The Strongest Businessman

"So, he used the herbs that Sir Null gave him? A bit too rash if you ask me." Azelmek commented with seriousness.

"True, but according to our intel, he is fairly competent when it comes to management in business. Maybe he still has some tricks up on his sleeves." Sheldon answered with a wide smile.

"Hm, for now, let\'s just wait and see." Azelmek said as he grabbed a document on his desk and reviewed it.

"Dylan Ford. Age 18. Born in Soaring Cloud City. Rumored to be the bastard son of True King Derik Ford... Interesting." Azelmek mumbled to his self as he scanned through some documents he was holding in his hands.

...

At Dylan\'s Residence...

Dylan was scanning through countless books he bought regarding the history of the Thunder Clouds City, its inhabitants, cultivation realms, the power structurres, and even the architectural composition of the city. He was already preparing for the Noble Test he will take tomorrow. Tomorrow would be the mark of their 12th day of stay in the city.

Although it was quite taxing to manage his store in the day and spend several hours to review at night, Dylan had no choice but to endure. He needs to pass the test with flying colors in order for them to stay. He couldn\'t bother his employees as they were sleeping like logs on their beds and review like him because he knew that they would be too tired to do so.

Through the information his employees gathered, Dylan was able to discover a rumor that once a person obtain a perfect mark when taking the exam he/she would be able to directly be conferred as a 3rd Rank Noble regardless of the cultivation and background.

Every rank would only allow a noble to have a corresponding number of servants. A 7th rank noble would be entitled to have upto 25 followers while a sixth rank noble would have 50. Each rank would grant double the amount of followers a noble previously had and it was strictly to be followed not a single one more. If a 6th rank noble would have 51 servants, then the additional servant would be immediately exiled from the city.

Since Dylan had 80 employees and 100 mounts, he had to directly gain the rank of 3rd Rank Noble because he would have the privilege to hire or have 200 employees because mounts are also considered as follower.

Truth be told, Dylan had already taken account that he could just sell the wolves but the sudden breakthrough of the pack of wolves shocked him. The employees have used the wolves to train themselves fighting fast opponents and develop their intuition and reaction time. They did not expect that they would breakthrough a level one by one! ,

Currently, all of the wolves have reached 10th level of Spirit Veins Realm and they were now all loyal to Dylan and his followers since they helped them breakthrough and treated them well by letting them eat three kilos of meat daily for the past 2 months.

Seeing the growth of both his employees and the wolves, Dylan was ecstatic and he wanted for such development to continue! That is why Dylan aspired to be able to earn a perfect score in the Noble Test.

However, the test was too hard because the passing of rate of the test was 3 passer for every 10 examinee and this was with the passing rate of 60%! Due to this, it also had another name the Banishment Exams since those who were not able to pass were to be banned from entering the city for a year before being able to take the test again.

Citizens would consider anyone who got a mark over 70, a genius and be rewarded with a High Spirit Rank Technique or Treasure and become a 6th Rank noble! A mark of 80 indicates the rise of a prodigy who would be rewarded with a Low Earth Ranked Cultivation Manual or Technique and a 7th rank! A rare mark of 90 would give one endless prestige of a 4th Rank and be labelled as a dragon amongst men and receive the core technique of the Thunder Clouds City, the Extreme Thundercloud​, a High Earth Ranked Technique!! A Technique that anyone in the city yearned to have.

But a perfect 100? It was rumored to be able to impossible to get. This is due to the forefathers of the city who made this standardized test who have given questions that would test an individual\'s comprehension skills.

The forefathers of the city were known to be the Thundercloud​ Kings who helped the 10th Generation True King of the Mystical Clouds to conquer the country as his most trusted generals. The forefathers created this standardized test because they wanted their descendants to be aware of its origins and history and to be able to be intellectually competent. Thus, they ordained this test to be a tradition that must be passed down for generations to come.

For outsiders, they only have 3 attempts to take the exam and if they were unable to pass after, they would be forever banished from the city., For members of noble clans, once they reached the age of 18, they were given 4 attempts but the difference is that they were not subjected to the 1 year banishment that outsiders will experience but some nobles had taken their test in a younger age.

But, members of Noble Clans have an advantage compared to the outsiders since they gain access to the answers of their predecessors. Thus, it was common for nobles​ to pass the 60% mark with ease. But despite of this advantage, they were unable to get a perfect mark.

This is due to he forefathers of the city who left behind a treasure which initially had 10,000 different questions and create questionnaires​ of a 100 items depending on the number of participants and were all different from each other to avoid cheating during the examinations. The forefathers also left a mandate that for every 100 years that passed the administrators of the test would add an additional 100 questions about the current state of city within this period on the treasure.

There were some administrators who tried to manipulate the machine for the sake of getting their descendants a higher score in order to get the Extreme Thundercloud Technique. But, they only failed on doing so because the machine only allowed them to add questions for every century and not subtract or extract any of this questions. Now, due to the constant addition of questions the treasure had more than 60,000 questions to utilize!

