The royal gardens of the Star Luo Imperial Academy were silent before dawn. While the other noble children still slept, the Fifth Prince stood alone in the inner training yard, bathed in pale moonlight. His hands were clenched into fists, breath steady, focused.
Xing Yun had turned six just days ago—but with spirit power rank 20 and twin martial spirits, his training could no longer follow traditional paths. He had entered a realm of danger that few even at ten or twelve spirit rings could understand.
Grandmaster Xuan Yuan approached quietly, robes billowing in the breeze. Despite his advanced age, he moved like a predator—calm, powerful, unreadable.
"You're early," the old master said.
Xing Yun bowed slightly. "I couldn't sleep. The Divine Lion kept growling in my dreams."
Xuan Yuan nodded. "Your martial spirit is sentient to a degree. The Divine Lion is an ancient beast—it does not like being ignored. And it senses the Brahmastra."
Xing Yun glanced at his palm, where faint golden threads shimmered along the veins of his arm. "They don't like each other."
"No," Xuan Yuan said. "They fear each other. That fear will either tear your soul apart… or forge you into something the Spirit Hall has never faced before."
He motioned to the stone circle at the center of the courtyard. "Come. Let us begin your cultivation."
—
Xing Yun sat cross-legged as the master placed his hand gently on the boy's back. Spirit power flowed like a gentle tide into his core, circulating through his meridians.
"Focus on the Divine Lion first," Xuan Yuan instructed. "It is the more dominant spirit. Visualize its form."
The boy closed his eyes, and the golden beast flared to life in his consciousness. Towering, majestic, its mane like a burning sun.
"Now draw spirit energy into it."
As he did, the spirit responded. A deep rumble echoed in his chest, his pulse quickened, and golden light began to radiate faintly from his skin.
But then… the Brahmastra responded too.
A second pulse of energy surged from deep within him. Cold, precise, humming like a divine artifact being drawn from an ancient temple.
The two powers collided.
Xing Yun's body trembled. His breath caught. His bones groaned from the pressure, and sweat burst from his skin. He gritted his teeth.
"I—can't—control—"
"Don't suppress them!" Xuan Yuan barked. "Let them clash—but guide them! They must learn your will is stronger!"
The boy roared. Not from fear—but to assert dominance.
Suddenly, the lion stopped growling.
The Brahmastra dimmed… slightly.
Both spirits hovered, waiting.
Then… they faded, retreating back into his spiritual sea.
Xing Yun collapsed forward, gasping. Steam rose from his body.
Xuan Yuan exhaled. "That's… progress."
The boy coughed, then grinned. "I thought I was going to explode."
"Twin spirit users often do," the master said calmly. "You survived the first synchronization attempt. That means your soul foundation is stronger than we feared. But to proceed further…"
"I'll need a spirit ring," Xing Yun finished, eyes serious. "Two of them."
Xuan Yuan nodded. "You are already rank 20, and each of your spirits will require a ring to stabilize. But this will not be a simple hunt."
"Because the Divine Lion spirit demands a powerful beast," the boy said.
"Yes. And the Brahmastra… may reject any beast not born of extreme purity or ancient origin. You'll need to fight, earn, and perhaps even bargain with your first rings."
Xuan Yuan stood and looked toward the distant forests beyond the palace walls.
"There's a spirit beast enclave in the western frontier," he said. "The imperial guards control the area. We'll go in secret. No royal banners, no titles. Just you, me, and the hunt."
Xing Yun rose to his feet.
"Good," he said. "I want to earn it."
—
In a secluded garden near the east wing, a figure sat on a stone bench, watching the moon with half-lidded eyes.
It was Dai Jun, the Second Prince.
He held a jade slip in his hand, an engraved communication talisman.
He activated it.
"The Fifth Prince is preparing for his first spirit ring hunt. Leaving the palace soon. Just thought you'd like to know."
From the talisman, a cold, feminine voice replied:
"We're already watching."
Dai Jun smirked. "Try not to kill him too quickly. I'd prefer he suffers a little first."