Free Web NovelChapter 5: Chapter 5: Heavenly Gate Academy
Three days after Qin Yuheng consumed the Talent Fruit, the Qin family quietly submitted a second talent verification request.
This was not unusual.
Many people who failed natural awakening later consumed Talent Fruits. If the fruit succeeded, their public record could be updated from Not Awakened to Awakened. The process did not reveal the talent name or grade. It only confirmed the status.
That privacy was protected by Tower Law and city regulation.
A person’s full panel was private property.
Even the academy could only request voluntary disclosure or conduct indirect evaluations.
So when Qin Yuheng placed his hand on the verification stone inside a private testing room, the result appeared exactly as planned.
Name: Qin Yuheng
Age: 18
Talent Status: Awakened
Nothing more.
No one outside the Qin family knew what kind of talent he had awakened.
The examiner congratulated him politely, though his expression carried some regret. In his mind, Qin Yuheng had probably succeeded through an A-grade Talent Fruit. That was valuable, but it was still different from natural awakening. Talent Fruit awakenings varied greatly in compatibility, and not all of them led to strong growth.
Besides, the Qin family had consumed such a precious fruit just to let its heir cross the threshold.
To outsiders, this was not a rise.
It was a desperate measure.
Qin Yuheng did not care.
Public misunderstanding was useful.
A naturally awakened top talent would attract attention.
A young heir who barely awakened through family resources would attract contempt.
Contempt was safer than fear.
On the morning Heavenly Gate Academy opened its new student registration, Qin Yuheng wore a black robe embroidered with the small Qin crest and left the estate with Qin Yuchen, Qin Lian, and Qin Mo.
Qin Ruyan and Qin Feng had already entered the academy earlier and were waiting there as older students.
Qin Yuze stood at the gate with obvious unwillingness.
"I am only one year younger," he said bitterly.
Qin Xue’er nodded beside him. "And I am only five years younger."
Qin Yuheng laughed.
"You two train properly at home."
Qin Yuze crossed his arms. "When I enter next year, I will be stronger than half the academy."
Qin Xue’er raised her hand. "When I enter, I will be stronger than him."
Qin Yuze immediately turned. "You little—"
Mu Qinglan looked at them.
Both became quiet.
Qin Yuheng smiled and stepped into the carriage.
The road to Heavenly Gate Academy passed through the central district.
As the carriage moved, Qin Yuheng looked out the window.
Heavenly Gate City was enormous. Tower shops lined the streets. Weapon pavilions displayed swords, spears, bows, shields, and armor behind formation glass. Pill halls sold recovery pills, body-tempering liquids, antidotes, and mana-restoring powders. Auction houses advertised upcoming sales of skill books and rare materials.
Tower Coins were accepted everywhere.
Ordinary money still existed, but in the world of climbers, Tower Coins were the true currency.
Qin Yuheng opened his inventory panel silently.
[System Inventory]
[Capacity: 20 slots]
[Items]
None
Every person who gained Tower qualification had a basic inventory. Twenty slots were enough for beginners but far from enough for serious climbers. Inventory Expansion Stones and storage items were highly valuable because they allowed climbers to carry more resources, equipment, and emergency supplies.
Qin Yuheng made a mental note.
Storage would be important.
After nearly half an hour, Heavenly Gate Academy appeared.
Its gates were massive.
Two stone pillars stood on either side, carved with images of climbers fighting beasts, crossing battlefields, entering ruins, and facing enormous shadows beneath the stars. Above the gate, four large characters shone with pale gold light.
Heavenly Gate Academy.
The academy was not merely a school.
It was a training ground for Tower climbers.
Inside its walls were combat arenas, gravity halls, spirit tempering chambers, simulation fields, skill pavilions, equipment yards, mission halls, and special Tower research facilities.
Every year, countless youths wanted to enter.
Only a portion succeeded.
At the entrance, new students gathered in groups according to family, guild, or sponsor background. Some wore expensive armor. Some carried weapons already enhanced with Tower materials. Others looked nervous and plain, likely commoners who had awakened talents and earned admission.
The Qin family carriage stopped.
The moment Qin Yuheng stepped down, several gazes turned toward him.
Whispers followed.
"He is Qin Yuheng."
"I heard he failed awakening first."
"Didn’t he later use a Talent Fruit?"
"Yes, the Qin family must have spent everything."
"Awakened through a fruit... hard to say how far he can go."
Qin Mo yawned beside him.
"People are noisy."
Qin Mo was sixteen, the son of Qin Beiyan. He looked lazy, with half-closed eyes and loose sleeves, as if he might fall asleep at any moment. But Qin Yuheng knew his cousin’s mind was sharp, especially when it came to formations and mechanisms.
Qin Lian stood silently on the other side. She was seventeen, dressed in dark blue, with calm eyes that seemed to notice every movement around them. She rarely spoke, but her perception was excellent.
Qin Yuchen walked behind Qin Yuheng, composed and observant.
A voice suddenly sounded ahead.
"Well, if it isn’t Qin Yuheng."
A group of young students approached.
At the center was Zhao Tianyu.
He wore crimson-black academy preparation robes, and a faint beast-like pressure surrounded him. His public talent status was Awakened, and the Zhao family had clearly invested resources into him before the academy term even began.
