Chapter 10 – The Weight of a Thousand Years
Ryuga sat quietly before the three elders, their oath still lingering in the air like a curtain of solemn authority.
He inhaled, then spoke with calm confidence.
"My first soul ring is twelve hundred years old. From a Silent Reaper Crow monarch."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he summoned his martial spirit.
A bright purple ring rose around him, its brilliance filling the room with a deep, regal glow.
The three elders stared as though struck at the soul.
They had expected something unusual — perhaps a ring a hundred or two hundred years beyond the normal limit.
But never this.
A full eight hundred years above the average threshold.
Shock silenced them at first.
Then, slowly, their expressions transformed into something almost childishly delighted, as if they had discovered a divine treasure.
Their eyes shone with a mixture of greed, awe, and overwhelming joy.
Ryuga continued casually, as if revealing nothing remarkable.
"You've heard the rumors. I was born with divine strength. I could lift two hundred kilograms when I was six."
He shrugged lightly, as though lifting a small mountain were ordinary.
He went on.
"I read that if a Soul Master's body is strong enough, they can absorb rings far beyond the normal limit."
He paused, letting his words sink in.
"So I asked my father to help me try."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"He refused at first. Thought it was too dangerous. Thought I'd die."
Then he spread his hands with theatrical pride.
"But I told him my divine strength would be wasted otherwise… and, well… the rest is history."
His face radiated smug satisfaction, practically begging for praise.
The elders exchanged a joyful, almost dazed look.
They saw not a child but a priceless gem placed gently into their hands.
A prodigy whose existence alone rewrote the boundaries of possibility.
To them, Ryuga's proud tone and lifted chin were just a child seeking approval.
It made him even more endearing — and even more precious.
Their wariness evaporated entirely, replaced by excitement and planning.
They whispered among themselves, discussing what resources to allocate, what training halls to clear, and which tutors to assign.
Ryuga observed all of it with calm detachment, as if none of their frantic strategizing involved him at all.
He knew exactly what he was to them — a treasure that could fulfill their dreams.
But he was also using them.
With their collective strength, experience, and connections, he would obtain rare spirit rings with ease.
He would receive training regimens normally reserved only for royalty.
Very few in Douluo Continent ever received this level of privilege.
Ryuga understood this clearly, and he intended to use every advantage given to him.
After all, if everyone benefitted, why complain?
Their discussion soon drifted to potential choices for his second soul ring.
Ryuga listened, amused, as they listed a series of ordinary shadow-type beasts that would grant predictable skills like Shadow Slash or Shadow Bind.
He let them talk for a few minutes, then cut them off sharply.
"Stop," he said.
The elders froze mid-sentence.
"I've already decided on my second ring."
He stood, walked to Meng Shenji's desk, and wrote down several names with quick strokes.
Then he handed the list to them calmly.
"I want one of these."
"And find one between four and five thousand years old," he added.
"Preferably a monarch or king of its species. Mutated ones are even better."
The three elders leaned over the list.
Their expressions shifted instantly from curiosity… to shock… to horror.
Meng Shenji nearly dropped the paper.
For a moment, they forgot to breathe.
Zhi Lin's eyes widened so far he looked like he'd seen a ghost.
Bai Baoshan's jaw hung open like a broken hinge.
A few seconds later, all three fainted forward onto the table — not theatrically, but genuinely overwhelmed.
When they recovered, they stared at Ryuga with the expression one reserved for mythical creatures.
"Kid… do you even know what you wrote?" Meng Shenji whispered, voice cracking.
"Yes," Ryuga replied calmly.
"They're legendary and extremely rare. So what?"
"So what?" Bai Baoshan's beard shook violently.
"Do you have any idea how hard it is to even find these beasts?"
Ryuga blinked as though the difficulty were a mere inconvenience.
"Even if we find one," Bai Baoshan continued, "one of us would have to make a move to subdue it! Even at four or five thousand years!"
Ryuga nodded politely.
"That's why I'm asking you elders," he said without emotion.
The silence that followed was long and strained.
Then Ryuga leaned forward slightly.
"You don't think we can win the continental tournament with ordinary skills, do you?"
His tone cut through their doubts like a blade.
The elders' arguments died instantly.
Ryuga pressed on.
"We need more than average skills to win. We need to work harder than every other academy."
His voice was calm but firm.
"And when I say 'we,' I mean all of us — teachers, elders, and students. Not just the competitors."
The room fell silent again, but this time, it wasn't shock — it was realization.
Zhi Lin spoke first, his voice steady.
"He's right. If we want to win, we all need to work. Including us."
He turned to his two friends.
"We've failed every year not because our students were weak, but because Spirit Hall provides superior soul skills and preparation."
His words struck home.
Meng Shenji and Bai Baoshan exchanged thoughtful looks.
Their faces shifted from frustration to determination.
They had been placing all the burden on the students — and never on themselves.
Meng Shenji straightened slowly.
"Kid… you're right. We can't sit still anymore."
His voice was firm, renewed.
Bai Baoshan nodded.
"Don't worry about your second ring. We'll find what you need. No matter what."
For the first time, Ryuga felt genuine satisfaction.
He couldn't risk his father's life searching for increasingly dangerous beasts in the future.
So he chose to reveal just enough to motivate the academy's strongest powerhouses.
He needed them to walk into danger for him — and he needed them to do it willingly.
And they would.
Not because of orders, but because they shared a goal now.
Victory.
Ryuga turned to leave the room.
But he stopped at the door, recalling something important.
"Oh, before I forget," he said, glancing over his shoulder.
"I want to skip grades."
Meng Shenji raised his brows.
"What grade do you want to enter?"
Ryuga answered without hesitation.
"Grade Five."
Written by: Ashborn_
Edited by: Chat GPT