Chapter 29: The Second Stage – I

The first round of entrance exams ended in a surge of whispers and stunned stares. The crowd was now abuzz, many more candidates unable to keep any excitement, disbelief, and envy from their faces at just a glance at Kai or Lia.

Kai and Lia hovered at the edge of the courtyard, observing the crowds without drawing attention to themselves. Still, every now and then, people threw them a sneaky glance, particularly Orin, one of the inner disciples who monitored the exam. Kai caught the way Orin looked at him-the quick flicker of interest, or maybe suspicion-in his eyes. It was fleeting, almost imperceptible, but he noticed.

Orin turned away quickly with the smile back to his place as he led the candidates in the remaining stages in their journey.

Before they could even think much about it, a young man approached them. His gait was casual, but his expression friendly. He had tousled brown hair, an average, unassuming face, and wore simple clothes without any noble insignia. His energy felt steady and controlled, though Kai could sense he was at the middle stage of the Initial Connection Realm.

"Hey there!" he said, grinning at them, nodding in their direction.

"That was amazing back there - both of you. Realm of Essence Calibration at that age? You don't see that too often around here."

Kai and Lia looked at each other, taken aback by the obvious respect in his voice.

"Thanks," Kai replied, giving him a small smile. "I'm Kai, and this is Lia."

"Eric Wells," the boy introduced himself, extending a hand. "Just a regular old commoner trying to get by. Nice to meet some fellow commoners who've actually got a shot."

Kai shook his hand, feeling a spark of kinship with Eric. He remembered Eric's performance—solid, steady, and with a clear understanding of his abilities. Though he didn't have a bloodline or flashy techniques, Eric had displayed grit and control, a trait Kai respected.

"Your performance was impressive too," Lia said while nodding: . "Middle Initial Connection Realm, right?, being at our age really isn't bad after all.

Eric smiled, running a hand through the back of his head. "Yeah, thanks. Not as flashy as you two, though. People are still talking about it—I think you might've rattled a few nobles."

Kai shrugged over his shoulder at the crowds of clustered nobles murmuring quietly to one another. "We're here to get through the exam. Same as everybody else."

Eric laughed. "Maybe so, but with strength like yours, you'll have a good chance at entering the inner court right away. Only those with exceptional skills get considered for that. Most of us," he said with a hint of envy, "will just be placed as outer disciples.".

Kai raised an eyebrow. "Inner court? Outer disciples?" He repeated, a little fuzzy. "I… maybe we haven't been apprised of how it all works exactly."

Eric's eyes opened a little wider, and then his face cracked into laughter. "Wait, so you're telling me you guys came all this way with that kind of strength, and you don't know the structure of the Academy?

Well, let me fill you in, Eric offered, his face breaking open into a grin. "The Academy's divided into three big ranks: outer disciples, inner disciples, and core disciples. When you pass this exam, most students are brought in as outer disciples. That's the biggest group, and outer disciples don't get the same privileges as the others, but it's still pretty big of a deal."

He paused, looking a bit wistful. "Inner disciples, though—they get more personalized training, access to better cultivation resources, and they're allowed into restricted parts of the Academy grounds. To be an inner disciple, you usually need to be at least in the Essence Calibration Realm. There are a few exceptions, but only if the student has remarkable skill or potential.".

Kai and Lia looked at each other, processing this information. There was a tinge of envy in Eric's voice, though it seemed to come mixed with some real admiration. The privilege to enter the inner court was a highly sought after one.

"So. do you think they would like to consider us for inner court?" Lia asked in an interested tone.

"Definitely," Eric replied, shaking his head vigorously. "Following the performances you managed through the first exams, I almost think you two might actually guarantee each other recommendations to an inner disciple at a minimum. Candidly though, I wouldn't at all be surprised should either or both of you attract direct consideration for some spot within a core court itself, maybe another several years down the road," he commented.

Kai swallowed a knot. "There is a level above that as well?"

Oh, yeah. Core disciples are a different breed altogether. Only a handful of students reach that level, and they're directly trained by the top elders. Core disciples are future leaders and prodigies—the Academy's best. But that's still a long way off for all of us.

Just then, an inner disciple, Orin stood up once again, echoed his voice across the multitude. "The first round has ended. Congratulations for those who passed. Now we are going to proceed to the second round, in which each of you will fight a beast at the same cultivation level as yours".

The second stage was simple in concept but brutal in practice—each candidate was required to defeat a beast, testing their technique, control, and physical power.

As the tests began, various noble students stepped forward one by one, their performances often accompanied by murmurs of admiration or disappointment from the crowd. Some nobles passed with ease, displaying bloodline abilities that gave them an edge. Others, despite their lineage, faltered under the pressure and were quickly dispatched by the Academy instructors overseeing the test.

