Tang San stepped out of the master's office, his eyes naturally drifting toward the horizon where the sun was slowly sinking, casting golden hues across the sky.
The light shimmered on his face, illuminating his thoughtful expression.
He clenched his fists slightly, determination gleaming in his eyes. As expected of Teacher, he thought. Not only did he help me clarify the development of martial spirits, but he also explained their classifications in depth. He truly deserves to be called a master of theory.
The excitement in his heart simmered.
" Tomorrow, Teacher will take me to obtain my first soul ring. Then, I'll finally understand how my Xuantian Technique connects with this world's system."
He exhaled a slow breath, feeling a sense of clarity settle within him.
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Arthev found himself standing in the middle of crumbling ruins, their once-proud stone walls now entangled in thick vines that whispered secrets of a forgotten past. The eerie silence was broken only by the distant crack of thunder as a lone tower leaned against the storm-laden sky. The jagged lightning revealed the tower's shattered form, its windows like hollow eyes watching the devastation below. The air grew thick with the hum of unseen energies as Arthev stepped deeper into a strange grove where the very air pulsed with a haunting mystery. Shadows danced, moving with a rhythm that seemed to belong to something ancient and unknowable.
Then came the chaos. Screams echoed, distant yet sharp, followed by the pounding of feet—frantic, desperate. Arthev could see figures running, faceless and lost, as fire consumed the once-thriving city. The flames reached skyward, clawing at the heavens, while thick smoke twisted into grotesque shapes. The world seemed to spin as the ruins, the grove, the burning city all collapsed into one suffocating void. Then, just as quickly as it had started, the world fell into a profound silence, leaving Arthev with a chilling sense that something was watching him, waiting just beyond the edge of sight.
Arthev's eyes shot open, his breath catching in his throat. His heart still raced from the vivid remnants of the dream, a surreal mix of crumbling stone, fire, and shadows. His mind buzzed, trying to piece it together, but it felt like the dream itself was slipping through his fingers. He rubbed his eyes, his mind slow to wake. "What a crazy dream..." he muttered with a tired chuckle, still feeling the echo of the unseen whispers.
He glanced at the clock beside his bed, blinking at the time. It was precisely 4:00 AM, the hour before even the first hint of sunrise.
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Arthev had jumped out of bed, landing on the wooden floor without a sound—because, obviously, waking up his roommates at this ungodly hour would result in an unfortunate brawl. He quickly donned his neatly folded clothes from the night before and slipped outside.
The crisp morning air greeted him as he stretched his limbs, rolling his shoulders with a satisfied sigh. Then, without hesitation, he got to work. Full-body stretching, cardio, strength training.
One by one, he went through his routine, his movements precise and disciplined. It wasn't just about gaining strength—it was about pushing his body beyond its limits.
Up on the rooftop, Tang San sat cross-legged, his breathing steady as he absorbed the first hints of Purple Qi from the East. His eyes flickered open for a brief moment, catching sight of Arthev in the courtyard below.
The other boy was completely immersed in his training, sweat already beginning to dampen his clothes as he cycled through push-ups, squats, and other grueling exercises.
Tang San watched for a few seconds before silently shaking his head." He's just blindly training his body… no technique, no focus on martial spirit cultivation. A complete waste of effort."
With that thought, he closed his eyes again, returning to the delicate process of refining his Purple Demon Eyes.
Meanwhile, Arthev finished his final set, his arms burning, legs aching, and lungs working overtime. But rather than stopping, he simply grinned to himself.
Pain? That was just proof of progress.
"Cultivation is suffering", he mused.
"The more I endure now, the less I'll struggle later. Besides, I'm still young—if I don't build my foundation now, when will I?"
He took a deep breath, savoring the stillness of the early morning. Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion—he felt alive.
In Arthev's eyes, cultivation was a painful yet necessary journey. The earlier he embraced the struggle, the greater his rewards would be. Others might have been content with slowly building up their martial spirits, but he believed in forging his foundation through sheer force of will.
This relentless training had its perks—his control over plants and trees had reached an astonishing level. He could manipulate them as easily as moving his own fingers. Even his Shinragan had developed to the point where it could be activated instantly, without the usual delay most eye-based abilities suffered from. These were secrets he kept buried deep in his heart.
But what truly excited him was something else—the Rasengan.
"The progression is much faster than I expected," Arthev mused, rubbing his chin.
"I only started practicing before entering school, but thanks to my Shinragan's observation abilities, I've been able to refine it much faster than I should be able to."
His eyes flickered with a sharp gleam.
"If I can precisely mobilize soul power, I might be able to compress it into a more refined Rasengan, just like how chakra works."
