A year in the Blue Tyrant Academy was not measured by semesters or grades, but by the steady, rhythmic pulse of an evolving power that refused to be contained.
Under the shadow of the "Slaughtering Corner," Ren Skyheart had transformed a sanctuary for commoners into a cold, efficient machine of elite warriors.
Ren was now six and a half years old. Due to the Void-Eon Body and the massive nutritional resources Liu Erlong had funneled into him, he stood nearly five feet tall, possessing the lean, corded muscle and height of an eight-year-old athlete.
His white hair, now a long mane he kept tied with a silver cord, gave him an air of ancient authority.
To mark this new era, Ren had discarded the old navy-blue aesthetic of the school. The new uniforms were a striking Azure—a cool, vibrant shade of blue that looked like the sky just before an approaching storm, trimmed with the silver of a dragon's scale.
Across the continent, the "Heavenly Path" was also moving; Tang San was now nearly ten years old, preparing for his graduation from Nuoding.
The Starlight Four, Ren's siblings, were now twelve and a half, standing at the precipice of adulthood in a world that demanded they be gods.
I. The Three Pillars of Progress: Ren's Systematic Conquest
Over the course of the year, Ren operated with the clinical efficiency of a master architect, systematically executing a three-fold plan to secure his base.
The Archives: The CEO's Deduction
Ren spent his nights in Erlong's private library, a candle-lit sanctum filled with classified dossiers. He didn't just read; he cross-referenced.
Using his previous life's knowledge of corporate espionage and data mapping, he reconstructed the Spirit Hall's internal hierarchy.
He confirmed that the "Golden Generation"—the four orphans who had appeared from nowhere—were being housed in the Sacred Hill District, a fortified elite enclave within the city.
Through Erlong's records, he noticed a chilling pattern: the Four were being used as "Moral Scalpels." They weren't just killing enemies; they were being sent to "cleanse" corrupt noble houses that the commoners hated.
"Bibi Dong is a genius," Ren mused one rainy midnight, his Void Blue Eye scanning a troop movement map. "She's making them into folk heroes. She's tying their identities to the gratitude of the masses so that if they ever try to leave her, they'll be abandoning the very people they've sworn to protect. She's building a cage made of love, not iron."
The Sparring: The Dragon's Forge
Every dawn, the private forest shook with the roar of a Fire Dragon. Erlong didn't treat Ren like a child; she treated him as a peer. She forced him to adapt to the crushing heat of a Rank 78 Master, pushing his Phase 2 Armor to the breaking point.
During a particularly brutal session where Erlong's "Dragon's Roar" threatened to liquefy his internal organs, Ren's armor evolved. He realized that the "Void" wasn't just a place for things to disappear; it was a medium that could be folded.
New Skill Manifested: [Void-Eon Aegis]
Instead of a physical shield, Ren learned to manifest a shimmering, translucent barrier of distorted space.
When Erlong's fire struck the Aegis, it didn't dissipate; it was "redirected" around him, as if the fire had forgotten where he was standing.
He had mastered the art of being physically present but spatially absent.
The Purge: The New Student Council
Ren didn't ask for leadership; he took it. He systematically challenged the top ten ranked students of the academy. He didn't humiliate them; he dismantled their flaws with the precision of a surgeon.
By the six-month mark, the Student Council was no longer a social club—it was Ren's private intelligence agency. The academy's "trash" had become a disciplined, loyal force of scouts and informants who saw Ren as their silent King.
He had turned a school into a shadow empire, all dressed in the sharp, clinical Azure that signaled a new power in Heaven Dou.
II. The Gilded Cages: The Starlight Four
While Ren built his fortress in the Azure-clad forest, his siblings were drowning in gold, blood, and the suffocating expectations of the Supreme Pontiff.
At twelve and a half years old, the Starlight Four were the undisputed icons of Spirit Hall.
Liam (Rank 39 - Spirit Elder) had become a mountain of a young man. He spent his days in the "Hall of Infinite Pressure," standing motionless while gravity-stones tried to crush his obsidian shield.
He was the "Immovable Shield of the Pontiff," but in the dark, he would clutch a small, violet stone—a fragment of the SS Emerald—and whisper his leader's name into the silence.
Jax (Rank 38 - Spirit Elder) was no longer a boy; he was a ghost. His Void-Step had advanced to the point where he could traverse an entire city block without touching the ground or being seen.
He was the Pontiff's shadow, the one who removed "obstacles" before they even knew they were in danger. He gathered intelligence with a singular, desperate focus, filtering every report for "anomalies," his heart hardening with every false lead.
Maya (Rank 39) and Elara (Rank 37) were the brains and the heart. Maya sat in the strategy rooms of the Hall, her Heaven-Calculating Eye spinning with a terrifying, silver light.
She was the one who subtly misdirected the Hall's inquisitors away from the Blue Tyrant Academy, sensing a familiar "density" in that direction but keeping it hidden.
Elara, the "Saint of Lilies," healed the wounded in the commoner districts, her lotus growing more vibrant with every life she saved. They were a unified front, waiting for a signal.
III. The Traditional Path: Tang San at Nuoding
Across the continent, the "Heavenly Path" was reaching its first major milestone. Tang San was now ten years old, and he stood at the gates of Nuoding Academy with a quiet, lethal confidence.
He had completed his basic education under the Grandmaster. His Mysterious Heaven Skill had reached a point of perfect fluidity, and his Purple Demon Eye could now see through the most complex illusions.
He had mastered the first set of Tang Sect hidden weapons, his sleeves filled with silent, poisoned death.
To the students of Nuoding, he was a legend—the scholarship student who could defeat anyone with a bunch of "useless" grass.
But Tang San was restless. He felt the world calling him to move. He was destined for Shrek Academy in the south.
He had no idea that a boy three years younger than him was already ruling a premier academy in the heart of the capital.
IV. The Convergence: The Eve of the Debut
Ren stood on the balcony of Liu Erlong's wooden hut, looking out toward the shimmering lights of the Sacred Hill District.
The year of preparation was over. He was six and a half years old, and he was Rank 19. He had intentionally suppressed his breakthrough to Rank 20, using the Void-Well Resonance to compress his spirit power.
"I'm tired of the quiet, Solos," Ren whispered.
The golden dragon manifested, its kitten-sized body now glowing with a deep-violet aura, its scales etched with the runes of the Spire.
"The Imperial Plaza is being prepared, partner," Solos hissed, its golden eyes reflecting the city lights. "The Spirit Hall is hosting a 'Grand Demonstration' next week.
The Golden Generation—our family—will be there to show the Empire why they are the future. It's a public stage, Ren. The perfect place for a king to reclaim his throne."
Ren's Void Blue Eye flickered with a dark, predatory light. He looked at his hands, seeing the faint, black-violet markings of the Void-Eon Body pulsing under his skin.
"Bibi Dong wants to show the world her weapons," Ren said, a cold, hungry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I think it's time she learned that some weapons don't have a master."
He turned back to the room where Liu Erlong sat, drinking tea and watching him with a mixture of pride and fear.
"Erlong," Ren called out. "Get the Azure uniforms ready for the Student Council. We're going to the Plaza next week. I want the Blue Tyrant Academy to walk in as the underdog... and walk out as the only name they remember."
The countdown had begun. Ten-year-old Tang San was moving toward his destiny. The twelve-year-old Starlight Four were at the pinnacle. And in the center, six-year-old Ren Skyheart was about to drop the Anchor.