Now that the Choosing of the Mentors had proceeded thus, Li Luo waited about an hour or so more before he saw a circle of light appear under his feet.
The space around him blurred, and he vanished before he could react properly. When things stopped spinning, he was already back at Newcomers' Hall.
The roar of voices was deafening but comforting.
The newcomers were all reeling from their experiences and still discussing them.
Vice Principal Su Xin gave them a moment to compose themselves. She warmly said to them, "The Choosing of the Mentors is over. Congratulations, one and all. From today onwards, you are officially students of the Astral Sage College.
"Here, you will grow stronger. At the same time, you will start to learn the realities of our world.
"Those with silver and gold talismans, you will each take a list with the mentors' names and information. You may choose freely and then report to them accordingly.
"Usually, each Silver Spark mentor takes about 50 students, while Gold Gleam mentors take about 20. If the mentor you choose is already full, then you will have to choose another."
Su Xin continued, "I would also like to congratulate the 15 students here who have won the approval of our Violet Vibrance mentors and become their students."
The board lit up with the names of those chosen, as well as their Violet Vibrance mentors.
The excitement rose as all eyes were drawn to the board, carefully checking the names.
Li Luo was curious as well.
Mentor Cao Sheng: Qin Zhulu, Lu Qing'er, Yin Yue.
Mentor Shen Jinxiao: Wang Hejiu, Duze Beixuan, Qi Luozi.
Mentor Chi Chan: Li Luo, Xin Fu, Bai Mengmeng.
Mentor Mi Er: Bai Doudou, Qiu Luo, Yu Lang.
Mentor Chu Zi: Yi Lisha, Qian Ye, Si Qiuying.
There were many interesting things to point out, which the crowd discussed with great relish.
Li Luo was surprised to find that Bai Mengmeng had the same mentor as he did. He had a vague impression of the Xin Fu person. They were ranked seventh in Yu Lang's book, with a special shadow resonance.
Of course, even more shocking for him was seeing Yu Lang's name.
"How did that guy pull it off?" As hyped as Li Luo was, he was just as confused. It wasn't that he felt like Yu Lang was undeserving. Still, compared to the other names up there, his strength was not at all comparable.
Besides, his resonance was only a sixth-grade, which was pretty average among the new students.
Yet he had won the approval of a Violet Vibrance mentor. It made one itch with curiosity.
While Li Luo was still pondering this, Yu Lang was looking at the list too. He let out a strange shriek of anger and sadness. "Damn, that bastard Li Luo. How did he manage to get into the same group as Bai Mengmeng?!" Damn, when she got used to Li Luo's dazzling looks, he wouldn't stand half a chance.
Lu Qing'er was a little disappointed to see that she was not under the same mentor as Li Luo. When she spotted Bai Mengmeng's name, she bit her lip in frustration, sensing danger.
Bai Mengmeng was very pretty. That soft, adorable look was a killer for many guys.
While she was sulking silently to herself, Qin Zhulu was staring at his two companions' names.
Lu Qing'er, Yin Yue.
Those were obviously the names of girls.
Qin Zhulu's dark face became stiff. What sort of arrangement was this? Why would they give him two girls as partners? Was he supposed to cultivate and do missions with girls?
Qin Zhulu felt like he had been targeted in this one. He could only rail inwardly. "Why must they challenge me like that!?!" Among the newcomers, Si Qiuying was staring agog at Li Luo's name. Evidently, she was surprised that he had been chosen by a Violet Vibrance mentor.
"What on earth did Li Luo do in the Choosing? How did he get chosen by Mentor Chi Chan?" she stammered.
All of the students were looking at the newly chosen top 15 with envy.
"Of these five groups, the strongest overall should be mentor Shen Jinxiao's group. On the newcomers' rankings, Wang Hejiu ranks second, Duze Beixuan fourth, and Qi Luozi 15th. That's the best group overall."
"Mm. Qin Zhulu might be strong, but both Lu Qing'er and Yin Yue are ranked outside of the top 15. They'll probably drag the group down."
"Who's Yu Lang? Never heard of him."
"Mentor Chu Zi's group seems pretty strong too. Yi Lisha is fifth, Qian Ye sixth, and Si Qiuying 13th. No slackers on that front."
"..."
"Li Luo's been chosen by Mentor Chi Chan," Yan Lingqing said happily. Jiang Qing'e inclined her head with barely suppressed relief.
The problem of Li Luo's Choosing had been resolved. From the start, Jiang Qing'e had thought Mentor Chi Chan was the best choice. Firstly because she was a water resonance cultivator too, and also because she didn't like Shen Jinxiao very much. Li Luo successfully becoming her student meant that the threat of Shen Jinxiao was significantly mitigated.
However, she would not have chosen him if his performance hadn’t truly been outstanding.
Fortunately, his fight with Duze Beixuan had won him four options, and also the acknowledgment of Mentor Chi Chan.
"Everyone, although only 15 have been chosen by Violet Vibrance mentors, do not be discouraged. In the future, if you can demonstrate your own brilliance, it is possible that the Violet Vibrance mentors will extend an additional slot. Here at the Astral Sage College, we let no pearls fall by the road."
Vice Principal Su Xin's warm voice gave them some final encouragement.
The heated excitement in Newcomers' Hall finally subsided.
That's right, there was still a long road ahead of them. As long as they continued to work hard, they might still win the favor of the Violet Vibrance mentors. After all, there were a lot of new students, and there were plenty of hidden talents just lurking in their midst.
In past cohorts, there had been cases where Gold Gleam students ended up bucking the trend and surpassing Violet Vibrance students.
Although the chosen 15 were indeed strong, this was just the beginning. The future was yet to be written.
Many things could change.
Those final words of hope from Vice Principal Su Xin brought the Choosing of the Mentors to a formal close.
And their lives at the Astral Sage College to a formal opening.