Under the cool moonlight, a young boy with black hair rode his horse down the main road, galloping at full speed.
He carefully controlled the reins, dodging branches extending from trees on either side. Riding at night was dangerous, but Asura didn't have time to worry about that.
Today was the second day of the academy's entrance exam, and the exam lasted for three days in total. If he didn't arrive in Saint Goban City tomorrow, all his efforts would be in vain.
Fortunately, he knew that Saint Goban City was very close now...
Asura whipped the reins, and Black Charcoal, feeling his master's urgency, obediently ran even faster, doing its best to keep up.
Finally, as the sky turned light with the first hint of dawn, Asura saw the massive city walls built against the mountains in the distance.
He knew he had arrived at Saint Goban City, and the Saint Goban Academy he was aiming to get into was located within this grand city.
At this moment, Asura was filled with excitement. He thought of all the hardships of the journey and the expectations of his family back home.
He stood on the saddle and let out a loud, triumphant howl!
The heavy burden that had been weighing on his heart lifted, and his youthful spirit was evident.
More and more people began to appear on the road, glancing curiously at the black-haired youth, just as one would look at a country bumpkin entering the city for the first time...
Asura didn't mind the stares. However, his upbringing from the general's family quickly made him straighten his back and sit properly on the horse.
Black Charcoal also sensed its master's joy and happily galloped toward the city...
Saint Goban City was built into the mountains because of the Saint Goban Academy. Although the city wasn't very large, it was a city of freedom!
In this city, people of all races and classes lived together.
You could often see young students from Saint Goban Academy walking around the city.
These students were the elite of the Kingdom Continent, and when they graduated and left the city, they would become young powerhouses!
The continent of Kings, where Asura lived, was home to four powerful empires: Valency Empire, Pargadon Empire, Sindernorth Empire, and Kalinan Empire.
The four empires had vast territories, almost equal in strength.
Asura's homeland, the Olai Kingdom, was one of the fourteen vassal states of the Valency Empire.
The territories of the four empires formed a ring around the central area, known as the Beast Forest, the largest and most dangerous region on the continent!
Even the strongest warriors dared not venture deep into the Beast Forest, for high-level magical beasts and endless beast tides could tear everything apart.
Beyond the four empires was the Endless Sea, and no one knew its true size. Was there land on the other side? Did other civilizations exist there?
The continent had many academies, but the eight most famous ones stood out.
Each empire had two renowned academies: Saint Goban Academy and Augustus Academy in Valency; Barto Academy and Romeo Academy in Pargadon; Anas Academy and Tassio Academy in Sindernorth; and Berna Academy and Baldory Academy in Kalinan.
These eight academies trained countless powerhouses for the four empires each year, but they were not controlled by any empire.
Moreover, these academies shared a common feature: they were all built at key entrances to the Beast Forest, protecting humanity from the biggest threat of beast tides!
As such, young graduates from these academies were highly revered and sought after by various factions.
Of course, there were other academies on the continent, such as royal academies or those funded by powerful factions, but in terms of comprehensive teaching strength, the eight major academies were unmatched!
Geographically, Augustus Academy was closer to Olai Kingdom, but due to the threat from the Blackwater Family, Asura had come to Saint Goban Academy in the Valency Empire instead!
He was filled with curiosity about everything in Saint Goban City. The city was bustling with activity due to the academy's entrance exams taking place every three years!
Asura didn't even need to ask for directions. He simply followed the crowd toward the academy, which was situated on the mountain above the city!
There, a large crowd had gathered, and Asura knew this must be the entrance exam location.
Pulling Black Charcoal forward, he squeezed through the crowd, which was enormous!
Locals had come to watch the excitement, spies from various factions were gathering intelligence on future young powerhouses, and noble ladies were selecting potential future husbands.
Being able to marry a student from Saint Goban Academy, even if they weren't the primary wife, was still considered a good fate!
At the same time, some students needed the influence and resources of noble families to advance further.
