The referee's voice was the only sound that seemed real in the cavernous arena.
"Winner... The Imperial Second Team!"
For three long seconds,no one moved. The audience, the teachers, and even the street vendors outside listening via broadcast tools, everyone was processing visual data that defied every known law of the Soul Master world.
Purple. Purple. Black.
Then, the dam broke.
It started with a low rumble in the nosebleed section, swelled through the noble boxes, and exploded into a discord of screams, shouts, and frantic questions.
"Did you see that?!"
"Black! It was black!"
"A 10,000 year ring on a Soul Elder? He should be dead!"
"The Grandmaster's theory says the limit is 1,700 years! That's five times the limit!"
"The Second Team... they beat the Royal Team! They actually beat them!"
Down in the arena, the "Roaches" of the Second Team weren't cheering yet. They were staring at the fallen Royal Team, and then at the boy in black standing calmly in the center of the chaos.
Huang Yuan, the burly Wolf Soul master, walked up to Arthev. He reached out, as if to touch Arthev's shoulder to make sure he wasn't a hallucination, but pulled his hand back.
"We... we won," Huang Yuan whispered. "We beat the Royal Team."
"You survived," Arthev corrected gently, dismissing his soul rings. The suffocating pressure vanished instantly, letting the team breathe again.
"And in this specific rule set, survival is victory."
"Survival, winning, it's the same thing!" Jing Ling yelled, suddenly grabbing Huang Yuan in a headlock of pure euphoria. "We beat them! Look at their faces!"
Arthev stepped back to avoid the hug, smoothing his uniform. He looked across the arena.
Yu Tian-Heng was being helped up by the Graphite Brothers. The Dragon Captain looked physically fine, the sand hadn't crushed his bones, only his pride, but his eyes were hollow. He stared at Arthev across the distance, a mixture of devastation and burning curiosity on his face.
---------
The VIP Suite
"This changes everything."
Meng Shen-Ji, the Spirit Contra and head of the Board of Education, was pacing back and forth, his hands trembling.
"We need to secure him," Meng Shen-Ji muttered.
"A Purple first ring? A Black third ring? That implies a body constitution that rivals Titled Douluos in their youth. The Spirit Hall will hear of this by tonight. The Star Luo Empire will hear of this."
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe sat in his chair, ignoring the tea he had spilled on his golden robes. An attendant rushed to clean it, but Xue Qinghe waved him away. His golden eyes were sharp, calculating, stripping away the layers of the boy in the arena.
"He calls himself 'Arthev'," Xue Qinghe said softly. "No clan name. No background. Just a transfer."
"A commoner," the second Board member said. "A diamond in the mud."
"Or a monster hiding in human skin," the third member countered. "Who trains a commoner to absorb a 10,000-year ring?"
"Investigate him," Xue Qinghe ordered, his voice regaining its gentle composure. "But do it quietly. I do not want him scared off. If he is a genius without a master, the Empire must become his master."
-------------
The Locker Room
The heavy metal door slammed shut, cutting off the deafening noise of the crowd.
The Second Team collapsed. Jing Ling slid down the wall, laughing hysterically. Jiang Zhu sat on the bench, hugging her staff, tears of relief streaming down her face. Sun Lian was shaking.
Teacher Su stood by the door. He looked at Arthev, who was calmly unbuttoning his high collar to cool down.
"I have been teaching for twenty years," Teacher Su said, his voice hoarse. "I have never seen... anything like that. Arthev. We need an explanation. That ring configuration... it defies the Golden Laws of cultivation."
The room went silent. Every member of the Second Team looked at Arthev. They had trusted him as a tactician, but the Black Ring was something else entirely.
Arthev sat on a bench, unbuttoning his high collar to let some air in.
'Here it comes,' Shukaku cackled in his mind. 'Tell them you ate a demon god. Scare them.'
'Tell them it is a result of optimal genetic mutation,' Matatabi suggested.
'Tell them it's a secret,' Isobu whispered.
"It does not defy the laws, Teacher Su," Arthev said calmly. "It merely proves the hypothesis I presented in your Theory Class."
"Hypothesis?" Su frowned. "You mean the Vessel theory?"
"Precisely," Arthev nodded.
"The Grandmaster's limit of 1,760 years for the third ring is based on the average physical density of a human Soul Elder. But the body is just a container. If you reinforce a glass cup with steel, it can hold molten lead."
He tapped his chest.
"My Martial Spirit, the Elemental Tree, acts as a conduit for natural energy. But before I absorbed my first ring, I spent years undergoing extreme physical conditioning. Bone density training. Meridian expansion. I turned my body into a steel vessel."
He looked at Huang Yuan.
"It is not magic. It is physics. My body is dense enough to withstand the pressure of a 10,000-year soul shock. Therefore, I absorbed it."
"So..." Huang Yuan blinked, trying to process this. "You're saying... you're just really, really fit?"
"Scientifically speaking," Arthev lied smoothly. "Yes. It is the result of optimal biological tempering."
Teacher Su rubbed his temples. It sounded insane. But looking at the boy who had just caught a Dragon Claw with one hand... it was the only explanation that made sense.
