The later one awakens their ability, the lower their talent for supernatural arts—this is common knowledge. Awakening at eighteen means one will almost never achieve much on the path of supernatural arts, nor are they worth the court’s attention or cultivation.

There is a place in the capital called the Academy of Supernatural Arts, dedicated to recruiting and nurturing supernatural prodigies.

Within the Academy, supernatural talents from all over gather. There are specialized teachers to help those who have just awakened their abilities to understand their powers and teach them ways to enhance them.

Grace Clark’s best chance to receive professional guidance is to enter the Academy. First, to further improve his strength; second, because the Academy is filled with countless ability users, and only by finding ways to interact with them can Grace Clark have the opportunity to acquire more abilities.

Although the conditions for him to gain abilities are harsh, as long as he uses his wits, there will always be a chance.

However, only those like Emily Turner, prodigies who displayed extraordinary supernatural talent at a young age, can enter the Academy. Grace Clark has long since passed the age for admission.

If he could reveal his true ability, there might still be some hope. But that power is simply too heaven-defying—it’s one of Grace Clark’s greatest secrets. In front of outsiders, Grace Clark still plans to keep it hidden.

Just as Grace Clark was racking his brains over how to solve this problem, a cool breeze suddenly swept past him.

Emily Turner walked in from outside. Grace Clark instinctively went on guard, took two steps back, and said warily, “What do you want? I’m telling you, this is my house, Dali…”

Grace Clark wanted to summon his personal bodyguard. But when he turned his head, he realized that David Harris, who had always been standing behind him, had disappeared at some point.

It seemed to have happened right when Emily Turner arrived.

That scoundrel had betrayed him again without hesitation.

Emily Turner merely glanced at him indifferently and said, “Come with me.”

……

The capital of Great Xia.

The Academy of Supernatural Arts.

The Academy is located within the imperial city, gathering countless supernatural prodigies from all over Great Xia. It is also the court’s reserve for special talents. Most who come out of here become pillars of the nation. Because of this, the Academy holds an extremely exalted status in the capital, and together with the Martial Academy and the Imperial Academy, is known as one of the capital’s three great academies.

Grace Clark stood in front of the Academy’s towering gates, a bit dazed. Why had Emily Turner brought him here?

With a heart full of doubt, Grace Clark followed Emily Turner through the Academy’s main gate, passed through two long corridors, and arrived before a small two-story building.

Emily Turner told Grace Clark to wait outside, then turned and entered the building herself.

Still confused, Grace Clark waited outside for Emily Turner, and noticed a few people in the distance, their gazes fixed on him as they whispered among themselves.

“Is that the son of the Earl of Ping’an?”

“I heard this guy is engaged to the eldest miss of the The Turner Family. I wonder if it’s true or not…”

“I think it’s probably true. Otherwise, why would Miss Lingyin be running around these past few days, trying to get him into the Academy?”

“If it were just Miss Lingyin, the dean wouldn’t make an exception. The The Turner Family must be involved too. The dean has to give the The Turner Family some face.”

“So, the The Turner Family really intends to acknowledge this engagement. Tsk tsk, over the years, who knows how many geniuses have proposed to the Turner residence. Is the The Turner Family really willing to marry their favored daughter to an ordinary person?”

“He’s not exactly ordinary. I heard he’s already awakened a supernatural ability.”

“What’s the use of awakening now? Even if he cultivates his whole life, he might never awaken a second time. That The Turner Family girl has already awakened for the fifth time…”

“What? She’s only eighteen and has already awakened five times? That kind of talent is terrifying…”

……

These voices reached Grace Clark’s ears, leaving him a bit stunned.

Could it be that over the past three days, Emily Turner hadn’t come to see him because she was running around trying to get him into the Academy?

And the The Turner Family was involved as well?

This left Grace Clark puzzled.

One is a favored daughter of heaven, the other a “good-for-nothing” who only awakened at eighteen. By the usual script, shouldn’t this be a dramatic breakup, the young man’s pride wounded, vowing to work hard, starting his path of counterattack, returning as a king years later—“thirty years east of the river, thirty years west, never look down on the poor youth”…

That’s how all the novels Grace Clark had read were written.

But the script he’d received didn’t seem to be like that.

If the The Turner Family wanted to break off the engagement, there was no need to treat him so well. Or maybe, they wanted to give Grace Clark benefits so he’d give up the engagement himself?

Grace Clark hoped that was the case.

First, he didn’t want to get married, especially not to a woman he had no emotional foundation with, no matter how talented or beautiful she was. Grace Clark wasn’t that shallow.

Of course, the real reason was that Grace Clark had seen plenty of pretty girls. He was long past the stage of judging people by their looks.

Fair skin, beauty, a big chest and a perky butt are all nice, but for a girl, the most important thing is still her soul.

The second reason is that that marriage contract is a kind of shackle for Grace Clark.