Commanding Wind and Cloud
chapter-152

While relaxing himself from head to foot, Qian Jin walked to the principal’s office and talked to himself, "Even if you really became an Undead...I’d just kill you once again!" A surprise came to him the minute he entered the room! Rodriguez was talking to Durk and he was sitting in the principal’s chair!

"Instructor Rodriguez... What are you..."

"Qian Jin, come on in." Rodriguez got up, invited Qian Jin to sit and said, "Well, I was suddenly notified this early afternoon by the Mayor Sabonis that Caeller had to go back to his hometown on some emergency and that I’d serve as the headmaster temporarily, so... "

The headmaster? Rodriguez became the headmaster! Qian Jin did not see this coming! His kick not only killed Caeller, but also sent the principal's seat to Rodriguez as a bonus.

"You asked me here to tell me this?" Qian Jin was a little confused since Rodriguez had never been a showboat.

"Of course not."

Rodriguez put a hand to his forehead and pressed his temples for a moment, as though he was very troubled, "This Caeller, took his nephew Cage away with him, leaving me this whole mess, especially the following General Exam... "

"General Exam?"

Where on earth did the exam spring from? The world surely had changed so much during the past two years he was in the Four Seasons Valley!

"The exam is the former Universal Hero Conference, now called the General Exam for all Warrior and Mage Academies in Zence Empire." Durk quickly explained, "It’s actually the same thing which serves as a means to select the best warrior and mage students and send them to different levels of advanced academies for further study."

Qian Jin suddenly understood! Since the first day he met Rodriguez, this instructor had bent his mind to cultivate several really outstanding warriors and mages to study in better academies! Only in this way could Oakland Mage and Warrior Novice Academy enhance its status to get more college funding and resource support! Two years passed, and Rodriguez had changed not at all! He looked at Qian Jin in a sigh, "Although you hadn’t taken any courses during the past two years, I believe you did not stop your exercise, right?"

Qian Jin nodded and shrugged, answering in the heart, "I had not stopped even for a single day! The everyday killer workout was often the case!"

"Well, to be honest," said the not-that-handsome Rodriguez, "I had planned to let you repeat a year... Now I am afraid there is not much time left. The grade you are in has been the strongest in the past decade, but now Cage is away, so... "

"I see, there is still one spot less, right?" Qian Jin nodded, "If you don’t mind, count me in!" Rodriguez looked at this pleasant young man with a lot of guilt! But it was truly the best opportunity since the overall strength of the academy was pretty good! If they gave up this time, everything would then be difficult. And no one would have a huge influence on the General Exam! Even if it was Qian Jin, who was stronger than the current top student Durk!

"In this way, we only need one mage student..." Rodriguez sank into meditation, holding his chin by one hand, "Caeller left, and so did Cage. I assume that Cage also took away the mage student he had promised to bring here. It seems I have to consult with instructors of the mage branch. See who is qualified... "

"Instructor Rodriguez," Qian Jin pulled a stool to sit down and said, "How about Gabriella?"

"Gabriella? The worst mage student ever?" Rodriguez shook his head, watching Qian Jin with some understanding, "I know that you two have become good friends after spending the two vagrant years together, but this exam is not some kid game..."

"But she has Level 5 spiritual power." Qian Jin smiled, "I suppose that there is no one as strong as her even in the third grade, right? Besides, in these two years, she has gained a lot of combat experiences!"

"Level 5 spiritual power?!"

Rodriguez was jolted into a shock by this absolute news! There were just two Level 5 spiritual power mage students in the college and they had already been on the list! Most mage students were level 4 at best! Had this ill-reputed Gabriella already become the strongest?

"Are you sure?" Rodriguez confirmed for the second time! Although Level 5 spiritual power was nothing for other high-level academies, it was really something amazing in this college!

"I’m 200% sure."

Qian Jin answered with a grin while thinking in his heart, "If Gloria showed up, Instructor Rodriguez would definitely pass out! A Supreme Mage for the General Exam? Other mage students will be finished off in a second! She is more than amazing! "

"OK! Gabriella is in!" said Rodriguez resolutely, "Qian Jin, you go back and prepare. We'll set off in three days."

