**The Northern Region. The Divine Martial Academy.**
It wasn't a school. It was a continent floating in the sky.
Massive chains the size of rivers anchored a cluster of floating islands to the mountain peaks below. Waterfalls cascaded from the clouds, turning into mist before they hit the ground miles below.
At the base of the central mountain lay the **Gate of Judgment**.
It was a fortress. A fifty-foot archway made of white marble, guarded by disciples wearing golden robes.
Thousands of hopefuls swarmed the base. Princes, clan heirs, and geniuses from across the Empire. They camped in tents, practicing their forms, waiting for the annual selection.
Kaelen walked through the crowd.
He wore a simple black robe. The **Nameless Slab** was wrapped in cloth on his back. Viper walked a step behind him, her face hidden by a veil, her assassin instincts screaming at the sheer amount of high-level Qi in the air.
"This is insane," Viper whispered. "That guy over there? That's the Third Prince of the Fire Nation. And that girl? She's the heiress of the Sword Pavilion. Foundation Establishment experts are everywhere."
"Meat is meat," Kaelen said, unimpressed.
He walked past the line of tents. He walked past the registration desks where clerks were shouting at people to wait their turn.
He walked straight to the Golden Gate.
A hush fell over the crowd.
"Who is that?" someone whispered. "Is he cutting the line?"
"He looks like a vagrant. Look at that rusty sword."
Two guards crossed their spears in front of Kaelen.
"Halt!" one guard barked. He was **Foundation Establishment Stage 3**. "The selection begins next week. Go back to the mud, peasant."
Kaelen looked at the spears.
"I'm not here for the selection," Kaelen said.
He reached into his pocket.
The guards tensed. Viper's hand went to her dagger.
Kaelen pulled out a crumpled, bloodstained piece of paper.
**The Recommendation Letter.**
"I'm a transfer student," Kaelen said.
The guard snatched the paper. He read it. His eyes widened. Then he sneered.
"This is a recommendation from the **Frost Sect**... for **Jian Chen**."
The guard looked Kaelen up and down.
"You are not Jian Chen. I met Jian Chen last year. He is a noble genius. You look like a bandit."
The guard ripped the letter in half.
He threw the pieces in Kaelen's face.
"Forgery is a crime punishable by death. Get lost before I mount your head on the gate."
The crowd laughed. "What an idiot! Trying to fake Jian Chen's identity?"
Kaelen watched the pieces of paper drift to the ground.
He sighed.
"You ripped my ticket."
The guard smirked. "So? What are you going to do, tra—"
*BOOM.*
Kaelen moved.
He didn't draw his sword. He didn't use Qi.
He slapped the guard.
It wasn't a normal slap. It was a **Titan-Rib** infused backhand.
*CRACK.*
The sound was like a gunshot.
The guard's helmet shattered. His jaw shattered. His entire body spun in the air like a ragdoll before crashing into the marble pillar of the gate.
He slid down, unconscious before he hit the ground.
Silence.
Ten thousand people froze.
The second guard stared at his partner, then at Kaelen. "You... you attacked an Academy Enforcer?"
"He was rude," Kaelen said.
He stepped over the line.
"Enemy attack!" the second guard screamed. "Activate the **Gravity Array**!"
*HUMMM.*
The Gate of Judgment glowed. Runes etched into the marble flared to life.
Suddenly, gravity in the entrance plaza increased by twenty times.
The hopefuls in the front row screamed as they were forced to their knees. Tents collapsed. The ground cracked.
Viper grunted, her knees buckling. "Kaelen... it's... heavy!"
It was a defensive formation designed to crush armies.
Kaelen stood in the center of the pressure zone.
He felt the weight. It pressed down on his shoulders. It tried to snap his spine.
But his spine was **Stage 9 Steel**.
And his chest was **Titan Gold**.
Kaelen didn't kneel.
He stood straighter.
"Gravity?" Kaelen laughed. It was a dark, mocking sound.
He reached back and unwrapped the **Nameless Slab**.
"Let me show you real weight."
He slammed the slab onto the marble floor.
"**World-Breaker Manual: Tremor.**"
He channeled his vibration Qi into the slab.
*THRUM.*
The slab vibrated. A frequency so low it couldn't be heard, only felt.
It traveled through the floor. It found the ley lines of the Gravity Array.
*CRACK-ZZZT.*
The runes on the gate flickered. The vibration disrupted the flow of energy. The perfect geometry of the formation was shaken out of alignment.
*BOOM.*
The array short-circuited.
The gravity vanished instantly.
The gate shook violently, cracks appearing in the pristine white marble.
Kaelen picked up his slab.
"Gate open," he noted.
A figure descended from the sky.
He wore the purple robes of an **Elder Instructor**. He radiated **Core Formation** power. He landed in front of the gate, looking at the unconscious guard and the cracked formation.
"Who dares damage the Academy's property?" the Elder demanded, his voice echoing like thunder.
Kaelen stepped forward. He looked the Core Formation master in the eye.
"I am Kaelen," he announced.
He pointed to the torn pieces of paper on the ground.
"And I'm here to take Jian Chen's spot."
The Elder looked at the destruction. Then at the boy who radiated a terrifying mix of Thunder, Demon, and Titan energy.
The Elder's eyes narrowed.
"Jian Chen is dead?" the Elder asked softly.
"Retired," Kaelen corrected. "Permanent medical leave."
The Elder paused. Then, a slow, predatory smile spread across his face.
The Divine Martial Academy didn't care about rules. They cared about strength.
"The Recommendation is invalid," the Elder said.
Kaelen gripped his sword.
"But," the Elder continued, waving his hand. The massive gates slowly creaked open.
"We have a vacancy for a monster."
The Elder stepped aside.
"Welcome to hell, student."