When Dante arrived in the lobby, the first thing he noticed was the big difference in the number of people present. While in the introductory class the number was not much more than a hundred, there were certainly a thousand more now.

Since he didn't stay long in the common areas of the castle, the young cultivator didn't recognize many of those people. It was disheartening to think that many of those there had failed the previous tests. There were rumors that some had been there for decades. From their looks, Dante had no doubt.

The ascent to gold must be really difficult. If even his peers hadn't gotten there yet, the road certainly wasn't easy. The main problem, Dante realized more and more, was the need for stability going forward. To advance just for the sake of advancing was to put a quick end to progression.

He gave a slight smile. Instead of discouraging him, this uncertain caused a feeling of serenity. After having his body obliterated several times, one realizes how frivolous some social concerns are.

Dante found his friends in a relatively secluded corner. He quickly headed in their direction. Halfway there, something else caught his attention, however.

A huge group was gathered in the middle of the hall. Everyone was wearing a black robe with a symbol of a purple snake stamped on their arms. These must be the Dracos.

As he went around the room to reach his friends, he noticed that there was a clear division in the large group. The cultivators in general looked like normal ones, but in the front were three cultivators who would make any ancient statue jealous. Their physique was impeccable, as were their robes and adornments.

With black and long hair, it was not difficult to notice the similarity in their appearance. Dante couldn't identify who was who, but it wasn't hard to assume that those were his real targets. The elite members from the Draco clan.

"The princess has finally arrived, huh," Rim said, as she punched Dante lightly on the arm.

"I missed you too," Dante said, laughing. He really missed his colleagues. While cultivating with Isaac, the young cultivator wanted everyone to be able to train together. He only hoped that soon this would become a reality.

Looking at Sabrina, he felt a great tightness in his chest. "You too Sabrina. Hector too, in a way." he said, feeling his heart soar. Although he expressed a brief smile, Dante soon remembered what had happened to Sabrina. This only made him look again at the Draco clan, all of them with that arrogance stamped on their faces.

"Shhhh. The show's about to start," Hector said, stretching his neck, as if his unusual height wasn't enough to put him in a place where he could observe everything out there.

When Dante turned around, he saw in the center a platform rising up. The platform was formed by a kind of green Qi, which seemed to be firm and very stable.

On the platform were three figures familiar to Dante. On the left, Nurse Amelia looked friendly as ever, while on the right the figure of Marco was prominent. Dante had not yet received instructions from Marco, as he had ignored all non-mandatory classes. Isaac's instructions put him at ease. The master assured him that he was not missing anything important.

In the middle of the two was a one-eyed man that Dante honestly didn't miss much. The professor who taught the introductory class, Fig.

"All right, my little ones!" shouted Fig, getting everyone's attention. His voice was so loud it made Dante's head throb. It was hard to remember at all times that everyone there was a trained slayer, after all.

"Today, it's exactly one month since you guys came here! I can see the day you arrived as if it were yesterday, so beautiful, with eyes full of hope. Well, that ends now! Those of you who have been here longer, you know what's coming next. Most of it, anyway. Marco, if you can."

Marco then extended his hand forward, causing a frame of Qi to appear in the air. It seemed that the green Qi was his, after all.

Marco's Qi began to mold into a mixture of colors. Perhaps some basic limits of Qi were actually broken in the realm of sovereigns.

As the Qi danced, forming various figures, Dante began to notice a pattern in the energy arrangement. It didn't take long for him to recognize the map he had seen so often in the lobby over there.

"As you all know, or at least should, this is the map that identifies the respective regions of Qi. There are six grand areas: Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice and Thunder. So, let's get to the first big change. From now on, you will also have access to the underground, which will make up a ground floor in the entire castle area."

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With a slight movement of the teacher's hands, the Qi exposed in the air began to double. The new part, which faced the audience, began to change colors once again. What looked like just a mix of colors, was now a veritable rainbow.

"Two big changes will happen from now on. Since we have managed to have enough time to see which Qi types are most specific to you, now those of you who possess a unique Qi type will be able to "buy" rooms with Qi types, with their slayer points. It won't be long before you realize that the cost of renting a room is much less than buying a spirit treasure, so that will undoubtedly be the most efficient way to get past the limits."

A congestion of murmurs took over the crowd. Dante, being a clear example of the group that would be contemplated by the new conditions, perfectly understood the animation of the others.