"You really are from the Science Sect," Jing Ling muttered in awe.
-----------
The Corridor
Twenty minutes later, the Second Team emerged, showered and changed. Arthev intended to head to the dormitory, but his path was blocked.
The entire Royal First Team was waiting in the stone corridor.
The atmosphere tensed immediately. Huang Yuan stepped in front of Jiang Zhu.
But Yu Tian-Heng didn't attack. The Dragon Captain stepped forward. He looked tired, but his gaze was steady.
He stopped three meters from Arthev.
"I lost," Yu Tian-Heng said. His voice was rough, but clear.
"It was a tactical victory," Arthev replied politely. "In a death match, without the time limit, your lightning reserves would have eventually outlasted my sand."
"Don't patronize me," Yu Tian-Heng snapped, though there was no malice.
"You blocked my strongest attack with a pile of dirt. You washed away Yan's poison like it was dust. You have a 10,000 Year soul ring. I am arrogant, Arthev, but I am not blind."
Yu Tian-Heng extended his hand.
"You are strong. The Royal Team... acknowledges you."
Arthev looked at the hand. He reached out and shook it.
"Thank you, Captain."
Dugu Yan stepped up beside Yu Tian-Heng. She eyed Arthev warily, keeping her distance.
"Sand. Water. Earth. Lightning deflection," she listed. "Just what exactly is an Elemental Tree?"
"A rare mutation," Arthev said simply. "Nature adapts."
"The Prince wants to see you," Yu Tian-Heng said, cutting to the chase. "The Board of Education just sent the message. You are summoned to the main office immediately."
The Second Team gasped.
"I expected as much," Arthev said. He turned to his team. "Go rest. We have morning drills tomorrow."
"Drills?" Huang Yuan groaned. "We just beat the Royal Team! Can't we take a day off?"
"Consistency is key," Arthev smiled with his eyes. "See you at dawn."
-----------
The Board of Education Office
The office was large, filled with the scent of sandalwood and old books. Meng Shen-Ji and the two other Spirit Contra elders sat behind the desk.
But the presence that filled the room came from the young man sitting in the guest chair.
Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
Arthev entered. He walked to the center of the rug and performed a flawless, respectful bow.
"Student Arthev greets His Highness and the Honorable Board Members."
"Rise," Xue Qinghe said. His voice was warm, welcoming, like a gentle breeze. But Arthev knew better. Under that skin lay Qian Renxue, the Seraphim, the most dangerous spy in history.
Arthev stood up, meeting the Prince's golden gaze with calm eyes.
"You gave quite a performance today, Arthev," Xue Qinghe smiled. "A Black Ring at Level 30. You have effectively rewritten the history books. The Board tells me you attribute this to... 'Physical Conditioning'?"
"Yes, Your Highness," Arthev said. "A strong foundation supports a tall tower."
"A simple philosophy," Xue Qinghe mused, standing up and walking over. "But difficult to execute. You have talent, Arthev. The kind of talent that empires fight over."
He stopped a foot away from Arthev.
"You kept your end of the bargain. You dominated the Royal Team. Now... I must keep mine. You asked for access to the Imperial Library. The Restricted Archives."
"I did," Arthev confirmed.
"Why?" Xue Qinghe asked softly. "Most students ask for gold, or titles, or Soul Bones. Why books?"
Arthev didn't blink. He had prepared this answer. He couldn't reveal his pursuit against the Broken Circle, nor could he seem too suspicious.
"I am a scholar of my own condition, Your Highness," Arthev lied, his voice steady and intellectual.
"My Spirit, the Elemental Tree, is an anomaly. I have not found records of it in common texts. I wish to research the ancient archives, records of lost clans, mutated spirits, and forgotten histories."
He paused, letting a look of genuine curiosity surface.
"I want to understand what I am. And to do that, I need to know what came before me."
Xue Qinghe studied him.
It was a plausible lie. A genius mutant trying to understand his own existence. It fit the "Science" persona Arthev had built.
"Knowledge is a noble pursuit," Xue Qinghe said, a glint of approval in his eyes.
The Prince reached into his robe and produced a heavy, platinum key with the Royal Insignia.
"The Empire supports scholars," Xue Qinghe said, handing the key to Arthev.
"This key grants you access to Section Zero. But be warned... the history stored there is often dark. Not all questions have pleasant answers."
Arthev took the key. It was cold against his palm.
"I am not looking for pleasant answers, Your Highness," Arthev said, bowing deeply. "Just the truth."
"Then go," Xue Qinghe waved a hand. "But Arthev... remember who gave you the key."
"I will not forget," Arthev said.
He turned and left the room.
As the door closed, Meng Shen-Ji looked at the Prince. "Your Highness, do you believe him? About the research?"
Xue Qinghe sat back down, sipping his tea.
"He is looking for something," Xue Qinghe whispered, his eyes darkening.
"Whether it is his own history or something else... it doesn't matter. As long as he owes us for the privilege, he is ours."
Outside the door, Arthev pocketed the key.
His face was a mask of stone.
Step one complete
To be continued.....