The referee appeared beside Ray in an instant, catching him with one arm while his other hand released a soft white glow, sealing wounds and halting further blood loss.

Scarlet collapsed onto the ground, staring blankly at Ray.

Never in her life had she fought a peer so fiercely… or so painfully.

How can he fight like this?

That dragon claw… how did it block my soul skill?

If she had been more prepared, perhaps things wouldn't have gone this far.

Is he alright?

Ray lay motionless, his body soaked in blood, face pale, eyes closed. He had long since lost consciousness.

In the final clash, he had held on by sheer will alone. When the stargod energy overwhelmed him and his soul power collapsed, his body finally gave way. Had he lasted even one more second, the outcome might have been different.

Alfred appeared on the stage like a phantom.

He took Ray from the referee's arms and released an icy mist over his wounds. Without sparing Scarlet even a glance, he turned and left the stage, Ray cradled securely in his arms.

Lily and Raziel Phoenix rushed forward.

The instant Lily saw Ray's bloodied state, killing intent surged from her like a tidal wave.

A chill ran down Scarlet's spine as she stood up. She turned subconsciously and met Lily's gaze.

Their eyes collided.

The air crackled.

Alfred's hands moved swiftly as he examined Ray. A moment later, he said calmly, "He's fine. Superficial wounds only. I'll take him back first."

With a few enigmatic steps, his figure blurred and vanished.

The second round of the individual competition ended.

Ray lost.

After Alfred departed, Lily stepped toward the stage. Six different glints flickered in her eyes, bloodlust radiating from her body. Even Raziel Phoenix felt as if he were standing beside a volcano about to erupt.

Scarlet waited calmly once Lily reached the ground.

"I want to challenge you," Lily said, her voice colder than ice.

Scarlet snorted. "I'm only fighting once in the individual competition. If you want me, then meet me in the team battle."

She turned and left.

Lily moved to chase after her, but Raziel Phoenix grabbed her arm. "Lily, don't be reckless! She's from Central Academy!"

Lily snapped her head back, glaring at him so fiercely that he froze. "So what if she's from Central Academy?"

Raziel Phoenix released her immediately, stammering, "I just mean… it won't mean anything unless we beat them fair and square. Ray was only an inch away from winning. You know how strong Central Academy is now."

Lily's killing intent slowly receded. She snorted and turned away.

"Hey! Don't you still have your own match?" Raziel Phoenix shouted.

"I'm forfeiting," Lily replied without stopping. "I'm going to see Ray."

She broke into a run.

*

Ray woke to a cool, soothing sensation.

When he opened his eyes, the familiar glacial expression of Alfred greeted him.

"Teacher," Ray murmured. He tried to sit up, but pain tore through his body, forcing him back down.

Alfred glanced at him. "You're awake. Rest."

"But… my match—"

"Don't think about it," Alfred cut him off. "You did well. You had a chance to win. What you lack right now is combat capability. Once you recover, I'll teach you another Tang Sect secret art."

Ray froze. "But… I'm only allowed two. I've only passed the intermediate test."

"A third-rank professional can learn one more," Alfred replied calmly. "I held back before because I didn't want you overextending yourself. This time, I'll choose something suitable. For now, recover."

"Yes," Ray replied obediently.

"Ray, you're awake!" Lily rushed over with a cup of water, gently holding a straw to his lips. "Drink slowly."

Ray smiled faintly at the worry in her eyes and took a sip. "Thank you. What time is it?"

"Just past noon," Lily said softly. "Are you hungry? I'll go get you something to eat."

Ray shook his head lightly. "No need. Don't forget there's still the match this afternoon. I might not be able to fight, but you all can. Do your best for me. I've already been eliminated from the individual competition anyway, so the team battle is all I've got left."

Lily froze. "You still want to compete?"

"Of course." Ray smiled. "Relax, I'm fine. Just surface wounds. I'll be back to normal by tomorrow."

As he spoke, a strange sensation rippled through his body.

When he'd tried to move earlier, waves of pain had surged up, followed by a numb chill that soon melted into an itch. It wasn't unpleasant. On the contrary, it felt like life knitting itself together. Experience told him that this was a good sign.

Alfred narrowed his eyes. "You felt it too?"

"Huh?" Ray blinked.

"When I sealed your wounds," Alfred said slowly, "I noticed something abnormal. Your recovery ability is… excessive. The sliced muscles were already writhing, eager to reattach. The other wounds were closing on their own. I've never seen anything like it. It's probably tied to your bloodline. Does anything feel off?"

Ray gave a crooked smile. "Other than being hungry? No."

Alfred nodded. "It seems all that food you eat actually serves a purpose. Lily, get him something high in protein."

"Alright!" Lily's eyes lit up. Relieved by his rapid recovery, she hurried off.

Alfred turned back to Ray. "What do you think about today's fight?"

Ray fell silent for a moment, replaying the battle in his mind. "She's very strong. Her martial soul is powerful, and her control is terrifying. I couldn't match her swordsmanship at all. If not for my golden dragon claw, I wouldn't have stood a chance."

Alfred gave a slight nod. "Correct. If she hadn't underestimated you, you would have lost much earlier. Your golden dragon claw can't be maintained for long. Had she chosen to stall, your soul power would've been drained, your claw would've vanished, and defeat would've been inevitable. You only had a chance because she wanted a quick victory."

He paused, then added, "Still, you did well. But perception and control mean nothing without a solid foundation of power."

"Yes," Ray replied seriously.

He understood. His weakness was clear. He had only one soul skill, Bind, and his control over Silverfalls Vine, while improved, was far from mastery. The golden dragon claw was terrifying, but it demanded close combat and couldn't last. Even the Purple Demon Eyes weren't invincible. They had been blocked today, after all.

What he needed was more techniques. More experience. More strength.

This was the first time Ray had been injured so badly, yet his recovery astonished even himself. Scarlet's stargod energy hadn't invaded his body, but it had exploded across his skin. That alone should've left him bedridden.

Instead, barely two hours after waking, he could already stand. The wounds had scabbed over, patchy and strange, like mismatched pieces sewn onto a quilt.

By nightfall, he was walking on his own and even went out to eat.

His body was still marked with injuries, most of them on his limbs, but the speed at which he healed left his teammates staring at him like he was some kind of monster.

Ray didn't participate in the second round of the team event, but it didn't matter. Lily charged head-on and crushed their opponents with brutal efficiency.

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