In the heartland of cultivation—the Central Plains—academies abound.
Yet only five have earned the title of the Great Five, each forged through centuries of trials and the rise of countless prodigies.
Once, the undisputed number one was Ao Tian Academy.
Back then, the now-renowned Supreme Academy was merely second-tier—
Lacking in resources, reputation, and heritage compared to Ao Tian's century-long dominance.
Founded over two hundred years ago, Ao Tian was once hailed as a sacred ground for cultivators across the Hundred Sects.
Its current Headmaster, Gu Ling, is a sword cultivator whose name once shook the region in his youth.
The academy boasts a vast scripture library, abundant cultivation resources, and guardians at the Digital Star and Symbolic Realm levels.
Even in its decline, its foundation remains formidable.
Today, however, the most influential force in the Central Plains is the rising star—Supreme Academy.
Originally a second-rate institution, Supreme Academy surged to prominence a decade ago through a masterful political maneuver.
Its Headmaster, Luo Tianjue, rose from humble origins—
A brilliant strategist with boundless ambition, known as "the youngest tactician in the Central Plains."
To secure a powerful ally, Luo Tianjue personally courted Shen Daoheng, the master of Starseizing Palace,
Offering vast resources in exchange for his son, Shen Ziyu, to transfer into Supreme Academy.
He promised that all future prestige and resource gains would be shared with Starseizing Palace.
Only later did the truth emerge—
Supreme Academy's rise was part of a calculated alliance.
Shen Ziyu's transfer was not merely academic,
But a symbol of political union between the academy and the palace.
Supreme Academy is nestled in the perilous Cloud Ridge of the southern Central Plains—
Surrounded by jagged peaks, accessible only by a winding sky-stair.
Its architecture is imposing, built from black stone, with halls shaped like blades and golden trim along the eaves.
The entire campus is designed in the shape of a sword—
A symbol of its motto: One Sword to Pierce the Heavens.
Its location directly faces Ao Tian Academy in the northern range,
Separated by mountains, yet locked in silent confrontation.
Their very geography reflects a century of rivalry—
Two blades drawn, never sheathed.
Shen Ziyu, born with the rare Five-Mark physique,
Joined Ao Tian Academy and, within five years, advanced from Form Mark beginner to Vein Mark mid-tier.
He was hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy.
Ao Tian poured resources and guidance into him, his fame unmatched.
But in the sixth spring,
Shen Ziyu abruptly withdrew—
Transferring to Supreme Academy.
The news shook the cultivation world.
Ao Tian was thrown into chaos.
Many of its instructors were said to have fallen ill from rage and heartbreak.
Ao Tian Academy had placed great hopes on Shen Ziyu.
His sudden withdrawal and transfer shook the entire institution.
Headmaster Gu Ling personally dispatched the Elder of Life Gate, Ding Shan, to Starseizing Palace to seek an explanation from Shen Daoheng.
Ding Shan, known for his stubborn nature, spoke with veiled accusation.
The meeting was tense.
It's said Shen Daoheng responded coldly:
"A genius walks his own path.
Why be shackled by a decaying academy?"
Ding Shan retorted,
"He may be a genius—
But he was nurtured by Ao Tian."
Shen Daoheng's brow twitched.
His voice turned icy.
"Then let this bond be severed.
From now on, no sentiment remains."
From that moment on,
Whenever Shen Ziyu entered academy tournaments,
He showed no mercy to Ao Tian's disciples.
In nearly every match, he left opponents crippled—
A pattern that chilled the hearts of many elders.
Speculation ran rampant.
Some claimed Shen Daoheng had instructed him to destroy Ao Tian's fate.
Others believed Shen Ziyu harbored deep resentment,
Using the tournaments to vent the humiliation of his past.
This transfer scandal catapulted Supreme Academy into the spotlight overnight.
With Starseizing Palace as its ally,
It began to dominate competitions and resource allocations—
Outshining all other academies.
Shen Ziyu's talent was unmatched.
Since joining Supreme Academy,
He had won every major tournament,
Dragging Ao Tian from its pedestal.
Thus began a bitter rivalry—
Two academies, locked in silent war.
At the center of it all stood Gu Ling,
Ao Tian's current Headmaster.
Once the pinnacle of the cultivation world,
Ao Tian had fallen to fifth place.
In every tournament,
Shen Ziyu targeted Ao Tian's disciples with brutal precision.
Broken bones, shattered limbs—
The academy became a symbol of fear.
Parents quietly transferred their children elsewhere,
Avoiding Ao Tian like a plague.
And Gu Ling—
He watched it all in silence.
He never publicly blamed Shen Ziyu.
Never refuted the criticism.
To outsiders, his silence was weakness.
