69novels Chapter 8: Tang 3, out!
Chapter 8: Tang 3, out!
The group followed Le Zhengyu through the courtyard. As soon as they entered, they were all stunned. The view from the outside was completely different from the view from the inside; the space inside was very large.
"This...this is way too big!"
Some people couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"It doesn't look very big from the outside, but it feels like a completely different world once you come in."
Tang San was also looking around, secretly surprised. He grew up in Notting City and the most magnificent building he had ever seen was the Spirit Hall, but compared to the academy in front of him, the Spirit Hall was like a mud house in the countryside.
"This academy... is not simple."
Tang San thought to himself.
Le Zhengyu led them across the square to an open area. This area had no buildings, only a huge platform with several metal pillars around it, each inlaid with some kind of luminous gemstone.
Le Zhengyu stopped and turned around.
"Okay, that's all for now."
He glanced at everyone present.
"Next is the second test."
Le Zhengyu's expression turned serious.
"Before we begin, everyone should come over and get a watch to wear on your left wrist."
He took out black metal watches from a box next to him and distributed them to everyone.
The watch is entirely black, with a smooth, mirror-like surface. It has no hands or markings, only faint, indistinct patterns.
Tang San took the watch, looked at it over and over, but couldn't figure out what it was. Following Le Zhengyu's instructions, he put the watch on his left wrist.
"What is this?"
Xiao Wu curiously touched the watch.
"It looks so high-end."
"It should be some kind of soul tool."
Tang San said in a low voice.
Everyone had put on their watches.
Le Zhengyu nodded, then pointed to the top of his head.
"Now, please look up."
Everyone looked up at the same time.
Then, everyone froze.
Directly above them, hundreds of meters high in the dome, hangs a huge portrait.
The portrait was astonishingly large, depicting a colossal black dragon with scales as if cast from metal, its scales blotting out the sky and sun. Its golden eyes looked down upon everything below with an air of domineering majesty.
Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King.
Even if it's just a painting, the overwhelming sense of oppression makes it almost impossible to breathe.
Tang San's pupils suddenly contracted.
"What...what kind of spirit beast is this?"
Someone's voice trembled.
"It's not a spirit beast, it's a portrait... just a portrait..."
"How could a portrait possibly possess such imposing presence?!"
Before the words were even finished, the oppressive feeling suddenly intensified.
Tang San felt as if his brain had been hit hard, his vision went black, and a terrifying aura poured down from above, pressing down on him as if it were a physical force, causing his legs to tremble.
Is this... a test of willpower?
Tang San gritted his teeth and tried his best to stand firm.
Meanwhile, some of the people around them were already starting to give up.
"ah--!"
A boy screamed, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, his face pale, gasping for breath.
After he fell down, the oppressive feeling disappeared for him.
Once there's a first one, there's bound to be a second.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
One by one, people collapsed. Some fainted immediately, some curled up on the ground trembling, and some barely managed to hold on for a few seconds before finally giving up.
In just a dozen or so breaths, more than a dozen people had fallen.
Tang San's forehead veins bulged, and sweat streamed down his cheeks; he was still holding on.
Xiao Wu stood beside him, her face also looking unwell, but she bit her lip, remained silent, and stubbornly refused to collapse.
But there are also people... who could clearly hold on, but chose to give up.
A boy of about fifteen or sixteen, his forehead covered in sweat and his legs trembling, glanced at the person who had collapsed beside him, then looked at Le Zhengyu, who stood to the side, expressionless, offering no encouragement or dissuasion.
"Anyway... it's not a big deal if I fall down, right?"
The moment that thought crossed his mind, he could no longer hold on.
His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, panting heavily.
With this example set, several others followed suit and fell.
They weren't unable to hold on, they just didn't want to.
I'm so tired and uncomfortable. Anyway, collapsing won't do anything, so why torture myself?
Tang San saw this and sneered inwardly. He took a deep breath, and his gaze became even more determined.
Time passed by, second by second.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the oppressive feeling finally dissipated.
Le Zhengyu's voice rang out.
"That's enough, everyone get up."
Those who were still standing breathed a sigh of relief; some squatted down, while others held their knees and gasped for breath.
Tang San's clothes were soaked with sweat, but he still stood straight, not letting himself look disheveled.
Le Zhengyu took out a square soul tool from his pocket, tapped it lightly, and a virtual screen appeared in front of everyone.
On the screen, everyone's names were arranged in a dense array, followed by a color: red, yellow, or green.
"Red ones are unacceptable."
Please leave on your own.
As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
"What? It's substandard?"
"Why should I?! You didn't say anything beforehand!"
"Exactly! You told us to be prepared, but you didn't say that if we fell, we'd be eliminated!"
Those whose names were displayed in red all turned red-faced and glared angrily at Le Zhengyu.
Le Zhengyu wasn't angry, he didn't even frown.
He waited until those people finished cursing before slowly speaking.
"If you don't even have basic perseverance, what are you talking about in terms of cultivation?"
"Shrek Academy will train ordinary people into monsters, but there is one premise: that person must at least be a human being. A person without perseverance, without determination, and who wants to give up when faced with difficulties will be nothing but a waste no matter how many resources he is given. Yellow means that he can still be improved, while red means that he is beyond saving."
