"What?!" Grey blurted out, his eyes widening in disbelief. "I’ve been cultivating for two whole days?!"

He instinctively glanced at his hands, then at the room around him, as if expecting something to be different, dustier, darker, older. But everything looked the same. His body felt refreshed, even light, not like someone who had sat unmoving for forty-eight hours straight.

"But... it only felt like a few hours to me," he added, his voice lowering in confusion.

The captain didn’t bother responding.

He simply turned around, his robe swaying slightly, and walked out of the room as though Grey’s shock wasn’t even worth acknowledging.

Tyler and Ange followed after him.

Grey stared at their retreating backs for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. A strange heaviness settled in his chest as he hurried after them.

"Damn..." he muttered under his breath.

When he caught up, he turned toward Ange, his expression filled with guilt. "I really didn’t expect my breakthrough to take that long. I almost ruined our chance to enter Sky Mist Academy."

Ange blinked, then looked at him strangely.

Before she could respond, Tyler spoke up instead, her tone relaxed, almost careless.

"What are you talking about?" she said. "Ange already registered."

Grey froze mid-step.

"...What?"

"If you had taken any longer," Tyler continued, glancing at him sideways, "you’d be the only one who lost their chance."

Grey’s mouth opened, then slowly closed.

Then why did you scare me like that?!

The words screamed in his head, but he swallowed them down immediately. He wasn’t stupid enough to voice that thought, especially not to Tyler.

Ever since meeting her, he hadn’t been able to sense even the slightest ripple of spirit energy from her body. It was as though she didn’t cultivate at all... or existed on a level far beyond his perception.

Just that alone was terrifying.

"Relax," Tyler added calmly. "You can still register in time."

She paused, then smiled faintly.

"What you should really be worried about is whether you’ll actually pass the entrance exam."

That sentence hit far harder than the previous ones.

Grey went silent.

Since Ange had already registered, she didn’t need to follow them any further. After exchanging a few quiet words, she stayed behind, watching as Grey left with Tyler.

Under the cool evening sky, the city felt entirely different.

The heat of the day had faded, replaced by a gentle breeze that carried faint traces of incense, metal, and spirit herbs from distant shops. Lanterns flickered to life along the streets, bathing Sky Mist City in a soft, golden glow.

Tyler walked ahead with steady, elegant steps.

She looked calm, almost distant, but there was something about her presence that naturally drew attention. Her posture was straight, her movements controlled, and her eyes carried a quiet authority that discouraged foolish behavior.

Behind her walked Grey.

His grey hair caught the lantern light, and his newly refined skin stood out far too much among the crowd. It didn’t take long before people began to notice.

Men turned their heads as Tyler passed, some bold, some subtle, but nearly all of them stared. Young cultivators, some barely out of adolescence, would openly slow their steps just to watch her walk by, their gazes lingering long after she had passed.

Grey noticed it all.

And then he noticed something worse.

He was being stared at even more.

His grey eyes, uncommon hair color, and unnaturally smooth skin drew attention like a beacon. Some of the women who glanced his way were even older than Tyler, their eyes carrying curiosity, surprise... and in some cases, open admiration.

Grey’s scalp tingled.

This was worse than fighting cultivators.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable, he reached up and pulled his hood over his head, shadowing his face.

"Hm," he muttered quietly. "Much better."

"Oh?" Tyler glanced back at him, genuine surprise flickering across her face.

For a brief moment, Grey noticed something rare, relief.

It seemed she wasn’t entirely unaffected by the attention either.

"We’re late," Tyler said after clearing her throat. "So we’ll fly."

Before Grey could react, a soft green light wrapped around his body. The sensation was warm and gentle, like being lifted by a cushion of wind.

In the next instant, the ground vanished beneath them.

"Agreed!" Grey replied quickly, gripping the air instinctively.

They shot upward, the city shrinking rapidly below.

The speed was overwhelming. Buildings blurred together, lantern lights streaking into lines of gold and orange. Despite that, Grey felt no dizziness, no pressure, nothing.

The green light shielded him completely.

If the captain were here... Grey thought absently, those girls wouldn’t even be able to breathe properly.

As the wind rushed past them, Grey stole a glance at Tyler.

Her face was calm, eyes focused forward, expression unreadable. Her hair fluttered softly, catching the moonlight, and her clothes hugged her figure perfectly without appearing inappropriate.

Without warning, Grey felt heat creep up his neck.

She’s... dangerous.

He quickly turned his head away.

"Miss Tyler," he said, forcing his voice to steady. "May I ask you something?"

She looked down at him briefly and nodded.

"How do you know the captain?"

Tyler was silent for a moment, the wind filling the space between them.

Finally, she sighed.

"We were disciples under the same master," she said. "Once."

Grey’s heart skipped slightly.

"But he made a mistake," she continued. "One that angered our master, and the entire sect."

Her eyes hardened slightly.

"He was exiled."

Grey frowned. "What did he do to deserve something like that? Something serious enough to separate the two of you?"

Tyler didn’t answer immediately.

"That’s not something I should tell you," she said at last. "If you remain in the sect long enough, you’ll learn the truth yourself."

She then looked ahead.

"We’re here."

They descended smoothly, landing before a massive building.

Compared to the surrounding structures, ornate towers, glowing pavilions, and grand auction halls, it looked surprisingly plain.

But it was the only place crowded with people.

Even on the final day, thousands had gathered.

Sky Mist Academy only accepted students once every few years. Fewer than twenty were chosen each time.

That alone was enough to drive cultivators from neighboring cities into a frenzy.

Seeing the endless queue, Grey’s heart sank.

"So many..." he muttered.

Tyler didn’t react.

"Follow me."

As they approached the entrance, several cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm stepped forward, clearly intending to block them.

But the moment they recognized Tyler...

Their expressions stiffened.

Shock flashed across their faces, quickly replaced by respect.

"Miss Tyler," one of them said hastily. "You’re here again."

Tyler didn’t acknowledge him.

She walked past without slowing, Grey close behind.

The cultivators immediately stepped aside.

Once they were out of earshot, Grey couldn’t help himself.

"Miss Tyler... who were those people?"

She glanced at him coolly. "I thought the captain said you were mature."

Grey stiffened.

"Someone who doesn’t ask unnecessary questions."

"...Sorry," Grey muttered, lowering his gaze.

They entered the building but didn’t head toward the registration floor. Instead, Tyler led him to an elevator.

Grey stayed silent this time.

The smooth hum of technology filled the space as they ascended.

It had been months since he’d seen anything like this.

I kind of miss Earth, he thought quietly.

They exited on an upper floor and stopped in front of Room 406.

Tyler didn’t knock.

She pushed the door open.

Inside sat a handsome middle-aged man behind a desk, one hand pressed to his forehead as though dealing with a persistent headache.

When he looked up and saw her, his eye twitched.

"Miss Tyler," he said tiredly. "Why are you here again?"

For the first time, Tyler’s expression changed.

Her eyes softened.

"But Uncle," she said lightly, pouting as she tapped the seat beside her, "I told you I’d be coming back soon. You didn’t forget, did you?"

Grey hesitated before slowly sitting down.

Tyler glanced at him.

Grey immediately pulled his hood down.

**☺️😉**