Yun Xi had banished last night from memory.
The nightmare began after dinner—if those charcoal-black lumps could be called food. By dawn, he and Xiaoxue reached an unspoken pact: Never let Wanjun near the kitchen again.
Now, trudging toward Starcrest Academy, all three moved like ghosts. Xiaoxue deliberately lagged half a step behind Wanjun—as if fearing proximity might trigger another culinary disaster.
"Xiaoxue," Wanjun mused, "where did I go wrong? I followed the cookbook exactly! Was it too much chili? Or... what's that 'soy sauce' thing the book mentioned?"
Xiaoxue's already-pale face whitened further.
"Maybe it's the tools! The book said true chefs bond with their knives and cutting boards—'Unity of Cook and Utensil!' Your tools must hate me! I'll buy new ones tonight and—"
*Thud.*
Both Xiaoxue and Yun Xi collapsed against a wall.
---
Miraculously, they dissuaded Wanjun from round two. But upon reaching campus, they froze.
The academy buzzed like a stirred hornet's nest. Students clustered around the Moon God Realm projection hall, whispers of "*Grandmaster*" and "*398 points*" rippling through crowds.
Xiaoxue snagged a hurrying junior. "What's happening?"
"You missed last night? It's everywhere in the Realm!"
"Missed it" being an understatement—they'd been too busy surviving Wanjun's "cuisine."
The projection hall's central screen blazed with crimson text:
*Warrior "123" cleared Tier-1 trial. Score: 398 (Grandmaster). New Starcrest historical record.*
Wanjun gasped. "398?! That beats Yi Fengbie's 371—unchallenged for *two centuries*!"
A nearby senior nodded. "Yi Fengbie was fifth-tier when he set it. This '123'... is he sixth-tier? But who'd wait that long?"
"Fifth-tier scoring 398 would make the Transcendent Elders salivate!"
"Apprenticeship under a Transcendent..."
Yun Xi absorbed the chatter. While others fantasized about becoming disciples, his ambitions soared higher—not to *learn* from Starcrest's Transcendents, but to *challenge* them once he regained his peak.
His dream?
Master the Trinity of Blades—Body, Qi, and Will—then test his sword against all masters under heaven. To forge himself into a peerless blade that could cut through realms themselves.
Such a man had no use for mere mentors.
As Yun Xi waited calmly outside the projection hall, a mocking voice cut through the chatter.
"Well, if it isn't our *brave* warrior—Dongfang, conqueror of Nightblood Forest!"
Three girls approached, led by Zhou Yue—a sneer plastered across her face. Among them stood Lu Xiaohan, whose porcelain features and icy elegance drew every eye in the courtyard.
Zhou Yue jabbed a finger at Yun Xi. "Your beloved 'Lady Lu' graces you with her presence! Won't you regale us with tales of your *heroic* return?"
"Lady Lu?"
Yun Xi's blank stare lasted a beat too long before recognition flickered.
"Lu Xiaohan."
Zhou Yue's smirk vanished. "How *dare* you address her so casually!"
"Enough, Zhou Yue." Lu Xiaohan's voice dripped frost. "We've no time for distractions."
"But Xiaohan! He met Dragonrider Che Fu in the forest! Don't you want to hear—?"
At Che Fu's name, Lu Xiaohan's gaze sharpened. After a pause, she relented. "Very well. Dongfang, recount your journey."
Zhou Yue leaned in, eager for his embellished tale—ready to crush him with the truth of his near-death.
Silence.
Then—
"Oh."
Zhou Yue blinked. "*Oh*? That's it?"
Yun Xi gave her a puzzled look before deliberately stepping away—as if shooing flies.
Zhou Yue's face purpled. "You—! How *dare* you—!"
"Zhou Yue." Lu Xiaohan's warning came just as curious onlookers gathered. She glided forward, her smile calculated. "Surviving Nightblood Forest at third-tier is... impressive. My birthday party is in three days. You're invited."
Without waiting for a response, she turned—her exit as graceful as her entrance.
Zhou Yue shot Yun Xi a venomous glare before scurrying after her.
