CHAPTER 274: PUNISHMENT ENDS

Author’s Note: Do Not Unlock Yet. Chapter Is Still Under Construction.

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He walked the narrow path back toward Lingyun Town, each step echoing a lifetime of memories. As the town gates receded into view—now fully restored, the walls glimmering with fresh plaster, the banners of the Fang Chen Day celebration still hung in loose salute—Victor realized how tethered he had become to this place.

In the town square, Chen Wen waited by the twin-crane statue, flanked by villagers whose eyes shone with respectful awe. Bai Ting Ting stood behind Chen Wen, her hand resting lightly on his shoulder. Across the circle, Bai Xue watched from the shadows, her pale hair drifting like moonlight.

Victor dismounted his dire stag and strode forward. The villagers bowed in unison, voices rising in a single chant: "Fang Chen, our savior!"

He inclined his head. "Thank you all," he said, voice carrying over the stone. "Remember—courage, unity, and vigilance will keep Lingyun strong."

Chen Wen stepped forward, clasping Victor’s forearm. "You return tomorrow?" he asked, eyes hopeful.

Victor offered him the other half of the Anchor Disk—smaller now, its edges worn but its glow undimmed. "If you need me—tap this fragment," he said. "I’ll come back."

Chen Wen’s eyes misted. "I owe you everything." He bowed.

Victor nodded, then turned to Bai Ting Ting and Bai Xue, exchanging quick words of gratitude and farewell. In Bai Xue’s gaze he saw gratitude laced with unspoken warnings—this world would miss him, but he would return.

At last, he mounted his stag. With a final glance at the blossoming gates of Lingyun, he touched the fragment.

---

The world lurched. Victor’s vision blurred, then snapped into the familiarity of his dorm room at the Awakened Academy. The VR helmet’s interface flickered off, leaving him blinking at the blank ceiling. His wrist-timer read Sunday morning, 8:15 AM.

"Mornin’," Kairo’s voice drifted from the foot of the bunk. He was laced in camouflage fatigues—headed to Camp 13 training. "You look like you pulled an all-nighter, Revenant."

Victor yawned, swinging his legs over the side. "Something like that," he said, voice hoarse. He rolled up his sleeves and moved to the door. "See you later."

Down the corridors, the cleaning staff had already begun their Sunday shift. Victor rounded the corner to the east dormitory wing—his punishment station for the weekend. Mop bucket in hand, he set to work, scrubbing floors and wiping railings with the same fierce precision he had brought to every task in Lingyun.

Two hours passed in methodical labor. Then, as the final scrub-brush stroke cleared scuff marks from the corridor, Victor rinsed the mop and set it aside. His punishment shift was done; the weekend end of community service concluded. Tomorrow, the automated assignment panel would dispatch him to Feedhub duty—serving meals to hungry awakened pupils. He grimaced at the thought but forced a smile. "One thing at a time," he muttered.

To reward himself, he headed directly to the personal sword-training grounds. There, he unsheathed his legacy warrior sword—five feet of dark steel crackling with the promise of thunder and lightning. He vaulted onto the practice platform, letting the first rays of Sunday sun glint off the blade.

He launched into a sequence of flows: Shadow Crescent Strike, tearing a long arc through morning mist; Phantom Moon Slash, two swift cuts that seemed to warp the world around him; Gale Strike, a flash of wind that scattered fallen petals. Each strike left rings of energy upon the wooden target dummies.

As he trained, he overheard two first-year students at the edge of the grounds, their voices carrying over the clang of steel and the thrum of energy.

"You ready for the Outland Excursion?" asked the first, wide-eyed. "They said Sector K-22 is where they’ll take us."

The second snickered. "Ha! They’ll send us to that Drakenar wasteland? I heard the MD Corps fought there years ago—still crawling with rogue Drakenars who survived the purge."

The first paled. "You mean those reptile-warrior fiends... my father died in a Drakenar raid. They butchered his caravan by the Underroot Pass."

Victor’s grip tightened. His knuckles popped against the sword’s hilt. "Outland Excursion," the second student murmured. "It’s tomorrow. Time for first-years to see the true danger beyond the domes."

Victor’s heart hammered. A Drakenar war party leader had blood on his hands for his father’s death. Though the Drakenars had been all but eradicated, their last pockets of renegades still haunted Sector K-22 like ghost stories given flesh. This official excursion—under the Academy’s banner—would send naïve first-years into the lair of his father’s murderers.

He slowed his practice, lowering the blade. The world narrowed to the two students talking near the pavilion. Their feet fumbled, eyes bright with fear.

