The morning sunlight bathed the grand battle arena of Celestara Academy, illuminating the vast square. At this moment, the entire academy's inner disciples, elite disciples, and even personal disciples had gathered, creating an electrifying atmosphere.
Amidst the crowd, Roy, Alice, and Veil stood side by side, scanning their surroundings.
Alice marveled, "Why are there so many people? This is even grander than I imagined!"
Veil crossed his arms, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "It's the selection trials, after all. Only the academy's top geniuses can make it into the top five. This competition is bound to be thrilling!"
Roy, however, remained silent, his gaze deep as he sensed the intense spiritual energy waves radiating from the surrounding disciples. His heart burned with determination. "This isn't just about the academy's honor—it's a rare opportunity to sharpen ourselves. We must give it our all!"
Just then, a powerful figure appeared in the sky, and an invisible pressure swept across the entire arena.
"The Headmaster has arrived! Silence!" a senior elder announced, his voice thundering through the battlefield.
In an instant, the once-boisterous crowd fell silent. All eyes turned skyward, where a middle-aged man clad in a gold-embroidered robe hovered in midair. His presence was like an unshakable mountain, and the vast waves of his spiritual energy rolled through the space like an impending storm, filling every disciple with awe.
Roy took a deep breath, his voice filled with astonishment. "Such terrifying spiritual energy… So this is the power of a Four-Star Academy Headmaster?"
Veil grinned, his eyes flickering with fighting spirit. "If I could reach that level… that's what it truly means to be strong!"
The Headmaster's gaze swept across the assembled disciples, his voice steady yet commanding.
"I am pleased to see all of you here! The five victors of this selection will represent Celestara Academy in battle. You carry not just your own honor, but the honor of our academy itself!"
His words struck like war drums, stirring the blood of every disciple. Their eyes blazed with determination.
Then, his next words caused an uproar.
"As an added incentive, the top five winners will receive an extremely rare reward—a Tier-6 Supreme Elixir, the Ascension Pill!"
BOOM—!
The moment the words "Ascension Pill" were spoken, the entire square exploded into chaos!
"WHAT?! The Ascension Pill? That's a Tier-6 Supreme Elixir!"
"I must've misheard… That's a pill that directly boosts spiritual power by a whole level AND enhances comprehension talent!"
"This is insane! The academy is actually offering something this valuable as a reward?!"
Roy, Alice, and Veil were momentarily stunned before their expressions turned to pure shock.
Veil took a sharp breath. "The academy… is really going all out this time! Even inner elders or personal disciples might not get their hands on a Tier-6 pill!"
Alice clenched her fists, excitement surging through her. "If we obtain the Ascension Pill, our cultivation speed will skyrocket! We have to win this selection!"
Roy's eyes burned with unwavering resolve as he muttered, **"Looks like our opponents won't be weak… But this pill—**we will claim it."
The Headmaster, seeing the fire ignited in his disciples' hearts, smiled faintly and declared in a booming voice:
"The rules are simple—**Elimination Match! Victory means advancement; defeat means elimination!"
"Now… LET THE SELECTION TRIALS BEGIN!"
At his command, the battle stage erupted with dazzling light. The teleportation arrays activated, sending the contestants in groups onto the battlefield. The entire academy held its breath, anticipating the fierce battles to come.
Roy clenched his fists, a confident smirk appearing on his lips. "Finally… It begins."
Alice's eyes gleamed with excitement. "No hesitation—let's do this!"
Veil cracked his knuckles, his grin widening. "I can't wait to crush the competition!"
With the elder's command, the first round of battles officially commenced!
The surrounding disciples buzzed with excitement, eagerly anticipating the fights ahead. The moment "Alice vs. Aef" was announced, many eyes lit up with anticipation.
Aef, a Level 37 Advanced Warrior, was known for his razor-sharp sword techniques. While not among the absolute top disciples, he was far from weak.
Alice, on the other hand, was a Level 43 Spirit Arts Practitioner with an unpredictable and versatile fighting style. Her battles revolved around mental and spiritual attacks, making her an opponent who was incredibly difficult to defend against.
"Alice and Aef, step onto the stage!"
Alice turned playfully to Roy and Veil, grinning. "Watch me put on a show!"
Roy encouraged her, "Go for it."
Veil, however, smirked teasingly. "Just don't lose in the first round."
Alice instantly scowled. "You're the one who's gonna lose! Don't jinx me!"
With that, she lightly leaped onto the battle stage, her eyes playful yet confident as she faced Aef. The corner of her lips curved upward.
"Come on, let's see if you can handle a real princess' power."
Aef chuckled, gripping his sword with both hands. His aura suddenly surged.
"Please guide me well!"
In an instant, Aef's spiritual energy exploded. A fierce sword aura rippled across the stage. The air around his blade trembled, emitting a deep humming sound.
Alice, however, simply chuckled. "Level 37. A warrior. Good sword skills… But, unlucky for you, you ran into me."
As she spoke, her spiritual energy surged, enveloping her in a soft, ethereal blue glow.
"Let's finish this quickly."
BOOM!
Alice struck first! Her fingers wove together in an intricate seal, rapidly gathering energy. A brilliant blue wave rippled outward, surging toward Aef like a crashing tide—
[Spirit Ripple!]
The air trembled violently as the blue waves expanded, each ripple carrying immense spiritual force, enough to shatter protective energy barriers!
Aef's expression turned serious. He stepped forward and drew his sword in a flash—
"Haaah!!"
