The courtyard of the Seven-Star Academy stretched wider than any training grounds Jian had ever seen. Ivory pavilions rose like watchful guardians, their arches intertwined with living branches of the World Tree, casting dappled shadows across the polished stone floor. Students moved in steady streams, their uniforms stirring like leaves caught in a gentle wind.
Jian inhaled deeply, the scent of cedar and iron mingling in the crisp air. This was no provincial arena—it was a world where legacies were forged, and futures either rose or shattered.
A voice rang out, sharp with surprise.Xing: "Feng Jian? Is that you?"
Jian turned slowly. His old training partner stood among the Qing faction, eyes wide with recognition. For a heartbeat, the boy Jian had once sparred with seemed to return—but then Xing's surprise hardened into a forced smile, the mask of a noble who had long since chosen another path.
Before Jian could reply, two noblewomen stepped forward. Mei Ming, elegant in posture yet sharp with curiosity, and Yuki Qing, lively and resolute, as if her energy alone could bend the wind to her will.
Mei Ming: "So the rumors were true—you really came."Yuki Qing: "Then this will be interesting."
Jian inclined his head in the briefest acknowledgment.Jian: "Lady Mei. Lady Yuki."
He gestured toward Maria beside him.Jian: "My companion, Maria Steel."
But before conversation could deepen, a ripple of power silenced the crowd.
The Elf's Declaration
From above descended a figure that seemed to carry the authority of the heavens themselves. An elf with long emerald hair and robes that shimmered with layered Qi hovered in the air, his presence bending the atmosphere around him. A single sweep of his gaze subdued the courtyard of nearly two hundred thousand candidates.
His voice boomed like rolling thunder:
Elf Instructor: "Welcome to the Seven-Star Academy! Your first trial begins now. Before you stand the stone pillars—each one a vessel of truth. Place your hand upon them and channel your Natural Qi. Only those with fifty years or more shall awaken the Asura System. The rest—return home. This academy bends for no one, not even the Ten Great Clans."
Gasps and nervous murmurs spread like fire across the assembly.
The elf's figure blurred—and vanished, leaving only the heavy silence of his words behind.
The Trial of the Pillars
One by one, the candidates approached the towering stone obelisks. Each pillar shimmered faintly as students pressed their palms against them, their life's cultivation flashing before all to see.
Xing stepped forward confidently, his smile regaining its edge. The pillar flared with a clean glow.Instructor: "Seventy years."Pride flickered in Xing's eyes as he stepped back, his chin tilted toward Jian.
Next came Mei Ming. Calm, almost regal, she touched the stone and drew a ripple of gasps as it blazed bright.Instructor: "Sixty-nine years."
Yuki Qing grinned, brushing stray strands of hair from her face before slapping her palm to the pillar.Instructor: "Sixty-eight years."
Both women exchanged a quick look of satisfaction, their rivalry wordless yet undeniable.
Then Maria stepped forward. The crowd stilled. With quiet focus, she pressed her palm against the cold stone. For a moment nothing happened—then the pillar erupted in light, flaring brighter than before.
Instructor (stunned): "One hundred and five years."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. Whispers hissed like snakes: "Only Lisa Draconis ever surpassed that… at one hundred and twenty."
Maria bowed her head, her expression composed, but inside, a sharp pang struck her chest. So close…
And then it was Jian's turn.
He stepped forward without hesitation, palm meeting stone. The pillar shimmered, then blazed with an intensity that swallowed the courtyard in white brilliance.
Instructor (stammering): "One… hundred and forty years. He… he has broken the record!"
The silence that followed was heavier than applause. Then the murmurs came: awed, fearful, jealous. Every clan representative leaned forward, whispers crackling like stormfire.
The Murmurs of Rivalry
The Ming nobles crowded around Mei Ming.Ming Envoy (whispering): "You must secure him. His strength could tip the balance."
The Qing envoys exchanged tense glances.Qing Disciple: "If he joins them, the scales will collapse. He must not be allowed."
From the Black Serpent faction, bitterness dripped like venom.Serpent Elder: "He should have been humbled long ago. The boy invites disaster."
And standing apart, Zheng seethed in silence, fists tight, knuckles whitening. His voice was a whisper only he could hear.Zheng: "That should've been me. They put him above us all, as if he earned it. No—he stole it."
Jian & Maria
Maria leaned close, voice low but firm.Maria: "They'll all want you now. Ming, Qing—even the Serpents, though they hate you. Remember this: every offer comes with chains."
Jian's gaze was steady, his tone flat.Jian: "I'm not here to wear chains. My path is my own."
Yet even as he said it, he felt the weight of every gaze pressing down—admiration, envy, and expectation tangled together into a mantle heavier than any armor.
Lisa Draconis – The Watcher
High in a sunlit hall overlooking the courtyard, Lisa Draconis sat by the window, silver hair cascading like moonlight. She seemed untouched by the uproar below, her eyes fixed on the distant World Tree spire. Silent. Unreadable.
Beside her, Ava bounced in her seat, brimming with curiosity.Ava: "Lisa! Did you hear? Feng Jian—one hundred and forty years! That's a record! Well, except for you, of course."
Lisa's eyes shifted, ever so slightly. Her lips parted.Lisa (softly): "Numbers… are ripples. The tide matters more."
Ava blinked, tilting her head.Ava: "See, that's what I mean! You always say these mysterious little things. 'The tide matters more'? What does that even mean?"
Lisa gave no reply, only returning her gaze to the window.
Ava (pouting, then laughing): "You're impossible. But I'll figure you out one day."
Lisa's lips curved faintly.Lisa (quietly, almost to herself): "Perhaps. When the tide permits it."
Ava fell silent, a strange chill running down her spine despite the warmth of the hall.
End of Chapter 8