Derrick's furious roar echoed through the night sky. Both his hands gripped his sword tightly, and faint flames began to flicker along the blade.

  Within moments, the metal glowed red-hot, as if infused with life itself.

  Yet the glow lasted only a few seconds before dimming again, leaving behind a faint crimson sheen.

  "Is that a light-element magic–infused sword?" Charlie's expression changed at once, his eyes filled with disbelief.

  In the Sword Mage Academy's talent-ranking system, light-element magic was among the top three affinities.

  A blade infused with that element carried burning energy capable of greatly amplifying sword techniques, and it granted exceptional regenerative ability as well, making it a natural-born combat talent.

  Lydia tightened her grip on her sword, her expression turning more solemn.

  In the magical world, challenging an opponent of higher rank was rare, but among those who could make it happen, light-element magic users were the ones most likely to perform miracles.

  Derrick roared again, channeling his light-element energy wildly into the blade. The faint crimson hue brightened once more.

  He stepped forward and charged at Lydia, his sword trailing a fiery arc through the dark, radiating fierce heat.

  But in the very next moment,

  A dull thud rang out as Derrick was blasted away by Lydia's sword aura, slamming hard into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

  He struggled to rise and charge again, only to be swept off his feet by another faster, sharper slash of energy.

  Moments later, silence fell across the clearing.

  "Mentor, help me…" Derrick lay sprawled on the ground, his voice weak and pitiful.

  His clothes were in tatters from the sword energy; his bare skin was covered with cuts of varying depth, and blood had soaked through the fabric.

  Only the Soulweaver's Pendant around his neck still shimmered faintly with green light, slowly knitting his wounds together.

  Ryan walked over, glanced at the barely conscious Derrick, and chuckled quietly.

  Lydia, Charlie, and Giles exchanged glances but said nothing. They all knew that Derrick had lasted this long only thanks to the support of his light-element magic.

  Any ordinary apprentice would have been seriously injured by now.

  "You see? People don't unleash their potential unless they're pushed." Ryan crouched beside him, summoning a strand of healing magic at his fingertips and pressing it lightly against Derrick's chest.

  Warm magical energy seeped through the wounds, easing the pain."If I hadn't made you spar with Lydia, you'd never have triggered even the basic energy of light magic, let alone learned to use it properly."

  As he healed, he continued explaining patiently,"The core of light-element magic is its ability to merge sword energy directly into the blade, forming what we call sword aura."

  "The flames you saw on your sword earlier were just the prototype of that aura. Once you learn to control it fully, your combat strength will increase by at least thirty percent. Against opponents of your own tier, you'll easily overpower them."

  Derrick lay face-down on the ground, his teeth clenched from pain, yet he listened intently.

  At last, he understood, Ryan hadn't been setting him up to fail. The mentor had been forcing him into real battle to accelerate his mastery of light-element magic.

  Just then, a voice called out,"May we leave now?"

  Ryan looked up and saw that Giles was still there, standing a short distance away with a complicated look in his eyes. Charlie and Lydia had also stopped walking, clearly waiting for him.

  "Go on," Ryan said, waving dismissively as he bent down to lift Derrick onto his back.

  With a light step, he pushed off the ground, leaping onto a nearby tree branch. His figure blurred into the night as he bounded toward the imperial capital, leaving only a fading afterimage.

  The three students turned to leave, but instinctively looked back,

  Only to find the branches empty and the forest swallowed by silence. Ryan and Derrick had vanished completely into the night.

  "What incredible speed," Charlie murmured in astonishment."Just how many levels above us is he?"

  Lydia held her sword close, her voice low and uncertain."At least five levels higher, maybe more. Otherwise, it's impossible for him to disappear from our senses so easily."

  In fact, the reason Ryan could vanish from the sight of Giles and the others in an instant was not because his level far surpassed theirs.

  His actual level was only two minor tiers higher than Giles.

  The illusion of disappearing completely came entirely from the wind-speed magic he had exchanged through his Grimoire.

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  This magic could temporarily triple his movement speed, and combined with environmental cover, it easily created the effect of teleportation.

  However, his level was indeed five minor tiers above Lydia's. The gap from Adept Mage to Journeyman Mage was already a significant barrier.

  …

  The next morning, Ryan and Derrick stood at the foot of the mountain on which the Sword Mage Academy rested.

  Clouds and mist swirled around the grand structure, and the two looked like country bumpkins visiting the city for the first time, their eyes full of curiosity.

  Ryan's air of naivety was purely an act.

  In previous lives, he had visited the three most powerful magical factions on the Esoth Continent: the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword, which mastered sword magic at its core; the Glacial Arcana Academy, which specialized in ice magic; and the Holy Arcane Tribunal.

  He had also been to four of the nine lesser magical sanctuaries, though he had been killed by Evelyn's Ice Sacred Artifact due to their feud.

  Derrick, on the other hand, was truly a country bumpkin. He had grown up in a small border town and had never even visited the royal capital, let alone such a magnificent magical academy.

  "Are all these steps meant to test apprentices' stamina, or are they just bored?" Ryan muttered, staring at the stone steps that stretched from the foot of the mountain into the clouds.

  The stairs were made entirely of magically reinforced bluestone, faint protective runes etched into their surfaces. Mist curled between each step, giving the distant view the appearance of a legendary path of ascension.

  Occasionally, people dressed in various magical attires climbed the stairs. Some were ordinary citizens here to watch the entrance examination. Some were aspiring students carrying dreams, and others were academy staff performing their duties. The atmosphere was lively and bustling.