Victor took a deep breath. Tomorrow. They would journey beyond domed cities, beyond the underwater academy, into a restoration zone patrolled by MD Corps—but rumored to be overrun by Drakenar refugees. A massacre in waiting.

He clenched the blade, the pressure of his Nascent Soul Realm aura radiating outward. The air popped, tiny cracks preserving a circle of stillness. "I won’t let that happen," he muttered, black hair spilling over his brow.

He tested the blade with an upward slash and sheathed it. The steel whispered across the scabbard, an iron promise: I will protect them.

Victor vaulted down from the platform, stride firm. The first-years would need more than observation—they would need guidance, a shield. And of that he was certain: tomorrow, when the Outland Excursion set forth, Victor Revenant would be there, sword drawn, ready to face old enemies for new generations.

Because some debts never die. Some blades never sheath. And some promises—etched in blood and vengeance—are never broken.

----sss

The captain hesitated, recognizing the valor in Victor’s stance and the seal of Bai Ting Ting—his defection likely meant more to the family’s reputation than an open massacre. He barked an order, but the two recruited miners knocked weapons from the guards’ hands. Chen Wen, despite exhaustion, raised his axe beside Victor’s sword.

The guards faltered, and the captain cursed. "After them!"

Victor snarled, "Not today."

He activated Gale Strike, wind whipping around them, and shoved through the guard line. The three fugitives sprinted toward the forest, lanterns bobbing behind them like angry fireflies.

---

By dawn, Victor had led Chen Wen and the two miners to safety within a hidden grove gifted by Bai Xue—her own secret route into the forest. Chen Wen sank to his knees beside a clear spring, water glinting in his tear-bright eyes. He splashed his face and looked up at Victor.

"Thank you," he whispered. "You saved me."

Victor clasped his shoulder. "No one deserves slavery," he said. "I promised vengeance for your father. Now I’ll keep it."

Chen Wen handed Victor the sealed copy of the mining manifests. "This will free towns from their debts—and expose the family’s crimes."

Victor nodded, bind the pledge firmly in his mind. "It will. Now—go find your father if he lives. I’ll handle the rest."

Chen Wen embraced him in trembling relief before disappearing into the woods, the dawn sun gilding his retreat.

Victor watched him go, then retrieved the Mystery Box from his cloak. He tucked the manifests and box into his belt pouch, eyes aflame with purpose.

In a single night, he had uncovered the family’s deepest secret—and rescued the innocent heart he had sworn to protect.

He would return to the manor at dawn, ledger in hand, ready to tear down the Bai–Qin tyranny from within—piece by piece, secret by secret, for vengeance and for justice.

And when the final reckoning came, no walls would hold him back.

---sss

---sss

The moon hung high, cloaked in mist, its silver light barely seeping through the dense clouds that loomed above Bai Qing Mountain. The annexed Bai and Qin family estate was quiet tonight. But that stillness was a lie. Beneath the surface, fires had already begun to spread—small, invisible ones, lit by the hand of a young man named Fang Chen.

Victor, or rather Fang Chen within Ascendant Realms, had been anything but idle. Since worming his way into the good graces of the Qin faction, he had played the role of the eager recruit perfectly. Always respectful, always sharp, always useful. But behind the courteous bow and the humble nods was a storm waiting to break.

Each day, he slipped into places he shouldn’t have been. Heard whispers he wasn’t meant to hear. And each night, he sowed doubt and tension among the two factions of the once-separate Bai and Qin houses, setting up false messages, anonymous reports, and manipulated meetings that gradually corroded their alliance.

But tonight wasn’t about sowing seeds.

Tonight was harvest.

Underneath a plain servant’s robe and a bamboo hat that shaded his face, Victor moved like a shadow through the lower levels of the annexed estate. He passed the main courtyards and inner training grounds, avoiding the patrols with practiced ease. All thanks to the schedule he’d quietly stolen days prior. Most guards thought he was one of them anyway. A small-time disciple who just never talked much.

He followed the narrow corridor that led to the jade corridor pavilion—a luxurious building hidden behind a grove of plum blossoms, separated from the rest of the estate by a man-made stream. On the surface, it looked like a private garden retreat, filled with beautiful flowering trees and stone paths. But this was the cage.

Victor’s gaze swept over the glass-panel windows, each glowing faintly with internal lanterns. He stepped up to the second panel on the right, held his breath, and listened.

Soft humming.

His eyes narrowed. That voice.

"Bai Ting Ting," he whispered under his breath.

