Graduation

April 1st, Yulan Calendar 9999.

The graduation examination for the sixth-year students of Ernst Institute was held in the hall on the top floor of the teaching building.

Aikesi Yan stood in the center of the hall, surrounded by seven or eight examiners—all senior mages of the institute, each with at least seven stripes on their cuffs. Vice Principal Delant sat in the chief examiner's seat, holding a document in his hand.

"Aikesi Yan, Fire element." Delant glanced at the roster. "Are you ready?"

"I am ready."

"Begin."

Aikesi Yan took a deep breath and raised his right hand.

The Fallen Heart Flame pulsed slightly within his body, and the Fire Spirit Bead began to circulate in tandem. He did not exert his full strength—seventy percent was enough. A mass of milky-white flame condensed in his palm, growing brighter and denser by the second.

The surrounding examiners narrowed their eyes.

"This is..." an old man whispered.

The flame constantly shifted forms in Aikesi Yan's hand—fireballs, fire snakes, fire walls, fire birds. Every spell was executed with extreme precision, and the temperature far exceeded that of his peers. Finally, with a wave of his right hand, the flame exploded in mid-air, turning into countless sparks that drifted slowly downward.

The hall was silent for several moments.

Delant closed the roster and looked at the other examiners. After exchanging glances, they nodded.

"Aikesi Yan." Delant stood up. "Congratulations, you have passed the graduation examination."

Aikesi Yan bowed slightly. "Thank you, Vice Principal."

When he walked out of the hall, Linley was leaning against the window in the corridor, waiting for him.

"Passed?" Linley asked.

"Mm." Aikesi Yan walked over. "What about you?"

"Just passed."

The two looked at each other, neither speaking.

Sunlight spilled in through the window, casting long shadows on the floor. Nine years. From nine years old to eighteen, from the first rank to the seventh. This was the path they had walked together.

"Let's go," Aikesi Yan said.

The two walked downstairs side by side.

The news spread quickly.

By the next day, the entire Fenlai City was talking about the two youngest graduates of Ernst Institute—Linley, seventeen years and five months old, and Aikesi Yan, seventeen years and seven months old. One was a dual-element seventh-rank mage, the other a fire-element seventh-rank mage. In the five-thousand-year history of Ernst Institute, they were second only to that first genius who graduated at nineteen.

On the third day, the first wave of recruiters arrived.

They were envoys from the Fenlai Kingdom, carrying a personal letter from King Clyde. They stayed at the institute for half a day and spoke with Linley and Aikesi Yan separately. Linley indicated he would consider staying in the Fenlai Kingdom, while Aikesi Yan politely declined, citing that he had "not yet decided."

On the fourth day, people from the Radiant Church arrived.

The visitor was an old acquaintance—Cardinal Gilmer. He met with Linley first and spoke for a long time. After coming out, he met with Aikesi Yan.

"Aikesi." Gilmer sat across from him, his smile kind. "We meet again."

"Lord Gilmer." Aikesi Yan bowed slightly.

Gilmer waved his hand. "No need for formalities. I came to ask about your plans."

Aikesi Yan pondered for a moment. "I might go to the Yulan Empire."

"The Yulan Empire?" Gilmer raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"The magical atmosphere there is better, and the resources are more abundant," Aikesi Yan said. "Besides, I have friends there, so we can look out for each other."

Gilmer nodded, not pressing the issue. "That is fine. The Yulan Empire and our Radiant Church have good relations; if you go there, you won't be considered an outsider."

Aikesi Yan was somewhat surprised.

Gilmer laughed. "Don't misunderstand, I am not here to recruit you into the Church. You are a child who clearly doesn't like being constrained. I just came to see you and to tell you—no matter where you go in the future, the Radiant Church welcomes you as a guest."

"Thank you, Lord Gilmer."

Gilmer stood up and patted his shoulder. "Cultivate well. With your talent, in a few decades, you might even be able to trade blows with that old fellow Luoye."

Aikesi Yan was stunned for a moment, then smiled.

On the fifth day, people from the Dark Church arrived.

Naturally, they came in secret.

