Setting the Scene: The Dragon's Zenith Academy
The Central Plaza of Dragon's Zenith Academy (龙宵学府) was a swirling vortex of sound and energy. Hundreds of teenagers, their vital qi surging and latent Ambient Mana subtly radiating, were buzzing with the fierce ambition that defined a new generation of cultivators.
Near the fringe of the commotion, beneath the twisting branches of an ancient, moss-covered pine, the sign for The Scrying Institute (易学院) stood alone, a silent island in the sea of noise.
A composed young man walked up to the small enrollment booth. His frame was lean, his features clearly defined, and he wore a pair of simple, black-rimmed glasses. Behind the lenses, his eyes held a steady, unnerving focus—the concentration of someone who spent far too much time watching the unseen.
"Senior, I'm enrolling in the Discipline of Augury ." The boy handed over his acceptance papers, his voice carrying a quiet confidence.
The gentle-faced senior behind the table, wearing a plain, traditional scholar's robe, looked up with a warm smile. "Lin Yan? Welcome. I'm Ning Zhiyuan, third year here. A specialist in Augury is certainly a rare sight among our freshmen."
Lin Yan adjusted his glasses, offering a faint, almost secretive smile. "A simple fascination with fate, nothing more."
The Nexus of Destiny
All the freshmen were soon gathered inside the magnificent Hall of Initial Illumination. The vaulted ceiling soared impossibly high, bathed in flowing Ethereal Radiance.
Standing on the dais was the Headmaster, Xuan Ji (瑄霁). His hair and beard were silver-white, his face stern and profound, and his eyes held the terrifying depth of a star field. His soft voice, amplified by power, settled over the thousands:
"Congratulations, every young prodigy, on claiming your spot in Dragon's Zenith."
"The path of power is endless. But the very first lesson you will learn here is Cooperation!"
"The solitary road always meets a dead end; only by pooling your strength can you touch the true secrets of the cosmos!"
"Immediately, the Celestial Nexus Array will bind you to your companions. You will form four-person squads. You must collectively earn four thousand Contribution Points to graduate. We do not tolerate the weak, but we demand loyalty. Mandatory withdrawal from a squad requires a penalty of nearly ten thousand Contribution Points!"
As his words ended, the colossal bronze machine—the Celestial Nexus—slammed into action. Countless threads of golden light shot out, anchoring themselves to the students' wrists, leaving a faint contract mark.
Lin Yan looked down at the glowing sigil on his wrist. He immediately felt three distinct, firmly established mental connections—like three different frequencies suddenly locked onto his mind.
He lifted his gaze.
The first was a keen young swordsman in sharp training gear (Li Shulai). The second, a silent, massively-built boy lugging a gigantic axe (Chen Ruipeng). The third, a beautiful, clear-eyed girl whose belt was bristling with small, lethal vials (He Lingxuan). They, too, were looking back at him.
"Are you kidding me right now?!" Li Shulai was the first to explode, his face crumpling in disbelief. He stomped over, pointing an accusing finger at Lin Yan. "A Sword Adept, an Axewielder, a freaking Alchemist of Toxins... and we're saddled with a fortune-teller? What is this, a cosmic joke? We need a heavy hitter, or a top-tier healer, not a guy who reads tea leaves!"
He Lingxuan walked toward the commotion, her expression colder than ever. She glanced at the Nexus mark on her wrist, then at Lin Yan. "The System's pairings are rarely random, Li Shulai. Stop wasting energy."
"Wasting energy?!" Li Shulai threw his hands up. "We need four thousand points to graduate! We're starting with a massive liability! Look at him! He's wearing glasses! Does he even have a spirit vein strong enough to swing a sword, let alone stand on the front line?"
Chen Ruipeng, the Axewielder, finally spoke, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. He looked directly at Lin Yan. "Your discipline is Augury. What exactly is your purpose in combat?"
Lin Yan calmly adjusted his glasses, meeting Chen Ruipeng's blunt gaze without flinching. "My purpose is to ensure our continued survival. And to make certain the odds, however small, are always in our favor."
"Oh, is that right?" Li Shulai sneered, crowding closer. "So you're the brains? Well, brains don't stop a charging beast! We're paying nearly ten thousand points if we ditch you, and we'll lose our futures if we keep you!"
Lin Yan tilted his head slightly, a subtle hint of weariness replacing his smile. "The fee is set to discourage separation. And perhaps, Li Shulai, your sword arm is only as sharp as your mind allows it to be."
Before the swordsman could retort, the atmosphere shifted abruptly.
Ignoring the immediate drama, Headmaster Xuan Ji waved a hand. "The matches are made. Destiny is fixed. Now, every squad, enter the All-Encompassing Illusion Matrix! Survive for the duration of one incense stick (about 15 minutes) and you are worthy. Fail, and every member loses ten Contribution Points!"
