B1C26: Competition at the Imperial City

Very quickly, two months were over and the children reluctantly made their way back to their academy. The hype of the recruit year was still not over as the 9-minute feat spread throughout the academy. Everyone knew about the Demonslayers, seniors, and instructors kept an eye out for them but took no action because the recruit years were the easiest to accomplish this type of feat; the previous record holders did it in 10 minutes. The team still had a lot of challenges to overcome before they could bear the powerhouse title.

In the second year as privates, the teams learned everything about weapons, how to use them, their strengths, and their weaknesses. This led to a few privates changing their weapons or picking up another weapon as a backup. The Demonslayers and the other top 10 teams stuck to their choice and continued to perfect their understanding of their chosen weapons.

The team kept up with their rigorous training throughout their second year. Their steady performance was very admirable as they ended the year as the number one team qualifying for promotion. Due to the Demonslayers' excellent performances over the past year, Caleb and Tobias were promoted to Sergeants, which was equivalent to a fourth year at the academy. The rest of the team were corporals, the rank given to the third-year students. They all recognized Tobias's effort as the second in command, even the instructors recognized his contributions.

The third year focused on cultivation. Blessing skills were taught, and body cultivation was intensified. Caleb, who cultivated in both, was super busy with no time for any social interaction around his team training, faith training, skill training, body training, and personal weapon training. The hours in the day were not long enough; if not for the crystal ball space, he would have broken down from exhaustion.

Speaking about the crystal ball space, in the Prophet Rank, the pure liquefied faith energy had crystal used the spinning crystal ball gradually grinding the crystal-sized inner space into powder, giving room for a denser crystal space. Inside the crystal ball, Caleb noticed a new function: he could summon opponents of his choice, set their qualities, and battle them. This newfound ability became a significant factor in his rapid skill improvement, surpassing his peers.

Due to their outstanding qualities, Caleb was appointed as the staff sergeant for the recruits this year. He and his team worked their best, incorporating their team style into the training. The recruits all suffered, but their strength improved faster compared to other years. The reputation of the Demonslayers at the academy was at its prime, but this did not make them proud. It drove them to train harder to develop themselves quickly.

Despite his achievements, Caleb never considered himself a genius. He attributed his progress to his relentless dedication and hard work. As he reflected on his journey, he couldn't help but acknowledge the impact of the crystal ball. "If not for this crystal ball, where would I be?" he pondered.

The recruits had finally finished their first year in the academy, and their two months of break had started. The joy and excitement from the recruit camp echoed in the academy. The Demonslayers had completed their mission, but there was no time to rest; they had to prepare for the Promotion Exam, which was in a month.

A week before the exam, Caleb was summoned by the Major General in charge of the academy. He quickly stopped his training, and fixed his uniform neatly, before making his way to the administration office, saluting the Lieutenants present before entering the Major General's office.

"Sergeant Caleb reporting, Sir!" he said, standing at attention.

"Come in!" the Major General responded.

As Caleb entered, he noticed his fellow commanders present. In the office, Alex from Ray of Light, Osmos from Eye for Eye, Soho from Flame, and Dara from Oneshot were already standing in front of the desk. The Major General was sitting behind the desk, adorned with a scar on the right side of his face. He had an air of authority and a unique charm, complemented by his grey hair.

"There won't be a promotion exam for the five of you. Instead, I have a mission for you. You all will represent the academy in an upcoming contest at the imperial city in a week," the Major General announced. "Each academy in every province will send five representatives to compete. The rewards are substantial, and I hope you seize this opportunity. This also gives your second-in-command a chance to lead the team in your absence."

"Understood, Sir!" they replied in unison. Caleb and his fellow competitors acknowledged the Major General's words and were dismissed to make their preparations. Each of these teams were rivals, and with the Demonslayers leading the front, all the other teams had to step up their development, resulting in a qualitative change for the students. Yet, this time, the five rivals had to represent the school. They couldn't help but see themselves as opponents to defeat. There can be only one champion.

After relaying instructions to their second-in-command, the five representatives began intensive training for the contest. While the others focused on various aspects of preparation, Caleb devoted three days to cultivation. He entered a deep cultivation state, remaining secluded from the outside world. The other four could not understand why Caleb was cultivating at this time before the contest, but they admired his perseverance in cultivating non-stop for three days.

On the third morning, Caleb rose early, performed his exercises, and bid farewell to his team. This was a solo mission, and they couldn't follow. They knew they had to work hard to retain the crown as the best team within their year group. Caleb hurried to the administration office, where a carriage awaited their departure. Lieutenant Judas, who had been promoted over the years, was to accompany the representatives on the journey to the imperial city.

The commanders were already trained, each of them holding a sergeant rank in their third year, a testament to their dedication and development. The journey to the Imperial City was uneventful. They all cultivated quietly in preparation for what was to come. Lieutenant Judas was impressed by the level of seriousness they had shown and couldn't help but have high expectations for this group, especially Caleb.

The war horses used were a different breed, with large frames and veiny muscles visible beneath their skin. They galloped at full speed from the South of Moonlight country, out of the desert towards the east. The scenery changed quickly as the horses ran. From the east, they crossed the border into the Imperial Country, heading for the capital.

The Imperial City, the capital of the Imperial Country, stood proudly as the pinnacle of human civilization. It was a sprawling metropolis that exuded grandeur and power in every corner. The city was strategically situated, serving as the political and cultural centre of the vast Imperial Country, the last human stronghold guarded by the Emperor.

