"What was that power just now? Could you two teach me how to use it?"
Hao Thien asked, his eyes shining with genuine eagerness.
Ta Tham scratched his head and gave a light laugh.
"Teaching you? Sure, we could… but—"
He glanced at Luc Duong, as if passing the question over.
"The problem isn't whether we teach you or not,"
Luc Duong spoke coldly, his gaze sharp as ice.
"It's whether you're even capable of learning it."
Hao Thien froze for a moment, frowning.
"Why wouldn't I be able to learn it?"
"Because you're just an ordinary person,"
Luc Duong replied. His tone wasn't harsh, but it hit Hao Thien like a blow.
"You don't have spiritual force. Without it, you can't use any technique. In this world, that makes you someone standing outside the game entirely."
The air fell into a brief silence.
Hao Thien clenched his fist gently, his eyes dimmed… but there was no fear in them—only a quiet flicker of determination beginning to rise.
"Then… how can I gain spiritual force?"
Hao Thien asked, brows furrowed in curiosity.
"You train. Work your way up. There's no shortcut."
Ta Tham shrugged with a smile, as if it were obvious.
"Train?… You two are… immortals or something?"
Hao Thien asked again, a bit of astonishment in his voice.
"Immortals?"
Luc Duong gave him a sidelong glance and smirked faintly.
"In this era, people don't use that word anymore."
"These days, we're called… Daoists."
Ta Tham added calmly, though a flash of pride lit his eyes.
"And those weapons you're using… are they some kind of magical artifacts?"
Hao Thien pointed toward the glowing sword and the energy-infused gauntlets.
"They're not artifacts,"
Luc Duong replied curtly, his eyes sharp as a blade.
"They're the result of technology—technology fused with Daoist arts,"
Ta Tham added.
"This world now blends spiritual force with science. Weapons, armor—even the human body—everything can be upgraded to adapt to the path of cultivation."
Hao Thien was stunned. The world he had entered… far surpassed anything he had imagined.
"If you really want to become a Daoist…"
Ta Tham placed a firm hand on Hao Thien's shoulder, eyes deep with resolve.
"Then come with us."
"Where to?"
Hao Thien asked, puzzled.
The usual smile disappeared from Ta Tham's face as his expression grew serious.
"The Starcloud Academy."
He gave Hao Thien a nod and said:
"Let's go. We'll show you where it all begins."
The next moment, all three—Ta Tham, Hao Thien, and Luc Duong—soared into the sky, streaking across the heavens like falling stars. Cold winds lashed their faces, while thick clouds tore apart in their wake.
Hao Thien's eyes widened in awe, the world below becoming nothing but blurred brushstrokes like ink in a floating painting.
Piercing through the dense cloud layer, they drew near a towering mountain rising into the sky. At its peak stood a colossal structure, like an ancient fortress suspended in mid-air.
They landed softly before a massive black metal gate, etched with glowing characters that radiated a silent yet overwhelming pressure.
"This is… Starcloud Academy?"
Hao Thien breathed, his eyes wide in awe.
"It's… huge…"
"Let's go."
Luc Duong said simply, stepping forward as the gates opened automatically, revealing the vast and mysterious interior beyond.
Inside the gates, the scene that unfolded left Hao Thien speechless.
A massive square stretched out before them, its obsidian-like floor paved with refined spiritual stone, reflecting soft waves of light under each step. Overhead, buildings floated in the sky like architectural islands, connected by shimmering light bridges that shifted slowly in mid-air.
Hundreds of young people stood in orderly lines along the central boulevard. Each of them wore meticulously designed attire—a seamless blend of futuristic aesthetics and advanced tech: long coats embroidered with ancient characters intertwined with glowing energy lines, sleeves reinforced with soft metal alloys, and some even displayed data interfaces projected directly on their wrists.
On both sides, instructors in black robes with silver trims stood silently under radiant energy pillars. Their eyes seemed to pierce through flesh and soul, assessing both strength and spirit.
The atmosphere was heavy yet magnetic—a pressure only found in a place where geniuses from across the stars gathered.
"What are they doing?"
Hao Thien asked, eyes scanning the breathtaking scene.
"That's the entrance exam zone,"
Ta Tham explained with a hint of pride.
"Only those with the right qualities—physical potential, spiritual force, and character compatibility—are allowed to officially enter Starcloud."
"And you…"
Luc Duong stepped forward, his gaze as sharp as ever.
"…will have to get in line for your assessment too. No exceptions."
Hao Thien stepped toward the long line of people, joining the crowd anxiously waiting in front of the examination gate.
His eyes kept darting to those ahead of him. Some walked away with bright smiles, having passed the test—while others were turned away without hesitation, their steps heavy with silent disappointment.
When his turn finally came, Hao Thien stepped onto a glowing circular platform at the center of the plaza. The testing platform vibrated slightly, then released thousands of radiant characters that swirled around him—like streams of code scanning every cell in his body.
Just a few seconds later, the light dimmed.
A soft "beep" echoed.
"Good result,"
Ta Tham said, nodding with approval.
Before Hao Thien could even smile, Luc Duong's calm and chilling voice followed immediately after:
"Next is the combat aptitude test."
The words hit Hao Thien like a brick. He froze, standing still for a few seconds as if his system had just crashed.
"…Combat test?"
He let out a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his head and groaning.
