Ray and Lily exchanged a glance, and the same emotion reflected clearly in both their eyes.

Shock.

An astrological attribute? Neither of them had ever heard of such a thing before, yet its power was undeniable. Raziel Phoenix, the one with the highest cultivation among them, had been sealed for a full five seconds.

Five seconds.

In battle, five seconds was more than enough to decide life and death. Even Ray wasn't confident he could resist Violetta's starwheel.

"After using the starwheel at full strength, can you still fight?" Lily asked.

Violetta shook her head, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "No. Once I activate it, I can't move at all. If I do, the seal loosens, and its power weakens. That's why this ability is best used with teammates. According to my clan's records, the astrological attribute develops more abilities as my cultivation improves. It's almost like having a second set of soul rings… similar to twin martial souls. But during the day, I'm really weak. I can only use my ice staff."

As expected, terrifying power came hand in hand with brutal limitations.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't attack.

It only worked at night.

The restrictions were harsh to the extreme. Yet even so, the value of such an ability in team combat was beyond measure. A single second of absolute sealing could flip the entire battlefield.

One second was all they needed.

"I swear on my great aunt…" Raziel Phoenix muttered weakly. "That's ridiculous."

Violetta smiled sweetly. Her Starwheel Ice Staff glimmered briefly, and the golden light and icy shackles binding Raziel Phoenix melted away. In truth, she had already reached her limit. Against stronger opponents, maintaining the seal drained her rapidly. If the target struggled fiercely, they could even break free within a second or two.

Ray raised his thumb toward her. Her first soul skill, Starwheel Shackles, was an incredible addition to the team.

A mysterious martial soul, born of a mysterious land. On the Xynnar Continent, truly nothing was impossible.

"It's a pity we can't turn day into night," Raziel Phoenix said while shaking off the lingering stiffness. "Otherwise, we might've given Teacher Alfred a real surprise."

Those shackles had fused astrological and ice attributes. Being restrained by them was anything but pleasant.

Ray smiled faintly. "It doesn't matter. We can go find Teacher right now. He won't refuse."

He exchanged a glance with Raziel Phoenix. A familiar glint flickered in their eyes.

One second of absolute sealing…

Maybe they really could shock their teacher.

Without another word, the four of them sat down cross-legged and began to meditate.

*

"All of you want to challenge me right now?"

Alfred stared at his four students, genuinely taken aback.

"Yes. Please give us guidance," Ray replied earnestly.

"Alright." Alfred nodded.

It was already late, and the dormitories were under lights-out. Instead of the combat arenas, he led them to the open training fields. Whatever scheme these children had cooked up, he was more than willing to entertain it.

The field lay submerged in darkness.

Alfred stepped into the center and calmly removed his white robe. "Come."

Ray spoke up, "Teacher, you're far stronger than we are. Shouldn't you suppress your cultivation? The strongest among us only has two rings. Why don't you restrict yourself to two rings as well?"

Alfred's eyes narrowed.

He wasn't a fool. From the way they spoke, it was obvious they weren't here just to be beaten. They believed they had a chance.

He was familiar with the other three, but Violetta remained an unknown variable.

"Fine," Alfred said coldly.

The four students instantly leapt back and formed up.

Ray stood at the front, Raziel Phoenix beside him. Lily positioned herself behind Ray, while Violetta stayed behind Lily.

They moved as one.

Soul rings rose from beneath their feet, glowing vividly in the darkness. Ray's violet ring shone brightest of all, regal and domineering.

Silverfalls Vine surged outward, shielding his teammates. Golden scales erupted over Ray's right arm as he let out a low growl and charged forward, activating Bind at once.

Hundreds of strands of Silverfalls Vine screamed through the air, displaying the terrifying might of a thousand-year soul skill. One strand discreetly flung Raziel Phoenix skyward. The moment he reached Alfred's overhead position, he twisted and dove, immediately unleashing Twin Dragon Storm.

And that wasn't all.

A wind blade, a fireball, and an icicle slipped through gaps in the grass barrier and converged on Alfred. Raziel Phoenix was merely the opening strike.

They knew one thing well. The longer this dragged on, the slimmer their chances became.

If they wanted success, they had to go all out immediately.

Alfred didn't move.

He raised the Skyfrost Sword and gently pinched its tip with his fingers.

Calm. Unmoved. Like an unshakable mountain.

The moment their attacks reached him, he slashed.

