themonasnovels Chapter 23: academy
Chapter 23: academy
Chapter 23 - academyBut they had no idea.
Because the moment Kai stepped into the array, a silent vow echoed in his heart —
"I'll rise, not to prove them wrong... but to prove myself right."
---
The next moment, their surroundings blurred into streaks of light as the array activated, warping space and time. Within seconds, they reappeared atop a vast cliff overlooking the majestic city of Arkaelus — a place known not only for its towering spires and ancient architecture, but for being the cradle of the continent's most elite cultivators.
Massive towers carved with ancient runes pierced the clouds. Floating platforms moved slowly through the skies, transporting goods, beasts, and cultivators.
The city's spiritual energy was so dense it formed visible currents in the air, flowing like threads of silver mist.
For the younger generation, it was a place of dreams.
For Kai, it was the battlefield where he'd forge his destiny.
The moment they arrived, several academy staff members and elders greeted them, all exuding immense cultivation pressure. Even the proud members of the main family bowed respectfully to them.
Elder Furon guided everyone to floting castle which was so beautiful with white clouds beneath the castle and big gates.
As they were going suddenly,
"Kai," Elder Furon said, motioning him to step forward. "You'll be taken separately for registration. Your case is... special."
That drew a few stares.
"Special?" Rin Leor repeated with a scoff. "He probably needs help figuring out which end of the sword to hold."
That follows with laughter of the group and surrounding people.
Even the staff couldn't help glancing at Kai with a mixture of curiosity and doubt. Kai didn't wear his cultivation on his sleeve like the others. No visible aura, no oppressive pressure.
Just quiet steps and a presence that felt... too still.
A young academy official stepped forward and led Kai away toward another building—a secluded registration hall meant for exceptional or unique candidates.
Once inside, the elder behind the desk paused as Kai handed him the crystal containing his information. The moment the crystal was placed into the slot, a wave of cold energy surged through the hall. The elder's eyes widened, the surrounding air frosting over slightly.
Elder was shocked as the cold frost energy started surrounding the chamber. But what really shocked elder was this frost energy contain laws of universe.
Then he remember a saying.
In long long time ago there was a bloodline that contain power of laws.
They were;
"E-Eternals Bloodline...?
And a physical body already rivaling Core Foundation Realm...? This..."
Eternals bloodline this word seems to ring Bell in elder brain as elder
"Of course," Davin smirked, "we're from the main family, after all."
Cheers and admiration followed. Others from prestigious families stepped up, some registering strong affinities—Wind, Earth, Metal, even dual-natured energies. All earned praise, some barely reaching Elite, others solidifying their place.
The evaluation hall buzzed with excitement.
Until—
"Rin Kai."
The hall fell into a chill silence.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
"He's still here?" someone whispered.
"Thought he left..."
"He's going to embarrass himself."
Snorts and suppressed laughs echoed as Kai stepped forward—his steps unhurried, calm, too quiet to match the noise around him.
Leor leaned toward Davin. "Watch him fail. It'll be the highlight of the day."
Kai reached the stone.
He said nothing.
And then...
Everyone turned.
Leor crossed his arms. "Here comes the joke."
Kai stepped forward.
No hesitation.
Just calm.
He placed his hand on the stone.
Nothing happened for the first second.
Then—
BOOM.
A blinding light erupted from the stone, engulfing the platform. A pulse of pure frost exploded outward, forcing several cultivators to stagger back. The temperature plummeted. Runes on the stone glowed blue, then white, then silver.
And for a split second... the stone cracked.
Gasps echoed across the area.
"What the hell—?"
"Did the stone... just break?"
---
Gasps tore through the crowd like thunder. The obsidian evaluation stone... cracked.
Cracked.
Even the elders were stunned into silence.
The glowing silver runes on the stone pulsed wildly, unable to stabilize. Waves of ancient frost energy rolled off Kai like a silent blizzard, freezing the very air. Mist curled around his feet. The grass at the base of the platform crystallized in a delicate shimmer of ice.
And yet, his expression didn't change.
He just lowered his hand and stepped back.
No theatrics. No pride.
Just silence.
But in that silence—the mountain shook.
The elder managing the evaluations stammered, "T-That... That was Eternal-grade resonance... This stone is meant to scan up to Heaven-Class... It wasn't even built to register something like that!"
One of the watching instructors whispered in disbelief, "The last time it cracked was two centuries ago... and that was for a demigod's descendant."
Rin Leor's smirk was gone.
His fists were trembling.
Davin looked pale. "There's... no way. No one from a side family—no trash—should have that kind of power."
David clenched his jaw. "It has to be fake. A bribe. An illusion technique. This is rigged."
But none of them could look away from the fractured stone. From the frost burning in the air. From the pressure that had settled in their bones like lead.
And then the stone let out one final pulse of light.
> Identity Confirmed: Monarch-Class Ascendant Tier.
Classification: Dangerous — observation recommended.
The elder slowly turned to Kai.
"You... are beyond what this academy has seen in a long time."
----
Back in the crowd, whispers turned into panic.
"I thought he was useless..."
"How could he be this strong...?"
"Is he even... human?"
Davin staggered back, cold sweat running down his neck. "This isn't right... He's a mistake... someone like him shouldn't exist..."
Leor's voice cracked with fury. "Then we'll make him not exist."
But even as he said it, he couldn't stop trembling.
Because for the first time in their lives...
They had seen something terrifying.