Breakfast was a lively affair. Sarah had cooked a spread that would make any restaurant jealous, and Aria ate with the appetite of someone who'd just finished eighteen years of intense training.

"So," Aria said between bites, "what exactly am I walking into? You mentioned three trials yesterday, but what do they actually test?"

Sarah set down her tea and smiled. "The academy doesn't just want powerful students—they want smart ones. Raw power is easy to find in the Infinity Realm. Intelligence and creativity? That's rare."

"Makes sense. So what are the three parts?"

"First is the comprehension test," Sarah explained. "They'll give you a technique—usually something complex that requires good Infinity Law understanding—and you'll have a time limit to figure it out. Most people get stuck because they try to brute-force the solution instead of actually understanding the principles."

Aria nodded. "That should be fine. Father drilled technique analysis into me."

"Don't get cocky," Kaelen warned gently. "These are techniques designed by Masters and Sovereigns to challenge prodigies."

"I won't, Mother. I promise."

Sarah continued. "Second is the application test. This is where it gets interesting. Lots of students have high Infinity Law comprehension but terrible imagination. They know the theory but can't apply it creatively. I've seen students with 25% comprehension lose to students with 15% because the lower person had better technique execution."

"So it's not just about power level," Aria mused. "It's about how you use it."

"Exactly. The examiners want to see original thinking. Show them something unexpected, something that proves you understand the fundamentals well enough to innovate."

"And the third test?"

"Point battle," Sarah said with a grin. "They release you into a specialized dimension filled with cultivation beasts—everything from weak Initiate-level creatures to dangerous Adept-level monsters. You hunt them, collect their cores, and accumulate points. The more you kill, the higher you rank."

"Sounds straightforward."

"It is, except you're competing against hundreds of other prodigies who all want the top spots. Expect fights. Expect theft. Expect alliances to form and break. It's basically organized chaos."

Elias spoke up for the first time. "The point battle also tests decision-making under pressure. Do you go for quantity or quality? Do you fight other students or focus on beasts? Do you work alone or form teams? There's no single correct answer."

"How long does it last?" Aria asked.

"Six hours external time," Sarah replied. "But the dimension has its own time dilation—twelve hours internal. Plenty of time to rack up points if you're efficient."

Aria's eyes sparkled with excitement. "This actually sounds fun. When do we leave?"

"Twenty minutes," Kaelen said, checking the time. "Finish eating and get ready. Today's going to be a long day."

The trial grounds were massive. A floating arena complex that existed in its own pocket dimension, designed specifically for testing thousands of candidates simultaneously. Students poured in from all directions—young cultivators who'd traveled from across the Infinity Realm for this once-per-decade opportunity.

Aria felt the competitive atmosphere immediately. Everyone here was talented. Everyone here was confident. The air practically crackled with suppressed power as prodigies sized each other up.

"Nervous?" Kaelen asked quietly.

"A little," Aria admitted. "There are so many people."

"You'll do great," her mother assured her. "Just be yourself."

Sarah pointed toward a section of floating platforms. "That's where the elders and faculty observe from. Elias, Kaelen, you'll come with me. Aria, you need to head to the registration area—over there, see the crowd?"

Aria nodded, suddenly feeling very alone despite being surrounded by thousands of people.

Elias placed a hand on her shoulder. "Remember your training. Trust your instincts. And don't hold back—this is your chance to shine."

"Thanks, Father." She took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."

They parted ways—Aria heading toward registration while her family moved toward the observation platforms. She joined the crowd of students, all of them filing toward crystal stations where academy staff verified identities and recorded information.

The line moved slowly. Aria found herself standing behind a girl who was practically bouncing with energy—literally bouncing, like she couldn't stand still.

"This is so exciting!" the girl squealed to her companion, a tall boy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else. "Can you believe we're actually here? At the Epochal Ascendance Academy! This is the dream!"

"You've said that seventeen times, Mira," the boy replied dryly. "I'm counting."

"Because it's TRUE! Oh man, I wonder what the tests will be like. Do you think they're hard? Of course they're hard, it's the academy. But how hard? Like, impossible hard or just really-really-difficult hard?"

Aria couldn't help but smile at the girl's enthusiasm. She seemed genuinely thrilled to be here, without any of the arrogant posturing some other students were displaying.

The girl—Mira, apparently—suddenly turned around and locked eyes with Aria. "Hi! You're new! I mean, obviously you're new, everyone here is new, we're all candidates. But you have a friendly face! Are you nervous? I'm nervous. But also excited! Mostly excited. Okay, maybe seventy percent excited, thirty percent nervous."

Aria blinked at the rapid-fire greeting. "Uh, hi. I'm Aria."

"Mira Brightwind!" The girl stuck out her hand enthusiastically. "This grumpy person is my cousin Torin. He's actually nice once you get past the whole brooding thing he's got going on."

