The Grand Testing Hall of the academy was a place of absolute silence, broken only by the low hum of the Spirit-Engraved Tablet standing at the center of the formation. The ancient stone, covered in intricate golden runes, pulsed with a faint energy that resonated with the cultivators gathered before it.
Students stood in line, waiting their turn to step forward and let the artifact reveal their cultivation grade. For most, the test was a formality—a way to confirm their progress before moving on to the next phase of their training. For others, it was a moment of pride, proving their growth to their peers and the academy's influential elders.
For Mel Long, it was an opportunity.
He stood at the edge of the formation, silent, ignoring the murmurs and sidelong glances cast his way. His reputation as the spoiled heir of the Long Sect had long since been cemented in the academy. Everyone knew him as the young master who had squandered his sect's resources, treating cultivation as a mere game rather than a pursuit of true power.
"He's still Grade 6, right?" someone whispered.
"Of course. He's never taken training seriously. It's a miracle he hasn't fallen behind even further."
"I heard Si Yue's already at Grade 10. There's no way he'll ever catch up."
The comments didn't faze Mel. If anything, he barely even registered them. He had spent an entire lifetime hearing far worse. Mockery? Nothing. Insults? Meaningless.
What mattered now was the test itself.
A student ahead of him stepped forward, placing their palm against the Spirit-Engraved Tablet. The golden runes flared to life, shifting and reforming until a single number appeared in the air above the stone.
[Grade 8].
The instructor, a stern-faced elder with sharp eyes, nodded in approval. "Next."
Mel watched the process unfold with quiet observation. In his previous life, he had barely paid attention to the mechanics of the test—he had always assumed that his family's name and wealth would carry him forward. But now, he saw it for what it truly was: a measure of one's foundation, of their ability to withstand the trials ahead.
One by one, students stepped forward. The stronger ones basked in admiration, while the weaker ones shrank back, hoping to avoid ridicule.
Then came Si Yue
She walked forward with quiet confidence, her expression unreadable as she placed her palm against the stone. The golden runes flashed brightly, the air crackling with power as her result was displayed.
[Grade 10].
A murmur of approval swept through the hall.
"As expected of Si Yue. She's ready to break into Core Formation soon."
"The Si Family really chose well when they sponsored her."
"She's leagues beyond Mel Long. He's got no chance."
Mel exhaled slowly. He had no interest in competing with Si Yue. She had earned her strength through sheer discipline, through hard work and perseverance. He, on the other hand… had wasted far too much time.
Now, it was his turn.
He stepped forward, placing his palm against the cold surface of the Spirit-Engraved Tablet. Instantly, he felt the artifact's energy probe his cultivation base, assessing his strength, his control, his very foundation.
In his past life, he had stalled at Grade 6 for far too long.
But this time, he had an advantage.
Closing his eyes, he steadied his breathing, focusing inward. He activated the breathing technique he had once learned far too late in his previous life—one that refined Qi absorption with near-perfect efficiency.
He felt the energy within him shift, stir, break through its stagnant state.
Crack!
A faint tremor pulsed through his body as the golden runes of the tablet suddenly brightened. The air around him grew heavy, charged with the unmistakable surge of a breakthrough.
The number on the tablet changed.
[Grade 7].
For the first time, the hall fell into stunned silence.
"Wait… did he just break through?"
"That can't be right. Did he use an artifact?"
"No way. He was only Grade 6 this morning!"
Mel opened his eyes, exhaling as he pulled his hand away. His body felt lighter, stronger, his energy more stable than it had ever been before.
But the expressions around him told a different story.
Disbelief. Doubt. Dismissal.
Si Yue's brows furrowed slightly, but her expression remained cold. "A rare moment of effort. Let's see if he keeps it up."
Guo Chen snorted. "Tch. So what? He's still weaker than me."
Even the elder overseeing the test barely spared him a glance. "Next."
Mel wasn't surprised.
They wouldn't believe he had truly changed yet. That was fine. He didn't need their approval.
He turned on his heel and walked away, his mind already shifting toward the next step.
His goal was not just reaching Grade 7. His goal was to push beyond, to sharpen himself into something no one could ignore.
And that meant facing Guo Chen once more.
One month. That's all I need.
This time, when he fought, it wouldn't be as the spoiled heir of the Long Sect.
It would be as someone who had lived through failure—and refused to let history repeat itself.
As Mel Long walked away from the testing formation, ignoring the lingering whispers. The familiar sneers, the casual dismissals—none of it mattered. He had spent a lifetime learning the hard way that words meant nothing.
Action did.
He clenched his fists slightly, feeling the difference in his Qi flow. Grade 7. A step forward—but a tiny one.
"I stalled at this level far too long in my past life."
His lips curled into a bitter smile.
"Back then, I never took cultivation seriously. I threw money at the problem, thinking pills and elixirs could replace effort. Thinking my family's name would always protect me. I was wrong."
A shadow of memory crept in.
He saw himself—once a proud young master, standing in the ruins of his own sect. The halls of the Long Sect burned, the proud banners torn to the ground. His father, once a figure of unshakable authority, dragged away in chains while enemies laughed.
And him?
Powerless. Worthless. Abandoned.
His breath came slower, steadier. The weight of his past didn't break him anymore—it fueled him.
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"What's with that look?"
Mel blinked, turning to face Guo Chen. The man's smirk was wide, arrogant.
"You think breaking through one level makes you a real cultivator?" Guo Chen laughed, stepping closer. "Don't get cocky, Long brat. You're still just the same useless fool you've always been."
Mel met his gaze, unflinching.
"Maybe." His voice was calm—too calm. "But if I'm still the same fool… why do you seem uneasy?"
Guo Chen's smirk faltered for half a second.
Just half a second.
But Mel Long saw it.
He wasn't the same person anymore.
He had seen his future—the worst possible version of it. He had lived through his family's destruction, his father's downfall, his own pathetic end.
This time, he would break that fate apart.
And it started with Guo Chen.
"One month. That's all I need." He repeated as he walked away.
Many noticed the figure in the distance and got a feeling of hidden sadness deep into his bones. But how can this be he was just a spoiled child who has had everything handed to him?