The final challenge of the Inter-Academy Competition was known as the Spatial Rift Incursion. It was a brutal test of survival, teamwork, and combat prowess. Teams of five cultivators would enter a controlled, unstable spatial rift, a pocket dimension teeming with dangerous spiritual beasts and environmental hazards. They were tasked with surviving for a full week, gathering spiritual resources, and if possible, clearing monster nests. The team that accumulated the most points—based on resources gathered, monsters defeated, and days survived—would be declared the overall champion.
The Azure Dragon Academy's primary team consisted of Eric, Mei, Elara, Faelan, and to the chagrin of Eric and his friends, Lord Xin. Lady Seraphina led a separate, handpicked team of elite Inner Court disciples. The rift was guarded by a colossal spiritual formation, humming with immense power, preventing truly catastrophic collapses while still allowing for a dangerous, untamed environment within.
As they stepped through the shimmering portal into the rift, the world warped around them. The air was thick and heavy, saturated with raw spiritual energy that prickled the skin. The landscape was alien: twisted, jagged mountains glowed with phosphorescent minerals, rivers flowed with iridescent, viscous liquid, and the vegetation pulsed with strange, unnatural life. The ground itself seemed to ripple with latent Qi.
"Stay close," Eric commanded, his voice low, his spiritual sense already extended, mapping the immediate vicinity. The other four nodded, their expressions grim but resolute.
Lord Xin, however, scoffed. "Don't tell me what to do, peasant. My family's techniques are more than enough to handle this." He immediately unleashed a burst of lightning Qi, illuminating the immediate surroundings, a show of force.
Eric ignored him, focusing on the tactical situation. "This rift is unstable, Eric. The spiritual energy fluctuates wildly. It will spawn monsters at unpredictable rates. Conserve your Qi when possible. The environment itself is a weapon here." the Dragon Spirit advised.
For the first three days, their team operated with grim efficiency. Lord Xin, despite his arrogance, displayed formidable power. His lightning techniques were devastating against the swarms of Spectral Hounds and Stone Golems that frequently materialized from the churning spiritual energy. He moved with a speed that truly surprised Eric, reflecting the superior cultivation techniques of his clan.
Lady Seraphina's team, which they occasionally glimpsed, was even more impressive. She moved with effortless grace, her Qi solidifying into shimmering shields that deflected attacks, while her offensive techniques were precise and overwhelming. Eric even saw her manifest a shimmering, crystalline barrier that effortlessly repelled a large horde of Blazefire Raptors. Her Core Formation Stage power, combined with her Crystal Affinity Constitution, truly set her apart.
"Her strength is truly astounding," Mei whispered to Eric as they hid behind a cluster of glowing fungi, observing Seraphina's team in the distance. "Father says the Imperial Family's cultivation methods are ancient, almost divine."
Elara and Faelan, too, were growing stronger. They faced relentless waves of C-rank monsters, their combined Qi Condensation Stage 9 power (Elara) and Qi Condensation Stage 9 (Faelan) techniques now fluid and deadly. They fought seamlessly, their teamwork honed to an art form, their spiritual energy reserves expanding with each successful encounter. They dispatched monsters with ease, their techniques becoming more refined and powerful.
On the fourth day, the intensity escalated. The rift seemed to churn, its spiritual energy becoming more volatile. Stronger monsters began to appear more frequently—Shadow Wraiths that could phase through solid matter, and resilient Ironhide Boars that charged with terrifying force. Their team, even with Lord Xin's contributions, was constantly fighting, their Qi reserves being pushed to the limit. They had to be extremely careful to conserve what they had.
"This is insane!" Lord Xin grunted, wiping a streak of monster ichor from his face after a particularly brutal encounter with a pack of Shadow Wraiths. "They're just endless!"
"The rift is intensifying," Eric noted calmly, his spiritual sense picking up the rising ambient Qi. "We need to find a more defensible position. Perhaps a cave system."
The fifth day brought a new, chilling development. As they rested in a temporary shelter, Eric's spiritual sense screamed a warning. Multiple human signatures, cloaked and moving with unnerving stealth, were converging on their position. These were not monsters.
"Assassins, Eric," the Dragon Spirit's voice resonated, sharp and urgent. "They are targeting you. Their Qi is refined, but lacking the true depth of cultivation. Likely hired thugs."
"We have company," Eric said, his voice flat, his hand already on the hilt of his staff.
Before Lord Xin could retort, the assassins struck. They burst from the shadows, wielding spiritual daggers and bladed chains, their attacks swift and coordinated. There were six of them, all at various stages of Foundation Establishment, two even reaching Stage 3.
"Kill the one with the staff! Leave the others!" one of them hissed, his eyes glinting with malice.
Elara and Faelan immediately moved to defend Mei and Lord Xin, forming a protective barrier. Lord Xin unleashed a torrent of lightning, but the assassins were surprisingly agile, deflecting or dodging his attacks.
