Eternal Tower: Atreia Era

The morning light of the heavens had just bathed the Guardian Academy when the central training ground was already bustling with activity.

Nearly five hundred freshmen from the Junior Department stood in neat rows, the badges on their robes gleaming slightly in the sunlight. The surrounding stands were filled with mid- to high-level students and instructors, and even several deans who rarely appeared on ordinary days were present today.

This ranking competition is not only a contest among freshmen, but also the first hurdle for the college to select key students for further development.

Top-ranked students will receive:

Qualification to enter the first floor of the library to view basic combat techniques

Three extra low-tier Ether Crystals per month

Priority opportunities to participate in border combat missions

For all new students, this is a chance to rise to the top in one step.

Lynn stood in the middle of the line, his expression calm, his eyes slightly lowered, as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.

The etheric sea within his body pulsated steadily, each breath silently absorbing the luminous ether from heaven and earth.

After a week of arduous training, his etheric sea had already reached the peak of the initial stage, his meridians were wide and resilient, and his application of the three major combat techniques—basic light blade, instant step, and protective light membrane—had already reached the point of being able to move at will.

Lena stood beside him, her small hands nervously clutching the hem of his clothes: "Lynn, I'm so nervous... I just heard that Karen was almost able to form the initial shape of his wings last week, and he's one of the strongest among the freshmen."

Lynn slightly opened his eyes and looked at the blond figure at the front of the group.

Karen stood tall and proud, accepting the compliments from his followers, his brows radiating arrogance. He seemed to sense Lynn's gaze, abruptly turning his head, his eyes meeting Lynn's in mid-air.

A disdainful sneer curled at the corner of Karen's lips.

He slightly opened his mouth and mouthed something to Lynn:

"Useless trash, just wait until I knock you off the stage."

Lynn's gaze remained unchanged; he simply withdrew his eyes slightly, his demeanor still composed.

Verbal arguments are meaningless; in the ring, only the victor has the right to speak.

Before long, Gavin, the chief instructor for the beginner level, walked onto the platform.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

Gavin's gaze swept across the entire arena like lightning, his voice booming: "Today is the annual ranking competition for the beginner's division of the Celestial Guardian Academy. There is only one rule—on the stage, it's a matter of stopping short of killing, but you can go all out to defeat your opponent!"

"Winners advance, losers are eliminated, and the top 100 students in the initial academic division will be determined in the end!"

"Now, I declare—the qualifying rounds officially begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all eight arenas in the center of the training ground lit up simultaneously.

Runes flowed and light rose, forming a sturdy protective barrier to prevent the aftershocks of the battle from harming the audience.

"Round one: random draw, then the duel on stage!"

The trainees took turns drawing numbers.

Lynn reached out and picked up a glowing card that displayed the number: Ring 7, Match 3.

Lina finished drawing her lots and breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm in the first match of the fifth arena. My opponent doesn't seem very strong."

"Do your best, stay calm, and you can win," Lynn encouraged softly.

Before long, battles broke out simultaneously on all seven arenas.

A burst of light erupted, and a shockwave rolled in.

The new students unleashed their skills, the clash of light blades, the swift movements of dodging, and the crisp sounds of protective light membranes colliding filled the air. Some won with a single move, while others struggled to hold on before being knocked off the stage.

Cheers, sighs of regret, and shouts of encouragement rose and fell from the audience.

Lynn stood quietly in the waiting area, but his eyes were observing every battle.

He observes his opponent's attack habits, the speed of ether circulation, and the flaws in their combat techniques... This is an instinct ingrained in his bones from his hunting days in Falling Wind Village—to observe, analyze, and defeat the enemy in one strike.

Soon, it was the turn of the third match on Arena Number Seven.

"Ring Seven, Lynn versus—Toby!"

Lynn stepped forward, leaped, and landed steadily in the center of the ring.

His opponent was a slightly chubby boy whose etheric aura was somewhat restless. He was clearly from an ordinary family in the Celestial Realm and had barely awakened his bloodline by relying on family resources.

Toby's face showed a hint of nervousness when he saw Lynn, but he still tried to remain calm: "I won't hold back!"

Lynn nodded slightly: "Please make your move."

Seeing this, the referee announced loudly, "The competition begins!"

Before the words had even finished, Toby had already activated his entire body's ethereal power, and with a wave of his hands, two somewhat rough light blades slashed straight at Lynn.

The speed was not slow, and the power was decent, but—it was full of flaws.

Lynn's eyes were calm, and he lightly tapped his foot to use Instant Step.

His figure shifted slightly to the side like a wisp of smoke, easily dodging the two blades of light.

Toby's pupils contracted: "So fast!"

Before he could even react with surprise, he activated the ether again, attempting to condense a protective light membrane around his body.

But Lynn won't give him a chance.

The instant Lynn landed, a highly refined golden blade of light condensed at his fingertips.

There are no fancy moves, no unnecessary actions.

Simple and straightforward.

The light blade wasn't fast, but it was extremely precise, aiming directly at the weakest point of Toby's protective light membrane.

"boom--"

A soft sound.

The light membrane that Toby had just formed shattered instantly.

The blade of light continued its trajectory, stopping a full inch before his throat.

The entire room fell silent instantly.

one move.

With just one move, he broke through the enemy's defenses and defeated him.

Toby stood frozen in place, his face filled with disbelief, then lowered his head bitterly: "I lost."