Although some clans tried to increase the number of their participants to increase the questions they would acquire and analyze, most still failed in this respect. But there were some clans who managed to ensure a passing score of 70% to their descendants like the Thunder Clan , Panther Clan, and 3 other powers.

Among the 5, the Thunder Clan was able to successfully get the Extreme Thundercloud Technique and made it one of their three defining techniques several hundred years ago. Twelve years ago, Victor Thunder took the test and got the score of 95 which was only recorded to occur for a total of five times. Each of those five have already became one of the unparalleled genius of their generations. Thus, the citizens of the city already speculated that Victor would become a supreme genius of this generation.

Others could only dream of such score but no one would have thought that there would still be someone who was aspiring to obtain the impossibility of perfect score!

....

In front of the Gates of the Noble Test Center...

Countless clans and sects have gathered, stationing themselves outside of the gates and awaiting the opening of the Noble Test Center. Carriages and mounts were constantly appearing as the citizens converged and started commencing their own discussions.

"Isn\'t that the Stone Edge Manor? That\'s Stone Edge Saint Child! Rumor has it that he has already crossed the Spirit Gathering Realm despite being seventeen years of age!" The crowds commented on the arrival of a stout and handsome frizzy-haired young man with his entourage of elders from his clan.

"Look there! That\'s the golden daughter of the Hundred Hills​ Grand Clan, Daniela Hills who similarly reached the Origin Realm at the age of 17 last year!" Another exclaimed as a blonde woman who carried a devastating body as she gracefully strolled to the gates of the Noble Test Center with her bodyguards!

"The Wonder Child of the Fleeting Wood Residence, Isaac Fleetwood!" Another pointed to a scholar looking youth.

"The Child Strategist of the Meadow Formation Sect, Ciara Meadows!" An old man announced as a brunette beauty passed by him.

"Oh my, the last child of Clan Head Gayolei is here! An eighteen year old Palace Formation Realm Expert, Riki Panther! It seems like we will get to see the a rare 80 percent rank during this year\'s Noble Test!" A small-time businessman recognized a youth who looked similar to Ritz Panther but the difference was that this man was cold and indifferent to others.

" No way, is that... Alchemist Asiel of the Alchemy Academy?!" A young master gasped at the sight of a young alchemist who was accompanied by veteran alchemists.

"The thirteen year old child prodigy who became a Master Alchemist in just one attempt??! I can\'t believe he\'s already going to take the exam! Such confidence could really shake you to your core!" A similar silkpants exclaimed.

"Not only that he is also accompanied by Alchemy Grandmaster of the city\'s Alchemy Academy! This just goes to show how he is valued in the academy! I bet his talent in alchhemy is the same as Victor in cultivation!" A middle aged man behind them assessed.

"Does this mean we will also get to see a percent mark like with the thirteen year old Victor Thunder a decade ago?!" Both were shocked by this man\'s assessment.

"Its a great possibility." The man replied with a stern look on his face which left the two boys dumbfounded.

"We need to get his favor while we still have the chance!" The two agreed.

As the crowd was focused on scanning for a genius, Dylan inconspicuously arrived and headed towards the front of the gates as he commented, "I guess this test is going to be a bit more livelier than I originally thought."

The crowd continued to comment on the various geniuses from different powers! After several hours, the gates have finally opened as a creepy​ old man who seemed to be already holding onto his life appeared. His deep wrinkly eyes and withered face seemed as though it was from an undying zombie. If others were to describe him, he seemed like a dead man who crawled out of his grave. Not long after, a heroic and large bald adult man appeared and stood near the undying old man as he opened his mouth:

" All participants step forward​ to be counted." The participants followed as the Noble Test Center gifted with stones that have engraved numbers on them which floated to the palms of the participants.

" With these stones, you are now granted permission to enter the Center. Once you enter you will be sent to a room for you to take an exam. All of this rooms are divided and separated from each other. Thus, anyone who has any thoughts of communication​ or cheating should dismiss such thoughts since this rooms reject any type of communication from outside. Now, without further ado, let the Noble Test begin!" The heroic bald man explained and warned. After his speech, the participants immediately entered and was sent to different rooms that were isolated from the outside world.

"I can do this. Others might not be able to do it but that doesn\'t mean I can\'t." Dylan encouraged himself as he walked to the gates of the Center.

Before Dylan could step to the gates, he was stopped by a cold youth, Riki Panther.

"You will pay for what you did to second brother. Mark my words, Dylan Ford." Riki Panther coldly threatened Dylan before he turned around and entered the gates to be transported to his testing room.

After he shook his head, he stepped to the gates and disappeared from the sight of the crowd.

"Haayst, I guess I should have already expected that he would hate me for imprisoning his brother but it\'s not like I regret imprisoning a evil man like him. Well, this does happen when you offend people ." Dylan could only sigh as he was transported to an unfamiliar room with chair and table which had a 10 page thick questionnaire and a pen to write.

" But I am not someone who is easily bullied .Just try and harm me or my friends. I\'ll bring you all down!" A sharp and cold glint appeared on his eyes.

"For now, I should focus with the task at hand. It\'s time to take this test." Dylan spoke as he calmed himself to concentrate and sat on the chair to start answering the questions.