That evening, Aikesi Yan was cultivating alone on the back mountain. When he finished, he found someone sitting on a rock not far away—an old man in gray robes with a thin face and deep, piercing eyes.

"Young Master Aikesi." The old man spoke, his voice hoarse. "I have been waiting for you for quite a while."

Aikesi Yan did not panic; he simply looked at him. "And you are?"

"I am from the Dark Church," the old man said directly.

Aikesi Yan's heart skipped a beat, but his expression remained calm. "People from the Dark Church, coming to the territory of the Radiant Church—are you not afraid of being discovered?"

The old man laughed. "And what if I am discovered? I am not here to cause trouble, merely to have a few words with you."

"Please, speak."

The old man stood up and walked before him: "Young Master Aikesi Yan, I have long heard of your talent. A seventeen-year-old seventh-rank fire mage—you rank in the top five in the history of the entire continent. If you are willing to join the Dark Church, we can provide the best resources, top-tier mentors, and can even grant you direct entry into the core of the Church."

Aikesi Yan was silent for a moment: "Why seek me out?"

"Because you are worth it," the old man said. "The Radiant Church has Luoye and those old fogies. We in the Dark Church also need fresh blood. Who wouldn't want a genius like you?"

Aikesi Yan shook his head: "My apologies, I have no intention of joining any church."

The old man looked at him, his gaze profound: "Because of the Radiant Church?"

"Because of myself," Aikesi Yan said. "I do not like being bound."

The old man was silent for a while, then smiled: "Interesting. Very well, I will not force you. But I leave you with these words—no matter where you go, the doors of the Dark Church will always be open to you."

Having said this, he turned and left, disappearing into the woods within a few strides.

On the sixth day, the people from the O'Brien Empire arrived.

The visitor was a burly middle-aged man who claimed to be the vice-dean of the empire's Royal Magic Academy. He spoke with Aikesi Yan for an hour, detailing the magic resources and benefits of the O'Brien Empire.

"If you are willing to come, you can enter the Royal Magic Academy for advanced studies directly, with an annual scholarship of fifty thousand gold coins, an independent training room, and opportunities to come into contact with Saint-level powerhouses," the middle-aged man said, patting his chest. "How about it? Consider it?"

Aikesi Yan shook his head: "I may go to the Yulan Empire."

The middle-aged man froze for a moment, then sighed: "The Yulan Empire... that place is indeed good. But our O'Brien is not bad either. Will you reconsider?"

Aikesi Yan smiled: "Fine, I will consider it."

After the middle-aged man left, Aikesi Yan leaned back in his chair and rubbed his temples.

In these past few days, he had already met with no fewer than ten groups of people. Envoys from the Fenlai Kingdom, the Radiant Church, the Dark Church, the O'Brien Empire, and several duchies. Everyone brought generous terms, and everyone hoped he would join them.

"Being a genius is quite tiring," he muttered to himself.

On the seventh day, the people from the Yulan Empire arrived.

The visitors were an elder from the Royal Magic Academy and—George.

"Third Brother!" George shouted as soon as he entered the door. "I'm here!"

Aikesi Yan smiled: "Why did you come?"

"I came to accompany the elder," George said, pointing to the old man beside him. "This is Elder Feren, a seventh-rank wind mage."

Elder Feren nodded toward Aikesi Yan, his attitude very courteous.

The three sat down and chatted for over an hour. Feren detailed the situation at the Royal Magic Academy—the curriculum, the faculty, the training resources, and future development. Aikesi Yan listened very carefully, asking a few questions from time to time.

Finally, Feren said: "Young Master Aikesi Yan, if you are willing to come, we can provide the most generous benefits. An independent training room, an annual scholarship of eighty thousand gold coins, and the opportunity to enter the core area of the Imperial Library."

Aikesi Yan pondered for a moment: "I would like to go."

Feren's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Mm," Aikesi Yan nodded. "I had already decided."

George clapped from the side: "That's great! Now we can see each other every day!"

Feren was also very happy: "Very well, we welcome you at any time. After graduation, you may come to Yulan City whenever you wish."

