"Welcome to Gaia, capital of the Dragon Kingdom. We take pride in having the Great Dragon Emperor as our leader and protector. Though it is called the capital of Dragons, Gaia is far more than that: it is the capital of the world. All races gather here—all peoples, traditions, and landscapes—from the coldest to the hottest, from seas to deserts, from rivers to mountains. The Dragon Lord made certain to create a welcoming place for every living being."
As those words echoed, Gaia revealed itself in all its grandeur. It was a kingdom where eras collided: stone castles rose alongside glittering skyscrapers; elegant carriages shared the roads with modern vehicles. Fantastic creatures roamed the streets—some walked in human form, others soared on vast wings, reminiscent of mythological beasts.
The landscapes were breathtaking: forests as vast as the Amazon, deserts as endless as the Sahara, crystal-clear oceans, and waterfalls more magnificent than any wonder on Earth. Gaia stretched across Terrano, a colossal planet as immense as Jupiter, yet pulsating with life and magic.
Inside a classroom filled with students between sixteen and seventeen years old, all attention was fixed on the teacher. The board at the front was no ordinary one, but a magical screen projecting living images of the realm she described. Colors shimmered, landscapes shifted, almost as if each student could feel the forest winds or the desert heat flowing from the images before them.
The teacher, Maria Oolgal, was a young woman in her mid-twenties. Beauty and presence radiated in every gesture: her eyes, blue and deep as the ocean, reflected the passion she carried for her teachings. She wore a simple white blouse, fitted jeans, and white sneakers much like those from Earth. Around her waist hung a brown belt with small compartments, the kind carried by adventurers, along with an empty sheath meant for a sword.Her voice carried both firmness and enthusiasm, revealing how deeply she loved both her kingdom and her profession.
From one of the compartments, Maria drew a translucent crystal the size of a finger. Touching it to the board, she began to write in swift motions, leaving behind symbols, runes, and diagrams that emerged with flawless precision. Within seconds, the surface was filled with information. The students, far from astonished, remained focused—they were well accustomed to extraordinary displays.
— "Most of you already know this, but it bears repeating. Our world is blessed by the Energy of OUL. When a cultivator awakens, they will hear their name spoken for the first time. Only once—and never forgotten. That is the moment one officially becomes a cultivator."
She raised her hand, and glowing symbols shimmered in the air, shining violet like stars.
— "This energy can be cultivated through meditation. Here at the University, you will have access to the finest techniques. And cultivation itself is divided into stages."
Stage I – Foundation: The beginning of the path. At this stage, the goal is to gather OUL energy throughout the entire body—into cells, tissues, bones, and organs. The body is tempered, purified, freed from impurities. Only after this complete cleansing can one advance.
Stage II – Formation of the OUL Core: With the body prepared, the cultivator forms an internal core that begins to generate and store energy. This stage contains nine levels. In theory, a level 1 would rarely overcome a level 2. Yet the quality of one's technique can change the outcome of any battle.
Stage III – Multiplication of Cores: Here, you become as gods before mortals: you can fly, teleport, create your own dimensions, and live for more than a thousand years. The body has already been tempered, the Core formed. OUL energy now continuously bathes every cell. From this point onward, the focus shifts: to cultivate the Spirit and expand the production of OUL.The first step is to increase the number of cores within the body. The common cultivator reaches nine; geniuses can form ten; and those blessed by the heavens may form as many as twelve. Very few ever reach such heights.The second step is to fuse all these cores into a single one, forming the Immortal Embryo. This marks the beginning of the Fourth Stage.
— "That takes years," Maria concluded. "For now, simply understanding the path is enough."
As she spoke, Maria carefully observed the youths before her. Some bore determination in their eyes; others, anxiety; and some merely dreamed of the glory that awaited them.
Her gaze swept across the room, lingering on each student, until it settled on a boy by the window. He seemed detached from the lesson, his chin resting on his fist as he gazed at the sky beyond the university walls.
Suddenly, sensing the teacher's eyes upon him, the boy's voice broke the silence that had settled over the students as they digested all they had just heard:— "Which stage is the professor herself in?"
A smile curved Maria's lips. It was the first time that boy had shown interest. Pride swelled in her chest as she answered:— "The Realm of the True Immortal—the Fifth Stage."
Gasps filled the classroom, eyes widening. Murmurs of admiration spread like fire.
The boy, however, smirked mockingly:— "Only that? For the professor's age, I expected more."
Maria frowned, offended.— "I am only five hundred years old! At this level, I am considered a genius—far too young for such an achievement. Let's see how many millennia you will need to reach the same point!"
Soft laughter rippled among the students. A few girls cast curious glances at the audacious boy.