But he sighed.
"The power of my Rasengan is directly tied to my output and control over soul power, and right now, it's nowhere near Naruto's level… for now."
Arthev smirked to himself. But give me time… and even Naruto's Rasengan will look like a child's toy.
Time passed, and both Tang San and Arthev ended their training at the same time. One had been refining his mental energy, the other had been forging his body into a weapon.
As they returned to the dormitory, the scene before them was predictable—half the students were sluggishly getting dressed, while the rest were still buried under their covers, clinging to their last few moments of sleep.
Amidst the morning grogginess, Xiao Wu sat up, rubbing her eyes and letting out a massive yawn. Her bunny ears twitched slightly as she looked between the two of them, her expression filled with sleepy confusion.
"Arthev, Tang San… what were you two doing outside so early?"
Her voice was drowsy, and her eyelids drooped slightly, clearly still caught between sleep and wakefulness.
Before Tang San could even think of an excuse, Arthev struck first.
"It's nothing," he said nonchalantly, stretching his arms. "Just morning training. Gotta stay in shape, you know?"
As he spoke, he casually pulled off his shirt.
Silence.
For a moment, the dorm seemed to freeze.
Even Tang San, who had always been focused on his own training, couldn't help but stare. He had never really paid attention to Arthev's physique before, but now that he was seeing it up close, his eyes flickered with genuine surprise.
This… is NOT normal for a kid our age.
Arthev's body was ridiculously well-defined. His muscles weren't just for show—they carried a sharpness, a sense of control that spoke of brutal, methodical training.
Tang San's expression shifted subtly.
"Even in my past life, I only understood the importance of training from childhood after being reborn… But him? How does he know this? Could it be…?"
A shadow of suspicion passed through Tang San's gaze. His thoughts were racing, piecing together possibilities. But he quickly erased all emotions from his face, only looking at Arthev with a deep, unreadable expression.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu had entirely different concerns.
Her eyes went wide as Arthev pulled off his shirt, and her face instantly turned red.
"You—!!!"
A mix of shock, embarrassment, and outrage flashed through her expression as she covered her face with both hands.
"Arthev, you're shameless!"
Arthev, who had been focused on stretching his shoulders, finally took notice of her.
Arthev barely glanced at Xiao Wu, his face remaining neutral, as if he had just noticed her presence.
"Oh… you were here?" His tone was casual, almost indifferent. "My bad. I forgot you were a girl. You act just like the rest of the guys."
Xiao Wu's ears twitched violently.
Her blush deepened, a mix of embarrassment and anger surging up.
"You—!!"
Arthev tilted his head slightly but didn't react much.
"Relax," he said flatly. "It was a compliment. You're always fighting, yelling, and throwing kicks around. Not exactly the image of a delicate, proper lady."
Xiao Wu's patience snapped.
"YOU—!!!"
She lunged at him, hands aiming straight for his neck.
Without any change in expression, Arthev took a single step to the side.
Thud!
Xiao Wu completely missed and crashed onto Wang Sheng's bed.
Wang Sheng, who had been peacefully asleep, slowly opened his eyes to see Xiao Wu sitting on top of him, her hands gripping his collar.
"...What?" Wang Sheng muttered in confusion.
Xiao Wu froze.
Realizing the situation, she immediately jumped off, her face turning an even deeper shade of red.
Arthev, still unbothered, gave a small nod.
"See? That's exactly what I meant."
Xiao Wu grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.
Arthev caught it mid-air, his expression unchanged.
Xiao Wu quickly lowered her head, her hands clenching into small fists as a faint blush crept across her face.
Meanwhile, Arthev, completely unfazed, grabbed a towel and casually walked toward the showers. After all, with the morning training done, a wash was necessary.
Tang San also left the dormitory, heading to clean himself up.
Elsewhere.
As Tang San stepped out, a sharp glint flickered in his eyes. His mind replayed the scene from earlier—Arthev's unnatural physique, his training habits, his strange composure.
Could it be…?
Tang San had always believed himself to be unique in this world, the only one carrying memories of a past life. But now, for the first time, he doubted that.
"His training isn't like a child's… and the way he speaks, it's too composed. Could he be like me? Someone who doesn't belong to this world?"
Of course, this was just a suspicion. There was no proof yet.
"I need to observe more."
Tang San reached the wash area and turned on the faucet.
Splaaash.
Cold water ran down his face, washing away sweat and clearing his mind.
"No matter. My focus now is on obtaining my first soul ring. If my guess is correct, my Xuantian Technique will finally break past its first peak."
With that thought, he wiped his face and exhaled, a faint smirk appearing.