Perfect. Here's Chapter 10 in full, in the Rise of t
The Azure Dragon Academy stretched before Dua Lin like a city of war carved into the mountains themselves. Towering gates of black stone, etched with ancient runes, loomed above, while the courtyard beyond teemed with the strongest young cultivators from every corner of the continent. Every step he took stirred the wind, carrying whispers of power, ambition, and rivalry.
"Dragon Resonance Champion from Longwei City," a voice hissed. "So that's the boy the Academy dared to accept early…"
Dua Lin's eyes narrowed slightly, scanning the sea of youth. He did not rise to greetings or sneers; he walked like a predator, calm, deliberate, exuding an aura that commanded attention without effort. Some turned pale, some smirked with arrogance, but all eyes lingered on him.
Mu Qing, walking alongside him, observed quietly. "The Academy is no place for hesitation," the elder said. "Here, the strong devour the weak, and only the cunning survive. Keep your mind sharp and your fists sharper."
Dua Lin inclined his head. "Understood."
As they moved into the central courtyard, a group of three youths, clad in crimson robes and bearing the insignia of a rival sect, stepped forward. Their eyes glinted with malice, and the air around them pulsed with arrogance.
"You're the one who stole the spotlight from the Zhao clan, aren't you?" the tallest sneered, cracking his knuckles. "Little champion from Longwei. Let's see if your power matches your fame."
The courtyard fell silent. A hundred pairs of eyes watched, waiting for the first blood to be drawn.
Dua Lin's expression did not change. He merely flexed his fingers, and the air around him shivered subtly. His Dragon Veins throbbed faintly, responding to the latent hostility.
"Come," he said simply.
The fight began without ceremony. The tallest lunged first, aura exploding, a clawed strike aimed at Dua Lin's chest. Dua Lin sidestepped with a whisper of movement, faster than the eye could follow, and a single punch sent the youth crashing into the stone floor. The impact reverberated like a cannon blast.
Two others attacked simultaneously, one wielding a spear, the other a pair of short blades. Dua Lin's movements were a dance of steel and qi. He deflected the spear with a subtle twist of his wrist, countering with a strike that shattered the blades' trajectory, sending his opponents sprawling.
A hush fell over the courtyard. The spectators had seen many prodigies, many geniuses, but none who moved with such lethal precision, none who turned brute strength into effortless artistry.
"You… you're unreal," one of the crimson-robed youths muttered, staggering to his feet, blood staining his uniform. "This isn't… possible!"
Dua Lin's lips curved into the faintest of smiles. "This is just the beginning."
The battle was over before it truly began. The crimson-robed trio retreated, nursing pride more than wounds, while whispers spread like wildfire. "The Longwei boy… he's no mere champion… he's a monster in the making."
Mu Qing's eyes glinted. "Impressive. Most would have been dragged under by the first attack. But your control… it is precise, lethal, and terrifying. You've already begun to mark your territory here."
Even as Dua Lin absorbed the attention, he noted something else: subtle shifts in the Academy's energy. Certain senior disciples, the champions of last year, were watching with narrowed eyes — not curiosity, but calculation. They were weighing him, marking him as a threat to their future dominance.
The next morning, training began in earnest. The Azure Dragon Academy was no ordinary school; it was a crucible of blood and ambition. Disciples sparred without rules, exercises were brutal, and failure meant humiliation at best, shattered qi at worst.
Dua Lin joined a formation of cultivators, each strike and parry a measured test. He observed his opponents carefully, analyzing openings, gauging strength, and testing the limits of his Dragon Veins. Every strike he delivered carried the weight of his ambition, every movement a hint of the war he intended to wage.
By midday, murmurs had spread among instructors and disciples alike. Dua Lin's third Dragon Vein pulsed with an unnatural rhythm, his qi threads weaving into patterns no other student could replicate. Some of the older disciples muttered warnings: "He's not just talented… he's dangerous. Dangerous beyond calculation."
One instructor, a veteran of countless wars and duels, approached him, eyes sharp as a blade. "You've been marked," he said quietly. "Not all here wish to see you survive. Some will test you, not for training, but to see if you are worth annihilating. Remember — the Academy fosters strength, but it does not protect fools."
Dua Lin's gaze hardened. "Let them come. I will carve my path through them all."
By dusk, whispers of the Longwei champion had reached the academy's inner circles. Rivals began plotting in shadowed halls, some underestimating him, some overestimating. But one figure, a top-tier prodigy known for his ruthlessness and cunning, regarded Dua Lin from afar, lips curling in a calculated smile.
"This boy… he thinks he can walk unchallenged?" the prodigy muttered. "I will test him myself. Let's see if the Dragon Resonance carries the weight of a true warrior's heart."
Dua Lin, meanwhile, sat alone atop the Academy's cliffside wall, gazing at the peaks beyond. Moonlight glinted off the jagged rocks, reflecting the steel in his eyes.
"Every battle is a step," he whispered. "Every challenge, a ladder to power. If they wish to test me, I will show them what it means to fight against destiny itself."
A gust of wind swept over the mountain, carrying with it the scent of iron and storm. Somewhere, deep within the Academy's hidden chambers, a set of ancient eyes opened. A low, resonant laugh echoed through the stone halls.
"So… the child of Longwei has arrived. Let us see if the world remembers his name, or if it will tremble beneath mine first."
The courtyard below erupted in sudden chaos. A challenge had been issued — an official duel from a senior disciple. The clash would determine not just pride, but position within the Academy.
Dua Lin rose, the aura of his Dragon Veins blazing like a living fire. His hands clenched, his eyes glimmering with predatory intent.
The first blood of the Azure Dragon Academy would be spilled tonight — and Dua Lin intended for it to be his.