Despite knowing that any examiner of Central Academy must be monstrously strong, the elderly woman before him looked frail, as though the wind itself might knock her over. His strength had long since surpassed five hundred kilograms, and with Golden Dragon Body activated, it easily exceeded five thousand. He truly feared that one punch might seriously injure her.

"Don't hold back," the old lady snapped impatiently. "My bones aren't as fragile as they look. If you actually kill me, you can march straight into the Sea God's Pavilion."

Her words left no room for refusal.

Ray took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn. "Please… be careful."

He threw a punch.

Bang!

Before his fist could reach its target, Ray felt a sudden force strike his arm from the side, instantly knocking his punch away.

"Is that all you've got?" the old lady scolded sharply. "Have you not eaten in days? Use some real strength!"

The bystanders had seen it clearly. Ray's scaled fist had shot out with terrifying speed, yet the old lady had casually swatted it aside as if brushing away an insect.

Knowing just how terrifying Ray's physical strength was made the scene even more shocking. Even without using his full power, he was still a walking dragon in human form. And yet… she had dismissed him so easily.

Realization dawned on Ray, and the last of his hesitation vanished. He inhaled deeply, his abdomen expanding as a sharp whistling sound rang through the air. His arms swelled further, golden scales gleaming with blinding brilliance as power surged through his limbs. With a low shout, he hurled a second punch forward.

This time, a thunderous boom echoed through the room as his fist tore through the air, leaving behind a streak of golden afterimage.

Bang!

His fist slammed to a halt, caught firmly within the old lady's palm.

She had not retreated even a single step. Her expression remained calm, almost bored. Ray felt as though he had punched a vast wall of rubber, all of his strength dispersing harmlessly upon contact.

A chill ran through him.

She stopped my punch without even using soul power or a martial soul?

"Is that all?" the old lady asked coolly. "You're only this strong?"

The faint disappointment in her eyes struck at Ray's pride.

"I can be stronger," he said, his voice firm.

Golden light surged violently as his right hand transformed into a golden dragon claw. With Golden Dragon Body fully activated, a low, oppressive rumble emanated from the claw, causing the air itself to tremble under its might.

This time, interest finally flickered in the old lady's eyes.

"Come," she said simply.

Ray drew in one final, steady breath. This time, he poured everything he had into the strike. His blood essence roared as it surged toward his right arm, converging into a single point.

The regal roar of a dragon echoed through the room as he unleashed his punch. Unlike before, there was no sonic boom; the air parted cleanly before the overwhelming force of his fist.

For the first time, the old lady responded in kind.

As Ray's fist neared her, light warped around her body. In that instant, nine dazzling soul rings appeared in succession, radiating overwhelming pressure. Before anyone could fully comprehend what they were seeing, the two fists collided.

Boom!

Ray was blasted backward like a fired shell, smashing into the wall more than twenty meters away and embedding himself deep within it.

The old lady, however, had not moved at all.

After a brief pause, she turned calmly and returned to her seat at the table. "Next."

"Captain!"

"Ray!"

Raziel, Lily, and Violetta cried out simultaneously, rushing toward him in alarm.

"I'm fine," Ray said, coughing lightly as he spoke.

Chunks of stone fell away as he pulled himself free from the wall. The structure was astonishingly sturdy, yet even so, the impact had left a clear imprint of his body.

He truly was unharmed.

During their clash, it had felt as though he had struck an unimaginably vast elastic surface, the rebound alone sending him flying. His body was resilient enough to endure such punishment, though the experience was far from pleasant.

The three punches had drained a great deal of his blood essence, leaving him weak and hollow.

Lily supported him as he stepped down. "Are you really alright?"

Ray nodded. "I'll be fine after a short rest. I'm just… a bit hungry again."

If he could eat a proper meal right now, his blood essence might recover much faster. Unfortunately, food was nowhere to be found.

While the students focused on Ray, they failed to notice the stunned expressions on Giselle's face and those of the two other examiners. All three of them were staring at Ray as though they had just witnessed something impossible.

Ray sat down, steadied his breathing, and circulated the Mysterious Heaven Method to recover both soul power and blood essence. His gaze drifted toward the old lady, awe and reverence mingling in his eyes.

