The
Spirit Measuring Tablet lay in ruins
.
Fragments of
glowing jade
littered the ground, the once-mighty artifact reduced to nothing but dust.
The
entire Academy Square was silent.
Hundreds of disciples stared at the shattered remains, their
minds unable to comprehend what had just happened.
The
Spirit Measuring Tablet
had been used for
centuries
—a divine tool capable of measuring
anyone’s talent
up to
Celestial Grade
.
Yet today,
one person had broken it.
And that person was—
Xiao Li.
The
Academy Elders
, usually calm and indifferent, were visibly shaken.
One of them, a
white-haired elder
, muttered under his breath.
"Heavenly Grade Talent… I have never seen it in my lifetime."
Another elder
nodded slowly
, his gaze fixed on Xiao Li.
"Not even the most powerful geniuses in the Kingdom have reached such a level."
The
gray-robed elder
, the one who had conducted the entrance test, stepped forward, his expression unreadable.
"Xiao Li, come with me."
Xiao Li raised an eyebrow.
"Where?"
"The Academy Headmaster wishes to see you."
A murmur spread through the crowd.
"The Headmaster?! He never gets involved in the entrance tests!"
"He must see Xiao Li as an extraordinary case!"
"Who exactly is this guy?!"
Xiao Li remained
calm
as he nodded.
"Lead the way."
As he turned to follow the elder, he noticed a few
hostile gazes
in the crowd.
One of them was
Zhao Wu
, his face pale with
shock and rage
.
Another was a
black-robed youth
, standing among a group of
Inner Court disciples
. His
cold eyes
locked onto Xiao Li with a calculating gaze.
"Interesting."
It seemed
his rise had already started attracting enemies.
Good.
He
welcomed
the challenge.
Xiao Li followed the elder through
winding corridors
and past
towering pagodas
until they reached a
grand temple-like hall
.
At the entrance stood two
golden-armored guards
, their expressions emotionless.
Without hesitation, they stepped aside, allowing Xiao Li inside.
The hall was vast, with
floating golden lanterns
illuminating the chamber. At its center sat an
old man in deep blue robes
, his aura like a
boundless ocean
, unfathomable and immeasurable.
This was the
Azure Kingdom Royal Academy Headmaster
, one of the
strongest cultivators in the entire kingdom.
"Xiao Li."
His voice was
calm, yet carried absolute authority.
Xiao Li stepped forward, his expression
unfazed
.
"Headmaster."
The old man’s eyes
studied him for a long moment.
"Your talent has caused quite a commotion."
"I suppose breaking the Spirit Measuring Tablet would do that."
The
elders standing to the side twitched slightly
at Xiao Li’s bold words.
Even the Headmaster raised an eyebrow.
Then, after a moment, he
chuckled.
"You are quite different from the usual arrogant noble brats."
His gaze sharpened.
"Tell me, Xiao Li… What do you seek?"
Xiao Li’s smirk
faded
, replaced by a cold determination.
"Strength."
The Headmaster nodded slightly.
"And what will you do with that strength?"
Xiao Li’s eyes gleamed.
"Crush those who stand in my way."
The elders
exchanged glances
, but the Headmaster only smiled.
"Interesting."
He
slowly rose from his seat
, his aura causing the air itself to tremble.
"Then, let me make one thing clear, Xiao Li."
"You have attracted attention. Some will want to recruit you. Others will want to destroy you before you can rise any further."
"Do you fear that?"
Xiao Li
chuckled
, his gaze unwavering.
"Why should I fear stepping stones?"
The room
fell silent.
Then, the Headmaster laughed.
"Good! Very good!"
He turned to the assembled elders.
"From this moment forward, Xiao Li is not an Outer Court disciple."
The elders
gasped in surprise.
"He will enter the Inner Court directly!"
The news sent shockwaves through the academy.
News of
Xiao Li’s instant rise to the Inner Court
spread like wildfire.
In a secluded chamber, a
group of black-robed figures gathered
.
At their center stood a young man with
icy silver eyes
, his expression dark.
"Xiao Li… has become too dangerous."
A hooded figure stepped forward.
"Do we eliminate him?"
The silver-eyed man’s
gaze turned sharp.
"No. Not yet."
A slow smile spread across his lips.
"He has no idea what he's walking into."
Later that evening, as Xiao Li walked through the
academy gardens
, he felt a
strange presence.
A
figure in white robes
stood under the moonlight, her long silver hair flowing like
a waterfall of light
.
Her back was turned to him, yet he could
sense something familiar.
"Xiao Li."
His eyes
narrowed.
"Who are you?"
She slowly turned around, her
crystal-blue eyes
locking onto his.
"Someone who knows the truth about you."
Xiao Li's expression darkened.
"What truth?"
She
smiled slightly
, but there was sadness in her eyes.
"The truth about your past."
And with that,
the real mystery began.