《Cultivation Through Artifacts》


 Chapter 0: Auxiliary Chapter

    <h4>Chapter 0: Auxiliary Chapter</h4>


    This chapter will tell important information about the novel, which will be only introduced through thetter part of the story and not at the instant beginning.


    So this chapter may contain small spoilers, so please continue to read-only on your own ord!


    Thank you and hope you will like it! ?


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    I. Novel name: Cultivation Through Artifacts


    II. MC¡¯s name: Khal Nevio (Past life name: Cal)


    III. World name: Ephus (First Realm, Realm of Haven)


    IV. In this universe there are seven Realms, which are the following:


    -First Realm, Realm of Haven


    -Second Realm, Realm of Cultivation


    -Third Realm, Realm of Misery


    -Fourth Realm, Realm of Ascension


    -Fifth Realm, Realm of Gods


    -Sixth Realm, Realm of The Supreme (Only 1 being should/can exist here)


    -Seventh Realm or another name the Zero Realm, Realm of the Unknown (No one knows about this¡­ Yet!)


    Important information!!


    Each race in the First Realm is on a deserted, so no other race can harm them.


    Everyone who reached the Second Realm or above will need to fight against/with other races to be able to continue their cultivation.


    V. Cultivation Levels in the First Realm: (Names could be possibly changed in future!)


    -First Stage: Vessel (50 Beast Essence for next stage)


    -Second Stage: Martial Artist (100 B.E for next stage)


    -Third Stage: Beast-Warrior (500 B.E for next stage)


    -Fourth Stage: Essence Obtainer (1 000 B.E for next stage)


    -Fifth Stage: Power Holder (2 500 B.E for next stage)


    -Sixth Stage: Cultivator (5 000 B.E for next stage)


    -Seventh Stage: Heavenly Cultivator (7 500 B.E for next stage)


    -Eight Stage: Divine Emperor (10 000 B.E for next stage)


    -Ninth Stage: Celestial Ruler (Unknown B.E for next Stage)


    -¡®Tenth¡¯ Stage, (Only for Khal, because his name was not carved into the Realm Stone in the beginning of the story) which is the Trial to the Second Realm.


    VI. Cultivation Way:


    -Beast essence: In the world, there are different kinds of beasts, creatures, monsters, and nts, which after killing will leave behind their essence.


    Consuming their essence through motionless cultivation, one can obtain Beast Essence, which amount is random.


    -Human Essence: By killing other humans, people can obtain the max amount of essence, given what stage the human was before death. However, this cultivation way is deadly prohibited and taboo!


    VII. Essence amount on different Stages: (random amount every time)


    -First Stage Beast gives random B.E, between 1-5.


    -Second Stage Beast: 1-10 B.E.


    -Third Stage Beast: 1-15 B.E.


    -Fourth Stage Beast: 1-20 B.E.


    -Fifth Stage Beast: 1-25 B.E.


    -Sixth Stage Beast: 1-50 B.E.


    -Seventh Stage Beast: 1-50 B.E.


    -Eighth Stage Beast: 1-75 B.E.


    -Ninth Stage Beast: 1-100 B.E.


    -The legendary Tenth Stage Beast: 101 B.E


    After each breakthrough, people obtain a full mark, which is almost all the time a full circle around their wrist, shoulder, leg, neck, arm.


    Each ce on the body is different for each people.


    VIII. Artifacts Quality(Tiers):


    -Low Quality Artifacts: Core Tier, Vessel Tier


    -Middle Quality Artifacts: Refined Tier, wless Tier


    -High Quality Artifacts: Legendary Tier, World Tier


    -Supreme Quality Artifacts: Heavenly Tier, Celestial Tier


    Each Artifact has an artifact core, which are useless, however will be important in the story for Khal. (I won¡¯t do spoiler, but I think you already know what it means, but still do please read my novel at least till chap 25 to somewhat understand his power and the way he can cultivate!:) )


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    The remaining information(s) will be exined or be told throughout the story because they are moreplicated or too important to be spoilered.


    I hope you found interesting all of these, but I also hope you only read if you are not afraid of these minor spoilers.


    I also hope if you find my story enjoyable, then you would be so kind to vote on this book of mine with Power Stones and Comments!


    Positive and negativements are weed both, however, don¡¯t hate my book openly.


    Thank you and have a nice day! ?

 Chapter 1: Prologue

    <h4>Chapter 1: Prologue</h4>


    Pain¡­ Regret¡­ Disappointment¡­ Grief.


    Feelings that no matter how hard you try to forget about, at the end of your day, they will always find a way back to you.


    The moment when there is no one else on your side, but only sheer silence and darkness, these kind of gray feelings will always break onto the surface and eat you alive.


    Happiness?


    That is nothing more than a ridiculous feeling in your life just to mask your real emotions. At the end of your life, all the things that you have thought would make you happy are nothing more but a huge lie¡­ An illusion.


    You are just hiding behind that false feeling to run away from the reality that you don¡¯t want to face head-on, because you are too scared to do so.


    You are pretending that you are happy, just not to confront the hard and cold reality that you are nothing more but an object, a speck of mere dust in the vast desert that no one cares about.


    The heavy and painful truth that everything you did for others in the past was for nothing and everyone just used you as a disposable item which is only useful until they think so. Friends, teachers, strangers¡­ Every single one of them.


    Even your family, which you thought that will be always on your side no matter what, turned their backs on you because they hated you, but you still showed happiness because you still thought these were nothing more but just lies.


    You showed them that you were happy and believed that they will love you, but no. You were wrong.


    They just deluded you to think they love you, but in actuality, they just used you like a machine to achieve what they couldn¡¯t in their yore.


    And when things sadly turned to the worst and you finally realized all of these harsh facts, what will wait for you are exactly those kinds of dark feelings.


    Or at least that was just how Cal was currently feeling¡­


    He was just a boy who was only at the age of 17. Except for the idol appearance and mature look that he inherited from his parents, there was nothing special about him at all.


    However, even with that appearance, which told others that he will have a great future before him, he was still standing at the edge of the highest building in his city.


    Watching the buzzling people below his feet from that height, Cal slowly closed his eyes and with a deep sigh, he started to think back to the cause which led him all the way here.


    He was just a normal teenage boy, who wanted to live a normal life with a normal future, but sadly this couldn¡¯t happen with him at all.


    During all of his time until now, what he did was to live not for him, but for his parents.


    They made him do things he didn¡¯t want to do even if he liked it or not, but if he denied any of their ¡®order¡¯ they would beat him up to the point where he could hardly move. And because he couldn¡¯t ask for any help, because even his ¡®friends¡¯ used him as a piece of trash, he didn¡¯t have any choice at all.


    When he thought he will live his entire life under their chains, suddenly a girl popped up out of nowhere and came into his life.


    She made his gray view of the world slowly turn colorful again and made him feel true happiness again, which he never felt for years.


    He spent all of his time he could with her, and after a year and a half, he finally dared to confess to her.


    And what was the girl¡¯s answer? A returned love.


    From that point on, they started to date as a couple and Cal¡¯s life started to turn toward a future that he would have never dreamed of.


    However, everything wille to an end sooner orter, and unfortunately, Cal¡¯s happiness hase to and sooner in a very brutal way.


    Just as he wanted to go over to his girlfriend and celebrate their second anniversary, shocking news hit him like a tsunami.


    His girlfriend, Nancy Halford, was brutally killed by unknown murderers. Even Nancy¡¯s parents and her little brother had been found cold dead, leaving none of them alive at all.


    When Cal heard this, he couldn¡¯t believe the news, so without hesitation, he ran all the way to Nancy¡¯s house.


    But the moment he arrived there, he needed to face the harsh truth.


    Bystanders on the side surrounding the house and ambnce inside the house. Cal watched with pale expression as the medical people brought out four, blood-covered corpses one after another.


    When he walked closer to the one the he recognized instantly and seeing that the dead body was truly hers, Cal felt as the whole world around him got destroyed in a single second.


    ¡°No¡­ This¡­ This can¡¯t be¡­¡±, said Cal with teardrops slowly flowing down his cheek, and kneeled down powerlessly next to Nancy¡¯s dead body.


    Among huge drops of tears and pleading screams, suddenly Cal realized that something was stuffed into Nancy¡¯s hand.


    After taking a closer look, he discovered that there was a tightly held creased piece of paper in his hold that until now no one noticed.


    ¡°?¡±


    Taking the paper away from her lifeless and cold grip, Cal opened it slowly and started to read the words that was written in it.


    But the moment when he saw the quick and almost unreadable words, which was obviously because Nancy was in a noticeable hurry, his expression froze up instantly.


    ¡°Im¡­ Impossible¡­ This¡­ can¡¯t be true¡­¡±, mumbled Cal with disbelief, but suddenly he remembered something.


    It was a conversation between his father and an unknown man in the past that he overheard by ident before their house. Remembering back at his father¡¯s words which at that time seemed totally innocent, made him feel the rage instantly flow through his whole body.


    ¡°That p*ece of old sh*t! I will¡­ I will¡­¡±


    Without further hesitation, he stood up and ran all the way back home, while his mind was filled with only one thing. And it was pure anger.


    ¡°I will¡­ I will¡­¡±


    ***


    *BAM!*


    With a loud bang, the door into the living room got burst wide open, making a fat old man and an old woman instantly startled by the sudden happenings.


    ¡°Cal? What are you doing? Oh my God! Your suit! It is covered with full of mud! Cal! Do you have an idea just how expensive that cloth on you have cost?¡±


    Hearing what his father was saying, Cal¡¯s expression darkened even more, and said calmly, ¡°Shut up you pig¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? What did you say?¡±, asked the man with surprise, but the next second he turned angry and after standing up, he walked closer to Cal and was ready to hit him in the face.


    ¡°Just you wait! Who do you think I a-.¡±


    *Squeak!*


    However just before the man could have pped Cal on the face, suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his chest, making him to look down with widened eyes.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    *Paff!*


    Falling heavily onto the ground, the man looked at the pierced knife in his chest with disbelief.


    ¡°You¡­¡±, started to say the man and wanted to pull out the weapon from his chest, but before he could have done so, Cal stepped powerfully on the knife¡¯s hilt, pushing it deeper into the man¡¯s chest.


    ¡°Argh!! Why¡­ Ha¡­¡±


    The man wanted to say something, but after a few seconds, the life started to disappeared from his eyes, and the only emotion that was still visible on his face was sheer fear and disbelief.


    ¡°OH MY GOODNESS! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?¡±


    With a loud scream, the woman on the side ran next to her husband and started to inspect his body. However, seeing that it was already toote, the woman looked up with tearful eyes and said with clenched teeth, ¡°You will pay for all of this, that is for sure!¡±


    Cal seeing his mother¡¯s expressionless face started to slowly walk toward her.


    Seeing as Cal was walking closer to her without a word, the woman started to panic and shouted, ¡°STAY AWAY FROM ME YOU MONST-, Huh?¡±


    However just before she could have finished her scream, Cal ced both of his palms gently on her mother¡¯s cheeks and just looked deep into her eyes.


    Looking at those eyes that lied to him every single day, Cal felt disgusted instantly, so without any hesitation, he ced his thumbs on the woman¡¯s eyes.


    With a powerful and sudden press, he squashed her eyes, making the room to be filled with blood and painful screams in an instant.


    ¡°AAAARRRGGGHHH!! MY¡­ MY EYES!!¡±


    Amongst loud screams and flowing blood, the woman struggled to escape away from Cal¡¯s hold, but in the end, because she was blind, she couldn¡¯t.


    Hearing her mother¡¯s painful voice, Cal¡¯s expression looked annoyed, so as a result he walked slowly behind her and grabbed her by the head again.


    ¡°P¡­please¡­ Please have mercy¡­¡±


    The moment Cal heard this, he instantly remembered back at Nancy¡¯s corpse, making him to feel indescribable rage throughout his body.


    ¡°Have mercy? Mercy? Ha! Don¡¯t make meugh! Do you think she got any back then? Do you have any idea what she had gone through just because of the two of you??! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA?!¡±


    ¡°We didn-.¡±


    *CRACK!*


    *Paff!*


    However Cal didn¡¯t care about the woman¡¯s respond.


    With a smooth movement, he snapped his mother¡¯s neck around, making her lifeless carcass to fall into the blood, right next to his father¡¯s corpse.


    And that is what happened exactly with him. Under a single day, he lost everything.


    Opening his eyes slowly, Cal looked at the strange-looking iron bracelet that he got from Nancy for their first anniversary. Since the moment he got it, he didn¡¯t take it off not even once.


    ¡°There is no longer a reason for me to stay in this world¡­¡±


    With that in mind, Cal stepped forward, throwing himself off the building without a single hesitation.


    100 meters, 90 meters, 70 meters, 45 meters¡­


    Cal¡¯s body was falling toward the ground at a rapid pace, while his life until this moment was shing before his eyes one after another.


    ¡°Ah¡­ So this is how this feels¡­ Amazing indeed¡­¡±, said Cal with surprising calmness and watched as the ground below him was now only a few meters away from him.


    ¡°I hope that if there is a next life, I can meet with you again¡­¡±


    And just as he thought about this, suddenly the bracelet on his wrist lit up.


    Looking at it, Cal wanted to figure out what could have just happened, but he couldn¡¯t, because his body hit the ground powerfully, making his vision to turn dark in an instant¡­

 Chapter 2: A New Beginning

    Chapter 2: A New Beginning


    Somewhere in apletely unknown world, in the middle of a vast field, a single colorful tree could be seen, while under its shadow, a human boy was lying motionlessly.


    His body was unnaturally dormant while his eyes were gently closed,pletely unknown if he was dead or was just simply deeply asleep.


    While the gentle breeze swept through the boy¡¯s hair, time passed by slowly.


    After an unknown amount of duration which could have been an hour or a minute, suddenly the boy¡¯s eyes shot wide open, and instantly sat up with a pale face.


    ¡°What¡­ What happened with me?¡±, asked the boy quietly to himself as he held his head with a somewhat painful expression, still confused by something.


    As he tried to remember back what could have just happened with him, suddenly memories emerged in his head one after another, making his expression to slowly turn rxed once again.


    ¡°Yeah, that is right. I threw myself off the building and I have died. But if that is true¡­ how can I be still alive? Was it just a dream?¡±


    As the pain in his head started to dissipate, the youth who was Cal raised his head. However, the moment he did and looked around his eyes widened with utter surprise.


    ¡°Where¡­ Am I?¡±


    All around him what he could see was breathtaking scenery that looked like it just popped out of someone¡¯s creative imagination.


    Colorful flowers, endless green filed and huge mountains that summit pierced the milk-white clouds right above his head, giving others the feeling that it was a bridge toward the heavens above.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±


    The only thing that Cal could say was only that and nothing else.


    Everything that was currently happening with him with this new sight before his eyes were just simply too much for him to take. He needed a bit of time to process all the urrences because right now, it was just way too confusing for him.


    ¡°Was it really just a dream, or did something else happen?¡±


    As Cal was thinking about a solution that could give him a reasonable exnation, suddenly he felt a rigid touch on the ground beside him.


    ¡°Huh? What is this?¡±, asked Cal with confusion as picked up the book from the grass and looked at the cover.


    ¡®Diary: Khal Nevio¡¯


    ¡°A diary? Should this be mine? But my name is Cal, not Khal¡­¡±, thought Cal with a slight frown, but just as he was about to open the book he noticed something even more shocking.


    ¡°How could this be?¡±, asked Cal with shock and raised his right hand.


    On his wrist, what he could see was a very familiar-looking iron bracelet with a wavy shape. Even the small hole in its middle where he could put differently sized or shaped jewelry could be clearly seen.


    In the past, he didn¡¯t put any jewelry in it because it was in truth quite girlish, but this is precisely what made Cal realize that it was the exact same bracelet that Nancy gave him for their first anniversary as a gift.


    Even his monogram was carved on it!


    ¡°Was it truly not a dream? Then how?¡±, asked himself quietly Cal, but a whileter a sudden realization hit him.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did I got reincarnated?!¡±


    Touching the bracelet on his wrist and feeling the surface that he was so familiar with, Cal found it quite hard to believe that he was really reincarnated into another world.


    ¡°This¡­ How?¡±


    While Cal was mesmerized by the reality, suddenly a foreign voice sounded behind his back, making him toe back to reality instantly.


    ¡°Ah, here you are Khal. I was looking for you for ages, but it seems you came here to rest again. What azy head¡­¡±


    Cal, who seemed to be named in this world a bit differently, names as Khal, turned around to face the one who has talked to him, but when he did, his eyes widened instantly.


    Right before him, a girl at his age was standing a meter away from him, while she looked at him with a somewhat strict look.


    She had long ck hair with amber-brown eyes and porcin skin. Her whole body was slim, but at the same time curvy, giving others a feeling that she was mature and sexy at the same time even though she only looked 16 years old.


    But this wasn¡¯t the reason why Khal was so stunned. No, the reason why he looked at the girl that shocked was that her whole appearance was totally the same as of his girlfriend¡¯s from his past life, Nancy¡¯s!


    ¡°This¡­ How?¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you mean how? I have finally found you, so stand up and let¡¯s go back. Miss Mary will be angry if we don¡¯t hurry. We still have a few chores to do.¡±, said the girl with a frown and after stepping closer to Khal, she grabbed him by his ear and made him to stand up.


    ¡°Auch! Auch! I get it! I get it! I will stand up, so let me be!¡±, shouted Khal in an instant, making the girl to smile with satisfaction instantly.


    ¡°That is what I like to hear.¡±, said the girl and after turning around she continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to hurry.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    Hearing Khal¡¯s sudden shout, the girl turned around and looked at him with a slight frown, and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    Khal seeing as the girl looked at him in the exact same manner as Nancy, scratched his head, and with a wry smile, asked, ¡°Who¡­ who are you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    Somewhere else far away from Khal and the young girl, a small building was standing alone next to a dense forest.


    It was a very old building with nts growing on its cracked walls, while the grass in the garden was almost two feet high.


    It was an orphanage.


    *BAM!*


    With a loud bang, the door of the house got burst wide open and the girl from before walked in with an angry expression, while Khal, with a red left cheek followed her slowly from behind.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have really asked that question! Don¡¯t even dare to talk to me from now on! Hmph!¡±


    Watching as the girl ran into a room on the side and closed the door angrily, Khal touched his reddened cheek and mumbled, ¡°I just asked a simple question. I don¡¯t understand why she needed to p me that hard.¡±


    While he was standing all alone at the entrance, suddenly a young woman in her thirties appeared on the stairs before him.


    ¡°Did you make Liza angry once again? Haha! What did you do now?¡±, asked the woman gently as she looked at Liza¡¯s room.


    Hearing the voice, Khal turned his gaze at the woman slowly and stayed silent for a while.


    Long brown hair, honey-colored eyes, and a sexily curvy body. She was the exact definition of a mature woman, even though that her clothing didn¡¯t show it.


    As Khal looked at the woman didn¡¯t know what to say, so instead, he just started to smile wryly like some kind of fool.


    Seeing his smile, the woman however sighed and said, ¡°Remember Khal. Liza goes through the same things just as you, so please. Don¡¯t make her hate you. You are the only one who has been left for her, but you know this too, so I don¡¯t need to tell you this again.¡±


    As the woman talked calmly, Khal¡¯s smile slowly started to disappear.


    However, when the woman noticed this, she immediately smiled warmly and said, ¡°Well, don¡¯t think it over. Just go and say sorry to her. After you have done that, please go out and hew down the grass. It has grown too much.¡±


    After she said that, the woman picked up the clothes from the side and walked out of the building, leaving Khal alone once again in the middle of the hall.


    ¡°So she must be Miss Mary.¡±, said Khal quietly as he watched Miss Mary¡¯s figure leaving the hall.


    A whileter he turned his gaze at the room, where Liza had gone to and after exhaling a deep sigh, he looked at the dairy in his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and say sorry to her.¡±

 Chapter 3: An Apology

    Chapter 3: An Apology


    *Knock~Knock!*


    ¡°What do you want?¡±


    Opening the door carefully, Khal walked into the room and looked around.


    It was a small average looking room with a single bed on the left side, while on the right, only a single table with a chair could be seen. The walls were painted pink, giving a kind of girlish feeling, but because the walls were full of cracks, this feeling worsened a level.


    The poor sight that Khal did not really see in his previous life, made him feel a bit sad, but only just for a second.


    The next second he cleared his throat quietly and looked at Liza on the bed.


    She was lying on her tummy with her head deeply buried into the pillow, holding the small pillow tightly with both of her hands.


    Seeing her like that, Khal scratched his neck not knowing how to start his apology, but before he could have said anything else he noticed something on the table.


    It was a picture with burnt edges, ced in a half-broken frame with visible caution.


    In the photo, two families could be seen standing next to each other happily, while before the 4 adults, two smiling kids, a boy, and a girl could be seen, visibly chasing each other.


    Naturally, the two kids were Liza and him when they were still small.


    Slowly starting to put the puzzle together and realizing what could have possibly happened in the past and why Miss Mary said what she did, Khal started to sweat a bit.


    ¡°It seems both of our parents have died in an ident, and we were the only survivors.¡±, thought Khal and looked at Liza on the bed.


    ¡°Losing your parents so soon it¡¯s a bit¡­¡±


    As he thought about this, suddenly Khal remembered how he killed his parent in his past, just because of pure anger, grief, and sorrow.


    Simply thinking back at those scenes made his expression to turn dark and sour in an instant.


    ¡°Well¡­ Seeing those happy faces¡­ It seems not everyone¡¯s parents are a d*ckhead.¡±


    However, this feeling of his didn¡¯tst for too long, because the next second he smiled again and started to talk.


    ¡°Liza¡­ About what I said earlier¡­ I didn¡¯t mean it, so I¡¯m truly sorry if I hurt you.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Liza? Can you hear me?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing as he got no reaction at all from her, Khal started to scratch his neck slowly, but suddenly saw Liza¡¯s bare waist. Thinking about something, he suddenly smiled widely, like some kind of evil.


    Lowering his body to make less sound, Khal sneaked closer to her bed, and when he was totally on her side he attacked.


    ¡°EEK!!¡±


    Liza¡¯s body flinched instantly because of Khal¡¯s sudden surprise attack. She was caughtpletely out of her guard.


    Raising her head in surprise, she turned to look at Khal with a startled expression, and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    ¡°K¡­ Khal? What are you doing?¡±, asked Liza with surprise as she turned her head to see Khal behind her.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t react or replied at all but instead was surprised.


    ¡°She¡­ She reacted in the exact same way as Nancy did.¡±, thought Khal, but this only made him smile even wider and said quietly, ¡°Then that means¡­¡±


    In an instant, without any hesitation, Khal started to tickle Liza¡¯s waist like crazy, making her to be even more surprised and start squirming like a worm whileughing.


    ¡°Wai¡­ Haha¡­ Wait! Kha¡­ Khal! I said¡­ Stop! Haha! Khal!! Please! Haha!! Stop!¡±


    Among tearful eyes and loudughter and chuckle, Liza tried to stop Khal¡¯s assault, but no matter how hard she squirmed or moved, Khal didn¡¯t stop even for a second.


    With a wide smile etched on his face, Khal watched Liza¡¯s figure as she tried to escape, but couldn¡¯t because ofughing too hard. He just simply continued to titite her while calmly saying, ¡°Will you ept my apology or not?¡±


    ¡°Haha! I¡­ Haha! I¡­ Will¡­ Haha! Never! Haha!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure about that?¡±, said Khal with a smile and started to move his fingers even faster, while his expression suddenly turned a bit evil.


    ¡°No! Haha! No! Haha! Ple¡­ Please!¡±


    Seeing that Khal didn¡¯t want to stop no matter how many times she pleaded, Liza started to pat Khal¡¯s hand gently and said, ¡°Okay¡­ Haha! Okay! I forgive you¡­ so¡­ Please! Haha!¡±


    Khal hearing what Liza said stopped tickling her waist and stepped back while saying with a calm and satisfied smile, ¡°That is what I like to hear.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Slowly sitting up, Liza turned her head at Khal, and without saying a single word she started to stare at Khal with scary eyes.


    Those exact eyes that once made him sweat like crazy, made Khal to feel that something was very wrong here.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Outside the building, Miss Mary was putting the wet clothes onto a string one by one, when suddenly the door burst open.


    From the building, Khal started to run out hurriedly, while Liza was chasing after him with a somewhat angry yet blushed face.


    Even though Khal¡¯s expression looked scared while Liza¡¯s angry, Miss Mary saw that under their expression there was a slight hidden smile.


    Seeing both of their happy attitudes, Miss Mary smiled too and after a small chuckle, she said quietly, ¡°Haha! Those kids¡­ It seems everything has finally turned great again.¡±


    ***


    When the sun has finally disappeared and the moon has emerged, Khal opened the door into ¡®his¡¯ room and walked in.


    Looking around, he noticed that the interior of the room was exactly the same as that of Liza¡¯s but with the only difference that the walls had blue paintings instead of pink.


    ¡°So this is where I will live from now on.¡±, said Khal quietly and after closing the door he sat down onto the bed and started to jump on it gently.


    *Creaak¡­ Creaak*


    With a somewhat unpleasant sound, the bed was moving here and there, but except for that, there was nothing wrong with it at all. It was standing very stable even though it showed a very poor appearance.


    ¡°Great. At least it won¡¯t fall apart that is for sure.¡±, said Khal and looked at the table before him.


    On it, the exact same photo in the same frame that he saw in Liza¡¯s room could be found. The only dissimrity between his and Liza¡¯s was that the photo he had was much more burnt than the other one.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    Looking at the photo for a bit more, Khal sighed and looked at the diary on his side then the bracelet on his wrist.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how I got here and what happened with the real Khal, but one thing is for sure. Before I died, I saw this thing litting up. Maybe it was only for a single second, but I can clearly remember of that.¡±


    Shaking his hand to make the bracelet move, Khal frowned and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but one thing is for sure. I will find out the truth no matter what. However, before that¡­¡±


    Lowering his hand and looking at the diary on his side again, he said calmly, ¡°I need to figure out just what is this world where I have been reincarnated into.¡±


    With determination on his face, Khal grabbed the book and without any hesitation, he opened the diary on the first page.


    ¡°My dear diary¡­¡±

 Chapter 4: The Diary

    Chapter 4: The Diary


    ¡°My dear diary¡­¡±


    The moment he read the very first sentence in the book, Khal suddenly smiled and thought, ¡°Haha¡­ Just as my young self.¡±


    In his past life, Khal could remember that he has also written a diary every day and he too started it with his story with a sentence simr to this.


    However, he could also remember that one day his father noticed him do it, and as a result, he took his diary away and threw it into the furnace.


    And to make that memory even worse, he got a beating that he couldn¡¯t forget even until this moment.


    Since then he has never started to write a single diary again, in fear that he would bring his father¡¯s wrath on him once again and getting another beating.


    But things have changed since then¡­


    ¡°Well¡­ That is now the past.¡±, said Khal with a sour expression and continued to read.


    ¡°Today nothing special happened. Mom and Dad brought me into a park where we unexpectedly met with Liza and her parents. We have yed a bunch!¡±


    Reading the first few pages, Khal realized that the real Khal has started to write this book since a very long time ago.


    ¡°Just since when did he start writing?¡±


    Flipping the pages over one after another, Khal realized that this dairy was started at least 6 years ago if not more.


    ¡°Woah¡­ To think he wrote this much for such a long time¡­¡±, said Khal with awe and continued to read.


    One sentence after another, Khal read a bunch of useless information, but at the same time, he learned a lot of things from his past self and Liza.


    First, it seemed that before the incident both of them were from noble families, making him a noble too. However, as he can see it currently, that noble Khal and Liza could be nowhere to be seen now, but this wasn¡¯t a surprise at all.


    It wasn¡¯t a surprise at all, because in the diary, exactly around a year ago, the writings suddenly stopped and only started after a few months again.


    It wrote that after an unknown incident that put their whole house on fire, burning everything into crisps and dust, he was the sole survivor from his family.


    And what was even more stranger, that this didn¡¯t only happen with Khal, but with almost a hundred of other noble families in the proximity, including Liza and her parents too.


    However, unfortunately, from those hundreds of families, the only ones who survived were Liza and him.


    And because there were no rtives who could have taken care of them, because all of them died in the fire too or were currently way far away from them, they needed to live here.


    Just thinking about the fact that from almost a hundred of families only they have survived, made Khal feel that this incident couldn¡¯t be idental at all, that was for sure.


    ¡°I definitely couldn¡¯t be the only one who thinks in this way, could I?¡±, thought Khal with a slight frown, but after a small while, he just shook his head helplessly.


    ¡°Well, currently I can¡¯t do anything about this, so let¡¯s just put this matter to the side for the time being.¡±


    With that in mind, Khal flipped to the second page and continued to read again.


    However, for some reason, the content in the diary suddenly changed and the daily life of the old Khal vanished, while some other new interesting things started to appear.


    But as Khal continued to read these new things, slowly his expression started to be more and more stunned, while the content of the diary became even moreplicated.


    After reading for almost an hour in deep silence, because of the desire to understand everything as much as he could, Khal lowered the book in his hand, while his expression became bewildered.


    ¡°This¡­ This can¡¯t be really true, can it?¡±


    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t understand everything clearly, because things like Ceremony, Cultivation Stages, Beasts that were killed to obtain greater power, and other unknown things that Khal couldn¡¯t get the meaning of could be read.


    Yet, even like this, what could Khal instantly understood was one thing. It was the part when he read about the stuff called the Talent Ceremony.


    It seems in this world, teenagers at the age of sixteen went through a trial called as the Talent Ceremony.


    At this ceremony, teenagers sat down in a middle of an altar and after drinking some kind of strange fluid, which was given by a Saint, they could obtain unique powers, setting their destiny into stone for all eternity.


    That power was called as their Cultivation Talent.


    After the Ceremony, each person would obtain different Cultivation Talent. Some obtained heaven-defying abilities, while others only got better than average ones.


    It was also stated in the diary that after obtaining the Cultivation Talent, you had to kill creatures, called as the Realm Beasts to be stronger.


    To get both yourself and your Cultivation Talent stronger, you needed to consume their essence after their death.


    Khal didn¡¯t quite understand all of these things, because right now everything was way too foreign for him.


    However, he did understand one thing for sure.


    Holding his head in utter disbelief, Khal looked at the ground before him, and after processing the things he just read over and over again, he started to mumble quietly.


    ¡°It seems I not only did get reincarnated but into a world where cultivation truly exists. Am I dreaming or is this truly happening with me right now? I need to rify it to be sure!¡±


    With that, Khal stood up and walked before the wall on the side.


    Putting both of his hands on the wall¡¯s surface, he leaned back a bit and was about to hit his head powerfully into the wall, when suddenly the room¡¯s door opened wide and Liza walked in.


    ¡°Khal, it¡¯s dinner¡­ Huh? What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Liza¡¯s raised eyebrows and confused expression, Khal felt like a total idiot, so as a result he let the wall go and without hesitation acted as nothing happened at all.


    ¡°Woah, it¡¯s dinner already? Finally! Let¡¯s go, I was about to starve to death!¡±


    With that said, Khal picked up the diary from the bed and after putting it on the bookshelf above the table, he walked out of the room with steady steps,pletely ignoring Liza¡¯s piercing re.


    Liza seeing Khal act like this, frowned slightly, but still, she didn¡¯t say anything at all and followed him out of the room too.


    However just as she was about to close the door, she nced back for onest time at the diary on the shelf and after thinking about something with a confused look, she finally closed the door.

 Chapter 5: The Envelope

    Chapter 5: The Envelope


    Walking down into the hall, Khal followed Liza into a small eatery on the left side.


    Just like any other part of the orphanage, this room had also cracked walls and windows. The wooden tables and charts in the middle of the room were visibly carved with pure hands, while the bowls and tware were made out of poorly forged iron.


    The forks and spoons were curvy and had a strange shape, while the bowls¡¯ external surface was already rusty, showing just how long they have been used without finding a new one.


    And just to show how bad the situation really was, Khal could see that inside the bowl, the food was a very small amount of mashed potato with a slice of bread and a bottle of water on the side.


    Even the food was ¡®poor¡¯.


    While Khal watched all of this with a somewhat stunned expression, suddenly Miss Mary walked out from the side with a smile etched on her face.


    ¡°You kids are finally here. Sit down and eat. You deserve it.¡±


    Seeing that Liza was already in her seat, but Khal was still standing in one ce, Miss Mary looked confused and asked, ¡°Hey? Are you with us?¡±


    Khal, hearing Miss Mary¡¯s voice flinched slightly and aftering back to his senses he nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. Sorry, I was just dazing off a bit. Maybe I¡¯m just tired because of the work¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, not a problem at all. You cut and carried away those huge pieces of grasses and trunks from the building in only under an hour, so it¡¯s not a surprise at all that you have be tired. Sit down and eat. As I said, you deserve it.¡±


    Khal nodded slightly as an answer and sat down next to Liza.


    Miss Mary seeing that both kids were sitting, followed suit and sat down too. Putting her palms together, and closing her eyes, she started to pray quietly.


    Khal seeing this frowned slightly, but the moment he saw Liza do the same thing realized that in this world it was only natural to do something like this.


    As a result, he too put his palms together and closed his eyes, however instead of praying he thought, ¡°Now that I think about it, I did the same thing back in my old world, but because of my father found it stupid he beat me up almost to death.¡±


    As he thought about that moment, the bad memories surfaced yet again, making Khal¡¯s mood to worsen for a second.


    But only for a second, because the next moment Miss Mary¡¯s voice sounded.


    ¡°Thank you for the gift.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the gift.¡±


    When Liza said the exact same sentence as Miss Mary with a smile, Khal smiled too and said quietly, ¡°Thank you for the gift.¡±


    And just as those words left his mouth, Liza and Miss Mary picked up the spoon from the side, and without saying anything else, both of them started to eat.


    Because Khal was hungry from the work he did, he too picked up the spoon from the side and after putting a small piece of mashed potato onto his silverware, he put it into his mouth.


    However, the moment the food touched his tongue, and the vor expanded in his mouth, Khal¡¯s eyes widened with great surprise.


    ¡°This¡­ This is delicious!¡±


    Swallowing it down, Khal instantly put another amount of mashed potato into his mouth, but this time instead of swallowing it right away, he started to savor it with carefulness.


    ¡°It¡¯s not raw, there are no huge pieces, and not salty at all. It¡¯s just perfect. And there is this unique taste that I have never eaten before¡­ It¡¯s amazing!¡±


    While Khal was tasting the mashed potato with a delightful expression, Miss Mary smiled slightly and said, ¡°It seems you have finally started to like it.¡±


    Liza on the side noticing Khals¡¯s expression too looked surprised and said, ¡°What happened with you? You were always saying you will not like it no matter what. You even threw the food away thest time, just to show you won¡¯t eat it ever again.¡±


    Khal hearing this knew that they were referring to the previous Khal, so he just scratched his neck with a wry smile and said, ¡°Well¡­ You see, I realized I was at the wrong. Also, if I want to get stronger, I need nutrients, no?¡±


    As he said this, he flexed his arms with a wide smile on his face, but the moment he did that, he instantly regretted it.


    Forgetting that he was currently in a 16 years old boy¡¯s body, who was only eating potato and a few slices of bread for years, his body was not strong at all.


    And because of that fact, he only had a small number of muscles on his body, making that flexing position of his quite embarrassing.


    However, even like this Miss Mary just smiled and chuckled happily, while saying, ¡°Haha, that is what I like to hear! That¡¯s the spirit!¡±


    Khal seeing Miss Mary¡¯s smile, blushed slightly and got a little bit of embarrassed, but not for so long.


    The reason why was because on his side he noticed Liza¡¯s deep frown, making him look at her with a confused expression too.


    ¡°Huh? Did I do something wrong?¡±, asked Khal calmly.


    Yet, Liza just turned her gaze away from him and after swallowing down a spoon of mashed potato, she shook her head and said quietly, ¡°No, you didn¡¯t.¡±


    Hearing the answer, Khal didn¡¯t know how to react at all, but didn¡¯t really care about it.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I will understand her soon, so¡­¡±


    With that in mind, Khal could just simply sigh and after sitting back down, continue to eat slowly.


    While Khal and Liza were deep in thought as thet ate, suddenly Miss Mary put down the spoon from her hand and cleared her throat gently.


    ¡°I need to announce something very important for both of you, so please stop eating for a moment.¡±


    Hearing what Miss Mary said, Khal and Liza looked at each other, but still, both of them did what she asked.


    The moment both of them put down their spoon onto the table, Miss Mary stood up and took out two envelopes from her pocket.


    Each envelope was average-looking with white color, but even with this appearance, because of the colorful stamp on its middle, it was very eye catching.


    Seeing the two letters, and the stamp on it, suddenly Liza¡¯s eyes widened, and after jumping up from her seat, she asked with utter shock.


    ¡°It¡¯s from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization?! Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes it is.¡±, said Miss Mary with a smile.


    As Khal saw Liza¡¯s startled expression wanted to say something, however, before he could have, Miss Mary did.


    ¡°The Cultivator¡¯s Organization will allow both of you to take ce on the Ceremony, and obtain your Cultivation Talent in Moon City.¡±

 Chapter 6: Departure

    Chapter 6: Departure


    ¡°The Cultivator¡¯s Organization will allow both of you to attend on the Ceremony and obtain your Cultivation Talent in Moon City.¡±


    The moment Liza heard this, she sat back down slowly into her chair and sunk into deep thoughts.


    After thinking for a while, she looked up at Miss Mary with a calm look and asked, ¡°So the reason you have worked so hard all this time was¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, because I wanted to give you a chance to have a brighter future. So, please take this as my gift.¡±


    Khal heard their conversation, but was still unable to react. If it wasn¡¯t because of the diary he has read before, he would have been totally clueless about what the two were talking about.


    But luckily he did read the book, so he had a bit of basic knowledge of what the two were talking about at the moment.


    ¡°Did Miss Mary talk about that moment teenagers obtain their unique power? It seems so, but if it was true, why did Liza look so shocked the moment Miss Mary showed the envelopes?¡±


    A whileter suddenly Khal realized something and thought, ¡°Wait¡­ Working so much? Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    As Khal thought about this, his eyes widened, and thought, ¡°People in this world need to pay to obtain power? Are you kidding me?¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t know how much did Miss Mary pay just only for those two envelopes, but by observing Liza¡¯s reaction, it couldn¡¯t be a small amount that was for sure. Or at least that was what he thought.


    While Khal thought about all of these things, Liza stood up again and after walking before Miss Mary hurriedly, she hugged her tightly.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ I¡­ I am really thankful!¡±


    Seeing Liza¡¯s wet eyes, Miss Mary just smiled heart-warmingly and hugged her back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. This is the least I can do for both of you. The things you have had to go through¡­ You couldn¡¯t do anything about that incident, so I think it is only natural for me to give you something like this.¡±


    However what Miss Mary said only made Liza to hug her even tighter than before.


    ¡°Haha¡­¡±


    With a chuckle, Miss Mary escaped from Liza¡¯s hug and after giving the envelopes to her and Khal, she said, ¡°Well then¡­ Now that I gave these to both of you, go up and prepare. We will leave early in the morning, so you need to rest.¡±


    Liza heard this and nodded, and after another hug, she ran out of the eatery, leaving Miss Mary and Khal alone in silence.


    Noticing that Khal didn¡¯t move, Miss Mary frowned slightly and started to say, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it? Go and preap-, ah?¡±


    However, just as she could have finished her sentence, suddenly she felt another tight hug around her waist, making her quite surprised.


    Just before she could have said something, suddenly Khal let her go and with a deep bow, he said, ¡°Thank you very much! I will repay your kindness for sure!¡±


    After saying that, Khal turned around and ran out of the room, leaving the stunned-looking Miss Mary all alone in the dining room.


    After a small silence, Miss Mary started to giggle quietly and said, ¡°That boy¡­ It seems he finally overcame his sadness and can act kindly again. But not that I can me him. That incident¡­¡±


    Without finishing her sentence, Miss Mary just shook her head slightly and started to put the bowls and twares away in silence.


    While Miss Mary was doing her own down there, Khal was lyingfortably on top of his bed while watching the cracked ceiling above him.


    ¡°Well, seeing Liza act like that I did not really have a choice. If I just casually thank her and walk away, that would have been quite rude, right?¡±


    While thinking about this, Khal turned his head to the diary on the bookshelf and after a small while stood up.


    After taking it down, he sat back down onto the bed and started to read it again, but this time with much more carefulness. Especially the part where the old Khal wrote down the Ceremony and the process to obtain the power.


    It was stated in it that teenagers at the age of 16 could go into a ce called the Awakening Altar. Inside there, a person called as the Saint would give them a fluid, which after drinking will give the teenagers unknown powers.


    However, the process could be done only once, so one person could have only one Cultivation Talent.


    And what was even more surprising, that the Talents were given randomly. Some got heaven-defying powers just because of their luck, while some got a power that is only stronger than average tier abilities.


    However, the most interesting fact about this Ceremony was that after obtaining the Talent, people¡¯s names will be carved onto a jade-like stone.


    That stone was called the Destiny Stone.


    Legends said that those whose names had been carved on that stone, their destiny will be set forever and will be allowed to step into the Second Realm after surpassing thest Cultivation Stage.


    As Khal read this piece of information, he looked a bit confused, but knew that with time everything will be exined, so he was not in a hurry.


    Lowering his hand and looking out of the window, he looked at the mesmerizing moon on the clear night sky, while falling into deep thoughts.


    ¡°So the Ceremony day will be tomorrow, huh¡­¡±, said Khal quietly and after a while, he looked at his palm.


    The hand which was originally another person¡¯s, made Khal feel mixed emotions, but still clenched his palm into a fist and thought.


    ¡°I got this chance, so I can¡¯t throw it away again! I will live with the opportunity and start a fresh new life. I will be stronger, no matter what!¡±


    ***


    On the next day, early in the morning, Khal was lying on the bed in a very funny position, when suddenly Liza burst into his room with a loud shout.


    ¡°Get upzy bird! The time has finallye!¡±


    ¡°Aghh. Wha¡­ What? It¡¯s still early in the morning¡­ Just give me another 10 minutes¡­¡±, said Khal with a huge yawn as he sat up slowly.


    When Liza saw Khal¡¯s disheveled hair and sleepy face frowned slightly and stayed silent.


    But the moment she noticed as he was about to lie back down, she grabbed a book from the side and threw it onto Khal¡¯s head powerfully.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Falling off from the bed right onto the ground with a heavy sound, Khal sat up instantly and held his forehead with a slight frown.


    ¡°Why did you do this? I didn¡¯t d-.¡±


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Argh! H-hey!¡±


    Protecting himself from another book, Khal wanted to say something, however, before he could have had the chance, Liza¡¯s voice sounded.


    ¡°Pick thatzy ass of yours up from the floor and get ready! You have 10 minutes or we will leave without you! Understood?¡±, asked Liza with a strict expression, but seeing that Khal wasn¡¯t reacting at all, she raised another book in her hand, ready to throw it at Khal.


    ¡°Y-yes! Yes, I understood, so please put it back down!¡±, said Khal protecting himself instantly, fearing that Liza will throw that book at him again.


    But luckily, she didn¡¯t. Instead, she put the book down with a happy grin, and said, ¡°Perfect. Then hurry up and prepare. We will leave soon.¡±


    With that, Liza walked out of the room and closed the door behind her back.


    Seeing that he has remained alone again, Khaly down onto the ground and put his arm over his eyes.


    After a whileter, he suddenly started to chuckle quietly and thought, ¡°She is just like her¡­¡±

 Chapter 7: Moon City

    Chapter 7: Moon City


    After changing his old clothes into new ones, brushing his teeth, and washing his body slightly, Khal picked up the envelope from the desk and walked down into the hall, where Miss Mary and Liza were waiting for him.


    ¡°Finally! I thought you would nevere!¡±, said Liza with a somewhat impatient expression.


    Miss Mary on the side hearing Liza like that could just smile and say, ¡°There is no reason to be in such a hurry, sweety. The Ceremony will only begin two hourster. Moon City is only 30 minutes from here, so we are perfectly on time.¡±


    ¡°I know, but still¡­ I just wanted to see what has changed since then in Moon City even if it¡¯s just for a few seconds more.¡±, answered Liza with a slight pout, knowing that she has gotten a bit excited for no reason.


    Seeing her like that, Miss Mary chuckled and said, ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why. Then let¡¯s go. Khal? Did you bring your envelope? It wouldn¡¯t be great if you forget it here.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±, said Khal and waved the envelope in his hand gently.


    ¡°Perfect. Then let¡¯s get going.¡±, said Miss Mary and walked out of the building with Liza and Khal following her closely from behind.


    ***


    Moon City.


    A ce where life could be visibly felt, no matter where you looked at.


    Thousands of people were energetically going here and there, exiting and entering buildings one after another, each of them busily dealing with their own business.


    Each building was made out of high-quality bricks, while each was dyed with different colored paints, giving the whole area a kind of cheering atmosphere.


    On the streets, small stalls could be seen standing next to each other, selling different kinds of meats, fruits, or objects to people.


    And exactly somewhere in the middle of this buzzing city¡¯s streets, Khal was walking closely next to Liza and Miss Mary while he looked around with awe.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Not as advanced as the world where I lived, but it is still amazing. Especially the people¡¯s appearance around here.¡±


    As Khal walked, he saw as different types of people passed by him, each wearing sharp weapons or strange-looking clothing on them, that were very simr to those characters from novels from his past life.


    There were even a few who didn¡¯t wear anything at all, but just a single short, flexing their insane amount of muscles on their body to everyone around.


    ¡°Just like in a fantasy novel¡­¡±, said Khal quietly and turned his head to the other side.


    There, what he could see were several shops with different intriguing-looking things, standing next to each other behind the windows.


    Some sold weapons, some potions, and some traded clothing, however, there was a single shop that Khal couldn¡¯t figure out what it was selling.


    ¡°What are they?¡±, asked Khal with curiosity as he pointed at one of the shops on the side, which had strange-looking objects behind its window.


    Miss Mary hearing the question turned her head where Khal pointed and looked at the shop.


    But when she saw the ancient-looking items, Miss Mary just waved her hand and said, ¡°Those are Antiquity or you can call them Artifacts. Except for their core which is used as jewelry because of their jade-like and colorful appearance, they are totally useless.¡±


    ¡°So they are artifacts¡­ I see¡­¡±, said Khal and losing his interest, he averted his gaze from the shop.


    Time has passed rtively fast and after walking for almost 15 minutes, Miss Mary suddenly stopped and said, ¡°We have finally arrived. Wee to the Realm Pir!¡±


    As Khal heard this, he raised his head, but the moment he saw the building before him, his jaw opened slightly.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±


    Before Khal, a massive building made out of white jade and with a height that pierced the clouds above could be seen.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the only reason why he was so stunned. The other reason why he was so shocked was that the moment he walked on the street or outside the city, he couldn¡¯t see this enormous pir at all! It was like it has popped out of nowhere, which was insanely startling.


    Just imagine walking on the street and suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge castle appears. What would your reaction be? Well, not a boring-looking face that was for sure.


    After taking in the breathtaking sight, Miss Mary turned around revealing a bleaming wide smile, and said, ¡°From here on, you are on your own. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t go inside there because I need a few things to take care of, so I will wait for you outside here as soon as I have finished with my work. I wish great luck for the both of you!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Mary! Khal, let¡¯s go. The Ceremony will start soon.¡±, said Liza with an excited grin and grabbed Khal by his wrist.


    Without waiting for him to respond, Liza started to drag him toward the entrance at the bottom of the pir, leaving the smiling Miss Mary behind their backs.


    Miss Mary waved her hand with a gentle smile on her face, but the moment the two kids walked into the building, her smile vanished, and looked toward the sky with a worried expression.


    ¡°Please, Lord¡­ Bless them with a great Cultivation Talent.¡±


    ***


    Inside the Realm Pir, Liza and Khal were looking around with quite a curiosity.


    Just like the exterior, the sight inside was just as breathtaking.


    While the walls were made out of the white jade-like material, the floor was made out of ash ck marble. However, the most dazzling sight that Khal noticed was in the middle of the huge hall.


    In the middle, a circrke with a small ind in its middle could be seen. Theke was surrounded by colorful trees and bushes, while a single, curvy wooden bridge was the only connection between the ind and the hall above theke.


    In the middle of that isle, Khal noticed that in the middle of the circr-shaped altar, a huge white rock could be seen, which he realized instantly.


    ¡°So that should be the legendary Destiny Stone.¡±, said Khal a bit loudly than he should have, as he looked at the stone.


    ¡°Exactly. Legends said that the moment your name has been carved on it your destiny will be set for all eternity. As for what kind of destiny, no one knows it truly.¡±


    Hearing the unfamiliar voice from the side, both Liza and Khal turned their heads and looked at the boy before them.


    It was a boy with blonde hair and a charming facial expression, smiling back at them as calmly as a holy being.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The boy seeing the two¡¯s slight frown,ughed suddenly and said, ¡°Ah, sorry. How rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself.¡±


    With that, the boy put his right palm onto his chest¡¯s left side, and with a slight bow, he said, ¡°My name is Nathan Wilster from the Wilster Family. I am pleased to meet both of you.¡±

 Chapter 8: A Little Commission

    Chapter 8: A Little Commission


    The boy¡¯s smile and respected attitude made Khal to smile too and raised his hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you too Nathan. My name is Khal and she is Liza.¡±


    ¡°Hi.¡±, said Liza from behind Khal¡¯s back with an expressionless face.


    Nathan after noticing Liza¡¯s cold act could do nothing but simplyugh and nce at Khal.


    ¡°Please just call me Nate. Calling me Nathan feels a bit strange to me, even though that is my full name. Only my mother would call me like that, and only when I¡¯m in trouble. Haha¡­¡±, said Nate with a wry grin as he shook Khal¡¯s hand.


    ¡°I see, then I will. Hence, I guess you are also here for the Ceremony, yes?¡±, asked Khal after letting go of Nate¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Exactly. I have the envelope too.¡±, said Nate with a small smile as he waved it before Khal.


    Discerning the white envelope with the colorful stamp on it, Khal wanted to say something, but he couldn¡¯t, because suddenly a loud voice sounded from the entrance.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Look at that! The Altar truly looks the way you have described Alde!¡±, said a girl excitedly as she clinched onto a guy¡¯s arm like crazy.


    The guy was just the same height as Khal, however, the most eye-catching factor about him was his noble aura around him.


    His clothes, his hairstyle, and even his smooth skin which was visibly taken care of carefully were just perfect. It was not a huge surprise that the girl on his side was so clingy with him.


    ¡°Eliss, please behave. We are currently inside the Realm Pi-, oh my!¡±


    The guy named Alde wanted to correct the girl¡¯s impolite behavior, when suddenly he noticed Khal, Liza, and Nate standing on the side not far away from him.


    However, his sentence didn¡¯t halted because of Khal or Nate or because of any other unknown reasons. No, it was because he noticed Liza.


    The moment he saw her figure behind Khal¡¯s back, he didn¡¯t hesitate even a bit and with steady, he walked toward her.


    After arriving before her, the guy named Alde bowed down gracefully and put his hand out.


    ¡°Young Lady, my name is Alde Ourvi from the Ourvi Family. Can I know the name of the gracious?¡±


    Liza saw Alde¡¯s sudden noble behavior and didn¡¯t know how to react, so as a result, she scarcely looked at Khal in front of her, looking for his help.


    Seeing her pleading look, Khal could just smile slightly and after stepping forward, he put his hand out for a shake.


    ¡°Hello. My name is Khal Nev-.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember asking your namemoner, or am I wrong?¡±, said Alde with an ice-cold expression, cutting into the middle of Khal¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°!¡±


    On the side, Nate and Liza looked shocked by what they just heard from Alde and wanted to step forward, but suddenly Khal stopped them.


    For some reason, he didn¡¯t look fazed at all by the intimidating look from Alde, and just simply smiled at him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really need your permis-.¡±


    However yet again, Khal couldn¡¯t finish his sentence, but this time it wasn¡¯t because Alde has cut into his sentence, but because a fist flew toward his face like a sh.


    Eliss on the side seeing as Alde attacked Khal like that, sighed and with a slight frown, she just shook her head.


    ¡°Agh¡­ Now he has done i-, huh?¡±


    However, merely before she could have finished her sentence, a shocking sight happened.


    Just before Alde¡¯s fist could have hit Khal right in the face, suddenly Khal stepped slightly to the side and with a smooth move, he grabbed Alde¡¯s arm and shoulder with both hands.


    One palm on the top of the wrist, while the other one below the shoulder. It was a tight and stable grip.


    ¡°!¡±


    Alde saw as this happened and wanted to do something, but unfortunately, it was toote.


    Like swinging an ax from over the shoulder, Khal swung Alde¡¯s body through the air, and with a powerful move, he mmed Alde right into the ground.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Argh!!¡±


    ¡°A-Alde?! Are you alright?¡±


    Surprised by the sudden changes that happened, Eliss instantly run next to Alde, while Liza and Nate looked at Alde¡¯s lying body on the ground with shock.


    ¡°This body is not as weak at all as I have thought it would be. I swung him over quite easily.¡±, thought Khal with surprise as he made a few circles in the air with his arms.


    As he thought about this, Khal nced at Alde¡¯s figure on the ground and thought, ¡°I¡¯m quite lucky I learned some basic self-defense. If not, I would have been hit in the face quite easily.¡±


    Thinking about this, Khal walked next to Liza and without giving a second nce at Alde, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°S-sure.¡±, said Liza as she came back to her senses, however just as she was about to step forward, Alde¡¯s voice sounded from behind.


    ¡°H-hey! What was your name again?¡±


    Knowing that Alde was talking to him, Khal stopped moving and turned around. Looking at Alde¡¯s darkened expression, Khal raised his eyebrow slightly and asked coldly, ¡°Will you give me permission to talk now or not?¡±


    Hearing this, Alde could just look to the side in silence, knowing he had no right to talk at all right now.


    Khal saw his expression and sighed, but after turning back, he waved his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s Khal Nevio. I was pleased to meet you.¡±


    After saying that, Khal didn¡¯t say anything else and walked away with Liza and Nate on his side, leaving Alde and Eliss behind on the ground.


    As Alde watched Khal¡¯s departing figure from the floor, he clenched his teeth, and murmured with anger, ¡°So it¡¯s Khal Nevio¡­ I see¡­ You will regret what you have done today, I promise!¡±


    While walking to the other side of the Realm Pir in silence, Nate looked back at Alde¡¯s figure and said quietly.


    ¡°You are nuts. Do you have any idea just what you have done? That was the Ourvi Family¡¯s leader¡¯s first son! They are one of the tyrants in the northern part of the Federation! And you just causally threw him over and mmed him right into the ground! I fear there will be huge and dire consequences because of that.¡±


    Khal however just simply nced at Nate and with a shrug, said, ¡°Maybe that was truly a mistake, but I won¡¯t let myself getting humiliated once again. I lived just enough to get tired of that, you can believe me.¡±


    Both Nate and Liza became stunned by Khal¡¯s reply, and looked at each other in silence.


    Especially Liza. Because she was the one who knew him the best, she exactly understood just what kind of personality Khal had.


    However, after watching the way he acted in the past few minutes, she kind of felt like she totally misknew him. It was a total surprise for her.


    Looking at Khal¡¯s confident expression, Nate suddenly smiled too and with a chuckle, he said, ¡°Haha! Such confidence¡­ You are truly interesting! It was really the right call to talk with you.¡±


    Khal heard Nate¡¯s sentence and could do nothing but just simply shrug.


    What could have he done? Let Alde hit him and show his superiority before hundreds of people? Maybe he chose the wrong decision and fought back, but he won¡¯t regret it.


    He already promised himself, that no matter what happens in this world, he won¡¯t be the same as he was in his past life.


    And just like that, after finding a quiet spot far away from Alde and Eliss, Khal sat down and waited patiently for the Ceremony to start.

 Chapter 9: Start of The Ceremony

    Chapter 9: Start of The Ceremony


    Time passed by slowly and one person after another arrived at the Ceremony.


    Some came with their rtives, some with their friends, while some just came alone. There were even a few who lived with the opportunity and only came in the hope to make friends or build connections with the noble kids from around the city.


    Particrly with Alde and Eliss. They were the center of attention and almost everyone wanted to know them better. Everyone wanted to form a close friendship with them, knowing that getting on those two¡¯s favorable side couldn¡¯t hurt them at all.


    Maybe if they seeded, they will be able to achieve something great in the future, so at least it was worth a try for them.


    However, even like this that almost everyone was around him, Alde didn¡¯t look satisfied at all. Instead, he looked quite bitter, while he nced toward Khal¡¯s and Liza¡¯s direction from time to time.


    It was quite visible that he was troubled by the happenings that urred not long ago.


    ¡°He nced here again. Are you sure you will be alright?¡±, asked Nate a little worriedly, knowing just how scary the Ourvi family could be if it came to solving unwanted problems.


    Almost all the time when something happened, they didn¡¯t bother themselves to find out the causes of the problems. They just simply sent assassins and killed anyone who provoked them, let it be in the past or present.


    And knowing all of these things, Nate exactly knew just how dire the consequences could be if Alde decided to hold grudge against Khal.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t really care about the unknown. He just simply looked toward Alde¡¯s direction and a whileter he averted his gaze.


    When Nate saw Khal¡¯s uninterested expression could just smile wryly and ask something, but before he could have, suddenly a loud voice came from the Altar¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Attention everyone! The Ceremony will now begin, so pleasee closer!¡±


    On the middle of the bridge, which was right above theke, a man in his forties with a bald head was standing calmly, while he looked at the people around him with an unfazed expression.


    He was wearing a long white robe with unique patterns on it. It was quite simr to that of a Hanfu from Khal¡¯s past life, yet the design was a bit different.


    While examining the old man¡¯s extraordinary dress, Khal walked closer to the Altar with Liza and Nate following him closely from the side.


    The old man watching as everyone strode closer, nodded slightly, and started to talk.


    ¡°My name is Famir and I will be your Saint throughout the Ceremony. But before we start, it is very important for me to say that only those are allowed up onto the Altar who has the invitation envelope without opening it. Those who fail these requirements are strictly forbidden from stepping even a single step onto this bridge. Understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Hearing the several approving voices at the same time, Famir nodded slightly without a single change in his expression.


    ¡°Perfect, then let us start the Ceremony.¡±


    With that said, Famir looked at an unknown boy before him, and after pointing at him, he said, ¡°You! Come! You will be the first one. Take your envelope out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir!¡±, said the boy with a deep bow and after taking out the envelope from below his robe, he handed it over to Famir.


    Taking the envelope over and examining it, Famir nodded and after turning around, he said without ncing back at the boy, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Doing as the old man ordered him, the boy followed Famir closely from behind, right into the middle of the Altar.


    Famir pointed at a spot not far away from the jade stone and said tonelessly, ¡°Sit down and drink this.¡±


    The boy, seeing as Famir handed him a small bottle of full of strange-looking liquid, nodded, and without a single question, he sat down and started to drink it.


    Khal watched as the watery substance started to disappear from the bottle right into the boy¡¯s mouth, looked confused and asked Nate.


    ¡°What is that liquid in the bottle?¡±


    Nate, while looking at the boy, started to exin calmly, ¡°No one truly knows it. The Cultivator¡¯s Organization makes sure to hide this information strictly away from the public, but even like this, there have been few guesses about this matter. Some say that the liquid is a high-quality Beast Essence, while some say that it is a gift from God, but to be honest, no one knows the truth. We can only guess blindly.¡±


    As Khal heard Nate¡¯s exnation nodded calmly, but the next second his eyes widened in surprise suddenly.


    On the Altar, after drinking everything from the bottle, suddenly the boy¡¯s hand started to shine, and slowly, a small ck line started to form on the side of his wrist.


    ¡°What is happening?¡±, asked Khal with a slight frown, but this time instead of Nate, Liza answered.


    ¡°That is your Cultivation Tatoo. After you obtain your Cultivation Talent you will have a mark somewhere on your body which will expand the stronger you be. But this is basic knowledge, why did you ask this?¡±


    Seeing Liza¡¯s frown and suspicious stare, Khal coughed awkwardly and said, ¡°Um¡­ I¡¯m just a bit excited so I start to ask foolish questions¡­ Sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±,


    With a slight humming sound, Liza looked at Khal for onest time and without asking anything else, she turned her gaze back at the Altar.


    A few secondster the light on the boy¡¯s hand started to diminish and in the end, when it has finally vanished, a ck dot was left on the top of his wrist.


    Famir seeing this nodded slightly and opened the envelope in his hand. Taking out a piece of paper from it, Famir shook it around gently.


    Instantly as he did that, the paper started to change shape and in no time at all, it turned into a cube shape pebble that had a white color.


    ¡°Take this and pour a bit of your essence inside it.¡±


    Doing as Famir said, the boy took the stone away from his hand and without hesitation, he started to pour his essence into it.


    Khal hearing this instantly knew what was happening.


    In the diary, it was written that after obtaining the power, the so-called Cultivation Talent, from then on you need to consume Beast Essence to be stronger.


    After consuming Beast Essence, your Cultivation Talent will automatically refine it, and that way it will be stronger. It was just like charcoal for old-fashioned trains. The more charcoal you poured into it, the faster they became.


    However, every person with a Cultivation Talent had a minimum amount of Essence in their body, simr to that of the Beast Essence, which they could use in special ways, just like this time.


    Just how he was told, the boy poured a small portion of his essence into the pebble and shortly, the stone lit up in a simr manner as his wrist did.


    As this happened, it suddenly floated up into the air, right before the boy¡¯s face, and like a bullet, it burst into the jade stone in the distance.


    While the stone melted into the Destiny Stone¡¯s surface and foreign words appeared on it, Famir showed a satisfied look and said, ¡°We are done here. You can go now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir!¡±, said the boy with a deep bow, and with an excited expression, walked away hurriedly.


    The moment the boy has left the bridge, Famir turned his gaze toward the crowd, and with a loud voice, he shouted, ¡°Next one! Now!¡±

 Chapter 10: Natural Born Talent

    Chapter 10: Natural Born Talent


    ¡°Next one! Now!¡±


    After the shout that could make even an adult to behave with respect, people after people started to walk onto the Altar, one by one.


    Giving Famir the envelope, drinking the fluid, and fusing a bit of essence into the pebble, people obtained their Cultivation Talent after each other.


    Time has flown by slowly, and after 5 hours of waiting, only a few people remained in the Realm Pir.


    Including some strangers and their rtives who remained, Nate, Liza, Khal, Alde, and Eliss were thest ones waiting for their line in the queue.


    However, out of all of them, Alde and Eliss were the only ones who decided to remainst on purpose. Both of them were waiting for Khal and the others to go before them, but why, it waspletely unknown.


    And just after another 30 minutes, it was finally Nate¡¯s turn.


    Just like the others, he too gave the envelope to Famir and after sitting down before the Destiny Stone he drank the fluid.


    However, the moment he did, his Cultivation Tatoo didn¡¯t appear on his wrist like the person before him, but instead, it started to form on his ankle.


    Nevertheless, Khal seeing this wasn¡¯t surprised at all. During his time inside the Realm Pir, he saw almost a hundred of simr cases.


    There were even some participants whose tattoos didn¡¯t emerge on their wrist nor on their ankle, but on the back of their necks or on the side of their shoulder.


    However, out of the four-position which were the wrist, the ankle, the neck, and the shoulder, there was no one else who had a Cultivation Tattoo somewhere else.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite curious what his Cultivation Talent is.¡±, said Khal with a curious stare as he looked at Nate who was currently fusing his essence into the pebble in his hand.


    ¡°Yeah, me too. But unfortunately, right after the Ceremony, no one is able to tell what your Talent really is, except you. Only after registering yourself in the Cultivator¡¯s Organization will others be able to see your ability.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that is true¡­¡±, said Khal with a nod, but in truth, he had no clue at all that it worked like that.


    ¡°After finishing here, I need to understand this world¡¯s system a bit more or others will be suspicious about me. Or if I¡¯m lucky, they will just look at me like a moron, haha¡­ ha¡­¡±


    As he thought about this with a slight sight, Famir¡¯s voice sounded from the Altar once again.


    ¡°Next! Now!¡±


    ¡°Will you head out first or can I go?¡±, asked Liza as she looked at Khal calmly.


    ¡°Just go. I can wait.¡±, said Khal with a smile and stepped an inch to the side.


    However, the moment he said this, instead of going, Liza just frowned deeply and looked at him in silence.


    ¡°What? Did I say something wrong?¡±, asked Khal with a confused expression, not understanding why Liza was looking at him like that.


    But Liza just continued to frown at him and just only after a small while did she shake her head and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    After she said that, Liza walked over to the bridge and gave her envelop to Famir.


    While she did the exact same things as others, Nate stepped closer to Khal and asked, ¡°What happened? You seem bothered.¡±


    Khal turning his gaze at Nate wanted to say something, but just before he could have done so, suddenly a blinding light erupted from the Altar¡¯s direction.


    ¡°!¡±


    Nate, Khal, Alde, Eliss, and everyone else, looked at this sight with a shocked expression, while Famir on the sight opened his mouth wide.


    ¡°Oh, God! A Natural Born¡­ She has a Natural Born Talent!!¡±


    When Khal heard this, frowned slightly and asked Nate on his side, ¡°What is a Natural Born Talent?¡±


    Nate who was still mesmerized by the sight, gave out a shocked sigh and started to exin.


    ¡°After one drinks the fluid that the Saint has given them, one will be able to obtain their Cultivation Talent, just like those before us. However, there is an extremely rare case when one has already a Cultivation Talent without knowing it, but because they drank the fluid, they obtain another one. It is an extremely rare case and there are only a few in this world who has Natural Born Talent.¡±


    ¡°Then does this mean, Liza has now two Cultivation Talent?¡±, asked Khal with a surprised expression, realizing the weight of this news.


    ¡°Yes. But this isn¡¯t the only reason to be shocked. Those with a Natural Born Talent have a frightening ability that makes them even stronger than others. Not only do they have two different powers, but when they cultivate and reach the next Stage with only one of their Talent, the other one will follow suit. Simply put, they only need to concentrate to cultivate one of their Talent and the other one will automatically reach the next Stage too.¡±


    ¡°That is aplete cheat, no?¡±, asked Khal with surprise, not believing something like this could exist, to begin with.


    ¡°I think so too, but this is the truth. Every person who had reached the Final Stage inside the First Realm and broke into the Second Realm, all became experts there. There was no exception.¡±


    Listening to what Nate said, Khal looked at Liza on the Altar and thought with interest, ¡°A Natural Born, huh¡­¡±


    Time passed and after a few seconds, the blinding light started to dissipate.


    When the light has fully disappeared, Famir looked at Liza with a shocked expression, but the next second he came back to his senses and took out the pebble from the envelope.


    ¡°Here.¡±


    Handing it over to Liza, Famir watched as the girl fused a bit of her power into the stone, making it to melt into the Destiny Stone and form strange carvings on its surface just like the others before.


    After the process was done, Liza stood up, bowed at the Saint respectfully, and walked away with a calm attitude.


    Famir seeing this could just clear his throat and shout instantly.


    ¡°Next one!¡±


    Watching as Liza walked back, Khal smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions! You are amazing as always!¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±, replied Liza with a warm smile and said, ¡°Now go. It¡¯s your turn.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±, nodded Khal, and looked at Alde in the distance. Seeing that he was still waiting as always, he sighed and calmly walked toward the Altar.


    Stepping before Famir, Khal handed his envelope over and with a respected bow he said, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to meet the Saint!¡±


    The moment Famir heard Khal¡¯s sentence, hummed slightly and said, ¡°Not a bad attitude, but you won¡¯t achieve anything with sweet talk, kid. So take this and drink!¡±


    With a nod, Khal took away the bottle and after sitting down before the Destiny Stone he opened the lid.


    Seeing the strange fluid in the bottle, which strangely had no scent at all, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate at all and put the lid before his mouth.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what my Cultivation Talent will be. I don¡¯t wish for anything strong, but something useful.¡±


    With that thought in mind, Khal closed his eyes and with a sudden move, poured the liquid down his throat, drinking the whole amount in one go.


    *Gulp!*

 Chapter 11: Unexpected

    Chapter 11: Unexpected


    *Gulp!*


    With one single sip, the whole amount of drink slipped down Khal¡¯s throat, making him feel a kind of refreshing feeling to pass throughout his whole body in an instant.


    ¡°What a great feeling!¡±, thought Khal with a satisfied smile etched on his face as he waited for the so-called Cultivation Tattoo to appear somewhere on his body.


    However¡­


    1 second, 2 seconds, 10 seconds¡­


    Even after 10 seconds, Khal didn¡¯t feel anything change on him at all.


    With a deep frown, Khal opened his eyes slowly, only to see that no difference could be noticed neither on his body nor inside it.


    No light, no Cultivation Tattoo, and not even a sign that he obtained his Cultivation Talent. Except for the refreshing feeling inside his body because of the liquid, he felt no changes at all.


    ¡°Huh? Did I make a mistake?¡±, asked himself Khal with a frown and looked up at Famir, just only to see his shocked expression.


    ¡°What? Did something happen with my body?¡±, asked quietly Khal and looked at his body here and there, but still, he didn¡¯t notice a single change at all.


    While he did that, suddenly from the outside, Alde¡¯s disdainful voice sounded.


    ¡°Pff¡­ No wonder at all. A miserable bastard without a Talent. Trash that will remain as one for the rest of his life.¡±


    ¡°Take that back in this instant!¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Hearing Liza¡¯s angry yet cold voice from the side, Alde¡¯s body flinched and froze up in an instant.


    Turning his gaze toward her direction, he wanted to say something, however just as he was about to do so, suddenly Famir¡¯s angry voice sounded in the whole Realm Pir.


    ¡°EACH OF YOU, QUIET! NOW!¡±


    The moment the furious voice sounded throughout the hall, every person inside the Realm Pir stopped moving and talking immediately.


    Seeing that everyone finally stayed quiet, Famir turned his re back at Khal and crossed his arms before his chest.


    ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s Khal Nevio, Sir!¡±, said Khal with a confused expression, not quite understanding what was currently happening.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Khal, I see¡­¡±, murmured Famir quietly and after a while, he cleared his throat and continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Khal, but it seems you are Cultivation Talentless, meaning you are unable to obtain a Cultivation Talent.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, it was like something inside him was destroyed.


    He could clearly remember reading it in the diary that in this world every person is able to obtain their Talent until they drank the fluid given by the Saint.


    There was no one alive who drank the liquid and failed to obtain one, or at least that was how it was until currently.


    After a small while, he looked at Famir, and with a serious expression, he said, ¡°Sir¡­ There must be a huge misunderstanding here. There must b-.¡±


    ¡°Look, kid. I know how you are feeling right now, but there is no misunderstanding. That liquid you just drank has 100% sess to bring out the Cultivation Talent from those who have. However, there is that extremely rare possibility when people without Talent appear. It¡¯s not because there was an error in the fluid or the process, but because the individual¡¯s body doesn¡¯t have what it takes to obtain a Cultivation Talent.¡±


    After blowing out a deep sigh, Famir looked at Khal and continued, ¡°There were simr cases in the past like this, but the number of asions could easily be counted on one¡¯s hand. But if you don¡¯t believe me, here. Drink one more time.¡±


    As Famir said this, he threw another bottle full of that strange liquid at Khal.


    Catching the bottle, Khal looked at the bottle and after thinking for a while he thought angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t obtain a talent!¡±


    Instantly as he said this, he opened the lid and gulped down the liquid with one huge swallow.


    *Gulp!*


    Just like before, the refreshing feeling swept through his whole body, however, just like before, after waiting for several seconds nothing happened.


    ¡°This¡­ How¡­¡±, murmured Khal with disbelief dropping the bottle in his hand to the ground.


    *Thud!*


    Watching Khal¡¯s hollowed expression, Famir sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry kid, I do. This is why I hope you wi¡­¡±


    However, Khal didn¡¯t hear what Famir said, because in the middle of the sentence the voice around his surrounding slowly started to turn quieter and quieter until the point, where there could be heard nothing more but sheer silence.


    ¡°This¡­ This can¡¯t be true¡­¡±


    Before Khal, everything that happened with him until this moment started to reappear one by one.


    From his past life where he was only used as a tool by everyone, through his girlfriend¡¯s death that he couldn¡¯t hinder to the point where he was unable to obtain his Cultivation Talent.


    Among the past moments that appeared in his head, there was not a single one that could be called positive or happy.


    Even those memories that he enjoyed to the utmost in his past life, which was with her girlfriend, Nancy, were taken away from him and turned into aplete nightmare.


    All of this resulted in him being transmigrated into this world, where he thought he could start a fresh new life without those shackles that he had in his past.


    However, this was only a false fantasy. Not only did he got a body that was in a much worse situation than he was in the past, but it also turned out that he couldn¡¯t cultivate at all.


    In a world where cultivation was everything and meant survival, Khal¡¯s situation meant only one thing.


    Death.


    He failed extremely at the very first step to start his new life and as a result, he fell right back being a sore loser, just as he was in his previous life.


    This was a total nightmare for him.


    ¡°No, this is not right. I promised myself that I will be stronger, no matter what! This is not the right time to lose all hope! There must be a solution for sure!¡±


    With that thought, Khal¡¯s hollow expression turned to that of a determined one instantly and after standing up he bowed at the still taking Famir.


    ¡°Respected Elder! I appreciated your help. Now that you excuse me, I shall leave.¡±


    With that, Khal turned around and started to walk toward the exit, leaving behind the Altar without saying anything else.


    ¡°!¡±


    Famir, Alde, Eliss, Nate, and Liza seeing Khal¡¯s determined yet calm expression didn¡¯t know how to react.


    If it was any other person who found out that they were unable to cultivate, then they would have been engulfed with pure despair and misery that was for sure.


    There was also the small possibility of them turning crazy and attacking the Saint, just only to let them drink a few more of that liquid, believing if they drank a few more, they would be able to obtain a Talent.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t act like that at all. He only looked hollow for a few moments, but after a small, while he acted like nothing happened at all.


    Famir watched Khal¡¯s back from the Altar and sighed slightly.


    ¡°That kid¡­ His attitude and will are remarkably strong, yet he got such a ridiculous fate. Life is truly unfair.¡±


    However, life went on no matter what, and Famir knew this too. So after watching Khal¡¯s departing figure for a bit more in silence, he pped his hand and shouted.


    ¡°Okay, next one! Now!¡±

 Chapter 12: Looking For Solutions

    Chapter 12: Looking For Solutions


    The moment Khal stepped off from the bridge, suddenly Alde walked to his side and put his hand gently on his shoulder.


    ¡°Life is truly unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡±, said Alde with a smug smile etched on his face as he nced at Khal from the side.


    Khal turned his head to the side to stare at Alde, only to see a pair of eyes looking at him with disdain like he was just trash.


    Seeing those eyes, suddenly Khal remembered back at his father¡¯s expression and his mood instantly became bitter.


    Those eyes were exactly like his father¡¯s. He was always looked at like that when he made something wrong that didn¡¯t satisfy him. He always stared at him with disgust and disdain, making him to loathe that man to his very core right until at this very moment.


    Simply looking at those identical eyes and that sarcastic smile, Khal felt like throwing up and punching Alde right in the face.


    But he also knew that this wasn¡¯t the perfect time to do so, so he simply needed to ovee the feelings inside him no matter what.


    He didn¡¯t want to make a biggermotion than this.


    ¡°Life is definitely unfair.¡±, said Khal calmly as he looked at the hand on his shoulder.


    Alde¡¯s smug smile on the side turned even wider as he heard this and wanted to say something when suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his arm.


    ¡°!¡±


    Khal grabbed Alde¡¯s wrist powerfully as, and while pushing the hand away from his shoulder, he said, ¡°But even like this, I know for sure that there is a solution. I don¡¯t know when, where, or how, but when I find it, I will definitely wipe that ugly smug off your face. You just wait patiently.¡±


    With that, Khal threw Alde¡¯s arm to the side and continued to walk toward the exit, without saying anything more.


    ¡°You piece of sh-!!!¡±


    ¡°NEXT ONE! NOW!¡±


    Hearing Famir¡¯s furious shout, Alde stopped talking. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, Alde red at Khal for onest time, and started to walk toward the Altar with an angry expression.


    ¡°Just you wait! I will show you just what true despair is and you will beg for my mercy!¡±


    While Alde walked before the Destiny Stone with a maddened expression, Khal walked out of the Realm Pir with Liza and Nate following him behind closely.


    The moment he walked down the few stairs that led toward the street below, suddenly Miss Mary¡¯s warm and calming voice sounded from the side.


    ¡°Ah, finally! Here you are! How did it¡­ go¡­ Huh? Did something happen?¡±


    Miss Mary look insanely happy to see Khal and Liza again, however, the moment she saw Khal¡¯s terrifyingly calm expression with Liza¡¯s and an unfamiliar boy¡¯s unhappy face in the back, she instantly knew that something must have happened.


    Nate hearing Miss Mary¡¯s question cleared his throat gently and with a bow, he said, ¡°Umm¡­ It was a pleasure to meet with all of you. However, unfortunately, I need to leave. I still have personal matters to attend to.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±, said Khal with a nod, and without saying anything more, he continued to walk forward.


    Liza knew that Khal was not in the mood to act polite, so she turned toward Nate, and with the same noble bow, she said, ¡°Please forgive him. I know he was pleasured to meet with you too. I hope we can meet in the future someday.¡±


    ¡°Naturally.¡±, said Nate with a gentle smile, and with a wave of his hand, he walked away hurriedly.


    After waving him off, Liza stopped smiling and turned to look at Miss Mary.


    Miss Mary noticing Liza¡¯s expression, thought for a while and asked quietly, ¡°So? How did it go? Did you get your Cultivation Talent?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I got, but Khal¡­¡±, started to exin quietly Liza, but the moment she saw Khal¡¯s back before her, she sighed and shook her head.


    Miss Mary immediately understanding the situation, widened her eyes, and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to say it, but unfortunately, this is the harsh truth.¡±


    Hearing this, Miss Mary¡¯s expression became even more stunned and looking at Khal, her eyes turned instantly sad.


    ¡°Oh, my Lord¡­ Why him?¡±


    ***


    After walking for almost an hour in pure silence, Khal opened the orphanage¡¯s entrance, and without thinking of anything else, he walked up into his room.


    Liza seeing Khal like that felt like her heart would break, so she wanted to go after him, but before she could have done so, Miss Mary stopped her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go. Just give him time and everything will be fine. Going now would only make things worse. Believe me.¡±


    Hearing this, Liza stepped back and looked at Khal¡¯s room door closing in silence, not knowing what she should do.


    While the two remained down in the hall, Khal decided to read the whole diary again, looking for any keys that could help him in this situation.


    From beginning to the end, Khal read every word and sentence with insane determination, fearing that if he misses something, even if that something was a small detail, he wouldn¡¯t be able to find what he was looking for.


    His expression was so serious to find a way that if someone would have seen him in his current state, they would have gotten stupefied instantly that was for sure.


    Widened eyes and extreme concentration that could be even felt in the air. He read everything from start to end, while ignoring everything else around him.


    He even missed the few times when Miss Mary and Liza came up to his room to ask him to go eat, which was quite frightening.


    However even after reading the diary from the first page to thest from time to time again, he couldn¡¯t find anything useful at all. Not even a small thing.


    Except of the Ceremony¡¯s process and a few small information about this world, there were not a single helpful information which could have helped him the least.


    He even read through the several books from the bookshelf he found, but they were totally useless to him.


    Putting down the book he was holding, Khal sighed deeply and thought, ¡°But it¡¯s only natural. The diary and those are just simple books, so how could have I thought they would help me at all? How funny and pathetic¡­¡±


    With that said, Khal looked at the outside scenery through the window, only to see that the moon was already high up in the sky, indicating that it was already midnight.


    ¡°Huh? How long had it been since we came back? The sun was still high up when we left Moon City. Was I that mesmerized by reading?¡±


    *Grumble!*


    As Khal was looking at the half moon outside his window, suddenly his stomach gave out a loud rumbling sound, making him to touch his belly with a slight frown.


    ¡°Ahh¡­ It seems I¡¯m hungry. Yeah, now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t eat a single thing since morning.¡±


    As he said this, Khal stood up and opened his door, only to see sheer darkness all around the ce.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ It seems everyone has gone to sleep already. Then I think I can try my luck to see if I can get something to eat.¡±, said Khal quietly and with silent steps, he started go walk down into the hall, then right into the eatery.


    Opening the door into the diner, Khal looked around to see if there was anyone around, but just as he thought there was no one.


    ¡°Great.¡±, said Khal with a nod and walked insidepletely, but the moment he did he noticed something on the table.


    ¡°Huh? Food?¡±


    Seeing the meat on the table, Khal realized that Miss Mary has thought about him and made sure that before going to sleep she left a slice of meat for him.


    ¡°What an angel.¡±, said Khal with a smile, and without hesitation, he walked before the food.


    Touching slightly the side of the meat to see that it was still hot, Khal felt the satisfying temperature and thought, ¡°It seems she went to bed not long ago and warm it up one more time. She is really something else.¡±


    As he thought about this, he grabbed the tware from the table and wanted to start eating, but suddenly noticed something.


    Halting his movement, Khal sharpened his ears instantly, but no matter how carefully did he listen, what he could only hear was sheer silence.


    Yes, only sheer silence and nothing more.


    Not even the slightest sound could be heard, which made Khal frown deeply almost immediately.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a bit¡­ too silent?¡±, thought Khal suspiciously.

 Chapter 13: An Assault

    Chapter 13: An Assault


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Putting down the tware back onto the table with slow movement, Khal started to look around carefully.


    Inside the eatery, except for a few lit candles on the walls and the table which were only giving out dim light, what Khal could see was pitch ck darkness.


    Looking here and there to see what made him feel so uneasy, Khal frowned slightly and thought, ¡°Did I just overreact?¡±


    After ncing around his proximity for onest time, Khal looked at the meat on the table before him and started to talk quietly.


    ¡°I definitely did. Maybe I start to hallucinate things just because I¡¯m too tired and hungry. I should just hurry up and finish this meal, then go back to my room and sleep.¡±


    As Khal said that, he grabbed the fork and the knife from the table yet again and while looking at the window on his side he started to cut the meat slowly.


    After slicing the meat into a small part and piercing it with the fork, Khal raised the food before his mouth, ready to eat it, however suddenly his eyes widened in rm.


    ¡°!¡±


    *BANG!*


    With a wild blow, the window not far away from him broke into several pieces, while something flew toward the middle of his head with insane speed.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡±


    Seeing the unexpected assault, Khal subconsciously tilted his head to the side and watched as the thing barely passed by his head and exploded into the wall behind his back.


    *Swish!*


    *BAM!*


    ncing at the knife on the wall that was about to kill him just a few seconds ago, Khal turnedpletely silent.


    Noticing the cold glint on the abyss ck iron weapon¡¯s surface, Khal gulped down his saliva slowly and turned his gaze back at the window.


    ¡°Ju-, huh?¡±


    However, the moment he did, he saw as 5 more knives were flying toward him from the distance like bullets.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Without any hesitation, Khal jumped to the side avoiding the first knife, but he knew that this was only just the beginning and he had no time to waste.


    Seeing as another four knives were on their way to kill him, Khal jumped backward, avoiding the following three assaults, however just as he was about to evade the final one, suddenly his right feet slipped.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    While falling behind with a stunned expression, Khal looked at the knife which was about to pierce right through his chest suddenly change direction, and like a bullet, it flew toward his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m done for!¡±, thought Khal with widened eyes.


    However, just as he thought this will be the end for him yet again, a shocking sight happened.


    Unexpectedly, instead of piercing his head and killing him right away, the knife just simply passed by his face, only leaving a deep and wide cut on the right side of his cheek.


    *Swish!*


    *Paff!*


    The moment the knife has pierced the wall behind his back, Khal fell heavily onto the ground, making him to feel a slight pain in his butt in an instant.


    However, Khal couldn¡¯t care about that tiny pain at all, because he was totally shocked by the fact that he was still alive.


    ¡°I¡­ Survived?¡±


    While Khal was surprised by his luck, suddenly two figures jumped into the eatery through the window and looked around.


    Both were wearing a ck robe on their body, while on their head, a white mask could be discerned,pletely covering their faces from the outside.


    ¡°Ah, look at you man. You missed your shot again. You suck!¡±, said the one on the right in a deep and masculine voice, while shaking his head around in a helpless manner.


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®again¡¯? I have hit the bullseyest time too, so stop being a f*cker already and shut up!¡±, replied the other one on the side angrily.


    ¡°Yeah, after 4 tries¡­¡±


    ¡°You!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Watching as the two before him argued and didn¡¯t look at his way, Khal wanted to move, however instantly as he did, suddenly a knife got pierced deep into the wall, just inches away from his right eye.


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°Where do you think you want to go brat?¡±


    Turning their gazes at Khal, both assassins stopped talking and red at him in silence.


    Feeling their cold stares even through their masks, Khal looked at the door on the side and started to think.


    ¡°What should I do? Should I shout for help? No¡­ It seems they don¡¯t know that Miss Mary and Liza are here, so calling them here would only put them in danger. What is more, I never saw Miss Mary use her power while Liza only got hers recently, so I am sure she would not stand a chance against these two. If I ask for their help now, they would only die alongside me!¡±


    The assassin on the right with the deep voice saw Khal¡¯s hesitation, so he started to chuckle and asked, ¡°What? Too scared to talk? Haha!¡±


    Ignoring what the man asked, Khal nced at the window behind their backs and thought, ¡°Then the only solution is to lure them away from here. But how? Both of them are blocking the window, while if I try to take the door, they will kill me instantly.¡±


    Seeing as Khal was still unable to answer, the other assassin looked at his partner and said in a cold tone.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see that he is brain dead? He can¡¯t even respond to simple questions. Let¡¯s not waste any more time and kill him already!¡±


    ¡°But, Master Al-, I mean Young Master told us to bring him back to him alive. We can¡¯t kill him!¡±


    Listening to this, the other assassin clicked his tongue and said quietly, ¡°What a pain in the ass¡­ Then knock him out and let¡¯s get out of here as soon as possible. This ce stinks.¡±


    With that said, the assassin started to walk closer to Khal, while ying with the knife in his hand.


    ¡°Young Master? Is he talking about that guy named Alde? So he sent assassins to kill me because I hit him, huh? How pathetic.¡±, thought Khal, instantly understanding who sent these two at him.


    Just as Nate said, the Ourvi Family truly made sure to annihte anyone who caused problems to them.


    As he thought about this and a way to escape, suddenly the assassin with a deep tone started to talk.


    ¡°Wait. I can detect two more people in this building. Should I go and kill them?¡±


    Hearing what his partner said, the assassin turned around and after thinking for a while he said in a creepy voice, ¡°Yeah, that would be the best.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, suddenly Liza¡¯s and Miss Mary¡¯s corpse shed before his eyes and his face darkened instantly.


    ¡°Kill them? Just over my dead body!¡±, thought Khal angrily and with an ice-cold expression, he grabbed the knife from the wall on his side, and with a powerful swing, he threw it forward.


    *Swish!*

 Chapter 14: [Met Requirements!]

    Chapter 14: [Met Requirements!]


    *Swish!*


    *Squash!*


    With an unpleasant sound, the ck knife got pierced deeply into the assassin¡¯s chest, making a huge amount of blood to flow out from the wound instantly.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Feeling the sharp pain, the guy looked down to see what happened, but the moment he saw the knife inside his chest, the only thing he could do was to fall to the side motionlessly, unknown if he was still alive or not.


    ¡°DAVID!!¡±


    The other guy in the back shouted up with horror and without any hesitation, he pointed at Khal on the ground and waved his hand toward the window.


    ¡°!¡±


    Not knowing what kind of power will be used against him, Khal wanted to grab the knife on the ground and jump to the side, however, he was too slow.


    Just as he could have grabbed the weapon, he watched as his body got raised high up into the air, and like a bullet, his whole figure got blown outside through the broken window.


    *BOOM!*


    With a huge explosion, Khal¡¯s body exploded powerfully onto one of therge trees outside, making him to cough up a massive amount of blood instantly.


    ¡°rgh!¡±


    As this happened, Miss Mary and Liza who were sleeping until now soundlessly in their respected rooms, heard the explosion outside, so without hesitation, both of them ran outdoors to see what has just happened.


    ¡°What happen-, oh my Lord! Khal are you alright?¡±, asked Miss Mary with a shocked expression and ran up to Khal hurriedly.


    The moment she saw Khal¡¯s bloody figure lying on the ground motionlessly, she didn¡¯t know suddenly what to do, so first, she decided to check if Khal was still alive or not.


    ¡°ergh!¡±


    Coughing up another amount of blood, Khal looked up at Miss Mary and Liza, who were looking at him with paleplexions.


    With a trembling body, he wanted to stand up but found out that he couldn¡¯t. It seemed that a few bones inside his body got broken by the powerful impact, making any kind of movement for him quite challenging right now.


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk, let me heal you first.¡±, said Miss Mary and without hesitation, she put her hands on Khal¡¯s back.


    Instantly, gentle blue light started to cover Khal¡¯s back making his expression to be much better with each passing second.


    Liza on the side looked at Khal with worried eyes and asked, ¡°Hey, what happen-.¡±


    *BOOM!*


    However, just before she could have finished her question toward Khal, suddenly the side of the orphanage exploded, revealing two men inside the eatery wearing a robe and a mask.


    Khal seeing that the one he threw the knife at was doing fine and was not dead, looked pale and looked at Liza and Miss Mary.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­ R-run¡­ Please¡­¡±, said Khal in a trembling tone.


    However, Liza didn¡¯t listen to Khal at all but instead pointed at them and with a dark expression she asked calmly, ¡°Who are you and why are you here?¡±


    The assassin who was injured, slowly looked at Miss Mary than at Liza and with an angry voice he started to whisper, ¡°I will kill that woman, but make sure you leave that girl alive. I want to make him know who he f*cked with.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±, said calmly the other man and waved his hand without hesitation.


    ¡°Hey, I asked yo-.¡±


    But before Liza could have ended her question yet again, just like Khal a few seconds ago, suddenly her body flew up into the air and in a sh, her body exploded into a tree on the side like a projectile.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Khal¡¯s expression seeing this darkened and wanted to do something, but before he could have done so, suddenly the assassin appeared behind his back, right next to Miss Mary¡¯s body.


    ¡°Caref-¡°


    *sh!*


    Khal wanted to warn Miss Mary, however he was toote to do so and the result was dire. Like thunderbolting from the clouds right above, the assassin¡¯s hand moved and with a smooth move he cut Miss Mary¡¯s head off.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Watching as Miss Mary¡¯s lifeless corpse fell before him while her head rolled away with the shock still visible on her face, Khal¡¯s expression and body stiffened up immediately.


    Liza, who was still dizzy because of the impact wanted to stand up, but the moment she saw what happened too, her whole body froze up too.


    ¡°You monsters!!!¡±


    Instantly, her expression turned terrifyingly dark, while the surroundings around her started to froze up instantly.


    But this happened only for a second, because before she could have done anything, the other assassin appeared right behind her, and with a powerful m, he pushed her down onto the ground.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Just calm down missy. We don¡¯t want to make things even worse than this.¡±, said the man above Liza in a calm voice, while slowly tightening his grip on her arms with each passing second.


    ¡°LET! ME! GO! You all will pay for this!¡±, murmured Liza angrily, but no matter how hard she struggled she couldn¡¯t escape the man¡¯s grip.


    The man who got pierced by Khal a few moments ago walked next to Khal¡¯s lying body and crouched down next to his blood covered figure.


    Grabbing him by his hair and raising his head, the man leaned closer to his face and started to speak in mocking manner.


    ¡°So? How does it feel? How does it feel to be this weak? A talentless rat, who couldn¡¯t even sustain a small hit and ended up looking this pathetic. Do you remember this?¡±


    As the man asked this, he took out a bloody knife slowly from his pocket and said, ¡°This was the one you threw at me, remember?¡±


    Spinning the knife around his fingers a few more times, the man looked at the de, and in a deep and cold voice, he continued.


    ¡°Because you have done that, I ended that bitch¡¯s life with the exact same knife you have thrown at me. And now, I will kill your friend too, right before your very eyes. Remember it well. It is all happening because of you!¡±


    As he said this, the assassin tossed Khal¡¯s face into the dirt and started to walk toward Liza with steady steps.


    ¡°No¡­¡±


    Seeing as the man was not stopping, Khal said louder this time.


    ¡°No¡­ stop it¡­¡±


    Still, his pleading wasn¡¯t helping at all, instead, it made the man tough like crazy and crouched down next to Liza, who was restrained by the other man.


    Watching as the man raised Liza¡¯s face by grabbing her hair and pointed the knife at her neck, suddenly in Khal¡¯s head, Nancy¡¯s corpse appeared yet again.


    ¡°No¡­ Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t take her away again¡­¡±, mumbled Khal with despair, but seeing as the man was not stopping at all but stillughed like crazy, Khal screamed up angrily.


    ¡°STOP IT!!¡±


    Hearing the scream the manughed even more and said, ¡°Sorry kid, but you need to take responsibility for your actions.¡±


    With that, he started to push the knife into Liza¡¯s neck without hesitation.


    Khal seeing Liza¡¯s desperate gaze as she looked at him, he felt an insane amount of pure rage surging through his veins.


