The atmosphere near the academy entrance had changed completely after Alex revealed his martial soul and aura. The earlier tension and mockery had disappeared without a trace, replaced by deep caution and lingering fear. Teachers, guards, and nearby students all stared at him as though they were looking at something far beyond ordinary understanding.

The pressure Alex released moments earlier still lingered heavily within everyone’s minds. Even though the aura itself had vanished, the memory of that suffocating force remained vivid. Several weaker students standing farther away still looked pale, while some teachers unconsciously kept their spiritual energy circulating defensively.

At that moment, two powerful figures descended rapidly from the sky.

A violent gust of wind swept across the entrance plaza as immense spiritual pressure flooded the surroundings. Dust and loose stones scattered outward, forcing nearby students to retreat instinctively. The very air seemed to grow heavier under the arrival of the two experts.

The first person to appear was an elderly man wearing dark silver robes covered with intricate formation symbols. His long white hair moved slowly behind him despite the fading winds, and his sharp eyes carried the authority of someone who had stood at the peak of power for centuries. Dense soul fluctuations surrounded his body naturally, causing the spiritual energy nearby to become unusually stable.

Behind him stood a tall middle aged woman dressed in deep blue academy robes. Her beauty carried a cold and distant quality, while faint distortions occasionally appeared around the space near her body. Every step she took seemed to blend slightly with the surrounding air itself, as though space acknowledged her presence instinctively.

Albert immediately cupped his fists respectfully.

"Headmaster Lucien. Vice Headmaster Seraphina."

The surrounding teachers hurriedly bowed as well. Even Rowan lowered his head quickly, though traces of lingering shock still remained on his face.

Lucien ignored everyone else completely after arriving. His gaze locked directly onto Alex the moment he landed. The old headmaster remained silent for several seconds while carefully observing the young man standing calmly before the academy gates.

His expression gradually became more serious.

He could still sense remnants of the terrifying aura lingering within the environment. Spiritual energy throughout the surrounding area remained chaotic even now, which alone proved how overwhelming the earlier pressure had been. That level of suppression could not possibly originate from an ordinary level ninety five spirit master.

Lucien slowly shifted his gaze upward toward the fading traces of golden light still lingering faintly in the sky.

An angel martial soul.

Not merely an angel type martial soul, but something vastly more terrifying.

Lucien had lived for more than thousand years and possessed knowledge surpassing almost everyone on the continent. During his lifetime, he had witnessed countless rare martial souls, divine bloodlines, and legendary spirit masters. Yet even with all his experience, he had never encountered anything remotely similar to the existence Albert described through spiritual transmission moments earlier.

Most importantly, the martial soul possessed no visible soul rings.

There had been no white rings, no yellow rings, no purple rings, no black rings, and no red rings surrounding the colossal angelic figure. The complete absence of soul rings overturned the very foundation of cultivation theory itself.

Lucien finally spoke in a calm but heavy voice.

"You are the one who released that aura?"

Alex nodded casually without showing the slightest nervousness.

"Correct."

Lucien narrowed his eyes slightly while continuing to observe him carefully.

"You intentionally suppressed your strength before we arrived."

His tone made it clear that this was not a question. He had already reached his own conclusion.

Alex merely smiled faintly.

"If I had not suppressed it, this academy would have suffered unnecessary damage."

Silence immediately followed his words.

Several nearby teachers inhaled sharply after hearing such a statement spoken so casually. Even Rowan’s expression twitched visibly as disbelief and discomfort flashed across his face again.

Under normal circumstances, such words would have sounded utterly ridiculous. No spirit master would dare claim they could destroy one of the empire’s greatest academies merely by releasing their aura.

However, after witnessing Alex’s martial soul personally, nobody present could confidently dismiss the possibility anymore.

Seraphina stepped forward slightly at that moment.

Unlike Lucien, who focused primarily on Alex’s cultivation and martial soul, her attention remained fixed on Alex himself. Her cold eyes examined his appearance carefully, studying every subtle detail.

She frowned faintly.

"You look extremely young."

Alex glanced toward her calmly.

"I am."

Her expression grew slightly colder after hearing such a direct answer.

"A person your age possessing such cultivation is impossible."

Alex simply shrugged in response.

"Many impossible things exist in this world. Most people merely lack the qualifications to witness them."

The surrounding teachers exchanged uneasy glances after hearing those words. Rowan’s expression darkened slightly again, but this time he wisely remained silent instead of speaking arrogantly like before.

Lucien continued studying Alex quietly for several moments before speaking again.

"Professor Albert informed us that you wish to enroll within the academy."

"Correct."

"As a student?"

Alex answered without hesitation.

"For now."

The subtle implication hidden behind those two words caused Lucien and Seraphina to exchange a brief glance. Neither of them missed the meaning behind his answer.

Lucien slowly folded his hands behind his back.

"Before discussing enrollment, we must first determine whether you pose any threat to the academy."

Alex looked mildly amused by the statement.

"And how will you determine that?"

Without answering directly, Lucien raised one hand calmly toward the ground.

A massive formation suddenly illuminated beneath the entire entrance plaza.

Countless silver symbols spread rapidly across the earth as enormous spiritual energy surged violently upward into the sky. Complex runic patterns formed layer after layer beneath everyone’s feet, radiating ancient and profound fluctuations.

The surrounding students retreated even farther away in alarm after recognizing the formation.

Even Alex glanced downward with mild curiosity.

Seraphina spoke calmly beside Lucien while the formation activated fully.

"This is the Heart Reflection Formation. Illusions, disguises, spiritual concealment, and emotional manipulation become ineffective within its range."

Her eyes narrowed slightly afterward.

"It also reacts strongly toward killing intent and malicious thoughts."

Alex understood immediately what they intended to do.

They did not plan to test him through combat.

Instead, they intended to examine his intentions directly. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Lucien’s voice remained calm and authoritative while silver light intensified throughout the plaza.

"If you possess hostile intentions toward the academy, the formation will reveal it immediately."

The silver radiance became increasingly powerful as spiritual waves continuously swept across Alex’s body. Many nearby teachers subconsciously became nervous while watching the process unfold.

The Heart Reflection Formation possessed tremendous authority within the academy. It had existed for centuries and was normally used during interrogations involving dangerous criminals, infiltrators, and enemy spies. Very few individuals could remain completely calm while standing inside its range.

Yet Alex simply stood there quietly without reacting at all.

The silver light passed across his body repeatedly. Layer after layer of spiritual detection attempted to examine his thoughts, intentions, emotions, and spiritual fluctuations.

Nothing happened.

There were no warning signs.

No violent reactions.

No disturbances within the formation itself.

The massive formation remained perfectly stable.

Naturally, this was not because Alex successfully deceived the formation through skill or concealment. The difference between them simply existed on an entirely different level.

Even the Supreme Guardian of Time from higher realms had once failed to perceive the true depths of Alex’s existence completely. Compared to such beings, the Heart Reflection Formation of this lower world was insignificant to the point of absurdity.