Longxiang Imperial Academy was one of the only four imperial academies located within the Nine Heavens Domain, a region with a population of four hundred million. Among the 151 imperial academies under the Nine Cauldrons Sect, it consistently ranked within the top fifty.0

Every year, over five million candidates in the Nine Heavens Domain took the entrance exams to join one of those four imperial academies, yet fewer than 5% successfully secured a spot. The remaining students either resigned themselves to living as ordinary citizens or continued their studies at higher academies, waiting for an opportunity to challenge the Nine Cauldrons Sect's assessment before they reached the age of twenty-two.0

Every individual capable of entering Longxiang Imperial Academy was considered a prodigy. After graduation, one out of ten joined the Nine Cauldrons Sect, truly entering the core, privileged class of the land's 8.8 billion people. Another four out of ten would secure stable jobs within the Energy Department. Even the remaining half who entered various sectors of society became the elite, often starting with annual salaries of at least 100,000.0

Consequently, as Yaoguang walked through the grounds of Longxiang Imperial Academy, every young face he encountered radiated confidence and was filled with boundless hope for the future.0

After asking for directions, Yaoguang arrived at a small five-story building covered in red tiles. This was...0