    He wanted to scream up, but just before he could have, suddenly his bracelet on his wrist lit up and a voice sounded in his head.


    [ P..er O..ai..r active¡­]


    [Analyzing ¡®Body Structure¡¯ and ¡®Surroundings¡¯¡­]


    [¡®Body Structure¡¯ has met the requirements ¡®Talentless¡¯¡­]


    [¡®Surroundings¡¯ has been analyzed¡­ Found 2 ¡®Power Cores¡¯¡­]


    [¡®Power Core: Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ and ¡®Power Core: Emotion Control¡¯ have been found¡­]


    [Calcting ¡®Essence¡¯ in the body¡­ Enough ¡®Essence¡¯ has been found¡­]


    [You may choose one ¡®Power Core¡¯ freely¡­]


    [Which one will you desire?]

 Chapter 15: Heavens Eyes

    Chapter 15: Heaven''s Eyes


    [Which one will you desire?]


    The moment the very first sentence sounded in Khal¡¯s head, he felt like time slowed down to a crawl.


    Everything before his eyes, turned to snail slow pace, while sentences with foreign meaning emerged in his mind one after another.


    After a few seconds of waiting in silence because of surprise, the voice appeared in his head once again, but this time with a deeper tone of voice.


    [Which one will you desire?]


    Realizing that the unknown voice, which was neither masculine nor feminine, was talking to him, Khal instantly came back to his senses and looked at the sight before him.


    Watching as Liza¡¯s neck was slowly being pierced by the ck knife, while blood oozed out from the wound even though time flowed slower, Khal clenched his teeth with pure anger and thought.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what is happening currently, but this thing¡­ It wants to help me! I don¡¯t care what consequences there will be, but I will seize it! I won¡¯t let anything be taken away from me ever again!¡±


    With that solid thought in mind, Khal¡¯s expression turned serious, and with clenched teeth, he said instantly, ¡°I want Heaven¡¯s Eyes!¡±


    [Understood¡­ ¡®Power Core: Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has been chosen¡­]


    [Warning! Distance between the ¡®Obtainer¡¯ and the ¡®Power Core¡¯ is currently too great. Utilize ¡®Maism¡¯?]


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is, but if it helps me, yes, use it! Just hurry up!¡±, thought Khal angrily.


    [Understood¡­ Utilizing ¡®Maism¡¯¡­]


    [Warning! Through obtaining ¡®Power Core: Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ and utilizing ¡®Maism¡¯, the owner will end up with 0 amount of ¡®Essence¡¯. Do you still wish to continue?]


    ¡°YES!¡±


    [Understood¡­ Ability ¡®Maism¡¯ active¡­ Ability ¡®Core Obtainer¡¯ active¡­]


    *Bam!*


    With a loud explosion, the bracelet on Khal¡¯s wrist lit up with blinding white light, making the two assassins to stop moving and look toward Khal¡¯s direction in an instant.


    ¡°What is happe-, eh?¡±


    However just before the assassin who wanted to kill Liza could have finished his sentence, suddenly the bluish jewel which was embedded in the middle of his mask started to tremble like crazy.


    *Crack!*


    The jewel¡¯s trembling was so great, that bit by bit small cracks started to form on the mask¡¯s surface, making the assassin to act instantly.


    ¡°!¡±


    However just as he could have grabbed the jewel and stop it from further trembling, the bluish stone moved.


    Just like a bullet bursting out from a gun, it broke out from the mask¡¯s surface, making it to break into numerous pieces instantly.


    *Swish!*


    With a speed that looked like a sh, the bluish stone appeared before Khal and like thunder, it exploded into the small gap on the middle of his bracelet.


    [¡®Power Core: Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ obtained¡­]


    [Starting ¡®Fusion¡¯¡­]


    *BAM!*


    With a loud eruption, blue light broke out from the bracelet, while the same colored light started to swirl inside Khal¡¯s body and veins like small snakes.


    ¡°Something is not right!¡±, said the guy whose mask was broken, and stood up instantly.


    The other man who was pushing Liza down to the ground, seeing the sudden changes knocked her unconscious and stood up slowly in an instant.


    When the two stood up and noticed as Khal¡¯s body started to leak presence which had just obtained a Cultivation Talent, they looked at him with perplexed expressions, unknown how to react.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Master tell you that he was Talentless?¡±


    ¡°He did.¡±, answered the maskless man with a serious nod.


    ¡°Then what is happening right now? It is quite obvious that he is currently using a Cultivation Talent, so was it only a fake rumor?¡±, asked the man as he watched Khal standing up slowly from the ground, while blue light was swirling inside him through his skin.


    ¡°I¡­ don¡¯t know either.¡±, said the man unknowingly, and while tightening his grip on the knife¡¯s hilt in his hand he continued, ¡°However, I don¡¯t really care if he has a Cultivation Talent or no. I will still kill him!¡±


    With that said, the man raised his hand over his shoulder, and with a powerful swing, he threw the knife forward, aiming right at Khal¡¯s heart.


    ¡°DIE!¡±


    Like aser beam, the knife flew through the air, and under a single second, it reached Khal, ready to pierce his heart and end his life for all eternity.


    However, just as the weapon could have reached him, Khal raised his hand before his chest, piercing his palm instead of his heart.


    ¡°!¡±


    Seeing this, both assassins were shocked, but before they could have done anything else, the light inside Khal¡¯s body vanished, making his presence to turn back to normal.


    [¡®Fusion¡¯pleted!]


    [¡®First Staged: Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ active!]


    *BOOM!*


    As the final voice sounded in his head, a small power broke out from Khal¡¯s body, making the ground below his feet to form small and wide cracks in an instant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Feeling the power surging throughout his whole body, especially in his eyes, Khal raised his head and opened his eyes slowly.


    Instantly, a pair of sky blue eyes got reflected in the moon¡¯s light, with a vertical slit in the middle, whose color was not ck, but crimson red.


    Just looking at those eyes made one feel immense pressure. It was like before those eyes no one could hide a single thing away no matter what kind of trick they would try.


    It felt like that everything before them was absolute and undeniable!


    But naturally, these things were only feelings and the maskless man knew this too. As a result, he took out another knife from his robe and waved it around.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think you are someone just because you have obtained a bit of power, brat!¡±


    However, Khal didn¡¯t respond at all to the man¡¯s bbering, but instead, he nced at the knife which was deeply pierced right through his palm.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±, thought Khal with a deep frown as he looked at the knife in his hand. The reason why was because the moment he obtained those eyes, his sight became quite strange and changedpletely.


    Not only did his vision became several times clearer but when he started to concentrate on something, suddenly his sight expanded, making him able to feel its figure, shape, and every small detail from every angle.


    For example, the weapon he was currently watching. Even though he couldn¡¯t see what the knife¡¯s back looked like, a picture formed inside his head showing him just what its true appearance was from behind.


    He saw two things at once, one with his eyes and one in his head. These two feelings created a kind of sensation which were quite strange and hard to describe, yet they made Khal feel extremely rxed.


    While getting used to this unusual feeling, Khal grabbed the knife¡¯s end firmly, and with a sudden force, he pulled it out.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡±


    Clenching his teeth together because of the sudden and sharp pain he felt inside his palm, Khal slowly turned his gaze at Miss Mary¡¯s corpse on the ground.


    Seeing her lifeless corpse and head in the distance, Khal¡¯s already darkened expression turned even darker in an instant.


    Even though he didn¡¯t get to know Miss Mary well because of the small amount of time he got to spend in this world, she was very kind to him.


    Hundred times kinder than his own mother in his former life.


    ¡°She didn¡¯t deserve this ending¡­¡±, said Khal in an ice-cold tone.


    Clenching his injured palm into a tight fist, he raised his other hand and pointed the knife¡¯s tip at the two assassins in the distance.


    With a piercing re and visible bloodlust, Khal turned his sky blue eyes toward the two men and opened his mouth slowly.


    ¡°You will pay for what you have done today¡­¡±

 Chapter 16: All Seeing Vision

    Chapter 16: All Seeing Vision


    ¡°You will pay for what you have done today¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The two assassins hearing what Khal said looked at each other in silence and after a few seconds, suddenly both of them broke out in crazyughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! He¡­ Did he really just say what I heard? Pay for what we have done? Haha! How cute! Like this, it will be much better to kill you!¡±, said the maskless man while smiling and started to walk forward.


    Or at least, he just wanted to walk forward, but suddenly was grabbed from behind making him to halt his movement instantly.


    Turning his head back, the assassin saw as his partner shook his head gently, while holding him in one ce by his shoulder.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we need him alive. I will knock him out, so don¡¯t waste your strength and just leave him to me.¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ Whatever¡­¡±, answered the maskless man with a click of his tongue, and without arguing further he stepped back a few meters with an annoyed expression.


    ¡°Perfect.¡±, said the masked man with a slight nod and turned his head toward Khal.


    After pointing his index finger at him, he said in a calm tone, ¡°Sorry kid, but this will hurt you a bit.¡±


    As Khal heard this, he raised his guard up instantly and watched as the man flicked his finger to the side.


    He knew that the masked man¡¯s power was to control objects through levitation, but the moment he saw him waving his hand to the side he started to smile slightly.


    ¡°So it¡¯s not levitation.¡±


    As Khal said this, he jumped backward a few meters and watched as the air where he stood a moment ago started to vibrate, and a few secondster it turned back to it¡¯s original state.


    ¡°!¡±


    The assassin seeing this, looked surprised, but still not letting this to influence him, he waved his hand again.


    However, just like thest time, Khal jumped away without hesitation, while the air where he was a moment ago started to vibrate for a few seconds then stop as nothing happened at all.


    ¡°How?¡±, asked the assassin with great surprise and started to wave his hand around, but this time with greater vigor than before.


    While jumping here and there to avoide the assassin¡¯s every attack, Khal¡¯s expression remained terrifyingly calm. Not a single emotion could be discerned on his face as he was slowly approaching the man.


    Normally, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do something like this in the past, but with his currently obtained power, everything before him became¡­ Simple.


    The moment the assassin used his ability, Khal realized that the trick behind his power was not levitation, but simple air pressure control.


    Each time he waved his hand, he would create an area around his target which would start to vibrate. By controlling the air pressure around the victim inside that area, he could easily do whatever he wanted to.


    Restricting the target¡¯s movements or attacking it, the man was able to do anything he wanted. But only if the target was inside his area which he was controlling the moment. If not, then his power would bepletely useless, just like now.


    At the very first time when Khal was attacked by this ability, he was not able to react to this power in time because the air vibration was hardly visible. But now that he got his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, everything has changedpletely.


    No matter where the attack came from, before his eyes no movement could escape no matter what. Even if someone tried to attack him from the rear, he would be able to easily dodge, showing just how powerful his Heaven¡¯s Eyes truly were.


    However because his eyes were this powerful, they had several disadvantages too.


    Firstly, the range where he could see things as he wished was limited down to only 5 meters. Outside that range, his Heaven¡¯s Eyes didn¡¯t work at all and his sight was just as normal as it originally would be.


    Secondly, it was quite visible that the eyes put immense pressure on him mentally. He needed topletely concentrate on his surroundings to be able to see his proximity from all angles. And naturally, no human was able to concentrate for several minutes straight without getting exhausted or taking a break.


    Concentrating on his environment to catch the slightest movement in the air when the assassin tried to attack him, was quite a challenge.


    Lastly, the biggest and most obvious problem with this power was that except for the great sight, it didn¡¯t give anything else to the owner. Meaning if the one who was using this power was nonbatant and had no idea how to fight, this power would be totally useless.


    Luckily, Khal was able to learn a few basic fighting methods in his past life when he was a small kid, but out of that, he was no better than a beginner fighter.


    And this fact showed itself right at the moment. Even though he learned self-defense and how to avoid easier assaults, he was still struggling to avoid the assassin¡¯s attacks and this was also because of his Heaven¡¯s Eyes support.


    If he didn¡¯t have them or his basic knowledge to fight, he would have been knocked unconscious with serious injuries a long time ago if not dead.


    ¡°Still¡­ I know that I can do this!¡±, thought Khal and with a determined expression started to quicken his pace.


    However, just as he wanted to step forward, suddenly out from nowhere, the maskless man appeared behind his back and shed at his neck with an ice-cold face.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Khal seeing this however wasn¡¯t surprised at all.


    He was entirely aware of this man¡¯s doing until this very moment. He saw every move he was doing behind him, even though he didn¡¯t see him precisely with his eyes.


    ¡°Thanks, but I refuse!¡±, said Khal calmly, and after leaning forward to avoid the knife, he spun around and kicked at the man powerfully in the waist with his heel.


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Gah!¡±


    Instantly as the leg hit his side, the man grimaced and grunted slightly and immediately started to take a few steps back while holding his waist in pain.


    Khal wanted to continue his assault and kill the exposed man before him, but just before he could have done so, suddenly the air around him started to vibrate yet again.


    ¡°!¡±


    Jumping to the side, scarcely avoiding the attack from the masked man, Khal stopped moving and thought calmly, ¡°No matter how much I want to kill that bastard, first I need to take his friend out!¡±


    Without any further hesitation, Khal started to run toward the masked assassin again, while evading the attacks, from both him and the man without a mask.


    *Swish!*


    *Bam!*


    *Swish!*


    *Bam!


    Every time Khal dodged an attack from the masked man, he was invited by another assault by the maskless man from a different direction.


    However, even like this that he was attacked by two people, Khal was doing rtively great.


    Continuously dodging the long-ranged attacks, while avoiding the close ones and counter-attacking them at the same time by using his leg or knife, Khal has finally arrived before the masked man.


    Entering into closebat range, Khal¡¯s expression turned ice cold and without hesitancy, he waved the knife in his hand toward the masked man¡¯s neck.


    However, just before the knife could have reached the man¡¯s neck, suddenly a familiar yet eerie sound came from the side.


    ¡°Got you!¡±

 Chapter 17: A Help

    Chapter 17: A Help


    ¡°Got you!¡±


    The very instant as the voice sounded, the masked man nced to the side, only to see as his vision had been blocked by a small hand that appeared out of nowhere.


    ¡°!¡±


    Right before the man, Liza was standing calmly with a darkened expression, while from the corner of her small mouth, trail of blood started to flow out slowly.


    The man flinched slightly by the sight of this and wanted to fight back, but suddenly the maskless man appeared behind Liza.


    ¡°Haha! Brave, but you are still weakpared to me!¡± shouted the assassin with a slight chuckle as he saw his friend¡¯s sudden appearance, and without hesitation grabbed Liza¡¯s hand, holding her in one ce.


    The maskless man watching as his partner won¡¯t let Liza escapeughed wickedly and shed toward her neck in an instant.


    *Swish!*


    *ng!*


    However, just before the assault could have reached her fair skin, from the side, Khal¡¯s knife appeared in a sudden sh, deflecting the attack with a swift move.


    ¡°What do you think you are doing?!¡± asked Khal calmly, but that calmness was the very vestige of an approaching storm.


    Yet, when Khal noticed that the man was extremely close to him, he decided to seize the opportunity and without hesitancy, shed toward the man¡¯s throat just in the same manner as he did to Liza.


    ¡°!¡±


    Exactly at the same time as Khal moved, with her free palm Liza grabbed the man¡¯s hand tightly, holding him in one ce firmly and raised her head.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Watching Liza¡¯s ice-cold re that felt like she pierced right into his soul, the man felt shivers run down his spine.


    ¡°You bit-.¡±


    However, without giving him the slightest amount of time to finish his curse, his body turned into an ice sculpture under a single second.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Argh¡­ Bragh!!¡±


    While Liza finished off the assassin with the mask, until then Khal¡¯s attack arrived before the other one, and with one smooth sh, he cut his throat up, making the man fell onto the ground with widened eyes.


    ¡°Brehg¡­ Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Ahrgd!¡±


    Watching as the assassin was holding tightly onto his throat with a horrified expression while coughing up a massive amount of blood, Khal crouched down next to the man.


    ncing at the knife in his hand which was covered with full of blood, Khal turned his re at the man¡¯s sleeve and noticed something in it.


    Just because of simple curiosity, Khal decided to snatch that thing out of the sleeve, only to see that it was a ck ring hanging around a silvery ne.


    ¡°What is this?¡± thought Khal and was about to check what was written on the ring, when suddenly the assassin next to him moved, and tried to stab his stomach with another knife.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    However, Khal wasn¡¯t surprised at all. With his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he was able to see all the movements and attacks around him, even if they came at him from the rear, let alone this.


    *BAM!*


    Without even looking at the man¡¯s attempt, Khal swung his knife, and with a powerful stab, pinned the man¡¯s palm hardly into the ground.


    ¡°Blergh!!¡±


    Feeling the pain all over his hand, the man coughed up another amount of blood, causing his expression to slowly turn paler and paler.


    Khal watching as the man was slowly taking hisst breaths, turned to look at the ring in his hand and started to inspect it.


    It was made out of ck jade, while on its surface a symbol in a circr-shaped emblem was carved carefully.


    It represented a dragon which mouth was wide open and was about to bite into its own tail, while its whole body was covered in zing fire.


    As Khal looked at the unfamiliar symbol, noticed as the man¡¯s body next to him started to loosen up and a few secondster his other arms holding his throat dropped down to the ground heavily.


    Not caring even the slightest about the fact that he just killed the man, Khal stood up and turned around only to see as Liza was kneeling before the man¡¯s frozen body, while her body trembled slightly.


    Seeing her shaking body, Khal raised his hand and started to talk, ¡°Liza wha-.¡±


    Or at least wanted to, but suddenly, a voice sounded in his head.


    [Warning! Because the amount of ¡®Essence¡¯ in the body reached 0.]


    [¡®Exhaustion¡¯ now will ur¡­]


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Khal hearing the sudden voice in his head frowned slightly, but the next second his vision started to turn blurry and in the end, his whole body fell onto the ground heavily.


    *Paff!*


    ¡°Huh? Khal?¡±


    Thest thing Khal was able to discern in his blurry vision was that Liza turned her crying face toward him and after that, everything turned pitch ck.


    ***


    Inside a spacious room, Khal was soundlessly lying on a bed, when suddenly his eyes shot wide open and sat up immediately.


    ¡°What the¡­ Where¡­ Where am I?¡±, asked Khal with confusion, as he looked around the unknown surroundings around him.


    Seeing as he was surrounded by several white beds with strange liquids, objects, and bandages put on the walls, Khal frowned slightly and mumbled, ¡°A hospi-, argh!?¡±


    However, just as he wanted to say that he was inside a hospital, suddenly powerful pain swept through his whole body, making himself to feel instantly weak and fragile.


    Just only after a small while when the pain dissipatedpletely, was Khal able to lower his arm from his head and think slowly, ¡°Yeah now I can remember it. I was assaulted and¡­¡±


    Instantly, Miss Mary¡¯s corpse and Liza¡¯s crying face appeared inside his head, making Khal¡¯s expression to be darkened instantly.


    However, the next second his eyes shot wide open, and thought, ¡°Wait! Where is she? Where is Liza?¡±


    Looking around to see if she was on one of the beds, Khal noticed she wasn¡¯t.


    ¡°I need to find her!¡±, thought Khal and wanted to stand up, when suddenly the bracelet on his wrist slightly lit up and a voice appeared inside his head.


    [Report! ¡®Body¡¯ has re-obtained sufficient ¡®Essence¡¯.]


    [¡®Exhaustion¡¯ has vanished.]


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The moment Khal heard the sound frowned with confusion and looked at the bracelet on his wrist.


    Just like always, it looked like a normal and ordinary bracelet, but with the only difference that this time it had a sky blue jade ced in its small gap.


    As Khal was looking at the bracelet, suddenly the voice appeared once again inside his head, making him slightly surprised.


    [Want to inspect your ¡®Status¡¯?]


    Hearing the voice, Khal¡¯s frown deepened a level more, not knowing what to say.


    ¡°What is this thing?¡±, asked Khal with confusion, and instead of answering the question he grabbed the bracelet and started to take it off.


    ¡°ARGH!?¡±


    Or at least he just wanted to, but couldn¡¯t. The moment he touched the bracelet and started to move it, an intense pain appeared inside his arm.


    It was like something grabbed a saw and started to cut his wrist down. The pain was almost unbearable, but luckily except for that nothing else happened and it was only just a feeling.


    ¡°What the hell?¡±, said Khal with shock and decided not to take the bracelet off.


    Instead, he started to think for a while and said, ¡°Sure. Show me my ¡®Status¡¯.¡±


    Instantly as he said that the bracelet on his wrist lit up.


    As this happened, Khal¡¯s confused expression turned to that of shock and his jaw fell wide open.


    ¡°What the¡­ Hell?¡±

 Chapter 18: ‘Statuses’

    Chapter 18: ¡®Statuses¡¯


    ¡°What the¡­ Hell?¡±, asked Khal with confusion as he looked at his bracelet on his wrist.


    Around the iron object, white light started to manifest, and with slow-motion small words started to form one after another.


    After a small while when the light formed 4 sentences around his bracelet, they started to float around his wrist slowly.


    Khal seeing this was totally shocking. The sight before him was very simr to those devices from those futuristic movies from his past life, but with the only difference that the words were not holograms but pure white light.


    The light itself was hovering around his wrist in the form of words, which was crazy!


    <<¡®Personal¡¯ Status>>


    <<¡®Essence¡¯ Status>>


    <<¡®Power Core¡¯ Status>>


    <<¡®Obtainer¡¯ Status>>


    Seeing the words ¡®Statuses¡¯ floated next to each other slowly around his wrist, Khal was a little bit amazed. He wanted to touch the first ¡®Status¡¯ to check what will happen, but to his surprise, his finger just simply went through the light.


    ¡°Eh?¡±, was the only thing Khal could say, when he found out no matter how much he touched the words, they were simple light particles and nothing more.


    They were not like those smartphones from his past life where a simple touch was able to send him into the next screen, which amazed him quite a bit.


    [Please choose the ¡®Status¡¯ you want to see!]


    The moment Khal heard the voice in his head again, he lowered his hand and asked himself, ¡°If I can¡¯t make it to work through touch, then will it work with a thought?¡±


    As he said this, he said thought instantly, ¡°I want to see ¡®Personal¡¯ Status.¡±


    Instantly as those words appeared in his mind, the light around his bracelet moved again, and instantly they formed new words.


    But this time they didn¡¯t appear around his bracelet and wrist, but instead above his hand, under each other, simr to those data screens in video games.


    {¡®Personal¡¯ Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Met Requirements)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost (Met Requirements)


    ? Cultivation Grade: None (Met Requirements)


    ¡°What the actual f¡­.¡±


    Khal looked at the three pieces of information under each other and turned speechless.


    It was not because of the fact that it stated he had no Cultivation Talent or Grade because those two were only natural.


    If one had no Cultivation Talent, that meant one couldn¡¯t start cultivating, so one was unable to reach the first Stage in this world.


    He didn¡¯t know clearly what the Grades were or how many there were, but he clearly knew that if one obtains a Cultivation Talent, one will automatically reach the First Grade.


    No, the fact why he waspletely troubled was because there was a single piece of information he didn¡¯t understand no matter how many times he read it.


    ¡°What is this ¡®Hidden Talent¡¯ lost?¡±, mumbled Khal quietly not knowing what that sentence should mean at all.


    After a few seconds of wasteful thinking, he just scratched his cheek with his index finger and thought, ¡°Well¡­ It¡¯s not like I will get an answer if I think, won¡¯t I?¡±


    Waiting for the voice to talk in his head hoping he would get the answer, Khal waited for a few seconds, but there was nothing.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see what the other ¡®Statuses¡¯ can show me.¡±, said Khal and wanted to open the next ¡®Status¡¯ when suddenly the door on the side opened.


    ¡°You are awake!¡±


    Hearing the sudden voice, Khal hid his hand below the nket, fearing the one walking in would see his bracelet.


    However, he didn¡¯t need to feel anxious at all, because the moment he lowered his hand, the light around his wrist vanished, making the bracelet to turn back to normal in no time at all.


    ¡°Huh? Are you alright?¡±


    Khal raised his head again after hearing the same voice again, only to see Liza¡¯s standing figure next to his bed with two other people in white robes behind her.


    Looking at them, Khal smiled gently and nodded.


    ¡°Much bett-.¡±, started to say Khal, however just before he could have finished his reply, he suddenly found himself in Liza¡¯s tight embrace.


    Surprised by the sudden change of events, Khal didn¡¯t know how to react, but then he heard Liza¡¯s trembling voice.


    ¡°She¡­ She has died¡­ And I couldn¡¯t help at all¡­ I thought¡­ I will¡­ I will¡­¡±


    Hearing Liza¡¯s shaking voice, Khal felt as his heart had been pierced with several thorns and knives.


    Maybe he was in this world for only a few days and met with Liza only for a small amount of time, but everything about her made Khal think she was not Liza, but his past girlfriend Nancy.


    Her behavior, her voice, and her appearance. Everything about her made Khal think that she was Nancy instead of an unknown person, a stranger.


    And just because of this alone, when he saw Liza sad like that, he felt an incredible amount of pain too. It was like the one who was hurt was not her, but instead him.


    Without saying anything, Khal closed his eyes and after hugging Liza too, he let her cry herself out.


    Time ticked by, and just only several minutester did Liza stop crying and stepped back from Khal¡¯s hug.


    Seeing her wet eyes and red nose, Khal chuckled slightly and took a tissue from his side and gave it to Liza.


    ¡°Here.¡±, said Khal with a gentle smile as he handed the tissue over to her.


    As Liza saw Khal¡¯s kind gesture sniffed slightly and after taking away the tissue she nodded.


    ¡°Thanks¡­¡±


    While watching as she gently blew her nose out on the side, Khal nced at the doctors behind Liza and said politely, ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t be so formal.¡±, said the man in the white robe on the side, and after stepping closer to Khal he asked, ¡°My name is Jake. I¡¯m working here in Moon City¡¯s hospital and I¡¯m in charge to check on your condition. How are you feeling? Any pain or ufortable feeling that you feel unnatural?¡±


    Khal looked at his body and after a small while he shrugged slightly and said, ¡°I guess everything is alright. Except for some pain here and there, I feel perfectly fine.¡±


    The man called Jake nodded and said, ¡°That is perfect then. However, before we do anything else, this man here wants to ask you a few questions about the incident that happened a week ago.¡±


    ¡°What? A week ago?!¡±, asked Khal with widened eyes, not believing to his ears.


    ¡°Yes indeed. Exactly a week ago, after the incident that urred at the outer district of Moon City, your friend was the one who looked for help and that is how you have been brought here. Since then, you were in a very deep slumber, without us knowing if you will survive or not.¡±


    ¡°My life was in danger?¡±, asked Khal confusedly.


    ¡°Yes. For some reason, your vitality had reached the bottom line of the dead zone. Several experts with healing powers came in and tried to help you, but all of them has failed in the end. The reason? It was because of theck of essence in your body.¡±


    Hearing this, Khal remembered that before he fell unconscious, the voice said that the Essence inside his body has reached 0. So the reason behind that should be quite obviously because of that.


    After thinking for a while, Khal looked at the side where another man was standing in a whitish and silverish robe, and asked, ¡°Is he a doctor too?¡±


    Jake hearing this smiled slightly and after waving his hand he said, ¡°Ah no, he is not. He is from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization. He only came here to find out what truly happened behind the incident.¡±

 Chapter 19: Cultivators Organization

    Chapter 19: Cultivator''s Organization


    ¡°He is from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization?¡±, asked Khal with a surprised expression and nced at the man again, but this time with greater inspection.


    As he looked at him, he noticed that his clothing and robe looked almost identical to that of Jake¡¯s, but after a small while, he noticed a few differences.


    The robe was not entirely white, but it had several thin silver threads in it, giving it a silvery shade, while on the chest a circr-shaped emblem could be discerned.


    It was a colorful swirling whirlpool that had an abyss ck cube in its middle. The shape and the detailed carvings on it were incredibly simr to that stone Khal saw once in the Realm Pir before.


    That was the Cultivator¡¯s Organization emblem.


    While Khal was silently examining the emblem on the man¡¯s chest, the man stepped forward and with a slight bow, he started to talk.


    ¡°Let me introduce myself. My name is Carter Torres, but please just call me simply Carter. I¡¯m here to ask you a few questions about the incident that took ce exactly a week ago.¡±


    As the man called Carter talked, he sat down slowly next to Khal and started to ask questions one after another.


    ¡°So how did it happen? Can you please tell me your story as detailed as much you can?¡±


    Khal looked at Carter and after a small sigh he was about to start telling the man the truth, but suddenly he noticed something in the corner of his eyes.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ncing toward the man¡¯s finger, Khal noticed a ck ring with a symbol on it and started to frown slightly.


    ¡°Where did I saw that symbol?¡±, thought Khal with confusion, but suddenly his eyes widened with shock and his hand under the nket touched his pocket.


    In it, he could feel a ring-shaped object, making him remember back instantly just what did he find in the assassin¡¯s pouch a week ago.


    ¡°That emblem¡­ It is exactly the same as the one I found!¡±, thought Khal as he watched the dragon which wanted to eat its own tail on the ring.


    ¡°Can you please tell us what happened?¡±, asked the man again, but this time Khal could feel an annoyed tone in Carter¡¯s voice.


    Looking at his calm expression, Khal thought for a while and after a secondter did he sigh and start to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry Sir, but it seems my memory is still blurry. I can¡¯t recall any memory at all.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±, asked Carter and looked at Liza on the side and asked, ¡°And you? Can you remember anything? It was you the one who called for help, so you should be able to see what happened.¡±


    Liza seeing the man¡¯s re looked at Khal on the side, but after seeing his calm yet sharp gaze, she instantly knew that something was not right here.


    If Khal truly lost his memories of the incident temporarily, then he would have been looked confused at the moment.


    Knowing Khal¡¯s nature, he would have started to ask questions about the matter instantly the moment he woke up from his sleep, but he didn¡¯t.


    This showed that Khal knew exactly what happened, but for some reason he decided not to, which was strange.


    After thinking for a while she scratched her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the moment I have arrived where the ident happened, Khal was already lying unconsciously on the ground. But if I can remember right, someone had run away in the woods the moment I arrived there.¡±


    ¡°Someone? Details.¡±, asked Carter with a slightly raised eyebrow.


    ¡°Yes, now that I remember back at it, I can clearly recall that it was a man in a silver robe. Yeah a silver robe, I¡¯m 100% sure. I can not miss something so obvious when it was a full moon at that time.¡±


    When Carter heard this he looked at Khal, but seeing that he was truly clueless about what Liza said, he nodded and stood up.


    ¡°I see, thank you. If you excuse me, then I will take my leave now.¡±


    With that said, after Carter bowed at Khal, Liza, and Jake, he turned around and walked away.


    Watching as Carter left the room, Jake smiled and while standing up he said calmly, ¡°Well then, now that this matter has been solved, I will run a few tests on you. If everything turns out to be okay, you are free to go.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Thank you.¡±, said Khal with a smile and let the doctor do what he was supposed to do.


    ***


    Outside on the street, the man called Carter arrived before a narrow alley, and after looking around he walked in.


    While walking in the thin and dark path, he tore the robe off from his body and threw it into the trash on the side, revealing a muscr body instantly.


    As he did this, suddenly out of nowhere, a man in a ck robe and a white mask on his face appeared right before him and stayed still in silence.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ This sh*t has irritated my skin, it was so f*cking annoying! At least, I could finally take it off!¡±, said Carter and nced at the masked man before him.


    ¡°Report back that it was not the boy who killed them. He seems way clueless about what happened that night. Also, tell the boss that the brat¡¯s friend told me it was another person who sabotaged our attempt. It was someone in silver robe, so it should be associated with the Cultivator¡¯s Organization.¡±


    The masked man listening to this nodded slightly and without saying a single word, he vanished into thin air, leaving Carter alone in the alley again.


    ncing toward the sky, Carter moved slightly his bulging muscles and after a while, he started to frown slightly.


    ¡°Still, I can hardly believe that someone protected him. Who would prevent a Talentless brat¡¯s death? Especially from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization. It must a ridiculous joke!¡±


    As he said this, he turned his re back at the hospital which was hardly visible in the distance and after thinking for a while he shrugged.


    ¡°Well, whatever! I¡¯m sure that I will find out the truth sooner orter.¡±


    ***


    Back inside the hospital, Jake ran a few tests on Khal¡¯s body, like checking his physical strength, the essence level in his body, and his coordination skills.


    After the fact that his life was in fate¡¯s hand and no experts could help him throughout a week, Jake made sure to check everything on Khal.


    After almost 9 hours of checking and testing, Jake sat down before Khal and started to read the several data on the hologram before him.


    Reading everything from the beginning to the end, Jake leaned back into his chair, and with a smile, he said, ¡°It seems you are as healthy as a newborn baby. You can freely leave, but if you still feel weak then you can stay here too until you don¡¯t feel, better.¡±


    ¡°Ahh¡­ Finally! Thank you very much for everything but I feel perfectly fine!¡±, said Khal with a sigh of relief and stood up.


    Seeing that Khal was ready to leave, Jake smiled and said, ¡°It is perfect then. It was a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    As Khal heard this he smiled too and thanking Jake¡¯s help once again he bowed and left the room with Liza on his side.


    However, the moment Khal closed the door, Jake¡¯s smile vanished instantly, and nced at specific data on the hologram before him.


    ¡®Cultivation Talent: @&#%|%#@¡¯


    ¡°It was stated inside his files that he failed to obtain a Talent and ended up as a Talentless. So what should this exactly mean? It is definitely not an error.¡±, said Jake to himself quietly, and with a deep frown, he started to think for solutions one by one.

 Chapter 20: Sky Hall

    Chapter 20: Sky Hall


    Outside the hospital, Khal and Liza were walking next to each other in silence, deep in their own thoughts.


    After walking like that for a small while, suddenly Liza turned to look at Khal and asked, ¡°Back then¡­ Why did you say that to Carter? I mean, why did you lie?¡±


    ncing back at Liza Khal instead of answering her, he put his hand into his pocket and said, ¡°Look at this.¡±


    Taking out the ring from his pocket which he obtained from the assassin, he gave it to Liza.


    Liza seeing the ring looked quite confused, but the moment she recognized the symbol her face instantly turned shocked.


    ¡°This is the Ourvi Family¡¯s symbol? But how? Where did you find this?¡±


    ¡°Just what I have thought.¡±, murmured Khal quietly and after taking back the ring from Liza he started to exin, ¡°Just as I fell unconscious, I have found this ring in the assassin¡¯s pouch, so I took it away.¡±


    ¡°So this means¡­¡±, started to say Liza, but she knew what that exactly meant.


    ¡°Yes, it means that the two who have tried to assassinate us were from the Ourvi family. However, it is not a surprise at all. Just like Nate said before, the Ourvi Family would truly do anything just to get rid of those who won¡¯t obey them. It seems they have sent those assassins because I have ¡®hurt¡¯ Alde.¡±


    Liza hearing this looked stupified, but a single secondter her expression turned maddened instantly.


    ¡°So the ones who killed Mary were¡­¡±


    ¡°Were them.¡±, said Khal calmly and looked at the ring in his hand.


    ¡°Well, it was quite obvious, so I am not so surprised at all.¡±, thought Khal calmly and clenched his palm into a fist.


    Thinking back on all the things that happened with him in such a short amount of time, he looked at the bracelet on his wrist and looked terrifyingly calm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what this thing truly is, but one thing is for sure. I finally have the power to protect whatever I want!¡±, thought Khal and nced at Liza¡¯s angry face, which had extreme sadness below its surface.


    After a small while he averted his gaze and thought calmly, ¡°And I will do exactly that! With this power, I can finally protect anything that I hold dear to me! Even if I need to crawl to the world¡¯s edge without a limb, I won¡¯t let anyone take anything else away from me ever again! I promise!¡±


    With that solid thought in mind, Khal continued to walk forward, but suddenly Liza grabbed his hand from the side, making him to stop walking.


    ¡°Eh? Did something happen?¡±, asked Khal with a slight raise of his eyebrow as he looked at Liza.


    Liza ncing to the side started to murmur something quietly, but after a small while, she asked, ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m not sure how to ask this¡­ But how did you obtain a Cultivation Talent?¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, his whole body froze up instantly. He forgot the most important thing currently, which was the moment he needed to exin himself to Liza.


    Seeing that he was staying silent, Liza started to stare deeper into Khal¡¯s eyes, making him to start sweating instantly.


    ¡°I¡­ Umm¡­ To tell the truth, I don¡¯t know either. The only thing I could remember was that one time I had no Talent, then the next moment I had. I am still confused currently, so if you can give me a bit of time, I will be sure to tell you.¡±


    Hearing what Khal said, Liza squinted her eyes with suspicion, but after a small while, she could just sigh and step back a few meters.


    ¡°Well, never mind. The main point here is that you are no longer Cultivation Talentless. Like this, both of us can go and obtain our Cultivator¡¯s Badge and roll into Moon Academy!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    The moment Khal heard this he looked quite confused. Because of the small amount of time he spent in this world, the pieces of information he currently knew about things were extremely small.


    It could be said it was close to nill.


    Yet even like this he just nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go now and get our Badget.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Now?¡±, asked Liza with surprise and looked up at the sky.


    Seeing that it was still before sunset, she looked at Khal and said, ¡°Well, it seems we still have time, so I guess why not?¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡±, said Khal with a smile, but still let Liza to show the way toward the ce where he will be able to obtain that so-called Cultivator¡¯s Badget of his.


    ***


    Walking for close to 15 minutes in sheer silence, the two kids finally arrived before a huge building.


    The establishment was not far away from the Realm Pir, which was barely visible because of its blurry appearance.


    It was extremely huge, almost 100 meters in height, yet this size was extremely tiny in contrast to the Realm Pir in the distance.


    Khal noticed that the construction was visibly made out of a material that looked like white jade, yet its surface was giving off a feeling that it was made out of well-refined metal.


    After examining the outer part for a while, Khal noticed the huge symbol on the top of the building, which was exactly the same as that was on Carter¡¯s robe back in the hospital.


    ¡°The Cultivator¡¯s Organization. We don¡¯t really have time to waste, so let¡¯s go inside.¡±, said Liza and after grabbing Khal¡¯s hand she started to walk toward the entrance hurriedly.


    However, the moment Khal stepped inside the huge building everything before his eyes changed in one go.


    Colorful trees, bushes, and smallkes all around the ce could be seen, while above their heads, a beautiful clear night sky was flowing around gently.


    While Khal was mesmerized by this sight, suddenly a voice came from the side.


    ¡°Wee to the Cultivator¡¯s Organization! My name is Noelle and I will be your assistant. How can I be a help to the two of you?¡±


    The moment they walked in, a woman in a silverish-white robe walked before them and bowed slightly with a gentle smile on her face.


    Liza hearing this bowed too, and said instantly, ¡°We would like to take the test to obtain our Cultivator¡¯s Badge.¡±


    The moment the woman heard this she looked quite surprised. The reason why was because those who havee for a Badge were already here about a week ago, so toe for one right now was quite surprising.


    But still, her surprise vanished after a small while, and with the same gentle smile as before, she answered, ¡°Naturally. Please follow me.¡±


    Khal and Liza started to follow Noelle from behind in silence and soon enough, they have arrived before a small door.


    Turning around Noelle looked at the two calmly and started to talk.


    ¡°On the other side of this door, you will find yourselves in the Sky Hall. In there, the only thing you need to do is to follow the instructions, and you will be able to obtain your Cultivator¡¯s Badge in no time.¡±


    After Noelle finished talking, she nced at the two with a gentle smile and asked, ¡°So? Which one of you want to go in first?¡±

 Chapter 21: A Quick Test

    Chapter 21: A Quick Test


    ¡°So, which one of you want to go in first?¡±, asked Noelle calmly as she looked at the two with a patient smile.


    Khal looked at Liza on his side and said calmly, ¡°You go in first. I will wait for you here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±, said Liza with a nod, and without saying anything else she opened the door and walked inside.


    When the gate closed behind her back, Noelle nced at Khal and started to talk.


    ¡°If I may ask, what is the reason the two of you came after such a long time? Generally, peoplee to get their badge the next day of the Ceremony, so to tell the truth I was quite surprised to hear you wanted to take the test now. Naturally, if it¡¯s something personal and you don¡¯t want to tell me, I canpletely understand it and I apologize for my rudeness.¡±


    Khal looked at Noelle with a wry smile, and after thinking for a while he answered, ¡°Well, to tell the truth, we got into a veryplicated situation, so we didn¡¯t have the time to do so. I-.¡±


    The moment Khal said that suddenly Miss Mary¡¯s death appeared in his head, so he stopped in mid-sentence and thought, ¡°After finishing here, I need to visit her grave. It would be quite rude not to pray at least for her soul for what she did for me, even though it was just for a few days.¡±


    While Khal thought about his future n, Noelle thought he stopped because of her, so as a result she bowed instantly and said hurriedly, ¡°I deeply apologize for my misbehavior. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡±


    When Khal heard Noelle apologize like that, he looked surprised, but in the end, he just waved his arm around and said, ¡°No, not at all. I have just remembered something, that was why I stopped talking.¡±


    Just as Noelle wanted to say an apology once again, suddenly the door behind her back opened and Liza walked out slowly.


    In her hand, she was holding a small silvery card, with several shiny and tiny letters on it. It looked quite eye-catching even from such a distance.


    Seeing that Liza seeded with her test, Noelle straightened her back and with a wide smile, she said, ¡°Looks like everything went perfectly smooth. Then it seems it is now your turn, so please go inside.¡±


    Knowing that it was him who Noelle talked to, Khal nodded and without any hesitation, he opened the door and walked inside too.


    However, the moment he did and the door closed behind his back, what he could see was only pure darkness.


    And what was even more surprising that including vision, there was neither sound, sight, and smell. Even the feeling under his feet vanished which was quite confusing.


    It was like was inside a strange dream, where his body was floating in the middle of nothingness.


    But even though he felt somewhat ufortable, Khal waited patiently and started to rx his body.


    And just as he thought, after a few seconds of waiting, everything around him changed and a whole new sight appeared before his eyes.


    The ground, the ceiling, and the walls have vanished, while in their ce what Khal could see was only a vast and endless cosmos with thousands ofs, stars, and sr systems in the distance.


    ¡°Woah! I didn¡¯t expect to see something like this. It¡¯s gorgeous!¡±


    While he was mesmerized by the breathtaking sight around his body, suddenly a bright sphere appeared out of nowhere and started to hover before his body.


    ¡°Huh? What could this be?¡±, murmured Khal with curiosity and started to examine the mass of light, when suddenly a voice sounded around him.


    ¡°Please touch the Sky Orb with your palm and hold it.¡±


    Hearing the robotic yet somewhat human voice in his environment, Khal was a bit surprised but still acted as he was told.


    However just as he was about to put his hand above the mass of light, suddenly he nced at the bracelet on his wrist and frowned.


    Seeing the sky blue pebble in the middle of the iron bracelet, Khal realized something which never appeared in his head until this moment.


    ¡°What if I¡¯m still Cultivation Talentless, and I only have Talent because of this thing? Will I get busted if I don¡¯t use it?¡±


    Pulling his hand back, Khal started to think.


    Thinking back to the moment before he used his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he could remember that he was able to obtain that power just because of the stone that had been cing inside his bracelet.


    He could clearly recall the feeling when the power from the stone was pushed and fused into his body, making him able to obtain and use Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    However, after the incident, he didn¡¯t have the time at all to use his eyes again. As a result, he didn¡¯t know if he was still Cultivation Talentless and borrowed the power or truly obtained aplete Talent thanks to the bracelet and stone.


    This question was important because if it was the formal then on the Badge his Talent would show up as Talentless or something like Unknown, which could put him under huge suspicion quite easily.


    Especially if the time came when he needed to enroll into Moon Academy as Liza said. If they saw him use a Talent while he was recorded as Talentless, things could be dire for him quite easily for sure.


    Though, if it was thetter one, then there was no problem at all. Because the Talent he obtained becamepletely his by unknown means, that meant he was no longer Cultivation Talentless.


    Thinking about these things, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate and activated his power, but this time he made sure to observe the bracelet on his wrist.


    Instantly, his eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit in their middle, while his sight expanded and turned extremely clear, to the point where it made him almost dizzy.


    However, when this happened, Khal instantly could see and feel the changes that took ce inside and around his body. He could easily notice that the stone in his bracelet was slightly lit with dim blue color, while power was flowing inside his body from the stone right through the bracelet from time to time.


    ¡°This is not great at all.¡±, thought Khal with a somewhat nervous expression and looked at the floating mass of light before him.


    Knowing what he should do now that he found out the truth, Khal sighed and after a small while thought, ¡°Then I will touch that thing with my power still active and I will pray for the Gods above to make it work.¡±


    As he said that, Khal walked closer, and with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes still active he put his palm above the Sky Orb without hesitation.


    Instantly as he did that, Khal could feel a foreign power sweeping through his while body deep inside, while slowly, a silvery card started to form before his face in the air.


    While it was gently floating before him, Khal could clearly see that the light below it started to extend lights toward the card and form small letters on it one by one.


    While letters and sentences were shaped on it slowly, small drops of sweat started to appear on Khal¡¯s forehead, making him to pray for the best oue.


    After waiting for several minutes in silence, suddenly the light vanished from below Khal¡¯s palm and the voice sounded in his ear again.


    ¡°Test has been sessfullypleted and Cultivator¡¯s data has been saved. You may now leave.¡±

 Chapter 22: Personal Badge

    Chapter 22: Personal Badge


    ¡°Test has been sessfullypleted and Cultivator¡¯s data has been saved. You may leave now.¡±


    As the robotic voice said those words, the silvery badge before Khal¡¯s face started to move and with gentle motion, it started to float above his palm.


    ¡°That¡¯s it? Just like this?¡±, thought Khal with surprise as he looked around.


    After seeing that the proximity around him started to darken, he just shrugged simply and said, ¡°Well, it seems that now that I have got my Cultivator¡¯s Badge, I have nothing more to do here.¡±


    As a result, he turned around and started to walk toward the exit while looking at the card in his hand.


    Its look was exactly the same that Liza had. Silvery appearance with small and thin letters and sentences carved on its surface under each other.


    /Name: Khal Nevio/


    ? Age: 17


    ? Cultivation Talent: Sight Enhancement


    ? Cultivation Stage: Vessel


    ? Rank: F


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Khal read the pieces of information on the card, he felt silent instantly while his expression looked confused.


    Firstly, he didn¡¯t quite understand what that ¡®Rank: F¡¯ could even mean. Even after thinking for several minutes, he was still incapable to remember a thing about stuff like ranks.


    As a result, he just simply let it go and decided to ask Liza or Noelle about itter.


    On the other hand, he had a hunch what the Cultivation Stage could mean. He could clearly remember from the diary that in this world there were different Stages that could be reached through consuming Beast Essences. But as to what these Stage¡¯s names were, he didn¡¯t have a clue at all.


    ¡°I guess the First Stage is called Vessel then. But still, what bothers me the most is my Talent¡¯s title.¡±, said Khal with a frown and nced at the sentence which said ¡®Sight Enhancement¡¯.


    He clearly knew that the name was definitely not describing his Talent¡¯s full capacity because Sight Enhancement meant only that his sight would be greater.


    However, this was apletely false statement. If only his sight would have gone under great improvement, then he wouldn¡¯t have been able to observe everything in his surroundings as he did back then against the assassins.


    When Khal saw the title, he thought it was because he did the test while only activating his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, but not using it.


    Or at least that was the only exnation he could currently think about.


    If he would have used it, then there was the possibility that his Talent¡¯s title would have ended up entirely differently.


    But to tell the truth, Khal didn¡¯t care about it. At least he could finally calm down, knowing he could avoid being suspected by others for the time being.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Well, at least this is the only thing I can be happy about currently.¡±, said Khal, and after putting his badge away he walked out of Sky Hall.


    ¡°Ah, here you are. It seems you have also finished the test quite easily. So? How did it go?¡±, asked Noelle with a smile as she watched Khal walking out of Sky Hall.


    Khal looking at her just smiled and with a slight nod, he said, ¡°Yeah, everything went perfectly fine. However, I don¡¯t quite understand something. What does exactly ¡®Rank¡¯ mean on our badge? It is foreign to me.¡±


    When Noelle heard this she smiled and said, ¡°Ah, I was precisely exining this question to your friend too while you were inside. So please let me start it from the beginning to make sure both of you will understand it more clearly.¡±


    As she said this, she took out her badge from her pocket and after pointing at it, she started to talk.


    ¡°As you can see, on your Cultivator¡¯s Badge things like your name, age, Talent, Stage and Rank could be found. I think I don¡¯t need to exin what the first four mean, but on the other hand, I know the fifth one could be quite confusing.¡±


    After she said this, she pointed at her card where the word ¡®Rank¡¯ was written and continued, ¡°Our Cultivator¡¯s Organization decided to create a system where people couldplete quests and tasks that others couldn¡¯t finish because they are either weak in strength orck in manpower. However, there is one important rule which everyone needs to follow.¡±


    As she said this she pointed at her rank and said, ¡°As you can see, I am on Rank C, which means if I want toplete tasks alone, I can only do it if the task¡¯s rank is exactly Rank C or below it. Any quests above your rank are strictly prohibited frompleting.¡±


    As Khal heard this he nodded and thought, ¡°Just like in those video games from my past life, but this time it is for real. Cool!¡±


    While Khal thought about this, Liza on his side nodded and asked, ¡°And what happens if one has Rank C, but still wants toplete a higher task? Can weplete those tasks with someone who is on a B rank?¡±


    Noelle hearing the question nced at Liza with a gentle smile and said, ¡°Perfect question. In that case, the one who has a lower rank is permitted toplete the quest. However, if something happens, the Cultivator¡¯s Organization does not take any kind of responsibility. I hope you can remember this before choosing quests.¡±


    ¡°We will and also thank you very much for the detailed exnation.¡±, said Liza with a slight bow.


    ¡°Your wee. Also, I forgot to tell you that the more quests youplete the higher your rank can go and the more reward you can obtain. But even like this, I hope you will be smart enough to know when to stop.¡±


    Khal and Lize knew what Noelle meant by that. If they were right, there were already a lot of people who tried toplete a higher task with their low rank and naturally, they ended up dying.


    With a nod, the two bowed to Noelle once again and said, ¡°We will be careful, thank you for the warning.¡±


    ¡°Perfect then.¡±, said Noelle and without saying anything more, she escorted them out.


    Waving goodbye to Noelle, Khal and Liza walked away slowly.


    After they walked for a while, suddenly Liza nced at the card in Khal¡¯s hand and with a quick and smooth move, she took it away.


    ¡°H-hey! Give it back!¡±, said Khal instantly with a bit embarrassingly, fearing that Liza willugh at him seeing his rank or Talent.


    ¡°Oh,e on! I¡¯m quite curious about yours. Here. You can watch mine.¡±, said Liza with a smile and threw her card to Khal.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±, started to say Khal, but seeing that Liza was already looking at his card he could only sigh and he too looked at Liza¡¯s badge.


    However, the moment he did, his eyes widened with shock, not believing what he was seeing.


    /Name: Liza Skyfall/


    ? Age: 17


    ? Natural Born Talent: Jade Ice


    ? Cultivation Talent: me Control


    ? Cultivation Stage: Vessel


    ? Rank: S


    When Khal saw that Liza had two powerful Talents and had S-Rank, he didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    She was just simply in a whole different realmpared to him and that was not a question at all.


    ¡°I¡­ I am just way too inferior to her¡­¡±, thought Khal with gloom, as he feltpletely crushed by Liza¡¯s data on her Badge.

 Chapter 23: Visiting The Grave

    Chapter 23: Visiting The Grave


    While Khal was feeling kind of down, Liza looked at his Badge with curiosity.


    After reading for a small while, she suddenly turned surprised and asked, ¡°So your Talent is called Sight Enhancement, huh? Cool! And how does it work?¡±


    Liza¡¯s reactions surprised a bit Khal, so he nced at Liza with confusion and stayed silent.


    Liza seeing Khal was staring at her like that, furrowed her eyebrow slightly and asked, ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s nothing. I was just surprised that you didn¡¯tugh at me after seeing my Rank and Talent.¡±


    When she heard this, Liza frowned even deeper and without any hesitation, she hit Khal¡¯s head from behind.


    *p!*


    ¡°!¡±


    Surprised by the sudden smack from behind, Khal could only lean forward, and while gently massaging the back of his head, he looked at her with a slight re.


    ¡°Why did you need to hit me this time?¡±


    Looking at Khal with a somewhat angry expression, Liza asked instantly, ¡°Why would I evenugh at you? I¡¯m not the kind of person who wouldugh because of something like this. Just the fact alone that you thought I will make me angry!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing what she said, Khal looked stunned but a small whileter knew he shouldn¡¯t have said that.


    Currently, Liza was the only one for him and that was also true to her.


    ¡°It seems I just simply overreacted it.¡±, thought Khal calmly.


    In his past life, he was used to be the center of ridiculing and insulting, so he thought this would happen here now too. But it seems luckily he was wrong, and Liza was way more mature than that.


    With a sigh and a nod, Khal handed Liza¡¯s Badge back to her and scratched his neck slowly with a wry smile.


    ¡°You are right. I shouldn¡¯t have said that. I¡¯m sorry.¡±, said Khal, while he handed her Badge back to her.


    Liza seeing that Khal did mean his apology and didn¡¯t just say it smiled and said, ¡°Apology epted. But still¡­ An F-Rank? Really? Your power looked much stronger when you have fought. Something must have gone wrong during the test.¡±


    Khal hearing this nodded and while taking back his Badge from Liza he said, ¡°Right? I thought this too and even if my Talent not as powerful as yours, it should have been at least a Rank C if not B. But, whatever¡­ I ended up as an F-rank Cultivator, so I can¡¯t really change it now, can I?¡±


    Also, to tell the truth, Khal didn¡¯t really want a higher rank. If others found out that he was on a high Rank with a power that was almost a cheat-like support ability, more and more people would start to look for him in both good and bad ways.


    And he didn¡¯t really want that to happen.


    If that would happen, then it would be only a matter of time when his power gets busted, pitting him in a quite dire position.


    He didn¡¯t want to get busted, not until he bes strong enough. Not only to protect himself from dangers but also to have the power to find out the mystery behind everything that is currently happening with him.


    From the point of how he got transported into this strange world, to the case of what his bracelet¡¯s true origin was.


    Also, maybe he didn¡¯t think about it the moment he woke up in this ¡®other dimension¡¯ or world, but now that he has the time, he truly wants to understand what happened with the real Khal.


    Because he was not reincarnated in a way where he was born and started a full new life, Khal knew that something must have happened with the original owner of this body, but as to what, he didn¡¯t have any clue at all.


    ¡°And that is why I will be strong enough to find out everything.¡±, thought Khal calmly and nced at Liza.


    ¡°But before that, I have something to do first.¡±, thought Kha and asked Liza calmly, ¡°Can you please take me to Miss Mary¡¯s grave?¡±


    ***


    Somewhere in the outer part of Moon City, Khal and Liza were standing before a small grave, while on top of it, a bouquet of white flowers was ced with care.


    While Liza was looking at the grave with mixed emotions of sorrow and hatred in her eyes, Khal kneeled before the grave, and with closed eyes, he started to pray.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t know Miss Mary because of the small amount of time he had been given to know her, he was thankful for whatever she did to him and Liza.


    From the fact that she obtained the invitation letter to the Realm Pir, to the point where she worked hard to make sure they got food at the end of the day, Khal knew that she didn¡¯t earn this fate.


    ¡°She should have deserved much better.¡±, thought Khal as he lowered his hand and looked at the grave before him.


    After staying silent for a bit more, he stood up and in a quiet voice he said, ¡°Thank you for everything and I hope your soul is resting in peace.¡±


    ncing at Liza who was still looking extremely angry and sad, Khal sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We still have a lot of things to do.¡±


    Liza hearing Khal nodded and after looking at the grave for onest time she started to follow him from behind.


    ¡°Um¡­ I didn¡¯t want to ask this, but we don¡¯t have anywhere to go. Even if we enroll into Moon Academy, we need to pay fees if we want to stay in a dorm.¡±, said Liza calmly as she walked next to Khal.


    ¡°I know. That is why after we enroll in Moon Academy, I will find a job. But, until then, we will stay in the orphanage.¡±


    When Liza heard this, her expression turned that of a surprise, making Khal to look at her with confusion.


    ¡°What?¡±, asked Khal with a slightly raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just that you always hated to work, so hearing that you will find a job made me quite surprised.¡±


    When Khal heard this, he thought, ¡°Was the original Khal thatzy, that even his childhood friend saw him like that?¡±


    After thinking about this, he smiled wryly and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have a choice at all. If we want to survive and grow stronger, we first need money to start somewhere.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±, said Liza, but after a small, whileter she looked at Khal, and with a smile, she said, ¡°To tell the truth, you don¡¯t really need to find a job. What I said was a lie. After we enroll in Moon Academy, we will be given a ce to live freely.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Khal¡¯s expressionless face, Liza smiled and said, ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t look at me like that. I was just curious about your reaction. But honestly, I would have never thought you would respond like that. You have truly¡­ changed¡­¡±


    Khal hearing what Liza said suddenly felt a strange sensation sweeping through his body that was quite hard to describe, but it onlysted for a small amount of time. After the following second, he just sighed and said, ¡°I see. Then when will we be able to enroll into the Academy?¡±


    Liza looked up at the sky where the moon was already shining down at them with its beautiful white light and smiled.


    ¡°If I know it right, it should be tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±, replied Khal quietly, and without asking anything else, he started to watch the clear sky above his head too.


    After inhaling and exhaling a big amount of air, Khal nced back at Liza and started to talk.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to take our stuff before we leave.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±, said Liza with a nod, and without saying anything else she followed Khal back to the orphanage.

 Chapter 24: Remaining Statuses

    Chapter 24: Remaining ''Statuses''


    Walking back to the orphanage to get the small amount of stuff they had and needed, Khal walked into his room and looked around.


    ¡°As I can see, there is not so much thing that I can take away with me.¡±, said Khal quietly as he looked at the almost empty room before him.


    Except for the diary, a few books on the shelf, and the picture on the table, Khal couldn¡¯t see anything at all which should be important enough to take with him.


    ¡°Well, at least I don¡¯t really have to think about what should I bring with me.¡±


    As he said that, Khal grabbed the ragged bag in the corner of the room, and without any hesitation, he started to put ¡®his¡¯ stuff into it one by one.


    After putting the few books, clothes, the diary, and the family picture about the original Khal and Liza into the bag, Khal put the bag down before him and looked at the door behind him.


    Seeing that it was closed enough to let him be covered, Khal sat down slowly onto the bed and looked at the bracelet on his wrist.


    ¡°Now that I have a bit of time, let¡¯s see what the other ¡®Statuses¡¯ could show me.¡±


    Back in the hospital, Khal was able to learn that the ¡®Personal¡¯ Status notified him about his Talent, Hidden Talent, and Cultivation Grade, which was stated he had none of them.


    How great, right?


    Unfortunately, after he inspected that ¡®Status¡¯, he had no time to check the other three, so this was the perfect time to examine them until Liza was busy with her stuff in her own room.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see then¡­ Um¡­ Open ¡®Status¡¯?¡±, asked Khal with a frown, not sure if that would help the bracelet to activate for him.


    However, he didn¡¯t need to get nervous at all, because instantly as he said that, the bracelet on his wrist lit up.


    Just like back in the hospital, around his wrist, four different titles of ¡®Status¡¯ appeared, formed out of pure white light, and started to slowly float around the bracelet next to each other.


    ¡°It works!¡±, said Khal with brightened eyes, and after calming down he said, ¡°Open ¡®Essence¡¯ Status.¡±


    Instantly as he said that the lights before him moved and formed words before his eyes one by one.


    {¡®Essence¡¯ Status}


    ? Body Essence: 100


    ? Beast Essence: 0


    [Warning! Using all ¡®Body¡¯ Essence results in ¡®Exhaustion¡¯! High possibility of death!]


    When Khal read the pieces of information he was a bit confused.


    He knew what the Beast Essence could mean, but as to what the use of the Body Essence was he didn¡¯t have a clue at all.


    ¡°Wait¡­ If I can remember right, back when they tried to kill me, this thing told to me it can use a power called ¡®Maism¡¯, but for it to work, it needed the essence from my body.¡±


    As he thought about this, Khal opened the ¡®Obtainer¡¯ Status and looked at the information there.


    {¡®Obtainer¡¯ Status}


    ? Maism: Able to obtain ¡®Power Cores¡¯, which are out of the ¡®Obtainer¡¯s¡¯ radius in exchange for ¡®Body¡¯ Essence.


    ? Detector: An automatic function, able to detect ¡®Power Cores¡¯ in the close vicinity. (Can be used manually also and able to detect further ¡®Power Cores¡¯.)


    ? Power Core Holder: (Not yet obtained. Need 1000 ¡®Body¡¯ Essence to activate!¡±


    [Notify! Each ability¡¯s effectiveness can be strengthened in exchange for ¡®Body¡¯ Essence!]


    ¡°Just as I have thought.¡±, murmured Khal quietly as he looked at the words before him.


    ¡°So Body Essence can strengthen this bracelet¡¯s power, while Beast Essence possibly helps in my Talent¡¯s cultivation. But to be sure, let¡¯s check it.¡±


    With that, Khal opened hisst Status, the ¡®Power Core¡¯ Status, and started to read the pieces of information there.


    {¡®Power Core¡¯ Status}


    ? Active Power Core: Heaven¡¯s Eyes


    ? Active Power Core¡¯s Stage: Vessel


    ? Obtained Power Core(s): 1


    [Notify! Each obtained Power Core¡¯s Stage can be improved through Beast Essence!]


    Khal reading the information nodded and was about to say he was right, but suddenly his eyes went round because of surprise and looked at the sentences again.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What?¡±


    Reading the notification again before him, Khal instantly found something extremely shocking.


    [Notify! Each obtained Power Core¡¯s Stage can be improved through Beast Essence!]


    ¡°Each obtained Power Core¡¯s¡­ EACH??! What should this even mean?!¡±


    Even though he didn¡¯t quite understand a lot of things yet, Khal clearly understood that his power came from a Power Core.


    That small sky blue stone in the middle of his bracelet was the one thing that gave him the power which was called Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    However, as he could see, the small crystal-like stone was stiffly ced inside the bracelet¡¯s hole. Even Khal wasn¡¯t able to take it out, making him believe that it will be inside there for all eternity.


    But after seeing the word ¡®each¡¯ Khal realized that he waspletely wrong.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­ Then¡­ Then there is a way for me to obtain not one, not two, but more Talents?! Is that really possible?¡±


    If what Khal thought about was really true, then he felt like the bracelet was the goddam jackpot!


    It seemed, he was the owner of a priceless treasure!


    ¡°But wait¡­ I first need to find out if this is true or not. But how should I do it?¡±, mumbled Khal with a deep frown and started to think.


    ¡°First, I need a way to locate another Power Core, but how?¡±, thought Khal, but it was not so long when suddenly an idea popped up in his head.


    ¡°Use ¡®Detector¡¯!¡±


    [¡®Detector¡¯ activated!]


    [Searching for ¡®Power Cores¡¯ in close proximity¡­]


    Hearing the familiar robotic sound in his head, Khal looked satisfied, but only until the voice appeared again in his head.


    [Found 0 ¡®Power Core¡¯¡­]


    When Khal heard this, his satisfied smile vanished and what appeared on his face was a deep frown.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, what is a Power Core¡¯s true origin? It¡¯s obviously a stone, but where will I be able to find another one like this?¡±, thought Khal with confusion as he looked at the sky blue stone in the middle of his bracelet.


    However, just as he could have had the chance to think about it, suddenly a gentle knock sounded from the side, making him to flinch slightly.


    ¡°Khal? Are you okay?¡±, asked Liza quietly as she opened the door slowly.


    Getting surprised by Liza¡¯s sudden appearance, Khal jumped up instantly from the bed and after picking up his bag from the ground, he walked out hurriedly.


    ¡°Yeah. I have just finished packing my stuff, so let¡¯s go.¡±, said Khal and after ncing back for onest time at his room, he sighed slightly and closed the room¡¯s door.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Moon Academy!¡±

 Chapter 25: Academy Enrollment

    Chapter 25: Academy Enrollment


    After packaging their stuff and leaving the orphanage, Khal and Liza walked back to Moon City.


    Because it was already after midnight and they had not enough money to stay in a hotel, while also it was dangerous to stay in the orphanage after what happened, the two had no choice at all, but to stay on the streets and wait until Moon Academy opened its gates and started the enrollment.


    Luckily enough, when Khal packed his stuff back in the orphanage he was able to notice that the original Khal saved up a small amount of money. Buying a small amount of food from them shouldn¡¯t cause a problem at all.


    But because in this world the money was not a dor, euro, or any other form of currency, but simple silver, bronze, and golden coins, Khal didn¡¯t quite know how much he had currently.


    However just looking at the 5 silver coins he was holding in the middle of his palm, Khal could somewhat guess he didn¡¯t have so much.


    ¡°After enrolling into Moon Academy, I will have quite a few things to do. I must learn everything about this world as fast as possible.¡±, thought Khal calmly, and after putting the coins away, he decided to close his eyes to get some rest.


    Time went by rtively fast, and just before he could have realized it, the sun has already risen from the east.


    Feeling the gentle light on his face, Khal opened his eyes slowly and wanted to stretch his sore muscles, but before he could have done so, he felt a heavyweight on his shoulder.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Looking at his left shoulder, Khal realized that Liza was gently resting her head on him, making him to freeze up instantly.


    However, when Khal saw Liza¡¯s sleeping face and her napping position which was scarily familiar from his past life, Khal started to rx instantly.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Unfortunately, she is not her¡­¡±, thought Khal with bitterness, and with a gentle push, he started to wake up Liza.


    ¡°Hey, wake up, it¡¯s time. Let¡¯s get something to eat first then let¡¯s go to Moon Academy.¡±


    Listening to Khal¡¯s gentle voice, Liza woke up slowly and started to yawn. After stretching her arms with a pleasant humming sound, she looked at Khal and stood up.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving.¡±, said Liza and without any hesitation, she started to walk toward the main street where stalls started to open up one by one.


    Khal on the other hand was still sitting where he was, mesmerized by the sight he just witnessed a few seconds ago.


    ¡°Well¡­ That was a great sight, not gonna lie.¡±, thought Khal, as he thought back the sight he just saw but made sure not to show it.


    He was afraid that if he does, he would be killed by Liza.


    Instead, he just grabbed his bag from his side and after standing up he started to follow her from behind in silence.


    Because it was already in the middle of the morning, all the shops and stalls were open waiting for guests to go and buy stuff.


    Walking to the closest stall, Khal handed the 5 pieces of silver coins he had to the seller and bought snacks and drinks.


    ¡°Here.¡±, said Khal quietly as he handed Liza a bottle of water and a sandwich, which had only a small piece of meat in its middle.


    ¡°Thanks.¡±, answered Liza with a wide smile as she took over the food and drink from Khal and started to eat.


    After eating their humble breakfast, the two didn¡¯t waste any time at all and started to walk toward Moon City¡¯s heart, Moon Academy.


    While the Cultivator¡¯s Organization, the Realm Pir, and anything else including different shops, restaurants, and facilities could be found close to Moon City¡¯s walls, until then Moon Academy was in the very center.


    What was even more surprising that the Academy was on top of a small hill, and to top it off it was a beautiful one.


    The whole Academy was covered with emerald green grass with colorful trees and small artificial rivers on the sides, while on top of the hill, an extremely massive building could be seen.


    The Academy¡¯s modern and breathtaking sight left Khal totally speechless. It was nothing at allpared to the sight he saw the moment he entered Moon City.


    He couldn¡¯t even see a single resemnce between the ¡®outer¡¯ and interior part of Moon City. Even though he was in the same city, Khal felt like the sight was likeparing a small vige to a modern city.


    The two were far away from each other as heaven and earth!


    The more he approached the Moon City¡¯s center known as Moon Academy, the more the sight became more modern and fantasy-like.


    While he was mesmerized by this scenery, suddenly Khal realized that they have finally arrived before Moon Academy¡¯s gate, making hime back from his thoughts instantly.


    Right before the gate, an old man in a white ancient robe was standing calmly with his hand crossed before his chest, while looking at them with an expressionless face.


    ¡°It seems the early birds have finally arrived.¡±, said the old man calmly as he looked at Liza and Khal.


    ¡°My name is Jas and I will be the one who will decide if you are qualified to step through this gate or not.¡±


    As Jas said this, he looked at Liza and said calmly, ¡°It seems you have both Natural and Cultivation Talent. That is enough for me to let you through.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Si-.¡±


    ¡°Just call me Jas. I am not that old.¡±, said Jas calmly as he saw that Liza was about to call him Sir.


    ¡°I see. Then thank you Jas!¡±, said Liza and after a polite bow, she started to walk toward the gate.


    Khal seeing this started to follow her too, but just as he was about to cross the gate, he suddenly was stopped by Jas.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall to let you through young man.¡±


    Khal looking at the old man who waspletely bald bowed politely and said, ¡°I apologize for my behavior!¡±


    With that said, Khal stepped back and waited for Jas to talk.


    Jas seeing that Khal apologized and stepped back instantly nodded slightly and squinted his eyes.


    ¡°It seems your personality is right, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t feel that you would have any Cultivation Talent¡­ What is your name?¡±


    ¡°My name is Khal Nevio. I¡¯m here to enroll into Moon Academy!¡±, said Khal with never disappearing determination in his eyes.


    However, the moment Jas heard his name, his expression changed to that of disappointment, and said quietly, ¡°So it is you¡­¡±


    After thinking for a while, he closed his eyes and started to say, ¡°I see, then, unfortunately, I can¡¯t let you through. It seems you don¡¯t possess any Cult-.¡±


    ¡°That is wrong Sir.¡±, said Khal suddenly, cutting into the middle of Jas¡¯s sentence.


    ¡°Eh? What did you say?¡±, asked Jas instantly as he looked at Khal before him with a raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I said that statement is false. I do have a Cultivation Talent.¡±, said Khal without a single flinch while he looked straight into Jas¡¯s eyes.


    Thinking that Khal was trying to bluff, Jas looked surprised. However, he was extremely clear just what happened a week ago in the Realm Pir, and Jas knew exactly that Khal failed to obtain a Talent.


    As a result, Jas just simply smiled and said, ¡°I see.¡±


    Walking before the gate, Jas looked at Khal with ice-cold calmness and said, ¡°Then prove it. If you can pass me and enter Moon Academy¡¯s territory without getting touched by me, I will believe it. However, if you are unable to do so, you are out of here, without question. Understood?¡±


    Khal hearing this nodded and with a calm smile he said, ¡°Understood.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Thene!¡±, said Jas calmly as he lowered his hands next to his body, ready to stop Khal at any given moment.

 Chapter 26: Heavens Eyes Vs Jas

    Chapter 26: Heaven''s Eyes Vs Jas


    ¡°Perfect. Thene!¡±, said Jas calmly as he readied himself.


    When Liza heard what Khal needed to do to enroll, stayed still on the side and watched in silence.


    She wasn¡¯t feeling nervous at all, because she knew just what Khal was able to do. She knew he could do it and it was not a question. Especially with his Talent, passing through the gate without getting touched was kid¡¯s y.


    Or at least that was what she has thought, until the moment she nced at Jas. Instantly as she did, her expression turned sour and sink into deep thoughts.


    ¡°Will Khal be able to pass this test?¡±, murmured Liza quietly, now suddenly not so sure if Khal could pass by the old man without getting touched.


    While Liza was watching the two from the other side in silence, until then Khal was calmly examining Jas before him.


    He knew that the old man was no one weak at all, especially if he was entrusted with the task to let only those into Moon Academy who were appropriate for the Academy¡¯s requirements.


    ¡°Just what could his ability truly be. I can think about him having a Talent associated with speed or ability that lets him fight in close range, giving him the chance to touch me quite easily. Or there is even the possibility he has something that lets him see my movements clearly, just like my Heaven¡¯s Eyes. Or at least, there is no way he is so confident if he has not what it takes to touch me.¡±


    While Khal was thinking about what the old man¡¯s power could possibly be, Jas before him smiled slightly and asked, ¡°Trying to figure out my Talent to put you in an advantage? If so, then I need to let you down, because my Talent is not something which can be found out that easily.¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, suddenly closed his eyes and thought, ¡°He is right. There is no point thinking about the unknown. Also, who cares what his ability could possibly be? I have everything that I need to pass that old geezer.¡±


    As he thought about this, he smiled and said, ¡°You are right. It is useless to think about what I don¡¯t know. Instead, I will do what I know.¡±


    With those words, Khal opened his eyes, revealing a pair of new eyes to Jas instantly.


    His eyes became sky blue, while his ck pupils turned crimson red and formed a vertical slit in the middle.


    Right now, those eyes felt like they were able to pierce through everything, revealing anything that was kept secret or hidden.


    ¡°!¡±


    When Jas saw this sudden change, his expression turned instantly rmed and serious.


    Because Khal had no Talent originally and only had one because of the Power Core in his bracelet, anyone who looked at him when he wasn¡¯t using his power, felt like he was Talentless.


    However when he activated his power, the presence that every Talent holder had would break out from his body, giving him a cultivation presence also.


    And this is why Jas was so surprised right now. Just a few seconds ago, Jas could feel that Khal had no presence at all, telling him that he was just a Talentless individual.


    However, suddenly for some unknown reason, Khal¡¯s body exploded with Cultivation presence, showing him that Khal truly has Talent. And to top it off, Jas felt that Khal¡¯s Talent was a very powerful one.


    Squinting his eyes to get a better look, Jas thought for a while and said to himself, ¡°A Talent enhancing his sight? No¡­ This presence is definitely not from a Sight Improving Talent, so what could it truly be?¡±


    While Jas murmured to himself in confusion, trying to figure out the true nature of Khal¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Eyes, Khal started to run toward Jas with a speed that was neither fast nor slow.


    ¡°Too slow. With that he won¡¯t be able to pass him.¡±, thought Liza with a frown, not knowing what could Khal possibly aim for with such a slow speed.


    Jas thought the same thing too. With such a low speed forget about him, he was quite sure that even a newborn baby would be able to touch him.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity though. Like this, it will be quite easy to touch him.¡±


    However, just as Jas thought about this, an unexpected thing urred.


    Instead of running toward the gate where Jas was, Khal suddenly changed directions and started to run toward the side.


    Jas seeing this frowned slightly, not understanding what Khal could possibly try, but suddenly his expression turned to that of a shock.


    The direction where Khal was currently running was exactly where a tree was next to the Moon Academy¡¯s walls.


    ¡°Is he trying to¡­¡±, said Jas with shock, knowing that Khal was trying to get into Moon Academy by using the tree as adder.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±, said Jas with a slight smile, knowing that Khal instantly understood that he had no way to pass him with his average speed, so he decided to think for another way.


    Because Jas told Khal he will be able to enroll if he passes him and enters Moon Academy territory, it seems Khal instantly understood one thing.


    He didn¡¯t need to pass Jas or the gate directly. He could just simply look for another entrance somewhere else and set foot inside Moon Academy.


    And because there were no such rules that he needed to enter Moon Academy through that specific gate, if he seeds, he will be able to enroll no matter what.


    ¡°But still, this won¡¯t be enough to win.¡±, said Jas and not wasting any more time, he moved, and like a bullet he arrived behind Khal, ready to touch his back.


    ¡°Nice try, but I still won.¡±, said Jas with a slight smile, however, the next second the smile suddenly froze onto his face.


    Just as he was about to touch Khal who was running forward, unexpectedly he jumped to the side, barely avoiding Jas¡¯s palm.


    ¡°!¡±


    Jas seeing this was surprised, but his level of shock became even greater when he watched Khal spun around in a sh and set off toward the gate with a greater speed than before.


    Realizing he fell right into a kid¡¯s trap, Jas turned serious and said, ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it!¡±


    *Swish!*


    With a speed that looked like a sh, Jas appeared next to Khal again, but this time he didn¡¯t hesitate to touch him.


    His palm fell down from above toward Khal¡¯s shoulder like a lightning, however, even like this he missed.


    ¡°How?¡±


    Watching as Khal barely avoided his palm once again, Jas looked shocked, hardly believing something like this could truly happen.


    He knew that Khal had a Talent that helped him see things with a clearer view, but that didn¡¯t exin how he was able to avoid his palm.


    However, what Jas didn¡¯t know that Khal¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Eyes was no ordinary Sight Enhancing Talent.


    While Khal¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Eyes was able to show everything in a 5 meters radius around him as clear as day until then it boosted his reaction and thinking speed at the same time.


    That was why he was able to avoid those assassins¡¯ assaults back then in the past. If not, with his average reaction speed he would have been killed a hundred times already.


    And this is what was currently happening. While using his Talent to see Jas¡¯s movement around him, he could react just in time to avoid the attempts.


    ¡°This is way too easy.¡±, thought Khal calmly as he got used to the cycling process of running, avoiding, changing direction, and continuing to run.


    But for some reason, he felt that Jas was not giving his all, but he didn¡¯t really care about that right at the moment.


    Instead, he did everything he could to arrive before the gate as fast as possibly he could.


    ¡°Just a bit more!¡±, thought Khal calmly as he avoided another attempt from Jas.


    And just as he thought that the two has finally reached the gate, making Jas realize that he needed to do something to stop Khal if he didn¡¯t want to lose.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you!¡±, said Jas with a serious expression and instantly vanished from sight.


    Khal seeing this looked surprised because even with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes he was still unable to see where Jas had gone which was shocking.


    However, Khal knew if something like this happened, there should be only two exnations. One was that Jas was currently outside of his Heaven¡¯s Eyes range, while the second one was that his speed was way too fast for his eyes to keep up with him.


    Naturally, there were several other exnations, but Khal was unable to think about them currently.


    Thinking about these, Khal frowned and thought, ¡°Well, until he does not touches me, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    With that said, he quickened his pace and soon he arrived before the gate.


    Liza seeing that Khal was about to cross the gate, became happy, but unexpectedly, it onlysted for a single second.


    It was because the next second, suddenly Jas¡¯s figure emerged from out of thin air, right before Khal, with his palm only inches away from his face.


    Seeing this, Liza turned instantly rmed and without hesitation shouted loudly, ¡°Watch out!¡±

 Chapter 27: Stunning

    Chapter 27: Stunning


    Early in the morning, two boys in simr-looking uniforms were slowly walking up on the street, toward the direction where Moon Academy was.


    They were talking amongst each other spiritedly when suddenly the boy on the left stopped walking and pointed forward.


    ¡°Hey, what is he doing?¡±


    The other guy ncing where his friend pointed at, saw as a boy around the same age as them was running toward a tree on the side hurriedly.


    However, just before the guy could have answered his partner, an unexpected sight happened.


    Suddenly behind the boy, an old man appeared out of thin air and swung his hand in an attempt to touch the boy¡¯s back.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the¡­ Eh?¡±


    The dude wanted to finish his question when suddenly, the boy who was about to be touched from behind jumped to the side and started to run back toward the gate from where he just came from.


    ¡°Huh? How was he able to see him?¡±, asked the one on the left, but the next second his shock became a level deeper.


    The old man appeared next to the boy¡¯s side again, but this time instead of a gentle motion he moved to grab the boy¡¯s shoulder with a crazier speed than before.


    ¡°Such speed¡­ Why is he going strong against a newbie?¡±, asked the guy, thinking that the boy now was definitely done for.


    However, to his surprise, the boy avoided this attempt too and continued to run toward the gate.


    ¡°He must have a powerful Talent associated with Sensory Enhancement.¡±, said the guy on the side with a serious expression.


    The two watched as the old man who they knew way too well attempted to grab a kid with crazy speed but failed every time.


    ¡°If the aim here is to pass through that gate then that boy will definitely do it.¡±, said the boy on the right, but his eyes widened suddenly when he watched as the old man vanished into thin air in the next second.


    ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    While the two looked around in the hope to find the old man, the boy finally reached the entrance, putting him only a few steps away to cross the gate.


    ¡°He will make it.¡±, said the guy on the right, however, the guy on the left shook his head and said, ¡°No. Unfortunately, he won¡¯t.¡±


    And just as those words sounded, the old man appeared right before the boy, with his palm inches away from his face.


    ¡°There is no way for him to avoid that from such a close distance while moving forward.¡±, said the guy on the left, however, the next second his eyes became extra wide.


    It was because the moment Khal was about to get grabbed by Jas by the head, Khal tilted his head to the side and let the hand pass by him, right above his shoulder.


    However, Khal knew that wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to pass the gate without getting touched, so he moved his hands and grabbed Jas by the wrist.


    ¡°I have won!¡±, shouted Khal, and with a strong motion, he pulled Jas toward him.


    By using the momentum he created with the pull, Khal was about to step through the gate, when suddenly he noticed as Jas¡¯s body twisted in an unnatural manner and his other hand went toward his head like a whip.


    ¡°!¡±


    The two guys on the side seeing this looked extremely surprised. The move that Jas just did was something that even they wouldn¡¯t be able to do, knowing that they were several years younger!


    However, Khal seeing this wasn¡¯t surprised at all. With his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he was able to see everything, so he has already noticed the change in Jas¡¯s body even before he started to move.


    ¡°Nice try!¡±, said Khal, and without hesitation, he stomped powerfully into the ground.


    Stomping into the ground with his right feet, while kicking back with his left, Khal¡¯s body did a backflip forward, making Jas¡¯s face to turn to shock instantly.


    Barely avoiding Jas¡¯s hand which passed right below his head, Khal flew right through the gate andnded on the ground in a stylish manner.


    ¡°I passed!¡±, shouted Khal happily with both of his fists in the air. Even Lisa looked incredibly happy after seeing his performance and instantly punched her tiny fist into the air.


    Jas who just got beaten, massaged his wrist gently and nced at Khal in silence.


    Feeling the gaze on his skin, Khal instantly calmed down, and after deactivating his Talent he cupped his hands together and bowed slightly.


    ¡°I hope you will let me enroll into Moon Academy!¡±


    Jas seeing that Khal acted humble even after winning dusted his clothes off gently, and after putting his hands behind his back he smiled.


    ¡°Wee to Moon Academy kid. I expect great things from you. Now then, take this.¡±


    As he said that, Jas threw keys to both Lisa and him and said, ¡°These are Moon Academy¡¯s ¡®VIP¡¯ rooms. Both of you deserve to be there, however, it¡¯s not given to you for free. As for what you need to do to keep those keys, I will exin it in greater detail on tomorrow¡¯s announcement.¡±


    Hearing this, Khal and Liza looked at each other in confusion, but Jas just simply smiled and waved his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you will soon understand it, so go now. I still have things to do, so don¡¯t waste my time.¡±


    As Jas said that, he turned around and walked back toward the gate, leaving Lisa and Khal back there in silence.


    ***


    After sessfully passing Jas¡¯s test, Khal and Lisa decided not to go instantly toward their rooms but wanted to see how the Academy look liked from the inside.


    Walking on the streets, the two looked at the several shops, buildings, and facilities that were around the ce.


    Some shops sold food, weapons, and potions, while there were a few open buildings where Khal could see cksmithing or even pharmacy.


    And what was even more surprising, that every person walking on the streets had the same uniform on, with a white moon emblem on the left side of their chest part.


    ¡°I hope we will get those uniforms too.¡±, said Liza, mesmerized by the girl¡¯s uniform great style.


    While walking forward slowly, suddenly Khal halted and noticed a very small shop on the left side inside a narrow alleyway.


    The reason why he stopped was that at the other side of the window, masks with shiny pebbles ced into them grabbed his attention.


    Except for their color, they had the exact same appearance that he currently had embedded into his bracelet.


    Seeing those pebbles, Khal started to walk toward there, but the moment he saw what was around the masks, he raised his eyebrows instantly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those things¡­ Artifacts?¡±

 Chapter 28: The Origin of Power Cores

    Chapter 28: The Origin of ''Power Cores''


    ¡°Aren¡¯t those things¡­ Artifacts?¡±, thought Khal with a slight frown and started to walk toward the shop.


    Seeing that Khal was walking toward a shop in a small and narrow alleyway, Liza looked confused but still decided to follow him.


    ¡°What did you find?¡±, asked Liza curiously from Khal, but seeing his serious expression, she felt something was not quite right.


    ¡°Something just caught my eyes.¡±, answered Khal to Liza calmly, as he arrived before the shop¡¯s door and looked at the sign above his head.


    ¡®Ancient Artifacts¡¯


    ¡°Well, the name tells everything.¡±, thought Khal not so surprised, and put his hand on the door.


    *Creeaak!*


    With a noise that sounded like the door hasn¡¯t been opened for ages, Khal walked in slowly with Liza following him closely from behind.


    ¡°Woah! So much stuff! They look so ancient!¡±


    The moment Liza walked in and saw the hundreds of different-looking artifacts, her expression turned to that of awe instantly.


    However, on the other hand, Khal was not surprised. No, instead his expression was way beyond of shock and surprise.


    [Notify! 167 ¡®Power Cores¡¯ had been detected in proximity!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Khal heard the voice in his head, his face stiffened and thought, ¡°Just like I have thought. These ¡®Power Cores¡± are truly from Artifacts.¡±


    Instantly as he thought about this and the realization hit him, Khal¡¯s jaw dropped, and thought, ¡°Wait¡­ Then that means I am able to¡­ I can cultivate through Artifacts?!? Or to be more precise, through their core, but still, isn¡¯t this a bit¡­ Strange?¡±


    As he thought about this possibility, Khal instantly became speechless and looked around the several Artifacts around him.


    At every corner of the room, what Khal was able to see was different-looking masks, bracelets, earrings, or bizarre stuff with small and shiny crystals embedded into them.


    ¡°But wait. There must be more than 167 artifacts here, so this means not every Artifact has a ¡®Power Core¡¯. Interesting.¡±, thought Khal with interest as he looked at a mask before him.


    While he inspected it with a dazed and confused expression, suddenly from the back of the shop an old man walked out and looked at them with a gentle smile.


    ¡°Wee to Ancient Artifacts! How can I be a help to y-, oh? You have a truly precious core there young one.¡±


    Khal hearing the unfamiliar voice turned to look at him, but seeing as the old man was prying on his bracelet he raised his hand and asked, ¡°Precious? This?¡±


    The old man hearing Khal¡¯s expression smiled and nodded instantly.


    ¡°Yes my child. That pebble inside your bracelet is a very expensive Artifact Core. If I¡¯m right it should be from a Middle-Quality Artifact, and what is more, it¡¯s on the wless Tier. Where did you found it?¡±


    Khal hearing the words Middle-Quality and wless Fier instantly looked confused, but still looked at the pebble and said, ¡°Found identally on the ground, so decided to use it as jewelry.¡±


    ¡°Found identally on the ground, huh? I see¡­¡±


    As the old man said that, he started to think and a small whileter he said, ¡°If you want, I can give you 50 Artifact Cores from the Refined Tier for that one. What do you think about this great deal?¡±


    When Khal heard this looked surprised, but instantly shook his head.


    ¡°I am deeply sorry, but I don¡¯t n to give it away.¡±


    Naturally, Khal was not stupid, so he wouldn¡¯t sell his Power Core, no matter what. His Talent wasing from that pebble, and to top it off it was a powerful one.


    Also, even if he would sell it, he wouldn¡¯t sell it right away. The reason why not was because he still didn¡¯t understand what the Artifacts¡¯ Tier real value truly was, so he didn¡¯t want to sell it, fearing he would get scammed by the old man.


    He would not sell it even if they put a gun to his head and started to threaten him!


    ¡°I see, then that is unfortunate.¡±, said the old man, and after thinking for a while, he looked at Khal and said, ¡°Then if you change your mind, you can always find me here.¡±


    After he said that, the old man turned around and with slow steps, he walked back into the room from where he just came out a moment ago.


    Liza seeing this looked at Khal, and with a gentle tug, she asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Can we go now?¡±


    Khal knowing that he couldn¡¯t do anything more there nodded and turned around slowly.


    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    With that said, he walked to the door, and while letting Liza to leave the shop first, he nced at the Artifacts around for onest time.


    Seeing the massive amount of ¡®Power Cores¡¯ that held secret powers which only he could use, Khal sighed and thought, ¡°I will definitelye back for them.¡±


    As he thought about that he walked out of the shop and closed the door behind him gently.


    After finding out that his power came from the so-called ¡®useless¡¯ Artifact Cores, Khal spent the following hours of the day deep in thought.


    Even while he was eating in Moon Academy with Liza and walking around to check out the ce, he was so mesmerized by his own thoughts, that he didn¡¯t realize that the sun had already gone down.


    ¡°Ah, it seems it¡¯s time for us to find our rooms.¡±, said Liza and looked at the key in her hand.


    Seeing that except for the three letters of ¡®V.I.P¡¯ there were no other things on their keys that would help them find their rooms, Liza frowned and looked at Khal.


    ¡°What should we do? I didn¡¯t think about it before, but how will we able to find our rooms like this?¡±


    Hearing Liza¡¯s question, Khal came back to reality and looked at the key in his hand too.


    The key was made out of ck wood, with a very detailed and gorgeous design. The top of the key was formed as a tree¡¯s head, while the bottom was made as the trunk in the shape simr to that of an F.


    Turning it around, Khal suddenly noticed something and squinted his eyes.


    After a small while, he showed it to Liza and asked, ¡°What has been written here?¡±


    Liza seeing that Khal has found something leaned closer and after reading for a long time, trying to figure out the words, she frowned and said, ¡°It says, ¡®Turn it¡¯.¡±


    Looking confused by that meaning, Liza looked up at Khal and asked, ¡°Turn it? What should that even mean?¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t know the answer either, but still, he grabbed the key with both hands on both ends and tried to make it twist.


    However, to his great surprise, no matter how hard he tried to turn the key, it didn¡¯t budge at all. It didn¡¯t show even the slightest sign that it would break, making Khal to stop twisting the key, knowing he would only just waste his time if he continued.


    ¡°So this won¡¯t work, I see.¡±, said Khal and after thinking for a while he asked quietly, ¡°Then how about this?¡±


    Putting his hand out with the key in his grip, Khal imitated the move in the air like he put the key into a keyhole and turned it to the right.


    But to his great surprise, just as he did a loud noise sounded in the air.


    *Click!*


    ¡°!¡±


    Hearing the clicking sound that was simr to when a lock has been unlocked, Liza and Khal looked at each other with surprise, not believing that this true worked.


    Shortly, Khal turned his gaze back at the key in his hand, which was still put in the bare air and not into a keyhole, and a small whileter pushed his arm forward, in a manner just as he would open a door.


    Instantly as he did, the space before him suddenly split into two, and just like with any other doors, a new sight weed him.


    ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s¡­ amazing!¡±, thought Khal with widened eyes, as he looked at the breathtaking sight right before him.

 Chapter 29: V.I.P Rooms

    Chapter 29: V.I.P ''Rooms''


    The instant as the space split into two before Khal, apletely new scenery got revealed.


    Right at the other side of the ¡®door¡¯, what Khal was able to see was a whole, real-life ind that looked like it just came out of a dream.


    Beautiful clear blue sky with fluffy white clouds, emerald green grass field with small hills and trees all around the ce on the sides.


    Yet the most shocking sight wasn¡¯t this, but the sight at the opposite side of the small ind. There, arge mountain was going up right above the skies, from where a morous river fall descended right into the smallke below.


    The whole scenery before him was just simply so stunning that Khal was unable to say a single word.


    While he was mesmerized by the sight, suddenly got a glimpse of a small, luxurious-looking house on the side, making his eyes to widen even more.


    ¡°Just what is this ce? It¡¯s so beautiful! It looks like a resort!¡±, said Liza from the side and tried to step through the split space, but found out strangely that she was unable.


    It was like the moment she tried to step foot into the paradise-looking ind, her body suddenly got hit by an invisible barrier, making her unable to pass through the space.


    ¡°Huh? Why¡­ Why can¡¯t I go inside? I want to see it from closer!¡±, said Liza as she struggled to go through.


    Khal on the side seeing Liza¡¯s funny look as she tried to push herself through the invisible barrier chuckled slightly and said, ¡°Stop it. It seems only those can enter who have the key. You can¡¯t force yourself through it.¡±


    Liza hearing this stepped back and looked at the key in her hand and without hesitation, she put it before her just like Khal did and turned it to the right.


    *Click!*


    Just like what happened with Khal, space before her split into two and revealed another spectacr sight instantly.


    However, instead of Khal¡¯s stunning ind, what appeared before Liza was a massive mountainside with only a single cave opening on its bottom.


    The sight was quite¡­ miserable if one could say that.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Liza¡¯s frozen expression, Khal stepped closer to her to see what happened, but when he saw the scenery, he froze up too.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±, was the only thing Khal was able to say after a small while.


    Hearing Khal only say an ¡®Oh¡­¡¯, Liza raised her head slowly and looked at him with a darkened expression, without saying a single word.


    Seeing the eyes that were almost able to pierce holes right into his soul, Khal started to sweat profusely.


    Feeling the awkward atmosphere in the air, he decided not to hesitate any further and instantly after turning around, he started to walk toward his space.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet tom-, argh?¡±


    However, just before he could have done anything, Liza suddenly grabbed him by his cor and stopped him from moving.


    ¡°!¡±


    Feeling the ice cold touch of hers, Khal nced back at Liza slowly with a wry smile and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    ¡°Give me your key.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    ¡°How the hell did I end up here?¡±, asked Khal quietly as he looked at the massive mountain with the cave before him.


