"There are countless kinds of places in this world," Alfred replied indifferently. "You'll understand them when you see them yourself. For now, don't let your thoughts wander so far." His gaze sharpened. "Tell me instead. What did you feel inside the spirit ascension platform today?"

Ray immediately understood that this topic was closed. He straightened and spoke earnestly.

"Teacher, after today, I realized something. For teammates with two soul rings, evolving their spirit souls is incredibly difficult. The spirit energy gets split evenly between both rings, so even if they absorb a lot, neither ring grows fast enough. Worse, their bodies and spiritual power can't support two thousand-year soul rings. Volt and Barbara can't even handle one yet. Is this why spirit soul evolution is so rare?"

Alfred nodded approvingly. "That's correct. The fact that you reached this conclusion means you weren't just fighting, you were thinking. Even if someone had endless resources to enter the spirit ascension platform, the body itself becomes the bottleneck. But that's not the most important part."

Ray inhaled. "My situation is different. My body is stronger than a normal Soul Master's. I'm not limited to four hundred years like other one-ring Soul Masters. My spiritual power has already reached the Spirit Connection realm. If I absorb enough spirit energy before reaching rank twenty… I should be able to obtain a thousand-year spirit soul. Right?"

For a brief instant, surprise flickered through Alfred's eyes.

"It's possible," he said after a pause. "In theory. But there are conditions. You must evolve your spirit soul before obtaining your second soul ring. And when that happens, your body must be capable of bearing two thousand-year soul rings."

Ray's heart skipped.

That was the key. The one-thousand-year-old ring was fine. Two… that was an entirely different matter.

Alfred continued, "We'll test your body later and determine its limits. Your spiritual power can already support a thousand-year spirit soul. The real question is whether your body can handle two thousand-year soul rings. If it can…" His eyes narrowed slightly. "You'll be a very special case."

"Thank you, teacher," Ray said sincerely.

As he left, a thought stirred in his mind.

Teacher Alfred isn't the only one who knows my body.

There's also… Grandpa Mel

After Ray departed, Alfred remained seated, deep in thought.

There was no doubt about it. Ray was extraordinary.

If he truly succeeded in obtaining a thousand-year spirit soul, his so-called weak martial soul would no longer be a fatal flaw. In fact, it would become his foundation. Even within Central Academy, such a case would be exceedingly rare.

But certainty did not exist.

I haven't even stepped into the true realm of Central's monsters yet…

Still, Ray was close. Very close.

I'll need to conduct special tests on him.

Alfred's eyes hardened.

And this matter must remain hidden from the Spirit Tower.

At least until he's strong enough.

Plans began forming in his mind, one after another.

The harvest from this rebellion spirit ascension platform far exceeded expectations. Ray had gained the most, Lily close behind. Her breakthrough to two rings and her ability to defeat a three-ring Soul Elder was staggering. Carelessness aside, victory without overwhelming control was impossible.

By fifteen… she might reach the Spirit Sea realm.

The others had progressed as well, but they were now at risk. Entering the spirit ascension platform again too soon could destabilize their bodies.

Six months.

They were never supposed to reach this level in six months.

The curriculum… must change.

*

Back in his dormitory, Ray immediately entered meditation.

"Grandpa Mel," he called. "Now that I've fully absorbed the first seal, how many soul rings and spirit souls can my body handle?"

Golden light flickered before him. Grandpa Mel's figure emerged, more solid than before, the radiance around him richer and deeper.

"Oh?" Grandpa Mel asked lazily. "Did something go wrong with your soul rings?"

Ray told him everything. The Man-Faced Demon Spider. The spirit energy. His thoughts about evolution. He hid nothing.

Grandpa Mel listened quietly, then suddenly laughed.

"So you're worried your body won't be able to handle it?"

"Yes!" Ray quickly replied. "What level can I bear right now? Both my soul rings and my spirit soul?"

