It was already dusk when the airship landed on the helipad atop the Heavens Arena.
Leo walked out of the hatch carrying a simple travel bag, met with the familiar wall of noise.
Seven months had passed, and this giant tower still stood tall, its lights flicking on floor by floor like a monument to never-ending ambition.
He headed straight for the 200th floor.
Occasional contestants passed by in the corridors. Someone recognized him, a flash of surprise crossing their eyes—a seven-month disappearance in a place like Heavens Arena was enough to be forgotten, but Leo's two initial crushing victories had clearly left a deep impression on some.
Everything in Room 2079 was as it had been; there was even less dust than expected.
The arena's cleaning services were clearly still operating normally.
Leo set down his luggage and, after a quick wash, called Sophia's and Wing's rooms one after the other.
In less than twenty minutes, there was a knock at the door.
Leo opened the door to find Sophia standing outside.
She was wearing a practical deep-blue training suit, her blue hair tied back in a neat ponytail, and her gaze was sharper than it had been seven months ago.
The moment she saw Leo, her eyes lit up.
"Master Leo!"
Her voice carried irrepressible excitement.
"I've already successfully achieved one victory! Also, I've been working hard on my Nen cultivation during this time, please test me!"
Leo nodded and stepped aside to let her in.
"No rush, sit down first."
Sophia entered the room and sat on the sofa, her back ramrod straight, clearly a bit nervous.
Just then, another knock came, and Wing pushed the door open and entered.
He looked much the same as seven months ago, still that gentle scholar-like figure, though a faint, barely detectable scrutiny flashed behind his glasses when he saw Leo.
"Mr. Leo,"
Wing said with a smile.
"It seems these seven months of cultivation have made you much stronger."
It wasn't just polite talk.
As a fellow member of the Shingen-ryu, Wing could intuitively feel the restrained yet heavy 'qualitative change' in Leo's body.
His aura was more condensed, and every movement carried a sense of coordination honed through a thousand refinements, like a raw stone polished into a sharp blade.
"It was alright."
Leo sat down opposite him and poured three glasses of water.
"Though it was arduous, the rewards were immense."
He paused, looked at Wing, and a hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"By the way, Master Biscuit asked me to check if you've been cultivating properly during this time—Senior Brother Wing."
He enunciated the last three words clearly.
The smile on Wing's face froze for a moment, followed by an embarrassed scratch at the back of his head.
"That won't be necessary... I've been cultivating well too. Junior Brother Leo, please give me a break!"
Leo laughed and waved his hand.
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wing, I won't tattle to Master Biscuit. But watch yourself; she might suddenly appear to check your progress at any time."
Wing sighed, his expression one of helpless resignation.
"Alright, alright, I get it."
He pushed up his glasses and changed the subject.
"Anyway, what are your plans next? Continue the challenge and aim for ten wins?"
Leo shook his head.
"No. I'm preparing to take the Hunter Exam."
The room went silent for a moment.
Sophia whipped her head around to look at Leo, her eyes flashing with shock and a hint of panic.
"Master Leo, you just got back and you're leaving already? I still have so many questions for you... C-can I go with you?"
Her voice was rushed; the news had clearly come too suddenly.
Leo looked at her, his gaze calm but firm.
"Sophia, you must walk the path ahead on your own. What I can do for you is bring you through the door."
He paused, his tone softening slightly.
"I'll be staying here for several more days before I set out. During this time, I will guide you properly."
Sophia lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes, looking as dejected as a child refused a trip.
Looking at her expression, Leo couldn't help but smile.
"Alright,"
he added.
"Once you achieve three victories, I'll allow you to follow me in my cultivation."
Sophia snapped her head up, the light returning to her eyes.
"Really? I will! I'll definitely win three matches as soon as possible!"
Her voice regained its driven determination.
Wing watched this scene from the side, took a thoughtful sip of water, and then spoke.
"Regarding the Hunter Exam, I can actually give you some information. Next year's exam will be held in Kalulu City on the Urubian Continent."
"The location is a ramen shop on Liyoupi Street—the name is 'Tonkotsu Ichiban.'
