Two weeks had passed in absolute silence.
The stone gates of the cultivation chamber finally creaked open as a faint mist rolled out, crackling with the remnants of mana and thunder. Kent stepped out, draped in a dark azure robe embroidered with silver lightning threads. His aura had grown steadier, deeper—though the visible change was slight, those sensitive to energy would feel the storm lying coiled within his body.
By his side, Sparky, no longer a mere pet, now walked with a dignified air befitting a spirit beast of the immortal realm.
The once lower realm dragon now shimmered with refined scales that held both flame and thunder. His presence alone could silence low-level mages, and his mana veins—freshly opened—marked his official entry into the immortal world.
A new bond had formed in that chamber—no longer just master and beast, but two warriors walking the same path.
Later Kent moved far across the academy and beyond the border villages. Kent quietly visited the slave village once more. The sight of peaceful beastmen children playing and guards patrolling calmly brought a breath of relief to his chest.
“Still safe…” he murmured. “The Hua family did nothing in revenge.”
But what Kent didn’t know, what none of them knew, was that deep within the Forbidden Mountain Nation, the Dark Night Assassin Group had been prowling like hungry wolves. For two entire weeks, their top scouts searched across every city, town, and mercenary lodge in Kulu Nation—yet Kent remained invisible, swallowed by the Combat Peak’s silence.
Their blades stayed cold, their informants grew restless. The picture of Kent on the jade scroll burned in their minds—but the man himself? Like a ghost hiding behind the thunderclouds.
Just then, back within the Royal Academy, a young servant from Combat Peak arrived before Kent’s courtyard, bowing respectfully with a sealed scroll in hand.
“Lord Kent, this arrived from the central palace tower. Royal Academy’s official assessment.”
Kent took the scroll and nodded. “Thank you. You may leave.”
Unrolling it, a crease formed on his brow. The task read:
“Monthly Field Assessment: Retrieve 3 stalks of Twilight Herb from the Frost Mist Valley in the Wild Fox Nation. Deadline: One month.”
Kent’s gaze grew sharp.
Wild Fox Nation—a nation nearly as vast and powerful as Kulu, with historic grudges and constant border friction. The place wasn’t just dangerous; it was outright hostile to outsiders.
“Someone wants me to vanish in the wild,” he muttered, expression unreadable.
It wasn’t hard to guess—Hua family’s influence reached deep into the academy’s inner halls. But Kent didn’t flinch. He rolled the scroll and tucked it to his side, brushing dust off his sleeve as if brushing away conspiracy.
“One month is more than enough,” he said to Sparky.
With no urgency in his step, Kent exited the academy grounds. His destination was the villa of Lin Lin, where Bai Qi, now in cultivation herself, had been quietly living ever since she was kept away from academy grounds due to regulations barring wives from residing inside.
—
As Kent reached the familiar gate surrounded by peach blossom trees, his presence was immediately sensed.
Inside, Bai Qi stirred from her meditation. Her cheeks flushed as she rushed to the door. When it opened, she froze for a moment.
His eyes met hers—calm, kind, carrying a softness that only she could see.
“You came…” she whispered.
Kent nodded, his lips lifting into a faint smile. “How could I not?”
Without hesitation, Bai Qi leapt forward and hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest. “I thought you’d forget… that you’d get busy and disappear for another month.”
Kent chuckled. “I did disappear… but only into cultivation. For your sake too.”
Bai Qi, still clinging to Kent, looked up. “When will you leave again?”
“I’ve got a mission soon,” he said softly. “But until then, I’ll stay close.”
They two spent some time intimately inside that closed chamber. With a blushful face Bai Qi waved goodbye to Kent.
After bidding farewell to Bai Qi, Kent made his way through a winding corridor lined with blossoming spirit flowers. The air was rich with vitality, and the garden seemed to breathe with the energy of the immortal world. He arrived at a modest but ornate villa, nestled quietly on the far end of the Royal Academy grounds. This was Lin Lin’s domain, and more specifically, her personal alchemy chamber.
Inside the chamber, the atmosphere was dense with spiritual essence. A glowing three-legged cauldron sat in the center, surrounded by hovering jade trays filled with rare herbs and exotic beast ingredients. A sweet, pungent aroma lingered in the air—the unmistakable sign of high-tier pill refinement.