Grandpa Mel answered calmly, "This is simple. No one understands your body better than I do. Your spiritual power is improving steadily, but you need a faster cultivation method. Find one. As for your limits…"

He paused.

"At your current state, you can support one thousand-year-old spirit souls or two hundred-year-old spirit souls. As for soul rings, you don't need to worry. After absorbing the first seal, your body can bear two thousand-year soul rings without issue."

Ray's breath caught.

"Then… can I break the second seal before reaching rank twenty? And what will my body become after that?"

Grandpa Mel replied, "It's possible. But only after you obtain the items I mentioned. You'll also need to strengthen your body further. If you truly manage to evolve your spirit, soul and soul ring to the thousand-year level, your body and essence will both advance dramatically. I encourage it."

He grew serious. "Just remember this. The earlier you break the seals, the higher the chance they'll break on their own in the future. And when that happens… your margin for safety will shrink."

Ray fell silent.

But in his heart, the path ahead had never been clearer.

"The seals can break on their own?" Ray asked, startled. "They can actually do that?"

Grandpa Mel replied calmly, "Of course. If you live long enough, or if you encounter something that purifies the Golden Dragon King's essence, a seal might be forcibly broken. When that happens, you'll face extreme danger. More importantly, any remaining seals will become even harder to deal with. In simple terms, the more seals you break by your own efforts, the lower the chance of the next ones breaking on their own and threatening your life. Ideally, they should never break automatically. Otherwise…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but the heaviness in his voice made the warning unmistakable.

Ray nodded seriously. "Thank you, Grandpa Mel. I'll do my best. My first goal is to evolve my spirit soul to the thousand-year level."

"That's right," Grandpa Mel said approvingly. "Do your best."

*

"You all performed well in yesterday's exam," Alfred said coldly, his tone unchanged despite the praise. "Each of you did what needed to be done. The last three months were not wasted. At the very least, you can now be called a functional team."

The five students exchanged glances, unsure whether to feel proud or uneasy.

"Ray, your control ability has clearly improved," Alfred continued. "Keep it up. However, all of you absorbed too much spirit energy yesterday. Once the exam period ends, we'll conduct new tests to determine how much more your bodies can bear. Remember this clearly: absorbing energy beyond your limits is absolutely forbidden."

He then reviewed the previous day's battles, analyzing each decision with ruthless precision. When he mentioned the Man-Faced Demon Spider, all five students unconsciously straightened, pride flickering in their eyes. That battle still felt unreal.

"Lily's tactics were flawless," Alfred said. "Even before her breakthrough, she played a decisive role."

Then his gaze locked onto Ray. "One question. Was it part of your plan to use the Man-Faced Demon Spider's toxic webs after its death to kill other soul beasts?"

Ray immediately shook his head. "No. I only thought that letting it spin its web would lower its guard and give us a defensive barrier afterward. I never expected the webs to kill so many soul beasts."

Alfred nodded slightly. "That shows instinct rather than calculation. Still, remember this. A Control System Soul Master must never let the enemy see their true intent. Your coordinated pressure misled the spider and created the opening you needed."

Ray scratched his head, embarrassed.

"But," Alfred continued sharply, "you were not calm enough afterward. After killing the spider, all of you relaxed too much. Did you feel satisfied?"

Silence fell.

"What if that had been a real forest?" Alfred pressed. "Surrounded by truly rebellious soul beasts. Would you still be standing here?"

No one dared answer.

"Remember this," he said coldly. "No benefit, no opportunity, no harvest is worth more than your life."

Raziel Phoenix hesitantly raised his hand. "Teacher… if we run into something like the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear again, what should we do?"

"Run," Alfred answered instantly. "If you don't, you die."

Raziel Phoenix blinked, stunned.

"The Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear is special," Alfred continued. "From birth, it is a king. Its strength isn't measured by years. But this discussion is meaningless. They're nearly extinct."

"Because they're dangerous?" Barbara asked.

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