"Well, I'm doomed. I mean, it's not like I can split mountains or shoot fireballs like you guys. If I have to fight now… I'll probably just raise my hands and surrender."
Ta Tham chuckled, while Luc Duong merely frowned, silently observing—as if waiting to see what Hao Thien would do next.
"Hey, Luc Duong. Mind if I borrow your sword?"
Hao Thien turned to him, a playful yet serious glint in his eyes.
Luc Duong raised an eyebrow slightly, then replied in a flat tone,
"Sure, but… are you planning to use it in the fight?"
As he spoke, he lifted his hand. A ring of light shimmered in midair, and his familiar sword materialized out of the void, settling neatly into his grasp.
Without hesitation, Luc Duong handed the sword over to Hao Thien, though his eyes still held a hint of doubt.
"Thanks! I'll do my best to use it well."
Hao Thien accepted the sword with both hands, his face lighting up as if he'd just received a priceless treasure.
There was still a flicker of uncertainty in him—but behind it burned a quiet eagerness and unwavering resolve.
"First round of the combat assessment… begin!"
The deep, resonant voice of the towering man standing at the center of the arena echoed across the field. His words carried a weight that rippled through the air, instantly tightening the atmosphere around them.
A young man stepped onto the platform. His green hair shimmered under the sunlight, and despite his slender build, his eyes held a firm, unwavering resolve. Standing opposite him was a senior student—tall and muscular, with a cloak billowing in the wind and a powerful aura that seemed to press down on everything around him.
"Senior… please go easy on me,"
the green-haired youth said politely, though there was no fear in his voice.
His opponent gave a cold chuckle, scanning him up and down with a condescending gaze.
"We'll see if you're even worth me holding back."
The moment the words fell, the senior charged forward like a whirlwind, the ground beneath him cracking from the sheer force. His strikes came down like a tempest, laced with swirling energy that formed the shape of a ferocious beast.
The green-haired youth didn't flinch, didn't retreat. Instead, he raised his hand, summoning a slender sword that shimmered with electric-blue veins running along its blade. With a calm breath, he sidestepped the oncoming blow with graceful precision and retaliated with a swift horizontal slash toward his opponent's waist.
Clang!!
The clash of metal rang out sharp and clear. The senior was forced half a step back, frowning slightly. The strike hadn't injured him, but it revealed the youth's exceptional reflexes.
"Not bad."
Without another word, the senior launched into the air and brought down a powerful palm strike enveloped in radiant energy, shaking the entire platform. But just as the blow descended—
"Shhk!"
A crescent-shaped arc of light exploded from the youth's short sword, slicing clean through the energy strike. He surged forward in the opening, light as the wind, and pressed the tip of his blade gently against the collar of his opponent before the senior could land.
"…It's over."
His voice was calm, not boastful—simply stating a fact.
The arena fell silent for a moment.
"Winner: Luc Diep!"
The announcement broke the hush like a bell tolling, and a ripple of murmurs ran through the crowd. No one had expected such a lean and modest-looking student to defeat a senior with speed and finesse alone.
Luc Diep lowered his sword, bowed slightly to his opponent with quiet respect, and stepped down from the platform—silent, composed, and now the center of every watching eye.
The matches continued one after another across the arena—clashing weapons, shouts of excitement, and waves of energy constantly stirring the air. Some emerged victorious, others defeated—each forced to confront the limits of their own strength.
"Match Twenty-Three—Tran Hao Thien."
The referee's voice echoed through the arena, drawing the attention of the crowd to a young boy with sharp eyes and a determined expression.
"You got this, Hao Thien!"
Ta Tham called out from the sidelines, waving his arm with energetic encouragement.
Hao Thien took a deep breath and stepped onto the platform. Standing opposite him was a senior student with short silver hair, a cold, proud face, and eyes full of overconfidence. In his hand was a long, slender sword that gleamed like ice, his every step exuding an oppressive aura that weighed heavily on the arena.
"Sword user, huh?"
Hao Thien muttered under his breath as he tightened his grip on the sword—loaned to him by Luc Duong.
As soon as the starting bell rang, the senior dashed forward without hesitation. His sword strikes were swift and precise, each slash sharp enough to seemingly cut through space itself.
But Hao Thien didn't falter. He sidestepped the first blow with calm focus, then countered with a precise slash of his own. Their blades clashed, sparks flying as their swordplay wove a deadly dance like a web of steel.
Spectators watched in stunned silence—no one had expected a "normal person" like Hao Thien to hold his ground for this long. In pure swordsmanship, he wasn't the least bit inferior—in fact, at certain moments, his finesse even seemed to surpass his opponent's. Clearly, he had undergone serious training in the past.
But then—
BOOM!
A powerful clash sent both of them flying. Hao Thien staggered back, gasping for breath, sweat soaking the back of his shirt. It was now clear—the gap was widening. Though their techniques were evenly matched, the senior's superior spirit energy and physical strength began to overwhelm him.
Dropping to one knee, Hao Thien used his sword for support. Sweat dripped from his brow, yet his eyes still burned with unwavering resolve.
The senior stepped forward, his shadow stretching long beneath the arena lights, a crushing pressure radiating from his presence.
"You can't win,"
he said coldly, voice like sharpened steel, echoing through the hushed arena like a sentence being passed.
The world seemed to fall silent. Even the background noise faded away.
But in Hao Thien's eyes…
A stubborn flame still smoldered—refusing to be snuffed out.