Merin walks a quiet path toward a distant city crowned by five tall towers—each one a sign that a Spirit Master resides within.
People pass by without sparing him a glance, unaware of the power walking beside them, and he stops at the city gates to read the name carved into the stone: Tomio City—"To" from his father Kaito, and "Mio" from his mother Mio.
The city was built by Yanli, Asuna, his brother and sister, and the loyal followers he once led; the five towers belong to Yanli, Asuna, Nora, Kuro, and Zhen Qi.
It has been twenty years since Merin moved to Sky Mountain, where he remained in seclusion until just yesterday—yesterday, he pushed his comprehension of the rule of vitality to ten per cent, the upper limit allowed by the world, and reached the peak of the Spirit Master realm.
More importantly, he finally regained the ability to return to his human form.
Though Yanli and the others had visited him many times during those two decades, he had always remained in his dragon form, and now he longs to meet them as himself—to see their reactions, to surprise them with the man they remember.
With a rare smile and a light heart, Merin steps through the city gates, concealing his presence as he quietly plots how to gather everyone and surprise them all at once.
Elsewhere in the city, Yanli is focused on her latest experiment in the lab when a knock sounds at the door—her mental power sweeps outside, revealing one of her students.
She flicks the door open with a thought, and the student steps in respectfully.
"Teacher, Master Arata is here to meet you."
Yanli's brow tightens—again?
She remembers meeting Arata a few years ago in another city, and ever since, he's clung to her like a dogskin plaster, constantly pestering her for Kanoru's research notes.
He wants everything for free, always promising that he'll repay her once he breaks through to the Master Realm, but if he fails, there's no return—and she has no interest in playing such odds.
She rises with a sigh. "Bring him to the sitting room."
Her student nods and hurries off.
Yanli follows shortly after, settling into the sitting room to wait.
A few minutes later, the door swings open and Arata steps inside.
Yanli stands and greets him with calm courtesy, "Master Arata."
Arata's eyes linger on her—silver hair like moonlight, silver eyes, skin glowing softly like the night sky—one of the most beautiful women in the world, and powerful too.
He's long desired her, but he hides that hunger behind a well-practised smile and bows politely. "Moon Master."
Yanli gestures calmly, "Sit."
Once Arata lowers himself onto the chair, she does the same, her tone turning direct. "If you've come again for my fiancé's research notes, then let me be clear—without offering something of equal value, you won't get them."
Arata shakes his head lightly. "I didn't come for that this time. There's news spreading through the halls of Veridium City."
Veridium—the new capital of the Eastern Region—was built on an island where Saisei City once stood, now surrounded by the lake left in its place.
Yanli's eyes remain steady. "And what does that have to do with us?"
Arata leans forward slightly. "Did you hear? A woman named Esil was rewarded by the world with origin liquid and a rule body—but she didn't form a new rule."
Yanli's silver eyes narrow faintly at the name.
Esil—one of Kanoru's most gifted students.
And she knows exactly what that means.
There is another path to being rewarded by the world: not only through creating new rules, but also by birthing a never-before-seen peak third-level beast through transformation.
Her future sister-in-law, Nora and Kuro had advanced through this method—Nora becoming a Crystal Gryphon, Kuro a Corrosive Ant.
Their breakthroughs went unnoticed only because, with their new beast forms, they each gained rare artistic conceptions—crystal and corrosion, which misled others about the true method behind their advancement.
Even Kanoru's man, Zhen Qi, reached the Title Spiritual Master realm the same way.
Yanli doesn't see any point in hiding it.
She answers plainly, "She transformed into a new hybrid beast. What's the name of her beast?"
Arata's eyes widen in surprise—this wasn't the reaction he expected.
"You knew?"
Yanli shrugs, voice calm. "My fiancé created the final two stages of the transformation technique. How could I not know?"
Arata nods slowly, unable to offer a retort.
Yanli continues, "So, what new hybrid beast did she form?"
