She got up early in the morning. It was still dark, but it would take some time to get to the exam location. She had already packed all her things the previous day.

  They got into the carriage and she and her father departed.

  They arrived at the site about three hours before the exam. There were already hundreds of people waiting there.

  The first exam lasted 5 days. It was impossible to test everyone at once, so all candidates were randomly divided into 5 different days. Fate decreed that she participated on the first day.

  “Don't you want to buy something before the exam?” Asked Minnie again trying to sell her something.

  No need for that.

  "After all, you've heard that people are getting killed there. To be safe, you should buy yourself a healing potion of some kind, or perhaps a technique."

  No items are allowed to be brought into the exam area. That would be considered cheating. And I don't need anything else. So screw off, because even without your dumb ass talk, I'm stressed.

  Although she was confident in her abilities she still felt fear.

  They all took the exam together, common people, loose cultivators and children of Outer Court members. In theory, this was supposed to signify the equality of all groups, but it was just for show. In reality, they were not equal. Basically, only the latter group had a chance to get in.

  She looked around, it was already full of people, most were relatives of people's taking the exam.

  Further she had to go alone and leave her father. She would not see him for a long time.

  "We have said goodbye before. There is nothing to be sentimental about. I'll see you in a few years." Said her father. Then he hugged her. "Go away now. Before I cry."

  "Goodbye. And thank you. For everything." She said and left.

  If she is admitted to the academy she will be isolated from her family. Just like her sister, who departed shortly after her birth. Students were expected to focus on cultivation and nothing else.

  She entered the exam area. It was full of people. Mostly ordinary people. There were emaciated and poor children, the kind she had seen many of.

  Even the slightest chance of getting into the Academy was worth risking one's life for. They had nothing anyway, so why not give it a try? Most people with this attitude will die. Not even most, in fact all of them. The first stage was the sieving. That's where the majority died.

  She didn't know what it was all about, it was a mystery, even to her. Despite her confidence, she felt it was worth being the cautions.

  Many people started talking to each other. She wasn't sure if she should approach anyone. She didn't want to make friends with people who would die. It would be painful.

  I should just be so worried about myself. There is no point in making frien-

  Then she felt someone touch her. She abruptly turned around and saw three kids. Two boys and a girl.

  "Hi... Would you like to join us? We saw you standing alone and..."

  "Yeah! Come and join us!"

  “Together we have a better chance.”

  Two of the boys were most likely a commoners judging by their clothes. The girl was most likely loose cultivator.

  Did I look lonely? I didn't intend to make friends, but since they approached on their own, it wouldn't hurt her to exchange a few words with them.

  "I'm just waiting for the exam. But since you insist I can hang out with you."

  “Oh that's great!” The girl said. She was clearly happy to have a person of the same sex in the group.

  “Where are you from?” She continued. "We are from the village of Hue Rit! We have been walking here for five days on our feet! Since we were little we've dreamed of taking this exam."

  It was quite unexpected. The girl seemed to be in a much better situation, so she didn't expect that they were from the same place. There had to be a story behind it.

  "I am from Pualin Town. You probably haven't heard of this place. It's a small town, located almost [1,000] [kilometers] away."

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  "That's very far away!"

  “Silence!” Suddenly a male voice rang out. It was incredibly loud.

  Since there are no speakers here, he must be using some kind of voice amplification technique?

  The entire square fell silent in an instant. Everyone's eyes were directed at a short, rather obese man with a receding hairline. His hair was completely gray, he looked like a kung fu master from the movies.

  "The first stage of recruitment for the elite Eastern Court Cloud Academy has just begun! From this point on, it's too late to back out. The best of you will have the chance to get into Cloud Academy and bring glory to our school!"

  "And now I will begin to read out the names. These persons are to move to the front row. From this point on, the first stage of the exam officially begins."

  The first people began to be called out and started to move forward. There was complete silence. Most people were afraid of cultivators, because they knew that they would not be subject to any consequences, even if they killed someone.

  “Next, May Shang.” Finally, it was her turn.

  After verifying her identity, she went to a rather large wooden Chinese-style building. Inside, she found a woman with long black hair so long that it reached all the way to the floor.

  "The first stage of the exam is to choose the right door. After entering the room you have two minutes to choose the right door in each room, if you don't make it in time you are disqualified. Once you open the door, you can no longer choose to change your pick. In any room, only one door is a valid choice. Any questions."

