Three academy teachers stood at a distance from the Skill Pavilion, watching from afar.
"How long has our Holy Light Envoy been inside the Skill Pavilion?" asked Lubu, the teacher dressed in black.
"I received word a few minutes ago that he's already entered the pavilion," replied Fa Li, another teacher holding a staff, as he gazed at the Skill Pavilion.
"It's been that long?" said Tie Zhan, the third teacher, with a look of surprise on his face.
"So, he's chosen the ability test?" Lubu's eyes flashed with a hint of surprise as he mused, "Is he unwilling to accept even a three-star skill?"
"This otherworldly student is certainly ambitious. Although the skill pillar's judgment is based on theoretical strength and might not be entirely accurate, the margin of error isn't usually that large," Fa Li said, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the Skill Pavilion. "Is he confident or just ignorant for choosing the ability test so rashly?"
"Young people have a spirit of adventure, which is always good. Even if he fails, it's no big deal!" Tie Zhan said with an amused smile.
Meanwhile, not far from the entrance of the Skill Pavilion, a large crowd had gathered. Twenty to thirty students from Skyward Academy were already present, including members of the enforcement squad.
For instance, Grey, who had been too intimidated by Jiang Chen to make a move earlier, was standing with his giant sword on his back, staring intently at the Skill Pavilion. Jian Qi Heng Qiu and his group were also curiously standing behind the crowd, joining in the excitement.
"Wow! Is this where you learn skills? It's so lively!" said a male warrior who had just arrived with two other players. He wore a white scholar's robe with a prominent "Qian" character printed on it, clearly a costume.
If Jiang Chen were here, he would immediately recognize this man, as his ID was "Qian Xingtianxia"!
To his left was a male mage named "Zainxia Faye," about thirty years old.
On his right was a female priest holding a staff, looking no older than twenty, with a charming appearance and the ID "Late-night Fairy."
This was a standard "warrior-mage-priest" trio, and they had arrived in Skyward City before Jian Qi Heng Qiu's group.
Earlier, Qing Ying had mentioned to Jiang Chen that a team had arrived at Skyward Academy, referring to these three.
"Brother Grey, you're here too?" Qian Xingtianxia approached the crowd and greeted Grey. He knew Grey because their team's welcoming ceremony had been conducted by Grey. Unsurprisingly, the three of them were no match for Grey alone.
However, they didn't suffer a prolonged beating and were swiftly knocked off the martial arts stage. This wasn't because Grey was particularly kind-hearted, but because Qian Xingtianxia, realizing they couldn't win, had simply said, "Harmony brings wealth," and then generously handed over 100 gold coins, easily avoiding a beating.
This scene had left the other students dumbfounded at the time.
"What's going on?" Grey asked Qian Xingtianxia, who had greeted him.
"Brother Grey, is someone inside learning skills?" Qian Xingtianxia pointed at the Skill Pavilion.
"That's right," Grey nodded.
"I want to learn skills too. Can I go in now?" Qian Xingtianxia looked at the Skill Pavilion, eager to try.
"Wait. The Skill Pavilion is special; it only has a single space," Grey explained impatiently, frowning. If he hadn't been paid, he wouldn't have bothered responding to Qian Xingtianxia.
Seeing this, Qian Xingtianxia wisely refrained from asking further questions. In his view, as long as he could strike up a conversation, the 100 gold coins were well spent. After all, this Grey was indeed formidable.
Just then, three more figures approached.
Two of them were graceful and beautiful, while the third was a little girl whose looks were absolutely stunning. These three were Qing Ying, Tao Xiaoyao, and Yuna.
"Brother Mortal World is really famous at Skyward Academy now! We didn't even know, but the students here already know he's here to choose skills," Qing Ying remarked, looking at the gathered crowd.
"I wonder how many stars Brother Mortal World will get for his skills. The skill pillar's judgment seems a bit odd. It judged me as three stars, but Brother Mortal World is a hundred times stronger than me, so why is he also three stars?" Tao Xiaoyao said, puzzled, as she looked at the Skill Pavilion.
