Rise of The Demon General

Lin Mo was assigned to a group marked under the red color. After rounding up every candidate, the officials then led all the groups away. They were ushered to an outdoor courtyard where they continued to pass through several well-tended gardens and parks. Soon, several large buildings with different roof colors were seen.

Amon’s group was brought to the one that had a red color roof. It had five floors. Every floor had lots of doors lining up its front wall.

One of the officials addressed the group, ”This will be the dormitory you stay in during your exam. You are not allowed to come out of your room and roam around the place. An engraving was placed on your door, we will know if you come out without permission. Those who do so will be disqualified from this entrance exam. You may only come out tomorrow when we come to pick you up.”

After informing the rules, the officials started instructing the youths to enter these doors. One door for one candidate. Amon got the door on the fourth floor.

When he entered, he found himself in a small room with only a bed.

’A cell again,’ Amon thought, remembering the waiting room during the White Cloud Tournament. Not that it mattered, this was only temporary. He sat on the bed and started cultivating.

*

The next morning, everyone was brought to a different place. It was a large plaza. Lao Zen was already there on the plaza. Behind him were ten large tents that had the same colors as the roofs of their dormitories.

After everyone was lined up neatly in their groups, Lao Zen addressed them, ”I hope everyone has enough rest. You will need it today. Inside each of these tents behind me is a battle puppet. Ones that are high-tier engraved rank.”

Amon had read about the battle puppets. They were automatons that were constructed by using the combined techniques of smiths, engravers, and talisman makers. Their rank classifications were the same as weapons and items. A high-tier engraved rank had the power roughly similar to Transformation stage cultivators.

”Your task in this second exam is to survive against these battle puppets. Everyone has a time limit of five minutes. Anyone defeated by the puppet within these five minutes will be immediately disqualified. Only those who survive are considered to pass this second exam. But don’t get me wrong, just surviving doesn’t guarantee that you enter this academy. As have been mentioned yesterday, only a maximum of one thousand candidates will be accepted. So, if at the end of these exams, the surviving ones are more than one thousand, their scores will be the ones to determine whether they passed. For this second exam, surviving for five minutes only gives you a basic pass with a zero score. If you want to get a score, you have to defeat the battle puppet. The faster you defeat it, the higher your score will be.”

”But... A high-tier engraved battle puppet is as strong as a Transformation stage practitioner. Surviving is already difficult,” One of the candidates in the front row uttered.

”If you have no confidence, then you can just go home now!” Lao Zen bellowed. ”And do not interrupt me during my speech! I will overlook this only one time. The next one to do so will be disqualified!”

The one who had talked just now immediately shut his mouth and lowered his head.

Lao Zen continued, ”Regarding the battle puppet, although it is of a high-tier engraved rank, it has no art installed. So, you will be like fighting a Transformation stage practitioner who uses no art. If you can’t survive a battle with such a handicap on your opponent, then you have no place in this academy!”

Lao Zen’s words might have appeased some candidates, but those who had knowledge of battle puppets knew that even when the battle puppets possessed no art, they were still deadly. This was because they knew no fear and no pain. They were also constructed of materials that were generally stronger than human flesh. So, between a human cultivator and a battle puppet of the same rank, if both used no art then the victor was most often the battle puppet.

”No weapon or armor is allowed in this exam. You have to fight using your own power, with only your arts. As for your condition of defeat. Surrendering, being unable to rise back up, severe injury, or hitting the boundary of the tents will be considered a defeat. For the battle puppet, causing it to fall or hit the boundary of the tents will score you a victory. Our officials will be inside acting as a referee and a judge. They will decide if your injury is considered severe enough to call for your defeat. Their decisions are final. We accept no argument in this regard. Healers are stationed nearby to treat your wounds. If there are those who are afraid of this exam, please say so now. You will be escorted out.”

Lao Zen gave the candidates a few moments of silence. When no one expressed their desire to withdraw, Lao Zen continued, ”All right. We can begin now. Ten battles will be done at the same time. The first of each group, please come forward and enter the tents.”

Ten candidates that were called walked towards the tents. An official marked their name and checked to see that they wore no armor before entering together with them into the tent.

The battles were not shown to the open. So, everyone just stood there in boredom. One candidate tried to move away from his spot to have a chat with his clan mates at a different group, but he was scolded back into his place. Everyone was warned to stay in their lines. They were allowed to talk but not wander around.

The adult overseers who left yesterday night were back here again today, but they were only allowed to stand by the side of the plaza. They were not allowed to approach the candidates who were lining up neatly. So, they were similarly bored.

While waiting, Amon removed his Self-adjusting chainmail and the needle box and stored them in his space ring.

”What do you think of our chances, bro?” A boy in front of Amon turned and asked him. He was probably bored and so he just decided to chat with the nearest one.

Amon ignored him.

The boy thought Amon didn’t hear so he repeated the question with a louder voice this time. Amon gave him the same treatment.

”Asshole,” the boy said and decided to turn back and chat with the one in front of him.

Not yet five minutes and many candidates were taken out. Some were limping out, a few were placed on a stretcher. They were all brought to one side of the plaza which had been turned into a temporary infirmary. There, the healers were stationed to give treatment.

The officials called for the next candidates to enter the tents that had just been left by the wounded candidates. There is no need to wait for a full five minutes since the previous battle had ended.

Out of the first batch, only three candidates finished their five minutes. They also came out with wounds, but their grins indicated that they survived the battle. They were ushered to a different part of the plaza.

’It seems like there will be a sharp decrease in participants after this second exam,’ Amon thought.

The first exam only disqualified those that were outside the allowable age. Aside from Lin Fen who had been disqualified for annoying Lao Zen, only two other candidates were disqualified because of the age problem. Those were probably ones that decided to still try their luck even when the age rule had been clearly informed when the entrance badges were distributed. So, such occurrences were rare.

This second exam, however, required true strength to pass. Amon suspected the third exam was similar. He wondered if by the end of the third exam, would there be even one thousand candidates left?

The process continued slowly. Many wished that they should have tried getting the front row positions. Waiting like this was torture. They were not even allowed to sit down. They were told that they should reflect the discipline that was expected of them once they entered the academy. Allowing them to chat with the candidates next to them was already considered leniency, the officials said.

Amon simply stood with folded arm. He cultivated as he waited. Those that saw him started to follow suit. Even though they were not used to doing it in a stand-up position.

The lines slowly trickled forward. More batches were called. A lot failed to pass the five minutes time limit.

After many batches, one candidate finally came out of the tent before the time limit passed but with a grin. Everyone’s attention was immediately on the candidate. It was Yan Long. He struck his fist to the sky with a victory pose.

’Hm, a show-off,’ Amon thought about the boy. He already saw the hostile glare from this boy yesterday. It was better if he understood his adversary early.

The official didn’t announce Yan Long’s time inside the tent, but Amon paid attention to all tents despite cultivating. He knew Yan Long was inside the tent for three minutes and forty-five seconds before coming out.

Not long after, another one made the same accomplishment, Wong Cou. Considering he was already at the Transformation stage, nobody found this to be surprising. Amon marked his time at two minutes and fifty seconds. Almost one minute faster than Yan Long, but Wong Cou didn’t show any prideful expression as Yang Long did.

As time passed, more and more also passed with victory against the battle puppet. Among them was Zhuan San, his time at three minutes and thirty seconds.

After a long wait, it was finally Amon’s turn. He walked to the tent with steady steps.