The courtyard hummed with pressure.
Dust drifted lazily through the air as Alaric stood with his arms folded, watching his seven strongest soldiers take their places on the stone platform. The air trembled faintly from the gathered aura of so many high-tier cultivators — Desolate Lords and Ethereal Lords whose strength had once been unimaginable.
Now, they were his students. His squad.
And this was their final test.
The murmurs faded as Yue Rong stepped forward first, the faint shimmer of her ethereal aura wrapping her in a veil of elegance and danger. Her eyes were calm, but the faint curl of her lips betrayed excitement. Opposite her, Liang Chen stretched his neck, flames crackling faintly around his shoulders. The ground beneath him scorched with every exhale.
Alaric muttered to himself, eyes narrowing. "Let's see just how far you've both come."
At his signal, the air exploded.
Liang Chen moved first — his blade flashing crimson, a streak of fire tearing through the courtyard like a comet. Yue Rong didn't dodge. Her hand shimmered, weaving a delicate pattern in the air before a transparent barrier of mana coalesced in front of her, deflecting the fiery slash with a hiss.
Then, in the same motion, she vanished.
A flicker — and she reappeared behind Liang Chen, her sword aimed for his shoulder. But the man grinned, spinning midair as his blade erupted in a spiral of flames. Their swords collided with a metallic clang, the shockwave forcing several watching soldiers to shield their eyes.
"Fast," Alaric noted, his eyes gleaming. "But not fast enough for her."
Yue Rong's mana flared. Threads of spatial energy rippled around her as she flickered again, appearing at different angles, each movement leaving behind an afterimage. Liang Chen swung wildly, barely keeping up. Then Yue Rong's sword kissed his chest — a clean, shallow cut, but enough to end the round.
Liang Chen laughed breathlessly, clutching his chest. "You've gotten faster, Yue."
She gave him a small smile. "You've gotten stronger too… but fire burns out quicker than space bends."
Alaric smiled faintly. "One down."
Next came Audrey versus Griffin — both Ethereal Lords, both masters of precision and control. The air chilled as Audrey stepped forward, her mana forming delicate frost patterns across the ground. Griffin's eyes glowed faintly gold, his aura sharp and focused like a blade drawn from its sheath.
No words were exchanged this time. Just movement.
Audrey raised her hands, and spears of ice launched forward like arrows. Griffin moved with fluid grace, his twin daggers cutting through them before closing the gap in a blur. She twisted aside, cold mist flaring from her body, freezing the ground under his feet.
For a moment, the two danced — blades flashing, frost and steel colliding with bursts of light.
Then Griffin feinted — his right dagger flashing high, forcing Audrey's guard upward, only to drive his knee into her side with a dull thud. She stumbled but retaliated immediately, a burst of frost exploding from her palm that sent Griffin sliding backward.
Both panting, both bloodied, they raised their weapons again.
And then Audrey smiled faintly — her lips tinged blue. "Checkmate."
The air behind Griffin solidified into a jagged spear of ice. He barely turned before it struck his shoulder, knocking him off balance. The crowd roared as he fell to one knee.
Alaric clapped once. "Audrey wins."
But his smile was proud, not surprised.
The next duels blurred together in waves of power and strategy.
Liang Hao fought Gao Wei — brothers in arms whose teamwork made them predictable, but whose rivalry pushed them to reckless heights. Their blows shook the platform, their qi forming rippling shockwaves that cracked the tiles. Both fought to exhaustion before Gao Wei collapsed, his weapon shattered and chest heaving.
Then came Trent, the silent one — his spear a streak of silver as he battled Liang Chen, who'd recovered enough to rejoin the fray. Sparks flew as steel met steel, the air howling around them. Trent's focus was absolute, every move precise — until a burst of flame from Liang Chen's blade overwhelmed him, sending him flying back.
One by one, the fights continued until only three remained standing: Yue Rong, Audrey, and Liang Chen.
The final battle began with no command.
All three moved at once — fire, frost, and spatial distortion colliding in a violent dance that lit up the entire courtyard. Yue Rong's sword bent space around it, slicing through both flame and ice. Audrey's frost barriers blocked several attacks, her magic condensing into crystal mirrors that reflected fiery slashes back toward Liang Chen.
And Liang Chen — bloodied, grinning, unstoppable — turned the ground into molten stone, forcing them back.
The air shimmered from the sheer power unleashed.
When the smoke cleared, Yue Rong stood tall in the center, her sword resting on her shoulder. Liang Chen lay on his back, laughing despite his burns. Audrey kneeled beside him, exhausted but smiling.
Yue Rong sheathed her sword. "Looks like I'm still captain material."
Alaric stepped forward, clapping his hands once — his voice carrying across the silent courtyard.
"Well done. Every one of you."
He looked at the seven of them — bruised, scarred, and smiling — and felt a surge of pride. They were no longer recruits. They were warriors forged through blood, sweat, and countless battles.
And soon… they would be something far greater.