When Xiao Ke walked out of the cultivation chamber, the guards at the door shot him weird looks. They were powerful enough to feel the shift in his Origin Force, and the change was jarring.
When he'd walked in, Xiao Ke had the faint, flickering aura of a Tier 2 Battle Soldier. A few hours later, he emerged radiating the steady, humming power of a Battle General. He had somehow leaped from a Tier 2 Soldier to a Tier 4 General in a single afternoon. The guards just stared at each other, thinking, How in the hell did he do that?
Xiao Ke, lost in his own world, didn't even notice. He was completely oblivious to the shockwaves he'd just sent through the facility.
He headed back to his dorm, only to find his bed stripped bare, his belongings gone. A mix of anger and confusion washed over him. He spun around to face his roommates. "What's going on?" he demanded.
Ever since he'd crushed Li Zhenning that morning and rocketed to fifth in the combat rankings, his roommates had treated him with a new level of respect, bordering on fear. One of them scrambled to explain. "It was Ling Feng," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "He came by with a couple of friends and packed up your stuff. He said to tell you he cleared it with the dorm administrator—you've been moved to his room."
Xiao Ke just stood there, stunned. Moved to Ling Feng's room?
After his roommate confirmed it again, Xiao Ke just scratched his head, turned, and walked out, heading for Ling Feng's dorm.
Ling Feng's room was a major upgrade. It housed only him and two of his friends, making Xiao Ke the fourth. The beds were soft, and they had a TV, a private water heater, and even a small table and chairs. It wasn't quite on the level of Ye Yun's private cabin, but it was a world away from the standard barracks.
Ling Feng greeted him with a wide grin. "There you are, Xiao Ke. I had a feeling you'd be in a cultivation chamber, so I went ahead and made the arrangements. Hope you don't mind us being roommates from now on."
Xiao Ke could tell the offer was genuine. A young master from a noble family wouldn't typically choose to live with a commoner; they'd see it as beneath them. It was clear Ling Feng wanted to be friends.
"Mind?" Xiao Ke laughed. "Are you kidding? I'd be lucky to live with you guys and push each other to get better. How could I possibly mind?"
Ling Feng clapped him on the back, his laughter echoing in the room. Then his eyes widened as he finally registered the change in Xiao Ke's aura. "Whoa," he said, his voice filled with surprise. "You actually broke through to the Battle General realm already?"
Xiao Ke didn't see any reason to hide it. "I was only supposed to hit Tier 3," he admitted. "But Ye Yun gave me two vials of Origin Force Spring tonight. They pushed me up two whole levels, and I finally broke out of the Soldier ranks."
At the mention of Ye Yun gifting the precious elixir, Ling Feng's expression flickered with a mix of envy and disappointment. He'd already guessed that Ye Yun was actually Ye Yun, the daughter of the prestigious Ye family, one of the five Great Houses. For a moment, he had entertained the idea of trying to win her favor. A marriage alliance with a Great House would be a game-changer for him—an illegitimate son from a high-ranking, but not top-tier, noble family. It would completely rewrite his future.
But it was obvious Ye Yun wasn't interested in him. She was, however, clearly intrigued by Xiao Ke. Why else would she invite him to dinner? Why else would she give him something as valuable as Origin Force Spring? Realizing this, Ling Feng knew he had to let go of that particular ambition.
Besides, he was a realist. The Empire's class system was rigid. The Great Houses were at the top, just below the Imperial family. They married each other or into royalty. While they occasionally formed alliances with high-ranking noble families like his, the pecking order was everything. And the Ling family was considered middle-of-the-road.
Worse, he wasn't the heir. He wasn't even a legitimate son. An heir might have a shot at marrying a daughter from a Great House, but an illegitimate son? Not a chance. He remembered the story of another noble-born bastard who had sent a marriage proposal to one of the Great Houses, only to receive a humiliating public reply: "A tigress does not marry a dog." The guy became a laughingstock overnight.
So, seeing Ye Yun's clear interest in Xiao Ke, Ling Feng had quietly shelved his fantasy.
In the days that followed, Xiao Ke and Ling Feng grew close. But his relationship with Ye Yun remained… complicated. In public, at the training grounds, she was all business, offering him nothing more than a polite nod as they passed. But at night, when he'd visit her cabin to return an umbrella or for some other excuse, she would brew fragrant tea and ask him to play the flute for her, seemingly captivated by his music. The only way he could describe it was a "friendship of gentlemen"—pure, without expectation.