Kai, Lia, and Eric kept talking while following everything going on.

"Looks like not all nobles are as powerful as they say," Lia muttered under her breath as yet another noble struggled against his beast.

Eric chuckled, nodding. "Not all bloodlines are created equal, that's for sure. Some of these kids rely too much on their family name and not enough on training."

A wave of whispers swept through the room, and everyone's eyes fell upon the commotion. Kai and Lia turned around to see what was attracting the attention of the other candidates. A young man with bright blue hair as he stood up, with an aura of confidence clung to him.

"That's Darian Asher," Eric whispered, getting closer so that only Kai and Lia could hear. "He's the youngest son of the Asher family-the ones who run Havenbrook City.".

The mention of Asher stirred a faint memory. YYears ago, on one of his few visits to Havenbrook with Eldrin, he'd seen Ronan Asher, the eldest of the Asher family and the Academy's famed prodigy. At the time, Kai hadn't understood Ronan's power, but the man's presence had impressed him—strong and commanding, a cultivator whose aura alone had left an indelible mark on him. Now, he focused his attention on Darian. There was an aura of curiosity surrounding this younger brother to see if he would turn out to be the face of the family's proud reputation.

Eric spoke a little softer, still relating for their benefit, "The Asher family line can trace back to the Lightning Eagle. They are marked by speed, power and lightning affinity, so they can hold their own in combat.".

When Darian stepped out into the arena, he was covered with a faint crackling energy. Blue lightning flickers danced around his fists. The bright blue hairs that crowned his head-these and these alone stood out amidst his noble peers-thus signaling his Asher blood. Kai noticed how the noble students sitting about them looked at them eagerly.

Eric leaned in closer, lowering his voice even further. "Darian's dad is the king of Havenbrook City. He is a solid cultivator at the Foundation Realm and has good relationships with the Academy. Darian is said to be another prodigy, just like Ronan.".

In the arena, Darian faced a Stage 1 Stoneback Boar that had been released from the other gate. It was an enormous creature, covered in rock armor; it let out a mighty roar as it charged at him, the hooves pounding against the earth.

Darian's aura flared to life. His fists glowed faintly as he channeled his essence. He darted forward, striking the boar with a quick jab that sent sparks of blue lightning crackling through the air. Each strike was so precise and calculated, even with his bloodline ability, that the boar's armored hide absorbed a good amount of the impact.

Kai watched intently as Darian motioned, noting the development in his skill and tiny improvements from his lightning-cooled energy. Darian's attacks were steady as he aimed every strike into vulnerable spots on the pig's body. However, because of his technique and the cultivation, it took multiple hits and nearly three minutes for him to finally wear the pig down, his breath slightly labored as he delivered a final, definitive blow.

The boar reeled and fell, finally defeated. The crowd murmured in approval, and several nobles nodded to each other with respect.

Eric looked impressed too. "Not bad. That's the power of the Lightning Eagle bloodline for you. Darian's only thirteen and already at the peak of Initial Connection Realm.".

As Darian stepped out of the arena, a proud smile creased his face as he soaked in the adoration of the crowd. He strode across the arena with an air of confidence, as if he had become used to being showered with praise and was accustomed to the constant admiration, with his blue hair almost seeming to emit in the sunlight as he walked back into the line of candidates.

But Kai and Lia exchanged a look, a faint disappointment flickering in their eyes. Kai found himself feeling underwhelmed; despite Darian's skill and his powerful bloodline, the young noble had taken a surprising amount of time to subdue a simple Stoneback Boar. Kai had expected more, especially from someone regarded as a prodigy.

'So, this is what passes for talent among nobles,' Kai thought to himself, a trace of disillusionment settling in. He's strong, yes. But… if this is what they call prodigious, then maybe the legends about the nobles' strength are just that—legends.

Darian walked past them going out of the arena. He stood tall and high, smirking as if he didn't really have anything to prove to anybody. Several of the nobility in the candidates sitting around clapped for him or called out phrases to praise his skill. He was a candidate, it seemed, to be considered the noble who could possibly surpass all others.

Kai shrugged and faced the screen behind him.

"Maybe they really do rely on their bloodlines too much," Kai muttered. "They have strength, but it's like they're holding back."

He and Lia were interrupted by a shift in her eyes. Her expression sharpened, focusing on the next candidate stepping forward.

"It's her," Lia said softly, nodding toward the arena. "Aveline Ravenspire."

Kai followed her eyes, to see Aveline-the girl they had crossed paths with in the woods, moving with quiet assurance. Her dark hair was bound back and a hood up, and the embroidery of the cloak she wore proclaimed Ravenspire: a dark winged raven in flight. Her eyes were frigid and sharp as she watched the arena.