An azure halo erupted around his body, carrying a strange gravitational pull. Lily's elemental attacks were torn from her control and dragged inward, collapsing into the halo.

Simple. Direct. Ruthlessly efficient.

The Twin Dragon Storm tore through the weakened elements, but its power had already been stripped away.

Alfred's eyes glimmered violet.

Ray countered with his own Purple Demon Eyes, but it was useless. A wave of dizziness crashed into him, and his Bind began to unravel.

Shameless! He's actually using Purple Demon Eyes!

Even if he wasn't using them at full strength, that was still far too much.

The thought vanished as Ray roared and charged again, Silverfalls Vine surging forward like a living tide.

Alfred swung his Skyfrost Sword once.

Its previous serenity vanished, replaced by terrifying speed. Hundreds of sword waves burst forth from a single slash, freezing and slicing through the incoming grass with pinpoint precision. Each strand was intercepted.

In that instant, Ray was completely cut off from his teammates.

Yet he continued charging.

Raziel Phoenix's Twin Dragon Storm finally descended, but Alfred vanished.

Afterimages filled the field as he activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track. At first, Raziel Phoenix could still track him, adjusting his attack instinctively. But soon, Alfred's movements surpassed his perception.

By the time Raziel Phoenix landed, his target was gone.

Nothing but empty air remained.

A wave of frost shot toward him.

Raziel Phoenix raised his Light Dragon Dagger to defend, but his soul power was already exhausted.

The impact sent him flying.

Ray arrived before Alfred in a flash, the two of them facing each other at close range.

He didn't retreat.

Golden light erupted as Ray struck with his Golden Dragon Claw, its brilliance blazing through the darkness. Even with his cultivation suppressed, Alfred showed no openings, no flaws. Yet in that instant, he made a decisive choice.

Icy mist billowed from his body. Sword waves burst outward and interwove at lightning speed, forming a dense defensive net around him.

At the same moment, a golden six-pointed star lit up beneath Alfred's feet.

Starwheel Shackles.

Icy restraints shot upward and wrapped around his body.

A shrill metallic screech rang out as Ray's Golden Dragon Claw seized the sword-wave net and crushed it apart.

With his improved cultivation and the reinforcement of the Mysterious Heaven Method, Ray could now maintain the Golden Dragon Claw for a full twenty seconds.

But the result fell short of his expectations.

The timing of the Starwheel Shackles had been flawless, yet Alfred's defense exceeded everything they had calculated. In a split second, he deflected the shackles' sealing power. Though Ray shattered the net, the backlash from the sword waves surged through him, sending a chill down his spine and forcing him to stagger backward.

That single step broke his momentum.

Alfred's eyes flared with icy light. The ice shackles cracked apart and shattered to the ground.

Even while suppressing himself to two rings, the difference between his soul power and theirs was still like heaven and earth. His soul power was compressed, refined, and terrifyingly efficient. The Starwheel Shackles could only restrain him for barely two seconds.

Two seconds.

The Frost Scars had held Ray back for those same two seconds.

Now freed, Alfred raised his Skyfrost Sword and pointed it at Ray.

But then he saw Ray smile.

A sudden sense of danger surged through him.

Without hesitation, Alfred unleashed another Frost Scar net.

Too late.

A palm landed gently on his back.

The next instant, a violent tempest of fire and ice exploded against him.

Protective frost instantly coated Alfred's body, yet even so, the blast forced him to stagger forward.

He released his true strength.

A terrifying wave of icy power erupted, flinging all four children away like leaves in a storm.

Alfred's usually cold expression cracked, revealing a rare look of irritation.

"Woohoo!" Violetta was the first to cheer. That was right.

They won.

In the final moment, Alfred had clearly released power far beyond two rings to protect himself.

He withdrew the Skyfrost Sword. Given his status, it was impossible for him to admit defeat. Instead, he asked coldly, "Whose plan was this?"

Ray snickered. "Teacher, it was mine."Alfred nodded once. "Very good."

He turned away, white robe fluttering. "Tomorrow we continue. And this time, I'll use three rings. Naturally, I'll also use the corresponding three soul skills."He left after dropping that bombshell, his aura colder than ever.

The four children froze in place.

Three rings?

Three rings were completely different from two. It was like comparing Hundred Refinement to Thousand Refinement.

They had thought their victory might ease tomorrow's training, or at least force a change.

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