The first ten vertical bars blazed with intense light for an instant, just as expected.
Although Lie Xu appeared youthful, his stature, physical development, Adam's apple, and facial features betrayed the mark of an adult in every sense.
Lan Renshu and Kong Meng were not surprised if Lie Xu were actually over 20 years old. In fact, in that very moment, both secretly suspected that the most likely outcome would be for the final opaque bar—indicating 21 or more—to ignite, proving that the young man was older than appearances suggested. That, too, was Wei Meilin's expectation, though until that point she had regarded the test as unremarkable.
When the Heavenly Longevity Formation produced a result of 15 filled bars, something unexpected occurred.
For one full second, the mechanism—rapidly revealing Lie Xu's age—halted. Then, as the 16th vertical bar burst into light, the formation emitted a sharp crack and ceased functioning entirely.
Lie Xu felt an abrupt pause in the flow of blood along his spine, a slight discomfort marking the process.
Though he could not directly see the result from his position, the sudden change in the expressions of the three others in the room told him everything he needed to know.
Wei Meilin reacted most dramatically of all. Her eyes narrowed almost to the point of closure as her brows knit together, and her mouth parted slightly in an expression of pure astonishment.
"This… It can't be!" she murmured at first in a hushed tone that soon swelled into a powerful, resounding exclamation.
Unlike Kong Meng, who had yet to cultivate, or Lan Renshu, a low-level elder, Wei Meilin was herself a practitioner of the Firm Roots Realm! Detecting the cultivation level of another from the same realm was effortless for her. Yet here, Lie Xu, a cultivator of the Spiritual Consolidation stage, should not possibly be only 16 years old!
At that precise moment, the Heavenly Longevity Formation's result spoke volumes. Setting aside his anxious curiosity, Lan Renshu's face softened into a look of supreme satisfaction. His serene yet warm smile was reminiscent of a proud father witnessing his child reach the pinnacle.
For a brief moment, any onlooker might have thought that the elderly man beside the exuberant youth—jumping and shouting with joy—was, in fact, the true beneficiary of a great bargain.
"Hahaha, Big Brother—you are an unprecedented genius! I knew you were special from the moment we met!" Kong Meng shouted, squinting his eyes and arching his features in pure, unbridled delight.
Lie Xu set aside the evaluation tool and examined his result with a moderate smile. "Sixteen bars filled… I'm 16 years old?" He regarded the number as a mere curiosity, still unaware of the true significance behind his achievement.
"Who are you? Where do you come from?" Wei Meilin stepped forward, now assuming a far more attentive and reverent posture. In an instant, her air of indifference melted away, replaced by an insatiable, boundless interest.
Locking eyes with the beautiful attendant at the academy, Lie Xu recalled Liu Yu's advice. Vaguely, he replied, "My name is Lie Xu. I am simply traveling in search of unique experiences in new worlds. That's why I must study—if only even the commonplace knowledge sought by youngsters like Kong Meng."
Wei Meilin lowered her gaze, recognizing Lie Xu as one of those nomadic travelers on a journey of growth. 'He must be on a path of self-discovery. I've heard that great clans send their offspring into the world on their own before bestowing upon them positions of responsibility,' she thought.
Meanwhile, Lan Renshu gave a gentle pinch to one of Kong Meng's arms. 'It appears young Lie has made up his mind about his "past." Let us proceed with his intentions and keep his secret safe!'
Though Kong Meng could not read minds, the more serious—and yet joyful—look on Lan Renshu's face told him that now was not the time for him to speak. Enduring his own discomfort, he fell silent, waiting for the adults to continue.
Lan Renshu then laughed and declared, "That's right. Young Lie is now experiencing life in our Sun Kingdom. We brought him into the village when we found him in the outside world, and now we are guiding him. Unfortunately, he is unaware of many local nuances and it wouldn't do for him to rely on us all the time. Consequently, he has chosen to reside in the village for a while and learn our customs."
"Very well then," Wei Meilin said, having no doubt about the elder's words, and immediately offered a respectful bow of greeting to Lie Xu. "In that case, I am at your service to answer your questions and guide you through the academy, Junior Brother Lie. Please feel free to address me as Meilin or Senior Sister Wei. I will be delighted to help you in any way I can."
Lie Xu was gradually acclimating to this society. The people of Brave Sword King Village appeared intelligent and, when they recognized potential in someone, they would not hesitate to forge amicable relationships.
Some might call it opportunistic, but Lie Xu saw nothing wrong with mutual assistance—a hand washing the other, so to speak. In his eyes, having people at one's disposal was entirely natural and ultimately advantageous.
"In that case, I shall trouble Senior Sister Wei," he said with a curious smile, glancing toward the graceful attendant as he moved toward the door of the room. Wei Meilin appeared a few years older than Liu Yu and wore a large ring on one finger of her right hand. Lie Xu couldn't help but notice that the ring symbolized her betrothal to someone, prompting him to speak with the appropriate deference.
