As soon as he submerged himself, Victor was greeted by a breathtaking underwater scene.

Even though it was near the shore, the sea was incredibly deep—and astonishingly clear.

He saw massive fish of all kinds of colors and gigantic aquatic plants drifting gently.

Many students were swimming upward. Some looked delighted, while others were clearly in a bad mood.

Victor dove deeper, immediately drawing attention since he had arrived late.

Despite the clarity, he still couldn’t fully make out what lay at the seabed—it was simply too deep. He needed to get closer.

A world.

As he approached, he realized it truly was a small world beneath the sea—roughly one-tenth the size of a normal world. With such a size, even he could explore it entirely.

The world was protected by a defensive formation that seemed capable of blocking all attacks.

However, the entire world was filled with ocean—there was no land at all.

Without seeing it in full, one would simply assume it was the same sea, just with different water.

The water appeared dark blue, making it impossible to see through from the outside.

Buzz!

Someone was suddenly blasted out of the dark blue sea.

The figure looked small, yet the force split the water below due to the sheer impact.

It turned out to be Lancelot, looking completely disheveled.

"Damn it, Alex! Just wait a few years—I’ll beat you to death!" the fifteen-year-old shouted in fury.

No one dared to look at him for long.

The students knew that if they caught his attention while he was angry, they might become his outlet.

But one gaze made him turn around immediately.

His already foul expression darkened further when he realized Victor was looking at him from above.

It was an indifferent gaze—but that only made it more irritating.

"Young Master!" A young man with dark curly hair and black markings on his face approached Victor.

It was Evan.

He didn’t seem to care about Lancelot at all.

"Young Master, there are only three students left inside now," he said.

"Three..." Victor was slightly surprised.

He really had arrived late.

"Alexandra, Layla, and Alex," Evan continued.

"They’ve entered the palace courtyard. It only allows three people. That’s where the best treasures are. However, there’s still a chance—if one of them is forcibly expelled by someone inside. Young Master, you should go in immediately and try to enter that courtyard. It’s better than staying elsewhere. The results will be greater if you personally obtain the treasures—they can either cover your weaknesses or further strengthen your advantages."

"I see..." Victor nodded.

The question, of course, was—who would be forced out?

Alex?

Who could expel him?

Layla clearly wouldn’t help Victor.

Only Alexandra remained.

But would she be willing to do something like that?

Perhaps she would rather leave voluntarily and give him her spot.

Victor didn’t make a plan yet.

He dove deeper, passing Lancelot, who could only glare at him coldly.

The protective formation didn’t hinder him at all.

However, as he passed through, he could feel several hidden gazes locking onto him.

They were likely from the Sea Spirits.

Victor found that natural.

He continued diving into the dark blue sea.

Once inside, the darkness turned out to be merely an outer illusion.

Within, the ocean was actually clear.

It was still water—but it felt more like a world where water barely existed, almost like air.

Victor dropped downward as if he were in a normal world. There was no need to swim anymore.

Below him lay a magnificent land, filled with towering mountains and trees of various colors.

There were even cities with buildings shaped like pineapples, apples, and other fruits.

Victor saw humanoid beings.

However, their bodies seemed to be made of clear blue water.

They had slight scales near their eyes and appeared to possess fish tails.

Yet, they also had human-like legs—and wore clothing.

They even had hair in various colors.

Victor immediately drew attention.

Anyone who could see him stared.

They seemed curious about who he was.

Victor then looked toward the largest city.

Naturally—there was a palace at its center, with an enormous courtyard.

And there, he saw Alex, Alexandra, and Layla.

Instead of searching for treasures, they were cultivating atop three circular stone platforms.

Streams of water flowed into their bodies.

Since they had likely just entered, it seemed they were given a cultivation opportunity first.

Victor descended.

The courtyard was surrounded by Sea Spirits watching from outside, yet they seemed unable to enter.

The entire palace showed no signs of activity. Victor wasn’t sure if it belonged to a king or not.

Surprisingly, when he landed, the Sea Spirits suddenly backed away—contrary to his expectation that he could communicate with them.

