Outside, it was a life and death battle.

The once-calm skies above Mystic City now trembled under the weight of the brutal battle.. Screams, roars, and cries for help echoed through the.

Soldiers fell every passing minute.

The once-gray city walls were now drenched in red, glistening wet with fresh blood that flowed down into small streams.

The Flowing Light Defensive Formation was covered with crack.

Without the protective formation holding the ruin beasts back, Mystic City would have already been reduced to rubble.

On the city walls, Master Warriors unleashed devastating attacks—waves of spiritual energy tore through Tier-2 ruin beasts.

Yet, no matter how many they killed, more replaced them.

Against a Tier-2 Ruin Beast, even a Peak First-Rated Martial Artist was as insignificant as an ant.

Their colossal bodies alone would crush them.

Only through the combined effort of the Frostwind Academy Masters and the Mystic Path Academy Masters did the city manage to survive this long.

Up in the sky, the Old dean and the Frostwind academy dean were battling a number Tier-3 ruin beast thousands of meters from the city wall.

Each of their strikes left a deafening sound and left carnage behind.

Yet, despite their power, the terrifying Tier-3 Ruin Beasts only sustained flesh wounds compared to their towering, mountain-sized bodies.

"Old man, we can't keep this up forever!" the Frostwind Dean shouted, gritting her teeth as she drove a blazing punch into the snout of a massive lizard-like Ruin Beast.

"Watch out!" the Old Dean barked in warning.

Whoosh!

Boom!

A powerful tail lashed out, cleaving through the air like a whip of destruction.

The Frostwind Dean barely managed to evade in time, her body twisting away as the strike shattered the air where she had stood.

"Hah!" she gasped, her heart pounding wildly.

The tail strike would have struck her if the Old Dean did not warn her.

Behind her, a massive Crimson Fang Boar charged toward her.

Its tusks gleamed like molten iron.

Bang! Bang!

With a furious roar, she countered with a flurry of heavy punches.

Her fists smashed into the beast's hide, sending tremors rippling across the sky.

The force of her assault sent the boar tumbling backward, its bones cracking under the impact.

Just as she gathered spiritual energy to deliver a killing blow, she sensed a sudden shift in the air behind her.

Without hesitation, she sidestepped instinctively.

Bang!

The lizard's tail once again tore through the space. She responded instantly, her fist crashing down like thunder.

Boom!

Her strike landed squarely on the lizard's skull.

Its brain was crushed to pulp, and its massive body plummeted to the ground like a collapsing mountain.

The impact sent a shockwave that flattened hundreds of lesser ruin beasts below.

Still the Deans' expressions darkened as they turned their gazes toward the horizon.

More Tier-3 Ruin Beasts were coming from the distance.

"Where… where are they coming from?" the Old Dean muttered, his face tightening in disbelief.

At first, they had believed this to be a typical beast tide, something that occurred naturally.

But this… this was something entirely different.

"What kind of ruin could produce this many powerful beasts?" he whispered grimly.

If such a ruin had appeared nearby, they would have detected its formation immediately.

But there had been no signs, no spiritual fluctuation, no warning.

Which could only mean one thing.

This was no ordinary beast tide.

There were people behind it.

The realization sent a cold chill down his spine.

But then… how?

How could anyone control or summon Ruin Beasts?

Such a feat was beyond even any power he ever knew.

The more he pondered it, the more unsettling the situation became.

Whoever was responsible possessed a level of power that transcended anything he had ever known.

Suddenly a loud shout echoed from the direction of the city.

"Hm?"

Both Deans turned sharply toward the sound.

"What's going on?" the Frostwind Dean asked, frowning.

"IT IS REAL!" The Vice Dean's voice boomed across the battlefield. "THE CEREMONY—IT'S REAL!"

For a moment, both Deans froze in midair. Then their eyes widened as realization dawned.

A deep, hearty laughter burst from the Old Dean's throat.

"Hahahaha!"

His laughter rolled like thunder, reverberating through the sky. Even with countless beasts around him, he did not stop.

The Frostwind Dean's lips curved into a brilliant smile.

Relief and triumph shone in her eyes.

Their gamble had paid off.

"Now," the Old Dean said, turning toward her, "we have nothing to fear."

Her smile widened. "Then let's fight to our hearts' content."

Their fear vanished, replaced by blazing determination.

With renewed vigor, they faced the Tier-3 ruin beasts with their spiritual energy surging to its peak.

….

Within the Awakening Hall, silence hung heavy in the air.

With Yuan Lan's successful awakening, disbelief turned to reverence.

Those who had yet to undergo the ceremony stood rigid, their faces pale and tense.

Those who had failed could only bow their heads in regret.

If they had known it was genuine.

if they had believed Jun Wu's words earlier.

Perhaps, their result might be different.

But there was no pill for regret.

Elder Shen folded her arms, glaring coldly at the few elders who had doubted the awakening ceremony.

Her voice was laced with disdain as she muttered.

"Short-sighted fools."

The elders turned red with shame, unable to meet her gaze.

"Now that the truth has been proven," Elder Shen said firmly, her tone sharp as a blade, "I don't want to hear any more words. No more whispering."

The room fell utterly silent.

Every remaining student held their breath, their hearts pounding in nervous anticipation.

"Next!" Elder Shen called.

One by one, the students stepped forward, but the results came as a series of crushing disappointments.

"Failed!"

"Failed!"

Again and again, the word rang out like a tolling bell of despair.

Fear and anxiety began to eat at the hearts of the remaining candidates.

Then, a thin young man dressed in a plain, worn robe stepped forward. His clothing alone revealed his humble background.

He sat quietly on the awakening platform and closed his eyes, his expression calm like a lake.

He did not harbor any hope of awakening.

But then…

A blinding light enveloped him. Spiritual energy swirled violently around his body, forming light color.

The light shifted from pure white to yellow before finally stabilizing.

When the glow faded, the young man opened his eyes, trembling. He looked at Jun Wu in disbelief, tears threatening to fall.

Never in his life had he imagined awakening anything at all.

But now… he had.

Jun Wu met his stunned gaze and gave a small, knowing smile.

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