  "Let's go. We'll fly up." Ryan glanced at the sky.

  Several figures on flying beasts or using flight magic streaked past overhead. He guessed that the academy probably did not forbid flying. If such a restrictive rule existed, the Sword Mage Academy would be far too rigid.

  Before he finished speaking, Ryan grabbed Derrick by the back of his collar. At the movement of his mind, their bodies slowly rose into the air, as if lifted by invisible winds, and they flew toward the academy at the mountain's summit.

  A few minutes later, they landed in the academy's plaza. Derrick barely had time to steady himself before he was overwhelmed by the sight, his voice trembling with excitement."Mentor! This place is incredible!"

  Looking around, dozens of magical halls stood on either side of the plaza. Built from white marble, their rooftops were covered with golden glazed tiles that gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

  The walls were adorned with lifelike sword magic bas-reliefs, from basic sword technique runes to advanced sword-body awakening ceremonies.

  Each carving was exquisitely detailed. Standing before such majestic architecture made a person feel as tiny as an ant. The visual impact left Derrick utterly awestruck.

  "Look at you, still acting like a country bumpkin." Ryan rolled his eyes but couldn't help glancing again at the magnificent scenery.

  There was no denying it. The architectural style of the Sword Mage Academy was grander than many magical factions Ryan had seen in his previous life.

  The sword magic principles embedded in the bas-reliefs would also be extremely useful for Derrick's future studies.

  After speaking, Ryan headed toward the nearest hall, observing as he walked. Derrick hurried to keep up.

  They circled the plaza for a while before finally arriving at a platform called the Sword Viewing Terrace.

  Ryan stared at the hundreds of swords on the Sword Viewing Terrace, his eyes practically glowing. His mind was already filled with thoughts of taking every single one of them.

  The swords came in all shapes and sizes. Some were short, like magical daggers, their blades etched with tiny wind runes.

  Others were broad like door panels, embedded with heavy earth-element crystals, clearly designed for defense.

  Most were standard one-handed swords, yet all were imbued with elemental enchantments.

  What excited him even more was that every single sword was of refined quality refined low, medium, and high grades were all present.

  At the very center stood a longsword emitting a faint blood aura, a rare-grade weapon.

  Its blade pulsed with dense, pure magical energy, obviously a blood-soul sword nurtured over a long period.

  In combat, it could greatly amplify the destructive power of sword techniques.

  However, when Ryan glanced at the two elders standing on either side of the terrace, his plans to haul the swords away evaporated instantly.

  Though they appeared unassuming, both exuded the aura of Ninth-tier Journeyman Mages.

  "To think even the guards of the Sword Viewing Terrace are Ninth-tier Journeyman Mages," Ryan muttered, immediately abandoning any sense of arrogance.

  He had originally assumed the Sword Mage Academy was just a regional magical power, but now it was clear its foundation was far deeper than he had imagined.

  Simply having two Ninth-tier Journeyman Mages guarding the exhibits was enough to prove this was no ordinary academy.

  He knew very well that as a Sixth-tier Journeyman Mage, even with his wind-speed magic, there was no way he could take a single sword under the noses of these two without being caught.

  He might even end up trapped in the academy's magical prison.

  Derrick was still lingering in front of the light-element resonance sword, unwilling to leave, until Ryan tugged on his sleeve, finally forcing him to depart from the terrace.

  By now, the sun had risen high in the sky. Three heavy tolls of a magical bell rang out, echoing through every corner of the academy.

  Immediately afterward, a loud, booming voice announced:"All visiting mages and apprentices! Those who should be present are now in position. The Sword Mage Academy entrance examination begins now!"

  As the voice faded, a dazzling fireworks spell exploded in the sky, its sparks forming a giant sword-shaped pattern that hovered in the clouds for a full ten seconds before slowly dissipating.

  The crowd in the plaza erupted in excitement, rushing toward the source of the sound. Ryan grabbed Derrick and followed the flow of people, moving quickly.

  Ryan glanced at the signposts along the way, clearly pointing toward the examination grounds. The signs were evidently prepared by the academy for the competing apprentices.

  A few minutes later, they arrived at the grounds. It was a massive plaza at least several thousand meters wide, paved with smooth white jade stone, the surface etched with protective runes to buffer energy impacts during battles.

  In the center of the plaza, hundreds of arenas were neatly arranged. Each was separated by a transparent magical barrier, spaced about three meters apart. Each arena measured at least fifty square meters, enough space for two mages to engage in close combat.

  On a platform at the far end of the plaza stood dozens of people in uniform attire. Their robes were primarily teal, with variations in the patterns at the collars and cuffs. Ordinary apprentices wore plain robes, while higher-level apprentices had silver sword patterns embroidered.

  At the very center, a few individuals had golden-thread sword patterns on their robes, clearly marking them as the academy's Mentors.

  At that moment, the booming voice rang out again, detailing the rules of the examination:"The first day's trials use a free-for-all elimination system! All mages at Ninth-tier Adept Mage or below may participate."

  "Each arena is assigned one Mentor. Only ten participants are allowed per arena, first come, first served."

  "The match duration is fifteen minutes. The last one standing on the arena without losing combat capability will become a full-fledged apprentice of the Sword Mage Academy!"

  The voice emphasized the next point:"Special reminder: If, after fifteen minutes, two or more remain standing in an arena without a victor, all participants are deemed eliminated and must re-enter the next round of trials!"

  The rules were crystal clear: defeat all opponents within fifteen minutes, or face elimination. There was no room for passive avoidance or stalling.