Chapter 224: Meeting With Dean
Chapter 224: Meeting With Dean
The deafening roar of a hundred thousand spectators continued to shake the central plaza.
Rhain, and Seris stepped forward simultaneously, gracefully cupping their fists.
"Disciple thanks the Dean for her profound grace," Rhain replied, his voice calm and steady, devoid of the overwhelming arrogance one might expect from a youth who had just conquered an entire generation.
Seris bowed respectfully beside him, her pale purple eyes sparkling with pride.
Carmilla waved her hand dismissively, though a genuine smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "Don’t be so stiff, you two. You earned this with your own strength."
Before the roaring crowd could even begin to settle, the true titans on the grand stage finally made their moves.
"Hahaha! What a truly eye-opening day!"
Patriarch Thorian strode forward from the grand stage, his towering, muscular physique radiating an overwhelming presence. He looked at Rhain with blazing admiration. "Young man, your performance today was was an eye-opener! If you ever find yourself with free time, the doors of the Thunderwood Noble Family are always open to you. We would be honored to host you for a banquet!"
"Patriarch Thorian is too fast," Patriarch Caelan interjected smoothly, not wanting to be outdone.
His face was plastered with the warmest, most welcoming smile he had ever mustered in his life.
"Rhain," Caelan stepped up beside Thorian, "Valemere Noble Family is deeply in awe of your peerless might. I would be immensely honored if you and your beautiful wife would grace our estate for a grand banquet. The Valemere gates will always remain wide open for you."
Seeing the two cunning men blatantly trying to pull Rhain in their side, Seraphine also stepped forward.
"Emberford Family’s doors are also open to you," Seraphine said softly. "Our ancestral estate houses cultivation chambers specifically designed for fire-element cultivators. You are welcome to visit at any time, without condition or obligation."
The hundred thousand spectators watched this scene with their jaws practically hitting the floor.
The three great Noble Families, the titans who ruled the Inner Province, were actively falling over themselves to curry favor with a nineteen-year-old boy!
But the true climax of the invitations had yet to arrive.
A figure in imperial white robes slowly descended from the grand stage.
Crown Prince Lucius.
His handsome features were illuminated by that signature, charming smile that could melt the hearts of countless maidens.
He stopped a polite distance from Rhain, radiating an aura of royal grace.
"A performance that will surely be recorded in the records of our dynasty’s history," Lucius praised, his voice a perfect melody of admiration. "Rhain, the Royal Court is always in search of dragons among men. When this grand ceremony concludes, I extend a personal invitation to you to visit the royal court. The Emperor himself would be pleased to meet a prodigy of your caliber."
On the outside, Lucius looked like the perfect, gracious Crown Prince honoring a rising star.
But inside?
"You insignificant peasant,’ Lucius screamed in his mind, his amber eyes hiding a killing intent so dense it could freeze blood. ’For five years! For five entire years, I meticulously plotted to bring Lyra Emberford into my bed to harvest her pure bloodline! And you... you not only possess the True Heavenly Physique girl that I so desire, but because of that ridiculous vow, you are now destined to claim Lyra as well!’
Both of the most perfect cauldrons in the entire Solathane Dynasty were slipping directly into the hands of this man.
Lucius’s soul was boiling with a hatred, rage, and jealousy so venomous it felt like it was tearing his internal organs apart.
If Lucius could have his way, he would have ordered his three Domain Master guards to tear Rhain limb from limb right then and there.
But he couldn’t. Rhain was too powerful, too mysterious, and too deeply connected.
He had to suppress his boiling fury and play the gracious royal.
Rhain’s dark grey eyes swept over the Patriarchs, the Matriarch, and finally landed on the smiling face of the Crown Prince.
"I appreciate the generous invitations from the esteemed Patriarchs, Matriarch Seraphine, and His Royal Highness," Rhain replied politely, "However, the tournament was quite grueling. Furthermore, as I have just been elevated to the Core Palace, there are Academy matters I must attend to. I shall have to politely decline for now."
Lucius’s smile stiffened before he nodded graciously. "Of course. Academy’s matters take precedence."
Before any of the Patriarchs could press further, Carmilla stepped before Rhain, placing her hands on her hips.
"Alright, back away, all of you," Carmilla shooed them with a wave of her hand. "He is a Core Palace disciple of my Stormveil Academy now. Stop trying to poach my disciple right in front of my face."
The Patriarchs and Crown Prince let out awkward, polite chuckles, wisely choosing not to argue anymore.
Carmilla turned her back to the dignitaries and looked at Rhain and Seris.
"The ceremony and the contest are officially concluded," Carmilla announced, her melodious voice carrying across the plaza to signal the end of the historic day, "I extend my deepest gratitude to the dignitaries who traveled from the farthest corners of our realm to grace Stormveil Academy with their presence."
