Three days after the duel, a gong rang across Shang City.
Messengers from the imperial academy arrived, dressed in silver robes with the emblem of a soaring phoenix. They pinned a glowing decree outside the city gates.
> "All eligible youths of Shang City are invited to participate in the annual Sky Sect Academy Examination.
Top scorers will earn a place at the Sky Sect—entry into the cultivation world begins here."
The plaza erupted into excitement.
For most clans, this was the dream. For many poor families, it was the only way out.
For Zhen Zenin, it was the perfect chance.
He read the notice quietly. "Ten days…"
A path was forming.
Sky Sect was one of the gateways to the higher realms. He needed access to their libraries, cultivation techniques, and above all—a reason to leave the clan without suspicion.
If he passed, he could walk out of the Zhen estate as a respected talent—not a castoff.
---
Back at the clan, Zenin sat before an elder.
"You?" the man sneered. "You want to take the test? You've barely proven yourself."
Zenin didn't flinch. "I'll take it, whether you allow it or not."
The elder laughed. "Then prepare to embarrass yourself. The test covers combat theory, cultivation knowledge, history, and even calligraphy. It's not for beggars like you."
Zenin walked out without responding.
---
In his shack that night, he lit a candle and spread scrolls across the floor. Old, dusty records. Memorization techniques. Strategic manuals from his past life flickered through his mind.
Though he had never taken such a test in his former life, he had commanded armies and outwitted gods. This… was just a new battlefield.
As he flipped through pages, he whispered:
"If I must conquer this world again… let it begin with paper and ink."
---
But he wasn't the only one preparing.
In a mansion atop the city hill, a young prodigy named Lin Yaoxue, daughter of Shang's governor, read the same decree and smiled.
"Let's see who dares stand in my way this year."
---