Chapter 14: The Crow Watches

CHAPTER 14: THE CROW WATCHES

The instructor's gaze swept the hall one final time, as if gauging who among them would live long enough to be worth remembering.

"Listen well," he said. "Because this next lesson will determine whether you reach greatness… or die forgotten."

He gestured, and the scroll above unfurled once more, revealing seven towering pillars of divine flame — each larger than the last. They shimmered with scripture-light, inscribed with sacred glyphs etched in the tongues of ancient gods.

"These are the Seven Realms of Divine Cultivation," he announced. "The path all cultivators must walk — assuming they survive."

He raised one finger.

"Realm One — The Embryonic Realm."

"At this stage, divine energy is drawn into your dantian, forming your Core Seed. It is where the mortal body begins its transformation. A single misstep here, and your foundation will crumble forever."

Lux felt the golden crow inside his solar core shift — not in protest, but in pride. He had already passed this realm. The Embryonic Sun had birthed within him, feeding the sleeping crow.

The instructor raised another finger.

"Realm Two — The Foundation Realm."

"This is when your Core Seed matures into a true Divine Core. You begin constructing your inner world, reinforcing your body, mind, and soul. It is here that most will stagnate. Your techniques, talents, and physiology all begin to show their limits."

He tapped the third flame.

"Realm Three — The Radiant Realm."

"The cultivator ignites their first Divine Flame. Their divine energy becomes visible, their aura lethal. Every step forward sharpens the soul. A single mistake burns your mind into madness."

Lux's gaze stayed steady. The Codex had whispered hints of this. The Radiant Realm was when the Golden Crow would fully awaken. When its flames would no longer sleep within him, but take flight.

The fourth flame burst into towering gold.

"Realm Four — The Ascendant Realm."

"You will be reborn in fire. The blood in your veins will turn into divine essence. Wings of power may grow from your back — literal or metaphorical. Few reach this stage before the age of thirty. Even fewer survive the trial that follows it."

Whispers rippled across the hall.

Lux said nothing. But in the mirrors of the polished floor, a faint shimmer of gold glowed around his pupils.

The instructor moved on.

"Realm Five — The Saint Realm."

"A cultivator here no longer walks among mortals. Their very breath can rupture weak formations. Their words carry law. The body becomes immortal — aging slows. Death… becomes difficult."

A breathless pause.

Then came the sixth flame.

"Realm Six — The Divine Realm."

"Legends are born here. You no longer burn divine energy — you command it. Your soul extends beyond the body. Some call this ascension, but it is merely the threshold."

He reached the final flame. The entire hall dimmed as its light flared.

"Realm Seven — The Primordial Realm."

"Few reach it. Fewer speak of it. To step into this realm is to walk in the footprints of gods. Time, fate, law — they no longer bind you. You do not cultivate within the heavens… you reshape them."

Silence fell like a blade.

No one dared to breathe too loudly.

But inside Lux's chest, something began to ignite.

The Codex stirred.

The first Golden Crow opened both eyes now.

The Embryonic Sun swelled. Its wings unfurled in his soul-space — not fully, but enough to let the heat creep through his veins.

And for a moment, the entire hall seemed to dim — just slightly — as if a shadow passed over the sun.

The instructor broke the silence.

"Cultivation," he said, voice low and final, "is war. Against your own limits. Against fate. Against the heavens. Those who succeed may one day reshape the stars. Those who fail…"

He didn't finish.

He didn't need to.

The scroll faded.

And then the tension in the room shattered.

"You!"

Lux looked up.

A boy stood, pointing directly at him — tall, red-haired, wearing a silver badge etched with the sigil of the Crimson Thorn Clan.

Arrogant. Rich. Middle Ring.

"A rat from the Outer Rings dares to sit among nobles?" the boy said, smirking. "Tell me, did you bribe your way in with your pretty face? Or did you clean someone's boots well enough to earn a pity recommendation?"

Laughter. Low, sharp. Echoing.

Lux didn't move.

Didn't blink.

Didn't even respond.

He simply stood up.

And the Codex pulsed.

The first page turned.

The boy took a step back.

Not visibly. Not consciously. But his instincts recoiled, as if something in Lux's shadow moved wrong — something that shouldn't be there.

Lux said nothing.

But his eyes burned gold.

The golden-skinned girl with the mirrored blade narrowed her eyes.

The instructor looked over and Said,"enough stop your nonesense or face the consequences."