Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Fifteen: The Entrance Examination

After Ye Junze returned to his dormitory, he tidied up briefly and then entered the Grand Void Realm once more to cultivate. After hearing what Bai Ze had said today, Ye Junze knew that the world was bound to change. Setting aside those so-called alien forces, the very fact that Bai Ze had mentioned the onset of an era where everyone would cultivate spoke volumes about the importance of strength. For Ye Junze, if he wanted to protect everything he now possessed—his family, his parents, and his quest for truth—he needed to be strong enough. All of these depended on his own power. Thus, Ye Junze wholeheartedly agreed with what Bai Ze had said about the necessity of continuously becoming stronger.

After all, no one can truly see into another's heart, and no one knows what some people might do to those around them once they gain power. The only thing Ye Junze could do was increase his own strength, becoming so formidable that others would not dare to lay a hand on him or those close to him. Besides, he still had no idea what tomorrow's test would entail. In any case, it was never wrong to be more prepared before things began.

...

At dawn, Ye Junze awoke from his cultivation in the realm, and his phone suddenly received a message. He opened it and found a notification: "All new students, please proceed to the Trial Grounds before 10 AM for the entrance test! (Location of the Trial Grounds can be found on the 'YingzeNet' map.)" After reading the text, Ye Junze realized there was still plenty of time. He thought for a moment and decided to try ordering breakfast—this seemed to be his first attempt, didn't it? In the past two days, he'd always been mooching off Wang Dongdong, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

Recalling how Wang Dongdong ordered food before, Ye Junze tried calling out, "Order food." Instantly, a familiar projection appeared on the wall, but this time it displayed the dishes from the Anze cafeteria. Emulating Wang Dongdong, Ye Junze selected a few dishes he wanted to try and, after confirming, the projection showed: "Your order has been received and will be delivered shortly. Enjoy your meal."

Looking at the scene before him, Ye Junze couldn't help but sigh again, "This school, whatever else you say, has made ordering food incredibly convenient—it's every homebody's dream come true."

Soon, his breakfast arrived through the familiar teleportation array. After eating quickly, Ye Junze checked the map on 'Yingze' to find the location of the Trial Grounds, then got up to head out. As soon as he stepped outside, he heard a familiar voice, "Junze, morning! You just woke up too? Want to head to the test together?" It was Wang Dongdong.

Ye Junze thought helplessly, "This chubby guy really is everywhere." Despite his thoughts, Ye Junze smiled and said, "Morning! Yeah, let's go together."

On the way, Wang Dongdong said, "Junze, I did some digging yesterday—guess what I found?"

"You brat, now you're learning to keep secrets? Just spit it out," Ye Junze replied with an exasperated smile.

"Heh, just trying to add some mystery," Wang Dongdong paused and then continued, "From what I've heard, the school's entrance test isn't the same for everyone. Apparently, each person experiences something different. The person who told me sounded pretty convincing, so I think it's true."

Hearing this, Ye Junze grew even more curious about the test—it was becoming increasingly tantalizing. Remembering Lin Xin's advice to act with one's heart, this test truly stirred his curiosity.

Noticing Ye Junze was deep in thought, Wang Dongdong asked, "Junze, what are you thinking about? Worried you won't pass?"

"Get lost—you'll be the one not passing," Ye Junze retorted with a laugh, then continued, "I looked into it before; the test is mainly to help us choose the department we're best suited for, so almost everyone passes. Relax."

"Heh, I'm not worried about passing, just wondering if I can get into the Alchemy Department," Wang Dongdong said, his face dreamy.

"People need dreams," Ye Junze paused, then added, "Not that they ever come true."

"There you go again, Junze! Can't you turn off your sharp tongue for once?" Wang Dongdong covered his face in mock sorrow.

"Alright, enough banter. We're almost there—get ready," Ye Junze said, checking the map and adopting a serious tone.

After a while, the two arrived at their destination: a vast open-air plaza. Many people were already gathered there, most of whom were those they'd seen in the council hall before, along with some older, more mature faces—likely upperclassmen here to watch the excitement. Wang Dongdong couldn't help but remark, "This place is huge! Junze, have you noticed that everything at this school is just one word—big!"

Ye Junze laughed, "Do you really think it's just superficial? I bet this place will be used for battles in the future. No one knows how much chaos cultivators might cause."

Wang Dongdong thought it over and said, "Junze, I suddenly think you're absolutely right... But I'm just a gentle chubby guy—I don't want to fight!"

"Whether you want to or not isn't up to you. Come on, let's head over—time's almost up."

The two entered the Trial Grounds and waited as others continued to arrive, anticipating the start of the test.

After some time, the new students all gathered, everyone waiting for the test to begin. "Ding!" At precisely ten o'clock, an electronic voice sounded, "The entrance test is about to begin. Please prepare yourselves." Suddenly, blue light screens rose from all sides of the enormous plaza, enveloping the entire Trial Grounds. From a distance, it looked as if a blue bowl had been overturned, the light flowing like water—beautiful, enchanting, so mesmerizing that one's mind seemed to sink into it.

At that moment, everyone inside the Trial Grounds, for reasons unknown, closed their eyes, as if beyond their own control, all sitting cross-legged on the ground. When Ye Junze noticed this, he tried calling out to Meng Yuan in his sea of consciousness, but Meng Yuan seemed to be avoiding something and refused to respond. Thus, when Ye Junze tried to resist the urge to sleep, he found he could do nothing and finally closed his eyes, sitting cross-legged like everyone else.

Just then, the familiar electronic voice sounded again: "Anze Academy entrance test officially begins!"