The morning mist clung to the peaks of the Heavenly Pattern Academy, swirling around the massive marble statues of past Soul Sages that lined the path to the lecture halls. Zhao Chen walked with a measured pace, his new silver-trimmed white robes rustling softly. Around him, dozens of students hurried toward their respective wings—the Gold Class elite moved with arrogant grace, while the Silver Class students projected a desperate intensity.
Zhao Chen, relegated to the Yellow Class wing, maintained the slightly awestruck expression of a merchant's son newly arrived in the big city. Inside, however, his mind was a cold map of data.
[Ding! Faculty Database active.]
[Scanning... Instructor detected.]
[Name: Elder Wu]
[Cultivation: Level 44 Soul Ancestor]
[Martial Spirit: Iron-Ink Brush]
[Threat Level: Low (Suppressed by Spiritual Masking Lvl 2)]
The Yellow Class lecture hall was a circular amphitheater of dark wood. As Zhao Chen took a seat in the middle rows, he felt dozens of gazes sweeping over him. Here, at the perceived "bottom" of the Academy, the air was thick with a different kind of tension—the bitterness of those labeled "hard-workers" instead of "geniuses."
"You're the one from the boondocks," a voice drawled from the row behind him.
Zhao Chen turned to see a tall, lean youth with a jagged scar running down his forearm. The boy's eyes were sharp, vibrating with a restless, aggressive energy.
[Scanning...]
[Name: Li Feng]
[Cultivation: Level 17 Soul Apprentice]
[Martial Spirit: Obsidian Hound]
"I'm Zhao Chen, from Xian City," Zhao Chen replied with a polite nod.
"Xian City? Never heard of it," Li Feng scoffed, leaning forward. "Listen, newcomer. The Yellow Class has a rule. We don't have the fancy resources of the Gold wing, so we pool our 'contributions.' Hand over half your monthly spirit-pill allowance, and I'll make sure the Silver Class bullies don't use your vine spirit for target practice."
Zhao Chen blinked, a faint, amused glint reaching his eyes before he suppressed it. Extortion on the first day. How nostalgic.
"I'm afraid my father only provided enough for my own studies," Zhao Chen said softly.
Li Feng's face darkened, and the faint shadow of a black, stony canine flickered behind him. "Then you'll learn that 'stability' doesn't mean much when your bones are being crushed."
Before the confrontation could escalate, Elder Wu entered the room. The Level 44 Soul Ancestor didn't speak; he simply tapped his Iron-Ink Brush against the podium. A wave of heavy, pressurized soul power rolled through the room, forcing the students into their seats.
"Today's lecture is on the Symbiosis of Parasitic Spirits," Wu began, his voice dry and scratchy. "Most of you possess spirits that are viewed as 'weak' or 'common.' But a vine is only as weak as the host it feeds upon."
Zhao Chen listened intently, but not to the lecture. He was focusing on the way Elder Wu's soul power moved. It was precise, like calligraphy. By using his newly acquired Faculty Database, Zhao Chen could see the "ink" of Wu's spiritual energy—the subtle way he channeled Qi through his meridians to maintain the room's pressure.
'He's using 15% of his capacity to suppress thirty students,' Zhao Chen noted. 'If I were to release just one head of the Hydra, his 'ink' would blot out instantly.'
As the lecture progressed, Zhao Chen felt a familiar sensation in his spiritual sea. The Thorny Crawling Vine, fueled by the remnants of the Crystal Pillar's energy he had processed the night before, began to pulse.
[Ding! Internal evolution detected.]
[Condition Met: Observation of a Higher-Level Wood/Ink affinity.]
[Mutated Thorny Crawling Vine is reacting to Elder Wu's 'Iron-Ink' pressure.]
[Current Skill: 'Life-Seizing Bloom' is evolving...]
Zhao Chen stiffened. He hadn't expected the Vine to react so strongly to the instructor's aura. Under the desk, he clenched his fist as the crimson veins on his martial spirit began to turn a deep, ink-black.
He had to contain the breakthrough. If he leveled up to 14 right here in the middle of a Soul Ancestor's lecture, the "Spiritual Masking" might slip for a fraction of a second.
'System, use 100 points! Zhao Chen commanded mentally. Dampen the breakthrough tremor. Funnel the excess energy into the Hydra's dormant second head instead of the Vine's exterior.'
