The Great Tale

I looked at the person in front of me. Their appearance was quite pleasant, and they didn't seem like a bad person. However, they were standing here, stopping me, and worse, hindering me for reasons I couldn't care less about—reasons that were nothing but irritating.

The situation they had caused also drew the attention of many others—new students, senior students, and even a few staff members who were adjusting things around the room.

The mixture of glances and the fact that this irritating situation had made me the center of attention irritated me greatly. Still, I tried to maintain my composure and asked while rubbing my fingers against my forehead:

"So, you're basically saying that I offended you because I provoked Yana, who doesn't seem to have any connection to you?"

He paused for a moment but soon spoke without hesitation and with strong conviction, his nose slightly raised, exuding an incomprehensible arrogance.

"Exactly! Besides, your sister clearly provokes Miss Yana and even stole her childhood love... not to mention she tries to compete with her in looks, when it's obvious she's inferior."

In his speech, I noticed him falter when mentioning the supposed childhood love, who was likely the prince. This hesitation probably indicated that he himself harbored feelings of admiration—if not more—for Miss Yana.

The fact that he was the son of a count, as he introduced himself earlier, suggested there was a real chance he was engaged to a marquis' daughter, which probably solidified his admiration and formed other feelings.

However, what caught my attention most were his provocations and insults—not against me, but against my sister.

My gaze turned piercing, as though it could penetrate his very soul.

He felt an unmistakable fear and even stepped back slightly, only to quickly grow embarrassed when he sensed the many eyes on him.

Gathering his courage, he puffed out his chest and stood before me with boldness and audacity.

"That's right! So you should apologize and, preferably, pay compensation for your actions."

Hearing his words, I smiled—a beautiful, soft smile with a strong, charming allure.

My smile made everyone in the room blush, but beneath it lay anger and a sense of ridicule toward the entire situation.

"Lord César. As you know, within the academy, it is not permitted for us to fight. Here, family status does not matter."

After all, if it did, he wouldn't have dared to speak so much in front of me. A count is quite different from a marquis, let alone a duke—especially one with a title as special as ours.

Hearing this, he looked relieved, his smile becoming even more arrogant.

"That being the case, why don't we have some fun in the training grounds? It's the best way to assess strength and resolve conflicts."

At my challenge, he paused and observed me.

Our apparent cultivation bases seemed evenly matched—both at the sixth realm of Qi condensation. Of course, I was actually at the eighth realm, nearing the ninth. However, my palace and technique allowed me to disguise my base.

Seeing what appeared to be an even match, he felt reassured, though some doubt lingered.

After all, my family earned its title through military achievements. We are all strong and renowned for our combat skills. He might have even heard rumors about me.

But I had no intention of letting him off the hook after annoying me so much.

"What's wrong, César? Don't you have the courage to help the person you admire so much?" I asked, lightly provoking him, which stirred reactions from the crowd.

"He probably won't accept. After all, this is the Alberian family… they're all monsters and immensely talented."

"But this young man seems delicate, not so strong…"

"Don't be fooled! I heard he entered the school with top marks."

"I also heard he's pursuing other professions, so his strength might not be that high."

"But… it's the Alberian family, after all."

With so many rumors and different glances focused on him—including some that quickly turned into looks of judgment and disdain—he finally relented.

"Fine! I accept!"

I smiled diplomatically at him.

"Great. Then we'll meet tomorrow at 1 PM. I'll leave the reservation to you."

I spoke kindly, with even more charm on my face, and without waiting for his response, I used my physical agility to sidestep him and return swiftly to my quarters.

....

Meanwhile, nearby…

A young man hidden by a shadow technique—his muscular, tan body and dangerous red eyes carefully observing everything—muttered to himself:

"Tsk… They're really playing games with someone I've taken an interest in?"

"I've pretty much decided to make him my partner. Especially now… I feel an even stronger soul connection between us."

"Should I kill him?"

He released a subtle killing intent that seemed to darken the shadows around him, taking on a more deadly and ominous aspect, as though capable of swallowing and destroying all life.

But then, a dark mass whispered something into his ear.

"Tsk. I know—it's his experience, and this guy is nowhere near a threat, but it still annoys me," he replied irritably to the whisper.

"Fine… I won't act as I did in the past. I don't want to ruin his impression of me. For now, I'll just watch, but I still need to see him. After all, in theory, I'm supposed to be his fiancé, even if he hasn't realized it yet."

Thinking about making Alex his fiancé, the young man grew visibly excited but restrained himself and disappeared into the shadows, as though trying to escape something.

After he left…

An individual in the sixth realm of foundation building—the realm of the mind—arrived at the scene.

"I swear my spiritual sense picked up something… was it just my imagination?"

He spoke while carefully surveying the area.

A unique mental energy swept through the place and its surroundings. Though limited in range and detail, it was more than sufficient for investigation. Unless the other party had an equal or higher cultivation base, most wouldn't stand a chance against it.

After observing further, his body moved with a speed and precision that none of the students could perceive.

...

I was in the cultivation chamber of my palace.

Sitting cross-legged in a lotus position, I focused on gaining insights into the Qi Condensation Realm and the Dao of Fire, as well as the Dao of Light, which I had been steadily deepening my understanding of.

The palace's formation activated, drawing more Qi in my direction. I concentrated even more intensely, absorbing all the comprehension I could.

The Qi began swirling within my body, almost forming a soft, gentle mist.

At the energy center of my body, the symbol of my Qi technique started to glow.

A small, multicolored golden mandala radiated with immense power, and various elemental energies emanated from the edges of this formation. It was evident that some elements were stronger and seemingly more evolved.

For instance, the elements of darkness and water appeared to contain traces of other elements, while fire and light seemed to show signs of minor breakthroughs.

Within the mandala, a faint, mysterious figure could be seen at its center. The mandala shone brilliantly, spinning as though it were forming a summoning circle.

The energy continued to spiral, and my comprehension seemed to leap forward with each moment.

I struck forcefully at the barrier between the 8th and 9th realms and soon succeeded in breaking through, advancing to the next level.

Sigh.

With a deep exhale, a wave of Qi flowed out from my body, dispersing energy into the surroundings.

I stretched my body and returned to cultivation to stabilize my foundation.

Once my base was steady, I stood up and decided to spend some time playing with my little companions in the void space.