(Author: Hello all. It is time for school! For Liao anyway. The Great Dragon God will only appear if he needs to tell Liao something important. He is a dragon god after all. This chapter will also introduce new characters who will grow alongside him. Hope you all enjoy this chapter.)

Chapter 5: Forming a Party

Liao walked toward the gate and found a crowd of three hundred applicants already waiting for the trial. He noticed a large burly man with three, two inch scars down the right side of his face looking at him. The man motioned Liao to come forward.

"At last," the man said. "Applicant 301 of this year's recruits has arrived. Got the recommendation letter and thirty gold coins for the application fee?"

Liao nodded and gave the recommendation letter to the man. After a moment, thirty gold coins were taken from his inter-spacial ring. Most of the crowd grasped as they never saw one before. The few others who were not surprised had one of their own due to a rich background or lineage to an accomplished family of martial experts.

"Good. Good. My name is Marcus Locket," the man began. "I am one of the teachers here at Twin Star Academy. We only accept students who have two things: strength and potential. In the path of immortals, martial experts must pass eight tiers of qi cultivation before becoming an immortal. Each tier has five stages. The tiers you must pass to be an immortal are Spirit Walker, Spirit Knight, Spirit Sage, Spirit Lord, Spirit King, Spirit Emperor, Spirit Reaper, and Spirit Dragon."

Marcus put the gold and recommendation in his own ring. After a moment, three hundred and one crystal spheres on gold pedestals appeared in front of each applicant as well as a white rug.

"The first test is the easiest test. As you sit on the rugs, close your eyes and meditate. Each of you have a dantian. Dantians are vessels for your realm of qi. Each realm of qi is unique for each person. The sphere in front of you measures that qi. As you meditate, you will enter your realm of qi. Feel the power of the qi and embrace it. Allow the qi to spread into your meridian channels. They are like veins in your body that spread qi. Focus the flow of qi into your hand and place your palm on the sphere. Those who crack the sphere are first stage Spirit Knights and pass the minimum requirement. Those who break the sphere are first stage Spirit Sages and are true monsters among monsters. We do not accept ordinary people here. Those who fail go home. You may begin when you are ready."

Liao and the initiates quickly sat down and began meditating. Liao closed his eyes and entered his realm of qi. Over the course of two years constantly meditating had allowed Liao to enter the first stage of Spirit Knight. Each tier enlarges the dantian and allows the realm of qi to become more powerful and experience unique changes. His lightning dragon had grown to the size of a three foot dragon with two heads. The snowflakes that fell around the dragon had formed a frozen pond beneath the dragon. Liao was pleased as he had met the requirement.

He breathed deep breaths as he directed his qi into his meridian channels. His body grew warm as the qi spread into his right hand. Liao opened his eyes and placed his palm on the sphere in front of him. Lightning and ice qi spread from his hands and swirled inside the sphere. After a moment, a few cracks appeared on the crystal.

"Applicant has reached first stage Spirit Knight and has met the minimum requirement. Excellent affinity for thunder qi and above average affinity for ice qi," Marcus said as he approached the sphere. "Good work. you are the seventy ninth to pass out of the two hundred and thirty who already made an attempt. You must now pass the gate and form a group of five for the next trial."

Liao was startled that more than half already made an attempt and quickly passed the gate. He saw that most of the applicants that were fourth stage Spirit Knight and above had already formed groups. He even saw six applicants who had reached Spirit Sage and were true monsters among monsters.

"Hey there!" a scrawny boy with mud brown hair shouted. "You in a group yet? Come join us! We need a fifth member."

"Thanks," Liao said as he joined two other boys and two girls.

"No problem. My names Cao Xu," the scrawny boy smiled. "Looks like only you and me came here from the Wei empire. I am a third stage Spirit Knight with excellent affinity for fire and average affinity for wind. I heard your results and the guys agreed to let you in the group. Dual affinity is pretty rare."

"My name is Richard Mathis and I am a noble's son from Roshalt," a blonde boy with frost blue eyes and a lion fur coat greeted. "Fourth stage Spirit knight with excellent affinity for earth. Nice to meet you."

"My name is Sakura Nimbus from the country to the east called Lyatto," a girl with chest nut hair and bright brown eyes said sweetly. "I am a second stage Spirit Knight with excellent affinity for wind qi. It is nice for another dual affinity to join us. The groups with fourth stage Spirit Knight and above as a minimum requirement have at least one Spirit Sage or fifth stage Spirit Knight in their group."

"I am Ling Drake," a girl with blonde hair and dark brown eyes said coldly. "First stage Spirit with excellent affinity for light qi and above average affinity in water. My mother came from the Wei empire. I know you Liao son of Hui Lu, great general and head of the Lu family of martial experts."

"You're THAT general's son?" Cao exclaimed. "The one who drove back the rebel army?"

"Yes," Liao answered and stared at Ling. She knew who he was but how? He didn't recall meeting a blonde girl in the Wei empire before.

"Well than, time to name our group," Richard grinned. "Let's call ourselves "The Knight Destroyers!" We will beat the other Spirit Knights and become students of Twin Star Academy!"

The other four were hesitant to agree but couldn't come up with a better name. Most of the applicants were Spirit Knights after all.

After an hour, eighty six of three hundred and one applicants remained. Marcus failed the last applicant as groups of five had already been made. Only monsters were accepted. They didn't need a talented youth who couldn't use his power quickly and efficiently.

"Now that you made your posse and named them," Marcus began. "Time for the next trial. This trial will take place in the mountain range in the back of the academy. Mythical monsters live in the mountain range. Don't worry though, there are no spirit beasts in the mountains. Those spirit beasts are mythical creatures close to enlightenment and immortality. The monsters that you will see are around the human equivalent of Spirit Knight and Spirit Sage. Each person will be given a talisman meant for sealing a part of a mythical monster's qi to bind them and serve you as pets."

"WHAT!" all the applicants shouted. Owning a mythical monster as a pet was usually done by martial experts at third stage Spirit Sage and above. This academy really was horrifyingly strict on applicants.

"Ah, shut up," Marcus said and laughed. "All five members of the party must successfully bind a mythical monster to their soul to pass enter our Twin Star Academy as official students. I don't need to tell you how dangerous mythical monsters are. If you die, no one will bring your body back to your families. Your party will also be your class mates and team members for tournaments and competitions here in the Twin Star Academy. One last bomb shell you need to know: only eight parties will be accepted. Right now there are seventeen parties so watch your backs from monsters and humans alike. Come get your talismans and I wish you all good luck. Try to keep those monsters well fed."

The Knight Destroyers each received a white rectangular strip of paper with jade markings and looked ahead at the mountain range. This trial was created to test the coordination and efficiency of a party. Only eight parties would be accepted out of seventeen. This trial was certainly harder than the first test.

"Nothing to do now but keep moving," Cao said. "We can worry about the groups with Spirit Sages later. Let's skip the first mountain and find a ravine. There's bound to be more powerful monsters there and less people willing to take the risk."

"We can attack a monster one of us wants simultaneously," Liao agreed.

"Sounds like a plan! I'm in," Richard grinned. "Let's go!"

The Knight Destroyers all agreed and started walking to the mountain range.

Chapter 4: Go to SchoolMAIN PAGE Chapter 6: Besieged on all Sides