Rise of the Demon God

"Ah yeah, now that I think about it, there was a rule like that," Zhu Chang let out, sighing. 

"Also, just because you passed through the test easily doesn't mean it was an easy test.  You are much different than others. What's easy for you would be difficult for most others," the middle-aged man said, sighing. 

"Anyways, back to the topic. Only Seventh Grade Beasts can enter the Godly Beast Academy, but only around a hundred people get admission each year."

"Not because the academy can't select more. It's just because they don't go easy on their criteria. You can either be one of the few that pass the test or be eliminated and be sent home."

"What are the advantages of being selected?" One of the youngsters asked. "Why do Godly Beasts want to go to the academy instead of training in a clan?" 

"Do you even need to ask? In the clan, you can only face your fellow youngsters. There is no real competition. On the other hand, the Academy is where you study with all the other Godly Beasts from each of the major clans!"

"You get to face the geniuses of other clans and face them in battles and training to evolve yourself more. Through the competition, you can grow faster and become much more versatile."

"It's true that you can still grow in the clan and receive all the resources that the clan has to offer you, but without global competence, you'll still be like a frog at the bottom of the well," the middle aged man replied. 

"Also, it's seen that in the competitive atmosphere of the Godly Beast Academy, the growth is much faster. For example, we had theorized that Zhu Chang was going to take quite some time to become a level nine beast if he was left at the clan."

"But in the Academy, he achieved this feat in half the time. And it's a similar care for all. That's why people prefer to study at the Godly Beast Academy as soon as they reach seventh grade."

"Senior Brother, why didn't you study at the Academy and reach Tenth Grade?" Someone asked Zhu Chang. 

"I couldn't," Zhu Chang replied. "They have a rule that you can only stay there until reaching Grade Nine. After that, you are supposed to leave. Why else would I leave such an interesting place."

"That's right. What Zhu Chang said is the truth. Unfortunately, the Academy doesn't host Grade Nine Beasts. They let them find their own path to grow after that and reach Grade Ten." The Middle aged man explained. 

"Anyways, that's the true essence of the Godly Academy and its purpose. I can't tell you more than that," He added. "Can you please leave and let me continue my class now?"

"Do you have anything else you want to ask?" Zhu Chang asked Long Chen. "This is a great opportunity. He knows more than I do. You should ask any questions you have."

"I have more questions," Long Chen agreed. 

"Sigh." The middle aged man sighed. "Fine, ask."

"I want to know about the ten stars in the sky. The brightest of the stars. Is there anything special about them?" Long Chen asked. "They give me a fascinating feeling."

"The Godly Stars?" The middle aged man asked. "You don't know about them?"

Long Chen shook his head. 

"They are the source of a great power. Each star represents a Godly Beast in this universe. As you can see, Each Star is a symbol of the Patriarch of the Godly Beast Clan. They are what gives strength to the Godly Beast Kings," the middle-aged man said. 

"So there are ten godly beast clans?" Long Chen asked. 

"Nope. There are only nine," the man answered. 

"What does the tenth star represent then?" 

"The tenth star represents a New Godly Beast's appearance. That's all I can say. As for who that Godly Beast is, or where he is, no one knows but what's undeniable is that a New Godly Beast exists in this world with great potential," the man replied. 

Long Chen understood who they were talking about. It was Little Snow. But he pretended to be ignorant. 

"Another question. If the stars are the source of Godly Beast King's powers, what will happen if someone destroys the stars?" he asked. 

"Destroy the stars? That's impossible," the man said, rolling his eyes. "You can't destroy a Godly Star! If it was that easy, don't you think one or other Godly Beast Kings would have already tried to destroy the stars of other Kings to weaken them?"

"Why?" Long Chen asked. "Why is it impossible to destroy them? I'm just asking because I'm curious."

"Because no one can reach there in the first place. To reach the constellations, you'll need to fight the Guardian of the Stars. I don't know much about the Guardian, but I do know that it's impossible to defeat him. He is stronger than all Godly Beast Kings combined."

"You mean he is the true King of this universe?" Long Chen asked. 

"I wouldn't say that. Apparently, he is more like an existence whose entire purpose is to keep the stars safe. That's his purpose in life. He won't care even if all life forms die or the entire world is destroyed. The only thing that matters to him is to not let anyone get close to the stars."

"He seems to have no free will. So instead of calling him the king of this world, it would be better to call him a door to keep the source of the Godly Beasts safe from us and from our enemies."

"That should be enough of an answer. Now leave. I don't have long. The class will be over soon. I need to teach him the star theory as well. No more questions." The man said, showing the door to Long Chen. 

Long Chen stood up and followed suit. He had the answers he needed anyway. The only thing he was curious about was the Plum Blossom Mountain, but he was going to it tomorrow in any case. He was going to know soon. 

"I suppose you have your answers now," Zhu Chang asked. "So, as you can see, if you need a Phoenix, you can either go to the realm of the phoenix or the Godly Beast Academy. But we won't be allowed inside the academy."

"You can only stand outside the academy and hope for a phoenix to leave, but that's risky as well.. The best chance would be to just go to the Phoenix Real," Zhu Chang said. "So, shall we go there if we don't find the blood in Plum Blossom Mountain?"