On a sunny afternoon, a group of children gathered in the academy's training grounds. They wore simple training uniforms, their faces tense and serious. The training ground was a wide-open space marked with chalk lines for sparring. The warm sun cast long shadows, and the ground was dry and dusty from constant use.
"Alright, let's start the last match for today... The winner will obtain three rank 2 Smokebloom Flowers as a reward," the teacher called out, his voice firm but tinged with unease. His expression was severe. "Remember, you are now allowed to use your manifestation," he added.
It had been a few months since Elias had awakened, and after the first month of teaching the class to control their newfound strength, it was only natural for them to start sparring with their manifestations in addition to hand-to-hand combat.
The students, already familiar with these matches, turned their attention to the two remaining fighters. On one side stood Elias, calm and composed as always.
Opposite him was a boy, smaller but with a determined look in his eyes. Wisps of dark gray smoke curled around the boy's hand, and then it solidified into a long, thin whip. The smoky whip cracked in the air, ready to strike.
"You may begin," the teacher said, stepping back to give them space.
The boy acted quickly, snapping the smoke whip toward Elias with a sharp crack. The whip moved fast, slicing through the air with precision. Elias, however, didn't flinch. He sidestepped the first strike, his movements fluid and controlled.
The boy swung the whip again, trying to catch Elias off guard, but Elias easily dodged each strike. The whip lashed out repeatedly, cutting through the air with each attempt, but Elias's reflexes were too quick.
Frustrated, the boy poured more aether into his manifestation, making the whip thicker and faster. He lashed out with a powerful strike aimed at Elias's legs, hoping to trip him up. But Elias simply jumped over it, landing lightly on his feet.
Seeing an opening, Elias darted forward, closing the distance between them. The boy tried to pull the whip back to defend himself, but Elias was too fast. With a swift, strong punch to the boy's stomach, Elias knocked the wind out of him, causing him to double over in pain. The whip of smoke instantly dissolved as the boy lost focus, dropping to his knees on the ground.
Elias stood over him, calm as ever. But little did the other students know that even for him, this victory hadn't come easily. Despite his usual composed appearance, he was starting to feel the strain. Facing so many opponents, each with their own manifestation, was challenging, even for someone as skilled as Elias. Even with his enhanced physique thanks to his rune, he was nearing his limits.
"The Winner is... Elias," the teacher announced, though no one seemed surprised. The boy on the ground was helped up by a servant and taken to the side, still holding his stomach in pain. Some other students comforted him, but it was clear that no one was happy.
"I knew he would win. He always wins," one boy muttered, his voice tinged with resentment.
"Yeah... But his talent is bad... Only his body is strong," another sighed, trying to reassure himself.
"That's so unfair... He's been taking all the rewards for five months straight. Whether it's in a 1 versus 1 or even quizzes about cultivation, as long as there's a reward, he always gets it. How are we supposed to compete?"
The teacher listened with a frown, unsure of how to handle the situation.
Typically, those rewards were meant to motivate the children to work harder, but Elias monopolized them instead.
The academy program only lasted a single year as it was designed to help the children adjust to their new bodies after awakening, learn basic combat skills, study the philosophy of the founding ancestors, and understand the fundamentals of cultivation.
However, Elias, the "tyrant," took advantage of the situation and monopolized the rewards that were supposed to be distributed.
With a sigh, the teacher turned back to Elias with a question he had asked before.
"It's been five months since you awakened, Elias," he began. "I know that choosing a manifestation must be done carefully since it will accompany you for the rest of your life, but you are taking too long. You still don't have your first manifestation!"
Elias met the teacher's gaze with his usual blank expression. Ever since he had demonstrated that he could defeat all the students even without a manifestation, earning the label of 'tyrant,' both the teacher and the other students had stopped trying to bully him.
Meanwhile, the other students had shifted their bullying to another, weaker kid. It was hypocritical, but Elias didn't care; he understood it was just human nature to avoid those who were stronger and to pick on the weaker ones.
"I still haven't chosen a manifestation yet," he replied.
The teacher frowned deeper. "Still?" he muttered, more to himself than to Elias. "You know you can't start cultivating without a rank 1 manifestation, right?"
Elias didn't say anything more. It was true; to start advancing to the next rank, a cultivator needed to merge with a manifestation corresponding to their current rank. This meant that no one could rush through their cultivation; they had to take each step carefully and make the right choices along the way.
"Well, I guess it can't be helped... Anyways, class dismissed," the teacher said with a sigh as he handed over the small pouch with the reward.
Elias accepted the pouch and nodded politely before walking away. As Elias left, the other students watched him with mixed expressions. Some looked at him with envy, others with jealousy, and some with fear.
...
Elias arrived at the Xiawen mansion and immediately sought out a servant. "Where's my mother? Is she back home yet? What about father and grandfather?" he asked, his voice flat.
The servant, who had been cleaning the floor, bowed slightly before responding, "Madam is expected to return today from her two-week commission. As for young master's father, he won't be back for at least a week, also on a commission. I do not know about the family head…"
Elias nodded, unsurprised by the news. Cultivators were always busy, and the Xiawen family was no exception.
Unlike what most normal people would believe, cultivators in the clan but also in general did a little more than lounge around.
They had to actively engage in commissions to earn their keep. These commissions, often tasked by the clan or by other cultivators, ranged from hunting beasts to investigating or gathering specific materials and manifestation.
These tasks were essential for securing the resources necessary for manifestation used for their own ascension. His mother like everyone was no exception and needed resources, especially since she had successfully merged with a rank 2 manifestation, she started to take commission to for her own future cultivation ... and for Elias' shameless and constant demand for resources.
That was also how the Xiawen family gathered resources. In the Xiawen vault, resources were all accumulated over generations, gathered through countless commissions and the diligent efforts of the family's cultivators.
If they weren't out on commission, cultivators would often retreat into seclusion, focusing entirely on their cultivation. It wasn't unusual for them to disappear for weeks, even months at a time. Elias' mother, however, was a special case. Despite her busy schedule, she would often spend time with him instead of focusing on her cultivation, a habit that made others look at her strangely.
With a final nod to the servant, Elias made his way to his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he sat down directly. He then opened the pouch and took out the three Smokebloom Flowers that he received as a reward. They were delicate, almost ethereal, resembling wisps of smoke shaped like flowers.
"I would have preferred a manifestation, but these would do," he murmured to himself as a dark paste slowly consumed those flowers, leaving only some dust.
Over the past years, he had meticulously gathered the necessary lifespan either by begging his mother for materials, forcing her to often go in commission, or by using the reward he earned from sparring matches that had been converted into lifespan. Now, at last, he had accumulated enough to proceed.
It was time to ascend to rank 2.
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[Rank: 1]
- [Lifespan: 110 years, 7 months, 22 days]
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[MANIFESTATIONS]
- [Rank 1 Manifestation slot]: [Free]
- [Additional rank 1 Manifestation slot price: 50 years]
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- [Rank up cost: 100 years]
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