With a flick of his wrist, he placed a specially refined silence talisman on the window frame. Then he drew a small blade and gently wedged it into the panel, lifting it with quiet precision. When it gave way, he slipped inside, as noiseless as falling mist.

The room was lush, embroidered with silks and perfumed with spring flowers. It looked like a paradise. But the woman sitting at the table, humming to herself with empty eyes, made it feel like a prison.

She turned at the faint sound behind her, eyes alert.

"Who—?"

Victor raised a finger to his lips.

Her eyes darted to his face, narrowing at first. But then widened.

"Fang... Chen?" she breathed, her voice cracking.

Victor nodded and quickly stepped forward, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"I don’t have time to explain everything now," he whispered. "But I’m getting you out of here."

She shook her head in disbelief. "You... why? How?"

"Because you’re not a prisoner of war, Ting Ting. You’re not livestock. You’re a human being, and you deserve freedom."

She looked like she wanted to cry, but she held it in. "And Chen Wu?"

A smile touched Victor’s lips. "Already taken care of. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Her answer was a swift nod. Victor pulled out a prepared robe and veil from his storage ring and passed them to her.

"Put this on. Stay behind me. If anything happens, run south through the trees. Tarkos is waiting there."

Meanwhile, across the estate, a distraction was brewing. Earlier that day, Victor had arranged for an anonymous letter to be delivered to one of the Bai elders, supposedly written by a Qin elder. It claimed that the Qin side had already begun to plan taking full control and disposing of all the Bai bloodline members. And vice versa.

supposed to be a routine meeting devolved into chaos.

Chapter: The Awaited Rankings and Outland Excursion

The morning sun had barely risen as Victor walked across the vast campus of the Awakened Academy. The students seemed unusually excited today, most of them talking eagerly about the first-year rankings that were going to be released tomorrow. It had been two months since they had arrived at the academy, and everyone was on edge, wondering where they would place in this highly competitive environment.

Victor had trained tirelessly, completing every task assigned to him, dealing with punishment, and honing his skills with both his cultivation arts and combat techniques. But, just like everyone else, he was also curious about the rankings and what it would mean for his standing in the academy.

As he made his way to the lecture hall, the chatter grew louder. Whispers of speculation filled the air. "Do you think you’ll be top 10?" one student asked. "I heard that Victor might make it to the top five," another one replied.

Victor shook his head to himself, keeping his thoughts to himself as he entered the lecture hall. Today, the instructors had a different announcement.

Professor Kieran, a seasoned warrior instructor with a thick beard, stood at the front of the room. His voice boomed across the lecture hall, catching everyone’s attention. "Alright, first-years, pay attention! The Outland Excursion is starting this week, and you will be split into batches. There are more than seven thousand of you, and we need to manage it carefully. To ensure your safety, you will be split into 15 batches, with each batch consisting of roughly 500 students. Two batches will go out each week, and we will supervise you with four instructors per batch."

The room fell silent as everyone processed the news. The Outland Excursion was a big deal. It was an opportunity to step out beyond the safety of the domed city, to see what the world looked like after the apocalypse. But most importantly, it was a test. A test of their readiness to survive in a dangerous world that had been scarred by the arrival of humanoid invaders.

Victor had heard rumors of what the excursion would entail. Some students even joked about how they would slay Drakenar, Sylrith, and Umbryx—the three main humanoid species that had once dominated the outside world before being driven back. But Victor knew that the academy wouldn’t put first-years in danger. The purpose of the excursion wasn’t to fight; it was to observe, to get a feel for the world beyond the protective domes.

Professor Kieran continued, his voice cutting through the excited murmurs of the students. "You will all be given a chance to check which batch you’re in. Your watch will display the information. Each week, two batches will venture outside, starting with the first one. So, make sure you check your batch placement when the time comes."

Victor nodded, though a small feeling of dread settled in his stomach. As everyone else scrambled to check their watches, Victor did the same.

Batch 15, the last one.

Victor sighed. Of course, he was in the last batch. After everything that had happened—the punishment, the controversies—it made sense that he’d be assigned to the last group. Still, he didn’t let it get to him. It wasn’t about the timing; it was about the experience.

But then, his attention was drawn to a familiar name on the list: Elyra Vorn. She was in the last batch as well, and that surprised him. Elyra was one of the academy’s most powerful students, a combat genius. She had defeated most of her competition in the Legacy Weapons competition, and now she was placed in the same batch as him? Something didn’t seem right, and he wondered why she was so far down the list.

As the others spoke in excited tones about which batch they were in, Victor couldn’t help but overhear some of their conversations.

