“Not bad! Not bad at all!” Jingyu Han, the Saint of Oceans, slapped his thigh in jubilation and turned to his fellow Spirit Saint. “Tian, this youth is really quite the treasure! Instead of fighting with brute force, he analysed how the Xunyu Clan’s Princess was going to fight and created counters! He reminds me of you when you were younger, Tian!”

The broad-shouldered Spirit Saint was tempted to slap the Saint of Time on the back, only to be stopped by her angered glare. Even though they were close, there were some limits to Jingyu Han’s familiarity.

“Hoho, I’ve heard from Baobiao that he’s strong, but I didn’t expect that it’ll be to this extent...” Heigui Zhengkang smirked. “I can understand why you wanted to bring him over to our side so desperately.”

“Hah… Why couldn’t he part of our Shenshe Clan?” The eagle-nosed woman sighed, a little jealous that the Longyu Clan was about to become stronger. Currently, as it stood, the Eight Ancient Clans of Water were ranked as follows. The Jingyu, Longyu, Heigui and Shenshe Clan all possessed one Spirit Saint at the helm, so they made up the top four spots. The Xunyu, Zhangyu, Qilong and Meijing Clan made up the bottom tier. Though they were all unified, some competition for resources was bound to occur and ultimately, whoever possessed the higher military strength, had more sway in the High Council.

Throughout the thousands of years since the Lantis Republic was founded, the rankings had changed multiple times. This generation, the Jingyu Clan reigned supreme. The previous one, it was the Zhangyu’s. A generation prior, it was the Xunyu. The cycle would continue, and there was always one constant for each one of their eras.

They all had a Spirit Saint leading them.

See, it didn’t matter if any of the Clans had an overwhelming navy or a dozen-odd of the best Spirit Venerates. So long as a Spirit Saint existed in their family, their Clan would ultimately be elevated into the top four, allowing whichever Clan they came from to start their own era. Shin was a prodigy that could be groomed to become such an entity. It was apparent that the Longyu Clan would do anything in its power to keep him within their walls. Furthermore, the Saint of Time wasn’t that old either. If Shin came of age and advanced at his current pace, the Longyu Clan might potentially see two Spirit Saints living under the same roof.

That was a dream for any of the Eight Ancient Clans of Water, as when that happens, they would essentially become the undeniable hegemon of the Lantis Republic, dethroning the Jingyu Clan entirely.

“The Lantis Republic would be lucky to have Shin on our side...” Longyu Tian instantly deflected Shin’s growth as something that would benefit the Lantis Republic as a whole, not just the Longyu Clan. “That’s why we have to make sure he goes through the Trial of the Celestial Dragon. Who knows? Perhaps he’s the Lady of Water’s inheritor?”

“Don’t spew nonsense, Tian.” Heigui Zhengkang scoffed, and his eyelids twitched. “How many years has it been since the Lady of Water passed? For those thousands upon thousands of years, her inheritor has never appeared. Honestly, we’d long given up on the search.” As the oldest of the bunch, the Heigui Spirit Saint was acutely aware of how many times the Lantis Republic had been burnt.

“I know, I know… Just spitting out hypotheticals...” Longyu Tian dismissed the notion as well. “But who knows? Maybe he’ll trigger a Spirit Evolution like me? If we have five Spirit Saints, and two of them have evolved Spirits, don’t you think that we’ll be able to finish Atlantis much faster?”

The three Spirit Saints went silent. Atlantis had been a multi-generational project started during the age of Spirit Immortal Dream. There were just too many factors to consider when building the structure, and most importantly, they lacked the appropriate talented manpower. If Shin were to join in, perhaps they would be able to finish Atlantis before their generation was over.

“That’s a lot of ifs, Tian...” Jingyu Han folded his arms and remarked. “What if he doesn’t live up to your expectations? What if he’s just a slightly more talented boy that would never make it to the Spirit Saint realm?”

