He smiled then, but it wasn't warm. "If you meet these expectations, you will have access to resources most cultivators never see. Private instruction, ancient techniques, opportunities for glory. If you fail to meet expectations, you will be transferred to a different hall. I only keep students who show promise."
Elder Shen raised his hand, and scrolls materialized before each student. "This is your first assignment. You have one week to comprehend the technique inscribed within. It is a Stage 3 Continuum principle—advanced for first-years, but not impossible. Complete it, and you prove you belong here. Fail, and I will question whether you deserve your placement."
Aria picked up her scroll and unrolled it. The technique was called "Infinite Flow Meditation"—a method for understanding how countable infinity transitioned into uncountable infinity, bridging Stage 2 and Stage 3.
It was complex. Beautiful. And she could already see three ways to optimize it.
