A week went by quickly at the Verdant Dragon Academy, and Isshin had spent most of it meeting the other students, although his best friend was still Rune. The two had spent plenty of time together, and while Rune was a bit of an oddball, Isshin felt comfortable with his carefree nature. Rune was the only person who did not appear to care about fitting in or impressing anyone. It made Isshin feel somewhat less pressured to comply.
But Isshin couldn't help but observe the darker side of the academy. He had witnessed several stronger students bullying weaker ones. Even though the victims were eventually left alone, the scene made Isshin uncomfortable. He had thought about intervening, but Raijin's voice had again echoed in his mind, warning him not to interfere.
"Let it be," Raijin had answered brusquely. "There is no point in trying to change things. It's more important to focus on your own growth. Power is the only thing that matters here."
And so Isshin did nothing, watching the bullies and the bullied in silence, though a part of him wanted to do something. His focus had to be on growing stronger.
Soon enough, gossip of the impending teacher selection was being shared across the academy. The moment had come for the students to prove their mettle and for them to prove their talents to the teachers. Every teacher would accept only ten students to teach, so competition would be cutthroat.
Remembering that, Isshin chose to train himself harder than ever. He understood that if he wanted to excel and catch the attention of the teachers, he had to train day and night. Rune, the ever-relaxed individual, trained with him, although he did not seem as serious about training as Isshin. When Isshin asked Rune once again about his abilities, Rune just shrugged and answered vaguely.
"You'll see when the time arrives," Rune had simply responded with a smile, leaving Isshin seething.
Raijin had also counseled Isshin, telling him, "Train well. Your chance of being gifted a good teacher increases if they see potential in you. But remember, it's not just about power. It's also about how you use it."
Isshin did what Raijin had instructed him to do and trained even more intensely, testing his body and mind to their limits. He practiced the moves Raijin had taught him, perfecting his speed and accuracy until he could move faster than anyone else in his own estimation. And then, after several days of constant training, Isshin finally broke through to the next level in his cultivation: the second stage of the Golden Core Realm.
That morning, test day, Isshin experienced a peculiar combination of nervousness and excitement. The test started with students demonstrating their abilities one by one. There were already some known names among the students, like Falen and Asil.
Falen excelled at interacting with magical beasts. His white sabertooth was a ridiculously powerful beast at the fourth level of the Golden Core Realm. Falen himself wasn't even half as strong as his beast, so if his sabertooth weren't by his side, he'd be in a difficult situation. However, his ability to control the beast made him a person to be feared.
Asil, though, demonstrated his fire powers. He had a spirit—similar to Isshin's bond with Raijin—named Salamander. Salamander was a fire familiar who could cause the ground to shatter and lava to burst forth from the ground. Asil's fire display stunned the crowd, and his power was one of the strongest among the participants.
Next was Isshin's turn. He stepped forward, and the atmosphere of the room shifted. He unsheathed his sword and felt it's weight in his hand and began to move with blinding speed, cutting through raw cliffs of rock 20 to 30 meters tall. With his flash step, a technique that he had mastered under the tutelage of Raijin, he sliced through the rocks as if they were paper and with a blur of motion. Even though his performance wasn't as flamboyant as Asil's, the teachers were more impressed with his potential and his control.
At last, it was Rune's turn. Isshin was curious to see what Rune could do since he knew there was something secretive about him.