"The Jia Nan Academy is a sanctuary for cultivation, but it is not a playground. There are no strict uniform codes outside of official ceremonies, but you are expected to dress modestly and practically. Your primary focus will be survival and progression." Ruo Lin's voice melodic but laced with the strict professionalism of an academy tutor.
She paced slowly before the line of youths, her green dress sweeping the stone floor.
"Upon your arrival, you will not simply be thrown into a single room. There are various disciplines a student can choose—from alchemy and forging to beast taming and combat arrays. You are free to change disciplines if you find your affinity lies elsewhere, but absolute dedication is expected. Furthermore, to earn the academy's resources, you will be assigned various missions and tasks. The academy does not spoon-feed its students; it forges them in the fire of competition."
She spent the next few minutes outlining the miscellaneous, yet vital, logistical rules of the academy. Yoriichi listened impassively, his mind cataloging the information. The structure sounded remarkably similar to the Demon Slayer Corps, though driven by personal advancement rather than a desperate war for survival.
Finally, Ruo Lin paused, letting out a soft, delicate cough to clear her throat.
"Now," she said, her expression turning slightly more serious. "The academy operates on a strict hierarchy based on raw potential and cultivation speed. I will now announce the preliminary ranks you have been assigned. This rank determines your initial class placement, the quality of your dormitories, and your starting resource allowance."
A wave of nervous anticipation rippled through the youths. Even the typically arrogant Jia Lie and Ao Ba candidates swallowed hard.
Ruo Lin consulted the parchment handed to her by a senior student.
"Xiao Mei—D Rank," Ruo Lin read calmly. "Ao Ba Xu—C Rank. Jia Lie Ke—D Rank."
Xiao Mei exhaled a breath she had been holding. While 'D' was the lowest entry rank, it was still an entry ticket. The two rival youths nodded respectfully, accepting their placement.
"Xiao Ning," Ruo Lin continued, her eyes finding Yoriichi's stoic face. "C Rank."
Yoriichi raised an eyebrow infinitesimally. A 'C' rank. He had displayed a stable, refined one-star Dou Zhe cultivation. In a normal border city, that was genius material. But to the Jia Nan Academy, it was merely above average.
'What would constitute the upper echelons, then?' Yoriichi thought, genuinely curious about the measuring metrics of this world's premier institution.
Ruo Lin answered his unspoken question in her next breath.
"Jia Lie Ho—C Rank," she read, before her eyes shifted to the boy who caused commotion. "Xiao Yan... considering your unprecedented leap from the third stage of Dou Zhi Qi to a three-star Dou Zhe in just fifteen months, you possess a terrifying foundation. You are assigned A Rank."
A collective gasp echoed from the senior students standing behind Ruo Lin. An 'A' rank for a new recruit from a border city was rare.
"And finally," Ruo Lin turned her gaze to the ethereal girl in purple. Her Da Dou Shi senses could also tell Xun'er has the sheer, unfathomable depth and being highest 5-star Dou Zhe. "Xiao Xun'er. S Rank. The highest potential placement."
The square was dead silent. An 'S' rank was like the stuff of academy legends, very rare, usually reserved for the monstrous freaks.
"I believe you can all understand why you have been placed in your respective classes according to your demonstrated cultivation potential," Ruo Lin said, rolling up the parchment. "But worry not. The Jia Nan Academy rewards effort above all. If you show immense dedication and exceed your initial potential, you can challenge the hierarchy and be upgraded to the upper ranks."
All seven candidates nodded. A brief Q&A session followed, with Xiao Mei and the rival youths anxiously asking about dormitory arrangements and mission difficulties. Yoriichi remained perfectly silent, analyzing the subtle flows of ambient Dou Qi around the square instead. Ruo Lin answered the nervous youths with the infinite patience of a seasoned educator.
Just as the session seemed to be wrapping up, Xiao Yan raised his hand.
Ruo Lin perked up instantly. Xiao Yan and Xun'er were the absolute crown jewels of this recruitment drive. She looked at the boy with a warm, encouraging smile. "Yes, Xiao Yan? What is your query?"
Xiao Yan stepped forward, his expression completely serious, entirely lacking his usual casual swagger.
"Teacher," Xiao Yan stated calmly, "I want to take a one-year leave of absence."
Ruo Lin's warm smile instantly froze on her face.
Behind her, the senior students practically tripped over their own feet in shock. Xiao Yu's eyes widened, her jaw dropping slightly open.
'He just got admitted, and he wants a year off?!' Xiao Yu thought frantically, staring at her cousin as if he had sprouted a second head. It was the height of arrogance!
Yoriichi, however, remained entirely unbothered. He connected the dots instantly. 'Ah. The Three-Year Agreement,' Yoriichi reasoned internally. 'He cannot afford to be locked in a classroom. He needs like brutal, life-and-death tempering of the outside world to prepare for Nalan Yanran.'
Ruo Lin's eye twitched. She forcibly maintained her gentle demeanor, though her smile now looked incredibly strained and somewhat weird.
"Xiao Yan," Ruo Lin began, her tone laced with a dangerous softness. "Do you comprehend exactly where you have just taken admission? The Jia Nan Academy is the dream of millions. You have only just stepped through the threshold, and you immediately ask to leave for a year? I am afraid I cannot grant such an absurd request."