Danial woke to the piercing sound of an alarm blaring throughout the academy. Groggy, he struggled to make sense of the noise until a cold electronic voice cut through the din, "All students and cultivators must gather in Training Hall Alpha. All students and cultivators must gather in Training Hall Alpha." The message repeated on a loop, heightening the urgency.Danial rubbed the sleep from his eyes, sprang out of bed, and hurriedly freshened up. Not knowing what the clothing criteria might be, he decided to wear his sports clothes. As he prepared, he noticed Pavan sitting on the edge of his bed, dark circles under his eyes but an enthusiastic expression on his face."What's up? Didn't sleep well?" Danial asked, placing a hand on Pavan's shoulder.Pavan's reply was unusually enthusiastic despite his weary appearance. "Dude, I couldn't calm down from the excitement. I didn't get any sleep. Right now, I'm more excited than ever This is going to be epic."Danial chuckled and nodded. "Le
Oliver Brown stepped onto the stage, his presence commanding immediate attention. His gaze swept over the assembled students like a cold wind, penetrating deep into their souls, making them feel as if their darkest secrets were being laid bare. The remaining students felt that they couldn't hide anything from Oliver no matter what they did.Each time his eyes landed on an individual, they felt their vision darken and blur, an overwhelming testament to the immense power he wielded. Although these moments were brief, they were enough to instill a sense of awe and fear among the students, a clear indication of Oliver's unmatched prowess.When his gaze landed on Kuro, Oliver's eyes widened slightly in recognition. He recalled the boy's lineage and the formidable reputation of his family. It was rare for Oliver to be caught off guard, but the sight of Kuro sparked a memory. Kuro, too, felt the intensity of the scrutiny, but his expression remained composed. He knew that his identity would
His exclamation echoed through the silent hall, drawing the attention of everyone present. All heads turned and looked at Danial with confused and curious gazes. Feeling the weight of their stares, Danial shook his head in embarrassment, trying to dismiss the outburst. He could feel his cheeks burning as he avoided eye contact, focusing instead on the System panel.Elysia's sharp gaze shifted to him, her eyes narrowing slightly in curiosity. "Is there something you would like to share with the rest of us?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of challenge.Danial swallowed hard, realizing he needed to think quickly. "No, Miss Elysia," he said, his voice steadying as he spoke. "I was just surprised by the reality of our mission. It's a lot to take in."Elysia studied him for a moment longer before giving a curt nod. "Good. Let that surprise fuel your determination. You'll need every bit of it."With the focus shifted back to Elysia, Danial let out a silent sigh of relief. He glanced arou
Danial took a deep breath and assumed a fighting posture, his eyes locked on Elysia. Up above and across the hall, behind the large, ornate windows, Grandmaster Quintan observed the sparring sessions with keen interest. His disappointment was evident as he watched the performance of the cultivators."They are not ready," Quintan muttered to himself, his voice tinged with frustration. "Their journey into the Ancient Ruins will be fraught with peril if this is the best they can offer."Behind him, a shadowy figure shifted slightly, stepping forward into the dim light. Ottoman, Quintan's trusted advisor and master of espionage spoke with a calm, measured tone. "Grandmaster, they are still young. Most of them come from the branch families of the great Houses, and they are considered weak even within their own families. The circumstances have forced us to make this decision."Quintan nodded, acknowledging the Ottoman's point. "I know, Ottoman. But that doesn't make their lack of readiness
After everyone had finished sparring with Elysia, they were given a fifteen-minute break. The participants, worn out but determined, took the time to rest and reflect on their experiences. Elysia, ever the diligent instructor, was already planning the next phase of their training.She gathered those who needed to refine their techniques and led them to the Combat Training Hall. Others, whose physical bodies required further strengthening, were directed to the Body Hardening Hall. The halls were filled with specialized equipment designed to target and enhance various parts of the body under the watchful eyes of their instructors.Danial, Maria, a green-robed student named Aric, a bald monk named Jin with prayer beads around his neck, and a few others were selected to visit the Martial Library, a place where ancient texts and manuals held the secrets of advanced martial arts. Elysia accompanied them, leading the way through the long, echoing halls of the academy. After a walk through t
Arriving at the training hall, Danial found a quiet corner to begin his practice. The hall was filled with the sound of students training, the clatter of weapons, and the grunts of exertion. He sat down, placing both the Fire Shield and Hellfire books in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he began to study the intricate details of each technique.The Fire Shield technique required the user to channel their inner fire, forming a protective barrier of flames. It was a defensive maneuver, meant to protect the user from attacks and create a temporary safe zone. On the other hand, Hellfire was a destructive force, harnessing the most intense and uncontrollable flames.Danial thought, "What I need to do is just swap out the fire from the Fire Shield into Hellfire. To do that I will have to start with learning the Hellfire technique first." He put the Fire Shield scroll aside and opened the Hellfire technique book. He started reading carefully, understanding the human diagram that was portr
Danial was so shocked and in disbelief that he looked around the room to see if anyone had witnessed what he had just done. The room was empty, and he let out a sigh of relief. Sitting down on his bed to calm himself, he tried to process the reality that he could use both the fire and water elements. "If I can use the fire and water elements, can I use the earth element as well? And maybe even other elements?" he wondered."If I can use both fire and water, can I use earth and other elements too?" he wondered. Despite wanting to dismiss the idea as ridiculous, curiosity gnawed at him. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate, imagining the earth element. He felt a deep, grounding sensation, a connection to the solidity and strength beneath his feet. His internal energy reacted by becoming dense and heavy, almost like it was rooting itself into the ground.Soon enough, he felt a small piece of stone hovering above his fingertips. Opening his eyes, he saw the stone floating there, de
The group was so frightened by Danial's appearance that they started to intensely sweat. The one who had demanded everyone kneel before the queen was trembling in fright, but with trembling lips, he still managed to say, "W-why are you not kneeling before the queen?" Danial, concentrating on calming his internal energy, hadn't even heard them enter. When he finally registered the noise and turned his head, he saw the group and a girl in an elegant black skirt leading them. He asked in a hoarse voice, "Who are you and what do you want?" Danial was incredibly tired, having exhausted his internal energy, and needed time to recuperate. The caller, incredibly frightened, was about to speak when the girl raised her hand to silence him. In a voice as sweet as it was commanding, she said, "Hello Danial, I have heard great things about you." Danial couldn’t muster the energy to respond. He slumped from his previously straight posture, and the steam slowly began to subside. His fatigue was ev