Ray slept through the entire night.

When he finally woke, his mind was still foggy, unable to clearly sense the changes within his body.

"Do you feel better?" Alfred asked quietly.

Ray struggled, then nodded slightly. He had finally regained a sliver of control over his body.

Alfred helped him sit upright. "Your mind took a severe shock. Recovery will take time. You're in pain right now, but you must still cultivate the Purple Demon Eyes to stabilize your spiritual power. Otherwise, residual damage may remain."

"Okay," Ray replied without hesitation.

Alfred sat behind him, one palm pressed to Ray's back, the other resting lightly against the back of his head. A gentle stream of soul power flowed into Ray, guiding his cultivation.

Normally, cultivating came easily to him.

Now, even circulating soul power felt difficult.

Without Alfred's assistance, he wouldn't have been able to do it at all.

Following the Mysterious Heaven Method, Ray slowly guided his soul power through his body. Warmth spread through his limbs, nourishing his battered mind and flesh.

The difference in their cultivation levels made the guidance effortless for Alfred.

After an entire day of circulating the Mysterious Heaven Method, Ray finally felt capable of cultivating the Purple Demon Eyes. His thoughts grew clearer, his breathing steadier.

The pain receded.

After several more cycles, he was finally able to cultivate independently again.

Alfred withdrew his hands and exhaled softly.

This child… truly is a monster.

To endure a spirit soul exceeding two thousand years at this age was nearly inconceivable.

Ray's spiritual world had barely contained the energy, yet his body had borne it solidly. His soul power had also been refined in the process and stabilized at rank sixteen.

His spirit soul, however, had not yet completed its evolution.

His spiritual power was still catching up.

This incomplete evolution was dangerous. Until it finished, Ray had to be monitored constantly.

They remained in the inn.

One day passed.

Then two.

By the third day, a faint golden radiance began to appear around Ray's body.

Gold resonated with his breathing.

The spirit soul began to change.

This evolution was far more pronounced than the first.

Gold grew to nearly a foot in length. Its scales lifted slightly, gaining a clear, crystalline sheen. Its color deepened into a muted gold, while two small protrusions appeared atop its head.

The golden-veined patterns became sharply defined.

A faint violet glow shimmered within its eyes.

From ten-year to hundred-year to thousand-year in such a short span, Gold felt reborn. Its aura was completely different from before. With every breath Ray took, the golden veins on his body pulsed in response.

Four days later, the evolution finally ended.

When Ray opened his eyes, something about him had subtly changed.

His skin was fairer, almost radiant. He had grown at least three centimeters taller. His eyes sparkled with newfound clarity, and his entire presence felt sharper, more refined.

He felt it himself.

More than that, he noticed something new while cultivating the Mysterious Heaven Method.

A small whirlpool of soul power had formed within his dantian.

Whenever it rotated, his cultivation speed and recovery surged dramatically.

Ray slowly clenched his fist.

A thousand-year spirit soul.

And a foundation far stronger than before.

The whirlpool rotated quietly within his dantian, compressing his soul power into a dense core while occupying almost no space at all.

Bitterness had passed. Sweetness followed.

"We should leave now," Alfred said. Their one-week delay meant the month-long break had already ended. As a teacher, Alfred was supposed to report back even earlier than the students. He was already late.

As they walked toward the Soul Train station, Ray stopped and bowed slightly. "Teacher, thank you."

The trip itself hadn't been long, nor had he spent much time sightseeing. Most of it had been cultivation and recovery. And yet, his heart felt full to the brim.

In Arcana City, he had seen the statues of Immortal Guild legends, formally joined the Immortal Guild, and begun cultivating two supreme techniques: the Mysterious Heaven Method and the Purple Demon Eyes. He had grasped their fundamentals and progressed rapidly in both.

He had obtained a thousand-year Dragonscale Fruit, one of the four vital spirit items he needed. His spirit soul had evolved. Any one of these would have been life-changing on its own.

Though he couldn't precisely measure how much stronger he had become, he could clearly feel it. Something deep within him had transformed.

The Mysterious Heaven Method helped him stabilize and understand the changes brought by his spirit soul's evolution. A thousand-year spirit soul… Ray's heart surged. A thousand-year spirit soul as my first one. I might be the only student in the academy with such a foundation.

These experiences had firmly cemented his base as a Soul Master. The dangers ahead—especially the second seal—were problems for the future. Right now, he was moving forward steadily.

"I only showed you the road," Alfred said calmly. "In the end, the only one you can rely on is yourself."

Ray froze.

Those words… they echoed something his father once told him.

In this world, the only person you can rely on is yourself.

The words burned quietly into his chest. A wave of longing welled up.

Mom… Dad…

Vivi… where did you go?

*

Once aboard the soul train, Ray immediately entered meditation.

He didn't let the spirit soul evolution inflate his ego. He knew better than anyone how weak his martial soul was, how low his innate soul power stood, and how slow his cultivation rate remained compared to Lily and Raziel Phoenix.

Soul power was the root of everything.

If he lacked talent, then he would make it up with effort.

With a thousand-year spirit soul, becoming a rank twenty Soul Grandmaster was only a matter of time. One year, two at most. By twelve, he would reach rank twenty.

A twelve-year-old Soul Grandmaster.

That was the standard of genius.

As West Ocean City's familiar skyline emerged, Ray found himself smiling. Each city had its own character. Arcana City was majestic and ancient, while West Ocean City felt grounded and warm.

What a pity I didn't get to even explore Arcana City properly.

One day, I'll travel the continent. Maybe even the other continents. I wonder what kind of worlds lie beyond?

"There are three days left before school resumes," Alfred said as they disembarked. "Take one day to rest. Use the other two wisely."

Before Ray could respond, Alfred had already turned and left.

Ray didn't return to the dormitory.

Instead, he headed straight for the Blacksmith's Association.

A whole month without touching a hammer had made his hands itch. I'll go see Teacher Nigel first. Warm up with a couple of tasks.

And I still owe Teacher more than a million federal coins.

Thinking of the Dragonscale Fruit's price made his scalp tingle. Breaking the second seal would be terrifyingly expensive. Every free moment from now on had to be turned into income.

If I keep improving… could I forge my own battle armor one day?

The thought alone made his blood surge.

On the way, Alfred's explanation of battle armor replayed in his mind. If I had battle armor, that Three-Eyed Demon Ape wouldn't have stood a chance.

Teacher is incredible.

He had witnessed five of Alfred's six soul skills. Even without understanding the ten-thousand-year skill in detail, that final slash was unforgettable.

Will I reach that level one day?

Without realizing it, Ray had already set Alfred as the peak he wanted to climb.

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