The announcement echoed through the inner training grounds long after Elder Qin's voice faded.
"Core Student."
Those two words carried weight.
Status.
Privilege.
Power.
I could feel the change immediately.
The gazes around me were no longer filled with ridicule.
Nor pure fear.
They were cautious now.
Measured.
As if everyone was trying to reassess the value of a blade they once thought dull—only to realize it had always been sharp.
I turned and walked away without another word.
Behind me, whispers erupted.
"A core student… just like that?"
"He crushed Han Luo in one move."
"That movement technique… did you see it?"
"Shadow Step… that's not a low-grade skill."
None of it mattered.
What mattered was that somewhere in this academy, someone was no longer smiling.
Inside a secluded pavilion on the eastern side of the academy, Li Jun clenched his fist.
The porcelain cup in his hand shattered.
Tea spilled across the floor, staining the white tiles.
"A core student?" he muttered.
His breathing grew uneven.
Just yesterday, Zhang Wei had been nothing.
A convenient scapegoat.
A fool easy to frame.
A stepping stone.
Li Jun had calculated everything perfectly.
The stolen resources.
The forged evidence.
The public humiliation.
And the execution.
Zhang Wei was supposed to be dead.
So why—
"No," Li Jun said quietly, shaking his head.
"This doesn't make sense."
He closed his eyes and replayed the memory.
Zhang Wei falling.
The platform collapsing.
The certainty of death.
There was no doubt.
And yet…
"How did you survive?" Li Jun whispered.
More importantly—
"How did you change?"
A knock sounded at the door.
Li Jun straightened instantly.
"Enter."
A student hurried inside, bowing.
"Senior Brother Li," he said nervously, "the rumors are spreading fast."
Li Jun's eyes narrowed.
"What rumors?"
"That Zhang Wei…" the student swallowed, "broke the ranking stone. And Elder Qin personally promoted him to core student."
Li Jun dismissed him with a wave.
When the door closed, his calm shattered.
"This isn't normal growth," he said coldly.
He stood up and walked toward the window, staring out at the academy grounds.
"Either he found a treasure…"
"Or someone is backing him."
Both possibilities were dangerous.
Very dangerous.
At the same time, I sat cross-legged inside my new residence.
Core student housing.
Larger.
Cleaner.
Quiet.
A place earned through dominance.
The system panel hovered before me.
Name: Zhang Wei
Rank: Enhanced (Peak)
Power: 68
Status: Core Student
Skills:
– Shadow Step
– Basic Body Reinforcement
Titles: None
I studied the panel calmly.
Not enough.
Still far from enough.
The system pulsed.
[DING!]
New Analysis Available.
Primary Threat Detected:
Li Jun
Relationship: Hostile
Threat Level: Rising
Intent: Malicious
I smiled faintly.
"So you finally noticed."
Another message appeared.
[DING!]
Hidden Quest Generated.
Expose the Traitor.
Objective:
Publicly destroy Li Jun's reputation and authority.
Conditions:
– Evidence required
– Public setting mandatory
Reward:
+1 Rank Advancement
+1 Title
System Evolution Progress +10%
My heartbeat quickened slightly.
A long-term quest.
A dangerous one.
But worth it.
Very worth it.
I closed the panel.
Revenge wasn't about killing first.
It was about stripping everything away.
Status.
Respect.
Influence.
Only then did death mean anything.
Night fell over the academy.
Lanterns lit the pathways, casting long shadows across the stone floors.
I moved silently through the corridors.
Shadow Step activated.
My body flickered, reappearing atop a roof overlooking the resource storage area.
This was where it had started.
The place Li Jun used to frame me.
Guards patrolled the perimeter, but their movements were predictable.
I waited.
Counted.
Then moved.
I slipped past them like a ghost, landing silently behind the storage hall.
The system chimed softly.
[DING!]
Environmental Advantage Detected.
Stealth efficiency increased.
I entered through a narrow window.
Inside, rows of shelves lined the walls.
Spirit stones.
Elixirs.
Cultivation manuals.
My gaze sharpened.
"There you are."
I found it quickly.
A hidden compartment behind the third shelf.
Inside were records.
Transfer logs.
Names.
Dates.
Including mine.
And Li Jun's.
I copied everything.
The system absorbed the data instantly.
[DING!]
Evidence Acquired.
Quest Progress: 40%
I exhaled slowly.
Halfway there.
Suddenly—
A presence.
I turned.
Too late.
"You really shouldn't be here."
Li Jun stepped out of the shadows, clapping slowly.
"So the rumors were true," he said, eyes glinting.
"You really did change."
I smiled calmly.
"And you really didn't."
His expression darkened.
"Give me what you took," he said.
"Or you'll disappear quietly."
The pressure around him surged.
Enhanced Rank.
Late-stage.
Strong.
Before.
I stepped forward.
Shadow Step.
I vanished.
Li Jun's eyes widened.
I appeared behind him, my hand gripping his collar.
I leaned close.
"Relax," I whispered.
"I'm not here to kill you."
I released him and stepped back.
His breathing was ragged.
"What do you want?" he demanded.
I met his gaze.
"I want you alive," I said calmly.
"And afraid."
Then I turned and walked away.
I didn't look back.
I didn't need to.
The seed had been planted.
Back in my residence, I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.
Li Jun wouldn't sleep tonight.
Suspicion had turned into fear.
Fear would turn into mistakes.
The system pulsed one last time.
[DING!]
Quest Update.
Target destabilized.
Mental Pressure applied.
Quest Progress: 55%
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow—
The academy would shake again.