"Waste, we don't accept it."
Those few words were like a bucket of cold water poured over those people's heads.
Someone opened their mouth, wanting to refute, but couldn't utter a word.
Some people lowered their heads, their faces showing shame.
Some people gritted their teeth, but in the end they turned around and left dejectedly.
Le Zhengyu added a sentence.
"Those who are eliminated, please take one copper soul coin. Our academy does not concern itself with karma."
Those people paused for a moment, then silently retrieved their copper soul coins from the box and left one by one.
Those who were eliminated left one after another.
Tang San silently counted, and there were about twenty people.
In other words, there were no eliminations in the first soul power test, but the second willpower test eliminated nearly a third of the participants.
The remaining forty-odd people all looked rather grim. They were beginning to realize that although the academy was inexpensive, its entrance exams were by no means easy.
Ning Rongrong stood in the crowd, her eyes fixed on the virtual screen.
Her name is followed by yellow.
Ning Rongrong wanted to collapse to the ground several times. After all, she was the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School and had been pampered since childhood. However, for some reason, she managed to hold on for a little longer. If she had given up earlier, she would probably have been eliminated.
Tang San and Xiao Wu's gazes also fell on their own names.
Green, green names, there are only a few on the screen: Tang San, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and two or three other seemingly calm young men.
Tang San's lips curled up slightly.
"The green one should be the best one."
Le Zhengyu put away his soul tool and addressed the remaining forty-odd people.
"Follow me. This is the third test. Once you pass, you can join Shrek Academy."
He turned and walked deeper into the square.
The others quickly followed.
This time, they arrived in front of a domed building with metal doors that were smooth as a mirror and devoid of any decorations.
Le Zhengyu placed his hand on the door, and the door slid open silently to both sides.
Inside was a spacious hall, filled with dozens of uniquely shaped metal capsules.
"This is……"
Tang San stood at the door, completely stunned. He had never seen this thing before, and it looked incredibly powerful. Looking at it, Tang San felt like a caveman.
"Everyone, please take turns choosing a virtual pod, lie down inside, and put on your helmets. This is a virtual space, but not everything is virtual. If you manage to obtain any good items, they are yours. Just a reminder, if you encounter any danger, remember to press the button in your hand, otherwise you may meet with misfortune."
Le Zhengyu's voice pulled Tang San back to reality.
Tang San took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, walked to a virtual reality pod, and lay down inside.
The cushions inside the cabin were soft and comfortable, and he put on the helmet as instructed by Le Zhengyu.
Then, everything went black.
When Tang San opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a dense forest.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and the sounds of birds chirping and insects humming filled the air; everything felt so real.
Tang San looked down at his hands, pinched his arm hard, and it hurt. He then squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil. The soil leaked through his fingers, and the texture was incredibly realistic.
"This...this is not an illusion."
Tang San muttered to himself, his mind in turmoil.
He stood up and cautiously looked around.
Just then, a figure emerged from the woods.
That was a Soul Master who looked much weaker than him, dressed in simple clothes. He glanced at Tang San, then looked around, seemingly quite bewildered.
"Are you here for the assessment too?"
The man asked.
Tang San did not answer, but simply nodded slightly.
"Let's go together, there seem to be spirit beasts in this forest."
"It's safer for two people. Oh, by the way, I just found a place a few hundred meters away with some good stuff."
Tang San thought about it and agreed, subconsciously overlooking one thing: if they all came in together, then that person should be staying not far away, and if there really was treasure, they could reach it in just a few steps.
The two walked together through the forest. After walking for a while, Tang San suddenly stopped. Just ahead, he saw a pool of water. The pool was half red and half blue, with the two streams of water converging but clearly distinct.
Could this be the legendary Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire?
Tang San's heart began to pound violently.
Around the pool grow all sorts of plants, each radiating amazing energy fluctuations and each a rare medicinal herb rarely seen in the outside world.
"This is...this is..."
Tang San's voice was trembling.
"This is a treasure trove!"
Seeing Tang San's joyful expression, the man smiled and spoke to Tang San.
"How is it? Isn't this a good place? I'll share half with you. I see you're a level 29 Soul Master, and I'm only level 15. Consider this your reward for helping me."
A cold glint flashed in Tang San's eyes. Half? This guy might not even be able to get into Shrek Academy. If he took it, wouldn't that be a waste? Besides, Le Zhengyu just said that some of the things in here are real. Once he gets them, they're his.
Besides, this person just said that there are soul beasts here, so... it's understandable that he died at the hands of a soul beast. Le Zhengyu also said that he might have encountered an unexpected event, a powerful soul beast, and died before he could even press the button, which is perfectly reasonable.
Taking advantage of the man's momentary lapse in attention, Tang San used a hidden weapon from the Tang Clan: a sleeve dart.
The man didn't even have time to let out a scream before he fell straight down, the light in his eyes quickly fading.
Tang San didn't even glance at the corpse, and strode towards the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well.
"These magical herbs are all mine."
A smile played at the corners of his lips.
He reached out his hand, about to pluck the nearest magical herb.
Suddenly everything went black, and all the sights disappeared.
Tang San suddenly opened his eyes and heard Le Zhengyu's voice in his ear.
"Tang San is eliminated."