Her strength was unfathomable. Even Teacher Wu… might not be her equal.

Lily stepped forward then, her expression calm yet serious. Unlike the others, she did not bow. She merely nodded once. "I'll begin now."

Giselle frowned. This was the first time she had ever seen an examinee behave so casually before Central Academy's examiners.

The old lady narrowed her eyes slightly, leaning back in her chair. "Go ahead."

Three soul rings rose beneath Lily's feet, two yellow and one purple. She lifted her hands, cupping them gently as a soft yellow light gathered between her palms. The aura was stable and tranquil, the unmistakable hallmark of the earth element.

The earth-element energy rotated slowly, gradually solidifying into a tangible form.

Elemental control. She's demonstrating spiritual power.

The three examiners reached the same conclusion almost instantly.

Yet what followed exceeded their expectations.

Lily shifted the sphere of yellow light to her left hand and began shaping it with the fingers of her right. With each delicate motion, a petal formed, precise and flawless.

When she finished, a nine-petaled yellow flower rested quietly in her palm, spinning slowly and emitting a faint, mysterious glow.

The sight was mesmerizing.

The middle-aged examiner on the right nodded faintly in approval. Elemental-type martial souls were exceedingly rare, and Lily's immense spiritual power and refined control were clearly exceptional. Even so, at first glance, this still lay within the realm of what Central Academy considered… acceptable.

Lily suddenly reached out and grasped at empty air. When she slowly opened her hand again, faint specks of blue light shimmered into existence across her palm. They multiplied rapidly, flowing together like droplets drawn by an unseen tide, until a soft, spherical glow of azure light hovered above her hand.

Water element.

Before anyone could voice the thought, Lily had already begun shaping it.

Just as she had done with the earth element, she refined the blue sphere into delicate petals of water, their edges translucent and fluid.

These petals floated above the solid yellow earth petals, forming a second layer. There was one fewer water petal than earth petals, and as the two layers rotated, they occasionally overlapped, blending solidity and fluidity into a mesmerizing harmony.

Her three soul rings lit up in succession, each reinforcing her control at a crucial moment.

Dual-element control. An extraordinary martial soul.

The two middle-aged examiners exchanged glances, their expressions brightening with unmistakable approval. Even within Central Academy, a soul master capable of simultaneously manipulating two elements with such precision was rare.

But Lily did not stop.

She reached into the air once more, fingers closing as though she were grasping invisible threads. Wisps of green light flickered into existence and gathered in her palm, lively and restless.

Wind element?

Both middle-aged examiners leaned forward at the same time, anticipation flashing through their eyes. Dual-element soul masters were already uncommon, but a soul master capable of wielding three elements was practically unheard of. In theory, controlling multiple elements placed an unbearable burden on the body and mind. Soul rings usually enhanced a single attribute, and different elements often conflicted with one another. Three was already beyond what most considered possible.

The green light spun faster and faster, forming a miniature vortex before condensing into a luminous green sphere. It rose above the water petals, then split apart into seven sharp-edged wind petals that hovered in place, their rotation precise and unwavering.

The room fell into stunned silence.

She's controlling three elements… and doing so flawlessly.

The balance between earth, water, and wind was seamless, the transitions smooth and natural, as though the elements themselves were willingly responding to her command. Such mastery could only come from extraordinary spiritual power and an exceptionally deep understanding of elemental laws.

Yet even now, Lily had not finished.

When she reached out for the fourth time, the examiner seated on the right could no longer restrain himself and abruptly stood up. Giselle's eyes widened as well, disbelief flickering across her face. She had seen Lily wield multiple elements before, but never like this. Never to this extent.

Scarlet sparks ignited in the air, converging swiftly in Lily's palm. In the blink of an eye, a compact fireball took shape, its flames restrained yet intense. Beads of sweat slid down Lily's forehead, but her gaze remained steady, her breathing controlled, her composure unshaken.

The old lady, who had remained calm throughout, leaned forward slightly. For the first time, a visible crack appeared in her indifference.

Four elements.

The difference between controlling three elements and four was not a matter of degree, but of kind. It was a chasm that theory itself declared impossible.

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