26: Dragon Fish Terrace

"Zhu Dong, what's the deal with that fishing rod? We can't project our Spiritual Qi yet, so how can we keep it from dissipating?"

Zhu Dong said, "Brother Qing, you've hit the nail on the head. That rod is specially made to carry Spiritual Qi. Even we can do what was shown in the video, though it depends on the total amount of Spiritual Qi in our shenque acupoint."

"And from what I know, there are three types of rods: 10 meters, 15 meters, and 20 meters."

"To catch big fish, you need a long rod, but that means higher requirements for the total amount and control of Spiritual Qi."

"Personally, I suggest we just use the 10-meter rods."

Xiao Weiqing asked, "How do we get the rods?"

Zhu Dong replied, "They're sold or rented at the Dragon Fish Platform; you need points."

"Zhu Dong, we don't have a single point right now, do we?" someone asked.

Then Qin Sheng spoke up, "The senior who's bringing us tomorrow will rent a rod for each of us for one day. For the remaining six days, we're on our own."

"Damn, if we catch nothing, won't we be spending more than we earn? We'd be screwed!"

Zhu Dong said, "No, there's a specific area at the Dragon Fish Platform for raising Dragon Fish fry. If you have no points, you can go there and feed them Spiritual Qi in exchange for points. I estimate that the points earned in a day should be enough to rent a rod for the next."

"Feeding the fish with ourselves?"

"Pretty much."

Then, everyone began discussing tomorrow's assessment.

Xiao Weiqing turned off his bracelet and continued to Cultivate the Samadhi True Fire Spirit Refining Art. "The Spiritual Qi in my divine palace is nearly one-twentieth full, but that's definitely not enough."

"Cultivate!"

The night passed in silence... The next day.

Xiao Weiqing was in high spirits. After a night of Cultivation, the amount of Spiritual Qi in his shenque acupoint had increased further, and his Qi Fire had been refined to 103 strands.

"Morning, Brother Qing."

A Trainee from Anqiu City greeted him.

After yesterday's two battles, anyone with eyes could see that Xiao Weiqing's strength was in a league of its own in Anqiu City.

This was only the beginning; the power of 'Techniques' hadn't reached its peak yet. Only when everyone opened their Dantian would the advantages of 'Techniques' slowly become apparent.

By then, Xiao Weiqing would surely leave everyone in the dust. He had earned everyone's respect through his own strength.

"Morning."

After eating, the group from Anqiu City gathered at the designated port from yesterday.

Jiang Peng and Wang Fu were already waiting.

"Is everyone here?"

Qin Sheng replied, "52 people, all present."

"Alright, let's head out."

The fifty-plus people boarded a small aircraft.

It quickly took off, leaving Luo Jiang Academy and flying upstream along the Luo River.

Wang Fu said, "I'm sure you all know about this year's entrance assessment for new Trainees. The Dragon Fish Platform—I won't go into details, as you've likely asked around already."

"The assessment is simple: for six and a half days, you'll fish for Dragon Fish to earn points. On the afternoon of the seventh day, you'll be assigned to the Upper, Middle, or Lower Academy based on your point rankings. The Upper Academy has the best resources, followed by the Middle, then the Lower."

"There aren't many requirements, but there are things to watch out for. Fishing for Dragon Fish under one foot long is prohibited. If you catch one, you must release it. If you kill one, you'll be fined 20 points."

"Every year, there are Trainees who end up owing the academy points before they've even officially entered. I don't want you to be among them."

Li Fangnan raised his hand. "Senior."

"Yes?"

"How many points do we need to enter the Upper Academy?"

Through the forums, they already knew that a one-foot Dragon Fish was worth 10 points, a three-foot one was 100 points, and the longer the fish, the more points it was worth.

Wang Fu said, "There's no specific number; it depends on the ranking."

"However, during the Dragon Fish Platform assessment three years ago, the points needed for the Upper Academy were around 1,000, and for the Middle Academy, it was about 400."

"1,000 points? That's so many."

This meant they needed to catch a total of ten three-foot Dragon Fish just to have a chance at the Upper Academy.

They had already seen how cunning three-foot Dragon Fish were in the video yesterday.

