Bai Yangjian and Qing Jiufeng traveled for five days without rest. On the sixth day, they saw Everdawn Academy or at least, the outer regions of Everdawn Academy. 

Everdawn Academy resided in Everdawn City, which was established on a vast plain on Skypetal Continent. However, the term "academy" or "city" didn't fit it as much as calling Everdawn City or Academy a small country. The city was set up by the academy and thus calling the city a country wasn't entirely wrong. If the city was a country then the academy was the governor and sole government of the city. 

Everdawn City covered at least 10,000 square miles and the academy itself is a 1,000 square miles. Its population was at least eight million, meaning there was plenty of land for anyone who lived here. Thousands of businesses were also set up here.

Being that Everdawn Academy was the ruler of the city and was unofficially a country in and of itself, it had no need to pay taxes to anyone and was the one to establish taxes itself. However, the city had an extremely fair and well balance transactional laws and so, many merchants and business men came here to import, export, buy, and sell goods.

There were four eight main gates to the city, each representing the eight directions. Anyone can enter the city by any of the gates beside the southern gates as the academy was located near the southern gates and only students, teachers, special permitted individuals, and those who are signing up for the academy can actually enter them. 

The Cloud Drift Swallow of Yangjian and Jiufeng was flying towards the Southeast Gate. Thousands of people were gathering outside the city's gates and even more were coming in. In the air, dozens of the other Cloud Drift Swallows, that were carrying at least two passengers, were descending down and dropping off their riders. 

"Big Brother Yang, this is..." 

"Huh, it started a lot earlier than me and grandpa thought." Yangjian had a confuse look on his face. "Strange, very strange. Although this is a little odd, on the bright side, you can join the academy's recruitment of new students starting now!" 

"Now?" Jiufeng had a blank expression on his face as he stared down. 

"Don't worry about it, I'll tell you everything about his school's assessment once we're down."

.....

Yangjian and Jiufeng got off the Cloud Drift Swallow and join the large crowd of people. 

"Man, I really should've talked about this when we were flying, but it's not too late, so I can say tell now," Yangjian excitedly said. "You already know about that the school's assessment for their new student which is that their age must be below 13, they must have a cultivation of Body Transformation Stage 9, and must defeat a 3-cycled Spirit Cycle Golem. If you pass it, you can join the academy! However, this is actually the school's most famous assessment and only one of two. The reason as to why it's so popular is because of all those spoiled brats from top-level factions. These brats have strong background, meaning that they have top cultivation techniques and manuals. This is a school that train monsters to become deities! How can the advantage of background allow them to join Everdawn? So the academy made this assessment for them, to truly pick out the strongest of the bunch. Anyone who doesn't pass can either come back next year if they haven't reach the age of 13 or join the outer court." 

Yangjian continued. "However, this assessment is also a little unfair, in a way. Why go through a tough assessment only to end up at such a low position? The reason as to why people take this is because of what happens if you pass it. If you pass the assessment, you get to join the inner court of the academy, something that only one out of five hundred students in the outer court each year can do!" 

"The other assessment of the academy is a little different. The rule still apply that you must be under 13 years old, but the assessment is that if you have a cultivation below Body Transformation Stage 9, but above Stage 5, you can join the Outer Court." Yangjian took a deep breath. "This is for those students with weak and lower backgrounds."

"To be honest, knowing these two assessments won't do you much good, since Grandpa Hai already decided for you to join by doing the Inner Court assessment since he wants you to join the hard way. However, the more you know!" Yangjian smiled as he patted the back of a moody-faced Jiufeng.

.....

Two hours later, a horn sound thundered from the walls of Everdawn City. The horn sound echoed all around for two minutes as the Southeast Gates of Everdawn City opened! 

A group of hundred people in black clothing walked out from the gate and greeted the crowds. They clasped their hand a bowed slightly to the crowd. 

"We of Everdawn Academy greet all fellow cultivators who came here for the annual recruitment assessment! As you all have been waiting for a long time, let us begin the assessment immediately!" The group all said in sync.

The group then set up thirty tables where three people would occupy each. Nine people were behind them, setting up three large mirrors and the last remaining person was sitting in a chair supervising everything. At the same this was happening, another two group from two other southern gates were doing a similar process. 

The crowd split up into thirty lines that corresponded to the thirty tables. In the fifth line to the far right, Yangjian and Jiufeng were also standing in the line. 