    A moment ago he was standing right before paradise itself, but now, he was looking at a mountain that had nothing else but a single opening on its bottom.


    Exactly from heaven, he fell right into hell, making him wonder if whether he should cry orugh at his luck.


    ¡°Well¡­ I can¡¯t do anything about it. It¡¯s hard to admit it, but she is stronger than me currently. She has two Cultivation Talent, so I would not stand a chance against her¡­ Yet.¡±


    As he said that he looked at the cave before him and after thinking for a small while he sighed and shrugged.


    ¡°Well, not like I can change back the keys now, so let¡¯s head in and check what is inside. It¡¯s a V.I.P key, so this can¡¯t be as bad as it looks from outside¡­ right?¡±


    With that optimistic attitude, he put the key away and started to walk forward.


    But the moment he entered the cave, Khal strangely found himself inplete darkness. Not even a slight light source could be found, making Khal believe that maybe this cave was truly as it looked from the outside.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that there is nothing here!¡±, said Khal kinda angrily and instantly activated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    As his eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit in their middle, Khal looked around, but strangely, except for a huge empty space, he didn¡¯t see anything.


    Not even a small stone or gap that could lead him into a secret passage.


    ¡°Is this some kind of joke right now?¡±, asked Khal quietly as he looked around with a deep frown.


    Compared to the one he got originally, this ce was definitely not V.I.P. It couldn¡¯t even be called as a room!


    Or at least that was what he thought when suddenly the familiar voice sounded in his head.


    [Notify! A dense amount of Essence Particles has been detected in the environment!]


    ¡°Essence Particles? What should that even mean?¡±, thought Khal with confusion, but obviously no answer arrived.


    Even after asking the voice in his head about it from time to time, he didn¡¯t get an answer, so as a result he just sighed and gave up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just put this matter to the side for the time being. First, I need to rest. I didn¡¯t have a proper sleep for days!¡±


    As he said that, he lied downfortably onto the cold ground and put his arms below his head.


    Looking at the darkness around him, Khal strangely felt calm than ever.


    He could clearly remember the time when he cried in his darkroom once just because he feared he would die.


    Naturally, he was beaten up by his parents because being too noisy, but that is another matter.


    However, this time, strangely he didn¡¯t feel anything at all. Not even the slightest fear or anxiety. He instead felt calmer than ever which was a bit strange for him.


    ¡°Should it be because I have already died once?¡±, asked Khal in the dark, waiting for an answer toe, but naturally no reply came.


    Instead, what he heard was only sheer silence and nothing more.


    Closing his eyes with a slight smile, Khal turned to his side, and just like that, he went into a deep slumber.


    ***


    Time ticked by slowly, and after unknown of how much time has passed, Khal slowly opened his eyes.


    ¡°What time is i-, eh?¡± asked Khal slowly, but the instant he noticed where he was, stopped in mid-sentence.


    The moment he sat up and looked around, what he was able to see around his proximity was nothing else butplete greyness.


    ¡°Where¡­ Am I?¡±, asked Khal with shock, as he stood up, but suddenly a scarily familiar voice sounded from his side.


    ¡°It seems I can finally see the one who trapped me here.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    The moment Khal turned his head to the side to see just who talked to him, his eyes widened with both shock and rm.


    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯s you! But how?¡±


    The one standing calmly before Khal was a boy who looked extremely like him, with the only difference that the boy looked extremely upset.


    Hearing this, the boy who looked exactly like Khal crossed his arms before his chest, and with a mocking grin, he nodded.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I am the real Khal and you have just stolen what has been rightfully mine! So stop f*cking around and give back my body right now!¡±

 Chapter 30: Need Help? Then Shut Up!

    Chapter 30: Need Help? Then Shut Up!


    The instant Khal heard what he was told, he just stood still in one ce like a total idiot.


    Looking at the person, who turns out to be the real Khal, he didn¡¯t know what to say or do at all. The current situation was just simply way too surprising to him.


    He waspletely speechless.


    The real Khal seeing that the one who just stole his body finally stood right before him like a dumbhead, frowned and started to walk forward with an angered expression.


    ¡°I said stop f*cking around and give my body b-.¡±, murmured the real Khal angrily as he raised his hand, obviously ready to punch.


    However, just before he could have done anything, suddenly a voice sounded in the surroundings, perplexing both Khals at the same time.


    [Notify! Hostility detected against the ¡®Owner¡¯! Beginning ¡®Restriction¡¯.]


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    ¡°!¡±


    As those words sounded in the background, both of them watched with great surprise as silver chains appeared out of nowhere around the real Khal¡¯s body and by pinning him to the ground, stopped him from moving even an inch.


    ¡°Wha¡­ What did you do to me? And what was that sound?¡±, shouted the real Khal as he struggled to escape from the chains¡¯ hold.


    However, no matter how hard he tried to move, the chains around him were like a part of both of his body and the ground.


    The only movement it let him to do fully was just upward and downward movements, like sitting down or standing up. But except for those small movements, the real Khal couldn¡¯t move toward any direction at all.


    He was truly restricted and he was unable to do anything against it.


    When Khal, who watched all of this happening from the side in silence, saw this looked surprised, but naturally didn¡¯t let the real Khal to see it.


    Instead, he walked closer to him and started to examine him from up close.


    Because he didn¡¯t have a mirror back in the orphanage and also didn¡¯t have the time to watch himself in the hospital, he wasn¡¯t able to see how he looked from the outside.


    But even like that, he still believed he had a good-looking appearance even though the body was originally not his.


    And just as he thought, he was right. He had smooth, ck-colored hair which was almost unnatural with the morous emerald green pair of eyes he had.


    His skin was almost as smooth as a girl¡¯s, but that he noticed since the very beginning, so it was not a big surprise for him at all. Rather, what made him surprised was the body shape he had.


    He had the typical slim yet strong body shape, which would make any girl fall for him, but only if he had the proper amount of muscle on. Unfortunately, however, he didn¡¯t have, because he, or to be more precise the real Khal was living in an orphanage for years.


    With only mashed potato and a slice of bread every day, no matter how hard you try to exercise, because of theck of nutrients and vitamins, the muscles in your body are incapable of growing after an extent.


    However, it was still a surprise for him how did this fragile-looking body from the outside look so good even after all that.


    As Khal thought about this, the real Khal started to frown deeply and said angrily, ¡°Stop looking at me you b*tch and unseal my body! Now or you will pay for it!¡±


    Straightening his back, Khal looked at the real Khal with an unfazed expression and started to think.


    ¡°It seems he doesn¡¯t know what is happening here either. Also, as I can see he is very cocky and arrogant, so asking questions from him should bepletely useless right now.¡±


    As he thought about this, Khal raised his head and started to look around.


    ¡°This ce is filled with greyness, no matter where I look. Just where am I and how did I get here in the first ce? Should there be a connection with the notification before I went to sleep?¡±


    While Khal tried to figure out the mystery behind all the current happenings, the real Khal turned even angrier and shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?! I am talking to you, you asshole! If I talk to you, you listen, understood?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Annoyed by the continuous shouting, Khal nced at the real Khal who was still struggling to get out of the chains¡¯ tight hold, and grabbed him by his jaw.


    ¡°Okay, listen here you pillock. Just like you, I don¡¯t know what happened with us either, so stop crying like an 8-year-old and shut up! I have bigger problems than to listen to your egoistical cries!¡±


    ¡°P¡­pillock? What the f*ck is that-, the hell?!¡±, shouted the real Khal as he was pushed powerfully to the ground.


    Standing up and looking down at the real Khal, he frowned slightly and said quietly, ¡°It seems you are not only bumptious but stupid too.¡±


    ¡°B-Bumptious?! Stupid?! Just you wait, once I get out of these chains I will¡­!¡±


    Seeing as the real Khal struggled, even more, to get out of the chains, but obviously, only in vain, Khal shook his head helplessly and sighed.


    ¡°Look. I want to help not only on me but on you too. But if you still continue to act like this, it will be useless.¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    When the real Khal heard this, he stopped moving around and looked at Khal with an ice-cold re.


    ¡°What could a fake like you do at all? You stole my body and now you try to say you want to help? What a joke!¡±


    Khal hearing this shook his head gently and said, ¡°I did not steal your body. Believe it or not, I am not even from this world.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    When the real Khal heard this, he turned stunned, but after a small while, he clenched his teeth and started to hiss.


    ¡°And you think I will believe that ridiculous tale of yours?¡±


    However, to his surprise, Khal shook his head and said, ¡°Not at all. If I were you, I wouldn¡¯t believe it either. But if you want me to help you, you need to believe me. Or, you can choose not to, but then you will stay here forever. It is your choice.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Looking deep into Khal¡¯s eyes, the real Khal tried to find out any clue that could tell him he was just told a lie or not.


    But even after several minutes in silence, it turned out he was unable to find any, meaning he was just told the truth.


    Because of this, after a small while,ter the real Khal sighed and said, ¡°I see¡­ Then let¡¯s say I will believe you. So? How do you intend to help me?¡±


    Khal seeing that the real Khal rxed a bit and didn¡¯t act all cocky as previously smiled and said, ¡°Well, for me to help you, I need to know you better, so first tell me everything about you and the things that lead all the way here. I will do the same too.¡±


    The real Khal hearing this frowned, but knowing that if he wanted to escape this ce he needed to work with this ¡®impostor¡¯, so he had no other choice at all but to talk.


    As a result, he sighed slightly and said, ¡°My name is Khal Nevio, but I guess you already know this, so please just call me Neo. My friends in the past always called me like this, so I¡¯m morefortable with that than my original name.¡±

 Chapter 31: Neo

    Chapter 31: Neo


    ¡°I see. Then from now on, I will call you Neo. as for me, I don¡¯t know how you should call me. I don¡¯t really want to use your name, neither my past one. That name holds way too many negative memories.¡±


    ¡°I see, then I will just simply call you on my original name, Khal.¡±, replied Neo and started to rx.


    Khal seeing that Neo has finally calmed down sighed with relief and sat down.


    It would have been insanely troublesome to take care of both him and the way to solve the problems that happened not only with him but with Neo too.


    Thinking for a while, Khal nced at Neo and asked, ¡°So, Neo¡­ Once again, I am not your enemy. I am just as blind about everything as you, so please tell me everything that happened until this moment.¡±


    Neo, listening to what Khal said stayed silent, and after a small, whileter he sighed and nodded.


    ¡°Fine. I will tell you everything, but you need to promise that you help me get out of this ce.¡±


    ¡°I will, I promise.¡±, said Khal with a serious nod as a reply.


    ¡°Okay then¡­ Where should I start.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, Neo looked at Khal and started to tell his story.


    Originally, he was a boy from a noble family who had everything that was needed to live in a bright future.


    However, because of an unexpected incident a few years ago, he lost his parents, his home, and his title as a noble.


    Just like that, he lost everything, but it turned out he wasn¡¯t the only one. No, instead he should have called him lucky that he lost just ¡®that¡¯ much.


    Every noble family in Moon City and several other cities close to it got killed or died in unusual idents too.


    A lot of people, including Neo, suspected that the incident happened because of the Ourvi Family, trying to get onto the top by annihting every other noble family in Moon City and its proximity.


    Since then that happened, Neo promised himself to get his revenge and destroy the Ourvi Family no matter what.


    However, he couldn¡¯t even find proper proof that could have helped him in his n, when the unpredictable urred yet again.


    Several months after the incident, Neo realized that his body started to get out of his control and with each passing day it got worse and worse.


    First, he lost the stability to move his limbs normally, then his memory started to became worse and in the end, he lost all of his senses.


    Thest memory he had before getting into this unknown ce was him losing all five of his senses below his favorite tree, including touch, voice, hearing, smell, and sight.


    He thought he was found out that he wanted to take revenge and got poisoned by someone from the Ourvi Family, but surprisingly he was wrong.


    The instant he believed that he has died, he found himself here, where everything was filled with only vast greyness and nothing more.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened with my body, but I know for sure that it is all because of you! If I am right, I have been in this ce for almost a month so far! Alone, without anyone to talk to! Do you have any clue just how maddening it was?¡±


    When Khal saw and heard just how angry Neo became again, looked surprised and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    Everything that Neo said was perfectly understandable, except the part where he lost his control over his body and ¡®died¡¯.


    That part was not only confusing but bizarre too.


    ¡°Should it be in connection with the Lost Hidden Talent sign I saw in my Status?¡±, thought Khal as he looked troubled and deep in thought.


    Seeing Khal confused and shocked, Neo frowned and asked, ¡°You truly don¡¯t know a single thing, do you?¡±


    Instead he shook his head gently and replied, ¡°Unfortunately, no. When I said, I have no clue about the things that happened with us, I was really telling the truth.¡±


    As he said that, he exined how he got into this world, including the part where he killed his parents because they killed his girlfriend and where hemitted suicide.


    As Khal said this, it was visible that Neo was shocked. He would have never thought that the one invading his body, was someone with such aplicated past.


    ¡°And just like that, I decided to end my life, so I jumped off a building. However¡­¡±


    Hearing that Khal stopped talking, Neo looked curious and asked, ¡°However?¡±


    Raising his head up to look at Neo, Khal thought for a while and raised his hand.


    Pointing at the bracelet on his wrist, he said, ¡°However, before I died, this thing lit up. Also, to make things even moreplicated, this exact bracelet was on me, back in my previous life.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    When Neo heard this, he looked stunned and didn¡¯t know how to react.


    After a small while, he looked at Khal and said, ¡°I got that bracelet after the incident. Not quite clear how or why, but I can clearly remember that I received it from an old man as a ¡®gift¡¯.¡±


    ¡°An old man? What?¡±


    When Khal heard this he looked confused.


    ¡°Yes, from an old man. I once showed it to a cksmith, trying to find out if it was expensive and the answer was shocking. I was told that it was priceless!! I was searched up several times by different people and families just to give them the bracelet for a great sum of money, but I refused. But now it seems I should have sold it when I had the chance.¡±


    ¡°What should that mean?¡±, asked Khal with a somewhat perplexed look.


    Neo looking at Khal snorted and pointed at the bracelet.


    ¡°Just think about it. Before you have died, that thing lit up. Also, since the moment I got it, my body¡¯s health started to worsen. If there is no connection between the two, then I am a virgin and a moron at the same time! This can¡¯t be a coincidence at all that is for sure!¡±


    As Khal thought about it for a while he nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, you are right. So we need to find that old man.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me? We? Hello! Currently, I am tied to the ground by these chains, while I have been sealed inside here too. The only one who can find that old man is you and not we.¡±, said Neo as he shook the chains around gently.


    When Khal heard this, he wanted to say something, when suddenly the familiar voice sounded in the background again.


    [Notify! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ has dropped below 20%!]


    [Avoiding ¡®Exhaustion¡¯, Owner now will be brought out from ¡®Soul Prison¡¯]


    Instantly as that was heard, Khal¡¯s body got enveloped by dim grey light and in a sh, he vanished into thin air.


    Neo, who was still tied to the ground by the chains looked speechless, and after a small while his expression turned stupified.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ***


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Back inside the cave, Khal slowly opened his eyes and sat up.


    Putting his palm on his face, he frowned slightly and murmured, ¡°What an extraordinary¡­ Dream¡­ Huh?¡±


    As Khal talked to himself, trying to figure out if the previous events were his dream or not, he suddenly noticed a figure at the cave¡¯s entrance.


    ¡°Haha! Sorry for my unexpected appearance. Did I wake you up?¡±, said Jas with a slight smile as he walked closer to Khal.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    Jumping up hurriedly, Khal bowed at Jas, knowing that now that he was inside Moon Academy, so he needed to show respect to him no matter what.


    Jas seeing Khal¡¯s behavior just smiled gently and waved his hand.


    ¡°Please, just call me Jas. Called by Sir feels awkward to me. I am not that old.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±, said Khal with a wry smile as he looked at Jas.


    Smiling, Jas waved his hand again and looked around.


    ¡°So? How do you like the ce? I think you have already found out just how unique it is to be here, right?¡±

 Chapter 32: Blade Mountain

    Chapter 32: de Mountain


    Hearing what Jas just said, Khal could only nod slightly and look around with a calm expression.


    ¡°Yes, as I have noticed, the Essence Particles¡¯ density here is much bigger than anywhere else.¡±, answered Khal, but naturally that was only a lie.


    He had no clue at all what Essence Particles were. He just said the amount here was more than normal because of what the voice said to him the moment he stepped into the cave.


    ¡°Oh?¡±


    However, Jas hearing his reply looked amazed instantly.


    ¡°So you have even found out that it was not only Essence but instead Essence Particles? You truly have sharp senses young one.¡±


    Listening to this Khal just grinned widely and stayed silent, but deep inside he was sweating like crazy and praying for the gods above.


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t have a single clue what was the difference between Essence and Essence Particles, so he made sure not to talk at all.


    Jas seeing that Khal remained silent just smiled too and waved his hand, signaling Khal that he won¡¯t ask any more questions.


    ¡°Well, never mind. From now on, de Mountain is your property, but only until you don¡¯t lose the right to own it.¡±


    ¡°So this ce is called de Mountain. I see.¡±, thought Khal with a nod, but the next second frowned.


    ¡°Only until I don¡¯t lose the right to own it? What should that mean?¡±


    However, Jas didn¡¯t answer him, but just simply ignored him.


    Instead, he turned around and ncing back above his shoulder, he waved his hand and said, ¡°Follow me. The Announcement will start soon.¡±


    With that, Jas began to walk out of the cave, making Khal to follow him from behind in silence in an instant.


    After leaving the ce through the space crack, Khal realized that a whole day has passed since the enrollment day, and it was already the day after it.


    The previous Moon Academy which had only a small number of students when Khal arrived, this time was filled with youngsters almost everywhere.


    However, the only difference that told Khal that they were new students was their appearance. While the students who were already inside Moon Academy for years wore a unique outfit until then the freshmen didn¡¯t.


    They just wore simple and normal clothes, just as he did currently.


    While he was walking behind Jas closely, Khal noticed that everyone was going in the same direction as they were and looked a bit surprised.


    ¡°Why did Jase personally to take me? Is this the kind of benefit that only V.I.P members get?¡±


    However, what Khal didn¡¯t know that it was not a benefit nor a coincidence. Jas came to find him on his own ord and not because he was special.


    He could call himself lucky instead that he came because if not, he would have beente from the announcement day, that was 100% sure.


    No, Jas simply came to find him because he was curious.


    After demonstrating his power, he wanted to find out more about Khal but found out that he instantly fell asleep the moment he arrived at de Mountain.


    He simply ignored the fact that in that ce refining and cultivating one¡¯s Talent and Essence was 2 or 3 times faster than with normal means.


    The moment Jas saw Khal sleeping in there soundlessly, he didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. Instead, he decided to examine Khal from closer, in the hope to figure out a few of his secrets during his sleep.


    The way he made his presence hidden from someone like him even though he was already on the Eighth Cultivation Stage made Jas quite curious.


    But just like thest time, the moment he looked at Khal¡¯s body from the side, he still wasn¡¯t able to guess how he did it.


    His presence was fully hidden.


    It was like he had no Talent at all and just like the rumors said, he was simply like an ordinary teenager with no presence. This fact made Jas quite stunned and surprised at the same time.


    Thinking back the moment as he used his strange Talent to avoid his attempts and cross the gate alongside with that great final action, a smile formed on Jas¡¯s face, unknown what he was currently thinking.


    After walking for quite a while in silence, Khal noticed as they have finally arrived before a huge building, making him to start to inspect it with curiosity.


    It was a luxurious-looking mansion, made out of beautiful white jade stone with different sized, colored, and shaped decorations on its surface.


    In its middle, a medium-sized gate could be seen, which had an enormous white moon carved deeply into its surface.


    Because the gates were closed, people couldn¡¯t get in so they all waited patiently for the announcement to start outside the building.


    Avoiding the people around him like a ghost, Jas walked through the crowd without letting his clothes to be touched even the slightest.


    Because he was unable to mimic Jas¡¯s foot technique and the way he avoided the crowd, h


    Khal stopped following him and looked around.


    However, instantly as he did, his eyes met with someone he didn¡¯t really want to see right at that moment. Or it could be said that he didn¡¯t want to see that individual for the rest of his life.


    And that someone was no one else, but Ourvi Alde.


    The one who destroyed Neo¡¯s life and killed Miss Mary. Thinking back on how Miss Mary died because of him, made Khal feel instant rage flow through his whole body, but made sure to restrain himself.


    He knew that making a ruckus right now inside Moon Academy would only sour his reputation, so he made sure to calm down and he did exactly that.


    Inhaling a deep amount of air and exhaling that, Khal¡¯s expression and body calmed down again and looked toward Alde¡¯s direction.


    ¡°For revenge, there is always time.¡±, what was Khal currently thinking as he looked at Alde with a sharp gaze.


    Feeling the re on the back of his neck, Alde turned around and looked at Khal.


    However, the moment he realized that it was Khal in Moon Academy made his expression to froze up instantly, and looked confused.


    But only for a second. The very next moment he suddenly started to smile like an evil and raised his thumb right before his neck.


    With a slow and steady motion, he pulled his finger before his neck from side to side and grinned wickedly at Khal.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal seeing this looked as calm as a Buddhist monk, but deep inside he was boiling likeva inside a volcano that was about to erupt.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he was inside Moon Academy, he would have already gone before Alde and smashed his ugly face with a powerful punch.


    But he knew he shouldn¡¯t do something like that right now, so he averted his gaze and watched as Jas walked up before the gate.


    ¡°Ah, finally! I was looking for you all day long! Where were you? I guess, you was sleeping all day.¡±


    Hearing the familiar voice, Khal smiled gently and looked to the side, and said, ¡°Hehe, yeah, I have slept all day, my bad.¡±


    ncing at Liza who was looking a bit angry, Khal chuckled slightly and wanted to say something, when suddenly Jas voice sounded from the side.


    ¡°Wee to Moon Academy, where knowledge means power and skill means survival!¡±

 Chapter 33: A Wanted Man

    Chapter 33: A Wanted Man


    ¡°Wee to Moon Academy, where knowledge means power and skill means survival!¡±


    Instantly as those words sounded in the air, everyone stopped talking and turned their heads toward Jas.


    The whole ce turned so silent, that even a pin¡¯s drop could be clearly heard.


    However, Jas seeing this just simply nodded with a satisfied smile and started to talk.


    ¡°I think all of you remember me from yesterday, but let me introduce myself for one more time. My name is Jas. I am currently an Eighth Stage Cultivator and this Academy¡¯s current principal at the same time. It is my pleasure to meet all of you here!¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    When Khal and the others heard this, their expression turned bewildered instantly, not believing what they just heard.


    The one right before them was the one who tested their powers yesterday and it turns out that he was the principal all along! This was crazy!


    In any other normal Academy, the teachers were the ones with the task to assess one¡¯s strength and decide to let them enroll in the Academy or not. It was never the principal, which just showed how strange the current events were.


    ¡°Yeah, now that I think about it¡­ Where are the teachers?¡±, asked Khal quietly and looked around.


    And it was not only him who thought this way, but almost everyone around. Everyone looked around to see where the teachers were, but no matter where they looked, they didn¡¯t see any.


    Jas seeing their confused expressions smiled slightly and started to talk calmly again.


    ¡°Moon Academy¡¯s system works a bit differently than other Academies in the world. Normally, after you enroll into an Academy, you would automatically get a teacher and a ss, but here it¡¯s not how things work.¡±


    Smiling, Jas stepped to the side and pointed at the mansion¡¯s huge gate on his side, and continue to talk in the same calm manner as before.


    ¡°This door behind me will be your final test.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Listening to this, everyone looked confused, but the next sentence from Jas made them to turn instantly dead silent.


    ¡°Right behind this door, there are all of Moon Academy¡¯s teachers. The only thing you need to do is to put your hands on its surface and wait. If it opens, the teacher behind it will be your educator until the day you graduate from Moon Academy.¡±


    ¡°One teacher can have several students, so you don¡¯t need to fear if you are thest one. The only thing you need to fear is the gate. If it does not open before you, you will be instantly kicked out from Moon Academy.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, you will never be allowed to step foot inside Moon Academy¡¯s territory ever again.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    When those sentences sounded from Jas¡¯s mouth, and everyone realized the weight of what he just said, everyone¡¯s expression stiffened in an instant.


    The weight of the ¡®never allowed¡¯ words meant if they failed to open the gates, then no matter how strong they became next year or after that, they can¡¯t enroll into Moon Academy ever again!


    Instantly as this realization appeared in everyone¡¯s mind, loud whispers arose among the crowd of Cultivators.


    *p! p!*


    Feeling the growing ruckus, Jas just pped loudly and when everything turned silent again, continued to talk.


    ¡°But before that, I want to tell all of you a very important piece of information that could and will be essential for your growth if you seed in this final test.¡±


    As he did this, Jas pped his hand yet again, but this time suddenly several dim and small lights materialized above the crowd.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Khal and Liza, who were listening to Jas¡¯s speech in silence so far, suddenly felt as the keys in their pockets lit up and before they could have reacted, they watched as the keys floated above their heads.


    Alongside them, amidst the crowd, three other keys appeared in the air too with gentle white light.


    A total of 5 keys, covered in dim white light.


    One was above a girl who had honey blonde hair, which was worn in twin tails. She had beautiful sky blue eyes and milk-white skin, while her height barely reached above 5 feet.


    The next key was right above a guy with a muscr build which leaked unshakable dominance. He was baldpletely, while his Cultivation Tatto was clearly visible on his muscr neck, where even his bulging veins were visible.


    Thest key though was above a strange guy. He was wearing ck clothes with a hoodie above his head, covering and hiding his face almost entirely from others.


    However, not these traits made the guy strange, but the way he stood. He was standing still as calmly as a Buddhist, while he had hardly any presence!


    If it weren¡¯t because of the key above his head, no one would have noticed him at all, which was quite a frightening characteristic for someone as young as him.


    As people noticed the keys above the five kids, everyone turned surprised while at the same time confused.


    ¡°Those 5 will have the privilege for the V.I.P rooms, meaning they have Moon Academy¡¯s most valuable resources in hand, which are the following.¡±


    Putting his hand out and pointing at the muscr guy in the close distance, Jas started to talk.


    ¡°Tempering Path. A ce where one can temper one¡¯s physical strength twofold as normally. Best ce for those who has physical associated Talent.¡±


    After he said that he pointed at the hoodied boy and said, ¡°Abyss Woond. A dense and dark forest where one can refine and learn how to be a great hunter. Best territory for assassins for sure.¡±


    Focusing on the blond-haired beauty, Jas continued to speak.


    ¡°Celestial Pond. Swimming in theke which can be found there makes one to gain a better understanding of one¡¯s Talent and potential. Perfect spot for healer or support type of Talents.¡±


    Instantly after he said this, Jas looked at Liza and continued, ¡°Fairy Ind. The ce where one bes rxed and one¡¯s concentration bes terrifying. For those who want to practice with any kind of skill or Talent with 120% concentration, this will be the perfect ce.¡±


    Lastly, Jas pointed at Khal and said, ¡°de Mountain. There, the Essence Particles¡¯ density is much greater than anywhere else, allowing one to cultivate their Talent twice or three times faster than normal.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    When others heard this, everyone turned to look at the five kids with jealousy, greed, and anger right in their eyes.


    Thetter one was especially true for Alde. His face looked so angry that thick veins could be seen popping out on his neck and forehead.


    He didn¡¯t believe that Khal, a no one without any Talent was able to obtain such a precious and valuable chance, while he couldn¡¯t.


    He felt like exploding!


    Jas seeing the different looks on the faces he smiled gently and said calmly, ¡°However, do not worry. All of you will have the chance to obtain the keys and rece the owner.¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Seeing that everyone turned to look at him with questioning looks, Jas started to exin.


    ¡°Every three days, the key holders must ept a challenge from someone. The winner obtains the right for the key. But, if they decline and do not fight even after 3 days, they will lose the right to keep the key. If that happens, the key will automatically appear at a random student inside Moon Academy.¡±


    Instantly as those words sounded, everyone turned toward the five, but this time instead ad anger or jealousy, their eyes were filled with determination and greater greed.


    Khal seeing the several gazes on his skin, he instantly felt like a single woman on a men-filled ind and became a bit ufortable.


    ¡°This¡­ Will be perfect¡­¡±

 Chapter 34: Choose A Teacher

    Chapter 34: Choose A Teacher


    While everyone looked at Khal, Liza, and the three others with sharp res, until then Jas pped his hands once again and looked at the five with the keys above their heads.


    ¡°Now then. Because the five of you are the current ones who possess the keys, you shall start the test first.¡±


    As Jas said that, he looked at the muscr guy and said calmly, ¡°Andre, please.¡±


    The muscr guy called Andre nodded slightly hearing his name and without wasting any more time, with steady steps he started to walk toward the gate.


    Khal watching him walk, made him feel like the whole world suddenly started to tremble around him. Just simply because of his dominant aura which was engulfing his body, made others think that they should bow their heads.


    This feeling alone made some scared and nervous, especially because Andre was just still on the First Stage of the ten Cultivation Stages.


    Under the hundreds pair of eyes, Andre stepped before the gate and without hesitation, put his palm on the entrance¡¯s surface.


    Because Jas told them to wait, others thought it will take a while for the gate to open, however, the moment Andre put his palm on the entrance¡¯s surface, it instantly opened and revealed a figure at the other side of the gate.


    It was a man with the same build as Andre, but with the only difference that he was way more muscr and had short ck hair, while his whole being leaked powerful presence.


    While everyone was taken back by the man¡¯s powerful appearance and presence, the man stepped before Andre and crossed his robust arms before his wide chest.


    Right now, the man looked like he could support the heavens just with his physical body alone, which made almost everyone around feel shocked.


    However, the man didn¡¯t care what others thought about him, he just simply looked at Andre with a sharp re, and started to inspect him from top to bottom.


    ¡°My name is Raffin Cote and I will be your teacher from now on. You either call Master or I will kill you!¡±, started to talk loudly Raffin in an unshakable manner, making everyone around to stiffen up under a second.


    But not Andre. Instead of feeling intimidated, he just cupped his hand before his chest and bowed slightly, in a respected manner.


    ¡°Understood Master!¡±, answered Andre instantly, making Raffin to snort somewhat unsatisfied.


    ¡°I will teach you well.¡±


    After he said that, Raffin turned to the side, and after examining the crowd on the side, he walked beside Jas.


    Andre followed his teacher to the side too and without saying anything else he stood still behind his teacher¡¯s back like an unmovable mountain.


    Looking at the almost identical-looking individual on his side, Jas could only smile.


    However, he knew that time was precious, so he didn¡¯t waste any more time and turned toward the crowd.


    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s your turn, E.¡±, said Jas as he looked at the blondie calmly.


    Nodding, the little girl walked before the gate too, and just like Andre, she touched the surface of it too.


    Just like what happened a few moments ago, the door opened instantly and slowly a woman walked out.


    However, when she did, it felt like time itself halted, while every eye in the world fell on the woman.


    She was as gorgeous as a rose, with silky smooth brown hair, a curvy and slender body, and a sexy outfit that showed her milk-white skin while hiding parts that were way too private.


    ¡°She¡­ She is beautiful! She is a Goddess!¡±


    ¡°Oh my God! An angel has descended!¡±


    ¡°I can now finally die happily!¡±


    People after another started to speak shameless, ridiculous, or stupidments, making Jas on the side to smile slightly yet again.


    Liza seeing the woman¡¯s appearance looked taken aback too and wanted to ask Khal something, but before she could have, she stopped.


    The reason was that the moment she nced at Khal to ask him, she saw his unfazed expression, which was quite strange.


    All the other guys and even a few girls around them drooled by the charm of the woman, yet Khal looked as he saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    It made Liza to look at Khal a bit strangely, but still stepped closer to him and asked quietly, ¡°Don¡¯t you think she looks quite beautiful?¡±


    When Khal heard this, he nced at Liza, and after thinking for a small while he just shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think she is that attractive. In my eyes, you look much more morous than her.¡±


    ¡°!¡±


    Hearing the unexpected reply from Khal, Liza¡¯s face turned beet red instantly. As a result, she stepped away from him without a second thought and averted her gaze shyly.


    However, it was right at the moment, that the woman before E suddenly looked toward their way, like she just heard what Khal said.


    ¡°Eh? Was she able to hear what I just said from such a distance?¡±


    While Khal thought about the possibility of being heard, the woman averted her gaze from him after a few seconds and looked at E again.


    ¡°My name is Scarlett. I will be your teacher from now on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±, said E with a bow and followed her instructor to the side, where Jas and Raffin were standing calmly.


    ¡°Noa, please.¡±, said Jas calmly as he looked at the hoodied guy.


    Hearing his name, the boy called Noa started to walk toward the entrance too, but this act of his freaked out a lot of people closest to him.


    Because he had a hardly detectable presence, anyone who saw him walking past by them got scared quite easily.


    It felt like he was a ghost, lurking from the shadows.


    Raffin and Scarlett seeing that Noa was walking dead silent, looked quite interested, but that was all. It was simply curiosity nothing else.


    They just simply inspected as Noa put his hand on the gate and watched as from the entrance opened yet again and a figure walked out.


    This time it was an average-looking man, with an average build. However, the only outstanding aspect of him was the pair of abyss ck daggers on both of his waists, which looked quite frightening.


    ¡°Robern. I will be your teacher.¡±, said the man with an expressionless face and walked to the side too without saying anything else.


    ¡°So cold¡­¡±, thought Khal as he watched Robern stood next to Scarlett and nced at Liza.


    ¡°It¡¯s your turn now. Go.¡±


    ncing at Khal with a still slightly blushing face, Liza nodded and walked toward the gate.


    As she walked, almost every person got mesmerized by her look, but it was not on the same level when Scarlett appeared.


    However, this couldn¡¯t be told about the three teachers on the side.


    The moment they saw Liza, all three of their faces stiffened and looked at her with great inspection.


    ¡°A Natural Born.¡±, said quietly Scarlett as she watched as Liza put her hand on the gate¡¯s surface.


    Instantly, the gate opened wide instantly, but when they saw who was revealed at the other side, everyone turned speechless.


    5 teachers, 2 women, and 3 men were standing before Liza calmly, all looking at her in silence and anticipation.


    When Liza saw this, she looked surprised, but before she could have asked what was happening, Jas¡¯s voice came from the side.


    ¡°It seems you can choose the expert you want as your teacher.¡±


    Instantly, everyone became dead silent, to the point where even a pin drop could be easily heard.


    Liza hearing this now understood what happened, so she started to look at the 5 teachers before her, one by one from left to right.


    The first one was a woman. She had long ck hair with honey brown eyes. She had a kind of strict look, yet her whole figure was leaking indescribable calmness.


    The second one was also a woman, but strangely, out of the 8 teachers currently standing outside, she looked the most extraordinary.


    Not only did she had a very petite figure, but what made everyone around look shocked was the extremely huge and wide sword on her back. Its size was twice as hers!


    After looking at her for a bit more, Liza averted her gaze and looked at the remaining 3 men.


    Out of the 3, 2 were looking exactly the same in appearance, giving Liza the feeling that they were twins.


    Thest man on the other hand made Liza kind of ufortable. The moment she looked at the man who was wearing a ck suit, she felt like the man was peering right into her very soul.


    It was a very strange and kind of creepy feeling, so she instantly averted her gaze and started to think.


    After thinking for a while, she nodded and walked before the woman on the very left.


    Stopping a meter away from her, Liza bowed gently and after cupping her hands before her chest she bowed.


    ¡°Please take good care of me, Master!¡±

 Chapter 35: Him?

    Chapter 35: Him?


    When Liza said those words, it seemed all the teachers around turned unhappy and disappointed, but still stepped a meter back without hesitation.


    The woman when saw that Liza chose her, smiled gently and nodded with satisfaction.


    ¡°My name is Jane Li.¡±, said Jane with a stringent face, and without saying anything else, she walked to the side too.


    ¡°Strict¡­¡±, thought Khal, but to his surprise, Liza didn¡¯t look surprised at all and followed her teacher from behind in silence.


    Now four teachers were standing on the left with each having their student, while the remaining four stood on the left without any.


    Jas seeing this nced at Khal and smiled, while saying, ¡°It¡¯s your turn kid.¡±


    Khal knowing that it was his turn nodded and moved. As he walked toward the still closed door, he felt as all the eyes fell on his body, but ignored them all.


    He didn¡¯t really feel any pressure at all even when all the teachers peeked at him like some kind of extraordinary animal.


    However, what he didn¡¯t know that the reason why everyone looked at him with such intensity wasn¡¯t that he was thest one with the key, but because of his presence.


    While everyone was able to tell that Liza had Natural Born Talent or how strong Andre, Noa, or E was, this time they looked incredibly shocked as they watched Khal.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I feel any presence or Talent in him? Is he Talentless?¡±, asked Raffin with a deep frown.


    ¡°That can¡¯t be. The principal wouldn¡¯t let a Talentless brat inside Moon Academy.¡±, answered Jane coldly and continued, ¡°He must have a way to hide his presence, but I don¡¯t know-how. Even if it¡¯s a secret art or skill, we must at least feel that he has Talent. But, no matter how I look at it, I don¡¯t feel any. Strange¡­¡±


    Scarlett, Robern, and the remaining 4 teachers looking at Khal thought the same and looked confused too.


    They were experts with great past, so they lived enough to meet with all kinds of strange and mysterious things. However, the current sight before all of them was the very first time.


    Jas seeing everyones¡¯ confusion looked satisfied, but seeing that Khal was about to put his palm on the door, he started to talk.


    ¡°Unfortunately, there are no more teachers behind that door. So from now on, anyone whoes up needs to wait for an instructor to choose him or her. If there is more than one teacher who wants a student, then it is up to the student to choose their mentor.¡±


    Hearing this Khal nodded and stepped a meter back, waiting for the teachers to choose him.


    ¡°Which one will it be?¡±, thought Khal calmly, waiting in silence to be chosen.


    However, even after seconds have passed in silence, Khal started to realize that none of the teachers present wanted him, making his body start to stiffen unconsciously.


    Even Liza behind Jane looked a bit anxious, knowing that if no one chose Khal, it meant he will be unable to enroll in Moon Academy in the future.


    However, the people behind Khal seeing this turned thrilled. Seeing that no expert wanted him, made the crowd to turn loud by murmurs and whispers.


    Everyone was excited that they will be able to see the very first one to fail the test. Especially because the one who was on the verge of failing was someone who had one of the powerful V.I.P keys.


    If Khal failed and needed to leave Moon Academy, then the key would automatically fell upon someone else. This meant great news to everyone present.


    Even Alde amongst crowed started to smile mockingly, hardly able to resist the urge tough out loud.


    Jas seeing this looked surprised and started to look disappointed by the fact that he needed to send Khal away, but before he could have said anything, suddenly the mansion¡¯s gate burst wide open.


    *BAM!*


    ¡°!¡±


    Hearing the loud sound, everyone turned their heads toward the gate, only to see a man calmly walking out of the mansion.


    While the crowd turned confused by this until then the teachers¡¯ faces looked incredibly shocked the moment they recognized the person who appeared unexpectedly.


    The only one who didn¡¯t look shocked or stunned was however Jas. He just simply smiled and sighed with relief, while talking calmly to himself.


    ¡°So he finally decided to choose a student. Just as unexpected as ever.¡±


    However, Scarlett who looked all the time unfazed until this very moment suddenly widened her eyes and asked a bit loudly, ¡°H-Him?! What?¡±


    Ignoring what happened around him, Khal rxed his body and started to examine the man before him.


    The man was wearing ck shorts and a blue shirt, which looked a bit tight on his body. On his feet, Khal saw flip flops with the same color as his shirt, while on his dark ck hair, a modern-looking ck sunss could be noticed.


    Looking at the man who looked like someone who just came from the beach, Khal and everyone else turned dead silent.


    ¡°Is he even a teacher? Also, what the hell is that appearance? It looks¡­ Strange.¡±


    ¡°Well, he has a great build even though he has a weird appearance, no?¡±


    ¡°Now that you say it, he is kind of handsome too¡­¡±


    As people talked among each other in a lowered voice, until then the man finally arrived before Khal and started to look at him in silence.


    Feeling the man¡¯s scanning gaze on him as he was inspected from top to bottom, Khal stood still and waited calmly.


    A few secondster, the man hummed slightly and after looking into Khal¡¯s eyes, he pointed at Scarlett on the side and asked calmly, ¡°What do you think about her?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Listening to this unexpected question, everyone turned confused instantly, while Scarlett¡¯s expression turned ice-cold.


    Khal felt that the question was quite odd too, so he frowned slightly and asked, ¡°Why is that important? Is my answer even relevant?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Very.¡±, nodded the man as he continued to look at Khal calmly.


    Listening to this, Khal¡¯s frown became a level deeper but still nced at Scarlett. Watching her attractive and seductive figure which could make any men go crazy, Khal started to think for a while and replied with a shrug.


    ¡°Except her strength, nothing special at all¡­ I guess?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Immediately, the whole ce became so silent that a guy¡¯s quiet sneeze became as loud as thunder, but because of the level of shock, everyone ignored it.


    Only after a small whileter did the crowde back to reality and started to be crazy.


    ¡°Did¡­ Did he say nothing special at all?! Did I hear that wrong?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I will go insane! I will kill him! How dare he!?¡±


    ¡°Nothing special? Your mother was nothing special!¡±


    Even Liza turned speechless by Khal¡¯s arrogant statement and wanted to chuckle, but the instant she noticed Scarlett¡¯s darkened expression, she decided not to.


    She feared that doing or moving right now could make this mysterious woman before her to explode like a volcano.


    On the other hand, the man before Khal started to smile like crazy and put his palm on Khal¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Haha! What boldness! Haha! Great, great! That¡¯s exactly what I need!¡±


    As the man said this he calmed down and put his hand out, and while waiting for Khal to shake his hand, he said, ¡°You are an interesting one kid! By the way, I¡¯m Logan. From now on, I will be your mentor!¡±


    Closing his eyes into a shape simr to a crescent moon, Logan grinned widely and said, ¡°I will make a great Cultivator out of you for sure!¡±

 Chapter 36: Show Me!

    Chapter 36: Show Me!


    Jas on the side watched as Logan walked next to the rest of the teachers, and smiled gently.


    ¡°After such a long time¡­ It seems he has finally chosen a disciple and out of everyone present, he decided to choose him. Haha! It must be fate!¡±, thought Jas as he thought back to Logan¡¯s past.


    However, not everyone was as happy as Jas. Some of the experts around looked at Logan with both fire and visiblepetitiveness in their eyes, while few looked at him with an annoyed expression.


    Even Scarlett who felt insulted a moment ago now looked extremely calm, while her eyes scanned Khal from top to bottom once again.


    ¡°Just what makes that boy so special to be chosen by him?¡±, thought Scarlett with a troubled mind.


    She didn¡¯t understand why Logan, a guy who always acted like he didn¡¯t care about a thing in the world, suddenly get interested in someone like Khal.


    Maybe the fact that Khal was able to hide his presence and make others believe he was Talentless made Logan intrigued, but Scarlett knew Logan.


    Perhaps, he lookedzy and unreliable on the outside, but he she knew he was a powerful expert who wouldn¡¯t choose without a solid reason.


    However, nothingsts forever, and this was also true for the surprise that Khal caused too.


    After Logan and Khal stood still next to Jane and Liza, Jas nodded and said, ¡°From this point onward, you cane forward one by one.¡±


    And just like that, the process to decide who gets under which teacher continued.


    Boys and girls after one another walked before the experts and waited in silence to be chosen at least by one if not more.


    Some were able to get a teacher¡¯s approval, but there were a few who couldn¡¯t. As a result, those who failed to get a teacher, all got sent out of Moon Academy, without giving them another chance.


    Time passed by slowly, and only half of the crowd remained.


    However, even like this as more than a hundred cultivators stepped forward, the asion where more than one expert wanted the same student never urred again after Liza.


    Or at least not until a boy, who Khal and Liza once stepped forward and waited in a respected manner to be chosen.


    ¡°Nate?¡±, thought Khal with surprise, instantly recognizing the boy who was standing before him in the middle of the tform.


    While Khal watched Nate¡¯s calm expression in the middle, except Logan who just yawned slightly, all the remaining 8 teachers raised their hands, visibly wanting Nate to choose them as his instructor.


    ¡°!¡±


    When others noticed this urrence, everyone looked at Nate again, but this time with the greater examination.


    Even Alde who was chosen by Robern in the very beginning looked at Nate with squinted eyes, trying to figure out what made him so special.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have Natural Born Talent as your friend, but his Talent seems extremely powerful with great potential. It¡¯s not a surprise at all that he is wanted by all of them.¡±


    Hearing what Logan said with an unfazed expression, Khal stepped closer and asked in a lowered voice, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Master want him?¡±


    However, as a reply, Logan just waved his hand gently and exined, ¡°Nah, he is still weakpared to you.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Not only Khal, but everyone else too froze up the moment they heard Logan¡¯s statement.


    Seeing Logan¡¯s unfazed, but serious expression, Scarlett nced at Khal yet again and thought, ¡°There must be something that I have missed. There is no way someone like him would say such things on a whim.¡±


    In the middle of the tform, however, Nate didn¡¯t look troubled at all. He ignored what Logan just said and looked at the teachers one by one.


    After thinking for a while, he walked before Jane, Liza¡¯s Master, and bowed slightly.


    ¡°Please take good care of me, Master!¡±


    The sight that Jane was chosen by another individual with a powerful Talent made every expert around feel jealousy or unhappiness.


    Except for Logan. He was standing calmly on the side, while opening his mouth extra wide for a big yawn, showing that he was bored to death.


    ¡°When will this end? I didn¡¯t sleep wellst night and I feel sleepy.¡±, mumbled Logan as he looked up toward the sky.


    The moment Scarlett and the others heard and saw this arrogant attitude of his from the side, they turned extremely annoyed under a second but decided not to say a single word.


    They knew just what kind of person Logan was, so seeing him act like this could be said as his normal attitude. It was not a surprise at all but still annoyed them.


    After Nate stood behind Jane where Liza and 3 other students were standing calmly, Jas signaled for the remaining people to continue walking forward one by one.


    Time went by again in silence, and after close to an hour, everyone found a teacher.


    Raffin and Jane choose a total of 11 students each, while Robern chose 18 and Scarlett selected 15 under her wings.


    As for the other experts, the number of students was way more than the first 4.


    The petite ¡®girl¡¯ with the huge sword chose for herself a total of 21 students, while the twins selected exactly the same amount, 26 each.


    As for the creepy guy in the ck suit, he chose just 16 disciples.


    However, even like this, among the experts the only one who had only one pupil was Logan. Since he has chosen Khal, he didn¡¯t look interested at all in anyone else, which surprised everyone presentlypletely.


    ¡°Perfect! It seems, everyone found their ce.¡±, pped Jas his hand gently and looked at each expert with their chosen students behind their backs.


    ¡°From this moment on, you have be a true part of Moon Academy! Remember, knowledge is power and skill is survival here! Only those who can broaden their knowledge and sharpen their skills can reach the top! After a month, I hope you will all grow stronger than you currently are and will show your true worth!¡±


    After he said that, Jas waved his hand gently and vanished into thin air, leaving behind the experts and their chosen students before the huge mansion.


    ¡°Finally!¡±, sighed Logan loudly, making everyone to look at him with a deep frown instantly.


    Seeing this, Logan ignored their piercing res and turned around to look at Khal.


    ¡°Follow me. We have things to do.¡±


    Instantly as he said that Logan made Khal to turn around and pushing him from behind, he led him away from the crowd.


    Liza who saw Khal being dragged away by Logan looked deep in thought, but before she could have done or say anything, Jane moved too.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    And just like it was a signal, every expert started to move toward different ways with their disciples following them closely behind their backs.


    ***


    Walking through Moon Academy, Khal watched as they passed several buildings and finally arrived before a smallke with a single tree on its shore.


    However, except for that single tree and the crystal clear smallke, Khal was unable to see anything else in close proximity.


    ¡°Well, it is kind of rxing to be here.¡±, thought Khal calmly as he looked around.


    While Khal thought about how rxing the ce felt like, Logan sat down below the single tree¡¯s shadow.


    Putting his arms behind his head in azy manner and taking up afortable lying position, he looked at Khal calmly and stayed silent for a small while.


    Only after a bitter did he open his mouth and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯m ready. Now show me.¡±


    But, when Khal heard that sentence, he instantly felt kind of strange but knew that what Logan meant under that sentence was his Talent.


    He wanted to see his Talent.


    So without hesitation, he started to activate his Talent, but before he could have activated it fully and make his Heaven¡¯s Eyes to appear, Logan frowned and talked.


    ¡°What are you doing? I didn¡¯t mean your Talent. I was talking about your body. Take your clothes off and show me your body!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡±

 Chapter 37: Heavy Stones

    Chapter 37: Heavy Stones


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence. Except for the water¡¯s flow that sounded because of the gentle wind, nothing else could be heard in theke¡¯s proximity, but sheer silence.


    Khal was unable toprehend why he needed to show his body to Logan.


    ¡°Maybe I just heard it wrong, right?¡±, thought Khal, but the next sentence of Logan¡¯s made him wrong.


    ¡°Come on. Don¡¯t be shy. It¡¯s just your body, not like I am asking for your life or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Just my body¡­ This guy has problems.¡±, thought Khal with an expressionless face.


    Feeling that Khal was still hesitant to take his clothes off, Logan sighed and waved his hand.


    ¡°Okay, okay. I see, so you are just being embarrassed that¡¯s all. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, he didn¡¯t know how to react. He didn¡¯t feel embarrassed or shy at all. He went through way worse than this in his past life, so to make him feel nervous about something like this was almost impossible.


    No, the reason why he was so hesitant was that he didn¡¯t quite understand why it was important to do something like that.


    Especially here, outside in broad daylight.


    He was currently inside an Academy where they should teach him the ways to cultivate and how to be stronger.


    And not how to take his clothes off¡­


    So to find the reason out, Khal simply nced at Logan calmly and asked, ¡°Why is it so important for me to take my clothes off?¡±


    ncing up at Khal, Logan stayed silent for quite a while, and only after a few secondster did he sigh and sit up.


    As he did that, he waved his hand, and immediately a piece of clothing appeared above his palm.


    It was a piece of white clothing with beautiful golden symbols presented on it all over. It was ced in a manner that the chest part could be seen on top, making Khal to see the left chest part, where an emblem was visible.


    It was the symbol he saw the moment he entered Moon Academy. The symbol of the Academy, a full moon, but instead of white color it was golden.


    Looking at it, Khal thought the uniform looked beautiful but suddenly realized a problem. The uniforms he saw back at the enrollment day yesterday were all ck in color, so seeing that this one was white, made Khal frown slightly.


    However, Logan knew exactly what Khal was thinking, but instead of answering, he just simply put the uniform down to his side and pointed toward theke.


    ¡°Look there. What can you see?¡±


    Hearing Logan¡¯s sudden question, Khal turned his head to the side, and replied almost instantly, ¡°Just a simple crystal clearke. Why?¡±


    ¡°That is right. A simpleke, which looks like as a polished diamond. Nothing special at all, right?¡±, nodded Logan and asked another question, ¡°And what can you see in its bottom?¡±


    Walking closer to get a better look, Khal squinted his eyes and said after a bitter, ¡°Stones. With the size of a fist.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡±, nodded Logan and said, ¡°Your task will be to bring all of those stones back up to the surface, and if you seed, this uniform will be yours.¡±


    As he said that, he patted the white piece of clothing on his side gently with a smile etched on his face.


    ¡°Just that?¡±, asked Khal with a slight raise of his eyebrow, not quite believing that was all he needed to do.


    However, Logan just simply put his arms behind his head once again and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Just that.¡±


    Without saying anything else, Logan started to nap, making Khal to look at his teacher with doubtful eyes.


    ¡°Well, he said me to do this, so let¡¯s do it.¡±, thought Khal and after taking his clothes off, leaving only his underwear on, he looked at theke.


    ¡°?¡±


    However, just as he was about to jump into the water, he felt a gaze on his skin, making him to turn his head to the side instantly.


    But, when he looked at Logan, who he thought looked at him only now, found out that he was sleeping just as soundlessly as before.


    ¡°Well¡­ Nevermind.¡±, murmured Khal and without a second thought jumped into theke.


    *Ssh!*


    And instantly as he did, Logan opened his eyes slightly, while a small smile emerged onto his face.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how long it will take for him. Taking his physical strength and the stones¡¯ special trait into ount, I guess it will take him at least 3 hours.¡±


    After he said that, he pondered for a bit, but in the end still shook his head gently.


    ¡°No, let¡¯s make that 6. He will need at least 4 hours to bring up all those stones to the surface.¡±


    As he said that, heughed gently and after closing his eyes again, he dozed off, but this time for real.


    While Logan was rxing under the tree without any care about the world, until then Khal was swimming deep down toward theke¡¯s bottom, where the stones could be found.


    Because theke itself was not big in size nor deep in-depth, Khal was able to reach the bottom quite easily and reach the very first stone.


    From the outside, Khal found the stone to look just like any normal stone would, so without thinking about anything suspicious he just grabbed it and started to swim back up.


    Or at least wanted to, but the moment he tried to raise the stone from the bottom, Khal realized he was unable to.


    ¡°What?¡±, thought Khal with surprise, but no matter how hard he tried to move the stone in his hand it would just only budge an inch and no more.


    ¡°!¡±


    While struggling a bit more, shortly Khal felt that he was starting to get out of oxygen, so after onest try, he let the stone go and swam back up.


    *Fuah!*


    Inhaling a huge amount of air, Khal stabilized his breathing first then looked back down at the stone on theke bed.


    ¡°Just what the hell is that stone? It definitely felt like it weighed over 200 pounds!¡±


    As he thought about this, Khal nced at Logan below the tree, but seeing that he was still sleeping without any care he turned his head back.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it again.¡±, thought Khal and after breathing in a huge amount of air, he dove back down again.


    Arriving before the stone, this time Khal decided to put both of his feet onto theke¡¯s bottom and just only after that decided to grab the stone.


    After sping firmly the fist-sized stone with both of his hands, Khal imitated a crouching motion and pulled the stone up with a sudden tug.


    This time however, immediately as he did, the stone unexpectedly moved, making him to raise it. But because the weight was still insanely tremendous, he was only able to raise it until his waist and no more than that.


    ¡°Like this, I won¡¯t be able to swim back up! The weight would only push me back down!¡±, thought Khal with a deep frown.


    Trying to jump up, but failing every time he did, Khal dropped the stone and swam back up to the surface.


    ¡°I need to figure out something.¡±, thought Khal calmly as he looked at the several amounts of stone pieces at the bottom of theke.

 Chapter 38: Unique Stone

    Chapter 38: Unique Stone


    Since the very first try when Khal attempted to bring the first stone up onto the surface, a bit more than an hour has passed.


    Yet even after an hour, he was still unable to bring a single one of them up from theke¡¯s bottom, which was quite irritating for Khal.


    He tried to use another object for his help too, like his clothing. Using it as a bag, he tried to put the stone into that, but that turned out just as a useless struggle as everything else.


    He even tried to climb up to the surface by theke¡¯s wall on the side while tying the clothing with the stones in it around his waist, but he failed with that attempt too.


    Not only were the walls on the side as smooth as ss or jade, but even if he were able to get a grip before he would have had the chance to reach the surface, he would have ended up dying because of theck of oxygen.


    Furthermore, the weight of the stones would make Khal¡¯s ascension even slower than normal, so it was just a worthless idea and try.


    ¡°What should I do then?¡±, thought Khal calmly on thekeside, thinking for options that could help him.


    Even after the several failed attempts, his eyes still showed clear determinations, while he didn¡¯t stop thinking for solutions even for a second.


    While Khal was deep in thoughts, Logan on the side opened his right eye gently and looked at Khal.


    Seeing that he wasn¡¯t giving up even after an hour of failed attempts, he just smiled gently and closed his eye back.


    ¡°It is time for him to figure it out.¡±


    Unknown to what Logan was thinking, Khal furrowed his eyebrows and thought, ¡°Let¡¯s think. He wouldn¡¯t give me such a task if he knew that bringing those stones to the surface would be impossible. There is definitely a solution, but it seems I just simply miss it.¡±


    Khal moved everything in his head to think of a solution, and it didn¡¯t take him long to get another idea.


    ¡°What if I try to use my Talent? Would that change anything?¡±


    After thinking about that, Khal just shook his head and thought, ¡°No, that would be useless. My Talent is only useful to detect others and see my proximity. It wouldn¡¯t help me in such a situation at all.¡±


    Tapping on the ground gently with his fingers, Khal thought for a while more and then sighed.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t seem I have other possibilities so let¡¯s give it a try. Maybe I can see something down there that I have missed until now.¡±


    Instantly as he said that Khal activated his Talent and under a second his eyes turned sky blue while a red vertical slit appeared in the middle.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±, thought Khal, and without hesitation jumped back into theke.


    Swimming down to the bottom, he inspected the stone with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes in great detail, hoping he will be able to find anything that would help him.


    But even like this, the stone looked just as ordinary as ever before.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I can¡¯t bring it back up with me!¡±, thought Khal with visible fire in his eyes and grabbed the stone firmly.


    ¡°Huh?!¡±


    However, the moment he touched the stone, he felt as something inside his body started to move and get sucked away.


    As that happened, the stone itself started to be lighter and lighter with each passing second, making Khal to raise the stone in his hand without any problem.


    ¡°What is happening here?¡±, thought Khal with surprise, as he watched the stone in his hand turn as light as a feather.


    Holding the stone in his hand with great ease, Khal looked a bit surprised, but not for too long.


    ¡°Well, it worked so finally let¡¯s get to work!¡±, thought Khal happily and without hesitation swam back up.


    After breaking the water¡¯s surface and throwing the stone out onto the grass, Khal drove back down, while Logan on the side started to smile.


    ¡°Finally. Now then, let¡¯s see how much he can bring up before reaching his limit.¡±


    As Logan waited patiently for the results until then Khal was emerging and vanishing in theke from time to time, while throwing out several fist-sized stones onto the ground one after another.


    So far, an hour has passed and since then Khal has brought up close to a hundred of stones onto the surface. But even after bringing up such a huge amount of stones, it was still visible that several more were still waiting for him down on theke bed below.


    However, Khal noticed something which made him quite confused. Every time he brought a stone back up and threw the stones away, he felt as his body became weaker, while the stones¡¯ weight became heavier at the same time.


    After bringing up several more, Khal noted that this feeling was true and it just became worse as time went by. This fact made him feel quite troubled but not to an extent to let it affect his work.


    However, it didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t thinking about the reason why this was happening to him.


    ¡°It should be in connection with the sensation I feel all the time I touch these stones. It¡¯s like they suck away some kind of energy from my body.¡±


    And just the moment he thought about this, suddenly a familiar voice sounded in his head, making him realize what that energy truly was.


    [Warning! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ has dropped below 20%!]


    [Notify! If ¡®Body Essence¡¯ reaches 0%, ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ will ur!]


    The instant he heard the voice, Khal realized that what the stone sucked away from his body was not his Talent¡¯s power, but instead the Essence inside his body.


    Also, when he heard the next sentence, Khal knew what ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ meant. If he wasn¡¯t careful enough and depleted his ¡®Body Essence¡¯, then he would fall asleep once again.


    And if that happened, it was unknown if he will be able to wake up or not.


    Just as it was stated in his ¡®Status¡¯ before, if he fails to avoid the ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ effect and falls into a deep slumber, there was a high possibility of death.


    ¡°So it seems, from now on I need to be extra careful how much I use my essence.¡±, thought Khal calmly as he brought another stone back up to the surface and ced it on the ground.


    Looking at the 100 plus stones in the grass, Khal stayed silent for a bit then started to calcte in his head.


    ¡°It seems, so far with 80% of my ¡®Body Essence¡¯ I was able to bring up 120 stones, meaning if I use all my remaining 20%, I would only be able to bring up 30 more.¡±


    After thinking for a while, Khal looked down at the remaining stones at the bottom of theke and shook his head.


    ¡°That won¡¯t do it. I must avoid ¡®Exhaustion¡¯, but I also need to bring all the remaining stones up if I want to seed.¡±


    ¡°Is there no way for me to bring up the remaining stones?¡±, thought Khal, but the next second he raised an eyebrow and looked at his hand.


    ¡°Wait. Is it possible for me to control my Essence? Can I control the amount of essence the stone should suck away from my body?¡±


    Instantly as he thought about this question, Khal nced at a piece of stone on the ground next to him and smiled.


    ¡°Well, there is only one way to find it out.¡±

 Chapter 39: Essence Control

    Chapter 39: Essence Control


    With the still activate Talent of his, Khal extended his hand and grabbed the stone on his side.


    However, just like in the previous times, the moment he sped the stone, a strange sensation swept through his whole body, while through the tip of his fingers, he felt as something was sucked out of his body slowly.


    Naturally, now at least he knew that something was his Essence from his body.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it.¡±, thought Khal, and after closing his eyes he concentrated on his body.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    However, the moment he did, an amazing, yet unexpected sight unfolded in his mind.


    Unknown if it was because of his Talent or the reason he wanted to look into his body to feel the Essence, but the moment he closed his eyes, what he saw was not darkness, but something else.


    He was able to see his body¡¯s interior structure as clear as day. Muscles, bones, and blood flow, he was able to see and detect everything inside his body.


    ¡°What is this? My Heaven¡¯s Eyes can do something like this too?¡±, thought Khal with awe, but before he could have thought about anything else, he noticed something else.


    Just like his blood flowing inside his veins, Khal was able to see different ¡®flow cycles¡¯, that was shining with a dim blue light throughout his whole body.


    It looked and flowed just as gently as a river, while it could be found everywhere inside him. From his toes all the way up to his head, the dim blue river-like substance created a huge andplex system in his body.


    And what was even more that Khal noticed as this substance was flowing in one direction, right toward his fingertips, with which he was holding the stone.


    ¡°So this must be the Essence. Now then, how can I control it?¡±, thought Khal and concentrated on his fingertips.


    At first, nothing happened when he concentrated on them, but after a small whileter, suddenly the amount of Essence grew in the channel, and twice the amount of it flowed out of his body.


    ¡°Not like this!¡±, thought Khal with a frown and stopped concentrating on them hurriedly.


    Instantly as he did, the flow slowed down and turned back to its original flow pace again, making Khal to rx slightly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try something else then.¡±


    Immediately, Khal concentrated again, but this time, he did on the Essence flow inside his body and not on his fingertips.


    And the moment he did, he felt like a strange connection, which was hard to describe, appeared between him and his Essence. The sensation made him feel that now if he tried, he would be able to control the Essence Flow as freely as he wanted.


    Trying out if he was truly able to control the Essence¡¯s Flow inside his fingertips, Khal concentrated on it and made it to shrink.


    And instantly as he did, the flow that streamed through his fingertips started to shrink bit by bit.


    Just like how he was able to tighten or rx his muscles, Khal was able to control the amount of Essence flowing out from his body.


    And after a small, whileter, the Essence that seeped out of his fingers became as thin as a hair, making Khal to turn happy instantly.


    ¡°This was not hard at all!¡±, thought Khal with a satisfactory smile.


    However, Logan on the side didn¡¯t smile at all but looked at Khal with great shock.


    What Khal didn¡¯t know, that controlling one¡¯s Essence was extremely hard. To make the Essence in one¡¯s body to move, one first needed toprehend where was the Essence itself flowing inside the body.


    Every people had a different Essence route, so finding one¡¯s was extremely hard.


    Normally, it would be impossible for one toprehend the Essence¡¯s Flow in the body, not until one had a powerful sight enhancing Talent above the Fifth Cultivation Stage.


    Naturally, Logan knew that Khal had a Talent that was associated with his sight, but he also knew that it was just on the First Cultivation Stage.


    He wouldn¡¯t have thought that it was that powerful.


    The fact alone that Khal was able to control his Essence after trying just only once, showed him that Khal used his Talent toprehend the route of his Essence Flow inside his body.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±, thought Logan as he looked at Khal with an intriguing smile.


    Standing up, Khal opened his eyes and looked at the stone in his hand.


    Previously, the stone was as light as a feather, but this time he was able to control its weight as freely as he wanted.


    If he wanted, he could make it as heavy as a boulder or as light as the air itself.


    ¡°Like this, I should be able to bring all the stones up without a problem.¡±, thought Khal and without hesitation jumped back into theke.


    *Ssh!*


    Swimming all the way down to the bottom, Khal grabbed the closest stone to him, and by controlling the Essence inside his body, he raised it up.


    Making the stone¡¯s weight to be not too heavy, but neither very light, Khal minimalized the amount of Essence escaping from his body, while he made it possible for him to swim back up to the surface.


    ¡°This will do it.¡±, thought Khal as he felt the stone¡¯s weight in his palm, but not so much that would prevent him from swimming back up.


    Instantly, he pushed his legs against theke bed, and with a few fast motions with his arms, he broke onto the surface.


    ¡°One.¡±, said Khal and dove back down into theke.


    After a secondter, he emerged once again, but this time, instead of one, he threw 3 stones ou onto the ground.


    Logan, who was lying below the tree¡¯s shadow until now, sat up slowly and looked at Khal¡¯s emerging and vanishing figure in theke in silence.


    Watching as he was bringing up one or several more pieces of stones one after another, Logan started to smile wider and wider, while unknown thoughts emerged in his head.


    However, after Khal had brought up the 63rd stone onto the surface, suddenly a familiar voice sounded in his head.


    [Warning! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ dropped below 10%!]


    Breaking the water¡¯s surface after hearing the voice, Khal looked back at the bottom and watched as there were still a few he needed to bring up.


    ¡°There are still 39 left under there. I can make it!¡±, thought Khal after calcting for a small while and swam back down.


    After he brought 32 more up, the voice sounded again in his head, but this time as it did, he felt as his body started to be incredibly heavy, making him know that it was on the verge of copsing.


    [Warning! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ dropped below 5%!]


    [Warning! If ¡®Body Essence¡¯ reaches 0%, ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ will ur!]


    [Warning! If ¡®Exhaustion¡¯ urs, there will be a high possibility for death!]


    ¡°7 more. I can do it!¡±, thought Khal with clenched teeth and dove back down, ignoring his exhausted body and the warnings in his head.


    As he brought back up one stone one after another, Logan smiled and thought, ¡°Interesting. Not only did he figure out how to control his Essence after only one try, but he has an abnormally huge amount of Essence in his body. Anyone else would have failed to bring up 100, to begin with, but it seems he will be able to bring all 222 Treasure Stones up.¡±


    And just as he thought, after a small whileter, Khal broke theke¡¯s surface, and after climbing out of the water, he put the remainingst 2 Treasure Stones onto the ground.


    ¡°I¡­ I have finally finished!¡±, said Khal with heavy breaths as he copsed onto the ground with an exhausted body.


    ¡°Who thought that using one¡¯s Essence could make one feel this tired.¡±, thought Khal calmly as he felt the pain and fatigue all over his body.

 Chapter 40: White Uniform

    Chapter 40: White Uniform


    ¡°Splendid job kid! You have grown way over my expectations!¡±, Logan pped his hands gently as he walked to Khal¡¯s side.


    ncing at all the 222 Treasure Stones around Khal, Logan smiled and held the white uniform out before his chest.


    ¡°Here. This is now rightfully yours.¡±


    As Khal saw that Logan was waiting for him to take away the uniform, Khal struggled to get up onto his feet and stood before his teacher.


    Seeing Logan¡¯s wide smile, Khal smiled too, and with a tired bow, he took away the uniform.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Master!¡±


    ¡°Haha!¡±,ughed Logan and as he waved his hands around gently, he said, ¡°You deserved it no question. Also, please don¡¯t call me Master when we are alone. You must show respect and I prohibit you from calling me on my name before others, but here, you can call me just simply Logan.¡±


    Listening to this, Khal nodded in silence.


    Logan seeing that Khal understood what he meant, nodded too and turned around.


    ¡°Now then, I must go. You can do whatever you want for the time being. I will find you when I need you.¡±


    ¡°Wait, what? You will leave just like this?¡±, asked Khal with widened eyes, as he watched Logan¡¯s departing figure.


    However, Logan just raised his hand and waved it around, while saying, ¡°You did a great job today, so just rest. Tomorrow I will find you personally and we will begin your Cultivation.¡±


    After he said that, Logan vanished into thin air, leaving Khal all alone next to theke in nothing more but a single wet underwear.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Looking at the uniform in his hand, Khal nced at the stones he brought up and thought, ¡°Should I throw these back before I leave?¡±


    But as he thought about this, he just shook his head and thought, ¡°No, not now. My body feels extremely heavy right now, so if I try to use even a portion of my remaining Essence, I will copse for sure. Let¡¯s rest instead for a bit.¡±


    As Khal thought about this, sat back down onto the soft ground and waited patiently for the water on his body to get dried up by the zing sun above his head.


    Minutes ticked by in silence, and after Khal waited for more than half an hour, he looked at his body.


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Examining his body and noticing that he was finallypletely dry, Khal stood up and grabbed his uniform.


    ncing at the snow-white color with its golden symbols that went down the shoulder and arm part, Khal looked amazed.


    Even the trouser had golden symbols on their sides, making them to perfectly go with the upper part of the uniform.


    However, what amazed Khal the most was the moment when he put the uniform on. The clothing was not only incrediblyfortable, but it made Khal feel that it gave him some kind of indescribable protection.


    Punching and kicking in the air, Khal felt that thebat in this clothing was also much better than in his old one, which made him quite happy.


    ¡°Great. Seems perfect.¡±, said Khal with a smile and looked at his old clothes on the ground.


    Picked them up in silence, Khal nced at the stones on the ground and thought, ¡°My body still feels sour, I guess I wille backter. As for the time being¡­¡±


    ncing toward the inner part of Moon Academy, Khal already had a n in his head for what he should do, but he had a single problem.


    ¡°Where is the library?¡±


    ***


    After spending almost a full hour just in the hope to find the library, which ended up all in vain, Khal stopped below a tree and sighed.


    ¡°Not only is there no signs to tell which building is the library, but no one is around to help me either. It¡¯s like everyone vanished into thin air.¡±, murmured Khal calmly as he looked at his empty proximity.


    He even tried to go inside one of the buildings just to ask where it was, but when he tried, he found out that all the doors were locked.


    ¡°Now what? The whole Academy suddenly turned into a ghost town.¡±, thought Khal as he looked deep in thought.


    However, before he could have thought about anyone, his eyes widened abruptly, but not because of shock, but because of joy.


    Suddenly from his right, he noticed as several students appeared at the corner of a building and started to walk toward his direction with an expert on the front.


    However, the moment Khal realized who the expert was, his happiness vanished instantly and turned indifferent.


    ¡°It¡¯s her¡­¡±, thought Khal calmly as he looked at Scarlett and her students walking before him.


    ¡°And just as I have thought. Only I have such a uniform¡­¡±, thought Khal, as he noticed that all the people behind Scarlett were wearing a simr-looking outfit as him, but with the only difference that their uniforms were ck and not white.


    ¡°Just why did I got a white-colored uniform? Is there a special reason?¡±


    While Khal was thinking about reasons why Logan would give him a white uniform instead of a ck one, Scarlett and her disciples arrived before him and looked at him in silence.


    ¡°Well, whatever. At least she must know where the library could be, so let¡¯s ask her.¡±


    With that thought, Khal cupped his hands before his chest and bowed politely.


    ¡°Respected Elder, I need your help. Where can I find the library?¡±


    Looking at Khal in silence, Scarlett started to frown instantly.


    It wasn¡¯t because of what Khal asked, but because of the uniform on him. Maybe Khal didn¡¯t know it, but she was clear about what the white uniform truly meant and the weight behind its meaning.


    ¡°Did he go insane? Just what did he think giving him this uniform?¡±


    Khal, who was still in a bowing position, noticing that he was not getting any reply at all, raised his head and looked at Scarlett with a questioning look.


    Scarlett felt as Khal started to look at her, so pointed toward the direction she just came from and said, ¡°Go straight then after the 3rd building turn left. If you go straight for a small while, you will be able to find it at the 4th building. It is only a 5 minutes walk.¡±


    When Khal heard the answer, his eyes brightened up instantly and bowed once again.


    ¡°Thank you very much, Respected Elder!¡±


    Immediately after he said his thanks, he turned around and with hurried steps, he started to walk toward the direction where the library was.


    Watching Khal¡¯s departing figure in silence, Scarlett thought for a small while, but in the end, she still just sighed and turned around.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Immediately, all the cultivators behind her turned around too and like soldiers following their leader, they started to follow her without saying a single word.


    Or to be more urate, all moved, except for the twin-tailed beauty. After Scarlett and the other students moved, she was still standing where she was and looked at Khal¡¯s back with a thoughtful expression.


    While she was in deep of her unknown thoughts, suddenly Scarlett¡¯s voice sounded from behind her, making her petite figure to flinch slightly.


    ¡°I said, let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°My apologies!¡±, answered E hurriedly, and after looking at Khal for onest time she turned around and ran toward Scarlett.


    While Scarlett and her students were walking toward the outer part of Moon Academy, until then, Khal was walking hurriedly on the path that Scarlett had just told him.


    And exactly as she told, it didn¡¯t take Khal long to arrived before the searched building.


    But just as he have thought, when he stood before the building he didn¡¯t see any sign that should indicate that he was in the right ce.


    ¡°So this should be the library. The building looks exactly the same as any of the other ones.¡±, thought Khal with a deep sigh as he put his hand on the door and pushed it slowly open.

 Chapter 41: Collecting Informations

    Chapter 41: Collecting Informations


    After pushing the entrance open, Khal walked into the building and looked around.


    But to his surprise, the moment he entered the library, the interior of the ce didn¡¯t look as he believed it would look.


    In his past life, a normal library looked like this: Several bookshelves in the middle in rows, while on the sides a few tables could be found here and there, where one had the chance to sit down and read.


    But this wasn¡¯t the case here. Instead of a sight like that, what Khal was able to see was a hall, which size was as big as several football fields ce next to each other!


    Not only was the whole ce huge in length and width, but it was enormous even in height!


    There were more than 10 floors, each having thousands if not millions of books on the huge shelves!


    Because the ce was a perfect square in shape, while the spiral-like staircase went all the way up to the top in the middle, Khal saw everything as clear as day.


    Also, maybe he didn¡¯t check the building¡¯s size from the outside when he entered, but he must swear on his life that it was not this big.


    The interior was soo huge that it was definitely a powerful expert¡¯s doing who put such a huge space into this average-sized building with his or her unique Talent.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡±, was the only thing Khal was able to say right now as he thought about that.


    In his past life, to avoid his parents, he spent almost half of his life in different ces, from which one was libraries.


    He didn¡¯t quite like reading, so almost all the time he just slept, but there were asions when he got bored so ended up reading books.


    Butpared to that sight from his memory to this¡­ It was likeparing heaven and earth itself!


    The contrast between the two was outrageously vast!


    However, what made Khal even surprised, that even though the ce was so big, filled with millions of books, he could only see a few people.


    ¡°Well, the least the quieter, no? Where should I start then?¡±, thought Khal calmly as he ignored the fact that he was almost alone in such a huge ce and looked around.


    Walking to the side to check the books, he was able to see that luckily each book was going in alphabetical order, so finding what he wanted shouldn¡¯t pose a problem.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s think. What do I want to know in the very beginning?¡±, thought Khal and started to ponder.


    ¡°Well, first, it¡¯s should be the best to learn the basics knowledge of this world, right?¡±


    Naturally, Khal understood a bit about the world he has been transmigrated into, but that knowledge could be said as useless.


    Except for the fact he knew that in this world one cultivated through unique energy called as Beast Essence, he didn¡¯t know a single thing.


    He didn¡¯t even know about the Cultivation Stages that he heard so far from both Jas and Noelle from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization, even though they must be basic knowledge.


    Just imagining the sight as someone asked him something so ¡®basic¡¯ and he would still just stand in one ce like a retard¡­


    The sight would be extremely humiliating.


    It was like someone asked you how much 1 plus 1 was and you just looked into thin air without knowing the answer.


    Well not like Khal would care about something like that it in the first ce, but it was still better to be cautious. He did not really want others to think that he was kind of suspicious.


    Unwanted attention brought unwanted problems and troubles.


    ¡°This, and this, and this. Yeah, let¡¯s get this too.¡±


    While strolling next to the bookshelf on the side slowly, Khal took off several books that he thought could be of any use to him.


    Especially those ones that had the word ¡®World¡¯ or ¡®Cultivation¡¯ in their titles.


    But because he was still on the very first floor, all the books in his hand had a kind of simr titles.


    For example, a book that was almost as thick as his waist, had the title of ¡®Articles About The World¡±, while another book had the title of, ¡°Ancient Cultivation Articles¡±.


    Maybe the books he has chosen will not give him any information at all, but he wouldn¡¯t know it until he opened them and started to read.


    That¡¯s why after taking down several more books from the shelf from here and there, Khal turned around and looked around.


    ¡°That will be a perfect spot.¡±, thought Khal happily as he noticed a small table in the corner in the close distance.


    Without hesitating any further, he moved forward and after arriving next to the table, he ced all the book in his hands down gently.


    Pulling the chair out, Khal sat down and grabbed the first book.


    ¡®Anecdote Of Realms¡¯


    ¡°The title is a bit strange, but whatever.¡±, thought Khal and opened the book on the very first page.


    He chose this book specifically because he remembered Neo mentioning something about Realms once in the old diary.


    However, he only said that there were several Realms and those who reach the Final Stage in cultivation will be able to enter the Second Realm.


    Though, he didn¡¯t mention what Realms truly were or why they existed in the first ce, so that¡¯s why he choose this book.


    ¡°Maybe I will be able to learn a few things.¡±, thought Khal and started to read.


    As he started to read the book in silence, in the beginning, he looked expressionless, but the more he deepened himself in the book to understand what it tried to say, the deeper his frown became.


    Reaching almost the end of the book after reading for close to 3 hours straight, Khal started to massage his temple.


    ¡°It¡¯s just the first book, but I already feel like my brain is about to explode.¡±


    ncing at the sentences on the book¡¯s page, Khal sighed and leaned back into his chair.


    ¡°This world is way moreplex than I have first thought.¡±


    What he just read showed Khal that the world really was vast and mysterious and he was truly just one of the many out there.


    The book he just read stated a lot of interesting things that made Khal quite curious.


    It turned out that the Realms he read about in the diary in truth were like dimensions. There were several Realms, and each Realm was in its own dimension where various life forms existed.


    For example, in the First Real which was called the Realm of Haven, humans cultivated through Beast Essence to reach the top Cultivation Stage and after that, they would break into the Second Realm.


    However, as Khal was able to understand, the real cultivation andpeting for resources only started from the Second Realm, the Realm of Cultivation.


    Once one entered the Second Realm, one will be teleported onto a random, where not only creatures or monsters could be found as in the First Realm, but several other races too.


    The book unfortunately only said other races, so Khal had no clue at all what or how they could have looked like.


    As a result, he just thought about them like aliens or foreign beings, while letting their appearance depend on his imagination.


    Also, what more he was able to learn, that in the Second Realm, one not only fought against other races for resources and Essence, but for their own life too.


    It was said, that in the Realm of Cultivation only the fittest could survive.


    If you entered that Realm with a weak Talent or unstable fundamentals, then what waited for you was nothing more but certain death.


    ¡°Also, it is said that each Realm has its own Cultivation Stages and characteristics, and once one reaches the final Stage and fulfill the Realm¡¯s requirements, one should be able to break into the next Realm.¡±


    So far, humans were only able to enter the Third Realm, known as the Realm of Misery.


    However, it was also stated in the book that because the Third Realm was way far dangerous even for the strongest expert, no one really dared to enter it.


    Even those who were bold enough to enter ended up dying only after a few days and because of that, not a lot of information remained for humanity.


    But one thing was confirmed. After the Third Realm, there was another Realm for sure. As for what dangers that Realm held or if there were any other Realms after it, that was a total mystery.


    But because no one survived so far to find it out, humanity could do nothing, but to wait patiently for someone who was powerful enough to do so.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±, thought Khal with a slight grin, and without a second thought, he extended his arm for the next book on his side.

 Chapter 42: Beast Soul and Essence

    Chapter 42: Beast Soul and Essence


    Since the first book, Khal has finished reading, hours had passed and he ended up looking over tons of books.


    Right at the moment, close to 30 books were lying all around him here and there, showing just how absorbed he was in the books he had read.


    Even those few students who have entered the library just to get a piece of information looked at him with confused eyes, looking at him like some kind of fool.


    The reason was that in this world reading was not popr at all. It could be said those who read were idiots and a waste of time.


    Books only existed to give others knowledge about secret Arts or skills that people didn¡¯t know about and real knowledge came from life or death battles.


    Those kinds of books that Khal had read, were the typical books that no oneid their hands on for ages. They were there only to collect dust because their context held either boring or extremely basic knowledge.


    That is why everyone who saw Khal reading such basic and boring books looked not only confused but even their mockery and disgust could be seen in their eyes.


    In Cultivators¡¯ eyes, those who did not know even basic knowledge like those books provided and needed their help to learn at such an age were nothing more but trash.


    ¡°Just what could he hope to find in those kinds of books? Don¡¯t tell me he just simply wasting his time learning basic knowledge, instead of cultivating?¡±


    ¡°I do not have a guess at all, but if you ask me, it seems he is truly learning. What a trash.¡±


    People nced at Khal from time to time, trying to find out his intention. But because none of them had an idea what he was trying to do, all of them ended up snorting with disdain and left the library.


    Naturally, Khal knew what others thought about him, but he didn¡¯t really care about them at all.


    He knew that the knowledge he was currentlyprehending in this world was basic, but if he wanted to know everything he needed to do this.


    Other people¡¯s negative thoughts about him would not change a thing at all. He cared about himself and just only himself while ignoring everyone and everything else that was meaningless.


    Caring about useless things like what others thought about him would not lead him anywhere, but broadening his knowledge about this world would.


    After a few more hours of reading without resting, Khal finally leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes.


    So far, he learned so many things that he felt mentally extremely exhausted.


    Just imagine yourself sitting in school in one ce for hours and concentrating on a math ss with everything you had.


    That would drain your brain dry for sure, if not driving you crazy.


    As Khal was sitting in the chair for several minutes without moving, he started to reorganize his thoughts.


    So far, he has learned almost everything he wanted to know about this world. Especially about the First Realm, the Realm of Haven.


    He discovered that the First Realm for humanity, in reality, was like a kindergarten if he could say that.


    Just like how kids learn the basics of math andnguage arts in kindergarten, here, humans learn the basics of cultivation too.


    From the way how to use Beast Essence to strengthen one¡¯s Talent, until the point how can one use different kinds of powers, skills, and tricks that were noting from one¡¯s Talent, humans learn everything important that will be essential in the Second Realm.


    For example, Khal has learned that killing creatures out in the wild, had a low probability of chance to drop Beast Souls which could and will be very useful in the Realm of Cultivation.


    And after knowing what these Beast Souls use was, Khal¡¯s curiosity became a level greater.


    Maybe after hearing the name Beast Soul made one think that it was the creature¡¯s soul, but that statement was very wrong.


    Beast Souls were not souls, but fractions of the creature¡¯s body that held Beast¡¯s power that has been in.


    If one was lucky enough to kill a creature and obtain its Beast Soul, one earns the chance to consume the Beast Soul, acquiring a unique ability.


    However, a lot of people think that obtaining a Beast Soul means receiving a power that was like a second Talent, but that deration was false.


    While Talents could be stronger through Beast Essence, until then Beast Souls couldn¡¯t. They remained on the same Stage when the creature was before it has been killed.


    But even after learning about this, for Khal, the most useful information was about the Cultivation Stages.


    He discovered that for one to reach the next Cultivation Stage, one needed a specific amount of Beast Essence, which differed on each Cultivation Stage.


    Currently he, or to be more precise his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, were on the First Cultivation Stage, called as the Vessel Stage.


    For him to reach the Second Cultivation Stage with his Talent, he needed exactly 50 Beast Essence. Just only after surpassing that amount will he be able to break into the Second Cultivation Stage.


    However, things, unfortunately, didn¡¯t mean he needed to simply kill 50 creatures and consume their Essence, because that was not enough at all.


    The books stated that creatures were categorized into Stages just as well as human cultivators.


    Depending on the Stage the creature was in, the number of Essence humans could consume from them differed too.


    For example, a First Stage Beast after killing could give an amount of Beast Essence between 1 and 10, while a Second Stage Beast provided between 1 and 15.


    And what was even worse, that the amount a Cultivator obtained was random too.


    If one was lucky enough, after killing a Second Stage Beast, one could get 15 Beast Essence in one go, but if not, they ended up only with 1.


    To put it simply, the amount of Beast Essence was able to get all depended on one¡¯s luck.


    Also, if one surpassed a Stage, one¡¯s Cultivation Tattoo would grow too, showing which Stage that individual was currently in.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, do I even have any Cultivation Tattoo?¡±, thought Khal and opened his eyes.


    He could clearly remember, that one could only get a Cultivation Tattoo when one sessfully obtained a Talent in the Altar.


    But because he was unable to receive any, it meant he was unable to get any Cultivation Tattoo either.


    ncing at his wrist and shoulder, then with the help of his Talent checking his neck to see if he had any at all, Khal sighed and shook his head.


    ¡°Just as I thought. I have none.¡±


    Not so surprisingly, Khal had no Cultivation Tattoo on his body at all, which made him wonder.


    ¡°Will there be any consequences that I have no Cultivation Tattoo?¡±, thought Khal a bit worriedly, but in the end still shrugged.


    ¡°Well, not like it matters now, right. So let¡¯s just put this matter to the side for the time being, shall we?¡±


    As he thought about this, suddenly he started to yawn, making him ponder just what time could it be now.


    Turning his head to the side, Khal nced at the huge old-looking clock in the distance on the wall and his eyes snapped wide open.


    ¡°It¡¯s already thiste?! Just how long has it been I have started reading?¡±


    Watching as the time was way past 11, almost close to midnight, Khal looked around and stayed silent.


    ¡°I was so mesmerized in my own world that I didn¡¯t notice at all that I have been the only one who remained here.¡±


    After thinking for a bit, Khal sighed and thought, ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it a day then.¡±


    With that, Khal stood up and after stretching his sore body parts for a good while, he started to pick up the books from ground and table one by one.


    After cing them back from where he took them down, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate and took his key out.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy. I definitely need some sleep.¡±, mumbled Khal quietly with a big yawn and with a gentle motion opened the space before him to his ¡®room¡¯ and vanished into the opened gap.

 Chapter 43: Choose a Weapon

    Please read Author¡¯s notes at the end of Chap!


    Thank you!:)


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Entering his room through the opened space, Khal walked into the cave and sat down in the middle.


    [Notify! A dense amount of Essence Particles has been detected in the environment!]


    Instantly as he heard the familiar voice and sentence in his head once again, Khal stopped himself from lying down and raised his eyebrow.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, Jas told that in this ce, cultivating one¡¯s Talent was twice or thrice as fast as normally. Then sleeping here wouldn¡¯t be a waste of resource and time?¡±


    As he thought about it, Khal nodded and said, ¡°It really would be.¡±


    Quickly, Khal sat up into a lotus-like position, and after closing his eyes, he activated his Talent.


    As he did, gentle blue light lit up in his bracelet, while his eyes and sight underwent great changes almost instantly.


    Even though he has closed his eyes tightly shut, he was able to see his surroundings as clear as day.


    And what was even greater, that Khal was able to see tiny particles around him, flying gently in the air here and there like snowkes.


    Before, he wasn¡¯t able to see them, but now that he was using his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he was finally able to see these so-called Essence Particles.


    ¡°So by consuming them, my Talent should be able to be stronger right? But how should I start consuming them?¡±, thought Khal, as this was his very first time doing such a thing.


    Not knowing what the best choice would be, Khal decided to just simply concentrate on the Essence Particles around him, maybe that will work.


    And to his surprise, it really worked. The moment he concentrated on his surroundings, the particles in the air moved and automatically got consumed into his body.


    ¡°Just like this?¡±, thought Khal and continued to consume the Essence into his body.


    But to his surprise, as he did, he felt like the moment the Essence entered his body, it didn¡¯t remain in his body but started to flow into his right arm, straight into the Power Core in his bracelet.


    He could clearly feel as the bracelet sucked the consumed Essence from his body, right into the small pebble in the middle of the iron bracelet.


    But to tell the truth, it was not a shock at all. Because Khal had no Talent, to begin with, it was only natural for the consumed Essence, which strengthened the Talent, to flow into the Power Core.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 Essence!]


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    As Khal was consuming the Essence Particles in silence, suddenly the voice appeared in his head once again, turning Khal¡¯s expression a bit surprised.


    ¡°I have consumed 1 Essence already even though I have only just started?¡±, thought Khal with awe.


    However, his surprise soonly turned into confusion, because even after waiting for half an hour, he didn¡¯t hear the voice again.


    Just only after waiting for close to an hour in silence while consuming the Essence did the voice appear in his head once again.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 Essence!]


    ¡°I wonder if I can only consume 1 Essence every one hour or the time is entirely random.¡±, thought Khal with curiosity and waited.


    However, he didn¡¯t need to wait for long enough, because only after 10 minutes of cultivating in silence, the voice appeared in his head again.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 Essence!]


    ¡°I see. So the time is random. Then it will all depend on my luck.¡±, thought Khal and without thinking about anything else, started to concentrate on his cultivation.


    Time flew by unnoticed, and after more than 10 hours of continuous cultivation without rest, Khal finally opened his eyes slowly.


    As he did, his sky blue eyes shone brightly in the dark cave, giving off a chilling aura, especially with the crimson red slit in the middle of his eyes.


    ¡°This ce is not so bad.¡±, thought Khal calmly and deactivated his Talent.


    Altogether with the first 3 Essence, in the beginning, he was able to consume 16 Essence so far, which could be considered as quite a good amount.


    Others on the same Cultivation Stage as him gave their very own blood and sweat just to get a few Beast Essence from creatures, so 16 was an extremely decent amount.


    Especially with the fact that he did nothing but sat in one ce without risking his life against any creature.


    However, what surprised Khal the most was not that he was able to consume 16 Essence simply under half a day, but the fact that he felt energized.


    He felt like he has slept for several days in a row, making his body feel full of strength and vigor once again.


    ¡°So not only I can consume Essence without killing any creature, but even my body gets erased from exhaustion. Great!¡±, thought Khal happily and stood up.


    As for why did he stop cultivating only after consuming 16 Essence? The reason was because of a very simple reason.


    He became hungry.


    So far, since the moment he entered Moon Academy he wasn¡¯t able to eat a single thing and it seemed after he cultivated, his hunger became greater.


    ¡°While my exhaustion fades away, my appetite arises after cultivation. Good to know.¡±, said Khal quietly, and with the help of his key, he left his ¡®room¡¯.


    And just as he thought, the moment he stepped through the split space, Khal found himself back in the library where he was yesterday.


    The only difference however that this time there were more students than yesterday, and everyone looked at Khal like some kind of ghost.


    All of them looked at him like that because of the fact he popped out of a split space in the middle of a library, while wearing a uniform that was different than theirs.


    But Khal didn¡¯t really care about others, because right now he had a bigger problem.


    ¡°I¡¯m starving. I need to find food as soon as possible.¡±, pondered Khal as he walked toward the exit, ignoring the few staring gazes on his skin.


    However, just before he could have reached the library¡¯s entrance, suddenly a hand got ced on his shoulder, making him to snap his head to the side instantly.


    ¡°Finally! I thought you will nevere out!¡±


    Seeing as the one who talked to him so casually was his teacher, Khal sighed and wanted to say something, but was stopped by Logan.


    ¡°Don¡¯t say a single word. It¡¯s almost afternoon, so let¡¯s hurry. We have loads of things to do!¡±, said Logan with a grin and ced his other hand on Khal¡¯s shoulder.


    Khal feeling that Logan was about to do something, wished to tell him he wanted to eat first, but he didn¡¯t have the chance.


    Almost instantly as the other hand had been ced onto his other shoulder, Khal felt a strange power engulf his whole body, and soon enough the whole scenery around him changed.


    ¡°Where are we?¡±, asked Khal, knowing that telling Logan what he wanted to say waspletely meaningless now.


    Instead, he looked at his proximity, only to find himself in a room, full of weapons and armors.


    ¡°As I said, we will begin your cultivation today, but before we start to hunt creatures, we need to find you the perfect weapon.¡±


    The moment Khal heard this, he realized instantly what his teacher talked about.


    In this world, one could only be strong if one consumed Beast Essence.


    And how could one obtain Beast Essence? They needed to kill creatures in the wilderness and consume their Essence.


    It was just that simple.


    Naturally, saying it was way more easier than doing it because if one wasn¡¯t careful enough, one could die even due to a First Stage Beast¡¯s attack.


    Especially Khal. He, who had a Talent that was only useful for scouting and scanning his surroundings, didn¡¯t help him in anything at all.


    And that was why Logan thought about finding a weapon for Khal first before going to hunt for creatures in the wilderness.


    If they would have entered the wild nature without any weapon, Khal would have ended up dying in seconds that was for sure.


    But like this, he will have at least a slight chance to protect himself from fatal assaults, if he can¡¯t kill the creature.


    ¡°Well then, as you can see, these are all powerful weapons from great cksmiths from Moon City.¡±, said Logan and nced at Khal, only to see his disciple looking around with awe.


