"What is it?"
Before Tang Yu could react, a seven-colored mist rose from the end of the withered forest in the distance!
"The first student to reach the finish line has appeared, with a time of... 1 minute and 15 seconds... please other students continue to work hard..."
The referee at the finish line was dumbfounded when he read out the time.
They had done a trial run when designing the challenge, and the fastest time was at least 5 minutes, and that was for someone with a high-speed flying summon and no obstacles.
They never expected someone to complete it in just fifteen seconds!
Fortunately, the finish line was set up in advance, otherwise, if the students reached the finish line before the referee, it would be awkward.
Hearing the announcement, all the students were stunned.
"What the heck? I just got on my summon beast, and someone's already at the finish line?"
"Are you kidding me? Thirty kilometers in 1 minute and 15 seconds? Is this speed cheating?"
"Listen to me, thank you. My snail has only walked 30 meters, and you've walked 30 kilometers!"
"With this kind of speed, it's probably only Tang Yu who could do it!"
"Isn't Tang Yu flying in the sky? The divine beast Chi Yu, it's so obvious!"
"Could someone be faster than a flying divine beast? This... this is too unreasonable..."
"I did see something fly past just now, but it was too fast, I couldn't see clearly..."
Despite their astonishment, the speed of the challenge did not stop.
Soon, the 2-hour time limit arrived, and only half of the people had crossed the withered forest within the allotted time.
The rest were directly eliminated.
Everyone was speculating who had won first place, and some even thought there was a equipment malfunction and it was impossible for anyone to achieve such a result.
No one noticed Mo Ran, who was playfully coaxing little Chen on a nearby tree.
But Tang Yu, as the second-place finisher, knew very well who was first.
Although he couldn't see clearly from a distance, judging by the attire and figure, it should be Mo Ran.
"Dad, there's a slight problem here. The first place in the first round isn't me, but a girl in black, who has a very strange summon creature."
Tang Yu stood at the edge of the arena, letting Chi Yu spread its wings to shield him, before secretly contacting his father.
"How is that possible? You have the divine beast Chi Yu, and you still lost?"
Tang Zhentian said in surprise.
"Losing is not terrifying, after all, this world is full of strong people, I can accept failure... but..."
"The one who defeated me this time is a civilian summoner. You know, the four major summoner families have monopolized 80% of the strong people in the world."
"The remaining 20% of the strong people, and other semi-strong individuals, are also basically monopolized by other families."
"Here... civilian summoners have never been able to enter the hall of fame. If everyone discovers that civilian summoners can not only become strong people, but even stronger... I'm afraid the status of nobles and royalty won't be preserved!"
Tang Yu said calmly.
He didn't care about personal gains or losses, but rather about family honor and the ingrained discrimination against civilians.
"I understand, I will send someone to handle this matter, and also... for the next challenge, you do as I say..."
Tang Zhentian narrowed his eyes and instructed.
Clang! Clang!
Two gong sounds drew everyone's attention again. The host of the academy stood on a large rock and said excitedly:
"First of all, congratulations to everyone for obtaining the qualification to become a summoner. We look forward to you continuing to strive in the subsequent competitions and achieving dazzling results. The top five with the best results will directly advance to become Bronze level summoners!"
"The next challenge is a two-on-two battle. Two people will be randomly selected to compete against each other, and the winner will advance to the next stage."
"This is not only a test of strength but also of your luck. Even if you are eliminated in this round, don't worry. The mentors will pay attention to your performance. As long as you demonstrate your due strength, it is still a glorious defeat!"
"Next, those whose numbers I call will enter the arena behind me to compete!"
Then the host began to call out the numbers.
Groups of contestants entered the arena.
However, after a short while, some people were defeated and retreated, their speed being remarkably fast.
If one observed more closely, one would notice that those who were defeated were all scions of the four great families.
Each of them possessed powerful summoning abilities, but upon entering the arena, they immediately surrendered and withdrew from the competition.
"This... what is going on?"
The host was a bit bewildered. He had never seen such a strange situation.
Duels were the segments that the aristocratic children loved the most. With their summon beasts, skills, and equipment, they had a congenital advantage and could even easily crush civilian contestants of the same level.
This was their chance to shine.
But this time it seemed very strange; everyone chose to voluntarily forfeit.
Soon, the second round ended.
About half of the people remained on the field. Most of these remaining people were civilian disciples, with only a few aristocratic disciples among them.
Mo Ran, being the first to successfully complete the challenge, received a bye and advanced directly.
"Hmm? These guys are really strange... Why did they leave without fighting?"
Mo Ran tilted her head, watching Tang Yu walk past her with a smug expression.
He's so smug even after losing?
And Tang Yu looked at Mo Ran with a hint of schadenfreude in his eyes.
"Well... next is the third round, the White Bone Mountain Defense Battle!"
"Everyone unite and defend White Bone Mountain. During this period, a large number of monsters will surge out."
"The conditions for victory are to hold out for a full 5 hours, or to kill all the monsters!"
As the host spoke, he led everyone to a canyon.
The area was filled with the stark white bones of beasts, giving it a very eerie and terrifying appearance.
The remaining two hundred or so people were placed on a small mound.
Traces of defensive fortifications left by previous battles remained on it, but they were dilapidated due to the passage of time.
High cliffs flanked both sides, and the canyon stretched endlessly forward.
If the monster numbers were sufficient, this small mound would easily be surrounded, and there would be no retreat.
"This round seems a bit outrageous. I remember last year's third round was three hundred summoners against five hundred monsters, but this time it's directly a defense battle!"
"It's called a defense battle, but the monsters in this canyon are endless. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say there are tens of thousands!"
"Did those aristocratic families know something, so they withdrew in advance? Anyway, they come from good backgrounds, and even if they don't fight desperately, mentors will guide them!"
"Alas, we can't compare to them. Their summon beasts have been trained since childhood, while we are bound by whatever we get. Different people, different fates!"
Mo Ran stood calmly on the periphery of the field, frowning as she chatted with Little Chen Chen.
"What? You're hungry? How can I find food for you in this desolate place!"
"A red bird? Don't think about that. Once we pass the competition, I'll take you to eat fried chicken!"
Splat!
Suddenly, a large piece of bloody mutton fell into the valley, and the smell of blood instantly permeated the air.
In a short while, the ground began to tremble, and then, dense black dots appeared in the distance...