Cultivation academies dominated Silverreach City's skyline almost as much as corporate towers and administrative spires.
From the orphanage's rooftop, Lin Ye could see three of them clearly—vast complexes reinforced with formation arrays, their emblems projected high above their grounds. Students moved between buildings in uniform groups, some flying short distances on controlled qi bursts, others accompanied by contracted beasts kept under strict suppression seals.
This was the modern cultivation world.
On the Veridian Continent, power was no longer inherited blindly. It was measured, categorized, and regulated.
Lin Ye leaned against the railing as public information screens along the street below cycled through the latest announcements.
"—Qi Condensation certification exams open next month—""—Academy ranking evaluations postponed due to intercontinental summit—""—Unauthorized beast evolution strictly prohibited—"
Everything had a framework.
Within his consciousness, the Nameless Oath responded to his thoughts.
[Known Cultivation Structure — Veridian Standard] Body Tempering Qi Condensation Foundation Establishment Core Formation Soul Manifestation Domain Ascension — Above Veridian Standard — Immortal Threshold (Upper Realms)
The realms were familiar.
But their execution was different.
On Veridian, cultivators were graded not only by realm, but by stability index, combat rating, and societal authorization. A reckless genius without permits could be detained just as easily as a criminal.
Lin Ye understood why this system existed.
In his original timeline, power had grown wild.
Here, civilization had tried to leash it.
"Trying," being the key word.
He straightened and returned inside. The orphanage's common hall buzzed with discussion—teenagers comparing progress, instructors discussing academy placements, and administrators reviewing sponsorship quotas.
At sixteen, most talented youths were already preparing for academy entry.
Silverreach City hosted four major institutions:
Silverreach Central Academy — government-aligned, discipline-focused
Azure Sky Institute — aerial combat and beast specialization
Verdant Path Academy — body refinement and longevity studies
Blackstone Hall — elite, private, and notoriously ruthless
Each academy provided resources, techniques, and—most importantly—access to higher cultivation permits.
Without one, progression past Core Formation was nearly impossible.
Lin Ye sat alone at a corner table.
His goal was not merely to enter an academy.
It was to use the system without becoming bound by it.
The Nameless Oath unfolded once more.
[Current Objective]: — Perfect Body Tempering — Enter Qi Condensation with zero impurities — Secure first Beast Contract under optimal conditions [Long-Term Path]: — Academy Entry — Controlled Bloodline Awakening — Gradual Inheritance Unsealing
Every step was deliberate.
He could feel it—the pressure of sealed bloodline authority, ancient and sovereign, restrained by laws older than this world's current structure. The Primordial Beast Sovereign Bloodline was not meant to awaken early.
And above Veridian…
The Upper Realms.
Immortal territories untouched by modern regulation. Worlds where law was replaced by cultivation authority, and where beings existed who could erase continents with a thought.
Those realms still influenced Veridian—from resource flows to ancient techniques descending through cracks in reality.
This world was orderly.
The higher ones were not.
Lin Ye closed his eyes.
He did not aim to rush upward like the reckless geniuses of this era. Nor would he stagnate as a compliant cultivator shackled by permits and fear.
He would build unbreakable foundations, step by step.
Body Tempering first.Qi Condensation next.Then—his first beast.
Not chosen by chance.Not contracted for convenience.
But one worthy of evolving alongside him.
When Lin Ye opened his eyes, resolve burned quietly within them.
This era would shape him.
But it would not define him.