The Return of Godkin

Back in the room, Alfred closed the curtains and lit a soul lamp.

"You know your martial soul's weakness," he began calmly. "Even after a thousand years, Silverfalls Vine can't compare to top-tier martial souls. Your advantage lies in your body. It's far stronger than a normal person's, especially when your bloodline awakens, and the golden scales appear."

He continued, "So your future path should emphasize control and body-based combat. I don't yet know how far your mutations will go, so we proceed step by step. For now, the most suitable Immortal Guild art for you is Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon."

"Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon…" Ray repeated softly. The words resonated deep within him.

Alfred nodded. "According to sect rules, new members may learn one art. After passing the middle test, a second. Upon reaching the third rank in a profession, a third. Even those who pass the high-level test only get three free arts."

Ray blinked. "Then… what if I want to learn more later?"

"Contribution points," Alfred replied. "The sect must grow, too. Once we return to West Ocean City, visit the local branch. With your profession rank, you can take missions and earn points. You can even trade with other members."

"Understood." Ray's eyes gleamed. Contributing to the sect felt only right.

"Most people choose the Mysterious Heaven Method first," Alfred continued. "You chose Purple Demon Eyes next for spiritual power. Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon will enhance your dexterity. Master it, and it becomes both offense and defense. At its peak, it can manipulate even mountains."

He gestured lightly. A table slid toward him as if guided by invisible waves. Then a pen holder flew into his hand.

"This is Controlling Crane."

He pushed it away, and the pen holder floated, swaying obediently.

"This is Capturing Dragon."

"Together, they form a complete art. The stronger your soul power, the greater its might."

Alfred suddenly thrust his palm forward.

A powerful suction yanked Ray off his feet, sending him tumbling forward until his face met the floor with a dull thud.

Alfred thrust his palm forward. Ray shot backward like a released arrow, straight toward the wall. Just a heartbeat before impact, a sudden pulling force seized him midair, suspending his body. The momentum vanished, and he drifted gently back down to the floor.

So strange.

Ray's eyes gleamed. Sharp-minded as ever, he immediately grasped the nature of that mysterious sensation. Ideas began blooming one after another, interlocking in his mind like gears finding their proper slots.

With Controlling Crane, Capturing Dragon, he could drag opponents into his reach and pin them there. If he could pull someone directly into the range of his golden dragon claw, its lethality would skyrocket.

Even Scarlet, a Central Academy student wielding the terrifying Stargod Sword, had treated his claw as a genuine threat.

Only now did Ray truly understand the brilliance of this Immortal Guild art. It wasn't about raw power. It was about maximizing that fleeting window when his golden dragon claw could be unleashed.

So that's how it works.

"I'll start by teaching you Controlling Crane," Alfred said calmly. "Remember this well. It is built upon the foundation of the Mysterious Heaven Method. First, circulate soul power within your dantian, then guide it along this meridian…"

As Alfred spoke, his own soul power entered Ray's body, guiding it along precise paths. Each instruction was clear, meticulous, without a trace of excess.

Ray soon discovered that Controlling Crane shared several circulation routes with the Mysterious Heaven Method. Following familiar pathways, he spun his soul power through his meridians, guiding it into his palm.

A faint pulling force emerged.

For the rest of the morning, Ray immersed himself in practice. Unlike Purple Demon Eyes, which he had grasped quickly, Controlling Crane resisted him. Even with Alfred's guidance, he struggled to apply it smoothly. Each success felt tentative, incomplete.

Immortal Guild arts really are profound.

Ray silently praised his decision to join the Immortal Guild. As a one-ringed soul master, his greatest flaw was his limited cultivation. These secret arts were the perfect counterbalance, filling the gaps raw soul power could not.

*

"How do you feel? Can you still fight today?" Lily peppered him with questions after lunch, worry spilling from her eyes.

Ray nodded. "Of course. It's the round-robin stage now, right?"

According to the tournament rules, after two knockout rounds, the remaining thirty-six teams entered a round-robin phase. They were split into four groups of nine teams each. Every team would face the other eight teams in their group.

A win earned two points. A loss earned nothing. A draw granted one point to both sides.

After all matches concluded, the top four teams from each group advanced. Sixteen teams remained, and from there, a final knockout tournament would determine the champion. Only those top sixteen would receive awards.

The same system is applied to both junior and adult divisions.

"Yeah, we're in Group Three," Raziel Phoenix said.

Ray asked, "Any intel on our opponents?"

Raziel Phoenix shook his head. "Nothing useful. Too many teams. When we watched earlier matches, we were just spectators like everyone else. We'll have to adapt on the fly. But I heard the two from Central Academy aren't in our group."

That's good.

Ray exhaled quietly. He knew exactly how he compared to Scarlet. In a true one-on-one, he was still no match for her. If she had been more cautious, he wouldn't have lasted nearly as long.

But this was the team competition.

Here, individual strength alone didn't decide everything.

"We'll go with the three of us. Violetta stays as a substitute," Ray said, turning to Violette.

She nodded, smiling brightly. "Captain, I heard the finals will be held at night to boost viewership."

Ray's thoughts immediately began to churn. That detail mattered. A lot.

The Skysea Alliance Tournament had been underway for several days. The blacksmithing competition had already concluded. As expected, the champion was Rachel, daughter of the eighth-rank Saint Blacksmith Nigel.

No one was surprised.

Nigel was the only eighth-rank blacksmith in the entire Skysea Alliance. West Ocean City might lag behind in many fields, but blacksmithing was its pride.

Still, the junior blacksmithing division attracted limited attention. True masters require decades to polish themselves. A legendary blacksmith under forty was almost unheard of.

Meanwhile, the competitions for mecha craftsmen, designers, and mechanics continued. Compared to blacksmithing, those events were far more complex.

But none of that compares to the popularity of soul master competitions.

Individual battles and team clashes alike were spectacles, held once every three years.

Among them, the seven-man, five-man, and three-man team finals drew the highest viewership. Junior division ratings were lower than the adult division's, as most participants hovered around two rings.

Thus, the three-man team matches were scheduled in the afternoon, while the seven-man battles took place at night, prime viewing hours. Wealthy patrons filled the stands. Everyone else watched from home through TVs.

*

Skysea Stadium, VIP Box Seven.

A towering glass screen dominated the room, offering an unobstructed view of the arena. With a thought, it could switch to any match, live or recorded.

Two figures stood before it.

One was Alfred, dressed in pure white, long snow-colored hair drifting softly, blending seamlessly with his robes.

Beside him stood a woman around twenty-six years old. She was strikingly beautiful, with exotic, long white hair and viridian eyes that shimmered with vitality and ferocity. She wore dark green sportswear, her presence sharp and alive.

Her white hair seemed to echo Alfred's robes, as if intentionally paired.

"I only let her stir things up because they're your disciples," she said with a crooked smile. "Aren't you worried at all?"

Alfred replied flatly, "Why would I be?"