The faint resonance did not erupt immediately. Instead, it spread like ripples beneath still water, subtle yet persistent, threading itself between Zhao Chen's two martial spirits. Within his spiritual sea, the Nine-Headed Hydra loosened its coil by a fraction, while the Thorny Crawling Vine reacted instinctively, its barbs flexing as if tasting unfamiliar authority. Zhao Chen frowned slightly, focusing inward. This was not true resonance yet, but alignment—an early sign that the foundations he had laid were beginning to acknowledge one another.
Captain Yan felt it too, though he could not explain why. He glanced at Zhao Chen, then quickly looked away, a veteran's instincts screaming that whatever had just occurred was not something he was qualified to question. "We should leave," he said gruffly. "Lingering here isn't wise."
Zhao Chen nodded. The forest around them was already changing. Plants near the Vine Beast's corpse had begun to wither rapidly, drained of residual vitality, while others farther away twisted unnaturally toward Zhao Chen's position, as if drawn by instinct. It was another sign that staying longer would only invite complications.
They returned to Xian City before nightfall.
The Zhao Family Manor greeted them with lantern light and controlled calm, but Zhao Feng noticed the change immediately when his son stepped through the gate. It was not power that radiated from Zhao Chen—it was density. Like a blade sheathed perfectly, dangerous not because it was visible, but because it was contained.
"You succeeded again," Zhao Feng said quietly once they were alone.
"Yes," Zhao Chen replied. "But this time, the aftermath won't stay quiet for long."
Zhao Feng's expression tightened. "Academies?"
"Not just academies," Zhao Chen said. "They already know something exists. Now they know it's real."
Zhao Feng exhaled slowly, then straightened his back. "Then we adjust. If they come openly, we respond openly. If they come quietly, we give them nothing."
That night, Zhao Chen did not cultivate immediately. Instead, he sat on his bed and allowed his spiritual sea to stabilize naturally. The two soul rings rotated at different rhythms. The purple ring around the Hydra exuded cold dominance, ancient and absolute. The deep yellow ring around the Thorny Crawling Vine pulsed greedily, absorbing fragments of ambient spiritual energy and converting them into stored vitality.
"System," Zhao Chen thought, "analyze interaction status."
[Analysis: Twin Martial Spirit alignment detected.]
[Status: Passive synchronization at 6%.]
[Effect: Minor soul stability increase. Martial spirit suppression efficiency improved.]
"So it's begun," Zhao Chen murmured.
[Warning: Further synchronization will increase detectability.]
Zhao Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. That was the price, then. Every step forward would make hiding harder.
The following morning, Xian City received visitors.
They arrived openly this time, their academy robes crisp and unmistakable. The Heavenly Pattern Academy insignia shimmered faintly on their sleeves as they passed through the gates, escorted not by guards, but by courtesy. News spread quickly. Merchants whispered. Local cultivators straightened their backs. Even the city officials treated the newcomers with measured respect.
Senior Sister Liu stood at the head of the group, her expression calm but her senses fully extended. Unlike before, she did not suppress her perception entirely. There was no need. The academy had confirmed an anomaly. Now they were here to evaluate it.
Her Moonveil Crane martial spirit stirred faintly within her soul, its first soul ring skill enhancing her sensitivity to irregular flows. The city felt… uneven. Not chaotic, but layered. Like something powerful had passed through and deliberately smoothed its tracks.
She did not head toward the Zhao Family Manor immediately.
Instead, she went to the public cultivation plaza.
Zhao Chen was already there.
He stood among a small group of young cultivators, watching a pair of Soul Apprentices spar under a tutor's supervision. His hands were clasped behind his back, his expression attentive but unremarkable. His aura was steady, clean, and modestly restrained.
Senior Sister Liu stopped several steps away.
She watched him for a long moment.
This time, she did not search for excess power.
She searched for perfection.
And that was what unsettled her.
His aura did not fluctuate with his breathing. His soul ring pressure was controlled to the point of artificiality. Even the way ambient spiritual energy flowed around him seemed guided, redirected subtly so that nothing pooled or reacted too strongly.
No young cultivator without guidance could achieve that.
"Interesting," she murmured.
At that moment, Zhao Chen turned his head and met her gaze.
Their eyes locked.
There was no spark. No pressure. No confrontation.
Only mutual awareness.
Zhao Chen inclined his head politely, just another youth acknowledging a senior cultivator. Senior Sister Liu returned the nod a heartbeat later, her expression unchanged.
But inside, her thoughts moved rapidly.
This boy was not leaking power.
He was containing it.
And containment, at this level, was far more dangerous than arrogance.
She turned and walked away, already forming her report.
That evening, Zhao Chen stood by his window, watching academy lanterns glow faintly in the distance.
"They've shifted from searching to confirming," he said softly.
[Assessment: Correct.]
"And the next step?"
[Prediction: Invitation or pressure.]
