The ground trembled before the sound reached us.
It started as a distant hum — low, resonant, almost like thunder rolling across an empty plain — and then the sky split open.
Seven figures descended from the clouds.
They didn't fall. They floated — their robes rippling in slow, deliberate grace, carried on currents of invisible power. The air itself bent under their presence. Dust spiraled upward, stones cracked, and the faint-hearted dropped to their knees as that suffocating pressure pressed down on everyone gathered in the open square.
I could feel the weight in my bones — refined, deliberate aura suppression. Every heartbeat felt like it was being tested.
Alex stood beside me, his expression unreadable, though his fingers twitched slightly — the telltale movement of someone measuring mana density.
At the lead stood a man whose very presence made the world quiet.
Tall, broad-shouldered, silver streaks in his black hair, and a scar that ran down his neck as if it had been carved by lightning. His uniform was trimmed in dark gold, and the insignia on his chest marked him as Colonel Zhang Tianwei — Commander of the Eastern Recruitment Division.
Two Captains followed behind him — one a woman with cold eyes and long jade hair tied in a high knot, her armor glowing faintly with mana inscriptions; the other a burly man with a massive glaive strapped to his back, his qi radiating raw killing intent.
Four Lieutenants and twenty Sergeant Majors formed a formation behind them, descending in perfect synchronization. They landed lightly on the platform at the center of the square — seven hundred meters from where the thousands of recruits stood.
When the Colonel spoke, his voice carried through the entire courtyard, neither loud nor soft, but heavy enough to command silence.
> "You stand on the soil of the Qin Empire," he said, his tone like a blade scraping stone. "Here, strength is the only law. Titles, bloodlines, noble houses — none of it matters if you cannot stand beneath heaven's weight."
He swept his gaze over the crowd — easily two thousand recruits, gathered from the border provinces and wandering sects. His eyes paused on no one for long, yet when they passed over me, I felt my mana stir as if it were bowing in instinctive respect.
> "The Qin Army does not seek numbers," the Colonel continued. "We seek weapons. Only the sharpest edges will be tempered into the blades that protect this empire."
He raised his hand, and a projection of golden light unfolded above the stage — a scroll of ranks and rewards.
> "For those who prove themselves today," he said, "the empire opens limited positions. Two Sergeant Major ranks. Ten Sergeant ranks. Fifty Corporal ranks. No more."
A wave of murmurs swept the recruits — some awed, some desperate. Even I felt a flicker of anticipation. Those were command positions — hard-earned and respected.
> "The Sergeant Major rank," the Colonel continued, "comes with a squad of fourteen under your command, a home within the core of the empire, servants to maintain it, and a monthly stipend of ten gold coins. You will have priority in cultivation resources beneath the officers."
Gasps rippled through the recruits. Ten gold coins — for most, that was wealth beyond imagination. But the Colonel's gaze hardened, silencing the whispers.
> "But understand this: every benefit is paid for in blood. Fail your duties, and you will lose more than your rank."
The two Captains stepped forward, speaking in turn — the woman explaining the evaluation stages, the man detailing the physical, spiritual, and combat assessments to come. The crowd listened with rapt attention, the air electric with tension.
When they were done, the Colonel stepped forward again, his aura flaring for the briefest moment.
The air thickened. My knees nearly buckled under the pressure — not from fear, but from sheer density of power. This was no ordinary colonel. His strength was easily beyond the Saint King Realm, and yet he wielded it with surgical control.
"Those who fear this," he said quietly, "should leave now. The battlefield will not be merciful."
No one moved.
A faint smirk crossed his face.
> "Good. Let the trials begin."
The ground beneath the stage shimmered with light. Circles of formation energy expanded outward, marking the boundaries of the trial fields. Each circle thrummed with power — gravity enchantments, mana amplifiers, illusionary wards — this was no simple recruitment. It was a crucible.
I glanced at Alex. He met my eyes, calm as always, though I could see the faint excitement flickering there.
"It begins," he said softly.
"Yes," I murmured, feeling my heart stir for the first time in months. "Let's see what the Qin Empire calls strength."
Overhead, the Colonel's command echoed through the air, and the formation sigils flared to life, bathing the field in golden light.
The crowd erupted in a mix of awe and fear. Some clenched their fists in determination. Others already began to tremble.
Alex and I stepped forward, our shadows merging on the stone as the light consumed the field.
Whatever came next, I knew one thing:
This was only the beginning.