After following the instructions of the receptionist, Ruel finally arrived at his destination after a few minutes of walking. The door to the rooms wasn't closed. Instead, they were open for all to see inside.
Entering it, he noticed several students like him exercising and meditating. They were all engrossed in their work, not giving a shred of attention to others joining.
The class Ruel had entered was the best division in the Starry sky sword sect for the Qi cultivation cultivators as well as the early foundation establishment cultivators.
There was no division after this. Instead, there was one-on-one teaching for the people with a 90 percent formation rate.
Their information was kept a secret as well as to stimulate their growth. They were taught separately. Unlike the others present here, they were the real future powerhouses of the sect.
Finding a spot in the corner, Ruel did some basic exercises, warming up his body before the instructor came.
The only thing that couldn't be compromised in the sect was discipline. Every person had to follow the rules, be it the powerhouses or even the lowest disciple.
Suddenly, a person entered the room, power emanating from his seemingly weak-looking body, his slumped down shoulders as well as his aimlessly strolling around didn't indicate one bit of the power he was hiding.
He was the instructor for this class.
'I don't remember him,' was the only thought coming to Ruel's mind while trying to remember the face.
He didn't know every person in the sect even after living and dying, but he knew most, if not all, in the realm, the man was in.
Ruel couldn't peek through his realm but his instincts told him, he was far more potent than the administrator overlooking the awakening of spiritual roots.
With a sudden gust of wind, the instructor reappeared on the stage in the room, looking down at every student present, and evaluating them.
In his presence, all the students started to gather, and just when all of them gathered, the instructor spoke in a booming voice.
"Attention"
"My name is Zed Avaricious. I will be your instructor until you drop out, advance through the early stage of the Foundation establishment realm, or annoy me."
Chills ran through the students after hearing this. Some of them had already advanced from Qi cultivation to Foundation establishment but still were far away from moving from foundation establishment.
Ignoring the reactions of others, Zed commented again, "In this class, I will only tell you all about what you are lacking. I am here to guide and not to spoon-feed."
"I will only teach basics and assess your performances. Follow my instructions, advance, and survive. The weak are not needed here."
"That's all." Ending the speech with a mighty clap, every student woke up from their daze, yet a blaze remained in their eyes, a fire to prove their worth in front of this man.
"Pick another partner and start fighting now," said Zed while his hand, picked a chair from behind him, sitting down, he was looking forward to the performances of others.
The students started looking for others to partner with, some started fighting right off the bat, and some were like Ruel, waiting for someone to fight them.
Picking a wooden sword from the stand, Ruel waited for some time.
With nobody coming his way, he kicked the ground, sprinting towards one of the free ones. With a large leap, Ruel was just above the man.
Noticing Ruel upon him, he tried to dodge, trying to move out of the way, but he was just one step late. With a kick from Ruel, he was sent flying back.
"Ugh, what the fuck?" he said while a groan found its way out of his mouth.
Who was this lunatic attacking someone without telling, he would have to show him how to fucking respect someone! With his eyes blazing, he picked up the wooden spear that was beside him.
He stood up in a hurry, steeling himself for another surprise attack. However, that one never came...instead, he finally saw the person who had attacked him. And what the man saw caused his mouth to be agape.
'huh, he is only at the peak of Qi cultivation level?'
With a surprised expression, he said "Are you blind? Attacking someone one level above-"
Before he could complete the sentence, a fast sword strike came his way. Focusing on the blow, he brought his spear up to defend himself against the attack.
But the power behind it forced him to take a step back. It was heavy. That attack there could have ended it all there if he hadn't blocked it.
"No need to talk when fighting," said Ruel with a solemn expression on his, while going for another attack. Bringing his sword above his head, he swung it onto the spear.
Tension hung in the air as they prepared for the clash.
Standing up while catching his balance from the previous attack, the man stabbed his spear forward to meet Ruel's sword with a grim face.
As soon as the clash happened, both were forced to take a step back, their hands were numb from each other's attacks.
Without wasting time, Ruel lunged forward, getting into a close-range brawl with the man, exploiting the disadvantage of the spear.
Noticing this and with no time in hand, he swung the spear in a 180-degree motion, forcing Ruel to parry and be at a distance.
They both rushed forward, swinging their weapons in quick succession.
The battle was in stalemate, none of them overpowering the other.
It had to be noted that the man Ruel was fighting was in the Foundation establishment realm. His body was more powerful than Ruel's.
The only way Ruel was even fighting back was because of him using his body's maneuverability to the best.
He purposefully let his body fly back from the impact, negating the damage given to him.
While using his body weight to attack with the most power he could conjure right now.
As time passed, the difference between them became apparent. Ruel's stamina was hitting rock bottom. On the other hand, the man was still fighting with fervor.
Ruel had to end it fast. He just needed one gap and that gap soon came.
With time, the man's strikes were becoming more and more aggressive, yet the man in front of him wasn't yielding. He was only in the Qi cultivation realm and was still putting up a fight.
It was an admirable fight, but it had to end. Just as he was about to run back, Ruel just stood there, huffing for air.
Seizing the opportunity, he dashed forward; the spear rotated in his hand, stabbing towards Ruel.
A smile crept upon his face, but that smile of victory was gone as soon as it came.
As the spear thrust toward Ruel, his body moved, sidestepping the spear. He caught the wooden stick with his hand.
Ruel kicked the spear with his right leg, breaking it in two. With the spear broken, Ruel jumped forward, disarming the man in one swift motion of his sword.
Finally accepting his defeat, the man looked towards Ruel. This person had defeated him in such an intense battle while being in a lower realm than him.
Without looking at him, Ruel went toward the resting benches, placing his sword beside him and laying back.
Ruel couldn't use spiritual energy, nor the elements he had awakened with the spiritual roots. The only way to use them was to get to the Foundation establishment realm.
After awakening the spiritual roots, getting to the next realm was easy, he just had to stress his body out as well as give it time to adapt to the spiritual energy starting to course through his body.
This process could take up to a month or less, and during that time, he will train his body as well as plan for the future while adjusting to his body.