The next morning, a strange atmosphere surrounded the dark forest where the Heaven Defying Academy stood.
Though no birds chirped and no beasts dared roam nearby, a mysterious pull echoed through the air—something ancient, something profound. It was as if the land itself whispered: "Come."
And come they did.
Three figures—each from vastly different corners of the Saitanraj Kingdom—found their way to the forest, drawn by something they couldn't explain.
The first was Rika—a fiery red-haired girl clad in broken armor. Her gaze was sharp, her steps resolute. Once a soldier of the frontier, she had been betrayed by her own battalion and left for dead. She wandered without purpose… until last night, when a dream whispered a name into her soul.
"Heaven Defying Academy…"
The second was Yuvan, a soft-spoken boy in scholarly robes, barely fifteen, carrying nothing but a book and a pendant. He came from a ruined clan of scholars long forgotten. His body was weak, but his mind was unmatched. He too had a dream—but in his, a voice said, "Come, seeker of truth. Your answers await."
The third was Bala, a tall man with wild hair and a giant axe slung across his back. He was a barbarian from the northern wilderness. He didn't believe in dreams. But when he woke up in the forest after chasing a beast, the words "Heaven Defying Academy" were carved into the earth before him.
All three arrived at the same time—different paths, same fate.
They stood at the large black gates of the academy. Strange symbols shimmered across the wood, and an aura of suppression pressed down on them. But the moment they stepped forward, the pressure vanished, as if recognizing their worth.
At the entrance, Ashwin stood in a slightly oversized academy robe, broom in hand. He blinked at the newcomers.
"Students already?"
Behind him, the white-robed elder walked out, hands behind his back. "They've been chosen by fate."
The three looked at one another.
Ashwin stepped forward. "Welcome to the Heaven Defying Academy. Uh… I think this is where you enroll?"
The old man chuckled. "Yes, boy. Let me handle this."
He turned to the three.
"You've been summoned here not by chance, but by design. This place is no ordinary academy—it is a beacon in a universe full of chaos. If you enter, your life will change forever. You will face pain, growth, truths you cannot bear, and power you can barely comprehend."
"Do you still wish to enter?"
None of them hesitated.
"Yes," Rika said first, eyes burning with conviction.
"I came for knowledge," Yuvan said, gripping his book.
"I came for battle," Bala said, cracking his knuckles.
The old man nodded.
"Then step through. The moment you cross the gate; your cultivation path will begin anew. This is the domain of the Dao Ancestor. And here, the heavens hold no sway."
As they stepped through the gate, golden threads of light surrounded each of them. Symbols entered their bodies, cleansing impurities, unlocking hidden roots, and silently initiating the Heaven Defying Cultivation Method.
Ashwin watched in awe. He'd only eaten an apple—and yet now, seeing this spectacle, he realized that everything about this place was beyond the understanding of mortals.
Above them, hidden behind clouds, the Dao Ancestor smiled under his straw hat while sipping tea.
"Three more seeds planted. Let's see what they become."