The black iron gate stood tall and firm before them, adorned with carvings of dragons coiled around the emblem of Qinglong, a green dragon stretching toward the sky.
Li Yuan, Mu Yi, and Fan Tu stood with cloth bags on their backs, while Yu Shan, the academy's envoy, stood in front of them.
"From this point on, your fate will begin to change," Yu Shan said in a deep voice, then pushed open the massive gate.
Qinglong Academy, the center for the study of martial arts, body refinement, and understanding the laws of the world. The moment they stepped inside, it felt as if they were being swallowed by another realm.
Towering buildings with grand architecture loomed over them, curved rooftops, massive wooden pillars, and wide courtyards filled with the sounds of students in training. The rhythm of punches, heavy breathing, and shouted chants created a constant, living tempo.
They were taken to a building on the eastern side. A senior student led them to the second floor of a large hall. Inside was a modest dormitory, with folding mattresses lined up, enough to accommodate ten people.
"You're the first to arrive," the senior student said. "The others from nearby villages will come tomorrow. Use today to rest. Don't act out… and don't make noise."
With that, he left, leaving the three in silence.
Mu Yi immediately threw his bag onto a mattress and dropped himself onto it.
"Finally, a soft bed… even if it still smells like straw."
Fan Tu chuckled quietly and began unpacking his belongings. He sat by the window, gazing down at the training grounds below.
Li Yuan didn't sit down right away. He walked slowly around the room, running his hand along the wooden walls, his eyes scanning the architecture in detail. Every dragon carving, every stone in the courtyard… all etched clearly into his mind.
"This academy… is no ordinary place," he murmured.
"The buildings are made with high-quality materials. The entire place feels like a living body that channels energy."
Mu Yi glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.
"You're thinking about that? I'm just thinking about dinner."
Fan Tu added, "You think they'll test us tomorrow?"
Li Yuan didn't answer. He stared out the window at the sky, his pale gray eyes reflecting the golden light of the setting sun.
"Everything starts now," he said softly.
"We'll see… who's still standing at the end."
The First Day
That morning, sunlight streamed through the wooden window of the dormitory. The hurried footsteps echoing in the corridor stirred Li Yuan, Mu Yi, and Fan Tu from their beds.
From the window, they saw several simple carriages arriving one by one in the academy courtyard. Other children, about twenty of them from various villages, stepped down from the wagons, their faces tired yet filled with curiosity.
"They're here," Fan Tu said as he stood by the window.
One by one, the newcomers were introduced and assigned to the same room. The atmosphere grew livelier, but a quiet tension lingered, the students didn't know each other yet, and everyone remained cautious.
A boy with short hair tied back with a cloth band and sharp eyes approached Li Yuan. He was bigger than most boys his age, with the gaze of someone used to fighting. His name was Feng Lu, from Qingcao Village.
"You were the first one to arrive here, right?" he asked bluntly.
Li Yuan simply nodded.
"You have any idea what's going to happen in this place?" Feng Lu continued.
Li Yuan looked at him with his signature pale gray eyes, calm, yet deep as an endless ravine.
"No one told us anything," he replied.
"But I have a guess…"
Feng Lu raised an eyebrow. "Let's hear it."
"They didn't bring us all this way just to teach ordinary martial arts. This academy feels like… a place to filter people. Like they're looking for someone, for something bigger."
Feng Lu stared at him for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Some kind of special force, maybe?" he muttered.
Li Yuan gave a faint smile. "It's just a guess. But those who fail… I don't think they'll be sent home. I can feel it, in the way they look at us."
The room grew heavier after those words. Some of the other children who overheard the conversation exchanged glances, some anxious, others visibly fired up.
Outside the room, a large bell rang three times, the signal for the official welcoming and announcement ceremony.
"Let's go," said Mu Yi, standing and tightening his sash.
"Time to see what's really waiting for us."
Li Yuan, Mu Yi, Fan Tu, Feng Lu, and the others stepped out. The morning light greeted them, warm and golden but beyond that light… lay the shadows of a future still unknown.