Brian Carter could only give a wry smile at this answer. The seal on his body was a dead seal, meaning that even the powerful one who cast it could not undo it. From the very beginning, the seal was never meant to be lifted. Brian Carter had always been curious about who had done this to him, but every time he asked, the anger and sorrow in his silent father's eyes always made Brian Carter's heart tremble. Deep down, he vaguely guessed that the truth behind the sealing of his Nine-Winged Heavenly Dragon bloodline was far from simple. After asking twice, Brian Carter sensibly stopped bringing it up.

　　Besides, even though Brian Carter's bloodline was one of the top ten supreme bloodlines—the Nine-Winged Heavenly Dragon—there were countless martial artists in the world with one of the top ten supreme bloodlines, and not all of them could become super powerhouses.

　　Bloodline, while it largely determines the highest peak a person can reach, does not guarantee that possessing such a bloodline means one will reach that height.

　　“The academy is about to hold its annual tournament. The top three can get the Blood Spirit Fruit, which helps awaken the bloodline and become a bloodline martial artist. Are you going to participate?”

　　Brian Carter shot Edward Clark a look. “You’re just here to mess with me, aren’t you? You know I’m not strong enough to make the top three, and even if I got the Blood Spirit Fruit, because my meridians are sealed, I still couldn’t awaken my bloodline…”

　　Edward Clark shook his head, and for once, the usually playful look in his eyes was replaced by rare seriousness. “What’s the harm in trying? If you give it your all and still don’t succeed, you won’t have regrets. But if you never try, how will you know there isn’t a one-in-a-million chance?”

　　Brian Carter was silent for a moment, then nodded seriously. “Alright, I’ll participate.”

　　The seriousness on Edward Clark’s face vanished in an instant, replaced by his usual playful attitude. “Mm, good luck! I’ll be there to watch. Let’s see if you beat people so badly they’re rolling on the ground, or if you’re the one getting beaten like that… Mm, don’t embarrass yourself too much, or I’ll feel awkward too.”

　　“How about I bring a few beauties to cheer you on?”

　　Faced with Edward Clark’s flamboyant antics, Brian Carter felt utterly helpless. “Go out, turn right for a thousand meters, and you’ll reach the girls’ dormitory. That’s where you should be showing off. Goodbye. Oh, and remember to close the door for me.”

　　……

　　After Edward Clark left, Brian Carter got up from the bed and gazed at the white clouds outside the window. Edward Clark’s words echoed in Brian Carter’s mind.

　　Effort…

　　Regret…

　　The possibility of a miracle…

　　Brian Carter took a deep breath, his gaze gradually becoming resolute.

　　Back on the bed, Brian Carter took out two crystals, held them in his hands, and began absorbing their energy as usual.

　　Crystals were essential items for martial artists. These naturally formed, mysterious stones buried underground contained powerful energy that could help martial artists cultivate and increase their training speed. However, they were quite expensive. Fortunately, Brian Carter was still just a Strength Practitioner and hadn’t awakened his bloodline yet, so he wasn’t a bloodline martial artist. His consumption of crystal energy was very low, and these two crystals would last him a long time.

　　As soon as he entered meditation, Brian Carter was shocked. The energy in the two crystals surged like a raging river, flooding into his body and converging toward his heart in an instant.

　　What was going on?

　　Normally, this energy was extremely weak. Why was it so fierce and overwhelming today?

　　Could his body withstand it?

　　Would his heart explode from such a violent impact?

　　As soon as this thought arose in Brian Carter’s mind, the energy had already reached his heart. The next second, the energy mysteriously vanished.

　　It was as if a clay ox had entered the sea—silent, without a trace, not even a ripple, just gone.

　　Completely disappeared.

　　What was happening?

　　While Brian Carter was still puzzled, his vision suddenly blurred. The dorm room disappeared, and he found himself in a strange and unfamiliar place.

　　An empty grassland stretched as far as the eye could see, with no end in sight. On the grassland stood a small thatched hut, and in front of the hut was a small patch of cultivated land, like a flowerbed.

　　Brian Carter looked around. Wasn’t he just in his dorm room? Where was this?

　　“Come in, don’t just stand there.”

　　A voice suddenly sounded from inside the hut, startling Brian Carter, but then he was relieved—at least there was someone here, so he could ask where this place was.

　　He pushed open the rickety wooden door that looked like a gust of wind could blow it away. The room wasn’t big, and with one glance, Brian Carter could see everything inside.

　　A table, a chair, a stove, and a middle-aged man who looked like he hadn’t fully woken up.

　　The middle-aged man wore plain linen clothes, had a square face, and a calm expression. He looked at Brian Carter for a long moment before suddenly speaking: “Do you want to become strong?”

　　“Huh?” The question came so suddenly that Brian Carter’s eyes widened, unable to react for a moment.

　　Before he could answer, the middle-aged man spoke again: “I can help you achieve your dream. In exchange, you must fulfill a request of mine. How about it?”