The referee hesitated for a moment, then announced loudly, "Ring number seven, Lynn—wins!"

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

"He won in one move? That was way too fast!"

"That Toby isn't exactly strong, but he shouldn't be so weak that he can't even withstand one move!"

"Who is this Lynn? I've never heard of her before?"

Lynn sheathed his light blade, nodded slightly to Toby, and turned to walk off the stage.

He remained calm throughout, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

Not far away, Karen took in all of this. The disdain on her lips gradually faded, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes.

"Interesting... I didn't expect this self-taught guy to have some skill." Karen muttered to herself, "However, that's far from enough to be a match for me."

His henchman quickly chimed in, "Brother Karen, he was just lucky to run into a weak opponent. When he faces you, he'll be no match for you!"

Karen snorted coldly and didn't say anything, but a sense of vigilance quietly crept into her heart.

Lynn returned to the waiting area, and Lina immediately greeted him, her eyes filled with surprise and delight: "Lynn, you're amazing! You won in one move!"

"I was lucky; my opponent had some obvious weaknesses," Lynn replied casually.

Only he himself knew that this was not luck.

It was a week of arduous training without sleep, the experience of the life-and-death battle at the Fortress of Light, and the deep-seated hatred of Falling Wind Village that sustained him, allowing him to hone his strength step by step.

The next match will continue.

Lynn overcame all obstacles along the way.

In the fourth match, he defeated his opponent in three moves.

In the fifth match, he defeated his opponent in two moves.

The sixth match will be decided in one decisive move.

His fighting style is always simple, direct, and precise. He doesn't use fancy moves, but every strike lands on the most crucial spot.

More and more people noticed this quiet boy who came from the border.

From the stands, Instructor Aria watched Lynn's every battle, her eyes growing brighter and brighter: "A calm demeanor, keen combat instincts, precise control of the ether... this child is simply born for battle."

A middle-aged instructor beside him nodded in agreement: "It's a pity his background is too humble. If he had entered the academy to cultivate earlier, he would probably have already condensed his wings by now. However, even so, his potential far exceeds that of ordinary freshmen."

Gavin, the head tutor, also turned his gaze to Lynn, nodded slightly, and a hint of appreciation flashed in his eyes.

Before we knew it, the competition had entered its second half.

Fewer and fewer students are advancing, and those who remain are almost all the best among the new students.

Karen, too, swept through her opponents.

Every fight he fought was a spectacle, with dazzling blades and an imposing presence. He would often knock his opponent off the stage in just a few moves, drawing cheers from the audience.

He enjoyed being the center of attention and being praised.

Finally, the judges' voices rang out again.

This time, the entire training ground fell silent.

"Semi-finals—"

"Arena Number Seven!"

"Karen, versus—Lynn!"

The entire venue erupted in a tremendous uproar.

"It's here! It finally matches!"

"Karen's going to teach that kid from the border a lesson!"

"I bet Karen will finish this fight in ten moves!"

Everyone thought it was a game with no suspense whatsoever.

On one side is Karen, a genius of noble birth, outstanding talent, and who has already begun to take shape.

On one side is Lynn, a self-taught individual who came from the border, awakened his talents halfway through his journey, and was not favored by anyone.

The difference between strong and weak is obvious.

Karen slowly stood up, stretched her wrists, and her blond hair shone brightly in the sunlight.

He walked step by step toward the ring, each step exuding powerful confidence and a sense of oppression.

As Karen passed by Lynn, she stopped, turned her head, and sneered, her voice audible only to the two of them:

"Useless trash, I gave you a chance to bow your head, but you refused."

"Today, I will crush you under my feet and let everyone know that bastards from the border will never amount to anything."

Lynn looked up at Karen.

The boy's eyes remained calm, but at this moment, a hint of cold sharpness appeared.

"On the fighting stage, nonsense is useless."

"If you're so capable, then use your strength to drive me out of the game."

A simple sentence, without anger or excitement, yet carrying an unassailable aura.

Karen's face darkened, and without saying another word, she leaped onto the ring.

Lynn followed closely behind, standing steadily opposite him.

The two stood ten meters apart, facing each other from a distance.

On one side, golden light flowed, exuding arrogance.

On one side, the golden light is restrained, as calm as a mountain.

The air seemed to freeze.

Everyone in the arena held their breath, their eyes fixed on the ring.

The referee looked at the two, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his hand.

"Semi-finals: Karen vs. Lynn!"

"The match begins!"

At a command.

Karen was suddenly enveloped in a burst of luminous ether!

Golden light shot into the sky, illuminating almost half of the training ground.

Behind him, a pair of faint golden wings began to take shape, and although they were not yet fully formed, they already carried a powerful aura.

"It's the beginnings of wings! Karen has really managed to form wings!"

"Incredible! Is this the power of a genius?!"

"Lynn is finished. He's lost his wings. How can he fight Karen now!"

Cheers and murmurs erupted once again.

Karen felt the surging power within her and the admiration of the crowd, and a smile of extreme arrogance appeared on her lips.

He looked down at Lynn from his high vantage point, as if he were looking down at an ant.

"Lynn, kneel down and beg for mercy now, and I might make you lose more gracefully."

Lynn slowly raised her head.

The boy's eyes remained calm.

However, within his body, the long-dormant etheric sea suddenly boiled up at this moment!