Jiang Peng sneered, "Do you still think this is Anqiu City? Geniuses are everywhere here, and those with Grade 3 Extraordinary Talent are as common as dirt."

"If even three of you make it into the Upper Academy, I'll be thanking my lucky stars."

Everyone nodded dejectedly; if Jiang Peng said so, he surely had his reasons.

They had already seen those from the Prefecture City yesterday evening—all of them had Grade 4 Extraordinary Talent, and their overwhelming strength was enough to make one despair.

Wang Fu nodded. "Although I also hope you can all enter the Upper Academy, reality is cruel. You should aim for the Middle Academy."

"This is only the first step of your cultivation, just the beginning. Every month, the academy reassigns students based on certain metrics, implementing a bottom-tier elimination system. The bottom 10 Trainees from the Upper Academy are demoted to the Middle Academy, and the top 10 from the Middle Academy move up to the Upper Academy."

"The same goes for moving from the Lower to the Middle Academy. The quota is 200 spots."

"For now, what you need to do is handle this assessment well."

While they were talking...

The aircraft landed.

They arrived at the Dragon Fish Platform.

Here, the river wasn't wide—only about 2 or 3 kilometers, which was considered narrow compared to other parts of the Luo River.

Thousands of Dragon Fish Platforms of various sizes stood along both banks of the river.

They stretched on endlessly, a truly magnificent sight.

Looking closely, there were even several massive Dragon Fish Platforms in the middle of the river.

"Stop staring. You aren't allowed on the central platforms unless you have the strength of the Third Realm."

Seeing everyone staring blankly at the central Dragon Fish Platforms, Wang Fu couldn't help but shout.

"Come on, I'll take you to rent your rods."

Wang Fu led the group to a pavilion. There was one of these pavilions every kilometer for supplies, and they also housed staff who raised the fish fry.

They entered the hall.

"Teacher Wang, we're here to rent rods."

"For the new student assessment?"

"Yes."

"How many people?"

"52."

"Alright, scan your bracelets."

Teacher Wang said to the new Trainees, "Remember to return them before dark. If you catch nothing, come back here tomorrow morning. Lately, many of the fry have been starving, so it's perfect that you've arrived."

Everyone: "..."

Wang Fu scanned his bracelet and paid 520 points.

Then...

He said to Jiang Peng, "Jiang Peng, you owe me 50 points for the Linhai County group."

"Holy crap, Wang Fu, do we really need to be this precise? 50 points—how can you even bring yourself to ask me for that?"

"What's there to be embarrassed about? You're like a well-fed man who doesn't understand the hunger of the starving."

"This orientation is most likely a losing venture for me. If no one makes it into the Middle Academy, these 520 points will have gone down the drain."

Jiang Peng sighed, "Fine, fine, fine. I'll give them to you, alright?"

He also knew that among this batch of new Trainees from Anqiu City, besides Xiao Weiqing and Wei Lan, who might make it into the Upper Academy, only Qin Sheng might reach the Middle Academy. As for the rest with Grade 3 talent, it was hard to say.

The academy didn't give many points for Trainees entering the Middle Academy, so Wang Fu likely wouldn't earn much.

After Wang Fu paid the points, everyone received their fishing rods.

They headed outside.

Jiang Peng and Wang Fu led the group to a deserted spot.

Wang Fu said, "This entire stretch of the river is for your assessment. Pick any Dragon Fish Platform you like. What kind of result you get depends entirely on your own skill."

"But remember, you must not fish for fry under one foot long. If you catch one, release it immediately, or points will be deducted."

"Second, under no circumstances are you allowed to enter the river."

Li Fangnan asked, "Senior Wang, is it because there are Yao Beasts in the river?"

Wang Fu replied, "No. This area is cordoned off upstream and downstream specifically for raising Dragon Fish. There are no other Yao Beasts inside, only Dragon Fish."

Li Fangnan was puzzled. "Then why is it forbidden to go in?"

Wang Fu glanced at him. "We're afraid you'll pollute the water quality."

"Although the Dragon Fish Platform assessment won't result in casualties, I hope you give it your all. Many teachers are watching."

Wang Fu pointed to the sky, where several drones were patrolling back and forth over the river.

"If you're lucky enough to be noticed by a teacher and taken on as a Disciple, you'll save yourselves a lot of trouble."

"Go on."