Elias soon arrived at the training grounds, where a large group of children was engaged in sparring matches in their own designated areas.
The training ground was a sprawling open space divided into multiple small fighting zones, each marked by simple chalk lines on the ground. Each zone was large enough to accommodate a pair of combatants, and the areas were separated by low barriers to keep the matches contained. The ground itself was worn out, with patches of dirt and gravel scattered across it.
After being scolded by the teacher for being late, Elias joined the others.
However, he didn't really participate. Instead, he stood on the sidelines, watching the other kids fight. The teacher was occupied with overseeing multiple fights and correcting the students' postures. Seeing Elias doing nothing, the teacher didn't bother to call him out and decided it wasn't worth forcing Elias to join in and instead continued to focus on the other children.
So, Elias stood there like a statue, observing the various matches while the teacher moved from one group to another. The other children, who had recently awakened, displayed an apparent increase in strength. Some couldn't even control their strength properly, but that was the whole point of this class; to help to these newly awakened children to control their strength.
Although they weren't yet exceptionally powerful, their bodies had started to show signs of supernatural strength for their small size.
As they ascended in ranks, their physical abilities would gradually increase, and their bodies would become stronger and more resilient. It was very similar to Elias' physique, albeit slightly different since his strength didn't come from an aperture but his rune.
As for the reason cultivators needed to learn martial arts, it was simple. At low ranks, aether would be quickly depleted. Therefore, mastering combat skills without relying on manifestations was essential for emergencies.
After a few minutes, the teacher finally announced, "Alright, class. Let's have a little tournament. I want to assess the overall level. The winner will receive a rank 1 slippery smoke manifestation as a reward." The teacher pulled out a small glass bottle containing a tiny gray flame.
"Really?!"
"Wow!"
"I want it!"
"Me too!"
The children shouted excitedly, their eyes shining with anticipation.
The teacher smiled at their enthusiasm and explained the rules: "The rules are simple: It will be a one-versus-one fight. No manifestations allowed. If you can't continue fighting, you lose and are disqualified. The winner will fight in the next round until we have a final victory. Understood?"
Once the teacher had explained the rules, the children began searching for opponents and started fighting among themselves in different arenas. Elias, still standing off to the side, was approached by a young boy.
"Hey, let's fight," the boy said with a grin, clearly confident he would win.
Elias shrugged and followed the boy to an open space.
As they walked, the boy suddenly threw a surprise punch at Elias.
Elias easily dodged the punch, but the boy wasn't finished. He attempted a kick, which Elias simply stepped back from.
"Ah, sorry if that surprised you. My dad says a cultivator must have good reactions. I was just testing yours. You've got pretty good reflexes for a rank 1 gray potential," the boy said, rubbing his hand with a grin.
Elias did not answer, as if he did not notice how the boy had tried to cheat and attack him before even reaching the fighting zone and simply continued to follow him. Once they reached the arena, the boy turned around.
"Now, let's get serious!" The boy attacked again, but this time, Elias didn't dodge. Instead, he blocked the attack without much difficulty.
"Ugh!" The boy cried out in pain, his arm feeling numb. He had put too much strength in his attack.
"You're pretty strong," the boy said, trying to hide his discomfort. He glanced around, noting that everyone else was engrossed in their own fights. 'I wanted to impress the teacher by beating him in one hit, like in the stories,' he thought, disappointed.
Elias remained silent, his expression blank.
The boy gritted his teeth, his face reddening. "Fine, I'll get serious. For real this time. Block this if you dare!" He charged at Elias, throwing another punch.
This time, Elias faked a block but stepped to the side at the last second. The boy stumbled past him and fell heavily to the ground.
"Argh!" The boy cried out, clutching his elbow. He couldn't properly control his strength yet. "Why didn't you block it like last time—"
Before the boy could finish, Elias punched him in the face while he was on the ground. The boy's body immediately went limp, unconscious, with a bleeding broken nose.
Elias stared at the unconscious boy for a moment before heading back to the sidelines. Just then, the teacher, having noticed the commotion, hurried over.
"What happened?" the teacher asked, his tone concerned. "I understand you won, but why didn't you call me when he ended up like this?" he exclaimed, looking at the still-bleeding boy.