Lin Lin stood in front of the cauldron, her brows furrowed in intense concentration. Her robes were rolled at the sleeves, and her hands moved with practiced grace. Each gesture fed spiritual energy into the flames beneath the cauldron. She was refining a rare pill known as the Spirit Channeling Pill—an elixir that could purify the mana channels of a cultivator, enhancing their ability to circulate power and drastically increasing combat efficiency.
This pill was not just rare; it was nearly legendary. The ingredients were difficult to obtain, and few dared to attempt its creation. Lin Lin, however, had poured all her energy into the attempt, hoping to claim glory at the Pill Tower auction and elevate her name as a master alchemist.
Kent entered quietly, his pet dragon Sparky—now reduced in size to resemble a golden lizard—perched on his shoulder. The dragon chirped softly, sniffing the air curiously.
“Lin Lin,” Kent said casually, leaning against a nearby pillar, “I’ve been hearing about the Golden Heir Tournament. What is it exactly?”
She didn’t respond. Her eyes were glued to the swirling mixture inside the cauldron.
“Not now, Kent,” she said curtly. “Do not disturb me. This pill is worth more than a city treasury. Just a few more hours. I’m at the critical stage.”
But Kent, ever the playful firebrand, smirked. He watched the flickering flames under the cauldron for a moment, then stepped forward.
“Let me help,” he said, raising his hand.
Before Lin Lin could protest, he released a stream of his unique flame—the Arjun Nirvani Fire—a powerful yet serene flame that shimmered with blue and golden hues. It merged effortlessly with the existing fire, wrapping around the cauldron in a dance of harmony and precision.
“What are you doing?!” Lin Lin shouted, nearly knocking over a tray of powdered beast cores.
But before her anger could flare further, she noticed something miraculous. The ingredients inside the cauldron, which had resisted full integration for hours, suddenly fused together with flawless synergy. The flame was not harming the pill; it was nourishing it.
Her mouth opened in stunned disbelief.
Twenty minutes later, the cauldron chimed—a harmonious ring that echoed throughout the chamber. The pill had formed perfectly, gleaming with a translucent sheen that indicated the highest quality.
Lin Lin stood motionless for a moment, then slowly retrieved the pill with trembling fingers.
“It’s done. I… I did it. No, we did it,” she admitted, still staring at the finished product.
Kent grinned. “Told you I could help. Now, tell me about that tournament.”
Lin Lin sighed and walked over to a nearby bench, sitting down as she wiped her brow.
“Fine. The Golden Heir Tournament is a grand competition held by the Golden Treasure Association. It only allows participants from the Eight Great Nations of the Immortal World. The catch? Every participant must be under 500 years old and an Earth Immortal Wizard.”
Kent raised an eyebrow. “Under 500? That’s young here?”
“In immortal terms, it’s barely adolescence,” Lin Lin replied dryly. “The tournament isn’t just about fame. It’s about power, legacy, and access to the Treasure Lands. These are mysterious realms that appear randomly across the immortal world—filled with relics, inheritance sites, and ancient spells left behind by celestial beings.”
She leaned forward, her tone more serious.
“Only the nations that win the tournament receive entry tokens to these lands. One treasure land is enough to elevate a small clan to the level of a nation. But the competition is brutal. To even qualify, participants must survive an impossible task—one where thousands of talented cultivators perish.”
“And those who win?”
“They become legends. They’re fast-tracked for ascension into the Heavenly Immortal World—the true plane above all others. It’s a path to becoming more than just a wizard. It’s a path to immortality in the truest sense.”
She paused, then narrowed her eyes. “Why are you asking me all this?”
Kent stepped forward, his eyes burning with resolve.
“Because I’m going to participate.”
Lin Lin blinked. “You what?!”
Before she could speak another word, Kent reached out and gently pressed a finger to her lips.
“Shhh… Save that expression for when I win.”
With that, he turned and walked away, his dragon leaping onto his shoulder with a pleased chirp. Lin Lin sat in silence, watching his retreating back.
“This madman… he’s actually serious.”
