The morning sun cast golden light across the Royal Academy, yet the atmosphere was more electric than ever.
The announcement echoed across the academy grounds like thunder.
> "In three days, the Inner Disciple Selection Exam will begin! Any outer disciple who dares may challenge an inner disciple. Victory grants entry into the inner ranks. Cultivation at Foundation Establishment Realm is not mandatory—only strength matters."
The moment the words reached Alice's ears, her red eyes narrowed beneath her long lashes.
This was the chance she needed.
The path ahead had always been clear—Foundation Establishment, inner disciple, greater resources, deeper secrets. But now, an alternative had opened.
Fight. Win. Ascend.
Even if she hadn't broken through yet, she could seize her place.
But there were rules. Public battles. No stealth. No assassination.
She couldn't rely on her dagger or the concealment of darkness.
Red Phoenix would be useless here.
This would be Alice, the student. The cultivator.
The fire.
---
For the next three days, Alice vanished from public eye.
Within her room, she sealed the doors and placed defensive talismans. Only the faint glow of flickering fire leaked out from under the wooden frame.
She sat in the center of a formation circle, surrounded by fire element Qi drawn in from spirit stones and fire essence crystals she'd bought over time.
The Tier 1 sword she'd kept hidden under her bed was now in her hand, its blade glowing red from overuse.
She slashed again and again, forming intricate patterns in the air, refining control over the flame within.
Fire wasn't just destruction—it was precision. Speed. Intensity.
She wasn't the strongest cultivator in the academy.
But she would be the sharpest flame on the battlefield.
Every technique she practiced was sword-based. No shadows. No stealth.
Only raw, explosive, controlled power.
---
Each night, she meditated on her Qi.
Her dantian was full—brimming, almost bursting. One final push, one surge of fortune or a perfect opportunity, and she would pierce into the Foundation Establishment Realm.
But she wouldn't rush it.
The foundation had to be flawless.
So instead, she focused on refining control, movement, and reaction.
She visualized countless battles.
Calculated strikes. Step patterns. Reversals.
In her mind, she fought a hundred enemies.
And in every outcome—she won.
---
By the dawn of the third day, Alice stood by her window, watching the academy courtyard.
Students buzzed with nervous energy. Some were excited to prove themselves. Others afraid of being challenged.
Many whispered about rising talents and rumored dark horses.
None mentioned her name.
They didn't even realize she was a threat.
And that's exactly how she wanted it.
Alice turned away from the window, adjusting the sword hanging at her waist.
Her eyes burned like twin embers, calm yet full of promise.
She tied her hair back into a simple knot and wore the standard academy robes—no mask, no disguise.
Tomorrow, she would enter the ring not as Red Phoenix.
But as Alice , A Orphan.
And she would make them all remember her name.