Phoenix Of Different Lifetimes

The Annual Immortal Cultivation Academy Exams (2)

The little boy told Linda that the level ahead was extremely dangerous that she should go back if she can't pass.

 Linda today is the happiest day of my life of a thousand years. So let me tell you if u can't pass the next level, repent and salvation is at hand, he told her. She replied, thank you. I will make sure I pass it.

 Outside the pagoda, the parents were watching and nodded at Linda's intelligence. At this stage, those that were afraid and didn't want to risk their lives quit immediately. And most parents were annoyed with their children.

 Back at the pagoda, the competing students saw a large sea of water. They were confused and asked one another what to do, and Emerald said she had read about this book in the library when she was studying.

 The only way to leave here is to cross the sea, she said. How do we cross then? Her classmates asked her. There is no way to cross it, she stated. Ah! The students cried out in fear and some quit and a few remained.

 After some time, Linda said, I think when we see danger and there is no way out, we should face it. At the opposite end of the sea, there is a huge dark cloud, so thick that you can't see anything when inside. You mean we should walk into the cloud? The students asked. Yes, Linda said. Let me go in first. She walked straight into the cloud. As she did so, the other students brazened up and followed suit. Immediately they were inside the cloud, they couldn't see each other but instead they began seeing the things that were their biggest fears in life. It turned out the cloud was a poisonous one, it made people who go into it to start hallucinating.

 The first person who got out of the hallucinations was Emerald. She immediately remembered what their teacher taught them. It is a spell that is used to protect the heart and stop any poisons from penetrating.

 Immediately the students cast the spell and the poisonous cloud effect was stopped. Immediately, another two students quit in fear. Only four students now remained which were Robb and Cynthia as a pair and Linda in a pair with Emerald. They continued moving on till the cloud disappeared and what was left was only a very wide expanse of land filled with snow. It was still snowing and it is freezing. 

 They started out to cross the empty freezing land. They held unto each other and walked on. At a point, Emerald noticed that Linda wasn't feeling the least cold. Linda why is your hand so warm? Aren't you feeling cold? Maybe it's just my palm that is feeling warm because we are holding unto each other.

 After some time, Cynthia couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground. She told them to leave her behind but Robb refused to. Cynthia had been showing him some affection since they were admitted into the academy. And he had also started having feelings towards her, he couldn't just leave her behind.

 You two should go on, I will continue with her after sometime, he told Linda and Emerald. Ok, they said and continued. After they left, he brought out the pill that was given to him by the imperial advisor and gave it to Cynthia, then used his vital energy to absorb it into her body. Then he took became weak and was almost unconscious when Cynthia became conscious again. After Cynthia saw him that way, she too couldn't bear to leave him and instead she used the talisman and quit the competition. The imperial advisor was very annoyed and frowned at Mr Noah. Robb's father just looked at him and shook his head in pity seeing his son is bound by affections.

 Linda and Emerald continued till they walked out of the snowy land mass to a place where the sun was rising. The view was beautiful and they both breathed deeply and heaved a sigh of relief. Just then, they both caught sight of something. It is a sword on top an altar and they heard a voice saying "the two final contestants will have a duel, only one person gets to win".

 Emerald didn't even have a second thought and rushed towards the sword, took it and came towards Linda with full force. She resisted and shouted "Emerald, what are you doing? This is a competition only one person must win, Emerald told her firmly. She was determined to win. She is obsessed with the secret desire of being the phoenix. While they were fighting, Emerald's sword cut through the bracelet on Linda's hand and it fell of and just then boom her vital energy burst out to match that of Emerald. But the full power of the phoenix didn't surge forth because Linda didn't face any particular danger but everyone was still quite shocked how Linda who was always last in any assessment, was the poorest student in the academy was able to reach the finals of the exams and even had an immense vital energy that tried to match Emerald's who have been the most intelligent so far.

 They continued fighting till Linda was thrown down and just as Emerald rushed towards her again with her sword, a bright light shown down from the clouds and a natural phenomenon that was associated with the phoenix appeared in the clouds. And everyone thought Emerald was the phoenix and automatically became the winner of the competition.

 Emerald was so proud and started walking with shoulders high. All the other students envied her. Linda just taught to herself, "so finally it is Emerald that became the phoenix, congrats to her, at least I did well in the exams and won't have to be a maid anymore". She stood up happily and went to congratulate Emerald.

Later on, Emerald was sent back to the house protected by a spell that allows only mortals to go in including the spell caster. 

 Later on, Stanley angrily went to the heavenly realm to inquire about who tampered with the exam tests he set. After his brother Alfred told him it was the emperor's orders, he was infuriated and went to see his father angrily. His brother tried to warn him not to, else he might be punished but he turned deaf ears. 

 Father why did you do that? I should be asking you that his father bellowed. He immediately replied do you know someone could have gotten killed? His father stared at him with fierce eyes. Have you fallen in love with a mortal?