Chapter 15: Annual Examination
In the student dorms...
"Brother Fan, we should get going; it's the annual examination. We can't afford to be late," Zhang Xiaohou urged Mo Fan.
"You go ahead; I'll stay back and practice my Control a bit longer," Mo Fan replied.
"Making a last-minute effort, huh?"
The others in the dorm didn't wait for Mo Fan; they left, eager to make it to the examination on time.
The exam wasn't a typical classroom test. While there were exams on Magic Theory, those barely mattered. The true focus was on the annual practical examination—an assessment of each student's cultivation progress over the past year. The results would determine their future class placement.
Mo Fan was late to arrive at the training grounds. Normally, this place was filled with students attending Practical classes, but today it was set up differently. In addition to the examiners' table arranged in a half-circle, there was a floating Star Appraisal Stone at the forefront.
The Star Appraisal Stone resembled a large, black cobblestone, about the size of a watermelon, and was perched atop a stone pillar. This stone was the key to the students' examination.
The annual exam was straightforward, much like the Awakening Ceremony. Students only needed to place their hands on the Star Appraisal Stone, and the examiners would gauge their cultivation progress from the light emitted by the stone.
It was akin to a high school final exam—a single test that could determine a student's fate. In this world, the stakes were the same: continue studying to secure a promising future or pack up and find a different path.
"Remember what I've told you before," the homeroom teacher, Xue Musheng, said passionately. "The brightness of the stardust represents the power of your magic capabilities. Students of Class Eight, the time has come to showcase the fruits of your hard work this year—let your stardust shine!"
"Mr. Xue, I'm afraid I might get expelled," a girl with a tear-streaked face said, her voice trembling. She looked so fragile and worried that it drew sympathy from her classmates.
"Don't be so hard on yourself; you've always put in your best effort. There's no need to be so pessimistic," Xue Musheng reassured her.
"But I'm not smart enough. No matter how much I cultivate every day, my stardust remains so weak," the girl, Zuo Heyu, confessed.
"Hey, don't worry," said Lu Jianhua, the head of Mo Fan's dorm, patting his chest confidently. "Even if you don't meet the requirement, there's still me. As long as there's a Mage in the family, we'll be fine."
"Stop bluffing; you don't even know if you'll make it through yourself!" someone retorted.
"Are you kidding me? Just wait until I place my hands on that stone—the radiance will blind your titanium-alloyed dog eyes!" Lu Jianhua declared with pride and arrogance.
Soon, three examiners arrived at the training grounds.
The examiners were disciplinary teachers, and the students were generally afraid of them.
"Alright, silence!" Xue Musheng called out. "This year's examination will be observed by several school supervisors, so make sure you demonstrate the true essence of a Mage!"
The examiners were tasked with assessing thirty classes of freshmen. The 1,500 students, all clad in Tian Lan Magic High uniforms, stood in formation on the training grounds—a magnificent sight.
As usual, the examination began with a speech from the principal. After that, the school supervisors took turns addressing the students.
When Mu He stepped onto the platform, he painted a vivid picture of a Magician's future, filled with passion.
"Today is a special day," Mu He announced. "We have a distinguished guest with us—the most renowned female Magician of Bo City. At just 15 years old, she was recruited by the Empire Magic Institute. I'm sure many of you have heard of her legacy. Yes, I'm talking about Mu Ningxue! Please, let's give a warm welcome to her—a Magic Genius who's already advanced to university!"
The announcement caused an uproar among the students.
"Heavens, it's Mu Ningxue! I heard that when she awakened the Ice Element, it froze the ground around her."
"Those are just rumors. I've got the real scoop—she mastered Ice Element's primary skill, Ice Scatter, in just eight months."
"Eight months?! I've been here for a year, and I can barely control five stars! How can the difference between people be this huge?"
The school buzzed with excitement as the students discussed Mu Ningxue. It was clear that everyone was familiar with her reputation, but few had actually seen her in person. No one expected to encounter the legendary Magic Genius on exam day.
"Wait but eight months isn't it a bit long for genius?.." In the middle of crowed someone said in a hush tone as they remembered something and as he did most of the students who heard him looked back at the crowd where a young man wearing school uniform was walking towards the like because of his late arrival.
'Was I too late?' Damon wondered as a lot of eyes fell on him as he made his way towards the line but ignored them all and quietly took his place behind Mo Fan in line.
Engrossed into his daily activities Damon almost forgot that today he was supposed to report early due to annual examinations timing so he just left his training in middle and made his way to the school as fast as he could.
On the stage stood the special guests that school invited. A middle aged man with grey hears and sharp eyes that gives away his calculative nature, next to him stood another middle aged man wearing a bit more luxurious outfit and having a sense of authority around him. This were the Mu Brothers who has the highest social status in the Bo City, Mu He a secret member of black Vatican being at rank of Big Deacon and Mu Zhuoyun, the future father in law of protagonist Mo Fan and father of Mu Ningxue.
As Damon identified them a girl with beautiful silver hair stepped forward. Despite the warm and dry weather, she appeared like a Snow Fairy, stepping out of a wintry realm and into the world. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her each step was filled with elegance and radiated a air of nobility and around her.
'Mu Ningxue' Damon recognised her, he was also a bit surprised looking at the girl.
"Brother Fan, you should've eloped with the Little Princess back then…" Zhang Xiaohou remarked, staring in awe at the manifestly superior Mu Ningxue.
"Did you hit your head too hard on the toilet door?" Mo Fan retorted.
"Eh, I wasn't thinking."
"But isn't your sister in law really beautiful" Shaking his head Mo Fan said as he leaned on Zhang Xiaohou's shoulder while looking at the girl with dreamy eyes.
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