Order a special tonkotsu ramen, then the secret code is 'I don't eat beef, extra green onions.' That will get you into the exam venue."
Leo nodded.
"Is that so? I didn't expect you to know so clearly."
Wing waved his hand.
"This information can be found on the Hunter Information Website. However, only Hunters can log in, and every piece of intelligence requires a corresponding fee."
Leo understood.
The Hunter website's intelligence network spanned the world; such basic information was indeed not hard to obtain for them, but for outsiders, it was an insurmountable threshold.
The three chatted for a while longer, mostly Wing asking about Biscuit's situation over the past few months, and Leo picking out what he could share to answer.
Half an hour later, Wing stood up to leave.
"Then I'll be going. Good luck... with the Hunter Exam."
He walked to the door, looked back at Leo as if he wanted to say something, but ultimately just nodded and pushed the door open to leave.
The room became quiet again.
Leo stood up and walked toward the training room.
"Alright, Sophia, let me see the results of your cultivation during this time."
Sophia followed immediately, her expression as serious as if she were facing an official match.
Inside the training room, she demonstrated the Four Great Principles in sequence.
'Ten' was already very stable, with Nen uniformly covering her body in a solid glow.
Though the burst of 'Ren' didn't last very long, her Nen capacity had clearly grown significantly compared to seven months ago.
The concealment of 'Zetsu' was also passable, being able to completely suppress her aura within five seconds.
As for 'Hatsu'—developing a Specialist ability was inherently difficult, and she was still in the exploratory stage.
Leo watched quietly throughout, only nodding after Sophia finished her demonstration.
"Mm, not bad, keep working hard."
He walked to the center of the room.
"But there are a few issues to note. First, there's a slight sluggishness in the flow of your 'Ten', concentrated around the shoulder blades and lumbar spine. This is caused by maintaining a tense posture for too long; you need to relax the deep muscles to let the Nen circulate naturally."
Leo reached out and gestured toward several spots on her back.
"Second, the timing of your 'Ren' burst is too deliberate. You only activate it the moment your inhalation reaches its peak, which gives an opponent time to predict it. Try suddenly switching to a burst mid-exhalation; the rhythm will be much harder to grasp."
He demonstrated once—breathing steadily, then halfway through the exhale, his Nen erupted without warning before instantly retracting.
Sophia's eyes sparkled as she watched, and she immediately tried to mimic him.
"Third, your use of 'Zetsu' isn't natural enough yet. Right now, you are 'actively suppressing,' but true 'Zetsu' should be 'natural dissipation.' Try to imagine yourself as a fallen leaf, merging into the environment rather than forcibly hiding."
Over the next few days, Leo fulfilled his promise, giving Sophia intensive guidance.
He took the training methods and insights he had learned from Biscuit, adjusted them according to Sophia's actual situation, and passed them on to her without reservation.
During this period, Leo found time to log onto the official Hunter website to register for the exam.
Time slipped away during the training.
The New Year arrived quietly, and Heavens Arena held a grand countdown event with fireworks blooming in the night sky.
Leo and Sophia watched for a while from the training room window, not joining the revelry.
This was his first New Year in this world. No family, no parties with friends, only the goal of becoming stronger and this Disciple beside him who was also pursuing power.
January 4th, early morning.
The Heavens Arena airport was teeming with people.
Leo, dressed in a white casual suit, waited leisurely for the airship's arrival.
Sophia came to see him off.
She wasn't wearing her training suit today, but ordinary casual clothes, yet her posture remained ramrod straight.
"Go on back,"
Leo said.
"If you want to cultivate with me, get those three wins early."
Sophia nodded vigorously.
"I will, Master Leo!"
She paused, her voice becoming more solemn.
"I wish you success in obtaining your hunter license."
Leo waved his hand and turned toward the boarding gate.
No more farewells, crisp and clean.
The airship slowly ascended. Through the porthole, Sophia's figure on the helipad could be seen growing smaller until it was finally obscured by buildings.
Leo leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes.
The airship pierced through the clouds, heading at full speed toward the Urubian Continent.