Chapter 127: What Is Your Secret?

Chapter 127: Chapter 127: What Is Your Secret?

"He’s probably awakened from a healing-related supernatural ability," he said.

"Given how abnormal his recovery is, it might even be a second ability."

Martial artists who reached the Star Sea Realm could awaken supernatural abilities as they formed stars within their bodies.

The process was unpredictable, and some were fortunate enough to awaken more than one ability.

Even those who awakened only a single ability could experience further enhancements as their cultivation advanced.

Damon’s case was a reminder that no two opponents at the same realm were necessarily alike.

Using the Perception Rune Stone, Xavier had already sensed the enormous crater and the destruction surrounding the playground.

He had also picked up fragments of the conversations taking place among the teachers and students.

Based on those observations, he suspected that Damon’s first supernatural ability was related to gravity or earth manipulation.

His extraordinary vitality, meanwhile, was likely the result of a second ability.

Xavier silently committed that lesson to memory.

In the future, he would have to be more thorough when dealing with powerful enemies.

Decapitation alone was not necessarily enough to guarantee that a Star Sea Realm martial artist was dead.

Ideally, he would eliminate the threat completely and dispose of the body afterward.

As he examined the contents of Damon’s spatial ring with his spiritual sense, one particular item caught his attention.

The Dragon Bone Puppet.

Xavier raised an eyebrow.

"I should return this to Mira," he said.

"Otherwise, I’ll have to come up with another excuse to invest in it later, and that would be unnecessarily troublesome."

He had originally intended to finish off Damon and leave the academy immediately.

However, discovering the puppet gave him another idea. With that decided, he headed straight for the playground.

* * *

By the time Xavier arrived, teachers and students had gathered around the battlefield, still struggling to understand what they had witnessed.

Mira was among them, her expression revealing her confusion when she saw him approach.

Without offering any explanation, Xavier walked directly up to her and handed over the Dragon Bone Puppet.

Then, before anyone could ask him a question, he turned and left.

To the bewildered spectators, the entire exchange made little sense.

Xavier had appeared out of nowhere, returned a puppet to Mira, and departed just as abruptly.

But the moment he walked away, a familiar series of notifications rang inside his mind.

[Congratulations, Host! Your investment in the Dragon Bone Puppet (4th-Tier, Low-Level) has succeeded!]

[Investment Bonus Triggered: 20x!]

[Reward Received: Flower Fairy Puppet (5th-Tier, Low-Level)!]

Xavier’s eyes lit up.

One Dragon Bone Puppet had earned him two separate investment rewards! He could not help wondering whether he had stumbled upon a loophole in the system’s rules.

Unfortunately, he could not rely on this trick too often.

Exploiting it repeatedly would defeat the purpose of his investments and leave Mira with an unfair advantage over everyone else.

Still, the reward itself was excellent.

"A 5th-Tier puppet," he murmured.

"That’s equivalent to a martial artist who has just entered the Divine Power Realm."

He examined the new reward through the system. Of course, a puppet’s cultivation level did not mean it possessed all the abilities of a martial artist at the same realm.

The Flower Fairy Puppet had formidable physical strength, but it lacked the sophisticated martial techniques and supernatural abilities that made experienced fighters dangerous.

Against a martial artist of equal cultivation, its limitations would be obvious.

The Dragon Bone Puppet he had returned to Mira was a high level 4th-Tier puppet, with physical strength comparable to a martial artist at the peak of the Star Sea Realm.

Yet Damon had still managed to overpower it because the puppet lacked the versatility needed to compete with someone of his caliber.

The 5th-Tier Flower Fairy Puppet suffered from similar shortcomings.

"Even so, this is a worthwhile reward," Xavier smiled.

Although the puppet might struggle against a genuine Divine Power Realm opponent, that did not mean it was useless.

Against ordinary Star Sea Realm martial artists, its superior physical strength could still give it a considerable advantage.

After all, there was a significant difference between being unable to defeat an opponent at one’s own level and being unable to defeat someone below it.

Xavier was satisfied with that.

* * *

Outside Arcadia Academy, several powerful figures were working together to break the enormous barrier surrounding the campus.

The dark formation had sealed off the entire academy, preventing anyone inside from escaping and blocking outsiders from entering.

Its oppressive aura made it clear that this was no ordinary defensive formation.

Minister Samuel Bush studied the barrier with a grim expression.

"Isn’t this the Earthly Fiend Imprisoning God Formation?" he said, turning toward the senior official beside him, his tone sharpening.

"Johnny, how could a formation like this appear inside Arcadia Academy? You need to explain how this happened!"

Vice Principal Johnny looked equally troubled.

"I have no idea who placed it here!" he said.

"I’ve spent the past two days dealing with the enormous amount of resources the government allocated to the academy. They were part of the reward for Mira winning first place in the Barley Cup."

His expression grew anxious as he glanced at the sealed grounds. "Mira. I hope whoever activated this formation isn’t targeting her. If something has happened to that girl, the consequences will be serious."

"Then stop wasting time!" Victoria Quill ordered.

"Everyone, concentrate on your attacks! We need to break through this barrier as quickly as possible!"

The Earthly Fiend Imprisoning God Formation sounded intimidating, but its primary purpose was to confine its targets.

It could also function as a defensive formation, making it difficult for people outside to interfere with whatever was happening within.

There were generally two ways to dismantle such a formation: destroy its core from the inside or force a breakthrough from the outside.

