Darkness engulfed Dante's vision. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to orient himself to his surroundings. The cultivator looked around, trying to figure out where he was.

All that awaited him, however, was an endless sea of darkness.

Amidst the absence of light, a small spark appeared in the distance. Far away, like a lighthouse lost in the middle of the sea.

The light flickered, as if it were the product of a mirage. Dante heard nothing. Felt nothing. Suddenly, the light shone brighter. Meanwhile, Dante felt something odd in his core area.

He looked down, and where his core normally was, there was a carnival of energy running through his skin and illuminating his whole body.

Dante raised his hands in panic. Incandescent flames bathed his body, but there was no burning, no pain. Not knowing what to do, he focused on the light, which was getting closer.

When Dante was only a couple of feet away, the energy exploded. A figure shrouded by the same energy that surrounded the cultivator unfolded.

Wings and several tails carved into the air, forming something resembling a beast, or perhaps a monster.

"We shall have our revenge, cultivator. Rise, and I shall companion you," said a voice that came from nowhere. Just as it had started, the bird-shaped specter closed in on itself.

Dante moved his hands forward before the energy faded. When he touched the flames, the world shook. Light took over Dante's vision. Before he could react, a golden aura enveloped the cultivator.

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Dante awoke. He forced his eyes open. This time, an infirmary awaited him. There was no sign of the darkness, whatever that had been.

Dante looked around, trying to find out more information. When he moved, pain seized all his muscles. Especially near his core, the clothes felt like sandpaper against his skin.

Before anything else, despair gripped the cultivator. If he was in an infirmary, the trial result could not have been positive. He had probably failed.

When he saw a nurse–whether the white clothes were any sign–Dante wasted no time. "Excuse me. Can you tell me where I am?"

"Oh, hello. You have finally woken up," the woman said, approaching Dante. "You are in an infirmary. They brought you here after the test. It looks like there was a Qi overload or something. Take those clothes." The nurse gave Dante a new pair of robes.

The room was a typical ward, large and spacious, with several beds in parallel.

The pain in his body gradually faded away, until it became a whisper. He could move now, at least to stand up.

"Thank you. Just to confirm, you said I am in a ward. Is this infirmary at the school, or are we still in the city where the test was held?" Dante asked, worried. He still didn't know what had happened.

"Don't worry, you passed the first phase. Your outcome was positive. Now I have to go," added the nurse with a smile. "My name is Amelia, if you need anything. Treatment for basic injuries is free, but be careful, more advanced things will cost coins. I suggest you look for more information at the front desk. There, you will learn everything you need to know."

The nurse turned and left the room. It looked like she was in a hurry to get somewhere. Perhaps he was not the only casualty in the test.

The cultivator was a little more at ease now, with a few questions cleared up.

He had indeed passed the first phase of the test. It now remained to understand how the Sapphire Sect really worked.

Dante's new clothes were simple, but durable. The blue color was predominant in his clothing, which resembled a typical clan outfit. Before leaving the room, Dante looked at himself in the mirror.

As he straightened his white hair, he couldn't help but smile. Finally. Finally, Dante had made it. Now he would do everything to make his way in the sect successful. He would make everyone proud.

Dante sighed deeply and stretched his neck. It was time to explore the sect school. As Dante walked to leave the room, a strange feeling came over him. There was something strange about his Qi.

For a cultivator, the habit of strengthening his body with Qi was as normal as breathing. Of course, cultivators supplied their bodies with different amounts of energy, but the principle was the same.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

At the moment, it was as if Dante was aware of his breathing. Those uncomfortable moments were repeating themselves with his automatic handling of Qi.

It was as if the energy was less condensed, dispersed in his channels. After all, he remembered that before he was unconscious, the mysterious orb had done something to his core.

Thinking that perhaps this had the same origin as his strange approval, Dante decided it was time to move on. He would clear no doubt up from inside the room.

The path to the entrance hall resembled a medieval castle. Walls of black brick blended with the blue lights, giving the space a melancholy feel.

When Dante reached the entrance hall, the room opened up. This part was immense, certainly capable of holding hundreds of cultivators.

Cultivators in the same attire as Dante walked freely through the room. Some were Slayers, marked by their uniforms in a darker blue than those of the disciples.

In the hall's heart, a large counter stood as the busiest spot.

The flames that fed the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling danced, giving the room a slightly macabre air. The tangent feeling of Qi pressure did not improve the situation.

