Ye Xian answered honestly, saying that he hadn't seen anything particularly suspicious. The Moonlight sect disciple studied his expression carefully before seeming satisfied with his responses.
"Please hold this detection marble," the disciple instructed, extending a mysterious round object toward Ye Xian.
Ye Xian took the marble, feeling its smooth, cool surface against his palm. The marble appeared to be made of clear crystal with swirling mists inside. The disciple of Moonlight sect watched carefully as nothing happened—the marble remained its original clear color.
"This detection marble will stay with you," the Moonlight sect disciple explained seriously.
"It's specifically designed to detect the corrupted ki and Aura signature of Witch Spawns. If that individual comes within a hundred meters of you, the marble will turn completely black as a warning. Should this happen, immediately find academy security or contact us through the emergency communication arrays posted throughout the academy. And don't put in any spatial ring or pouch."
Ye Xian nodded in understanding and carefully tucked the detection marble into his robe.
Students started heading to their assigned classrooms, and Ye Xian stepped into his.
Soon, the lecture began.
The instructor, Jordan, stepped forward, his piercing gaze sweeping over the students.
"Today's lesson is on sword techniques," he announced.
A wave of disappointment spread through the classroom.
"Elementary sword techniques?" one student muttered.
"We already know these!" another complained.
They had expected something more advanced. After all, they were already students of the Earth Class, even if it was a rank below the Sky Class. They had only been permitted two classes due to their limited talent, and they had hoped to learn something more profound.
Jordan's sharp eyes narrowed. "I see many of you are disappointed. Let me make this clear—every swordmaster, no matter how powerful, always returns to the basics. If you truly master elementary sword techniques, they will serve as the foundation for everything else."
As he spoke, he demonstrated a series of fundamental sword movements.
The students watched, some with reluctance, while others paid close attention.
After Jordan's lecture on elementary sword techniques, he led the students to the training grounds. The spacious courtyard was filled with practice dummies and weapon racks, perfect for honing their skills.
"Form groups and practice the sword forms you've just learned," Jordan commanded, his voice carrying across the training ground.
The students quickly divided into pairs and groups, their swords gleaming in the afternoon sun as they began practicing. The sound of metal against wood filled the air as they struck the practice dummies.
Ye Xian, however, moved to the side, away from the main group. He had other plans.
Riener noticed this and approached him. "Ye Xian, you should practice with a partner. It's more beneficial than training alone."
"I appreciate the suggestion, but I need to work on something specific," Ye Xian replied politely, then moved to find his own space.
Finding a secluded corner of the training ground, Ye Xian drew his sword. It was just a normal grade weapon, nothing special about its appearance.
Drawing upon the fragmented memories and experiences from Adler's inheritance, Ye Xian began practicing sword techniques. But these weren't ordinary moves—they were based on Adler's profound understanding of the sword dao.
As Ye Xian moved through the forms, something extraordinary happened. His body seemed to remember movements it had never learned. Each slash, each thrust, each parry flowed like water, yet struck like lightning.
His technique became increasingly refined with each repetition. His sword strikes were precise, accurate, and swift. When he moved his blade, it seemed to slice through the very essence of the air itself, stopping exactly where he intended with perfect control.
The sword in his hands, though ordinary, began to hum with a faint resonance.
His control over the sword was becoming evident, and there was a certain sharpness to his movements that spoke of deeper understanding.
But Ye Xian wanted to test something different. He decided to try a skill he had gained when the first seal of his Reverse Taiji treasure had opened—Limit Release.
By compressing Ki into targeted parts of his body, the Limit Release technique unleashed it in a controlled detonation, amplifying Ye Xian's strike beyond its original strength.
Taking a deep stance, Ye Xian raised his sword-holding hand and pulled back into a thrusting position. His eyes became focused, like a predator about to strike.
Activating Limit Release, he began compressing his profound ki into his arm. The energy condensed like a coiled spring, building pressure that made his muscles bulge slightly. When he thrust forward with explosive force, the compressed profound ki detonated within his arm like a controlled explosion.
