Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.
Essence Grace City seemed as bustling and noisy as ever, but those with keen perception could sense the undercurrents swirling beneath the placid surface. Wu Clan activities were becoming increasingly frequent, border skirmishes were becoming commonplace, and a sense of impending storm, thick and oppressive, hung over the Emerald Glow Federation.
In the central auditorium of the Essence Grace City Academy, hundreds of elite students stood in solemn silence, listening to the address from the white-haired but eagle-eyed elder on the podium. He was Vice-Principal Horne Ironrock, a fifth-rank expert of unfathomable power.
"...The situation is grave!" Vice-Principal Horne's voice boomed, echoing in every corner of the auditorium. "The Wu Clan savages repeatedly violate our borders, slaughter our people, and plunder our caravans! The Empire's dignity will not be challenged!"
His gaze swept over the students like lightning. "Therefore, by order of the Imperial Military Command, the Academy will select a number of outstanding students to be drafted into the 'Witch Hunting Teams,' to be rotated for border garrison duty! This is a responsibility, an honor, and a test and tempering of your strength!"
A subtle commotion immediately rippled through the audience. Within this stir, an invisible dividing line among the students could be vaguely seen. Some, from noble families who relied on family-bestowed power, wore reserved expressions, showing little interest in such a mission requiring personal combat. Others, primarily those who had chosen the "Beast Taming Path," relying on fusing with magical beasts and solidifying their foundation step by step, mostly had sharp, eager eyes, ready for action. A sense of competition and disdain subtly existed between these two power paths among the lower-ranked students.
Vice-Principal Horne took all this in. His voice softened but carried more weight. "The specific list will be announced by the branch deans in three days. All selected will have access to the Academy's 'War Preparation Depot,' granted resources to bolster your strength! I hope you all strive diligently, living up to the expectations of the Academy and the Empire!" He did not explicitly state the profound intention hidden behind the Beast Taming Path – concerning the Federation's future autonomy – but his sharp gaze seemed to linger a moment longer on those determined students of the Beast Taming Path.
Among the crowd, Silas – or rather, Finn Cole – remained calm-faced, though a faint glimmer stirred in his eyes. Over the past six months, through his own channels, he had already heard whispers that the Empire might draft personnel from the Academy. For him, the military system was a perfect springboard to break free from his current identity constraints and access broader horizons. But to be selected and secure a certain level of attention and resource allocation, he had to demonstrate sufficient value before the list was finalized. This was the fundamental reason he had been forced to gradually "improve" his ranking over the past half-year, bringing himself into the Academy's view. The Witch Hunting Teams suited his plans perfectly.
These six months had been exceptionally fulfilling and exceptionally cautious for him.
Thanks to the training function of the [Mirror of Dueling Reflections] and his own unrelenting efforts, his [Thousand Streams Converging Sea Art] had reached the absolute limit of the first rank's peak. He was only one suitable opportunity away from breaking through that barrier and condensing his Fated Beast Soul.
However, realm was not the entirety of strength. During these six months, frequently accepting and completing various dangerous bounties from the Shadow Pavilion, honed in life-or-death struggles, he had tempered his acquired skills to an astonishing level. The proficiency of techniques was not absolutely tied to the cultivator's realm; it depended more on comprehension, application, and the tempering of real combat. And Silas, baptized in blood and fire, had pushed his acquired knowledge to new heights.
· Core Cultivation Art: [Thousand Streams Converging Sea Art] - Proficiency: Transcendent! His understanding of this art surpassed the manual's own descriptions. His spiritual energy circulation was seamless and unobstructed, its purification efficiency extremely high. He could even perform instant bursts or prolonged sustenance based on combat needs, as if it were an innate part of his body.
· Movement Technique: [Drifting Leaf Step] - Proficiency: Transcendent! His footwork no longer followed fixed patterns. His form was ghostly, his intent like drifting leaves. Evading and retreating within confined spaces seemed almost prescient, often avoiding fatal blows by a hair's breadth. He seemed only a thin layer away from the legendary next stage of "Flawless Mastery."