[Ding! 100 System Points deducted.] [Remaining Points: 300] [Energy redirected. Breakthrough suppressed.]
The blackening of the vines stopped, settling into a dark, subtle marbling that looked like natural bruising to any casual observer.
"Zhao Chen," Elder Wu suddenly barked, his sharp eyes fixing on the boy. "Since you seem so focused, tell me: what is the primary flaw of a Wood-type spirit when facing a Beast-type with high physical defense?"
The room went silent. Li Feng smirked, waiting for the newcomer to fail.
Zhao Chen stood up slowly, the 'Spiritual Masking' projecting a perfectly calm, Level 13 aura. "The flaw is the assumption of entanglement, Elder. Most Wood-types try to bind the exterior. But if the vine possesses a 'Life-Seizing' property, physical defense is irrelevant. One doesn't need to break the armor if they can simply drain the heart beneath it."
Elder Wu paused, his brush hovering over a scroll. He looked at Zhao Chen with a new light in his eyes—not the clinical interest of Proctor Meng, but the genuine surprise of a teacher finding a sharp blade in a drawer of dull knives.
"Correct," Wu said curtly. "Sit down."
As Zhao Chen sat, he caught Li Feng staring at him. The boy's smirk was gone, replaced by a look of predatory calculation.
Zhao Chen ignored him. He was looking at his status screen.
[Ding! Progress toward Level 14: 95%.]
[Hydra's Second Head: 12% Awakened.]
The Yellow Class wasn't just a place to hide; it was a buffet. And between the instructors' refined auras and the arrogant classmates, Zhao Chen realized he wouldn't need to hunt in the forest for a long time. The Academy was going to feed him everything he needed to become a Soul Master.
****
The end of the first lecture marked a shift in the atmosphere of the Yellow Class. As Elder Wu gathered his scrolls and exited the hall, the heavy pressure of his Soul Ancestor aura vanished, replaced by the sharp, localized tension of thirty competitive teenagers.
Zhao Chen packed his belongings with deliberate slowness. He could feel Li Feng's gaze boring into his back from the row above.
[Ding! Scanning social environment...]
[Threat Level: Low. Li Feng is signaling his 'Obsidian Hound' spirit to intimidate. Suggestion: Maintain the 'Common Vine' facade. A 5% increase in visible soul density is recommended to deter minor pests.]
Zhao Chen stood up, adjusting his white robes. He didn't look at Li Feng, but as he moved toward the exit, he allowed a tiny fraction of the Thorny Crawling Vine's aura to leak—not the crimson-veined mutation, but the sturdy, stubborn resilience of a Level 13 Soul Apprentice.
Li Feng, who had been about to step into Zhao Chen's path, hesitated. He felt a sudden, inexplicable chill, as if the air around the "merchant's son" had momentarily turned into thick, stagnant swamp water. By the time he blinked, Zhao Chen was already out the door.
"Coward," Li Feng spat, though his hand was trembling slightly. "He just got lucky with a high-capacity soul."
Zhao Chen navigated the winding corridors of the Academy, his destination the Spirit Herb Garden. If he was to play the role of a "Hard-Worker" with a wood-type spirit, he needed to be seen studying the very things his spirit was supposed to master.
The garden was a massive dome of glass and spirit-wood, containing rare flora gathered from across the kingdom. As he entered, the humidity hit him, carrying the scents of nectar, rot, and raw elemental energy.
[Ding! High-energy signatures detected in the Northern Quad.]
[Identifying: 'Ghost-Whistle Orchid' (300-year), 'Iron-Leaf Fern' (150-year), 'Blood-Thistle' (450-year).]
[Note: The Hydra's second head is showing increased resonance with the 'Blood-Thistle'. Consumption of its pollen may accelerate the awakening process.]
Zhao Chen walked toward the back of the garden, where the more dangerous plants were kept behind silver-mesh cages. He sat on a stone bench near a cluster of Blood-Thistles—tall, jagged weeds that looked like they were made of rusted iron and soaked in fresh gore.
He closed his eyes, pretending to meditate on the lecture's notes. In reality, he opened a small "valve" in his spiritual sea. The Spiritual Masking Level 2 acted as a filter, allowing the Hydra to draw in the ambient vitality shed by the Blood-Thistles without creating a visible vortex of energy.
