But they had no idea.
Because the moment Kai stepped into the array, a silent vow echoed in his heart —
"I'll rise, not to prove them wrong… but to prove myself right."
---
The next moment, their surroundings blurred into streaks of light as the array activated, warping space and time. Within seconds, they reappeared atop a vast cliff overlooking the majestic city of Arkaelus — a place known not only for its towering spires and ancient architecture, but for being the cradle of the continent's most elite cultivators.
Massive towers carved with ancient runes pierced the clouds. Floating platforms moved slowly through the skies, transporting goods, beasts, and cultivators.
The city's spiritual energy was so dense it formed visible currents in the air, flowing like threads of silver mist.
For the younger generation, it was a place of dreams.
For Kai, it was the battlefield where he'd forge his destiny.
The moment they arrived, several academy staff members and elders greeted them, all exuding immense cultivation pressure. Even the proud members of the main family bowed respectfully to them.
Elder Furon guided everyone to floting castle which was so beautiful with white clouds beneath the castle and big gates.
As they were going suddenly,
"Kai," Elder Furon said, motioning him to step forward. "You'll be taken separately for registration. Your case is… special."
That drew a few stares.
"Special?" Rin Leor repeated with a scoff. "He probably needs help figuring out which end of the sword to hold."
That follows with laughter of the group and surrounding people.
Even the staff couldn't help glancing at Kai with a mixture of curiosity and doubt. Kai didn't wear his cultivation on his sleeve like the others. No visible aura, no oppressive pressure.
Just quiet steps and a presence that felt… too still.
A young academy official stepped forward and led Kai away toward another building—a secluded registration hall meant for exceptional or unique candidates.
Once inside, the elder behind the desk paused as Kai handed him the crystal containing his information. The moment the crystal was placed into the slot, a wave of cold energy surged through the hall. The elder's eyes widened, the surrounding air frosting over slightly.
Elder was shocked as the cold frost energy started surrounding the chamber. But what really shocked elder was this frost energy contain laws of universe.
Then he remember a saying.
In long long time ago there was a bloodline that contain power of laws.
They were;
"E-Eternals Bloodline…?
And a physical body already rivaling Core Foundation Realm…? This…"
Eternals bloodline this word seems to ring Bell in elder brain as elder searches through records after records where he finally got to the page he was looking.
As he read the page information.
Elder composed himself quickly, but not before shooting Kai a shocked glance.
"Your token." He handed over a specially crafted silver badge. "You've been registered under the Monarch-Class Candidate List. You will be evaluated separately… along with the top-tier prodigies from across the continent."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Monarch-Class?"
The elder chuckled nervously. "Yes. There are only five registered this year. It's… a rank beyond Elite."
Kai said nothing, but as he walked out of the hall, his grip on the token tightened slightly.
---
Meanwhile, back at the main registration site, the other family members were still mocking Kai's absence.
"Tch. Did he run away already?" Davin sneered.
I already told it was a waste of time to take him with us said Leor.
Yeah David said with complete indifferent expression.
But when a messenger arrived, announcing Kai's name had been placed on the Monarch-Class Candidate List, silence fell.
It was so silent that even a pin stoping could be heard.
"Impossible," Leor muttered, fists clenched. "That list is reserved for monsters…"
And just then, Kai returned.
He walked past them, the silver Monarch-Class badge gleaming at his waist. His robe still shimmered faintly with frost, eyes calm.
He didn't say a word.
But that silence… Remains.
David muttered, "It's probably some mistake... or bribery."
Rin Leor snorted. "Tch. That's more believable. Monarch-Class? Him? Maybe someone pitied his weak background."
The others nodded, murmuring among themselves.
"There's no way he got in on merit."
"Must've used connections… someone pulled strings."
"Or maybe the elder just wanted to stir up drama."
Their words grew louder, bolder, as if speaking them enough times would make them true.
But Kai didn't react.
He just walked past, each step as calm and quiet as before. No anger. No rebuttal. Not even a glance.
And yet… that silence was heavier than any insult.
Behind him, frost lingered faintly in the air—so subtle that only the most sensitive cultivators would notice. But it was there, clinging to the stone like a silent warning.
Elder Furon raised an eyebrow, watching him.
He had seen many prodigies. Many who roared, bragged, shouted.
But this one?
This one didn't need to speak.
As the group was led deeper into the academy grounds, they passed beneath a floating arch of glowing runes that welcomed all incoming candidates.
