Chapter 858: Zenith Academy

Chapter 858: 858: Zenith Academy

"Don’t divide important assets just because someone is a direct descendant. The person who has the ability to manage something should be given the responsibility."

Several people nodded.

"Then we’ll establish that clan assets will not automatically be divided among every descendant," Herion said while writing it down. "Instead, positions and important assets will be given based on ability, contribution, and responsibility."

"Good."

Ethan looked toward the others.

"And there should be another rule."

Everyone became attentive.

"No member of the clan should use the name of Blanks to bully ordinary people or abuse their authority."

His voice was calm, but there was seriousness in his eyes.

"We have enough power already. I don’t want our descendants becoming arrogant simply because they were born with our bloodline."

"I’ll add it."

"The same should apply to the military and the squadrons," Ethan continued. "They are meant to protect Blanks, not become tools for personal revenge."

"Understood."

"The next matter is marriage."

At those words, a few people around the table exchanged glances.

Ethan rubbed his forehead slightly.

"What’s the proposal?"

"We can’t force anyone to marry, but we should make sure that marriages within the clan don’t cause problems in the future. We also need to keep proper records of the bloodline."

"That’s reasonable," Ethan said. "But don’t interfere too much with their choices. They can choose whom they want to marry as long as there are no serious problems."

Ray nodded.

"Then we’ll keep the rule simple."

He turned another page.

"The final major point is responsibility. Once a member of the clan becomes an adult and gains enough strength, they should contribute to the clan in some way."

Ethan nodded.

"That’s important."

"They can join the military, work in the academies, manage businesses, conduct research, become administrators, or serve in the squadrons. They can choose their own path, but they should contribute something."

"Exactly."

Ethan leaned back in his chair.

"Blanks will provide them with resources and education, but they should also understand that they have responsibilities toward Blanks."

Ray finished writing and looked at the document.

"Then the basic Clan Rules are settled."

Ethan glanced at the papers.

"Not completely."

Ray raised an eyebrow.

Ethan pointed toward the document.

"Add one more thing. No matter how powerful someone becomes, they cannot harm another member of the clan without a proper reason."

The atmosphere became slightly quieter.

"If there is a dispute, they can bring it before the clan council. They can fight under controlled conditions if necessary, but they cannot secretly kill or cripple each other because of some personal disagreement."

Ray nodded seriously.

"That will be added."

Ethan looked around the table.

"Power will always create conflicts. We can’t stop that. What we can do is make sure those conflicts don’t destroy the family."

...

Deep inside the vast space, a woman sat on a high seat with a sharp and calm expression.

The surroundings around her were majestic. A huge hall stretched far into the distance with tall white pillars supporting the high ceiling.

Strange golden patterns covered the pillars and walls, giving off a faint glow. The floor was made of smooth white stone that reflected the light coming from countless floating crystals above. Behind the woman’s high seat was a massive open space filled with slowly moving clouds, and beyond them, countless stars could be seen shining in the darkness.

Yet despite the vastness of the hall, the woman’s presence was the first thing that caught the eye.

She sat there quietly without releasing any visible aura, but no one below dared to look at her for too long. There was something difficult to explain about her presence. It was as if the entire space naturally acknowledged her existence.

Even the laws of the surrounding space seemed unusually quiet around her.

Several men stood respectfully below the high seat. None of them dared to make unnecessary movements.

The woman slowly scanned her eyes across the hall. Her gaze was calm, but the moment her eyes passed over them, each person instinctively straightened their backs.

She then waved her hand.

At once, numerous letters sealed inside envelopes rose into the air. They flew across the hall before arranging themselves neatly into several cases placed before the men.

There was no visible fluctuation of energy.

The letters simply moved according to her will.

The woman looked around and spoke.

"The entries for this year have been decided."

Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached every corner of the vast hall.

The men below nodded and stepped forward to pick up the letters. They began sorting through them one after another. However, after looking at the number of letters, a strange expression flashed across one man’s face.

"Ma’am, the number of participants this year has gone beyond 100."

A ripple of surprise flashed across the others.

Zenith Academy.

An Academy with several hundred years of accumulation that was founded by Karina Bella Zephyr, who was an Ascension Realm expert.

Each year, she would personally select students to be admitted to Zenith Academy. Each of the students she selected had the potential to reach the Transcendent Rank.

No one knew how she sensed their presence and accurately pinpointed them from across the world.

Some believed she possessed a special method of sensing talent. Others believed she could observe things that ordinary cultivators could never perceive.

Such was the prestige of the Ascension Realm.

Zenith Academy was a mini world in itself. It was a world independent of the Empires and Kingdoms, existing in an entirely different plane that no one could enter without her will.

Even powerful cultivators who had reached the peak of the Transcendent Rank could only stand outside this world and look toward it.

Inside this place, Karina was absolute.

The group continued sorting the letters and was about to leave when a deep frown suddenly flashed across one man’s face. He stopped and stared at the three letters in his hands.

"Huh?"

The small sound immediately attracted everyone’s attention.

"What is it?" Karina asked with a sharp expression.

The man carefully checked the letters again before looking toward her.

"Ma’am, there are three participants from this place."

"What?"

Loud gasps of shock echoed across the hall after hearing this.

Even the men who had remained calm until now couldn’t hide their surprise.

Three participants meant three people with the potential to reach the Transcendent Rank, and all three of them came from one household.

That was like ascending to the heavens in one swift step.

Even noble houses with hundreds of years of accumulation didn’t have such good luck. Producing even one person with such potential was enough for a family to celebrate, yet one household had produced three at the same time.

"Wait a minute..Its not three but five."

His words were enough to shock everyone.

The man lowered his eyes toward the place written on the letters.

Blanks?

A confused expression appeared on his face.

He couldn’t remember hearing much about Blanks.

Seeing the confusion on his face, one of the men beside him spoke.

"You don’t know because you haven’t stepped outside in the last decade."

The man turned toward him.

"Blanks is a newly established household that was promoted to Duke by the Eldorian Empress."

Several people immediately became interested after hearing this. Their eyes moved toward the three letters again, and some seemed ready to ask more questions.

Karina looked down from her high seat.

For a brief moment, her eyes rested on the five letters.

No one could tell what she was thinking.

It was simply a quiet gaze that made the people below instinctively hold their breath.

Then she spoke.

"There isn’t any need to gossip. Just do your tasks. You will naturally understand it."

Her calm voice immediately silenced the hall.

Hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and bowed respectfully.

"We obey!"