"Three?" Qian Jin rolled up his eyes and did some calculations, "There is still a long time away from the exam, right? Isn’t it too soon?"

"We are not going to the exam." Adoration bloomed in Durk’s eyes, "Instructor Rodriguez once said that we won’t be true warriors until some life-or-death experience is gained. Our college students have never really gone through that kind of challenge! Compared to other students who are sent to the battlefield academy every year, whether in mental qualities or physical makeup, we are left too far behind."

Qian Jin put his thumb up for appreciation! Rodriguez was indeed the best instructor in this academy with his ability to stick with a vision.

In fact, Rodriguez had to keep his grievances to himself! He was ready to risk everything for a satisfactory result this time! Not long before, he persuaded Caeller into diverting education funding for the exam, and even borrowed a lot of loans! If they shall fail again, the whole college will probably really go broke!

"We’ll go to the nearest Battlefield, the Reventment, in three days," Rodriguez patted Qian Jin on the shoulder, "Go back and make some preparation! And it seems I can only arrange you a Warrior Energy Concentration Array after the exam when we have the money!"

It suddenly occurred to Qian Jin why Rodriguez approached him! It was likely that one foot of the college had already entered the edge of bankruptcy because even some low-achieving college was still able to get a Warrior Energy Concentration Array every year! And now, Qian Jin wouldn’t be surprised if the instructor told him that most of the Energy Stones had been thrown into the pawn shop for some relief money!

Seeing that Qian Jin didn’t seem so lively, Durk took the initiative to comfort him, "Qian Jin, don’t worry too much about this exam. Just try your best! After all, you have missed two years’ courses. But I believe that as long as you try hard, you can go beyond me once again!"

Hearing this, Qian Jin could only manage a smile on his face. He had intended to show his strength to the dear Instructor Rodriguez, and now it might just offend the encouragement and concerns from those caring classmates. Never mind! He could always find another time! Bearing a wry smile, Qian Jin went back to his bedroom! Standing by the empty bed of Rollin’s, he was lost in thought for a long time, and finally he gently murmured, "Dear classmate, remember to get up early for the morning exercises..."

The last shaking oil lamp of the academy winked out in the wind. The whole place was so tranquil just like it had been coated with a thick layer of black pigment.

The next morning, Qian Jin went directly to the library to find some information about the Reventment Battlefield. The wars between the Zence Empire and the Demons had been going on for so many years that almost every place along both the frontiers was a battlefield. In addition to several larger battlefields, even the battlefield experts could hardly remember all the names of those smaller ones!

Reventment Battlefield, located 500 miles due west of the Oakland City, was called so because there was an old earth fortress nearby. It was a small fort with more than 3,000 soldiers.

After skimming through the introduction, Qian Jin studied the map and soon understood that the place was not some dangerous life-or-death battlefield! Never had the Demons launched a large-scale attack on it because of its lack of resources!

Of course, it was because the Demons never had the time or the opportunity. Usually, the main forces of both sides would stick to each other. Once one of them had called for aid, it would definitely suffer a premeditated attack from its counterpart before the enforcement arrived in time!

Small battlefields served more as a trick to lure the tiger from the mountain! Once the vital forces of a small battlefield were destroyed and the principal force from the main one was maneuvered, the goal was achieved!

The main enemies across the Reventment Battlefield were Belia Demons, mixed with a small amount of Mamen Demons.

Qian Jin paid some extra attention to the Mamen Demons, the second most famous Demon tribe after the Royal Lucifer Demons of the Seven Demon Species! 30% of the celebrated Demon warriors were from the Mamen, a tribe renowned for its excessive greed in its DNA!

Almost every backbone of the Demon elite troops was composed of the Mamen warriors! It was the Balia Demon that was scarcely seen! Qian Jin tapped on the book and made a light laugh, "Balia, the laziest of the Seven Demons, stationed near the Reventment Battlefield as the main force. Well, it seems there won’t be a bloody fight!"