A week flew by. On the third Sunday, another combat day, Xiao Ke challenged the fourth-ranked student, a Tier 6 Battle General, and won easily. That night, the rewards were distributed: Ling Feng, in first place, got three vials of Origin Force Spring. Ye Yun and Gao Wenyan, second and third, got two. Xiao Ke received one.
Afterward, Ye Yun invited Xiao Ke and Ling Feng to dinner. This time, it was just the three of them.
They had barely settled into the private room when she slid two vials of the glowing liquid across the table to Xiao Ke. "Here, take these," she said, her tone matter-of-fact.
Xiao Ke immediately started to protest. He couldn't keep taking her priceless elixirs. But she cut him off, anticipating his refusal.
"Next week is the final week of training," she said, her voice sharp and focused. "After that, the top ten will accompany Head Instructor Di Shitian and Princess Jiang Youwei to the Emperor's Autumn Hunt. But let's be realistic. Only the top three will get any real chance to impress the Emperor. The other seven are just window dressing. If you want a shot at the spotlight, you have to beat Gao Wenyan this week. He's a Tier 7 Valiant General."
The news hit Xiao Ke like a physical blow. A Tier 7 Valiant General possessed an Origin Force of at least 10,000 Kahe. He was nowhere near that level.
Ye Yun's eyes met his. "To reach Tier 5 in a week… my two vials, plus the one you earned, it's not going to be enough."
Ling Feng had been planning to hoard his vials, hoping to push for Tier 8 before graduation. But he understood Ye Yun's unspoken message perfectly. They were friends, and she had just put her money where her mouth was. If he held back now, he'd look like a cheapskate.
Without a word, he pulled out his three vials and pushed them across the table toward Xiao Ke. "She's right," he said firmly. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. You have to take it. Use these. Go get into the top three."
Xiao Ke was overwhelmed. He hesitated, then slowly accepted the vials, his voice thick with emotion. "I will never forget this," he said, his voice low and solemn. "If either of you ever needs anything, I will walk through fire for you. I swear it."
Ling Feng, feeling like he'd been expertly manipulated by Ye Yun, saw an opportunity for a little payback. A sly grin spread across his face as Xiao Ke mentioned brotherhood. "You know," he said, his eyes twinkling, "hearing you say that gives me an idea. The three of us were brought together for a reason. Why don't we make it official? Why don't we become sworn brothers?"
"Sworn brothers?"
The suggestion hung in the air. Ye Yun looked genuinely surprised, her expression unreadable as she considered it.
Ling Feng leaned forward, a playful challenge in his eyes. "What's the matter, Ye Yun? You don't want to?"
For the first time, she seemed truly hesitant. "I..."
"Don't tell me you look down on a commoner like Xiao Ke, or a bastard son like me," Ling Feng pressed, cutting her off. "You just said you saw him as a brother. Was that just talk?"
Ye Yun's head snapped up, a flash of panic in her eyes as she looked at Xiao Ke. "That's not it at all! I don't look down on anyone. My own status is… complicated. I would never presume to judge."
"I know what kind of person you are, Ye Yun," Xiao Ke said with a reassuring smile. "You don't have to explain."
Her shoulders relaxed slightly, but the hesitation remained. The truth was, she was Ye Yun, a daughter of the great Ye family. She'd been a prodigy since birth, told that if she'd been born a boy, she would already be a Grand General. But as a noblewoman, her path was set: music, art, poetry, and eventually, a strategic marriage. Cultivation, callused hands, and the sun-darkened skin of a warrior were forbidden. It would ruin her "delicate beauty" and make her unmarriageable.
The three of them were a study in cosmic injustice. Xiao Ke, the commoner from the dirt. Ling Feng, the illegitimate son with no inheritance. And her, a woman born with a warrior's spirit trapped in a gilded cage. They had all been dealt a bad hand by fate.
But they all refused to fold. Xiao Ke had clawed his way into the Glory School. Ling Feng had defied his family and turned his back on their political games to forge his own path. And she had disguised herself as a man, adopting the name Ye Yun, to chase the destiny that had been denied her.
