The sun in the morning wandered across the mist of Hanzhou, painting the sky a misty yellow. At the gates of Tianxia Academy, hundreds of students again swarmed, buzzing with anticipation.
Today was the day when examination results would come out.
Lian Feng stood with them, his backpack loose on one shoulder. His heartbeat thudded in his chest, louder than the arguments of the crowd. Every breath felt to weigh with the significance of his entire future.
He gripped his fists, trying to balance himself. You did the best you could. You saved people, you fought hard. That has to count for something.
Beside him, Xia Yun was as calm as ever. Her lightning flickered faintly at her fingertips, crackling in rhythm with her heartbeat. She glanced at Lian and smirked.
"You look like you're about to faint."
Lian exhaled through his nose. "Just focused."
"Focused? Your knees are practically shaking."
"They're not." He tried to stand straighter, only for his legs to twitch.
Her smile widened. "Don't worry about it. If you can't get in, I'll wave to you behind the gates."
Lian glared at her. "Inspirational."
Before she could answer, the enormous digital board overhead the academy gates came alive and quieted the crowd. Instructor Zhao's stern face appeared.
"Candidates, the entrance test results have been determined. Those who pass will officially become first-year students of Tianxia Academy. The names are in descending order of total score."
The screen faded, then the extensive list of names began scrolling downwards. Students with necks craned, hopelessly.
Lian's vision darted through the glowing characters, his pulse racing.
Come on… come on…
And then he saw it.
Rank 7: Lian Feng
His breath caught. He blinked once, twice, to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
"I… I did it," he whispered.
At his side, Xia Yun's smile became more pointed. She jabbed a finger at the screen.
Rank 3: Xia Yun
"Told you," she said with a superior grin. "Top three. I wasn't kidding."
Lian's mouth twisted into a wry smile. "Guess I'll be running behind your shadow for a while."
"Keep going," she said, lightning flashing between her knuckles in the shape of commas.
The next morning, the first-year students were led onto the grounds of the academy. Tianxia was not just a school—it was a fortress, a refuge, a sign. Walls of white stone stretched high with dragon designs inscribed on them, and there were cherry blossom trees bordering the courtyards. Uniformed students rushed between massive lecture halls and huge training areas.
Lian soaked it in, his nervousness replaced by awe. So this is where heroes are made…
The new recruits were gathered in a huge auditorium. On the stage was a line of instructors, each one oozing authority. In the middle of the stage stood a tall woman with intense eyes and hair drawn back into a long braid. She wore the academy battle uniform—a black coat with a crimson trim.
"Welcome to Tianxia Academy," she declared, her words slicing sharply through the murmurs. "I am Instructor Mei, your homeroom teacher for Class 1-C."
Her gaze scanned the room, pinning each student in place. "You are here because you showed potential. Potential means nothing without discipline, improvement, and sacrifice. This academy will test you beyond your capacity to understand. Some of you will be successful. Some of you will not. That is the way of the road you've traveled."
The room was quiet.
Mei's eyes narrowed, then softened just a little. "But never forget this: heroes are not created by power. They are created by what they stand for. Hold on to that, and you will never lose your way."
A jolt of energy coursed through the room as her words took hold.
Lian sat up straight. Not power… but what you defend.
After orientation, Class 1-C congregated in their homeroom. Twenty students filled the rows, each unique in presence. Some donned pride as a shield, others coiled with nervousness.
Lian sat towards the middle, Xia Yun lounging beside him.
The boy in front of them turned about with a friendly smile. His hair was spiky and short, his uniform partially undone.
"Yo. I'm Chen Hao," he said. "Qi lets me harden my skin into iron. Pretty useful for not getting punched in the face."
"Lian Feng," Lian replied.
"Xia Yun," she added curtly.
Chen's grin didn't waver. "Guess we're teammates now. Let's do our best, yeah?"
Before Lian could answer, another voice cut in from the back of the room.
"Do your best? Don't make me laugh."
They all shifted. A gangly boy leaned against the wall, arms crossed. His uniform was spotless, his expression hostile. His critical, analytical eyes surveyed the room as if he was already cataloging who was worth his attention.
"You think this is a question of doing your best? Heroes don't get medals for trying. They win because they're stronger, faster, better. And if you can't keep up, you're just dead weight."
The atmosphere shifted. Students exchanged uneasy glances.
Instructor Mei entered at that moment, her footsteps echoing. She eyed the boy. "Jin Rui. If you've already finished introducing yourself, take your seat."
"Yes, ma'am," Rui said coolly, moving to the front row.
Lian's instincts prickled faintly at the back of his skull. That guy… dangerous.
"First lesson," Mei announced, "is a test of combat. You will compete against one another in one-on-one match. This is not to determine who is strongest—it is to determine where you're beginning from."
Euphoria and tension coursed through the class.
The fights began in the training area, a big ring with walls made of hardened material. Students displayed their Qi in turn, hitting each other in bursts of power. Some fights were soon over, some raged on in furious back-and-forth.
As Mei finally yelled, "Lian Feng versus Jin Rui," the air grew heavy.
Lian stepped into the ring, his palms already damp. Rui stepped in calmly, face blank.
"Don't be stupid," Rui snarled, his tone lacking enthusiasm.
Lian's jaw was clenched. "I wasn't considering it."
Mei snapped her fingers. "Begin!"
Rui moved forward—faster than Lian had anticipated. His Qi materialized in a flash: slicing gusts of pressurized air spewing from his fists. Lian's sense of danger shrieked.
He ducked just as a lashing gust tore past his cheek, shattering stone at his back.
Wind Qi… and it's sharp enough to tear walls.
Rui shoved forward, every strike releasing unseen scimitars of air. Lian parried, rolled, his responses barely in front. He shot out a web line, turned round to come at him again—before Rui severed it in flight.
"Webs?" Rui taunted. "Cheap tricks."
Lian struck the floor hard, but rolled with it. His head reeled. He's faster, longer reach. but he underestimates me.
As Rui launched another blade, Lian flung two webs—one to the floor, one to a wall. He yanked himself forward at an angle, closing the gap in a burst of speed.
Rui's eyes widened. For a split second, his stance faltered.
Lian struck—planting a web on Rui's arm, yanking him off balance, then pivoting to trip him with a low sweep. Rui hit the ground, his own wind attack scattering wildly.
The arena gasped.
Mei's voice interrupted. "Enough."
Lian stepped back, chest heaving. Rui got up, face fractured, eyes glinting menacingly at Lian.
Mei's gaze fell on both of them. "Interesting. Rui, you are not flexible. Lian, you think too much with your instincts and not enough. Both of you will need to do better."
Rui ironed out his clothes, looking coldly at Lian. "Don't think that this proves anything. Next time, I won't hold back."
Lian met his glare, his danger sense thrumming again. He's not just talk… he's a storm waiting to break.
That night, Lian sat on the dormitory rooftop, legs dangling as the city lights shimmered in the distance. His muscles ached, but his mind wouldn't rest.
He clenched his fists, remembering Rui's cutting wind, Xia Yun's lightning, Chen Hao's iron skin.
"So many strong Qi users…" he muttered.
But then he smiled faintly. "And I'm right here with them."
For the first time, he felt it—not just nerves, not just doubt.
Hope.