His forearm muscles expanded and flexed with tremendous power, far beyond what his Ki Warrior cultivation should allow.
The thrust was silent, making no sound until the tip of Ye Xian's sword reached its target in the air. Then, the air suddenly exploded outward in visible ripples. Leaves and dust scattered across the practice area, swept away by the force of the shockwave.
BOOM
The explosive sound echoed across the entire training ground like thunder on a clear day.
Every student immediately stopped their practice and turned toward Ye Xian in complete amazement. Their mouths hung open in disbelief.
"What was that sound?" one student whispered, his voice trembling.
"How did he create such power? That's impossible for someone at the Ki Refining realm!" another wondered, their eyes wide with shock.
"Is he concealing his real cultivation realm?" someone said with suspicion.
"He has to be. Otherwise, how could he have taken down Steve in only two moves? Steve was at the peak of the Ki Refining Realm. It doesn't make sense."
Some students even wondered if he had already stepped into the Ki Warrior Realm, but they quickly shook their heads, denying the thought. Still, their eyes kept drifting back to him, filled with a mix of fear and admiration as they returned to their own training.
Instructor Jordan, who had been observing from a distance, was genuinely stunned. His eyes widened as he processed what he had just witnessed.
In such a short span of time, Ye Xian hadn't just grasped the basic sword forms—he had refined them, shaping each strike with a level of precision and instinct that surpassed what any beginner should be capable of. His footwork flowed like water, his blade moved like lightning.
But it was that final sword thrust that shattered all expectations. The force behind it... that burst of destructive energy—it simply couldn't belong to someone still in the Ki Refining Realm.
Jordan stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat. He had trained countless students, witnessed prodigies rise and fall—but what he saw now defied everything he knew about cultivation progression. Either Ye Xian was hiding his true realm... or he had just done the impossible.
Just then, several disciples from the Moonlight Sect approached the training area, their timing almost too convenient. There were four of them—three young men and one beautiful young woman. They walked with the confident, slightly arrogant bearing of those from a superior sect.
They cupped their hands in a martial salute toward Jordan, though their smiles didn't reach their eyes.
"Instructor, our training was starting to get a little too quiet. We thought a few friendly sparring matches with your students might liven things up."
Jordan's brow furrowed slightly. He could see through their pretense immediately. 'What are you really here for? Are you here just to bully these children and show off your superiority?'
Aloud, he said diplomatically, "These students are still in the Ki Warrior Realm and Ki Refining Realm. They're much weaker than disciples of your caliber. If you spar with them, there won't be much benefit for either side."
The Moonlight Sect disciples laughed when they heard this, their laughter filled with mockery. The Azure Sky Academy students felt a flush of shame and humiliation at being dismissed so easily, their faces burning with embarrassment.
One of the Moonlight Sect disciples, a young man around eighteen with an particularly arrogant bearing and cold eyes, with red hair spoke up.
"Don't worry, Instructor. We won't use our full power—we'll suppress our cultivation to their level. This will give your students valuable combat experience against opponents with superior techniques. After all, how else will they improve if they only face opponents of their own realm? Consider it... charity."
His words dripped with condescension, making it clear that this was more about humiliation than training.
Jordan had already tried to decline politely, but these disciples were persistent and continued to pressure him. Finally, unable to refuse without creating a diplomatic incident between the academy and the sect, he turned to his students with a heavy heart.
"If anyone wishes to accept their challenge and gain some practical combat experience, you may step forward. But remember—this is about learning, not winning."
The students exchanged uncertain glances. While they were hesitant and afraid, they also recognized that sparring against disciples from the Moonlight Sect—one of the top sects in the Silver Moon Empire—would indeed be valuable experience, even if they were destined to lose badly.
The question hung in the air like a heavy weight: who would be brave enough to step forward first and face almost certain defeat.