The association building was grand, making the sparse crowd of people coming and going seem even smaller by comparison.
Pingshan District was not a major hub. Even though its population base occasionally produced some talented youth with decent potential, most of them would be siphoned off to larger cities to study and advance.
Learning martial arts and spells—especially reaching the Proficient rank—was by no means an easy task.
Most of the new registrants at the association were middle-aged or elderly men. A youth as young as Bai Xiaodu was an anomaly.
The receptionist stared at his face in a daze for a moment before snapping out of it. She repeatedly checked the age on his ID.
She nodded quickly. “Yes, yes. Congratulations indeed! To protect your privacy, please head over here for your testing. Once you pass, you can register.”
With that, she immediately printed a slip, pointed down a corridor, and gestured for Bai Xiaodu to head over on his own.
As soon as she was sure he was out of sight, she immediately dialed a number, her voice filled with excitement. “Hello, President Liu? Good news! Absolutely fantastic news!”
...
What she didn't know was that despite keeping her voice incredibly low, her words still fell clearly into a certain fox's ears.
Bai Xiaodu found the seat to be quite uncomfortable.
Following the instructions on the slip, he scanned his code to enter the room. He sat down in a chair that looked a lot like a sofa, but was topped with a cluster of strange instruments.
He couldn't understand a single word of the digital readings and voice announcements, but the green checkmarks on the screen appeared in rapid succession.
Wait, isn't there a practical combat test?
Just as Bai Xiaodu was wondering about this, the door opened.
The newcomer was a middle-aged man around fifty. He had thinning hair and was slightly chubby, yet he carried himself with a decent air of dignity.
This had to be the so-called President Liu.
Though he knew he shouldn't judge a book by its cover, Bai Xiaodu still felt a slight sense of aversion.
This was exactly the type of person who would be the most ruthless when lecturing people in a nightclub, saying, ‘Oh, so now you want to study hard? Too late!’
President Liu quickly took a seat opposite him. Sensing the cue, Bai Xiaodu handed over the slip containing his basic information.
The older man merely glanced at it before nodding repeatedly, his mouth full of praise.
“Excellent. So young, yet so accomplished. The scanner indicates that your sea of consciousness is broad, and your spell runes are deeply and clearly engraved.”
“This shows you didn't rush for quick results, but instead cultivated with diligence. Such a quality is truly rare among the youth nowadays.”
Bai Xiaodu remained outwardly calm, but a trace of vigilance arose in his heart.
The receptionist had made that phone call, which likely meant his original examiner had been swapped out.
What did this president want?
Since when did an examiner do nothing but shower the examinee with praise?
Bai Xiaodu kept his expression neutral. “Spells require composure and patience. I am merely following in the footsteps of our predecessors. Surely you were the same back in your day, sir?”
Hearing this, President Liu was taken aback for a moment. Then, he burst into a hearty laugh.
He uttered the word “good” three times in a row before finally stopping.
Bai Xiaodu maintained his smile. This was the expression he was best at.
Flattery never goes out of style.
Setting down the report, President Liu kept that warm smile on his face.
“Xiaodu, the association's test only performs a rough scan of your six dimensions and sea of consciousness. Your values have fully met the standard.”
“However, given your clean background, you probably don't know much about the finer details. Would you mind if I offer a word of advice or two?”
Bai Xiaodu immediately sat up straight, assuming the posture of a humble student eager to learn.
“I'm self-taught, so my understanding of transcendent knowledge is quite limited. If you are willing to guide me, sir, I would be incredibly grateful.”
President Liu nodded in satisfaction.
Spell rune engraving level, physical fitness, basic six-dimensional stats... every test result was outstanding.
So young, yet so humble. Sigh, I wonder if he's married yet? My granddaughter seems to be around his age...
Quickly putting a stop to his drifting thoughts, President Liu composed himself.
“The Federation's transcendent system is divided into the martial arts category and the spellcasting category, based on the fundamental nature of the skills one masters.”
“You youngsters love playing those online games, so you're familiar with classes like 【Druid】, 【Summoner】, and 【Warlock】. People generally refer to them as branches of the spellcasting category.”
At this point, President Liu waved his hand.
“But those generalizations are too broad, and somewhat incorrect.”
“First, you choose a Pathway, and only then do you choose a class. For example, under different Pathways, the performance of the 【Warlock】 class can vary drastically.”
He looked at Bai Xiaodu. “Do you know how to advance to a transcendent?”
Bai Xiaodu thought for a moment before answering honestly, “By learning at least three spells and reaching the Proficient rank in all of them.”
President Liu pressed further, “And then?”
Bai Xiaodu shook his head.
This indeed touched upon his blind spot.
It wasn't that he didn't want to learn; rather, the Federation simply didn't teach these things to the public.
President Liu smiled, his voice suddenly dropping to a whisper.
“Bai Xiaodu, do you believe in the existence of gods?”
Bai Xiaodu was utterly stunned. His pupils dilated as he repeatedly questioned whether he had misheard.
A high-ranking figure like the president of the Pingshan District Explorers Association—especially one from the spellcasting category, who should be a staunch materialist—was actually asking him if he believed in gods?
Was this a test, or something else?
No, what did he have that was worth testing?
Oh no, is this guy some kind of cult leader? Is he trying to recruit me?
Seeing Bai Xiaodu's reaction, President Liu remained very calm.
“Mages deal with cold, hard parameters and spell formulas, so it is only natural for them to look down on the concept of ephemeral deities.”
“However, I can tell you with absolute certainty that gods do exist, and there is more than one.”
“They merely exist in higher dimensions, which is why you and I cannot perceive them directly. We can only infer their existence through real-world phenomena.”
He explained slowly, his words carrying an intriguing weight.
“Have you ever wondered who exactly defined the concept of spells? Why should the chemical energy in nature obey your will?”
President Liu clasped his hands together, interlocking his fingers.
“What if I told you that every time you learn a spell, and every time you cast one, it is essentially a prayer and a request for grace from the god who governs that 'spell' Pathway?”
“And that advancing to a formal transcendent is, in essence, a mortal's clumsy imitation of those gods?”
This was the first time Bai Xiaodu had ever heard such a theory.
He fell silent, merely nodding.
Assuming President Liu wasn't insane, this was his very first glimpse into the grander scale of this world's transcendents.
President Liu seemed highly satisfied with his reaction.
“Mind-boggling, isn't it? I've seen too many commoners with talent and brains, but very few of them can fully accept this knowledge upon learning it. A reaction like yours is rare.”
Leaning back, President Liu waved his hand casually.
“Do you have any thoughts? Feel free to speak your mind, and I can answer your questions.”
Bai Xiaodu mimicked his posture, clasping his hands together.
After a brief moment of thought, he spoke.
“If I can perfectly imitate a god of a relevant Pathway... can I become a god too?”
The casually waving hand froze.
Rate on N.U.
