Even among elites, his name carried weight.

Though he didn’t belong to Spinebridge University, he was widely known as a genius.

While others struggled at Yellow Rank, he had already reached Earth Rank.

When they reached Earth rank, he had advanced to Heaven rank.

Now... he stood at the peak of Heaven Rank, possibly even on the verge of breaking into Celestial Master Rank.

Some even whispered that he might have already crossed it.

And yet, here was Lana, completely unafraid.

Because she herself...was an anomaly.

A bug in the system of cultivation.

Ross pointed at her again, anger barely contained.

"Just wait," he snapped. "In an hour, I’ll show you exactly..."

"What’s going on here?"

Axel’s voice cut through the tension.

Ross immediately turned, his expression changing in an instant.

"Uncle!" he called out, rushing over as if nothing had happened. "You’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, I might’ve been bullied to death."

The shift was so sudden it left a few people stunned. This was another reason Ross held influence: his background.

A prestigious family. And an uncle at Shadowridge University.

Not to mention...his ability to act.

His expression softened, almost pitiful, his voice carrying just the right amount of vulnerability.

A few girls nearby immediately reacted, whispering excitedly, some even swooning.

"He’s so cute ..."

"Should I ask for his number later...?"

"I think I’ll try to bump into him accidentally ..."

Ross barely spared them a glance, his eyes flickering back to Lana with a faint, provocative smirk.

But before he could do anything... Lana moved.

She walked straight toward Axel and, without hesitation, grabbed his arm, clinging to it.

"Uncle," she said sweetly, her tone instantly shifting.

Axel frowned slightly. "What is it?"

Lana pouted, her expression turning pitiful as her eyes shimmered faintly, as if tears were about to fall.

"That bug wearing human skin," she muttered, glancing at Ross, "was sticking to you. It’s disgusting... you should shake it off."

Axel blinked once.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled his arm away from Ross.

The movement was clean. Decisive.

Ross froze.

Axel then placed a hand on Lana’s head, his tone softening.

"What happened?" he asked.

Lana sniffed lightly, lowering her gaze as if trying to hold back tears.

"He called me a country bumpkin..." she said, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable.

She even wiped at her eyes, though there were no real tears. The acting was obvious.

Painfully obvious. Anyone could see it. But Axel...

Axel’s expression turned cold.

"Country bumpkin?" he repeated slowly, his gaze shifting toward Ross.

His voice dropped, carrying a quiet edge.

"Do you think you’re any better?" he said. "You were a country bumpkin yourself just a few years ago."

The moment Axel said those words, Ross’s entire face went pale, as if all the blood had been drained out in an instant.

For a brief second, there was stunned silence.

Then... Axel laughed.

It wasn’t a restrained chuckle but a full, amused laugh that echoed through the hall.

"Have you forgotten," he continued casually, a teasing glint in his eyes, "how when you were five, you peed your pants and then stood there proudly, telling everyone you had awakened some kind of water superpower?"

The moment those words landed...the silence shattered. Laughter erupted.

People who had been holding themselves back earlier completely lost control now.

Some bent over, clutching their stomachs, while others tried and failed to suppress their snickers.

Lana laughed the loudest.

Her shoulders shook, her eyes crinkling as she barely managed to breathe between laughs.

’This... this is too much...!’

Ross’s face turned bright red, the color spreading from his ears down to his neck.

"Shut up!" he shouted, his voice cracking slightly under the pressure.

But no one stopped. If anything, the laughter only grew louder.

Even those who had tried to remain neutral couldn’t help but grin at the absurdity of it.

Ross clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms as he turned toward Axel, his voice filled with grievance.

"How can you side with an outsider and bully me like this?!" he demanded.

But his words fell flat. Axel didn’t even spare him a glance.

Instead, he turned toward Lana, his expression softening slightly.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

Lana immediately nodded, though she kept a slight pout on her lips for effect.

"Mm," she replied, then shot Ross a sideways glance. "I’m letting you off because of Uncle Axel. Otherwise ..."

She tilted her head slightly, her tone turning light yet threatening.

"I would’ve taught you a proper lesson."

With that, she turned away as if he no longer mattered, walking back to her group and casually continuing her conversation.

Ross stood there, trembling with anger.

"I’ll definitely teach you a lesson!" he shouted after her, his voice filled with frustration and humiliation.

But Lana didn’t even turn back.

She waved her hand dismissively, as if brushing off something insignificant.

’Everyone says that,’ she thought lazily. ’And in the end... what happens?’

They all stopped trying to "teach" her anything and quietly focused on themselves.

Ross’s expression twisted further.

His gaze lingered on Lana’s back, dark and calculating.

’There’s no way...’ he thought bitterly. Why would Axel treat her like that unless ...’

A nasty suspicion formed in his mind.

’She must be his mistress.’

The thought settled in, poisoning his already sour mood.

His eyes turned even colder as he looked at her, a vicious glint flickering within them.

Meanwhile... Axel clapped his hands once, the sound crisp and commanding.

The laughter gradually died down. The murmurs faded.

Once everyone’s attention shifted toward Alex, he slowly stepped forward.

He swept his gaze across the students before speaking in a steady yet grave tone, "What lies inside will be dangerous." All of you must stay close to the instructor at all times." 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Alex continued, his voice lowering slightly,

"Do not interfere with the process under any circumstances. Do not comment, do not speak, and absolutely do not try to communicate with the possessed spirit."

His eyes hardened as he added, "If any of you feel even the slightest influence from negative energy, leave immediately. Do not hesitate."

Everyone’s heart chilled a bit.