"Batch 1," one student said. "I’m in the first group to go out! I can’t wait to show off my skills out there."

"Yeah, we’ll show them what we’re made of," another added. "There’s no way we’ll run into Drakenar. But if we do, we’ll wipe them out for sure. We’re warriors! That’s what we’re trained for."

Victor knew better than that. The world outside the domes was much harsher than most students imagined. Even for someone with his strength, the outside world was a constant struggle. He had been there before, after all. And now, despite the advanced technology and the power of the awakened, it seemed like some students were eager to prove themselves in an environment they hardly understood.

The instructor finished his announcement, and students shuffled out of the room, excited for what was to come. Victor made his way through the crowded hallway, thoughts swirling in his mind. The rankings would be released the next day, and he couldn’t help but wonder where he would fall.

---

After the day’s lectures were done, Victor made his way to the feedhubs to do his assigned duty. It was another part of his punishment, but at least it was something that gave him a little break from all the chaos.

Victor worked behind the counter, serving food to the students. It wasn’t glamorous, but it wasn’t terrible either. He had done worse.

By mid-evening, some of his friends from the academy arrived—Danny, Selene, Aria, Kai, Rylan, and Reed. They were all in a good mood, joking around with Victor about his new role as the academy’s "poster boy."

"Look at you, man," Danny said with a grin. "We’ve got the Legacy Weapons competition winner, serving up food to us now. You’re living the life, huh?"

Victor chuckled, shaking his head. "It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, trust me."

"Yeah, right," Selene teased. "You’ve got all the girls falling over you now."

"Can’t even walk around without being mobbed, huh?" Aria added with a wink.

Victor rolled his eyes. "It’s not like that at all. I don’t care about any of that."

They all sat down at a nearby table, chatting and enjoying the food. The mood was lighthearted as they discussed the upcoming rankings.

"Think you’ll make it to the top, Victor?" Kai asked, a serious look on his face.

Victor shrugged. "Who knows? I didn’t come here for the rankings."

"I don’t think it’s just about that," Rylan chimed in. "You’ve already proven yourself. But I bet you’ll at least land in the top ten. I mean, you beat Elyra in the Legacy competition. That’s huge."

Victor smiled faintly but didn’t say anything further. "Guess we’ll all find out tomorrow."

As they continued to talk, the conversation naturally shifted toward the Outland Excursion.

"Are you guys excited for the trip?" Reed asked, his voice full of anticipation.

"No one’s scared?" Kai asked skeptically. "There’s a lot out there we don’t know."

"That’s true," Victor replied. "It’s not going to be a walk in the park. But we’ll learn a lot from it."

The others nodded, agreeing with Victor’s point. They were ready for whatever came next, but they knew the stakes were high. For the first time in their lives, they’d be stepping out into the real world—a world that had been scarred by warfare and destruction.

Tomorrow, they would find out where they stood, and whether they were ready for what awaited them beyond the academy walls.

---ss

By mid-evening, some of his friends from the academy arrived—Danny, Selene, Aria, Kai, Rylan, and Reed. They were all in a good mood, joking around with Victor about his new role as the academy’s "poster boy."

"Look at you, man," Danny said with a grin. "We’ve got the Legacy Weapons competition winner, serving up food to us now. You’re living the life, huh?"

Victor chuckled, shaking his head. "It’s not as glamorous as it sounds, trust me."

"Yeah, right," Selene teased. "You’ve got all the girls falling over you now."

"Can’t even walk around without being mobbed, huh?" Aria added with a wink.

Victor rolled his eyes. "It’s not like that at all. I don’t care about any of that."

They all sat down at a nearby table, chatting and enjoying the food. The mood was lighthearted as they discussed the upcoming rankings.

"Think you’ll make it to the top, Victor?" Kai asked, a serious look on his face.

Victor shrugged. "Who knows? I didn’t come here for the rankings."

"I don’t think it’s just about that," Rylan chimed in. "You’ve already proven yourself. But I bet you’ll at least land in the top ten. I mean, you beat Elyra in the Legacy competition. That’s huge."

Victor smiled faintly but didn’t say anything further. "Guess we’ll all find out tomorrow."

As they continued to talk, the conversation naturally shifted toward the Outland Excursion.

"Are you guys excited for the trip?" Reed asked, his voice full of anticipation.

"No one’s scared?" Kai asked skeptically. "There’s a lot out there we don’t know."

"That’s true," Victor replied. "It’s not going to be a walk in the park. But we’ll learn a lot from it."