The first light of dawn didn't break over the Imperial Capital so much as it bled through the jade array, turning the sky a bruised, electric purple. In the center of Dormitory 7, Lin Wei stood up, his joints popping with the sound of cracking ice. The violet glow in the room receded as he pulled the Void-Shrouding back into a tight, invisible shell. He felt different—dense. Every breath felt like it was fueling a high-pressure engine.
"System," he thought, adjusting the collar of his simple Lin Clan robes to hide the faint, violet veins creeping up his neck. "Status check before we step into the lion's den."
[Eternal Odyssey System]
Host: Lin Wei
Realm: Qi Gathering - 4th Layer (Stabilized)
Integration: Level 2 (22% Mastery)
New Passive: Void-Cloak. Your dual-core signature is now undetectable by anyone below the 8-Star realm unless you actively engage both cores.
Lin Wei stepped over the splintered remains of his door and headed toward the main Academy grounds. The arrogance of the South District was in full bloom; hundreds of students were gathered in the central plaza, their colorful silk robes making them look like a field of exotic flowers. In the center stood a massive obsidian pillar—the Spirit-Testing Monolith.
Han Ye was already there, surrounded by a small crowd of Frost-Sect sycophants. He looked at Lin Wei, his silver eyes narrowing as he sensed the change in the air. He couldn't see the 4th Layer, but he could feel its weight.
"You look like you haven't slept, Lin Wei," Han Ye said, his voice carrying over the murmurs of the crowd. "Ready to show the Academy that North-born fire is nothing more than smoke?"
Lin Wei didn't stop walking. He didn't even slow down. "The sun doesn't sleep, Han Ye. It just waits for the world to turn. Keep your ice ready; you're going to need it to keep your pride from bruising."
A hush fell as the Academy Headmaster, a man whose presence felt like a mountain range, stepped onto the podium. His gaze swept over the students, lingering for a fraction of a second on Lin Wei.
"The Placement Exam is simple," the Headmaster boomed. "Place your hand on the monolith. It will measure your realm, your talent, and your potential. The top ten will enter the Inner Circle. The rest... will be shadows."
One by one, students stepped forward.
Student A: 3-Star Qi Gathering. 4-Star Talent.
Student B: 2-Star Qi Gathering. 5-Star Talent.
Then, Han Ye stepped up. He placed his hand on the obsidian. The pillar hummed, and a brilliant silver light erupted, frost forming at the base of the monolith.
Han Ye: 5-Star Qi Gathering. 7-Star Frost Talent.
The crowd roared. It was the highest score of the morning. Han Ye turned, a cold, mocking smile on his lips as he gestured for Lin Wei to take his turn.
Lin Wei walked forward, the jade token on his chest pulsing with a low, violet heat. He reached out and touched the stone. He didn't unleash his fire. He didn't unleash his ice. He pushed a tiny, compressed needle of the Void into the monolith.
The obsidian didn't hum. It screamed.
The silver light of Han Ye's score was instantly swallowed by a deep, terrifying violet. The frost at the base of the pillar didn't just melt; it evaporated into a cloud of hissing steam. The monolith groaned, fine cracks appearing on its surface as it struggled to calculate a power that didn't fit the Imperial scale.
[Monolith Feedback: Error. Potential Unquantifiable.]
The Headmaster stood up, his eyes wide. The crowd was dead silent. Lin Wei pulled his hand back, the violet light in his eyes fading as he looked directly at the high-density Qi zones of the Inner Circle.
"I think I've proven enough for today," Lin Wei said, his voice echoing in the absolute silence.
He walked past Han Ye, whose silver eyes were now wide with a mixture of shock and fury. Lin Wei didn't look back. He could feel the shadow he had sensed earlier—the metallic tang of the Cult—watching him from the balcony of the Academy.
The exam wasn't over. It had just become a hunt.