Those who passed the entrance exams with excellent results often received invitations from noble ladies, and the future depended on mutual consent...
Finally, Asura made it to the exam location. There were not many other exam takers there, suggesting that most of them had already completed their exams in the previous days.
Excited and thrilled, Asura couldn't contain his joy at the thought of becoming a student of Saint Goban Academy.
He quickly adjusted his disheveled hair from the long journey and stepped forward to the exam area.
At the front of the exam point, three examiners sat at a long stone table, two men and one woman, all wearing the academy's tutor robes.
The middle-aged male teacher was the oldest, while the other two were quite young. All three had serious expressions, with a professional attitude.
Asura stepped forward, filling out a simple personal form with basic information and his hometown address.
Taking a deep breath, he handed the form to the young male teacher in front of the sign that read "Warrior Exam Point," respectfully presenting it with both hands.
The young male teacher glanced over the form quickly and then looked at the tall and well-built youth in front of him.
He calmly said, "Wait for the exam. Hold the Bloodstone and channel your internal energy to test your warrior level!"
Asura looked at the red stone on the table, steadied himself, and gripped the stone. His internal energy surged, and the stone glowed with a red light—warm but not blinding.
The young male teacher looked at the red light, then calmly said, "The result: Warrior Level 3..."
Asura was ecstatic when he heard this. He knew the academy's entrance exam required a minimum of Warrior Level 3, and he had made it!
However, the onlookers behind him began to whisper and even snickered at him.
Before Asura could understand why the crowd was laughing, he heard the young male tutor continue, "The result of the test is invalid. You are not eligible for admission. Please leave."
These words struck Asura like a bolt of lightning, causing a thunderous shock in his ears!
The laughter behind him grew louder, and Asura couldn't believe what he had just heard!
Immediately, he shouted angrily, "Why am I not qualified? Isn't the entrance standard for the eight major academies Warrior Level 3 or Mage Level 3?"
"I clearly meet the requirements, so why won't you accept me into the academy?"
The young male tutor seemed to have expected this reaction, calmly responding, "Because the academy's quota for Warrior Level 3 students has been filled. The academy admits 1,600 warriors of Level 3 or higher and 300 mages of Level 3 or higher every three years."
"In addition, there are 100 students in specialized fields. The school provides teaching resources for these roughly 2,000 students, and this number is the academy's saturation for enrollment."
His voice grew stern again as he continued, "The 2,000 student spots were filled yesterday. The path of the strong is reserved for those who are proactive and well-prepared!"
"You were so negligent, arriving on the last day of the exam. Did you even value this opportunity to enter the academy?"
"You should go back and try other ordinary academies!"
Asura didn't feel ashamed or guilty for being scolded because he knew the hardships he had endured to get here.
The tutor didn't understand his situation, and Asura didn't want to explain himself too much. He suppressed his frustration and asked, "Since the academy has already filled its spots, why are you still sitting here recruiting?"
The young male tutor didn't expect Asura to respond so quickly. Most of the students who arrived late and couldn't enter the academy either threw tantrums or cried their eyes out!
It was rare to find a young man as calm as Asura.
The tutor casually said, "Because we still have spots for genius students. If you reach the Master Warrior level, you can still enter and study here!"
"Unfortunately, you don't meet the requirements. Go back now and don't disrupt the remaining exams!"
Asura numbly turned around and began walking away. His heart was in turmoil!
What should he do? He couldn't just go back like this—he was the hope of his whole family! But now, what could he do...
Asura was soon surrounded by representatives of various factions and recruitment teachers from ordinary academies. They all handed him invitations, trying to recruit him to join their forces or schools!
Perhaps because he was young and poorly dressed, there were very few noble ladies approaching him.
The crowd around him was growing louder, making his mind even more chaotic...
At this moment, a luxurious silver-white carriage, escorted by guards, pushed through the crowd and arrived in front of the exam point...