With the academy sealed and no reliable information about the situation inside, the three officials had chosen the second option.

Dozens of martial artists from the Extraordinary Division had gathered around them, contributing their strength to the assault.

Helena and Solomon Hart were also present.

Solomon had rushed over as soon as he learned what had happened because his daughter, Evelyn, was trapped inside the academy.

He had no intention of standing by while her safety remained uncertain.

The combined attacks of so many powerful martial artists gradually began to affect the barrier.

"Keep going! We’re almost through!" Samuel said.

His spirits lifted when he heard a faint cracking sound coming from the formation. He immediately urged everyone to intensify their attacks.

A moment later, the barrier flickered. Its dark surface dimmed abruptly, and before anyone could react, the entire formation shattered into nothingness.

The surging earthly fiend energy dispersed and sank back into the ground.

The sudden disappearance left everyone stunned.

"What just happened?" Samuel exclaimed.

A moment later, his expression darkened as he realized what the situation most likely meant.

The formation had not been broken by their combined attacks. If it had been, they would have witnessed a gradual collapse under the pressure.

Instead, it had vanished almost instantly.

That could only mean one thing: someone had deactivated the formation from within.

Considering that the strongest teachers and students at Arcadia Academy were only at the Spirit Platform Realm, the person responsible had probably accomplished whatever they had come to do and decided to withdraw.

The thought filled Samuel with unease.

"Everyone, spread out and keep watch!" he ordered.

"Search the surrounding area for anyone suspicious. Don’t let anyone slip away without being questioned!"

As the experienced official issued orders to the Extraordinary Division’s martial artists, he hurried into the academy to investigate the situation personally.

Victoria was even faster.

Worried about her student, she activated her supernatural ability and rose into the air. In the blink of an eye, she shot past the others and disappeared into the academy grounds.

The moment the danger had passed, the academy’s playground erupted into a frenzy of excitement.

"Mira is incredible!" one student shouted.

"Those so-called geniuses on the Prodigy Ranking aren’t even fit to carry her shoes!" another said.

"Good heavens! I’ll remember what happened today for the rest of my life. I’ve never witnessed anything so thrilling!"

"The Bloodshadow Cult Master is dead! We survived! We don’t have to worry about him killing us anymore!"

Amid the celebration, some students began discussing the mysterious man who had appeared during the battle.

"By the way, does anyone know who that terrifying fellow was? The one who suddenly appeared and chased after Damon Veil?" someone asked.

"My second uncle has connections with the underworld. I’m sure I’ve seen that man’s portrait somewhere before. That’s right! His name is Graham Cole!" another said.

"Graham Cole? He’s the one who saved us? If I ever get the chance to meet him, I’ll kneel and thank him properly!"

Before the discussion could continue, someone suddenly pointed toward the sky.

"Look! The barrier is gone!"

Everyone raised their heads. A figure was descending from above, moving gracefully through the air.

"It’s General Victoria Quill!"

Victoria had finally arrived. From her position high above the academy, she quickly surveyed the playground.

The ground was scarred by enormous cracks, and a deep ravine stretched across the area, making the entire place look as though it had suffered a devastating earthquake.

Teachers and students crowded around the damaged ground, talking excitedly about what had happened.

Yet none of that mattered as much to Victoria as the sight of one particular person.

Mira was alive and apparently unharmed.

Only after confirming that her beloved disciple was safe did Victoria finally release the breath she had been holding.

She descended to the playground and immediately began piecing together the events from the excited accounts of the people around her.

The more she heard, the wider her eyes grew.

Even as a peak Star Sea Realm martial artist who had experienced countless extraordinary events, Victoria found the story almost impossible to believe.

"What did you just say? My disciple fought Damon Veil, the Bloodshadow Cult Master, head on and actually drove him away?" she said, staring at Mira in disbelief.

A young woman who had only reached the 8th-Level of the Foundation Establishment Realm had somehow confronted a powerful Star Sea Realm expert and forced him to retreat.

How was that even possible?

By the time Samuel Bush, Vice Principal Johnny, Solomon Hart, and Helena arrived at the playground, the story had already spread among the students. When they learned what had happened, they were equally stunned.

The enormous ravine left by the sword strike only made the situation more difficult to comprehend.

Was this really the kind of destruction an 8th-Level Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist could unleash?

Their gazes shifted toward Mira.

She had a beautiful face and a gentle appearance, hardly resembling someone capable of unleashing such terrifying power.

Yet the evidence was right before their eyes.

For the first time, many of them realized just how little they understood about the young woman standing among them.

* * *

Ten minutes later, the atmosphere inside the principal’s office was considerably more serious.

Samuel Bush had barely settled into his chair before he leaned forward and fixed his gaze on Mira.

"All right, Mira, you have to tell us what happened," he said.

"How on earth did you manage to fight Damon Veil?"

Victoria sat nearby, while Helena occupied another seat. Both women were equally eager to hear the explanation.

Vice Principal Johnny, meanwhile, was still occupied with the aftermath of the attack and had yet to return.

Under the expectant gazes of the senior official, her respected mentor, and her beloved mother, Mira hesitated.

She could not tell them the truth about Lydia. Revealing that an empress from a previous life was residing within her body would invite far too many questions.

Worse, she could not predict how people would react if they learned that another soul could take control of her body.

She needed a convincing explanation that would account for her sudden transformation without exposing Lydia’s existence.