With a powerful shout, he unleashed his sword technique, [Windcleave Slash], sending a fierce gust of sword energy slashing toward the Spirit Ripple, attempting to split Alice's attack in half!
However—
BOOM!!!
The two forces collided, but Aef's sword energy shattered instantly under the relentless impact of the rippling waves!
His face darkened as he hastily retreated, but—
Alice smirked. "Running? Too late."
[Mind Disrupt!]
Aef's vision blurred suddenly, his mind struck by a powerful mental shockwave. His surroundings twisted, countless afterimages appearing before his eyes.
For a split second—his consciousness wavered.
And that moment was all Alice needed.
"Got you."
Her eyes gleamed with mystical light, and spiritual energy surged around her. With a flick of her fingers—
[Mental Shackles!]
A transparent energy chain materialized out of thin air, wrapping around Aef's limbs like invisible restraints!
"Wha—?!"
Aef's eyes widened in shock. He struggled, trying to break free, but the mental suppression slowed his movements drastically!
BOOM!!
Alice thrust her palm forward, unleashing another surge of Spirit Ripple.
"Urghhh!!"
Aef let out a muffled groan as the force struck him like a tidal wave, sending him flying across the stage before crashing down with a heavy impact!
For a brief moment, the entire arena fell silent.
"…It's over already?"
"Aef… couldn't even get close to her?"
"That was way too fast!!"
The surrounding disciples were stunned, completely unprepared for such a one-sided battle.
Roy chuckled, shaking his head. "Looks like that girl has improved even faster than I expected."
Veil rolled his eyes. "She was already strong to begin with. Aef's only Level 37—the gap is huge. Winning was a given."
"Alice is victorious! Proceed to the next round!"
The elder's voice echoed across the arena.
Alice hopped off the stage, grinning as she approached Roy and Veil. "Well? Did I impress you?"
Veil scoffed. "Meh. Nothing special."
Alice placed her hands on her hips. "Veil, what did you just say? Say it again!"
Veil pretended to cover his ears. "Huh? What? I can't hear you—"
Roy chuckled, patting Alice's shoulder. "Well done. Stay in top form—your next opponent won't be so easy."
Alice smirked confidently. "Relax. The next one will go down just as fast!"
As more disciples were eliminated, the elder's voice rang out: "Next match—Roy vs. Fengwei!"
Hearing his name, Roy smirked slightly, rolling his wrists as he murmured, "Finally, my turn."
Stepping onto the stage, he faced his opponent, Fengwei, who approached with a calm expression. A Level 38 Wind-Element Spirit Master, Fengwei was known for his extraordinary speed, making him a notable figure among the inner disciples.
From below the stage, Alice cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Roy, go for it!!" Then, with a mischievous glance at Veil, she added, "Veil, you too!"
On another stage, Veil rolled his eyes. "...I'm already about to win."
Roy wasn't interested in delaying the fight. As he clenched his fists lightly—
BOOM!
A surge of violent lightning energy erupted around him! His entire figure seemed to be enveloped in thunder and crackling arcs of electricity, and the ground beneath him darkened from the sheer intensity of his power!
"[Hidden Thunder]!"
A faint electric storm surrounded him, his aura fluctuating—like a brewing tempest, ready to strike!
Fengwei's gaze sharpened. In an instant, he kicked off the ground, his body transforming into a streak of wind as he rapidly widened the distance. At the same time, his hands formed a seal—
"Wind Blades!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several razor-sharp wind blades sliced through the air, tearing toward Roy at incredible speed!
But—
"Useless."
Roy's figure vanished in a flash!
The wind blades struck the ground, kicking up dust—
And in the very next moment—
BOOM!!!
A blinding bolt of lightning exploded, and Roy appeared at Fengwei's flank in an instant!
"Fuck!"
Fengwei's eyes widened in shock—he couldn't react in time!
"[Thunder Annihilation Sword Art: Lightning Phantom Slash!]"
Roy's voice echoed as his sword drew multiple arcs of thunder, each strike imbued with terrifying electric power, slashing straight toward Fengwei!
In desperation, Fengwei crossed his arms, summoning a barrier of wind energy to shield himself!
"Wind Barrier!"
But—
CRACK!
The thunderous sword strikes shattered the barrier instantly!
"Not good—!"
Fengwei's face paled as he instinctively tried to retreat—
But Roy's next attack had already arrived!
"[Thunder Annihilation Sword Art: Triple Thunderclap!]"
BOOM!
Three consecutive thunder-charged sword slashes crashed down like bolts of lightning!
"Aghhh!!"
Fengwei let out a muffled groan as the impact sent him flying across the stage, crashing near the edge. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Cough… cough…"
He struggled to stand, only to realize—his spiritual energy was completely disrupted by Roy's thunder, making it impossible to circulate!
The elder immediately declared: "Roy wins! He will advance to the next round!"
Roy casually sheathed his sword as the lightning around him gradually faded. With a calm expression, he leapt off the stage.
Alice clapped excitedly. "Not bad, not bad! You've got at least half my strength now!"
Roy rolled his eyes. "Who only has half of whose strength?"
Meanwhile, on another stage, Veil had also finished his match effortlessly, securing his spot in the second round.
Veil strolled over, glancing at Roy. "So far, we've only faced opponents in the 30-level range. The elite and personal disciples haven't appeared yet. We'll likely encounter them in the second or third round."
Roy nodded slightly. "It's fine. No matter who we face, we'll be ready for battle."
Alice pouted slightly. "We're confident, sure, but we still don't know exactly how strong they are."