The ground of Wangshou Academy pulsed with energy, buzzing with spirit beasts, excited disciples, and the thrum of competition. Every courtyard had emptied, pouring into the tournament arena—an ancient stone plaza etched with talismanic runes. Masters stood tall in their designated rows, robes fluttering, while disciples lined up in their categories.
There were three sections—bluntly named and brutally honest: The Smart Ones, The Not-So-Smart Ones, and The Dumb Ones. No sugar-coating in this world of survival.
Zhao Wenli stood quietly in the second group, her expression unreadable.
She didn't know why she had to prove she was smart.
She was a psychologist. A damn successful one. London didn't offer recognition easily—neither did its people. Clients from embassies to politicians trusted her with their deepest scars. That should be enough to label her as intelligent.
But not here.
Not in a world where brains bowed before brawn, where cultivation ranked higher than credentials.
"Don't show too much," Master Wu had once whispered in her ear like a secret spell. "Act weaker than most, but not clueless. Let them think you're an amateur with wisdom too deep to grasp. They'll either fear you or forget you. Both are survival."
God, Master Wu was a nag. A warm, infuriating, paranoid nag. But she was also the only mother figure Zhao Wenli had left.
The tournament was to showcase spirit animals. Strength. Bloodline. Power.
Wenli stood with her hands behind her back, not nervous but... uncertain. Her spirit beast—a shimmering blue phoenix—was magnificent, no doubt. Its wings reflected a light that didn't exist in the world around them, but...
It had never displayed an ability. Not even a flame.
Still, when the phoenix emerged, sweeping the skies in ghostly elegance, gasps rippled through the crowd. Whispers followed.
"That's a... phoenix?"
"Is that really from the Not-So-Smart section?"
"It hasn't shown any flames. Maybe it's defective."
Zhao Wenli remained expressionless.
Had her bird spat bubbles or feathers, she'd have ended up in the Dumb group for sure.
When the last spirit beast vanished, silence fell, and the infamous Ape Master—Liu Caoci—stepped forward. Her robes gleamed in crimson and gold. She radiated authority and irritation in equal measure.
"I'll be clear," she said, voice echoing like a whip crack. "Ciao Ciao, Xing Pei, and your group will head north to retrieve the Heart Flame Stone. Avoid the Dragon King's territory at all costs."
The selected group bowed low. "Yes, Dean Liu."
Liu Caoci's hawk eyes shifted. "XiMei. LuPeng. Zhu Wenli. Take a few capable disciples and go east. Protect the humans in the valley. Do not let the demons devour them."
Demons?
Wenli felt her spine go cold.
So that's what this was—a suicide mission dressed up as a noble errand.
She opened her mouth to protest, but a calm, deep voice spoke before she could even raise her hand.
"We'll do just that, Dean Liu."
She turned sharply.
Who the hell just sold her soul on her behalf?
But Liu Caoci had already waved them off. "You leave at dawn. Prepare."
Later That Night—
Zhao Wenli found Master Wu hunched by the stove, fanning embers to life. The fire danced red-hot, casting shadows on her sharp cheekbones.
"You could just use your powers," Wenli called from the doorway.
Master Wu didn't look up. "And lose the joy of burning my hands for flavor?"
Wenli chuckled softly, stepping in. "How long have you been at it?"
"Long enough to know you've been pacing like a caged rabbit."
A beat. Then:
"You'll mature tomorrow," Master Wu said slyly.
Wenli groaned. "Don't say that. I'm going to die, not age gracefully."
"Well, you were still a baby back at the Zhu mansion," Wu teased, covering the pot with a large clay lid. "Do you want me to help you?" Master Wu asked, coolly as if she has the power in the world.
Wenli's voice dropped. "Can you help me?"
Master Wu's gaze flicked up—sharp, knowing.
"No."
That honest refusal stunned her. "Then why ask?"
"To give you hope." Her answer was calm. Cruel. Kind.
Wenli's eyes widened.
"You'll die," Master Wu added in a serious tone. "But only if you choose to."
"Excuse me?"
"Strangers died for you once, didn't they? Without knowing your name. So now you do the same."
Wenli fell silent.
Master Wu leaned forward. "Want to survive? Face them like you face me."
Wenli blinked. "With... sarcasm?"
"With study. Strategy. You don't rush me in training—you wait. You observe. You analyze."
Master Wu stood, dusting her hands. "Demons are sadists. They feed on fear. They play with weakness. Show them nothing. Think of yourself as already dead—then fight like death is beneath you."
The advice was chilling. But Wenli felt something shift inside her. Resolve. A flicker of flame in her bones.
At Dawn — Departure:
By morning, the academy was alive again. Groups stood in formation, waiting. The gate of Wangshou Academy loomed tall and ancient—only opened for the worthy... or the doomed.
Dean Liu emerged after what felt like forever, looking like she stepped out of a porcelain painting. Wenli didn't know if it was nerves or admiration, but she found Liu Caoci strangely beautiful this morning.
"The chosen groups," Liu Caoci declared. "Visit your masters if you must. You have thirty minutes before the gates open. You either go forward or stay behind."
After the announcement, Wenli spotted Hualia in the crowd. The girl ran up, eyes glossy with anxiety.
"Just… protect Wen Ru for me, alright?" Wenli whispered. Hualia nodded, pressing her lips tight.
No tears. Not now.
Then Master Wu arrived, quiet as ever, and handed her a charm wrapped in black silk.
"A talisman?"
"Demons don't joke, but neither do I. You know enough. The rest… will come when you need it."
She patted her shoulder and walked away without another word.
And like that—those destined for the Heart Flame Stone went north. Those chosen to protect humanity from demons turned east.
The rest?
They remained behind.
Practicing. Waiting.
Maybe next year, they'd be ready to die too.