On the distant platform stood the Academy's upper council viewing terrace.

  From there, one could overlook the entire dueling square.

  Amid the bursts of magical collisions flashing across the stage, one peculiar sight drew almost every gaze, a large bed placed near the plaza's edge, with three figures sitting around a table piled high with snacks and malt liquor.

  The pleasant aroma rising from their feast clashed absurdly with the tense atmosphere of the ongoing matches.

  An elder with a long white beard looked in their direction, a faint smile tugging at his lips."Those three youngsters are rather genuine," he said warmly."To remain so carefree in such a serious setting, it reminds me of my own days of youthful recklessness."

  A rough, raspy voice cut through the air, dripping with disdain. Its pitch was so sharp it could almost be mistaken for that of a sulking young woman.

  The white-bearded elder turned his head toward the source, Elder Aubrey, sitting on the other end of the terrace.

  Aubrey's brows were furrowed tightly as he glared at the trio, as though their presence alone profaned the Academy's decorum.

  The white-bearded elder's smile faded."Aubrey," he said irritably,"must you oppose me every single time I speak?"

  Aubrey's voice was cold and rigid."Those three show no trace of Academy manners. To set up a bed and dine in public, do they think themselves clever? Seeking attention from the higher faculty with such antics? Opportunists like these, even if gifted, will never amount to anything!"

  Just then, a calm but commanding voice resonated through the terrace, the Headmaster's voice.

  "Aubrey, what if two of those three possess talent strong enough to rank among the Academy's top ten?"

  A faint amusement colored the Headmaster's tone."Take that boy, for instance. The light-element energy in his body, rare indeed for one blessed with the gift of Light Swordsmanship."

  At the mention of Light Swordsmanship, Aubrey's pupils contracted slightly, but he still refused to yield."Even if he wields light-element magic, such insolent and undisciplined behavior is beneath my regard! A mind that restless can never master power; he will become a slave to his own talent!"

  "Good," the Headmaster replied softly, offering no further argument.

  A strange heaviness sank into Aubrey's chest. That simple response… did it mean one of those three possessed a talent far beyond his expectations?

  Just then, a woman's voice interrupted the silence."Enough bickering, look at Platform Twenty-Seven!"

  The council members turned their eyes toward the distant arena, but most were a second too late.

  The protective barrier surrounding Platform Twenty-Seven was already dissolving, and nine apprentices were descending from the stage, their faces pale and stunned, still carrying the traces of fear.

  A young woman stood at the center of the platform, a veil covering most of her face. It was Evelyn.

  The chill of her ice-element magic had fully subsided, leaving only the faintest trace of frost clinging to her sword's edge.

  The free-for-all battle had ended almost as soon as it began. While the nine apprentices hesitated, uncertain who should strike first, Evelyn had already vanished.

  Using ice-element step magic, she had left several afterimages across the stage.

  When her ultimate ice sword swept through the air, it didn't even make a sound. By the time the others reacted, they only felt a sudden chill across their chests,

  their uniforms had been sliced open by clean, even cuts, the sword's tip hovering just above their skin. Not a drop of blood spilled, yet the suffocating pressure froze them in place.

  "We… we lost," whispered the first boy to recover, his voice trembling.

  He stared at the sword still faintly glowing with cold in Evelyn's hand, awe flooding his eyes.

  It was absolute dominance, so overwhelming that none of them even had the chance to resist.

  One by one, the nine apprentices turned and walked off the stage, no bitterness in their steps, only deep respect for a power far beyond their reach.

  Next to Platform Twenty-Seven, the nine apprentices who had just stepped down were still quietly counting their luck. If the young woman had not held back, they might not have survived.

  One boy in a brown apprentice robe clenched his fists and cursed under his breath."Damn it! Why did our group have to run into someone this strong?"

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  A tall, thin boy nodded, his face pale."If she had really wanted to kill us just now, our heads would have been off by now."

  "To slice through nine uniforms in an instant without harming a single person, that level of control, even the Academy's senior mentors might not be able to achieve!"

  Meanwhile, atop the viewing terrace:

  "That apprentice is mine! No one touch her!"

  "Why should she be yours? She uses ice-element sword techniques. She is clearly more suited to be my student!"

  Voices of dispute erupted, some so eager they almost wanted to jump down from the platform and claim Evelyn as their apprentice on the spot.

  "Enough!" The Headmaster's voice rang out, commanding and undeniable.

  "Do not rush. Wait until she passes the subsequent trials. If she cannot complete the admission assessment, no matter how gifted, it is meaningless."

  The clamor gradually subsided, though some still whispered among themselves, shifting the topic from Evelyn to other rare talents in past years.

  "I remember three years ago, there was a boy who could fight three levels above his own…"

  "This girl is not only talented but also knows restraint. Her temperament is far steadier than that boy's back then."

  On the plaza below the viewing terrace, the sun was slowly sinking in the west, painting the sky in brilliant gold and red hues.

  Layers of fiery clouds resembled silk dyed by magic, casting a warm glow over the intense dueling scenes.

  Across hundreds of platforms, transparent protective barriers shimmered with multicolored magic: the weight of earth shields, the sharpness of wind blades, the heat of fireballs, all intertwined into a lively magical spectacle.