He was not particularly handsome, yet there was something magnetic about him. An oval face, a slightly large nose, and brown eyes—marked by a strange crimson glow at their center—radiated an unusual intensity. His body, athletic for his age, reflected discipline. He wore a black hoodie bearing the emblem of a smiling dragon at its center—the crest of both the school and of Gaia. His fitted bluish pants and dark shoes resembled Earth's sneakers, though instead of the usual "23," the number "06" was engraved upon them.
Unfazed, he pressed further:— "How many cores did the professor form in the Third Stage?"
This time, Maria ignored him and resumed the lesson.
— "Now, I will teach you the ways to manipulate OUL energy."
Maria stretched out her hand, and purple runes appeared, glowing like constellations. They floated together to form a circle before her. From one of her pockets she drew another translucent crystal and cast it into the circle's center. Instantly, the runes pulsed with power, creating a shimmering shield around a nearby desk.
— "Runes. They function like small cores. They can be used in formations for attack, defense, creation, or even sustenance. With crystals like this, their efficiency increases drastically."
Then she clenched her fist. A sphere of lightning, the size of a tennis ball, crackled into being in her hand. Without warning, she hurled it at the shield. A sharp explosion rang out, sparks scattering in the air—but the barrier held firm.
— "The second way is through spells. Some require incantations; others do not." She whispered under her breath: "Plasma Sphere."
A blazing orb, like a miniature sun, ignited in her palm. She hurled it against the shield. The plasma spread like molten lava, wrapping the barrier until it dissolved completely. The crystal at the center shattered into fragments, its energy drained.
The students watched in awe.
— "Spells can be limitless. You will find books in the library containing hundreds of them: illusions, multiplications, mind control, reality manipulation. But remember: the greater the spell, the greater the comprehension required."
Maria then raised her hand to her head. An illusory crown shimmered into existence above her hair, before solidifying as if real.
— "And yet, there are things that even OUL cannot create. Energy crystals form only in nature. And one thing is impossible, even for OUL: to generate a soul."
The silence that followed was one of pure reverence.
The lesson advanced to the physical limits of OUL energy. Maria explained that, even at the first stage, a cultivator could lift half a ton with a strengthened body, and up to a full ton when channeling energy into their muscles. Several students smiled, their eyes shining with dreams of power.
— "But it is not enough to merely accumulate energy. You must also choose a path: to specialize in close combat, in weapon mastery, in spells, in rune formations… or to attempt uniting them all. This choice will define who you become in this world—where only the strong survive."
She let her voice soften and, in thought, whispered to herself:This year, the heavens have truly blessed me. Each of these youths is a genius… though many will surely bring headaches with their inflated egos.
Maria's gaze swept across the classroom, carefully weighing each student. Then she spoke in a deeper tone, one that carried not only knowledge but lived experience:
— "Up to this point, everything may seem fascinating. Living two hundred years, strengthening the body, forming cores… But do not be deceived. The path of cultivation is no adventure without risk. The further you go, the harsher the price you must pay."
She paused briefly, letting the silence grow heavy before continuing:
— "The Third Stage is where many fall. At that level, a cultivator can already fly, open dimensions, manipulate space, and live for over a thousand years. To common folk, you will appear as gods. But to reach that stage, you must first face the beginning of many Heavenly Tribulations."
Some students shuddered, others leaned forward, drawn in.
— "The heavens do not love cultivators. The heavens judge us." Maria's voice grew harsher, her gaze turning distant for a moment, as if recalling a memory.
— "When one dares to break through the limits of their stage, black clouds blanket the skies. Thunder roars like starving beasts, and colossal bolts of lightning descend to crush the defiant."
She took a deep breath before pressing on:
— "I have seen comrades struck down… bodies reduced to ash. Only the resolute, those who do not falter even before death itself, can survive."
The silence that followed was heavy. The students were not merely hearing a legend. For the first time, they felt the reality that one day it could happen to them. Maria looked at each of them with unwavering eyes.
— "I want you to understand one thing: being a cultivator is to defy destiny itself. Every breakthrough demands courage and may cost your life. Many choose to stop early, living long, safe years. Others, consumed by obsession for power, dare to challenge the heavens… and are never seen again."
Straightening her posture, she concluded with a voice almost solemn:
— "If you choose this path, remember: with every step you will walk closer to greatness… but also closer to the abyss. Do not let fear paralyze you, but never underestimate the price."
The students' eyes gleamed with both ambition and dread. And it was in that charged moment, when the air felt heavy with meaning, that the school bell rang for recess, breaking the tension and drawing them back to reality.
The students rose in a rush, voices buzzing with excitement as they left the classroom.
— "In thirty minutes, I want everyone at the training grounds," Maria said firmly. "We will conduct a battle simulation to measure your power levels and affinity with energy. Prepare yourselves."