty attire and the man beside him.

The man sitting besides him look to be in his early 40's, he had an oval shaped face with a long black hair which was neatly tied with a silver hairpin, he had a deep indigo robe like the middle aged man but his' was designed with embroidered blue thread like the seven old men behind them, a silver hand fan could be see resting on his right palm. He had a clear face with a composed expression.

His sleeves are wide and elegant, allowing for fluid movements, and a jade pendant hangs from his waist, representing purity and strength.

On the battlefield itself, several earth pillars had been raised and trapped within these pillars are about 15 kids, the same age as Sifeng or slightly older than him.

He wondered what they're planning to do as they all had their weapons drawn, a few of them had a calm expression on their face while some are shaking and sweating rapidly, Sifeng followed the two masked men as they walk on the single path besides the kids.

Getting in front of the men on the raised arena, the two masked men bowed down which Sifeng did the same.

"Greeting the Palace Chief."

They both said with their head bowed, the man with black raven haired continue to speak.

"As you requested sir, we have come with the Nara Clan Scion who was said to be a bully in school, and the culprit behind the death of the Xianxu Clan scion."

Sifeng raised his head, about to say something stupid, but the words the man said last hit him right in the face, holding him from speaking out.

'Death? Did he just say Yeong is dead, did he really died or this is just a plot from the Xianxu Clan to make the sect treat me with an iron fist. No, it doesn't make sense, why would they do such thing when they know surviving this place might be impossible for me. But I'm sure that small beating cannot kill him.

Damn, I'm going crazy.'

The Chief Palace looked at him a few times before saying his words.

"You arrived just in time, have him join the test, it's starting now."

With that, his backpack was forcefully removed from his shoulder and he was taking to the battlefield joining the other kids.

"Aren't you going too far this year, having this kids train with a Wretch Beast. I mean, you're only getting them killed knowing none of them will survive an encounter with a Stalker Beast not to talk of a Wretch, so what's the point. All the kids we are bringing in are ending up dead in this test and you still keep on doing it, did you forget that our disciples are dwindling down and it's even hard to get one of these kids now."

The man besides him said, with his silver hand fan moving up and down.

The other man didn't say anything as he just watch as a red wolf slowly walk out from under the arena they're sitting on, and upon seeing the kids, it rush forward on all fours.

A few seconds after the man said his words, one of the seven old men from behind gave him a reply in place of the Palace Chief.

"Deputy Chief, don't get the Chief wrong, we all know it's hard to get kids these days, but look at our disciples, they're all dying miserably because they weren't giving enough training like this, there number are dwindling down greatly and only 2 out of 10 of them are returning from missions. If we had giving them a test like this during the enrollment, it would've been different. We didn't put them through this because we believe the training we'll give them will make them the best of bests.

And don't forget other Sects are doing their best to take us down and have the rule."

The deputy chief turned his head around with his hand fan still moving up and down.

"Does that mean risking the lives of these innocent kids, you all claimed other Sects are trying their best to take the crown from us but have they done so since the day we got it several decades of years ago. As far as I know, we are still producing the best disciples in all six Sects, so why risk the lives of these kids, are you guys planning to create demons? Or devils?"

The deputy complained.

"We're producing the best disciples out of the six Sects but we haven't produced the strongest disciple, we need to put them through a test where only the strong will survive and the strongest will be enrolled. The Devils and Demons army are getting stronger by the day and we the sect elders even failed to advance to the next rank. So who will protect our Sect when we the elders can't even take down the strongest of the Devils. We need to make sure that we produce the first individual to reach the Overlord rank."

Another man among the old men said angrily.