Alex and Lucien were walking slowly through the outer region of the academy where most of the new students gathered for training and evaluation. The area was wide and open, filled with stone paths, training fields, and scattered cultivation zones where young practitioners attempted to refine their martial souls. From a distance, it looked like a peaceful environment, but beneath that calm surface, ambition and competition constantly intertwined among the students.

Alex’s gaze moved continuously across the crowd as if he was searching for something invisible to ordinary perception. He was not simply observing their physical forms or their manifested martial souls. Instead, he was looking deeper, far beyond what normal senses could detect. Even when a martial soul was not externally projected, he could still perceive its existence as though it was layered within their very existence.

After comprehending the law of fate, his perception had reached a level where he could observe faint destiny threads above every living being. These threads were not physical, nor were they something that could be measured through conventional means. Each person carried a line of destiny above their head, and its thickness and clarity indicated the strength of their potential future. Alex had already refined his judgment to the point where he no longer cared about talent, background, or current cultivation level.

Lucien occasionally glanced at Alex while walking beside him. Even now, he was still somewhat astonished by the concealment technique that Alex had used earlier. It had not only hidden their physical presence, but it had also completely masked their life signatures. For someone like Lucien, who had spent years mastering perception and detection techniques, this level of suppression was almost incomprehensible.

He kept wondering silently who among the students would be significant enough to attract Alex’s attention. However, as the minutes passed and Alex continued scanning without visible reaction, Lucien gradually began to understand the answer. His earlier curiosity slowly turned into quiet acceptance.

Lucien’s shoulders lowered slightly as he realized that no one had yet met the standard Alex was searching for. The academy grounds were filled with talented students, yet none of them seemed to carry the kind of destiny that Alex was seeking. The silence between them continued until a sudden change occurred in the surroundings.

Suddenly from different directions, groups of young men and women began to arrive. They carried noble insignias on their uniforms, each representing powerful clans and influential families across the region. Their presence immediately altered the atmosphere of the outer academy, as though a group of bright sparks had suddenly entered a dimly lit field. Some students looked at them with admiration, while others reacted with caution or jealousy.

Alex finally broke his silence and spoke while observing the newcomers.

"Are they from the great clans?"

Lucien nodded slightly in response while keeping his attention forward.

"Yes, they are," he replied. "However, not all of them are official students of the academy. If you take an interest in any of them, we can arrange immediate admission."

Alex gave a calm nod, showing no visible change in expression. His attention did not linger on titles or noble origins. Instead, his eyes continued to scan through the crowd until they eventually paused on a single young man standing slightly apart from the others.

The young man appeared ordinary at first glance. He was currently practicing basic movements while occasionally observing his surroundings. His clothing was simple, and he did not carry the arrogance or confidence commonly seen among noble descendants. However, what made him stand out was something entirely different that only Alex could perceive.

Above the young man’s head, the line of fate was significantly thicker than everyone else in the area. It was not just slightly stronger, but many times denser and more stable, as though it was anchored to something far beyond the current world. Compared to the surrounding students, his destiny line was at least fifty times more prominent.

A faint smile formed on Alex’s face.

Lucien immediately followed his gaze and noticed the young man as well. After observing him briefly, he frowned slightly and spoke with a measured tone.

"Teacher Alex, are you referring to him? He does not possess any remarkable background. His martial soul is a thorny vine, which is considered one of the lowest grade types. According to our records, he is also a commoner without any known lineage or inheritance."

Lucien delivered the information calmly, as though presenting a factual report rather than an opinion. He clearly did not understand what made the boy worthy of attention. In his understanding, such a weak martial soul would normally be overlooked in any selection process involving elite training.

However, Alex’s expression did not change.

"I will choose him," Alex said calmly.

His tone carried no hesitation or doubt. It was not a suggestion or consideration, but a final decision. Lucien paused for a moment, as though trying to understand whether he had misheard. Yet when he looked at Alex’s expression, he quickly realized that the decision was already settled.

Alex continued speaking in the same calm tone.

"I will observe him for now. You may inform the others to leave."

Before Lucien could respond, Alex’s figure blurred slightly and disappeared from his position. There was no spatial disturbance or visible movement technique. He simply ceased to be present, as though he had stepped out of reality itself. The surrounding space remained undisturbed, which made his departure even more unsettling.

Lucien stood still for a moment while processing what had just happened. He then exhaled slowly and activated a communication device to relay instructions to the clan representatives. His voice remained composed as he delivered the message.

"Teacher Alex has already selected someone. You are requested to withdraw your candidates immediately."

The response from the other side quickly turned into confusion and dissatisfaction. However, none of them dared to challenge the academy’s authority or question Alex directly. The presence he had displayed earlier was already enough to suppress any resistance. After a short period of discussion, the commotion gradually faded.

Meanwhile, Alex had already arrived inside the academy library. The building was quiet and vast, filled with endless rows of books that contained centuries of accumulated knowledge. He moved through the shelves slowly and began reading without interruption, absorbing information at an inhuman speed.

At the same time, he focused inwardly on his internal world. Within his consciousness, a vast universe was steadily stabilizing after anchoring itself to Earth as its central foundation. The structure of his inner world had already evolved into a massive galaxy system that continued expanding without visible limits. Stars, clusters, and cosmic formations stretched endlessly, forming a scale that defied normal comprehension.

According to the system’s calculations, a single galaxy within his inner world would eventually expand to a size comparable to hundreds of millions of normal galaxies combined. Alex observed this silently without surprise, as though such development was merely expected progress.

"That is not bad at all," he muttered quietly before returning his focus to the books in front of him.

Several hours passed within the library. Alex had already read thousands of volumes covering history, geography, cultivation systems, and ancient records. From this accumulated knowledge, he began forming a clearer understanding of the world’s structure. The world was divided into five major continents, each containing five powerful empires that governed their respective regions.

However, one continent remained hidden behind a mysterious veil that prevented ordinary exploration.

The central authority of this continent where the Heavenly Origin Academy was known as the Light Temple, a power that stood above all others. Its supreme pontiff was rumored to be either a level ninety-nine existence or possibly even a level one hundred being, though no one could confirm the truth.