The deeper they went into the Seventh Prince’s residence, the more it felt… wrong.Like walking into a place that time had simply given up on.Kaelen Viremont followed the green-robed man through the last stretch of Vermilion Bird City. Slowly, the noise behind them faded—first the shouting merchants, then the busy footsteps, then even the distant clatter of carriages.And then… nothing.Just silence.Heavy silence.Before long, it appeared.A mansion.Or what was left of one, really.Kaelen stopped at the entrance without even realizing it.This place… had clearly once been important. You could still feel it, faintly. That old pressure of status, of nobility, of “someone important used to live here.”But now?It looked abandoned beyond saving.The walls were cracked, colors faded like old ink washed away by rain. Moss crawled over the stone like it owned the place now. The wooden gates were warped and tired, barely hanging on.Even the stone lion statues at the entrance were half-swa

At that moment, Kaelen Viremont also caught the cold, sharp voice echoing from a distance. It cut through the broken silence of the courtyard like a blade.He turned slightly toward the girl beside him and asked in a calm tone,“Is that man a guard of the Seventh Prince’s residence? Is he loyal to you?”The girl—Cailor Huanxue—shook her head without even a second of hesitation.“No. He is not loyal at all,” she said, her voice tight. “He only uses my status to curry favor with powerful people from other prince residences.”A faint smile appeared at the corner of Kaelen’s mouth. It wasn’t warm. It wasn’t cold either. Just… unreadable.“Then,” he said quietly, “our first lesson starts with him.”Before Cailor could respond, a voice rang out from the distance.“Kid, what are you talking about with the little princess of the Seventh Prince’s residence?”Heavy footsteps followed.An armored man walked forward slowly, every step carrying pressure and arrogance. His gaze first swept over Kae

“Kill him.”Kaelen Viremont’s calm voice echoed in Caius Thorne’s ears, yet the weight of those two words made her entire body tremble.Her fingers tightened unconsciously around the hilt of the sword.From the moment she was born until now, Caius had endured humiliation, neglect, and silent suffering. But she had never taken a life. She had not even truly fought anyone before.And now, the man beside her was asking her to kill.“N-no… please…”The armored man’s voice broke as fear swallowed him whole.Only now did he understand the terrifying presence of the black-clothed youth standing quietly nearby. What once seemed like an ordinary figure now felt like an abyss he could not comprehend.Standing before Kaelen Viremont, he felt smaller than dust, like an insect facing something far beyond its understanding.Who exactly is he?His thoughts spiraled into panic.This kind of pressure… it reminded him of the ancient powerhouses hidden deep within the imperial palace of the Eldravan Emp

The moment Churon Yuxiao’s command echoed through the hall, the white-robed elder beside him slowly opened his eyes.For a brief instant, the entire space seemed to grow heavier.His gaze settled on Kaelen Viremont, calm and measured, as though he were examining something beneath him.Then, he smiled faintly.“The Heir of Thornreach,” Elder Harlan Vesong said, his voice steady, “does not possess the strength to kill Black Armor. Which means the one who killed him… must be you.”Kaelen did not deny it.A faint smile lingered on his lips, as if the matter held no significance.“And if it was?”The casual reply caused a subtle shift in the air.Elder Harlan’s expression did not change, but his eyes sharpened.“You are not of the Eldravan Empire’s royal lineage,” he continued. “Yet you interfere in its internal affairs. Not only that, you chose to involve yourself with the most declining branch of the royal family.”His tone carried neither anger nor urgency, only quiet judgment.“I can a

From what Senior Zephiron of the Tairen Sword Sect had mentioned before, the rule of thumb was pretty clear. If you wanted to make a name for yourself in the Hundred Dynasties War, especially in front of giants like the Sea God Academy, then you'd better be at the Divine Ability Realm.No way around it.Only then would those big forces actually bother looking your way. And once that happened… You weren’t just another nameless cultivator anymore. You’d have leverage. Real leverage.Kaelen Viremont had already taken that into account.In the meantime, he had other plans too. He intended to wander around Vermilion Bird City and check out any major auctions or even underground black markets. Places like that always had hidden treasures if you knew where to look.What he needed most right now was simple—items that could boost soul power.Because in something like the Hundred Dynasties War, soul strength wasn’t flashy… but it was deadly. The kind of thing that could quietly decide whether y