But among Ao Tian's disciples,
Stories circulated—
Of the Headmaster walking alone through the scripture halls at night,
Quietly tending to broken training grounds.
Of him standing before the academy's stone monument,
Gazing for hours,
Expression unreadable.
Silent.
But those who truly understood Gu Ling knew—
He had never abandoned his dream of restoring Ao Tian Academy.
He was waiting.
For a turning point.
For two uncut gems who could reshape fate.
Beyond Gu Ling, Ao Tian had another formidable figure—
Xuan Yuan Die.
One of the Seven Swords of the Central Plains, ranked fifth,
She was known as the Butterfly Blade.
Her cultivation had reached half-step Symbolic Realm.
Years ago, Xuan Yuan Die had modest fame,
But struggled to break through her bottleneck.
She roamed the land, challenging sword masters,
Defeating many elders in pursuit of enlightenment.
Eventually, she arrived at Ao Tian Academy—
To challenge Gu Ling.
Gu Ling responded with a single strike.
It didn't land—
But Xuan Yuan Die surrendered instantly.
She had seen a sword that split the sky like a celestial scar,
Its aura overwhelming,
Its intent severing all thoughts.
Unstoppable.
She knelt at the academy gates for three months.
Finally, Gu Ling demonstrated a single form of the Celestial Scar Sword Technique—
A lost art from the extinct Startrace Sect,
Its sword intent resonating with heaven and earth.
From that moment, Xuan Yuan Die's cultivation soared.
Months later, she defeated two of the Seven Swords' senior members,
Securing her title as the Butterfly Blade.
Today, she serves as Ao Tian's sword instructor—
One of the few capable of facing Supreme Academy head-on.
—
Beyond Ao Tian and Supreme,
Three other academies hold their own:
Tai Xuan Pavilion, focused on logic and divination.
Its Headmaster, known as Xuan Ce, is a master of fate and arcane formations.
The academy is strict and methodical. Starfire Library, advocates balance between martial and scholarly arts.
Its students often cultivate through literature, talismans, and mechanical techniques.
The atmosphere is open and progressive. Dao Ru Hall, the most unorthodox.
It honors ancient Daoist and Confucian traditions,
Emphasizing virtue and character.
Their motto: First cultivate virtue, then seek immortality.
Its disciples carry a strong sense of honor.
Each of the Five Great Academies excels in its own domain.
Yet in recent years,
Supreme Academy's alliance with Starseizing Palace,
Combined with its commanding location in the southern Cloud Ridge,
Has given it both strategic and symbolic dominance.
Many have quietly retreated.
Only Ao Tian Academy—
Has never bowed.
Gu Ling, ever reserved and low-profile,
Is known publicly only as a "former sword master."
Few realize—
He once sparred with the Abbot of Reverse Temple in their youth.
Their duel ended in a draw.
They became lifelong confidants.
But this story—
Is unknown even within Ao Tian's walls.
But Gu Ling chose to remain at the academy—
Devoting himself to teaching and administration.
Meanwhile, the Abbot of Reverse Temple pursued the path of cultivation,
Eventually becoming a revered master across the Central Plains.
Their shared past—
Gu Ling never spoke of it.
Years after the massacre of the Startrace Sect,
Gu Ling remained uneasy.
Though no proof existed,
He pieced together scattered clues—
Whispers of a surviving bloodline.
Recently, a wandering swordsman who had traveled near Chixia Mountain spoke of a young man—
Wielding a spear capable of taming Dragon Soul,
Its intent reminiscent of a long-lost Startrace technique.
Gu Ling quietly dispatched academy scouts to various regions.
When he learned that the youth had not only defeated black-clad assailants,
But had used Startrace martial arts in combat—
He made his judgment:
This boy was likely a remnant of Startrace.
He compiled the clues,
And recalled a mention from Reverse Temple years ago—
Of a mysterious youth with unusual energy and a strange fate mark.
Gu Ling made his decision.
He sent his most discreet envoy—
An old confidant—
To deliver a letter and a token.
No fanfare.
No pressure.
Just a quiet invitation.
Like a stone cast into deep water—
No ripples yet,
But the echo had begun.
—
Inside the inn room, candlelight flickered.
Xiao Chen studied the letter from Ao Tian Academy.
Xuan Chen sat by the window, watching moonlight drift across the floor.
"So this is the Ao Tian Academy you spoke of…"
Xiao Chen murmured,
Fingering the black-gold token engraved with the word Ao.
Xuan Chen didn't look away.
He replied softly,
"Past glory doesn't guarantee the future.
But if their sincerity is real—
They're worth meeting."
Xiao Chen nodded.
"Then let's go to Tianping Mountain."
The wind brushed past the window lattice.
The flame held steady.
A quiet restart—
Began in that moment.