"Big Brother, what are those three mirrors behind the tables for?" Jiufeng inquired.

"Those three mirrors are called the Revelation Mirrors. The Revelation Mirrors were created to determine the cultivation level and age of anyone who stood before it. It was created so that anyone who are taking the assessment don't cheat in any of the requirements," Yangjian calmly explained. "At the same time, they have teleportation arrays built in them for anyone who is willing to do the Inner Court assessment. All you have to do is walk into it and you'll be sent into a different dimension where the Spirit Cycle Golem is located and ready for battle." 

Jiufeng nodded and sigh as he look at the line. The line almost seemed endless as at least a thousand people were in front of him, waiting for the assessment. 

"This is going to take a while, huh?" 

.....

From ahead of the lines, behind the tables where black-clothed people were giving out different tickets that were labeled with different assessment numbers, a man shouted, "Age 25; Cultivation level: Body Transformation Stage 9?! So what if you're at ninth stage? You dare come here when your age is twice the maximum?! Also, what is with this trashy level at such an age?! You think you can weasel your way in here by using such a crappy disguising technique?! Get the hell out!!!!" 

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

A young boy, who didn't even appeared to be twelve, was thrown into the air. The boy flew away from the line and the city region in general as he landed directly into a forest tree. 

He screamed miserably as he clearly felt his spine broke. However, despite being thrown for tens of miles away, he wasn't bleeding and only appeared as though he had minor back problem. 

"Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! How is that possible? I used the [Hundred Transformation Secret Art]!" The boy loudly cursed as punch the ground numerous times. "Damn that old witch, she told me that Revelation Mirror shouldn't be able to get pass the secret art and it wasn't that powerful!" 

The boy cursed as screams of despair and madness cries out in the forest. 

.....

"What was that?" Jiufeng only saw a screaming black shadow flew pass him. 

"Probably some loser who thought he could trick the mirrors. Lots of people use disguising technique that conceal their appearance, but in actuality, the mirrors determine one's age by their bones." Yangjian smile slightly.

However, both were stunned as another human figure flew pass them while screaming, again.

.....

"Outer Court assessment: Number 682-Age: 10; Cultivation: Body Transformation Stage 7. Pass!"

"Outer Court assessment: Number 768-Age: 11; Cultivation: Body Transformation Stage 7. Pass!"

"Outer Court assessment: Number 1172-Age: 9; Cultivation: Body Transformation Stage 5. Pass!"

"Inner Court assessment: Number 17-Age: 11; Cultivation: Half-Step Spirit Cycle! Go inside."

A black-clothed administrator patiently spoke to a silver-dress wearing girl as she walked in front of the Revelation Mirror. She then stepped into the mirror and then submerge into it. 

Countless eyes all stare at the mirror she entered to. Less than a minute later, the girl emerged from the mirror, but with blood flowing from her head and left arm dangling loosely. 

The black-clothed administrator coldly said to the girl, "Number 17, failed!"

An old man appeared beside the girl with a bitter expression. They transformed into rays of red light and disappeared. 

The administrator calmly and coldly said to the next person waiting in front of the mirror, "Next!"

.....

Jiufeng and Yangjian were already in the front of their line as they saw the Number 17 girl failed the Inner Court assessment. 

"That girl was at the Half-Step Spirit Cycle like me, but failed?" Jiufeng furrowed his eyebrow slightly.

"Mm, the Inner Court assessment is extremely hard after all, especially for those of Half-Step Spirit Cycle. They are generally above Body Transformation Stage 9, so the school would assign them to fight a peak-level 3-cycled Spirit Cycle Golem, unlike the regular one which is only at the early-level." 

In the past, many found a loophole in the Academy's Inner Court assessment and so trained all the way to the Half-Step Spirit Cycle Realm to make their battle with the Golem much easier. However, the Academy immediately found the flaw on the first day of the loophole so they changed the Golem's strength when battling Half-Step Spirit Cycle youngsters from early 3-cycle to peak 3-cycle, which represented a 50% boost in power!

"Here's your ticket." Another administrator gave Jiufeng a ticket with the number '19' on it. 

"Thank you," Jiufeng politely said before he walked to the line before the Revelation Mirrors. The administrator smiled slightly and turned his head around. However, once he did and saw Yangjian, he gasps. 

"Yo-Yo-Young Master-" 

However, before he could finish, Yangjian put on a finger to his lips and shushed the administrator. "Aiyah, don't be loud now. I'm only here to accompany my younger brother." 

