The binding rope around Ryan's wrist suddenly tightened, and a gentle yet irresistible force pulled him forward.

  He looked up to see Evelyn holding the other end of the rope, her expression calm and unreadable as she walked straight toward the stage, ignoring the thousand curious, astonished, and gossiping eyes below.

  "Evelyn, you could at least give me a warning!" Ryan stumbled after her, muttering inwardly. Why is she always like this? Can't she ever give a heads-up?

  They stepped onto the stage side by side. Instantly, the entire hall fell silent, every gaze locking onto the rope that bound their wrists together.

  Even the Headmaster raised an eyebrow, eyeing them with a peculiar look."Are you two… performing some kind of special magical binding ritual?"

  "Oh, she just likes to do this," Ryan said lightly, lifting his unbound left hand with a lazy grin."She's afraid her sweetheart might run away, so she ties him up for peace of mind."

  He even gave Evelyn a playful wink as he said it.

  No sooner had he finished than the rope around his wrist suddenly pulled tight, the coarse fibers biting into his skin until it turned red.

  Ryan gasped softly in pain and tugged at the rope with a pleading look. He really didn't want to be strangled into tears in front of all these people, that would be beyond humiliating.

  Evelyn felt his silent surrender. A flicker of amusement flashed in her eyes, and she discreetly loosened the rope, sparing him further pain.

  The Headmaster noticed their brief exchange and chuckled meaningfully but chose not to interfere.

  Young people and their little games, he thought. Best for us elders to stay out of it.

  He raised his hand and made a sweeping motion. Three Sword Intention Crystals floated into the air before him, each pulsing faintly with the aura of sword intent.

  "This," the Headmaster said solemnly,"is the Sword Intention Crystal. It was crafted by an Arcane Mage of the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword, who spent ten years refining it for the sake of gifted youths."

  "Within each crystal lies pure sword intent energy. It can greatly accelerate one's comprehension of sword intent. I hope you all make good use of it and achieve success on your magical path."

  Ryan, Evelyn, and a third student quickly stepped forward to receive their Sword Intention Crystals.

  The third student accepted his crystal, bowed respectfully to the Headmaster, and hurried off the stage, clearly eager to study the sword intent within it.

  Ryan and Evelyn, however, remained standing.

  The Headmaster looked at them curiously."Is there something else?"

  "Headmaster," Ryan said first,"I'd like to ask if the academy has a cross-domain teleportation array that connects to the Central Continent. I need to travel there soon to obtain some special magical materials."

  He had already been planning to make use of the academy's teleportation system, it would save time and spare him the dangers of travel.

  Evelyn turned toward him sharply, surprise written all over her face. She had been about to ask the same question, but Ryan had beaten her to it.

  What astonished her even more was that he, too, intended to go to the Central Continent.

  She couldn't help but wonder: What exactly is he going there for? To seek magical resources or something else entirely?

  Still, she didn't ask, simply waiting quietly for the Headmaster's reply.

  The Headmaster pondered for a few seconds, then shook his head."We'll discuss the matter of teleportation privately later. There are still more than two thousand new apprentices waiting for the entrance ceremony. Let's finish the proceedings first."

  He gestured politely, signaling them to leave the stage.

  Seeing that the Headmaster hadn't refused outright, Evelyn tugged the rope and turned to head down.

  Ryan, unprepared, was yanked forward and nearly tripped on the steps. He barely caught his balance and shouted helplessly,"Evelyn, slow down! Don't pull so hard, I can barely keep up!"

  The moment they stepped off the stage, they were surrounded by a group of mentors in long violet robes.

  These were senior instructors of the Sword Mage Academy, and their eyes burned with ambition as they looked at Ryan, Evelyn, and, not far away, Derrick and Darlene.

  Just then, an elderly man scoffed."Aubrey, didn't you say you wouldn't even bother taking in a student with light-element talent? Why are you suddenly so eager today?"

  Aubrey's face flushed red, but he didn't back down. Chin raised, he retorted,"Who said that? When did I ever say such a thing? Don't slander me!"

  A sudden, deafening explosion ripped through the crowd. A surge of magical energy, filled with an aura of destruction, erupted and precisely targeted a single person among them.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  The moment the energy burst, the figure was completely swallowed without even a scream, their very bones reduced to ashes.

  The square immediately erupted into chaos. New apprentices panicked, glancing around wildly, their shouts and screams overlapping.

  "Why would someone be killed suddenly? We came here for the entrance ceremony!"

  Ryan was startled by the unexpected turn of events. Instinctively, he reached out and grabbed Evelyn's arm.

  "Let go," Evelyn's cold voice sounded in his ear. She could feel the warmth of his hand on her arm.

  Reluctantly, Ryan released her, scratching his head awkwardly."Sorry, I was just too nervous."

  At that moment, the Headmaster's voice boomed across the square, instantly silencing all commotion."Quiet!"

  The crowd fell silent, all eyes fixed on the Headmaster.

  His expression stern, he scanned the crowd and said in a grave tone,"Among those present are some who study dark magic, delight in killing, and slay the innocent indiscriminately."

  "Today, during the entrance ceremony, we shall eliminate these evil disciples at once, so that they cannot harm the academy or the living in the future."

  Only now did the clueless new apprentices begin to understand why the Headmaster had previously dispersed the crowd of unselected students. It was to screen for dark magic practitioners in a controlled environment.

  Those who had already heard of the Sword Mage Academy entrance ceremony remained calm. Since they had never studied dark magic, they had nothing to fear.

