Chapter 11: The Roar of the One Who Demands the Seal

Moonlight filtered through the leaves, casting a pale glow over the academy courtyard. Beneath an ancient tree behind the dormitory wing, a figure stood quietly in the shadows. In his hand was a faintly glowing blue talisman, and he whispered under his breath:

"The Ancient Realm Imprint… If it's really here, just one fragment—just one would be enough…"

Suddenly—

A hand gently rested on his shoulder.

A chill shot down his spine. He whipped around, spiritual energy already gathering at his fingertips, ready to strike—

"Who—!"

But he froze the moment he saw who it was.

Standing before him was a middle-aged man in the instructor's robes of the Astral Flow Academy. Tall and lean, his silver-streaked hair was tied back neatly, and sharp eyes glinted behind thin-rimmed glasses. On his chest gleamed a silver badge bearing the symbol of a "Cloudstone Crane"—a mark of the senior surveillance masters.

He said nothing, simply staring at the talisman in the student's hand. Then he extended his other hand, palm open.

"Hand it over."

Just two words—but they carried a gravity that seemed to weigh down the very air. The talisman trembled and flickered with chaotic spiritual light, as if being completely suppressed.

The student swallowed hard. A flash of desperation crossed his eyes, and he moved to crush the talisman—

But a thread of golden spirit energy shot from the instructor's fingertip.

"Zzzt—!"

The talisman froze mid-air, then floated gently into his palm, as though compelled by an unseen force.

"This is not something a low-level student should be holding. What were you planning to do with it?"

The instructor's voice was calm, not angry—but each word struck like iron against stone.

The student said nothing. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"You thought no one would notice? The spatial disturbance last night, the spiritual leakage this morning—they were all recorded by the Observation Tower."

He turned to face the dormitories in the distance, his voice dropping even lower:

"You're not being expelled on the spot only because there's still something we need to learn from you."

With a wave of his hand, a faint symbol appeared on the student's forehead. He collapsed instantly—his spiritual power sealed.

"Take him to the Inquisition Tower."

Several silver-armored surveillance instructors stepped from the shadows and swiftly took the student away.

The instructor remained alone beneath the tree, eyes still fixed on the distant dorms. In his gaze, a flicker of doubt gleamed.

"The Ancient Realm Imprint… has it really appeared within the academy?"

⸻

Fourth Floor – Celestial Judgment Tower, High Command Sector of Starborne Academy

In the pale blue glow of countless recording crystals, the Vice Headmistress — a woman with silver hair shimmering like moonlight — stood before the central energy map, where a projection of the academy's spiritual network flickered with life.

A soft click sounded as the chamber doors slid open.

A middle-aged supervisor stepped inside, placing a hand over his chest in formal salute. Traces of recently activated formation runes still glimmered faintly on his shoulder.

"Reporting in."

The Vice Headmistress turned to face him, her expression sharp and focused.

"The situation?"

The supervisor stepped forward, voice steady and composed:

"The subject is a first-year student, cultivation level only at Qi Guiding – Stage Seven. He's not capable of causing spatial disturbances of the magnitude recorded."

"Suspicious item: an ancient talisman – classification unknown. It has been sealed."

The Vice Headmistress frowned slightly.

"Then how did the spatial fluctuation occur? Was he under external control?"

The supervisor shook his head.

"No. After conducting a preliminary soul scan, it appears he has no detailed knowledge of the Spirit Mark of the Ancient Realm — only some vague rumors he may have overheard."

"I believe…"

He paused, then continued in a lower tone:

"He's just a pawn."

"There is another force—hidden in the shadows—pulling the strings."

The atmosphere in the chamber grew heavier. The Vice Headmistress turned to look at the projected energy map, her voice calm but weighty:

"We need to broaden our investigation. This is no longer a simple internal matter."

"If the Spirit Mark of the Ancient Realm has truly surfaced… it will attract more than just local troublemakers."

"Reinforce the defensive wards. And…"

Her gaze sharpened like a drawn blade:

"Monitor anyone who has come into close contact with Tran Hao Thien. Any anomaly—no matter how small—must be reported immediately."

The supervisor gave a firm nod:

"Understood."

⸻

Celestial Observatory Tower – Top Floor of Arkaion Academy

The flickering light from countless sensing crystals dimmed slightly, as if responding to a wave of unseen pressure that had just swept through the room.

Boom…

The massive twin doors—forged from refined spirit alloy—slowly opened on their own. No one touched them.

Footsteps echoed heavily, steady and commanding. A tall man with long silver-white hair stepped into the room, clad in deep azure robes interwoven with glowing starmap sigils—each thread pulsing faintly with cosmic energy.

No introduction was needed.

This was Te Hoanh Thien, the Headmaster of Arkaion Academy.

"The disturbance caused by that student…"

His voice was deep—calm, yet resonant with the weight of time.

"I've reviewed it."

The Vice Headmistress turned to him, mildly surprised but composed. She gave a small nod.

"What do you think?"

Te Hoanh Thien came to a stop beside the central control table, eyes fixed on the slowly pulsing energy model projected above it.

"We cannot determine the origin of his soul."

The Vice Headmistress frowned slightly.

"You mean…?"

"I mean, he does not belong to any known spatial dimension recorded in the Grand Astral Map of the Heavenly Realm Alliance."

His voice lowered, becoming more serious.

"He is neither a reincarnated soul… nor a traveler from another planet. The soul of Tran Hao Thien…"

"…seems to come from an entirely different reality—one that lies outside the laws of this universe."