Zhao Chen closed his eyes.
"Then I'll choose the invitation," he murmured. "Before they decide the pressure."
Within his spiritual sea, the Hydra's dormant heads stirred faintly, while the Thorny Crawling Vine tightened around its soul ring, storing power patiently.
The balance was changing.
And Xian City would not remain untouched much longer.
***
The morning after the encounter with Senior Sister Liu, Xian City felt different—not to the common merchant or the average guard, but to Zhao Chen. The air was thick with a new kind of pressure, one that didn't press against the skin but against the soul. Through the windows of the Zhao Family Manor, the distant silhouette of the Heavenly Pattern Academy's spires seemed more like watching eyes than monuments of learning.
"System," Zhao Chen thought, his voice calm despite the growing web of observation around him. "Status of the scouts."
[Ding! Target 'Senior Sister Liu' and two subordinates have established a perimeter around the Zhao District. They are no longer actively searching; they are monitoring spiritual density fluctuations.]
Zhao Chen paced his room, his footsteps silent on the thick carpet. "They've shifted from searching to confirming," he murmured, echoing his thoughts from the previous night. He knew that his performance as a "boringly normal" candle in a world of flickering flames had bought him time, but it had also piqued the interest of a professional.
The "invitation" he had predicted was already manifesting.
A light knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. "Young Master, your father requests your presence in the courtyard. There is... a guest." Xixi's voice was tinged with a hesitation he hadn't heard before.
Zhao Chen straightened his robes, ensuring the resonance between his purple 800-year Abyssal Pit Viper ring and the newly acquired yellow ring of the Thorny Crawling Vine was suppressed deep within his spiritual sea. To the world, he was a Level 2 Soul Apprentice with a common vine spirit.
Walking into the courtyard, he saw his father, Zhao Feng, standing stiffly across from a man who didn't look like a scout. This man wore the official jade-trimmed robes of an Academy Proctor. His presence was not hidden; it was a mountain that demanded acknowledgment.
"Chen'er, this is Proctor Meng from the Heavenly Pattern Academy," Zhao Feng said, his merchant's mask of polite deference firmly in place.
Proctor Meng turned, his eyes—hollow and sharp like a hawk's—scanning Zhao Chen. "I was told the Zhao Family heir had recently awakened his spirit. I happened to be in Xian City evaluating talent and felt... a curious ripple."
Zhao Chen bowed politely, his movement precise. "A ripple, Proctor? I was unaware my humble breakthrough to the second level of Soul Apprentice could be felt so far."
"Humility is a virtue, but the stone tablet in our Jade Hall does not lie about ripples," Meng replied, his voice a low vibration that made the air hum. He stepped closer, the pressure around him intensifying. "Usually, a Thorny Crawling Vine is a silent spirit. Yet yours seems to have a certain... density."
Deep within Zhao Chen, the Nine-Headed Hydra stirred, its active poison head hissing in warning at the intruder's spiritual probe. Zhao Chen forced himself to stay relaxed. He knew that if he resisted the probe, he would reveal he was capable of resistance. Instead, he allowed his spiritual energy to flow like a shallow, muddy pond—slow and unremarkable.
Proctor Meng's brow furrowed slightly. The probe returned nothing but the expected weakness of a low-tier spirit. Yet, the intuition that had served him for decades whispered that something was wrong.
"Our Academy is always looking for those who understand the value of 'containment,'" Meng said, echoing the very word Zhao Chen had used to describe his own state.
"We are hosting an Invitational Sparring Event in three days. I would be honored if the Zhao heir would attend."
Zhao Feng started to speak, likely to decline on the grounds of "business studies," but Zhao Chen cut in.
"I would be honored to learn from my seniors," Zhao Chen said, his eyes meeting the Proctor's.
As Meng departed, Zhao Feng turned to his son, his face pale. "Chen'er, why? This is exactly the pressure we wanted to avoid."
"They already suspect, Father," Zhao Chen said, watching the Proctor's retreating back. "If I refuse, they will keep digging until they find the Hydra. If I go, I can give them exactly what they want to see—a talent that is impressive, but not dangerous."
Inside his mind, the System chimed.
[Ding! New Objective: 'The Controlled Performance.']
[Task: Participate in the Sparring Event without revealing the Nine-Headed Hydra or the Purple Soul Ring.]
[Reward: Hidden Attribute 'Spiritual Masking' Level 2.]
Zhao Chen looked at the sky, where the academy lanterns were beginning to glow. The hunt had moved from the forest to the city, and the prey was now the one setting the trap.
***
The morning sun hung low over the spires of the Heavenly Pattern Academy's temporary branch in Xian City. Inside the Zhao Family study, Zhao Chen stood before his father, the atmosphere heavy with the scent of old paper and the unspoken weight of the upcoming event.
