The scalding red depths of theke resembled a furnace, with a fireball hundreds of meters wide radiating a blinding light. mes danced atop the fireball, and moltenva surged beneath it, sending waves of searing heat across the entire Heavenly Pool.


    At the very center of this fireball, a golden spear, forged from mes, hovered silently. From Luca''s vantage point, it looked like a massive vertical pupil of a crimson eye, staring directly at him.


    Luca could even see a gleam sh across the spear, as if it blinked like an eye.


    A sensation of being watched flooded Luca''s heart, and in that instant, his scalp tingled with unease.


    This thing was alive!


    Before he could react, a streak of golden light shot out from the spear, heading straight for his forehead.


    "Boom!"


    An overwhelming pressure descended upon him, far surpassing the might of Hydra''s mirage!


    Under the seemingly insignificant beam of light, the Heavenly Pool was split in two from the bottom up!


    Theke water surged backward, and space itself seemed frozen in ce!


    Luca couldn''t even think about dodging; he couldn''t so much as twitch a finger. All he could do was watch helplessly as the golden light struck his forehead directly.


    In that moment, he felt as if a branding iron had seared his forehead, an intense burning pain shot through him, reaching deep into his soul. Even with his formidable endurance, he couldn''t help but let out a muffled groan.


    [Ding! "Sr Divine Spear" favorability towards you +100!]


    [You have gained the recognition of the "Sr Divine Spear," and it will now perform "Soul Forge" for you!]


    "This thing actually has its own consciousness?!" Luca clutched his forehead, his face full of astonishment.


    In his past life, he had encountered sentient treasures before. These types of entities, known as spirit artifacts, often resided within immensely powerful gear or tools.


    But despite living for so many years, he had never encountered anything capable of increasing favorability!


    MVLEmPyR-your-story-source


    And what exactly was "Soul Forge"?


    Before he could think further, Luca suddenly felt an unimaginably terrifying, searing energy burst from deep within his body, as if a zing fire had been ignited inside him.


    This me scorched his internal organs continuously, and the intense pain nearly caused Luca to faint on the spot. His body began to tremble uncontrobly.


    "So this is Soul Forge?" Luca gasped through the pain. The agony, burning from the inside out, was far beyond any previous tempering he had experienced—it was at least ten times more painful. Yet the results were the same. He felt the shackles within his body weakening, the gap between him and a breakthrough in his potential narrowing.


    Luca had a strong sense that if he could withstand this round of forging, he would undoubtedly break through!


    Although he had no idea where this golden spear came from, it clearly harbored no ill intent; otherwise, he would have perished long ago.


    This "Soul Forge" had immense benefits, and he had to endure it!


    With that thought, Luca gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and began meditating, enduring the searing pain as best he could.


    A golden mark began to rapidly form on his forehead, identical to the shape of the golden spear submerged in theke''s fireball below!


    Golden mes seeped out and gradually enveloped him.


    At the same time, Luca''s consciousness slowly sank into his mental realm.


    Deep within his spiritual world, atop four towering golden pirs, a zing golden sun was burning fiercely!


    The blinding golden light illuminated his entire mental space as if it were daylight!


    The four divine pirs, once stretching endlessly toward the sky, began to shrink rapidly under the purification of the golden sun and mes.


    Golden strands of energy continuously flowed into his soul, making Luca''s spirit more solid andpact. Simultaneously, his pores began to expel ck impurities from his body.


    Jormungandr, her ethereal form drifting through the water like a phantom.


    She nced at the golden spear, her eyes narrowing slightly. She murmured softly to herself, "So that''s what it is… no wonder…"


    No wonder those fools from the Abyssal Demon Realm could never find it. It turned out that the legendary artifact had been hidden all this time on the Eternal Continent!


    What a lucky kid, to have been chosen by it…


    At Fishbone Cliff, outside the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, in the grand hall of the Heavenly Pool, Orf and Medel were ying a game of chess.


    "Hmm?" The two suddenly frowned, turning their gaze simultaneously toward the stone tform leading into the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, their eyes filled with astonishment.


    Just moments ago, they both sensed a unique aura emanating from within the Celestial Pool Secret Realm.


    "The Sr Divine Spear? It has awakened!" Medel spoke, his face disying unrestrained shock.


    He wasn''t the only one. Even Orf, usually calm, felt the shock ripple through him, emotions churning wildly inside.


    The Sr Divine Spear was not only the most sacred treasure of the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, but also the very reason for its existence.


    Long before the founding of Red Maple Academy by its first headmaster, this ancient artifact, whose origin was lost to time, had already rested at the bottom of the Heavenly Pool.


    But the question was, after so many years of slumber, why had the Sr Divine Spear suddenly awakened?


    "Could it be because of Luca?" Orf''s heart stirred with a sudden realization. After all, Luca was the only one in the Celestial Pool Secret Realm at the moment!


    This thought sent a jolt through his chest.


    Thest time the Sr Divine Spear awoke was centuries ago, when it bestowed its power upon someone who would be one of the greatest figures in the entire history of the Eternal Continent. If not for him, the Crunt Empire might have long since fallen to the monster horde.


    Could it be that this time…


    Both Orf and Medel hade to the same conclusion.


    They exchanged a nce, just about to descend to investigate.


