Lord of the Truth

"Gyaaa—!"

"Hehe~" Morgana's smile widened with playful delight, clearly entertained by the dramatic sight unfolding before her.

At this exact moment, a majestic white-gold soul creature was tightly restraining Shaddad's arms from behind, its grip firm and merciless while pressing its foot down harshly on his back, as though preparing to rip both arms out of their sockets without hesitation.

"…?" But gradually, almost piece by piece, Morgana's cheerful smile began to fade. Her brows pulled together, tightening with confusion and suspicion. "Isn't that mule supposed to be at the peak of a World Cataclysm body cultivator? What exactly is happening here? Whose soul creature could possibly overpower him like this?"

"Haha! The master's, of course!" Jabba laughed proudly, puffing his chest slightly, announcing it as if it were the most obvious truth in the entire universe, something that required no explanation.

However, almost immediately, Jabba's own expression stiffened. His eyes narrowed, and he turned back to observe the situation with true seriousness…

Wait… World Cataclysm. He had definitely heard of that rank before. Wasn't that level the one directly above Martial Emperor? And wasn't it the exact same rank possessed by the infamous Three Shadows who annihilated several territories in Nihari, slaughtering the Demon King Morin with nothing more than a casual gesture?!

A cold bead of sweat slid slowly down Jabba's neck… followed by another.

Shaddad… had truly been at the absolute peak of World Cataclysm this entire time?!

And yet—Teacher Robin was effortlessly thrashing him using just a single soul creature?!

What on earth had happened during all those countless years Jabba spent in hibernation?

To what unimaginable degree had the gap between him and his teacher expanded, widened, and stretched beyond reason?!

Jabba felt his mind spiraling, as if he were on the brink of losing his sanity entirely…

"GYAAAAAAAH—!" Shaddad's scream echoed again, filled with agony and disbelief.

"Your Majesty, is that… your soul creature?" Morgana asked, turning sharply toward Robin. Genuine astonishment, mixed with faint fear, colored her voice.

"Mm." Robin nodded with a calm, light smile, as if this display was perfectly ordinary.

"But this level of power… are you… actually a Royal Soul Master?!" Morgana asked, her eyes widening further, the impact of the realization hitting her like a hammer.

"Mm." Robin nodded once more, unbothered.

"…?!" Morgana's eyes stretched to their very limits. Her breath caught. "Since when?! You didn't show any signs of being a Royal Soul Master when you fought the faction of the Specter King Arkalon! You used that strange eye technique and nearly died!! Why didn't you ever tell me? Even once?!"

"There wasn't an opportunity." Robin replied with a short, almost dismissive tone.

What was he supposed to do?

Tell her, I refined multiple soul stars right after I last saw you on Specter Valley Planet?

"….." Morgana's eyes trembled violently, shaking with conflict.

All this time, she had believed—no, she was convinced—that she mattered to him because she was a Royal Soul Master. She thought he designed that extraordinary technique for her, that he saved her repeatedly, and treated her with rare care because she was special… because he relied on her…

But now—

If he himself was a Royal Soul Master all along…

Why push himself so far for her sake?

Why go through such exhausting effort?

"…Your Majesty," Morgana swallowed hard, the sound thick in her throat as her confidence crumbled like fragile glass, "how many stars do you have exactly?"

"Hehe~ maybe I simply happen to possess a very exceptional soul creature while still having only one star. Why are you asking so seriously?" Robin replied with a relaxed chuckle, almost teasing.

"I have one star," Morgana confessed, pointing a trembling finger toward Shaddad being crushed on the ground, "…and it's absolutely impossible for me to overpower a peak World Cataclysm body cultivator to this degree using only a single soul creature, no matter how extraordinary it might be."

Her voice wavered. "…How many stars do you have?"

In front of those words, Robin smiled with quiet, unshakable confidence… indeed, everything unfolding at this moment was the natural result of multiple dense layers of purple matter accumulating upon his soul creature—an unmistakable sign that more than a single Soul Star resided within him.

Just as Neri had explained to tempt him into compressing the next star, the amount of soul force he could convert into purple matter each day would leap drastically from five thousand for a single star, to thirty thousand upon gaining a second. And this wasn't merely a simple six-fold increase in the quantity of purple matter being produced daily—Robin had also discovered that the density, richness, and structural complexity of that purple matter increased sixfold as well.

Meaning, if the soul beast standing before him could previously hold two hundred thousand standard energy units in its inner structure… those two hundred thousand units first received reinforcement from the purple matter, increasing their raw power, density, and fine details. Then, after receiving the support of the second star, their density multiplied six times further, then came the third star's enhancement, and so on…

The original two hundred thousand units remained two hundred thousand in number, yet that bizarre purple substance continued to accumulate relentlessly, fortifying and evolving those units in a terrifying, exponential manner. The difference between the same soul creature empowered by one Royal Soul Star versus two… was nothing short of frightening.

And even so… this level of power still didn't fully justify what was happening to Shaddad right now. In truth, Robin had merely ordered a light, playful wrestling match, and Shaddad himself refrained from tapping into his full strength; otherwise, this entire building would be reduced to dust in a single moment. Here, the ancient memories of that warrior—the soul creature—its overwhelming presence, refined battlefield instincts, and vast combat experience surfaced, allowing it to subdue Shaddad effortlessly through pure technique alone.

If Robin commanded both sides to unleash their full, unrestricted power, no one could accurately predict who would ultimately stand victorious. But one thing was painfully clear: this one-sided domination would instantly vanish. After all, Shaddad possessed enough raw physical power to level several academy buildings with a single punch. At that point, Althera would most certainly arrive to personally kick everyone's backsides without mercy.

"…I do, in fact, happen to possess more than one star." Robin replied calmly, voice steady, then casually cast a sidelong glance toward Morgana. "You ask far too many questions, Morgana. Are you genuinely shocked that I'm is a little strong? How do you think I managed to save you in the first place? And why would you ever submit to me if I were weak? Perhaps you should show a little trust."

"I know you hide countless secrets, but I never imagined you were a Royal Soul Master—this changes everything!!" Morgana replied quickly, almost panicking. "More than one star? How?! You… how old are you? You haven't even reached a thousand years!"

"I desired to become a Royal Soul Master, so I accomplished it. It truly is that simple." Robin lifted his shoulders in a casual shrug. There was something undeniably refreshing about boasting of one's strength without shame.

Thud Thud "Gaaa—!"

"…." Morgana took another glance at Shaddad—at that moment, the soul creature forced him into a complete submission hold, pinning him as if he were helpless. Then she turned back toward Robin, brows drawing together tightly. "That young man said you intend to take Shaddad as a disciple?"

"Yes. I'll see if I can pass on the knowledge I've gleaned from the Truth Law to him. He's a good person." Robin nodded twice, as if confirming it to himself.

"Then…" Morgana bent forward slightly, voice carrying genuine respect and urgency. "Please accept me as well, and pass down your experience and profound insights regarding soul force."