The courtyard outside the Shrek dormitory had long since quieted, wrapped in a blanket of midnight tranquility. The night wind stirred the branches gently, brushing against stone tiles and whispering across the grass. Under the dim silver glow of the moon, a lone figure sat cross-legged in silence. He already goes back into his room, trying to decipher the hidden word.
Li Wei's eyes were closed, his breath steady, but his heart was far from calm.
The battle earlier still lingered in his bones, and the words of his grandfather—Crocodile Douluo—echoed in his ears. Even now, the scent of spirit power hung faintly in the air, evidence of the barrier that had sealed the world just moments before.
But Crocodile Douluo had left… or so Li Wei believed.
In his hand rested the artifact—the mysterious Ride Watch—its surface cold and smooth, faintly pulsing with a subtle inner glow. Li Wei let out a slow exhale, lowering his spirit power and entering a meditative state.
Let's see what secrets you hold…
The spirit power within his body began to flow rhythmically, circulating through his meridians and soul core. At first, the Ride Watch remained dormant in his hand.
But then—
Pulse.
A deep, almost imperceptible hum rippled through the air. The Ride Watch glowed faintly, then began to sync with the rhythm of Li Wei's breathing. A dim halo of light radiated from it, bathing his face in a shifting spectrum of color.
WUMMM!
The next moment, a flood of dense, almost liquid spirit energy burst out from the artifact—crashing into Li Wei's body like a tidal wave.
"Wha—?!" he gasped, eyes snapping open.
But it was too late.
The Ride Watch had already begun to resonate with him on a deeper level—one that defied logic and cultivation norms. It wasn't just reacting—it was responding, recognizing something buried in Li Wei's soul.
The energy invaded his core with relentless force.
His four spirit rings burst forth in sequence—purple, purple, black and black—hovering in concentric circles around his form, their light illuminating the entire room.
His body lifted slightly off the ground as his cultivation boiled uncontrollably. His muscles twitched, veins bulging as he clenched his jaw to stop himself from screaming.
Behind a nearby rooftop shadow, Crocodile Douluo's golden eyes narrowed.
So… it's not just a spirit tool, he thought, instantly strengthening the soundproof and spiritual concealment barrier he had make to at the start when Li Wei enter his room and took out the Ride Watch. It's… sentient? No. Not quite. But it's resonating like it recognizes him.
With a silent hand gesture, he layered the barrier again—making sure not even the principal of this academy himself would notice what was occurring just a few dozen meters away.
Back in his room, Li Wei grunted as energy surged through his body.
His cultivation foundation, tempered through countless battles and life-or-death encounters, began to evolve under the pressure. Every cell in his body was being re-forged by this alien spirit power.
Too fast… I can't control it…! he thought, eyes tightly shut as sweat rolled down his brow.
Crack!
A soundless snap within his soul announced the first breakthrough.
Rank 45.
Barely a second passed before the next surge followed, hammering into his core with even greater force.
Rank 46.
His teeth gnashed against each other as the force of advancement raged within him. The resonance between his soul and the Ride Watch wasn't stopping—it felt like something ancient and boundless had recognized him.
In the depths of his mind, where silence reigned, a whisper echoed.
You are not yet ready… but the path opens.
The words vanished as quickly as they came, but the shiver it left behind burrowed into Li Wei's thoughts.
What… was that?
Finally, the light surrounding him began to dim. His body, still trembling, slowly lowered to the ground. The spirit rings around him faded one by one, retreating into his body. He let out a long, shaky breath, collapsing back onto the courtyard stone, limbs weak and trembling.
He was drenched in sweat. But his cultivation had advanced. Twice.
From Rank 44 to Rank 46.
The Ride Watch still floated above his hand, softly glowing. Then, as if sensing the process was complete, it pulsed once more—and rose on its own.
"What…?"
Li Wei struggled to rise, reaching toward it—but the artifact suddenly flashed, dissolving into pure energy.
A thin beam of golden-blue light shot into the air and vanished beyond the roof of his room before Li Wei could even blink.
"Wait—!"
He staggered forward, eyes wide, but he had no idea where it had gone.
But someone else did.
High above, hidden in the shadows of a twisted rooftop pillar, Crocodile Douluo watched with sharp, knowing eyes.
So that's your destination.
His gaze followed the trail of the Ride Watch as it zipped across the inner courtyard, bypassing guards, barriers, and spirit awareness with silent precision. Then it stopped—hovering before a small, quiet room at the far end of the girl's wing.
The room where Xiao Wu lay sleeping.
Without hesitation, the beam dove inward, phasing through walls as if they were mist. Crocodile Douluo didn't blink. He saw it.
It entered her body directly… but not to harm her. It… nested?
A flicker of tension passed across the Super Douluo's expression. His vast experience told him this was no random spirit tool. No, a wild artifact.
This thing had purpose.
He did not move to stop it.
Instead, he sighed, casting one last glance toward his exhausted grandson now slumped inside the room fallen into the floor.
"…This world is changing faster than I thought."
Li Wei sat there, unaware of what had just happened beyond his reach. The Ride Watch was gone—but the effects lingered in his body. His breathing slowly calmed, and the chaotic storm of power inside him began to settle.
"What was that…? It felt like it, it trying to tell me that there someone else that it want more than me.
He stared into the roof above seeing the wooden be that can be said to be new while fists trembling slightly at his sides.
Whatever had started tonight… wasn't over.
And somewhere in another room, a girl with soft features and a quiet, mysterious soul shifted slightly in her sleep.
The Ride Watch rested—silent and unseen—within her.