Inside the Zhuo Sect, Yan Zhuo was sleeping on the floor, completely buried under piles of scrolls like a defeated scholar.
The door suddenly opened.
"Time to go to school!" a woman said excitedly.
Yan Zhuo slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes and looking around in confusion.
"O… okay. I'm going," he muttered, still half asleep.
After a while, Yan Zhuo walked along the street, staring at the ring on his finger.
"Master, are you inside?" he asked quietly.
The ring suddenly glowed, and Astra appeared in his human form, calmly looking around.
"This planet is quite interesting," Astra said, observing the people passing by.
Yan Zhuo kept walking and glanced back at him.
"I'm going to school right now."
Astra smiled and followed beside him.
"That's good. You'll learn more about cosmic energy there. After school, I'll teach you skills."
Before Yan Zhuo could reply, Astra vanished back into the ring.
Yan Zhuo rolled his eyes.
"Finally…"
As he entered the school, a teacher looked at him sternly.
"Finally, you came."
Yan Zhuo smiled awkwardly.
"I promised I would."
She nodded and led him inside.
"In this room, you will learn about cosmic energy."
She gestured toward the classroom and left.
Yan Zhuo stepped inside—
BAM.
His face accidentally pressed straight into a girl's chest. Instinctively, he grabbed her waist to keep from falling.
"What the hell?!" she shouted.
Before he could even apologize, she pushed him back with full force.
CRASH!
Yan Zhuo slammed into the wall.
"Ouch!!"
The girl crossed her arms aggressively, her cheeks red with anger.
"Who the hell are you?"
Yan Zhuo touched his face, finally realizing what just happened.
"I—I'm sorry!"
She glared at him one last time and walked away.
Yan Zhuo slowly stood up and went to his seat.
"That was… very bad," he muttered.
Astra popped out of the ring and looked at Yan Zhuo's face.
"You got a map there."
Yan Zhuo rubbed his cheek.
"She's really strong…"
Class began.
Yan Zhuo glanced at the girl again and spoke softly.
"Hi…"
She shot him a sharp look and immediately turned away.
The teacher began calmly,
"Today, we will learn what cosmic energy is. Cosmic energy exists inside everyone and everything. It can interfere with matter and even concepts. Whoever controls it intelligently… cannot be defeated."
Yan Zhuo's eyes sparkled.
Suddenly, another teacher entered, clapping her hands.
"Everyone, make a line. Today, we'll decide your ranks."
The students followed excitedly.
Yan Zhuo clenched his fists.
"I hope I get an awesome rank."
Inside the ring domain, Astra sighed.
"You're praying for a high rank without even knowing what cosmic energy is."
Yan Zhuo whispered back,
"Maybe I'll get the highest rank."
Astra sighed harder.
"Your expectations are dangerous, kid."
The teacher placed a hand on Yan Zhuo's shoulder.
"Ready for your test?"
"Of course," Yan Zhuo said confidently.
He placed his hand on a small crystal stone.
"Let's see what I've got."
The crystal glowed with purple cosmic energy.
The teacher examined it carefully.
"Your rank is Yuan Chu, First Grade."
Yan Zhuo's eyes widened.
"Is that… high?"
She forced a gentle smile.
"It's the first stage of a rookie cultivator. But it's impressive—your cultivation is already unlocked, which increases your growth speed."
Yan Zhuo nodded quietly and returned to his place.
"I have to become stronger," he whispered, staring at his ring.
After school, Yan Zhuo walked into the forest connecting the Zhuo Sect to the northern sects.
Astra appeared, looking around with interest.
"Perfect place for training."
With a snap of his fingers, dozens of scrolls appeared.
"These are skill scrolls. Learn from them."
Yan Zhuo picked one up and tried following the instructions.
Nothing happened.
"…Nothing happened."
He sat down in defeat.
Astra walked over.
"That's normal. First, you need to strengthen your physical energy. Then your internal cosmic energy can absorb the external one."
Yan Zhuo looked up.
"So what do I do?"
Astra smiled and patted his head.
"Run. Ten kilometers. Every day."
Yan Zhuo's eyes widened.
"Ten?! That's impossible for a boy like me!"
Astra's expression turned serious.
"Start running."
Yan Zhuo sighed and began running.
After a while—
"I can't run anymore!"
Astra followed calmly.
"Keep running if you want to become the strongest."
Yan Zhuo clenched his teeth and ran faster.
"I will… become the strongest!"
By evening, Yan Zhuo collapsed on the ground.
"I can't… move…"
Astra smiled proudly.
"You ran ten kilometers. Your cosmic energy has increased."
Yan Zhuo sat up weakly.
"How long until I reach Grade Two?"
Astra rubbed his chin.
"That depends on skills. Rank is just a measurement—skills matter more. Learn to absorb cosmic energy properly, and your cultivation speed will increase."
Yan Zhuo stretched.
"Let's go back to the sect."
As they walked, Astra continued,
"If you keep this pace, you can increase your grade in two to four days. Once you reach Yuan Shi, you can use artifacts and beast souls."
Yan Zhuo's eyes lit up.
"How many grades are there in one rank?"
"Nine."
Yan Zhuo sighed deeply.
"That's too many…"
Astra nodded.
"But it keeps things fair."
At midnight, Yan Zhuo sat on the floor, meditating.
Purple cosmic energy slowly surrounded him.
"Good," Astra said. "Keep going."
The energy flowed into Yan Zhuo's body.
He opened his eyes suddenly.
"Woah… I can feel something inside me!"
Astra nodded.
"You didn't stabilize it. If cosmic energy collapses, it explodes."
Yan Zhuo panicked and immediately focused again.
"Am I doing it right?"
"Yes," Astra said proudly.
"You're almost ready to learn skills."
Yan Zhuo smiled.
"That's amazing—"
Suddenly, pain shot through his chest.
"Ah!!"
Astra laughed lightly.
"Still unstable. Work harder."
Yan Zhuo sighed and continued meditating.
"…This is really boring."
In the morning, Yan Zhuo was sprinting toward the school.
"I'm late again!" he shouted, running at full speed.
Inside the ring domain, Astra sat with a tired sigh.
"If you woke up on time, this wouldn't happen," he said calmly.
Yan Zhuo rolled his eyes.
"I spent the whole night studying and learning about cosmic energy," he replied irritably.
Suddenly, Yan Zhuo looked ahead and was about to crash into a tall, older boy.
"Hey, Uncle, move aside!" Yan Zhuo yelled—
Whoosh.
Before they could collide, the boy instantly teleported behind him.
"Don't run, kiddo," the boy said casually, already walking away.
Yan Zhuo froze, glanced behind him, then panicked.
"S-Sorry, Uncle!" he shouted while sprinting away even faster.
Astra sighed again.
"Congratulations. You just offended a cultivator strong enough to erase you."
Yan Zhuo screamed in his head and ran like his life depended on it.