Once Ryo finished eating the egg, he crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, thumb and forefinger pressed together.
His eyes closed in focus.
Qi flowed in — thin, sluggish.
He was still in the Initial Qi Gathering realm, and it showed.
A faint stream of energy trickled through his meridians, feeding into his core. Slowly, it expanded his reserves — spiritual and natural — the two halves that balanced his cultivation.
The core must separate them, Ryo thought. Qi is too potent to take in raw. Without balance, the body of a Qi Gatherer would collapse under the strain.
Natural Qi was for the body — strength, speed, elemental attacks.
Spiritual Qi was for the soul — mental clarity, willpower, spiritual techniques.
But that's the problem, he muttered to himself. I'm still stuck at Initial. Most of the others are Mid. A few are even Peak Gathering. They've got deeper reserves, stronger attacks, and actual techniques up to 3-Star tier.
Opening his eyes, he raised his hand.
A faint swirl of wind coiled around his palm — shaky but controlled.
All I've got is a 2-Star wind technique. Dad bought it when I first awakened… cost us forty bronze coins. Almost our entire savings.
He sighed, rubbing his tired eyes. His legs unfolded slowly, back pressing against the carriage seat.
But I'm not coming in blind.
Two days. Two hours of sleep each night. The rest spent training control. Refining air manipulation until even his hands cramped up.
His eyes narrowed — a sharp glint of resolve behind the exhaustion.
If I don't have more power… more control will do.
---
Later, Ryo stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the academy.
The academy held the heirs and children of disciples from the Twelve Minor Clans.
It was a place meant to foster the next generation of cultivators.
He entered through the gates.
"Everyone in First Year Class — to me!" Instructor Jiang Lu barked.
Ryo and seventy other students approached.
"Good. I'll call your names. Anyone who doesn't answer or hasn't arrived yet — immediate fail." Jiang Lu smirked, his gaze locking on Ryo for a brief moment before dropping to the list in his hands.
He looks happy today, Ryo thought as names began being called.
"Liang Ye!"
"Here!"
Bodyguard of the heir to the Razkat Minor Clan.
"Tian Ye!"
"Here!"
Daughter of a core disciple from the Salko Clan.
"Lin Tian!"
"Here, sir!"
Heir to the Rafa Clan.
"Ryo Tanaka."
"Here," Ryo called from the back of the group.
Two boys in front of him turned and snickered.
"I wonder who gets the honor of beating him today."
Ryo ignored them. His first physical exam was indeed a disaster — barely won the first, almost beaten to death. The next, he was forced to yield or die.
Instructor Jiang Lu led them to the academy's coliseum, which their class had booked for the day.
"Form a circle around the coliseum walls!" the instructor shouted.
They spread out, encircling the inner arena. Ryo glanced up at the seating stands. Last time, they'd been empty.
This time… two figures.
A middle-aged man and an elder sat side by side, observing silently.
Ryo raised a brow. A member of a Minor Clan? Nobles, perhaps? He shook his head. As if they'd waste time watching me. I'm just a peasant among the gifted.
Then, his eyes caught something strange — a hooded figure wearing a red mask, standing near the entrance to the audience area.
He blinked.
It vanished.
A chill ran across his scalp.
Hallucination? Sleep deprivation could do that. Ryo forced the thought down.
His attention returned to the exam.
Peng Fu entered the arena first — broad-shouldered, cocky, stretching like he owned the place.
Tu Yanyu followed — his steps quiet and smooth, unreadable, like a passing shadow.
At the edge of the arena, a man stood beside Instructor Jiang Lu.
The healer. Here to ensure no one dies.
Ryo's fists clenched lightly.
It begins now.