The **Divine Martial Academy** was not a school. It was a prison with better scenery.
Kaelen and Viper stood on the edge of the lowest floating island, known as the **Dreg Sector**.
Above them, chains the size of rivers connected the islands, spiraling upward into the clouds.
* **The Middle Islands:** Where the Inner Disciples lived in luxury.
* **The Summit:** Where the Core Disciples and the Treasury resided.
Here, in the Dreg Sector, it was a slum. Mud huts, broken stone towers, and thousands of Outer Disciples fighting over scraps of Qi.
The Elder who had let them in—**Elder Iron**—hovered on a flying disc.
"Here is your orientation," Elder Iron grunted, pointing at the mud.
"1. There are no rules in the Dreg Sector. Killing is discouraged but not illegal."
"2. Everything costs **Merit Points**. Food. Shelter. Air."
"3. If you run out of points, we throw you off the island."
He threw a black jade token at Kaelen.
"You have 0 points. Rent is due in 24 hours. 100 points."
The Elder grinned.
"Good luck, fresh meat."
He flew away, leaving them in the middle of a crowded plaza.
Viper looked around. Hundreds of eyes were watching them. Hungry eyes.
"We are in trouble," Viper whispered. "We have no points. No shelter. And everyone here looks like they want to eat us."
"Correction," Kaelen said, flipping the empty token in his hand. "They want to test us."
A group of five men separated from the crowd. They wore grey robes with a red armband. The leader was a bald man with scars crossing his face. He dragged a spiked mace.
**Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage 1.**
"Freshman tax," the bald man grunted, holding out a hand. "50 points each. Or a limb."
Viper stepped back, hand on her dagger. "We just got here. We have 0 points."
"No points?" The bald man sneered. He looked at Viper. "Then you can pay with service. Pretty face like yours..."
He reached for her.
*WHOOSH.*
A shadow moved.
Kaelen stepped between them.
He didn't draw his slab. He just stood there, chest exposed, revealing the faint tribal tattoos of the Storm-Demon.
"You want tax?" Kaelen asked.
"Get out of the way, cripple," the bald man raised his mace. "Or I'll smash your—"
*CLANG.*
The mace came down.
It hit Kaelen's chest.
It didn't break bone. It rang like a bell hitting a bank vault.
The **Titan's Ribcage** (hidden beneath his skin) absorbed the impact. Kaelen didn't even flinch. He didn't move a millimeter.
The bald man stared at his mace. Then at Kaelen's chest.
"Is that it?" Kaelen asked, looking bored. "My grandmother hits harder."
Kaelen grabbed the mace head.
His fingers dug into the solid iron.
"**Grip.**"
*CRUNCH.*
He crushed the iron mace head like it was made of clay. Metal fragments rained onto the mud.
The bald man's eyes bulged. "My... my Spirit Weapon..."
Kaelen backhanded him.
*SMACK.*
The bald man spun three times in the air before face-planting into the mud. He twitched once and went still.
The other four goons froze.
Kaelen looked at them. His eyes flashed with blue lightning.
"Empty your pockets," Kaelen ordered.
"W-what?"
"You heard me," Kaelen walked forward. "This isn't a tax collection anymore."
He stomped the ground.
*RUMBLE.*
The earth shook, knocking the goons off balance.
"It's a robbery."
***
**Ten Minutes Later.**
Kaelen sat on a stone throne in the best hut in the plaza (formerly owned by the bald man).
On the table in front of him was a pile of black jade tokens.
"Transfer complete," Viper said, tapping the tokens together. "We have 500 Merit Points."
She looked at Kaelen, who was eating an apple he had stolen from a terrified bystander.
"You realize what you just did?" Viper asked nervously. "That guy was a lieutenant for the **Blood-Axe Gang**. They run the Dreg Sector. Their boss is Stage 3 Foundation."
"Stage 3?" Kaelen took a bite. "Does he have more points?"
"Thousands, probably."
"Good," Kaelen stood up. "I need resources to cultivate. The air down here is too thin."
He walked to the window and looked up.
High above, partially obscured by clouds, was the **Summit Island**. He could feel the pulse of the **Titan's Arms** calling to the Ribcage in his chest.
"Viper," Kaelen said.
"Yes?"
"Find out how we get to the upper islands."
"There's a tournament..." Viper started.
"Too slow," Kaelen interrupted. "There's always a faster way."
He pointed to the massive chains connecting the islands.
"We climb."
Viper choked. "Climb? Those chains are guarded by **Wind-Blade Arrays**! Anyone who touches them gets sliced to ribbons!"
Kaelen smiled. The smile of a man who saw a challenge as a snack.
"Wind Blades?" Kaelen rubbed his chin.
"I wonder if they taste like mint."
He grabbed his Slab.
"Let's go say hello to the landlord."