The grand chandeliers in the auditorium flickered and turned a deep, pulse-pounding violet. "The ceremony is over," the Principal announced, his voice now cold and sharp. "Now, we measure your worth."
Hidden floor panels slid open, and those with the "Harkened Blood"—the artifact users—were led by silent, masked guards into a secondary hall: The Chamber of Resonance. One by one, students placed their hands on a massive crystal monolith that calculated their Spiritual Strength.
The numbers flashed in the air for all to see.
Kaelen Vance: 566.
A murmur went through the crowd. For a "newcomer," Kaelen's score was exceptionally high, thanks to the intense training with the Phoenix Feather.
Shren Blackwood: 550.
Shren intentionally suppressed his energy, feeding just enough into the crystal to stay in the top tier without revealing the true, world-shaking power of the Vancurial Shackle. Even so, 550 was a score that made the instructors take notice.
However, eight students stood above the rest. The "Elite Eight" were introduced as the benchmark for the year:
The Arrogant Queen (Elara): Ranked 1st with a score of 890. She looked at the others as if they were insects.
The Kind Soul (Liana): A girl with soft features but a terrifyingly high spiritual output.
The Friendly Boy (Leo): A charismatic youth who waved at everyone.
The Mysterious Outsider (Ren): A boy draped in shadows who didn't say a word.
The Four Scions: Wealthy heirs from the world's most powerful artifact-holding families.
"Teams will be assigned based on compatibility and balance!" the Principal shouted. A holographic board flickered to life, shuffling names until it locked into place.
Team 7:
Shren Blackwood
Kaelen Vance
Liana (The Kind Girl)
Leo (The Friendly Boy)
Ren (The Mysterious Guy)
"A team of five," Kaelen whispered, leaning in. "We got the nice girl and the quiet guy. Could be worse."
The school didn't just provide rooms; it provided fortresses. Shren's new hostel suite was located in the High-Class Wing, featuring marble floors, a private training balcony, and a kitchen stocked with mana-enriched foods. It was a world away from his dusty bedroom at home.
As evening fell, Shren locked his door. With a soft shimmer of light, the air behind him rippled. Xiwu appeared, her presence cooling the room like a fresh breeze. She didn't say a word; she simply stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him from behind, her chin resting on his shoulder.
"A new battlefield, Master," she whispered, her voice a soothing melody. "The energy in this school is foul with ambition. But they do not know what sleeps within your wrist."
Shren leaned back into her, staring out the window at the distant spires of the academy. He was surrounded by rivals, monitored by teachers, and grouped with strangers.
"Let them come," Shren murmured, closing his eyes. "We'll rewrite their rankings just like we rewrote mine."
The chapter ends with Shren falling into a deep sleep on the plush silk sheets, the warmth of the Sword Princess at his back and the hum of the Phoenix Feather in the room next door.