  Ryan and the others still sat on the large bed. Darlene, looking toward the dueling stage, suddenly turned to Derrick, a faintly mocking smile in her tone."If you went up there to fight them, how many moves do you think you'd survive?"

  To her, Derrick was just a novice mage who probably couldn't even track the opponent's sword shadows.

  Derrick, gulping down malt liquor, immediately set down his bottle, a cocky smirk spreading across his face as he raised his chin."How many moves? I'd take them out in seconds!"

  Darlene couldn't help laughing and tossed a few caramel nuts in front of him."Eat something, drink less, or you'll get so drunk you forget your own name."

  "What do you mean by that?" Derrick snapped, ready to argue.

  A burly onlooker suddenly interjected, his tone indignant."Kid, you are far too arrogant! Taking them out in seconds? If you're so confident, go try it!"

  "Exactly!" Several nearby spectators joined in, their eyes full of disdain for Derrick.

  Derrick's face turned bright red. He wanted to retort but didn't know what to say. He knew he couldn't handle them, yet being mocked publicly ignited his youthful pride.

  Ryan sat quietly nearby, not taking part in their bickering. His gaze swept across the platforms, silently assessing the strength of each competing apprentice.

  He was waiting for the right moment to find Derrick a platform with a weaker opponent. Derrick's light-element magic was powerful, but his overall magical level was too low.

  Fifteen minutes passed quickly. The sunset dimmed, and lights began to illuminate the plaza.

  Finally, next to a previously unclaimed platform, a referee shouted loudly,"The forty-seventh round of the free-for-all begins! Participating apprentices, please enter the arena immediately!"

  Ryan's eyes lit up. He immediately took out the Soulweaver's Pendant.

  He hung it around Derrick's neck, and without waiting for a reaction, grabbed his collar and swung him forcefully in the direction of the platform!

  The wind howled past. Derrick hadn't even recovered from the shock of having his collar grabbed when he was sent flying like an arrow toward Platform Forty-Seven.

  He slammed heavily onto the platform, his body rolling uncontrollably for several turns. Every bone in his body seemed to ache as if it had been shattered. The pain only began to subside when the Soulweaver's Pendant around his neck glowed with a soft green light, and the warm magical energy spread through his meridians.

  The other eight apprentices on the platform watched this hardcore entrance, their mouths twitching in unison. They had seen people rushing to register, but never someone literally thrown onto the platform. Was this boy trying to cause trouble?

  What they didn't know was that Ryan had deliberately chosen this platform. The highest magic level here was Fifth-tier Adept Mage, posing little real danger to Derrick.

  Outside the platform, apprentices who had missed the registration slots slammed their fists in frustration at the sealed protective barrier and turned to rush toward other platforms that still had openings.

  "Are you not afraid your apprentice will get killed?" Darlene glared at Ryan, her voice full of shock, even though Derrick's opponents weren't high-level.

  Ryan raised an eyebrow, teasingly."What? Already worried about your Derrick?"

  "I'm not worried about him!" Darlene's cheeks flushed red, her tone becoming sharp.

  "Then stop shouting," Ryan said, pointing to the remaining caramel nuts on the table."Are you eating or not? If not, I'm putting them back in my magic bag."

  "I'm eating! I'll go on in the next round." Darlene quickly grabbed a handful of nuts and stuffed them in her mouth, mumbling indistinctly.

  Ryan paused, slightly surprised, looking at her."You're participating in the trials too?"

  He had thought Darlene was just here to watch, but she actually intended to enroll.

  Seeing this, Ryan left the bed and table for Darlene to watch and walked toward a platform nearby that had just opened up a slot. He took a few running steps and leapt, his body tracing a graceful arc through the air like a soaring eagle, landing steadily on the platform.

  Darlene's eyes widened again. Ryan was clearly a Journeyman Mage, why would he join a free-for-all that only allowed Adept Mages? She was completely stunned and could only watch, curious to see what Ryan would do.

  Ryan's feet touched the platform, which remained perfectly still. He raised an eyebrow, having deliberately suppressed his magical power to the level of a Ninth-tier Adept Mage.

  He crouched slightly, looking awkward, almost as if squatting on a toilet.

  "Are you here to take a dump or to fight?" a burly man with a beard couldn't resist teasing. Seeing Ryan's strange posture, he couldn't hold back his laughter.

  The other apprentices on the platform also burst into laughter, their eyes full of ridicule. They assumed this was an inexperienced rookie who didn't even know how to enter the platform properly.

  Ryan stood upright and brushed the dust from his clothes. His expression turned serious."I don't want to hurt any of you. If you admit defeat now, it's not too late."

  The laughter on the platform stopped instantly. The bearded man raised an eyebrow."Kid, do you know who I am? Saying that in front of me, you must not be awake yet."

  Ryan knew that empty words wouldn't intimidate anyone. He took a deep breath and fully unleashed the magical energy of a Ninth-tier Adept Mage.

  A dense aura of magic erupted from him like a storm, forming visible air currents. Because the protective barrier hadn't yet risen, the force blew the hair and robes of the spectators outside the platform.

  Both the apprentices on the platform and the audience outside were left in shock. This aura was more than twice as strong as that of a normal Ninth-tier Adept Mage.