Entering the Illusion: The Iron Sentinel
The world fractured and reformed violently. In an instant, the four found themselves in a strange, boundless space filled with churning gray mist. There was no horizon, no solid ground—only solidified vapor underfoot. Their perception was brutally scrambled.
"It's started already?!" Li Shulai shouted. Scree! His longsword was drawn in a flash, the blade washing the area with pale Mana light. He scanned the fog like a coiled viper.
He Lingxuan remained stone-faced, but her hands were already subtly clutching several small, wickedly-scented pellets.
Chen Ruipeng stepped forward, lifting the massive, door-like axe. The heavy blade hung low, projecting an aura of immense, unmoving solidity. He instinctively shielded Lin Yan and He Lingxuan, his breathing deepening, muscles bunching.
Lin Yan adjusted his glasses, attempting to pierce the veiled reality. But the Illusion Matrix was too sophisticated. When he tried to form a quick Augury, his thoughts felt muddy, the pattern hazy. "The interference is too strong…" He felt a cold dread start to creep in.
Suddenly, the gray fog ahead boiled and churned! A colossal, crushing pressure—cold, heavy, and utterly lifeless—slammed down on them!
The mist condensed, rapidly taking the shape of a massive, ten-foot-tall figure. It was pitch black, as if forged from heavy basalt. Its face was completely blank and smooth—a silent, featureless mask (铁面). It wielded a dark, heavy Vajra Club (降魔杵).
The Blank-Faced Colossus.
It moved with the terrifying simplicity of pure force. Its huge foot struck the misty ground, sending a shockwave through the space. In a single stride, it was upon them. The Vajra Club, roaring with air-tearing force, struck straight down at Chen Ruipeng, the forward guard!
"Get out!" Li Shulai yelled, but he himself dashed forward, trying to stab the Colossus's flank with a diversionary thrust.
"CRACK—!"
Chen Ruipeng met the blow with a bellow, his axe sweeping up to collide head-on! The sound of colliding iron was deafening!
The axewielder felt an overwhelming force shatter his guard. His hands instantly bled, and his body staggered back three steps, his breath catching in his throat. The creature's strength was beyond anything they had trained for.
Li Shulai's sword thrust barely scratched the black surface, the mark vanishing instantly.
He Lingxuan seized her chance, launching a cloud of paralyzing purple powder at the Colossus's face. But the toxin dissolved upon contact with the Iron Mask, achieving nothing.
Their initial flurry of attacks was useless. They were separated, chaotic, and completely outmatched. Defeat was seconds away.
The Iron Golem, devoid of emotion, pressed its advantage. It advanced two more steps, its massive shadow engulfing Chen Ruipeng. The Colossus was not just strong—it was perfect. Every attack was calculated, every movement minimal, and it never left an opening. Li Shulai felt like a child sparring against a war machine; his training was failing him.
"We need to coordinate!" Li Shulai screamed, trying to pivot back, but the Golem's speed was overwhelming. "Axewielder, retreat! Alchemist, can you blind it?!"
He Lingxuan shook her head, her voice strained. "My toxins need time to work, and its armor absorbs everything!" She launched a highly concentrated vial of acid, aiming for the Golem's foot joint, but the colossal figure simply stepped through the attack, neutralizing the corrosive mana with the sheer density of the fog around it. Their specialty skills, honed over years, were utterly useless here.
Chen Ruipeng met the next blow. "CRACK!" The axe flew from his hands, embedding itself in the misty ground several feet away. He dropped to one knee, desperately clutching his screaming shoulder, his defensive stance shattered. The Golem had achieved checkmate.
Lin Yan, sheltered behind the defeated Chen Ruipeng, felt his heart pound violently from the terrifying pressure and the whipping wind. He fiercely suppressed his natural fear of combat and the impulse to tremble, his nails digging deep into his palms, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Can't cast. Can't fight. Can't run." The cold dread was a physical weight on his chest. He pushed harder against the mental block, forcing his will onto the obscured pattern. "Don't panic… though the Pattern is obscured, I still have my eyes… Master said, everything leaves a trace…"
He stopped trying to comprehend the chaos and the monster, focusing his entire mind on one thing: the internal flow. He needed to break the Golem down into numbers, into predictable flaws, before they were all eliminated. He pushed his own latent mana to his eyes, ignoring the sharp, painful resistance from the Illusion Matrix's heavy interference.
His pupils contracted violently. His vision swam, then snapped into a cold, terrifying clarity.
He had stopped seeing a monster; he was seeing a complex machine of compressed energy.
"Swordsman!" Lin Yan suddenly spoke sharply. His voice was faint amidst the crashing blows and whistling wind, yet it carried a strange, undeniable penetrative force. "Three inches below the left rib cage! The flow of energy there is momentarily stagnant and dim! Strike that exact spot with full force!"