C37 It Won't Give You Any Chance

"How does he know so much?"

Cliff begrudgingly clapped his hands, seething with anger internally. A sense of helpless defeat washed over him, leaving his spirits deflated.

"Zhang Xing's answer is perfect—add a credit! Don't be discouraged, other students. This is just the beginning; you'll have plenty of opportunities!"

Solina ran her fingers through her long, beautiful yellow hair, her gaze fixed on Zhang Xing. Her fondness for him grew with every passing moment.

The applause subsided, and the test proceeded.

"Now, for the fifth question. Can anyone tell me how many fundamental theories of magic there are, and what they entail? Begin!"

"Mr. Zhang, your response, please!"

"There are two: the Winchester Theory and the Gould Theorem."

"The Winchester Theory, posited by a renowned magic scholar from the Ancient Gadya Dynasty, states that everything in the world contains a guiding medium."

"In the year 573 of the post-magic era, an eminent magic theory scholar emerged."

"He proposed that the casting process invariably involves a guiding medium of 'energy' and 'state'."

"Moreover, he developed the Basic Construction Talisman Formula and the Gould Process Technician within his theory."

"Using the spell formula, one can calculate the magicule requirements of a spell or the Construction Talismans needed."

"This body of work is known to posterity as the Gould Theorem."

"I have finished my answer!"

The crowd erupted into enthusiastic applause, commending Zhang Xing for his swift and fluent response.

"Now, the sixth question. What are the Six Towers Association's universal mage classification standards? Begin!"

"An apprentice must be able to cast at least one beginner-level spell."

"This is infuriating! Zhang Xing got the jump on it again. Next time, I'll be quicker than him!" Cliff was nearly driven to madness by his frustration.

But Zhang Xing left no room for Cliff to catch up, single-handedly dominating all fifty individual rapid-fire questions.

Cliff attempted to nitpick, but he couldn't find a single flaw. Without a comparable breadth of knowledge, how could he criticize?

Afterward, there was a break for lunch, with the test set to resume in the afternoon.

Zhang Xing sat in the expansive cafeteria, surrounded by his teammates who towered over him, making him stand out conspicuously in the crowded space.

Their faces were alight with excitement as they chatted boisterously about the thrilling moments of the competition while eating.

"Zhang Xing, I'm in awe of you. That second question, you completely baffled the instructors!"

"You should've seen the looks on the other groups' faces. It was priceless. They were totally taken aback."

"And later, their jaws dropped even lower. It turned into the Zhang Xing show."

"Zhang Xing, for this afternoon's group exam, we're all counting on you."

"Indeed. We haven't studied as hard as you, so our grasp of the material is pretty limited."

"First place in the group means a reward of ten credits each. We can hand those over to the practical instructor to start learning basic magic. I'm thrilled!"

Zhang Xing nodded in acknowledgment but didn't engage much with them.

From the look in their eyes, it was clear they weren't truly interested in befriending him.

After all, whether in the school or across the entire Empire, the focus wasn't on theory but on practice, or rather, on real combat.

The six prestigious Magic Academies were in the business of producing the elite. Upon graduation, these students were expected to serve in the Empire's army.

After a three-year stint, the aristocratic offspring could expect to earn noble titles among other perks.

As for the children from poorer backgrounds, they were typically sent to various battlefields or assigned to accompany troops on particularly perilous missions.