As Caleb and his companions arrived at the city, they were immediately struck by the sheer magnitude of its architecture and the bustling activity that filled the streets. Towering structures loomed overhead, adorned with intricate carvings and adorned with majestic banners that fluttered in the wind. The buildings showcased a blend of traditional and modern architectural styles, reflecting the rich history and progressive nature of the Imperial Country.

After making arrangements for their horses, they were led to the representative area. The contest was scheduled to commence in a week, providing them ample time for training.

Lieutenant Judas decided to explain some things to the representatives. He mentioned that the Imperial Country, Moonlight Country, and Fireblaze Country are the largest human-occupied areas in this world. Although the world is big, humans have been driven into a corner and can only protect these three countries. The ruler of these three counties is an Emperor, and his palace is somewhere in the imperial country. Each academy has a branch in each city, and all their representatives will be your opponents in this contest.

Lieutenant Judas then informed them about the training facilities available in the city. He also mentioned a unique perk for the chosen representatives: a medicinal solution used in a bath, known for its recovery effect during training as well as for improving the body's foundations. He took a bottle containing a viscous green liquid out from a rustic brown box and carefully handed it to Caleb and the others.

Everyone went to their rooms to set up the medicinal baths. There was no time to waste. Caleb carefully poured the contents of the bottle into a bath of boiling water, turning the water green. A chemical reaction gradually became visible as the calm water started to bubble. Caleb quickly took off his clothes and immersed himself in the liquid, entering into a state of cultivation, disconnecting from the outside world to endure the refining process.

As Caleb soaked in the bath, he entered the crystal ball space to cultivate his faith energy. He noticed a new clone appearing, refining the meridians he had already opened. Following the clone's guidance, Caleb focused on splitting the flow of the medicine, directing the majority to refine his body while the rest refined his meridians. With each cycle, his meridians reached their limits, causing them to break down. The medicinal properties provided a quick recovery to the broken meridians. This cycle continued as he cultivated.

Time passed slowly as the boys remained immersed in the medicinal bath. Caleb, who already excelled in body cultivation and had achieved an early stage Earth Rank during his third year, now experienced another breakthrough, reaching the Middle stage of the Earth Rank.

Caleb noticed something strange with his meridians and began to panic. He didn't want to believe that he was risking not just his cultivation but also his life by refining his meridians. There was also nothing he could do at this point, as he had already initiated the process and his body was responding automatically. Out of the destruction, the newer meridians were stronger and wider. He also noticed that they were slowly crystallising. This coincidence showed that he was refining his meridians to the max. He halted his attempts to absorb the medicine and instead directed it solely to his meridians.

Inside the crystal ball space, Caleb reviewed the process of increasing the faith rank. He was looking for any hints that could explain what was happening to his meridians.

Believer Rank: The cultivator senses faith energy, guiding it into the body to open the minor meridians. The accumulated faith is then used to excavate the inner space. When all this is completed, the cultivator can advance to Disciple Rank. Here, the cultivator has to compress the faith energy in the inner space until it becomes liquid, filling the inner space and opening the major meridians where the conditions to advance to Prophet Rank. The liquified faith energy at this rank is further compressed until it solidifies. The meridians are reinforced at this stage as well. Forming the Faith core is the only way to advance to the Deacon Rank.

He now had a guess. The tearing and repairing of his meridians was also mixing with his pure faith energy. The compressed faith energy was being incorporated into the meridians, transforming them into a solid passage for faith energy.

After realizing that he was not in danger, Caleb calmed down and continued his cultivation. While the others spent 72 hours in the bath, Caleb's intense cultivation extended to 216 hours, equating to nine days. He successfully crystallized all six of his meridians. The increase in the quality of his meridians led to a faster accumulation of faith energy. The crystal ball came to life, creating a whirlpool of faith energy inside the inner space as it spun, creating a suction force on Caleb's meridians and pulling in a lot of faith energy at once.

This caused a little disturbance in the reserved area. But knowing that the contest brought all different people into the city, the management did nothing. However, they were wondering who the expert training in their area reserved for representatives.

In Caleb's inner space, the crystal ball drilled into the pure crystallized faith energy, almost in preparation for the formation of the faith core. Oblivious to the workings of the crystal ball, Caleb focused on crystallizing his meridians.

Four days later, the five representatives gathered once more. Each of them felt more confident, as their gains in the past days were not insignificant. Osmos, who fully focused on body cultivation, was the most eye-catching. His body emitted a strong oppressive aura, making everyone surprised. He had just advanced to the Late stage of the Earth Rank and could not fully control his power. The remaining team members used the opportunity to speed through the Mortal Rank, Unity, and break into the Human Rank. On the other hand, Caleb's breakthrough wasn't as exaggerated as the others, only achieving the Middle stage of the Earth Rank.

The rules of the competition had been released, and Lieutenant Judas was once again standing in front of the team to brief them on the rules. The format of the contest had been decided: it would be a killing array battle that could only be challenged individually. The opponents' levels were not fixed but could vary between the Mortal Rank and Heaven Rank for body cultivation or Believer Rank and Deacon Rank for faith cultivation. The competition would be fierce, as only 10 out of 45 representatives would advance to the next round.

The weight of the competition was now upon their shoulders. Every representative was the best in their respective academies, and getting into the top 10 proved difficult. The determination and hunger for success were felt in the tense atmosphere. Without any need for conversation, each representative returned to their room to continue preparing for the coming contest.