    Seeing his reaction, Logan smiled instantly and said, ¡°You can choose one weapon from here freely. It can be even an armor too if you want.¡±


    Khal however couldn¡¯t really react to what Logan said, because suddenly, a sentence he has never heard before, appeared in his head.


    [Notify! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ has been found!]

 Chapter 44: What is This?

    Chapter 44: What is This?


    [Notify! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ has been found!]


    ¡°Ember Core? What is that?¡±, thought Khal with confusion the moment he heard the voice inside his head.


    So far, what he could understand about his bracelet that it used Artifacts¡¯ so-called Cores to give him Talents.


    Just like the moment he has entered the Artifact shop back in Moon Academy, Khal was weed with a notification that told him that in the shop over a hundred Power Cores could be found.


    Each of those Artifacts that held a Power Core theoretically could give Khal a different Talent, but because he didn¡¯t have time yet to try it out, he didn¡¯t know if it was true.


    However, in Khal¡¯s view, weapons and artifacts were two different things. One helped humans during a fight, while the other one was nothing more but an antique used in traditional ceremonies or festivals.


    So getting a notification about Core in a ce where no artifacts were but only weapons made Khal quite confused.


    ¡°If it¡¯s a Core, then theoretically it could give me power too, right? But, it is not called as a Power Core, but as an Ember Core. Just what could be the difference between the two?¡±


    As Khal thought about this, Logan on his side frowned and asked, ¡°What? Did you never see weapons in the past or what? You look like someone who just saw a ghost.¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad. I was just thinking about which weapon I should choose.¡±, answered Khal with a wry smile, as he came back to reality.


    Logan could just raise his eyebrow to this reply because Khal didn¡¯t really look like someone who thought about choosing a weapon.


    But to be honest, he didn¡¯t really care about it. He just simply nodded and crossed his arms before his chest.


    ¡°I will give you 15 minutes. If you don¡¯t end up choosing a weapon until the end of the time limit, you will get nothing. Understood?¡±


    Khal knew that he had no choice but to agree, so nodded and started to look around.


    ¡°How should I find the Ember Core?¡±, thought Khal with a calm gaze.


    Currently, as he could see it, there were more than a thousand weapons in the huge room.


    There were short swords, long swords, hammers, axes, scythe¡¯s, throwing knives, staffs, and all kinds of different weapons.


    Each looked extremely scary, but none of them caught Khal¡¯s curiosity.


    Why? The reason was very simple. He first wanted to find the one which held the Ember Core.


    ¡°Think¡­ There must be a way to tell which one it is.¡±, thought Khal, and a secondter his eyes brightened up with an idea.


    He could remember that his bracelet had a function called ¡®Maism¡¯, so maybe using it should help him.


    But if he uses it, there were risks too. For example, if he decides to use it, there was a high possibility that he will get busted by Logan, who was standing only a meter away from him.


    He didn¡¯t really want that though, but no matter how hard he thought about other solutions, he didn¡¯t have any better idea.


    Because he had no clue that touching an artifact or weapon that had a Core would make the bracelet respond, Khal¡¯s best choice would be that.


    But even if he knew that his bracelet had such a function, there was no way in hell that he could examine each weapon in this huge room only under 15 minutes.


    There were way too many weapons for that, so it was a definite no.


    ¡°No matter what, I need to use Maism. But how will I exin it if the weapon or the Core suddenly starts to fly toward me?¡±, thought Khal but soon enough an idea popped up in his head.


    ¡°Wait. What if I activate Maism, but before it could work entirely, I deactivate it? By using my Heaven¡¯s Eyes, finding it would be no problem at all. I will be able to detect its slight movement.¡±


    Naturally, he had no way to avoid Logan¡¯s sight if the weapon he was searching for started to move way too obvious, but he didn¡¯t really have a choice.


    Only if he were careful enough, maybe then will he be able to avoid getting busted, but that was not guaranteed either.


    ¡°You have 10 more minutes.¡±, said Logan on a side with an unfazed expression, making Khal to act instantly.


    ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s do that.¡±, thought Khal and closed his eyes.


    ¡°Hey, can I use my Maism ability manually?¡±, asked Khal in his mind, hoping to get an answer.


    In the past, whenever he asked a question, the voice in his head would never answer. But even though Khal knew this, he decided to try his luck now once again, maybe this time he will get one.


    And to his surprise, he truly did.


    [Do you want to use ability ¡®Maism¡¯ manually?]


    ¡°Yes!¡±, answered Khal instantly, happy that the voice in his head finally answered one of his questions.


    [Understood! Ability ¡®Maism¡¯ has been turned Manual Mode!]


    [Notify! Manual Mode will be active only for 5 minutes!]


    ¡°Perfectly enough time.¡±, thought Khal and without hesitation activated his Talent.


    Instantly after his eyes turned sky blue in color with a crimson red slit in their middle, he looked around.


    When Logan saw Khal using his Talent in a ce like this raised an eyebrow slightly, but didn¡¯t say anything. He just stood still with an expressionless face, while leaning against the wall on the side.


    ¡°Well then, how do I use this power?¡±, thought Khal, but immediately as he thought about the ability, he felt as a small portion of Essence in his body vanished.


    ¡°!¡±


    As that happened, in Khal¡¯s vision, he noticed that in the far left corner, somewhere below several short swords in a small box, something started to move gently.


    [Notify! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ cannot be taken away!]


    Hearing the voice in his head and the rapid disappearance of Essence from his body, Khal stopped using his Maism ability and walked toward the left.


    Logan seeing as something has caught Khal¡¯s attention, looked curious and waited with great anticipation what he will choose.


    *ng!*


    *ng!*


    With a sharp metallic sound, Khal started to put the short swords out from the box to the side, and soon enough, found a strange-looking weapon in the bottom of the crate.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±, thought Khal and to make sure it was the one he just saw, he activated his Maism ability once again.


    However, instantly as he did, the weapon before him started to move, but for some unknown reason, it didn¡¯t fly toward him as he expected but simply moved here and there at the bottom of the box.


    Naturally, Khal knew why this was happening.


    ¡°The Core is trapped inside the weapon, so not even Maism could help here.¡±


    As Khal thought about this, he deactivated his Maism and grabbed the weapon before him.


    ¡°But still¡­ Just what are you?¡±, thought Khal and raised the weapon before him.


    In Khal¡¯s hand, a small dagger that was made out of some kind of ck crystal could be seen. It had a gently curved shape, while the side of the de had several deep shes in its middle.


    But, because its length was long for a dagger, but short for a short sword, Khal didn¡¯t really know how to call the weapon.


    Generally, because of its outer look, it would be either called as a dagger or short sword, but it was still hard to tell. Especially because of its handle.


    Its grip was twisted in a spiral-like manner, but not in a way that it would be ufortable to hold.


    However, it was not everything. At the bottom of the handle, what Khal was able to see was a small gap, where his thumb could be perfectly fit.


    ¡°What is this?¡±, thought Khal with curiosity and put his finger into the hole.


    But when he did, suddenly he felt a slight change around his body and surroundings, making him stop moving instantly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Waiting in silence and without moving even for a bit, Khal saw nothing, so just frowned and looked at the weapon in his hand.


    ¡°Did I just imagine it?¡±, pondered Khal with confusion and moved his finger upward slowly.


    However, when Khal felt that nothing happened at all, he frowned even deeper and without hesitation, pushed his finger powerfully.


    Yet, the moment he did, a startling sight transpired.


    *Swish!*


    *ng!*


    ¡°The hell?!¡±, yelled Khal with rm quickly and pulled his left hand away hurriedly which was quite close to the de a second ago.


    ¡°It turned into a¡­ Fan?¡±

 Chapter 45: Hybrid Weapon

    Chapter 45: Hybrid Weapon


    What Khal was looking right at the moment in his hand, was nothing else but a big fan.


    The dagger in his hand could no longer be seen, but instead a single fan, which was made out of the same abyss ck crystal.


    And even though it was made out of that strange crystal, Khal found out that the weapon was surprisingly flexible while insanely light.


    Also, its edges looked unexpectedly sharp, but what surprised Khal even more, was the tiny gaps next to each other at the top of the fan¡¯s edge.


    There were 5 tiny, hair width holes next to each other on the top of the fan¡¯s de, making Khal to raise an eyebrow in confusion.


    If it weren¡¯t for his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he would have missed these details for sure. But now that he found them, he was curious if they had any special usage at all or they were just simple designs.


    However, after thinking about the fact that howplex and strange this weapon was, Khal knew that they definitely must have a role.


    But no matter how hard he tried to figure their use out, he was unable to find it.


    ¡°Can I turn it back into its dagger form?¡±, thought Khal after a small while and looked at the bottom of the fan.


    There, just like how there was a small hole previously, this time there was a small gap at the bottom of the fan too.


    Without thinking about anything, Khal put his thumb into it and with a gentle motion pushed his finger downward.


    *Swish!*


    *ng!*


    Like closing the des of a scissor with a powerful motion, the fan closed together and turned back into the dagger-like form once again.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±, thought Khal as he examined the strange weapon in his hand with great curiosity.


    He did meet with several strange weapons in his past and learned about a few more from movies and books, but this one was his first.


    He never did meet or hear about a weapon that was as bizarre but intriguing weapon as this one.


    ¡°A dagger that can be used as a fan. If it can be used well, it can give a great surprise to enemies in closebat for sure.¡±


    While Khal was examining the weapon with great inquisitiveness, suddenly Logan appeared behind him and hummed slightly.


    ¡°So you want that one? It¡¯s a Hybrid Weapon, specially created for closebat. However, as I can see, it is made out of ¡®that¡¯ special material, so it can be also used for a bit of defense.¡±


    ¡°Made out of ¡®that¡¯ special material?¡±, asked Khal instantly as he nced up at his teacher.


    Khal has already noticed that the weapon was made out of some kind of flexible ck crystal, but as to where it was from it was unknown to him.


    But not for Logan. He clearly knew what kind of crystal was used when this weapon was created, and that is why he knew it was a very powerful but at the same time risky to use weapon.


    Whoever crafted that weapon, especially in a way that it worked in two different ways, was definitely not a no one.


    That individual certainly was a powerful and well-known cksmith in the world for sure!


    ¡°It is called Ocean Stone. It is a special crystal that can be only found in the deepest parts of the oceans.¡±


    ¡°Ocean Stone?¡±, asked Khal as he nced at the abyss ck dagger in his hand.


    ¡°Yes. It is a very rare and tough stone type with a bit of flexibility that not all cksmiths can refine and use. However, once one seeds and creates a weapon out of it, its durability will be terrifying. However¡­¡±


    As Khal heard Logan stop talking, raised his head again and asked, ¡°However?¡±


    ¡°However, as I said, that weapon is a Hybrid one. While its usage could be quite powerful because you can use it in more ways, it has a bigger possibility of crumbling apart too. No matter that it has been made out of Ocean Stone or not.¡±


    Logan knew that Hybrid Weapons were rare. But it wasn¡¯t because they can be hard to create, but because they were created in a veryplex manner where even a slight error could make the weapon to be destroyed.


    Let it be outer or internal, once a mistake arises in or on a Hybrid Weapon, it is as good as a useless piece of metal.


    However, it is not his business to decide, so he didn¡¯t really care. He warned Khal about the risk of a Hybrid Weapon, so from this moment on, it waspletely on Khal what he will choose.


    ¡°Do you want this weapon or will you choose another one?¡±, asked Logan and waited patiently for the answer.


    After Khal heard the risks of fighting with a Hybrid Weapon, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be a wise option to select this weapon, but unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a choice.


    Because this weapon was trapping a Core he has never heard about and used before, he needed to choose it.


    To find out what an Ember Core¡¯s real value and use was, Khal had to take this weapon away with him no matter what.


    ¡°Yeah. I want this.¡±, nodded Khal after thinking over things for a while.


    Logan heard Khal¡¯s answer and as he raised his eyebrow, asked again.


    ¡°Are you sure? There are several other weapons here which can be much better for you than that one.¡±


    ¡°I am 100% sure.¡±, said Khal with a serious expression as he stood up.


    ncing at those determined eyes that Khal had, Logan grinned and chuckled quietly.


    ¡°Just as I have thought. You never cease to surprise me. Your taste for things is¡­ Unique, if I can say so.¡±


    As Logan said that, he nodded and pped his hands gently.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡±


    *Tremble!!*


    Following the p, Khal watched as the whole room which was filled with thousands of weapons around him vanished in one go, and what arose before his eyes was a huge dense forest.


    ¡°!?¡±


    However, what made Khal worried was not the forest, but the fact that next to the huge trees around them, several creatures, simr to wolves emerged from the shadows one by one.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start your Cultivation, shall we?¡±, asked Logan with a wide grin,pletely ignoring the approaching danger around them.


    ***


    While Khal has finally started his journey on his cultivation path until then Liza was calmly standing on a huge tform in a massive arena.


    Before her, a girl with a ponytail could be seen, while in her left hand a katana next to her slim waist could be discerned.


    The girl had brown hair, as brown as the most beautiful nut in the world. She had a pair of ocean blue eyes that showed incredible calmness and deep but obvious determination.


    Her body was neither fat nor slim. She had the perfect body curves that could make any women get jealous and any men fall for her.


    Yet, the most notable trait of her wasn¡¯t her appearance or body, but her posture. Just with her dominant stance alone could she make anyone believe that she was able to sh a mountain into two.


    She stood still like an ancient dragon, ready to attack at any given moment.


    As the two stood in one ce in silence, Jane, Liza¡¯s teacher was also standing calmly on the side of the tform and raised her hand.


    After verifying that both of the two were prepared, she closed her eyes and started to lower her hand.


    ¡°Get ready¡­ Fight!¡±

 Chapter 46: One Sword, One Slash

    Chapter 46: One Sword, One sh


    Just only a few minutes before the fight, Jane was leading her disciples in Moon Academy, when suddenly Scarlett appeared from the side and blocked her way.


    ¡°Do you need anything?¡±, asked Jane with a slight raise of her eyebrow.


    Scarlett on the other hand instead of answering right away just stepped to the side, revealing a girl from behind her back.


    ¡°One of my disciples wants to challenge one of yours.¡±, said Scarlett calmly as she looked at Jane.


    This statement surprised quite a lot behind Jane, curious just who the girl wanted to challenge.


    ¡°And who is the one she wants to fight with?¡±, asked Jane, but she already knew the answer. To tell the truth, it was quite obvious, but still, let Scarlet to answer.


    ¡°I want to fight with her!¡±, answered the girl suddenly from the side, cutting before Scarlett, who just was about to reply.


    ¡°Just as I have thought.¡±, nodded Jane slightly and nced behind her, where the girl has pointed.


    ¡°I hope you know what this means.¡±, said Jane in a calm, but strict manner as she looked at Liza.


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡±, nodded Liza seriously and nced at the girl on Scarlett¡¯s side.


    ¡°Fine. I will ept your challenge.¡±


    When the girl heard this, a satisfied smile emerged on her face and without hesitation turned around.


    ¡°Perfect! Then follow me!¡±


    Surprised and also a bit annoyed by her behavior, Liza nced at her teacher, but seeing her unfazed expression she didn¡¯t say anything and just followed her in silence.


    Scarlett, Jane, and their students all followed the two into a huge building on the side, that looked exactly like the others.


    However, the moment they entered, before Liza and everyone else, what arose was not a room, but a huge circr-shaped arena with a big tform in the very middle.


    The interior looked quite like a Colosseum, but with the only difference that this was 5 times bigger, even though that from the outside, it would have been impossible to imagine that such an enormous space could be fit inside.


    While mesmerized by the scenery before her, the girl who challenged Liza walked to the middle of the tform and waited patiently.


    Jane and Scarlett after telling their students to take a seat in the viewing area walked either side of the tform and waited for Liza to walk to the middle too.


    ¡°My name is Janna Silvercut and I want to challenge you for the key¡¯s right!¡±


    *BAM!*


    Instantly as those words sounded, a small explosion broke out from Liza¡¯s body and with a sh, a white light appeared between the two right above in the air.


    It was the V.I.P key that Liza got from Jas at the moment she enrolled into Moon Academy.


    Liza seeing her key in the air nced at Janna before her and nodded slightly.


    As this happened, Jane on the side looked at both girls and started to talk.


    ¡°The challenge will end if one side gets knocked out or either gives up. No killing is allowed and it is strongly prohibited! We will stop the fight immediately if we see that things get out of control, so use your full strength freely!¡±


    As Jane said this, she raised her hand and waited for the two to prepare themselves.


    ¡°I will win!¡±, said Janna as she took up a fighting posture, while in her left hand, close to her waist, a katana in its scabbard manifested.


    ¡°A weapon associated Talent? That girl will be a tough opponent.¡±, thought Jane with a serious expression, while she nced at Scarlett¡¯s proud look.


    Weapon-associated Talents were rare, but at the same time extremely powerful Talents in the cultivation world. Cultivators with such Talent were especially dangerous against others in the same Cultivation Stage.


    But that was why those who had such Talent struggled almost all the time to reach the Final Stage in the First Realm.


    Because their Talent was not associated precisely with their body like Liza¡¯s or Khal¡¯s, they needed a special method to transfer the consumed Beast Essence into their Talent, giving them the chance to reach the next Stage.


    The process was somewhat simr to Khal¡¯s situation. The only difference however was that while Khal didn¡¯t need to do a thing because the bracelet worked instead of him, until then cultivators with such Talent needed to do it themselves.


    And that process wasn¡¯t an easy one at all.


    But that was why, those who seeded to be stronger with such Talents, 99% of the time became powerful experts.


    The remaining 1% only failed to be one because they had been killed when they were still weak on the lower Stages or failed toprehend the transferring process.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you will face this problem.¡±, thought Jane calmly and nced at Liza on the other side.


    But to her surprise, Liza looked just as unfazed as ever. Even after discovering what her opponent¡¯s Talent was, she still stood in one ce like an immovable mountain.


    Her whole being told Jane, that even if her opponent was a powerful expert, she wouldn¡¯t get scared at all.


    Seeing this, Jane could only smile narrowly, and after closing her eyes, she lowered her arm.


    ¡°Get ready¡­ Fight!¡±


    *Swish!*


    *BOOM!*


    Just a second after her signal has sounded, a huge explosion broke out, and a huge dust cloud arose around the ce where Liza just stood a moment ago.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Everything happened so fast that the onlookers on the viewing area turned speechless, while Scarlett and Jane looked at this sight with extreme seriousness.


    ¡°I was reckless!¡±, thought Jane with a frozen expression, knowing that she has just made a huge mistake.


    ¡°Wha¡­ What happened just now?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know. I was unable to see a thing.¡±


    ¡°Was it her Talent? But her Talent is that katana, so how could she be so fast?¡±


    On the viewing area, as people talked among each other with shock and confusion trying to figure out just what happened, suddenly E, the twin-tailed blondie started to talk calmly.


    ¡°She just used a Secret Art.¡±


    ¡°A Secret Art? What? At such a young age and only on the First Cultivation Stage you think she can use a Secret Art?¡±, asked a guy next to E with a snort, bot believing what he just heard.


    ¡°But that is the truth. If you don¡¯t believe me just look at her body.¡±, said E with a still calm expression and pointed at Janna on the tform.


    The guy and everyone else did as she said, and a small whileter, all of their expression paled.


    ¡°She¡­ Really used Secret Art¡­¡±, said the guy and turned his head to the other side.


    ¡°Then, did she just¡­¡±, started to say, but before he would have had the chance to finish his sentence, suddenly the dust on the side moved and started to dissipate.


    However, when the smoke finally vanished into the air and revealed what happened with Liza, everyone¡¯s eyes widened with shock.


    Liza, who was just attacked now with a powerful ability, stood still where she originally was, acting as nothing happened a few seconds ago at all.


    But this wasn¡¯t the real reason why everyone was speechless, but instead the sight before her.


    Exactly a meter away from her figure, a huge wall made out of shining sky blue ice could be seen, protecting her whole body from the previous attackpletely.


    ¡°Such fast reaction speed and powerful Talent! So this is a Natural Born¡¯s power?¡±, thought Scarlett with great surprise as she nced at Liza¡¯s rxed expression behind the ice wall.

 Chapter 47: Secret Arts

    Chapter 47: Secret Arts


    While others were stunned by both Janna¡¯s and Liza¡¯s power, Janna gently tightened her grip on her sword¡¯s scabbard.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have expected that you will be able to defend against my Heaven sh. It is one of my family¡¯s most respected and powerful Secret Art.¡±


    *Crack!*


    *Crack!*


    *ng!*


    As Janna talked, the jade ice before Liza started to show cracks on the surface one after another, and soonter with a heavy, metallic sound copsed to the ground.


    However, Liza still looked as unfazed as ever, showing that Janna¡¯s Secret Art didn¡¯t surprise her at all.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what a Secret Art is. Truly powerful.¡±, said Liza as she looked at Janna.


    Secret Arts were special skills, that one could only use after several years of hard practice.


    Naturally, Liza knew about Secret Arts, because her family had such Arts too, but because of the incident, all of them disappeared or got burnt to ashes by the fire.


    But even though she couldn¡¯t learn her Family¡¯s original Secret Art, she understood those skills concept quite well.


    The aim of each Secret Art always differed from each other, but all of them had one, single thing inmon.


    Secret Arts used the Essence in the body to bring out the full power and potential from the skill. Without the knowledge of how to control the Essence in one¡¯s body, one will be unable to utilize a Secret Art, no matter how hard one tried.


    Some Secret Arts used only the body¡¯s Essence as a fuel to create different skills, while there were some which built entirely on one specific Talent.


    Anyone was able to learn the former one, while only those could learn thetter one who had a Talent that functioned perfectly with that Secret Art.


    Generally, Secret Arts that worked with specific Talents were way stronger than normal Secret Arts, but there were a few exceptions that could beat Talent associated Secret Arts.


    As Liza noticed, Janna¡¯s Secret Art could be categorized into thetter one. It looked like her Secret Art, Heaven sh operated only with weapon-associated Talents.


    It worked in a way where by channeling the Essence in the body with her Talent, she could utilize both her weapon and body to surpass human momentum for a single second.


    Simply put, with Heaven sh, Janna was able to move her weapon and attack Liza like thunder in a blink of an eye.


    Naturally, the skill would have been able to kill anyone with an ordinary Talent, but unfortunately, Janna chose the wrong opponent.


    Liza¡¯s Natural Talent was called Jade Ice, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t tell what its true worth really was.


    Her Jade Ice was extremely durable, and if she wanted to, she could make it to turn into water at will. However, its most scariest aspect was not that, but its instinctive ability, where it could work out of Liza¡¯s control.


    It acted on its own will just when it sensed that Liza¡¯s life was in danger, protecting her from certain death. It could be said that her ability had its very own consciousness.


    And that was why she didn¡¯t look scared nor anxious at all when she found out what her opponent¡¯s ability was.


    With her Jade Ice, no matter how fast one was, until it was on the same Cultivation Stage as her, she had the upper hand.


    ¡°You are strong.¡±, said Liza as she raised her hand and continued, ¡°But poorly, your technique is not refined enough.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Janna wanted to say something but saw an incredible scene.


    In Liza¡¯s hand, a simr weapon that she had started to manifest out of pure Jade Ice, causing confusion to emerge on everyone¡¯s face instantly.


    ¡°What is she trying to do?¡±, thought Jane with a raised eyebrow, but the next second her eyes widened and snapped her head toward Janna.


    ¡°Watch o-!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    But even before she could have finished her warning, Liza waved her sword, and a massive explosion broke out from her jade weapon.


    In a blink of an eye, crimson mes appeared around Janna, and like hungry devils from hell itself, they engulfed her body.


    ¡°!¡±


    Dust and debris flew everywhere with insane heat, causing the whole arena to tremble like crazy.


    Jane and everyone else seeing this turned speechless, not knowing how they should react at the sight before them.


    ¡°Did I overdo it?¡±, thought Liza, kind of worried, but suddenly the dust before her was flung away, revealing a figure in an instant.


    ¡°You have won.¡±, said Scarlett in an ice-cold tone of voice as she looked at Liza with a piercing re.


    Her whole body was shining with dim white light, causing the mes around her to be extinguished in an instant.


    With Janna¡¯s unconscious body in her arms, she looked like some kind of deity who descended from heaven, protecting the vulnerable.


    Her whole being leaked a kind of absolute and ancient aura that told others, no matter what should happen, she was always there to help.


    ¡°We will talk about thister.¡±, said Scarlett calmly to Jane without ncing at her, and vanished into thin air.


    Jane, who was still standing on the side in silence could just smile and shook her head after hearing that.


    ¡°There will be nothing to talk about. My disciple was stronger and won, that¡¯s what happened. But still, thinking she was able to copy half of her Secret Art even though she had no weapon-associated Talent¡­ Just how strong is she?¡±


    What happened just now made Jane ponder with both curiosity and confusion.


    The moment after Liza defended against the powerful assault and did a counter-attack, she used Janna¡¯s Heaven sh as her assault.


    By forming a weapon out of her Talent and controlling a bit of her Essence into it, she was able to mimic Janna¡¯s Secret Art quite easily.


    And to make things even tougher for Janna, Liza added her second Talent¡¯s power, just to make sure her attack will be 100% unstoppable.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that her Talent was not associated with weapons, rendering her to use the Secret Art to its full potential, Liza could have killed Janna even before Scarlett would have been able to help.


    Such terrifying learning speed and Talent was almost heaven-defying!


    ¡°There are definitely a few ways to learn other people¡¯s Secret Arts, but this is way too fast! How did she do it?¡±, thought Jane, trying to solve the mystery.


    The news about Liza¡¯s dominating victory spread in Moon Academy like wildfire, making a lot of people feel curiousity toward Liza.


    And as this ruckus went on in the Academy, until then, Khal was fighting for his dear life in a dense and huge forest-like there was no tomorrow.


    Since the moment he was teleported into this hell, he was pursued by tons of creatures non-stop, while Logan did nothing but watched from the side with a rxed expression.


    Even after he ran for hours in the forest as fast as he could, he was still unable to outrun the creatures that chased him from behind.


    But it was not a big of a surprise to be honest. His Talent was rted to his sight and not with his speed, so it was only natural that he was slower than wolves.


    ¡°From the left!¡±, halted his movement Khal, and prepared himself for an attack in an instant.


    ¡°ROOAAR!!¡±


    And just as he did, with a blood-freezing roar, a dreadful creature that represented a mutated wolf jumped at Khal from the shadows, ready to tear him into pieces.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Yet, even in the face of such danger, Khal acted as calm as ever.


    With the help of his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he avoided the creature¡¯s assault and at the same time swung his dagger toward its neck like a hammer.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°ROA-!!¡±


    As Khal watched the creature¡¯s ugly head flying high up into the air, turned happy, but not for too long.


    Slowly, mutated wolves emerged from the shadows one by one, making Khal realize that he was trapped in the middle with no escape route at all.


    ¡°GRRR!!!¡±


    With loud howls that could make any weak-willed cultivator to pee their pants in fear, the creatures approached Khal slowly, ready to pounce on him at any given moment.


    As Khal saw that his situation turned to the worse, sighed and ced his thumb into the small gap in the bottom of his dagger.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if it will work once again!¡±, said Khal and without hesitation pushed his finger upward, causing the dagger to open into a huge fan instantly.


    *ng!*


    And just like it was a signal, all the wolves roared angrily toward the sky, and with bloodshot eyes, leaped at Khal.


    ¡°ROOAARR!!!¡±


    ¡°Come!¡±, said Khal with determined eyes and swung his weapon without reluctance.


    *Swish!*


    *BOOM!*

 Chapter 48: Beast Essence

    Chapter 48: Beast Essence


    *Swish!*


    *BOOM!*


    With a single wave of his weapon, Khal caused the air around him to tremble and explode like a bomb, sending all the beasts to fly away in an instant.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Thought Khal happily as he looked at the fan in his hand.


    Since the moment he had been teleported into this hell-like forest by his teacher, Khal realized quite a few things, including a very interesting trait about his weapon.


    The very first thing he has learned was that creatures on the same Cultivation Stage as him could not harm him at all.


    Thanks to his Heaven¡¯s Eyes that enhanced both his reaction and thinking speed, Khal was able to avoid the creatures attacks as easily as taking a stroll in a park.


    But this was only true when a single creature attacked him. When it came to the moment where he needed to deal with more than one beast at the same time, well, that was when things turned extremely tough for him.


    Every time he was attacked by more than one creature, Khal realized that they always ambushed him in a manner where he had a hard time to escape.


    They surrounded and trapped him like some kind of weak and pathetic rabbit, which had no choice at all but to wait to be in.


    If it were any other cultivator with a weak will or Talent, they would have been killed a very long time ago, but luckily, Khal had neither a weak will nor a weak Talent.


    With the help of his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, with which he avoided the attacks and looked for routes, and with his weapon in its fan mode that he used as a shield, Khal was able to escape from death¡¯s grab several times.


    Naturally, it came with consequences, but except for a few deep wounds that appeared on his body each time he escaped, nothing serious happened with him.


    However, when the asions where he needed to escape because he was trapped umted, Khal realized that it was only a matter of time until death really catches him.


    Maybe the creatures were low in IQ, but they had a terrifying learning capability. Whenever Khal escaped their ambush, they learned from their previous mistakes and tried once again.


    Every attempt of their had fewer and fewer mistakes, while Khal¡¯s situation became harder and harder.


    And when things eventually had be extremely dire for Khal, because all of his escape routes had been cut, that¡¯s when he discovered his weapon¡¯s special characteristic.


    By channeling his own Essence into the fan through the small gap and the help of his finger, Khal was able to fire out his Essence through the 5 small gaps on the weapon like bullets.


    Each time he swung his fan, he was able to fire hair-thin projectiles, killing the creatures around him like flies.


    And what was even greater, the attack he created, differed from the amount of Essence he poured into the fan.


    For example, if he poured 10% of his Body Essence into his weapon, he was able to create a huge explosion, just like he did now. However, if he just spilled a tiny amount, less than 1% of his Essence into the fan, he was able to fire his Essence in the shape of bullets as thin as his hair!


    To put it simply, with this new trait of his fan, Khal was able to attack enemies in both close and long-range, while defending at the same time.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I only have a single piece from this weapon. If I had another one, killing these creatures would have been kid¡¯s y.¡±


    Watching as several of the creatures stood up after the explosion, while a few remained in the ground motionless, Khal decided not to wait.


    With a swift and fast movement, Khal approached the closest wolf that has already stood up but still felt dizzy and swung his fan.


    *Swish!*


    With pouring blood and spilling organs, Khal cut the beast¡¯s body perfectly in half, making the other few wolves in the distance to cry up in agony because of theirpanion¡¯s death.


    ¡°Next!¡± thought Khal ignoring the howls and without wasting time, appeared before the next wolf.


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    Like a reaper in the night collecting its victims¡¯ souls from the shadows, Khal moved with swiftness from creature to creature and took their lives away.


    One by one, Khal has finished off all the beasts that tried to take his life and when he chopped the final wolf¡¯s head off, looked around.


    The sight around him was like a picture from hell itself. Split and ripped corpses around the ce with blood painting the ground and trees everywhere.


    It was aplete and chaotic mess for sure.


    However, even though the scenery currently was extremely sickening and disturbing, Khal¡¯s expression was as nonchnt as ever.


    ¡°Great job kid!¡± sounded a voice suddenly from the side, making Khal to turn his head toward the voice¡¯s direction in an instant.


    ¡°Logan!¡± said Kahl, and looked a bit irritated.


    Since the moment he has been teleported here and fought for his life, Logan did nothing but watch.


    Naturally, Khal could somewhat understand his reason, because iron only got stronger when it was under intense fire, but still, if it weren¡¯t for his weapon, he would have died for sure!


    Logan however didn¡¯t care at all. Khal was 100% sure, if he wouldn¡¯t have found out his weapon¡¯s secret usage, his teacher wouldn¡¯t have helped him. He would have let him die as easily as taking a gentle breath!


    ¡°Come on, don¡¯t look at me like that. Instead, go and start consuming the Beast Essence before they vanish.¡± said Logan with the same smile etched on his face and pointed toward the corpses on the side.


    When Khal heard this, he nced to the side, only to see as the blood, organs, and the corpses on the ground slowly started to move and turn into a yellowish, liquid-like substance in the air.


    ¡°So that should be the Beast Essence.¡± thought Khal and without hesitation walked forward.


    While looking at the several yellow lights around the ce, Khal sat down slowly, and after closing his eyes, started to consume the Beast Essence around him.


    Just like the moment when he cultivated in the cave in de Mountain, the moment the Beast Essence vanished into his body, Khal felt a same refreshing sensation sweeping through his core, making a slight smile emerge on his face.


    ¡°With so many Beast Essence around, I will definitely able to reach the Second Cultivation Stage.¡± thought Khal with a grin, but the next second, a voice appeared in his head, making his body to stiffen instantly.


    [Notify! ¡®Beast Essence¡¯ has been detected!]


    [Notify! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ is 60% depleted! Starting ¡®Transformation¡¯ process!]


    Instantly as those words sounded in Khal¡¯s head, the Beast Essence that was about to flow into his Power Core suddenly halted, and like obtaining its own will, it started to move toward his heart.


    ¡°What is happening here?¡±

 Chapter 49: [Ember Core Obtained!]

    Chapter 49: [''Ember Core'' Obtained!]


    After the voice appeared in Khal¡¯s head, the Beast Essence inside his body moved, and started to flow toward his heart.


    When that happened, Khal looked quite confused and even tried to stop it, but found out that shockingly he was unable to do so.


    It was like some kind of strange power engulfed his body locking him in one ce, while the Beast Essence inside him flowed toward his heart like a raging river.


    ¡°Well, if I can¡¯t control it, then let¡¯s watch what will happen.¡± thought Khal and waited patiently to see what will ur.


    Inside his body, through the tiny vein-like channels that created aplex and vast web-like system, the Beast Essence finally arrived at Khal¡¯s heart and started to swirl around it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see wh-, argh!¡±


    *BA-THUMP!*


    Like stabbing a sharp iron sword right into his chest, Khal felt himself almost fainting just from the sudden pain in his chest.


    ¡°The¡­ Hell is happening with me?¡± thought Khal with clenched teeth as huge drops of sweat started to flow down his face.


    Right now, he felt like his whole being had been thrown and closed into a coffin full of hair-thin, but razor-sharp spikes. His skin, muscles, and bones, every part of his whole body felt indescribable pain.


    Yet, alongside this unbearable and almost bone-breaking pain, Khal felt a strange, but somewhat pleasant feeling too.


    It felt like while his body underwent hell-like torture, his soul did the exact opposite, experienced heavenly bliss.


    The two sensations swirling together inside him felt just as nice as terrible.


    While suffering from these mixed sensations, Khal was able to detect as the yellowish Essence entered his heart and slowly, turned into a dim blue color.


    ¡°That¡­ is Body Essence?¡± guessed Khal with surprise as he watched the Beast Essence inside his body transform into Body Essence.


    ¡°So this ¡®Transformation¡¯ process is all about this? Transforming Beast Essence into Body Essence?¡± thought Khal with confusion, trying to guess the reason behind all of this.


    However, Logan¡¯s face didn¡¯t show confusion nor surprise. No, his expression was way beyond those emotions, and he currently looked like some kind of idiot.


    He was always smiling or acting calm, but this time, he lookedpletely stupified.


    Right now, he was looking at something that not even those on the Final Cultivation Stage were able to do. Something that was as dangerous as ying with Russian roulette!


    ¡°Essence Transfiguration!¡±


    Essence Transfiguration was an extremely powerful Secret Art that only a very minimal amount of cultivators could perform.


    Its concept was to transform one¡¯s Essence from the body into Beast Essence and by that, cultivate one¡¯s Talent.


    But because the Secret Art needed one¡¯s blood to make the skill work properly, one needed to prepare to lose one life. That was why even the strongest experts in the First Realm didn¡¯t dare to try this kind of Secret Art, no matter what.


    Nothing was as precious as one¡¯s life!


    Yet, right before Logan, a cultivator who wasn¡¯t even on the Second Cultivation Stage performed such a dangerous Secret Art, and what¡¯s more, he used it in an entirely opposite way!


    He used the skill to transform the Beast Essence inside his body into his very own Essence, which was never heard of before! This was shocking and frightening at the same time!


    ¡°Just what is he trying to do?¡± thought Logan suddenly, but this time shock was no longer on his face, but sheer seriousness.


    Knowing what consequences there could be if Khal fails to transform the Beast Essence, made Logan to feel a bit anxious. That¡¯s why, if he noticed anything out of the ordinary, he will act instantly, doing everything in his power to save his disciple¡¯s life.


    However, what Logan didn¡¯t know that Khal was neither using any kind of Secret Art nor could the process be halted.


    Because the process was done entirely by the bracelet, until one does not take the armlet off from his wrist or cuts his hand off, then the process won¡¯t be stopped no matter what.


    Khal knew this too, because he has tried to stop the technique several times, but it was like the bracelet didn¡¯t want to listen to him at all. It just continued to pump the Beast Essence into his heart, transforming it into Body Essence while causing him to experience hell and heaven from time to time.


    But strangely, except that, Khal felt nothing. He didn¡¯t feel like his life would be in danger, which was quite confusing. Instead, he felt like if he could endure the pain even a bit more, the prize he would get will be well worth it. As for from where did he get such a feeling, he didn¡¯t have a clue at all.


    Time ticked by slowly, and while Logan was on the side ready to act at any given moment, suddenly a strange aura erupted out of Khal¡¯s body.


    *Bam!*


    Logan on the side seeing this wanted to act, but before he had the chance, Khal opened his eyes.


    [¡®Transformation¡¯ sessful!]


    [Your ¡®Body Essence¡¯ has grown from 100 units to 150 units!]


    Instantly as that sounded in his head, the pain all over Khal¡¯s body vanished and what appeared was indefinitefort. Even his hunger has vanished like it didn¡¯t even exist in the first ce which was quite surprising.


    ¡°So the Transformation process can convert Beast Essence into Body Essence. I¡¯m curious if it can do the opposite?¡±


    And just like it waited for this question, the voice appeared in his head instantly and replied.


    [Notify! Do you want to transform 50 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ into ¡®Beast Essence¡¯?]


    ¡°Huh? How much Beast Essence does that mean?¡±


    [Notify! 50 units of ¡®Body Essence¡¯ can be transformed into 5 units of ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°Damn! Can¡¯t I just convert all of my Essence into Beast Essence then? Naturally, I would leave some to avoid Exhaustion.¡± asked Khal curiously, waiting for a reply.


    [Notify! 100 units of ¡®Body Essence¡¯ must remain if ¡®Owner¡¯ desires to use ¡®Transformation¡¯!]


    ¡°I see¡­ Then I guess I don¡¯t want to. I still don¡¯t know what¡¯s the real use of obtaining more Body Essence could be.¡± said Khal and closed his eyes once again.


    ¡°Instead, let¡¯s proceed on with my cultivation.¡± thought Khal and instantly, the second closest Beast Essence to him moved.


    But luckily, when this time the yellowish substance melted into his body, the Transformation process didn¡¯t ur, but simply flowed into his bracelet without any further ado.


    After a small whileter, when all the amount of Beast Essence vanished into the Power Core, a well-known sentence popped up in his head.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 3 Beast Essence!]


    ¡°3? It seems my luck today isn¡¯t that bad.¡± thought Khal with a grin and proceeded onto the next Beast Essence.


    Because he knew that the amount of Essence he could get from First Stage Beasts was 5, 3 on his first attempt could be said was quite good.


    ¡°Next one!¡± thought Khal excitedly, knowing that reaching the Second Cultivation Stage with the amount of Beast Essence around him was only a matter of time.


    Logan on the side seeing as everything turned back to normal sighed deeply, and sat down.


    ¡°Now then, the only thing I need to do is wait and see if he will be able to surpass his current Stage.¡± said Logan with a slight smile while around his palm, a gentle cklight vanished away slowly.


    Time passed by in silence once again, and close to an hourter that felt a single second for Khal, he finally opened his eyes and stood up.


    Deactivating his Talent, Khal moved his arms and legs around and smiled happily with a huge grin.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eye has reached the Second Cultivation Stage!]


    ¡°Ahhh¡­ What a great feeling! I sessfully broke into the Second Cultivation Stage!¡± said Khal and nced to the side.


    There, what he could see was Logan¡¯s sleeping figure, with drool slowly flowing out of the corner of his mouth.


    ¡°This guy¡­¡± thought Khal helplessly, but just as he took a step forward his whole body froze up.


    Like shoving him right into freezing water, cold sweat covered Khal¡¯s whole body in an instant.


    Right at that moment, for some reason, he felt like if he moved even an inch forward, he will die no matter what he would try.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ncing at Logan before him who was still sleeping on the ground as soundlessly as a newborn baby, Khal wanted to ask for help but feared to speak.


    ¡°Just what is happening?¡± thought Khal as a chill ran down his spine, and decided to activate his Talent to scan his proximity.


    However, even before he could have had the chance, a sh appeared from the shadows, targeting his head from the side with insane speed.


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°Need to defend!¡±


    Because the attack was way too fast for him to dodge, the only thing Khal could do was to raise his weapon in the form of a fan, and hope it was durable enough to deflect the attack.


    But who would have thought that the moment the assault got into contact with his weapon, it cut it apart like hot knife tofu, and continued his approach toward his neck without any sign of stopping.


    ¡°I am dead!¡± was the only thing Khal could think of, when suddenly a voice sounded in his head.


    [Notify! Vessel shattered! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ has been detected!]


    [Utilizing ¡®Maism¡¯!]


    *BOOM!*


    Like bullet fired from a gun inches away from his face, a shining pebble burst out from the weapon¡¯s debris and with a ck sh, exploded into Khal¡¯s forehead.


    ¡°!¡±


    The impact was so great, that Khal¡¯s head exploded backward unwittingly, exposing his bare neck to his enemy¡¯s assaultpletely.


    However, Khal couldn¡¯t care about it even in the slightest, because suddenly a freezing sensation swept through his whole body, while a foreign sentence appeared in his head.


    [Notify! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ Devil Fangs obtained!]

 Chapter 50: A Challenger

    Chapter 50: A Challenger


    [Notify! ¡®Ember Core¡¯ Devil Fangs obtained!]


    As the sentence sounded inside Khal¡¯s head, the strange freezing power that swept through his body suddenly moved and flowed toward his right ear.


    ¡°What is happening?¡± thought Khal with confusion, but the next second his eyes shed with profound light.


    ¡°No! This is not the right time to think about something like this!¡±


    Khal¡¯s mind changed 180 degrees in an instant and pushed his head forward, revealing a determined expression with clenched teeth.


    ¡°I need to do something or I will die!¡± thought Khal and watched as the attack representing death¡¯s scythe approached his neck.


    The speed was so great that even Khal was surprised, but knew if he reacted just in the perfect time, he should be able to avoid being killed. However, if he did that, it came with a huge sacrifice.


    Because the attack came from his side and flew from above toward his neck, Khal could try and tilt his body to the side just enough to avoid his head being chopped off.


    And if he truly seeds with that n, what he loses will not be his head but his whole arm instead. Thinking about it, losing an arm over his very own life was way better, no?


    ¡°Come!¡± shouted Khal in his mind as he epted the consequences of his decision and was ready to move, when suddenly a huge explosion appeared from the side.


    *BOOM!*


    A ck sh that was twice as fast as the attack erupted out of nowhere and crashed into the assault, detonating it far away from Khal like a rocket.


    ¡°Logan!¡± said Khal happily as he saw his teacher was finally wide awake, but before he had the chance to say anything else, Logan¡¯s voice sounded once again.


    ¡°Move! Now!¡± shouted Logan with a serious expression and without waiting for Khal to react, waved his hand.


    *BOOM!*


    Khal stared at this sight with a dumbfounded expression and watched as the ck mes, which looked like they just exploded out from hell¡¯s deepest abyss, flew toward him with insane speed.


    ¡°!¡±


    Although surprised, Khal¡¯s reaction was still fast and without hesitation leaped to the side, avoiding Logan¡¯s attack only by a hair¡¯s breadth.


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°ROOOAAARR!!¡±


    While Khal bnced himself after the jump, what filled the whole forest from the side was a blood-freezing scream, causing Khal¡¯s heart to miss a beat.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Turning his head to the side, before Khal a breathtaking, but at the same time, shocking sight emerged, causing his mouth to hang open wide.


    A huge beast, representing a mixed breed between a wolf and bear was struggling amongst the woods, while its colossal body was engulfed with Logan¡¯s abyss ck mes. It was obvious it was in great pain.


    ¡°ROOAAARR!!¡±


    Like raging ancient dragons twisting and turning around a mountain, the raven mes devoured the creature¡¯s body without mercy, slowly turning it into scorched flesh and bone.


    Even though the beast¡¯s body was covered with metal-like fur that looked as sharp as the most sharpened de, before Logan¡¯s mes they seemed nothing.


    Like a piece of ice cream during a scorching hot summer, the fur on the creature¡¯s body melted away, and together with the flesh, it turned into ash.


    ¡°ROOOAAARR!!¡±


    Howling toward the sky with anger like it was cursing the divine beings above, the creature decided to ignore the raging mes on its body and burst toward Khal.


    On the side, Logan just snorted in ridicule by this sight of this and was ready to finish the beast off, when unexpectedly, Khal¡¯s figure moved.


    Raising his bare hand before his chest, silver light started to swirl inside his palm gently, causing Logan to halt whatever he tried to do to help.


    ¡°What is that?¡± thought Logan curiously, trying to figure out the mysterious silver light¡¯s origin and power in the middle of Khal¡¯s palm.


    However, he couldn¡¯t think for a long time, when an even greater and dumbfounding sight transpired before his eyes.


    *Swish!*


    Unknown how, but the moment the beast was only a few inches away from Khal, Khal¡¯s arm moved and drew a beautiful curve in the air, cleanly cutting the creature¡¯s head off. The whole thing happened in an instant, so it was hard to see what Khal used.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    With dropped jaw and stupified expression, Logan stared at this sight like he just saw a ghost from hell, not knowing how he should react to this.


    ¡°But¡­ how?¡± was the only question Logan could ask from himself after a long time, unknown if what he just saw had truly happened or not.


    Maybe Khal didn¡¯t know or realized it, but the creature that attacked him was known as a Razor Hound which could kill any cultivator on the Third Cultivation Stage with a single attack.


    One of its special traits was its razor-sharp fur and metal hard skin, which could be used especially for defense, where normal weapons had no chance to harm it no matter what.


    Even if his own power somewhat weakened on the beast¡¯s defense, with his current rank, Khal shouldn¡¯t be able to injure the beast. Yet, he not only did injury it, but ended up cutting its entire head off, which was an insanely frightening feat! And to top it off, he did all of this with a power he had never seen before!


    ¡°Strange¡­ That power just now, it felt neither his Talent nor any Secret Art I know¡­ Then what was that light just now?¡±


    While troubled to find out the truth behind the silver light, Khal sat down next to the beast¡¯s corpse and after its corpse turned into a yellowish substance, he started to consume it.


    ¡°!?¡±


    When Logan saw this sight, he not only looked troubled but speechless too. He just saved Khal¡¯s life and instead of thanking him, what the very first thing Khal did was to consume the Beast Essence that partly he helped to obtain.


    ¡°Well, he killed it in the end, so I guess it is fine.¡± thought Logan with a shrug, not really caring about the fact that Khal started to consume the Beast Essence without his permission.


    If Logan wanted to, he could kill hundreds of Third Stage Beasts with a single attack and get their Essence, so losing one now didn¡¯t really matter to him.


    ¡°But still, it is strange. Razor Hounds can never be found around this region, so howe this one was here?¡±


    As Logan thought about this with furrowed brows, Khal fibally opened his eyes and stood up.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 8 Beast Essence!]


    The voice in his head made Khal to hum with satisfaction and nce at Logan calmly.


    Feeling that Khal has finished consuming the Beast Essence, Logan looked around and said nonchntly, ¡°It seems this ce is no longer safe. We should head back.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Khal knew that things truly did get out of control for a bit, so leaving for the time being should be the best option. With a serious nod, Khal stepped closer to Logan and watched him waved his hand, causing the space around them to twist and shake. And just like that, he found themselves back in Moon Academy.


    ¡°For the time being, you can do wh-.¡± started to talk Logan calmly, when suddenly, a loud voice cut into the middle of his sentence, causing both him and Khal to turn their heads toward the voice.


    ¡°Finally found you! This master wants to challenge you for your key¡¯s ownership right now! Your only answer is yes!¡±


    Before the two, a boy who was a full head smaller than Khal stood proudly, with crossed arms before his pushed-out chest. His tiny nose was pointing toward the clear blue sky above, showing his massive amount of arrogance.


    He had short ck hair pointing upward, giving others an illusion he was taller even though he was not, while his brown eyes showed absurd determination and courage.


    Khal seeing the boy before him nced at Logan, but noticing his teacher¡¯s simple shrug he asked, ¡°And you are?¡±


    However, the moment he asked this, the boy didn¡¯t reply instantly but started tough loudly, and just only after causing Khal to look at him with a confused gaze did he point at him and talk.


    ¡°My name is Angor Fernax and I will be the one who will crush you, so you better prepare yourself!¡±

 Chapter 51: Insane Courage

    Chapter 51: Insane Courage


    Khal was startled by what he just heard.


    Just now, a boy who was a whole head smaller than him said he will crush him, which was quite surprising. Of course, he would not dare to underestimate anyone in this world because that would only mean the end of his life, but still, it was a bit funny to the point where Khal couldn¡¯t hold back his smile.


    ¡°What? You dare to underestimate this master of yours?¡± squinted Angor his eyes in an instant at Khal, showing he was ready to fight at any given second.


    Khal, realizing his mistake waved his hand around quickly and said, ¡°No, no, not at all. I was just¡­ Surprised, that¡¯s all. Just surprised.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Angor however didn¡¯t really believe in what Khal just said and snorted.


    ¡°What arrogance! It seems I must teach you a lesso-.¡±


    *p!*


    However, even before the little boy could have finished talking, suddenly a hand appeared from the side, pping his head with such strength that it made Angor lean forward.


    ¡°Oi! What was that for?¡± frowned Angor angrily as he held his head in pain and nced up at the man who just smacked his head.


    ¡°Learn manners!¡±


    *p!*


    ¡°Argh! H-Hey!¡±


    While Angor staggered forward because of the second p, a muscr man with short ck hair stepped forward and looked at Logan.


    Naturally, this man was no one else but Raffin, the very first teacher who chose Andre yesterday. His whole being was just as dominating as ever, still holding an insanely powerful aura that Khal has never seen before.


    ¡°I apologize because of this rascal¡¯s behavior, I will be sure to teach him what real manner is!¡±


    ¡°Who is the rasca¡­¡± started to say Angor angrily, but instantly as he noticed Raffin¡¯s piercing re he decided to stay silent.


    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s little Raf! You seem as fit as ever, how are you?¡± smiled Logan happily and extended his arm forward to shake hands.


    ¡°!?¡±


    When Khal and Angor on the side heard that Logan called Raffin as little Raf, who was in fact older than him, they didn¡¯t know how to react.


    In this world, it wasmon knowledge that the older one was, the bigger and stronger power they held. So because of that, respect was a must. But even if one was aplete idiot and ignored that fact, it was an unwritten rule to respect your elders if you wanted to avoid unnecessary problems, so hearing just how Logan called Raffin left the two utterly dumbfounded.


    And what was even more confusing that for some reason, Raffin didn¡¯t show even the slightest of irritation by what he had just heard, but simply smiled back at Logan and grabbed his hand!


    He let the whole matter go without caring!


    ¡°Greater than ever. And as I can see, you have be even stronger too! Haha! If you have the time, I hope we can spar sometime!¡± said Raffin with a radiating smile as he shook Logan¡¯s hand with a firm hold.


    ¡°For sure! It was long ago since I fought against you, so I would dly ept your offer.¡± replied Logan with the same delighted expression like he just reunited with his long-lost brother.


    However, what Khal and Angor did not know, that below those happy facades, what transpired was an insanely huge, but invisible war. It was a battle to assess the other¡¯s strength with nothing more but their very own Essence!


    Just only after learning how strong the other one became did the two let go of each other¡¯s hand, but even after that, they stayed silent for quite a while.


    ¡°So? Your discipline wanna fight with mine?¡± asked Logan, breaking the silence with another smile.


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Raffin and crossed his bulging arms before his wide chest. He stood there like he was able to support the skies if it was about to copse just by his own body alone.


    ¡°I see. I was about to do other things, but if this is the case, I can¡¯t refuse. Let¡¯s go.¡± said Logan and after ncing at Khal, he started to show the way toward the arena.


    Raffin and Angor started to follow Logan in silence, while Khal stayed behind for a bit and sighed. He knew that he had no choice because if once one challenged him for the right of his key, he must ept.


    ¡°Well, if he has the courage to challenge me, he must be strong right?¡± thought Khal with a nonchnt expression and was about to step forward, when suddenly a sharp pain prated into his right ear.


    ¡°What the¡­!¡± started to say Khal, however the moment he raised his hand to check what happened, Khal¡¯s eyes widened with shock.


    With surprise, he activated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes and looked at his right ear. There, what he could see was a small, morous earring, made out of shining ck crystal.


    ¡°Huh? Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡± thought Khal as he realized that it had the exact same look and shape his weapon had before it had been destroyed by the Razor Hound. The only difference however was that it was a mini version of it, while the ck crystal had a deeper shade than before.


    Just as he was about to see if it truly was what he thought, suddenly Logan¡¯s voice sounded in his ear.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± replied Khal quickly and caught up with the three, but deep inside, he was still extremely confused.


    He could clearly feel that the earring on him emitted a gentle power, exactly the one he used to kill the Razor Hound. To feel that power from his earring that had a strange connection with his body, made Khal wonder.


    ¡°This should be because of that Ember Core I obtained, right? Just what is an Ember Core?¡± thought Khal and started to ponder.


    Naturally, Logan and Raffin noticed the change in him too, but didn¡¯t say anything. Whatever Khal found troubling was not their business, and to tell the truth they didn¡¯t really care about it.


    Instead, they continued to stay silent as they walked forward and it wasn¡¯t long when they finally arrived before the same building where Liza fought with Janna.


    ¡°We have arrived.¡± told Logan and pushed the door open, revealing the colossal arena with a circr tform in its middle.


    However, when Khal entered the building, he wasn¡¯t surprised because of the massive sight before him, but instead the hundreds of people around the ce.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    As they walked in, Angor on the side noticed Khal¡¯s stupified expression and pushed his chest out with pride.


    ¡°Surprised? I told my friends to invite everyone they know, so they can witness as I crush you with my power!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When hearing this, not just Khal, but even Logan and Raffin looked at Angor in silence. Asked your friends to invite everyone they know? And just only to show off your power before hundreds of people? Just how much courage does this little boy have?


    Proud, Angor grinned widely like a kid amazing his parents and with steady steps walked forward, ignoring the sharp stares from both the experts and Khal.


    ¡°Hey look, he finally came!¡±


    ¡°Oh? So he is the one who challenged that guy for de Mountain¡¯s right? Is he strong?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you see? With such determined expression and posture who would think he is weak? Also, look at his Cultivation Tattoo! He is on the Third Cultivation Stage!¡±


    ¡°What? Oh my God, you are right! He is truly on the Third Cultivation Stage!¡±


    People started to talk among each other loudly, causing the whole ce to turn noisy in an instant.


    Normally, Khal wouldn¡¯t care about what others talked about, but when he heard that Angor was on the Third Cultivation Stage, he turned silent.


    He didn¡¯t notice it before because he didn¡¯t check it, but now that he paid greater attention to it, he was able to see three thin lines under each other on Angor¡¯s wrist. The first two lines went around his wrist fully, while thest one was only a small dot, showing that Angor had broken into the Third Cultivation Stage not long ago.


    ¡°Never judge a book by its cover, huh?¡± sighed Khal after realizing his mistake and nced at the little boy again, but this time with seriousness.


    ¡°In the future, I need to be way more careful.¡± thought Khal and instantly after his expression turned calm once again, he walked forward.

 Chapter 52: Moon Robe

    Chapter 52: Moon Robe


    With a nonchnt face, but determined eyes, Khal walked to the middle of the tform, causing the crowd to be vibrant instantly.


    ¡°Oh, look! There hees!¡±


    ¡°So he has the V.I.P key for de Mountain? Huh? Wait, howe I can¡¯t feel anythinging from him? And also, what is that uniform?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, true. Now that you say it, he has no presence at all. And that white costume¡­ Strange¡­ Why does he have a different one than us?¡±


    While several people discussed spiritedly just what Khal¡¯s Cultivation Stage and his white uniform could be, there were a few that just looked at Khal in silence.


    Among the hundreds of onlookers, almost 90% just came to watch a great fight, but the rest came for specific reasons.


    For example, Andre, another student of Raffin, came to see the battle just because he was intrigued by Angor. In his eyes, those who were able to reach the Third Cultivation Stage were no simple individuals, so he wanted to know just how strong he was.


    As for Alde, Liza and Nate, who sat among the spectators too, came to watch only because of Khal.


    Especially Alde. When he heard that Khal had been challenged, he instantly came here to find out Khal¡¯s power. Since the moment Alde saw Khal the very first day after the enrollment day, the memory of him being mmed to the ground by him re-surfaced once again.


    Just thinking back how humiliated he felt made his teeth to tter in pure rage. That¡¯s why he sent assassins to murder him, but for some reason, his assassination failed and what¡¯s more, Khal was able to sessfully enroll in Moon Academy! No matter how much he wanted to kill him right now, because his family¡¯s hand couldn¡¯t reach inside Moon Academy, he could do nothing but wait for the right opportunity to get his revenge.


    ¡°Just let me see what your true strength is. Once I figure out your weakness, I will torture you to the point you will beg for my mercy!¡±


    On the other hand, Liza and Nate came because they only wanted to see Khal¡¯s performance. Liza already knew what kind of Talent he had, but Nate didn¡¯t. To tell the truth, he didn¡¯t even think Khal would be able to enroll, let alone getting a V.I.P key. That¡¯s why he came in the hope to witness his power.


    ¡°How strong is he?¡± asked Nate curiously next to Liza as he watched the two experts taking their ces on the sides.


    ¡°In my opinion, no one can beat him in close range thanks to his Talent, but I fear he will have a hard time with that boy.¡± answered Liza as he looked at Angor on the side.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I dunno.¡± shrugged Liza, ¡°I just feel he is exceptionally powerful.¡±


    As Nate heard this, he turned to look at Khal, and a slight smile emerged on his face.


    ¡°So not only was he able to get his Talent and a key¡¯s right, but he was also able to obtain that uniform. This guy is way more interesting than I have first thought.¡±


    While people chatted with each other, on the very top of the arena, two figures were standing next to each other in the shadows, staring at the tform in silence.


    ¡°So it¡¯s actually real. That man truly gave away the Moon Robe to someone like him. To a boy, who failed to obtain a Talent at the Ceremony.¡±


    Jane, who always seemed calm no matter what looked at Khal with a frozen expression, while in her eyes a mysterious light was swirling gently.


    Scarlett, who stood next to her nodded in agreement. She too was stunned when she noticed the uniform on Khal, but unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t do anything about it.


    ¡°Once the Moon Robe had been given to a student, no matter if heaven copse or hell rises, from that moment on, it will be rightfully his. Logan obtained it from us fair and square, so it is his own choice who he gives it to. But to think he would choose someone like him¡­ Unthinkable!¡±


    Both women knew what the Moon Robe indicated and that is why both of them looked at Logan like aplete idiot. To think he gave something as valuable as that to a nobody like Khal, both of them felt anger, depression, and worry.


    Yes, worry. They felt concerned because the Moon Robe meant only one thing¡­ The very future of Moon Academy!


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we won¡¯t regret this in the future.¡± sighed Scarlett helplessly, knowing there was no point of thinking about it now.


    As the two watched in silence and the crowd spoke noisily while waiting for the battle to begin, Khal stopped exactly 100 meters away from Angor and stood still.


    ¡°I hope you are ready! This master here will crush you in no time at all and obtain the right for de Mountain!¡± with a proud smile, Angor pushed his chest out, showing his arrogance all to see.


    Yet, even after Khal heard this he didn¡¯t get mad at all. He knew that Angor was a whole Stage above him, so theoretically, he was the stronger here. He had everything he needed to be this arrogant before so many people, it was not a question.


    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t dare to speak? First, youugh at me when I challenge you and now you tremble in fear because you know you will lose before hundreds of people? How ironic!¡± snorted Angor with disdain and smiled smugly, ¡°But don¡¯t worry, if you kowtow before me and beg for forgivness, I will go easy on you so you won¡¯t cry in the end. How about it? Sounds like a deal, right?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Instantly as those words sounded, the boisterous crowd quietened down, causing the surrounding to be dead silent. The whole ce became so silent that even a pin drop could have been heard as clear as day.


    Everyone did meet with different kinds of people in their lives, but none of them met someone as boastful as him. This guy put the definition of arrogance to a whole new level!


    ¡°This scoundrel¡­ I definitely need to teach him a lesson after this battle ends.¡± thought Raffin with a thick vein popping out of his neck and turned to look at Khal. However, the moment he did, his eyes widened slightly.


    On the other side of the tform, Khal was standing as calm as the calmest monk, ignoring everything Angor said with a nonchnt face.


    If it were anyone else, Raffin was 100% sure they would have be blinded by anger and irritation, but strangely Khal didn¡¯t. He stood still in one ce, giving others a kind of feeling that he was the calmest river in the world.


    No matter what Angor said in the hope to make him lose his cool, Khal just ignored everything like he didn¡¯t even hear it.


    However, what neither Raffin nor no one else noticed, that Khal¡¯s calm gaze, was in fact, the very vestige of an approaching storm.


    Since Khal knew himself, he did nothing whenever one bullied him but just smiled. He always let himself be the trash, the one who pleased other¡¯s needs, even if it meant being humiliated before hundreds of people.


    Naturally, that was all because he had no power to defend himself against people who were exactly like Angor or Alde in his past life. But luckily, things werepletely different now. Not only did he get a second chance to start everything over, but he had the power too. He had precisely everything that it took to beat those who looked down on him and prove he had worth.


    And that is exactly what he will do now. Show not only Angor, but everyone present that he had worth!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you are one or two Stages above me, once you offend me, bear the consequences!¡± with flickering eyes Khal raised his hand gently before his chest, while a voice sounded in his head.


    [Notify! Utilizing ¡®Ember Core¡¯ Devil Fangs!]

 Chapter 53: So? Where is it?

    Chapter 53: So? Where is it?


    [Notify! Utilizing ¡®Ember Core¡¯ Devil Fangs!]


    With a ck sh that was practically invisible to the bare sight, the earring on Khal¡¯s right ear moved and flew into his hand.


    *Swish!*


    In no time at all, a ck crystal weapon that represented a hybrid weapon between a dagger and a shortsword appeared, causing the surrounding to explode with a huge uproar.


    ¡°He has a weapon associated Talent? But what is that weapon in the first ce? It looks so ugly!¡±


    ¡°Ugly? Your mother is ugly! That weapon looks exceptionally morous let alone its powerful aura!¡±


    Hearing as people spiritedly talked around them, Liza, Nate, Alde, and Andre stared at the weapon in Khal¡¯s hand with curious gazes and started to examine it.


    However, not even a secondter as they did, a loud sound appeared from somewhere the spectators, turning everyone¡¯s gaze at Khal¡¯s body.


    ¡°But hey, why is that I still can¡¯t feel his Cultivation Stage? He has no presence at all!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When people started to realize that Khal truly had no cultivation presence at all even after summoning a weapon, the surprised whispers changed into confused and pondering murmurs.


    Jane and Scarlett on top of the arena on the other hand didn¡¯t look confused nor did start to ponder, but instead, looked terrifyingly wooden that it was almost scary. Both women knew that what Khal had in his hand was neither a normal weapon nor his Talent, but something that not even they knew about. Even Raffin and Logan on the side red at the weapon in Khal¡¯s hand like something they have never seen before.


    ¡°Just what is that?¡± wonder surfaced onto Logan¡¯s face, trying to find out the origin of that weapon.


    Naturally, he knew that the dagger in Khal¡¯s hold was exceptionally simr to the one he used back then, but that weapon was destroyed. That¡¯s why seeing the same weapon in Khal¡¯s made Logan not only surprised, but confused.


    ¡°Strange. That weapon has the exact same presence¡­ Wait, don¡¯t tell me!¡± widened his eyes Logan, after the sudden realization that the weapon in Khal¡¯s hand was, in fact, the very one thing that helped Khal kill the Razor Hound!


    ¡°But how?¡± was the only question currently in Logan¡¯s head, but soon a gentle light shed in his eyes and a smile emerged onto his face.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    ¡°Oh? So you have Talent rted to weapons? Then what?¡± said proudly Angor and took up an attacking posture where his body was slightly looking to the side and his left leg and hand were on the front.


    ¡°Before absolute power, no matter what Talent you have, the only thing that awaits you is defeat!¡±


    Khal hearing this didn¡¯t look irritated nor mad at all, but instead closed his eyes and smiled gently.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you will say the exact same thing after this battle ends!¡±


    Instantly as those words sounded, Khal opened his eyes wide, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes to everyone present.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°Huuuh??!¡± Scarlet who always looked and acted undisturbed all this time, now was unable to hold back her shock and looked at Khal like a ghost. This guys, who she thought was nothing more but trash, now shocked her to utter speechlessness!


    Jane was the same, but because she had a stronger personality than Scarlett she was able to control her behavior, but she too was unable to hide her shock. Deep in her calm eyes, if one looked closer they would be able to see a glint of awe and amazement.


    However, not everyone could act as calm and collected as Jane, and this had been shown right away in the arena.


    Every person in the coliseum screamed up with surprise and stared at Khal with dropped jaws and widened eyes. Their mouth was so wide open that even 2 huge eggs could have been ced into them without a problem!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    On the other hand, Angor didn¡¯t look shocked nor as cocky as he did previously, but now his attitude changed 180 degrees and showed unsound gravity.


    At first, when he saw that Khal¡¯s Talent was a weapon, he was extremely happy, because those with such Talent were the perfect enemies for him. It was not a lie to say he was the nemesis to all Talent associated Cultivators.


    But now things were different. The very instant as Khal red at him with his eyes, Angor felt indescribable tension. Looking at those sky blue eyes with the crimson slit in their middle, Angor felt that no matter what he will try, he won¡¯t be able to touch Khal.


    That feeling alone made him know, that even though Khal was a Stage below him, he needed to act with seriousness.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Logan noticed that both sides were finally ready, raised his hand and spoke, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s the fight for the V.I.P key¡¯s right begin! Both sides remember well, except killing, everything is allowed. Now then, get ready!¡±


    Instantly as that sounded, a key with a blinding light appeared above the sky, showing everyone present that the fight now will truly begin.


    Seeing the key above his head, Angor¡¯s mouth slightly curved and said, ¡°Well, even if you have so many secrets, I will still win!¡±


    ¡°Ready? Fight!¡±, shouted Logan, instantlymencing the battle.


    *BOOM!*


    At that very moment, as Logan¡¯s voice sounded, Angor¡¯s body vanished, and with a loud explosion appeared before Khal punching toward his chest.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Everyone in the arena looked at this sight with widened eyes, hardly believing what they just saw. Like the very embodiment of God of swiftness, Angor moved and passed more than 100 meters in a single instant! His speed was inhuman!


    ¡°That guy is dead. There is no way to react to such speed!¡±


    ¡°Indeed. Maybe that kid acted arrogant a few moments ago, but he has the power to back it up. With such speed, I fear there is no one who canpete with him.¡±


    Liza and Nate looked at this sight with worry, while Andre¡¯s face showed no reaction at all. He sat motionlessly in one ce like a rock, with a face that showed not the slightest of emotion.


    On the other hand, Alde looked at this sight with a wicked expression. He looked so happy that he seemed almost like he was on cloud nine.


    ¡°Serves you right!¡±ughed Alde with an evil grin, but the next second his smile froze onto his face.


    Just when Angor¡¯s fist would have been smashed into Khal¡¯s chest, the weapon in Khal¡¯s hand moved and with a metallic sound opened wide.


    *ng!*


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    Angor who looked arrogant all this time stiffened up instantly and watched as his fist was stopped by Khal¡¯s weapon as easily as taking a breath.


    ¡°How?¡± thought Angor with shock and nced up. Yet, the moment he did, what waited for him was a pair of ice-cold re, looking down at him from behind the fan.


    Seeing those eyes ring at him, Angor felt a chill run down his spine and wanted to move, but before he had the chance Khal did.


    *Swish!*


    With the help of his fan, Khal pushed Angor¡¯s arm high up into the air, resulting in his stomach being fully exposed, and with a powerful kick sent Angor¡¯s body flying, making his body to crash into the tform with a loud ¡®boom¡¯.


    ¡°So? Where is that ¡®absolute power¡¯ you talked about?¡± asked Khal quietly, turning the whole ce dead silent in an instant.

 Chapter 54: Devil Fangs

    Chapter 54: Devil Fangs


    The whole ce became so silent that even a quiet sneeze could be heard as a wild thunderbolt.


    Even Jane and Scarlett looked at this scene with frozen expressions, hardly believing that they saw the earlier things right.


    Both of them knew and understood that Angor¡¯s Talent was associated with speed, letting him move with such velocity that it was rtively hard to follow.


    However, they also knew that this Talent alone wouldn¡¯t be difficult to counter, but Angor found out a hidden potential of his Talent. He realized, that by using the momentum his Talent created, he could achieve power that could be easilypared to any other person with a body strengthening Talent! Just a single punch from him could end anyone¡¯s life on the same Cultivation Stage let alone those below him!


    Yet, Khal not only aplished to defend against Angor¡¯s crazy attack, who was a whole Cultivation Stage above him, but even did a sessful counter-attack! He kicked Angor away like a piece of garbage, ignoring the absolute fact that he was above him in Stage!


    And what is more, not only did he kick him away, but he even asked where the so told absolute power was that Angor talked about a few minutes ago. This wasplete madness!!


    Although expressionless but surprised, in Jane¡¯s eyes, a faint glint shed and vanished at the same time, while a soft curve emerged on the corner of her mouth.


    However, what neither Jane nor no one else knew, that the weapon in Khal¡¯s hand was in no ordinary mean normal.


    Maybe not fully, but Khal finally understood a few things about his weapon, which in fact, was the Ember Core.


    As far as he understood, Ember Core and Power Core were two different things. While Power Core could be only used through his bracelet, Ember Core was a whole part of his body. After it fused with him back in the forest, Khal realized that it becamepletely one with his body.


    He couldn¡¯t describe it, but he somehow felt that an Ember Core became his Talent, but at the same time, it couldn¡¯t be called as Talent. This was mostly obvious because when he used it, it didn¡¯t let out any presence at all, but he felt he could make it stronger if he himself became stronger too.


    *Crack!*


    *Crack!*


    Standing up from the debris his body created, Angor wiped the trail of blood from his mouth and put up his attacking posture once again.


    ¡°I underestimated you. You are way stronger than I have thought.¡±


    Upon hearing this, people started to whisper among each other, but the very next second Angor¡¯s voice sounded once again, turning the whole arena once again silent.


    ¡°But what I said is true. Before absolute power, you can¡¯t do anything but bow your head! And I will show you right now!¡±


    After what happened with Angor, people would believe he wentpletely crazy, but the expression he showed made them doubt their thoughts.


    Those determined eyes without any slight of arrogance or exaggeration, showed them maybe he truly had a way to win. As for how, they didn¡¯t have a clue.


    ¡°Then I hope you can it show me.¡± told Khal calmly without the slightest of underestimation and with a delicate flick of his hand, he turned his fan back into the shape of a dagger.


    *ng!*


    As the metallic sound wailed in the air, inflicting a heavy pressure onto the arena, Angor nodded and said, ¡°Here Ie¡­¡±


    *Crack!*


    *BOOM!*


    Leaving a deep crater in his wake, Angor¡¯s body shed and appeared on the right side of Khal, kicking toward his waist like a whip.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even though he didn¡¯t look at it with his eyes precisely, but Khal was still able to see everything Angor did. Watching with a calm expression as the boy kicked toward him with a power that could smash even a huge boulder into dust, Khal lowered his hand to his side and blocked Angor¡¯s leg with his weapon.


    *BOOM!*


    The impact was so great the ground below Angor¡¯s feet cracked, yet even like this, Angor was unable to prate through Khal¡¯s fan.


    ¡°tsk¡­¡± clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction, and without wasting another second, Angor vanished and reappeared before Khal.


    *BOOM!*


    But just like his previous two attempts, this one too got stopped by Khal¡¯s fan, causing Angor¡¯s expression to pale even more.


    ¡°This master won¡¯t believe he can¡¯t touch you!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    *BOOM!*


    *BOOM!*


    One attempt after another, Angor¡¯s body shed around Khal¡¯s body from time to time like a phantom, leaving behind wide cracks and deep pits after every attack. However, no matter how many times he ambushed or tried to go through Khal¡¯s defense, Khal somehow always reacted in time and with the help of his weapon, blocked every endeavor of his.


    To think he was unable to touch even his clothing, made Andor clench his teeth in anger and push himself to his limit even more.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The onlookers on the other hand looked at this sight inplete silence. No one talked, but watched in silence as Khal, without moving even a single step forward, blocked and pushed Angor¡¯s onughts like they were nothing more but mere jokes.


    And what was even more shocking, that he did all of that without looking at Angor! He just dazed off into the distance with a nonchnt face, unknown what he was thinking!


    ¡°Just who is he? Is he truly on the Second Cultivation Stage?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°Damn¡­ That little boy has no chance of winning at all. Just what is that weapon? How can it deflect all those powerful attacks?!¡±


    As people whispered amidst each other in wonder, Angor gave another punch at Khal from the back, but that also was defended off without difficulty like any of the previous ones.


    ¡°Hah¡­ Hah¡­ Hah¡­¡±


    Breathing heavily because overusing his physical limit, Angor clenched his teeth and put up another attacking posture, ¡°I will show you! I will definitely win!¡±


    Saying that with unshakable determination Angor was about to continue his attack, when suddenly Khal moved.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Angor and everyone around watched as Khal turned around slowly, and stared at Angor with a calm gaze. However, right at the moment, those pair of eyes from Angor¡¯s view were the very eyes of the evil, piercing right into his soul!


    ¡°You are strong.¡± started talking Khal calmly, causing Angor¡¯s body to flinch unwittingly, ¡°But unfortunately, you lost the very moment you acted arrogantly.¡±


    And with that, Khal raised his fan to his side and with an expressionless face, said, ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Instantly as those words sounded, a mysterious silver light enveloped the abyss ck fan, causing the 4 experts¡¯plexion present to change quickly.


    ¡°Not good!¡±


    *Swish!*


    *KA-BOOM!*

 Chapter 55: Victory

    Chapter 55: Victory


    Instantly as Khal swung his fan, the mysterious power that engulfed his weapon broke forth, making Angor¡¯s legs to tremble slightly.


    *KA-BOOM!!*


    As the terrifying power burst out of Khal¡¯s fan, the ground before him cracked and turned to dust, while the air twisted and turned like snakes, creating wind des as sharp as des.


    However, just as the attack could have reached Angor¡¯s trembling figure, Raffin¡¯s muscr body appeared from out of nowhere, blocking the whole attack with nothing more but his bare physique.


    *BAM!*


    *CRACK!*


    The impact was so great, that the ground around Raffin and Angor cracked and turned to debris, but except that, nothing fatal happened. Raffin stood before Angor like an immovable mountain, ignoring the crazy storm that assaulted his bare body with nothing more but an expressionless face.


    The frenzied attack went on for a small while, and when finally everything turned back to normal, the whole ce became dead silent.


    *Drop¡­ Drop¡­*


    As everyone stared at Khal like some kind of ghost or devil from hell, slowly a continual noise started to soun, making everyone to turn their heads toward Raffin who was still standing before Angor like a Guardian.


    *Drop¡­ Drop¡­*


    ¡°This¡­ Are you kidding me?¡± screamed up suddenly a guy from the spectators as he watched Raffin¡¯s cheek start to bleed slowly.


    When Raffin heard this, he raised his hand gently and touched his cheek, realizing that he was truly bleeding.


    ¡°!¡±


    People one after another realized the weight behind this, causing the whole arena to be increasingly noisy like they just witnessed something incredible.


    ¡°This guy¡­ Haha! I can¡¯t believe him!¡±ughed Nate with a wide grin as he looked at Khal on the tform.


    Liza too looked happy, but her happiness was more than a relief than joy. Since the very start of the battle, she was worried about Khal¡¯s safety, because his opponent, after all, was a Third Stage Cultivator. Everyone knew that those who were above in Cultivation Stage than others were stronger and no matter what would happen, they always beat the ones below them.


    She felt anxious even when Khal sessfully countered Angor¡¯s every attack, but luckily, when he used his fan¡¯s mysterious power, that worry of herspletely vanished.


    ¡°It seems I overreacted a bit. That¡¯s right, why wouldn¡¯t he win? Didn¡¯t I believe in him? He is strong, so no matter if his opponent is a Stage above him or not, he can still win!¡± sighed Liza with relief as she smiled gently.


    On the other hand, Alde¡¯s expression was theplete opposite. His face was so overshadowed, that one would believe the skies above turned dark. Right at the moment, he felt such anger that he has never felt before.


    ¡°That useless trash! Killed because of an unknown man in silver robe my ass! He was the one who killed the assassins and not a stranger!¡± hissed Alde angrily, realizing that Khal fooled not only him, but everyone else too.


    After he found out that Khal somehow survived his assassination attempt, he sent one of his men on purpose to find out what happened, but it seemed it was useless. Not only did he fail to kill him, but he even failed for a small lie! It was simply unforgivable!


    ¡°Khal Nevio¡­ I swear, I will f*cking kill you!¡±


    Jane and Scarlett on top of the arena however didn¡¯t look mad, angry, nor happy at all. Both of them looked at Khal on the tform with calm gazes, realizing that what they believed so far about this guy was nothing more but false thoughts.


    ¡°Just what was that attack previously? In level, it was definitely on the Second Cultivation Stage, but then how was it able to harm Raffin?¡± furrowed her delicate brows Scarlett, trying to figure out what could have happened just now.


    ¡°For that question, not even I know the answer.¡± replied Jane as calmly as a monk, but deep in her heart, she was in turmoil.


    She was the typical Cultivator who put knowledge before everything else. Since she could remember, she read thousands of books learning every inch of mystery this world could provide for her. Because of that, she met and learned millions of interesting stuff, but a thing like this was her first to see.


    Not even her years of knowledge could find a proper answer to just what happened now and this is why inside, she was deeply shocked.


    ¡°I need to learn more about this kid. Now that I think about it, one of his friend is my pupil.¡± thought Jane calmly and a smile emerged on her face.


    On the tform, Khal watched with surprise as, before him, Raffin touched his left cheek, which had a small, bleeding wound on it.


    Just now, he used his Devil Fang¡¯s true strength, which worked exactly in the same way as his previous weapon did just before getting destroyed. By channeling a small amount of his Essence into his weapon, Khal could shot at enemies small Essence bullets, or if he wanted, in exchange for a bigger amount of Essence, he could create a huge explosion, just like how he did now.


    The only difference however was between the attack¡¯s power. Never in his wildest dream would have he thought that the current explosion would be this powerful! It was almost 5 times stronger than the original one!


    By making a small wound on a powerful expert like Raffin, showed that his Devil Fangs were exceptionally powerful. What would have happened if he channeled all of his Body Essence? Cut off one of Raffin¡¯s limbs or even kill him? That question put Khal into quite a serious deliberation for sure.


    As he looked at his blood on his fingers, Raffin strangely started to smile, but only for a second. After a while, his serious attitude came back once again, and nced at Khal.


    ¡°You have won fair and square. The key¡¯s right is yours.¡±


    *Swish!*


    Instantly, the key moved from the air and with a white sh vanished into Khal¡¯s pocket, indicating he won the right to keep the key.


    ¡°Thanks for the Respected Elder¡¯s help!¡± bowed Khal respectfully at Raffin seeing this and without a single thought walked toward the exit.


    Logan on the side did the same too and with a spirited wave toward Raffin, he followed Khal out, leaving everyone else behind in the arena.


    When the two left, the spectators realized sadly that the fight was over, so moved too and among spirited talks left the viewing area one after another.


    Watching as people left slowly, Raffin turned to look at Angor behind him and with a terrifyingly calm grin, asked, ¡°So? Where is that absolute power?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    As the two left the building, suddenly Logan walked beside Khal and said, ¡°Great job. You were remarkably good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you very much! You tter me.¡± answered Khal with a smile, but deep down he was thankful that Logan didn¡¯t start to question him.


    If he decided to ask him about his weapon and how did he injure Raffin, he had no clue at all how he would exin things.


    As the two walked inside Moon Academy in silence both if them in their own thoughts, suddenly Logan stopped walking, making Khal to halt his movement too.


    ¡°I decided it.¡± said suddenly Logan as he looked at Khal before him.


    ¡°Decided what?¡± asked Khal, looking at his teacher with confusion.


    Logan however just grinned and raised his finger, ¡°I thought it would be too early because of your Cultivation Stage, but after seeing your strength, I¡¯m pretty sure you will do just fine.¡±


    ¡°What should that mean?¡± furrowed his brows Khal even more, not quite understanding what Ligan was talking about.


    ¡°I mean, we will start epting your very first mission!¡±

 Chapter 56: Accepting Mission

    Chapter 56: epting Mission


    ¡°Missions?¡± asked Khal with surprise upon hearing that and after seeing his teacher¡¯s nod as a reply, he started to ponder.


    He clearly understood what missions were and that is why he was startled to hear that they will start epting missions in Moon Academy.


    Missions were in fact, quite simr to the quests and tasks that the Cultivator¡¯s Organization put out for people toplete in Moon City.


    However, there was a slight difference between Missions that were epted from Moon Academy and Quests received from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization. As it wasmon knowledge, people could only ept tasks if their Rank was on or above the quest they wanted to ept. Anyone with a Rank that was below the specific quest they wanted was prohibited from epting it or needed to find a party or partner that had a rank above the quest¡¯s rank. Naturally, the rewards they get then will be split equally among the members, which sometimes was worth it, but sometimes not.


    But in Moon Academy, this was not the case. No matter if your Rank was above or below the epted Mission¡¯s level, once you receive it you canplete it. It was 100% your responsibility which mission you choose and the Academy won¡¯t forbid anyone from epting any of the missions.


    Why? Because just like in real life, no one knows what the future holds. Once you take a step forward, maybe you will find yourself in tons of gold, but there was also the possibility that you will die during a fight. There won¡¯t be others telling you what you should or should not do and this is how Moon Academy exactly works. Every step you take, you need to learn how to bear the consequences of your actions no matter what.


    In Khal¡¯s point of view, this system was a bit harsh, but at the same time to most logical, especially in this world where every action came with aftermaths. If not like this, how will those cultivators that always stay behind the Academy¡¯s safe walls learn what it means to ¡®take responsibility for your own actions¡¯?


    The answer was easy. Nohow.


    Also, there is another reason why it was a good choice to take missions. While the Cultivator¡¯s Organization only gave herbs, crystals, Secret Arts, and other valuable items as rewards, Moon Academy¡¯s mission gave money to cultivators too. Naturally, the harder the mission you ept was, the more money you could get.


    ¡°And what I need right now is exactly money¡­ I ampletely broke right now¡­¡± thought Khal with a helpless sigh and nced at Logan.


    Since the very moment he entered Moon Academy with Liza, he had not a single coin that would let him buy food or drinks, let alone stuff that he would need or wanted in the future.


    He already thought about a way to find money, and decided he will find a side job too, but first, taking on a mission was not a bad choice at all. Especially not that the one helping him was a powerful expert from Moon Academy!


    ¡°So, what kind of mission do you want me to ept?¡± asked Khal with aroused interest.


    However, Logan didn¡¯t answer to Khal¡¯s question, but simply grinned and turned around.


    ¡°Just follow me and you will see it.¡±


    ***


    ¡°This ispletely unforgivable! Principal Jas, please think about it once again! That boy is unqualified to keep the Moon Robe!¡± a man in a ck suit was standing in a huge room, his hand hardly pressed against the desk¡¯s surface before him. It was quite visible that the man was one of Moon Academy¡¯s teachers, yet, for some reason, looked exceptionally mad.


    Jas, who sat behind the desk with his eyes closed and hisplexion as peaceful as the stars at twilight, opened his mouth slowly and said quietly, ¡°Connor, please calm down. There is no reason to be this heated over something like that.¡±


    ¡°WHAT?! There is no reason?! We¡­ No, that man just gave Moon Academy¡¯s future right into the very hands of a boy who failed to obtain a Talent in the Ceremony! How could I act calm after learning this? Do you truly believe that man did the right choice?! If you don¡¯t do something about this matter in an instant, then I can promise I will!¡±


    The man called Connor clenched both sides of the desk with such power that it caused his huge fingers to turn pale, while on his neck, thick veins started to pop out one by one.


    Jas, who sat still until now in one ce like a calm Buddhist Monk, suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the man before him in silence. His eyes showed an intense amount ofposure, but at the very same time annoyance too. If his eyes would have had the ability to talk, right now, they would say ¡®one more word and I will kill you¡¯.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Connor who was just about to explode like a volcano because of his raucous anger, suddenly noticed Jas¡¯s dagger-like stares, and like someone just threw him into ice-cold water, he calmed down and backed away in an instant.


    ¡°I¡­ am truly sorry for my behavior. I stepped over a line that I never should had. Please forgive my foolishness! I will take any punishment, even if it means to be expelled from this Academy!¡±


    Jas after watching as Connor bowed before him sincerely, acknowledging the foolish mistake he just did, sighed and just waved his hand.


    ¡°If you know your mistake then it¡¯s good. But I don¡¯t want to see nor hear something like this ever again in the future let it be about this matter or something else. I won¡¯t tolerate such begner before me and there won¡¯t be a next time, understood?¡± asked Jas quietly, but in Connor¡¯s ear, that voice was as loud as thunder, making his body tremble unconsciously.


    ¡°Understood! I promise that there won¡¯t be next time!¡± bowed Connor politely once again and was ready to leave, but suddenly the room¡¯s door burst wide open and a man ran inside hurriedly.


    ¡°Big news! Big news! That boy, Khal Nevio¡­ He won his first match against Angor Fernax!¡±


    When Jas and Connor heard this, both of their faces turned confused, not understanding why this was such big news.


    In Moon Academy there were hundreds of cases daily where cultivators challenged each other in the hope to get stronger, so hearing that Khal won a challenge, which was in fact was for the key¡¯s right, was not such a big deal at all.


    For them, right now it seemed like someone shouted that he won the lottery, but turns out he only just won 10$. It was not even a feat that was worth mentioning.


    Or rather, they thought like this until the very moment the man didn¡¯t continue with his next sentence, causing the two to fell intoplete silence under a single second.


    ¡°He seeded to injure Angor¡¯s teacher, Raffin Cote!¡±


    ***


    Somewhere in Moon Academy, inside a spacious and cozy building, Khal and Logan were standing before a huge hologram screen, looking at missions one after another.


    On the enormous screen, that was almost as big a room¡¯s wall, thousands of missions could be seen next to each other, waiting for people to ept them for great rewards.


    ¡°Boring¡­ Boring¡­ Pfft, too easy¡­ What the hell is this? Haha! Is this a joke?¡­ Boring¡­¡±


    Khal on the side watched Logan with an expressionless face as he swiped through dozens of missions, saying ¡®boring¡¯ or it was ¡®an easy mission¡¯.


    ¡°This is pathetic¡­ There are really not a single good missions today that we could ept or what?¡± scratched Logan his head with a kind of troubled expression and swiped to the next mission.


    /Mission: Find medical herb ¡®Green Snake¡¯ in Shadow Woods./


    ¡°Why all of these missions are so¡­ Simple? There is not a single hard one. Even if there are, those are hard only for First Stage Cultivators.¡± sighed Logan helplessly.


    So far, he swiped through around two hundred of missions under 15 minutes, but for some reason, each of them were an easy one. Some asked to collect herbs, some were about to help others in cultivation and there were even some that asked to find lost items! It was simply outrageous!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe there is not a single one I want!¡± said Logan with a deep frown and swiped to the next mission.


    However, instantly as he did, his eyes brightened up likenterns under the night sky, andughed up happily like a little kid who found his lost toy.


    ¡°Haha! This one! This will be just perfect! Haha! I knew I will find one!¡±


    Khal who almost fell asleep because of pure boredom suddenly woke up and looked at the screen before him.


    ¡°What is it? Something good?¡± asked Khal curiously and stepped closer, but the instant he did, his expression froze up.


    /Mission: Kill 5 Gold Hawks on Moon Mountain./

 Chapter 57: Shadow Woods

    Chapter 57: Shadow Woods


    /Mission: Kill 5 Gold Hawks on Moon Mountain./


    The very moment as Khal read the sentence out loud that was on the screen as clear as day, his whole body stiffened up like he had just been thrown into freezing water.


    Moon Mountain was the highest hill that could be discovered not far away from Moon City on the east. Rumors said that when the sun was high above the clouds, it was as gorgeous as a well-painted scenery, putting anyone into a captivated daze, just after a single nce.


    However, this beauty vanished in the very instant when dawn came and the moon emerged onto the starry night sky. Like falling from a sweet dream into an unforgettable nightmare, the whole Moon Mountain gets flooded with creatures on or above the Third Cultivation Stage, while not even a single creature below that could be found there.


    And out of the many creatures that lived there, one of them was the Gold Hawk, which cultivators referred to as the King of the Skies.


    When Khal was in the library, reading and getting knowledge about this world, one of the very first things he had learned about was the characteristics and traits of the Gold Hawks.


    Even though that it was a creature on the Third Cultivation Stage, thanks to its speed, it was able to y even weaker creatures on the Fourth Cultivation Stage!


    But not only was it insanely quick, but it had a special ability called Gold Toxic. It was an incredibly lethal toxin that once getting into the victim¡¯s body, it made the blood to slowly turn into a gold-like substance, causing its victim a slow, painful, but certain death.


    And that is why Khal was not only shocked, but a bit scared too. If he needed to kill 1 or 2, then he definitely would ept it, but 5? He was not even on the Third Cultivation Stage and now Logan wants him to kill 5 creatures that were considered as terrifying predators of Moon Mountain? Was it some kind of joke, because right now, Khal hoped that it was.


    ¡°This will be the one.¡± smiled Logan as he stepped to the side, letting Khal to ept the mission.


    ¡°This? Can¡¯t we just find something else?¡± asked Khal with a wry smile.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°But I-.¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the two looked at each other in silence, Khal closed his eyes and sighed.


    ¡°At least tell me why this one then.¡±


    Logan pointed at the screen and exined, ¡°Just look at the rewards and you will understand it right away.¡±


    With furrowed brows, Khal turned his gaze at the screen once again, but instantly as he did, both of his eyes widened in great surprise.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    ? Mission Reward:


    ¨C 10.000 pieces of silver coin!


    ¨C 1 Cultivation Rank Promotion! (Only below Rank C!)


    ¨C 1 freely selected Secret Art from Moon Academy! (Only below Expert Level!)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The three rewards left Khalpletely speechless. Let alone the fact that his Cultivation Rank will be promoted from F Rank to E Rank afterpleting the mission, but he will be also rewarded with 10.000 Moon Coin and 1 free Secret Art!


    Did the world just go crazy or did he hit the jackpot? In either way, it would bepletely foolish not to ept such a mission even if it meant risking his life!


    ¡°With 10.000 coins, I am pretty sure that I won¡¯t need to worry about food and drinks for a few months.¡±


    In this world, both cultivators and normal people used coins as currency. No matter how strong you were, if you had no money, you were as good as a dead person. Buying food, drink, Secret Arts, potions, weapons, and even more, one needed money, so coins were almost as essential as one¡¯s life. It could be said that it was the second most important resource after Beast Essence!


    ¡°I understand. I will ept this mission then.¡± said Khal and touched the ¡®ept¡¯ word on the right bottom corner of the screen.


    *Swish!*


    With a silver light, Khal watched as his Cultivator¡¯s Badge flew out of his pocket and while it hovered before his face, small words started to form on it one by one.


    /Mission: Gold Hawk Hunt/


    ? Gold Hawk killed: 0/5


    ¡°Now that you have epted it, every time you kill a Gold Hawk, the badge will automatically detect and count it. Once you have killed 5 Gold Hawks, the only thing you need to do is toe back and collect the rewards.¡± exined Logan on the side with his arms crossed before his chest.


    ¡°I see. Then let¡¯s go, I can¡¯t wait to receive the rewards!¡± smiled Khal and walked toward the exit, but seeing Logan¡¯s standing figure turned around.


    ¡°What? Did something happen?¡± asked Khal as he furrowed his brows in confusion.


    ¡°No, nothing happened at all.¡± waved his hand Logan, ¡°You just go. I will wait for your arrival here, but be sure toe back after 3 days. I hope you don¡¯t want to lose the right to keep your key.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Oh¡­ Haha! You thought I will help you kill those creatures?¡± smiled Logan, making Khal realize one crucial fact he forgot in an instant.


    In this world the only way to be truly strong if he ovees obstacles only with his own power without any external help, including his teacher¡¯s assistance.


    Also, Logan was not his guard who always protected him, but his teacher who was there for him only to teach him things he didn¡¯t know or protect him only when things were truly out of his league.


