我感觉脸上有湿湿的东西，迷迷糊糊地睁开眼睛，发现黑龙正在舔我。我笑着看着它的大脑袋，问：“乖孩子，现在几点了？”然后我意识到它回答不了。喂了它一些食物后，我回到旅馆，洗了个澡，饱餐一顿，然后上床睡觉。

醒来的时候，已经是午夜了，我伸了个懒腰，到院子里练起了雷暴拳。休息了一天，体力也恢复了不少，要不是天魔诀的暗魔力量，我估计现在都起不来床了。不知道其他考生怎么样了。

我盘膝坐在床上，开始修炼天魔功法。黑暗魔法在龙神帝国是无法轻易施展的，这里虽然也有黑暗魔法师，但数量极少，一旦被发现，恐怕会被当成是魔族派来的间谍。经过两个小时的修炼，我体内的黑暗力量达到了巅峰状态。我举起右手，吟唱道：“伟大的黑暗神，作为我灵魂的祭品，作为我生命的桥梁，请赐予我无尽的神力，形成一道坚固的屏障，保护您的仆人。——黑暗屏障。”

随着我的吟唱，一团浓浓的黑雾开始在我周围形成，从我身前一米处开始。这是我目前能使用的最强大的黑暗魔法。它类似于黑暗魔法师的黑暗屏障，但防御力要强得多，足以抵御中级魔法的攻击。

不错，有了这个黑暗屏障，我的防御力更强了。我慢慢的收回黑暗魔法的力量。头晕目眩，身体摇晃了一下。黑暗魔法的反噬的确厉害，就连我这强健的体魄，也难以承受。我赶紧发动天魔术，头晕的感觉才渐渐消失。

外面天已经亮了，我先喂了黑龙，然后想着这场考试还要持续多久。

On the grounds of the Celestial Academy, the 1,000 participants for the re-examination gathered and lined up in 20 rows, forming a rectangular formation on the field.

The familiar voice sounded again: "Attention, examinees. Today is the re-examination, and we will select 300 out of these 1,000 participants. Please demonstrate your strength. Each row will have an examiner. Follow the order of your numbers for testing."

In front of the field, there was a row of tables with a large iron plate about three centimeters thick. Exam monitors sat behind the tables.

I was the first to reach the front of my row. The examiner looked at the roster and said, "You are Number 1, Jack, right?"

"Yes."

"Good. The task is to make a mark in the grid with your number on the iron plate. The deeper the mark, the better. No weapons allowed; you can use magic or fighting spirit. The time is half a minute."

Looking at the large iron plate with 50 numbered grids, I thought this was too simple. The iron plate felt as soft as tofu in my hands. I smirked slightly and placed my index finger on the plate, ready to drill a hole. The examiner, seeing my contemptuous smile, secretly sneered, thinking, "Let's see you make a fool of yourself. This iron plate has a magical barrier."

When my finger was two centimeters away from the plate, I felt resistance. An invisible force was stopping me from going deeper. I suddenly realized there was more to it. I thought it wouldn't be that simple. I gathered the energy of Thunderstorm Breakthrough in my index finger and shouted, "Break!" With force, I pressed down. I could feel intense friction between my finger and the force. My finger pressed deeper, and the resistance of the force was beyond my imagination. The plate started to form a deeper indentation due to the force.

Unable to break through the force, I added more strength. I channeled some dark power into my finger, and with a flash of black energy, I pierced through the force. Without the protection of the force, the iron plate was easily punctured like paper, and even the table underneath couldn't escape.

The examiner's mouth turned into an 'O' shape, as even he found it difficult to penetrate the barrier, but a newcomer like me achieved it.

I collected my breath, slowly withdrew my finger, and said coldly, "Teacher, is that enough?""Yes."

"Alright, the task is to leave a mark in the numbered square on the iron plate on the table. The deeper, the better. You cannot use weapons; magic and combat energy are allowed. You have half a minute to start."

Looking down, I saw that the large iron plate had 50 numbered squares on it. This is too simple, I thought. The iron plate felt as light as tofu in my hands. A trace of contempt appeared on my face as I extended my right index finger to make a hole. The proctor, seeing my dismissive smile, secretly sneered, thinking, "This kid is in for a surprise. The iron plate has been enhanced with a magical barrier."