"I'm not brooding," Torin protested. "I'm contemplating."

"Same thing." Mira shook Aria's hand with surprising strength. "So what's your specialty? I'm a close-combat type—punching things until they stop moving. Torin does spatial techniques, which is fancy talk for teleporting around and being annoying."

"I... I guess I'm more of a balanced fighter?" Aria said, a bit overwhelmed by Mira's energy. "I use a mix of different techniques."

"Oooh, versatile! That's smart. Jack of all trades, master of none, but better than a master of one, right?" Mira grinned. "We should team up for the point battle! Three is better than two, and you seem cool."

"You just met her," Torin pointed out.

"So? First impressions matter! And Aria has good energy. I can tell these things." Mira leaned closer conspiratorially. "Between you and me, half these people here are stuck-up noble brats who think they're amazing because daddy's a Sovereign. But you? You seem normal. Normal is good."

Aria couldn't help but laugh. There was something infectious about Mira's enthusiasm. "Sure. Teaming up sounds good."

"Yes! Team Awesome is formed!" Mira pumped her fist, then seemed to remember something. "Oh, what's your comprehension level? I'm at 18% Infinity Law. Torin's at 22% because he's a show-off."

"I'm not a show-off. I'm thorough," Torin corrected.

Before Aria could answer, a commotion rippled through the crowd. Students parted as a group of obviously important people walked through—three young cultivators radiating power and confidence.

"Who are they?" Aria whispered to Mira.

"Oh boy. That's the elite," Mira whispered back, suddenly less bubbly. "The tall one in blue is Kieran Voidstrider from the Eternal Void Sect. He's at 28% comprehension and his family basically owns half of Sector Seven. The girl in red is Lyssa Flameheart—27% comprehension, famous for never losing a fight. And the quiet one in the back is Jin Silversky. Nobody knows his exact level, but rumor says he's over 30%."

Aria watched them pass. They moved with the easy confidence of people who'd never doubted their own superiority. Other students literally moved aside to let them through.

"They're going to be our competition?" Aria asked.

"Them and about a hundred other prodigies from major sects and famous families." Mira sighed. "Honestly, I'm just hoping to pass. If I can get into the academy at all, that's a win for me."

"Don't sell yourself short," Aria said. "You never know what might happen."

They finally reached the registration station. A bored-looking administrator took their information one by one.

"Name?"

"Aria Vance."

The administrator's quill paused mid-stroke. "Vance? As in Elias Vance? The Master who broke through to Sovereign yesterday?"

Aria blinked. "News travels fast. Yes, he's my father."

Suddenly the administrator wasn't bored anymore. "And your cultivation level?"

"Adept. 50% Infinity Law."

Dead silence. Every student within earshot turned to stare at her.

The administrator's hand actually trembled as they wrote. "Peak Stage 2 Multiplicity. Adept base. At... how old are you?"

"Just over a century."

More staring. Someone whispered "impossible" under their breath.

Mira's jaw had dropped. "You said you were balanced! You didn't say you were a MONSTER!"

"Is 50% good?" Aria asked, genuinely uncertain. She'd been isolated her whole life—she had no reference for what was normal.

"Good? GOOD?" Mira looked like she might faint. "Aria, people twice your age are still at 20%. You're at the same level as academy Elders! That's not good, that's INSANE!"

"Oh." Aria felt her face heat up. "Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Don't apologize for being amazing!" Mira grabbed her shoulders. "This is great! If you're on our team, we might actually have a chance! Torin, say something!"

Torin was giving Aria an appraising look. "You've been trained by professionals, haven't you? Your aura control is too refined for self-taught."

"My father taught me," Aria admitted.

"A Sovereign-level father who personally trains his daughter." Torin nodded slowly. "That explains it. You're probably going to rank first in the trials."

"I just want to do well," Aria protested.

"You're going to do more than well," a new voice said.

They turned to find Kieran Voidstrider standing nearby, having apparently overheard everything. Up close, he was even more imposing—tall, handsome, with eyes that seemed to see through everything.

"Aria Vance," he said, his tone neither friendly nor hostile. "I look forward to seeing what you can do in the trials. It's rare to find genuine competition."

"Thank you?" Aria wasn't sure if that was a compliment or a challenge.

"That's a challenge," Mira whispered helpfully.

"I heard that," Kieran said with a slight smile. "But yes, it is. Consider it a friendly one. May the best cultivator win." He nodded politely and walked away, his entourage following.

"Well," Torin said. "You've officially attracted the attention of the academy's biggest competitors. Congratulations."

"Is that good or bad?"

"Both," Mira said. "But mostly exciting! Come on, they're calling us to the assembly area. The opening ceremony is about to start!"