Eric met the two closest assassins head-on. He moved with a speed that defied belief, his Scales of Purity humming with draconic power. His usual suppressed aura shattered, replaced by a momentary, terrifying burst of overwhelming spiritual energy. He didn't use flashy techniques; he used pure, concentrated force. A swift, devastating Claw of Might delivered to the first assassin's solar plexus knocked him unconscious before he could even blink. The second, attempting a sneak attack, found Eric's staff appearing as if from nowhere, deflecting his blade, then a precise, powerful kick to his knee, dislocating it with a sickening crack.
The remaining assassins paused, their eyes widening in shock. The raw power and precision Eric had just displayed far surpassed anything they had anticipated from a supposed Foundation Establishment Stage 1 cultivator.
"You fools!" one of them cursed. "He's much stronger than the intel stated! Retreat!"
But Eric wasn't finished. He lunged, a blur of motion, his Breath of the Azure manifesting as a razor-sharp wave of blue energy that carved through the air, forcing the assassins to scatter defensively. He didn't kill, but his strikes were bone-jarring, precise, and brutal. He incapacitated two more with rapid, non-lethal strikes to their pressure points, leaving them writhing in pain. The last two, seeing the sheer, overwhelming power Eric had just unleashed, fled in terror, disappearing back into the rift's swirling shadows.
Silence descended upon the clearing. Lord Xin, Mei, Elara, and Faelan stared at Eric, their jaws dropped. They had seen his talent, his surprising victories, but this... this was a different level of power entirely. He had dispatched six Foundation Establishment cultivators, two of whom were stronger than even Lord Xin, with breathtaking speed and devastating efficiency.
"Who... who are you?" Lord Xin stammered, his usual arrogance replaced by stunned disbelief.
Eric forced himself to reign in his aura, suppressing it back to his usual, lower levels. He was still panting slightly from the exertion. "They were hired. They were after me, not us. It seems my recent performance has made me some enemies." He offered no further explanation.
Mei, however, looked at him with an intensity that bordered on reverence, her eyes wide with a profound understanding. Elara and Faelan exchanged looks, silent awe and renewed trust in their eyes. The secret of his strength was partially revealed, but the full truth remained hidden.
For the remaining days, things went remarkably smoothly. The assassins did not return, and the threat of Lord Xin's wrath seemed to have faded in the face of Eric's undeniable, terrifying strength. The team moved through the rift with renewed confidence, clearing monster nests and gathering rare resources. Eric, with his now fully unleashed Foundation Establishment Stage 2 power, was able to secure a vast amount of Spirit-Infused Ore, Glimmerroot Fungi, and even a few small Qi-Condensing Gems, resources that were incredibly rare and valuable outside the rift. Mei, Elara, and Faelan, inspired by Eric's power, also pushed their own limits, growing exponentially in their skills and understanding, their own Qi becoming purer, denser.
But on the final day, just hours before their scheduled extraction, the rift pulsed violently. The air shuddered.
A colossal roar tore through the dimension, shaking the very earth.
A truly horrifying creature materialized from the swirling Qi: an Ancient Rock Serpent, its scales like obsidian, its eyes burning with malevolent spiritual energy. It was a terrifying A-rank monster, a beast of immense power, rarely seen even in the deepest wilderness, let alone a controlled rift. And it was flanked by a horde of smaller, yet still formidable, Rock-skinned Drakes.
"An A-rank!" Lord Xin shrieked, his face paling with fear. "Impossible! They don't put A-ranks in these rifts!"
The Ancient Rock Serpent lunged, its massive head striking out. Lord Xin, despite his powerful lightning barrier, was too slow. The Serpent's fangs raked across his chest, tearing through his spiritual defenses and robes. He was sent flying, crashing into a jagged rock, blood blooming across his chest. He lay groaning, his Qi flickering dangerously low.
Lady Seraphina's team, in a nearby section of the rift, was engaged with another large group of monsters, but she sensed the A-rank. Her silver eyes narrowed. She unleashed a blinding wave of solidified spiritual energy, decimating the monsters around her, then launched herself towards the Ancient Rock Serpent.
"Lord Xin! Retreat!" Lady Seraphina commanded, her voice resonating with power. She met the Ancient Rock Serpent head-on, her Core Formation Stage 1 power fully unleashed. Shimmering crystalline shields formed around her, deflecting the Serpent's crushing blows. She countered with piercing beams of pure spiritual energy, forcing the Serpent back. She was incredibly strong, each of her blows containing enough power to shatter mountains.
But the Ancient Rock Serpent was no ordinary beast. It seemed to absorb her attacks, its obsidian scales growing darker, its movements becoming faster, its spiritual energy intensifying. It was adapting, growing stronger with each blow. It was a terrifying ability.
"This creature... it's a Spirit-Absorbing Ancient Beast!" Lady Seraphina gasped, her voice strained as the Serpent's aura swelled. "It feeds on spiritual energy!"
Eric knew. He couldn't hold back anymore. This was a true life-or-death situation. He took a deep breath, and unleashed his full spiritual energy.