· Combat Technique/Concept: [Art of the Forgotten Spear] - The core concept of "Learn, then Forget, to Comprehend One's Own Path" was deeply engraved in his soul.
· Spear Realm: Peak Microcosmic, Touching Momentum! The long spear in his hand was no longer a cold weapon but an extension of his arm, a manifestation of his will. When still, man and spear were one, aura restrained; when moving, it was like a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, imposing without anger. He could faintly sense the "momentum," yet to be unleashed, where his spear tip pointed, waiting only for an opportunity to truly step into the "Momentum" realm and draw upon heaven and earth's energy to empower his spear arts.
· Self-Created Spear Techniques:
· [Serpent's Bite] - Proficiency: Transcendent! This move had become instinct. Its speed was extreme, its angles inconceivably tricky, capable of deciding life and death silently and imperceptibly.
· [Hundred Beasts' Roar] - Proficiency: Flawless Mastery! The phantom hundred beasts were as solid as reality, their roars capable of shaking the spirit. Within the range covered by the spear shadows, the power was majestic, nearing the limit of what he could currently control.
More importantly was the accumulation of wealth. Through the Shadow Pavilion, he efficiently completed dozens of bounty missions. From hunting specific magical beasts to gathering rare herbs (using the Law of Life to accelerate growth with astonishing efficiency), to more clandestine assassinations and investigations. If not for the storage space function of the [Mirror of Dueling Reflections], a divine artifact ability, he truly wouldn't know how to safely store the over ten thousand low-rank spirit stones he had saved over these six months. Depositing them in a spirit bank would raise suspicion, and carrying them personally would make him a walking target. This covert storage capability had become one of his greatest assets.
Accordingly, to cope with the potential draft, the strength of his disguised "Finn Cole" had to be "reasonably" enhanced. From the initial 198th place, he controlled the pace, challenging step by step, finally settling his ranking at 27th. A branch family disciple possessing such strength was sufficient to attract attention and secure opportunities, without being so monstrous as to immediately invite the excessive, currently unmanageable scrutiny he couldn't handle. What he displayed was more of that battle-hardened control over techniques and combat awareness, far surpassing his peers.
He was no longer the unknown "Finn Cole," but a notable rising star in the Academy. Along with limited praise and recruitment attempts came more hidden scrutiny.
---
Shortly after the Vice-Principal's speech, a mentor sought out Silas.
"Finn Cole?" The mentor looked him over, appreciation clear in his eyes. "Your progress, especially your application and comprehension of your techniques, is impressive. It seems real combat is the best teacher. For this Imperial draft, students like you are exactly what we need."
"Thank you for the recognition, Mentor. After experiencing several dangerous situations, this student dared not refrain from devoting his full effort to comprehending his studies." Silas maintained Finn's expected humility, subtly indicating the reason for his "progress" – tempering through life-and-death situations.
The mentor nodded and got to the main point. "Besides the Witch Hunting Teams, the Academy has an important exploration mission soon, requiring elite students. The target is a place you might have heard of – the Scale-Split Mine."
Silas's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged. "The mine that collapsed in the earthquake?"
"Correct. After the earthquake, strange changes occurred deep within the mine. The spatial structure distorted, and recently, ancient, obscure energy fluctuations have been detected. Investigation suggests it might be a sign of a buried ancient relic awakening." The mentor lowered his voice. "The Academy needs to organize an elite team for initial exploration, to gather firsthand intelligence. Your practical combat ability, especially that keen insight and adaptability in danger, is precisely what this mission requires. The Academy hopes you will join."
The Scale-Split Mine… The place he had fled, bathed in blood, where old Elmer was buried. Now, he was to return as an explorer? And in the form of a "relic"?
Silas suppressed his turbulent thoughts and replied respectfully, "It is my duty to share the Academy's concerns."
"Good!" The mentor patted his shoulder approvingly. "The specific departure time and team arrangements will be notified to you later. This journey holds risks, but also abundant opportunities. Prepare well."
---
Meanwhile, in a secret chamber within the Wood Family estate.
The atmosphere was grave. Seated in the main position was a family elder with real power, his expression sinister. Below him sat several heads of the family's intelligence apparatus.