After seeing Feren and George off, Aikesi Yan returned to the courtyard.

Linley Baruch was sitting there, and when he saw him return, he looked up.

"Decided?" Linley asked.

"Decided," Aikesi Yan sat down beside him. "The Yulan Empire."

Linley nodded: "That's good."

"And you?"

"Staying in Fenlai," Linley said. "King Clyde has given me a position as a court mage."

Aikesi Yan knew the reason.

"Let's keep in touch," Aikesi Yan said.

"Mm."

April 15th, the graduation ceremony.

The grand auditorium of the Ernst Institute was packed. The sixth-year graduates wore academic robes and took the stage one by one to receive their diplomas. But everyone's eyes were focused on the two people at the very front.

Linley Baruch. Aikesi Yan.

Seventeen years and five months, seventeen years and seven months. The second and third youngest graduates in the history of the Ernst Institute.

Vice-Dean Delant personally presented them with their certificates.

"Linley Baruch," Delant looked at him, his eyes full of gratification. "You are the pride of Ernst."

Linley bowed slightly: "Thank you, Vice-Dean."

When it was Aikesi Yan's turn, Delant patted him on the shoulder: "Aikesi, work hard. In the future, there will be a place for you on this continent."

Aikesi Yan nodded: "I will."

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience.

Yale sat in the corner, clapping vigorously. Reynolds was itching to stand up and shout, but George grabbed him and pulled him back down.

"Keep it low-key!" George lowered his voice.

"Low-key my foot! My brother just graduated!"

George rolled his eyes helplessly.

After the ceremony ended, the five of them went to Wald to grab a drink.

It was the same old spot, the same group of people. They ordered a table full of food and cracked open several bottles of wine.

"Cheers!" Yale raised his glass. "Congratulations to Third and Fourth for graduating!"

"Cheers!"

The five of them clinked their glasses and downed the drinks in one go.

Reynolds, his face flushed red from the alcohol, slung an arm around Akes's neck and said, "Third, you're heading to the Yulan Empire—will you come back later?"

"Of course I will," Akes said. "You're all in Fenlai; how could I not come back?"

"That's good, that's good." Reynolds then grabbed Linley. "Fourth, you stay put in Fenlai. Once I graduate, I'll come find you."

Linley nodded. "Alright."

George laughed from the side. "The two of you—one going to the Yulan Empire, one staying in Fenlai—Yale and I will be running back and forth between both places from now on."

Yale waved a hand dismissively. "What's there to run about? My family's merchant guild has branches everywhere; we can go wherever we want."

The group burst into laughter.

By the time they finished drinking, it was midnight, and the five of them stumbled their way back.

Returning to the dormitory at night, Akes lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Voices from Yale and George drifted in from next door, accompanied by the sound of Reynolds snoring. It was quiet on Linley's side; he wasn't sure if he was asleep yet.

[Ding--Detected that the host has completed their studies and graduated from the Ernst Institute. This is a significant milestone in life.]

[Would you like to check in?]

Akes silently recited in his heart: Check in.

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward obtained: Desolate Era - Nuwa Diagram. A visualization scroll left behind by the ancient deity Nuwa. Visualizing this diagram can temper mental energy, increase soul strength, and accelerate the cultivation speed after mental energy liquefaction. Long-term visualization carries a chance to comprehend a trace of the mysteries behind Nuwa's creation of life.]

A scroll appeared out of thin air within Akes's mind.

On the scroll was the back of a woman standing amidst chaos, her hands held out as if supporting something, with countless specks of light gathering around her. Even though it was a static image, it gave the impression that she was in the midst of creating all things. That silhouette seemed close, yet simultaneously as distant as the horizon; though it was merely an outline, it felt incredibly divine.

Akes became immersed in it, and before he knew it, his mental energy began to circulate slowly, becoming even more active than usual.

Good stuff, he praised inwardly.

After mental energy liquefies, the speed of cultivation slows down. From the seventh rank to the eighth, and the eighth to the ninth, every step requires a long accumulation of time. With the Nuwa Diagram, his speed could increase by at least thirty percent.