The Awakening of the Harem Sovereign
The following month passed in the blink of an eye, establishing a new and exciting routine for Ye Chen. His days were divided between his own solitary cultivation and increasingly intimate training sessions with Ye Ziyun.
He became bolder, using "sword practice" as an excuse. He explained, and also demanded, precise control of energy flow and posture, requiring constant adjustments.
And without a doubt, he was more than happy to provide those "adjustments" to his beautiful cousin.
His hand would find hers to "correct her grip," his fingers lingering a moment longer. He positioned himself behind her, his chest pressed against her back to "feel her breathing and energy flow," his warm breath brushing her neck, making her gasp.
Ye Ziyun, meanwhile, was caught in a whirlwind of confusion. Each day, "Brother Chen's" touch felt less like a cousin's and more like... something else.
Her traitorous maiden heart hammered in her chest, and a warmth spread from her face throughout her entire body whenever he was near. She scolded herself for such thoughts, attributing it all to the intensity of training, but the seed of awareness had been planted.
She didn't want to admit it, but she was slowly getting used to his closeness—and that familiarity was dangerously comforting.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen's cultivation soared. The Ice Dragon technique was tyrannical in its efficiency. The night before classes started, while meditating, he felt the familiar bottleneck break.
With another soft crack, he broke through to Four-Star Bronze Rank. The power flowing through him was intoxicating. The City Lord immediately began paying even more attention to him, providing resources and a much larger training yard, close to Ye Ziyun's.
That night, as he contemplated his plans for the Holy Orchid Institute, the system's voice sounded again.
[DING!]
[Host progress detected. New function unlocked: Target Analysis.]
[The host can now view basic information and affection levels of potential targets. This will help formulate more effective conquest strategies.]
"Okay, this just made everything easier!"
A mischievous smile spread across Ye Chen's face. "Perfect. System, use Target Analysis on Ye Ziyun."
[Ding!]
Immediately, a translucent screen appeared in his vision, visible only to him.
[Target Analysis]
Name: Ye Ziyun
Age: 13
Cultivation: White Rank (82/100)
Soul Realm: Cyan
Soul Attribute: Snowy Wind
Affection Level: 65/100 (Deep Familial Trust / Emerging Curiosity)
Status: Untouched
"Sixty-five points of affection for me..." Ye Chen thought. A fantastic start. The foundation of their familial trust was solid, and his boldness over the last month had already sparked "Emerging Curiosity." The path was clear—just move forward slowly.
---
The next morning, the gates of the Holy Orchid Institute buzzed with activity. Youths from noble families, clad in silk robes, mingled with the most talented commoners, all filled with hope and anxiety.
"Wow! So many people!"
Ye Ziyun looked a little intimidated by the crowd. Sensing her hesitation, Ye Chen stepped closer and naturally placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Just stay close to me."
"En!"
The familiar touch instantly calmed her. She nodded, a faint shadow of a smile on her lips, and followed him inside toward the warrior apprentice classroom.
The room was filled with loud chatter. At the front, an attractive woman with a cold, arrogant expression watched the students with disdain. This was Shen Xiu, of the Sacred Family, the teacher in charge of their class.
She was tall, wearing a lilac dress that clung perfectly to her body, accentuating her perky bust. She had slender, pale legs and wore exquisite makeup that made her both beautiful and elegant. Her eyes overflowed with pride and arrogance.
"Silence!" Her voice was sharp and impatient. "I am your teacher, Shen Xiu. Today, we will determine the strength and attribute of your soul. This will decide your value to Glory City. Line up. One by one."
The students quickly began to gather. Some confident, others more reserved.
One by one, the students touched the great Soul Crystal.
"Lu Fei, Red Soul Realm, soul strength 12 points. Mediocre!"
"Zhang Li, Orange Soul Realm, soul strength 25 points. Acceptable, more or less."
Shen Xiu did not hide her contempt for students with average talent. Her eyes swept the room, briefly resting on Ye Ziyun with a hint of recognition before completely ignoring Ye Chen, as if he were part of the furniture.
Finally, after Shen Yue and Xiao Ning'er—who had good scores—it was Ye Ziyun's turn. Ye Chen took the opportunity to hold her hand and say, "Good luck!"
Ye Ziyun blushed and nodded. She wasn't nervous. Her father had already tested this for her, so she was confident she'd do well.
She approached calmly, like a goddess, drawing the attention of the students, and placed her hand on the crystal.
It glowed with a strong cyan light.
"Ye Ziyun, Cyan Soul Realm, soul strength 82. Snowy Wind attribute. Very good," Shen Xiu said with a forced compliment. After all, she was the City Lord's daughter.
Even knowing it would be like this, Ye Ziyun still sighed in relief and returned to Ye Chen's side, who gave her a reassuring smile.
"Next!" barked Shen Xiu.
Ye Chen stepped forward. His movement was calm and unhurried, which seemed to irritate the teacher even more.
"Hurry up. We don't have all day," she sneered, already dismissing him as another mediocre talent from a secondary family, even if it was the Snowy Wind family.
Ye Chen ignored her masterfully.
He reached the great crystal and, without hesitation, placed his palm on its cold surface. Ye Zong had already spoken to him about this. If he wanted a better future, he would have to show his talent to the world. He supported this decision.
So Ye Chen did not hold back!
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened. Shen Xiu was about to make another sarcastic remark when suddenly the Soul Crystal exploded with light.
That was when hell—or perhaps heaven—broke loose.
The Soul Crystal didn't just glow; it exploded with golden light.
It was not the crimson red of an ordinary warrior nor the serene blue of a talented spiritualist.
It was a torrent of golden color. A radiant golden light, so pure and overwhelming it didn't just illuminate the classroom more—it poured out in thick beams, bathing every shocked face in a sacred glow that commanded silence. The air in the room thickened, vibrating with a noble and ancient pressure that made the knees of the weaker students tremble.
The murmurs died instantly, replaced by choked gasps.
Shen Xiu froze.
The insult died in her throat, and her face, once flushed with arrogance, turned deathly pale. Her arrogant eyes widened, her pupils contracting in pure terror and disbelief.
"H-how is this possible? Four-Star Bronze?"
She took an involuntary step back, as if physically struck. Her world, built on the hierarchy of predictable lineages and talents, had just shattered.
A disconcerting silence spread through the classroom.
That silence wasn't admiration—it was the deafening sound of her authority crumbling. It was a slap in the face, dealt by reality itself, and worst of all: silent, public, and absolute.
The chain reaction was immediate.
The commoners looked on with admiration bordering on worship. The nobles, especially those from the Sacred Family who had previously sneered, now stared at him with a hideous mix of venomous envy and palpable fear.
And the girls...
The young noblewomen, who had previously only had eyes for Shen Yue or other prominent families, were now completely captivated. Their fans froze mid-gesture, their frivolous conversations forgotten.
They now looked at Ye Chen not as a classmate but as if they were seeing a delicious piece of meat. Their gazes, once disdainful or indifferent, now burned with feverish intensity.
There was shock, yes, but also sudden admiration, irresistible fascination, and for some, the unmistakable flush of a budding attraction to that undeniable talent displayed before them.
In an instant, Ye Chen ceased to be invisible and became the sole center of their universe. Ye Ziyun, amidst them, covered her mouth with both hands, a storm of pride, shock, and a pang of worry stirring in her heart she couldn't explain.
At the center of it all, Ye Chen remained impassive, his hand still on the crystal that pulsed with a golden mystery no one at the Holy Orchid Institute—or even in Glory City—had ever witnessed.