When my finger was still two centimeters away from the plate, I felt an invisible force preventing me from pressing further. I suddenly realized that there was more to it. I thought, "It can't be that simple." I concentrated the energy of Thunderbolt Armor on my fingertip and shouted, "Break!" Pressing down with force, I felt intense friction between my finger and the invisible barrier. My finger gradually made its way through, creating a deepening mark on the plate due to the resistance of the barrier.

Since I couldn't break through the barrier with just that, I decided to put in more effort. I drew some dark energy from within myself to my fingertip. The dark energy briefly flashed, and with a "puff" sound, it pierced through the barrier. Without the barrier, the iron plate was easily pierced, creating a hole and damaging the table beneath it.

The proctor's mouth formed an 'O' shape in astonishment. Even he found it difficult to penetrate the barrier, yet a freshman had managed to do it.

Calming my breath, I withdrew my finger and said coldly, "Sir, is it enough?"

The proctor was momentarily stunned before he responded, "Yes. In all my years of proctoring, I've never seen someone with such strength. What kind of technique did you use? Why did your finger turn black?" He scribbled an evaluation of me in the roster. Since I was tall, I could see that the evaluation mentioned, "Penetrated the iron plate. The candidate possesses great strength."

I had already prepared my response. I said, "I learned this from an old man. He said it was called Xuantian Finger. I didn't expect it would come in handy today."

The proctor picked up the iron plate and said, "This one can't be used anymore; the barrier has been breached. I'll need to get another one. You can rest on the playground until all tests are finished, and we'll announce the results."

After bowing and thanking him, I moved to the side. I didn't want to go too far because I wanted to observe the other candidates' abilities to ensure that I could be selected.

Before long, the proctor replaced the iron plate and called the next candidate for testing. I watched more than ten people, and none of them could match my performance. The best anyone managed was making a dent of about one centimeter. One candidate, who seemed to be a fire mage, continuously attacked the plate with fireballs but left no mark. As time was running out, he chanted, "Elemental spirit of fire, grant me endless flames to burn everything before me—Explosive Flame." This was a mid-level fire magic spell, which looked quite powerful. The proctor quickly cast a water magic shield. After the "boom" sound of the explosion, it was evident that the table was destroyed, but the iron plate remained unharmed.

The candidate, seeing his failure, walked away with a wry smile, and many candidates laughed. The proctor was equally exasperated, muttering to himself as he wrote the evaluations, "What kind of monsters am I encountering today? One who breaks the iron plate and another who burns the table. Really..."

I felt confident that I would pass and stopped observing the other candidates. I found a shady spot under a tree, breathed in the fresh scent of plants, and waited for the results.

As I was resting with my eyes closed, I noticed someone had appeared next to me. Opening my eyes, I saw it was the candidate who had tried to burn the table.

He sat beside me and looked at me, saying, "Hello, big brother. I saw you penetrate the iron plate just now. Why couldn't I? I spent a lot of time burning the table, but the plate remained untouched." His face was full of helplessness.

I glanced at him, and his words made me want to laugh. I said, "Concentrate your power." After saying this, I closed my eyes again. Although I only spoke six words, it greatly inspired him.

He slapped his forehead and said, "Yes, why didn't I think of that? I know a fire needle spell; it should work. I'll give it another try." Saying this, he ran off.

I shook my head, wondering if the proctor would allow him to retake the test. I closed my eyes again to rest.

After an unknown amount of time, the announcement came over the loudspeaker: "Attention, all candidates. Please line up in your original order. The exam results will now be announced."

I opened my eyes and realized that everyone had finished. The candidates were scattered around the playground. I moved to my designated spot, thinking I would surely pass.

Sure enough, the proctor came over, accompanied by the fire mage from earlier. The fire mage gave me a thumbs-up.

The proctor looked at him with a wry smile and said, "Go, stand in line at the back." He shrugged and walked away.

"Alright, I will announce the names of those who passed. Lei Xiang, passed. Hua Song, passed..." He continued reading off names, announcing about ten names. When he finished, he closed the roster and said, "Those whose names were called, please stay. Those not called can leave. If you are under 18, you may try again next year."

Many candidates left dejectedly, and soon only about three hundred students who had passed were left in the venue.

The students were arranged in twenty rows. After about a meal's time, several older teachers arrived, likely holding higher positions.

One teacher, dressed in a magic robe and appearing to be in his fifties, said, "Alright, everyone quiet down. I am Zhang Feng, the Director of the Academy's Teaching Department. Congratulations on being admitted to the academy. Next, please welcome our esteemed Mage Director, Yue Han, to give a speech." From the voice, I recognized him as the announcer.