    And maybe this mission he has epted was hard to the point where it could put his life in danger, it was definitely not out of his league. Especially with his Devil Fangs and Heaven¡¯s Eyes, Logan knew that if Khal was careful enough, he couldplete this mission quite easily.


    With a deep sigh, Khal shook his head realizing his mistake, and after turning around, waved his hand around.


    ¡°Not at all, I was just simply confused. Now then, if you excuse me, I¡¯m off.¡±


    Watching as Khal¡¯s shadow disappeared in the distance, Logan smiled and closed his eyes.


    ¡°In the future, there won¡¯t be others to hold your hand and protect your life. To be powerful, you must learn how to protect yourself from dangers. Also¡­¡± as Logan thought about the Moon Robe he gave Khal, a slight curve emerged onto the corner of his mouth and chuckled, but the next second a sudden realization hit him.


    ¡°Ah! I forgot to tell him not to climb too high onto the mountain¡­ Well, nevermind it now. He knows the danger of Moon Mountain, so I¡¯m pretty sure he will be fine.¡± shrugged Logan, and without giving it a second thought turned around to leave.


    However, what neither he nor Khal noticed, was that on the other side of the hall, behind a small pir, Alde was standing motionlessly with a terrifyingly wicked smile etched on his face.


    ¡°This could be a perfect opportunity.¡±


    ***


    Stepping out of Moon Academy¡¯s territory then right through Moon City¡¯s gates, Khal turned toward the east and walked toward Moon Mountain with steady steps.


    Because the sun was still high up in the sky, he wasn¡¯t in such a hurry, because the creatures only appeared at night, so instead, decided to go hunt for weaker creatures to consume their Beast Essence and strengthen his Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    Since the moment he reached the Second Cultivation Stage and fought against Angor, Khal noticed that quite a few changes happened with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    First, the radius where he could detect his surroundings expanded from 5 meters to exactly 6 meters. Maybe the difference was not big, but during a fight, even an inch could determine about his life or death.


    But the biggest change he discovered wasn¡¯t that, but instead something even greater. Until this moment, while his Heaven¡¯s Eyes were able to detect anything inside of its radius as clear as day, without making things move slower in his eyes. It only bestowed him a greater reaction speed than normal people.


    So if he would have fought with Angor when he was still in the First Cultivation Stage, he was 100% sure he would have lost. Even if his reaction speed was enhanced by his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he still wouldn¡¯t have been able to react in time to those insanely fast assaults, let alone block them.


    However, now that he reached the Second Cultivation Stage thispletely changed. Not only did his reaction speed became faster when using his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, but even the things that entered his detection radius became significantly slower.


    That was the sole reason why he was able to defeat Angor, who was a whole Cultivation Stage above him, and not because he used some kind of secret skill. Naturally, his Devil Fangs did y an important role during the fight, but Khal was quite sure that even without its help he would have won.


    ¡°I need to reach the next Stage as fast as possible. I can¡¯t wait to see what new things will wait for me then.¡± thought Khal with obvious excitement and walked toward a forest in the distance, that was not far away from Moon Mountain.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Shadow Woods!¡±

 Chapter 58: Plant Beasts

    Chapter 58: nt Beasts


    Shadow Woods. One of the many ces around Moon City that was considered as a safe zone until one was at least on the First Cultivation Stage.


    The sole reason why it was considered a safe area was because of the beasts inhabiting it. Almost 95% of the creatures popting the forest were on the First or Second Cultivation Stage, giving anyone an easy chance to kill weak Beasts and consume their Essence without breaking a sweat. However, because of this reason, Shadow Woods was raided with hundreds of cultivators on a daily basis, so the fight over the creatures and their Essence was insanely intense.


    But even knowing this fact, Khal decided to go there and try his luck. Naturally, he hoped for a peaceful hunt without the need to fight others over Beasts¡¯ Essence, but if he needed to, he will.


    However, this hope of his almostpletely vanished when he reached the outer part of Shadow Woods. Right before his eyes, hundreds of people were talking or walking in the forest, while fighting against small beasts.


    ¡°I knew it will be upied, but to think to such extent?¡± murmured Khal with a bit of helplessness as he looked around.


    He could see tons of cultivators alone or in groups almost every hundred meters, filling the forest almost to the absolute brim! The sight was simply crazy and at the same time shocking!


    ¡°What should I do? I still have loads of time before dawn¡­ Should I just leave and search in the proximity or try my luck?¡± as Khal pondered on this question, watched the hundreds of cultivators before him, and shook his head.


    ¡°No, first let¡¯s check the deeper parts of the forest. Maybe I will have luck and find a few creatures. If not, then I will leave and head towards Moon Mountain right away.¡± with that thought in mind, Khal took his first step forward and started to walk towards the inner part of Shadow Woods.


    Passing groups and individuals with steady steps, Khal watched different groups fighting against creatures, while some individuals were consuming the Beast Essence they have earned. There were even a few that was arguing about who should consume the Beast Essence, which was quite a funny, but pitiable sight.


    ¡°To fight over a single Beast Essence¡­ Totally useless and just a waste of ones time.¡± sighed Khal and quickened his steps.


    However, even after walking in a straight line for close to an hour, Khal was unable to see a single creature in his proximity which was quite confusing. There were no cultivators who came as deep into the forest as he did, so from his point of view, he should have at least seen a few creatures.


    But no matter where he looked, he was unable to see a single soul. It seemed he simply walked miles into the forest, just to find nothing. How funny and yet sad!


    ¡°Is there really nothing left for me here? Did others came before me and killed the creatures? No, that¡¯s definitely not the case.¡± wondered Khal as he halted his steps next to a tree and looked around.


    Currently, he walked so deep into the woods that the surroundings around him became exceptionally shady to the point where the path before him was enveloped with great darkness, making the sight before him exceptionally hard to see.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal nced at the sight that sent shivers down his spine and pondered. Even though Shadow Woods were considered as a safe zone for cultivators to kill weak creatures, there was one single rule that everyone needed to know about this forest.


    If you were below the Fifth Cultivation Stage, avoid the darkness at all cost!


    Around 90% of Shadow Woods were like any normal forests without any exceptional danger, however, the remaining 10% of it was regarded as an extremely dangerous zone.


    Shadow Woods was filled with weak creatures that couldn¡¯t even reach the Third Cultivation Stage, giving beginner cultivators the perfect ce to hunt. However, thingspletely changed when one reached the inner part of the forest.


    The deeper one dared to go into the woods, the darker the ce would be, which meant only one thing.


    ¡°nt Beasts.¡±


    nt Beasts, just as their name suggested, were beasts in the form of nts. Though, they weren¡¯t dangerous because they had a physique of a nt, but because they were able to be one with their surroundings and disguise their presencepletely.


    For example, there was a scary nt Beast in the eastern parts of the Federation, known as the Bamboo Snake. It was a Beast on the Sixth Cultivation Stage which body was entirely made out of bamboo, letting him be the perfect and most terrified predator of the Bamboo Forests. Just a single bite from it could cause certain death and it was said that it was able to crush massive boulders just with its physical strength alone. Once trapped in its grasp, one could only pray for the Gods above for forgiveness and painless death.


    However, even though they were such a frightening species, they had one, extremely huge and obvious weakness. They hated the light, let it be either sunlight or moonlight. And because of this, nt Beasts lived inside caves, under deep water like at the bottom of the oceans or seas, or like in forests such as Shadow Woods.


    And because Shadow Woods¡¯ innermost part was so dense that neither sunlight nor moonlight was able to enter, the ce was the perfect territory for nt Beasts to inhabit.


    Khal knew all of these thanks to the books he had read in Moon Academy, and that is why he decided to stop right there and then. Continuing his journey forward with his current strength would be nothing more but a foolish suicidal attempt.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just forget it. Maybe not as easily as I could have been here, but I will definitely be able to find creatures on Moon Mountain too.¡± Khal turned around as he said that and was about to leave, when suddenly noticed something dropped down before his feet.


    *Drop¡­ Drop¡­*


    ¡°?¡±


    Watching as drops of red liquid fell before his feet one by one, Khal knitted his brows tightly, but when a gentle breeze holding a sour odor hit his nose, his eyes widened extra wide and moved.


    ¡°Sh*t!¡± without lifting his head up to see what was above him, Khal leaped forward and at the same time activated both his Heaven¡¯s Eyes and Devil Fangs.


    *BAM!*


    And as soon as he did jump forward, a huge explosion broke out where he just stood a moment ago, turning the solid ground into broken debris and smashed soil.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Before Khal, a creature representing a gigantic spider almost as big as a house descended from the huge tree above, while from its abdomen thick silk, almost as wide as an adult human wasing out, holding firmly its enormous silhouette from high above.


    When Khal saw the creature his pupils shrunk needle-thin, while the emerging sight behind the creature made hisplexion to turn ghastly pale in an instant.


    ¡°Oh¡­ God¡­¡±


    On the very top of the tree behind the beast, Khal was able to see several human-sized cobwebs with arms, legs, or headsing out of them, while dried-up blood flowed out from their interior through the small gaps, falling onto the ground below.


    However, if this sight alone wouldn¡¯t have been blood-freezing enough, as Khal turned his gaze into the distance, he watched as almost on top of each tree tons of cobwebs appeared one by one, each holding one or more corpses in it. Just thinking about that each of them was holding a single body, which could be either human or beast, made Khal¡¯s expression to turn even paler.


    ¡°Just how did I not see something so noticeable like that?¡± thought Khal with bean-sized sweats forming on his forehead.


    Although he didn¡¯t activate his Heaven¡¯s Eyes to see his proximity with greater details, but he made sure to scan his surroundings non-stop, including the sky too. So there was no way in hell that he would have missed something so obvious as this sight, especially not from this close distance.


    ¡°Just what is happening here?¡± squinted his eyes Khal, but the next second his question had been answered.


    The very moment the creature noticed that it has missed its target, it raised its massive legs out from the smashed ground it just created and turned its disgusting gaze toward Khal who was still standing in one ce. A few secondster, the spider gave out a hollow cry and moved, but strangely, not in a way that Khal would have anticipated.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Instead of attacking him right away, the spider decided to climb back up while its enormous body and the cobwebs around it started to slowly turn transparent, and in the end, vanish from his sightpletely.


    ¡°Ah? Wait¡­ What? It has disappeared!?¡± screamed up Khal with great surprise, but the very next second raised his guard and started to scan his surroundings with sharp eyes.


    He realized that right now, he was right inside a terrifying Beast¡¯s territory, so the slightest mistake could cause the end of his life.

 Chapter 59: Ghost Spider

    Chapter 59: Ghost Spider


    The sight, as the spider which was as massively huge as a building vanished before his very eyes made Khal¡¯s face turn pale as a sheet of paper and raise his guard instantly.


    All around the whole world, there were millions of terrifying creatures each having their chilling and creepy aspects, but none of them were as fearsome and brutal as the Ghost Spider.


    Ghost Spiders were considered nt Beasts on the Third Cultivation Stage, but because of the unusual ability that let them venture below sunlight and moonlight, they were ssified instead as Beasts. They were able to make their whole body and silk turn invisible for a small amount of time, not only giving them protection from light but also gave them a huge advantage during their hunt.


    Ghost Spiders¡¯ ability was extremely scary and it worked exceptionally well against unperceptive victims. If one was not careful enough, it was rtively easy to fall into their traps and die without knowing what happened.


    But even though Ghost Spiders were considered terrifying Beasts, they asionally lived in deep caves and not in forests! To think that fate made him encounter such a scary creature on the very first of his mission couldn¡¯t be said was unlucky, but instead as a disastrous coincidence!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    While scanning his surroundings with 120% concentration, Khal decided to carefully and slowly start to back away. He knew that fighting against such a creature with his current strength would only lead to his demise, so the best choice now was to retreat nice and slowly. Yet, he didn¡¯t even take half a step back when suddenly the air on his left side moved, making his sky blue eyes to widen with rm in a split second.


    ¡°!¡±


    *ng!*


    *BOOM!*


    The only thing Khal was able to do was to lift his hand and use his Devil Fang as a shield, however, the power he anticipated, unfortunately, was at least greater by two levels, resulting in his back crashing against a tree in the distance with a loud ¡®bang¡¯.


    ¡°Argh!¡± as Khal¡¯s eyes went extra wide because of the pain, while below that deep shock emerged onto the surface, only one thing appeared in his mind.


    ¡°Fourth¡­ Stage¡­ It¡¯s on the Fourth Cultivation Stage!¡±


    To think that not only did he meet with a Ghost Spider in a forest, a ce where it shouldn¡¯t have appear at all, but it turns out it was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage! Just how bad did his luck be? Did he offend the Gods in the heavens and now they decided to get their revenge on him or what?


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely not a joke. I need to get out of here as soon as possible!¡± with clenched teeth, Khal stood up and started to run toward the direction where he just came from, yet not even as he took half a step forward, the air above his head vibrated once again and a gust of cold wind hit his face from the side.


    *ng!*


    *BAM!*


    An unpleasant noise sounded from Khal¡¯s body as he was mmed onto a tree in the distance once again, while his hand holding his fan trembled uncontrobly.


    After taking two consecutive strikes head-on from such a terrifying beast, Khal was pleasantly surprised he was still alive let alone the fact that his weapon was in one piece!


    With a painful moan that was instead a quiet growl, Khal stood up and ignored the pain inside his body, while only one thing lingered inside his head.


    To leave this hell no matter what!


    Or wanted to leave, but the very next second he wanted to move the air above his head quivered just like the previous two times, turning his expression ashen in an instant.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± shouted Khal with irritation and channeled half of his Body Essence into his fan.


    Thest time when he used his weapon¡¯s special power during his fight he ended up injuring Raffin, an expert above the Fifth Cultivation Stage, so how could a creature that didn¡¯t even reach that rank resist such an attack?


    Or at least that was what he thought, but his hope was shattered like porcin the very moment he swung his weapon. As the silver light broke forth from his fan, creating hundreds of razor-sharp wind des, the creature¡¯s leg that was currently half-visible this time moved and twisted like a snake, attacking Khal from apletely different direction.


    ¡°!?¡±


    *ng!*


    *BOOM!*


    Bones breaking and blood flowing, Khal crashed onto a tree once again, forming a huge dent behind his back, but in contrast to the previous two times, this time he remained on the ground with ragged breathing.


    The fan inside his tight but shivering hold started to show small cracks on its surface, while trails of dark-red blood oozed out from the corner of his mouth. Bones inside his body broke, especially a few of his ribs, while the muscles on both of his legs and arms spasmed from time to time in pain.


    It was quite apparent that after the third blow, Khal¡¯s weak body had been put on the verge of copsing.


    But it was not a surprise at all. To begin with, Khal¡¯s body was way weaker than anyone else on the same Stage so instead of being scared, he should be shocked how he was still alive. Against a creature that was not one, but two whole Cultivation Stages above him, it was God¡¯s blessing he didn¡¯t die a long time ago.


    ¡°Chatter¡­ Chatter!¡±


    With blood-freezing and soul tightening sound that was almost simr to sharp teeth slowly chattering against each other, the Ghost Spider¡¯s gigantic figure appeared above Khal¡¯s unmoving figure, gazing at him with hundreds of eyes at the same time.


    ¡°Get up!! Get up!!¡± roared Khal inwardly as he watched the gigantic creature¡¯s stare, but no matter how hard he tried, his body didn¡¯t heed to his will. He just sat there motionlessly with his back against the tree, ready to be killed at any given moment.


    Right now, he was like a pig ready to be ughtered.


    ¡°Chatter¡­ Chatter!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m so dead!¡± Khal¡¯s pupils shrunk needle-thin in fear and watched as the spider moved and was ready to swallow him down in one single bite.


    But just when he thought the reaper woulde and collect his soul, Khal noticed as a crimson sh appeared from the corner of his eyes and with a huge ¡®boom¡¯ exploded into the Ghost Spider¡¯s face.


    ¡°Schreeech!!!¡±


    With a cry that would make even the dead to stiffen up during its eternal sleep, the Ghost Spider¡¯s colossal body fell down heavily onto the ground, shaking the whole area like it was a small earthquake.


    ¡°Schreeeaach!!!¡±


    As crimson mes enveloped the creature¡¯s body, slowly turning its face into scorched ash, the Ghost Spider stood up on all 8 and with a deafening cry; like a berserk beast started to retreat toward the darkness.


    Watching as the massive silhouette hew down the thick trees in its wake like they were nothing more but grass, Khal breathed in a mouthful of cold air and turned his gaze to his side.


    ¡°Oi kid, are you alright?¡±


    A foot or two away from Khal, a man around histe twenties was standing calmly, staring down at him with a questioning look.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Hearing no answer from Khal, the man crouched down next to him and waved his hand before Khal¡¯s eyes slowly, while asking in a louder voice, ¡°Hello? Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯m fine.¡± nodded Khal, but it was totally apparent he was not fine at all.


    The man naturally noticed this too together with Khal¡¯s paleplexion so sighed slightly and put his hand into his pocket.


    ¡°Here, eat this. It will help you recover rtively fast.¡± said the man with a smile as he took out a pill from his pocket and handed it over to Khal.


    The pill was rtively small, almost as tiny as a bean and had a half-transparent shade with small greenish-ck beads inside it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Khal with a bit of suspicion because he never saw a pill like this, but still went and took it away from the man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it is not a poison or anything. It is called Emerald Marble. Although, its quality not the best you can find out there, but it will definitely help you recover from your injury once you eat it, I promise.¡± smiled the man with a face that could make even the slightest suspicion in one¡¯s heart vanish in a single instant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal watched the man¡¯s face for quite a while in silence trying to figure out his hidden motive, but in the end, sighed and raised his hand.


    ¡°Well, if he wanted to harm me, he would have already done it. In my current state even if he tries to attack me, I don¡¯t really have what it takes to resist him, so there is no need for me not to ept his offer.¡± thought Khal as his suspicion vanishedpletely and one single motion swallowed the pill down.

 Chapter 60: A Request

    Chapter 60: A Request


    *Gulp!*


    With a single swallow, Khal ate the pill and leaned back onto the tree behind him. At first, he didn¡¯t feel anything special, but as time flowed in silence suddenly a strange sensation appeared throughout his whole body that slowly turned the pain inside his bones and muscles into a pleasant one.


    ¡°So this is what an Emerald Marble could aplish? Such a powerful pill!¡± thought Khal with awe as he closed his eyes and inspected his insides.


    The broken rib bones around his lungs slowly moved like they were pushed and pulled on strings and melted back to their original ce, while the muscles inside his body also started to stop twitching. All this happened in a short span of time while Khal felt nothing more but pleasant sensations all over his body!


    ¡°Haha! See? I told you this pill will help you recover in no time at all.¡±ughed the man next to Khal as he stood up crossed his arm before his chest.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ You were truly right.¡± Khal was surprised and stunned by the effect of the pill and lifted his gaze only to see the man grinning at him widely, showing his snow-white teeth.


    Before, he had no time to inspect the man because of the pain he felt, but now that he felt like a newborn baby again he could finally take a proper look.


    The man before him was in histe twenties. He had long ck hair that reached almost the middle of his neck, while on his face a small beard was fully in view. His honey-brown eyes showed confidence while his smile made one¡¯s mind to feel at ease. He was wearing a ck robe with a crimson red pattern all over it, indicating that he was not from Moon Academy, but from somewhere else.


    ¡°Here, let me help you.¡± smiled the man as he extended his hand toward Khal to help him stand up.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ncing at the palm that was showing assistance Khal thought for a small while but still decided to stand up on his own. It wasn¡¯t because of rudeness or anything special, but simply because his pride didn¡¯t let him. He was saved yes, but now that he was doing perfectly fine it would feel wrong for him to ept the man¡¯s help once again.


    ¡°Thank you for your help. How can I call you?¡± asked Khal as he patted the dust off his clothing after he stood up.


    ¡°The name is Moras,¡± answered Moras as he pulled his hand back and watched Khal¡¯s figure.


    ¡°So it¡¯s Moras.¡± nodded Khal and making sure he was clean lifted his gaze, ¡°Then Moras, thank you again for your help. How can I repay you?¡±


    Surprised by Khal¡¯s serious attitude, Moras couldn¡¯t find the words he wanted to say next so stayed silent and started to ponder. Only after a small whileter did he open his mouth and ask, ¡°How about you help me kill a few creatures?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Khal upon hearing this looked astonished not quite believing what he just heard. He was saved from a creature that could hunt anyone on or below the Fifth Stage, got a miraculous pill that restored his health and repaired the broken bones inside his body and he asked to help him kill creatures as repayment? Did he heard it wrong or did this man went out of his mind?


    To make it sure he didn¡¯t hallucinate things and heard it right, Khal raised his left eyebrow slightly and asked, ¡°Umm¡­ Say that again?¡±


    ¡°Haha! You heard it right. Just simply help me kill a few creatures and we are equal.¡±ughed Moras happily as his eyes turned into a shape of a crescent moon.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Even after hearing Moras say the same thing as before, Khal could hardly believe it. Just who in their right mind saves someone just to ask them if they could help them hunt creatures instead of money or something even valuable? No one, right?


    ¡°Are you sure about this? Just now, I was almost killed by a creature and I needed your help to survive. Maybe I can¡¯t give you money right now, but I will definitely give it to you if you give me enough time.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t need money.¡± Moras soon his head gently as he said that, showing that he discarded Khal¡¯s idea quite seriously.


    ¡°Then how about items? Or are you truly happy with my help alone?¡± asked Khal as his face showed a bit of confusion mixed with his surprise.


    ¡°Yes, I just need your help and nothing else.¡± grinned Moras once again, showing that he had no hidden motives at all.


    Watching Moras before him in silence, Khal could just sigh helplessly and ask, ¡°I see. Then tell me the details. What kind of creature do you n to kill?¡±


    ¡°Haha! That¡¯s what I like to hear!¡± smiled Moras and raised his index finger, ¡°It is nothing special at all. The creature I want to y is called Diamond Beetle, a beast that resides on Moon Mountain.¡±


    The name Diamond Beetle wasn¡¯t new for Khal either. It was a Beast that was on the Second, but sometimes on the Third Cultivation Stage and upied the bottom of Moon Mountain in great numbers.


    However, even though they were low in Cultivation Stage, their defense was top-notch. Thanks to the exoskeleton on their bodies that was almost as hard as diamond, not even creatures on the Fourth Cultivation Stage had what it took to damage them, let alone kill them.


    ¡°And you want me to help y such a creature that not even that spider would have had the chance to kill? I told you, I am on the Second Cultivation Stage,¡± told Khal with shock.


    ¡°I know and I don¡¯t want you to be the one to kill it. The only thing you need to do is to distract its attention while I get close to it.¡±


    When Khal heard this his eyebrows involuntarily raised and surprise appeared in his eyes, ¡°Wait, you are that strong? What Cultivation Stage are you on?¡±


    ¡°Oh, me? I¡¯m currently on the Fourth Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    While Khal set off toward Moon Mountain with Moras in the hope to y a few Diamond Beetles, Liza was calmly sitting on the shore of a beautiful and crystal clearke.


    She was sitting in a lotus position with her delicate eyes gently closed, while the air around her gently twisted and turned in a mysterious manner.


    As time flowed slowly while only theke¡¯s gentle tide could be heard, Liza, with her eyes still closed, slowly stood up and put both of her hands next to her waist.


    *Freeze!*


    Dropping the temperature below zero almost in an instant, a sword made out of jade ice materialized in her clenching grasp while a small crimson luminance was visible around its edge.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    *Swish!*


    *BOOM!*


    With a speed that was almost invisible to the bare eye, Liza swung her sword drawing a crescent line in the air, causing theke¡¯s surface to split open and forming a huge explosion in the middle of theke.


    ¡°Still not enough? It seems I truly need a weapon associated Talent to bring out its full potential.¡± murmured Liza with visible disappointment in her voice as she opened her eyes slowly.


    However, if anyone would have seen this sight, especially Janna, they would have dropped to their knees because of pure fear alone. Just now, Liza did something that wouldn¡¯t have been achieved in normal means; she just used one of the most powerful and most protected Secret Arts of the Silvercut Family, Heaven sh!


    But even though that she somehow aplished to use it, it was apparent that she was only able to achieve 60% of its full potential. But that 60% alone was already perfect because once again, it would have been impossible for normal people to learn such a powerful Secret Art just by a single nce.


    Yet, Liza not only did copy it, but she also sessfully utilized it up to its 60% potential! It was crazy¡­ no, it was madness itself!


    ¡°Well, much better than nothing.¡± sighed Liza and turned around, only to find Jane standing not far away from her in silence.


    ¡°She was able to enter Fairy Ind without my permission?¡± thought Liza with surprise, but as she thought about it, it was only natural for teachers to enter their student¡¯s room space without permission.


    As she thought about this she smiled and with her hands cupped before her chest she bowed politely.


    ¡°Master, how can I be a help to you?¡±


    Jane who stood there from the very beginning and saw everything from start to finish, a brilliant light appeared deep in her eyes and vanished the very next second.


    ¡°I just came to check on you, but as I can see you are perfectly fine,¡± said Jane calmly as she walked next to Liza¡¯s side and gazed at theke in silence that was still in turmoil because of the previous attack.


    Raising her gaze, Liza looked at her teacher in silence and waited patiently for her to continue. She knew that if a powerful expert like her master decided toe here wasting her precious time, it was definitely for a cause and not for a simple check on.


    Silence filled the ce and when the raging water finally calmed down, Jane turned her strict gaze at Liza and opened her mouth.


    ¡°What is your rtionship with Khal Nevio?¡±

 Chapter 61: Diamond Beetle

    Chapter 61: Diamond Beetle


    ¡°What is my rtionship with Khal?¡± Liza was surprised by the unexpected question and didn¡¯t know how to reply to that.


    Khal and she were like siblings but without any bloodline connections. They have known each other since childhood thanks to their parent¡¯s friendship. Her father and Khal¡¯s dad met with each other during the Talent Ceremony and since then, they not only experienced good and bad moments together but also fought in hundreds if not thousands of life and death battles. Their bond was more than friends; they were sworn brothers.


    And because of their parents so close friendship, Liza and Khal were together almost all the time. They yed together, cried together, fought each other, and even pranked their parents together if the time was given. No matter what memory she tried to recall, there was not a single one where Khal wouldn¡¯t be there.


    As Liza thought about the old days she spent with Khal her delicate face turned soft while a gentle light shed in her eyes. But for some reason, that happy expression that made even Jane, a strict person, feel happy, suddenly turned sour and sorrowful.


    It was because Liza suddenly remembered the day when everything changed; when that ¡®incident¡¯ happened. They lost everything. Their homes, loved ones, the status as a noble, but most importantly, their happiness, which was especially true for Khal.


    Ever since that day, the cheerful and optimistic Khal turned cold and emotionless. It was like something inside him snapped, turning him into apletely different person she knew until this moment. There was not a single day that hatred, grief, or bloodlust was not visible deep inside his eyes.


    Just the sole picture of that Khal made Liza¡¯s chest tighten in anguish, like someone held and clenched her heart with an ice-cold touch.


    ¡°What is my rtionship with him?¡± muttered Liza quietly as the old and the current Khal¡¯s image slowly ovepped in her mind, giving her twopletely different feelings.


    ¡°We knew each other ever since we were young and even though we had times where we barely talked, I think our current rtionship should be considered as great.¡±


    As Jane listened to this nodded her head slightly and averted her gaze. Watching the crystal clearke before her that could put even the most chaotic soul at ease, Jane crossed her arms behind her back and asked in a gentle voice, ¡°Can you please tell me more about your pasts?¡±


    When Liza nced at her Master, an indescribable feeling enveloped her mind. The strict aura around Jane in her eyes somehow vanished and what appeared instead was only a sensation of admiration and trust. She stood there like a mother, like a Guardian who was ready to listen to her whatever she was about to say. This feeling alone made Liza¡¯s mind to be put at ease and nod her head without a second thought.


    ¡°En.¡±


    ***


    Outside of Moon City about 5 miles away toward the east, a great mountain rose above the creamy white clouds above in the distance, while the moon in its full glory emerged behind it slowly, enveloping the boundless starry sky above and the vast world below with its gentle light.


    At this time, two figures¡¯ shadows could be seen walking up slowly on the foot of the mountain that was filled with huge trees, with a visible aim in their mind.


    ¡°As you know, creatures onlye out when the moon appears in the sky. That is one of the reasons why this ce is called Moon Mountain.¡± exined Moras in a calm manner while he pushed a few branches aside from his way.


    ¡°One of the reasons? Why? Is there something else?¡± asked Greg curiously as he followed Moras closely from behind while scanning his surroundings non-stop.


    What happened back in Shadow Woods finally made Khal fully realize that he was no longer in his old world where one died only by old age or because of an ident. No, he was in a world where everything could happen and everyone, including him too, could die in a single instant if one wasn¡¯t careful enough.


    ¡°Every step I take and every decision I make now have bigger consequences. This is no longer the life I lived for the past 17 years; but apletely new one where everything has a harsher and crueler cause.¡±


    Just like how Miss Mary died because of his surge of emotions and also how he almost got himself killed twice because he thought nothing would happen, Khal understood he was the very reason for everything that happened so far.


    And at this very moment as Khal realized his unforgivable mistakes, slowly and unseen, something finally started to change inside both of his mind and heart.


    Moras who led the way all this time nced back at Khal and chuckled quietly, ¡°You don¡¯t need to act that carefully. We are currently at the very bottom of Moon Mountain and only creatures on the First and Second Cultivation Stage will appear so you can rest assured, nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°I thought the very same thing when I entered Shadow Woods, yet, I was almost killed by a creature that shouldn¡¯t have been there in the first ce.¡± replied Khal instantly, while never removing his eyes from his surroundings.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    When Moras heard this he opened his mouth to say something but realized he was unable to find the words. What Khal just said was true; Ghost Spiders shouldn¡¯t have appeared in forests, especially not in Shadow Woods so his current state was only natural.


    ¡°Still, now we are not in Shadow Woods but on Moon Mountain. If we don¡¯t ascend this mountain too much and step over a certain point, we should be fine.¡± told Moras as he averted his gaze back to the front but immediately stopped the next second.


    ¡°What? Did som-.¡± asked Khal instantly, but stopped in mid-sentence as Moras showed him to be quiet.


    ¡°Look there,¡± whispered Moras as he pointed toward his left.


    Khal turned his gaze where Moras pointed at, but didn¡¯t see anything special. Just a normal rocky wall with small, fist-sized holes on its surface.


    ¡°What should I see?¡± Khal asked as he squinted his eyes, but still was unable to see a thing.


    ¡°Just look closer and you will see ¡®it¡¯.¡±


    ¡°It?¡± knitted his brows Khal in confusion, but still did as he was told and concentrated his vision on the sight before him.


    ¡°!?¡±


    After waiting patiently for seconds minutes, suddenly Khal¡¯s eyes noticed a slight movement in the tiny gaps, making him to squint his eyes even more.


    ¡°Zzzik¡­ Zik¡­ Zikkk¡±


    With a strange and rough sound that was simr to that of a buzz, a creature with a size of a fist emerged through the ravine and looked around.


    ¡°Diamond Beetle!¡± said Khal instantly as he recognized the beast before him.


    It was a tiny creature representing a beetle, almost as big as a human fist. However, the most eye-catching aspect of the beast was not its size, but the beautiful and shining, diamond-shaped exoskeleton on its body. Simply looking at the creature made one believe that it was truly a diamond, walking on tiny legs.


    ¡°Amazing!¡± whispered Khal with awe as he inspected the creature¡¯s natural beauty, but the very next second his awe turned into shock, then into stupified expression.


    Immediately after the first Diamond Beetle arose from the gap, suddenly another head popped out from the hole next to it, then another from the third one, then it was followed by a fifth and sixth one. One by one, tiny heads emerged from the mountain¡¯s wall one after another, flooding the whole area in seconds with their crazy numbers.


    ¡°So¡­ Many¡­¡± Khal was unable to hide his shock as he watched the hundreds of tiny Diamond Beetles surged forth from the gaps like waves of a raging ocean, filling the once empty space before him to the absolute brim!


    Right now, the sight before him was like he looked at a smallke, but instead of water, it was filled with small pieces of diamonds moving here and there like tides!


    The sight was both mesmerizing and at the same time¡­ terrifying!

 Chapter 62: Diamond Beetle King

    Chapter 62: Diamond Beetle King


    The motions of the hundreds of beetles were like tidal waves of a storming ocean. Under the gentle light of the full moon above, the shining exoskeletons of the creatures made the surrounding trees and rocks to be filled with flickering and shining glints.


    The sight was both mesmerizing but at the very same time¡­ Scary. It was frightening because not only were there so many of them in one ce, but each of the creatures before Khal had a presence on the Second Cultivation Stage! Just the thought alone as this many beasts attacked him at once made Khal breathe in some cold air.


    ¡°What should we do now?¡± whispered Khal quietly, visibly afraid of attracting the beasts¡¯ attention to them.


    ¡°Diamond Beetles are asionally gentle beasts and won¡¯t attack anyone even if you walk next to them. But if they feel that their King¡¯s life was in danger or you try to hurt them, well, then you will find yourself in a very dire situation.¡± replied Moras calmly, but he too was unable to hide the shock in his eyes.


    As Khal listened to this he sighed with relief and turned his gaze at the gaps on the mountain wall.


    ¡°So what is your n then? We can¡¯t kill so many Diamond Beetles with our current Cultivation Stage and I hope you know that too.¡± said Khal as he nced at Moras on his side.


    However, this question only made Moras to smile and chuckle slightly.


    ¡°Who said we will kill these weak creatures? We came here to kill the Diamond Beetle King.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The moment Khal heard this his mouth opened slightly wide while his eyes got so round that it was almost feared that his eyeballs would fall out.


    Weak creature? Kill the Diamond Beetle King? Let alone the fact that a normal Diamond Beetle had a defense that not even a Fourth Stage Cultivator had what it took to prate, he wanted to y the Diamond Beetle King?! Did he get bored with his life or was he just simply a crazy maniac?


    Diamond Beetle Kings had the title of ¡®King¡¯ because of a specific reason. They were the unparalleled Diamond Beetles among all of its species! Its exoskeleton not only was super durable to the point where a Fifth Stage Cultivator would start crying in hopelessness, but it had an ability that made it feared by low Stage Cultivators too!


    Reverse Crush!


    Diamond Beetle Kings had a unique power that not only let them fend against almost any kind of powers below the Fifth Cultivation Stage, but they could also reverse any kind of physical attacks with double the force! It could be considered as an absolute defense!


    And right now, Moras not only wanted to challenge such a frightening creature, which was considered undestroyable below the Fourth Cultivation Stage, but he wanted to kill it! Before hundreds of normal Diamond Beetles to top it off!


    Khal was unable to think of any ways that Moras, who just stated he was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage, would have what it took to aplish such a feat; let alone him who was brought here for the sole reason to help.


    But seeing the dead-serious eyes and the determined presence around Moras, Khal had no choice but to believe him and ask, ¡°And how do you n to kill it?¡±


    ¡°Hiw? That is easy. That is why I brought you here.¡± said Moras, turning Khal¡¯s face on the side instantly full of astonishment.


    ¡°Me? I told you, I¡¯m only on the Second Cultivation Stage. I can¡¯t¡­ No, I don¡¯t have the ability currently to kill such a powerful creature.¡± answered Khal as he knitted his eyebrows tightly.


    ¡°I know. I didn¡¯t even say you should be the one killing it. You will be the bait.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The¡­ What?¡± asked Khal with an expressionless face, hoping that what he just heard was a joke.


    However, it didn¡¯t seem that Moras was in a mood to joke around, and instead, his face showed mad gravity. He was insanely serious about what he just said.


    ¡°Are you serious? Why me? And also, why should I be the bait? That¡¯s just equal tomitting suicide!¡± raised his voice Khal as he said that, but still made sure not to attract any unwanted attention.


    ¡°Why? There are quite a few reasons why.¡± smiled Moras and raised his index finger, ¡°Firstly, you are the weakest between the two of us, so you wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against the Diamond Beetle King.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal watched in silence as Moras raised his middle finger.


    ¡°Secondly, you don¡¯t have what it takes to kill the King; you don¡¯t have the proper Talent to counter it¡¯s the ability nor the strength to y it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± watching the extended ring finger, Khal was still silent.


    ¡°Andstly,¡± said Moras calmly, but his warm smile slowly turned into a frozen re, ¡°I saved your life, so this should be the very least you should do to me.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    When Khal noticed the way Moras looked at him he felt a kind of tingling sensation in the back of his head for a split second. The way Moras looked at him was just like how the assassins looked at him; it was killing intent! Without a mistake, those eyes were definitely from someone who was ready to kill, no question at all!


    Subconsciously, Khal raised his guard and stepped a bit away from Moras in rm, while Moras himself turned surprised.


    ¡°Huh? What happened?¡± asked Moras with confusion as he looked around, making his killing intent vanish away from his eyes in the very next instant.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal furrowed his brows upon seeing this ¡®confused¡¯ act, but although suspicious, he still shook his head and said, ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I thought you noticed something. Haha! You scared me a little bit there!¡± chuckled gently Moras, but thatugh was no longer a normal one in Khal¡¯s eyes. Right now, it was aplete facade, a huge act.


    ¡°So what is your n?¡± asked Khal leisurely trying to act like nothing happened, but deep inside he was on the edge. He felt that somehow Moras was not as simple as he first believed and needed to act with more caution from this moment on.


    This guy was strange.


    Naturally, Moras noticed these changes too but decided not to say anything. Instead, he looked at the hundreds of Diamond Beetles on the ground and said, ¡°Just go out and attack them and once their attention is on you, start running. Diamond Beetles have a strong defense but they are horrible at speed, so baiting them away without getting caught should be rtively easy even with your speed.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± nodded Khal and without wasting any more time he walked toward the wave of creatures. Somehow, since he noticed that ¡®killing intent¡¯ in Moras¡¯s eyes he felt no more safe in his proximity. Now, he would rather choose hundreds of Diamond Beetles than staying even a single second more next to him.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Mora¡¯s watched as Khal stood up and walked away, while a cold glint shed in his eyes for a single moment.


    As Khal stepped out from the shadows, a ck crystal weapon representing a hybrid between a short sword and a dagger appeared in his clenching hold.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start it then!¡± murmured Khal with determined eyes and flicked his wrist slightly.


    *ng!*


    The moment the dagger opened up into a crystal fan, filling the whole surroundings with the sharp sound of metal, all the creatures before Khal stopped moving at once and turned their gaze at him.


    Watching as hundreds of pairs of eyes peered at him inplete silence made Khal¡¯s mouth twitch slightly and raise his hand to the side.


    ¡°Here I go!¡± shouted Khal and as the fan in his hand lit up with a silver light, he waved his hand.


    *BAM!*


    As the small explosion he created made the creatures on the front to be blown away, Khal turned around; and like he had been just fired out from a gun, started to run away with insane speed.


    ¡°ZIIIIKKK!!!¡±


    Instantly triggered by what Khal did, like raging waves of a once peaceful sea, the hundreds of Diamond Beetles screened up with anger and started to chase after Khal.


    ¡°Not bad.¡± nodded Moras from behind a tree with an approving nod and looked at the mountain wall.


    Thanks to Khal¡¯s help, all the low Stage Diamond Beetles had vanished, and what remained was an empty space, with only the Beetle King inside the mountain wall.


    ¡°Let see th-.¡± said Moras as he walked out from the tree¡¯s shadow in a calm manner, but what waited for him to freeze up in a single second.


    *Ziik¡­ Ziiikk!*


    With a sound that was akin to a chainsaw but with a significantly quieter tone of sound, the mountain wall erupted like it had been detonated and a head as big as two fists put next to each other emerged from the created huge hole.


    *Ziiik¡­ Ziiiikk!!*


    ¡°It¡¯s the Diamond Beetle King! It truly came out!¡± thought Moras happily and watched as the beast slowly climbed out through the gap and scanned its surroundings in fear.


    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s true.¡± thought Moras and slightly, the side of his mouth curved upward, ¡°Diamond Beetle Kings can¡¯t survive alone even for a second! That¡¯s why once all the normal Diamond Beetles had been killed or brought away, the Diamond Beetle King will appear and look for its species in hurry.¡±


    And just as Moras thought that, suddenly the creature detected his presence, making it screech toward the sky with a deafening cry.


    ¡°Scree-.¡±


    Or at least wanted to, but without any prior warning or indication suddenly Moras¡¯s palm was ced on its head with an evil grin on his face.


    ¡°Die!¡± said Moras in a chilling tone and a huge explosion followed.


    *BOOM!*

 Chapter 63: Beast Core

    Chapter 63: Beast Core


    The wind blew gently on Moon Mountain while the full moon shone brightly on the boundless starry sky like a piece of diamond; making the whole earth, including the great mountain below it to swim in its gentle white light.


    The view even from miles away looked as eternal as a historical sight; both captivating and breathtaking.


    But even though the scenery looked that exceptionally peaceful and ancient, the inner part of it was the total opposite. Among the huge trees at the base of the mountain, a young man¡¯s running shadow could be noticed moving here and there like a ghost, while a long shining and glittering moving glow akin to a raging wave chased after him with rapid speed.


    Khal did as he was told and attracted the Diamond Beetles away from the mountainside, giving Moras bigger space to take care of the Diamond Beetle King. But what he didn¡¯t expect that what Moras said was actually true and the normal Beetles were really not fast. Even with his Second Cultivation Stage and below-average tempo, he was able to easily run down the Beetles; there were even times he needed to slow down and attack once again just because the beasts were about turn back around and leave.


    Yet, even though he had such an easy job like this, Khal¡¯s face didn¡¯t show the slightest of satisfaction nor happiness. Instead, hisplexion carried trouble and worry; visibly he was bothered deeply with something.


    Since he started this ¡®tag game¡¯ with these creatures, he couldn¡¯t stop thinking about the way Moras looked at him. Those eyes, the cold glint shed in them for a split second¡­ Everything was simply way too familiar that it sent shivers down his spine.


    ¡°I definitely sensed killing intent, but why? He saved me, so why did he want to kill me all of a sudden. If he wanted to the perfect chance for him would have been back in the forest where I was still injured. It¡¯s strange.¡±


    As Khal pondered while running away from the Diamond Beetles, suddenly the earth trembled while a loud explosion sounded from the west where he just came from.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Turning his head toward the source of the sound, Khal watched as a huge dust cloud in a shape of a mushroom rose above the trees, filling the air with dust and ash in a split second.


    ¡°It seems they started to fight already,¡± mumbled Khal but suddenly his expression changed and stopped.


    ¡°Ziiik¡­ Ziiik!¡±


    With screams that carried a hint of fear and agony, the Diamond Beetles stopped chasing after Khal and in a sh started to run back toward the west.


    ¡°Not good!¡± Khal realized the problem right away and without a second thought raised his fan and swung it.


    *Swish!*


    *BOOM!*


    Hundreds of razor-sharp wind des that were able to cut down trees and crush boulders erupted into the wave of beasts, but only in vain. Not only did the attack fail to kill a single creature, but it even failed to stop them or trigger their wrath; they just simply ignored his attack while continued to run toward where their King was.


    ¡°Hey! Come back!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    Shattered stones and crushed earth; Khal swung his fan around like crazy in the hope to halt the creatures¡¯ movement, but no matter how many times he attacked they simply ignored him. Although he was able to injure a few Diamond Beetles that got hit by his assault from time to time, he was still unable to stop them.


    [Notify! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ dropped below 50%!]


    As the voice sounded in his head after a few seconds, Khal snorted and raised his weapon ready to channel more than half of his current Body Essence, but even before starting his attack, a figure appeared behind him without a single warning.


    ¡°Moras?¡± Khal shouted up with surprise seeing Moras on his rear. It was like he just popped out of nowhere like a ghost which made him feel quite scared and terrified! If it weren¡¯t for his Heaven¡¯s Eyes that he activated way before this chase, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed him at all!


    ¡°Haha! Let¡¯s get out of here. If they find out that their King was killed by me, they will follow us for sure.¡± smiled Moras happily, but for some strange reason, disappointment shed in his eyes.


    ¡°Sure¡­¡± nodded Khal firmly, but secretly he already raised his guard. At first, Moras showed killing intent toward him and now looked disappointed because his endeavor to approach him from the rear while hiding his presence failed. Even after so many hints, aplete idiot would know that Moras was no longer a friend but an enemy that attempted to kill him now for the second time!


    Naturally, Khal thought about escaping after the very first sign where Moras showed his killing intent but with his current Cultivation Stage and speed, let alone Moon City, he would die even before reaching Shadow Woods.


    So for now, he decided to y along with Moras¡¯s act and watch what will happen.


    ¡°Anyway, you said you killed it but not even a minute went by between the explosion and your arrival. Were you able to consume its Essence that fast?¡± raised an eyebrow Khal as he asked this, feeling a bit confused.


    Before the explosion urred he baited the Diamond Beetles away for around 2 minutes, meaning he was 2 minutes say from the position of the mountain wall. Considering the fact that Moras appeared after 1 minute after the explosion, it meant he consumed the Beast Essence and reached this spot in less than 1 minute. Under 1 minute, not to mention Beast Essences from a Fourth Stage Diamond Beetle King, even Essence that came from a First Stage Beast was impossible to consume under mere 60 seconds!


    ¡°Oh, that? I didn¡¯t kill it for its Essence. I killed it because of this.¡± as Moras said that, he took out a small orb from his pocket and showed it to Khal.


    ¡°What is that?¡± furrowed his brows Khal as he looked at the orb. It had a ck color and a perfectly smooth texture even from that far away, while inside it a tiny creature exactly that of a Diamond Beetle was frozen in one ce with a mysterious swirling light around it.


    ¡°Oh? First time seeing a Beast Core?¡± Moras was surprised by this and nced at the Beast Core.


    ¡°A Beast Core?¡± knitted his brows together even more in confusion Khal and pondered. He didn¡¯t meet with a concept such as Beast Cores back in the library and he had no clue what they did or how could one obtain them. It was apletely foreign definition for him.


    ¡°It¡¯s certainly not associated with my bracelet because then it would have already reacted to it. It must be something else but what exactly?¡±


    Moras noticed Khal¡¯s confusedplexion and smiled while fidgeting with the orb in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s not a surprise you didn¡¯t hear about Beast Cores; you are still too young to know about them. Beast Cores, or in their other name the Soul of the Beast, are considered priceless treasures that could only be obtained through luck and hard work. As for what it can do exactly¡­¡± as Moras said that he put the core away and smiled at Khal: ¡°You don¡¯t need to know it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal was inplete silence as he looked at Moras. It was simply too obvious that he tried to provoke him by thatst statement and only a fool would think another way.


    ¡°Okay that was enough.¡± dered Khal calmly and halted his movement. He realized ying along with Moras waspletely useless and a waste of time; he got tired. He already knew that Moras wanted to kill him even if Moras acted now like he didn¡¯t, so there was no reason to pretend as if not.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± not beating the bush around, Khal asked straightaway.


    ¡°What do you mean who sent me? What quest-.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t act as if you don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about. You clearly know what I meant,¡± said Khal with a freezing re while his grasp tightened around his fan slowly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Realizing that he was busted, Moras put his palm over his face gently and started tough wildly.


    ¡°Haha! Haha! Ah¡­ What a fool I am. I should have killed you the very moment I met with you, but my greed was stronger, thinking I could hit two birds with one stone.¡± sighed Moras as he lowered his hand, revealing an evil grin.


    ¡°How were you able to tell it?¡± asked Moras, but in truth he already knew the answer; he just wanted to confirm if he was right or not.


    ¡°How? You looked at me with the intention to kill while also attempted to approach me from the rear without presence; also the disappointment in your eyes after you failed told everything. Even a blockhead would know something was not right,¡± said Khal as he slowly stepped back a meter.


    ¡°I figured,¡±ughed Moras once again and sighed, ¡°Well, it seems I still need to work on my act. But before that¡­¡±


    And right after he said that, Moras¡¯s figure vanished into thin air and like a ghost reappeared behind Khal, extending his palm toward his neck.


    ¡°Die.¡±

 Chapter 64: Killed?

    Chapter 64: Killed?


    ¡°Die.¡±


    As that single word sounded in the silent surroundings, Khal¡¯s whole being froze up. Just now, everything happened so fast that even though he readied himself for the attack it was only in vain; Moras¡¯s speed simply exceeded all of his expectations!


    ¡°What should I do? This speed is twice as fast as Angor¡¯s!¡± Khal¡¯s brain was functioning on 120% capacity trying to figure out a solution to escape, but even with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, the approaching palm was insanely fast.


    It was so fast that the air around it trembled, twisted, and turned clear to the bare sight!


    In any normal way, Khal¡¯s current situation definitely meant certain death, but for some reason, he felt that there was a solution to escape death¡¯s clutch.


    ¡°Think! Think! Just what can I do? I don¡¯t have the speed to dodge nor to defend in time. Then what?¡± as Khal thought about this, suddenly his eyes widened and brightened up the next second, like he had been just enlightened.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I don¡¯t have the speed, but I have something else that has!¡± eximed Khal and turned his fan upward while channeling a tiny portion of his Essence into it.


    Moras who expressed ecstasy as he imagined Khal¡¯s death the very moment he touched his neck, unexpectedly felt a sudden pain in his hand, causing him to miss his target only by a hairbreadth.


    ¡°What?¡± Moras revealed surprise by the sudden change of events and looked at his bleeding wrist with a dazed expression.


    ¡°Opportunity!¡± shouted Khal inwardly as he noticed Moras¡¯s startledplexion; in a sh turned around and swung his fan toward his neck.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    Yet, the title of Fourth Stage Cultivator wasn¡¯t given for Moras for fun; both his momentum and reaction speed were way superior than Khal¡¯s. Instantaneously he bent himself backward while at the same time kicked toward Khal with his left leg with a speed so fast that it was only a blur.


    ¡°BAM!*


    Khal saw the whip-like kicking at him but his reaction speed was still slow; he was sted away like a football and crashed onto a huge boulder in the distance, causing dust and debris to fly everywhere.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Interesting.¡± hummed slightly Moras as he watched the small hole on his arm, ¡°So your weapon not only could create huge sts but also can fire small Essence projectiles as fast as bullets. It only depends on how much of your Essence is channeled into it¡­ Haha! It seems today is truly my day! If I kill you not only will I obtain a Beast Core and get to kill you, but that weapon will be mine too!!¡±


    As Morasughed wildly like a lunatic the dust finally dissipated revealing a smashed stone in the distance but without any sign of Khal¡¯s figure.


    ¡°Oh? Trying to escape?¡± asked Moras as he squinted his eyes and a cold glint shed in them gently.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¡°That was close¡­ Way too close!¡± thought Khal calmly as he run toward the peak of the mountain with his fastest speed.


    The moment Moras kicked him and realized he will be sted into the boulder he used his fan¡¯s power at the veryst time to create a smokescreen that would hide his figure, letting him escape toward the peak hidden.


    Although he could have chosen to run toward Moon City he chose to escape toward the peak. Choosing the former one would have been only a foolish choice; between Moon City and Moon Mountain the path was only a meadow without any ces or spots that would help him in his escape. He would have been fully exposed to any kind of attacks from Moras there so his death would be certain there.


    But here on the mountain, where hundreds of trees and boulders with numerous ces to use to his advantage, Khal could at least win a bit of time thinking of a way to survive.


    Khal ran among the trees here and there without stopping while using his Heaven¡¯s Eyes to survey his proximity with great caution. Remembering how unexpectedly and fast did Moras appear behind him, Khal knew that if Moras gets close to him once again there won¡¯t be a second chance to escape. If he gets caught, that was the end for him for sure.


    ¡°Taking into ount how he tried to grab me, it seems his Talent is specialized in closebat so I need to act carefully when be tries to attack me?l. With his speed, power, and momentum, he is greater in every aspect than me because of his Cultivation Stage. What should I do then?¡±


    As Khal ran and turned toward the east after a huge stone, suddenly he stopped and looked at the sight before him.


    ¡°A dead end?¡± Khal watched the huge mountain wall before him that went hundreds of meters up and wanted to turn around, but it was toote.


    ¡°It was a nice try I won¡¯t lie. But unfortunately, this is where our little tag game should end.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Turning around slowly, Khal looked at Moras in silence, with not a single emotion present on his face.


    Right now, he was trapped. There was not a single route for him he could choose from to escape. Even if he tried to climb up, he would die while if he chose to run either left or right, Moras would kill him in a single second without giving him the chance to use his trick once again. So the only solution that he could do, which in fact was the riskiest but at the same time had the greatest chance for him to survive, was to force himself through and head straight at Moras.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try. If I use my Heaven¡¯s Eyes and my fan properly at the right time, I can create a chance for myself. If not¡­ Well, I will be dead anyway.¡±


    In an instant, Khal¡¯s eyes shone with the fire of determination, while the fan in his hand started to glow with a gentle silver light.


    ¡°Oh no! How scary!¡± flinched Moras slightly by Khal¡¯s piercing re, then the very next second grinned like a maniac andughed, ¡°No matter what you will try, once I touch either you or your weapon, you will be a dead man!¡±


    ¡°What should that mean?¡± asked Khal calmly, but deep inside he started to think for solutions. Right now, even a single second more could help hime up with a greater n than his current one so this chit-chat was the perfect chance for him in this situation.


    ¡°What should that mean?¡± chuckled Moras lightly and picked up a small pebble from the ground.


    ¡°What should that mean?¡± as he asked that tiny symbols with a ck luminance manifested on the rock¡¯s surface giving Khal a chilling sensation.


    ¡°Just watch!¡± Moras smiled and threw the pebble away and the moment it crashed into the tree in the distance¡­


    *BOOM!*


    Like detonating a bomb, the whole tree was blown away and turned into ash while only a 3 meters deep crater remained in its ce.


    ¡°!¡±


    Khal saw this and could only breathe in a mouthful of cold air. It turned out Moras¡¯s Talent was way more dangerous than he first believed it would be!


    ¡°Surprised?¡± grinned heavily Moras as nced at Khal, ¡°My Talent lets me put explosion marks on anything I want, and once I activate it¡­¡±


    Moras just pulled his thumb before his neck, showing Khal that it meant the end.


    ¡°But naturally it only works against enemies that are on the same or below my Stage. Once I try to use it against someone who is above me in power, my Talent¡¯s efficiency decreases a lot.¡±


    As Moras said that Khal¡¯s eyes widened in surprise and instantly thought back to the moment he was in Shadow Woods. At that time Moras extended his arms to help him get up where the gesture looked harmless, but now it won apletely different meaning; if he decided to ept his offer he would have been marked and be a living bomb ready to be detonated.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Just the thought alone as his body exploded without him knowing why made all the hair on Khal¡¯s body to stand up.


    ¡°This is definitely not good news.¡± thought Khal as he realized the weight of this.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry about this too much. At least, your death will be fast and painless.¡± as Moras said he took a step forward, but the next second frowned and raised his head toward the sky.


    ¡°What is that?¡±


    Khal first didn¡¯t want to raise his head in fear it was a trick, but seeing the troubledplexion of Moras without any sign of acting he raised his head too.


    And instantly as he did, what he could only see was a crimson dot descending from the sky and in a sh, flew by before Moras¡¯s head and vanished into the distance.


    ¡°What happened just now?¡± asked Khal with confusion, but what he heard the next moment was something he wouldn¡¯t have thought; Moras¡¯s body fell onto the ground heavily and started to struggle like he couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Eh?¡±

 Chapter 65: [Beast Core Consumed!]

    Chapter 65: [''Beast Core'' Consumed!]


    The sight as Moras¡¯s body fell heavily onto the ground and his body started to twitch while struggled to breathe made Khal feel a cold shiver sent through his whole body.


    ¡°Just what was that crimson light?¡± Khal¡¯splexion was a bit pale as he turned his gaze toward the direction where the sh vanished to.


    Whatever attacked Moras was definitely above the Fourth Cultivation Stage; because if not it wouldn¡¯t have been able to cause him to fall and struggle on the ground like this.


    ¡°Even though I saw what happened with my Heaven¡¯s Eye, I was still unable to catch a glimpse of the creature. But one thing is for sure¡­¡± as Khal thought about this he nced at Moras¡¯s neck and squinted his eyes. On the side of his neck, three deep w marks were visible while deep red blood was slowly flowing out.


    But there was one strange thing about all of this; the blood was not liquid-like like any normal people should had, but instead jelly-like. And what¡¯s more, the more blood flowed out the wounds the more apparent it was that Moras¡¯s blood was turning slowly into a jelly substance with a ruby luminance!


    ¡°This power¡­ Gold Toxic? No, that can¡¯t be. Gold Toxic turns the victim¡¯s blood into a golden material and not into a ruby substance. Also, Gold Hawks are Third Stage Beasts so they don¡¯t have the speed to assault Moras like that. What was it then?¡± Khal was entirely confused at the moment; he was unable to figure out the creature¡¯s identity that attacked Moras with a power simr to that of a Gold Hawk.


    ¡°Argh¡­ Blergh¡­ Hel¡­ bekf.¡±


    Moras tried to speak and even extended his arm toward Khal, but what came out of his mouth was jelly-like blood. No, it was no longer jelly; it was blood thatpletely materialized into a solid form.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Although his outer appearance showed mountain solidposure with dagger sharp stares, Khal¡¯s heart and mind were screaming with fear. What would have happened with him if that creature decided to attack not only Moras but him too? Did he survive thanks to the fact he was below the mountainside so the creature didn¡¯t notice him or was it simply luck? In either way, Khal thanked the Gods above and wiped the cold sweat away from his forehead.


    ¡°Ple¡­ Breagh¡­ Yos¡­¡± Moras was unable to finish a single word in session as he tried calling for help, but a few secondster his arm fell while his body stopped struggling. Solid blood with a shape like small ruby stones fell out from his mouth and wounds, while the vein below his skin popped out disgustingly, like they were pushed out from the interior.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal stood still even after minutes, not daring to move an inch. Right now a Cultivator that was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage died¡­ No, it was better to say he was ughtered by a creature that he didn¡¯t even know what it was!


    Everything happened just way too fast and that¡¯s why Khal felt a bit scared. If that creature decided toe back he could do nothing but pray to die without pain; but considering how Moras died, his wish could be said as aplete joke.


    Dying alive because your blood turned rock solid¡­ The pain could have been unimaginable agonizing for sure.


    In silence, Khal waited for a whole 10 minutes before getting the courage to step forward and look around carefully. He didn¡¯t dare to run away instantly fearing that the creature was still nearby, but after surveying his surroundings for one whole minute straight, he sighed with relief.


    ¡°It seems I¡¯m fine, but it should be best to hurry up. If that creaturees back I will be dead in a split second.¡± thought Khal with slight uneasiness still upying his heart and started to run away. But not even after he took a few steps forward his strides slowed down and came to aplete halt.


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal nced at Moras¡¯s corpse in silence and after pondering for a small while run to its side.


    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t know who sent you, you tried to kill me so I will take this aspensation,¡± murmured Khal quietly and took out the Beast Core from Moras¡¯s pocket.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to find out what it can do.¡± thought Khal merrily and was about to stand up when his eyes caught a glimpse of something on Moras¡¯s corbone.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Extending his arm, Khal grabbed a silver ne from Moras¡¯s neck and pulled it out from below his robe, but when he did, his wholeplexion froze up while a cold glint shed deep inside his eyes.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ***


    After the unexpected events both in Shadow Woods and on Moon Mountain, Khal decided to take shelter somewhere in the proximity. He didn¡¯t want to go back to Moon City because he still had to y 5 Gold Hawks for his mission, but because of the continued blows that his body sustained he needed a bit of time to recover; also, at least he had the time to inspect and consume the Beast Core he ¡®stole¡¯ from Moras.


    Currently, Khal was somewhere between Moon Mountain and Shadow Woods while sitting in a rxed manner in a lotus position, holding a ck orb in both of his hands.


    The orb was asrge as a snooker ball with the only difference that it weighted nothing; and under nothing, it meant literal zero weight. It was so light that just a gentle blow would make it fly away, that¡¯s how light it was. Yet, even though it had such lightweight, the moment Khal started to consume it he felt like a huge boulder had been ced on hisp.


    But this didn¡¯t hinder Khal to continue his attempt to consume the orb and it was apparent both on his determined expression and on the Beast Core in his hold.


    As time went by in silence, bit by bit the Beast Core slowly shrank in size while ck mist enveloped his body like a sheet, giving him a strange presence; a presence almost like a¡­


    Beast¡¯s!


    Yes, like a Beast¡¯s that could be found in the wild nature!


    The longer he consumed the Beast Core and the more mist shrouded his physique, the more his presence turned into that of a creature¡¯s, giving him a kind of Beast-like aura!


    And to make things even more interesting, the cells, bones, and muscles inside Khal¡¯s body underwent slow but visible changes too, but as to what it was hard to know. It felt strange but at the same time pleasant too, so it was difficult to describe how he felt currently.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    In deep silence, Khal enjoyed the changes inside and outside his body and continued to consume the Beast Core until the very moment where only the little creature, representing the Diamond Beetle, remained in his hand.


    ¡°Should I consume this too?¡± Khal was confused a bit, but seeing as it was not alive and was only an object that resided in the orb, he rxed and started to consume it.


    And just as he belived it, the moment he started the process the little creature slowly evaporated and just like the orb, became a ck mist around his body.


    And the moment the final portion of the orb vanished and turned into mist, the ck haze that surrounded Khal moved and melted inside his body.


    However, it was right at this moment when Khal¡¯splexion turned as pale as a sheet of paper while bean-sized sweat drops appeared on his face following shape pain all over his body.


    ¡°!?¡±


    [Notify! ¡®Beast Core¡¯ detected!]


    [Would you like to transform ¡®Beast Core¡¯ into ¡®Power Core¡¯?]


    The very moment Khal heard the voice in his head he knitted his brows and started to ponder.


    ¡°It seems I feel this pain because the bracelet stops the Beast Core to fully melt with my body. But what is the point to make it into a Power Core? Is there any extra benefit if I choose to?¡±


    And just like it heard his question the answer came right away.


    [Notify! Transforming a consumed ¡®Beast Core¡¯ into ¡®Power Core¡¯ unlocks hidden potentials of the Core.]


    ¡°What?! Hidden potentials? What should that mean?¡± widened his eyes Khal but no answer came which made him quite disappointed.


    ¡°Well, then I would like to yes.¡± sighed Khal, but the next sentence made his whole body froze up.


    [Warning! Transformation is impossible! You need to unlock the ability ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯ to hold more than 1 ¡®Power Core¡¯ at a time!]


    [Notify! But if you wish, you can demolish ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes in exchange for the current ¡®Power Core¡¯!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry at the moment. First, the voice asks him if he wanted to transform the Beast Core into a Power Core to unlock hidden potentials, but when he chooses yes, it turns out the process was impossible.


    Was it a joke or do the heavens find it funny to y such a joke on him?


    Feeling the still roaming pain in his body, Khal could only clench his teeth and murmur, ¡°Then I don¡¯t want the transformation.¡±


    [Understood!]


    [Notify! Once you obtain the ¡®Beast Core¡¯ you will be unable to turn it into a ¡®Power Core¡¯. Do you still wish to proceed?]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Right now, Khal truly was on the verge of cursing out loud and strangle someone to death, but he could only sigh helplessly and nod.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ I wish¡­¡±


    [Understood!]


    In that instant, the pain vanished from Khal¡¯s body and as the ck mist finally meltedpletely into his body, the voice appeared once again.


    [Notify! ¡®Beast Core¡¯ Diamond Skin consumed!]


    ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 66: Diamond Skin

    Chapter 66: Diamond Skin


    ¡°¡­¡±


    No matter how Khal tried to think about it he couldn¡¯t feel happiness nor satisfaction by the fact he consumed the Beast Core. Not only did he fail to turn the Beast Core into a powerful Power Core with its unlocked hidden capabilities but he even lost the chance to do turn it into one in the future.


    He obtained a new power but without its full potential! The thought alone made Khal feel angry but at the same time powerless too.


    ¡°It said I need to unlock the ability of ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯ if I want to use or hold more than one Power Core. If I can remember right it was mentioned in my Status how I can get that ability.¡± as Khal thought about this he raised his hand and opened his Statuses.


    Instantly, gentle white light in the form of words materialized around his wrist and started to slowly move around the bracelet.


    ¡°Open Obtainer Status!¡±


    {¡®Obtainer¡¯ Status}


    ? Maism: Able to obtain ¡®Power Cores¡¯, which are out of the ¡®Obtainer¡¯s¡¯ radius in exchange for ¡®Body¡¯ Essence.


    ? Detector: An automatic function, able to detect ¡®Power Cores¡¯ in the close vicinity. (Can be used manually also and able to detect further ¡®Power Cores¡¯.)


    ? Power Core Holder: (Not yet obtained. Need 1000 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to activate!)


    [Notify! Each ability¡¯s effectiveness can be strengthened in exchange for ¡®Body Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Khal read the information in the air he stayed silent for quite a while unknown what to say.


    1000 Body Essence? He didn¡¯t know it at first but know he knew; that was simply too much!


    As far he could understand it, he was able to transform Beast Essence into Body Essence and it worked backward too. However, the process wasplete torture and so far he only obtained 50 Body Essence from a single creature; meaning he needed to kill at least 20 creatures and go through the hell-like torment to reach 1000 Body Essence 20 times!


    ¡°20 creatures¡­ The number is huge but not impossible. But still¡­ With so many beasts I would easily surpass the Third Cultivation Stage. Argh¡­¡± Khal felt like crying but he could only sigh helplessly in the end.


    ¡°Well, if I want to avoid situations like this in the future I need to obtain this ability as soon as possible. Also¡­¡± as Khal reached that point he nced at the pebble in his bracelet and said, ¡°I need the power to hold more than this single one.¡±


    ***


    Hours passed slowly and the moon was still high up on the starry sky above Moon Mountain, shining its whole peak with its white light.


    ¡°I still have a lot of time. If I¡¯m lucky I can kill all 5 Gold Hawks before the sun rises.¡±


    Khal was currently walking toward the west searching for Gold Hawks that he could kill. He chose the west because he was still scared to cross paths with that crimson creature that flew away toward the east, but the biggest reason was because Gold Hawks loved to inhabit the western parts of Moon Mountain more than anything; so finding them there should give him a higher chance for sure.


    Khal walked for minutes straight without stopping but made sure to scan his surroundings without lowering his guard. The several idents that happened with him today taught him a very dire lesson so he won¡¯t do the same mistakes twice.


    As he took each step like they decided his life, Khal arrived before a tree that was rtively bigger than the others. Though, he stopped not because he was captivated by it¡¯s size but because of the creature that resided on it¡¯s top among its leaves.


    ¡°A Gold Hawk!¡± Khal instantly lowered his body behind a boulder and nced at the beast with wary.


    The creature looked exactly like the books described. It had a body simr to a hawk with the only difference that its feathers were not brownish but had a shade of gold giving it an elegant color. Even among the dark leaves, the creature looked exceptionally eye-catching.


    ¡°Is it sleeping?¡± frowned Khal narrowly as he watched the beast.


    From distance, it seemed as the creature was in a deep slumber, but Khal knew it was only a facade. Moon Mountain was famous because of it¡¯s unique reputation that beasts became active only when the Moon was high up in the sky. There was not a single creature on this Mountain that would sleep during this time so Khal was pretty sure it tried to act like it was napping.


    ¡°Should I kill it then? Maybe it didn¡¯t notice me yet so my chance now is higher,¡± ask Khal wondered if he should use his fan or not to kill it, unexpectedly the creature moved.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°!¡±


    With a gold sh, the Gold Hawk vanished from sight and appeared at the distance on the ground while a small beast struggled below its ws from time to time.


    ¡°A Grass Lizard?!¡± Khal was surprised because even though Grass Lizards were First Stage Beasts they were able to blend into their surroundings so it was extremely hard to notice them even for higher Stage Beasts. They had the ability to grow tiny grass pieces on their body and use it as a disguise one the ground. Yet, the Gold Hawk not only noticed it but swooped down on the poor creature in a single instant! It was crazy!


    ¡°This can be a perfect chance!¡± grinned Khal and without a second thought, he channeled a tiny portion of his Body Essence into the fan in his hold.


    The instant as the fan lit up with a gentle silver light Khal raised it and swung it toward the beast.


    *Swish!*


    *BAM!*


    Khal watched as several tiny Essence projectiles flew and exploded into the Gold Hawk¡¯ body, giving the Grass Lizard the chance to escape from the deadly ws and run away for it¡¯s dear life.


    ¡°Yes! I got him!¡± cheered Khal loudly but the next second his expression froze up like he was suddenly showered with ice filled water.


    After he hit the beast he thought he killed it in one shot but it turned out he was wrong. His attack did reach the creature, but he was still unable to kill it; he could only put a deep wound on its skin causing shining gold blood to flow out slowly but nothing more.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As Khal stood in one ce in silence, the Gold Hawk turned its head and shot dagger-like stares at him like he just killed its parents.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    After the two nced at each other in silence for quite a while, finally the Gold Hawk moved and with a loud deafening cry flew toward Khal drawing a gold sh in it¡¯s wake.


    In a split second, the beast appeared before Khal and swung its ws at him. Watching the nails that could tear even thick trees apart and make low Stage Cultivators tremble with fear, Khal just simply smiled and raised his hand.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what my new ability is capable of.¡±


    And just as he said that¡­


    *ng!*

 Chapter 67: Gold Hawk Slayed!

    Chapter 67: Gold Hawk yed!


    Instantly as the Gold Hawk swung its ws, ready to tear Khal¡¯s body up into several pieces, Khal¡¯s physique underwent visible changes. His white and smooth skin suddenly turned rigid and cracked while getting a deep ck shade; his whole body became almost like that of those Diamond Beetles¡¯ exoskeleton.


    *ng!*


    Like hitting a sword into a metal shield, the beast¡¯s w crushed onto Khal¡¯s arm, but except for a small white mark, it was unable to wound him.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Realized what just happened, a slight shock formed on the Gold Hawk¡¯s face but only for a fraction of a second. The next moment it pped its wings and was ready to increase the distance but it turned out it was toote for that; a ck glint shed before its eyes and the very next second what it was able to see was as the world spun before his eyes.


    Its head had been cut off with one single move.


    ¡°This Diamond Skin is so powerful! Not even a Third Stage Beast has what it takes to injure me!¡± as Khal enjoyed his victory merrily, the Gold Hawk¡¯s body turned into a yellow substance and floated silently above the air.


    Khal saw this but before he decided to begin to consume the Essence he took out his Cultivator¡¯s badge and took a slight peek at it.


    /Mission: Gold Hawk Hunt/


    ? Gold Hawk killed: 1/5


    ¡°Nice,¡± said Khal with a slight smile and put his badge away. It seemed what Logan said was really true and simply killing the creatures was enough toplete the mission. Everything else was his.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s consume this.¡± said Khal as he sat down and without further thinking started to consume the Beast Essence.


    Minutes passed in silence and after 5 whole minutester Khal finally opened his eyes, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes with a crimson vertical slit in their middle.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes consumed 9 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°9? That¡¯s quite a decent amount.¡±


    While Second Stage Beasts gave Cultivators 10 Beast Essences max, 9 Beast Essences from a Third Stage Beast could be considered a good amount; the maximum load one could get from them was 15.


    Standing up, Khal raised his head toward the starry sky and watched the moon above the mountain. Seeing that it was still high above Khal lowered his gaze and looked around with a smile.


    ¡°4 more to go!¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Hours passed in a blink of an eye and as the moon slowly descended in the west, the sun finally rose on the east bringing the world out of the dusk.


    And just as the celestial body vanished from the boundless sky, somewhere in Moon Mountain, a young man was sitting in a lotus position consuming the yellow floating substance on his side with a nonchnt face. His eyes were gently closed showcasing his elegantplexion while his ck hair fluttered in the gentle breeze gracefully.


    Khal had been hunting for 7 hours straight without rest for the Gold Hawks, but luckily he barely made it in time and slew the final beast before sunrise.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes consumed 4 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Opening his eyes, Khal deactivated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes and nced at the ce where he killed the final Gold Hawk. Out of the 5 beasts, the final one was the most challenging one to kill. While the first four only attacked him in a manner where they tried to cut him up with their ws the fifth one instead tried to spit on him.


    Yes, it tried to spit on him. As it wasmon knowledge, Gold Hawks pressed their Gold Toxic into their prey through their ws, but for some reason, this one didn¡¯t; it simply flew around him with crazy speed while spitting the gold substance on him from time to time.


    But unfortunately, the beast was against not anyone but Khal who was able to solidify his skin through the Beast Core he consumed. Naturally, he was sure if that Gold Toxic touched bare skin then anyone would die in minutes but thanks to his Diamond Skin, he didn¡¯t need to fear that. Although it was quite tricky and hard to y a creature that constantly moved here and there with crazy speed, but in the end, with the help of his Devil Fang and Heaven¡¯s Eyes he was able to y it and obtain its Essence.


    But luckily, he not only was able to obtain his Essence but something else too. Raising his hand that held a curved leaf with a glistening gold liquid on top of it Khal¡¯s mouth curved slightly while a cold glint shed in his eyes.


    ¡°This wille in handy.¡±


    ***


    At the entrance of Moon Academy right below a small tree¡¯s shadow, a silhouette was standing proudly with his arms crossed before his chest. It was a boy with a handsome face and calm but arrogant posture that told anyone he was a noble with royal blood flowing through his veins.


    Naturally, it was Alde and he seemed quite happy since early morning. Even his friends looked at him like some kind of strange guy because of his sudden change of behavior. Alde was the typical guy who was emotionless all the time but once he showed one it was either anger or jealousy; he hardly showed a smile.


    Yet, now not only did he start to smile like it was the best day of his life but even helped others who needed assistance. For example, there was a guy who lost a short sword during a bet so Alde decided to buy him apletely new one.


    This made everyone stupified instantly! Who would even buy something for a stranger they didn¡¯t even know? This was strange, especially from Alde!


    While humming a song slightly, Alde raised his arm holding a pocket watch, and grinned, ¡°It should be time.¡±


    And just as he said those words, a shadow emerged at Moon Academy¡¯s gate while a figure walked in slowly.


    ¡°So? How d¡­¡± with a smile on his face Alde started to talk, but the instant he recognized the guy before him his wholeplexion and body froze up.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Khal who just arrived back turned his gaze toward the sound, only to see Alde standing not far away from him with a bizarre grin etched on his face.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Did you say something?¡± asked Khal as he knitted his brows in confusion.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As silence followed his question Khal looked around with a disturbed look, ¡°Sorry, I thought you talked to me but it seems I was wrong. Then¡­ if you excuse me.¡±


    With that, Khal bowed slightly and without saying anything else walked away, leaving the still frozen Alde behind in one ce.


    Watching as Khal¡¯s silhouette vanished in the distance Alde¡¯s face suddenly darkened while from his tightly clenched fist blood started to flow out onto the ground.


    ¡°Senior Alde! Can you plea-, hi!?¡±


    A little boy with short brown hair and a normal face ran to Alde¡¯s side in the hope to get his help, but the moment he noticed his frightening expression the boy screamed up with fear and his body started to tremble unwittingly.


    ¡°S-Senior Alde? I-is Everything okay? Did something happen?¡± with a trembling voice, the boy walked closer to Alde but the very next second he regretted his action.


    *p!*


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    Falling onto the ground with a heavy sound, the boy held his cheeks with a painful expression and raised his head with small tears in his eyes.


    ¡°What was th-¡°


    ¡°F*ck off¡­¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The instant as that single sentence sounded, Alde pierced daggers at the boy with his stare in silence, telling him if he won¡¯t go away now, he will kill him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry!¡± muttered the boy with a pale face and like his life depended on it he ran away in a sh.


    Alde on the other hand didn¡¯t care about it at all but tilted his gaze toward the direction where Khal walked and clenched his teeth with so much power that it was almost feared that they will break.

 Chapter 68: Free Secret Art

    Chapter 68: Free Secret Art


    As Khal walked toward the building where he could im his rewards, a slight smile emerged on his face.


    Naturally, he was not that stupid to know that Alde was the one who sent Moras to assassinate him. Especially with the clue, he found on Moras¡¯s body.


    ¡°This¡­ I can¡¯t believe they don¡¯t even try to hide the fact they were from this family,¡± said Khal quietly as he took out a ne from his pocket.


    It was a simple ne made out of silver chains; at first nce it was nothing special at all. However, the main sight was not that but the object on its end which in fact would be quite familiar not only for Khal but for everyone else too; an obsidian ck ring with the Ourvi Family¡¯s emblem on it.


    Just looking at the ring made Khal feel like exploding with anger but he knew he needed to act calm. He already had a n how to take his revenge on Alde and now the only thing he needed was to wait for the perfect opportunity.


    But until then, he will go and im his reward while pretending nothing happened at all.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see. If I can remember right, this should be the one,¡± murmured Khal and walked inside one of the buildings on the side.


    Instantly as he entered, a huge hall with several hologram screens on both sides emerged before his eyes. It was exactly the same ce where he epted the mission one and half a day ago.


    After looking around but seeing no staff, Khal decided to walk before one of the screens and took his Cultivator Badge out.


    /Mission: Gold Hawk Hunt/


    ? Gold Hawk killed: 5/5 (Completed!)


    ¡°So¡­ How can I im the rewards?¡± asked Khal with a confused face and scratched his head gently.


    *Ding!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    However, he didn¡¯t have to wait long for the answer. Just a few seconds after his question a small screen popped up before him startling him a bit.


    /Mission: Gold Hawk Hunt Completed!/


    ? ept Mission Rewards:


    ¨C 10.000 pieces of silver coin /Collect/


    ¨C 1 Cultivation Rank Promotion! (Only below Rank C!) /Collect/


    ¨C 1 freely selected Secret Art from Moon Academy! (Only below Expert Level!) /Collect/


    ¡°Oh? So I only need to walk up to one of these devices and my mission will automatically pop up? Interesting.¡± thought Khal and started to read.


    After checking that the rewards were exactly the same as he remembered, Khal extended his arm and pressed the ¡®Collect¡¯ word next to the first reward.


    *Swish!*


    Instantly as he did, white light appeared on his badge below his name, and soon new words formed there one by one.


    /Name: Khal Nevio/


    ? Currency: 10.000 Silver Coins


    ? Age: 17


    ? Cultivation Talent: Sight Enhancement


    ? Cultivation Stage: Vessel


    ? Rank: F


    ¡°Nice,¡± eximed Khal happily and instantly collected the next reward. Just like how it happened previously, white light manifested on his badge and a bitter a new sight weed him.


    ? Rank: E


    ¡°Hehe! I am now Rank E! Just killed 5 beasts and now I jumped a whole Rank! Haha!¡±ughed Khal with ecstasy but a secondter he tilted his gaze at the screen and smiled, ¡°But the best stuff is still behind.¡±


    ¨C 1 freely selected Secret Art from Moon Academy! (Only below Expert Level!)


    ¡°Hehe¡­ I can¡¯t wait to see what kind of Secret Art will be my first.¡±


    As everyone knows, Secret Arts were insanely essential in a Cultivator¡¯s life let it be weak or a powerful one; it could determine one¡¯s life during a battle because it was like a Second Talent with the only exception that Secret Arts could beprehended and used by anyone until one had the potential and talent to learn Secret Arts; but unfortunately, there were difficulty levels for Secret Arts too.


    The easiest Secret Arts that anyone could use, were on the Novice Level. These were the most basic Secret Arts around the world and even an idiots had what it took to learn it once they mastered how to control their Essence in their body.


    Following the Novice Level, the next one was the Moderate Level. Secret Arts on this level needed a bit more knowledge about one¡¯s body and Essence, yes, but they were still feasible to learn.


    You only needed a bit of hard work.


    However, the Expert Level was another story. Not only did one needed to know how to control the Essence in their body precisely, but they needed to understand how to influence the speed of their Essence too. If one failed to do so, learning an Expert Level Secret Art was as hard as counting sand in the desert; simply impossible.


    And the Cultivator Level was even harder. Including the previous two requirements, one needed to learn and understand the paths¡¯ names in their body. While Secret Arts on and below the Expert Level amodated the whole body, Cultivator Level Secret Arts only used specific routes called Essence Paths. Each Path had its name and each name wielded a unique meaning. Once someone failed to control their Essence through the right path, not only failure would arise but internal injuries too.


    But even though the Cultivator Level was considered as the hardest Secret Art that one could currently learn, there was the legendary Realm Level; a type of Secret Art that was wayplex for one to learn and way too dangerous to try it. Anyone who attempted to master such a Secret Art all failed in vain and ended up dead or as aplete cripple with their Essence Path and their Talent entirely destroyed.


    Out of the two, thetter one was the best oue, unfortunately.


    And it turns out, out of these 5 Levels, Khal had the chance to choose any type of Secret Arts below the Expert Level, meaning, he could choose from a Novice or Moderate Level Arts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see then.¡± said Khal and pressed the ¡®Collect¡¯ word on the screen.


    /Free Secret Art/ (Choose a Level)


    ? Novice Level /Choose/


    ? Moderate Level /Choose/


    Khal saw the two options on the screen and chose the Moderate Level without hesitation bringing him into a screen filled with several hundreds of Secret Arts.


    ¡°Woah¡­ Abyss Touch, Ghost Eye, Moon Hit¡­ So many Secret Arts! Which one should I choose?¡± thought Khal with surprise and started to ponder.


    As far as he could see and understand, his biggest weakness currently was his speed. He finally had a way to protect himself thanks to his Diamond Skin and also fight against stronger opponents with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes and Devil Fangs. But unfortunately, no matter how strong his defense or his offense was, itt all became useless if he didn¡¯t have the speed that helped him during the fight.


    Just like how Moras and the Ghost Spider were able to approach and kill him because of his slow speed, anyone will have the chance to do so in the future too. And this matter will only be worse as he reaches the higher Stages where stronger enemies will appear with time.


    And if he states this slow even at the Sixth Stage, he will be just like a pig; ready to be in.


    ¡°Well¡­ Then it is decided.¡± said Khal with a firm nod and chose ¡®Agility¡¯ type Secret Arts.


    But the result was unexpectedly was not what he waited for.


    /Agility type Secret Arts/ (Found: 1)


    ? Dance of The Celestial Serpent

 Chapter 69: Dance of The Celestial Serpent

    Chapter 69: Dance of The Celestial Serpent


    The words on the screen stunned and confused Khal at the same time and made him ponder.


    When he chose the Moderate Level Secret Arts he naturally didn¡¯t expect he would find a lot, but opposite to his assumption hundreds of different Secret Arts popped up. From closebat types to long-range one¡¯s, there were tons of different kinds of Arts which surprised him quite a bit; to think Moon Academy sold so many Secrets Art for free, it was amazing!


    Yet, the moment he chose the type ¡®Agility¡¯ only one piece was found; this was quite difficult to understand.


    ¡°Is there a reason a specific why? Should they hide the stronger Agility type Secret Arts for a reason because they are too hard to learn?¡± this question made Khal wonder.


    However, what he didn¡¯t know was that Agility type Secret Arts were not hard to find because they were hidden from the public or because only powerful families had the chance to learn them, but simply because they were extremely rare!


    Why? Because creating Secret Arts that boosted one¡¯s agility and speed was not only hard but their concept wasplex to make and understand. For example, Janna¡¯s Heaven sh was considered as a powerful Secret Art not only because of its devastating strength but also because it let the user to surpass human speed for a split second that would have been impossible to reach with normal means.


    That¡¯s why Heaven sh was considered a bit of Agility type of Secret Arts even thought it was not.


    But what happens if one tried to create an Art that not only boosted a single part of the body for a split second but the whole physique for a long time? Establishing such an Art was extremely hard but even if one seeds with one, it should definitely be on the Cultivator Level. So finding one Agility-type Secret Art on the Moderate Level could be considered as a blessing right from the heavens!


    ¡°Well, if this is the only one here I should just take it, no?¡± with that said Khal extended his fingers and pressed ¡®Collect¡¯.


    *Swish!*


    Immediately a white light appeared before him in the air and after it took up the shape of a scroll it fell into Khal¡¯s hand.


    ¡°So this is hiw a Secret Art looks like?¡± thought Khal as he examined the roll. It was a small, one-foot-long scroll with white color; on its middle, the Moon Academy¡¯s emblem could be seen which was a full moon. Below the emblem small words were printed with ck ink, saying ¡®Dance of The Celestial Serpent¡¯.


    ¡°I should learn it back in de Mountain.¡± said Khal and without hesitation opened the door into his ¡®room¡¯ and entered.


    ***


    Somewhere inside Moon Academy, Logan was chilling on a chair with a casual look while before him Jas looked at him with a calm gaze from the other side of his desk.


    ¡°Why did you chose him?¡± breaking the silence that filled the room for straight 5 minutes Jas finally talked.


    Logan who waited all this time patiently for Jas to start the conversation tilted his gaze from the picture on the side at Jas and smiled, ¡°Because I found him interesting.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Again, aplete lull descended on the room, making the two nce at each other in silence for quite a while.


    Jas started at Logan¡¯s indifferent expression for a very long time but still in the end smiled and lean back into his chair with his eyes closed.


    ¡°Logan¡­ Did you lose your trust in me? The one who raised you?¡± asked Jas with a voice that was akin to a gentle grandpa.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Upon hearing the voice he heard long ago when he was still a kid, Logan raised his gaze at the ceiling and sighed helplessly.


    ¡°No, I still trust you the most out of everyone; even if God came to me personally that you lied I would turn around with augh. No, the reason why I don¡¯t want to say the reason behind why I choose Khal was because even if I told you, you wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡±


    Jas opened his eyes after Logan started that and knitted his brows tightly. Logan, a guy who never lied about matters that included important and serious topics, said he wouldn¡¯t believe him even if he told him? Now that made his curiosity even greater.


    ¡°You are wrong. I would definitely believe you.¡± smiled Jas and leaned forward, ¡°So? Why did you choose him and why did you decide to give him the Moon Robe?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Logan lowered his gaze from above and looked at Jas.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Okay, I tell you. But don¡¯te at me that I am an idiotter.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± replied Jas without the slightest sign of sarcasm while only solid gravity was visible on his face.


    As Logan heard this he nodded and said, ¡°If I am right, Khal is just like me; someone who can obtain different powers through special means.¡±


    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± asked Jas as he raised his crossed fingers before his mouth, but the mixed doubt and shock was still visible deep inside his eyes.


    ¡°First, his aura. He has not a bit of presence until he starts fighting.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t exin anything. There are loads of way to hide one¡¯s au-.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m talking about his existence itself as presence.¡± said Logan before Jas could finish his sentence and continued, ¡°As you know, Cultivators has a slight aura around them thanks to their Talent. It¡¯s a kind of presence that any living organism has no matter what until they hold a Talent; and that¡¯s why you can¡¯t hide it, but I know you are aware of it too.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Jas lightly, ¡°Your second reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s also about his presence, but at the moment he fights. I told you that I went into the wild with him right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°At that time when he slew his first few creatures he had one single aura thanks to ¡®his¡¯ Talent. But there happened to be an ident when he was attacked by a Razor Hound; at that time his weapon was smashed to pieces.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± raised an eyebrow Jas not understanding what he wanted to say.


    But Logan wasn¡¯t angry about that and just exined calmly, ¡°At that moment, something happened that I still can¡¯t understand how. The very instant his weapon was crushed into pieces his presence changed visibly; it was like he suddenly obtained another Talent but at the same time not. What¡¯s more ever since then he is able to summon the exact same weapon he used before losing; it¡¯s strange.¡±


    Jas¡¯splexion seemed to undergo different emotions as he listened to Logan¡¯s story and leaned back into his chair once again.


    After thinking for a while Jas hummed slightly and asked, ¡°Who else knows about this?¡±


    ¡°With you now, only the two of us.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded Jas mildly and after pondering for a whole minute, he talked, his words holding extreme solemnity.


    ¡°Let¡¯s say you are right and he truly has simr powers thanks to ¡®that¡¯. What will you do?¡±


    Logan heard this and his expression turnedplicated instantly and could only say one thing.


    ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know.¡±

 Chapter 70: Crimson Snake Dance

    Chapter 70: Crimson Snake Dance


    Inside one of the most valuable ces of Moon Academy, de Mountain¡¯s one and sole cave, Khal was leaning against the cold and rigid wall on the side while reading an opened scroll in his hand.


    Hours have passed since he has obtained and started reading his first-ever Secret Art, the Dance of The Celestial Serpent, but unfortunately, it turned out that its context held bigger surprises than he first believed.


    The Dance of The Celestial Serpent Secret Art was categorized as an Agility type Art on the Moderate Level, yet, for some strange reason, it had not 1, but 7 forms, each having its unique aspect. But Khal was not confused because the text heldplex information, but instead because it had 7 forms! Anyone with a basic knowledge knew that any Secret Art that had more than one form should be categorized as a Cultivator Level Secret Art.


    This Secret Art in his possession that has not one, but 7 forms, should be ssified as a Cultivator Level Art and not as a Moderate Level!


    Or at least that is what he first thought, but the more he deepened himself into its context as he read the more he realized just how wrong he was.


    One Secret Art on the Cultivator Level had several forms such as Khal¡¯s currently obtained Art and that is why knowledge about the Essence Paths in the body was a must. Yet, this understanding wasn¡¯t needed at all for Secret Arts on the Moderate Level and for some strange reason, this was also true for the Dance of The Celestial Serpent that had 7 forms!


    This was quite confusing, but Khal didn¡¯t care about it. It seemed he obtained a precious item for free so he should learn it properly.


    The Dance of The Celestial Serpent had 7 forms each having their own uniqueness and advantage; from these seven forms, the very first was called as the Crimson Snake Dance.


    Out of the 7 forms, the first form was the easiest to learn because it only needed two things; fierceness and durability. By channeling almost all the Essence into both of the legs one was required to make the Essence circle around in the feet while making its speed constantly flow faster and faster.


    The scroll said that once one achieved perfection with the First Form of this Art, traveling hundreds of miles in a split second would be no longer a dream. But because of the constantly elerating Essence inside the feet, not only the leg¡¯s speed but it¡¯s momentum was building up continuously too, giving the user an incredible amount of speed and crushing power; the faster the cirction speed was the bigger this increase in power was.


    Once it reached a certain point, it was said one could kick even a huge mountain into dust and split a whole ocean into two in a single motion!


    ¡°Is this really an Agility-type Secret Art?¡± Khal started to doubt himself if he chose the right Secret Art or not, but still decided to learn it.


    He put the scroll down to his side and after standing up closed both of his eyes. Instantly, the interior of his body materialized in his head and the Essence in him became as clear as day.


    ¡°So I should control the Essence into my feet then make it flow in a cycle constantly.¡± understanding the context behind the First Form, Khal controlled the Essence inside his body toward both of his feet and once they were there, he made them flow in a cycle.


    ¡°!?¡±


    The moment he seeded, around both of his feet the air slightly started to vibrate while a slight pain pierced into his leg.


    ¡°So this should be why one needed durability? To bear the pain that came with the constantly flowing Essence in the body.¡± pondered Khal and started to run here and there testing his new speed.


    ¡°Yeah, my movement speed truly became faster but only by 5% if not less. I should try to elerate the flow in my feet even more.¡±


    As his voice fell, Khal sped up the flow¡¯s pace in his feet by 10 fold and moved.


    *Swish!*


    The next attempt was even faster than the previous one and Khal noticed with satisfaction that his speed increased at least by 30%! But at the same time, the pain grew by 30% too.


    ¡°Again!¡±


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Again!¡±


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Again!¡±


    *BAM!*


    Khal¡¯s speed increased every time he elerated the Essence flow inside his feet and after his 5th attempt he umted so much momentum that his feet left a deep crater in his wake, sending flying debris around the ce.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± groaning with pain, Khal stopped circting the Essence in his feet and slumped down.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s truly working and with my current limit, I can easily reach around 5 to 10 meters in a single instant. In a closebat fight that will be extremely useful.¡±


    As Khal thought about this he couldn¡¯t wait to see what more interesting stuff this Secret Art held so picked up the scroll and began to learn the remaining 6 forms one by one.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    An entire day has passed once again, and after learning everything about each form of his Secret Art, Khal decided to start practicing only with the First Form; the Crimson Snake Dance.


    Learning each and only trying them out once was naturally not enough and Khal knew this too; that¡¯s why he decided to hone the First Form to almost perfection with his current strength before going onto the next one.


    But even before he had the chance to start his practice, a figure suddenly emerged at the entrance of the cave.


    ¡°Logan!¡±


    ¡°Yep, that is me.¡± grinned Logan but his smile slowly faded away as he looked at the surroundings. Deep footprints, shallow craters, and small pieces of debris all around the ce; it was noticeable that Khal started to practice something which was either a skill or a Secret Art.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Logan as he picked up the Secret Art from the ground and started to read it.


    ¡°I finished the mission and that is one of my rewards,¡± replied Khal as he walked closer to his teacher.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Logan read the Secret Art in silence but from time to time his eyes shed with a profound glint then turned into shock, then amazement; it seems this was his first time too meeting with such aplex, but at the same time simple Secret Art like this.