After all, he was fully aware that his advantages were unique. If he were in the situation of anyone else there, the change could be the difference between success or failure.

"Finally fucking time," Rim shouted, attracting strange looks from those around the group.

She didn't seem to care, grinning from ear to ear.

It took a while for Dante to understand that she was probably expecting something like this. If he was right, this would be the perfect chance for both Sabrina and Rim to evolve.

After all, even though the six main types of Qi could be utilized by everything, the difference from cultivating with a generic Qi to a specific one was the difference between heaven and hell.

A loud pop in the air was enough for everyone to regain their attention on the group in the air. Giving everyone a disapproving look, Marco resumed his explanation.

"Now, let's get to the second part. After a month, I'm sure some of you are not having a challenge to the true height of your powers, so we will release the Class C monsters from now on."

Dante knew there was some kind of prank when he looked at Fig and saw that creepy smile taking over the professor's face. That, coupled with the fact that the teacher's mere appearance was already frightening, didn't do much to reassure him.

"Supplementing our favorite bald guy's explanation, the best news is that you will be able to face B-class monsters as well."

This time, the silence of the crowd said more than the various noises before. Everyone looked at each other, stunned. Even Hector seemed uncertain of what had been said. If there was a bad sign, this was it.

"That's right. Let's be generous enough to give you a chance to find a worthy ending," Fig said, falling into laughter.

Figs didn't seem to mind the fact that his joke didn't find many takers in the audience. "That's right, little ants. Don't try to attack Class B monsters without a plan. To those of you who don't know, I'll explain the gulf of difference between the monsters you've faced so far and the new ones."

Suddenly, Fig began to fly higher, until he was far enough away that his body was almost impossible to see with the naked eye. He was now outside the building, being watched by everyone through an open part of the walls in the main hall.

The distance didn't seem to mean anything to the teacher, who used Qi to boost his voice several times. "I will raise my Qi quickly until I mimic a Class D monster, which you already know."

Even from a distance, Dante could see when an aura of Qi seemed to envelop the teacher. The aura was eerily similar to Marco's Qi, although the green was a bit darker.

He didn't feel much difference when the professor announced that he had moved from Class F to E. Class E to D made the professor easily identifiable to Dante's sense.

"Now the fun begins. Pay attention, children."

Honestly, Dante didn't know what to expect from the difference between Class D and C monsters.

His curiosity was not long in being satisfied. In a moment, his legs went from firm on the ground to totally wobbly, with a pressure of Qi that caught him unprepared.

"Is that really a Class C monster?" asked a boy near them. It didn't take Dante long to realize that it was Asta. His height, or rather lack of it, was remarkable even from a distance.

"Already down in flops? Dare I say I'm not surprised."

Dante can't help but feel envious as he looks at his friends. They all seemed not to suffer much from the new pressure. Looking at the others present, he was not at all happy to find the members of the Draco clan mostly standing.

"Get ready. It is usually now that a part of you begins to wean. I'm going to start with a weak Class B monster."

This time, Dante saw clearly as the teacher's Qi rose. The layer of Qi covering began to grow at a frightening rate, seeming to devour the air itself.

In the previous fall, Dante had recovered relatively quickly. This time, he feared that this was not the case.

The force that hit him was overwhelming. He couldn't stand on his knees, and his body gave way, striking the ground completely.

Immediately, he felt his Qi coursing through his meridians, trying to fight off the external pressure, which treated his skin.

The effort of the Qi seemed to do little to help Dante pull himself together. However, he was curious when he encountered a Qi type he had not yet felt.

He could feel some sparks of earth energy there, but it seemed to be something more complex... different.

When Dante lifted his face and managed to get to his knees, he saw that something that looked like a white snake was coming towards him. However, just as he was getting scares by the Qi's formation, the energy dissipated in mid-air.

It didn't take long for him to realize what was happening. The white snakes were being originated by Amelia, who seemed to be trying to protect those who were unconscious.

Now the impact on the crowd seemed to have been violent. More than half of the cultivators were unconscious, and few could stand upright.

Looking at his friends, Dante found even the three half bent over, looking concentrated. The one who was better off was Hector, who was relatively upright.

"For the next part, I suggest that those of you with a half Oversoul use it. You will thank me later."

Dante looked up. He would give it his all not to lose consciousness so soon. He could already feel his Qi fighting against the pressure, further strengthening his physique.

He would not let himself fall so easily again.