The early morning mist clung to the stone tiles outside the dorms, the world still quiet as most disciples remained asleep.
But in one of the smallest outer disciple rooms, faint red light flickered.
Sitting cross-legged on the stone floor, wrapped in a thin gray cultivation robe, Alice's breathing was slow and steady. Her eyes were closed, body calm, but around her, faint traces of red and black Qi danced in the air like wraiths.
Fire and Darkness.
One open, one hidden.
Alice had reached Qi Condensation Level 1 shortly after her reincarnation, but she was far from satisfied. She had one year before her age surpassed the eligibility for new recruits. One year to pass the inner disciple exam, reach Foundation Establishment.
But her true goal? It lay far beyond that.
To walk freely in this empire, to never be prey again, she needed power—and the strength to kill without question.
And that began now.
---
For the next two weeks, Alice isolated herself completely.
Each day, she would train in the academy's outer disciple cultivation grounds—simple flat stone fields with natural Qi formations that enhanced absorption slightly. She avoided conversation, ignored passing gossip, and became known as the "cold new girl who only trains."
Every morning began with body tempering—sprints, balance drills, and flexibility exercises. Physical strength mattered even at the lowest realms. Then she'd cultivate, circulating Qi through her meridians over and over.
The Dark Element Manual she had stolen from the library was not ordinary—it was a Tier 4 cultivation manual, designed for fire-darkness dual element cultivators. But due to her concealment, Alice could only use the fire-based techniques openly.
Still, the foundation it built was solid.
By the end of the first week, she broke through to Qi Condensation Level 2.
The rush of Qi had filled her dantian, her body feeling lighter, senses sharper. But she didn't stop to celebrate. The next level was her real goal.
---
In her room at night, she trained with absolute silence.
Her dagger strikes were like ghost shadows. She practiced stances, silent movement, breath control, and pressure point strikes, turning her tiny quarters into a shadow dojo. Every day, her soul merged deeper with the teenage body she now called her own.
Her only expenses during these two weeks were a few spirit stones to buy low-grade cultivation food and herbs to suppress muscle strain.
She had 100 Tier 1 Spirit Stones when she came. After two weeks, only 17 remained.
She didn't regret it. Every coin was fuel for her rise.
---
On the morning of the fourteenth day, as the sun rose like a blade across the sky, Alice sat once more in her cultivation stance.
Her entire body was drenched in sweat, her lips pale from pushing her Qi to its limits. The fire Qi inside her surged, crashing against the invisible wall that marked the peak of Level 2.
Her breathing slowed. Her spirit focused.
She visualized the flame—flickering, wild, stubborn.
She guided it downward, into her core, her dantian, and made it spiral like a vortex.
Crack.
A faint sound echoed within her body.
Then—boom—a surge of warmth and power exploded from her core as she opened her eyes, golden-red light swirling within them.
Qi Condensation Level 3.
She exhaled slowly, steadying her breath. Her limbs trembled slightly from exhaustion, but she smiled—calm, victorious.
"I made it."
Now she would qualify for the upcoming resource distribution. That was critical. With better pills, techniques, and access, she could rise faster—and closer to the Foundation Establishment Realm.
---
Later that afternoon, she stepped into the outer disciple hall. A few familiar faces turned to glance her way. Most of them noticed the change.
Her aura was stronger, her steps steadier. The faint spiritual pressure that came with Qi Condensation Level 3 was undeniable.
Even the senior outer disciples raised their eyebrows.
One girl, a pale-skinned disciple named Yue Ling, stepped forward with a polite smile.
"You've grown fast," she said. "A rare pace for someone new. What technique do you use?"
Alice smiled lightly, "Just lucky, I suppose."
Yue Ling chuckled, but her eyes were sharp. "Luck only takes you so far."
Alice said nothing more and walked past.
She wasn't here to make friends.
She wasn't here to explain herself.
She was here to rise.
---
As night fell over the academy, Alice returned to her room and lit a single lantern.
She pulled out her small pouch—inside were her remaining 17 Tier 1 Spirit Stones.
"Barely anything left," she murmured.
But she also knew: with the monthly stipend for outer disciples arriving soon—30 Tier 1 Spirit Stones—and the resource distribution, she could plan her next steps carefully.
She also needed to be ready for the Inner Disciple Selection Trial—held every three months.
Only those who had reached Foundation Establishment Realm and passed the trial were eligible. She had three months to break into that tier, or she'd have to wait again.
Time wasn't her ally.
But neither was it her enemy.
She had walked this path before—in another life, in another world.
Now, with cultivation under her control and an assassin's mind at her back, she would rise again.
One step at a time.