    ¡°What level is this?¡± asked Logan as he handed back the Art to Khal.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the Moderate Level.¡±


    ¡°Moderate Level¡­ I see.¡± nodded Logan like he just understood something and tilted his gaze back at Khal, ¡°Make sure you learn it well. If you can master it, that will be a great asset to you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± nodded Khal and asked, ¡°So why did youe? Will we go and hunt again?¡±


    ¡°Hunt? No, that is no longer my business. If you want to be stronger you need to hunt for beasts on your own.¡± waved his hand and with a slight curve with his mouth he said, ¡°You will spar against me.¡±

 Chapter 71: Spar

    Chapter 71: Spar


    ¡°Spar with you?¡± Khal was a bit stunned by what Logan said.


    He was currently on the Second Cultivation Stage while Logan was visibly way above him; it could be quite feasible that he already reached the principal¡¯s Stage, the Eighth Cultivation Stage! And now he wanted to spar with him? Wouldn¡¯t that be kind of¡­ Bullying?


    Logan easily recognized Khal¡¯s worry and just simply smiled, ¡°No need to worry, we will spar fair and square. I will lower my power onto the Second Cultivation Stage.¡±


    Although a bit worried because even like that Logan will have stronger basic knowledge but Khal still nodded. He knew that this was the perfect chance to practice with his new Secret Art.


    ¡°Okay, where will we fight and what will be the goal?¡± Khal naturally knew that simple sparring won¡¯t be possible against Logan so he must have a n and that¡¯s why he asked him in a low voice.


    ¡°I will show you right away.¡± as Logan¡¯s words fell, the scenery around changed and Khal found himself in apletely different ce. The cave walls turned into a vast greennd without anything in the distance while the ceiling turned into a boundless sky with the sun hanging high above his head; it turns out he was outside Moon City once again.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± asked Khal calmly but inside his heart, he was shocked.


    de Mountain was a sealed space that only those could enter and leave who had the key, the authority to do so. Yet, Logan not only entered without his approval like Jas in the past, but he also teleported them out with a single move! This made him utterly speechless unable to find an exnation of how did Logan do it.


    ¡°We are currently in the edge of Moon City¡¯s territory, a remote area where there is nothing, not a single wild beast. And because no onees here I thought this would be the perfect ce for our sparring section.¡± grinned Logan as he exined.


    Khal instantly understood his teacher¡¯s aim and nodded; it appears that Logan wanted to fight with him in a ce where no one and nothing will disturb them, meaning, Khal can give his all without holding back.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start,¡± said Khal and readied his stance.


    ¡°Haha! I like your ambition but wait a second.¡± chuckled Logan and raised his index finger, ¡°First let me clear the rules.¡±


    ¡°Rules? What kind of rules?¡± knitted his brows in confusion Khal as he nced at Logan. Generally, any sparring section had to establish rules just like killing was prohibited or no help from others but currently they were master and disciple; it was only natural for them to not kill each other. Yet, for some strange reason, Logan wanted to make rules and this ignited Khal¡¯s curiosity.


    ¡°First rule, you can fight with anything you find good, let it be a real weapon or your bare hands.¡±


    Extending his middle finger, Logan continued, ¡°Second rule, if I use a power that surpasses your current Stage I lose.¡±


    ¡°Third rule,¡± raising his ring finger Logan smiled suddenly and said, ¡°Come at me like you want to kill me. If you can injure me even the slightest, I will buy you anything you want; naturally below a reasonable price.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal stayed silent for quite a while with a nonchnt expression, but deep inside his heart he was shocked. Logan said if he injures him he will get whatever he wanted! This was a blessing in disguise!


    But even before he could have lived himself into the mood, the next sentence made his expression to froze up.


    ¡°But if I win and seed to knock you out, you need to do what I tell no matter what.¡± eximed Logan with a shady smile, giving Khal a chilling sensation in his body.


    As silence entered and settled between the two, Khal decided to think over everything. The first and second rule was quite easy to understand, it could be said they were basic principles in fights simr to this. However, half of the third rule and thest thing Logan said¡­ They were way too strange and confusing.


    ¡®Come at me like you want to kill me¡¯ and ¡®if I win you do whatever I tell you these two made Khal feel that something was amiss. It was understandable that he needed to give his all to win, and get a reward if he seeded and punishment if he failed, but that mild smile of Logan gave him a bad feeling. It was like he looked at a cunning fox who was about to bait him into his trap.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start it. Remember,e at me with everything,¡± said Logan in a low voice and his presence lowered onto the Second Cultivation Stage.


    Khal saw this and realized he couldn¡¯t refute Logan so lowered his stance while his expression rxed; his eyes became tranquil and concentrated in a split second.


    ¡°Yes, that is right.¡± nodded Logan and signaled Khal to attack.


    ¡°Here Ie!¡± spoken Khal calmly and after his weapon appeared in his right hand his eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit in their middle while the air gently trembled around his feet.


    Dance of The Celestial Serpent; Crimson Snake Dance!


    *Swish!*


    *BAM!*


    elerating the Essence flow inside his feet, Khal¡¯s feet sunk deep into the ground, forming wide and long cracks one after another, and his figure burst forward like a thunderbolt during a chaotic storm.


    In a split second, his silhouette traveled a close distance of 10 or so meters and appeared before Logan in a sh while with a horizontal swing aimed at his teacher¡¯s chest with his weapon.


    ¡°Fast! But sadly still in the beginning phase,¡± eximed Logan with a profound glint in his eyes and moved his arm.


    With a simr speed to Khal, Logan¡¯s palm appeared in the way of Khal¡¯s dagger and hit the weapon aiming at his chest to the side.


    As the crystal weapon was whacked to the side making Khal¡¯s whole body to be wide open for any kind of attacks Logan was ready to move and do a counter-attack but suddenly his eyes shed; in an instant, he raised his other hand to the side of his head.


    *BAM!*


    The very moment his hand had been smashed to the side by Logan, Khal used the opportunity to lean to the side and like a whip, kicked at his head. However, his attempt was defended off as easily as breathing in the air while a smile emerged on Logan¡¯s face.


    ¡°Not bad.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Khal wanted to move as he noticed the smile on Logan¡¯s face but it was already toote; Logan moved his hand which he used for defense and with one fast but smooth motion grabbed Khal¡¯s ankle firmly.


    ¡°Now it is my turn,¡± said Logan as he swung his arm toward the sky still holding Khal, and threw him high up into the air.


    ¡°?¡±


    While Khal was still confounded by the sudden change of events, Logan below him raised his arm gently, and as ck mes manifested around his fist swung at Khal above him sending a huge raging explosion in the shape of a wild dragon at him.


    *BOOM!*

 Chapter 72: Constant Momentum!

    Chapter 72: Constant Momentum!


    With an explosion that shook the surroundings to some extent, Logan believed it was his attack that erupted into Khal but the next second his belief was shattered like a thin ss and his eyes widened in surprise.


    The raging ck mes that should have erupted into Khal¡¯s body sending him far away with scorched body was instead flung away by hundreds of wind des by Khal¡¯s fan.


    ¡°I forget about this power of his.¡± thought Logan in his heart but he was not nervous at all; instead smiled and bent his legs a bit.


    *Crack!*


    *BAM!*


    With a single leap that left a huge and deep pit on the ground, Logan shed above Khal¡¯s still floating body and raised his leg.


    ¡°!?¡± Khal noticed this and crossed his arms before his body, but this didn¡¯t save him from being kicked down like a football with a power simr to a hammer m.


    *BOOM!*


    Shattering the ground and creating a thick dust cloud in the air, Khal¡¯s body crashed into the solid ground below unknown if he was fine or not.


    *tap-tap*


    Elegantlynding on the grass with two gentle taps, Logan walked toward Khal and smiled, ¡°It seems I won. You have the power to fight against almost everyone on solid ground but when ites to battle in the sky, you are inexperienced; you are as vulnerable as a child.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Logan talked with confidence but suddenly his steps halted and squinted his eyes. The dust cloud slowly dissipated revealing a huge hole filled with debris but strangely Khal¡¯s figure was nowhere to be seen; it was like his body was swallowed by the earth vanishing into thin air.


    ¡°Where did he g-.¡±


    ¡°HA!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    As the voice came from above, Logan raised his head and watched as Khal descended upon him with a straightened leg that was about to smash his skull with extreme power.


    ¡°Interesting.¡± Logan was surprised by Khal. Not only did he defended against his kick that could knock anyone unconscious even though he was also on the Second Cultivation Stage, but he also used the smokescreen to his advantage to appear above him. Khal knew that he would concentrate on the spot where he fell, so used it as an opportunity to appear at his blind spot.


    Simply put, he not only thought about defense, but also thought a step ahead and used the small mistakes to his advantage.


    *BAM!*


    Jumping to the side and barely avoiding Khal¡¯s heel that came at him from above like an iron hammer, Logan watched as the leg crashed down sending huge chunks of rocks and debris around the green field like projectiles.


    ¡°His kick became stronger?¡± thought with surprise Logan as he squinted his eyes. The first time Khal used his new Secret Art his feet only left a small pit, but now it created such a huge and deep pit in the ground that it was hard to believe it was only Khal¡¯s physical strength that caused all this.


    And what Logan noticed was true. It was not Khal¡¯s physical strength that magically became strong but his Secret Art¡¯s First Form showed its potential. The moment Khal jumped up he elerated his Essence flow inside his feet to the absolute limit he could currently bear resulting in piercing pain arising in his leg.


    But because the difort was not unbearable, Khal was able to use the collected strength to appear above Logan in a split second; the dust cloud just helped to disguise his attempt so it was only an extra.


    And that was the very moment Khal realized that the Crimson Snake Dance main purpose was not to boost his speed but to umte strength into his legs through the continuous Essence cyclin.


    As the Essence flowed in a continuous cycle it worked as a vortex, sucking the air around his feet and using it as an umted source of power to increase both his speed and strength; simply, the faster the Essence moved the bigger the umted power will be.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t understand how could such a powerful Secret Art be considered as a Moderate Level Art. Did they not try to use it before giving it a Level or what?¡± thought Khal as he slowly retracted his feet from the debris.


    The Dance of The Celestial Serpent was such a strange Art that it made Khal wonder even until this moment. It was easy to understand like any Secret Arts on the Moderate Level but had concepts like Essence eleration that could be found from the Expert Level and even had 7 forms that only Cultivator Level Secret Arts had!


    Khal turned to face Logan and started into his eyes in deep silence. It seemed he was unable to injure him and Logan couldn¡¯t knock him out, so now they were back to square one; everything began once again from the beginning.


    Logan watched Khal¡¯s tranquilplexion and a profound light swirled inside his eyes while an unnoticeable curve formed on his mouth.


    ¡°This will be harder than I have thought.¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    When they started their sparring session the sun was still high above the sky but after hours of fighting and exchanging blows, the moon has already emerged from the east, shining the vault of heavens with its glow.


    *BOOM!*


    The previously glorious grasnd now turned into a vast wastnd filled with cracks, deep pits, and craters while not a single strand of grass was visible because of the uncountable debris and stones on the scorched ground.


    The whole ce became so chaotic that if one suddenly appeared and looked at this scenery, they would believe it was a battlefield where several individuals fought until their veryst breath.


    *BOOM!*


    And just here on this band, Khal and Logan were still fighting against each other, exchanging blows after blows without caring about the surroundings at all.


    ¡°It seems you are finally at your limit,¡± eximed Logan with a wry grin as nced at the heavily breathing Khal before him, but it was also apparent he was in the same shoes as him. Fighting against Khal put a greater burden on him especially because he needed to keep his strength on the Second Cultivation Stage without using any of his powerful abilities either.


    ¡°I¡­ can still go.¡± dered Khal as he wiped his sweat away from his forehead. Ever since they started to fight, Khal didn¡¯t stop circting the Essence inside his feet and now his whole leg became numb to the point he hardly felt them.


    But at least it was worth it because the longer he used the First Form the more he could push his limit out and the more power he could umte around his feet. But naturally, the pain he needed to bear became bigger too.


    ¡°Compared from the start, I definitely improved my skills, but I¡¯m still inferior to him. Just how can he be so much stronger than me even though he is on the same Stage as me?¡± thought Khal as he calcted his odds to win.


    He used all kinds of tricks against Logan but none of them helped him. He tried to fight him head-on, but it failed. He tried to attack him from distance with the help of his fan but it also failed. He attempted to push his Crimson Snake Dance potential to the utmost limit he could sustain currently, but that too ceased to function properly against Logan.


    Every single time he attacked his teacher, he would defend against him like an iron wall and do a counterattack that was hard to fend against; if it wasn¡¯t for his Diamond Skin, Khal was pretty sure he would have been knocked out hours ago.


    As silence filled the air because both men tried to calm their breathing down, Logan inhaled a mouthful of fresh air and sighed deeply.


    At that very moment, he did that, his wholeplexion turned soothing once again while his body rxed; suddenly his whole being leaked a kind of presence that told Khal the end game was near.


    Slowly, Logan lowered his stance while the ground below him cracked and the air started to tremble slightly around his feet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me!¡± mumbled Khal with a stunned expression, but soon enough Logan opened his mouth and grinned.


    ¡°Dance of The Celestial Serpent; Crimson Snake Dance!¡±


    *BOOM!*

 Chapter 73: Find A Job Already!

    Chapter 73: Find A Job Already!


    The air shook and the earth trembled as Logan¡¯s body vanished and appeared right before Khal. Everything happened so fast that even Logan¡¯s afterimage could be seen in the distance, so it was no surprise that Khal had no time to react at all.


    ¡°I won.¡± was the only thing Khal was able to hear before a sharp pain entered his chest from the front while his vision turned slightly dark and blurry.


    *BAM*


    Flying across the sky while an arrow of blood sttered out from his mouth, Khal¡¯s figure bounced several times on the ground beforeing to aplete halt with a heavy ¡®thud¡¯ sound in the distance.


    ¡°Wha¡­ Cough! Cough! What¡­ happened?¡± Khal who was lying inside a small crater that his body formed after the impact, gazed at the starry sky above him with a perplexed look. He was still unable to understand what just happened to him in the past few seconds.


    ¡°You did well, I¡¯m not gonna lie. But the experience of Essence control between the two of us is vast; you simply had no chance to react¡­ Or at least with your current knowledge, no.¡± talking in a deep but clear voice, Logan walked next to Khal¡¯s side end extended his arm toward him.


    Khal who was still lying on the ground saw the helping offer but simply closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°Just give me a few more seconds. My whole body aches from exhaustion and even if I wanted to it seems I won¡¯t be able to get up for a while.¡±


    Logan could only nod upon hearing this and sit down too; it was obvious he was also tired, but not because of the continuous fighting but instead that he needed to surpass his Stage all the time. Watching out not to use abilities that surpassed the Second Stage while also battling with Khal, who could be considered a very tough opponent on the same Stage, put a great burden on him. Especially because their sparring sessionsted for close to 6 hours straight!


    ¡°You said you won because you had better control over your Essence right? How did you achieve such great momentum with the First Form even though you remained on the Second Stage?¡± asked Khal as he tried to move his limbs, particrly his legs, but found out he was unable to do so; he reached his physical limit and needed to rest.


    Logan who watched Khal until this moment in silence closed his eyes and a mild curve formed on the edge of his mouth, ¡°Until this moment you only circted your Essence in your feet while elerating it until you reached your threshold.¡±


    ¡°However, that is a mistake.¡±


    ¡°A mistake?¡± frowned Khal as he peeked to the side with eyes.


    ¡°Yes, a mistake. Maybe the Secret Art told you to constantly elerate the Essence flow inside your body, but that is an error; a mistake from the creator of this Art. In fact, the whole concept of the Secret Art, including all the other 6 forms are full of errors from beginning to end.¡±


    ¡°What should that even mean?¡±


    ¡°Just what I say. It seems whoever created this Secret Art never intended to finish it properly or just simply waszy enough to write it down; in either way, it formed several unwanted ws in this almost perfect masterpiece.¡± opened Logan his eyes as he said that and leaned forward while he put his arms on his bent knees, ¡°For example the First Form; Crimson Snake Dance biggest error which was neglected in the scroll was that it wasn¡¯t exined that you need to circte the flow not inside, but outside your feet.¡±


    ¡°Outside? What? You can¡¯t bring out your Essence from your body, that is just simply impossible.¡± eximed Khal as he struggled to sit up slowly; it seems his body finally started to listen to hismands.


    ¡°Yes that is true and you can¡¯t really bring your Essence out from your body, but there is a way which lets you do something simr to that,¡± said Logan and raised his index finger before his face.


    Instantly, a gentle blue light enveloped the tip of his finger and started to move clockwise in a slow-motion; it was as if gentle blue mes gently danced around his fingers.


    ¡°How?¡± asked Khal with a dropped jaw hardly believe what he was seeing.


    Because he was so familiar with the Essence inside his body thanks to his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he knew how it looked like and what kind of presence it held; it was a gentle blue light that was akin to flowing mes. And right now, that gentle light that was simr to blue zes and had a presence akin to life, of an Essence, was gently moving around Logan¡¯s finger like a tamed beast.


    The sight was both mesmerizing and terrifying!


    ¡°As you know, once oneprehended what was an Essence and where it can be found, one will be able to control their own Essence at will inside their own body. But what if I say you can not only control the Essence path but also ¡®shape¡¯ the Essence inside your body?¡±


    ¡°Shape?¡± as Khal heard that he started to wonder instantly while his curiosity got ignited. He wanted to know what ¡®shaping your Essence¡¯ could truly mean.


    ¡°You can not only cause the Essence to flow inside your body, causing it to drift in different paths, but also shrink and expand its size, effecting in different results. It is not hard at all, you just need to do what you did back then.¡±


    The word ¡®back then¡¯ referred to when Khal discovered how to bring up the Treasure Stones from theke with the help of his Essence. At that time, he found out that by shrinking the Essence or expanding it, he could make the stone feel heavier or lighter; but that time it was only an ident and he didn¡¯t think about it like directly ¡®expanding and shrinking¡¯ his Essence.


    It was a just simple ident.


    But now that he saw the blue Essence around Logan¡¯s finger he realized that what he did back then as an ident in truth can be done on intention now! He just solely needed to expand his Essence inside his body and let it flow out through his pores to form ayer there; it was nothing special at all.


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s how you were able to do it.¡± sighed Khal helplessly as he realized the vast disparity between him and Logan both inbat power and in Essence control; it was as vast as the difference between day and night, apletely another realm.


    ¡°Well then, now that I have answered your question, it¡¯s time for your punishment.¡± smiled Logan at Khal as he lowered his hand and stood up.


    Tilting his gaze up at his teacher and watching his smile that held a mysterious meaning, Khal felt a cold shiver sweep through his body, causing him to unconsciously swallow down a huge amount of his saliva.


    Khal¡¯s nervousplexion made Logan¡¯s smile to turn even wider but the very moment he opened his mouth ready to speak, suddenly his face changed 180 degrees and turned ice-cold with a piercing re.


    ¡°Find a job already or I will kill you!¡±

 Chapter 74: Looking For a Job

    Chapter 74: Looking For a Job


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal watched nkly at Logan like he just heard something iprehensible. Find a job? What? Why? He was a Cultivator who can earn money through epting missions and killing beast while at the same time getting stronger; why should he find a job?


    As Khal¡¯s brain tried to find the logical answer to his question Logan¡¯s eyebrows knitted together tightly and asked, ¡°You weren¡¯t told you need to find a Job inside Moon Academy? That is a serious requirement if one wanted to stay inside the Academy; you need to do at least one Job a month, as for what Job you choose, that ispletely on you.¡±


    ¡°What? No. I wasn¡¯t told about that at all. Who should have said that to me?¡± raised a brow at that as he asked.


    ¡°Who? Isn¡¯t that obvious? It should have been your¡­¡± started to say Logan but halted in his sentence as he realized he should have said that to him.


    ¡°¡­¡± as Khal noticed Logan¡¯s strange reaction squinted his eyes but could do nothing but sigh helplessly. This teacher of his¡­ How could he forget to tell him something so important like this? It was¡­


    It seemed that one needed to do and ept a Job once every month to remain in the Academy; just how could anyone, especially an individual that was a teacher in the Academy, forget to tell their disciple something this important?


    ¡°I see. Then we should head back now. If I am right I have been here 5 days, so I have 2 more days to find a Job, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± nodded Khal and waited for Logan to teleport them back, but unexpectedly Logan put his fingers before his chin and started to ponder loudly.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, then what I asked was not really a punishment; it was a must for you no matter what.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal watched Logan before him with an indifferent expression, but deep inside he started to feel something was not right.


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡± smiled Logan and as he tilted his gaze at Khal grinned, revealing his white teeth below the moon¡¯s light, ¡°Then your punishment should be to find a way back into Moon Academy. Well then, see you back there.¡±


    As Logan¡¯s voice fell, his body slowly turned transparent and under a split second, he vanished into a thin air, leaving Khal behind just like that without a second thought.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    Back inside Moon City, inside Jas¡¯s room which was only lit up by a single candle, Logan walked inside and leaned onto the wall on the side.


    ¡°So? How did it go? Did you find out if he borrows the power of ¡®that¡¯?¡± Jas who read calmly behind his desk put the book down gently and nced at Logan; it was apparent he was curious about the news.


    However, Logan just shook his head making surprise and shock sh in Jas¡¯s eyes for a split second.


    ¡°How do you think so?¡±


    Logan although deep in thought still stood up and extended his palm before him. Instantly, red mes enveloped his hand and a book with an eerily red luminance appeared and floated above his palm; the whole thing leaked a presence that made everyone¡¯s hair stand on end.


    Yet, even though the book gave out such a creepy aura, Logan looked at it with such kindness and warmth on his face that it was akin he looked at his most loved one in the world!


    Jas watched Logan and the book above his palm all this time in silence and waited patiently; and soon just as he anticipated Logan started to talk.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t borrow a power simr to me, yet it is identical in a few ways. I still can¡¯t tell it why or answer how but I know it for sure; he does not borrow powers from ¡®them¡¯ and ¡®that¡¯.¡± eximed Logan as he examined the book in his hand.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jas stayed silent for quite a bit and after a while nodded his head lightly while he closed the book on his desk with a ¡®thud¡¯ sound.


    ¡°I understand. Then it seems he should be considered fine. But still, for the time being, watch him closely. If you are wrong and he truly is associated with ¡®them¡¯ we sh-¡°


    ¡°I know exactly what we should do, there is no need for you to tell me that.¡± said suddenly Logan as he clenched his palm into a fist, causing the sinister book to vanish into thin air alongside the crimson red mes.


    ¡°¡­¡± Jas locked gazed with Logan in silence and nodded. It seems Logan was 100% clear about the consequences that woulde if Khal used ¡®that¡¯ power they talked about.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± closed his eyes Jas but for some strange reason a slight, hardly noticeable sadness and worry crept onto his face.


    ***


    As the moon on the starry sky slowly descended bringing out the world from the dusk, the sun rose slowly from the east bringing a new day, a fresh new start for everyone. Or at least everyone except Khal, who finally arrived at the gate of Moon Academy with bean-sized sweatdrops on his face after running for half a day without rest.


    With rigid breaths and exhausted steps, Khal walked inside Moon Academy and slumped down onto the grass below a tree¡¯s shadow; he was so tired that he couldn¡¯t even open his eyes properly.


    ¡°That¡­ bastard¡­¡± murmured Khal quietly but no matter how much he wanted to continue his cursing, he realized he had not a single drop of energy left to talk or think, so just simply decided to stay silent until he recoveredpletely.


    After Logan left him behind in the middle of nowhere he had no choice but to ¡®walk¡¯, which in truth ended up as running, all the way back to Moon Academy. Because he didn¡¯t even have an aid that could tell him where he should start to go, like the Moon Mountain that would have given help to pinpoint Moon City¡¯s direction, he decided to choose a randomly.


    With the help of his Crimson Snake Dance, he was able to travel distances pretty fast but even like that, he needed close to an hour to reach a small vige. But when he arrived there and asked around where Moon City was, the answer he got was¡­


    Aggravating!


    Not only did he chose the direction which led to theplete opposite direction where Moon City was located, but it turned out it was 1 day away on the foot! He was told it would take him at least 18 hours to reach Moon city from there even if he took a horse!


    Such luck¡­ Khal didn¡¯t know if he was hated by the heavens or he had simply insanely bad fortune, but the constant ¡®incidents¡¯ that were happening with him started to irritate him.


    But unfortunately, he could do nothing but sigh andugh helplessly at his fate; as it was irritating it was as funny.


    Breathing heavily on the ground, Khal opened his eyes into a slight slit and took a peek at his legs. They were currently so numb that he didn¡¯t feel them at all; they were, without a question, exhausted and drained from every ounce of energy he had.


    ¡°If¡­ Logan wouldn¡¯t have told me¡­ that secret¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have been able to arrive under 13 hours¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure about that¡­¡± thought Khal and put his head back down onto the ground and concentrated on calming his breathing down.


    He ran close to 13 hours straight while constantly using the Dance of The Celestial Serpent¡¯s First Form; the Crimson Snake¡¯s momentum boosting ability. With the newly obtained knowledge, Khal was able to correct the so-called mistake that Logan talked about and form his Essence around his feet just like how he did it. However, the result was¡­ Heaven defying!


    Not only did his momentum increased leaps and bounds but even his speed improved thanks to it too!


    At first, he was able to travel around 15 meters with his old method in a single instant but now he could reach thrice as that! And what is more, the pain inside his leg lessened too, but regrettably, it did not vanishpletely; that is why his legs became numb in the end even though the pain was weakened by several levels.


    Spending the following one hour on the ground like that, Khal concentrated to calm his breathing down while ignoring the several puzzling stares on his skin from the bypassers.


    After one and a half an hourter, when he finally obtained back a small feeling inside his legs, Khal opened his eyes and sat up. Looking up at the sky, it was visible that it was close to 2 to 3 hours already, so it was time for him to move.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± standing up with a painful groan, Khal dusted off his butt and back and with shaky steps walked away, looking for his first-ever job.

 Chapter 75: Blacksmith

    Chapter 75: cksmith


    Khal walked slowly on Moon Academy¡¯s streets with such shaky legs that the other students around him thought he was drunk; he took each of his steps with such precision and concentration that small sweat drops started to form on his forehead bit by bit.


    His legs were still not listening to him entirely and there were even times where he stumbled or almost fell just because of a random small rocking out of the road; the sight was quite a bit pathetic.


    ¡°Hey, look¡­ That guy there¡­ What is he doing?¡±


    ¡°Who? Oh¡­ I¡­ Don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe practicing some kind of unique footwork or Secret Art he just started to learn?¡±


    ¡°What? Please¡­ Don¡¯t make meugh, do you really think that sloppy and shaky movement could be a Secret Art? It almost looks like he is drunk!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal who did everything he could to maintain his stability while walking closed his eyes and sighed.


    Drunk? Your mother is drunk! I ran hundreds of miles straight for half a day without rest! Let me see if you do the same as me you will walk on stable legs or not!


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t say out loud those thoughts, but in truth, he would have loved it to say them! Even after resting for close to 2 hours didn¡¯t help him at all! He was able to walk yes, but his legs were like jelly; just one single mistake or if he does not concentrate enough could make him fall over!


    How funny! Oh, wait¡­ It was not.


    Right after his left, left after his right, Khal walked slowly with his head glued at the ground before him, but it wasn¡¯t long before he was stopped by a guy.


    ¡°?¡±


    Raising his head, he saw that the guy stopping him was someone he knew, or at least met with once; Nathan Wilster.


    ¡°Nate?¡±


    Nate who was standing right before Khal with a slight smile etched on his face scanned his friend from up to bottom and asked, ¡°What are you doing? Did you drink?¡±


    ¡°Why does everyone think I did drink? I didn¡¯t even drink in my past life let alone this one¡­¡± with a helpless sigh, Khal smiled wryly and shook his head, ¡°No I didn¡¯t, I just simply run for so long my legs feel a bit numb¡­ that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± said Nate and was ready to help Khal, but he was rejected by a wave, ¡°Please don¡¯t help me. My condition isn¡¯t that bad. But if you want to help me so much please, can you take me where I can apply for a Job?¡±


    ¡°A Job? You didn¡¯t apply for one even after almost a week? What did you do?¡±


    Upon hearing this Khal legally wanted to tell him he was not told and Logan forgot to warn him, but instead just shook his head helplessly, ¡°It¡¯s a long story so I will tell it to youter.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± with a slight hum, Nate squinted his eyes but just shook his head in the end; if Khal said he will tell himter then let it be it. He won¡¯t ask any further questions.


    ¡°Understood, then follow me,¡± said Nate and started to show the way, but after taking a few steps he stopped; he realized Khal was unable to keep up with him.


    ¡°This guy¡­¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After walking for straight 30 minutes before arriving in front of a building that in fact looked just like any of the others, Khal turned his gaze at Nate, ¡°Is this the one?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, this is. You just simply need to go inside and you can choose a Job willingly. There will be a lot so finding one that you will like will be quite easy.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing Khal¡¯s nk stare, Nate raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Um¡­ Is something wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± told Khal but the next second frowned and asked, ¡°I just can¡¯t understand how one should find locations if each building is exactly the same?¡±


    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t find it out?¡±


    ¡°Find out what?¡± asked Khal with confusion as he tilted his gaze at Nate.


    ¡°¡­¡± as Nate inspected his friend¡¯s confused gaze could just simply sigh deeply and take his Cultivator¡¯s Badge out.


    ¡°Just take a look at the back of your badge.¡±


    ¡°?¡± doing as he was told, Khal took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge and flipped it around; but the sight that waited for him surprised him white a bit.


    ¡°A¡­ Map?¡± asked Khal as he watched the minimap on his badge with tiny symbols on top of each building; naturally, those were the names.


    ¡°Exactly. Your Cultivator¡¯s Badge is half of your identity card and an item helping you navigate in not only Moon Academy, but in every city in the world.¡±


    ¡°And how did you find this function of your badge out? I dare you to say you just flipped it around and found it by ¡®ident¡¯,¡± said Khal calmly.


    ¡°Of course not.¡± waved his hand around Nate with a smile, ¡°I was told about this by my teacher just like everyone else.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Did yours didn¡¯t tell you?¡± asked Nate surprised expression after noticing Khal¡¯s strange reaction.


    ¡°Do I really look like someone who was told about it?¡± asked Khal coolly, but his eyes already told his answer.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    As the two looked at each other in silence, Khal sighed weakly and scratched the back of his neck gently, ¡°Well, never mind. At least you told me and now finding things will be much easier.¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± nodded Nate and followed Khal inside the building.


    Opening the door and walking inside, Khal looked at the new sight before him with wide eyes. Just like the moment he entered any of the buildings in Moon Academy, a terrifyingly huge space, which this time was a hall, rose before his eyes, while on both sides hundreds of stalls, each having different sceneries behind them was visible next to each other. One stall had a huge tree with different herbs, flowers, and grass around it, another one had boxes filled with weapons while there was even one that had a real and actual baking shop filled; it was even filled with various kinds of food too!


    ¡°As you can see, each stall introduces a different Job to students. You can go and ask about information if you want or there is even the chance to try them out personally just to find out if they are suited for you or not. Pretty cool, right?¡± exined Nate as he walked beside Khal in the hall.


    ¡°Yeah, it is truly interesting.¡± nodded Khal himestly as he inspected each stall on both sides with great curiosity.


    Medical station, weapon station, food station, delivery station¡­ There was even a stall that showed how to sew clothes and shoes! In a world where one aim was to be a legend, a Cultivator who reached the summit of humanity and all life forms in the universe! And in this world, they really try to teach people, with magical powers, to sew? What?


    As Khal stared at this sight with great puzzlement, Nate tugged his elbow and pointed toward the far distance on the left, ¡°How about that?¡±


    Following his finger where it pointed, Khal squinted his eyes and frowned.


    ¡°A smithery?¡±

 Chapter 76: New Status Unlocked!

    Chapter 76: New ''Status'' Unlocked!


    Khal watched the smithery in the distance and frowned. He knew about cksmiths from his previous life from books and movies, but he never saw one truly in person; in his opinion that was quite a hell of a job and he didn¡¯t really want to try it even if they pay him. Standing next to raging fire for several hours straight that continuously radiated insane heat during the iron tempering process¡­ Just imagining it once made Khal sweat instantly let alone try it!


    ¡°Nah, I think I will just pass i-, huh?¡± just as Khal was about to turn around and decline Nate¡¯s idea, suddenly his gaze noticed something, ¡°Those are¡­ Artifacts?¡±


    Right behind the smithery, next to numerous weapons several items like earrings, nes, masks, and various other things with shining and colorful pebbles ced in them could be noticed making Khal raise an eyebrow.


    ¡°Yeah, they are. cksmiths not only produce weapons but also artifacts. Why, what did you think who created them?¡± asked Nate with a smile but his eyes showed confusion.


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal was unable to answer that question; he actually belived artifacts were created in other means and definitely not through forging. Hearing this made him just as surprised as puzzled.


    ¡°So Artifacts are made through cksmithing¡­ Power Corese from Artifacts, so maybe if I try forging I can deepen my understanding about Cores and this bracelet.¡± as Khal thought about this his gaze subconsciously turned at his wrist and a wry smile emerged on his face; he doesn¡¯t really want to choose to forge but if it meant he could solve his mysteries he must do it.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s check it out,¡± said Khal calmly, but suddenly halted his movement and titled his gaze at Nate, ¡°Will you apply for a job there too?¡±


    ¡°What? Me? Ah, no.¡± waved his hand around Nate with a wry smile.


    ¡°Then why did you advise that stall to me?¡± Khal looked a bit confused because Nate was the one who told him forging was a good choice.


    ¡°Why?¡± asked Nate then suddenly his eyes curved and a smile formed on his face, ¡°You will find it out once you get there.¡±


    ¡°?¡± Khal was a bit muddled but still nodded his head and walked toward the stall with Nate following him behind.


    [Notify! 2 ¡®Power Cores¡¯ had been detected in proximity!]


    ¡°¡­¡± walking closer to the stall, suddenly the familiar voice emerged inside Khal¡¯s hand turning his eyes even more focused than before.


    ¡°Wee! My name is Bazz! Ya want to apply for a job?¡±


    A sturdy-looking guy with a height and width almost like a miniature mountain smiled at Khal and Nate instantly as he noticed the two approaching him and his stall. He was loaded with an insane amount of muscle to the point where he looked almost as robust as Raffin; his whole being leaked a mighty presence.


    He had short brownish ck hair with a pair of brown eyes that burnt with visible passion and tranquility; with his honey skin filled with charcoal and sweat almostpletely, he looked quite manly and imposing for some strange reason.


    ¡°Hi, my name is Khal and I would like to apply for a Job yes,¡± replied Khal but his gaze never left from the artifacts that were ced neatly next to each other in the back.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Bazz was actually surprised by this and examined Khal from top to bottom. In truth, out of all the stalls that were present in the hall, Bazz¡¯s stall was one of the most unpopr; naturally after the sewing stall.


    Because no one liked forging as the process and the job was hard and a ¡®waste of time¡¯ no one truly came and applied for a Job here, especially not someone who was as fragile-looking as Khal. Forging and cksmithing was a task assigned and created for strong men and not for slim kids, but he couldn¡¯t judge a book by its cover right?


    ¡°I see, d to hear that!¡± grinned Bazz, revealing a row of white and sharp teeth at Khal and Nate, ¡°But before I can assign you a task, I need to check your skills.¡±


    ¡°Skills?¡± tilted his head to the side slightly Khal upon hearing that.


    ¡°Yes, your skills. Because there are hundreds of different tasks each requiring different quality and level of forging mastery, I need to check your skills to determine what kind of tasks I can give you in the end. And if you do great¡­ You can choose an item freely from back there.¡± said Bazz with the same smirk on his face as he pointed behind his back.


    ¡°So that is why Nate said I will find it out.¡± thought Khal and nce at his friend on the side.


    However, what neither he nor Nate knew about was that Bazz didn¡¯t do this because he had a kind heart, but instead to attract more people. If he can persuade others through this method even if it meant he needed to sell precious items for free he didn¡¯t really care; maybe like that, he could earn people¡¯s affection toward cksmithing and make forging famous in the entirety of Moon Academy.


    But currently, that was just a simple dream and nothing more; he was just a mere speck of dust in the vast desert.


    ¡°Okay I will give it a try.¡± nodded Khal as he nced at Bazz, ¡°So? What will be my test?¡±


    Although a bit disappointed that Khal, someone with such a fragile look came, Bazz still nodded and walked to the other end of the stall. After searching among several blocks of irons, Bazz grabbed something and walked back.


    *THUD!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°This will be your test. It will be very simple, just simply do your best and refine this piece of steel to the best of your knowledge and ability. After you finish, I will judge and give you a task best suited for you.¡± exined Bazz calmly as he stared at Khal before him.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t look calm at all. Instead, his face demonstrated such shock that his eyes almost bulged out of their sockets while his jaw dropped nearly down to his knees. Right on the small counter, a huge chunk of steel with a width of a human adult chest and a length of a foot was ced before him. The only difference however was its unique shade which Khal has never seen before. It waspletely silvery but with numerous tiny and colorful dots ced on its surface; it almost looked like a whole universe that was ced onto this piece of iron.


    It looked beautiful¡­


    ¡°I¡­ Need to refine this?¡± asked Khal after several seconds of silence as he pointed the steel before him.


    ¡°Yep.¡± nodded Bazz with a grin and crossed his bulging arms before his chest.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal watched the inhumanly big hunk of metal before him and sighed, ¡°Sure.¡±


    With that, Khal extended his arms and grabbed it, but the moment he touched it, the bracelet on his wrist dimly lit up and a voice appeared inside his head.


    [Notify! High-quality material detected!]


    [essing ¡®Statuses¡¯¡­]


    [No proper ¡®Status¡¯ found¡­ Unlocking new ¡®Status¡¯¡­]


    [Processing¡­]


    [¡­]


    [Notify! New ¡®Status¡¯, ¡®Artifact Creation¡¯ Status unlocked!]

 Chapter 77: Star Steel

    Chapter 77: Star Steel


    ¡°?¡±


    While Khal listened to the voice in his head with a rather perplexed look, Bazz opened up the counter on the side and gestured at Khal, ¡°Anytime you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Umm¡­ hello?¡± Bazz noticing that Khal was not reacting to his call at all, nced at Nate on the side questioningly.


    ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Nate hit his friend on the shoulder gently causing Khal toe back to his senses and nod, ¡°Yeah¡­ I am fine. I was just surprised seeing such a huge metal.¡±


    ¡°Haha! Huge? This is the smallest chunk of steel we have. All the others are way bigger than this baby here.¡±ughed Bazz merrily as he patted the iron on his side like it was his best friend.


    ¡°Baby? Even bigger than that?¡± Khal didn¡¯t know how to react at that at all and instead tilted his gaze at Nate, but the only thing he got was the same smile he always showed.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Sure. Let¡¯s get it done.¡± sighed Khal helplessly and grabbed the piece of metal from the stall.


    [Notify! Scanning high-quality material!]


    Instantly as the voice sounded in his head, Khal felt as the bracelet on his wrist started to tremble slightly and a secondter stop.


    [New material, ¡®Star Steel¡¯ recorded!]


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal listened to the voice in his head in silence as he picked up the chunk of metal called Star Steel from the counter¡­ Or at least tried it but failed miserably.


    ¡°The¡­ Fuck?¡± blurted out with surprise as he almost fell over the moment he raised the Star Steel; he wouldn¡¯t have belived it would be that heavy.


    ¡°Haha! Just carefully kid! Maybe I brought it here with ease it doesn¡¯t mean you can do the same.¡± chuckled Bazz, but his eyes told otherwise; he was kind of disappointed.


    ¡°Not being able to pick up Star Steel which had a medium weight¡­ Things don¡¯t look quite bright for this kid¡­¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to help?¡± asked Bazz with the same smile as he stepped toward Khal ready to help, but was abruptly stopped.


    ¡°No, thanks¡­ I¡¯m doing perfectly fine¡­¡± hissed Khal through his teeth and started to walk toward an anvil in the middle with shaky legs.


    ¡°¡­¡± Bazz watched Khal¡¯s struggling figure with a nk stare and didn¡¯t know how to react. This was the very first time in his entire life that he saw someone struggling this much with a Star Steel that it made him speechless.


    ¡°Well¡­ At least he has willpower.¡± thought Bazz with a helpless sigh and followed Khal from behind in silence.


    However, what he didn¡¯t know that Khal didn¡¯t struggle because he was weak and couldn¡¯t carry the iron, but because his legs were insanely weak; they didn¡¯t even healpletely from the numbness before and now he needed to carry this piece of scrap.


    How perfect! Now he truly looked like a weak and pathetic idiot for sure!


    *THUD!*


    Putting down the Star Steel on top of the anvil, Khal stepped a meter back and exhaled the air from his lungs slowly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ How should I start?¡± pondered Khal but suddenly the voice appeared in his head once again.


    [Do you wish to use ¡®Creation Mode¡¯?]


    ¡°Creation Mode? What the hell is that?¡± wondered Khal, but his question was answered instantly.


    [¡®Creation Mode¡¯ is a special function that can be found inside the ¡®Artifact Creation¡¯ Status.]


    [¡®Creation Mode¡¯ makes ¡®Owner¡¯ learn how to forge Artifacts with greater sess!]


    ¡°!¡±


    When Khal heard this his jaw almost dropped to the floor. Learn how to forge Artifacts? Did it mean it will teach him how to forge, refine, temper, and use other methods to create Artifacts and weapons? Was that what the voice implied?


    ¡°Well¡­ There is only one way to find it out.¡± thought Khal and nodded his head, ¡°Yeah, I want to use it!¡±


    [Understood!]


    [Notify! Activating ¡®Creation Mode¡¯!]


    ¡°!?¡±


    Immediately after the voice disappeared from his mind, all of a sudden Khal felt a burning sensation appearing inside his right wrist and like some kind of strange toxin, it started to spread all over inside of his whole body.


    ¡°What¡­ is this?¡± asked Khal as his eyes turned round while the sight before him change drastically.


    The Star Steel before him turned half-transparent showing strange threads with different sizes and lengths inside it, while before him, exactly 3 hologram figures made out of small pixels were around the ce. The first one was exactly right before him, imitating as it picked up the Star Steel, the second one brought the chunk of iron before the firece while the third one ced it into it.


    ¡°It shows me what to do?¡± thought Khal with awe and tilted his gaze at Bazz and Nate.


    ¡°Just whenever ya want to start. Or do ya need my help to show you how to begin the process?¡± asked Bazz as he was ready to walk next to Khal, but to his surprise, Khal stopped him once again, ¡°No I am okay. I was just pondering a bit.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± nodded Bazz mildly and stepped back, continuing to watch Khal from the sides with a calm gaze.


    As this happened, Khal was now even sure about it; he was the only one capable to see the hologram figures before him and no one else.


    ¡°So the figures show me what to do. Then let¡¯s follow the instructions.¡± thought Khal and picked up the Star Steel from the anvil and brought it all the way to the firece.


    The firece was small, just about 2 to 2 and a half meters in diameter surrounded by curved crimson brick walls from both sides and behind. At the bottom of the right wall, a bellows was ced, probably for the reason to help in the heating process while a long and thick chimney was ced at the top to bring the smoke out there.


    ¡°So I need to put the iron into this? The angle must be important too as I see.¡± thought Khal as he watched the final hologram before him, cing the Star Steel onto its side with an angle of 45 degrees toward the east.


    However, when Bazz saw the method Khal put the Star Steel into the firece his expression didn¡¯t look as concentrated as Khal¡¯s or as indifferent as Nate¡¯s, but changed to shock as quickly as silver.


    ¡°This kid¡­ How could this be? It¡¯s too obvious that this is his first time doing refining so how did he know how to put the Star Steel into the firece? Was it just a coincidence?¡±


    While Bazz was trying to find the answer to his questions in his head, Khal walked next to the bellows and after cing his hand on their hold he started to use it.


    *SHHH!*


    *SHHH!*


    With each push he did, a huge amount of air was blown out from the end of the bellows while the fire became hotter and hotter, turning its color from crimson red to orange-red hue.


    ¡°This¡­ Can¡¯t be,¡± murmured Bazz with bewilderment, unable to believe to his eyes. Right now, Khal before him wasn¡¯t pushing air non-stop onto the fire like an idiot, but slowly and in a rhythmical manner. Although his movements looked kind of sluggish, but in his opinion he definitely wasn¡¯t someone who looked like it was his first time doing such a thing.


    ¡°Did he just pretend to be an amateur? But why?¡± pondered Bazz with squinted eyes, this time with noticeable suspicion in his gaze.

 Chapter 78: Soul Thread Tempering

    Chapter 78: Soul Thread Tempering


    Pushing air onto the firece through the bellows, Khal watched as the Star Steel turned brighter and brighter. At first, it had a simple bright red color, but with time, the more air he used and the longer it was engulfed by the raging mes, its shade slowly turned into a luminous orange hue.


    ¡°One inhale, two exhale. This is the tempo that I need to follow. Not that hard.¡± as Khal thought about how the starting process was not that hard, suddenly, when the Star Steels color changed once again from orange to light yellow, a hologram materialized before the firece. It held a long stick, with a curved end and two ces to hold; it was almost like a scissor with the only difference that it was used to grab the iron instead of putting things.


    ¡°It¡¯s already time to take it out?¡± thought Khal with wonder but still followed the hologram. Walking before the firece, Khal picked up the item that the hologram showed to use from the side, and with it, he grabbed the Star Steel.


    ¡°Woah¡­ It¡¯s¡­ Surprisingly light.¡± Khal was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the iron because it was no longer as heavy as before. He could pull it out even with his shaky legs just as easily as lifting his arm.


    Following the hologram back to the anvil, Khal ced the burning Star Steel down and grabbed a hammer. In that very instant, all the holograms vanished and what happened was something even greater. The Star Steel, which looked like a block of boilingva, slowly turned translucent, revealing its inside. The interior of it looked exactly like before, with different sizes and lengths of vein-like threads in it, but with the only difference that they were now glowing with a bright red color.


    ¡°What exactly are those?¡± pondered Khal with a slight frown. He noticed the threads before the heating process too, but at that time he didn¡¯t give it a thought.


    But now things were different. Not only did he saw the threads inside the Star Steel with greater perception, almost as clear as he would do with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, but even saw as different sizes of pulsating red dots materialized around the chunk of metal one by one, almost like target marks.


    And that is what they exactly were.


    A secondter that those dots emerged, a hologram arm holding a hammer formed and hit one of the dots on the right side.


    ¡°I see.¡± Khal instantly realized what was going on and without hesitation raised the hammer in his hand and swung it.


    *CLANG!*


    Bazz who stood on the side all this time stood straight up and widened his eyes. He could no longer control himself and his jaw dropped down unwillingly.


    ¡°That¡­ But¡­ How?¡±


    The sound that just emerged the moment Khal hit the Star Steel was not an ordinary sound like when someone hit a metal rod onto a piece of iron, but instead, it had a personal and distinct tone that only appears when one perfectly hits the so-called Soul Thread inside the material.


    Every material in this world has a Soul Thread inside them without exception, even the trees have; some were as big and thick as an adult arm, but some were as tiny and thin as hair. Even their length differed too. However, let alone hitting a Soul Thread, finding one was extremely difficult; almost as hard as finding a small needle in the hay!


    And right now, Khal not only did hit one by pure coincidence, but he hit it perfectly! Was this kid¡¯s luck so great or was it a hidden genius?


    But Bazz¡¯s surprise didn¡¯tst long when Khal raised his hammer and swung it once again, causing the whole surroundings to be filled with soft but sharp sound as before.


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°This¡­¡± began Bazz but was unable to finish when Khal swung the hammer once again.


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°¡­¡±


    *CLANG!*


    Both Bazz and Nate on the side watched in utter silence as Khal swung his hammer from time to time and hit the Star Steel in different ces, causing it to shrink in size with each strike of his.


    Even other people started to appear around the stall one by one, attracted by the melody of the Khal¡¯s hammer and the Star Steel.


    ¡°This¡­ Impossible¡­ How?¡± right now Bazz was stupified beyond speechlessness. He no longer understood a thing, because currently, Khal did something only those with years of experiment and hard work could do; Soul Thread Refinement!


    When Khal first came and applied for the Job, Bazz instantly knew from a single nce that Khal was not someone who did forging or tempering in the past; even his physique looked unsuitable for this Job, which showed the moment he carried the Star Steel!


    Yet, the very moment he started the test, he wronged him every time; from beginning to end, except for his strange and sluggish movement, he worked like a professional cksmith who tempered Star Steel for ages!


    From the moment how he put the Star Steel into the firece, how he used the bellows, and how he started to hit the points where the Soul Threads were¡­ Every single movement he performed was top-notch!


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°Haha¡­ This kid¡­¡± Bazz could onlyugh like an idiot because he realized one thing; he found a gem! A hidden gem!


    ¡°I need to make him my disciple no matter what! I¡­¡±


    *CLANG!*


    *BZZZ!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    Even before he could have finished his line of thought, suddenly the moment Khal¡¯s hammer fell on the Star Steel once again, alongside the same soft and sharp tone, a buzzing sound appeared too.


    Nate and the other others, that by this time formed aplete crowd around the stall, eximed aloud with surprise and awe while there were even a few who started to p their hands in excitement.


    Except for Bazz. While others were mesmerized by the melodic sound Khal caused with every strike of his on the Star Steel, Bazz took a step forward with such expression that it was almost feared he will faint; both his arms and legs were trembling but not because of fear or happiness, but because of pure excitement!


    ¡°He is doing Soul Thread Tempering!? At such a young age!?¡±


    Soul Thread Refinement was where one hit and refined the material through the Soul Threads, refining its quality. For example, if one refined a piece of raw gold one could refine it to be pure gold; that was the concept of Soul Thread Refinement, and only through hard work could one achive that.


    On the other hand, Soul Thread Tempering was something way harder than and only one out of a hundred or even a thousand could achive it! Soul Thread Tempering was akin to forming a diamond out of charcoal! It not only made the quality of the material improve leaps and bounds, but it also forms apletely new one!


    Talking about Soul Thread Refinement and Soul Thread Tempering was likeparing earth to the heavens! While one could achive and use the former one after years of hard work and experience, one couldn¡¯t do thetter through those ways. One not only needed years of experience through sweat and blood, but one needed to understand the forged material like the back of their own palm! They needed to understand its structure, its weak points, and its traits; put it simply, everything!


    ¡°Just who the hell is he?¡±

 Chapter 79: Soul Essence

    Chapter 79: Soul Essence


    *CLANG!*


    Khal swung his hand, striking the red dots on the translucid Star Steel with such precision that even himself was shocked beyond belief. He moved the hammer in his right hold and hit each mark like he was doing this kind of job for several years; it felt almost akin to breathing the air in or how to walk!


    But in truth, he knew that it was not his instinct nor was he that great, but it was the help of his bracelet. This strange ¡®Creation Mode¡¯ not only let him learn how to forge, temper, and refine or see the spots he needed to hit, but even helped him¡­ move!


    Yes, move! It was almost like his body had been possessed by someone and controlled his body, but at the same time not. He could control his body movements just as perfectly as before, meaning he could stop the hammering process whenever he wanted, but he could also let his body move on its own, controlled by a strange force, and hit the marks perfectly; the feeling was just as wholly wonderful as bizarre!


    But the greatest thing in this mysterious ¡®Creation Mode¡¯ was not that he was able to forge without any kind of experience like a professional cksmith, but he was able to inspect the changes inside the Star Steel.


    Every time he hit a mark on the steel, the Soul Threads below the surface would lit up with a yellow color and turn back to normal in the next second.


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°Now that I watch it in greater detail, each mark is ced around a thread. Could it be that the aim here is not to refine this chunk of Star Steel but those veins inside?¡± as Khal thought about this better, he subconsciously elerated his movements trying to find out if he was right or not.


    However, when Bazz saw this his excitement instantly vanished from his face, and what appeared on it was great worry; he was concerned because what Khal started to do was something he neither would do!


    Once one started the Soul Thread Refining process one could stop whenever they wanted and small mistakes were even eptable. However, things were entirely different when one reached the level where one could use Soul Thread Tempering! When one began to temper Soul Threads inside a material, one needed to continue and do it till the very end without a mistake! Even the slightest mistake could cause the material to be a piece of junk that¡¯s why!


    And what Khal was doing right now was what he must not do¡­ He started to rush the process!


    It wasmon knowledge that the faster one did something for the first few times the greater the possibility was to end up in failure. And what Khal did was exactly this! Because he started to hasten his swinging movements, the chance he will miss a Soul Thread grew drastically, meaning his likelihood to fail rose simrly!


    Not even him, a person considered as a great cksmith with his 24 years of experience, would start rushing his movements when he began Soul Thread Tempering! No, he would instead calm himself and slow his movements down just to avoid idental mistakes!


    Or at least that was what he wanted to think, but suddenly he remembered how Khal ced the Star Steel in the firece, started to heat it, how he hit every single Soul Thread inside the Star Steel and reach this very point where he began the Soul Thread Tempering process.


    And because of these things, a thought, a string of hope arose inside Bazz¡¯s head that he would have never belived it would appear in his entire life¡­ Maybe, and just maybe, this kid before him, who looked younger than the age of 18, could achive and do something that was considered almost an impossible feat at such an age¡­


    Maybe he could aplish something that only a genius who appeared once in every hundred¡­ No, born only once in every thousand years could achieve!


    With the age below 18, tempering a material to perfection and pull out its Soul Essence!


    If he could truly pull this off and make the Soul Threads connect, meaning he shapes the Star Steels Soul Essence, then it will be considered nothing more but as a huge miracle!


    Aplete miracle that never urred ever since that powerful expert who reached the mysterious Third Realm with nothing more but his knowledge of smithing! He was a legendary figure who was able to seed with the Soul Thread Tempering process without a mistake and bring out the Soul Essence from his forged metal at the age of 16!


    He was a pure genius, a prodigy that everyone thought would never appear again! But it seems, maybe this ¡®prodigy¡¯ appeared once again and was tempering a Star Steel right before his very eyes!


    ¡°¡­¡± as Bazz thought about this, his hand subconsciously tightened into a fist on his side while small drops of sweat began to form on his face one by one; now he truly felt anxious and excited!


    Let it be failure or sess, he will definitely persuade Khal to be his disciple no matter what; such a hidden unpolished gem¡­ He can¡¯t let it go!


    Just th sole thought as Khal shocked the world in the near future as his student made Bazz¡¯s entire body tremble deep down to his very core!


    *CLANG!*


    Unknown what Bazz was thinking, Khal hit the Star Steel mercilessly while his swinging motion elerated with each strike, yet all of his m was as precise as a needle. No matter how fast he moved or how bad his trajectory was, the power that controlled him always corrected his movements and in the end, he always hit the mark perfectly.


    ¡°The threads¡­ Are connecting?¡± wondered Khal with surprise as he watched that with each hit the vein-like threads inside the Star Steel lit up and moved closer to each other.


    And what was even more that not only they started to move closer to each other but a strange power started to swirl inside them gently. It was akin to¡­ Essence?


    And this was the very moment as a voice inside his head appeared once again.


    [Notify! ¡®Soul Essence¡¯ detected!]


    [Final strikes for sess: 5]


    Instantly as that appeared inside his head, Khal watched as 90% of the dots vanished from before his eyes while only 5 remained, each ced between exactly two threads!


    ¡°So I truly need to make the threads connect.¡± thought Khal and as his eyes turned determined he swung his hammer and hit the first mark powerfully.


    *CLANG!*


    As the buzzing sound whistled through the entirety of the hall with a soft, but at the same time sharp tone, Bazz closed his mouth tightly and started to count, ¡°One.¡±


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°Two.¡±


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°Three¡­ So it¡¯s three..¡± said quietly Bazz as he closed his eyes and sighed, but suddenly Khal moved again.


    ¡°!?¡±


    *CLANG!*


    ¡°This¡­¡± started to mutter Bazz, but even before he began to talk, Khal raised his hand once again.


    *CLANG!*


    *BAM!*


    Instantly as the fifth strike fell, filling the whole surroundings with a melodic sound, the Star Steel before Khal suddenly lit up and exploded with a strange power.

 Chapter 80: Galaxy Steel

    Chapter 80: Gxy Steel


    Blinding colorful light filled the entireness of the stall, making Nate, Khal, and the onlookers close their eyes instantly.


    Everybody was stunned by this sudden change of events and there were even a few who identally fell over because of the surprise. Except for Bazz, he looked right into the light with erged eyes ignoring the fact he could easily lose his vision.


    ¡°This¡­ Haha¡­ He truly did it! And what¡¯s more, the Star Steel he tempered had five Soul Thread in it! FIVE!¡± Bazz felt like he was on cloud nine as he watched the light dissipate from before him, revealing apletely new chunk of metal on the anvil.


    Tempering Soul Threads and making them connecting was extremely hard; not only did it needed insane concentration and years of blood-given experience, but it required extreme precision too. When one seeded in reaching the final step of the Soul Thread Tempering process and needed to connect the Soul Threads, they had to pinpoint the exact location where two Soul Threads were located and hit that spot with such uracy that even a millimeter difference could cause the whole process to end up in failure.


    That is why, the more Soul Threads were in one material the harder it was to connect the Soul Threads. Connecting 2 was considered easy, 3 and 4 were hard, but as to 5¡­ That was an extremely challenging feat that even Bazz would fail for the first few times!


    However, if one somehow aplished to connect all 5 Soul Threads in the piece of metal they forged, the end result will be just as greater!


    And that was exactly what happened with the Star Steel that Khal tempered! The changes that transpired with it were like heaven and earth! It look almost like apletely new material!


    The previous Star Steel had a width of a human adult chest while its length reached a foot, but this time it shrunk to half of its actual size! But the most obvious change wasn¡¯t its size but its appearance instead; the original Star Steel had a silvery shade with colorful dots all over its surface akin to small stars on the night sky. However, right now, the Star Steel not only had those ¡®stars¡¯ on it but even colorful clouds formed on its texture that moved and rotated ever slowly.


    From a boundless starry sky, it changed into aplete and infinite gxy!


    ¡°Woah¡­ So pretty!¡±


    ¡°Just what is that chunk of metal? It¡¯s almost like a whole universe¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I¡¯m sure it can be sold at a good price! Just look at its exterior! It¡¯s moving! A piece of steel¡¯s surface is rotating like a gxy!¡±


    People whispered among each other with awe and curiosity, but Bazz simply ignored them and walked next to Khal. cing his huge palm onto his small shoulder, Bazz grinned and said, ¡°Kid¡­ Ya did something I wouldn¡¯t have believed ya would! Haha! Ya not only refined a high-quality material such as the Star Steel, but even tempered its Soul Threads and pulled its Soul Essence out! And what¡¯s more, ya connected five Soul Threads! Haha! That is no small feat at such a young age! What is ya name again?¡±


    Khal who stood still all this time mesmerized by the piece he made, felt the touch on his shoulder so tilted his gaze at Bazz, ¡°Umm¡­ It¡¯s Khal¡­ Khal Nevio.¡±


    ¡°I see, I see¡­ So it¡¯s Khal Nevio! Haha!¡±ughed loudly Bazz as he patted Khal on the shoulder quite hardly, ¡°So Khal, I have a question I want ya to answer. Do ya want to be my student?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Nate and everyone else on the side hearing this turned silent while all of their eyes widened in shock.


    The difference between being a disciple of one of Moon Academy¡¯s teachers and getting the opportunity to be a student of someone in the Job Department was as vast and wide as the ocean between two continents. One was a must if you wanted to remain in Moon Academy and get stronger while the other one was not. In fact, thetter one was so much not a thing in Moon Academy that it could be said non-existent!


    However if one got the chance, the offer from an expert from a certain Job then it was simr to winning the lottery itself! Until this very moment, out of the thousands of cultivators in Moon Academy, only 4 students got such an invitation and all 4 of them became experts in their respective professions!


    So this, that Bazz himself pursued Khal to be his student was a Godsend a gift from the gods above! Refusing such an offer could be considered a fools choice and one will definitely regret not epting it!


    And naturally, Khal knew this too. He understood the benefits that came if he epts such an offer and would dly do it but even before he could have open his mouth to answer, suddenly a voice appeared inside his head.


    [Notify! ¡®Soul Essence¡¯ sessfully created!]


    [Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯!]


    [Warning! Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯ is improbable!]


    [Please ce a ¡®Core¡¯ into the ¡®Gxy Steel¡¯ first!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°The¡­ What?¡±


    ***


    At the bottom of an eternal mountain which peak vanished in the creamy white clouds above, suddenly white light started to form slowly, splitting the space into two. As the crack widened more and more with each passing second, suddenly a figure emerged through the space crack, revealing a young man with an elegant face holding two items in his hand.


    It was no other than Khal, who decided toe back to de Mountain right after telling Bazz he epted his offer. And who would have thought that Bazz would be so happy that not only did he let Khal keep the Gxy Steel as a reward but even let him chose a gift from the things he promised!


    However, Khal couldn¡¯t be happy with Bazz¡¯s kindness, because at that moment the voice inside his head was always repeating itself inside his head from time to time.


    [Warning! Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯ is improbable!]


    [Please insert a ¡®Core¡¯ into the ¡®Gxy Steel¡¯ first!]


    That was why he decided toe back to de Mountain instantly after getting his reward; he wanted silence and time to figure out what these words meant.


    Khal walked inside the cave and after cing the Gxy Steel he made and a small iron flute he chose as his reward down to the ground, he sat down and leaned against the rigid wall on the side.


    [Warning! Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯ is improbable!]


    [Please insert a ¡®Core¡¯ into the ¡®Gxy Steel¡¯ first!]


    ¡°Insert a Core? What kind of Core? What is a Core in the first ce?¡± pondered Khal as he picked up the Gxy Steel from his side and inspected it.


    He knew that Power Cores were those small and shiny pebbles embed inside the Artifacts, but he didn¡¯t have a single clue if they were special in some ways or they were just simple jewelry stones.


    As he reached that point of thought, Khal¡¯s gaze tilted at the flute on his side and grabbed it. Raising it before his eyes, Khal examined the silver flute; it was almost a foot long with six holes on its top, while at the very end of it, a small pebble with a purple shade was ced.


    As Khal watched that pebble with an indifferent expression, he activated his bracelet¡¯s Detection ability and decided to use it manually.


    [Notify! No ¡®Power Core¡¯ had been detected in close proximity!]

 Chapter 81: [Power Core Created!]

    Chapter 81: [''Power Core'' Created!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The voice inside his head made Khal feel more and more that his belief was right.


    What was a Power Core? The very first time Khal saw the pebble inside his bracelet, he thought Power Cores had a mysterious andplicated origin, but with time, he realized he was wrong. Power Core in truth had quite a simple background; they were the cores or with another name the jewelry ce inside the Artifacts.


    To put it simply, Power Cores were simple pebbles just like this purple stone at the end of the flute; nothing special at all, but just a in crystal that can be found everywhere in this world.


    A jewel.


    However, the biggest question here was how did these pebbles, this jewelry get the power in them, obtaining the title of ¡®Power Cores¡¯? As Khal thought about this question, it finally seems he found the answer.


    It turns out, once he forged, refined, and tempered metal to the point where its so-called Soul Essence appeared, he could make this jewelry to consume the Soul Essence from the metal and form a Power Core!


    To see if his theory was truly right, Khal grabbed the purple stone from the end of the flute and pulled it out from its ce gently.


    [Warning! Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯ is improbable!]


    [Please insert a ¡®Core¡¯ into the ¡®Gxy Steel¡¯ first!]


    Khal listened to the voice inside his head that appeared exactly every 5 minutes and tilted his gaze at the Gxy Steel in his hold, ¡°It says to insert the Core into it¡­ But how should I insert it if it¡¯s a massive chunk of metal?¡±


    The question was really troubling. Because he hurried away from Bazz, he didn¡¯t think about asking for any kinds of tools that would help him cut a hole into this massive piece of junk.


    However, who would have thought he didn¡¯t need to; the very moment the purple pebble touched the Gxy Stone¡¯s surface his bracelet suddenly lit up with dim white light, and like affected by some kind of strange power, the stone melted deep inside the steel and vanished from his sight.


    ¡°What?¡± Khal was surprised to see this and didn¡¯t know what to do.


    [Notify! ¡®Core¡¯ detected!]


    [Forming ¡®Power Core¡¯!]


    In a sh, Khal¡¯s right hand that held the Gxy Steel all this time was suddenly sucked onto the metal¡¯s surfacepletely, while the Essence inside his body like obtaining its very own consciousness started to flow through his fingers right into the Gxy Steel.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Khal watched with widened eyes as this happened and tried to pull his hand away but found out he was incapable; his palm waspletely glued onto the Gxy Steel¡¯s side and he could do nothing about it!


    ¡°Just what is happening here? Isn¡¯t the only thing that was needed to form a Power Core was the Soul Essence? Then why does my Essence flow outside me now?¡± thought Khal with a perplexed look and activated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes. However, except for watching as his Essence flowed away from his body right into the Gxy Steel, Khal was unable to see anything else; unfortunately, his Heaven¡¯s Eyes had no such ability to see through things as he did in his Creation Mode.


    ¡°Could it be that not only Soul Essence but even my Body Essence is needed to form a Power Core?¡± pondered Khal and the more he thought about it the more it seemed and felt reasonable. If the pebble was the vessel and the Soul Essence the power, then what would prevent the power from escaping the vessel?


    Naturally, it would be his Body Essence.


    While the bracelet used its special power to make the material¡¯s Soul Essence seep right into the pebble, his Body Essence would form a thinyer around the Core, creating the so-called Power Core.


    Or at least, that was the only exnation Khal could currently think of.


    Khal waited in silence and watched as the Gxy Steel in his hand slowly but surely started to lose its gxy-like texture altogether with its majestic presence; gradually, it turned back into a piece of metal, a junk.


    [Notify! ¡®Soul Essence¡¯ depleted!]


    [Notify! Enough ¡®Body Essence¡¯ used!]


    [Creation process seeded!]


    Immediately after that voice sounded in his head, Khal felt as the Essence inside his body finally stopped flowing out, while his hand stopped being stuck onto the Gxy Stone¡¯s side.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Ster Domain created!]


    *ck!*


    With a gentle sound, the little pebble fell out onto the ground from the Gxy Steel making Khal turn delighted quickly, ¡°It worked! I did it!¡±


    Picking up the tiny pebble from the ground, Khal raised it before his eyes and inspected it. Just like before, it had a purple shade akin to a purple crystal, but with a slight difference; this time, gentle purple light was shining from it while a white glint was surrounding it so smoothly that it made the strangely shaped pebble look almost perfectly circr, almost like an orb!


    However, Khal¡¯s expression didn¡¯t remain so happy for too long, because suddenly he realized something that made hisplexion turn sour; he realized he couldn¡¯t use this Power Core until the very moment he didn¡¯t make his Body Essence to raise 1000 units!


    ¡°Well¡­ At least I have this and now also know how to make Power Cores! Haha! Oh, right¡­ I have a new status to see too.¡± said Khal and raised his wrist, ¡°Open Statuses!¡±


    As his voice fell, Khal watched as the same process of white light appearing, forming and shaping into words arose around his bracelet and smiled.


    <


    ></personal>


    <<essence status="">></essence>


    <


    ></power>


    <<obrainer status="">></obrainer>


    <></artifact>


    Khal watched the moving words around his wrist in silence and nced at the new Status he obtained not long ago.


    <></artifact>


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what it holds.¡± grinned Khal and said, ¡°Open Artifact Creation Status!¡±


    *Swish!*


    The five Statuses immediately vanished and what emerged before Khal¡¯s line of sight was tons of words below each other one by one.


    {Artifact Creation}


    ? Analyzer: An automatic function, able to analyze any material. (Time depends on the material¡¯s quality!)


    ? Creation Mode: A half-automatic function, able to help the ¡®Owner¡¯ forge, refine and temper any kind of material after analysis. (Only usable every 168 hours!) (Remaining time: 167h, 21m, 31s)


    ? Spirit Creation Mode: (Not yet obtained! Need 2000 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to activate!)


    ? Life Creation Mode: (Not yet obtained! Need 5000 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to activate!)


    ? God Creation Mode: (Not yet obtained! Need 10000 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to activate!)


    [Notify! You can use ¡®Body Essence¡¯ in exchange to improve some of the abilities proficiency!]


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Khal read the rows of sentences in the air one after another, but he was unable to utter a single sound even after he finished reading. He quite simply understood the first two abilities, the Analyzer and the Creation Mode with its time limit, but the following 3¡­ What the actual fuck was that? Spirit? Life? GOD? What the hell could all of those mean?!


    And what was even worse was the amount of Body Essence he needed to unlock them! Let alone the fact that the Spirit Creation Mode required 2000 Body Essence even though right now he only had 150, but the God Creation Mode asked for 10000!!!


    Ten. Thousand. Body. Essence!!


    That was almost 100% more than he currently had!


    Khal could only sigh and hold his forehead in pain, ¡°Well¡­ I can only increase my Body Essence through Beast Essence and also need to make my current Power Core stronger¡­ So if I do it right¡­ Then¡­¡± Khal started to calcte, ¡°Then¡­ I don¡¯t know how long it will take me¡­¡±, sighed Khal helplessly, lowering his hand weakly.


    Just the fact alone that he didn¡¯t know what will happen once he unlocks an ability made Khal feel powerless. If he didn¡¯t need to restart after he unlocks one ability, then he only needed 10000 Body Essence, but if he does need to restart every single time he unlocks a new power, then that meant he needed to collect 18000 Body Essence in total; almost twice as much!


    ¡°Well¡­ Let¡¯s be optimistic! At least I will be able to be stronger. Especially if I sessfully unlock all of these abilities.¡± thought Khal, making his mood to rise instantly.


    ¡°And talking about getting stronger,¡± said Khal as he sat into a lotus position, ¡°Let¡¯s start consuming the Essence Particles in this ce! I am almost here a week and only used this ce once! Such a waste!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 Essence!]


    ***


    An entire day has passed, and Khal was still sitting in his lotus position in one ce, while his eyes were tightly shut.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 Essence!]


    As the voice sounded in his head, Khal slowly opened his eyes, revealing his clear sky blue eyes with the domination crimson red slit in their middle, and stood up.


    ¡°Mgh¡­ I feel refreshed once again!¡± thought Khal as he stretched his limbs and deactivated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    ¡°My luck was not so bad. I was able to consume 43 Essence under a single day, pushing the amount of Essence I have consumed from 33 to 76! If I have the same amount of luck then one more day and I will be able to break into the Third Cultivation Stage with ease!¡± said Khal with a wide and pleasant grin on his face, but suddenly something started to vibrate in his pocket.


    ¡°Huh?¡± putting his hand into his right pocket and pulling the V.I.P key out from there, Khal nced at it and knitted his brows tightly.


    ¡°What the hell is this?¡±

 Chapter 82: Need a Challenge!

    Chapter 82: Need a Challenge!


    When Khal enrolled into Moon Academy, right at the Announcement Day, Jas told not only him but everyone else there that those in possession of the V.I.P keys must fight every 3 days to keep the keys¡¯ right, let it be they who challenged someone or them who got challenged. However, if for some strange reason they forgot to fight or declined all the challenges and passed the 3 days deadline, then they would automatically lose the right to hold the key, while the privilege would fall ordingly onto someone else; this was an absolute rule and no one could avoid it!


    Since Khal entered Moon Academy, he only fought once which was against Angor, right after he came back from a hunt with Logan.


    However, since then, 2 whole days had already passed and the end of the final day was extremely near; so near that right now, inches above his key, a countdown has formed from white light!


    /2 hours, 58 minutes, 21 seconds/


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    The sun was hanging high above the boundless sky, shining the entirety of Moon City in its full glory. And right inside the very interior of Moon City, inside Moon Academy, two young girls in ck uniforms were walking next to each other on the streets, merrily chatting with each other.


    The left one was petite; she had medium-short brown hair, a delicate face with a pair of shining chestnut eyes. Her thin but sharp brown eyebrows, her small cherry red lips, and her smooth white skin which was almost akin to the snow¡¯s luster gave her such a mature and graceful charisma that all the men would fall over her with a single nce.


    On the other hand, the right one was even more morous. She had long, silk-smooth ck hair that shone under the sunlight and was in perfect harmony with her gray eyes. With her slim waist and long legs, she was almost a head taller than her friend on her side, while her beaming smile was like the smile of Aphrodite; indescribably morous.


    As these two beauties, that looked and walked next to each other like a pair of angels fallen from the heavens, walked on Moon Academy¡¯s street, suddenly the space split before them, and blinding white light broke out in a sh.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I need to fi-, eeeh?¡±


    *BAM!*


    With a loud ¡®bump¡¯ sound, the girl with the petite body suddenly was knocked behind, fallingpletely onto her back, while a young man fell on top of her; naturally, it was Khal.


    ¡°Alia! Are you all right?¡± the girl¡¯s friend who watched all this from the side, hurried over to her friend and pushed Khal away from the top of her before helping her up.


    ¡°Ouch! I-I am sorry! It was an ident!¡± muttered Khal as he stood up in a sh,pletely ignoring the fact that he was pushed to the side like a piece of trash; well he was in the wrong so he couldn¡¯tin at all.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Alia, the girl who Khal knocked over as he hurried out from his private space in fear he would bete to challenge someone, stood up slowly and raised her stare at Khal.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Instantly as Khal saw the girl¡¯s piercing stare, he felt kind of intimidated and stepped back a meter, ¡°She¡­ Is on the Third Cultivation Stage! And what¡¯s more about to break into the Fourth Stage!¡±


    Feeling the pressure that Alia¡¯s leaking presence put on him, Khal smiled wryly and started to talk, ¡°Again, I am truly sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to harm nor abuse you. I was ju-¡°


    ¡°What is your name?¡± cut into Alia, ignoring entirely that Khal was in the middle of his sentence.


    ¡°Eh?¡± Khal on the other hand however was surprised. To think that this pretty girl, who looked quite attractive, didn¡¯t start to attack him nor began to scream in fear that he wanted to molest her, but simply asked for his name made him feel shocked, but at the same time strange.


    ¡°It¡¯s Khal¡­ Khal Nevio. It¡¯s my ple-¡± started to say Khal but once again, he was unable to finish what he wanted to say because Alia cut him off, ¡°I see, so it¡¯s you.¡±


    ¡°Eh? Me? What do you mean it¡¯s me?¡± asked Khal, pointing at himself in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, you. The one who beat someone a Stage above him on his very first duel. Khal Nevio, Second Stage Cultivator with two respective Talents!¡± talked suddenly Alia¡¯s friend from the side, causing Khal to tilt his gaze at her tall but slim figure.


    ¡°And you are?¡±


    ¡°Hmph! The name is Izara, as for my family name, you do not need to know about it! You do not qualify!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal looked at the girl before him inplete silence, unknown how to react to that statement at all; was she a bit¡­ Arrogant? If that was the right term to describe her behavior.


    While Khal stared at Izara with a nk stare, Alia walked closer to him and pointed right at the middle of his chest with her slim and tiny index finger, ¡°I want to challenge you right now! That key¡­ I want that!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After the unexpected which turned out to be a blessing in disguise, Khal epted Alia¡¯s challenge dly and instantly; even though she was on the Third Cultivation Stage, he didn¡¯t have a choice. If he decided to refuse her just because of her Stage, it was unknown how much time it would take him to find someone else.


    That is why he epted Alia¡¯s request for battle as merrily as a kid would a candy.


    However, what he did not expect, that the news that he and her fighting would be news almost in the entireness of Moon Academy. Just like the previous time when he fought against Angor, the moment Alia and he stepped into the arena, hundreds of people were standing or sitting on the viewing area with exciting expressions and spirited whispers. Even Logan and a guy in a suit were standing on both sides of the ring making Khal¡¯splexion turn from shock to confusion in a single instant!


    ¡°Just how the hell did the news about our battle spread so fast? It isn¡¯t even 5 minutes that I have been challenged!¡±


    ¡°Oh? Surprised by the number of spectators?¡± Alia who walked beside Khal in lull all this time curved her cherry lips and took out her Cultivator¡¯s Badge, ¡°Every challenge where the V.I.P key¡¯s right is at the stake will automatically appear on everyone¡¯s badge. To be more specific, at the back of it.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Khal took his Cultivator¡¯s badge out, and just as Alia said, right above the map, small words were written.


    /New Challenge!/


    /Khal Nevio -vs- Alia Endo/


    ¡°So that¡¯s how¡­¡± thought Khal with a firm nod but deep inside he was grieving, ¡°Then that means all of my duels, all of my challenges will be viewed by hundreds of people! Like that¡­ Keeping the key will be quite hard.¡±


    What Khal thought was in fact true. If he wanted to keep the key¡¯s right to cultivate his Talent faster than others, he needed to take challenges every 3 days under watchful eyes that were informed about all of his battles every time he challenged or he was challenged by someone!


    What did that mean? It meant the more he fought against someone, the faster his weaknesses would be obvious while the possibility of stronger opponents that could counter him would rise too!


    ¡°Keeping this key in my possession is not that easy, isn¡¯t it?¡± sighed Khal helplessly as he tilted his gaze up toward the onlookers, but suddenly noticed a familiar face, ¡°Liza!¡±


    Although expressionless all the time, the moment Liza saw Khal¡¯s wave toward her direction, a gentle smile emerged onto her beautiful face, making her already delicate expression turn even brighter!


    But people naturally misunderstood Khal¡¯s gesture and began to discuss this behavior with scorn instantly.


    ¡°Look at him, what a clown! He had been challenged again by a Third Stage Cultivator and still acts so arrogantly! What does he think who he is?¡±


    ¡°Well, considering that he beat Angor, who was also on the Third Cultivation Stage, his arrogance could be seen as natural.¡±


    ¡°But still!¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait patiently first.¡±


    ¡°Pff¡­ As if he would win against two Third Stage Cultivators in a row!¡±


    People talked lively amongst each other, trying to figure out which of the two will be the winner of this duel.


    On the other hand, however, right at the very top of the arena, several rows above Liza, Jane was quietly standing below the shadow, while a profound light appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°This child¡­¡±


    Jane of course noticed Khal¡¯s intention and immediately understood that he waved not because of arrogance that came from his previous win, but just simply gestured at his friend, Liza. There was not even a bit of arrogance in his act which amazed her a bit.


    ¡°Even though he won against an opponent that was an entire Stage above him, he remained humble and didn¡¯t forget about his friends. 8 out of 10 people would always fail to do this, which is surprising.¡±

 Chapter 83: Yellow Mist

    Chapter 83: Yellow Mist


    The arena was filled with hundreds of cultivators from low Stage one all the way to higher Stage ones; but naturally, theter ones were only the upperssmen who were students of Moon Academy for several years and wanted to see just how strong the freshmen were. In truth, if it weren¡¯t for the challenge for the key¡¯s right they wouldn¡¯t even havee!


    ¡°I still don¡¯t understand why we came here. These are just kids ying around! Instead of wasting our precious time here, we should train even more!¡±


    A mature girl, in her early twenties, was sitting with crossed legs and arms, while a visible disdain was settling on her ice-cold face. Her sharp eyes with her crescent ck eyebrows and long ck hair, her face radiated a kind of arrogance, and at the same time a noble aura; it was like she was a queen sitting above the skies and below her, everyone was just a mere ant!


    ¡°Don¡¯t say this, Lyra. We already talked about this beforeing here.¡± a guy with blond hair and a gaze as tranquil as ake, stared at the middle of the arena while his eyes never left Khal¡¯s body.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ I know, I know¡­ But still! Just what is so interesting about this? About a fight between two low Stage Cultivators?¡± murmured Lyra with a pout as she tapped on her thigh with her slim and delicate fingers.


    Curving an inconspicuous smile, the guy turned his gaze at Lyra and said, ¡°What can you see when you look at those ¡®low¡¯ Stage Cultivators?¡±


    Lyra found this question a bit strange and knitted her small brows tightly together and asked, ¡°What should that mean? They are low in Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡°They are indeed low in Stage, but don¡¯t you notice something strange here even though they are so ¡®weak¡¯?¡± asked the guy, his eyes never leaving Lyra¡¯s figure.


    The stare of him caused Lyra¡¯s face to get a bit of a red cluster on her cheeks and tilt her gaze away from him toward the tform instantly. Calming her heart beating down that was stirred up by the guy on her side, her eyes sharpened immediately, and started to scan the scenery before her.


    First, she looked at the girl who was on the front; she had an imposing figure and a mesmerizing appearance, but in Lyra¡¯s eyes she was average. Of course, it was because, in her heart, there was no one else who was more beautiful in this world than her! This came from her self-confidence!


    ¡°She is on the Third Cultivation Stage with a presence close to the Fourth Cultivation Stage. Supposing from her posture and the way she walks, she has quite a lot of self-confidence in herself and her Talent. Well¡­ Considering that her opponent is just¡­ Huh? Wait, what?¡± just as Lyra was about to finish her sentence, her gaze fell on Khal¡¯s body and abruptly stopped talking. Her small eyes widened slightly while one of her brows was up while the other one was down; she was obviously confused beyond continuing what she wanted to say.


    ¡°So you have finally noticed it.¡± smiled the guy as he turned his head back toward the middle, ¡°At first, I wasn¡¯t curious either, but when I learned that there was a student who currently enrolled with no Cultivation presence, yet was still able to beat someone who was a whole Stage above him, made my curiosity to ignite.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so he is the guy your little brother talked about that time?¡± asked Lyra snapping her head toward the guy instantly.


    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± nodded his head mildly, and continued, ¡°And what¡¯s more, I was told by him that yesterday this friend of his was epted as a student by an expert from the Job Department!¡±


    ¡°Whaaaat?! But that is¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is extremely rare. That is why I wanted toe and see just who this ¡®friend¡¯ of his could really be.¡± said the guy, but this time the smile no longer could be discerned from his face, but only a sharp re.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± Lyra seemed to be in deep thought upon learning the news, unknown what she was currently thinking.


    ¡°Well then¡­¡± suddenly Alia turned around, standing exactly 50 meters away from Khal, ¡°I am ready!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    Immediately afterward her voice sounded, a white light broke out from Khal¡¯s pocket, and the key appeared high above in the air.


    ¡°I am too.¡± agreed Khal and nced at Logan who was on the side.


    ¡°Khm¡­¡± clearing his throat Logan opened his out to talk, but the guy in the ck suit, who was in truth Connor, started to talk first, ¡°Rules are simple; no killing is allowed anything else does! Now then, get ready!¡±


    Surprised by the fast pace and change of event, Khal lowered his stance and immediately got ready, while Lyra just simply raised her right palm before her chest.


    ¡°Fight!¡±


    ¡°I will say this only once, be careful,¡± said Alia in an indifferent tone as Connor¡¯s voice fell, and drew a perfect circle before her in the air.


    ¡°!¡±


    Instantly, yellow fog started to manifest before Alia out of thin air, bringing Khal to halt his approachpletely; but not because he was scared, but because he was curious what kind of power Alia could truly possess.


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Khal interestedly, but the only reply he got was a coldugh and a snort, ¡°Do you really think your opponent will answer that question? How naive!¡±


    As Alia¡¯s cold voice fell, Khal watched as the yellow mist moved and formed several yellow needles, exactly six in each hand.


    ¡°The key is mine!¡± said Alia and swing her arms, sending 12 yellow needles on their way, right toward Khal; each flew with top-notch speed, almost as fast as bullets!


    ¡°Fast!¡± thought Khal and immediately used his Secret Art.


    Dance of the Celestial Serpent First Form; Crimson Snake Dance!


    With swirling blue essence around his feet, Khal bent his legs slightly, forming small cracks below him on the ground, and the next second appeared 20 meters away on the side.


    *Swish!*


    *BAM!*


    Just as he did this, the 12 needles arrived and crashed right into the ce where he just stood a moment ago, filling the ground with yellow needles in an instant.


    ¡°So her mist can be solid as steel. Interesting Talent indeed but if it¡¯s just to this degree, I can easily handle her.¡± pondered Khal deeply, but what he did not notice that everyone around him looked at him in surprise and shock.


    ¡°What happened just now? Did he teleport?¡±


    ¡°Teleport? Did you go crazy? He obviously used a Secret Art, but what was that? His speed was insanely fast!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you are right. Wasn¡¯t Agility-type Secret Arts supposed to be on the Expert Level? How can he learn such a powerful Art this fast? He clearly didn¡¯t use it against Angor!¡±


    People whispered between each other spiritedly, while Liza and Nate somewhere between the people looked at Khal with intrigued gazes; both of them knew Khal¡¯s biggest weakness was his agility, so seeing that he used an Agility-type Secret Art made them surprised but at the same time curious.


    ¡°What kind of Secret Art is that?¡± asked Nate calmly next to Liza, but his eyes shone with great interest.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but as far as I can see, it is not an Agility Type Secret Art,¡± replied Liza, her beautiful pair of eyes never leaving Khal¡¯s leg.


    ¡°How do you think so?¡± asked Nate, but Liza¡¯s gesture instantly made him understand, ¡°Just look at his legs. His speed isn¡¯ting from speed boosting but rather momentum eleration; the difference between the two is huge and must not be mixed up.¡±


    Although a bit confused, Nate understood what Liza meant the instant he turned his gaze at Khal¡¯s leg, and nodded his head, ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Interesting, I thought you will defend against those, but it seems I was wrong. How unfortunate it is.¡± sighed Alia with disappointment, but her eyes talked otherwise; she was stunned also.


    Naturally, she knew about Khal and the fact he beat Angor, who was a whole Stage above him! She saw his fight that time, and that moment she realized one thing; even though Khal had the unparalleled advantage in closebat thanks to his eyes and his strange weapon, he had one and utterly obvious disadvantage that even an idiot would notice.


    He was slow! And when she said he was slow she meant hot his reaction speed, but his running speed. Just a single nce from her could make her know who was fast and who was not!


    And Khal was definitely not fast, so the fact that he used a Secret Art to strengthen this weakness of his waspletely out of her expectation.


    Just who would have thought he was able to learn and utilize an Agility-type Secret Art, which only appeared on or above the Expert Level? It waspletely unexpected!


    ¡°Next time I need to be even more careful!¡± thought Alia with a solemn face.

 Chapter 84: Daydream Fog

    Chapter 84: Daydream Fog


    When Logan noticed Khal¡¯s movement speed, an unnoticed grin formed on his mouth while shock shed inside his eyes; he was able to do it! He truly did it!


    One¡¯s Essence was just like one¡¯s blood; it flowed through veins inside the body while it meant life too. It could be said if one loses all the Essence from their body, they are as good as dead people.


    The only difference however between Essence and blood was that thetter one could not be controlled by will like the former one. Because Essence flowed through so-called Essence Veins almost all the time, while sometimes flowed within Essence Paths which only happened when one practiced a Cultivator Level Secret Art, it could not be brought outside the body.


    However, because there were a lot of Essence Veins close to the skin, by thickening the Essence inside the veins, it was manageable to bring a small portion of Essence outside the body for a limited time; but for that one needed loads of practice, an insane amount of precision in Essence control, and experience with the Essence itself!


    He revealed Khal this possibility only because he wanted to show him that the Secret Art he chose was full of ws that normal people couldn¡¯t achive to correct. But who would have thought, he not only was able to correct this mistake of the Secret Art but even could master it together with the special Essence control! And all of this under a single day!


    Of course, he left Khal behind after their sparring session because he wanted to see if he could get the hang of this strange Essence control, and learn how to thicken his Essence, but one day¡­ Wasn¡¯t it a bit too fast?


    However, what Logan didn¡¯t know, was that Khal only managed to ¡®master¡¯ this Essence control all because he had his Heaven¡¯s Eyes.


    Thanks to his Talent, he was able to inspect and examine every inch, every millimeter of both the interior and exterior of his body in extremely high quality without missing a single thing! With this kind of power, the biggest surprise would be if he would fail to control his Essence with such precision like this and fail to imitate Logan after a day!


    Also, to tell the truth, he was already able to shape his Essence¡¯s size inside his body way back when he brought up the Treasure Stone from theke, so getting the hang of it wasn¡¯t a big challenge for him at all.


    ¡°Even though you are fast, I only need to hit you once and it¡¯s my win!¡± said Alia and swung her arms the next second.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With his Heaven¡¯s Eyes active, Khal watched as several yellow needles came at him at once, butpared to thest time, she aimed not only at him but several ces around him too! It was apparent that she learned from his previous mistake and corrected herself, and decided to target his surroundings too.


    But unfortunately, this was not enough to make Khal feel scared nor get the urge to give up. Instead, he pushed his feet deep down into the ground while making his blue Essence circte around his feet faster and faster. And the next second¡­


    *BOOM!*


    With an explosion akin to detonating a bomb, leaving a deep footprint in the ground, Khal¡¯s figure burst forward, and with a translucent flicker like a phantom, he appeared right behind Alia.


    ¡°I wo-, huh?¡± just as Khal was about to swing his fist and dere his victory, suddenly Alia waved her sleeve, effecting in a mass amount of yellow mist to broke out from her body at once.


    Khal¡¯s reaction speed was luckily fast thanks to his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, he halted his assault and without a second thought increased his distance from the fog and Alia in a sh.


    ¡°What is that?¡± pondered Khal, and watched the mist slowly retracted into Alia¡¯s body, leaving no trace behind that it was there a few moments ago.


    Turning around, Alia formed several more yellow needles between her fingers and smiled, ¡°You can¡¯t beat me, just admit defeat already! If you try to approach me, my Daydream Fog will seep into your body through your skin and you will be dead! But naturally, I will control it to an extent to avoid your death, so you will be just put into an unconscious state for a day!¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± however, Khal only looked at Alia with a nk expression upon hearing that, almost like he did not listen at all.


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me?¡± asked Alia with visible irritation in her voice, misunderstanding Khal¡¯s silence.


    Of course, Khal definitely belived her, it was not a question. No, the reason why he looked so nk was because¡­


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m here¡­¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Everyone present turned dead silent as Khal¡¯s voice fell, while Alia¡¯s body flinched slightly. Right now, Khal was standing about 10 or so meters away from her, but Alia was looking not toward him, but toward Logan who stood a few meters away from him!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Silence descended onto the whole Arena and no one dared to speak. Even Logan looked stupified by this and didn¡¯t know how to react; just now, Alia spoke with such might and determination that it could be said she was a bit intimidating. She even told that she will spare Khal¡¯s life! And yet¡­ She talked all of that not at Khal, but at Logan! She mistook Logan, a teacher of Moon Academy, with Khal!


    ¡°Pff¡­ Hahaha!¡± a guy among the spectators couldn¡¯t handle it any longer and started tough loudly. This caused a chain reaction, and more and more people started to crack up with ridicule and scorn.


    ¡°Haha! She looked so mighty, but look at her now! ¡®Just give up already, because if not, I will kill you!¡¯ Haha! ¡®But don¡¯t worry I will spare your life!¡¯ Haha! At least before you threaten someone look at them properly! Haha!¡±


    The mocking of the guy who started tough caused the crowd tough even harder, making the whole ce to be filled with ridicule instantly.


    As this happened, Alia¡¯s hand lowered down to her side slowly, while her face reddened in embarrassment; even small teardrops could be seen in the corner of her mouth but tried hard not to show them.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ That lowlife¡­¡± Lyra seeing this sneered with disdain, obviously wanting to smack that guy hard in the abdomen.


    Even the guy¡¯splexion looked ice-cold next to Lyra, while Liza¡¯s and Nate¡¯s faces were no better; it was evident they didn¡¯t like people like that.


    In the Cultivation world, it was quite rare for people to have bad eyesight, but even if there were some with one, thanks to the several powerful herbs and medicines, people could improve their sight for a limited time. There were even medicines that could repair bad vision permanently!


    However, those kinds of medicines were extremely expensive and only rich people could buy them. Those who couldn¡¯t afford one had to live their entire life with terrible eyesight; some even lived with a vision akin to being blind in their whole lives!


    They couldn¡¯t do anything about it, life was just simply poor toward them when they were born. And that is why, those who ridiculed or mocked these people bad fortune, were no better than bugs, disgraceful beings.


    The more the guyughed and mimicked Alia¡¯s previous moments in ¡®funny¡¯ way, the louder the crowd became and the more Alia¡¯s body trembled.


    On the other, Khal¡¯s face looked extremely dark at this moment.


    ¡°Haha! She made he-¡°


    *CLANG!*


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    With a piercing metallic sound and a loud st, a ck crystal weapon that looked like a hybrid between a short sword and a dagger, crashed powerfully into the wall behind the guy, turning the stone into fallen debris and dust in a sh!


    In an instant, everything came to aplete halt and everyone turned dead silent; so silent that every person in the arena was able to hear their own heartbeat in their ears!


    ¡®¡­¡¯ the guy who wasughing and mocking Alia all this time now froze up in one ce while all the muscle inside his body stiffened up; he was trembling uncontrobly like leaves on a cold autumn day.


    Turning his face at the weapon which crashed inches away from his head right into the wall, the guy swallowed back the words he wanted to say next and tilted his gaze at Khal.


    But when he did, what met with him was a pair of blood-freezing cold eyes, staring at him with a calm, but darkened expression; with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, the guy felt like his soul itself was pierced by several daggers right at that moment!


    ¡°Haha! This guy!¡± Nate next to Liza chuckled slightly, his eyes couldn¡¯t hide his awe. Even Jane on the top of the arena looked stunned by this act of his; that was a simple, but an extremely serious warning that even a fool would understand!


    Say a single word more and I will kill you!

 Chapter 85: Ignited Hate

    Chapter 85: Ignited Hate


    The ice-cold re from Khal caused the guy to fall back onto his rear and gulp down his alive with a struggled expression; it was apparent he was shocked beyond belief.