All four of them knew how hard it was to reach their acclaimed level. Many were more talented than them. Many who were more hardworking than them. They had even seen the rise and fall of many geniuses, some of them were even more talented than Shin himself. Yet, none of them had managed to reach the Spirit Saint realm. So, what made Shin that much different?

“I guess you’ll need some more convincing,” Longyu Tian dropped her back onto the throne and stared down on the arena. “No matter, when Shin defeats the four other Luminaries, I’m sure you’ll change your mind.”

“Hmph! His next opponent is someone from the Longyu Clan! I don’t think we should count that match!” Shenshe Zemin venomously spouted, her nostrils flared up.

“Oh, ho? Why do you think so?”

“Wouldn’t you have given the Luminary orders to go lenient on the boy?”

“On the contrary...” Longyu Tian shook her head, pointing her finger down at the black-haired Luminary. “Do those eyes look like someone who had been influenced to hold their punches?”

Longyu Linji sat down silently, his entire being focused on the young man that sat in meditation. Even though they were dozens of metres up, the Spirit Saints could sense an aura pushing away any that dared to roam close to the man. His eyes were dilated, and the sides of his lips were twitching quickly. The young man didn’t look like an average cultivator entering a sparring contest. He looked like a warrior prepared to go to war.

“Hoh? Is there a grudge between Shin and him?” Jingyu Han mused.

“Not entirely...” The Saint of Time rolled her eyes. “Linji… His past is a little… special...” She didn’t really want to divulge too much of the Clan’s affairs to the Spirit Saints of the other houses, so Longyu Tian opted to be cryptic. “Also, just imagine. Having climbed up to the very top, breaking down all of the opponents that stood in his way, finally reaching the apex, gaining the adoration and praise of everyone in the Clan… Only to have it stripped away because of one new addition. No one would be thrilled.”

Humans were quite straightforward. They want to survive, and to do it in the best possible way. Just months before, all of the Longyu Clan’s resources could be poured into Longyu Linji, helping him grow to become a Spirit Venerate and possibly even a Spirit Saint. Now, they were all filtered down to Shin. Anyone in the youth’s position would have been upset, especially someone like Linji, who had worked so hard to reach the top.

“So this is a battle for Linji to prove himself. He wants to beat Shin in the biggest stage that there is, showing everyone who is the top dog of his generation.” Longyu Tian continued as if she the two young men fighting was of no concern to her.

“You’re awfully calm...” Heigui Zhengkang noted. “If Shin falls to Linji, wouldn’t that be detrimental to you?”

“It would be, but how can Shin deserve my adoration if he can’t beat the current best talent in the Longyu Clan?” Longyu Tian flashed a wry smile. “Also, it wouldn’t be fair for Linji if I told him to just pull his punches. He’s a talent to be nurtured as well.”

“You’re right...” Jingyu Han smacked his lips and dropped his heavy back down on the throne. The fifteen minutes that Shin had to recover was almost up. Longyu Linji’s furiousity could be felt even from their distance. When the time comes, the Spirit Saints were confident that it would be a thrilling match for all to see.

❖❖❖

The Longyu Clan.

Some saw the prestigious house as an idol of worship. Some saw it as an ancient household that should become a national heritage. Some even saw it as a place of refuge. For Longyu Linji, the Longyu Clan was all of that combined. From birth, he hadn’t been part of the main bloodline. His father was from a side house of the Longyu Clan while his mother was a lowborn seamstress. They didn’t have much growing up. Segregated by the upper echelons, Linji could only watch in envy from a distance as the Longyu Clan main bloodline children got some of the best benefits while he was left with scraps.

Even though they had been undercut for years, Linji still idolised the Longyu Clan. Its history, the overall military might that it boasted, the Spirit Saints that reigned at the helm, Linji was fascinated by everything that they had. He swore that one day, he would become strong enough to stand side by side with the best and the brightest from the Longyu Clan, maybe even marrying into it to serve.