Yun Xi, meanwhile, hadn't spared Lu Xiaohan a second glance.
---
"*Reverse psychology!*" Zhou Yue hissed once they were clear. "That peasant thinks ignoring us will make us notice him!"
Lu Xiaohan's lips curled. "Precisely. Let him attend the party. Amidst Starcrest's elite, he'll humiliate himself without our lifting a finger."
Zhou Yue's rage melted into glee. "And when you *happen* to mention his insolence—"
"—half the guests will tear him apart for favor." Lu Xiaohan adjusted her sleeve. "Consider it... pest control."
---
Moments later, Xiaoxue and Wanjun burst from the hall.
"Dongfang! Lu Xiaohan was here—you didn't—?"
"No."
Xiaoxue exhaled—until Yun Xi added:
"She said something strange."
"*What?*"
Yun Xi frowned at the empty path.
"I forgot."
"*Forgot?*"
Xiaoxue stared incredulously. The boy who used to dissect Lu Xiaohan's every word now claimed amnesia? Had Nightblood Forest truly changed him?
Her thoughts shattered as Yun Xi spoke.
"Dongfang Xiaoxue. There's something I need to tell you."
"What?"
"Stay calm."
"I *am* calm. Speak."
"I want to drop out."
"Drop out? Oh—"
The words took three seconds to register. Then her face frosted over. "*What did you say?!*"
Yun Xi remained impassive. "I wish to leave the academy."
"Are you *insane*?" Wanjun gasped.
Xiaoxue's knuckles whitened. "*Impossible.*"
"It's a waste of time."
"*Waste?!*" Xiaoxue's voice scaled octaves. "Starcrest Academy is this region's pinnacle! Students *kill* for admission! And you—"
"Wanjun, stop him!"
Yun Xi cut through their protests. "A warrior grows through life-or-death trials. Not rote drills."
"Only fourth-tiers get field missions! At third-tier, you'd die outside the city!"
"I've reached fourth-tier."
Silence.
Then—
"*What?*"
Xiaoxue seized his arm, dragging him toward the training floors.
---
The eleventh-floor sparring arena hosted four padded rings. In one, Zuo Zhenzhen lectured disciples—ignored as Xiaoxue zeroed in on a broad-shouldered senior.
"I claim this ring."
The senior—Li Fei—snorted. "The 'mysterious' Dongfang Xiaoxue? Finally showing your skills?" His smirk vanished when Yun Xi stepped forward instead.
"*Him?*" Li Fei's face purpled. "You insult me!"
Xiaoxue bristled. "It's a private wager. He's *barely* fourth-tier. Go easy—"
"*Easy?*" Li Fei spat. "Ring rules: no mercy short of maiming! Prep a hospital bed!"
"Touch him," Xiaoxue hissed, "and I'll break *every* bone you break his."
Li Fei laughed coldly. "Try."
As Yun Xi mounted the platform, whispers exploded across the floor. Even Zuo Zhenzhen's clique turned to watch.
The boy who'd crawled back from Nightblood Forest was challenging a seasoned fourth-tier.
Madness—or something far more dangerous.
"Xiaoxue! You *actually* let him go up there?" Wanjun twisted her uniform sleeves, voice trembling.
Xiaoxue kept her eyes locked on the ring. "He forced my hand. But this is a school arena—Li Fei won't go too far. Besides..."
"You... have hope for him?"
A nod.
"*Really?*"
"Did you imagine he'd reach fourth-tier before today?"
Wanjun shook her head.
"Then let's see if he can work another miracle."
---
In the ring, Li Fei unwrapped his hand wraps with icy precision.
"Pick a weapon, kid. I'll grant you that mercy."
Yun Xi's response was calm. "In the Moon God Realm, combat begins the moment you enter. Is it the same here?"
"Of course! But since you're a junior, I'll let you strike first—"
"Then I begin."
A glide-step carried Yun Xi across the mat in an eyeblink. *Wood-Splintering Blow* lanced toward Li Fei's ribs.