  "No."

  "Then let's start the exam. From now one you have two minutes to choose one of the doors."

  The woman moved over, two identical wooden doors stood behind her.

  At the top was the inscription: “Do you desire to pass this exam?”

  On one of the doors was an inscription: “I want to” and on the other “I don't want to.”

  Is that it? Is this a trick question? No...

  After a moment's reflection, she understood. It was to reject children who could not read. After all, many beggars and poor people gathered here. Although in theory any child could take part, the sect did not want them. The test was to reject them.

  She chose the correct door and moved on.

  I wonder what's behind the wrong door.

  "Do you want to buy this information? Only 10 mu!"

  Hmm...? Only ten, you say? You know what? Why not.

  "Snakes."

  What?

  "To be more specific, there are twelve snakes in this room." Three Golden Elephant Snakes, two Green Common Mountain Snakes, five Rainbow Pond Snakes, and a pair of Unique Blood Yin Snakes. Each of them is deadly to anyone below the Foundation Establishment stage."

  What the hell?! What is the point of that?

  "Do you want to buy that information for only 3-"

  No I don't!

  The mortality of this exam was no joke.

  Passing through the door she walked through the corridor, it became dark. There were no windows or any other source of light.

  Why is it so dark in here. I can barely see what's written there.

  She squinted, but managed to read the writing: “What is the name of the sect in whose territory we are located?”

  Island Mountain Sect, or Blue Dragon Sect

  Of course, she chose the first door. Moving on to the next corridor, she saw almost nothing anymore.

  I can barely see. Huh, I think I get it now.

  She activated her Qi Sensing and pointed it toward the door, so she was able to read the inscription without any problems. It was infused with Qi energy, so it was easy to read.

  So the first exam was to test one of the basic techniques: Qi Sensing, and it was no problem for her.

  In theory, the exam did not require any cultivation ability. Well, in theory it would also be possible to feel the inscriptions by touch - they were carved into the wood, but this was risky, as it would take much longer. Nevertheless, the exam favored the children of cultivators.

  Despite occasionally hearing odd noises behind some of the doors—she didn't want to know what was inside—she was able to pass through each one without any issues.

  "Congratulations on passing the first part of the exam. Please wait in that place."

  She left the building. There were significantly fewer children left. Many had failed. Now she had to wait until everyone finished the exam.

  It will take some time, there are still a lot of people left on the other side.

  As she waited for the end of the exam she finally saw a familiar face. It was the girl from the beginning who spoke to her. She looked panicked.

  “Didn't you see Liu anywhere?”

  She was already about to ask who was Liu, but May quickly realized that it was probably the name of one of the boys who accompanied her.

  “No. I haven't seen him.”

  "What, but he... He walked long before me.... I don't think it's possible that he..."

  "Nothing is determined yet. Tell me, did he know how to use Qi Sensing?"

  "I... I taught him, but it never went very smoothly for him. He's not very talented. It took him a long time, even a few minutes to expand his Qi Sensing to a couple of centimeters..."

  May was shocked.

  A few minutes? For a few centimeters?

  She was capable of employing her Qi Sensing without delay, even when she had not yet upgraded her talent. The fact that he took all that time must have indicated a complete lack of talent.

  She sincerely doubted that the boy had any chance, but decided not to say anything.

  "Do you think... he has any chance?" The girl asked with sadness and horror in her voice.

  Fuck. I was not supposed to say anything. How do I politely say: the boy is fucked, he's probably dead by now?

  "Well, it could be hard. With such poor Qi Sensing, he didn't stand a chance to make it in time. However, he could still feel it with his hands, the inscriptions were carved into the wood the end, but it's much more difficult."

  “I think I can only be hopeful now.” The girl said.

  Awkward, what's worse I don't even know her name. It would probably be a bit embarrassing to ask now.

  “Wang!” Shouted the girl and immediately started running towards the boy, who had just stepped out.

  “Senlin!”

  Oh well, now I know what they're named.

  "Wait, so you're saying that Liu didn't come out? It's impossible that he died! After all, he... he was most happy about coming here!"

  “But taking everything into consideration, I think that's probably true...” The girl began to cry.

  "I... I will leave you for now."

  She concluded that staying with them would be inappropriate. They had just lost someone important. She had no intention of sticking with them.