The central square of the Silver Blade Academy was a sea of young faces, each filled with hope, anxiety, and a desperate hunger for power. At the center stood the Spirit Measuring Crystal, a massive obsidian pillar that glowed whenever a talented youth touched it.
"Rank 4 Mortal Talent! Next!" the testing elder shouted, his voice bored and mechanical.
From a high balcony, Eric Strom watched the scene. His white robes, once a symbol of peak authority, now looked out of place among the vibrant gold and purple of the active elders.
"Look who it is," a voice sneered. A group of disciples nearby began to whisper and point. "The 'Broken Elder' has actually come down from his mountain. Is he looking for a disciple to help him carry water?"
Eric ignored the stabs of laughter. In his mind, he whispered: 'System, activate Eye of Insight.'
[Ding! Eye of Insight Activated.]
Suddenly, the world transformed. The physical appearances of the students faded, replaced by glowing halos of light above their heads.
[Mortal Grade - Low] (Faint gray light) - 90% of the crowd.
[Mortal Grade - Mid] (White light) - The remaining 9%.
[Mysterious Grade - Low] (Green light) - Only two or three in the entire square.
Eric sighed. To anyone else, a Mysterious-grade talent was a genius. But to him, with a shattered core and a month to live, it wasn't enough. He needed someone who could trigger a massive multiplication.
"Move, you filthy beggar!"
A commotion broke out near the edge of the square. A tall, arrogant youth in silk robes pushed a small, frail girl into the dirt. "This is a place for cultivators, not for stray dogs from the slums!"
The girl scrambled to pick up a small, rusted pendant that had fallen from her neck. Her clothes were tattered, and her face was smudged with soot. She didn't fight back; she just kept her head down, her shoulders trembling.
Eric shifted his gaze toward her. His eyes widened.
Above her head, there wasn't a halo of light. There was a vortex of absolute darkness, and at its center, a microscopic speck of silver light that pulsed like a dying star.
[Ding! Target Identified.]
[Name: Elia]
[Physique: 'Shattered Star-Heart' (Heavenly Grade - Sealed/Dormant)]
[Current Talent: Trash (108 Meridians Blocked)]
[Note: To the world, she is a cripple. To the System, she is the perfect vessel.]
"Heavenly Grade..." Eric whispered, his heart thundering. In the Northern Continent, an Earth-grade talent was a legend. A Heavenly-grade was... a myth.
Below, the arrogant youth raised his foot to stomp on the girl's hand. "I told you to get out!"
WHOOSH!
A gust of wind swept through the square. Before the youth's foot could land, a hand clamped onto his ankle like an iron vice. The youth froze, feeling a sudden, terrifying chill.
Eric stood there, his white robes billowing. His presence, though lacking the overwhelming Qi of his past, had a weight that made the air feel heavy.
"Elder Eric?" the youth gasped, his face turning pale. "What... what are you doing? She's just a beggar!"
"She is not a beggar," Eric said, his voice cold and echoing across the square. He looked down at the trembling girl and reached out his hand. "She is the first disciple of Thunder Peak."
The square fell into a deathly silence. Then, a roar of laughter erupted from the elders' balcony.
"Eric, have you truly lost your mind?" Vice-Director Pharos shouted from above, leaning over the railing. "You have one month to save your peak, and you choose a girl with blocked meridians? She can't even sense Qi! She is a 'Trash' among 'Trash'!"
Eric ignored Pharos. He kept his hand extended toward Elia. "The world sees darkness in you, Elia. I see the stars. Will you come with me?"
Elia looked up, her tear-streaked eyes meeting Eric's lightning-blue gaze. For the first time in her life, someone didn't look at her with disgust.
She reached out and took his hand. "Yes... Master."
[Ding! First Disciple Successfully Accepted!]
[Mission Accomplished!]
[Reward: 30% Meridian Repair Initiated. Host Cultivation: 'Foundation Building - Peak Stage'.]
A violent surge of energy erupted within Eric's body. His shattered Dan Tian began to glow as the cracks were forced shut by a supreme power. The surrounding air began to crackle with electricity.
Eric looked at the shocked crowd, then at Pharos.
"The month has just begun, Pharos," Eric said, a thin smile playing on his lips. "Don't blink. You might miss the moment I climb back over your head."
As Eric led the girl toward the mountain, the System sounded one final time:
[Ding! First Gift Opportunity Available.]
[Suggestion: Grant a cultivation technique to trigger the first Multiplication!]