The assembly area was an enormous floating platform that could hold tens of thousands of people. Students filed in, organizing themselves by registration number into neat sections. Aria found herself positioned near the front with other high-level candidates—apparently the academy organized people by power level for evaluation purposes.

Mira and Torin were several rows back, but Mira waved enthusiastically. Aria waved back, already feeling grateful she'd made at least one friend.

Around her, other powerful students were gathering. She recognized Kieran, Lyssa, and Jin from earlier. But there were others too:

A girl with silver hair whose very presence seemed to bend space around her. A boy covered in living lightning that crackled with barely contained energy. Twins who moved in perfect synchronization, finishing each other's sentences.

These were the realm's best and brightest. And she was standing among them.

Aria took a deep breath and reminded herself of Father's words: Trust your training. Trust yourself.

Up in the observer section, Elias, Kaelen, and Sarah settled into comfortable seats that had perfect views of the entire assembly area.

"There she is," Kaelen said, spotting Aria in the front section. "She looks nervous."

"She'll be fine," Elias said confidently. "She's more prepared than any student here."

"You trained her well," Sarah agreed. "Eighteen years of personal instruction from a Sovereign. She has advantages most of these students can't imagine."

They watched as more students poured in, filling the platform until it was packed with thousands of young cultivators. The energy was incredible—so much concentrated talent in one place.

"Remember your first trial day?" Kaelen asked Sarah.

"Vividly. I was terrified. I'd just been reborn twenty years earlier, still getting used to having a baby body that could cultivate." Sarah smiled at the memory. "I ranked seventh overall. Not bad, but not great either."

"And now you're a Sovereign teaching here," Kaelen pointed out. "Rankings don't determine everything."

"True. But they help. A good showing opens doors."

Down below, a hush fell over the crowd. The air itself seemed to compress as someone powerful prepared to manifest.

"Here we go," Sarah murmured.

Reality split. Space folded. And suddenly, standing at the front of the assembly platform where no one had been a moment before, was a figure radiating such immense power that several students actually stumbled backward.

The Vice Dean of the Epochal Ascendance Academy had arrived.

She was an elderly woman with kind eyes and an aura that spoke of nearly infinite age and power. Her cultivation base was at the peak of Sovereign realm, just a step away from attempting the legendary breakthrough to The Infinite.

When she spoke, her voice carried effortlessly across the entire platform, clear to every student despite the distance.

"Welcome," she said simply, and that single word contained depths of meaning that made several students' eyes water. "Welcome to the Epochal Ascendance Academy. I am Vice Dean Yara Starweaver, and I will be overseeing your trial examinations today."

She paused, her gaze sweeping across the assembled candidates. Aria felt that gaze pass over her and had the distinct impression she'd been seen—truly seen, down to her very soul—in that brief moment.

"You stand here today because you believe yourselves exceptional," Vice Dean Yara continued. "You have cultivated hard, trained diligently, and achieved what billions of cultivators never will. You should be proud of reaching this point."

Her expression became slightly stern. "But pride alone will not earn you entry to this academy. We do not accept students based on potential. We do not accept students based on family connections. We do not accept students based on political influence."

She let that sink in before continuing. "We accept students who prove themselves worthy through skill, intelligence, creativity, and character. Today's trials will test all of these qualities. Some of you will excel. Some of you will fail. This is expected and acceptable. What is not acceptable is giving less than your absolute best effort."

The Vice Dean's aura flared slightly, and the pressure made several students drop to their knees. "You will face three trials. First, a test of comprehension—can you understand complex techniques and principles under pressure? Second, a test of application—can you use your knowledge creatively and effectively? Third, a test of combat capability—can you perform when it matters most?"

She smiled then, and the oppressive aura lightened. "But remember—these trials are not just about winning. They are about showing us who you are as cultivators and as people. We are watching everything. How you treat fellow students. How you react to setbacks. How you handle victory and defeat. Character matters as much as capability."

Vice Dean Yara raised her hand, and three massive gates materialized behind her—one for each trial. "You will proceed through these gates in order. The first trial begins in thirty minutes. Use that time to prepare mentally, strategize with any allies you wish to form, and ask any questions you may have of the examination proctors who will be circulating."

She looked across the assembled students one more time. "This is your moment. This is your chance to prove what you are capable of. The Epochal Ascendance Academy awaits the best among you. Show us that you deserve to be here."

With that, she vanished—simply ceased existing in that location, leaving behind only swirling spatial distortions.

The students erupted into nervous chatter.

Aria stood quietly, processing everything. Three trials. Thirty minutes to prepare. Thousands of competitors.

She could do this.

She would do this.

Looking up at where she knew her parents were watching, Aria smiled and clenched her fists.

Time to show them what eighteen years of training had accomplished.

Time to make her family proud.

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