    And not only him, but everyone present, including Connor and Logan, the two experts who should look out for any mishaps during the fight.


    On the other hand, Alia¡¯s shock came from entirely elsewhere; she was stunned, awed, and most importantly¡­ Moved! Moved by Khal¡¯s act, because never in her wildest dream would she have thought that a stranger, who she never met before and even looked down a moment ago, protected her before hundreds of people!


    Ever since she knew herself, she was bullied by others because of her eyesight. She was born with such horrible vision that even if someone wrote a letter exactly a meter away from her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to read them; and that this why, she was the center of pranks! There were actually even times where she asionally stumbled on a piece of rock in the street and fell before others, bing the center of ridicule too!


    Her parents even though noting from a noble family, decided to buy her a Secret Art to help her enhance her eyesight, but except for small improvements, nothing changed at all. And what¡¯s more, because the Secret Art was such a Low Level one, even lower than average ones, just the slightest deconcentration could cause it to fail to workpletely!


    And that is exactly what happened now. Khal¡¯s unexpectedly quick speed stunned her and as a result, she forgot about her Secret Art, resulting in her vision bing extremely blurry for few moments once again; and when she realized this problem¡­ Everything was toote.


    Just like when she was small, she became the center of mocking and ridiculing; a girl who couldn¡¯t even see properly!


    Yet, when everything seemed to turn back to how it was before, a guy who she didn¡¯t even know, aplete stranger, helped her silence not only the guy who started all this, but everyone else present!


    For no reason at all!


    ¡°You¡­ Why?¡± Alia could only mutter those two words toward Khal with a questioning look, but instead of giving her a solid reason, Khal reply with a rather¡­ shocking answer.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a waste of time caring about clowns like them?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Immediately as his voice fell, a huge uproar broke out among the people, turning the silent arena into a ce filled with cursing and screaming.


    ¡°Huuuuh?! Clowns?? Just who the hell do you think you are?!¡±


    ¡°Your mother was a fucking clown! Your whole being is a fucking clown! Just let me get you¡­ If your parents couldn¡¯t, then I will fucking teach you how to behave!¡±


    ¡°I want to challenge you!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    People one after another stood up with bulging veins present on both their faces and neck, sending saliva flying through the air as they cursed and showed their will to challenge Khal right there and then. There were even a few bold ones that stood onto the edge of the spectator seats, ready to run inside and beat him up, but naturally, they were stopped by a single nce from Connor and Logan.


    ¡°Haha, now he has done it!¡±ughed Lyra merrily but below her happy face the shock could be visibly discerned. Even the guy next to her showed awe by Khal¡¯s boldness which he did not know if he should call it extreme bravery orplete foolishness.


    ¡°To say that before several Cultivators with an unshakable sense of pride¡­ Now everyone will go for his head. He became a target half of the people present here.¡± said Nate making Liza lightly nod her head in agreement.


    ¡°This guy¡­ I need to teach him a lesson once everything is over¡­¡±


    With an indifferent expression, Khal turned his gaze at Alia and after lowering his stance while twirling his Essence around his feet, he began to talk calmly, ¡°We should end it fast. It seems like I will have to take care of a few things after this.¡±


    Alia was dazed by Khal¡¯s behavior and find herself unable to utter a word for a while, but still nodded and raised her palm; right now, Khal in her eyespletely changed.


    ¡°Let¡¯s sta-, eh?¡± however just as she talked, Khal already appeared on her side like a ghost and swung his hand.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Although startled, Alia¡¯s reaction speed was surprisingly fast. The moment she saw Khal on her side yellow mist broke forth from her body and enveloped Khal¡¯s bodypletely.


    ¡°Why did he approach me even after my warning? Does he have a death wish?¡± Alia was bewildered by Khal¡¯s choice but at the same time, her heart tightened with worry.


    Her Daydream Fog was a Shapeshifting-type Talent that she could control and shape at will; just like how she did previously, she was able to turn her mist into solid objects and use them as weapons. However, her Talent¡¯s most hazardous trait wasn¡¯t its molding aspect but its toxic characteristic. It let her put anyone into a deep slumber by a small portion and could even kill if the dose were huge!


    And right now, the amount of mist that swallowed Khal was way too enormous that let alone him, even a Fourth Stage Cultivator would die by such a massive amount of Daydream Fog!


    ¡°I was reckless!¡± was the only thing Alia could say before a huge wind storm manifested out of nowhere, sending all the yellow mist high up into the air.


    ¡°I won,¡± said Khal with a sedateplexion and he held his Devil Fang¡¯s edge inches away from Alia¡¯s throat.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    At that point, Alia¡¯s eyes were so round that it was feared her beautiful eyes will fell out from their sockets, but luckily, she smiled and closed her eyes deliberately, ¡°I lost.¡±


    Right after she admitted her loss, the key in the air shed with a white light and vanished into Khal¡¯s pocket.


    However, people didn¡¯t care about this at all but instead ignited their hate and will to fight against Khal as soon as possible.


    ¡°And who cares you won? Beating a ¡®blind¡¯ opponent couldn¡¯t be considered as an achievement! If you have the nerve fight with me!¡±


    ¡°He is right! This daddy here wants to challenge you right here and now! I will show you manner!¡±


    The guy who mocked Alia all this time stood up too and with collected determination started to shout at Khal.


    As this urred, Khal listened to the curses and yells he got and inspected all the person that wanted to challenge him.


    After pondering for a while in silence, suddenly a smug grin curved on Khal¡¯s face and his eyes shed with a profound light, ¡°Well, if you want to challenge me this much, I can¡¯t refuse. Then to save some time, how about youe and fight me all at once?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    With each word that left Khal¡¯s mouth, the whole arena turned quieter and quieter and at the end of his sentence, the whole ce became so silent that even a pin drop could be heard as clear as thunder.


    And a few secondster as the realization hit¡­


    ¡°HUUUUHH?!¡±

 Chapter 86: Come At Me If You Dare!

    Chapter 86: Come At Me If You Dare!


    The whole Arena exploded with rage and fury!


    ¡°HUUH!? What did you say?¡±


    ¡°I will fucking kill him! Tear him into pieces and burn his corpse away!¡±


    ¡°To save some time? Came at me once?! Just who the fuck he thinks he is!?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I want to fight right now! I challenge him! I demand a challenge right now!¡±


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    People after people stood up from their seats with thick veins bulging out of their necks and walked down to the very front row ready to jump at any given moment.


    Right now, if killing with only a single stare would have been possible Khal¡¯s body would have been sliced into thousands if not into millions of pieces!


    Among the vulgar and deafening curses, akin to wild animals in the wilderness, Nate, Liza, Lyra and the guy next to her stared at Khal with eyes like they just saw a ghost; they were dumbfounded beyond talking or utter a single word!


    This guy before them, who was just only on the mere Second Cultivation Stage stated before hundreds of Cultivators if they wanted to fight him feel free he epts it! And what¡¯s more, he said he will fight all of them at once just not to waste time! This deration was simr to throwing oil onto burning fire in a forest! Aplete suicidal move!


    Only a cmity could result out of this nothing else for sure!


    ¡°Khal¡­ Does he have a death wish this much?¡± asked Nate from Liza, his eyes showing both confusion and shock.


    ¡°I¡­ Don¡¯t know¡­¡± out of all the people she knew, Khal was the one she understood the most. He was kind, caring, but if he wanted to he could be aggressive and quarrelsome too. Thetter two were especially true after the incident that happened years ago but luckily after the Ceremony those traits of his lessened with each passing day. However, he was never arrogant nor did he decide about things on an impulse; he always thought about the consequences and only began something if he was at least 99% sure to seed.


    Naturally, only 99% because nothing could be perfect and wless and Liza knew this too.


    So watching Khal dere such a statement before hundreds of Cultivators that each had bigger pride than mountains, was something she would have never thought she would hear from him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you will get out of this¡­¡± murmured in a low tone Jane on the too, her eyes gleaming with great anticipation.


    Logan on the side however didn¡¯t look anticipated nor shocked by Khal, but just simply crossed his arms before his chest and knitted his brows together, ¡°You sure about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and to show you how determined I am, I will put my key on the line! Whoever beats me first will get the right to hold de Mountain!¡±


    ¡°$%@&£¤!!!¡±


    The words that Khal said made the crowd even angrier than ever; for them, what Khal just said now held not mountain solid determination, but heaven-defying arrogance! It was like Khal looked down on them, thinking he could beat each of them at the same time with only his low Second Stage power! It felt like he threw salt right at their faces with that single promation!


    For them, this was a sin! An unforgivable sin!


    ¡°You sure? Last chance to change your mind,¡± warned Khal Logan with a questioning look, but deep inside in his heart, he already knew that Khal could not escape from this situation even if he stepped back now. Things escted to such heights that if not now, in the near future Khal will definitely find himself in dire situations.


    ¡°As sure as the sun will rise from the east and fall on the west. I was never so sure about something like this in my entire life!¡± replied Khal, his eyes shining with rock-solid determination.


    ¡°¡­¡± Logan pondered for a while as he examined Khal¡¯s expression but could only sigh and nod, ¡°Sure, let it be as you want.¡±


    Immediately after he said that he nced at Connor on the side and with an apologetic look, smiled wryly.


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry about it at all. I¡¯m already here so it¡¯s only natural for me to help.¡±ughed Connor merrily as he understood what Logan wanted, but because his ck sunss was before his eyes, it was unknown what his real thoughts truly were.


    ¡°Well then¡­ If there are no objections at all,¡± said Khal and waved his hand.


    *Swish!*


    With a blinding light, just like how it was a few moments ago, Khal¡¯s key flew high up into the air and with a dim white light floated there gently. And at the same time as this happened, all the people who wanted to beat Khal up so much, jumped onto the tform and stood still next to each other with anger stered all over their faces; obviously, even they didn¡¯t dare to go in and attack Khal without the teachers signal!


    ¡°Everyone knows the rules already so ready up!¡± said Khal, making all the 100+ Cultivators on one side to took up all kinds of stances, while the spectators on the seats leaned forward to get a better look.


    Right now, what was about to happen never urred ever in the past!


    One guy against a hundred! This was madness!


    ¡°What do you think, who will win?¡± a guy that didn¡¯t look older than 17, nced at Alde on his side and asked.


    ¡°Ha! What question is that? Can¡¯t you see properly? Are you blind as that girl? Even though more than half out of the hundred are still on the Second Cultivation Stage, there a few with a presence on the Third and even the Fourth Cultivation Stage! Let alone him, even if there were hundreds of him he would fail miserably! I would be surprised if he could leave even a single bone intact after this!¡± with apparent disdain on his face, Alde replied with a loud snort as he leaned back, showing his imposing figure to the guy on his side.


    ¡°I know, but still¡­¡± wondered the guy out aloud and started to tap his fingers on his side, ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡±


    ¡°Strange what?¡± asked Alde with furrowed brows as he tilted his eyes slightly at the guy.


    ¡°I mean, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange he acts this way? He could have simply stayed silent and let everyoneugh their heads off after what happened. Yet, he not only stood up instead for that girl but even ignited everyone¡¯s hate present even though he knew there were others much stronger than him in Cultivation Stage. He brought aplete cmity onto his head for no sole reason!¡±


    As Alde listened to this line of thinking, he stayed silent for a while but still snorted, and with loathing, in his voice, he said, ¡°I would not call it as strange, but instead as simple foolishness! And considering that the one who did all of this was him, I am not surprised even a bit!¡±


    As the close to hundred Cultivators stood still ready at any given moment, Khal raised his palm before him and slowly, a smugful grin emerged on his face, ¡°Come at me if you dare!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    And just as his voice fell¡­


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±

 Chapter 87: Second Form!

    Chapter 87: Second Form!


    ¡°I will kill him! Cut him up into hundreds of pieces! Let¡¯s see after that how confident he will be!¡±


    ¡°He will wish he wasn¡¯t born at all! This daddy will teach you a lesson!¡±


    ¡°I will cripple him to his very core!¡±


    People after people ran at Khal with crazed expressions while various Talents and Secret Arts bloomed around filling the whole Arena with different kinds of powers and presences. There were users of different elements like fire, water, wind, and earth, there were others with weapon-associated Talents like swords or shields while there were even unique ones that could manipte objects, others, or even shape their own body parts!


    There were so many scary Talents in one ce that it was horrifying!


    The close to hundreds of Cultivators with numerous powers from outside looked so terrifying that those who spectated from the outside felt their abdomen turn numb while small sweat drops started to form on their palms! All of them thought about the exact same thing too; that right now, Khal has no chance to achieve victory at all!


    Even though he had a powerful Eye Enhancing Talent with a great Movement-type Secret Art, against so many and different enemies he will be as helpless as an infant caterpir in a nest of hungry ants! There will be no chance for him to escape no matter what he will try!


    However, even facing so many enemies and powers at the same time Khal looked just as indifferent as ever before! No, he even had a smile etched on his face radiating confidence and¡­ Slyness!


    Khal was naturally not stupid nor did he act on an impulse because of Alia; of course, he felt irritated by the guy and the crowd who started mocking her because he knew exactly how it felt being ridiculed too, but his true reason behind his actions was not that. No, he started all this because of a single reason¡­


    He needed to ascertain his worth!


    Yes, his worth! Ever since he came into this world, he was looked down on by people from time to time. At the Ceremony by Alde, on the Announcement Day by both teachers and students and even now by other Cultivators because they think he has a ¡®weak Talent¡¯ that is useless.


    Only his friends, Jas, and Logan knew he was strong, but for Khal that was not enough; he wanted to show everyone present that he was strong and he can¡¯t be pushed around as others willed!


    Especially Alde. Since he tried to kill him not once but twice already it was time for him to show just who he messed with! As he could understand it so far, inside Moon Academy he was safe and no one could harm him; it was a ce where not even the Ourvi Family¡¯s hand could reach. However, the very moment he took a foot through the gates into the outside world, his life was instantly at stake, danger lurking around him every passing second just like when he went on a mission.


    And he didn¡¯t want this at all; living his life behind walls, in the fear that he could die anytime if he stepped outside of Moon Academy¡¯s protection, was something he did not want at all! He didn¡¯t want to live his life with shackles and under others despising gazes ever again! He wants to be free and do what he wanted to do!


    But for that to happen, the first thing he needed to do was to show that he was not weak, and had worth just like anyone else present here!


    He was also a Cultivator and he needed to act just like one!


    Also, who knew what would happen with Liza behind his back? Who could promise that Alde won¡¯t try anything shady when Liza will go on a mission? Of course, Liza was stronger than him currently, but still, losing her, the only one who could make him remember about her would be akin to shattering his world. If that would happen he didn¡¯t know what he would do, but one thing was sure; nothing unforgivable that was certain!


    As Khal reached this thought of line, his smile vanished from his face while his breathing calmed down with each passing second; right now his expression was so terrifyingly tranquil and nk that others would think he suddenly fell unconscious!


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± a frown appeared on both Liza¡¯s and Nate¡¯s faces while Alde showed a mocking grin at this sight, ¡°See? I told you. He already gave up!¡±


    On the other hand, Logan¡¯s eyes shed with curiosity, because he noticed that Khal didn¡¯t fell unconscious at all! His clear sky blue eyes with their crimson slit in their middle were firmly fixed on the crowd before him; those eyes didn¡¯t look like he gave up at all!


    As the opponents now were closer than 10 meters away from him, Khal extended his right hand straight before his chest while his left palm rested right above his right elbow as he lowered his stance into an almost crouching position.


    ¡°What the hell is that stance? It¡¯s ugly!¡± frowned everyone on the spectator seat, but even before they could have thought about anything else, Khal¡¯s voice sounded in the arena quietly.


    ¡°Dance of The Celestial Serpent Second Form; Azure Snake Dance!¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!!¡± screamed the crowd as they bounced on Khal one by one, sending different kinds of assaults on their way at him.


    Right now, before Khal hundreds of various abilities, fireballs, jade spikes, weapons, and a lot more flew at him at once, falling on him like the verdicts of heaven!


    But it was exactly the moment when Khal¡¯s feet moved an inch forward, while gentle blue light simr to flowing blue mes suddenly enveloped his entire palms and the next second¡­


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    *Swish!*


    One swing toward the right then toward the skies with his right palm, while one whack toward the ground then to the left with his left hand, Khal hit the assaults away one after another with an extremely quick speed that his arms turned so blurry, that they left after images behind! And the scariest thing about this was that he let not a single attack touch his clothes!


    ¡°!?¡±


    Immediately as this happened, everyone turned stupified on the spectator seats while the people attacking Khal suddenly turned a bit surprised but still continued to attack him like maddened animals.


    ¡°Maybe you have a Secret Art able to deflect attacks, but you can¡¯t maintain your defense against me and those attacks at the same time!¡± suddenly a guy with a Talent simr to Angor appeared on Khal¡¯s side, and swung his dagger at him with a cold glint.


    Khal, with his eyes still on the attacks before him, noticed the guy¡¯s ¡®surprise attack¡¯ from the side and couldn¡¯t help himself but to raise a small smile while his eyes revealed pity.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Eh?¡± the guy who was just about to sh and injure Khal from the side, suddenly noticed as Khal¡¯s figure moved and like a ghost, without any indication or warning, he appeared right behind him!


    ¡°Ho-?¡± began to talk the guy, but even before he could have turned around, he felt as a palm was ced on his back, and with one single thrust he was pushed before the hundreds of attacks that was meant for Khal.


    ¡°Oh, fu-¡°


    *BOOM!*

 Chapter 88: Azure Snake Dance!

    Chapter 88: Azure Snake Dance!


    A huge explosion sounded in the middle of the Arena, filling the tform with drifting dust and flying debris. A small crater with a diameter of a three-meter and a depth of a meter was created while in its bottom a guy scorched, cut, and smashed to oblivion lied motionlessly, unknown if he was alive or not; his dagger was shattered into small fragments while his eyes were rolled back into their sockets revealing only the whiteness.


    ¡°HA! Take this!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°You are mine!¡±


    *BAM!*


    However, even after seeing that, people after people went and tried to beat Khal up as they said they will take care of him, but only found themselves in the exact same shoes as the first guy. Every time they attacked and thought they could surprise Khal from ces and angles where he couldn¡¯t react in time, for some strange reason Khal always vanished and appeared behind their backs, pushing or kicking them before the several attacks that should have been meant for him in the first ce.


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°This makes the 16th¡­ Are they really this stupid or did they get blinded by their hatred to this degree?¡± was what Khal thought as he kicked another guy before a barrage of attacks after getting behind him as effortlessly as touching one¡¯s cheeks.


    So far, he did nothing but use his Secret Art¡¯s Second Form to deflect attacks and get behind the enemy¡¯s backs that tried to get close to him.


    His Dance of The Celestial Serpent Second Form, the Azure Snake Dance was something that he first found strange, could be even said it was bizarre and didn¡¯t know how to use it. But now that he finally used it, everything made so much sense that even he was shocked beyond speechlessness.


    The Second Form was a half Agility and half Defense type form and to tell the truth it was quiteplicated too. When Khal first tried and used it back in de Mountain he couldn¡¯t even utilize it normally, though after Logan enlightened him after their sparring session he could finally wield it without a problem.


    Its base concept was to circte the Essence inside the entirety of the legs and arms while thickening the Essence around the palms to form ayer of protection field that could be used for both fighting and defending. It was written in the scroll that if one could thicken it to a given, degree defending against stronger attacks from higher Stage Cultivators wouldn¡¯t pose a problem at all.


    Of course, Khal could thicken it to an extent to fend against Second Stage attacks or at least deflect them, but even he himself was unable to deflect all the attacks from the hundreds of Cultivators, especially not from those on the Third and Fourth Cultivation Stage. He could only do so because he had his Diamond Skin obtained from the Beast Core; with its help of it where he made his palm turn as hard as diamond and with the help of his Second Form defending against these kinds of unsophisticated attacks shouldn¡¯t pose a problem!


    However, the biggest amazement that gave Khal wasn¡¯t only that but the Agility part too. While he could defend against the onughts thanks to his Diamond Skin, his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, and his Essence around his palm, he could also avoid surprise attacks from others with his Second Form.


    As he said, the Azure Snake Dance was half an Agility and half Defense type form; maybe it was not as fast as the Crimson Snake Dance but it also had a kind of ¡®explosive¡¯ speed that could be used for a split second. If he elerated the Essence Flow inside his body, in exchange to weaken theyer around his palm, Khal could be so fast that he could travel 5 meters in a sh! And what¡¯s more, he could get from one point to another without any warning or sign, just like a phantom! However, as a result, both of his legs would be exhausted in no time at all if he used this power too much.


    To put it simply, the Azure Snake Dance was a Defense-type form first and only an Agility-type next, not vice versa.


    Luckily, after using it for the 16th time, except for a slight numbness Khal didn¡¯t feel anything at all so using it for a bit more wouldn¡¯t pose difficulty for him; it seemed running close to 13 hours straight with his First Form wasn¡¯t in vain.


    ¡°I should end this fast.¡± thought Khal and his gaze titled toward several figured in the distance, ¡°Especially because of them.¡±


    Not far away from him, out of the hundred Cultivators that came to attack him, 3 remained motionless on the side, examining him from there with curious gazes; each having the presence of a Fourth Stage Cultivator!


    Each looked extremely imposing and only a fool would believe that the reason why they didn¡¯t attack was that they were frightened. It was rather obvious they waited because they wanted to fight Khal only after the remaining Cultivators were taken care of.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Waiting until I get tired and show you my weakest shape and only then attacking¡­ It seems not everyone a fool here.¡± thought Khal as a grin emerged on his face and smacked a guy in the face, sending him flying a meter away to the side.


    ¡°This¡­ What kind of Secret Art is he using? And how can he deflect and avoided so many attacks at the same time?¡± asked out loud Nate as he watched Khal on the tform. Let alone struggling and getting surpassed by the Cultivators, he even dominated the entire battle from start until this point. If someone told him that a Cultivator merely on the Second Cultivation Stage could keep his stance against close to a hundred enemies without getting hurt he wouldugh that person right in the face! Yet, right now, the thing he would think of as a joke happened right before his very eyes and he was not imagining thing! It was truly happening and Khal really smacked, kicked, and hit others to the sides like they were nothing but mere clowns!


    Even Liza¡¯s face showed awe, unknown how she should react to this scene. But it wasn¡¯t only them who looked at this sight with such stupified expressions but everyone else in the Arena too, especially Jane and Alde!


    One looked at the sight before her withplex emotions shing in her eyes from time to time while the other¡¯s face terrifyingly changed colors one after another.


    ¡°How¡­ Could¡­ This¡­ Be¡­¡± with clenched teeth Alde hissed in a terrifyingly low tone of voice as he watched the sight before him with a darkened expression that made one believe the skies above got overshadowed by murky clouds; he was on the verge of screaming up with anger but did everything in his power not to.


    The one on the tform was somebody with a Sight Enhancement Talent on the Second Cultivation Stage and right now was attacked with tons of powers from different Cultivators, yet, none of them were able to injure him! Let alone injuring him, they didn¡¯t even touch his clothing! What was this!? Did the world go crazy?!


    ¡°So many useless trash!¡± hissed Alde without the intention to hide his anger, making the guy on his side tremble in fear and shut his mouth as tightly shut as he could; he was scared that even the slightest word from him could make this friend of his erupt like a volcano!


    ¡°But at least not all of them are useless at least¡­¡± said after a while Alde as he calmed himself down, and nced at the three on the side who was obviously waiting for Khal to take care of the weaker ones, ¡°With their Cultivation Stage they should handle him quite easily.¡±


    The guy next Alde swallowed down a huge amount of saliva and after wiping his sweat off from his forehead he nodded, ¡°D-don¡¯t worry Young Master! Those three will definitely deal with him, you can rest assured! If not, then this young one here will personally shave his head bald as a reparation!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Alde upon hearing this did nothing but snorted and continued to watch Khal moving here and there with sh after sh while beating others to obliviousness with ease.

 Chapter 89: Three Versus One!

    Chapter 89: Three Versus One!


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Eh?!¡±


    *BAM!*


    ¡°46¡­¡±


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°Bleargh!¡±


    ¡°57¡­¡±


    ¡°You-¡®


    *Crack!*


    ¡°73¡­¡±


    Khal was moving around on the tform in sh like a phantom, hitting, smacking, and kicking everyone into oblivion, leaving lying bodies in pits and debris all over the ce.


    In the beginning, his job was quite easy because every time someone tried to surprise him the only thing he needed to do was to use his Azure Snake Dance to kick or push them before the attacks that were sent at him, but obviously, his opponents were not ¡®that¡¯ stupid. As time went on, the times where only one guy tried to ambush him became less and less and his enemies decided to fight him head-on at the same time instead of sending projectiles at him from distance; it was obvious that they used this method to stop Khal using their attacks against them.


    However, what they didn¡¯t know that Khal was way more dangerous in closebat against people than long-distance attacks! Thanks to his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, his Diamond Skin around his palms that could crack even bones if he put enough strength behind them, and his mysterious Movement-type Secret Art, he was like the manifestation of a raging spirit and whoever got too close to him ended up being knocked into unconsciousness by a single fist!


    Thus, the Cultivators that wanted to ¡®beat¡¯ Khal up into a pulp ended up being the ones getting beaten up; it could be even said that they got crushed without mercy!


    The sight as Khal dominated close to hundreds of Cultivators that were both on the Second and Third Cultivation Stage made all the spectators hold their breath back and dare not to say a single word more. If at the beginning they thought that what Khal said was foolish arrogance then this time they entirely believed it was pure confidence! Thinking back at his words as he said ¡®to save time¡¯ now made even more sense to them!


    ¡°H-how can he be this strong with only his Eye Enhancement Talent? And what is that Secret Art even in the first ce? It lets him move around his opponents without any warning!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s definitely an Expert Level Art if not a Cultivator one! But to think he was able to learn such a powerful Secret Art at such a young age¡­ He is a monster! A freak!¡±


    ¡°Tsk¡­ Why so scared? Can¡¯t you see properly? There are three left on the side, each on the Fourth Cultivation Stage! There is no way he could beat them!¡± talked suddenly a guy with a snort, causing the people around him to stay silent immediately.


    It was because everyone around him suddenly realized that he was right! A Second Stage Cultivator beating 3 Cultivators on the Fourth Stage? What was that, some kind of joke?


    However, deep inside everyone¡¯s heart, the suspicion of ¡®what if¡¯ never left. Why was that? It was because anyone that was a Cultivator knew that the disparity between Cultivators on the first five Cultivation Stage was not big at all; even a guy with an extremely powerful Talent on the First Cultivation Stage could beat someone with an exceptionally weak Talent on the Fifth Cultivation Stage! Of course, blood sweating struggle and the help of a few Secret Arts must be needed, but it was still a feat that was possible! But something like that was as rare as an ice cube in the middle of the desert and quite hard to achive.


    On the other hand, after the Fifth Stage, each Cultivation Stage represented a different realm, so beating someone even a single Stage above you was exceptionally hard, it could be said an impossible task! Only those with an extraordinarily powerful Talent had what it took to challenge someone above them, but even that was considered a suicidal move.


    So watching as Khal was about to fight 3 Cultivator on the Fourth Stage, especially after he dominated more than eighty others on the Second and Third Cultivation Stage like they were nothing but mere jokes, people in the spectator seats started to feel that maybe, and just maybe he could truly win in the end; but for that to happen, there was still an extremely low chance.


    Because right now, Khal was against not one, but 3 Cultivators on the Fourth Stage!


    ¡°Do you think he will be able to win?¡± asked Liza, her worry and concern visible in her delicate eyes.


    Nate on the side leaned forward and after putting his crossed fingers before his mouth he started to ponder. Only a whileter did a curve emerge on his mouth and say with assurance, ¡°He certainly will.¡±


    ¡°How do you think so?¡± asked Liza with surprise as she didn¡¯t expect Nate to answer like that. Theposure with he just answered told her to let it be anything, Khal will definitely gain victory!


    However, Nate only continued to smile like he just saw something incredibly interesting and said calmly, ¡°Because he still didn¡¯t go all out.¡±


    And just as he said those words¡­


    *Bam!*


    ¡°Argh!¡±


    mming thest guy standing in the chest powerfully with his palm, which was still covered with his Essence and Diamond Skin, Khal watched as the guy fell unconsciously before his feet, leaving only the three Fourth Stage Cultivators behind.


    ¡°And with him, it¡¯s 83¡­ It took me a bit more than I have thought¡­¡± eximed Khal his thoughts aloud, turning everyone around him so silent that you could hear even a pin drop.


    Right now, no one talked and no oneughed, because those words he just said now sounded not arrogant, but facts! Even though he needed close to 15 minutes to beat 96% of his opponents, which could be considered a lot, he was still able to defeat them! And to top it off without receiving any form of injury or wound!


    ¡°Haha, you are nuts I give you that!¡±


    As everyone looked at Khal inplete silence as a kind of freak, suddenly the guy with his two friends finally moved and walked toward Khal from the sides.


    The one who pped and talked was a guy in the middle with a sharp chin and small nose; he had short ck hair, broad shoulders, and thick thighs with bulging muscles both on his arms and legs. With his height that was above 7 feet, he was the real definition of a real giant!


    On his right was a girl with a height only reaching the guy¡¯s chest. She had dark ck hair with a bit of a green shade in it, while her emerald green eyes radiated slyness as she looked at Khal with curiosity. With her honey brown skin and slim limbs, she exuded a kind of ¡®dangerous¡¯ aura as she walked that even an idiot would notice.


    On the other hand, the guy on the left was theplete opposite; he was just as big as the girl on the right, maybe a bit taller, but except for his handsome facial features that even nobles rarely had, he lookedpletely indifferent. Almost like he thought that all of this fighting was considered nothing more but a waste of time.


    As Khal heard the p and the guy¡¯s voice from the side, he tilted his gaze at him and the two on his side and readied himself; against three Fourth Stage Cultivators, he must not let his guard down no matter what.


    The guy seeing as Khal¡¯splexion turned serious halted his steps and as a wide grin formed on his face, heughed, ¡°Oh? So serious from the start? Then¡­¡±


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    Instantly as he said that, a huge battle axe almost as enormous as him appeared before him out of thin air, cracking and smashing the ground below it into dust!


    ¡°Let¡¯s y!¡±

 Chapter 90: Mountain Divider

    Chapter 90: Mountain Divider


    The whole tform shook the moment the muscr guy ¡®summoned¡¯ the massively huge axe that was just as big as him; the axe head had an elegantly shaped edge and had no marks or engravings. The maple, which was made out of hard but pale-looking wood, handle was almost 50 inches long and had an uncovered metal grip covered with tiny and shiny pebbles that give it a royal look next to its extremely heavy and lethal look.


    It was apparent that it was made for the sole reason of battle!


    Grabbing the handle that was as thick as a human arm, the guy lifted the weapon quite easily, almost like he just raised a kid from the ground, and ced it onto his shoulder causing the ground below his feet to form huge and wide cracks in an instant!


    ¡°You two¡­ Step back, I will take care of him personally.¡± said the guy with a smile and started to walk toward Khal, each of his steps leaving shallow footprints after he raised his feet.


    ¡°Okay~¡± the girl and the guy with an indifferent look that stood all this time next to the gigantic guy nodded with agreement and stepped several meters back, giving their friend bigger space to fight; they knew what wille and they didn¡¯t want to remain nearby when ¡®that¡¯ happens.


    ¡°Marx and Merlyn from the Eastfield Family and their childhood friend Asur. All three of them are Fourth Stage Cultivators and had been enrolled into Moon Academy half a year ago.¡± Nate, who watched as the guy called Marx walked closer to Khal talked in a rxed voice, indicating his speech obviously toward Liza on his side.


    ¡°Marx and Merlyn? The siblings that are famous for creating ruckus everywhere they go?¡± asked Liza instantly, instantly recognizing the two names.


    ¡°Yes, them.¡± nodded Nate mildly and leaned back, ¡°When they enrolled into Moon Academy they were still on the First Cultivation Stage so considering the fact they reached the Fourth Stage under a mere 6 month could be deemed as an above-average feat. But still, who would have guessed they will appear and join this mass challenge by Khal¡­¡±


    As Liza listened to Nate¡¯s words, her delicate eyebrows knitted together tightly while deep worry surfaced onto her face, ¡°If I can remember right, Marx has an extremely powerful Talent. But I¡¯m quite sure it was not a weapon-associated one, so what is that axe?¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± nodded Nate and started to exin, ¡°Marx Talent is amon Body Strengthening Talent which lets him control his body¡¯s physical abilities to their fullest. As for that axe, that is one of his family¡¯s treasures called the Mountain Divider. It was summoned by him through the Spatial Ring on his finger.¡±


    When the word ¡®Spatial Ring¡¯ left Nate¡¯s mouth, Liza¡¯splexion changed and her small eyes widened extrarge. Spatial Ring was a special Artifact that was fused with arge amount of space power; only a Cultivator on the Ninth Cultivation Stage with the element of space could create such an item with the help of an extremely proficient cksmith and even like that the chance for failure was extremelyrge! So hearing that Marx, a guy who was from a normal family and had an above-average background had a Spatial Ring was something so startling that even the Ourvi Family would get jealous about for sure!


    ¡°How were you able to tell it? I can¡¯t see a single ring on his fingers let alone a Spatial Ring. Are you sure you saw it right?¡± asked Liza, turning her gaze at Nate on her side.


    However, Nate just simply smiled once again and pointed at his eyes, ¡°These eyes of mine never in my entire 17 years did lie to me you can rest assured. What I saw was real and it was truly, without the slightest mistake, a Spatial Ring.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Liza looked at Nate in silence and a bitter sighed and nodded.


    And just as she did that, Marx arrived exactly 7 meters away from Khal and started to grin widely, ¡°7 meters. Precisely a meter more than your powers radius and the perfect distance for me to attack.¡±


    Immediately as he said that, Marx grabbed the handle of his axe with both palms, and while keeping the maniac-like grin on his face he talked, but this time not toward Khal, but the spectators behind him in the distance, ¡°If I were you¡­ I would fuck off!¡±


    And with that exact sentence¡­


    ¡°MOUNTAIN DIVIDER!!!¡± growled Marx loudly, his voice alone shaking the whole arena, and with a powerful motion swung the axe from his shoulder toward the ground like he wanted to chop the whole world into two with that sole wave.


    ¡°!?¡± the moment Khal saw as Marx moved his weapon from his shoulder, he thought he will have the time to move and get behind him, but he was entirely wrong; not only did he not have the time to get behind Marx with the help of his Second Form, but he couldn¡¯t even approach him! The only thing he was able to do was to activate his Secret Art¡¯s First Form and by elerating the Essence around his feet to the utmost maximum limit his legs currently could tolerate, dodge to the side as fast as he could do!


    And precisely as he did move toward the side, an enormous power broke forth from Marx¡¯s weapon, splitting the ground where Khal stood a split second ago into two while approaching the people in spectator seats in the distance with tremendous force ready to smash and bury them alive!


    *BOOOM!!*


    *TREMBLE!!!*


    The entirety of the arena shook and trembled like a giant just descended and fell onto the ground, making all the people around grab the closest thing in their proximity to stabilize themselves while starting at Marc with eyes that they looked at a ghost!


    The ground below Marx was smashed into debris and dust, forming a massively deep crater under his feet, while a 5 meters deep and 2 meters wide split spreading all the way into the distance where the spectators were.


    ¡°Just how strong is he?¡± was the very first thing Khal thought about as looked at the assault¡¯s aftermath that barely passed before him; just ncing at the split that could have ended his life if he didn¡¯t react in time made Khal sweat profusely.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Can you please hold back a bit next time? I think none of us want unnecessary trouble, especially not unwanted casualties.¡± waving the dust cloud that was created by Marx¡¯s attack, Logan was calmly talking toward Marx as he lowered his hand; it was obvious he stopped the attack to save the people behind him that could have easily died because of that chop!


    ¡°!¡± everyone, including Khal, was surprised by this because they didn¡¯t notice the moment Logan moved at all; he was more than a hundred meters away from where he just stood a split second ago so he either used a powerful Movement-type Secret Art, or he had a Talent associated with teleportation.


    But of course, Khal knew that thetter one couldn¡¯t be, because Logan¡¯s Talent was a me-type Talent and not a Movement-type one, so the only exnation that was feasible that he used a powerful Secret Art!


    ¡°Could it be my Art? But then which Form was that?¡± pondered Khal, but suddenly augh came from his side.


    ¡°Haha, hold back a bit? We are in the middle of a challenge! Our task is to fight to the best of our abilities while yours is to prevent the onlookers to get harmed during our fight! It is that simple! I don¡¯t understand why I should hold back!¡± chuckled Marx loudly, making everyone around turn dead silent.


    On the other hand, Logan just simply knitted his brows together tightly while opening his mouth to say something, but realized he couldn¡¯t; what Marx said was true.


    After thinking for a while, Logan crossed his arms before his chest and said, ¡°That is true, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can act without consequences. Considering your Cultivation Stage and Talent, you have enough experience to control your power to several degrees, so you could have easily attacked only your opponent without putting the spectators¡¯ lives in danger. Yet, you not only did attack without any sign of restraint but even tried to kill innocent people. As a teacher of Moon Academy, I can¡¯t tolerate such ignorance, so this will be your first and final warning¡­ Control. Yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Marx¡¯s smile at the end of the sentence had already vanished while his sharp eyes shot daggers at Logan with an ice-cold expression.


    Silence descended between the two and just as everyone thought Marx will make a ruckus once again just simply noted and averted his gaze, ¡°Tsk¡­ Fine. I will do as you want, but that doesn¡¯t mean I will hold myself back against him.¡±


    As an answer to that, Logan just solely shrugged and waved his hand around with an indifferent face, ¡°You can do whatever you want until you don¡¯t make foolish mistakes. Now fight!¡±


    ¡°Perfect!¡± grinned Marx instantly and was about to attack Khal once again, but suddenly out of nowhere, Khal emerged out of thin air exactly a meter before him.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s my turn!¡± said Khal with a slight curve on his face and swung his fan that was already covered with thick silver light.


    ¡°!?¡±


    *BOOOOM!*

 Chapter 91: Rare Healing Talent!

    Chapter 91: Rare Healing Talent!


    A massive power akin to a chaotic storm broke forth from Khal¡¯s fan, making Marx cross his thick arms before his face and resist the power with clenched teeth.


    *Crack!*


    Deep and wide cracks formed around his feet and it only got deeper and wider as Marx¡¯s colossal body was getting pushed back inch by inch by the wind pressure that Khal created with his assault.


    ¡°The¡­ Fuck is this?¡± groaned Marx between his tightly clenched teeth as he struggled to keep his bnce still even with his humongous body and try not to get flung away!


    *Crack!*


    *Crack!*


    But naturally, Khal was not blind and noticed that Marx was struggling; as a result, the smile on his face that was still there became even wider and tightened his grip around his fan.


    ¡°I only used 35% of my current Body Essence and even that small amount showed amazing results! So what will happen if I attack him once again while he still tries his best?¡±


    Immediately as he reached that point of thought, Khal¡¯s eyes shed with a profound light and his fan once again lit up with a deep silver light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s find it out!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    As Marx still defended against the previous assault that caused his bulging arms to be filled with shallow wounds because of the sharp wind des, he watched as Khal swung his weapon once again, making his eyes open extra wide in an instant!


    ¡°Fuc-¡°


    *BOOOM!!*


    *BAM!*


    ¡°Marx!¡± Merlyn on the side seeing as her brother was blown away like that, crashing into the arena wall in the distance almost like a cannonball, turned furious instantly and stared at Khal with a sharp re, ¡°You!¡±


    *Swish!*


    Khal who was still watching as Marx¡¯s colossal body was still lying in the debris with his huge axe deeply rooted into the wall, suddenly noticed as a shadow appeared on his side with a green sh and attacked his shoulder.


    ¡°What are those? Green nails?¡± wondered Khal with awe as he inspected the five fingers covered in a mysterious green shade aiming at his arm, but because the speed was just too fast for him to think about more he instead moved.


    Activating his Secret Art¡¯s Second Form, the Azure Snake Dance, Khal pushed his feet forward and like a ghost vanished then reappeared but this time behind Merlyn.


    ¡°Fast!¡± was the only thing Merlyn could think of before a sharp pain pierced into her abdomen and was kicked to the side like a football.


    *BAM!*


    Forming small cracks below her body after the impact, Merlyn attempted to stand up and continue her assault but realized she couldn¡¯t; she has been kicked so hard that the bone in her waist was cracked a bit in several ces!


    But it was no surprise; the very moment Khal used his Second form to get behind Merlyn, he directly changed to his First Form, and with help of his elerated Essence around his feet that made him gain great amount if momentum, he kicked Merlyn away. Without that, let alone a simple kick, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to cause harm to Merlyn, so that¡¯s why he used this method instead.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Everyone was silent and no one dared to utter a single word; right now, before hundreds of Cultivators, Khal, who was still on the Second Stage, beat two Fourth Stage Cultivators! Only in 4 moves on top of that!


    ¡°He¡­ really did it. Not only did he best several others on or a Stage above him, but he even beat 2 Fourth Stage Cultivators!¡±


    ¡°This is madness! Someone fast! Hit me now! I can¡¯t believe tha-, Auch! Hey! Why the hell did you hit me?¡±


    ¡°Well, you were the one who asked for it so¡­¡±


    ¡°Argh! Hey!!¡±


    People in the spectator seats started to speak among themselves, turning the silent arena into a ce filled with chaotic shouts.


    But right before everything could have reached an end¡­


    ¡°Heal.¡±


    Immediately as that single word that sounded soft yet at the same time loud fell onto the tform, emerald green light enveloped Marx¡¯s and Merlyn¡¯s body on the ground.


    *Rumble!!*


    ¡°Argh¡­ You could have done this sooner.¡± Marx who lied in the debris motionlessly all this time suddenly stood up like nothing happened at all and tore his weapon right out from the wall.


    ¡°He is right. I can¡¯t believe you let your Big Sis get kicked so mercilessly. Tsk, it seems I need to punish youter when we finish here.¡± talked Merlyn abruptly too as she stood up slowly, dusting her clothes off with gentle pats.


    Both of them looked perfectly fine! The wounds on Marx¡¯s arm vanished, while Merlyn¡¯s waist seemed to be fully healed too! Under a split second!


    ¡°Just what happened here?¡± thought Khal with rm as he watched the two stand up like that and tilted his gaze to the side.


    Not far away from him on the side, the guy with the indifferent expression but handsome face, Asur, looked right at him with a tranquil pair of eyes, while a crystal clear orb was gently floating right above his palm.


    The orb was small, almost as big as a human fist. It was like a crystal, as clear as the clearest water one could imagine while inside its very middle, a gentle, emerald green light was swirling ever slowly.


    ¡°A Healer-type Talent that is efficient on long-range? And on top of that can be used on several targets?¡± asked Nate with awe, didn¡¯t expect that this guy would have such a powerful Talent.


    Healer-type Talents were not rare and there were loads of them in this world. But a Talent that was able to heal from long distances and even be used on several targets was extremely rare!


    While normal Healing-type Talents only worked on one target and only got activated by physical contact, until these kinds of Talents were referred to as a cheat! Yes, a cheat! Just imagine yourself in a war where you injured half of your enemy¡¯s men, but suddenly because such a Cultivator appears, everything turns to the worst; while they will attack you with refreshed energy and without wounds, you will be struggling to keep yourself alive!


    This kind of Talent was simply a cheat code inrge-scale battles! Those with such Talent all became legendary and well-known figures amongst humanity without a single exception!


    ¡°Now like this¡­ I don¡¯t think Khal will stand a chance,¡± said Nate calmly, but the mixture of worry and surprise couldn¡¯t be hidden from his face and eyes.


    When he told Liza Khal will win because he didn¡¯t show his true power yet, he meant exactly what Khal did when blowing Marx and kicking Merlyn away. However, never in his wildest dream would he think that the guy who looked so indifferent that it was almost like he was bored of life itself, had such a powerful Talent. Against a team that he was a part of was simply impossible to win; or at least not until he was standing.


    But while Marx and Merlyn were standing, it was hard to imagine that Khal could touch even a strand of hair of Asur!


    ¡°Haha, now not so cocky are you?¡±ughed Marx wildly, as he walked closer to Khal, leaving deep pits on the ground where he stepped!


    ¡°You know, I was surprised by your movement speed and your kick. But now that what to expect, I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice.¡± chuckled Merlyn too as she raised her fingers, revealing 5 extrarge nails enveloped by a mysterious green shade.


    ¡°Just let¡¯s end this already¡­ I am bored¡­¡± talked Asur from the side with a still indifferent tone as he made the orb above his palm vanish.


    Khal who was now trapped in the middle of a triangle formation looked at all the three around him and furrowed his brows, ¡°Now what? If I try to approach their healer I will be immediately stopped either by Marx¡¯s axe or by those nails which I still don¡¯t know what they can do. I can also choose to attack either one of them, but then if I do, I will be ambushed immediately by the other one. Even if I seed on to knock them out, they will still get healed instantly because of their friend¡¯s help. Argh¡­ So much trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. Realize you have no chance. Just admit defeat trash!¡± Alde who sat on the seats all this time with a darkenedplexion now looked incredibly delighted.


    When he saw as Khal knocked Marx and Merlyn out with 4 simple moves he almost went and strangled his friend on his side to death, but after seeing Asur had such a powerful Talent he abruptly became happy!


    ¡°Maybe I should recruit him into my family. With his Talent, he will definitely be a great asset to us. Yeah, I will definitely mention him to my father.¡± pondered Alde with a slight nod as he decided on his choice, but it was then as Khal stood straight up and closed his eyes gently.


    ¡°Huh? Did he give up?¡± was what almost everyone thought, including Logan and Jane, but the next sight shocked them all.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ it is really a pain in the ass but there is no option left for me.¡± sighed Khal and instantly, his whole body started to undergo fast and visible changes.

 Chapter 92: Skin Harder Than Diamond!

    Chapter 92: Skin Harder Than Diamond!


    As the arena was filled with noticeable stillness, Khal¡¯s body slowly underwent great changes that made everyone¡¯s eyes open extra wide.


    Khal¡¯s fair skin gradually turned rigid and shiny akin to his crystal ck weapon while his Second Stage Cultivation Presence got gradually mixed with a kind of presence that only Beasts had; Beast Presence! And on top of that, the more Khal¡¯s body became rigid crystal ck the more his Beast-like aura got closer to the Fourth Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°This¡­ How the hell did he obtain a Beast Core?!¡± Alde who was calm until this very moment and even looked pleased because of Khal¡¯s misfortune now couldn¡¯t hold himself back any longer and stood up while thick bluish-green veins bulged out on the side of his neck; he couldn¡¯t understand how, a weak and trash Cultivator like Khal had such luck to obtain a Beast Core.


    But then suddenly he realized what Moras told him before he epted the offer to kill Khal for him a few days ago; he informed him he will kill Khal but before that, he will use him to help him kill a creature and obtain a Beast Core.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he even was able to steal that¡­¡± groaned Alde with clenched teeth while his face ckened terrifyingly dark.


    The guy on his side looked at him and with a confused face asked, ¡°Beast Core? What is that?¡±


    Alde, who was struggling to control his anger sat back down and while clenching his fingers into a fist began to exin, ¡°Beast Cores are exceptionally rare ¡®items¡¯ that after consumption bestows the individual a power almost like a second Talent. They can only be obtained through ying the Alpha and even like that isn¡¯t 100% sure you will receive one.¡±


    The guy listening to Alde¡¯s exnation nodded from time to time and asked, ¡°So for example, if I kill the Alpha of a group of Mist Wasps and obtain its Beast Core I will be able to obtain an ability that simr to theirs?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    To that answer, the guy turned shocked and as his jaw dropped down asked with awe, ¡°Such a powerful thing¡­ Why is it that I never heard about something insane like this? Also, from which creature did Khal obtain his Beast Core? It looks powerful!¡±


    However, Alde simply snorted to that question and said, ¡°As I said Beast Cores are hard to get because not only do you need to y the Aloha but need the luck to obtain it. Also, even if one obtains one the chance they will sell it are extremely low. Just who in their right mind would sell an opportunity to obtain a second Talent huh? You need to be brain dead to do something so foolish like that!¡±


    ¡°As for what Creature did he kill to obtain his Beast Core, if I am right it should be from a Diamond Beetle King. Plus, considering his presence, it was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    And just like how Alde¡¯s friend reacted to that, people began to murmur between each other with shock and rm the very moment they learned the truth behind Khal¡¯s new appearance and presence.


    ¡°Beast Core? What? He killed an Alpha?¡±


    ¡°And not a normal one, but a Diamond Beetle King on the Fourth Cultivation Stage! Do you realize just how hard is that!?¡±


    ¡°This daddy here doesn¡¯t believe he killed it alone. He definitely must have got the help of a powerful expert!¡±


    ¡°This guy¡­ Why God doesn¡¯t love me that way? His luck is heaven-defying!!¡±


    Jane who stood still all this time on the top now couldn¡¯t handle herself but frown while Logan on the side started to grin; this kid, his choice to give him the Moon Robe wasn¡¯t a waste at all!


    ¡°Tsk¡­ And what if you have a Beast Core? You are still at a disadvantage!¡± sneered Marx with a cocky grin and lifted his axe, ¡°And I will show you right away!¡±


    With a loud roar, Marx appeared at Khal¡¯s side and swung his weapon downward at his head with so much momentum that the ground around his feet cracked and formed a deep pit!


    ¡°MOUNTAIN DIVIDER!!!¡±


    Akin to the manifestation of a heavenly punishment from the Gods, Marx¡¯s Mountain Divider fell toward Khal¡¯s skull ready to chop him into two altogether with the earth below him! And even though the huge axe looked hard to control and move around, with a speed that looked like a sh, it appeared above Khal¡¯s head in a sh!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t the teachers move?¡± asked Liza with worry in her eyes as she tightened her tiny fists on her side. Even Nate looked confused and a bit anxious, finding it strange that neither of the two instructors tried to move and stop Marx; the attack that Marx was now using wasn¡¯t any weaker than the previous one, but instead was extremely strong! It was evident he put greater strength behind his swing this time than before!


    ¡°¡­¡± Khal on the other hand didn¡¯t look nervous at all but instead an unnoticed curve formed on his mouth.


    *KA-BOOOOM!!*


    *CRACK!*


    *TREMBLE!!*


    With an enormous explosion that was simr to detonating a mass amount of bomb at once, the middle of the tform cracked and split apart, forming a massively huge and deep crater, filling the air with flying chunks of rocks, debris, and dust in the very next instant!


    ¡°!?¡± every single Cultivator watching this sight sucked in a mouthful of cold air while the sensation in their abdomen turned slightly numb.


    ¡°Did he¡­ Just¡­¡± in everyone¡¯s mind the thought of ¡®did he just kill?¡¯ appeared, but even before they could have thought further, an even greater sight emerged.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Not bad at all. But¡­¡±


    The very moment as that voice sounded in the entirety of the arena, the dust cloud vanished revealing Khal¡¯s figure as he held the edge of Marx¡¯s weapon with a tranquilplexion like nothing happened at all!


    ¡°!?¡± Marx noticed this and his pupils instantly shrunk to the size of a needle, not believing what he was just watching.


    Khal who stared at the edge of the axe all this time that was inches away from his eyes tilted his gaze at Marx and said, ¡°Unfortunately against skin harder than diamond it¡¯s nothing!¡±


    *Swish!*


    ¡°!¡±


    In a sh, Khal¡¯s figure appeared behind Marx in the air, and with a powerful punt, kicked Marx right on the face.


    *BAM!*


    ¡°MARX!¡± Merlin, who immediately came back from her shock as she watched her brother¡¯s figure flying away once again, charged at Khal, but even before she could have taken a step forward a huge storm appeared out of nowhere blowing her figure away in an instant!


    *BOOM!*


    On Asur¡¯s indifferent face a slight surprise appeared after noticing the sudden change of events and was about to use his Talent to heal his friends, but just as he opened his mouth a crystal weapon appeared right before his throat with a ck sh.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± said Khal with terrifying calmness, but the coldness in his eyes was quite apparent.


    Asur locking gazes with Khal in silence for several seconds straight sighed and lowered his hand, ¡°You won¡­¡±


    In that very instant as his voice fell, the whole arena exploded with loud cheers and shouts, while inside Khal¡¯s head a single voice appeared.


    [Warning! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ dropped below 10%!]

 Chapter 93: A... Schedule?

    Chapter 93: A... Schedule?


    The word ¡®you won¡¯ made Khal sigh with relief and while lowering his hand a smile emerged on his face lightly.


    ¡°Thank God I didn¡¯t need to continue this fight. Anything more than this would have gone beyond my limit. Even my Body Essence went below the critical point so if he would have healed them back I would have definitely lost.¡±


    As Khal thought about this, the rigid crystalyer around his skin gradually began to fade away while the Beast-like presence that his body emitted all this time vanishedpletely too; he was once again, a Cultivator without a single sign of Cultivation Presence!


    ¡°Damn, he is just way too powerful! One time he exudes a powerful aura then the next he just stands still without any presence! He is just simply on a whole different level!¡±


    ¡°At the beginning, I thought he was weak because of his Talent. But now after witnessing what just happened¡­ I take back all that I just said and thought about him! He is truly damn strong!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now that others dare to say he is weak just because of his Talent I will be the first one to beat them up! No question!¡±


    People spoke between each other spiritedly as each of them was admiring the feat that Khal just did; right now, everyone in the arena admitted that Khal was no longer the weak Cultivator they thought he was but instead an exceptionally strong individual! An individual who single-handedly defeated close to hundreds of Cultivators on the Second, Third, and Fourth Cultivation Stage with his mere Second Cultivation Stage!


    Right now, in their eyes, he was a ¡®legendary¡¯ figure who aplished something that they wouldn¡¯t have ever dreamt of in their entire lifetime! It was simple madness!!


    Or at least everyone thought like that, except a sole somebody whose expression was so dark and terrifying that a single nce at him could frighten anyone with a weak will to the point of pissing their pants in an instant!


    Naturally, that individual was not anyone else but Alde, who currently clenched his teeth with such power that it was feared his teeth will break under the strength!


    ¡°¡­¡± the guy on Alde¡¯s side stiffened up the very moment he noticed his friend¡¯splexion, not daring to utter even a single word now.


    But of course, even that didn¡¯t save him from the inevitable¡­


    ¡°You! What did you just say you will do if they lose?¡± hissed Alde the words through his teeth as he tilted his cold re at Khal.


    ¡°!?¡± the very instant the guy noticed the gaze on his skin his whole body flinched slightly and stepped back an inch subconsciously, ¡°I-¡°


    But even before he could have answered, Alde grabbed him by his wrist firmly and started to drag him away, ¡°Well, now you will have the time to fulfill what you have promised!¡±


    And just like that, among tearful eyes, the guy had been pulled away by Alde while everyone else in the arena remained still, cheering on Khal loudly like some kind of famous individual.


    From this moment on, he finally gained everyone¡¯s respect in Moon Academy!


    Naturally, this didn¡¯t mean upperssmen with greater Cultivation Stage won¡¯t look down on him but those on or a few Stages above him definitely will. Anyone who could beat hundreds of Cultivators with different Stages alone in this world will get nothing but respect from others for sure!


    ¡°Heal.¡± Asur after admitting defeat walked next to his friends and after healing their body he turned to look at Khal and asked calmly, ¡°What is your name? I waszy to check before and now it¡¯s toote for me to watch it again.¡±


    Khal naturally knew that behind Asur¡¯s question there were no hidden motives like in Alde¡¯s before, so smiled friendly and replied, ¡°The name is Khal Nevio. It was my pleasure to fight against you.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­ Khal, you are strong. So no matter what others will say, keep that always in mind.¡± with that simple sentence, Asur turned around and after supporting Merlyn¡¯s figure on his shoulder while Connor helped him carry Marx, he walked away in silence.


    On the other hand, Khal watched all this with surprise in his eyes; he never would have believed that he would get such apliment one day, especially from someone who he just beat even though he was several Cultivation Stages below! Anyone else would have put up a tantrum because of their ego or pride, so watching as Asur said those words with not a single lie behind them, he was pleasantly touched; to tell the truth, it felt extremely great!


    ¡°Haha, you sure love to surprise people huh?¡± with a firm but not hard hit, Logan patted Khal on the shoulder and grinned at him like an idiot, ¡°So about that Beast Core. How did you obtain it?¡±


    But it was the very exact moment as just Khal was about to answer, suddenly a loud voice came from the sides surprising both of them.


    ¡°Ah, finally found ya! I heard ya got into a fight so came to watch you! But who would knew that even before I arrive everything woulde to an end? Haha! How unfortunate!¡±


    With a brimming smile that revealed two rows of sharp white teeth, Bazz¡¯s robust figure walked onto the tform, stepping right before Khal and Logan, ¡°But it seems ya win without breaking a sweat right?¡±


    ¡°Bazz¡­ I mean, Master! What business do you need me for?¡± asked Khal politely as he bowed at Bazz.


    Naturally, Logan knew about everything that happened yesterday including the fact that Khal had been selected as a disciple by Bazz from the cksmith Department, so watching as Khal bowed and called Bazz as his ¡®Master¡¯ didn¡¯t surprise him at all; while he was his Master in cultivation Bazz was his Master in forging so it wasn¡¯t strange even a bit.


    ¡°What business I have with you? Do you dare to ask that even after what you promised me yesterday?¡± asked Bazz with acted seriousness but the next second his face turned merry once again and crossed his bulging arms before his chest, ¡°Naturally, I am here to take you away to learn forging with me. Even though you have exceptional talent in forging you still have a long way to go so let¡¯s not waste any more time here and let¡¯s get moving! I need to teach you loads of things, so we will forge day and night!¡±


    But even after Bazz turned around ready to walk away, Khal didn¡¯t budge even an inch but simply stood still in one ce.


    ¡°Huh? Is there a problem?¡± asked Bazz instantly, raising his right brow slightly as he gazed at Khal.


    ¡°Umm¡­ Master, the matter is¡­ I would dly go and learn forging but what will happen with my Cultivation? In the end, I am still a Cultivator and need to kill beasts to be stronger.¡±


    The question that Khal asked instantly made Bazz realize a crucial problem so he stood still and started to ponder. After a small whileter, he tilted his gaze at Logan and asked, ¡°What do you think about this matter?¡±


    Logan who stood all this time on the side in silence with an indifferent expression looked at Khal and exined, ¡°Well, I already told Khal that he needs to kill creatures and consume their Essence on his own but this doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t teach him too. So how about this? Every week, for two days he will learn forging with you, the next two days he will learn with me while on the remaining 3 days he can do whatever he wants, let it be doing missions, forging, cultivation, or just simply resting.¡±


    ¡°And what about the challenges?¡± asked Khal, as he realized he needed to fight every three days to keep the keys in his possession; but if he does that, there will be asions where he needed to fight during times where he should forge with Bazz or learn with Logan.


    But the answer he got from Logan next surprised him so much that his jaws opened wide.


    ¡°Oh, about that. I think you won¡¯t need to worry about that for several months. Maybe Jas didn¡¯t tell you this little secret, but you only need to fight every 3 days if you beat only 1 opponent until the deadline. However, if you beat several more in a short period, then that will push the time limit out. So for example, if you beat 3 people on the same day, you can rest for 9 days before the need to fight once again. Considering that you have beat close to a hundred¡­ Well, do the math alone, you can do that too.¡±


    When Khal heard that Logan finished talking, he already closed his mouth tightly shut while his eyes showed a slight shock; if this was true then that meant he won¡¯t need to challenge anyone for close to 9 months! This was extremely great news for him, especially now that everyone feared to challenge him!


    ¡°If that is true then I have no objection at all.¡± nodded Khal firmly, instantly epting Logan¡¯s previous idea.


    ¡°Great, then that will be your schedule!¡± said Bazz with a brimming smile, and without waiting for any further questions he dragged Khal away from the tform in a sh.

 Chapter 94: Learn The Basics

    Chapter 94: Learn The Basics


    After the phenomenal fight that Khal performed, the news that he defeated close to hundreds of Cultivators all alone, that even had 3 Fourth Stage Cultivators among them, spread in the entirety of Moon Academy like wildfire.


    Everyone told others everything about the fight from start to end without missing even the slightest detail, but because some people loved to exaggerate things, Khal¡¯s image, unfortunately, grew bigger and scarier in some Cultivator¡¯s eyes than it should have been.


    There were even a few that wanted to go and check Khal out just because of sheer curiosity!


    But because no one really knew where Khal had vanished to, there was no choice but to remain patient; sooner orter he needs to fight and if the timees, they will definitely go and see if the rumors were actually true or not!


    But how sad, that none of them actually knew that the next time Khal must fight will be after 9 full months! Until then, he can reject anyone¡¯s challenge anytime he wants; he didn¡¯t even need to fight if he didn¡¯t want to!


    And as to where was Khal exactly right now?


    Well¡­


    *THUD!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°Here! Forge and refine this piece of metal for me. I want to see your level of proficiency once again so give your best!¡±


    Khal, who was dragged into the cksmith Department, located at the east side of Moon Academy, stood motionlessly before Bazz while staring at an extremely huge chunk of steel before him with widened eyes; his eyes were so wide that it was feared his eyes will fall out of their sockets!


    The steel was twice as big as the Star Steel he had previously forged; in width, it was as big as a door while in length it was two feet long! Its height even exceeded half a meter!


    Simply put, it was massively enormous!


    However, the biggest difference wasn¡¯t its size, but its texture; while the Star Steel was silvery and had colorful dots akin to stars on its surface, this piece of junk was like a piece of wood! Yes, it was almost like wood, cut into a perfect shape simr to a brick. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that its dark brown shade had a bit of shiny hue simr to steels and the metallic sound it gave off the moment Bazz put it onto the huge anvil, Khal would have definitely thought it was a piece of wood.


    ¡°I need to refine¡­ This?¡± asked Khal calmly as he touched the cold surface of the ¡®steel¡¯, but his eyes couldn¡¯t hide his awe. To think such a thing could exist surprised him beyond belief, ¡°Well, considering I am in a world where cultivation and creatures exist, this thing was¡­ Expected¡­ I guess?¡±


    But this thought wasn¡¯t the only thing that appeared in his mind, but also a voice that arose the moment he touched the steel.


    [Notify! Scanning middle-quality material!]


    [New material, ¡®Oak Iron¡¯ recorded!]


    In that very moment as that sounded in his head, the bracelet on his right wrist slightly vibrated, and slowly but surely the Oak Iron before his eyes turned a bit translucent while revealing several Soul Threads inside it; exactly 3 strings of Soul Threads.


    ¡°Eh? So this function actually works even though I can only use my Creation Mode after 6 days?¡± thought Khal with pleasant surprise as he realized this see-through power was in fact a passive and automatic ability his bracelet had the moment his ¡®Artifact Creation¡¯ Status had been unlocked.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded Bazz at Khal¡¯s question and put his huge palm on top of the Oak Iron, ¡°This piece of iron is in truth a lower quality steel so if you were able to refine that Star Steel into a Gxy Steel and pull it¡¯s Soul Essence out you will have no problem to do the same with this here.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ fear I will not be able to do it.¡± sighed Khal deeply after a while, as he tilted his gaze up at Bazz.


    ¡°What should that mean. You were able to forge and refine a Star Steel quite easily and now you say you can¡¯t do it once again with this here? Don¡¯t tell me you are that kind of freak who can only perform something once then forgets how to do it again.¡±


    ¡°No, that is not the case. The problem here is that¡­¡±


    ¡°That?¡± raised his right brow Bazz, waiting patently for Khal to finish his sentence.


    ¡°The problem is that¡­ I have never forged anything else besides Star Steel.¡± lied Khal after a pause, hiding the fact that currently, he can¡¯t forge anything even if he wanted to.


    Without his Creation Mode, let it be the lowest quality material, right now he would still fail to forge and refine it. Just like as he said before, never in his entire two lives did he touch chunks of metals let alone forge them!


    ¡°What? You never forged any material except Star Steel? How?¡± asked Bazz with shock, with a bit of suspicion shing in his eyes.


    ¡°How? Just as I have said it once, I have never forged before. Even the experience I got how to forge was from the times I was in Moon City and even that time the only thing I learned was how to refine Star Steel. Watching cksmiths from the side could teach you loads of things.¡± shrugged Khal with an indifferent face, obviously lying nonsense to Bazz.


    ¡°And what about the way you found where the Soul Threads exact position was or the moment you seeded to hit all the final spots without mistake and pull the material¡¯s Soul Essence out? Aplishing such a feat without years of practice is, without a doubt, impossible.¡±


    ¡°Maybe Master does not know this, but I have a Sight Enhancing Talent so even though I am unable to see through things, I can detect and find things way easier than others. As for how I was able to hit the final 5 spots¡­ Would Master believe me if I tell I was just simply lucky?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± Bazz stared at Khal in silence for a whole minute and after a while frowned, ¡°And you want me to believe that crap? That you were lucky? The part where you talked about your Talent I can entirely understand and believe. I met once an expert who became an outstanding cksmith because of his Talent that let him detect and see things 1000 times clearer than others but to say you hit the final 5 points because of sheer luck¡­ Do you think I am a fool or what?¡±


    ¡°No, definitely not.¡± waved his hand around Khal immediately as he felt the chilling gaze from Bazz and began to hurriedly exin, ¡°No, what I just told Master was the truth. Maybe my Talent helped me a bit too, but what I did was definitely true. If I lie, I shall be punished by a lightning strike from the heavens right this very instant!¡±


    *RUMBLE!!*


    ¡°!?¡±


    Khal who looked so determined a second ago suddenly flinched because of the loud sound akin to thunder and shrunk his head subconsciously while tilting his gaze toward the right.


    *RUMBLE!*


    But to his surprise, it was not thunder but a guy in the distance who was presently forging a piece of bright yellow metal while each of his strikes made the whole ce to be filled with a sound simr to thunder.


    ¡°¡­¡± turning his head back at Bazz, Khal smiled wryly and scratched his neck, ¡°Hehe¡­¡±


    Bazz on the other hand just simply sighed at this and nodded lightly, ¡°Sure, then we will start learning everything from the very basics so prepare yourself!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± replied Khal loudly in a sh with a seriousplexion, but deep inside his heart, he finally sighed with relief.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s start with the very basics¡­ With the rules!¡±

 Chapter 95: Basic Knowledge

    Chapter 95: Basic Knowledge


    ¡°Rules?¡± Khal looked quite perplexed but then again, thinking about a bit more rules were the most basic things one needed to learn let it be forging or anything else.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± nodded Bazz firmly while he put the Oak Iron to the side like its weight was nonexistent, ¡°In forging, be it an inch long rod or an enormous chunk of metal you try to refine if you don¡¯t respect the basic rules even the slightest, not only will you not be able to be a good cksmith but you can sustain grave injuries both externally and internally! That¡¯s why I will first teach you about all of these ¡®basic¡¯ rules!¡±


    ¡°Basic rule number one! Keep your surroundings tidy and organized! Just look around yourself, what can you see?¡± asked Bazz calmly as he opened his arms wide gesturing at Khal to inspect his proximity.


    Hence, Khal did exactly what he was just told. Currently, he was standing in the middle of an extremely huge room that opened into another smithery on the side where other robust-looking people were forging steels hardworkingly. The room was about 20 meters big both in length and width while the ceiling was exactly 5 meters above the floor that was filled with different fragments of scorched metal; naturally, they were the crumbs of the previous chunk of steel that Bazz forged.


    On the right corner, a curved firece that was simr to the one he worked with back at the stall was ced, with the only difference that it was 3 times as big! Even the bellows on the side worked through a single foot movement, so instead of pushing the air onto the fire through arm motions, like opening and closing the edges of a scissor from time to time, one only needed to move their feet up and down! Like this, one could save more energy when the time came to refining and tempering.


    On the other hand, the scenery around Khal was even greater. Numerous desks on both sides with different sized and shaped hammers ced next to each other in a fashionable manner while various other types of tools were hanging from the wall side by side; and in the middle of the room, several sized anvils were positioned.


    All in all, the room looked extremely clean even though it was a smithery which would make anyone believe it will be filled with junk all over!


    ¡°Everything is neat and orderly. I can¡¯t see a single thing that would make this ce to be considered as filthy,¡± eximed Khal as he tilted his gaze back at Bazz.


    ¡°Exactly! A cksmith must organize everything around him in a perfect manner and care for each of his tools and item like it¡¯s his most sacred treasure! And why is that?¡± asked Bazz and smiled, ¡°Because of Essence Bursts.¡±


    ¡°Essence Bursts?¡± asked Khal as he knitted his brows together as he never heard such a definition before.


    ¡°Yes, Essence Bursts. Essence Bursts are asions where the piece of metal you refine erupts with great power causing your proximity to be affected. So if your surroundings are not organized and clean as I just mentioned, if an Essence Burst urs you can easily find yourself smashed by a hammer in the head!¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡± nodded Khal immediately, realizing the huge weight behind the first rule.


    ¡°Perfect, then basic rule number two! You must know the quality of your iron before you forge and try to refine or temper,¡± said Bazz calmly and took out a huge piece of paper that was filled with charts and words next and under each other.


    ¡°Each metal you try to forge is categorized into different quality: Low, Middle, High, and Supreme Quality. Each material that differs in quality holds varied amounts of Soul Threads in them and also the Tier they can reach in the end differs too.¡±


    ¡°For example, the Star Steel you just tempered. It is categorized as a High-quality material because it has the potential to reach the World Tier after pulling its Life Essence out.¡±


    ¡°World Tier? Life Essence? What exactly are those?¡± asked Khal curiously after hearing the new terms from Bazz.


    ¡°Okay, then let me put it simply.¡± said Bazz calmly and put his finger on the paper before him while exining, ¡°Materials can be ssified into Tiers depending on if they were perfectly refined or tempered. Low-quality materials that were perfectly refined are called Core Tier, but if they were perfectly tempered, meaning their Soul Essence were formed, then they are named as Vessel Tier. The same goes for the remaining 3 quality materials too; Middle-quality is Refined and wless Tier, High-quality is Legendary and World Tier while Supreme-quality is Heavenly and Celestial Tier.¡±


    ¡°I see then what about that Life Essence you have just mentioned,¡± asked Khal immediately after Bazz stopped talking.


    ¡°Soul Essence, Spirit Essence, Life Essence andstly the legendary God Essence. Each Essence appears only after perfect tempering but it¡¯s also important what kind of material was tempered. As I just told you, materials¡¯ quality decides what Tier it can reach, so for instance, a Low-quality material can form its Soul Essence, only reaching the Vessel Tier while a High-quality material can and must form all the first three Essences except the God Essence to reach the World Tier; as in fact, only a Supreme-quality material has the potential to form its God Essence and reach the Celestial Tier after perfect tempering.¡±


    ¡°I somewhat get it. So after I refine and temper a Middle-quality material for the first time and pull its Soul Essence out, I can refine and temper it once again to pull its Spirit Essence out, right?¡± asked Khal as he touched his chin.


    ¡°Well, something like that yes, but Soul Essence Tempering is vastly distinct than Soul Thread Tempering; the difference between the two is like the distance between heaven and earth!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± nodded Khal as he closed his eyes.


    If he could understand it clearly and also as he could saw it right on the paper before him, there were several processes a cksmith must know.


    The most basic one is the Soul Thread Tempering that makes the material form its Soul Essence. After thates the Soul Essence Tempering process that helps the material, which was above the Low-quality, to form its Spirit Essence. If the material was above the Middle-quality and formed the Spirit Essence, one can use Spirit Essence Tempering to form the material¡¯s Life Essence. And if the Life Essence was formed too while the material was also a Supreme-quality one, through Life Essence Tempering, forming the legendary God Essence could be also possible; but naturally achieving that was as hard as finding a strand of hair in the middle of hay!


    ¡°Each process is harder than the other one. Even a simple Soul Essence forming with my Creation Mode seemed hard enough so how difficult could the other ones be?¡± thought Khal as he pondered in silence.


    Naturally, Bazz knew what Khal was currently thinking of and that is why he patted him on the shoulder whileughing, ¡°Haha, but don¡¯t worry even for a second. With me here, let alone Spirit Essence, you will be able to learn how to form a High-quality material¡¯s Life Essence! Of course, only through blood sweating hard work, and with unshakable diligence!¡±


    Khal upon hearing what Bazz said could only smile wryly and nod as a reply.


    ¡°Well then, now that I have told you these two important rules, let¡¯s begin your lecture!¡± eximed Bazz suddenly and took out a rod from below the desk on his side, ¡°Refine this piece of rod into a chunk of metal for me with whatever method you seem right!¡±

 Chapter 96: Another Genius?

    Chapter 96: Another Genius?


    *ng!*


    A sharp metallic sound resonated throughout the smithery while small sparks flew everywhere in the air only to vanish without a single sign in the next second.


    Khal raised and swung his hammer powerfully from time to time, making the thin rod before him on the anvil shine with a brighter orange hue every time he stroked it sessfully.


    *ng!*


    Bazz who was standing exactly a meter away from Khal with his bulging arms crossed before his wide chest he showed an indifferent expression from start to finish; even when Khal identally missed the rod several times, resulting in his hammer hitting nothing but the anvil¡¯s side, did he not show any reaction but continued to look at Khal without a single word.


    ¡°This is excellent. First I aplish something that needs years of hard work and practice and now I can¡¯t even hit a fucking rod properly! I suck at this and Bazz definitely thinks the same!¡± eximed Khal inside his heart sourly as he wiped the thick, bean-sized sweats off his forehead.


    But of course, Khal missed his target not because he was a retard and couldn¡¯t aim properly, but couldn¡¯t control his hammer with perfection because of his shaking arm! His right arm trembled so much that it seemed it was on the verge of copsing! His right arm felt extremely numb from the hammer¡¯s weight and the continuous swinging.


    ¡°It seems the Creation Mode not only controlled my body during the forging process but also healed my arms too. This pain¡­ Not even once did I feel it when I forged the Star Steel!¡± thought Khal as he hit the rod onest time and lowered his hand to his side.


    Stepping away from the anvil and ncing at his ¡®masterpiece¡¯ which looked almost like a piece of shit, which in fact was created after one full hour of nightmarish struggle, Khal smiled wryly andughed, ¡°Haha¡­ This¡­ It didn¡¯t turn out to be as bad as I have first thought¡­¡±


    This statement of his made Bazz¡¯s eyebrow flinched slightly while his eyes shed with a bitter light.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t turn out to be as bad as you have first thought? This? This piece of crap that even a toddler could create under less than half an hour?¡± was what Bazz thought, unknown whether he shouldugh or cry right at the moment; never in his entire life would he have thought that he would meet someone who could create such a pathetic thing out of a piece of rod!


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he saw Khal sessfully create a Gxy Steel out of a Star Steel with a single try, he would have already kicked him out of this room without a second thought! That ¡®thing¡¯ he just created was the sole embodiment of disgrace of cksmithing!


    Just the thought alone that a piece of rod could end up in such a despicable state was way too humiliating let alone seeing it in person!


    But naturally, Bazz wouldn¡¯t say all these things to Khal even though he knew they were the harsh truth because he knew that Khal was way better than this. Someone who was able to forge a Star Steel to the point where they could pull its Soul Essence out with nothing more but years of observing from the side in Moon City were nothing short of a so-called genius. That¡¯s why, he knew that Khal needed not only loads of practice and a good teacher on his side who taught him the perfect ways of forging, but a lot of time too.


    He was sure that with time and diligence, Khal will be able to reach heights that currently not even he himself would be able to fathom!


    Clearing his throat after collecting his thoughts, Bazz stepped closer to Khal¡¯s ¡®masterpiece¡¯ and picked it up, ¡°Well, to tell the truth, I have waited for better results than ¡®this¡¯, but at least I can see what level you are currently on. And as far as I can see, you are extremely far away even from a beginner¡¯s level! That is why¡­¡±


    As he reached that point, Bazz threw the crap Khal just made to the side without giving it a second nce and taking out another rod with the same appearance from below the desk, he said, ¡°Try it once again.¡±


    Khal: ¡°¡­¡±


    ***


    While Khal was lectured quite heavily inside the cksmith Department by Bazz, a fight was currently ongoing in the exact same arena where Khal has just fought a few hours ago.


    But the only difference that could be discerned from Khal¡¯s and this battle was that instead of shouts or loud cheers all over, what one could hear in the entirety of the arena was sheer silence¡­ Nothing more but bead silence.


    *Swish!*


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    *BAM!*


    With a loud ¡®boom¡¯ sound that held a bit of bone-cracking sound, a figure was sted onto the arena wall on the side, burying the figure under huge pieces of debris that fallen down from the cracked wall above.


    And while this happened, a girl that looked extremely mour us but at some time terrifying stood up straight while exhaling deeply; this individual was none other but Liza, who just defeated her opponent that was on the Third Cultivation Stage, exactly a whole Stage above her!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    But even after she has won, no one dared to utter a single word because the way she just won was simply¡­ Stupefying! No, it couldn¡¯t even be said as stupefying but something else that words couldn¡¯t even describe¡­ This¡­ This¡­


    ¡°She just beat her opponent with the exact movements as that guy named Khal used?! She was like a phantom! But how? Are they from the same family and learned the same Secret Art or what?¡±


    ¡°Certainly not¡­ Khal is from the Nevio Family while she is from a family called Skyfall. They are definitely not from the same family!¡±


    ¡°Then how?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ But don¡¯t you think the way she used that movement skill was¡­ A bit¡­ Sluggish?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it was sluggish or not, the point here is that she used the same Secret Art and crushed her enemy in a sh! Not even 5 seconds went by since the start of this challenge! Khal and now her¡­ These two are freaks!¡±


    Thus, people whispered between each other quietly, fearing that with their voice alone they will be the next one who will be challenged by Liza and end up just like her opponent a few moments ago.


    ¡°Congrattions, you were great,¡± eximed Jane calmly as a glint of merriness shed deep within her delicate eyes.


    ¡°Thank you Master but I still have a long way to go.¡± bowed Liza politely, cupping her hand before her chest in a gracious manner.


    ¡°Your behavior¡­ Never forget this, with great poweres great responsibility so never let yourself be arrogant and be always humble. Though, your current performance shocked even me¡­ It¡¯s not the first time for you to imitate a Secret Art you just saw, so tell me¡­ how were you able to do it?¡±


    Flinching slightly, Liza raised her gaze at her Master and pondered slightly. Only after a small whileter did she straighten her back and reply without the slightest lie behind her words, ¡°Even myself don¡¯t know why or how, but whenever I see someone utilize a Secret Art before me the Essence inside my body starts to move automatically. Though, if the Art isplex or high in Level, the way I can copy it bes harder too. As far as I can discern it, I can copy perfectly Secret Arts only if they are on the Novice Level or the lower part of the Moderate Level. Anything else above that just simply impossible for me to replicate.¡±


    As Jane listened to Liza¡¯s exnation her face remained indifferent from start to finish, but the awe deep inside her eyes was visible while her heart beating hastened each passing second. Hence, at the end of Liza¡¯s story, her heart pounded so fast and loud that it could be mistaken for several war drums!


    ¡°This¡­ A Hidden Talent? A powerful Talent, a Natural Born Talent, and now a Hidden Talent? Did she save a God from death in her previous life that she was blessed with such fortune or is she the reincarnation of Lady Luck herself?¡± wondered Jane deeply, unknown how she should react to that statement.

 Chapter 97: Asking For Help

    Chapter 97: Asking For Help


    As Liza felt a kind of ¡®awkwardness¡¯ in the air tilted her delicate eyes at her Master and asked, ¡°Did I say something wrong, Master?¡±


    Jane who was in deep thoughts until this moment because of the unexpected statement from her disciple, shook her head mildly and crossed her arms behind her back, ¡°There is nothing you need to worry about, I was just simply mesmerized in my own thoughts. Anyway, how many people know about this ¡®ability¡¯ of yours?¡±


    The reason Jane asked about this was that even though she would not, but in this world and especially in this Academy, several people would try to obtain and use Liza¡¯s powers for their own interest if the news about her having a Hidden Talent would leak out.


    ¡°Three Talents, one individual¡­ This must be the very first thing that happened in all history!¡± thought Jane with a quickened heart rate as she waited for Liza to answer.


    If she told her that others knew about this, then she must do anything in her power to protect her; she was a priceless treasure that must not fall into wrong hands!


    However, her concern about this matter was simply an unnecessary bother, ¡°Except Master and myself, there is no one else. Why? Should I keep it as a secret?¡± asked Liza with a frown, not understanding why Jane asked such a question out of the blue.


    But it was no wonder at all; Hidden Talents were extremely rare Talents, even rarer than Natural Born Talents, that could be said as non-existent abilities among Cultivators! So the fact that Liza didn¡¯t know about what Hidden Talents were was not a surprise but instead normality.


    Only a few knew about them and even they didn¡¯t know what their real potential was.


    And Jane knew this too, hence she grabbed Liza by her hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk somewhere quieter.¡±


    And just like that, the space around the two shook and the very next second they vanished without a sign, leaving the crowd in the arena with still dumbfounded expressions.


    ***


    Two days have passed in a blink of an eye, and while the sun was still hanging high above the boundless sky, shining the earth below it with its scorching light, somewhere in the eastern part of Moon Academy a young man was slowly walking on the street while his body was trembling like leaves on a cold autumn day.


    His dark ck hair was ragged, ck circles could be noticed under his eye sockets while both of his cheeks were a bit sunken on his pale face; this young man was no one else but Khal who practiced forging without getting even the slightest of rest through 2 whole days!


    The only rest he got was the moments he could go to the toilet or got the permission to eat and drink, but except those two things, he needed to forge 2 days straight without an inch of sleep! This was madness!


    From the continuous hammer swinging and standing hours straight without the chance to sit down before a scorching hot room, Khal¡¯s body felt so numb that he almost began to cry!


    ¡°But at least, I was able to forge this sessfully¡­¡± mumbled Khal in a low voice as he took out a chunk of metal with the shape of a cube and a size of a tiny fist.


    Just under mere 2 days of straight forging and the help of a professional, Khal¡¯s smithing skills improved leaps and boundpared to the first time.


    In the beginning, he wasn¡¯t able to hit a rod properly but after 2 days of nightmarish struggle, he was finally able to shape it into a cube shape!


    Of course, the rod was without any quality and Soul Threads in it, meaning it was truly just a piece of crap, but nevertheless, for Khal, it was still an improvement!


    ¡°Now that I think about it, how much time do I have until I can use the Creation Mode again?¡± pondered Khal and after making sure no one was in his vicinity raised his right arm.


    ¡°Open Artifact Creation Status!¡±


    In that very instant, the bracelet on his wrist lit up with white light and words began to form and shape before him below each other.


    ? Creation Mode: A half-automatic function, able to help the ¡®Owner¡¯ forge, refine and temper any kind of material after analysis. (Only usable every 168 hours!) (Remaining time: 88h, 18m, 41s)


    ¡°Close to 4 days huh?¡± sighed Khal deeply as he lowered his hand and began to ponder.


    However, not even a minute has passed as he merged into his mind when suddenly his proximity darkened and a figure appeared before him, halting his movements.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Raising his head, Khal squinted his eyes slightly as he tried to take out the face looking down on him because of the sudden light change, but a secondter his eyes widened and took several steps back hurriedly.


    ¡°Marx?¡± asked Khal calmly, but it was apparent he raised his guard. After fighting with Marx two days ago, he already understood his behaviorpletely; he was bad-tempered and loved to find trouble wherever he went. So watching that he came to find him personally Khal kind of felt rmed.


    Yet, what he did not expect was that the moment he mentioned Marx¡¯s name, the giant figure before him began to lower his humongous body and started to kowtow before him in the middle of the street!


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°Little Brother, please let me give you my fullest respect!¡± spoken quietly but clearly Marx with his head lowered, shocking Khal beyond belief!


    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡­ What are you doing? Please stand up!¡± said Khal hurriedly as this act of Marx truly dumbfounded him.


    Marx did as he was told and stood straight up, towering above Khal with almost a meter, and began to smile; the arrogant and aggressiveplexion from two days ago could no longer be found on him, but only sheer respect which was quite strange.


    Khal gazed at Marx, unknown what he should say, but even before he had the chance to speak, two more figures appeared from behind Marx; They were none others but Merlyn and Asur, Marx¡¯s sister and childhood friend.


    ¡°I told you not to act this way! You are embarrassing us!¡± whispered Merlyn with a frown as she pped Marx in the back powerfully and turned her head toward Khal, ¡°I am sorry, my brother loves to do these kinds of things. He acts arrogant and mighty before people but once he has been taught a lesson by someone he will act respectfully toward that individual. Anyway, we didn¡¯t have time to introduce ourselves, my name is Merlyn Eastfield and he is my brother Marx Eastfield. As for him,¡± pointed at Asur on the side, ¡°He doesn¡¯t really loves to reveal his family background so just simply call him Asur.¡±


    ¡°I see, nice to meet you guys,¡± smiled Khal as he realized that these three didn¡¯te to him to cause problems but just simply to talk, ¡°My name is Khal Nevio but I guess you already know this.¡±


    As he said that, Khal tilted his gaze at Marx and asked, this time a bit of confusion in his eyes, ¡°But still, I am a bit surprised. Why did youe to find me?¡±


    Asur who remained on the side all this time with an indifferent face now stepped forward and began to speak, ¡°We came here to ask for your help.¡±


    ¡°My help?¡± asked Khal back in a sh, now really not understanding what 3 Fourth Stage Cultivators wanted that needed his help as a Second Stage Cultivator.

 Chapter 98: A Prestige But Weight!

    Chapter 98: A Prestige But Weight!


    Asur naturally anticipated that Khal will react this way so took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge and handed it over Khal, ¡°After our battle two days ago, we realized that even though we are high in Cultivation Stage our strength does not mean a thing if we are easily beaten by others below our Stage. That is why we decided to apply for a Group Mission that grants rewards helping to strengthen our Foundation. But there is a slight problem¡­ We need at least 4 people or we won¡¯t receive the rewards even if we kill our target.¡±


    As Khal listened to Asur¡¯s exnation he lowered his gaze at the badge in his hand and started to read the words.


    /Group Mission: y a Ruby Beast/


    ? yed Ruby Beast: 0/1


    ~Requirements~


    ¨C At least 4 Cultivators on or above the Fourth Cultivation Stage: 3/4+


    ~Rewards~


    ¨C Middle-Quality Essence Pills (Each Cultivator Receives 1 piece)


    Khal carefully inspected the badge and read the words, but when he reached the point where it talked about the rewards his eyes widened.


    Middle-Quality Essence Pills. Just like the Emerald Marble he obtained from Moras way back in Shadow Woods, Essence Pills were miracle pills that could provide individuals Essence to strengthen their Talents and enter higher Stages without killing creatures. A single Low-Quality Essence Pill can provide a person up to 50 Beast Essence while a Middle-Quality Essence Pill can do the same but up to 75!


    Naturally, the amount an individual can get from them is the same as with normal Beast Essences so the number of Beast Essence they can get was random, but still, if your luck was good and you got 50 or 75 at one go it could be considered heaven-defying, especially in the early Stages! It was said that a High-Quality Essence Pill can provide up to a max of 100 Beast Essence which was crazy!


    But unfortunately, exactly because of this that people can jump Stages without killing, even a Low-Quality Essence Pill had a price above the skies! So thinking that they will get Middle-Quality ones only by ying a single beast¡­ It was amazing!


    Only a fool would reject such a Mission!


    ¡°Such rewards simply because ying a Beast¡­ What exactly is a Ruby Beast?¡± asked Khal as he handed back the Badge to Asur.


    ¡°Never heard about the Ruby Beast?¡± asked Merlyn from the side with a raised brow, hardly believing Khal truly asked that question.


    ¡°Umm¡­ No?¡± Khal was confused by that reaction and frowned.


    ¡°Ruby Beast it on its other name the Blood Reaper. One of Moon Mountain¡¯s most hazardous creatures that hunt on weaker prey than its Stage. It can turn its victim¡¯s blood, flesh, and bones into a solid material akin to ruby by a simple scratch from its ws.¡± exined Merlyn calmly as she noticed that Khal truly didn¡¯t hear about the Ruby Beast that inhibited Moon Mountain¡¯s foot.


    ¡°What? What Stage is it?¡± at the moment Khal had a picture in his mind and a bean-sized cold sweat began to form on his back.


    ¡°It¡¯s on the Fourth Cultivation Stage,¡± replied Merlyn with a serious face.


    Khal: ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°I know, now you think why we, three Cultivators on the Fourth Stage need your help who isn¡¯t even on the Third Stage against a creature as terrific as the Blood Reaper.¡± spoken Asur with his indifferent tone again as he put his Badge away, ¡°Well, to tell the truth, we didn¡¯t want to, but after seeing and experience your Beast Core¡¯s power first hand we decided to ask you.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± grinned like an idiot Marx and said, ¡°Anything that can repel or defend against my Mountain Divider on full strength without breaking is nothing but extremely strong! With that crystal skin of yours and ourbined powers killing that beast will be child¡¯s y!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the Ruby Beast that much Marx. Even though it¡¯s only on the Fourth Stage it can kill even a Fifth Stage Cultivator with ease!¡± smacked Merlyn Marx on the shoulder powerfully but sadly she was the one who ended up groaning with pain as she held her palm with a deep frown, ¡°Your body is like a fucking boulder for god¡¯s sake!¡±


    As Khal watched this sight before him in silence Asur on the side asked calmly, ¡°So? Will you help us?¡±


    Khal tilted his gaze at him and began to ponder, ¡°Considering the fact that I will be with three Cultivators on the Fourth Stage while also I have my Diamond Skin, I guess it won¡¯t be a problem to try it. Also, the reward is way too tempting.¡±


    But even though he thought about that, Khal couldn¡¯t help but think back to how Moras died back during his time in Moon Mountain; the way his veins bulged out because the blood in his body turned solid while he struggled for breath¡­ The sight was haunting even after several days!


    After thinking through all these things, Khal still decided to ept but just as he was about to open his mouth to agree, out of nowhere Logan¡¯s figure appeared on his side.


    ¡°Killing the Ruby Beast will be a challenging feat even if all 4 of you go. It¡¯s not only strong and has high intelligence, but also swift. Let alone ying it, just simply catching it will be difficult.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    All four before Logan flinched slightly because of his sudden appearance and turned their head toward him.


    ¡°Oh, sorry. I didn¡¯t intend to surprise you, haha.¡± chuckled Logan and tilted his gaze at Khal, ¡°But before you say anything, I hope you didn¡¯t forget about our deal with Bazz.¡±


    Khal naturally didn¡¯t forget it and he even wanted to find Logan to start their lecture even before the three stopped him, so nodded his head firmly in a sh as he replied, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Turning at the three before him, Khal asked, ¡°Is there a time limit on this Group Mission?¡±


    Asur immediately understood the situation and shook his head, ¡°There is none, so how about this? You go and do your business and when you finish we will set off to y the Beast? Of course if these two next to me don¡¯t insist.¡±


    ¡°For me sounds perfect,¡± answered Merlyn with a smile.


    ¡°Whatever Little Junior wants!¡± hit his wide chest Marx with enough power to cause any normal ribs to break into two!


    ¡°Then it is settled.¡± grinned Logan widely and ced his palm onto Khal¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Now if you excuse us¡­¡±


    Just like how sudden he appeared, both his and Khal¡¯s figure vanished into thin air, leaving behind the Eastfield siblings and Asur in the middle of the street.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    On the western part of Moon Academy where there were fewer buildings and more colorful trees and vaster green, next to a crystal clearke Logan¡¯s figure appeared out of thin air with Khal on his side.


    ¡°And we are here,¡± said Logan as he walked below a huge tree filled with yellow flowers and sat down, ¡°Sit down, we start your lecture.¡±


    Khal after looking around feeling captivated with the scenery around him nodded and did as he was told.


    ¡°Well then¡­ What do you want to learn about?¡±


    ¡°!?¡± Khal didn¡¯t expect this question cause he thought Logan will be the one who will teach him about new stuff so for a while didn¡¯t know what to ask.


    Pondering for quite a while, he raised his head and touched his white uniform which was quite simr to a robe, ¡°Why is that everyone in this Academy has the same uniforms yet I have this one? Is there a difference or a special meaning behind it?¡±


    Logan upon hearing this smiled and closed his eyes akin to anticipating this question, ¡°That ¡®uniform¡¯ on you is called the Moon Robe, and just as you have guessed it, it has a special meaning.¡±


    Khal remained silent waiting for Logan to continue, but the curiosity in his eyes was so great his green eyes literally shone with an emerald hue.


    Logan noticed this too and his grin grew even wider, ¡°Moon Academy¡¯s Moon Robe, Shadow City¡¯s Shadow Robe, Heaven City¡¯s Heaven Robe, and so on. Each Academy in this Federation has one single uniform that holds a particr significance that not only holds great prestige but huge weight too!¡±


    ¡°A prestige? Weight?¡± Khal became even more curious but at the same time confused while felt something was amiss.


    ¡°Every half a century in the Federation every Academy sends their best individual with these uniforms into the capital where they will fight against each other in a one on one fight to decide the strongest Cultivator. The top ones and their Academy will receive great rewards while thest ones will get nothing but humiliation and harsh punishments from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization. But there is one greater weight behind that uniform you wear which is¡­¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t dare to utter a word so stayed silent while waited for Logan to continue with small sweat drops forming on his forehead.


