When Ray returned to the dormitory, the others were already waiting.

"Well? What did Teacher Alfred say?" Raziel Phoenix asked immediately.

Ray quickly summarized the conversation.

"I'll enter the individual competition too," Lily said without hesitation.

"Same here!" Raziel Phoenix declared loudly.

Violetta shook her head. "I'll pass. The competition isn't held at night, and even if it were, I don't have enough confidence. Being a substitute in the team event is enough for me."

A mischievous grin crept onto Raziel Phoenix's face. "Hey, if we actually win, do you think Central Academy will scout us? Maybe they'll invite us!"

Violetta's lips twitched. "Stop dreaming. Even if we win, it's still just a three-man team event in the Skysea Alliance Tournament. Do you have any idea what Central Academy's status is?"

Her tone turned serious. "I heard there are never more than a hundred students in Central Academy's inner court at any given time. Every single one of them is a monster. It's a nest of dragons and tigers. Even the federation chairman personally visits Central Academy's president twice a year. If Central Academy hadn't remained neutral during the wars between the three continents, do you really think Llyne and Arcana would still exist?"

Ray was stunned. "Is Central Academy really that incredible?"

Violetta nodded solemnly. "My family says it's a world completely separate from ours. They recruit once every three years. Fewer than a thousand people even qualify to apply. If more than a hundred are accepted, it's already considered a miracle. Sometimes only twenty or thirty make it in. And of those, only one in ten enters the inner court."

She paused, then added softly, "Central Academy's level is beyond our imagination."

Ray and Raziel Phoenix exchanged a glance.

There was someone who definitely understood Central Academy.

Teacher Alfred.

Wasn't he rumored to have come from Central Academy?

If the standards were that terrifying, then how powerful was Teacher Alfred really?

Ray clenched his fists. "Even so, this is an incredible opportunity. Don't obsess over rankings. Just do your best and gain experience. As long as we don't give up…"

A quiet determination burned in his eyes.

"One day, we'll step into Central Academy ourselves."

"Let's give it everything we've got!" Ray said, extending his hand first.

Lily placed her hand atop his without hesitation, then reached out and tugged Violetta's hand over as well, stacking it neatly on top.

Raziel Phoenix, despite being an agility-type Soul Master, reacted a beat slower than the rest. By the time he noticed, the stack was already complete.

He clicked his tongue and slapped his hand on last, glaring at Lily. "Just how much do you hate me, exactly?"

Lily tilted her head, gave it some serious thought, then smiled sweetly. "About as much as one would hate a housefly."

"You—!"

*

The night passed quietly.

At dawn, as sunlight spilled over the horizon, Alfred led the four students out of the academy. Their destination was West Ocean Square, located at the very heart of the city.

All four wore West Ocean Academy's uniforms, crisp and neat. This time, Director Aaron accompanied them as well.

West Ocean Academy had more than one team representing it. Another group from the advanced division would be competing in the fifteen-to-twenty age category. Ray quickly spotted two familiar faces among them.

One was Violetta's older brother, Veyron.

The other was Estella Silver, the beautiful senior sister Ray had met during his first days at the academy.

It was obvious that Estella Silver didn't spare Ray a single glance. Her eyes were locked firmly onto a man in flowing white robes ahead of her, practically glowing with infatuation.

"Violetta, let me know if anyone dares bully you." As he passed the class zero group, Veyron made a show of flexing his presence.

Violetta rolled her eyes. "Worry about yourself first. At least make it past the preliminaries this time."

Veyron stiffened. "Of course we will. Everyone on our team has at least three soul rings now. We'll definitely get a good result."

They were entering the team competition as well, and not just any team event, but the most prestigious one: the seven-man team battle.

The corner of Violetta's mouth twitched.

From their exchange, Ray could already tell that West Ocean Academy had pinned high hopes on this tournament. Their chances of success were far from slim.

As the second-ranked city among the eastern coastal cities, West Ocean City had much to prove. Glory and reputation were sensitive matters.

Ray's guess was spot-on.

West Ocean Academy was the city's only intermediate Soul Master academy, yet its past results had been underwhelming. In previous Skysea Alliance Tournaments, West Ocean City's performance had been embarrassing for a first-class city, costing both the academy and the city government considerable face.

That was precisely why Aaron's proposal to create a "class zero" had been approved almost immediately.

If West Ocean City continued on its current trajectory, its prestige would decline, and even its economic vitality could suffer. This time, the academy was betting on a group of ten-year-old geniuses, hoping they would showcase West Ocean City's potential and win back recognition.

After all, they were young.

Their future was boundless.

West Ocean Square was already packed with people. Luxurious soul buses lined up in neat rows, ready to transport representatives from various cities and associations.

"Why are you so late?" Rachel jogged over and promptly grabbed Ray by the ear.

"Ow! What are you doing?" Ray protested.

Before he could say anything else, Lily swatted Rachel's hand away and stepped in front of him, her stance clearly protective.

Rachel froze, then burst into laughter. "Not bad! Ray, you're already causing trouble at such a young age. So who's this little girlfriend of yours?"

"N-no! Senior disciple sister, don't say things like that!" Rachel's voice was loud enough to draw attention from all around. Ray's face instantly turned red, his embarrassment impossible to hide.

Seeing his flushed cheeks and handsome features only made Rachel itch to pinch him again.

"Wow, you brought quite a crowd," she said casually, ignoring Lily and looking back at Ray.

"We're participating in the junior division's Soul Master team competition," Ray replied.

"The Soul Master team competition?" Rachel raised a brow. "You guys?"

Her disdain was completely undisguised.

"What's wrong with us?" Raziel Phoenix snapped.

Rachel smirked. "Nothing much. Just that we're entering the same division. Do you really think you still have a chance?"

As she spoke, three soul rings rose beneath her feet.

Yellow, yellow, purple.

A three-ring Soul Elder.

Rachel was fourteen, barely within the age limit.

"Our goal is top eight," she continued lightly. "There are thirty-six cities competing, with over a hundred teams. The first two rounds are knockouts. Can you even survive the first match?"

At their age, even a single year represented a massive gap in strength.

Ray fell silent.

Yes, they had once defeated Veyron, but that victory had relied on numbers and his carelessness. This tournament would be different. Their opponents would be the strongest of their generation, many of them older and more experienced.

What hope did they really have?

"Don't look so depressed," Rachel said, ruffling Ray's hair. "I'll treat you all to a meal after your first round."

She leaned closer and whispered, "You might not shine in the Soul Master competition, but you'll definitely rank high in the blacksmith event. I'll be cheering for you. Go win that championship."

Ever since Ray had casually agreed to give up first place for her, the hostility between them had softened considerably.

Ray nodded helplessly. She really did have a way of catching people off guard.

West Ocean Square buzzed with activity as delegations from academies and associations organized themselves. Representatives from mecha, battle armor, and various professional competitions were everywhere.

The Skysea Alliance Tournament encompassed far more than just Soul Masters.

Ironically, despite their economic dominance, the Skysea Alliance ranked near the bottom continent-wide in areas like battle armor masters, mecha technology, and Soul Master quality.

Sun Moon City and Arcana City dominated those fields.

As for Central City?

It simply existed on a level beyond evaluation.

"Teachers and students of West Ocean Academy, board your bus."

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