I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Alice and Mason hit it off immediately, chatting away about everything from romance novels to magic theories, then from magic theories to sect gossip, and finally from sect gossip to gourmet cooking—Mason insisted that "cooking is also a kind of magic," while Alice believed that "blowing up the kitchen is an essential step for every excellent fire mage."

The two sat facing each other amidst the scorch marks and ink stains on the ground, sometimes laughing loudly, sometimes whispering secrets, oblivious to the world around them.

As dawn broke outside the window and distant mountain birds began to chirp, the stack of white paper remained untouched, and the flaming pen had long since rolled away to some unknown corner.

"Oh no!" Alice jumped up, her face turning pale as she looked at the morning light outside the window. "My copying...dozens of manuscripts...Master, he..."

Mason was also taken aback for a moment, but she quickly patted Alice on the shoulder and said confidently, "Don't worry, I'll help you! It's just about making the pen move by itself, right? I figured out the order of the runes last night. You take care of keeping the heat steady, and I'll take care of carving the runes. With the two of us working together, we'll definitely be able to write neatly and beautifully."

Alice's eyes lit up, and she hugged Mason tightly: "You're the angel sent by heaven to save me!"

The two rolled up their sleeves, ready to get to work, when they heard a series of unhurried footsteps outside the door, followed by two soft knocks.

"Third Junior Sister, Master sent me to deliver a message." Ophelia's voice came through the door, calm and composed, "At 9:00 AM, assemble in front of the main hall to perform the entrance ceremony. Don't be late."

Alice breathed a sigh of relief; there was still time.

She glanced at the mess on the floor, then at Mason. The two exchanged a smile and began frantically cleaning up the mess.

At 9:00 AM, the sunlight perfectly bathed the bluestone square.

On the steps in front of the main hall, Ji Tian stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in white, his robes fluttering even without wind.

Ophelia stood behind him, her short, silvery-white hair gleaming faintly in the morning light, her hands clasped in front of her, her posture dignified.

Lilith huddled behind a pillar on the side of the steps, only revealing half of her head and a pair of purple eyes, gazing resentfully at the two people in the center of the square.

Last night, she wanted to stay by her master's side and sleep next to him, but unexpectedly, her second senior sister Ophelia arrived and blocked her, so she could only sleep in the room that her second senior sister had arranged in advance.

The red dragon was coiled under an ancient pine tree at the edge of the square, its huge body pressing the tree crown to one side, its vertical pupils half-closed, and its tail sweeping the ground idly.

It didn't want to come at first, but Ji Tian said, "According to sect rules, even guest elders have to listen in," so it yawned and lay down, just to sunbathe.

Alex stood in the center of the square, the reforged sword hanging at his waist, his blond hair strikingly bright in the sunlight.

He stood straight, his gaze steady, and a faint smile played on his lips, like a sharp blade just drawn half an inch from its sheath.

Mason stood beside him, her fiery red hair fluttering slightly in the morning breeze. Her dark blue robes were newly changed; she had been chatting too late last night, and there was a faint dark circle under her eyes.

"Today, the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow Sect welcomes two new disciples. Alex and Mason. From this day forward, you will be the seventh and eighth disciples of our sect."

"Huh? Am I a disciple too?" Mason pointed to his nose, both puzzled and surprised.

"Your talent is decent, and you have paid the apprenticeship fee, so you shall be considered a disciple in name only. Alice, who is also proficient in the way of fire, shall teach you on your behalf."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and his tone mimicking that of a school leader from his previous life, "The path of cultivation is long and arduous. I will no longer concern myself with your past; your future is in your own hands. As long as you do not betray your conscience, harm your fellow disciples, or fall into demonic ways, the sect will be your support..."

Upon hearing this, Alex bowed slightly and said, "I will follow Master's teachings."

Mason bowed slightly as well, his voice rising an octave above Alex's: "Thank you, Master!"

Ji Tian took out a yellowed booklet from his sleeve. The cover was inscribed with the words "Sword Heart Clarity Technique" in an ancient script.

"Alex, your sword heart is pure, and you are born with a sword body. The 'Sword Heart Clarity Technique' is just right for you. First, observe its meaning, then cultivate its form. After you have thoroughly studied it, I will teach you the specific techniques."

Alex took the scroll with both hands, and as his fingertips lightly touched the cover, he felt a cool sensation seep into his fingertips from the book, which made him shudder.

Ji Tian nodded, and was about to say a few more polite words, such as "You must diligently cultivate and not slack off," when his divine sense suddenly sensed something and looked towards the southwest.

Not long after, a series of heavy footsteps came from afar, making the bluestone floor tremble slightly.

The sound didn't seem like a person; it sounded more like some enormous creature was rapidly approaching.

The red dragon's vertical pupils snapped open, its tail stopped swishing, and its head rose from beneath the ancient pine tree.

It smelled a strange, wild scent, intensely untamed, and also a scent it disliked—a scent belonging to its own kind.

It instinctively sensed a threat; though not as menacing as that white-clad pervert, it was certainly not someone to be trifled with.

Everyone in the square turned to look in the direction from which the sound came—the bluestone path leading down the mountain.

A silverback bear appeared at the end of the road.

The bear was enormous, with a shoulder height equivalent to that of two people, and its entire body was covered in long, silvery-gray fur that gleamed with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

Two people were riding on the bear's back.

A tall, slender girl with light blonde curly hair that shone brightly in the sunlight, and orange-gold pupils that shone like the setting sun.

She had one leg wrapped around the bear's back, the other leg swinging casually, and a blade of grass she'd picked from who-knows-where was dangling from her mouth. Her posture was flamboyant and full of energy.

Behind her was a slightly thinner figure, carrying a sword on his back, also riding on the back of a bear, his hands gripping the hem of the person in front of him, his face full of helplessness.

"Master! I'm back!" Shirley waved to Ji Tian from afar, the foxtail grass in her mouth twitching. "Look what I found! A silverback bear! Big Black is resting by the river at the foot of the mountain. Let it recognize the scent first. I rode this big one back to show everyone!"

She patted the giant bear beneath her, and the bear responded with a low growl that echoed across the surrounding area.

Jenny peeked out from behind Shirley and whispered, "When Senior Sister saw it, she punched it to the ground and dragged it back. It's quite intelligent; it let us ride it after only half a day. Big Black is still down the mountain... it doesn't seem to like this one."

Shirley chuckled, "They're both bears, they'll get to know each other after a fight!"

She looked around at the strangers, then saw the red dragon lying on the edge of the square, and froze instantly.

She tilted her head and looked up and down at the enormous creature, its body dark red, its scales like rocks, and its wingspan so large they could cover half the sky when folded.

The red dragon was also looking at her, its vertical pupils carrying a condescending scrutiny: it was assessing how much of a threat this woman posed to it.

Sherry jumped off the bear's back, walked up to the red dragon, and looked up at it for a long time.

Two streams of hot liquid spewed from the red dragon's nostrils, and it was about to say something to emphasize its status as a guest retainer—

"Wow!" Shirley exclaimed, turning to Ji Tian with amazement. "Master! What a huge gecko! Where did you catch it? And the color is so vibrant!"