"...Oh, sorry, teacher. I was about to call you, but you have such a good perception. You noticed before I could do anything," Elias lied smoothly. He didn't care about the boy's well-being; Elias would have left him there if the teacher hadn't noticed.
The teacher was taken aback, unsure if Elias was being sarcastic or not. But he couldn't do much since Elias technically hadn't done anything wrong. Even if he complained, the responsibility was still his.
With a frown, the teacher sighed and called one of the servants to take the boy to the infirmary. After the boy was carried away, the teacher looked at Elias and said, "Okay, let's resume the tournament. You can sit out until everyone is done."
Elias nodded and watched the other children fight. Slowly, the number of participants dwindled. Occasionally, Elias would participate in the sparring matches when called upon.
Yet... each time, the outcome was the same: the child who faced him would end up in a terrible state. One boy was sent flying across the training ground, landing hard enough that he had to be helped up by others, his body bruised and battered.
Another girl was left clutching her arm in pain, the limb swollen and discolored from Elias's precise strikes. It wasn't rare for Elias's opponent to be carried away unconscious or with a severe injury.
After a few rounds, most children would give up if they had to fight him. They would rather choose to lose than face this demon!
Little did they know that Elias was deliberately holding back, refraining from using more destructive or even lethal techniques. He was mindful of the potential backlash from furious parents and chose to keep his attacks less harmful, even though he was capable of far worse.
The teacher was furious but couldn't really do anything since, no matter what, Elias was winning fairly.
'How is this kid so strong physically?! Is he using a manifestation that strengthens his body?' he couldn't help but wonder if Elias was secretly using a manifestation.
Yet, he knew that Elias couldn't have a manifestation this soon. He had personally seen Elias awaken yesterday, and he couldn't possibly merge with a manifestation this quickly. Moreover, Elias was not emitting aether, meaning no manifestation was being used.
After a few more "intense" matches, the final round was set. Unsurprisingly, Elias emerged as the victor, standing alone amidst the scattered, exhausted students who had tried and failed to beat him.
"Here's your reward," the teacher said, handing Elias a small glass bottle containing a flickering gray flame. His expression was tinged with bitterness as if reluctant to hand over the prize.
"Thank you, teacher." Elias accepted the bottle with a polite bow, his expression unreadable as always.
The teacher nodded, his expression still strained. "Alright, class. This concludes today's training. I hope you all learned something valuable. Remember, physical combat is an essential skill for a cultivator. Without it, you'll be easy prey if you ever run out of aether. If you still have some wounds, go see the academy doctor. He will take care of it, and you will be fine by tomorrow. Class dismissed," he said, addressing the class.
But before the students could disperse, one boy, his arm still in a sling from his earlier encounter with Elias, shouted out in frustration. "Teacher, it's unfair! He must have cheated! He's only a rank 1 potential, but he beat everyone!" The boy's face was red with anger as he pointed accusingly at Elias.
"Yeah, it's unfair!" another student chimed in, their voice filled with indignation.
"He's a tyrant!" a third added, and soon the other students joined in, their voices growing louder as they vented their frustrations.
"How could he beat us all? He's just a rank 1 gray potential!"
"He's nothing but a bully! A tyrant!"
The teacher frowned, clearly at a loss for how to handle the situation. The students' protests grew louder, their resentment toward Elias boiling over.
"Everyone, please calm down," the teacher said, raising his hands to try and quiet the crowd.
"But teacher, he's a tyrant! He's been bullying us!"
"Yeah, teacher! It's not fair!"
The teacher's patience finally snapped. "Enough!" he yelled, his voice cutting through the noise. The students fell silent, shocked by the sudden outburst.
"Elias won because he is probably gifted from Earth, and is likely born with a strong body. If you think it's unfair, then work harder! You all have higher talent. Cultivate diligently, and merge with your first manifestation to defeat him!" he said sternly, his eyes sweeping over the classroom.
Upon hearing this, most student seemed to have realized something. Why would they care if they lost against Elias in physical combat? They had a higher talent, the moment they fully merged with their manifestation...
Somehow, the teacher had successfully used this opportunity to teach the students a valuable lesson. He wanted to use Elias as a way to motivate other students.
But as he turned to emphasize his point by gesturing toward Elias, he realized that the boy was gone. The spot where Elias had been standing moments before was now empty as if he had vanished into thin air.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A heavy silence settled. Elias was already gone without anyone noticing it.