CHAPTER 17 — "THE THREE GREAT TRIALS ANNOUNCED"
The Azure Dragon Academy plaza vibrated with life — a living storm of ambition, fear, and excitement. Nearly eight hundred thousand participants gathered, packed shoulder-to-shoulder like a sea of hopeful warriors.
Above them, four colossal dragon statues glowed faintly in the morning sunlight, casting enormous shadows across the ground.
Long Hao and Ouyang Xue'er stood among the crowd, though their presence alone seemed enough to shift the air around them. She stood quietly and elegantly, drawing glances from every direction, while Long Hao remained relaxed, hands in pockets, as if none of this mattered.
Drums thundered.
A floating platform descended from the sky.
A man in deep-blue robes stepped forward — tall, middle-aged, with graying hair and sharp, hawk-like eyes. His very aura silenced the plaza.
He raised his hand.
Instant hush.
"Welcome, young talents!"His voice boomed like thunder, shaking the air."Welcome to the Azure Dragon Academy Entrance Examination!"
Cheers erupted — followed immediately by shouts and nervous murmurs.
The instructor spread his arms.
"This year, the turnout is magnificent! Warriors from dozens of kingdoms, noble heirs, clan prodigies, rogue cultivators — all of you stand here hoping to tread the path of legends!"
His gaze hardened.
"But Azure Dragon Academy does not accept the weak."
The crowd tensed.
A massive hologram flickered into existence above him — three glowing pillars.
He pointed to the first.
⭐ STAGE 1 — TALENT SIGIL CHECK
"Every participant will undergo a Talent Sigil Check."
People nodded. This was expected.
"But," the instructor added coldly,"only Gold-tier talents or above may qualify for Stage 2."
A dead silence swept across the plaza.
Then—
"What?!""No way—!""Gold? Minimum?!""That's impossible!""I'm Silver High-Rank! I trained for years!!""This is insane! What about Bronze? We have potential too!""They're basically killing our dreams!"
Chaos exploded.
Students shouted, cursed, argued, pleaded with instructors who weren't even listening.Shockwaves rippled outward like a crashing tide.
Long Hao watched it all with faint amusement.
Xue'er giggled softly. "They always react like this."
Long Hao raised an eyebrow. "Because the academy is cruel?"
She shook her head lightly. "Because they are realistic."
More than half the participants already looked defeated.
The instructor's voice sliced through the noise:
"Those who are below Gold-rank may leave now. There is no reason to attempt further stages."
A long moment of frozen disbelief followed.
Then—
Like a wave breaking—
People began leaving.
First hundreds.Then thousands.Then tens of thousands.
The plaza visibly thinned as Bronze and Silver ranks slumped away, some crying, others silent with heartbreak.
"This academy is impossible…""I traveled across the continent for nothing…""Only Gold can enter…? Damn…""Even nobles can't stay…"
Participants fled like retreating soldiers.
Xue'er exhaled softly. "And so the elimination begins."
Long Hao smirked. "Efficient."
The instructor continued.
"This academy shapes legends, not mediocrities. We do not care about your status, family name, wealth, or royal blood."
He glanced meaningfully at several noble groups — who suddenly stiffened.
"We only care about talent and strength."
He gestured toward the remaining crowd — vastly smaller now, though still enormous.
"If you are still here," he said calmly,"then you either believe in your talent… or believe in your arrogance."
A subtle smirk curled on his lips.
"We welcome both."
Xue'er smiled faintly.Long Hao let out an amused breath.
⭐ STAGE 2 — MONSTER HUNTING TRIAL
The instructor pointed to the second glowing pillar.
"The second stage will be the Monster Hunting Trial."
He gestured, and an enormous illusion appeared — a vast artificial hunting ground filled with forests, broken temples, cliffs, rivers, and spirit beast nests.
"You will enter this realm and earn points by killing monsters."
A point chart appeared:
Bronze Beast → 1 point
Silver Beast → 5 points
Gold Beast → 20 points
Rare Elite Variant → bonus evaluation
Gasps echoed.
"The higher your point count, the higher your ranking."
A young man shouted, "What about safety?!"
The instructor smirked.
"There is none."
Silence.
"Of course, our healers will rescue you before death… if you're lucky."
Nervous laughter.Swallowed gulps.
Xue'er whispered, "This stage is easier for divine talents."
Long Hao nodded. "And for assassins."
A small blush dusted her cheeks."You mean… for your type."
He gave her a sideways look."You noticed."
She smiled mischievously."I notice everything about you."
Long Hao looked away, clearing his throat.
⭐ STAGE 3 — HAND-TO-HAND COMBAT
The instructor pointed to the final pillar.
"And the last stage — Hand-to-Hand Combat."
Four massive circular arenas rose from the ground, rumbling like awakening beasts. The air vibrated as ancient dragon patterns lit up on their surfaces.
"These four arenas represent physical combat dominance. Participants will be divided evenly."
A hologram displayed:
Arena 1 — Raw StrengthArena 2 — Extreme SpeedArena 3 — Technique MasteryArena 4 — Mixed Combat
"No weapons. No sigils. No abilities."
The crowd gasped.
"This stage tests only your foundation and fighting spirit."
Long Hao's eyes sharpened.He looked almost excited.
Xue'er glanced at him."You seem eager."
"Old habit," he replied.
She giggled. "A dangerous one."
The instructor raised his hand again for silence.
"Only those who survive Stage 1 will earn the right to take Stage 2."
He paused.
"And only those who excel in Stage 2 will reach Stage 3."
He let the words linger.
"Pass all three stages… and you will earn the honor of entering Azure Dragon Academy."
The plaza erupted into awe and fear.
Long Hao felt Xue'er's shoulder brush his.She stood tall, radiant, unshakable.
"Are you ready?" she asked softly.
Long Hao smirked.
"For this?"He shrugged.
"I barely warmed up."
Her cheeks flushed faintly."You're way too confident."
"And you like that."
She looked away — flustered."W-well… maybe."
"Last announcement," the instructor called.
"All participants below Gold tier — if you have not left yet, please do so now."
A final wave of despair swept through the plaza.
Dozens of Bronze and Silver ranks sobbed and walked away.Elite Silvers cursed their fate.Many swore to return next year.A few tried to beg — but Azure Dragon instructors did not negotiate.
In the end, the crowd shrank dramatically.
From hundreds of thousands…to a much smaller, denser core of true competitors.
The air thickened.The pressure rose.The weaker were gone.Only the ambitious remained.
Long Hao cracked his fingers.
Xue'er smiled, violet-gold eyes glowing.
The instructor's voice boomed one last time:
"Prepare yourselves. Stage One begins soon."
The crowd roared.
And the chapter closed with one final image—
Long HaoandOuyang Xue'er
standing side by side,
as the world's greatest academy prepared to test them.
[CHAPTER ENDS]