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"Big brother is in the Skill Pavilion..." Yuna gazed longingly at the pavilion ahead, walking forward on her own. She went straight to the front of the crowd, as if standing closer would let her see Jiang Chen inside the pavilion. This drew the attention of those around her.
"Does Skyward Academy have such young students?" Qian Xingtianxia asked curiously.
"Tsk tsk, such beauty, truly a rare gem!" Zainxia Faye's eyes lit up. He looked at Yuna and couldn't help but lick his lips.
"Old Fa, I know what you're thinking. Control your disgusting fetish," Qian Xingtianxia glanced at Zainxia Faye beside him and then said, "But that little Lolita is indeed stunning. I've never seen anyone so beautiful in real life. If she were a bit older, I might be tempted too."
"You dare say such things in front of me!" Late-night Fairy, the priest beside them, pouted in dissatisfaction.
"Old Fa has that fetish, but I don't," Qian Xingtianxia replied.
"Hehe..." Zainxia Faye chuckled, feeling a bit itchy as he said, "Young Master Qian, I want to go say hello."
Qian Xingtianxia smiled, "Go ahead. I heard you can form partnerships with NPCs too. If you can sign a contract and take that Lolita away, I'll reward you with 1000 gold coins!"
"You say you don't have that fetish!" Late-night Fairy pouted even more, shaking Qian Xingtianxia's arm.
"Alright, I'll buy you a bag when we get to the magic city," Qian Xingtianxia waved his hand.
"That's more like it," Late-night Fairy smiled sweetly.
Zainxia Faye quickly walked forward.
He approached Yuna, cheerfully asking, "Little girl, are you a student at Skyward Academy?"
"Hmm?" Yuna looked over with a hint of confusion, her eyes carrying a touch of timidness, making her look adorably pitiful.
Zainxia Faye's eyes brightened even more, and he immediately said, "It must be boring staying in the academy all the time, right?"
"I... don't know you," Yuna said, taking two steps back in fear.
"Don't be afraid, I'm a good person. If you're bored, I can take you out to play," Zainxia Faye took a step closer.
The more he saw Yuna's frail appearance, the more a fire burned in his heart. He didn't even realize that his face had turned red from the rush of blood.
This made Yuna even more frightened.
Zainxia Faye became even more excited, his eyes slightly red as he hoarsely said, "Don't be afraid."
Then, as if possessed, he reached out his hand toward Yuna.
Not far away, Qing Ying and Tao Xiaoyao noticed this scene, their expressions changing slightly.
"Isn't that the guy from the trio earlier? What's that creepy guy doing!" Qing Ying's eyes flashed with anger as she walked forward. Tao Xiaoyao quickly followed.
However, they had only taken a few steps when they saw several figures swiftly move in front of Yuna. Leading them was Grey!
"What are you doing?" Grey asked, pressing his giant sword against Zainxia Faye's forehead.
For a moment, Zainxia Faye felt a cold sensation on his forehead.
He shivered, stopping in his tracks, his outstretched hand frozen in mid-air.
"What do you mean by this?" Zainxia Faye asked, looking at Grey with a serious expression.
"This is my boss, now get lost!" Grey said coldly.
"Boss?" Zainxia Faye was taken aback.
"It's a misunderstanding, Brother Grey, he's one of us," Qian Xingtianxia quickly stepped forward to mediate.
"Who said he's one of us? Take your teammate and get lost!" Grey said mercilessly.
"Old Fa, stand down," Qian Xingtianxia said, taking a deep breath and reminding himself, "Don't get angry, he's just an NPC."
Then, he and Zainxia Faye retreated to the side with unpleasant expressions.
Grey looked at Yuna, who still seemed a bit unsettled, and respectfully called her boss.
"He's really the boss? That's unbelievable!" Qian Xingtianxia was left dumbfounded by Grey's actions.
Zainxia Faye's face showed some reluctance, but he dared not approach again.