Another elder stood at the entrance, holding a jade scroll.
"Next evaluation—potential resonance and talent confirmation," he announced. "Basic scan first. Place your hand on the stone."
Candidates began stepping forward one by one, touching a tall obsidian pillar inscribed with golden marks. It measured one's innate talent, bloodline potential, and elemental affinity.
Those from powerful families showed strong results—flashes of flame, sparks of lightning, dense clouds of spirit energy.
One by one, the candidates stepped forward.
Each with their head held high, pride gleaming in their eyes.
The first was Rin Leor.
He strode to the evaluation stone with the confidence of someone who had always been praised, always told he was destined for greatness.
He placed his hand on the obsidian pillar.
Golden sparks erupted as the runes lit up.
> Bloodline: High-Tier Fire Lineage
Affinity: Flame – High Resonance
Rank: Elite-Class Candidate
Flames danced around his hand. The heat radiated outward, causing nearby students to shield their faces.
Applause followed immediately.
Leor turned to the crowd with a smug grin.
"Tch. Set the bar too high already," he said with a chuckle, stepping down.
Next came Davin.
Lightning crackled the moment his hand touched the stone.
> Bloodline: Storm Vein Lineage
Affinity: Lightning – Peak Resonance
Rank: Elite-Class Candidate
"Another Elite?" murmured a student. "Impressive…"
"Of course," Davin smirked, "we're from the main family, after all."
Cheers and admiration followed. Others from prestigious families stepped up, some registering strong affinities—Wind, Earth, Metal, even dual-natured energies. All earned praise, some barely reaching Elite, others solidifying their place.
The evaluation hall buzzed with excitement.
Until—
"Rin Kai."
The hall fell into a chill silence.
Even the wind seemed to hesitate.
"He's still here?" someone whispered.
"Thought he left…"
"He's going to embarrass himself."
Snorts and suppressed laughs echoed as Kai stepped forward—his steps unhurried, calm, too quiet to match the noise around him.
Leor leaned toward Davin. "Watch him fail. It'll be the highlight of the day."
Kai reached the stone.
He said nothing.
And then…
Everyone turned.
Leor crossed his arms. "Here comes the joke."
Kai stepped forward.
No hesitation.
Just calm.
He placed his hand on the stone.
Nothing happened for the first second.
Then—
BOOM.
A blinding light erupted from the stone, engulfing the platform. A pulse of pure frost exploded outward, forcing several cultivators to stagger back. The temperature plummeted. Runes on the stone glowed blue, then white, then silver.
And for a split second… the stone cracked.
Gasps echoed across the area.
"What the hell—?"
"Did the stone… just break?"
---
Gasps tore through the crowd like thunder. The obsidian evaluation stone… cracked.
Cracked.
Even the elders were stunned into silence.
The glowing silver runes on the stone pulsed wildly, unable to stabilize. Waves of ancient frost energy rolled off Kai like a silent blizzard, freezing the very air. Mist curled around his feet. The grass at the base of the platform crystallized in a delicate shimmer of ice.
And yet, his expression didn't change.
He just lowered his hand and stepped back.
No theatrics. No pride.
Just silence.
But in that silence—the mountain shook.
The elder managing the evaluations stammered, "T-That… That was Eternal-grade resonance… This stone is meant to scan up to Heaven-Class… It wasn't even built to register something like that!"
One of the watching instructors whispered in disbelief, "The last time it cracked was two centuries ago… and that was for a demigod's descendant."
Rin Leor's smirk was gone.
His fists were trembling.
Davin looked pale. "There's… no way. No one from a side family—no trash—should have that kind of power."
David clenched his jaw. "It has to be fake. A bribe. An illusion technique. This is rigged."
But none of them could look away from the fractured stone. From the frost burning in the air. From the pressure that had settled in their bones like lead.
And then the stone let out one final pulse of light.
> Identity Confirmed: Monarch-Class Ascendant Tier.
Classification: Dangerous — observation recommended.
The elder slowly turned to Kai.
"You… are beyond what this academy has seen in a long time."
----
Back in the crowd, whispers turned into panic.
"I thought he was useless…"
"How could he be this strong…?"
"Is he even… human?"
Davin staggered back, cold sweat running down his neck. "This isn't right… He's a mistake… someone like him shouldn't exist…"
Leor's voice cracked with fury. "Then we'll make him not exist."
But even as he said it, he couldn't stop trembling.
Because for the first time in their lives…
They had seen something terrifying.