The boy stood in the middle of the ancient kitchen, trembling.
His ragged robes now fluttered lightly despite the still air, and golden veins of qi shimmered beneath his skin. His mind raced. He didn't understand what had just happened.
He had eaten an apple. That was all.
Yet now, he could hear the rhythm of the world—the breath of the wind, the heartbeat of the forest, even the song of the stars.
"I… I feel… light," he whispered, lifting his hands. A faint golden glow surrounded his fingers. His hunger had vanished. Pain had disappeared. He felt... complete.
The sound of distant steps pulled him out of his awe.
From the end of the corridor, a white-robed old man appeared, carrying a wooden basket filled with strange herbs. His hair was long, beard immaculate, and eyes as sharp as swords.
"Oh? A visitor?" the old man asked casually. "Strange… no one's supposed to be here yet."
"I-I'm sorry! I just—he told me I could—" the boy panicked, bowing deeply.
The old man raised his hand, and the boy's body froze mid-motion. Not with force, but from pressure—a spiritual presence that felt like a mountain pressing on his soul.
But a moment later, the pressure vanished.
"I see. The headmaster let you in."
"Headmaster?" the boy asked.
The old man chuckled. "You called him 'sir'… but if he gave you permission, then you're already one of us."
"Us?"
"Heaven Defying Academy, child. You just became its first student."
The boy's heart skipped. "B-but I don't know how to cultivate. I don't even have a surname. I'm just… nobody."
The old man smiled kindly. "Here, no one remains nobody for long. The fact that you survived the apple means the academy has accepted you."
He placed the basket down and looked thoughtfully at the boy. "What's your name, child?"
The boy hesitated. "…I don't have one."
"Hmm…" The old man stroked his beard. "Then let's give you one."
He looked at the glowing qi within the boy's dantian and raised an eyebrow. "You've formed a Golden Core already? No, wait… that's not a core. That's… a seed?"
He stared at the boy like he was a puzzle that didn't belong.
"Fine. From this day on, you'll be known as Ashwin—the one who begins anew."
The boy repeated it in awe. "Ashwin…"
The old man walked to the window and gazed out at the sprawling courtyard, where trees bent toward the central tower as if in worship. "The academy will awaken soon. You've lit the first flame. Students will come. Teachers will return. And the world will notice."
"Who are you…?" Ashwin asked softly.
"Me?" the old man smiled. "I'm just the gardener."
Ashwin blinked. "But… you're stronger than anyone I've ever met."
"Of course," the old man chuckled. "Even weeds need proper pruning."
A distant bell rang—once, then twice.
The skies darkened. A thundercloud gathered above the academy, though no rain fell. The runes on the academy gate glowed brighter.
The old man's expression changed. "The first trial… begins now."
"Trial?" Ashwin echoed.
"Yes. To be part of Heaven Defying Academy… is to invite challenge. The heavens will resist. They already sense that someone... has returned."
He looked upward, his eyes narrowing.
"They remember the Dao Ancestor. And they fear his legacy."