Maybe it was this shared struggle. Maybe it was her genuine admiration for Xiao Ke. After a long moment, she took a deep breath, her decision made. "You're right, Ling Feng," she said, her voice clear and strong. "Fate brought us together. Tonight, we become brothers. We'll share our fortunes and face our hardships, together."
Ling Feng, who had only suggested to get back at her, was stunned that she'd actually agreed. A grin spread across his face. Xiao Ke was ecstatic. He considered meeting Ling Feng and Ye Yun the greatest thing that had happened to him at the academy. Ye Yun's selfless support had been a constant source of strength. To formalize that bond was more than he could have hoped for.
Without another word, Ye Yun produced a small, ornate dagger. She drew the blade lightly across her finger, and a single drop of crimson blood fell into the wine jug on the table. She passed the dagger to Xiao Ke. He followed her lead, adding his own blood to the mix. He then handed it to Ling Feng, who did the same with a theatrical flourish.
"Wait," Ling Feng said suddenly. "We need to do this right. I was born July 3rd, 3020. We have to establish seniority."
"September 9th, 3019," Xiao Ke said.
"July 20th, 3020," Ye Yun added.
Ling Feng laughed. "Well, that settles it! Xiao Ke, you're the oldest, our Big Brother. I'm Second Brother. And Ye Yun, that makes you our Third Brother!"
"Agreed!" they all said in unison.
What had started as a clever ploy had become something real. A palpable excitement filled the room as they poured three bowls of the blood-mixed wine. This was an ancient, sacred tradition, and even though he'd only heard stories about it, Xiao Ke knew what to do. He raised his bowl high.
"Xiao Ke, from Guilin of the Southern Vermilion Bird Province!" he declared.
"Ling Feng, from the Imperial Capital of the Central Qilin Province!" Ling Feng followed.
Ye Yun raised her bowl, a radiant smile on her face. "Ye Yun, from the Imperial Capital of the Central Qilin Province!"
"Today," Xiao Ke boomed, "we drink this blood and bind ourselves as brothers of a different name!"
"To share in victory and in hardship!" Ling Feng added.
"And if we break this oath," Ye Yun finished, "may we be struck down by heaven and earth!"
They drained their bowls. The air crackled with energy, the pact sealed. They were brothers now. But they weren't reckless. Ye Yun was quick to point out that they should keep their bond private. The academy administration frowned on students forming factions.
"We are brothers in private," Xiao Ke agreed. "In public, we are as we were."
After dinner, they parted ways. Ling Feng headed for the dorm, Ye Yun to her cabin. Xiao Ke made a beeline for the cultivation chambers, his new vials of Origin Force Spring burning a hole in his pocket. His goal was to hit Tier 5. With his current striking power, that would boost his total combat rating to 8,300—more than enough to challenge Gao Wenyan for third place.
"Good luck, Big Brother," Ling Feng called after him. "Show Gao Wenyan what you're made of."
"Count on it," Xiao Ke replied with a confident smile.
But as they went their separate ways, none of them noticed the figure lurking in the shadows of the cafeteria entrance. He was one of Gao Wenyan's roommates, a sycophant who hung on his every word. And he had heard everything.
He sprinted back to their room, his face pale with alarm, and relayed the conversation to Gao Wenyan.
Gao Wenyan, a Tier 7 Valiant General, was considered untouchable, one of the big three alongside Ling Feng and Ye Yun. The idea that Xiao Ke, a mere Tier 4, was gunning for his spot—and the chance to impress the Emperor that came with it—was laughable.
"He wants to beat me?" Gao Wenyan scoffed.
"Don't underestimate him, sir!" his lackey pleaded. "His power isn't about his rank. He took down Li Zhenning when he was just a Tier 2!"
Gao Wenyan's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting I'm weaker than him?"
"No, of course not! I just mean... we can't let him get any stronger. I saw him heading for the cultivation chambers. He's going to try to break through. Sir, just imagine... what happens to a warrior if their breakthrough is... interrupted?"
Gao Wenyan's lips curled into a slow, cruel smile. "They're crippled for life, if they don't die outright... I see what you're getting at."
"It's the perfect opportunity, sir," the lackey whispered, his eyes gleaming. "You know the staff here. We can arrange it. We can solve your Xiao Ke problem... permanently."
A dark resolve settled over Gao Wenyan's face. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes.
"Let's go," he said, his voice cold as ice. "We're paying a visit to the cultivation chambers."