"Oh, you're awake! Good, we were worried."

Dante looked away, toward the voice. Yajeel, the participant who had strengthened his hands with earth Qi on the trial, looked at him.

"Yes. I don't even remember exactly what happened," Dante said, confused. The previous day was a blur in his head.

"After the explosion, one Slayer jumped up to you and took off running. Nobody knew what happened," Yajeel added.

Dante swallowed hard. He had made a scene, looked like.

After that, Yajeel left, accompanied by a tall, white-haired girl. The girl carried a large, claymore-style sword, and seemed to be the type of person Dante wanted to avoid a fight with.

From what he had observed the day before, everyone there was Silver at least. Dante's fundamental problem was not technical knowledge, for he had devoured every scroll he laid his hand on.

The true problem was the lack of resources. A cultivator's body was like a flower. It needed to be nourished and watered with the right ingredients so that it would grow strong over time. In Dante's case, he just had unsuitable resources, which had hindered the development of his physique thus far. His hope is that this would change when he entered the sect.

Dante heard someone calling his name. When he turned around, he ran into Marco, the Slayer he had met at the bar.

"Hey there, boy. Were you able to recover a bit?"

Dante felt his cheeks turn red. He didn't handle attention very well. "Yeah, thanks. It was you who saved me, wasn't it? Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Marco gave a big smile. "Yes, it was. I'm glad you're okay. We believe your Qi had a reaction with Sapphire's Qi. Initiations are always mysterious, so even we don't know exactly what happened. Now come to the counter, please, I have a few things to pass on to you."

As Dante approached the Counter, he received some objects from Marco.

"These here are your basic items. A harvester, the explanation of which will come soon, and the key to your room. Since you were unconscious, you missed the team's selection. Your room is on the third floor."

Dante could not hide his surprise. He had been selected for a team, it seemed. "What do you mean, teams?"

"We allocate the disciples into groups of four. It's easier for development, and safer too. You'll understand soon enough."

With that, Marco dismissed Dante, who went toward the stairs. He was eager to see his new room.

Dante climbed the stairs, anxious. When he passed the second floor, he saw a group of cultivators in robes marked by purple. Curious, he walked toward the group.

"Excuse me, are you guys disciples around here too?" asked Dante, excitedly. He had never really socialized much with other disciples on an equal footing, so the experience was almost magical to him.

"What? Did you lose your way?" one disciple said rudely.

"You don't belong on this floor. Get out of here," said another.

Before Dante could show any reaction, he felt a pressure of Qi coming from the group. He was about to respond, but had to jump back when a small orb of Qi come in his direction.

Dante jumped back, not responding to the conversation. He knew this kind of behavior from afar. This was not unexpected. He had just forgotten for a few moments what the world of cultivation was like.

He circulated his Qi, feeling the warm energy fill his body with strength. His Monster Core channeled fire Qi.

"Don't get carried away by them, it's not worth it," a female cultivator said, as she placed her hand on Dante's shoulder.

Startled, he looked at her. The female cultivator had dark, wavy hair that fell over her shoulders. Strong eyes met Dante's gaze.

"I am Sabrina. What's your name?" she asked.

Dante took a deep breath, letting the anger he was feeling leave. "I'm Dante. Thank you, I didn't think I would get this reaction," Dante said, pointing to the area where the disciples were standing.

"Be careful with the Draco clan. They are powerful around here, and not at all gentle. Come on, the rest of the team is waiting."

Before Dante could say anything, the girl stormed off, black dress dancing as she walked. Dante, not knowing what to do, followed the cultivator.

As he followed the girl, he noticed that everyone on the second floor was wearing a different uniform than the others. Perhaps, for the time being, he should stay away from there. He needed to understand what was going on with those rude cultivators.

It didn't take long for Dante and Sabrina to find their destination. The door to the room was ornate, large enough for even Marco to pass through without difficulty.

He swallowed dryly, nervously. So far, he had found disciples who treated him well, and those bastards dressed in purple.

Hoping that his new colleagues were the kind who wouldn't sneer at him, Dante waited near Sabrina. She knocked on the door. On the other side of the door, a cultivator with the shiniest bald head Dante had ever seen appeared. Dante remembered him as Hector, the cultivator who used Ice Qi in the test.

Well, now was the moment of truth. If they were arrogant, Dante would just have to work alone.

No one would stop him from achieving his goals.

Looking at Sabrina before replying, however, he got the impression that the journey would not be so bad.