  No sooner had the Headmaster finished speaking than dozens of figures suddenly surged from the crowd, sprinting toward the academy gates.

  These were clearly dark magic disciples hiding among the new apprentices. Seeing their identities exposed, they tried to escape.

  "Trying to run?" the Headmaster snorted coldly. He extended his right hand into the air, and a massive binding barrier instantly formed, trapping the dozens of figures firmly.

  Then, with a flick of his wrist, the barrier carried them back to the square with tremendous force, slamming them to the ground with a heavy thud.

  "I know some of you may doubt and think we are slaughtering the innocent," the Headmaster said solemnly, looking at the confused faces of the new apprentices.

  "Today, I will show you with your own eyes whether these people deserve to die!"

  He quickly formed hand seals and chanted an ancient spell.

  The moment the magical light fell, a dense black aura suddenly burst from the bound disciples.

  Some radiated bloodthirsty energy, others exuded rotting necrotic magic, and still others pulsed with life-devouring blood essence.

  The auras were so intense they seemed almost tangible, causing the surrounding apprentices to step back in terror.

  "You see it yourselves," the Headmaster's voice carried a hint of anger."These people practice the vilest forms of dark magic. Yet they kill unarmed mortals! They use human flesh as sacrifices to learn dark magic and slaughter the innocent. Do people like this deserve your pity?"

  With that, he swung his right hand violently, and a purification spell enveloped the dozens of disciples.

  When the white light faded, the figures on the ground had turned to ashes, leaving no trace behind.

  But it was not over yet. The Headmaster cast a detection spell across the crowd. Soon, over a hundred more were identified.

  These individuals also carried traces of dark magic, though more deeply concealed than the first group.

  To reassure everyone, the Headmaster exposed the full extent of their dark energy using detection magic.

  The thousand or so new apprentices in the square were shocked. They never imagined that so many dark magic disciples were hiding among them. Some had even spoken or teamed up with them in contests.

  The over one hundred dark magic disciples were bound by the Headmaster's magic. No matter how they struggled or begged, they could not break free.

  Ultimately, their fate was the same as the first group. They were reduced to ashes by the purification spell, vanishing completely from the square.

  As the dark magic disciples were completely eliminated, the entrance ceremony of the Sword Mage Academy finally began in earnest.

  "I am willing to give you all my collected magical scrolls and crystals, just swear me as your Mentor!"

  An older man with a graying beard pushed to the front and shouted enthusiastically at Ryan, his eyes shining with determination.

  "Choose me! I have advanced magical tomes. If you make me your Mentor, I will teach them to you immediately!"

  "Pick me! I can take you into the academy's hidden realms to explore ancient magical ruins!"

  The calls continued, one after another. Dozens of Mentors surrounded Ryan and Evelyn, each shouting tempting offers, making Ryan's head nearly explode.

  Impatient, he tugged on the binding rope around his wrist and pulled Evelyn toward the edge of the crowd."Enough! We are not choosing a Mentor!"

  "Don't go! If you don't want a Mentor, you could at least leave Evelyn with me!" one Mentor protested, following a few steps behind with obvious regret.

  Talents like Evelyn were rare, appearing only once in a century. They simply could not bear to let her go.

  Ryan paused, finally realizing something: among the Mentors surrounding them, at least seventy percent of their gazes were on Evelyn, with only thirty percent on him and the nearby Derrick.

  He couldn't help but glance at Evelyn and smiled wryly."Looks like you're far more popular than I am."

  Evelyn remained her usual cold and aloof self, simply shaking her head slightly without a word.

  Ryan leaned closer and whispered into her ear,"Evelyn, are you really not going to choose a Mentor? The resources they have could help you improve your magical level a lot."

  From what Ryan knew of Evelyn, she had been through too much to trust anyone. It was unlikely she would ever become a student under any Mentor.

  As expected, Evelyn turned her head slightly and shook it twice.

  Seeing this, Ryan completely relaxed and shouted to the surrounding Mentors:

  "Stop calling out! Evelyn and I are not choosing any Mentor! If you want students, go to Derrick! He also has a light-element constitution and strong talent!"

  As he shouted, he pointed to Derrick, who was being ignored by the Mentors not far away. Still, a few Mentors were reluctant to give up and continued following them, muttering quietly.

  At that moment, the Headmaster's voice suddenly rang out:"Ryan, Evelyn, Derrick, Darlene, the four of you, follow me!"

  The Mentors immediately fell silent. Though reluctant, no one dared to block the order. The Headmaster's command was not to be defied.

  Finally, the four were able to escape. Under the regretful gazes of the Mentors, they followed the Headmaster toward the guest hall.

  ……

  Sword Mage Academy, Guest Hall.

  The Headmaster's gaze swept over the four of them."Do the four of you wish to join the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword?"

  The Sanctum of the Sacred Sword was reserved only for apprentices with the highest talent. Inside were abundant magical resources and guidance from senior Mentors, making it the dream destination for every apprentice.

  Ryan smiled and pointed to Derrick."Headmaster, my student Derrick would definitely want to join. The Sanctum of the Sacred Sword is perfect for him. As for me, I will not join. I have other matters to attend to."

  "I want to join too! I came to compete just to enter the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword!" Darlene quickly said, her voice full of excitement.

  Her goal in coming to the Sword Mage Academy was precisely to join the Sanctum of the Sacred Sword. If she succeeded, she could go back and tell her mother, who would surely be proud.

  The Headmaster nodded, his gaze finally resting on Evelyn.

  Among the four, Derrick and Darlene had agreed to join, Ryan had refused, and only Evelyn had not yet given her answer.