They seemed extremely antisocial toward outsiders.

If communication were possible, he could at least ask a few questions.

From afar, they observed him without blinking—like he was some rare creature.

Perhaps he truly was rare among humans.

Clap!

Victor clapped his hands once, breaking the silence.

Alexandra, Layla, and Alex opened their eyes.

The first two were surprised to see him, while Alex frowned slightly.

However, Alex showed no interest in looking at him further and immediately closed his eyes again, unwilling to waste time.

(Victor...)

Alexandra’s voice echoed in his mind.

Even though there was a barrier in the courtyard, it didn’t block telepathy.

(Victor, do you want to enter?) she asked.

(I heard only three people are allowed. How do I get in?) Victor replied.

(I’ll leave. You can take my place.) Alexandra answered.

That was exactly what Victor had expected.

Driving someone else out hadn’t even crossed her mind.

(Don’t...) Victor immediately refused.

(Then how else can you enter?) Alexandra asked, confused.

(Why don’t you just expel Alex? He wouldn’t expect you to attack. It seems you’ve already reached the Sovereign Realm. If you strike, he’ll definitely be thrown out.)

His words shocked her instantly.

(Victor, that’s cheating.)

(Haven’t I always cheated?) Victor smiled.

(I can’t do that. Besides, Alex is my friend.)

(Does that matter? What’s more important—him or me?)

(I...?) Alexandra was clearly shaken.

(Fine. No need to force yourself.) Victor decided not to push her—for now.

This wasn’t the right moment.

If it failed now, Alex wouldn’t fall for it a second time.

Victor would only pressure her for something bigger later.

He then turned to Layla, who was still staring at him with a frown.

(I want to enter,) Victor said through telepathy.

(That’s obvious from your face,) she replied sarcastically.

(Will you help me? Expel Alex. I’m sure you can do it. You’ve cultivated longer than all of us.) 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

(What? Did I hear that right?) Layla looked incredulous.

To her, it sounded ridiculous.

Why would she help him?

(Everything can be negotiated. Just name your price.)

(Hahaha, you think I’d trust you? You’d just cheat me. Before, you promised a reward to anyone who could defeat William Holylight. What did you do? You left before the fight even ended. Victor, you’re just a bastard lucky enough to have a powerful mother.)

(I just didn’t want to reward Alex—and I had something urgent at the time.)

(And later you’ll say the same thing—that you didn’t want to reward me.)

(You’re overthinking. If you refuse, I might as well ask Alex to expel you instead. Let’s see if he agrees.)

(You... bastard.)

(You’d better decide quickly. Unlike you, Alex likes to gamble. He might agree even without trusting me. Maybe he’ll accept—and plan to kill me here.)

Alex definitely wanted to kill him.

That way, he could reclaim the Diamond Skeleton.

Even if it was within Victor’s body, it originally belonged to Alex—it would always suit him best.

Victor remained cautious.

In his view, Alex was stronger than he had shown in his fight against William.

But what Victor feared most... was his trump card.

He couldn’t rule out the possibility that he might actually lose.

This was not someone to underestimate—someone who had survived this long and continued to grow.

(Can you help me enter your Clan and learn the techniques there?) Layla asked.

(That’s easy,) Victor replied casually.

Her Clan didn’t have a strong foundation. It lacked proper inheritance. It wasn’t strange that she wanted access to the Russell Clan.

With two World Monarchs produced, the Russell Clan naturally possessed far more powerful legacies—though Victor himself didn’t use them.

The academy was certainly helpful for her training, but joining a powerful Clan would benefit her even more. She might even break through to a higher level afterward.

(Do you promise?) she asked again.

(Yes... I don’t need to break a promise over something like this.)

(If you break it, I’ll go to your Clan and publicly expose your promise.)

(Do whatever you want,) Victor replied indifferently.

Right after that, Layla finally took out a spear.

Shua!

She swung it straight at Alex.

If it struck him, he would definitely be blasted away and thrown out of the courtyard.

However, something unexpected happened.

Alex suddenly transformed into a streak of red light, causing Layla’s spear to pass through him as if he didn’t exist.