"System, how many points to automate this extraction?"
[Ding! 'Passive Vitality Siphon' protocol: 50 System Points per hour.]
[Current Balance: 300 Points.]
"Do it."
[Ding! Points deducted. Remaining: 250.]
[Siphon active. The Hydra's Second Head progress: 12.1%... 12.2%...]
As the cool, metallic energy flowed into him, a shadow fell across his lap. Zhao Chen didn't open his eyes immediately, but the System's faculty database flickered in his mind.
[Warning: High-level signature detected.]
[Name: Senior Sister Liu]
[Status: Monitoring Host.]
"You have a strange taste in scenery, Junior Brother Zhao," Liu said, her voice cool and light. She was leaning against a nearby pillar, her Moonveil Crane spirit completely retracted, making her seem like a normal student. "Most Yellow Class students spend their free time in the sparring pits, trying to prove they belong in the Silver Class. You're here... watching weeds bleed."
Zhao Chen opened his eyes, offering a small, tired smile. "The sparring pits are for those who have strength to spare, Senior Sister. I only have a vine. If I don't understand how things grow, I'll never understand how to make them hold."
Liu walked closer, her eyes scanning the Blood-Thistles. She noticed the plants seemed slightly wilted, their vibrant red dulling ever so slightly, but she attributed it to the afternoon heat. "Proctor Meng thinks you're a 'Hard-Worker.' But your answer in Elder Wu's class today... it sounded like the words of someone who has seen the 'heart beneath the armor' stop beating."
"I spent many years watching my father negotiate, Senior Sister," Zhao Chen said, standing up and bowing. "A merchant knows that the most expensive part of a man is his life. I simply applied that logic to cultivation."
Liu stared at him, her intuition humming. "You're a terrifyingly logical boy, Zhao Chen. Just remember: in the Capital, logic is often secondary to bloodlines. Don't let your 'density' make you a target for those who have more than just logic on their side."
She turned to leave, but paused. "The Academy's Freshman Tournament is in two weeks. It is mandatory. If you truly wish to stay in the shadows, I suggest you lose your first match quickly. If you win... the Gold Class will stop ignoring you."
As she disappeared into the greenery, Zhao Chen looked back at the Blood-Thistles. They were now completely gray, their life force entirely consumed by the Hydra.
"Lose quickly?" Zhao Chen whispered to the empty air.
[Ding! New Objective: 'The Tournament of Tides.']
[Task: Reach the Top 10 of the Freshman Tournament without revealing the Hydra or the Purple Ring.]
[Reward: 1,000 System Points, 'Spiritual Masking' Upgrade to Level 3.]
Zhao Chen's eyes sharpened. Level 3 Masking would make him invisible even to a Soul Emperor. That was a prize he couldn't pass up.
"I think I'll win," he murmured, his Level 13 aura flickering for a moment with a dark, predatory edge. "But I'll make sure it looks like an accident."
****
The sun dipped below the jagged peaks of the Capital, casting long, bruised shadows across the Spirit Herb Garden. Zhao Chen stood up, dusting off his white robes. The gray, lifeless husks of the Blood-Thistles crunched under his boots—a silent testament to the Hydra's gluttony.
[Ding! Siphon complete.]
[Hydra's Second Head: 13.4% Awakened.]
[Progress to Level 14: 98%... 99%...]
"Almost there," Zhao Chen thought. He could feel the spiritual energy pressing against his meridians like an overflowing river, held back only by the dam of his will and the System's masking protocols. One more push, one more concentrated breath, and he would reach the next minor threshold.
As he exited the garden, the Academy was coming alive with the evening bustle. Groups of Gold Class students, their robes shimmering with expensive enchantments, laughed as they headed toward the high-tier dining halls. They moved with the effortless confidence of those who had never known a "Yellow" classification.
Zhao Chen kept his head down, a shadow among shadows. He was heading back to the Yellow Class dormitory when he noticed a small crowd gathered near the central notice board.
[Scanning local interaction...]
[Target: Li Feng (Level 17) and three subordinates.]
[Action: Intimidation of a fellow Yellow Class student.]
In the center of the circle was a small, frail-looking girl holding a stack of spirit-parchment. Her hands were shaking. Li Feng stood over her, his Obsidian Hound spirit manifesting as a low, growling shadow at his feet.