"Proctor Meng does not make personal visits for mere curiosity, Chen'er," Zhao Feng said, his voice dropping to a cautious whisper. "The Academy has felt the disturbance from your breakthrough. By accepting this invitation, you are stepping onto a stage where every breath is measured by experts."
"I know, Father," Zhao Chen replied, his expression as calm as a frozen lake. "But if I hide, I remain a suspicious variable. If I perform, I become a known quantity. A 'genius' is easier for them to manage than an 'unknown.'"
Deep within his spiritual sea, the Nine-Headed Hydra remained in a state of deep hibernation, its purple ring suppressed by the System's 98.6% efficiency. In its place, the Thorny Crawling Vine pulsed with a vibrant, deep yellow light. The 800-year soul ring of the Corpse-Feeding Vine Beast felt hungry, its Life-Seizing Bloom skill itching to be tested against a living opponent.
[Ding! Mission 'The Controlled Performance' is now active. Warning: Proctor Meng is a Soul King (Level 52). His spiritual perception is 400% stronger than Senior Sister Liu's. Avoid any resonance between the Hydra and the Vine.]
The warning flashed in red across Zhao Chen's vision as he followed the Academy's carriage through the city gates. The sparring grounds were located in a secluded valley, where the air was thick with the scent of ozone and the rhythmic thrum of spiritual energy.
Senior Sister Liu was already there, standing beside Proctor Meng. When her eyes met Zhao Chen's, he noticed a flicker of something new—not just suspicion, but a predatory clinical interest.
"Welcome, Young Master Zhao," Proctor Meng said, his voice like grinding stones. "The Heavenly Pattern Academy prides itself on identifying 'deviant' talents. Those whose spirits don't fit the standard scrolls. Your Thorny Crawling Vine... it showed a rather violent fluctuation on our jade tablets."
"It was a difficult hunt, Proctor," Zhao Chen said, bowing slightly. "The beast was older than I anticipated. I am lucky to be standing here."
"Luck is for the weak. We shall see if it was luck or something else," Meng replied, gesturing toward the center of the stone arena. "You will spar with Disciple Han. He possesses a Tier-3 Gale Falcon. A test of your vine's binding capabilities."
As Zhao Chen stepped onto the sand, the System chimed again.
[Ding! Scanning Opponent... Name: Han Yu Cultivation: Soul Apprentice (Level 9) Martial Spirit: Gale Falcon (Agility Type) System Strategy: Limit output to 30%. Use 'Life-Seizing Bloom' only as a defensive tether. Do not allow the vine to turn crimson.]
Han Yu didn't wait. With a sharp cry, a translucent falcon manifested behind him, its wings kicking up a localized sandstorm. He blurred into motion, a streak of gray aimed directly at Zhao Chen's throat.
Zhao Chen didn't move his feet. Instead, he allowed a single, thick vine to erupt from the ground beneath him. It didn't lash out; it coiled like a serpent, its dark green surface absorbing the impact of Han Yu's first strike.
Clang!
The sound was like metal on metal.
"Too slow," Han Yu hissed, appearing behind him for a second strike.
Zhao Chen's eyes remained focused on Proctor Meng, not his opponent. He saw the Proctor's eyes narrow as the Thorny Crawling Vine began to pulse. Zhao Chen reached out with his soul, physically pulling back the Hydra's influence as it tried to surge forward in response to the combat stress.
"Stay down," Zhao Chen whispered to his own soul.
He let out a fraction of the Vine's power. The Life-Seizing Bloom didn't erupt in a full display; instead, the barbs on the vine grew just an inch longer, catching the Gale Falcon's wing.
A faint, green mist began to seep from the vine—a diluted version of the vitality drain. Han Yu's movements slowed, his face paling as he felt his strength being siphoned into the ground.
To the observers, it looked like a standard wood-type entanglement. But Proctor Meng stepped forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his jade sword.
"Enough," Meng commanded.
The vines retracted instantly. Zhao Chen stood perfectly still, his breathing slightly labored—a calculated lie of exhaustion.
"A high-grade soul ring for such a common spirit," Meng noted, walking onto the arena. He stopped inches from Zhao Chen, his Level 52 pressure washing over the boy like a tidal wave.
"Tell me, Zhao Chen... where did a merchant's son find the soul strength to suppress an 800-year ring without a single crack in his foundation?"
The silence in the valley was absolute. Zhao Chen looked up, meeting the Proctor's hawk-like gaze.
"My father's coins bought the best stabilizing pills, Proctor," Zhao Chen lied smoothly. "But I believe the vine just wanted to survive as much as I did."
Meng stared at him for a long, agonizing minute before a cold smile touched his lips. "The Academy has a place for survivors. We are moving our main evaluation to the Capital next month. You will be going with us."
Zhao Chen bowed low, hiding the flash of cold triumph in his eyes. He was in. The net had been cast, but he was no longer the fish—he was the one holding the line.