The morning sun rose over Azure Wind City.
Kael stood outside the Azure Wind Academy's main hall, surrounded by hundreds of newly accepted students.
Yesterday's examination had changed everything.
He was no longer just the unknown boy from a small village.
People were talking about him.
The student who shattered the Spirit Measurement Stone.
The student who defeated a combat puppet without being touched.
And, most importantly, the student who had caught the attention of Elder Rowan.
Kael wasn't interested in the rumors.
He was interested in one thing.
Strength.
He opened the system.
**[ETERNAL SOVEREIGN SYSTEM]**
**Host:** Kael Ardyn
**Level:** 4
**Cultivation:** Body Tempering Stage 2
**Strength:** 16
**Agility:** 15
**Vitality:** 14
**Spirit:** 11
**Skills:**
* Shadow Step — 16%
* Thunder Fist — 8%
* Dawnfire Sword Art — 42%
**Passive:**
* Sovereign Will
**Voidheart:** Fragmentary
Kael stared at his cultivation.
"Only Stage 2."
He wasn't satisfied.
The system had already shown him how vast the cultivation world was.
Body Tempering was only the beginning.
Above it were Spirit Gathering, Core Formation, Soul Transformation, Domain, Sovereign, Saint, Divine, and Celestial realms.
He had a long way to go.
A very long way.
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
"You look disappointed."
Kael turned.
Lyra stood behind him.
She wore the academy's new disciple uniform.
Her golden hair was tied behind her back.
"I thought you'd be happy," she said.
"I am."
"You don't look happy."
"I'm thinking about getting stronger."
Lyra sighed.
"You just arrived yesterday."
"That's too long."
She stared at him.
"You're impossible."
Kael smiled.
"I've heard that too."
The academy bell rang.
Students entered the main hall.
A tall instructor stood on the stage.
"Welcome to Azure Wind Academy."
His voice carried throughout the hall.
"This academy has existed for more than three hundred years."
"Thousands have entered these gates."
"Only a handful have reached the highest realms."
His gaze swept across the students.
"Talent alone will not make you strong."
"Resources alone will not make you strong."
"Your determination will decide how far you go."
The students listened carefully.
Then the instructor announced the academy's rules.
No killing inside the academy.
No attacking instructors.
No stealing cultivation resources.
No entering restricted areas.
Kael paid particular attention to the last rule.
Restricted areas usually meant something interesting.
The instructor continued.
"Students will receive contribution points by completing missions, defeating monsters, participating in academy competitions, and assisting the city."
"Contribution points can be exchanged for cultivation techniques, weapons, medicines, and other resources."
Kael's eyes lit up.
The system immediately responded.
**[New Feature Unlocked.]**
**Contribution Exchange detected.**
**System can calculate optimal resource combinations.**
Kael smiled.
This was going to be useful.
After the lecture, students were divided into classes.
Kael's class contained fifty students.
Darius Vane was there.
So was Lyra.
The instructor entered.
"My name is Instructor Hale."
He placed several books on the table.
"Your first month will focus on basic cultivation."
"Body Tempering is the foundation of everything."
"Without a strong foundation, your future cultivation will become unstable."
Kael listened carefully.
Hale demonstrated a breathing technique.
"Draw spiritual energy into your body."
"Guide it through your meridians."
"Strengthen your muscles, bones, and organs."
The students followed.
Kael closed his eyes.
He felt the spiritual energy around him.
It was faint.
Almost invisible.
But when he tried to absorb it—
the Voidheart reacted.
A black vortex appeared inside his body.
Kael's eyes widened.
The spiritual energy around him rushed toward him.
Too quickly.
The air began to tremble.
Several students opened their eyes.
"What is happening?"
Kael immediately stopped.
The vortex disappeared.
The system appeared.
**[Voidheart has absorbed spiritual energy.]**
**[Purification efficiency: 100%.]**
**[Cultivation speed increased.]**
**[Warning: Excessive absorption may attract attention.]**
Kael looked around.
Nobody seemed to have noticed the true cause.
Except Lyra.
She was staring directly at him.
After class, she approached.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"I felt the spiritual energy around you change."
Kael looked at her.
"You have sharp senses."
"I told you."
He smiled.
"Then keep it a secret."
Lyra nodded.
"I will."
Kael was surprised.
"Just like that?"
"You trusted me enough to ask."
He looked at her for a moment.
"Thank you."
Lyra smiled.
"Don't make me regret it."
Later that afternoon, Kael visited the academy's cultivation library.
Thousands of books filled the enormous building.
Cultivation techniques.
Monster records.
Herbal medicine.
Ancient history.
Bloodlines.
Weapon forging.
Kael walked toward the history section.
The system immediately began scanning.
**[Knowledge acquisition available.]**
**[Would you like to activate accelerated reading?]**
Kael smiled.
"Yes."
The next three hours passed in silence.
Book after book.
Kael's eyes moved across the pages.
The system processed everything.
**[Knowledge acquired.]**
**[Basic cultivation knowledge: 100%]**
**[Monster knowledge: 73%]**
**[Ancient history: 21%]**
**[Celestial Era records: Restricted.]**
Kael stopped.
"Restricted?"
He pulled a book from the shelf.
**The History of the First Starborn.**
The moment he touched it—
**[WARNING]**
The system appeared.
**[Host should not read this book.]**
Kael frowned.
"Why?"
No answer.
That made him more curious.
He opened the book.
Most of the pages had been torn out.
Only a few remained.
The first surviving page contained a single sentence:
**"The First Starborn betrayed Heaven."**
Kael's expression changed.
"Betrayed Heaven?"
He continued reading.
The next page:
**"He sought power beyond the Celestial Realm."**
Another:
**"The gods united against him."**
Another:
**"His soul was destroyed."**
Kael closed the book.
Something felt wrong.
The story was too simple.
He had already seen the visions.
He had felt the fear in the ancient god's presence.
If the First Starborn was truly evil—
why did the gods seem afraid of him?
Kael looked at the book again.
Then a small symbol on the final page caught his attention.
A broken star.
The same symbol as his pendant.
His heart stopped.
He touched it.
The page burned black.
A message appeared.
**[Forbidden record detected.]**
**[Memory fragment synchronized.]**
**[Progress toward sealed soul: 7%]**
Kael's vision blurred.
A voice echoed inside his mind.
*"They will tell you I betrayed Heaven."*
Kael froze.
*"Do not believe them."*
The voice sounded like his own.
*"When you remember everything, you will understand."*
Then the vision vanished.
Kael slowly closed the book.
His hands were trembling.
Someone had deliberately rewritten history.
And whoever had done it wanted him to believe a lie.
That evening, Kael returned to his dormitory.
He sat on the edge of the bed.
The system appeared.
**[Hidden Quest Updated.]**
### **The False History**
**Objective:** Discover the truth about the First Starborn.
**Progress:** 7%
**Next Requirement:** Reach Body Tempering Stage 5.
**Reward:** Sealed Memory Fragment.
Kael looked at the ceiling.
"Stage 5."
He smiled.
"Then th
at's my next goal."
Outside, thunder rolled across the sky.
Kael stood and looked through the window.
Far beyond the academy, a faint black glow appeared above the mountains.
The same darkness.
The same presence.
Then the system flashed.
**[WARNING]**
**Unknown entity has entered the region.**
**Threat Level: Unmeasurable.**
**Distance: 47 kilometers.**
Kael's smile disappeared.
Something had come for him.
And this time—
it wasn't hiding.
**To be continued...**