Xie Fan had just woken up like any other day. After getting dressed, he made his way to the academy. It was the first day of the second month of studying. His days had passed like a blur—each day, he attended classes, rested in the afternoon, and spent his evenings cultivating and training his stamina. Afterward, he would eat his fill and prepare for the next day.
As Xie Fan was about to head to class, an announcement echoed through the halls, instructing everyone to head to the ceremony room.
The ceremony room was the largest in the academy, with marble floors that gleamed under the morning light. The walls were decorated in intricate gold patterns, with a massive mural of a dragon rising toward the heavens. The room was filled with the students' murmurs as they slowly filed in, taking their places.
Xie Fan glanced around and chose an empty spot near the edge. Soon, the room was packed, and the air buzzed with anticipation.
"Uhm!" Academy Elder Ping cleared his throat, his voice echoing loudly, enhanced by a sound amplification technique.
"Starting today, we will have a ranking board!" he announced, his words cutting through the whispers. "Your rank will determine the number of academy points you receive, and it will also give you opportunities to move up in classes. These academy points can be exchanged for rewards."
"Top 10 students will be rewarded with adicional prizes" he continued.
Xie Fan perked up at the mention of rewards. I wonder what will be the reward...he thought to himself.
"These academy points can be used to acquire resources, weapons, armor, cultivation techniques, martial arts, and even secret arts."
Xie Fan's eyes were drawn to the exchange board nearby. As he approached, he scanned the list of items. Names like the "Blood Body Enhancing Art" and the "Ghostly Hand Art" caught his eye, but it was only because they sounded powerful and mysterious. He realized, however, that he needed more knowledge to make the best choices. I've focused too much on raw power, he thought. I should also spend time studying the nuances of cultivation and this world's deeper secrets.
After checking the exchange board, Xie Fan headed to his class, where he was informed that they would be taking a test on the tactics of war, followed by a martial arts evaluation for the new ranking board.
The test began, with Instructor Yin Feng casting an isolation technique to prevent cheating. Xie Fan found the test easy and felt confident as he handed it in. Afterward, there was a short break before the martial arts evaluation. Xie Fan felt both nervous and excited as he prepared for the upcoming challenge. He sat beneath the old tree where he usually meditated, clearing his mind and cultivating his energy.
By now, he had opened 38 meridian gates, allowing him to harness some of the divine essence fragments to enhance his body and power. As he focused, he felt the familiar warm flow of energy surging through him.
Then, *Ding!* The bell rang, signaling the start of the martial arts evaluation. Xie Fan adjusted his stance, feeling the anticipation building within him.
Instructor Lei stood in the center of the courtyard, his eyes sharp as he looked over the students. "Today's evaluation will determine your progress in hand-to-hand combat," he said in his deep, commanding voice. "Do not hold back, but remember—true strength lies not just in brute force, but in precision, control, and timing."
After a warm-up session, Instructor Lei gave the next command. "Now, divide into pairs. One of you will come forward and draw the name of the opponent you will face in the tournament."
The students lined up to draw their opponents' names. When it was finally Xie Fan's turn, he drew a name: Ying Luo. She was a member of the renowned Ying family, known for their speed and body-enhancement techniques, but beyond that, not much was known about her.
"Not that everyone has drawn their opponent," Instructor Lei said, "I want you to pair up and wait for your turn to be called."
The first match was between Lan Yuan, a delicate youth with pale skin and silvery white hair, and Shi Rong, a buff youth with a fierce gaze and red hair. Both stepped into the center of the training grounds, where sandbags marked the arena's boundaries. Instructor Lei instructed them to take their places at the edges of the ring, where a line was drawn to indicate their starting positions.
Lan Yuan, the pale youth, moved to take his place. His silvery hair shimmered in the midday sun, and his expression remained unreadable. In contrast, Shi Rong stood like a bull ready to charge.
"Take your stances," Instructor Lei commanded.
Lan Yuan adopted a defensive posture, his hands open and ready to redirect any incoming attacks. Shi Rong, however, tensed his body, preparing to strike first, his aggressive stance giving away his strategy.
"Begin!" Instructor Lei's voice rang out.
Shi Rong immediately launched forward with explosive speed, using 60% of his divine essence to enhance his movements. His fist led the way, aiming for a swift and overwhelming attack. Sand kicked up from beneath his feet as he charged toward Lan Yuan, the force of his movement shaking the ground beneath him.
Lan Yuan, caught slightly off-guard by the speed, barely dodged the first punch. His body moved like water, flowing around the incoming strike. Shi Rong's fist slammed into the air with a loud thud, narrowly missing its mark.
The crowd gasped, impressed by Lan Yuan's quick reflexes.
Narrowing his eyes, Lan Yuan pivoted smoothly, using the momentum of Shi Rong's attack to his advantage. With a sharp palm strike, he landed a controlled blow to Shi Rong's exposed side, causing the larger youth to stumble slightly.
However, Shi Rong recovered quickly. He twisted his body with surprising agility for his size and swung a heavy backhand toward Lan Yuan's shoulder. This time, there was no dodging the impact.
*Thwack!* The sound of the strike echoed across the training grounds.
Though the blow landed squarely, Lan Yuan absorbed the impact with a roll and focosing his divine esence fragments, turning what should have been a devastating hit into a mere glancing blow. He winced but maintained his focus, sliding backward to create some distance between himself and Shi Rong.
Sensing an opening, Shi Rong smirked and pressed forward with a flurry of powerful strikes, each one more forceful than the last. But Lan Yuan remained calm, weaving through the attacks with precision, as if he had anticipated each move.
Then, as Shi Rong overextended on a punch, Lan Yuan saw his chance. Too fast for the larger youth to react, he stepped in with lightning speed and swept Shi Rong's legs from under him. With all his saved-up divine essence, Lan Yuan delivered a devastating strike to Shi Rong's chin, knocking him out cold.
"The battle is over," Instructor Lei declared, his voice carrying through the arena. "Winner: Lan Yuan!"
Xie Fan watched in awe, recognizing the incredible talent on display. This world has some truly promising talents, he thought to himself, feeling a renewed determination to push himself even further.