The administrator nodded his head and went back to his duties. After that, Yangjian left the line and walked to side, waiting for Jiufeng. 

.....

"Next!" 

Jiufeng walked to the mirror and gave an administrator his ticket. The administrator nodded as the mirror surface glowed with a white light. The light soon dimmed and words appeared on the mirror surface and the administrator said them loudly.

"Inner Court assessment: Number 19-Age: 10; Cultivation: Half-Step Spirit Cycle! You may go in." 

As the administrator announce his information loudly, numerous eyes landed on Jiufeng. Although he couldn't see them, he can tell that there were people looking at him, looking with mockery, curiosity, and jealously. 

Like everyone who took the Inner Court assessment, Jiufeng put a foot into the mirror and then complete stepped into it. 

The moment he stepped in, Jiufeng arrived on a stone platform in a glassy plain and the mirror behind him vanished. The platform was 50 feet in radius and on the opposite end of where he stood, a stone giant was sitting down. 

The stone giant open its eyelid which revealed a pair of golden orbs and then it open it mouth. "Report your name." 

The stone giant had a rusty, old voice as it spoke out. Jiufeng clasped his hand and said, "Qing Jiufeng, sir." 

"You must knock me off the platform to defeat me." The stone giant quickly got up and it emitted a wave of power, revealing the power of Spirit Cycle! "Qing Jiufeng, prepare yourself."

The Spirit Cycle Golem lunged towards Jiufeng and punched out. Jiufeng also punched out and their fist collided! Jiufeng was knocked back slightly, but then use the [Rain Dragon Steps] to stabilize himself. The golem once again advance towards him, but he punched out again as well! 

"[Pentawave Surging Fist], One Wave!" A faint ripple appeared where he punched out and the air in front of him distorted. 

Boom! 

The golem stopped in its track as it felt an invisible wave course through it. The golem shivered slightly and took a step back.

However, Jiufeng took this exact time to strike out once again, but instead, directly to the golem's chest. The golem shiver even more and took another step back. 

"It's working!" Jiufeng's eyes gleamed with a viciousness as he sent in more punches. However, on the 17th punch, the golem took two steps back and kicked up. 

The golem's foot struck Jiufeng's chin and he was sent skyward. It then jumped up and grabbed his head and then, smashed it down onto the platform. 

Boom! 

Large cracks formed on the platform as the sound of cracking bones sounded under the golem's hand. However, the golem was immediately sent flying as well. Jiufeng, with blood flowing from his mouth, appeared from the rubbles and dashed towards the golem and sent another "One Wave" punch! 

The golem was knocked back even further and then landed on the grassy plain, 4 feet away from the stone platform! Once he saw the golem off the platform, Jiufeng sat down, cross-legged, and took deep breathes. He circulated his cultivation base and gathered natural energy into him. 

Moments later, the golem got up and stood before him. "Congratulations, Qing Jiufeng. You have successfully knocked me off the platform and have pass the Inner Court assessment." 

The golem waved his hand and, as though time reversed, the platform was restored to its original state, Jiufeng's injuries healed, and the mirror appeared once again. The golem then threw a golden medallion at Jiufeng. 

Jiufeng caught it and looked at it. A hexagonal star, two wings, and a crown; the symbol of Everdawn Academy. 

"That is your Inner Court Medallion. From this day on, you're not just a student of Everdawn Academy; you are a disciple of the Inner Court." The golem formed a rigid smile to Jiufeng. "Now, get out. There's at least another thousand people out there waiting." 

Jiufeng smiled and walked into the mirror. Ripples like one on water appeared on the mirror surface and then he returned back to Southeastern Gate. 

.....

Below the Southeastern Gate, the surface of the mirror Jiufeng entered the separate dimension through rippled as he walk out. 

In his hand was a golden Everdawn Academy Medallion that the administrators saw. The cold faced administrator that yelled at Number 17 before walked up to Jiufeng and said, "Wait on the sidelines. Once today's examination is over, we shall take you and anyone else who passes the Inner Court assessment to your dorms." 

Jiufeng clasped his hand, bowed, and walked over to where Yangjian was standing and smiling. 

"Everdawn Academy." Jiufeng held up the golden medallion under the view of many envious eyes. The golden medallion of Everdawn Academy Inner Court glinted as the Sun's rays hit it. From this day on, he would be a student at Everdawn Academy, a disciple of the Inner Court!