The sky above Yuan City was painted in soft hues of morning gold as the disciples of the Royal Academy bustled with excitement. It was Resource Distribution Day—one of the most anticipated days of the month for outer disciples.
Alice moved silently among the crowd, her expression unreadable as always. Though she wore the same outer disciple robes as everyone else, the calm coldness in her gaze made many unconsciously avoid her path.
Inside the spacious Disciple Hall, elders sat behind long stone counters where outer disciples lined up to receive their allotted supplies.
"Next."
Alice stepped forward and presented her identity token.
The elder scanned it with a flick of Qi, nodded slightly, then pushed a small wooden box toward her. "Outer Disciple Alice. One month's allocation: thirty Tier 1 Spirit Stones, two high-grade Tier 1 Healing Pills, and one high-grade Tier 1 Qi Enhancing Pill."
Alice accepted the box without a word. She turned and left the hall, her eyes flickering with faint anticipation.
Back in her modest room in the outer disciple quarters, she locked the door and pulled the curtains shut. With a practiced hand, she placed the box on her table and opened it. The stones glimmered faintly, while the pills pulsed with medicinal essence.
She slipped everything into her Tier 1 storage ring, then sat cross-legged on the cultivation mat and took a deep breath.
Now, it was time to ascend once more.
---
She placed the high-grade Qi Enhancing Pill on her tongue and swallowed it.
The moment the pill dissolved in her mouth, a rush of warm, pure energy surged into her meridians like a tidal wave. Her dantian glowed faintly, then began to expand as if responding to the surge.
Alice remained completely still, focusing inward.
Her Qi flowed according to the method's circulation path, moving in spirals around her core.
Minutes passed. Then an hour.
With a soft pulse, her cultivation base rose—from the sixth level to the seventh.
She didn't stop.
Using the remaining medicinal essence, she pushed further, guiding every wisp of energy with terrifying precision. Her breathing slowed, her heart beat steady, and her soul remained anchored to that singular goal.
Another pulse.
And just like that—she broke through to the eighth level of the Qi Condensation Realm.
---
A quiet storm of Qi swirled gently in her room before vanishing, absorbed into her body.
Alice opened her eyes.
No joy, no smugness.
Only the sharp glint of focus in her gaze.
She had reached the eighth level of Qi Condensation Realm. Just one more step before she would touch the edge of Foundation Establishment.
And only after that… would she begin to fight for a place among the Inner Disciples.
But for now, she stood, stretched her limbs, and adjusted her outer robe. Her mask and dagger rested beneath the floorboard, waiting. The symbol of Red Phoenix remained hidden—but it would rise again soon.
When the academy slept… the shadows would move.