The new students clapped sporadically. An elderly mage, about sixty or seventy years old, stepped forward. After clearing his throat a few times, he said, "I am the president of this academy. First, on behalf of the academy, I welcome you to the first-year class. Second, I hope you will not be afraid of hardship, work hard, and strive to improve yourself quickly. The academy has produced over 230 Dragon Knights, and we are considered the best academy in the Dragon God Empire (later I learned that each of the four major academies claims to be the best). I hope some of you among the new students will achieve this glorious title. Lastly, my requirement for everyone is that romantic relationships are strictly prohibited in the academy. That’s all for my speech." He then turned and walked back to the teaching building.

Most of the students were excited, especially the mention of Dragon Knights (except for me, as dragons cannot accept non-human beings). They were eager to ride dragons and show off. However, everyone was disappointed by the final requirement. At the age of sixteen or seventeen, when many students were just beginning to be interested in romance, the president's words left them quite dissatisfied. The playground was soon filled with discussions.

The Director of Teaching Department looked displeased at the president's back and said loudly, "Everyone quiet down. The president's words are correct. To ensure everyone can focus on their studies, avoid romantic relationships to prevent affecting your academics. Now, let's start the class division. Students focusing on martial skills, stand on the west side. Students focusing on magic, stand on the east side. Students focusing on both magic and martial skills, stand in the middle."

新生们都散了，我想了想，既然是来学习的，总得什么都学一点吧，就站在了中间。武技组的学生占了大多数，魔法组的也有一百多人，魔法和武技组的也就四十来人。

分班完毕，主任说道：“好了，分班完毕，今天你们回去收拾东西，明天带着生活用品来学院报到，以后除了节假日，不许回家，必须呆在学院里，解散。”

趁着张主任要走的时候，我赶紧上前问道：“张主任，我可以把马牵进学院吗？”

主任皱起眉头，严肃地说道：“你最好找个地方处理，卖掉，或者放到别的地方去。”

我说：“可是我的马只吃我提供的食物，它是一匹好马，我愿意付额外的学费，你能破例吗？”为了我家的黑龙，我只好放低了声音。

主任一听我愿意多付钱，眼睛顿时亮了起来，想了想说：“明天带上你的马，我帮你安排好放在老师的马厩里。”说完转身就走。老师都是这样吗？这么在乎钱？

我又一次阻止了他。他不耐烦地说：“还有什么事？”“我的马比较凶猛，最好单独安排一个马厩，不然我怕它伤到别的马。”

张主任一脸不耐烦的说道：“行，不过你得加钱，一个月3金币。”贪婪可见一斑，半年的学费才20金币，马厩租金也差不多。幸亏我钱多，我爸送了我一张龙神帝国的金卡，里面有5000金币，应该绰绰有余。

“好，谢​​谢主任，我明天就拿过来，我走了。”我走开的时候，张主任看着我，露出一抹狡黠的笑容，自言自语道：“看来又能赚点外快了。”

回到旅店，我收拾好行李，从金库里取出200金币以备不时之需，并在马厩给黑龙进行了彻底的梳理。

通过了入学考试，向目标迈出了第一步，我心里涌起一种罕见的兴奋感。

我带着黑龙来到了天都书院，可是刚到门口，守门人就把我们拦住了。

“你是学生吧？不知道天都学院不让马进校园吗？”

我冷冷的说：“我不知道，只知道是招生办张主任让我带的。”

守门人哑口无言，我带着黑龙走了进去，听见守门人在身后嘀咕道：“一个新生，摆出一副威风的样子。”

进了学院，我径直走向教学楼，吩咐黑龙在外面等着，我去办入学手续，敲了敲招生办的门，里面传来张主任的声音：“进来。”

我打开门，走进招生办公室，办公室大得惊人，有八张桌子，几位老师在场。虽然我来得早，但已经有六七个学生了，显然是新生。张主任认出我是交了马厩费的学生，便迎上来：“你来了，我等你很久了，你先去办入学手续吧，你叫什么名字？”其他学生全是男生，都看着我。其中一个甚至说：“我们来得早，为什么他先去？”张主任狠狠地瞪了他一眼，他便沉默了。

“我叫杰克，”我平静地说道。

“杰克，对了。”张主任翻着名册，看了看我，说道：“一个学期的学费20金币，食宿费各5金币，书费1金币，杂费2金币。既然你有马，半年的马厩租金就加收你18金币，我算一下……一共51金币，请你付清。”