So, one can imagine his joy when he awakened the Sovereign Koi during the Day of Spirits. The Sovereign Koi was the token Spirit of the Longyu Clan. Not everyone could awaken that Spirit, but those at the top would always possess that adorable little cerulean Koi. With that one revelation, the world had changed for Linji and his immediate family. They were brought into the main bloodline, notably Longyu Palace, to help train Linji in the ways of the Sovereign Koi. He was given valuable resources that no one from the middle or lower class could ever afford. Some of the best Spirit Lords would become his mentors, and most importantly, Linji was able to claim the Longyu name all for himself.

It really was a dream come through for the young ten-year-old. However, something was missing. Even though he had awakened the Sovereign Koi, in many of the Longyu Clan’s main bloodline’s eyes, the young boy was still just an outsider that managed to luck himself into their sanctuary. There was a distance between him and the other youths in the Clan. Boys didn’t want to play with him while girls were told to keep their distance. Segregation still existed in the Clan, even with Linji awakening the Sovereign Koi.

It was something that the young boy was acutely aware of. Linji knew that if he wanted to be recognised in the Longyu Clan, he had to work doubly as hard. And so he did. Every single waking hour, he had was dedicated to his own self-betterment. When the other children were playing, he was cultivating. When they attending school, he would never leave his chair during classes and was the one who took down the most notes.

Over the years, the youth’s talent in cultivation became increasingly apparent, and many of the upper management started to take note. With the unique state of his Spirit, the Longyu Clan Head had even personally asked a famed Spirit Emperor to come down and mentor the youth for a few months, just like how Lady Seph taught the Frie Clan Master when she was younger.

In the end, Linji became the first teenager from the Longyu Clan to attain the Luminary status in twenty years, elevating his position to even higher heights. Before, people would shun him away. Now, they couldn’t help but fawn over him. Such was the title of a Luminary. Everything that happened in the past was forgotten, and those from the main bloodline wanted him to become the poster child of the Longyu Clan.

But then… The Summit happened…

Shin Iofiel, a talent from the Himmel Empire that possessed the Sovereign Koi, announced himself on the grandest stage there was, making him an overnight sensation. Longyu Tian had almost started a war against the Himmel Empire, just to bring the youth back to the clan. It was a deed that not only shook the clan but the entire Lantis Republic as well.

Bit by bit, the glory that Linji had built for himself had been thrown into the water, as Shin’s name started to ring about in the clan. Everyone wanted to meet him, even though he hadn’t stepped a single foot into the illustrious clan. When they found out that he was part of the main bloodline, as well as a direct relative to the current Clan Master, the entire Longyu Clan nearly flipped itself over. They wanted the Prince of Water so badly that they forgot the Prince that they currently had.

Longyu Linji didn’t like that one bit. The young man’s footsteps were as light as a feather. There wasn’t any noise when he touched down on the arena. He watched his opponent do the same. Shin looked at Linji for about two seconds, before his eyes shifted to the remaining three Luminaries on the stands.

‘Even now, you’re not looking in my direction, huh?’ Linji sneered. Shin was planning to defeat all five Luminaries, so he wasn’t particularly willing to go all out on Linji.

‘If you think that I’ll be a stepping stone for your story, you’re sorely mistaken, you brat!!!’ Linji roared internally. Onyx scales crept up his pale white skin, covering the young man’s entire body in a different colour to that of the Sovereign Koi. Dark essence flowed out from every nook and cranny of Linji’s physique and a sense of dread overwhelmed those who witnessed him.

That’s right…

Longyu Linji wasn’t a Spirit User who awakened the Sovereign Koi. He had awakened a mutated Sovereign Koi, allowing him to gain dominion over the Water and Darkness elements.

The young man tightened his wristguards and increased his overall armour and fighting capabilities. Glaring at his opponent, Longyu Linji finally muttered:

“Longyu Linji. Spirit, the Twilight Sovereign Koi. Rank 47. Please advise me.”