"I told you, Xiao Lan," Li Feng sneered, his voice loud enough for the onlookers to hear. "The 'contributions' are due today. If you can't pay in pills, you pay in labor. Hand over those research notes on Spirit Beast weaknesses. I'm not asking again."
"But... these took me weeks to compile," the girl whispered, clutching the parchment to her chest. "They're for the Tournament..."
Li Feng reached out, his hand glowing with a dull, stony light—the Earthskin skill. "The Tournament is for people with real spirits, not someone whose martial spirit is a literal kitchen candle. Give them here!"
Zhao Chen stopped ten paces away. He didn't want to intervene. Intervening meant visibility. Visibility meant risk.
[Ding! System Analysis...]
[Target 'Xiao Lan' possesses 'Ever-Burning Wick' spirit (Support Type).]
[Note: Her research notes contain high-accuracy data on the 1,000-year beasts in the Capital's surrounding hunting grounds. Probability of assisting in the Hydra's future evolutions: 65%.]
Zhao Chen sighed internally. The System was right. Knowledge was the one thing more valuable than pills in this Academy.
"Is there a problem, Senior Brother Li?" Zhao Chen's voice was flat, devoid of aggression, yet it cut through the crowd's murmurs like a cold blade.
Li Feng spun around, his eyes narrowing. "You again? The merchant's brat. You should have kept walking. This doesn't concern a Level 13 weakling."
"It concerns the rules of the Academy," Zhao Chen said, taking a step forward. With each step, he allowed his Spiritual Masking to loosen just a fraction—not to reveal his true power, but to simulate a sudden, desperate surge of "stability."
"Elder Wu mentioned that 'density' is what matters," Zhao Chen continued, his voice dropping an octave. "I'm curious. Is your Obsidian Hound's hide denser than my vines?"
Li Feng laughed, a harsh, jagged sound. "You want to find out? Here? In front of everyone?"
He lunged. It wasn't a formal duel; it was a street brawl powered by soul energy. His fist, encased in stone, swung toward Zhao Chen's ribs.
Zhao Chen didn't dodge. He didn't summon a massive wall of thorns. Instead, he flicked his wrist. A single, dark green vine—marbled with that new, ink-black staining—shot from his sleeve. It didn't coil around Li Feng's arm; it struck the pressure point at the youth's elbow with the precision of a needle.
Thwack.
The stone casing on Li Feng's fist shattered. The Obsidian Hound let out a yelp and vanished as the boy's soul power flow was momentarily severed.
Li Feng stumbled back, clutching his numbing arm, his face turning a sickly shade of white. "What... what did you do?"
"I found the heart beneath the armor," Zhao Chen said, quoting his own answer to Elder Wu. He turned to Xiao Lan, who was staring at him in shock. "Keep your notes, Xiao Lan. The Tournament requires original thought."
The crowd was silent. They hadn't seen a display of power; they had seen a display of terrifyingly efficient weakness.
[Ding! Level 14 Breakthrough Achieved.]
[Reward: 200 System Points.]
[Hidden Attribute 'Spiritual Masking' Level 2 has successfully localized the breakthrough energy. To the observers, you appeared to be struggling with exhaustion.]
Zhao Chen let out a shaky breath, stumbling slightly for effect. "That... took a lot out of me," he lied, wiping fake sweat from his brow.
Li Feng hissed, backed away by his cronies. "This isn't over, Zhao Chen! The Tournament... I'll crush you in the arena where the teachers can't save you!"
As the bullies retreated, Xiao Lan stepped toward Zhao Chen. "Thank you... but why? You've made a dangerous enemy for nothing."
Zhao Chen looked at her, his eyes cold and distant once more. "Not for nothing. I expect a copy of those notes by tomorrow morning. Consider it a business transaction."
He walked away before she could respond. As he entered his room and locked the door, the Hydra within his spiritual sea roared in triumph. The jump to Level 14 was complete, and the 'Tournament of Tides' was now only thirteen days away.
"System," Zhao Chen whispered, sinking into a meditative pose. "Prepare the simulation. I want to know exactly how much power I can use to win the Top 10 without looking like anything more than a 'lucky' merchant's son."
[Ding! Simulation beginning...]
[Estimated victory path: 12% Skill, 88% Calculated Luck.]