Maya nodded toward the registration counter.
"Come on. We need to finish your registration first."
Ben followed her and Amanda across the hall.
The registration area was divided into several sections. Some people were registering for missions, while others were updating their cultivation records or applying for access to different facilities.
Maya walked toward a quiet counter and spoke to the staff member sitting behind it.
"We’re here to register a newly awakened cultivator."
The woman looked at Ben and then at Maya.
"Is he the one?"
"Yes," Maya replied. "His awakening happened yesterday."
The woman nodded and took out a small crystal device.
"Please place your hand on the registration crystal."
Ben placed his hand on it.
A soft light spread across the crystal as it scanned his body.
A few seconds later, information appeared above the device.
Name: Ben
Age: 16
Cultivation Realm: Ninth Stage Grey Realm
Status: Newly Awakened
The woman’s eyes widened slightly when she saw his cultivation realm.
"Ninth Stage Grey Realm?"
Ben nodded.
"Yes."
She looked at Maya.
"Are you sure he only awakened yesterday?"
"Yes."
The woman looked back at the information.
She clearly wanted to ask more questions, but she decided not to.
"Alright. I’ll complete the registration."
She entered the information into the system.
After a few moments, another screen appeared.
"Innate Ability?"
Maya answered immediately.
"Death Flames."
The woman entered the information.
"Ability Origin?"
"Cerberus bloodline," Amanda replied.
The woman nodded and continued entering the information.
"Ability rank?"
Maya paused for a moment.
"Planetary"
The woman looked up.
"Planetary?"
"Yes," Maya said. "The ability hasn’t been properly evaluated yet, but given its from Death Flames Cerberus Bloodline it’s normal to have this minimum limit."
The woman didn’t question her further.
"Understood."
She entered Planetary into the system.
A moment later, the registration process was completed.
"Your basic registration is finished."
She handed Ben a black identification card.
"This is your Solar Association identification card. It will allow you to access public facilities and serve as proof of your registered identity."
Ben took the card and examined it.
"Does it have any other functions?"
"It does," the woman replied. "Your cultivation realm, mission records, academy information, and access permissions can all be connected to it."
Ben nodded.
"That’s convenient."
Maya then stepped forward.
"His ability information should be placed under restricted access."
The woman nodded.
"Only authorized personnel will be able to view it."
"Good."
The woman handed the card back to Ben.
"Your training permissions will be added shortly. Since you’re a newly awakened cultivator, you’ll also receive access to the basic training facilities."
Ben smiled.
"Can I start training today?"
The woman looked at him for a moment.
"You seem eager."
"I have an academy entrance assessment in three months."
The woman nodded.
"Then you should make good use of your time."
Ben stepped away from the counter.
Maya looked at him.
"Your registration is complete."
Amanda added, "Now we can take you to the training facility."
Ben nodded.
"Let’s go."
As they walked through the building, Ben noticed several large doors protected by glowing formations.
"Are those training rooms?"
"Some of them," Amanda replied. "The Solar Association has different training areas for different cultivation levels."
"What kind will I be using?"
"The beginner and intermediate facilities for now," Maya answered. "You’ll also have access to a private cultivation room."
Ben nodded.
"That should be enough."
Amanda smiled.
"Don’t be too confident. You’ll be learning several things at once."
"Celestial energy manipulation, celestial arts, sword techniques, combat training, and the proper use of Death Flames."
Ben looked at his hand.
"Sounds like I won’t have much free time."
"You won’t," Maya said.
Ben smiled.
"Good. I didn’t come here to relax."
They continued deeper into the building until they reached a large elevator.
Amanda pressed a button.
The doors opened.
They stepped inside, and the elevator immediately began descending.
Ben looked at the floor indicator.
"How far underground are we going?"
"Quite far," Amanda replied.
"The main training facilities are located deep beneath the city. The formations there are strong enough to contain attacks from high-level cultivators."
Ben nodded.
"That means I can actually test my strength without worrying about destroying the city."
"Exactly."
The elevator continued descending.
A few moments later, it finally stopped.
The doors opened, revealing a massive underground facility filled with training arenas, cultivation chambers, and various magical machines.
Ben looked around with interest.
"This place is huge."
Maya smiled.
"Welcome to your training ground for the next three months."
Ben looked around the training facility for a moment before turning toward Amanda.
"By the way, can you tell me more about the ranks you mentioned earlier?"
"You briefly explained them before, but I’d like to understand the system properly. For example, what exactly does Planetary mean?"
Amanda nodded.
"Sure. You should understand the ranking system before you begin training."
She raised her hand, and a large holographic display appeared above the floor.
Several different ranks appeared on the screen.
"The Solar Association evaluates innate abilities mainly according to their potential destructive power."
"For example, a Planetary-level ability means that, at sufficient mastery and strength, the ability could eventually possess enough power to destroy an entire planet with a single attack."
Ben looked at the display with interest.
"So it’s based on potential rather than my current strength?"
"Exactly," Amanda replied.
"Your current cultivation doesn’t determine the rank of your innate ability. The rank tells us how powerful the ability could become after you reach a high enough level and master it properly."
Ben nodded.
"That makes sense."
Amanda pointed toward the first section of the display.
"Our cultivation ranking starts from the Grey Realm, which is the lowest recognized cultivation realm."
"After Grey comes Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond."
Ben carefully memorized the order.
"After Diamond comes Black Diamond and then Prismatic."
Amanda nodded.
"Prismatic is currently considered the highest standard cultivation rank within the Solar System."
"It’s also the rank one has to reach before the gates allow anyone to leave our Solar System," she said as Ben nodded.