    Suddenly, the grand hall of the Heavenly Pool trembled violently!


    Boom!!


    A thunderous roar echoed as the entire grand hall shook, as if something had been activated. The surrounding temperature rapidly began to rise, and crimson lines of energy quickly emerged from the center of the grand hall, extending outward beyond its boundaries, spreading across all of Red Maple Academy.


    In just a few breaths'' time, crimson Rune crafting patterns had appeared in every corner of the academy, swirling with symbols. In the skies above Red Maple Academy, a massive scarlet formation swiftly took shape, enveloping the entire institution in its glow!


    Inside the academy, both mentors and students stared in shock, having no idea what was happening.


    "The protective grand array of the Celestial Pool Secret Realm has been activated…" Fratis muttered, her small mouth slightly agape, her beautiful eyes filled with surprise.


    She recalled an ancient royal secret she had once read about—an old legend concerning the Celestial Pool Secret Realm.


    There was a legend that within the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, there existed a great opportunity capable of elevating the most talented individuals to even greater heights. However, throughout the years, few had ever been fortunate enough to obtain it.


    And now, right before her eyes, a new lucky soul had been born!


    Meanwhile, inside the Heavenly Pool grand hall:


    "It''s truly the Sr Divine Spear''s Soul Forge!" Orf eximed, watching the scene before him. Rather than worry, his elderly face was filled with excitement.


    The massive protective formation wasn''t designed to limit the Celestial Pool Secret Realm. On the contrary, it existed to enhance the refining process of the secret realm!


    This was a Transcendent-level formation personallyid down by the founding headmaster!


    For the protective array to be triggered—such an event had only urred once in the entire history of Red Maple Academy, which spanned several centuries.


    It was during that singr event that Red Maple Academy produced a legendary figure known throughout the Eternal Continent:


    The Sun-ying Sword—Saren Theo!


    He was the only Transcendent-tier powerhouse that the Clinton Empire had seen in recent centuries!


    If Luca had truly gained the "blessing of the Sr Divine Spear"...


    At this thought, Orf''s smile nearly burst forth in uncontainable joy.


    Beside him, Medel, unable to hide his envy, cursed under his breath, "How did you stumble into such incredible luck?!"


    At their age, they had little chance of progressing further in their own power, so their only remaining ambition was to nurture someone who could surpass them.


    But students with such potential were exceedingly rare.


    Aside from the monstrous prodigies raised by the great families in Dawn City, the academy had encountered only three top-tier talents over the years: Luna Bersa from House Bersa, the marquis''s daughter; Sophia Howard from the count''s family; and Orf''s previous student.


    And now there was Luca. How could Medel not be envious?


    At the same time, the powerful figures from Southwind City had also turned their attention toward the spectacle.


    In the city lord''s manor of Southwind City:


    "Soul Forge, is it?" Bronte murmured, gazing toward the pir of golden light that shot into the sky from the direction of Red Maple Academy. His hands were sped behind his back, and his brow was tightly furrowed.


    Beside him, Myron, Bronte''s assistant, looked slightly confused and asked, "Marquis, isn''t it a good thing that another genius has emerged in Southwind City?"


    After a long silence, Bronte let out a deep sigh and said, "Don''t you think there have been far too many strange phenomenately?"


    "In recent years, the Nightmare Cult caused an uproar, followed by the weakening of the Abyssal Demon Realm''s seal, leading to monster riots and frequent monster hordes. Geniuses are emerging everywhere."


    "I''ve heard that Finn from the Duke of Lyon''s family in Dawn City broke through to the advanced tier at just 18 years old. Then there''s the royal family''s Third Princess, whose talent is exceptional. Even in the other regions, prodigies who are said to appear only once in a hundred or even a thousand years have shown up."


    "Even in our Southwind City, we''ve seen Luca, a viscount, clear the 20th floor of the Trial Tower with only mid-tier strength. Now, we have another unknown genius chosen by the Sr Divine Spear. Do you think that''s normal?"


    Myron stood frozen in ce. As Bronte''s assistant, he had ess to far more confidential information than the average person, but he had never thought about it this way before. Now, with Bronte pointing it out, he realized with shock that strange people and events had been appearing all over the empire in recent years.


    Looking up at the massive protective formation, Bronte shook his head slightly and sighed, "In times of chaos, monsters are born. The more geniuses that appear, the more chaotic the world will be. Be prepared."


    Meanwhile, inside the Celestial Pool Secret Realm, the entire Heavenly Pool seemed to be boiling.


    Two fireballs, onerge and one small, hovered silently at the bottom of theke. Golden beams of light shot out from them, bathing the entireke in a golden hue.


    The barrier to Luca''s breakthrough in potential seemed paper-thin, yet it was far more resilient than either he or the Sr Divine Spear had anticipated. Though it appeared as if he was just a hair''s breadth away, no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn''t break through.


    Several times, the me within his body seemed on the verge of being extinguished. Each time, the Sr Divine Spear would send him a wisp of golden fire.


    Immediately, the zing sun in his mental world would reignite, burning more fiercely than before.


    This excruciating refining process went on for who knew how long.


    Crack!


    Suddenly, a sharp sound echoed in Luca''s ears, as clear as if something physical had shattered—like the crack of ice breaking.