The night after the second round became one of the most restless nights Nine Lotus Academy had experienced in decades.
Nobody slept peacefully.
Not the participants.
Not the spectators.
Not even the powerful families watching from afar.
The rules of the final qualification round had completely overturned everyone's expectations.
There would be no mountain trial.
No arena battle.
No complicated elimination process.
Only a choice.
A choice so simple that it became terrifying.
Throughout the academy, groups gathered late into the night discussing the same question.
Which flag should they choose?
Some argued that the black flags were the smartest option.
One flag.
One slot.
One winner.
No sharing.
No uncertainty.
If a person believed in their own strength, that was the safest path.
Others argued differently.
The golden flag alone contained thirty slots.
Even if the competition around it became brutal, thirty people could ultimately succeed.