His aura, no longer suppressed, exploded outwards, shaking the very air. The Foundation Establishment Stage 2 facade shattered, revealing a power that stunned even the Ancient Rock Serpent for a moment. He was not merely Foundation Establishment Stage 2. He was Foundation Establishment Stage 5, his Qi radiating with a purity and intensity that dwarfed even Lord Xin's peak Foundation Establishment Stage 9. And it carried the undeniable, primal essence of a dragon.
"What is that power?!" Lady Seraphina gasped, her eyes wide with shock, even as she continued to battle the Serpent. "He... he's at Foundation Establishment Stage 5?! And that Qi…!"
Eric lunged, his body becoming a conduit of pure, draconic might. He unleashed a devastating Claw of Might, not a simple strike, but a coiled, spiraling vortex of energy that impacted the Ancient Rock Serpent's scales. The Serpent roared in pain, its scales cracking, actual damage finally inflicted. He followed with a Breath of the Azure that solidified into a massive, azure dragon head, tearing through the Serpent's defenses.
The Ancient Rock Serpent shrieked, its Spirit-Absorbing ability unable to keep up with the sheer purity and raw power of Eric's draconic Qi. It lashed out wildly, its tail whipping, catching Eric in the side, sending him skidding across the ground, his body screaming in protest. Pain flared, but he pushed through it.
"Beyond your limits, Eric! Unleash the draconic essence! This beast must fall!" the Dragon Spirit roared in his mind, echoing his own burning resolve.
He pushed further, drawing on a deeper well of power he hadn't known existed. His spiritual energy surged, his body pulsed with power. He was Foundation Establishment Stage 5, but the draconic essence within him was pushing him beyond. He was transcending, even in the heat of battle. His next Claw of Might was imbued with a primal, azure light, resonating with thunder. It tore through the Serpent's neck, severing bone and muscle.
The Ancient Rock Serpent convulsed, its massive body crashing down, shaking the entire rift. Silence. Then, the rhythmic thud of the Heart of the Rift, a sign of monster defeat.
Eric stood panting, blood trickling from his lips, his body bruised and battered, but his eyes blazing with an unyielding fire. He had done it. He had defeated an A-rank monster, pushing himself to the very brink of his limits, and beyond.
He turned, his gaze sweeping over the injured. Lord Xin was still groaning, unconscious. Other students from both teams were injured, some badly. Eric staggered towards Lord Xin first, placing his hands over the gaping wound on his chest. He unleashed his healing technique, a steady stream of vibrant, life-affirming blue Qi. The wound visibly closed, the fractured ribs knitting, the internal bleeding staunching. He moved from student to student, healing their injuries, his spiritual energy flowing like a boundless river.
Lady Seraphina watched him, her core Formation aura radiating immense shock. "That healing technique... that power... it's beyond belief for a Foundation Establishment Stage 5! And that Qi...!"
The other students, even the formidable members of Lady Seraphina's team, stared at Eric in awe. His ability to heal such severe injuries with such speed, coming from a supposed low-level cultivator, was unheard of. They had never seen such a thing.
Just then, the spatial rift shimmered, and the Academy Elders' signal for extraction pulsed through the air. Their week was over.
The portal opened, and the Azure Dragon Academy delegation emerged from the rift, battered but victorious. The crowd in the grand arena roared, a mixture of relief and wild cheers. Many students were injured, some severely, leaning on others for support. The sheer number of survivors, however, was a testament to their strength.
When Lord Xin was carried out, still conscious but pale and injured, the murmurs of the crowd turned to gasps. The proud scion of the Xin Clan, injured in the rift? It was unprecedented.
Then came Eric's team. Elara and Faelan emerged first, their robes torn but their expressions resolute, their Qi radiating with a strength that astonished many who knew their previous cultivation. Mei followed, her calm demeanor intact, her aura pure and stable. They were all significantly stronger than when they entered, their week in the rift forcing them to rapidly grow.
Finally, Eric stepped out of the shimmering portal. He was the last one, his robes tattered, a faint trickle of blood still on his lips from the fight with the A-rank. But what shocked everyone, what caused the roaring crowd to fall into a stunned, collective silence, was the overwhelming spiritual aura that now emanated from him.
He was no longer Foundation Establishment Stage 5. His Dantian pulsed with an immense, palpable power. He had pushed himself to the very brink against the Ancient Rock Serpent, and in doing so, he had shattered his own limits. He was now a Foundation Establishment Stage 7 cultivator, his Qi radiating with a depth and purity that even many Core Formation cultivators struggled to achieve.
Eric quickly tried to suppress his aura, to rein in the surge of power, but it was too late. The transformation was too profound, too recent. Everyone could sense it. Elder Bronn, Elder Jian, Lord Xin, Lady Seraphina—all stared at him, their faces a mixture of profound shock, awe, and deep, probing scrutiny.
The cheers slowly resumed, now mixed with gasps and bewildered murmurs. The quiet, underestimated boy from Ironclad Village had emerged from the spatial rift not just a victor, but a truly terrifying force. His true ascent had begun, irrevocably shattering the illusions he had so carefully maintained. The world would never look at Eric the same way again.