"What are my next steps now that I've passed the age test, Senior Sister Wei?"
Both Lan Renshu and Kong Meng fell silent as they followed behind Lie Xu and Wei Meilin, who strolled side by side back toward the academy's entrance hall.
Wei Meilin smiled and replied, "I will finalize your registration and enroll you in the subjects of your choice, Junior Brother. But take comfort in knowing that you have all the time you need to explore the academy's potential. You may add or drop courses from your curriculum as you wish—just be mindful of the withdrawal rules. You cannot drop a course after you've completed more than half of its duration. Otherwise, you will have considerable freedom."
Kong Meng commented, "Some courses involve practical sessions that are expensive for the academy. Once you reach a certain stage in them, you must see them through to the end, or risk losing your enrollment at the academy."
Lie Xu absorbed the information without objection, though he did wonder why the Sun Kingdom invested so heavily in its citizens' education.
"What does the Sun Kingdom gain by pressuring its people to fully commit to their studies? I mean, it makes sense to seize opportunities, but how does that benefit the academy and the kingdom?"
Lan Renshu answered, "In the Sun Kingdom, we believe in a united society, young Lie. Our royal family rose from humble beginnings—The Brave Sword King was once a commoner, not unlike Kong Meng and me. He endured many hardships in his youth, yet he also had friends and allies. From early on, he understood the strength found in collective support, and when he ascended to the throne he upheld that very principle. That is why, since his rise, the kingdom has invested—even if modestly—in all its people.
"Of course, not everyone receives abundant resources, so the royal family focuses on disseminating knowledge and practical skills, helping our populace understand this vast world and its myriad mysteries."
Wei Meilin nodded in agreement with Lan Renshu's words before adding, "For the kingdom, if just one or two commoners learn alchemy, for instance, it might not seem significant. But when that scales to an entire population—across many disciplines—the impact becomes enormous. It is no coincidence that our nation has advanced several levels since the rise of the Xuanyuan Royal House. Over the past thousand years, our nation has achieved a status where we sit alongside the mightiest states in our divine region. Even though our local forces might be comparatively weaker than those of our rivals on average, we can engage in fair trade and command respect!"
Lie Xu observed the pride and reverence in Wei Meilin's eyes and recalled how Liu Yu had described the Night Hunt Sect just the previous day. The people here appeared deeply devoted to their organizations and fiercely patriotic.
"So this is truly a grand national effort… I understand. Now it makes perfect sense," he murmured, feeling his earlier doubts slowly melt away.
When they returned to Wei Meilin's service counter, she swiftly completed Lie Xu's registration and then offered him the opportunity to select his subjects. At that moment, Lan Renshu advised his young guest on the essential subjects in which he should enroll—covering the kingdom's history, professions, local culture, and every subject he deemed crucial for a young man struggling with amnesia.
Although some of Lan Renshu's suggestions struck Wei Meilin as rather basic, she did not question them after witnessing how genuinely interested Lie Xu was. Treating him as a young nomad curious about the intricacies of a foreign kingdom, she registered him for a total of seven subjects before finalizing the bureaucratic portion of his academy admission.
"Now you may access the academy's facilities, Junior Brother Lie," Wei Meilin announced as she presented him with an identification badge. "With this badge, you can enter the library, study areas, register for seminars, and even become an assistant. It is essential to your life at the academy, so keep it with you at all times."
Lie Xu accepted the hexagon-shaped badge, its center emblazoned with a unique character representing the royal family.
Wei Meilin continued, "Today you may use the academy's facilities and even read in the library, but you'll be permitted to attend classes starting tomorrow. And regarding that, you may need to take some remedial courses. Speak with other students or consult your professors for guidance; if you have any difficulties, come see me. Your first few days will be a bit hectic, but you'll adjust quickly."
Eager to explore the library and begin "relearning" about this new world, Lie Xu's priority, however, was to join the Night Hunt Sect and "relearn" the art of cultivation. With the possibility of the Du Clan pursuing him looming, he knew he must not delay his entry into the sect any further.
"Later we'll return to collect my uniform and discover my schedule," he said, bowing his head in gratitude to Wei Meilin before excusing himself. "For now, I bid you farewell. I have other matters to attend to, Senior Sister Wei. I shall return to trouble you another time."
And with that, the trio departed—Lan Renshu and Kong Meng beaming with pride as Lie Xu's heart raced with anticipation. He was only a single step away from uncovering the secrets of mastering his own powers.
'I must possess something extraordinarily surreal, or I wouldn't have been able to dispatch those two with such ease,' he recalled the previous night and the many surprises he'd experienced.
'According to the Du Clan men, Du Ming was a third realm cultivator of soul cultivation—even stronger than Liu Yu. Lady Xue mentioned that I am at the 5 tier of the third realm, Level 24, which should be comparable to his and Liu Yu's powers. Hence, either the strength gap among individuals of the same tier can be enormous, or my power simply cannot be measured solely by my cultivation level!'