Zhao Tianyu looked at Qin Yuheng with a smile that did not reach his eyes.
"I heard your family was lucky enough to find a Talent Fruit. Congratulations."
Qin Yuheng looked at him calmly.
"Thank you."
Zhao Tianyu’s smile stiffened slightly.
He had expected anger, shame, or at least discomfort.
Qin Yuheng gave him none.
Zhao Tianyu continued, "But relying on external fruit awakening is not the same as natural talent. The academy tests will be strict. You should be careful."
Qin Yuheng nodded. "You too."
The words were simple.
But Zhao Tianyu felt mocked.
His gaze darkened.
Qin Yuze would have exploded.
Qin Yuheng only walked past him.
Qin Yuchen followed without expression.
Qin Lian’s eyes swept across Zhao Tianyu’s group once.
Qin Mo yawned again.
After they passed, one of Zhao Tianyu’s companions whispered, "Brother Tianyu, should we teach them a lesson during the tests?"
Zhao Tianyu looked at Qin Yuheng’s back.
"No need to rush. The academy will give us chances."
Inside the academy gate, new students were directed toward the registration square.
An instructor stood at the front.
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and carried a heavy saber on his back. His face was stern, and his gaze swept across the students like a blade.
"I am Han Shuren, battle instructor of Heavenly Gate Academy."
The square immediately quieted.
Han Shuren’s voice was rough and powerful.
"Many of you come from families. Some of you awakened talents. Some of you were praised as geniuses before stepping through this gate."
He paused.
"Forget all of that."
The students stiffened. freeweɓnovel.cѳm
"In the Tower, your family name will not stop a monster from tearing out your throat. Your talent will not save you if you panic. Your equipment will not help if you do not know how to use it. Heavenly Gate Academy does not train ornaments. It trains climbers."
A few students lowered their heads.
Han Shuren continued, "Today, you will undergo three basic evaluations."
He raised one finger.
"First, the Stat Pressure Test."
A second finger.
"Second, the Combat Puppet Test."
A third.
"Third, the Tower Adaptation Test."
His gaze became colder.
"These tests will not reveal your private panel. They will not force you to expose your talent name or grade. But they will measure your practical ability. The academy does not care how beautiful your talent sounds. We care whether you can survive."
Qin Yuheng listened silently.
This was reasonable.
Practical ability mattered.
Han Shuren waved his hand.
"Begin."
The students were divided into groups.
Qin Yuheng’s group was sent first to the Stat Pressure Hall.
The hall was circular, with a black stone path running through its center. The path was divided into ten sections. Each section increased pressure on the body, spirit, and mana circulation. New students had to walk as far as possible without collapsing.
A recording crystal floated above the path.
Han Shuren stood nearby.
"Do not force yourself beyond your limit. If you faint, your score stops there."
Students began one by one.
Most reached the third or fourth section.
Those with awakened talents reached the fifth.
A few stronger ones reached the sixth.
Then Zhao Tianyu stepped forward.
Crimson energy flickered beneath his skin as he walked.
First section.
Second.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
He slowed at the seventh but still stepped into it.
The crowd exclaimed.
"Seventh section!"
"As expected!"
Zhao Tianyu’s face turned pale, but he held on for ten breaths before stepping back.
Han Shuren nodded slightly.
"Zhao Tianyu. Seventh section. Excellent."
Zhao Tianyu returned with pride in his eyes.
Then Han Shuren looked at the Qin group.
"Qin Yuheng."
The hall quieted.
Qin Yuheng stepped onto the black stone path.
The first section pressed down on him like a heavy cloak.
He continued.
Second.
Third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Inside his body, the Primordial Thunder Emperor Body remained silent under his control. If he allowed it to fully circulate, this pressure would likely feel light.
But he did not want that.
Not yet.
He stopped at the sixth section.
His breathing became slightly heavier by deliberate control.
After ten breaths, he stepped back.
Han Shuren looked at him.
"Sixth section. Good."
Whispers rose.
"He reached sixth?"
"That is not bad."
"Maybe the Talent Fruit effect is decent."
Zhao Tianyu frowned.
Sixth section was below him, but not low enough to mock.
Qin Yuheng returned to his group.
Qin Mo glanced at him lazily.
"Only sixth?"
Qin Yuheng smiled. "Enough."
Qin Lian’s eyes moved slightly.
Qin Yuchen lowered his voice. "You held back."
Qin Yuheng looked ahead.
"So did you."
Qin Yuchen did not deny it.
The first test ended.
But high above the hall, behind a one-way observation window, an old man in academy robes watched Qin Yuheng with interest.
Beside him, a woman with silver hair and sharp eyes said, "His body pressure response was strange."
The old man nodded.
"He controlled his breathing too deliberately."
"Should we mark him?"
The old man smiled faintly.
"Add him to the observation list."
On a crystal tablet, Qin Yuheng’s name appeared.
Qin Yuheng
Public Status: Awakened through suspected Talent Fruit
Stat Pressure Test: Sixth Section
Instructor Note: Possible concealment. Continue observation.
The academy had noticed him.
But not enough.
And for Qin Yuheng, that was exactly the best result.