Li Fei barked a laugh. "*Skyrend Strikes?* I'm a *master* of this technique! Ranked top ten in the academy! You dare—?"
Their fists collided.
*BOOM!*
Yun Xi flew back—exactly as Li Fei intended.
Zuo Zhenzhen sneered from the sidelines. "So *this* is your 'perfect' technique? Pathetic."
Then—
Yun Xi rebounded *faster*.
Where Li Fei's strike had expended 20% of his qi in a single burst, Yun Xi's force remained coiled—unspent. Before Li Fei could recover his stance, the counterattack came.
*Wood-Splintering. Rock-Cleaving. Mountain-Sundering.*
Three blows shattered Li Fei's guard.
*River-Parting. City-Toppling. Star-Breaking.*
The sixth strike sent Li Fei airborne, blood arcing from his lips as he crashed unconscious.
Silence.
Then—
"*IMPOSSIBLE!*"
Zuo Zhenzhen shot to her feet, her cry igniting the crowd.
"Li Fei—*beaten*? By *him*?"
"That idiot who chased Lu Xiaohan into Nightblood Forest?"
"He's fourth-tier now? Must've found a spirit crystal there!"
"B*llsh*t! Those only grow in lord-class beasts! Even Transcendents covet them!"
Amid the uproar, Yun Xi stepped down, meeting Xiaoxue's stunned gaze.
"I won."
"W-won..."
"Our bargain stands. You won't block my withdrawal."
Xiaoxue jolted. "*No!*"
"A promise is—"
"I'm *not* a gentleman! I'm a *girl*! We get to lie!" Her fists clenched. "You *can't* leave!"
Wanjun tugged at Yun Xi's sleeve. "She's right... The academy has resources—"
Xiaoxue pressed on, desperation edging her voice. "You broke through in Nightblood Forest, yes? But that's *not enough*! Eighty students here could crush you! The wilderness would *devour* you!"
Her fingers tightened around his wrist. "Stay. *Please*."
For a long moment, Yun Xi studied her—the genuine fear in those eyes.
Then, softly:
"My decision is final."
"*My decision is final.*"
Seven words. Seven nails in the coffin.
Yun Xi appreciated Xiaoxue's care—but not enough to waste years on rote drills.
"Can't you *compromise*?" Wanjun pleaded. "She's your *sister*!"
He met Xiaoxue's gaze. "Apologies." Then turned to leave.
"Wait!" Xiaoxue grabbed his sleeve. "If it's about rigid schedules... you could apply for *field training*! Fourth-tiers get leave for self-cultivation! Just attend annual exams!"
"Field training?"
"Yes! You keep enrollment but train freely!"
"Agreed."
The instant relief in his voice stung.
A mocking laugh cut through the murmurs.
"How *noble*—thinking Starcrest Academy *beneath* him!"
Shen Lili—Lu Xiaohan's lackey—sauntered forward, smirking.
"Xiaoxue, why stay here when your *genius* brother can teach you?"
Xiaoxue bristled. "None of your business!"
"Oh, but it *is*!" Shen Lili spun toward the crowd. "He *insults* our academy! Calls our methods *useless*! Shouldn't we defend Starcrest's honor?"
Gasps erupted. In this monster-ravaged world, institutional pride bordered on sacred.
A broad-shouldered senior—Xu Zong—shouldered forward. "You *dare* mock our traditions?"
Rumors claimed he'd broken through to fifth-tier. Even Zuo Zhenzhen tensed.
Xiaoxue stepped between them. "He *never* disparaged the academy! Shen Lili's twisting words!"
"Then why silence her?" Xu Zong countered.
"Because she's a *viper*!" Xiaoxue's voice turned glacial. "Xu Zong—walk away. This is *personal*."
Shen Lili clutched Xu Zong's arm. "They're *lying*! Defend our honor!"
Xu Zong's chest swelled. Fifth-tier aura flaring, he sneered, "Or what?"
Xiaoxue's fingers curled. The air chilled.
"Then by the Three-Star Glory of House Dongfang..."
She raised her chin, eyes blazing.
"I, Dongfang Xiaoxue, challenge *both* of you."