The audience couldn’t help but stand up in shock upon seeing the rising spheres on the obsidian block. They simply couldn’t believe such a miracle was taking place right before their eyes. They were even more astonished when the seventh sphere lit up. Even the nobles and instructors had their eyes fixed on the dark surface. Their breaths hitched as more spheres continued to glow. Even someone like Amon had his eyebrows crease in genuine surprise. As for the source of all that shock, Aegon stood before the block with a calm expression on his face. His eyes quietly followed the glowing spheres, and he finally muttered, ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝·𝘧𝙞𝙧𝙚·𝔫𝔢𝔱 "Ten Seltro is the current limit, huh." Indeed, the ninth sphere had lit up, followed by the tenth. Only then did it stop, confirming the result for everyone to see. "Fuck!! Fuck! Fuck!!" "Important things must be said thrice—what the fuck!?" "He’s just fifteen and can already fight Rank 3!? Am I seeing this right?" "Of course not, you fucking blind monkey!" "Why are you cursing me!? Your face literally looks like dogshit!" "Because you literally are blind, idiot monkey!" The entire stadium descended into chaos. Unlike what showed on his calm face, Aegon was actually quite surprised by the results. He hadn’t expected the boost to nearly double his strength. It was simply ridiculous. ’I can probably push even further if I use all my cards,’ he thought, rubbing his chin in mild wonder. ’But this should be enough for now. I’ve already broken the record anyway.’ He glanced toward the main seats and found the two royals staring back at him with heated gazes. He could easily guess their thoughts without needing any mind-reading skill. ’Are they in a throne struggle? Maybe they’re preparing early,’ he speculated. The two of them were quite young, likely younger than Cali, so that could be the only explanation unless the Emperor’s health was failing. He ignored the attention, closing his eyes. He could still hear the mix of astonished voices and chaotic chatter echoing across the arena, but he tried his best to shut them out. ’It kinda feels good,’ he admitted inwardly. ’I guess that’s why everyone works so hard for exams, it was perhaps the same even in my previous life.’ He took a quick glance at the participants and mused, ’Some are striving for a brighter future, while others simply want appreciation from the world.’ He then closed his eyes again, quietly smiling. After a brief pause, during which even the examiner seemed lost in shock, the tests continued. Before long, the final part of the examination arrived. It was also the easiest one for everyone. It basically tested whether someone had forcibly tried to rank up. The participants were tested by having knives and daggers thrown at them at varying speeds. Since Rank 1 was known as Skin Tempering, it allowed one’s skin to resist sharp blades to a certain extent. At most, there would only be minor scratches. Only someone who had genuinely and diligently cultivated would have well-tempered skin. If their progress was artificially boosted, there would be flaws in their body and they would end up injured under the barrage of daggers. That was why this was considered the easiest test for anyone who had trained properly. It was also what made Rank 1 special, it not only granted explosive strength but also provided solid defense for the practitioner. ’Rank 2 is Tendon Reinforcement,’ Aegon recalled absently. While thinking to himself, he took the test and passed effortlessly. He simply stood there while a wall launched daggers at him, none of which managed to leave even a scratch. Aside from a few who had cheated their way through cultivation, most students from the second round passed, bringing the number down to around three hundred participants in total. ’It’s boring at times,’ Aegon thought, giving a sideways glance at the audience. But of course, they weren’t bored in the slightest. All of them were still talking about his achievements, likely sending urgent messages back to their families. By now, the news must have already spread. "Everyone remaining here has passed and will be admitted into the Knight Class of the First Year. However, there is still a Ranking Tournament to determine resource distribution. All the First Years will have to compete against each other for it." After giving a short explanation about the Ranking Tournament to ensure everyone understood it clearly, the Head Examiner clasped his hands behind his back and said, "That is all for now. You may go and rest in the stands prepared for you. We will call you when the tournament commences." He then turned toward the participants still waiting below the platform and continued, "Everyone who wishes to enter the Mage Class, come onto the stage." ’It really was quite boring,’ Aegon thought, finally understanding why hardly anyone attended these exams apart from the participants themselves. The entrance exams were truly uneventful but that was understandable, since the Academy sought talented individuals to nurture, not those who were already powerful. Tests like these were bound to lack excitement for the spectators. As he watched everyone leave the stage, faces filled with excitement, happiness, and nervousness, Aegon remained where he stood. ’Why are you still looking at me?’ he wondered, rolling his eyes as he felt numerous gazes on him from the other participants. Of course, many of them were simply confused about why he hadn’t joined the others leaving the platform. The audience, along with the examiner, shared the same confusion. Only a few, like Amon and the Dukes, remained seated with faint, knowing smiles. "Why are you still here? We’ll inform you when the Ranking Tournament starts," the examiner finally asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind. Aegon simply gave him a puzzled look and replied, "Didn’t you say that those who wanted to enter the Mage Class should come onto the stage?" "W-Wait! Are you saying you also want to enter the Mage Class?" The examiner’s voice trembled in disbelief. "Yes!" Aegon nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "So, can we start?"