Am I too Lucky?

Enormous. That was the first word that came to mind as I stood before the Eternal Sword Pavilion. The grand structure loomed over us, similar to the ancient castles I'd read about in history books from my old world. The students training and hanging out around the courtyard were well-dressed, their auras brimming with strength befitting their age.

Our journey here had been long and eventful. Along the way, Instructor Jianfeng picked up a handful of other students- an animated and noisy group. After years of solitude, their chatter felt overwhelming, and I chose to remain quiet, observing instead of engaging.

"Well..." Instructor Jianfeng began, his voice cutting through the noise as we approached the towering gates. "We've arrived. This is the academy. I must report to the Academy Director immediately. In the meantime, you'll need to head to the resources area to collect your student, dorm, and training room passes. Classes officially begin in a week. Consider this your last taste of freedom and comfort for a while- spend it wisely."

"Yes, Instructor!" we all responded. Finally. After a grueling week of nonstop travel, the thought of lying down on an actual bed felt almost divine.

Sleep. That was all I wanted. Instructor Jianfeng's explanation for personally escorting us- something about "recent circumstances" suggested the presence of evil sects targeting prodigious students. As a result, I'd spent the entire journey on high alert, constantly expanding my Qi to sense any threats. My body ached for rest.

After an agonizing hour waiting in line for my passes, I finally found myself in the dormitory. Without a second thought, I collapsed onto the bed and succumbed to sleep.

…

What felt like next morning, turned out to be three days later. 

At some point during my coma-like slumber, Instructor Jianfeng had entered the room to leave an assortment of essentials: an academy-issued spatial ring, a basic sword, my schedule, and a set of beginner manuals distributed to all students.

I rubbed my eyes and examined the schedule. Twelve hours. That's how long the school day here was. A staggering three hours longer than the torturous nine-hour days I'd endured in my past life. My day would be split into four hours of sword training, four hours of cultivation, and four hours for auxiliary classes- alchemy and arrays, in my case.

For reference, learning other Dao's such as spear, water, flame, etc, are all considered auxiliary for me since my main path is the Sword Dao. 

The next four days passed in relative peace as I resumed my personal training regimen. By the end, I'd managed to break through to the third stage of Foundation Establishment. That's a minor realm advancement in the span of four days. I guess Instructor Jianfeng was not kidding about me being a genius in cultivation.

…

The sharp clang of a bell shattered the early morning stillness.

Dragging myself to the arena, I took a seat and observed as students trickled in, around fiftyish in total. Eventually, Instructor Jianfeng walked in, his imposing presence silencing any lingering murmurs.

"Atlas, everyone is here," he announced. "I'll let today slide, but moving forward, remember: you have exactly ten minutes after the wake-up bell to report to class. For every second you're late, I'll seal your cultivation and subject you to what we fondly refer to as eternal torment. Understood?"

We all replied in unison, "Understood, Instructor!" I keep finding familiar phrases from Earth all over this place. Perhaps one of the high-level cultivators are also from Earth? I'd be nice to reconcile with someone who can share my experience.

"Before we begin, I have to inform you of a recent change in the academy these past few years. The academy won't be like a sit-in classroom and listen to a lecture for many hours a day anymore. Instead, most of your time will be spent both training here and in other places. I'll get into more details when we get to that point. Now without further ado, let's begin the first day of Sword Training 101."

"Now," Instructor Jianfeng said, scanning the group, "pair up with a partner. We'll begin sparring to assess your strengths, weaknesses, and overall technique."

His eyes landed on me, and he smiled. "Shi Xingyun, you'll be sparring with me."

I stiffened, my disappointment barely concealed. So much for maintaining a low profile. Jianfeng knew full well the trouble my identity would attract, and yet, here he was, singling me out.

Especially since I have, A, no social skills, and B, being the young master and future patriarch of the Shi family, I will be having a lot of unnecessary trouble with the students at this academy. 

The murmurs started immediately. Whispers about the Shi family's prestige, mixed with inappropriate talks (about seduction) among the girls about my supposed handsome appearance.

With a strained smile, I descended the steps. "Haha... Instructor Jianfeng, was this really necessary?"

He raised an eyebrow, feigning ignorance before offering a sheepish grin. "Ah, my apologies. I hadn't realized you preferred to avoid attention. Your father, on the other hand, relished it- he couldn't stop boasting about his name back in the day."

Clapping his hands, he sent a wave of Qi through the air, silencing the chatter. "Focus on finding a partner. I don't want to hear another word unless it's about the Dao."

I sighed, muttering under my breath, "It's fine. I hear that all the time anyway."

Once the pairs were settled, Jianfeng addressed me directly. "For this session, you'll be sparring against me. I'll only use a dagger and remain stationary. Attack as you please, using nothing but the Sword Dao."

Items such as weapons and treasures are categorized into several distinct realms based on their durability, sharpness, output capacity, and the quality of their refinement. From lowest to highest, the tiers are: Inferior, Mortal, Earth, Spirit, Heavenly, Divine, Immortal, Ancestral, and Origin. Each tier is further subdivided into five grades- Low, Middle, High, Peak, and Supreme.

The distinction between Peak and Supreme lies in the purity and refinement of the materials. A Supreme-tier weapon is guaranteed to rival a Middle-tier weapon of the next higher category. However, Ancestral and Origin weapons are exceedingly rare. So rare, in fact, that my father- the most renowned swordsman in the Upper Realm- wields only an Immortal Supreme-level blade.

As for me, my father decided that it was not yet time for me to wield a high-tier sword. Thus, I was entrusted with a Low-grade Heavenly sword.

Yet, even that is considered a priceless treasure to covet by most.

Still, against my opponent- a cultivator beyond the Nascent Soul realm, at least three major realms ahead of me- unsheathing that sword felt... unnecessary. No, perhaps inappropriate.

Instead, from my spatial ring, I brought out the basic training sword issued by the academy. Its edge was dull, its craftsmanship unremarkable, yet it served its purpose.

As I stepped into the arena with the plain blade in hand, a few puzzled glances darted in my direction. Whispers arose but quickly died down as others returned their focus to their partners.

In this moment, my goal wasn't to dazzle the crowd with my weapon, nor was it to impress Instructor Jianfeng. My focus was simple: testing my limits, sharpening my Sword Dao, and facing the challenge head-on with nothing but my current fundamentals.

I took a deep breath, went into position, and charged.