"I heard it's called the Ice Stalker," Arata replies. "A hybrid between a water-elemental lizard and a frost lion."
Yanli nods thoughtfully. "Good for her. I should invite her to build her spiritual tower here if she's willing."
Arata's expression falters at the mention of a tower.
He, too, is a Spiritual Master—but unlike Esil, he advanced through alternative means, never earning a reward from the world.
Without the world's recognition, there is no title… and no tower.
His quiet envy is impossible to hide.
Yanli reads his expression easily and thinks, Now that Esil has become a Title Spiritual Master, he'll be even more desperate.
Still composed, she offers, "Arata, if you can offer something of equal value, I'll gladly exchange the transformation technique with you."
Arata looks at her, eyes shifting.
Then he says, "Another rumour is spreading in the halls of Veridium… that the Dragon Master was gravely injured—or even killed. As twenty years passed and no one had seen him since the battle at Rugen."
Yanli's expression doesn't change—this rumour surfaces every year.
After a brief, tense exchange of small talk, Arata finally departs.
Moments later, Merin—concealed by his spiritual aura—watches the man descend from Yanli's tower and frowns, not from suspicion of infidelity, but because something about the man feels off.
He senses Arata's cultivation: Spirit Master, yes—but ordinary, unremarkable, and hollow in comparison.
With silent steps, Merin follows.
Though they share the same realm, the gap between them is vast, and Arata doesn't notice the presence shadowing his path through Tomio City.
But Merin does notice someone else.
Behind him, walking openly and without even trying to hide, is Mia—the name Yanli gave the mysterious little girl twenty years ago.
She hasn't aged a single day.
Still the same doll-like child, unchanged by time, untouched by the years.
Merin long gave up trying to understand her and let her follow without question.
He keeps his focus ahead, trailing Arata as the man slips into the nearby forest.
Eventually, Arata arrives at a hidden camp nestled among the trees.
Merin halts behind a broad trunk, narrowing his golden eyes at the setup.
Why is there a camp this close to Tomio City—and one hidden, at that?
As he watches in silence, Mia steps lightly beside him and ducks behind another tree, her voice quiet but curious.
"You turned back to your human form."
Merin gives a slight nod but says nothing, keeping his gaze locked on the camp, his instincts already stirred.
Something about this place doesn't feel right.
Merin turns to Mia, his voice low. "Can you see what's going on inside?"
Mia nods, her silver eyes glowing faintly as she peers through the forest toward the camp.
After a few moments, she says, "There are twelve Spirit Masters and several True Core Realm spiritualists."
Her gaze sharpens. "And they're planning to attack our city."
Merin's eyes narrow.
Ordinary Spirit Masters, without a rule body or origin liquid, are no match for Title Spiritual Masters—especially not when a single drop of origin liquid could elevate one to temporary Ancestral Realm strength.
No matter how many they are, they shouldn't be able to threaten Tomio City.
Not with five towers standing and their barrier intact.
"How are they planning to attack the city?" he asks.
"There's another group working with them," Mia answers calmly. "They're going to destroy the spiritual towers and stop Yanli and the others from using origin liquid."
Merin's frown deepens—an inside collaborator?
Only someone within the city could sabotage the towers from the inside.
"When?" he asks.
"Tonight," Mia says.
Merin gives a curt nod and turns, heading back toward the city, his stride steady and unhurried.
He isn't the least bit worried about the attack—not with him here.
With his current strength, there's no one in this world who can stand against him, and he intends to make that fact clear.
Let them come.
Whoever dares target his family will be the first to witness what it means to provoke a dragon.
A smirk tugs at his lips as thoughts of the coming chaos stir excitement in his chest.
His blood boils with anticipation—twenty years of quiet cultivation, twenty years spent forging his body and soul through the rule of vitality, all building toward this moment.
Tonight, the world will witness what vitality truly means.
The perfect stage to announce his return.
Beside him, Mia skips in silence, her expression unreadable, though a flicker of mischief dances in her eyes like moonlight on rippling water.