Absorbing the Shadow
The moment the Shadow Snake's black form dissipated on the wind, Feng Jian felt a tug within his mind. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, then reached out with his Qi to gather the creature's lingering essence. As memories flooded his thoughts, he saw flashes of its endless battles against other beasts, its servitude to the Empiror Beast who now ruled the Northlands, and the whispered command that sent it to devastate the human city.
Knowledge of the Snake's mastery of the Dark Element—one of the deadliest arts in the Monster Kingdom—filled him. Its venomous fangs, now silent, would be forged into daggers prized by assassins. Jian grimaced at the weight of understanding: he had not only slain a foe, but inherited its legacy.
The Dragon's Vindication
Back in Central Terra, Lisa Draconis watched the replay through the Seeker Orb her servant held aloft. Her silver eyes shone as the snake fell beneath Jian's gale-forged blades.
"Father, as you see, I was not wrong about him," she said, bowing to Dragon Lord Draconis.
He inclined his head, pride and relief warring on his map-lined face.
A Marriage Proposal and an Invitation
Two days later, a gilded scroll arrived from the Qing nation: the daughter of its leaders offered both her hand in marriage to Feng Jian and a guaranteed seat at the prestigious Seven-Star Academy—an honor usually extended to only twenty youths under age fifteen from minor nations.
Before Jian could respond, a great airship—its hull carved with dragon motifs and powered by Shadow Snake core Qi—descended upon his family's courtyard. A delegation of Wind Dragon Clan emissaries disembarked under the pretense of purchasing the Shadow Snake's core.
Instead, they presented Jian with an offer far greater: enrollment in the Wind Dragon Sword Art, and a letter from Lisa:
Find me at the Academy. I will be waiting for you—and you'd better not disappoint me.
Beneath Lisa's words lay a signed recommendation from Dragon Lord Draconis himself, guaranteeing Jian entry into the Academy's entrance exams two years hence.
Jian turned the letter over to his mother, Shen Mei.
"Mother, what should I do?"
Her lips curved—her first true smile. "Do you believe in Lisa's words?"
"I always have," he replied.
"Then follow your heart. I thought you'd live a quiet life here—yet destiny has other plans. Go, become the best you can be."
Tears brightened his eyes. "Mother, I will make you the proudest in the world."
Choosing His Path
When the Qing delegation returned to press their own marriage-and-academy offer, Jian declined courteously. Instead, he accepted the Wind Dragon Clan's invitation, marking himself with the clan's sigil and pledging to master their famed sword art.
Seething, the Qing leaders reduced Shen Mei's trade privileges and resources—some relatives even departed in protest.
Training with Master Mark
While political storms brewed, Jian departed five kilometers into the Maribuine Forest under the tutelage of Master Mark—a former Seven-Star Academy top student and a jovial man whose methods were as unpredictable as lightning. The forest teemed with over ten King-Ranked monsters (ranks 1–10: Novice, Minor, Intermediate, Advanced, True) and lower-tier beasts (G through S, each subdivided into three levels).
Marked by the Wind Dragon Clan, Jian underwent grueling trials: ambushes by S+-rank harpies, endurance tests against Intermediate King-monstrous vines, and problems designed to force quick thinking. Mark pushed him to the brink—then saved him at the last breath, explaining each lesson with humor and candor.
Though Jian was naturally quiet, his keen observation and willingness to learn made him an easy student—Mark's playful banter often punctuated their days. Over nearly two years, Jian's dual-sword technique, Qi control, and elemental harmony surpassed even his own expectations.
Return Before the Exams
Two months before Jian's fifteenth birthday—when most hopefuls prepared for the Academy entrance—he and Mark reappeared in his family's courtyard laden with more monster cores than any Qing noble could amass. Jian's power had soared; his mastery of Wind Dragon Sword Art was near complete.
After catching up with grandparents Shen Wu and Li Hua, Jian gifted his grandfather a True-Rank Wind Monster core and demonstrated his perfected Wind-Dance Blade—a gift that vaulted Shen Wu to the pinnacle of the Swordmaster Enclave's hierarchy.
That evening, Shen Wu presented Jian with official parchment: his nomination for the Seven-Star Academy.
By dawn, Jian and Master Mark departed on a small sky-ship bound for the Academy City—wind at their backs and destiny before them.
End of Chapter 3