The academy evaluation notice arrived three days later.
It appeared simultaneously on public screens across Silverreach City and on the personal terminals issued to all registered cultivation youths.
"Silverreach Central Academy — Preliminary AssessmentParticipants aged sixteen to eighteenRealm Requirement: Body Tempering (no upper limit)Location: Eastern Evaluation Grounds"
The announcement stirred the orphanage like a dropped stone in still water.
Whispers spread instantly.
"Central Academy again…""They're strict this year.""Heard they reject even early Qi Condensation if the foundation's bad."
Lin Ye read the notice once, then dismissed it.
Central Academy was not glamorous. It specialized in stable cultivators, not prodigies. Their acceptance rate was lower than most, but those who graduated were granted broad cultivation permits and long-term institutional backing.
For someone without a clan, that mattered.
In the training hall, the atmosphere shifted.
Movements became sharper. Breathing techniques grew louder. Everyone wanted to show progress, even if it meant pushing too hard.
Lin Ye did the opposite.
He slowed down.
Each stance became heavier, each breath more deliberate. While others chased visible gains—denser qi circulation, strained muscles, shallow breakthroughs—Lin Ye focused inward.
Bone density.Tendon elasticity.Micro-adjustments in posture that reduced internal friction.
The Nameless Oath watched.
[Body Tempering]: Mid Stage — Stable [Foundation Integrity]: Increasing [Deviation Risk]: Minimal
Good.
On the morning of the evaluation, transport vehicles lined the streets outside the orphanage. Spirit-powered buses marked with academy insignias ferried candidates toward the eastern district.
The Eastern Evaluation Grounds were vast—an open complex reinforced with suppression formations and monitoring arrays. Cultivators in official uniforms moved with practiced efficiency, scanning candidates as they entered.
Lin Ye stepped onto the grounds quietly.
He felt it immediately—the pressure.
Formation arrays subtly increased gravity, disrupted qi flow, and amplified internal strain. A test disguised as an environment.
Several candidates faltered within minutes.
Others compensated clumsily, forcing qi circulation to stabilize themselves.
Lin Ye adjusted his breathing by half a beat.
The pressure vanished.
Not because it was gone—but because his body accepted it naturally.
The first assessment was simple.
Foundation Walk.
Candidates crossed a hundred-meter path where the formations shifted unpredictably—testing balance, skeletal alignment, and muscular coordination under stress.
One by one, cultivators advanced.
Some rushed and stumbled.Some overcorrected and lost rhythm.
When Lin Ye's turn came, he stepped forward without hesitation.
His feet touched the ground lightly, but each step carried controlled weight. His spine remained straight, shoulders relaxed, breathing unbroken.
Halfway through, the pressure spiked.
A few observers leaned forward.
Lin Ye's muscles tightened—not forcefully, but precisely. His body adjusted as a unified whole, distributing stress evenly.
He crossed the path without pause.
A quiet murmur rippled through the officials.
"Body Tempering only.""But that control…""Foundation's clean."
The second test followed.
Qi Sensitivity and Control.
A crystalline sphere hovered before each candidate, responding to the clarity and stability of internal qi. It glowed brighter with purer circulation.
Lin Ye placed his hand on the sphere.
He did not release qi outward.
He let it circulate internally—perfect loops, no leakage, no turbulence.
The sphere glowed softly.
Not dazzling.
But steady.
One examiner frowned slightly.
"Low output."
Another shook their head.
"No. Low waste."
Lin Ye stepped back.
He had no intention of standing out too much.
Excellence attracted attention.Attention attracted scrutiny.
As the evaluations continued, Lin Ye felt it—a subtle awareness brushing against his senses. Someone watching him with intent.
From the elevated observation platform, a woman in a dark academy uniform studied his data feed in silence. Her gaze lingered on one line longer than the rest.
Foundation Integrity: Abnormally High
Lin Ye did not look up.
He already knew.
Silverreach Central Academy would not ignore him.
And this was only the beginning