The Ryuzaki Training Grounds were a marvel of ancient engineering—a massive island held aloft in the void by spiritual arrays. Here, the clan's descendants engaged in rigorous shugyo (ascetic training), pushing their limits in duels and strength tests.
The Taiyue Ancient Stele, a monolith of divine weight, stood at the center of the arena. At its base, a young girl in an elegant palace-style kimono sat in deep meditation. This was Ryuzaki Linglong. At fifteen, she possessed a noble grace and long, wavy hair that shimmered like golden silk.
More importantly, she possessed the Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart, often called the "Heart of a Saint." This rare trait granted her peerless comprehension of any technique. While many of the clan's top prodigies had tried to recruit her as a retainer, she had rejected them all.
"Look, Linglong is about to move," the surrounding disciples whispered.
"Heaven-Suppressing Golden Palm!" Linglong cried out, her jade-like hand striking the cold stone of the Taiyue Stele.
Boom!
The runes on the stele glowed brilliantly. 150,000 jin of force!
The crowd erupted. Even a genius at the peak of physical refinement usually struggled to hit 100,000 jin. Linglong had surpassed the mortal limit.
"Only 30,000 more than last time, Linglong?" a sharp, mocking voice rang out. Lan Qingya, a charming but haughty woman in a blue dress, swayed forward. She was a follower of the Tenth Sequence, Ryuzaki Zhangjian.
"My master, Lord Zhangjian, left a record of five million jin on this very stone," Qingya sneered. "He offered you a place at his side, yet you chose arrogance. Do you see your ignorance now?"
Linglong remained calm, her voice like cool water. "Your master's sword is sharp, but it is not the sharpest. The one I, Linglong, shall follow must be a Sovereign who can suppress an entire era."
Linglong possessed a secret: her special heart once allowed her to glimpse a fragment of the future. In that vision, she saw a transcendent figure in white—a Heavenly Emperor—standing with his back to the world while hundreds of millions prostrated before him. She was waiting for that person.
"Suppress an era? What a laughable delusion!" Qingya laughed. Even the First Sequence wouldn't dare claim such a thing.
Suddenly, the sky brightened. A majestic white crane descended from the clouds, carrying a small figure that looked like a young deity.
'He is so young... why is a child coming to the martial arena?' the disciples wondered.
Haruto lightly touched the ground, his presence instantly commanding the space. His skin was as clear as lustrous jade, and his features were so perfectly sculpted he looked like a doll brought to life by a god.
"How cute! I want to pinch his cheeks!" a young lady squealed.
"I want to take him home..." another added with a lovesick gaze.
Haruto felt a cold sweat. His Kidney Treasury was powerful, but he wasn't ready to deal with a group of "ruthless" clan sisters. 'I'm only three, please don't make me pull a heavy cart yet,' he thought.
"Little one," a senior disciple asked, "which branch are you from? I've never seen you."
"Of course you haven't," Haruto replied lazily. "This is my first time leaving the Ten-no-Kura."
The arena went silent. The Ten-no-Kura (Heavenly Emperor Palace) was reserved only for the highest authorities. The senior disciple's eyes widened. "You... you are the one from three years ago?"
"Indeed. I am Ryuzaki Haruto."
Whoosh!
As if pulled by a single string, every member of the Ryuzaki Clan in the arena dropped into a deep, respectful bow.
"We greet the Divine Son!"
Linglong's heart suddenly fluttered. Her intuition screamed at her. 'Is it him? The figure from my vision?' Even Lan Qingya turned pale and hurriedly bowed, terrified of offending the clan's most protected treasure.
Haruto looked at the sea of bowing heads and felt a bit disappointed. 'Wait, isn't there supposed to be a cliché where someone challenges me so I can show off? Everyone is being too obedient... it's like punching cotton.'
Realizing no one would dare provoke him, Haruto turned toward the towering monolith.
[Ding! You have arrived at the check-in location: Taiyue Ancient Stele. Do you wish to Sign-In?]
'Sign-In!' Haruto commanded.