"Finn Cole…" The elder tapped the table with his finger, producing a dull sound. "This branch disciple has been quite prominent lately. Following the 'Beast Taming Path,' he actually reached the top thirty on the Apex List. According to observations, his technique application, especially that spear skill, is so shrewd it doesn't resemble a student, more like an experienced assassin."
An intelligence head bowed and reported, "Elder, you are wise. Six months ago, this individual was unknown, his strength merely mid first-rank. In just half a year, not only has his cultivation advanced rapidly, but his mastery over techniques has skyrocketed. Such abnormality far exceeds the norm for ordinary geniuses and is highly suspicious."
Another added, "Even more suspicious is that about a year ago, an exploration squad our family sent to the Magical Beast Mountains disappeared entirely, their life tablets shattered. Our subsequent investigation found that squad had invited this 'Finn Cole' before setting out!"
The elder's eyes flashed with cold light. "Oh? Did he go?"
"Based on limited clues, he should have accepted the invitation. But in the end, the exploration squad was wiped out, while he returned to the Academy unscathed, and has been evasive about the matter, only giving vague reasons like 'didn't meet up' or 'got separated.' Now, thinking back, it's full of doubtful points."
The secret chamber fell into brief silence.
A year ago, the family exploration squad mysteriously annihilated. Over half a year ago, Family Steward Derek Wood was assassinated by a mysterious spearman in the Drunken Immortal Pavilion. Now, this branch disciple who should have possibly died in that mission had risen with shocking speed, followed the Beast Taming Path that subtly opposed the family's mainstream "Bestowment Path," and possessed such unreasonable technique mastery…
The connections were hard to ignore.
The elder spoke slowly, his voice icy. "Two possibilities. First, he is indeed a one-in-ten-thousand peerless genius who narrowly escaped death when the exploration squad met misfortune, and by a stroke of luck, obtained some inheritance that requires life-or-death struggle to activate, thus transforming. If that's truly the case, even if he follows the Beast Taming Path, as long as his heart is with the family, he is still worth nurturing vigorously."
"Second," his tone sharpened abruptly, "the one who returned from the Magical Beast Mountains wasn't the real Finn Cole at all! But some impostor, a desperate fugitive! The annihilation of the exploration squad, even Steward Derek's death, might be related to him!"
Whatever the possibility, the family had to find out.
"Send people to investigate!" the elder ordered. "Use all means, secretly investigate all his movements, contacts, and resources used over the past six months, especially the techniques and combat skills he uses in battle, and how they differ from what the family records say Finn Cole originally learned. Focus on verifying the details of his return to the Academy a year ago, look for any traces of disguise or identity substitution!"
He paused, then added, "Remember, conduct this secretly! If he is truly a genius, the family will let bygones be bygones and nurture him wholeheartedly, as he nominally carries Wood blood. But if he is an impostor…"
The elder didn't finish, but the chilling killing intent in his eyes said it all. The family's power began to move quietly, an invisible net of investigation starting to cast itself towards Silas.
---
Silas didn't know the Wood Family's internal plot had already targeted him so specifically, but he could feel the ever-present gaze upon him. From the Academy, and possibly other forces.
He stood by the window of the Academy training room, gazing in the direction of the Scale-Split Mine. That place carried too much of his pain and transformation. Now, with a relic emerging, all parties moving, it was pulling him, an "outsider," into the vortex.
"The Scale-Split Mine…" he murmured to himself, feeling the faint fluctuations from the mountain of spirit stones piled in the Mirror Space, and the near-perfect comprehension within him, waiting for that final push. "This time, I will return with a completely different identity."
Ahead lay the unknown risks of the relic exploration. Beside him were the Academy and Empire's draft orders. In the shadows, the Wood Family's investigation was closing in.
The storm was coming. He had to enhance his strength faster. It was time to convert those ten thousand spirit stones into tangible combat power. Breaking through to the second rank and condensing his Fated Beast Soul could no longer be delayed.
His eyes once again became firm and sharp, like a lurking beast of prey, ready to meet all the challenges to come.