The moment Baron stepped out onto the massive wooden stage of the Grand Assembly Hall, the noise from the crowd was deafening. Over two thousand students sat in the tiered crimson seats, their voices a chaotic blend of shouting, whispering, and frantic murmuring.In the center of the front row sat Professor Abraham Lashley, now fully dressed in his pristine tweed suit, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting the stage lights as he watched Baron with a polite, unreadable smile.Baron walked up to the podium. He didn't look at the typed notes Juliana had prepared for him. He adjusted the microphone, his movements calm, deliberate, and entirely unbothered by the heavy gaze of the crowd."Good morning, students of Tuntadel," Baron said. His voice, amplified by the stadium speakers, cut through the noise instantly, bringing a sudden, absolute quiet to the massive hall."We began this day expecting a normal resumption," Baron continued, his eyes scanning the rows of wealthy faces, stopping brief

Professor Datrex stepped up to the second microphone, his heavy combat boots thudding against the wooden stage. He gripped the podium with his massive hands, staring directly at the sea of wealthy, pampered students."I’ve spent twenty years in places where money couldn't buy you another breath," Datrex said, his voice raw, gravelly, and entirely unfiltered. "Most of you look soft. You look like you think your daddy’s bank account can shield you from a bullet or a strike. But as your new professor, my job is to make sure you survive the real world."He paused, his sharp eyes sweeping across the auditorium, intentionally lingering on Baron for a long, silent moment. A faint, respectful nod passed between the combat master and the cosmic master."Education isn't just about reading books and counting coins," Datrex boomed, his voice echoing with an intense, raw energy. "It’s about endurance. It’s about character. I want each and every one of you to strive more in your educational progres

The grand party was officially over, and the students spilled out into the courtyard in a state of absolute, chaotic anxiety. The relaxed summer vibe had vanished, replaced by a desperate, cutthroat energy as everyone realized they only had seven days to prove their worth to the new board.Inside the VIP lounge overlooking the plaza, Kate slammed her designer purse onto the glass table, her face twisted in pure fury."Who does she think she is?!" Kate screamed, pacing across the room while Margret stood silently by the door. "Rose Smith is just a corporate shark! She comes onto my campus and tells me I can't choose my own group? I am a Defender! I am the law here!""Kate, calm down," Margret whispered, her voice hollow. "If you scream like that, the monitors will hear you. The evaluation has already started."Kate spun around, her eyes flashing. "Let them hear me! My father still has pull with Mr. Francies. I’ll make sure my week-one evaluation is flawless. But what about you, Margret

The room fell dead silent. The faint ticking of a small brass clock on the shelf was the only sound in the space between them.Lashley stared at Baron for a long moment, the polite smirk fading from his face, replaced by a deep, sharp stillness. He folded his arms across his chest."You know your history, Mr. Colgate," Lashley said softly. "Most young men your age only care about how high their Qi can flare or how hard their fist can strike. They don't study the old lineages.""I know that the Neutral Gene doesn't belong to a fighter, and it doesn't belong to an ordinary mortal," Baron pressed forward, his gaze locked onto the old man’s eyes. "It is the natural enemy of all cultivation. It balances the world by deleting the extraordinary. I know what I saw in the plaza. You carry the Neutral Gene, Professor."Lashley let out a slow, heavy sigh. He turned back toward the window, looking out at the hundreds of frantic students preparing for their assessments on the lawn below."History

The sun was just beginning to peek over the eastern horizon when Kate slipped through the thick hedge along the northern perimeter of Tuntadel University. She wore a heavy black hoodie over her gym clothes, her heart hammering against her ribs with every step.She wasn't running from the board. She was running to him.Long before Baron Colgate had arrived in the city, long before the Windgate family had fallen from grace, Kate and Matt had been meeting in secret. Their families had planned a political union, but behind closed doors, their affair had been fast, passionate, and ruthless. Since the night Matt’s father was brought down, she hadn't touched him. She missed him desperately, and she needed him to know everything that was happening inside the campus.An hour later, Kate arrived at the gates of the abandoned Windgate Villa on the edge of the old district. The grand iron gates hung off their hinges, and the lush gardens were completely withered, stained a sickly gray.She pushed