The buzz in my head slowly faded as I walked into the physical testing area. It was a massive arena with high ceilings, reinforced walls, and rows of complex machinery designed to measure raw physical strength, speed, and soul forms. The floor was lined with black rubber mats, and several large scanning circles were painted in white right in the center.
A different group of examiners stood near the main console. They looked even more serious than the ones in the previous room.
"Saito Hayato," the proctor called out, looking up from his monitor. "Step into the center circle for the physical attribute test, followed by the soul form manifestation."
I walked over and stood right in the middle of the white circle. A faint blue laser light swept down from the ceiling, scanning my body from head to toe. On the giant screen above, numbers began to tick upward rapidly. My muscle density, bone strength, and nervous system reflex speeds were all being calculated. The results settled well above the standard limits for a normal twenty-four-year-old, a direct result of my Rank 5 Ascension Phase cultivation.
"Physical baseline is excellent," the proctor noted, pressing a button on the console. "Now, release your spiritual soul power to manifest your soul form. The scanner will capture its imagery and categorize it."
I closed my eyes and reached deep into my consciousness. I didn't really know what to expect. In this world, a soul master usually had one soul form—a beast, a weapon, or an element that defined their power. Having two was considered an absolute anomaly found only once in a century.
I pushed the azure energy outward.
The room suddenly grew intensely cold. The air moisture froze instantly, and thick frost began to coat the glass windows of the observation deck. From the mist behind me, a massive, slithering figure appeared. It was a giant Frost Python, its scales glistening like cracked ice, its eyes glowing with a freezing blue light.
The examiners nodded, impressed but not entirely shocked. "A high-tier elemental beast form. Impressive, Mr. Saito."
But I wasn't done. The energy in my chest flared again, completely out of my control.
A sharp, metallic hum echoed through the arena. The ground beneath the rubber mats cracked as thick, wooden roots wrapped in sharp, sword-like leaves erupted upward. In an instant, a miniature version of a towering tree materialized, its branches sharp as rapiers, radiating a terrifying, suffocating pressure.
The proctor's jaw dropped. "A dual soul form? A plant type with weapon attributes?"
Before anyone could speak, the azure energy turned pitch black, and a deep, rumbling roar shook the entire foundation of the building. The pressure in the room tripled. A massive, majestic Dragon formed from the dark energy, coiling around the tree and the python, its golden eyes staring down at the console.
Three soul forms. A Frost Python, a Dragon, and the legendary Blade Mother Tree.
I stared at the manifestations, my knees suddenly giving out. I collapsed onto the mat, too surprised to even stand. From the books I had read over the last three months, I knew exactly what this meant. This wasn't just talent; this was completely heaven-defying. It defied the very laws of soul cultivation.
Up in the main administrative office, the Head Academy Director was looking over the live data feed when the notification flashed red. He stared at the screen, his coffee mug slipping from his hand and shattering on the floor.
He grabbed his communicator and dialed the highest authority he knew.
On the other end of the line, in the executive suite of the Koba Group, Kobayashi Minato answered the call with his usual lazy tone. "What is it? I'm busy."
"Director Kobayashi," the Head Director gasped, his voice cracking with pure disbelief. "The new son of the Saito clan... Saito Hayato. He just finished his physical test."
"And? I heard he's a Rank 5. Hiroshi's a lucky man."
"No, sir... you don't understand," the director stammered, staring at the analysis printout. "He just manifested three distinct soul forms simultaneously. One of them is a legendary dragon, and another matches the ancient myth of the Blade Mother Tree!"
Minato bolted upright in his chair, his lazy countenance vanishing instantly as he gripped the desk.
"What did you say...?" Minato demanded, his voice echoing in the empty office.
The testing arena was immediately locked down. The examiners were frozen in place, too stunned to even hit the reset button on the alarms. The myth of the Blade forest was something every historian knew, but to see its mother tree manifest in reality was terrifying.
Within minutes, the doors to the observation deck slammed open. Chairman Saito Hiroshi walked in, followed closely by Red and a team of high-level security personnel. His face was entirely devoid of emotion, but his sharp eyes swept over the examiners.
"This testing room is now under corporate secrecy," Hiroshi announced, his commanding voice cutting through the panic. "Every piece of data regarding the physical test is to be wiped from the local servers and transferred directly to my private network."
He looked down at me as I slowly got back to my feet, the three soul forms finally receding back into my chest.
"Red, clear the hallway and get the car ready," Hiroshi ordered calmly. He looked at the trembling head proctor. "The official record will state that my son possesses a rare variant of a single beast-type soul form. If a single word about a triple manifestation or the Blade Tree leaves this room, the Saito Corporation will ensure this academy loses its funding by sunset."
The proctor nodded frantically, quickly deleting the data strings from the main monitors.
Hiroshi walked down to the arena floor and stood in front of me. He didn't look angry; if anything, his grip on my shoulder was firmer than usual.
"You've raised quite a storm today, Hayato," Hiroshi said quietly, his eyes scanning my pale face. "Let's go home before the rest of the city tries to tear us apart to see what's inside you."