At that moment, the crowd erupted in exclamations.
"Look, the fourth floor of the Skill Pavilion is lit up!"
"It really is. He's just joined the academy and already lit up four floors?"
"This Mortal World junior is amazing!"
...
All eyes turned to the Skill Pavilion. The five-story pavilion now had four floors illuminated.
"I heard you get as many stars as the floors you light up. That's awesome!" Qian Xingtianxia stared at the Skill Pavilion, his eyes filled with longing.
"Young Master Qian, if you get a five-star skill, you'll be the top warrior in the national server!" Zainxia Faye boasted beside him.
"Top warrior in the national server? I want to be the top in all classes. I'm definitely getting a five-star skill!" Qian Xingtianxia said excitedly, "I hope that guy inside hurries up!"
A bit further away, three middle-aged men were also watching the Skill Pavilion, looking somewhat surprised.
"He really lit up four floors?" Fa Li, holding a staff, raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"This is interesting. Achieving a four-star ability test is completely different from three stars, it's a qualitative change. This Mortal World is unexpectedly strong!" Lubu, dressed in black, had a hint of delight in his eyes.
"However, he should come out now. Achieving a five-star ability test at this stage is impossible," Fa Li said, his face returning to calm as he made his judgment.
"Indeed, it's impossible. No student has ever obtained a five-star skill on their first try," said Tie Zhan, who wore a sword at his waist, with a thoughtful expression. "Even Qian Ye and Yan Changfeng, the top lords, only obtained five-star skills from the Skill Pavilion just before leaving the academy."
"These two were so dominant at the time that their peers couldn't compete, and no student from the eight major academies could match them," the three academy teachers continued their discussion.
...
Inside the Skill Pavilion.
In the space magnified dozens of times, Jiang Chen stood on a hexagram magic array, with an angelic silhouette above his head.
In front of him was a white healing light connecting to the Fire Wyvern's clone in mid-air. Although this clone looked identical to the real Fire Wyvern, its level and quality were inferior.
After all, this was just a replica conjured within the Skill Pavilion. However, even as a replica, it was a genuine Platinum-level BOSS with 2 million health points, stronger than any BOSS Jiang Chen had faced before.
But to Jiang Chen, it posed no threat.
At this moment, the Fire Wyvern clone's health had already been reduced by 55% and was rapidly decreasing. Earlier, when the BOSS's health dropped by 30%, Jiang Chen noticed that four segments of light had already lit up on the skill pillar, indicating that he had passed the four-star ability test.
"This five-star ability test must require completely defeating the BOSS!" Jiang Chen muttered to himself.
Then, the BOSS flapped its wings and swooped down quickly.
"Shield Block!" Jiang Chen shouted.
The knight clone nearby immediately raised its shield, which glowed with golden light.
Jiang Chen sidestepped and took cover behind his knight ally.
"Clang!" A piercing collision sound rang out.
The BOSS's claw struck the shield, sending sparks flying.
Jiang Chen seized the opportunity to cast a Healing Spell.
-2730!
A white light descended, and the BOSS took damage.
Jiang Chen quickly ran to the front side, pulling the BOSS away from the knight. He couldn't let the knight die, as the Shield Block skill was still useful.
He also refrained from bringing in his mage and warrior teammates, fearing their deaths might affect the test results. After all, he could handle the BOSS solo.
Soon, the Fire Wyvern clone flew toward Jiang Chen.
A fire serpent shot out from the BOSS's mouth.
This was the BOSS's [Dragon Flame Breath], which spewed a 20-meter-long breath for 10 seconds, dealing 750 fire damage.
Jiang Chen chose not to take it head-on. White wings suddenly appeared behind him, allowing him to fly into the air and dodge the attack. He then quickly landed, retracted his wings, and cast another Healing Spell.
-5460! (Double Cast)
The BOSS's health continued to drop. Whether it was the swooping claws or the fiery breath, Jiang Chen could easily handle them.
Defeating the BOSS was just a matter of time. And it wouldn't take long!
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