For a moment, silence fell across the room.

Wind whispered through the gaps of the observation windows, stirring the floating spirit sigils that hung in the air like banners of stardust. The Headmaster and Vice Headmistress locked eyes—hers sharp and observant, his calm yet unreadable.

No further words were needed.

They both understood:

This was no longer a matter confined to the Academy.

It was… a variable that could shake the cosmos itself.

Right after the brief conversation between the Headmaster and the Vice Headmaster, the atmosphere in the control chamber grew noticeably heavier.

The Headmaster stood with arms crossed in front of the academy's energy map, which shimmered with flickering lights—each point representing a location within the campus. After a moment of silent contemplation, he spoke quietly:

"Initiate the Outer Layer Observation Protocol."

The Vice Headmaster looked up.

"You mean…?"

"Don't let him find out. And not a single student must know," he cut her off, his voice deep and firm, like steel forged under immense pressure.

"If Tran Hao Thien really came from 'an undetermined origin'… then we can't take any chances."

She nodded, her gaze sharpening.

"I'll assign two members from the Shadow Trace Division. Ones capable of complete concealment within lower-dimensional space."

"That'll be enough."

The Headmaster turned toward the frost-covered glass window, where pale moonlight reflected off the dome of the Spirit Measurement Tower.

"Observe only. No interference. No contact."

Elsewhere on the academy grounds—high atop a tree hidden within the northern grove—two shadowy figures in dark cloaks sat perfectly still, blending into the night like phantoms.

One of them silently activated a crystal projection frame. An image flickered to life, showing Hao Thien reading a book beneath the soft glow of a desk lamp.

"Nothing out of the ordinary…"

The other whispered:

"But the spiritual energy around him still shifts strangely. As if… something is sleeping inside."

"We'll wait. When the first wind stirs… we'll see which spark is meant to set the sky ablaze."

The soft morning sunlight filtered through the treetops, casting gentle beams across the stone path leading to the main lecture hall. A light breeze rustled the leaves, carrying the scent of fresh grass and faint spiritual energy.

Hao Thien walked alongside Luc Diep, heading to class like any other day. He seemed quieter than usual—his gaze occasionally distant, still clouded by the remnants of a strange dream from the night before.

Inside the classroom, everything appeared normal. The instructor was explaining how to stabilize spiritual energy during a breakthrough to the next cultivation stage. Sunlight streamed in through the windows, painting a peaceful scene—one that felt unshakable.

BOOM!!!

A thunderous explosion echoed from the western quadrant of the academy. The entire lecture hall trembled violently. Glass shattered, the floor cracked beneath their feet. Then came the blaring of alarm sirens—a piercing sound that hadn't been heard in over a century.

A pillar of black flame spiraled upward from the forested outskirts of the academy, soaring into the clouds. Dozens of shadowy figures tore through space, hurling themselves toward the academy's outer defense barrier.

"We're—being attacked!?"

A student shouted in shock.

The instructor instantly cast a protective barrier around the class, their expression more serious than ever:

"Stay calm! All students, assume defensive formation—now!"

But Hao Thien was already standing. His eyes locked onto the window—fixating on that pillar of dark energy—and a strange chill crept into his heart.

Luc Diep narrowed her eyes beside him.

"That… isn't a spirit beast. Someone's breaking through the outer defensive formation."

No one yet knew what was truly happening, but one thing was clear:

The Starflow Academy had officially entered a state of combat.

The morning sun had barely begun to cast its light across the academy grounds when a sudden tremor shook the entire campus.

BOOM!!

The earth quaked. High above, clouds shattered as a massive surge of spirit energy blasted down from the skies, striking the outer perimeter of the academy.

Students screamed in confusion. Emergency sirens rang out across the towers. Classrooms were instantly sealed under defensive formations as the academy entered full alert mode.

A shadow descended like a meteor, slamming into the academy's outer spirit barrier with an impact so forceful that even the Tower of Observation trembled.

A furious voice roared across the sky:

"HAND OVER THE ANCIENT REALM MARK—

OR I'LL BURN THIS ENTIRE PLACE TO ASHES!"

From all directions, black-robed figures emerged, descending on the academy like a pack of wolves. Their violent spirit energy scorched the very air, and trees wilted instantly in their path.

Within seconds, over a dozen supervisors in silver robes soared up from the academy's four defense towers, forming a rotating triad formation in the skies above.

One of them—sharp-eyed, his irises glowing with metallic gold—shouted:

"Enemy breach! Activate the Cloudlink Array—full defense protocol!"

At his command, massive runic formations lit up from deep within the ground, stretching into the sky like a web of stars. Spirit energy surged and formed a towering shield that repelled the wave of dark energy pouring in.

The academy's supervisors struck back.

One conjured a sea of flames that twisted through the sky, devouring incoming foes.

Another summoned a colossal crystal blade from a spatial rift, each slash tearing open the clouds.

A third opened defensive seals, blocking incoming shadow arrays triggered by the enemy.

Battle erupted in full force across the airspace of Starborne Academy.

Spirit energy clashed violently. Brilliant lights streaked like shooting stars, and thunderous booms filled the sky as both sides collided in a chaotic, blinding war.

Meanwhile…

In a classroom in the eastern wing, Tran Hao Thien looked up at the blazing sky, his gaze narrowing.

"The Ancient Realm Mark… again…"

He clenched his fist.

A familiar surge of energy began to rise from within his chest—

as if something deep inside had finally heard its call.