I entered the academy and immediately noticed a large crowd gathered near the main hall.
I frowned.Why are there so many people here?Looks like they're here to watch a fight… or something worse.
Let me find Pavan. He should be around.
I scanned the area and soon spotted him standing near the corner of the hall, talking to a young woman. When Pavan noticed me, he waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, Danial! Over here!"
I walked over and greeted him.
"Hey, Pavan. How's your health? I hope Adren hasn't been causing you trouble."
Pavan smiled faintly."No. Adren's been quiet this whole week. Even at the academy, he avoids me completely and doesn't participate in combat training anymore. His leg and wrist injuries have healed quite a bit, and he's far more restrained than before."
I felt a slight heaviness in my chest. In the end, they were still brothers—sharing the same blood. But Adren had chosen hatred, betrayal, and violence. Whatever happened after that… he brought it upon himself.
Pavan continued in a lower voice,"However, I did hear him say something once. He said his burden would only be lifted after killing you. So… be careful."
I frowned and nodded silently.
Meanwhile, the crowd inside the hall kept growing. The noise increased, filled with whispers and uneasy chatter.
"What's going on in the hall?" I asked.
Before Pavan could answer, the young woman beside him spoke instead.
"Someone failed to complete his assigned duties," she said calmly. "Master Bowan decided he should be disciplined in front of everyone as an example."
She turned toward me slightly."My name is Maria."
She extended her hand for a handshake. Since she took the initiative, I accepted.
The moment our hands touched, something felt wrong.
A strange energy surged into my body, spreading rapidly through my limbs and meridians. I immediately tried to resist it—but the foreign energy didn't stop.
Then—
[Foreign energy detected.][The System will block the energy and stop the source.][Blocking…]
My body suddenly heated up. The invading energy was forcefully cut off, and what remained was absorbed by the System and merged into my body.
Maria stumbled back abruptly, her face turning pale.
Pavan caught her just in time."What's wrong, Maria? Why are you so pale?"
"I… I'm fine," she replied weakly.
She glanced at me, shock flashing briefly through her eyes. Without another word, she excused herself and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
I turned to Pavan."Who was she?"
"To be honest," he said, "I don't really know. I met her yesterday. She seemed friendly, so we talked a bit. That's all."
Before I could think further, a crushing pressure descended upon the hall.
The air turned heavy.
A Master-level cultivation aura flooded the area, forcing many students to tremble. Pavan's legs shook visibly. I grabbed his arm to steady him and looked forward.
Master Bowan was walking toward the hall.
As he approached, he sensed my gaze and turned his head.
Our eyes met.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense. The air itself seemed to freeze as we stared at each other. No one dared to breathe.
Moments passed.
Then Bowan looked away and continued toward the platform, as if nothing had happened.
The crowd stared at me in disbelief.Who would dare to meet a Master's gaze like that?
I ignored them and focused on Bowan.
He stepped onto the platform and spoke loudly, his voice echoing through the hall.
"Today, I gathered all of you here to show what happens when one disobeys the rules and regulations of this academy."
His eyes swept across the crowd.
"As you all know," he continued coldly, "I despise disobedience."
He waved his hand."Bring him up."
Several trainers hesitated before reluctantly escorting a student onto the platform. The student fell to his knees immediately, tears streaming down his face.
Bowan motioned for the whip.
My heart sank.
The student's family stood at the front. His mother cried uncontrollably, while his father held her tightly, his own eyes filled with tears.
How could a mother endure watching her son be whipped twenty times by someone a hundred times stronger than him?
Bowan raised the whip.
Crack!
It came down hard across the student's back. Blood instantly spilled from the wound.
Crack!Crack!
The sound echoed throughout the hall.
The crowd lowered their heads, unable to watch the brutal punishment any longer. Shame, fear, and helplessness filled the air as the student's screams echoed through the main hall.