The plaza erupted one final time before the massive crowd began to disperse.
Carmilla then turned her head, her bright eyes locking onto Rhain. "You, your lovely wife, and the Preceptors. Follow me to my secluded island. We have things to discuss."
Dozens of powerful figures shot upward simultaneously, soaring toward the secluded floating island hovering at the apex of the Academy’s grounds.
The departure signaled the end of the greatest spectacle Stormveil City had seen in a century.
Smiling faces and animated discussions filled the archways as nobles, rogue cultivators, and ordinary citizens streamed out of the academy gates.
"What a glorious day! I can tell my grandchildren I was here to witness this!"
"Two Heavenly Flames clashing! A Domain at the Spirit Manifestation Realm! I never thought my eyes would be blessed with such a sight!"
"Rhain Voss is a god among men, and his wife is as beautiful as a goddess! Truly a match made by the heavens themselves!"
_______________
Rhain and Seris flew upward, accompanied by Dean Carmilla, Vice Dean Myrielle, High Preceptors Aldren, Octavius, and Mordecai, along with Preceptors Fabian and Krell.
They ascended past the lower floating islands of the Core Palace, heading toward the very apex of the Academy’s airspace.
Nestled at the highest point of the Stormveil Academy was a serene, isolated floating island entirely cut off from the rest of the world by profound arrays.
This was the Dean’s secluded pavilion.
The moment Rhain’s boots touched the pristine jade tiles of the island—
[Ding!]
The mechanical voice of System echoed clearly within his mind.
[Location Sign-In detected: Stormveil Academy — Dean’s Secluded Pavilion.]
[Would you like to sign in?]
Rhain’s heart jumped.
This was one of the three remaining Location Sign-In nodes he had identified on his map weeks ago — one of the locations he had been entirely unable to access until now.
’Sign in,’ Rhain confirmed without hesitation.
[Location Sign-In Successful!]
[Congratulations! You have received the Emperor-Grade Artifact: Monarch’s Soul-Sealing Bell!]
[Item automatically sent to System Inventory.]
Rhain’s heart skipped a beat as he read the glowing text in his consciousness.
[Monarch’s Soul-Sealing Bell: An Emperor Grade Artficat. Upon activation with Soul Power, its chime can forcefully bypass all physical and spiritual defenses. It is capable of completely stunning a Domain Master Realm expert for five full seconds. If the target is unprepared, it can even inflict momentary paralysis on a Monarch Realm cultivator.]
Emperor-Grade!
One rank above the Mystic Grade.
In the entire Solathane Dynasty, Mystic-Grade was considered the pinnacle for most major powers.
Emperor Grade Artficats were so rare that they could be counted in one hand.
In fact, even the Royal Family’s ultimate trump card—the very artifact that had allowed them to dominate the dynasty and suppress the noble families for generations—was merely a low-tier Emperor Grade artifact.
And Monarch Realm?
A realm that stood above the Domain Masters!
It was a level of cultivation Rhain had never even heard mentioned in the Outer Frontier or the Inner Province.
To possess an artifact capable of stunning a Domain Master for five whole seconds—in a high-level battle, five seconds was enough time to kill a man ten thousand times over.
It was an ultimate trump card.
Concealing his satisfaction perfectly, Rhain followed Carmilla into the lavish central chamber of the pavilion.
Carmilla took her seat at the head of a long, circular table.
Myrielle, High Preceptors, and Preceptors took their respective seats, while Rhain and Seris sat together opposite the Dean.
The moment they were settled, Carmilla propped her chin on her hands and flashed a deeply mischievous, teasing grin at Rhain.
"You really know how to put on a show, little thief," Carmilla teased, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Hiding so incredibly deep. Gale Mirage Stride, Thousand Ripple Piercing Lance, Phantasmal Dreamscape, Earth-Binding Iron Chains, and atleast ten such martial arts... all at the perfection stage. Not to mention a Heavenly Flame that rivals the Emberford bloodline."
High Preceptors and Preceptors all looked at Rhain with complex expressions, waiting for an explanation.
Rhain simply shrugged, looking entirely unbothered by the pressure of being scrutinized by the Academy’s highest echelons.
"I never hid anything," Rhain stated calmly. "No one ever forced me to use them before today."
Carmilla let out a melodious laugh.
"Always so calm," she shook her head, "Very well. You have proven beyond a sliver of a doubt that you are the greatest prodigy this Academy has ever seen. Perhaps at a level that even this dynasty has never seen before. For a talent like you as our Core Palace disciple, you are entitled to the best we have to offer."
She spread her hands.
"So I will ask you directly. What do you want from us? What resources, what support, what privileges can the Stormveil Academy provide to ensure your future cultivation proceeds as smoothly as possible? Name it. Whatever is within our power to grant, we will do so without hesitation."