    Opening his eyes while the smilepletely vanished from his face, Logan locked his gaze with Khal¡¯s, and began to speak slowly, ¡°In every battle you will fight, the only way to win is to kill your opponents. No giving up nor mercy is allowed, but only by ying your foe can you move onto the next stage. If not, the consequences will be way harsher than you can imagine.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±

 Chapter 99: One Month Left!?

    Chapter 99: One Month Left!?


    ¡°I¡­ Need to kill my opponents? What?¡± the emotion that was currently present on Khal¡¯s face was indescribable; suchplexion with so many different emotions, this was the first!


    Shock, confusion, fear, horror, anger, and anxiety. So many various feelings appeared at once that Khal¡¯s mind was in extreme turmoil while his heart throbbed wildly like war drums; right at the moment, he had so many questions that it was uncountable but didn¡¯t know which one he should ask.


    And that is why the only thing he could utter out after several minutes of voiceless pondering was¡­


    ¡°Why?¡± in Khal¡¯s eyes was an unmistakable sorrow that no words could describe; he didn¡¯t understand why or instead how could such a cruel system such as this exist at all.


    He had no problem with the one-on-one fight part or where winners and losers got different amounts of merit, but the part where Logan told him that not only him but every participant would need to kill their opponents to win¡­ This was brutal beyond belief!


    But Logan¡¯s next sentence not only calmed him down but also pped him back to reality¡­ Into the harsh reality on that¡­


    ¡°No matter how brutal it seems to be or how unforgivable this system appears, don¡¯t forget that you are a Cultivator and in this world, nothinges easy. Your opponents never will be creatures all the time and there will be moments where you need to face Cultivators just like you or even with people on higher Stages. If that urs, then what you need to decide is¡­¡±


    ¡°To kill or be killed.¡±


    Khal remained so silent that the leaves shuddering above Logan¡¯s head could be clearly heard even if he would have been almost deaf. But the current silence didn¡¯t carry shock nor awe but thoughts that weight heavier than mountains.


    It was because right at this moment Khal realized that what Logan said was true. Just like how it already happened twice, not only the Beasts were the sole threat for him but other Cultivators too. And because he was a Cultivator, he must have one thing that he didn¡¯t have to have in his previous life¡­


    The ambition to kill without hesitation.


    If you were in a fight against a powerful opponent and discovered an opportunity to end the fight once and for all, then you must grab it no matter what! If not, then it could be the veryst chance for you to see the daylight ever again!


    But still, this situation waspletely different. Here, they needed to fight against others because they needed to and were forced to fight and kill, hence they had no choice at all! Fighting to the point of life and death because they forced you or because life meant it to were two entirely different things!


    As Khal reached this point of thought his face turned ice cold and with aplexion as tranquil as water gazed at Logan, ¡°And did you not want to say this to me way before you have given me this uniform? Then I-¡°


    ¡°Then you would have never epted it, I know.¡± nodded Logan calmly as he clearly understood Khal¡¯s source of anger.


    ¡°Then? Then why me? Why did you give it to me?¡± asked Khal, now a bit of bitterness visible in his tone and his face turning that of an angered one.


    But instead of answering instantly, Logan simply looked at Khal waiting for him to calm down; with people who were incited talking was akin to speaking toward the wall itself. There was no point at all.


    Khal naturally understood this too and that is why after seeing Logan not replying even after an entire minute but simply stared at him with steady eyes, he inhaled a mouthful of fresh air and exhaled deeply; at that moment it fel like he exhaled all of his frustration with only that single breathe.


    After repeating this two more times, he finally became calm once again.


    ¡°So? Why me?¡± asked Khal, this time his tone didn¡¯t carry a bit of emotion while his face was extremely serious.


    Logan seeing this only smiled and after sitting up with his entire back leaning against the tree¡¯s trunk he began to talk, ¡°Maybe I truly did not talk about it which for I am extremely apologetic and hope you can forgive me, but I had no choice.¡±


    ¡°Had no choice?¡±


    Logan upon hearing the confused question from Khal nodded and began to exin, ¡°About three years ago, the principal, Jas, formted a tournament where we experts, Moon Academy¡¯s teachers, had to fight against each other and the winner got the right to decide who he or she gives the Moon Robe. Once one won that right, none of the others can oppose that decision no matter what.¡±


    ¡°And because I am quite picky and only choose the best that I seem the most promising in my eyes, I chose you and gave you the Moon Robe.¡±


    ¡°But this still didn¡¯t answer why you didn¡¯t tell me the weight behind this robe sooner,¡± said Khal, hisplexion still indifferent.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t have to. I would have only made you anxious for no reason, but now that we are reaching the tournament, we need to make an announcement a weekter about you.¡±


    ¡°About me? Why?¡±


    ¡°Because this tournament will be held after a bit more than a month from now, a weekter your Moon Robe¡¯s reason will be revealed to all students in Moon Academy and if anyone else wants it, you can give it to them. But if no one wishes for it, you can pass it over to others at will or you have the right to pass it onto no one and take it off too. But if that happens, unfortunately, Moon academy will suffer a great deal of harm.¡±


    ¡°This is not a threat though¡­¡±


    As Khal listened to this, the only thought that appeared in his mind was, ¡°Did they fucking go insane or what?¡±


    He can pass it to others at will but can also decide to take it off without giving it to others? But if he chooses thetter one then the Academy will receive hard consequences? This literally meant whatever he decided to do except keeping it to himself, he will be the very source of every harm! If he gives others everyone will hate him while if he decides to take it off then Moon Academy will hate him and also bes the center of mockery and despise of all!


    An individual who feared death so decided not to fight! Can such a person call themselves as Cultivators even after that?!


    Was this a fool joke that the heavens tried to y on him or what? No matter what he will try to choose, the only oue will be his demise let it be in reputation or physically!


    ¡°#%&-!¡±


    After the loud curse, silence descended upon the two while the air somehow slowly became heavy with each breath for Khal. For him, all this stuff was aplete and ridiculous joke!


    Logan knew just how Khal was currently feeling and thinking so stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s take a break for now. It¡¯s not only you who feel this way but everyone else in the entirety of the Federation who will participate in the tournament.¡±


    Khal raised his gaze at Logan and after nodding his head mildly stood up too, ¡°If you excuse me.¡±


    Logan watched Khal¡¯s departing figure and when his shadow finally vanished behind a sole building in the distance an old man with a white uniform slowly walked next to him.


    ¡°His reaction was surprisingly steady. Even though he realized the harsh facts that came with the Moon Robe he didn¡¯t start a tantrum like some of the Cultivators I knew.¡± Jas who stared at the spot where Khal sat a second ago touched his chin which was covered with a small white beard and hummed slightly.


    ¡°When people realize they are forced to kill the innocent just to achive merit some react way worse than him. Some even go crazy while others don¡¯t even care about it in the slightest,¡± eximed Logan as nonchntly as ever but the next second his mouth curved into a smile.


    ¡°What is so funny?¡± Jas naturally noticed this change on Logan¡¯s face and tilted his gaze at him with a lightly raised brow.


    But Logan simply continued to smile while even a chuckle escaped from his mouth, ¡°Haha, it is nothing. I just can¡¯t wait to see his expression when he realizes that in truth no one actually¡­¡± but instead of finishing his sentence, Logan just shook his head and turned around.


    Jas knew what Logan meant and hummed, ¡°A great Cultivator needs not only solid foundation, powerful skills, and years of blood sweating practice, but also a strong mental strength and unshakable willpower. If he lets this influence his mind and makes him give up, then this only meant he wasn¡¯t born to rise onto greater heights.¡±


    As Jas said that, he waved his sleeve and like he wasn¡¯t even there a second ago, vanished into thin air.

 Chapter 100: Fixing The Art

    Chapter 100: Fixing The Art


    While the sun was shining at Moon Academy from the sky above with scorching heat, a petite girl with chestnut brown hair and skin that was akin to the snow¡¯s cluster was calmly walking on the streets visibly deep in her own thoughts.


    It was none other but Alia, who became this troubled looking ever since with her fight with Khal; from all the way he stood up to protect her from everyone instead of herself until the point of crushing all those arrogant Cultivators with nothing but his mere Second Stage cultivation strength¡­ Just thinking about all these things made a bit of a crimson shade appear on her mild cheeks.


    ¡°I wonder what he is doing right now. I didn¡¯t even thank him properly yet.¡± pondered Alia as she raised her gaze only to halt her steps abruptly.


    ¡°Khal?¡± before her in the distance, Alia noticed as Khal was standing below a colorful tree, visibly in deep thoughts that just like her a few seconds ago made hisplexion troubled.


    ¡°What happened? He seems uneasy. Should I go there and talk to him?¡± Alia was fighting in her mind what she should do when suddenly a girl with silk-smooth ck hair stood before Khal and began to talk to him.


    ¡°Who is she?¡± squinted Alia her small eyes as she examined the girl before Khal in great detail. However, when she recognized her face, her whole figure stiffened up and stood still in one ce, ¡°Isn¡¯t she that freak? What does she need from him? She wants to challenge him?¡±


    Though, to her surprise, the very moment the girl started to talk, Khal¡¯s expression instead of bing annoyed or indifferent suddenly lit up with a beaming smile, shocking Alia even more; the previous troubled expression vanishedpletely and he was chatting with Liza like there were nothing in his mind a second ago.


    ¡°Just what is his rtionship with her?¡± Alia was troubled as she watched the two from the distance walking further and further away while chatting with each other spiritedly.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¡°You surprised me. I would have never thought you will have the guts to challenge so many at once. And what¡¯s more, you even won too!¡± Liza talked with a light smile as she examined Khal from up to bottom, ¡°You are strong.¡±


    ¡°Haha, thank you but I was only lucky. If it weren¡¯t for the Beast Core that I obtained or the Secret Art I got I wouldn¡¯t have been able to win.¡± Khal scratched the side of his cheek slowly as he grinned wryly.


    ¡°Yeah, really, about that. How were you able to get your hands on a Beast Core? Especially one such powerful as that?¡±


    When Liza learned Khal¡¯s Beast Core from a Diamond Beetle King which was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage she was dumbfounded beyond belief; killing such a creature one needed at least the same Cultivation strength if not stronger!


    Hence, she became quite curious about how Khal did obtain it. However, what she didn¡¯t expect that the moment she asked the question Khal¡¯s mouth twitch slightly but still continued to smile; such small reactions, there was no way she would miss.


    ¡°What? Don¡¯t tell me you stole it,¡± asked Liza teasingly, making Khal shake his head firmly in a sh, ¡°Of course not! Who do you think I am? A thief?¡±


    ¡°Then how did you acquire it?¡± at this moment Liza¡¯s sharp eyes were shining with curiosity, waiting patiently for Khal to continue.


    Seeing those eyes that could pierce even into the deepest part of his soul, Khal turned his gaze away and began to speak, ¡°I epted a Mission where I needed to y Gold Hawks on Moon Mountain. However, when I was just about toe back, I identally bumped into a sight where a Diamond Beetle King was killed by another creature.¡±


    ¡°What? What kind of creature can kill a powerful beast such as the Diamon Beetle King?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either because the only thing I saw was a sh, but if I were right, it was a Ruby Beast.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The word Ruby Beast stunned Liza because that name wasn¡¯t foreign for her. Just like anyone else in Moon City, she too knew what that creature was capable of.


    ¡°And you were able to safely return even though crossing paths such a terrific Beast?¡± Liza¡¯s eyes showed great awe and a bit of worry; if Khal wouldn¡¯t have been able to return safely, she wouldn¡¯t have known what she would have done.


    ¡°Well, to tell the truth at that time even myself thought I was done for but luckily the Beast didn¡¯t decide toe after me. Maybe it thought it wasn¡¯t worth killing me because of my low Cultivation Stage, hehe¡­¡±


    Khal¡¯s wry smile made Liza sigh and shake her head gently, ¡°Your luck is phenomenal. Ruby Beast is a well-known predator at the foot of Moon Mountain and it kills even First Stage Beasts, so the reason it didn¡¯t try to kill you was not that you were weak but simply because it simply ate before. Consider yourself lucky.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± as Liza exined this to him, Khal smiled but his back was still covered with cold sweat. It seems back then when he wasn¡¯t attacked the beast didn¡¯t kill him because he hid well, but simply because it wasn¡¯t hungry.


    How great¡­


    Liza noticed Khal¡¯s wry smile and was about to say something else when suddenly Jane¡¯s figure appeared before the two out of nowhere.


    ¡°Master!¡± Liza bowed politely, but Jane didn¡¯t even nce at her but stared at Khal with an indifferent gaze.


    Khal noticed this and bowed two and cupped his hands before his chest, ¡°Respected Elder.¡±


    ¡°How did you do it?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± raising his head in confusion, Khal nced at Jane and asked, ¡°Did what?¡±


    ¡°How did you conceal your presence? If you don¡¯t fight it¡¯s akin to you have no Talent at all. No, it¡¯s not like, you have no Cultivation Talent at all. So how did you do it?¡±


    Khal was shocked by this unexpected question. Now that he thought about this, it was strange that whenever he fought, his bracelet on his wrist would light up with a gentle light, yet no one ever noticed it. Except for the fact that his presence suddenly broke forth because he activated his Power Core, no one discovered that his Talent came from his bracelet.


    As he reached this point of thought a smile appeared on Khal¡¯s face and remained silent; naturally he wouldn¡¯t tell Jane even if he had a logical reason to think off while also he didn¡¯t want to tell her a stupid lie. Lying before an expert, especially before one that you didn¡¯t even know, was an extremely foolish act. That is why the best choice was to remain silent.


    However, naturally, Jane misunderstood Khal¡¯s silence and began to frown deeply. But, unfortunately, if Khal didn¡¯t want to tell her she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Every person had secrets and it seems Khal had too.


    ¡°Well, never mind then. Let¡¯s go,¡± said Jane calmly as she nced at Liza and began to walk away.


    Liza nced at Khal and after a warm smile, she waved at him and began to follow her teacher away.


    Khal waved at Liza too with the same smile and after the two figure¡¯s shadows disappeared in the distance he turned around, ¡°Thanks to her I was able to calm myself down. Let¡¯s head back.¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Back where he talked with Logan, Khal walked back and nced at the tree full of yellow flowers; exactly below that tree, Logan was leaning against the tree with his eyes tightly shut as he was soundlessly sleeping.


    ¡°You came back faster than I have thought,¡± eximed Logan as he opened his eyes the moment he sensed Khal¡¯s approach.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± nodded Khal and sat back down.


    Logan inspected Khal¡¯s expression and strangely shock manifested deep inside his eyes; he was surprised because Khal was looking at him like nothing happened at all. It was almost like he forgot everything he was just told several minutes ago.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± humming in a low tone, Logan sat up straight with his back still against the tree¡¯s trunk and asked, ¡°So? Now that you got your answer to your previous question, anything else you want to know?¡±


    And this surprise Khal nodded his head and took out a scroll from his pocket. Beforeing back made sure to bring his only Secret Art from de Mountain because of a sole reason.


    ¡°You told me before this Secret Art of mine is full of mistakes and that is why it was categorized only into the Moderate Level. I examined it and just as you have told me it is truly full of errors but even like that I am unable to correct them. And because I am not good with modifying Secret Arts on my own¡­¡±


    Putting the Secret Art, the Dance of The Celestial Serpent down, Khal looked at his teacher and asked, ¡°Can you please help me with it?¡±

 Chapter 101: Searching For The Beast

    Chapter 101: Searching For The Beast


    Two days have passed in a blink of an eye and the time to start the Group Mission finally came. After spending the two days correcting his Secret Art and practicing it with Logan¡¯s help, Khal¡¯s expression looked exhausted; especially after he needed to forge for two days straight before this, so he was surprised how he was still alive.


    ¡°At least now I had time to rest, not like when I forged day and night¡­¡± yawned Khal as he stretched his arms and legs with a pleasant smile forming on his face.


    ¡°Junior Brother!!!¡±


    As Khal was patiently waiting at Moon Academy¡¯s gate, suddenly a loud yell akin to thunder came from his side making his body flinch unwittingly.


    ¡°This guy¡­¡± shook his head Khal helplessly as he watched Marx robust figure wave toward his direction with a huge grin on his face.


    ¡°Finally, I almost thought you guys didn¡¯t get my message,¡± eximed Khal as he lowered his waving hand to his side.


    ¡°Haha, sorry we were a bitte. We had to go and buy something.¡± Merlyn talked as she stopped before Khal with Marx and Asur next to her.


    ¡°Buy something?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As we have already said, ying the Ruby Beast won¡¯t be an easy feat particrly because of its swift movement speed,¡± exined Merlyn as she took out a small item from her bag on her shoulder.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Khal¡¯s brows knitted together as he examined the small translucent orb that was lying atop Merlyn¡¯s palm, it¡¯s interior sparkling with an azure hue from time to time.


    ¡°It¡¯s called Sea Dust Orb. It¡¯s an item that if you fuse with a bit of your Essence will fill your proximity with Sea Dust.¡±


    ¡°What is a Sea Dust?¡±


    ¡°Sea Dust is a rare non-lethal material that can slow down enemy¡¯s movements after it gets into the lungs. Against swift enemies, exceptionally against the Blood Reaper, it is quite useful,¡± exined Merlyn as she put the Sea Dust Orb away with careful movements.


    ¡°I see. Then? What is our n?¡± asked Khal as he nced at three before him, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t n to kill it without one and put all of your faith in that Sea Dust Core, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course not.¡± shook his head Asur, ¡°Maybe we have a horrible reputation amongst other Cultivators but we are not stupid. Recklessly attempting to kill a Ruby Beast is exactly what I call a suicidal move.¡±


    ¡°Then how will we proceed?¡±


    Asur hearing Khal¡¯s question walked behind Merlyn and took out a map from her bag.


    ¡°The Ruby Beast could be found a bit higher than Moon Mountain¡¯s foot and it loves to inhabit the east side, so we should search that region.¡±


    ¡°Once we find it, the n will be the following,¡± said Asur and tilted his indifferent gaze at Khal, ¡°With the help of your Diamond Skin and Secret Art you will attract the Ruby Beast¡¯s attention while Merlyn will use the Sea Dust Orb at the right moment. When its speed bes slow, the three of you will attack it at the same time giving it no chance to escape.¡±


    ¡°And what will be your role?¡± asked Khal but the very instant he asked the question he realized the answer.


    ¡°I am a healer, I can¡¯t fight. Or at least I can, but I would only end up dying while also dragging the three of you down. But don¡¯t worry, until you see me alive, you can¡¯t die.¡±


    Khal upon listening to this nodded but deep inside his heart he was crying. Use my Diamond Skin and Secret Art to attract the Ruby Beast¡¯s attention? What in the hell?! He literally said he will be a meat shield for them before they could kill it. And all of this without a flinch!


    ¡°Well, if we consider that the Ruby Beast is on the Fourth Cultivation Stage, defending against it shouldn¡¯t pose a problem for my Diamond Skin. Also, out of the four, only I can defend against attacks beyond the Fourth Stage.¡± thought Khal with a shrug.


    ¨C


    After setting off and arriving at the foot of Moon Mountain, the sun has already descended from the boundless sky and what reced it instead was the beautiful moon.


    The leaves of the trees fluttered to and fro because of the passing cold breeze that appeared from time to time, sending small shivers through Khal¡¯s body.


    ¡°It¡¯s exceptionally cold tonight.¡± Said Khal as he looked up at the mountain peak that was showered in the moon¡¯s white light.


    ¡°Moon Mountain is just like this. The temperature and the weather here are unpredictable. There are even times when strong blizzards appear out of nowhere, freezing and destroying everything on it.¡± exined Asur from Khal¡¯s side calmly, his face as nonchnt as ever.


    ¡°He is right, but you don¡¯t need to be anxious.¡± said Merlyn as she noticed Khal¡¯s worry in his eyes, ¡°These kinds of strange phenomenon only appear from the slopes all the way to the peak. But we are currently at the bottom, so except for some slight visible changes such as this, you will be safe.¡±


    Khal nodded his head in silence but this didn¡¯t mean he will let his guard down. He already experienced what it felt like almost dying- which is in fact funny cause he already died once- so he didn¡¯t want to experience it again. No one really could predict the future and just like what happened in Shadow Woods, no one knew if they will encounter an even hazardous creature than the Ruby Beast; not even these three Fourth Stage Cultivators.


    ¡°We should be close so stay sharp. Inspect the skies especially, if the Beast will attack then 98% that it will appear from there.¡±manded surprisingly Asur after half an hour of silent walking, his face turning serious in a sh.


    Marx, Merlyn, and Khal did exactly as they were told and began to walk forward slowly in silence. However, not even 5 minutes had passed when suddenly Merlyn frowned and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t you find it strange?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± asked back Asur on the front in a low voice, but his gaze never leaving his surroundings.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t notice this at first, but it¡¯s silent. Too silent and what is more we didn¡¯t meet any creatures on our way here.¡±


    ¡°That is because we entered the Blood Reaper¡¯s territory. Any living lifeform must have been killed and consumed by it.¡±


    ¡°But that won¡¯t answer why we can¡¯t see at least a few corpses. Like, why would a single Ruby Beast kill all the lifeforms in its habitat if it can¡¯t eat them all at once? Even if it can turn the victims¡¯ interior into a solid substance the carcasses would still rot away with time.¡± spoken Merlyn her thoughts out loud, turning not only Asur but even the others confused too.


    ¡°She is right. Such a huge area must be filled with hundreds if not thousands of low Stage Beasts yet I can¡¯t see any. It is truly strange¡­¡± said Khal, wondering just why the whole area around them felt so eerie and silent.


    ¡°Get down!¡± hissed Asur in a low voice, making the three behind him lower their bodies in a sh and nce toward the direction where Asur stared at.


    But when they did, the sight before them left all of their mouths hanging wide open.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ A nest?!¡±

 Chapter 102: Ruby Nest

    Chapter 102: Ruby Nest


    Right before the group, a bit less than a thousand feet high above the ground, arge rock with a size of a basketball court was sticking out from the mountain wall that looked as steep as a mirror.


    Yet, even though the rock had such a humongous size, the thing built atop it was evenrger. It was a bird¡¯s nest with a size twice as big as the rock, while its exterior shone with a crimson hue because of the red material that it was made out of; it looked like ruby, but at the same time not.


    ¡°What the hell is that huge thing? A nest of such size? Then just how big could the creature living in it be?¡± Marx let out a shocked sigh while hisplexion held a mixture of great awe and fear.


    Khal behind Marx nodded his head mildly because what he just said was true. If a Beast had such a huge nest, then how big could the Beast itself be? As big as a house or even bigger?


    ¡°That is no ordinary bird¡¯s nest indeed but look at the elements it was created from. It¡¯s the Blood Reaper¡¯s nest!¡± said Asur with a severeplexion, his right index finger pointing at the nest.


    ¡°What? That is impossible! The Blood Reaper¡¯s body is simr to that of a Gold Hawk¡¯s! There is no way in heaven that massive thing can be its home!¡± eximed Merlyn with shock, staring at Asur like aplete idiot.


    ¡°I know, even myself can¡¯t believe it but that¡¯s the truth. Blood Reapers love to build their nests from their victim¡¯s bones that had been turned into ruby. And that nest is exactly what it was made of, bones turned into solid ruby.¡±


    ¡°He is right. And what¡¯s more, not only bones but even solid flesh was mixed into them! This is strange¡­¡± Marx looked rather troubled when suddenly his eyes widened and asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Can it be that thing was built by an Alpha?¡±


    ¡°?!¡±


    Everyone turned silent upon hearing that question which was simple but at the same time carried a heavy meaning. What Marx asked just now had a point; no ordinary Ruby Beast was capable to build such a massive nest, especially not alone!


    Then the only exnation for this was¡­


    ¡°An Alpha? But How? The Cultivator¡¯s Organization already announced several years ago that they slew the Alpha of the Ruby Beasts on Moon Mountain!¡±


    ¡°Keep your voice down! We still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s up there or not. We can easily alert it with our voice and if it¡¯s truly an Alpha, then we are as good as dead.¡± Asur turned his gaze at Merlyn, warning her with a gesture.


    ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Merlyn knew her mistake and instantly lowered her voice.


    ¡°What Stage was this Alpha on before it was ¡®killed¡¯?¡± asked Khal curiously.


    ¡°Haha, what Stage?¡± chuckled Asur and turned his head back at the nest, ¡°Three years ago, before it was killed, it was on the Sixth Cultivation Stage!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The Sixth Cultivation Stage or on its other name the Cultivator Stage. After one reached that Stage, let it be human or Beast, It earned the title of a real Cultivator while also obtaining a power that others below their Stage couldn¡¯t hope to try; to open up the sealed Essence Paths that were locked in their bodies all this time!


    In the body, there were a total of 54 Essence Paths from which 24 were sealed away. Those 24 sealed Essence Paths could be opened with the help of enlightenment or special herbs or even ancient items. Once opened, Cultivators could wield extraordinary Secret Arts, many powerful and special abilities that they were unable to use until that moment while their Talent could achive tremendous growth too!


    And now, there was the possibility that such a Beast was alive and waited for them up there in the nest.


    For them to win, there was no chance not in a thousand years!


    ¡°Even if we were on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, we would still die. The disparity between each Stage after the Fifth Stage is as vast as all heaven. We can¡¯t kill it no matter what.¡±


    ¡°Then what should we do? We still don¡¯t know if the Beast is up there or not, and who knows, maybe it¡¯s the nest that the Alpha left behind before it got killed from several years ago,¡± eximed Marx in a low voice, making the three ponder.


    ¡°Marx has a point, but still it is quite strange.¡± eximed Khal suddenly only to make the three next to him raise their brows, ¡°Strange?¡±


    Khal nodded and pointed at the nest then looked around, ¡°What Marx said could be true, but then how can it be that we met with no creatures at all? If the rumors are really true and the Alpha had been killed three years ago, then this ce should be filled with low Stage Beasts. But there is none!¡±


    After staying silent for a while, Khal tilted his gaze at Asur and continued, ¡°Right now, I can think of three exnations for this.¡±


    ¡°One, the Alpha has not been killed and it¡¯s alive which I hope is not true. After three years who knows just hiw strong did it be. Two, the Alpha had been truly in but its territory had been seized by another Beast which is just as scary as the Ruby Beast and kills even Low Stage Beasts.¡±


    ¡°As for the third, that is the worst possibility I can think of.¡± Said Khal calmly and went on, ¡°The Alpha hadn¡¯t been killed, and what¡¯s more it even made offsprings! So the only reason why there are no Beasts here is that they have been eaten by the Alpha and its offsprings!¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯ when Khal finished talking heavy silence descended upon the group; none of them knew what to say.


    Only after a whileter did Asur look at the mountain wall and say, ¡°The wall is way too steep but as I can see, there are vines on its surface. If we can go up and check what is inside that nest, maybe we can find out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Did you go crazy? Do you want to risk your life just for a stupid Essence Pill? It¡¯s not worth it at all!¡± grunted Merlyn angrily, barely holding back the urge to yell.


    ¡°Of course not, but this is also a chance!¡±


    ¡°A chance? How is this a chance for you? If what Khal said was true and the Alpha is up the-¡°


    ¡°Then how about this?¡± spoken Khal suddenly from the side, stopping Merlyn from shouting, ¡°We will stay here, and once the sun rises we will go up and take a look. If we are lucky, the Beast will be already asleep so we can even kill it in its dream while also having the opportunity to safely retreat if we don¡¯t want to y it.¡±


    Khal¡¯s idea made Asur ponder and nod slightly, ¡°That can be feasible. We came here at night to locate the Beast with greater chance, but now that we seem to find it, killing it at daytime seems a better solution. Then I think it is settled.¡±


    Marx and Merlyn nodded in agreement and sat down while pushing their Cultivation Stage down to avoid unnecessary troubles.


    Hours have passed in silence, while the four didn¡¯t dare to sleep even a single minute; just the possibility alone that the Alpha was still alive left them wide awake!


    After 8 hours of waiting in silence, the moon finally started to descend and soon enough the sun finally arose from the east. Yet, strangely, even after an entire night, the four didn¡¯t notice even the slightest activity in or around the Ruby Nest.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± said quietly Asur as he stood up, and walked toward the vines with the three following him closely behind.

 Chapter 103: Carcass

    Chapter 103: Carcass


    With quiet steps and presence that was hardly detectable, the four walked before the mountain wall and raised their heads.


    ¡°Climbing up at the same time should alert the Beast even if it¡¯s sleeping so we should go separately,¡± whispered Asur and grabbed a thick vine before him ready to go first.


    However, just as he put his feet against the wall, a hand grabbed his shoulder and stopped him; surprisingly, it was Khal.


    ¡°What?¡± Asur and the two on the side were confused by Khal, but not for too long.


    ¡°I should be the one going up first. Out of the four of us only I have the ability to defend myself if something happens. So let me go first.¡±


    Asur knew what Khal meant and understood he had a logical point so with a nod handed the vine over to him, ¡°We will follow you, but if you notice anything strange instantly descend. Once you do we will do the same and retreat from this ce as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Khal grabbed the vine firmly and pushing his feet against the steep wall as he began to climb.


    He ascended quite slowly but surprisingly steadily and when he reached the halfway point after 5 minutes, Asur below him grabbed the vine too and started to climb.


    With one firm hold with his right arm and a solid push with his right feet, while extending his left arm and leg upward, Khal approached the nest from below with a steady pace.


    Thanks to the fact that he had no Cultivation Talent his body was not giving out even the slightest of presence so even if there was a creature above him, the only way it would notice his approach would be if it peeked down right at him. But the chance for that to happen would be lower than winning the lottery!


    ¡°My arms became even stronger too. After forging for 2 days straight without rest, the muscles in my hands became stronger! I was never capable of climbing a rope in my past life, so this could be counted as an improvement right?¡± eximed Khal with awe as he nced at his arms that held greater vitality than a week ago.


    After climbing for 5 more minutes, Khal finally reached the bottom of the nest, but the smell that waited for him almost made him throw up; it was so rancid that it smelled almost like hundreds of dead people¡¯s corpses in one ce.


    The scent was simply unbearable and it almost made Khal release his grip from the vine, sending him right into his death.


    ¡°The hell¡­ It stinks way too much! Did the beast died up there or what?¡± was what Khal thought but the moment he looked at the nest, that idea instantly vanished from his head.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Rotten blood, flesh, bones, and organs¡­ All of them turned rock solid with a shade akin to ruby while spreading out a suffocating scent that not even in a chaotic blood-filled battlefield could be smelled.


    ¡°Damn¡­ This is disgusting¡­¡±


    Climbing a bit further just to barely get a nce at what was inside the nest, when Khal¡¯s head was above the bird¡¯s nest his eyes widened in pure shock.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be true¡­¡± was what Khal could let out and without hesitation climbed into the nest.


    ¡°It seems it¡¯s fine,¡± eximed Asur and quickened his ascension with Merlyn and Marx following him closely from behind.


    When they reached the nest, their face distorted into a grimace, while theirplexion showed great struggle not to throw up. Even for them, the smell was way too strong!


    ¡°Let climb up¡­¡± said Asur, but the very moment he did and his eyes fell on the sight inside the nest, his jaw dropped down almost to his knees.


    The same went for Marx and Merlyn too, when Asur climbed into the nest and it was their time, the instant they noticed the huge carcass in the middle of the nest, they became dumbfounded.


    ¡°Is that the Ruby Beast Alpha¡¯s corpse?¡± asked Merlyn, but still feeling a bit unsafe there she nced around her. Luckily, except for the carcass, she didn¡¯t see a single thing in her proximity.


    ¡°Who would have thought the Alpha would be this massively huge.¡± Asur was stupified by the size of the carcass.


    Even though the sole thing that remained from the real Beast was its skeleton, which in fact looked half-transparent crimson jade akin to ruby, the size of it upied more than half of the nest itself! With its flesh and fur, it would have definitely been bigger too!


    ¡°Considering from its shape, it looks quite like an eagle, but not sure.¡± Merlyn walked around the beast, no longer keeping her voice down.


    Asur did the same, but suddenly his face stiffened and nced at the sky, ¡°Get here, now!¡±


    The three upon hearing Asur¡¯s sudden and unexpected shout turned their gazes toward the sky only to see an approaching crimson sh toward their direction with a rapid speed.


    ¡°The Blood Reaper!¡± shouted Merlyn and without hesitation appeared before Asur together with Marx and Kahl before her.


    ¡°Use the Sea Dust Orb when I say it and make sure you don¡¯t breath it in. Khal, use your Diamond Skin to defend us and once it has been slowed down kill it with Marx!¡±


    ¡°Understood!¡± said the three in unison, while each of them exploded with different powers.


    Merlyn¡¯s Fourth Cultivation Stage together with Marx came forth, while an enormous battle-axe appeared in Marx¡¯s firm hold. At the same time, Khal¡¯s skin turned rigid and crystal ck, while a presence simr to a Beast erupted from his body; right now, even though it was just a disguise, he was on the Fourth Cultivation Stage too!


    However, what neither he nor the three behind him expected, that this Beast Presence enveloped his body would attract the Ruby Beast¡¯s attention and target him right away!


    Although surprised, Khal knew sooner orter he will have to face this creature so readied himself. And even before he had the chance to think about anything else, the Ruby Beast has already appeared right before him, its ws inches away from his chest ready to tear his heart out.


    ¡°Now!¡± shouted Asur from behind, making Merlyn throw the blue orb at the Beast, while at the same time a sharp ¡®ng¡¯ sound filled the air.


    *BOOM!*


    ¡°Screech!!!¡±


    With a deafening cry that almost shook even the skies above, the Ruby Beast pped his wings powerfully in the hope to st the blue dust away from it that filled the air, but strangely, the dust instead of getting blown away it stuck onto its crimson feather, shading its body with a bit of a blue shade!


    ¡°SCREECH!!!¡±


    While the Beast was struggling to get that strange substance off its body, Khal nced at his chest where the Ruby Beast hit him. But surprisingly, except for a small white scratch mark, Khal was safe and sound.


    ¡°It worked! Not even a powerful Beast can scratch me!¡± rejoiced Khal merrily, but the next second Marx¡¯s figure appeared on his side with his massive axe above his head.


    ¡°Don¡¯t doze off now! Attack!¡± shouted Marx as he swung his axe with his bulging arms and roared, ¡°MOUNTAIN DIVIDER!!!!¡±


    *BOOM!!*

 Chapter 104: Ruby Egg?

    Chapter 104: Ruby Egg?


    A huge gust of wind erupted from Marx¡¯s weapon as the ruby nest below his weapon formed huge cracks while sending different-sized ruby bones and organs into the air.


    ¡°Screech!!¡±


    Thanks to the Sea Dust Orb that exploded right before its body, the Ruby Beast¡¯s movement speed became slower by a huge margin, but even like this, it was still able to avoid Marx¡¯s attack just in thest moment.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± shouted Merlyn with fear as she watched the Beast appear before her brother with a crimson sh.


    ¡°!?¡± Marx realized his frame was too big to dodge while also had no time to parry, so the only thing he could do was to raise his weapon as a way of defense hoping it would save him. However what he didn¡¯t expect was that out of nowhere, Khal¡¯s figure would arose and protect him from the Beast¡¯s assault with his entire body!


    *CLANG!*


    Watching as Khal took the Ruby Beast¡¯s attack head-on without any difficulty for the second time, a wide grin formed on Marx¡¯s face and swung his axe once again, ¡°Thanks Junior Brother!¡±


    The Ruby Beast was shocked to see that Khal appeared before it once again, and exactly this slight hesitation brought its demise as Marx¡¯s weapon appeared right above it.


    With a swing that seemed as fast as a glint, Marx¡¯s Mountain Divider appeared atop the Beast¡¯s body and in a blink of an eye like a verdict from the heavens, it smashed its figure down.


    ¡°Scree-¡°


    *BAM!*


    With great explosion, Marx¡¯s weapon smashed into the bird¡¯s body from above like thunder, chopping its body into two before shoving both the axe¡¯s edge and the Beast deep into the nest¡¯s surface below.


    ¡°You did it!¡± Merlyn and Asur looked extremely happy as they approached the two from behind the moment the Blood Reaper was killed.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Merlyn turned her gaze at Khal after noticing that the Ruby Beast¡¯s body slowly turned into a yellow substance and began to hover in the air.


    ¡°I am perfectly fine, yeah.¡± nodded Khal as his skin turned back to normal, but the following second hisplexion turned confused, ¡°Wait. Why is that this Beast turned into Essence but the Alpha¡¯s body didn¡¯t?¡±


    The question was a reasonable one and even Merlyn and Marx turned confused; until this moment they too didn¡¯t notice this but now that Khal pointed it out it was truly weird.


    ¡°Maybe it used its own ability to transform its body, but I don¡¯t seem to find a purpose for that.¡± guessed Asur as he too found this issue bizarre.


    Khal turned his gaze at the huge carcass and activated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes. Immediately after, the sight in his mind and eyes turned crystal clear while at the same time he was able to see everything around him in a 6 meters radius.


    ¡°Who should consume the Beast Essence?¡± asked Merlyn while Khal began to examine the carcass with slow steps.


    ¡°It should be Junior Brother! Without him, I wouldn¡¯t have the chance to kill the Beast this easily!¡± eximed Marx loudly, but Khal shook his head gently as a reply, ¡°No, the same goes for me also. Without your Sea Dust Orb and your Fourth Stage strength, even if I was able to defend against it I wouldn¡¯t have what it took to kill it. Also, I was the one joining your Group Mission, so naturally, this benefit goes for you guys.¡±


    On the side, Asur touched his chin and while pondering with an indifferent face he nodded, ¡°Well, if you say so¡­ Marx, then you should consume it. You were the one who killed it so it¡¯s obviously yours.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Marx didn¡¯t refuse the offer and began to consume it without hesitation; if Khal didn¡¯t want it, then he will dly ept it!


    While Marx was consuming the Beast Essence in his lotus position, Khal walked around the Ruby Beast¡¯s corpse slowly, examining it as carefully as he could.


    ¡°Hm?¡± and just as he thought, it wasn¡¯t long before his right brow suddenly rose as he noticed something extremely odd, ¡°Now that I watch it, the Beast¡¯s corpse seems like it tried to protect something before passing away¡­ But what?¡±


    The way the beast was lying in a half curved posture was simr to how a creature would try to protect something from others without moving. Khal went around and examined the ce where the Beast¡¯s abdomen and chest should have been, but strangely, there was nothing.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Odd¡­ There is nothing here. Maybe others have already taken the thing away that was here.¡± thought Khal as he examined the carcass, but just as he was about to walk away, his Heaven¡¯s Eyes noticed something.


    ¡°What is this?¡± taking a few steps forward right before the Beast¡¯s huge ribs, Khal crouched down and extended his arm, only to grab something from the ground, ¡°An orb?¡±


    Khal picked up a ruby ¡®stone¡¯ from the ground and began to inspect it. Its size was simr to an adult¡¯s fist with color and surface akin to ruby, while its shape was strangely oval.


    As Khal turned it here and there slowly, he knitted his brows together then the next second his eyes popped out with shock, ¡°It¡¯s an Egg?!?¡±


    The hard realization that the thing in his hand could be an egg that the Alpha left behind before dying hit Khal like a train and didn¡¯t know what he should do.


    However, even before he could think about anything else, Marx¡¯s loud voice appeared inside his ear, ¡°What? Only 11 Beast Essence for a Ruby Beast? What the hell, did my luck went sour today or what?¡±


    And just as his voice fell, another voice appeared, but this time it wasn¡¯t filled with confusion or shock, but fear.


    ¡°Guys¡­ What is that?¡± asked Merlyn with a trembling voice as she pointed toward the sky.


    Right in the distance, a crimson cloud was flying toward their direction, making Khal¡¯s eyes widen with shock while his face paled in fear.


    ¡°A flock of Ruby Beasts!¡± shouted Khal, and without hesitation put the egg away and began to run, ¡°Fast! We need to get out of here!¡±


    Asur, Merlyn, and Marx naturally understood the approaching danger and not wasting any time followed Khal. But what they didn¡¯t expect that instead of descending with the vines¡¯ help, Khal simply jumped down.


    ¡°Did he go insaaaaaneeee!!! Hey, Marx! The hell you doing?¡± asked Merlyn with shock and fear as she watched Marx pick her and Asur up and jump out of the nest right after Khal.


    ¡°We have no time to descend slowly!¡± said Marx with a dead serious face and watched Khal¡¯s figure crash into the ground below.


    ¡°Did he die?¡± asked Merlyn, but the next second her eyes widened, and watched as Khal was safe and sound and began to run away with insane speed.


    Falling in the air while watching as they approached the ground with rapid speed, Marx clenched his teeth and without thinking kicked into the mountain wall.


    *BAM!*


    Just like a cannonball, using his Talent to the utmost limit, Marx¡¯s figure was sted forward, leaving a deep and huge pit in the mountain wall.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Asur and Merlyn held Marx¡¯s body with firm grips and watched as with a single leap jumped andnded hundreds of metes away from the mountain wall, right beside Khal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop! Run or you will die!¡± shouted Khal as blue light enveloped both his feet and like a bullet, burst forward into the distance the next second.


    ¡°Damn he is fast!¡± was what Merlyn thought before Marx¡¯s legs bulged with insane strength, revealing thick greenish-blue veins from below his skin, and roared loudly.


    ¡°HAAAAAA!!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    Pushing his feet against the solid ground, Marx¡¯s feet left a wide pit as his body exploded with a momentum no slower than Khal¡¯s!

 Chapter 105: Defense System!

    Chapter 105: Defense System!


    Running on full speed, as fast as his legs could bear, Khal nced back above his shoulder only to hisplexion turn pale in the very next second.


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± elerating his Essence to the utmost limit, Khal¡¯s body became even faster, his legs sending debris to all directions each time they got into contact with the ground.


    Right behind him, Marx did the same and put greater strength behind his legs, while Asur used his healing power to keep his legs refreshed and healed from time to time; maybe Marx had Talent that made his body surpass human limits and make his speed reach great heights temporarily, but in the end, he was still a human. If he overdid it was quite possible his body could be a cripple, but with Asur here, he didn¡¯t need to fear about that.


    Or at least for the time being not¡­


    While Marx was running at max speed that his legs could currently suffer, following Khal meters away from behind, Merlyn turned to look back and her pupils instantly shrunk to a size of a needle.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? How is there so many?¡±


    Right behind them, about a mile away, a flock of Ruby Beasts was flying toward them with speed akin to a chaotic crimson storm, swallowing the world below them into darkness.


    ¡°There must be hundreds of them if not more! Wasn¡¯t it stated that only a few survived after the Alpha got killed? So how can this be possible?¡± Merlyn was unable to process the sight behind her and nced at Asur on the other hand of Marx.


    ¡°It seems the Alpha had a secret hide-out that not even the Cultivator¡¯s Organization knew about. But still¡­ This amount is way too huge!¡±


    ¡°Not only that but as I can sense it each of them are on the Fourth Cultivation Stage! If they reach us we can only pray for a merciful death.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t catch up with us¡­¡± grunted Marx through his clenched teeth, seemingly in great pain. If it weren¡¯t for Asur¡¯s help let alone keeping up with Khal, he would have been swallowed up by the Ruby Beasts together with his friends.


    ¡°How far are from Moon City?¡± asked Merlyn from Asur as it was apparent she felt anxious about her brother¡¯s safety.


    Body Strengthening Talents in the Lower Stages were only proficient for a small amount of time so if this keeps on going, maybe notpletely crippled, but Marx¡¯s legs will sustain grave injuries both internally and externally!


    ¡°Not far away. With this speed, it should take us roughly 10-20 minutes most. But the problem here is not that, but if the Beasts will follow us all the way there or not. As you may see, even though we are already far away from Moon Mountain under clear daylight, we are still chased by a flock of Beasts from Moon Mountain. This will be way more troublesome than we think.¡±


    Merlyn knew that Asur had a point but still shook her head, ¡°Yeah, that is true. But if the gatekeepers can notice our approach in time they can activate Moon City¡¯s defense system instantly. With that, killing these Beasts won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Asur nodded, ¡°Yes, that is true. But did you forget what will happen if they decide to attack? Moon City¡¯s defense system uses a World Tier item! If they attack we will be reduced to ash together with the Beasts!¡±


    Merlyn¡¯splexion paled upon realizing that and asked, ¡°Then what should we do? Let alone us, even a Cultivator on the Seventh Stage would be unable to defend against a World Tier item!¡±


    Asur remained quiet for a while and turned his gaze at Khal, ¡°Khal!¡±


    Khal who ran before Marx suddenly heard his name so twisted his head to the side and nced back at Asur.


    ¡°Can you run faster?¡± asked Asur, instantly giving rise to a frown on Khal¡¯s face.


    ¡°Run faster? Then this?¡± asked Khal, visibly shocked. If he could have run faster, he would have done so way sooner! After running on max speed using his Crimson Snake Dance, his feet already became sour and he knew a few more minutes he would go out of fuel.


    Asur somewhat understood Khal¡¯s problem and exined their situation to Khal. After a short whileter he locked his gaze at his feet and said, ¡°That is why you must reach Moon City¡¯s gate way sooner than us and warn the guards beforehand about our approach. Like that, they can attack only the Beasts without harming us, I am sure about that.¡±


    Khal remained silent and began to ponder.


    Asur noticed the source of Khal¡¯s hesitation so sighed and extended his arm. Immediately after, a translucent orb with green light swirling inside it appeared atop his palm, while Asur¡¯s face remained indifferent.


    ¡°Heal and Boost.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    In a sh like magic, Khal¡¯s whole body got enveloped with a green light, while a refreshing feeling swept through his whole body. Right now, he felt as light as feather while the sour feeling inside his legs vanished like they didn¡¯t exist in the first ce!


    ¡°Now go¡­¡± said in a weak voice Asur, his face carrying great exhaustion after he used his Talent on Khal.


    Khal was pleasantly surprised and knew it was a special power of Asur¡¯s so after thanking him he elerated the Essence around his feet even more.


    *BAM!*


    With greater momentum than before, Khal¡¯s feet left a deep and wide pit while his figure vanished into the distance in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°Why did you do that? You can use this power of yours once every month! If you use it more than that you can sustain severe bacsh from it!¡± said Merlyn as her voice carried great worry.


    ¡°This is the only solution. If I didn¡¯t do it, no one knows if we could survive. Now the only thing we can do is to pray for Khal to reach Moon City before it¡¯s toote.¡± talked Asur weakly, hisplexion turning paler with each passing second.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t tell me¡­ Really? You must be joking! That is nonsense! I have never seen one with that huge not only in Moon City, but in my entire life!¡±


    ¡°Bro, when did I ever lie to you? You know me for years so if I don¡¯t tell you the truth the heavens shall punish me right here and now! I tell you, that chick was thick and I tasted it firsthand! She had this huge bo-¡°


    ¡°Huh? Wait, what is that?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Where?¡±


    Right before Moon City¡¯s gate, two guards in iron armor were talking between each other spiritedly when suddenly the one on the right squinted his eyes and pointed into the distance.


    The guy on right did the same but the next second his brows tightened while his mouth opened slightly, ¡°A boy? How is he so fast?¡±


    ¡°Maybe he has a powerful Speed associated Talent or some kind of Movement type Art that he obtained from his family. Who kn-¡°


    *BAM!*


    But even before he could have finished his sentence, the guy who they talked about suddenly appeared before the gate in a sh!


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The guards were dumbfounded by the deep and long trenches in the ground that the Cultivator left behind after hepletely halted his insane momentum like that, but the following sentence from the guy shocked them even more.


    ¡°Activate¡­. your Defense System¡­ Now!¡±

 Chapter 106: Third Cultivation Stage!

    Chapter 106: Third Cultivation Stage!


    Khal used his Diamond Skin to protect his feet and halt his movement speed at the veryst moment, leaving deep and long trenches on the ground with his legs.


    ¡°Activate¡­ The Defense System¡­ Now!¡± Khal stared at the two gatekeepers before him, trying to calm his ragged breathing down as fast as he could.


    Just now, his body, especially his legs, had been boosted and healed by Asur, letting him run at full speed like crazy! But because of this, in the end, the burden his legs had to bear was greater too; so even though he just ran for close to 10 minutes with refreshed vitality, because of the tremendous boost his legs got they felt extremely numb.


    Yet, even though he said what he did, the two guards before him looked at each other in silence and suddenly burst out in loudughter.


    ¡°Haha, he said to activate the Defense System with such confidence! Haha, look at him¡­ how naive.¡±


    ¡°Haha, little boy, you know it¡¯s not how it works right? Activating the Defense System needs special permission from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization in Moon City.¡± wiped the teardrop off the guy on the right as he began to cry because of the hardugh, ¡°Also, even if we would have it, you truly believe we would activate it for you just because you asked for it? Haha!¡±


    ¡°No, I say it for real! If you don¡¯t do what I say then Moon Ci-¡°


    ¡°Okay, listen here brat,¡± stepped forward the guy on the left, emitting a powerful aura on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, ¡°I will only say this once so shut up and listen. Fuck. Off.¡±


    Khal was surprised by the hostility that was emitted toward him even though he just wanted to avoid the approaching cmity.


    Yet, this didn¡¯t hinder him to continue, so opened his mouth ready to convince the two before him no matter what, but it was the very moment as a voice came from the side stopping him from doing so.


    ¡°Mama! Look! What is that!¡± a little boy on the other side of the gate nagged her mother¡¯s clothing, pointing her tiny fingers toward the skies into the distance.


    Khal and the two guards turned their heads toward where the boy pointed, but instantly theirplexion paled and took a step back.


    ¡°I told you! Activate the Defense System or Moon City will face a never seen cmity!¡±


    The guy¡¯s brave behavior on the side instantly vanished and without hesitation turned around, ¡± BEASTS! BEASTS ARE COMING! ACTIVATE THE DEFENSE SYSTEM RIGHT AWAY!¡±


    Immediately after his yell, loud sirens began to sound inside Moon City, while the carvings on the huge walls slowly began to slowly lit up with white light.


    Khal upon seeing this smiled and turned happy, but the next second his face stiffened, and said, ¡°Wait, my friends are there too. I was sent ahead to warn you, but they are still chased by those Beasts!¡±


    The guy who just shouted snapped his head back at Khal with an angered expression and shouted, ¡°And you brought those Beasts here?! Did you go insane or what?! You put not only yours, but everyone¡¯s lives in this City into great danger!¡±


    ¡°We had no choice. We would have died if not! Also, who knows what would happen after they sessfully kill us. Considering how close we were to Moon City, the chance that they would approach the city would still be high! Also, the Defense System is capable of killing those Beasts without harming them right? So do it!¡±


    Khal¡¯s exnation made sense, so the guard could only snort coldly and turn his head toward the walls, ¡°Aim only at the Beasts in the skies! Avoid killing the people before them at all cost!¡±


    As his voice fell, the carvings lit up with greater light and soon the whole area around Moon City got filled with blinding white light.


    ¡°Are those the only Beasts that decided to chase after you?¡± asked the guard, his gaze firmly fixed on the rapidly approaching flock of Beasts in the skies.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    The guard nodded and raised his arm, ¡°Ready!¡±


    Immediately after, the white light slowly condensed into a mass of white orb above the gate, radiating an aura above the Seventh Cultivation Stage!!


    ¡°FIRE!¡±


    *BOOM!*


    A powerful gust of wind swept through the surroundings as a whiteser beam erupted forth, visibly splitting the air into two while twisting the space around it a bit.


    In a blink of an eye, the power reached the flock of Beasts in the distance, and Khal watched as energy mass exploded into the middle of Ruby Beasts like a nuke, detonating and turning their body into fragments in the air like mere specks of dust.


    ¡°Damn¡­¡± Khal breathed in a mouthful of cold air and stood still. If he wouldn¡¯t have reached Moon City in time or decided to remain with Marx and the others then that would have been his final choice in his life for sure!


    ¡°That power was terrifying!¡± Khal turned his nce from the skies onto the distance only to see Marx¡¯s rapidly approaching figure with Asur and Merlyn still in his hold.


    ¡°Argh¡­ We¡­ did it!¡± sighed Marx in a hoarse voice quietly, as he fell onto the ground after running with all his might from Moon Mountain.


    Right now, the muscles inside his legs were bulging and twitching from time to time while thick veins under his skin were pulsating like crazy as his blood flowed through them like a raging river.


    ¡°Heal.¡± Asur crouched down next to Marx and even though hisplexion held great exhaustion he began to use his Talent once again.


    ¡°Who is so bold to make such a ruckus?¡±


    Suddenly a dignified voice sounded from the skies, surprising not only Khal and the three, but even the gatekeepers; they instantly saluted as a figure descended from the skies slowly.


    The man was wearing a deep blood red uniform with the Cultivators Organization¡¯s emblem was visibly discerned on his chest.


    ¡°Respected Elder Elex! We are thoroughly sorr-¡± began to talk to the gatekeeper on the left, but was unable to finish his sentence because the man called Elder Elex snorted and waved his hand, instantly emitting suffocating presence from the Eight Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about useless stuff like your apology so just simply tell me what caused all this hugemotion here. I don¡¯t have enough time to waste so be brief.¡± sneered the man and tilted his gaze at Khal.


    ¡°But before that¡­ Do you wish to exin yourselves?¡±


    ¨C


    After exining how they epted a Group Mission, killed a Ruby Beast then got attacked by the flock of Ruby Beasts, the four before Elder Elex together with the two guards on the side remained silent.


    ¡°So if I understand it right, you found the Ruby Beasts¡¯ Alpha¡¯s nest where its corpse was found. After killing one Ruby Beast there, out of nowhere, hundreds more appeared and began to chase you?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Exactly as Respected Elder just said,¡± eximed Asur, his face holding indifference even before a powerful expert such as Elder Elex.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± with a slight touch on his chin, Elder Elex stared at each of them a nce and sighed, ¡°To think such an easy Group Mission could end up this severe¡­ If we would have known that the Alpha had offspring¡¯s we wouldn¡¯t have put this Mission¡¯s requirements so low.¡±


    ncing at Khal who was able to reach the City and warn the guards beforehand, Elder Elex hummed slightly and waved his sleeve.


    Immediately after, 4 small pulls with a yellow color appeared atop his palm, and threw one at each before him, ¡°Here, as an apology and also a way of gratitude from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization, please take these High-Quality Essence Pills.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    The four extended their hands and grabbed the High-Quality Essence Pills with widened eyes.


    While the four were shocked beyond belief by the sudden change of events, the man¡¯s figure turned toward the gatekeepers on the side and gave them a slight nod vanished into thin air.


    The two gatekeepers seeing as they didn¡¯t get anything while the four did were about to cry while their eyes showed great envy and jealousy as they started at the group.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t care about how they looked at them or what they were currently thinking, the only thing he cared about right now that he obtained a High-quality Essence Pill which can give him a total of 100 Beast Essence if he was lucky!


    Feeling like he was on cloud nine, Khal put the pill into his mouth without hesitation and swallowed it with a huge ¡®gulp¡¯ sound.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 64 Beast Essence!]


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eye has reached the Third Cultivation Stage!]

 Chapter 107: Increase Body Essence!

    Chapter 107: Increase Body Essence!


    Swallowing down the Essence Pill, Khal felt as a refreshing feeling swept through his whole body while the familiar voice appeared inside his head.


    ¡°Finally! My Heaven¡¯s Eyes broke into the Third Cultivation Stage!¡± Khal felt ecstasy as he watched the Power Core inside his bracelet became stronger once again.


    ¡°34 Beast Essence¡­ Tsk, this is not my day at all!¡± said Marx with a sneer, however, Asur¡¯s and Merlyn¡¯splexion held greater merry.


    ¡°I got 69 Beast Essence. Interesting,¡± eximed Asur as he tilted his gaze at Merlyn.


    ¡°87! I got 87 Beast Essence! What a fortune! Haha, like this, it won¡¯t take me long to break into the Fifth Cultivation Stage!¡± Merlyn punched the air with her fist happily and stood up from the ground with a lively mood once again; the previous anxiety and exhaustion from several minutes ago could be no longer seen on her face, only sheer happiness.


    Khal watched the three before him with an unnoticed smile on his face and nced at Asur, ¡°Umm¡­ About the Mission Reward¡­¡±


    Asur understood Khal¡¯s intention and he too was curious if the reward they just got from Elder Elex was a bonus or it was an improved version of their Mission rewards. Hence, took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge and took a quick nce at it.


    And a secondter, a smile appeared on his face and turned his badge toward Khal, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We still need to collect our rewards.¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After obtaining the Middle-Quality Essence Pill they earned through the Group Mission, Khal said his goodbye to the three and returned to de Mountain.


    ¡°Now that I have reached the Third Cultivation Stage I should focus on increasing my Body Essence. If I can reach 1000 units, not only can I use my Devil Fangs with better proficiency and more but I can also unlock that Power Core Holder ability too!¡±


    As Khal reached this point he raised his hand and opened his palm. In the middle of his palm, an orange pill with a bit of a yellow hue wasid, giving out a bit of Beast Essence¡¯s aura.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it right away,¡± said Khal and put the pill into his mouth.


    ¡°Activate Transfiguration!¡±


    [Understood!]


    [Starting ¡®Transfiguration¡¯ process!]


    In that very instant as the Essence Pill was swallowed, the refreshing feeling inside Khal¡¯s body appeared, but this time, instead of spreading throughout his whole body it began to flow toward his heart.


    ¡°Here ites¡­¡± murmured Khal and just as he prepared himself, a sharp pain pierced into his chest, causing him to kneel onto the ground while hisplexion paled in a sh.


    [Notify! 23 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯ counted!]


    [You can increase your ¡®Body Essence¡¯ by 230 units!]


    [Do you wish to ¡®Transfigure¡¯ all of them?]


    As the voice sounded inside his head, Khal nodded and replied with clenched teeth, ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±


    [Understood!]


    [¡®Transfiguration¡¯ processing¡­]


    Immediately after that, the yellow Beast Essence inside Khal¡¯s heart slowly began to turn blue, and gradually transform into Body Essence.


    [Notify! ¡®Transfiguration process sessful!]


    [Notify! Your ¡®Body Essence¡¯ has grown from 150 units to 380 units!]


    Khal listened to the voice inside his head and felt as the pain in his chest rapidly vanished and what reced it was a pleasant, refreshing sensation throughout his entire body.


    ¡°So one Beast Essence equals with 10 Body Essence and vice-versa. Interesting¡­¡± pondered Khal and while sitting into a lotus position he thought, ¡°Then reaching 1000 Beast Essence before the tournament shouldn¡¯t pose a problem, right?¡±


    Closing his eyes and starting to consume the Essence Particles inside de Mountain¡¯s cave, Khal activated his Transfiguration ability and turned each Essence Particle into Body Essence.


    Thanks to the amount always are one and not more, Khal this time only felt a tiny pain in his chest as though someone pierced him with a needle; but except that, it was quite bearable.


    ***


    Khal¡¯s resting days have passed in a blink of an eye, and after 3 days of cultivating inside the cave, he was able to increase his Body Essence from 380 units all the way to 860 units!!


    He was able to gain 48 Beast Essence under only 3 days without lifting a finger which was crazy! Others would need to kill Beasts with the possibility of dying to obtain even 20% of this amount, yet he simply consumed that much only sitting in one ce! de Mountain was truly a treasure among treasures!


    ¡°Damn¡­ I should have used this ce way more in the past¡­¡± said Khal as he stood up and began to ponder, ¡°860 units of Body Essence¡­ One more day and I will be able to reach 1000 Beast Essence for sure! But unfortunately¡­¡±


    As Khal realized it was time for him to go forging, an uncontroble shiver swept through his body and groaned with difort.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Buying some food and drink from his currency that he obtained from his first Mission, Khal went to the eastern part of Moon Academy and walked into the smithery where Bazz had already waited for him.


    ¡°Finally! Was waiting for ya! Let me see what you have learned fromst time!¡±


    *Thud!*


    With a loud and heavy metallic sound, a thick and a feet long rod was ced before Khal, while on Bazz¡¯s face the same wide grin could be discerned as always.


    Staring at the rod, Khal¡¯splexion remained indifferent but deep inside he was mourning, ¡°The time limit for the Creation Mode has already refreshed so I could easily use it again, but wasting that power for a piece of rod¡­¡±


    A loud sigh escaped from Khal¡¯s mouth and without hesitation began to forge the piece of rod to the best of his knowledge.


    ¨C


    A day passed without sleeping in the cksmith Department and several sized metals in the shape of cubes were thrown all around the ce, while Khal¡¯s figure was still forging a chunk of metal in the middle of the room.


    ng!


    Sharp metallic pitch with a mixture of softness sounded throughout the smithery, turning Bazz¡¯s eyes to brighten more and more with each hit that Khal did.


    ng!


    ¡°Phew¡­ Finished it without a mistake! This is the best performance I have ever done until now!¡± putting down the hammer and raising the perfectly shaped steel cube in his hand, Khal began to smile merrily.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if there is a connection with the amount of Body Essence in my body, but ever since the amounts of units my physical strength improved by leaps and bounds too!¡± thought Khal merrily, as he looked at his arms; except feeling them a bit numb, they didn¡¯t tremble nor hurt at all!


    ¡°Haha, great job kid!¡± pped his hands Bazz spiritedly and took the cube away to inspect it, ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t believe you will be able to improve this much in just three days. Tell me, did you work out during your day off? Your grip strength, your stamina, and the way you won¡¯t start to tremble like leaves on a cold day after 5 swing makes me curious.¡±


    Khal noticed Bazz¡¯s curious gaze on his skin and felt a bit strange, but just as he was about to deny it, Logan¡¯s figure appeared at the door.


    ¡°Oho? So this is how the cksmith Department looks from the inside. Truly unique.¡±


    ¡°Master!¡± shouted Khal and bowed toward Logan without wasting a second.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Bazz, his face holding a questioning look.


    Logan who inspected a hammer on the side that was way bigger than his frame tilted his gaze at Bazz and waved his hand, ¡°Sorry that I walked inside without your permission, but Jas told me toe and get Khal.¡±


    ¡°The principal? Why?¡± asked Bazz his eyes fixed on Khal suspiciously, thinking he has done something bad.


    ¡°Ah, no, don¡¯t misunderstand it.¡±ughed Logan and continued, ¡°Jas told me to get Khal because of the announcement. It will be today.¡±


    ¡°What annou-, oh¡­ So the time for that has alreadye? Ipletely forgot about the Moon Robe and the tournament.¡± said Bazz as he finally realized why Khal had the Moon Robe all this time.


    ¡°Yes, so if you excuse me, I would like to take him with me. He needs to decide something quite important today.¡±

 Chapter 108: Decision

    Chapter 108: Decision


    Before Moon Academy¡¯s main building where the first Announcement Day took ce, hundreds of Cultivators with different Cultivation Stages were standing, whispering amongst each other loudly.


    On the sides, all the teachers and experts from different Job Departments were standing motionlessly too, waiting for the Announcement to begin.


    ¡°Why are there so many experts? Did something major just happen?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a single clue. My Master told me toe here without hesitance or he will cripple me if I¡¯mte for even a second! I had to leave during my Mission because of this!¡±


    ¡°I hopeing here was worth it because if not¡­¡±


    Moon Academy students mumbled between each other with mixtures of emotions, all of them trying to figure out the cause of their purpose toe here.


    Some even had to run several miles away from far away cities all the way back to here just to attend this Announcement, so if they had to return for somethingpletely meaningless then they will definitely throw a tantrum without a question!


    ¡°Where is Khal? I can¡¯t see him at all. Wait¡­ Don¡¯t tell me he overslept?¡± Liza was spying the crowd around her with prying eyes, hoping to find Khal¡¯s figure among the sea of Cultivators.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see him either,¡± eximed Nate from the side, turning his head here and there from time to time.


    Alia who was no further than the two, looked around the crowd, she too wishing to find Khal¡¯s figure among the huge crowd.


    ¡°Eh? Who are you looking for? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s him again, hmm~¡± Izara nced at her friend with a slight smile on her face.


    ¡°Ah? Oh, no. Not at all¡­¡± mumbled Alia quietly but even after that her eyes never stopped scouting the area around her, making Izara smile even more.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±


    Even Asur, Merlyn, and Marx were among the group, but because everyone feared them because of the crazy reputation no one really wanted to approach them. Only those above them in Cultivation Stage would stand close to them because in their eyes they were nothing but mere jokes.


    Minutes have passed in loud buzzing, when suddenly out of thin air Jas¡¯, Logan¡¯s and Khal¡¯s figure emerged before the crowd, silencing every Cultivator there right away.


    ¡°Wee everyone. I am deeply sorry for disturbing your precious Cultivation time with something like this announcement, but today¡¯s asion holds great importance.¡±


    Jas¡¯s dialogue made the crowd feel quite disturbed, not understanding what could be so important that had to be proimed by the Academy¡¯s Principal.


    ¡°Did Khal get into trouble? Why is he up there with the principal?¡± Nate¡¯s question made Liza¡¯s face turn into a frown while Alia¡¯splexion behind him became worried.


    ¡°Junior Brother? What is he doing there?¡± Marx and Merlyn looked surprised while Asur remained indifferent as always.


    On the other hand, Alde¡¯s face showed a smug grin, while his friend stood on his side with a bald head.


    Looking at the number of Cultivators before him, Jas nodded and said, ¡°As I can see everyone sessfully arrived then let¡¯s start the announcement.¡±


    Straight after that, Jas began to exin everything that was told to Khal a few days ago by Logan. In the beginning, Every Cultivator¡¯s present seemed stunned and enlightened by the reason why Khal had a different uniform than them, but as Jas continued to talk that emotion gradually changed into shock, then into dead gravity.


    At the end of his deration his every Cultivator present held a solemn expression, while deep in their eyes a tingle of anxiety and fear was present.


    A Tournament that was held every half decade? Killing others just to earn merit for oneself and the Academy? Was this a kind of joke? They were not murderers but Cultivators! Even if they had to kill others, it was when their life was at stake! But this was clear daylight ughtering before the whole world for no fucking reason!


    As this weight descended upon the crowd, filling the air with solemnity, Jas remained unfazed and turned toward Khal.


    ¡°Now then, as I mentioned it previously, it¡¯s time for Khal to decide. Will you keep the robe or will you pass it onto someone?¡± the question was directed toward Khal, making all the Cultivators present lower their heads in an instant.


    No one was stupid enough to rece Khal just to be in in the end before millions of people! Khal had such misfortune not them, so he can keep it to himself dly!


    But unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t how it worked and now if Khal wanted to, he could easily pass the right to hold the Moon Robe onto any of them without any objection. That is why even those on the Fifth Cultivation Stage remained silent, some even lowering their Cultivation Presence on purpose!


    ¡°Tsk¡­ How shameless! A bunch of chickens!¡± naturally the experts noticed this and the disdain on their faces was as clear as day.


    On the other hand, Jas just simply smiled at them and waited for Khal to decide.


    Khal stepped forward and stared at each individual before him with a nonchnt expression, hence making those Cultivators shrink their heads in fear of being chosen by him.


    However, there were a few who didn¡¯t get fazed by Khal¡¯s gaze and even straightened their backs to show dominance, but s, their eyes told otherwise; it was apparent that not even they wanted to be chosen by Khal no matter what.


    Khal swept his gaze over all individuals, including his friends and Liza, but in the end, he just closed his eyes and sighed, ¡°I choose¡­¡±


    ¡°No one.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    When Khal stayed silent after his first two words, everyone felt anxious for some reason, but the moment he told his answer it was as though a heavy mountain fell off their shoulders whilst shock reced their worry.


    ¡°What? Did I hear it right? Did he just say he won¡¯t pass the robe onto anyone?¡±


    ¡°Are you deaf or what? Yes, he clearly stated that but why? Does he want to die that much?¡±


    ¡°He must not know what death is that¡¯s why. He is crazy!¡±


    People began to mutter among each other in the lowest tone they could talk with, but the relief and joy never ceased to leave their eyes.


    ¡°Truly a bunch of cowards. And they call themselves as Cultivators¡­Tsk, the worst of the worst.¡± this time Raffin couldn¡¯t hide his disgust anymore and his voice filled the surroundings.


    Even though he made sure to keep his voice down, what he just said sounded in every person¡¯s, experts¡¯ and teachers¡¯ ears like thunder, muting the crowd in a sh!


    ¡°Elder Raffin, please control your manners,¡± said Jas calmly, but deep inside his heart, even he knew Raffin had a point.


    Turning his head toward Khal then at the crowd, Jas crossed his arms behind his back and began to speak, ¡°Then it has been decided. The Moon Robe won¡¯t be passed onto anyone, or at least not until one of you wants it. Anyone who wishes to obtain the robe must raise their hands now and challenge him for the right. Anybody?¡±


    The silent crowd began to murmur between each other once again, but so far no one raised their hands.


    Fight for the ¡®privilege¡¯ to attend a tournament where people ughter each other? Where their lives were at stake? No, but thanks!


    ¡°Haha, what a ridiculous question even is that? Who in their right mind would take that robe away from him? Only those with the desire to throw themselves right into their demise would choose such a foolish decision!¡± snorted Alde with ridicule, his eyes holding happiness.


    However, it was right at this moment, as the unexpected happened and a voice among the silent crowd sounded.


    ¡°Me! I want to challenge him for the Moon Robe¡¯s right!¡±


    Khal who was about to step back believing no one was bold enough to challenge him just to have the chance to die, looked at the owner of the hand; however when he did, hisplexion paled lightning fast.


    ¡°Oh? Are you sure about it?¡± asked Jas as he never would have belived that the one raising her hand would be her.


    ¡°Yes. Without a shadow of a doubt!¡± replied Liza, causing everyone to snap their heads in her direction right away.

 Chapter 109: I Wont Let You!

    Chapter 109: I Won''t Let You!


    When Liza¡¯s voice reverberated throughout the air, no one dared to talk nor move; everyone looked at Liza as though she was aplete fool, the world¡¯s dumbest Cultivator ever!


    ¡°No, I refuse!¡± dered Khal suddenly as he snapped back to reality, his eyes holding firmness, ¡°I already decided that I will hold the robe and I won¡¯t pass it to no one!¡±


    The abrupt exmation made several Cultivators and experts there to turn surprised, while Jas only shook his head lightly, ¡°That is true, but just as I said previously, if one wants the right, they can have the chance to challenge you. Just as you had the option to pass it onto anyone freely without objections, others have the right to challenge you no matter what. That is that simple as it is.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± began to speak Khal, but found out he was unable to find his words. Right now, both his eyes and mind held so many different emotions that it was extremely hard to describe.


    Turning his head toward Liza, Khal¡¯s face held confusion and worry.


    Yes, worry! But not because he was scared of Liza, a so-called prodigy who was in possession of two powerful Talents that could overwhelm anyone easily, but because he didn¡¯t want to fight her! She represented her girlfriend, the only person who was able to put a bit of color into his life in so many ways while she was also Neo¡¯s childhood friend! He would instead kill himself than give her the robe and see her fight until her veryst moment knowing he could have stopped her!


    Yet, the moment he stared at Liza, her eyes showed theplete opposite of his; she was determined and ready. Ready to take away the Moon Robe from him!


    But what Khal didn¡¯t see in her eyes was something way more significant¡­ her reason!


    She didn¡¯t want Khal to hold such a heavy weight on his shoulder no matter what! In her eyes, he was still the Khal who she protected from bullies several years back when he was little and after what happened with their parents she refused to see Khal going through another hell!


    Especially not if that meant he had to put his own life on the line!


    Then she would do anything, even fight him until the end, just to stop him from participating in that shitty tournament.


    Jas stared at the two in silence and closed his eyes. Knowing things won¡¯t change until he speaks cleared his throat and began to talk, ¡°Well then, now that we have a challenger, let¡¯s find out who will have the right to hold it!¡±


    Swish!


    With a flick of his sleeve, space shook then twisted, changing the surroundings around everyone present in a sh; the crowd was teleported into the spectator seats in the arena together with the experts and teachers, while Jas, Logan, and Jane appeared on the tform¡¯s side.


    ¡°Wait, what? How did we get here?¡±


    ¡°He usedrge-scale teleportations? But how? Does the Principal has Space-associated Talent?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not! Only those on the Final Stage can do that and the Principal certainly not on the Ninth Cultivation Stage!¡±


    ¡°So then it must have been¡­¡±


    ¡°An extremely powerful Secret Art which could be on the Cultivator Level!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    While others on the seats talked with bewildered expressions trying to guess the way Jas teleported them here, Liza and Khal were standing in the middle of the tform exactly 164 feet away from each other.


    ¡°Why?¡± was what Khal could ask before hisplexion turned solemn.


    However, what he did not expect that Liza¡¯s brief answer was so simple that even he turned stupified.


    ¡°Because I won¡¯t let you. You have experienced enough hell so far, so this is enough!¡± said Liza, her eyes holding unshakable determination, ¡°Just as you don¡¯t want to fight me, I don¡¯t want to fight you either. So please, give me the Moon Robe, and let¡¯s avoid the unnecessary.¡±


    Khal watched Liza¡¯s body emitting a powerful aura from the Third Cultivation Stage, closed his eyes, and sighed.


    ¡°You are right¡­¡±


    Liza upon hearing this turned a bit rxed and even wanted to nod, but her body stiffened up the very moment Khal continued.


    ¡°But no matter how much I don¡¯t want to do this, neither I want to see you go through hell once again.¡±


    In a sh, Khal¡¯s eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit in their middle, while a crystal ck fan appeared in his tight grasp; right now, his face showed extreme tranquility while his body subconsciously took a fighting stance.


    ¡°!!¡±


    Liza was stunned to see that instead of giving her the Moon Robe Khal decided to fight her, someone who had obviously greater chances to survive in that stupid tournament than him! This dumbfounded her a lot and for a brief moment was unable to find her words.


    ¡°The rules are the same. No killing, only knockout or giving up is allowed to achive victory,¡± spoken Jas loudly, making both the crowd and the two in the middle into silence.


    Once silence descended upon the whole arena, Jas raised his arms and nced at the two in front of him.


    ¡°FIGHT!¡±


    Swish!


    Without wasting time, Khal¡¯s feet got enveloped by blue Essence and greased lightning appeared before Liza.


    ¡°There it is! The powerful Secret Art that let him crush hundreds of Cultivators at once!¡±


    People watched with anticipation as Khal emerged before Liza and swung his fan, about to end the whole battle with a single strike, but to their shock, Liza¡¯s figure abruptly vanished from sight!


    ¡°Where is she?¡± was what everyone thought as the next second her figure arose right behind Khal, her palms covered with blue Essence!


    ¡°How?¡± Khal¡¯s eyes opened extra wide and wanted to avoid Liza¡¯s assault but he was caughtpletely off guard!


    Without any chance to evade he was hit powerfully in the middle of his back, sending his body flying through the air and crash into the wall in the distance like a cannonball!


    ¡°Damn¡­ I forgot she was able to use the same Secret Art!¡± cold sweat soaked several spectators¡¯ backs on the seats, realizing that Liza was a freak who was just as ridiculously powerful as Khal if not more!


    tter!


    Standing up from the debris, Khal¡¯s rigid-looking skin gradually turned back to normal, apparent he just used his Beast Core just before the impact.


    ¡°Bloody hell¡­ She doesn¡¯t really hold back against me¡­¡± thought Khal as he locked gazes with Liza, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for my Diamond Skin, a few of my bones would have broken just now.¡±


    walking out of the pit his body formed, Khal tightened his grip on his weapon and frowned, ¡°But still¡­ How was she able to mimic my Second Form? I don¡¯t recall showing it to her nor talking about it. Did she had a copy?¡±


    Even so, a mild grin formed on Khal¡¯s face because he just found out something quite interesting about his Second Form, the Azure Snake Dance.


    So far, he used his Essence around his palm as a protection field, as a way of defense. However, just now when Liza touched his back with her palm she used the Essence in a way to gather enough power only to thrust them all out at once, blowing away anything that was in contact with her palm.


    ¡°Interesting.¡±


    In that instant, like he just obtained enlightenment, Khal put his weapon away while his palms began to emit gentle blue light, alias Essence!


    ¡°Let me try this out too!¡±


    Swish!


    In a blink of an eye, Khal swung his palm toward Liza while concentrating on the Essence around his arm.


    However, to his great surprise, Liza didn¡¯t try to avoid nor attack him from different angles, but simply took up a solid stance and threw her palm forward to counter Khal¡¯s assault head-on!


    BAM!


    With a wild eruption, the instant the two palms contacted with each other, a gust of huge wind broke forth, lifting the three experts¡¯ and the spectators¡¯ clothes on the front into the air.


    But strangely, except that and the small fissures on the tform¡¯s surface, Khal and Liza stood perfectly before each other, none of them taking a step back!


    Just now, they were equal!


    ¡°He is truly a tough opponent,¡± eximed quietly Jane on the side, making both Jas and Logan nod.


    ¡°To hold your ground against someone who has not one but two powerful Talents on the same Cultivation Stage truly is an exceptional feat,¡± said Jas with a soft smile as he yed gently with his beard.


    Logan on the other hand just simply stayed silent while his eyes always remained on Liza¡¯s figure.


    ¡°She not only could copy Khal¡¯s Secret Art that she just saw, but she can use it almost to perfection! How does she do that?¡± the question made Logan ponder deeply, while watching as the two kids before him exchanged another blow from each other.


    BAM!

 Chapter 110: Emerald Snake Dance!

    Chapter 110: Emerald Snake Dance!


    Bam!


    Another gust of wind broke forth while the fissures expanded in size below the two, causing the spectators to exim their thought with awe.


    ¡°Even though they are just on the Third Cultivation Stage, their powers are exceptional. Especially that boy, um¡­ What was his name again?¡± asked a Cultivator from the seats, his body emitting a powerful aura from the Fourth Stage.


    ¡°Junior Brother¡¯s name is Khal.¡± replied a hoarse voice from behind, making the Cultivator nod merrily and turn around, ¡°Yes, his name was Khal! Thanks buddy! I almost for¡­ got¡­ it¡­¡±


    The guy who just was about to thank the one who helped him suddenly froze up, while thick drops of cold sweat began to form on his back.


    Marx who sat behind the guy all this time with Merlyn and Asur, nced at the guy and raised a brow in confusion, ¡°What? You want something?¡±


    ¡°Eek?! Wha¡­ No¡­ I¡¯m sorry!¡± as though like a little girl who just got scared, the Cultivator stood up abruptly and ran away like his life was on the line.


    Marx watching the guy¡¯s escaping figure in the distance furrowed his brows tightly together while sneering, ¡°Why does everyone so scared of us? We did nothing major to deserve this reputation, right?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t deserve? Gravely injuring a fellow Cultivator identally on our very first Group Mission. Unintentionally destroying several hundred stalls at once on our very first day in Moon City. Beating up a group of people in Moon Academy on our fourth day after enrollment¡­ We have quite a few reasons to deserve that¡­¡± began to exin Merlyn with a shrug, her eyes fixed on the battle below.


    ¡°Okay, first of all, the Cultivator in the Group Mission was aplete dumbhead! He was the one running before my attack so he could only thank himself instead of ming us!¡±


    ¡°And what about the stalls in Moon City or the innocent people in Moon Academy?¡± asked unexpectedly Asur from the side, his face and voice as indifferent as ever.


    Marx was surprised by his friend¡¯s sudden question so crossed his bulging arms before his wide chest before replying, ¡°I admit that I have destroyed those stalls because I lost my temper, but on the other hand, those people deserved a good beating. They stole from the Alchemy Department! They are Cultivators and not thieves!¡±


    Bam!


    As he said those words, another gust of wind erupted from the tform, making Marx squint his eyes lightly while Merlyn and Asur¡¯s upper body got pushed back an inch.


    ¡°This is already their sixth exchange yet none of them seem to get the upper hand,¡± eximed Nate quietly somewhere else among the spectators, seemingly curious about the oue.


    Boom!


    After several exchanges with their palms that caused shockwaves after shockwaves to appear, Khal and Liza increased the distance between each other and stood motionless.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do it. Even though her proficiency with the Art is lower than mine, her Essence control is greater!¡± thought Khal as he never would have thought Liza would fight him with his very own Secret Art.


    ¡°His understanding about the Art is great and even realized the secret advantage of this Form, but it seems he needs time toprehend it fully.¡± thought Liza calmly, but her eyes still held a bit of shock by the density of Khal¡¯s Essence.


    If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Khal realized the hidden purpose of the Second Form and would have practiced it from the very beginning, with that thick Essence around his palm let alone blowing her away, he would easily shatter her body with a single blow!


    ¡°Just how does he have such a huge amount of Essence? No normal human being should possess that much!¡± pondered Liza in confusion, but suddenly noticed as Khal lowered his stance once again, but this time it was apletely new stance than before.


    ¡°What stance is that? Another Secret Art?¡± frowned Liza upon seeing Khal¡¯s almost crouching position, but still, she didn¡¯t let this attract her attention.


    No, instead she pushed her right feet forward a bit, while both of her hands got lowered next to her left side.


    Freeze!


    With cracking sounds as though ice was smashed and formed in a small area, a Jade sword gradually began to appear in Liza¡¯s tight hold, its edge glowing with a crimson hue.


    ¡°Get ready. This can get out of h-¡± began to say Jane as she was about to move, but was abruptly halted by Jas.


    ¡°There is no need for that,¡± said Jas in a low voice and waved his hand.


    In an instant, a translucent barrier was formed around the tform, preventing any unnecessary problems that could arise in the following moments.


    Ignoring the changes around them, Khal stared at Liza with a tranquil gaze and began to move the Essence inside the upper part of his legs at full speed!


    ¡°Dance of The Celestial Serpent Third Form; Emerald Snake Dance!¡±


    ¡°Heaven sh!¡±


    Swish!


    The exact moment as Khal¡¯s figure moved an inch, Liza swung her Jade Ice de toward Khal with lightning speed, and in a blink of an eye, the crimson arc that will explode on the slightest of impact appeared right before Khal¡¯s eyes!


    KA-BOOM!


    As tough thunders descended upon the earth, Liza¡¯s assault exploded into the ce where Khal was, shaking the whole arena with great tremor as dust and debris flew everywhere.


    ¡°I won,¡± eximed Liza with pride but suddenly her eyes widened with shock, and turned around.


    Or at least wanted to but it was toote and the only thing she was able to see was Khal¡¯s figure emerging behind her, his Essence-covered palm approaching her back.


    ¡°This is bad! I won¡¯t be able to turn around in time!¡± was what Liza thought, but she forgot that she didn¡¯t have to.


    The moment her Talent, the Jade Ice detected Khal¡¯s approach and Liza¡¯s inability to act, it manifested out of thin air and formed a thick defense barrier from Khal¡¯s assault in a sh, faster than a millisecond!


    Khal however instead of getting stunned by this sight like 90% of the spectators present, just simply smiled and his eyes shed with profound light.


    Tap¡­


    cing his hand gently onto the surface of the Jade Ice, Khal pushed all of his Essence into his palm and as though pulling the trigger on a gun, fired all of it at once.


    Crack!


    ¡°?¡±


    BOOM!


    ¡°!?¡±


    The thick Jade Ice that was referred to as an indestructible defensive Talent that showed its strength during the time against Janna¡¯s Heaven sh, right now turned into pieces of ice powder while Liza¡¯s body was sted away by the aftershock!


    Cultivators and experts on the seats turned bewildered while Jane on the side couldn¡¯t hold herself and open her small mouth into an oval shape.


    Everyone present was stupified to see as a Cultivator with a below-average Talent just now prated a Natural Born Talent¡¯s defense as easily as a hot knife would do through butter!


    Watching as he seeded in breaking through Liza¡¯s defense and even sting her away, Khal¡¯splexion turned merry and after deactivating his Heaven¡¯s Eyes began to walk toward the still lying Liza on the ground.


    ¡°It seems I have won fair and square, so the Moon Robe will remain mine. And you can-¡°


    Shortly after he began to talk, suddenly Khal noticed as the front of his feet got stuck into a deep fissure in the ground right below him, and watched as he began to fall.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    Like a miserable tree that was chopped out from its bottom, Khal watched helplessly as the ground approached him at a terrifyingly rapid pace, and with a loud ¡®Paff¡¯ sound, his head crashed powerfully into the tform.


    ¡®¡­¡¯

 Chapter 111: One Month...

    Chapter 111: One Month...


    Every person in the arena turned dead silent by the sight they just saw. No one dared to talk nor blink, cause what just happened was something quite¡­


    idental? If you can say that¡­


    ¡°Pfft¡­¡±


    Suddenly out of nowhere, a slight chuckle escaped from Alia¡¯s mouth, resulting in several Cultivators turning their heads toward her direction with thick frown ced on their faces.


    ¡°I¡­ Am deeply sorry¡­¡± mumbled Alia as she calmed herself down, making her delicate face turn slightly rosy.


    She realized that no one dared tough as they feared Khal would throw a tantrum once again just like thest time, but deep in her heart, Alia knew that Khal wouldn¡¯t get mad over something like this.


    But still, no matter how much she wanted tough, she decided to stay silent to avoid unnecessary problems and apologized quietly.


    As everyone waited in silence, Khal stood up slowly from the ground, holding his nose with a deep grimace and slightly teary eyes. His nose began to bleed because he failed to put his arms below him just at thest moment.


    ¡°Fuck, this hurts¡­¡± mumbled Khal and nced over Liza who was still lying on the ground, but this time her mouth was slightly pouted even though her expression remained ice cold.


    It was obvious she wanted tough, but decided to hold back to keep Khal some face¡­


    ¡°That little¡­¡± began to think Khal and nced at his thighs that were still twitching like crazy from time to time.


    ¡°Using the Third Form puts a greater burden on my legs than the first two Forms put together! My thighs feel so numb I can hardly lift my feet!¡± mumbled Khal and titled his gaze at Jas and the two on his side.


    Jas naturally noticed this and cleared his throat, ¡°The fight is still going on, so¡­¡±


    Khal understood Jas¡¯s meaning and looked at Liza on the ground who was ready to move, ¡°Don¡¯t even dream about it!¡±


    Activating his First Form and elerating his Essence around his feet, Khal emerged before Liza in a sh and held his Devil Fangs before her, stopping her from standing up.


    ¡°Stay down¡­¡± said Khal quietly, locking his firm but passionate gaze with Liza¡¯s crystal clear eyes.


    However, Liza was way stubborn than to listen to Khal and without hesitation swung her hand, sting a thick me ball at him. From that distance, Khal will have no choice but to jump away, and once he does she will defeat him in a blink of an eye.


    Hence, she was about to manifest a Jade weapon out from her Talent when suddenly an unexpected sight happened.


    With a casual flick with his weapon, Khal opened his dagger into a fan and did a sideways motion.


    KA-BOOM!


    As though firing several missiles from thin air, the fireball that could melt even a Fourth Stage Cultivator¡¯s defense got sted into the barrier whilst the ground from Khal all the way there formed several meters deep and wide fissure, filled with debris and dust!


    Every spectator and even the three on the side looked at this sight with dumbfounded gazes, while the barrier before them began to vibrate like crazy!


    The barrier that Jas formed with the help of a powerful Secret Art now showed signs of copsing, while even wide cracks were formed on the ce where Khal blew Liza¡¯s power a few seconds ago!


    Just now, a Cultivator on the Third Cultivation Stage destroyed a barrier that was created by Jas! As this thought manifested inside everyone¡¯s mind, all the people present turned their gazes at Khal, their faces covered in thick drops of sweat.


    ¡°He is a freak¡­ A fucking monster¡­¡±


    [Notify! ¡®Body Essence¡¯ dropped below 50%!]


    ¡°Damn¡­ Maybe I have overdone it a bit¡­¡± thought Khal as he watched what more than 400 units of his Body Essence was capable of with his Devil Fangs.


    If it weren¡¯t for the barrier, the Cultivators there would have been sliced and smashed into thousands of pieces of mincemeat for sure! He could have easily killed them with a simple attack like that!


    Breathing in a mouthful of cold air while he began to sweat profusely, Khal nced at Liza on the ground who was just as shocked as him.


    ¡°This is a chance!¡± thought Khal and said with a confident smile, ¡°I won. Just give up¡­ Please.¡±


    Liza raised her head and looked at Khal, and no matter what she tried to think of, she was in checkmate. She couldn¡¯t attack nor escape, she was simply helpless to do anything.


    And this feeling of helplessness became even greater as she watched the emotion behind Khal¡¯s eyes. The way he told her just to simply give up made her heart tighten with indescribable pain while a deep sigh escaped from her mouth.


    ¡°I¡­ Lost¡­¡±


    ¡°WOOOAAAAHH!!¡±


    In that instant, every Cultivator and expert stood up with loud cheers as this was their very first time watching as a Cultivator beat a Natural Born Cultivator.


    This sight for them was simply unbelievable!


    ¡°The winner is Khal!¡± Jas¡¯s voice sounded inside the arena, making the cheers even louder than before.


    ¡°Come, let me help you up,¡± said Khal as he gave Liza a helpful hand to stand up.


    Liza looked at the hand Khal offered and even though her heart ached for several reasons, she still epted it, ¡°Thanks.¡±


    After she stood up, Jane¡¯s figure appeared before the two and nced at Khal with a tranquil gaze.


    ¡°You did well. Particrly your final attack. That Essence storm you have just sted out with the help of your weapon¡­ Where did you obtain it.¡± asked Jane, her gaze fixed firmly on the crystal weapon in Khal¡¯s hold.


    ¡°I got it as a gift from my Master,¡± replied Khal instantly, his words holding not the slightest of a lie.


    ¡°And ho-¡± began to ask Jane, but was abruptly stopped by Jas¡¯s voice from the side.


    ¡°Now that we have the winner, who wishes to challenge Khal for the Moon Robe?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Khal and Liza together with the crowd turned silent, surprised by Jas¡¯s question.


    But to their relief, no one was bold enough to challenge Khal after seeing what he was capable of doing, especially not for the right to participate in that shit tournament!


    ¡°Well then it seems it has been decided.¡± said Khal and turned to look at Khal, ¡°The one who will represent our Academy in the Thousands Life Tournament will be Khal Nevio!¡±


    ¡°WOOOAAAHH!!!¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After gaining victory and stopping Liza from obtaining the Moon Robe, Khal returned to de Mountain and sat against the cold and rigid wall.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The cave was dark and silent, but instead of putting loneliness into his heart Khal felt as both his mind and body became rxed with each passing second.


    ¡°So many things have happened¡­¡± said Khal seemingly deep in his thought.


    ¡°Now the only thing I need to do is to be as strong as I can before the start of the tournament.¡±


    Jas and Logan told him after his battle with Liza that on the tournament only Cultivators that enrolled this year will be present, but that didn¡¯t mean they won¡¯t be strong.


    A decade ago there was a Cultivator who massacred everyone in the tournament thanks to him being on the Sixth Cultivation Stage! That is why it is important to be strong at the start of the Tournament; the higher Stage he reaches the higher his chances to survive will be.


    ¡°That is why, I must concentrate on increasing my Body Essence over 1000 units then make both his Heaven¡¯s Eyes and Ster Doman reach greater heights as fast as possible.¡± pondered Khal, but still couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    ¡°Still, it would have been much better if Jas decided to help me with resources, so I can quickly be strong. Yet, he told me they won¡¯t help me except giving me knowledge about things I want to know¡­ Weird¡­¡±


    As Khal tried to figure out the reasons why, suddenly something began to move inside his pocket, turning his face confused instantly.


    ¡°Eh? This¡­ Ipletely forgot about it.¡±


    Khal took out the Ruby Egg he obtained from the Ruby Beast¡¯s corpse in Moon Mountain and watched as it began to twitch from time to time.


    Crack!


    ¡°!?¡±


    Crack!


    However, his calmplexion gradually turned into a stupified one as he watched small cracks form on the egg¡¯s surface one after another in a rapid manner.


    ¡°This can¡¯t be true¡­¡± mumbled Khal in a quiet voice.

 Chapter 112: Tamed Beast?

    Chapter 112: Tamed Beast?


    Crack!


    Crack!


    Crack!


    Bit by bit, small and long cracks as though they were spider webs began to form on the Ruby Egg¡¯s surface, while a little Beast began to show its gentle movement inside it.


    ¡°It¡¯s about to be born¡­ It¡¯s about to be born! Wait, what?! It¡¯s about to be born?!?¡± yelled Khal with fear and stood up as fast as lightning.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s a Beast and it¡¯s about to be born! What should I do? Should I just kill it right now?¡± pondered Khal and watched as a little crimson head emerged through the gap, spying its surroundings with its abyss ck eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s only on the First Cultivation Stage so theoretically it can¡¯t harm me. But still¡­¡± began to think Khal, but suddenly the Beast turned its head toward his direction, locking its gaze on him.


    ¡°!¡±


    Flinching unwittingly, Khal became dormant lightning-fast unknown what he should do. Even though the Beast before him was just on the First Cultivation Stage, it still was a Ruby Beast. Just a simple scratch from it could end his life right there and then!


    ¡°What should I do?¡± pondered Khal, but suddenly an unexpected sight happened.


    The Beast in the Ruby Egg broke forth, sending the egg¡¯s fragments flying and with a crimson sh flew at Khal.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Khal¡¯s heart dropped into his stomach as he watched this and knew he was stupid enough to hesitate so much. Right now, even if he used his Secret Art or his Diamond Skin, he can¡¯t avoid the Beast from such a close distance.


    Closing his eyes tightly, Khal waited for a sharp pain piercing into his body but no matter how long he waited he didn¡¯t feel a thing. Instead, what he felt was a warm and heavy sensation on his shoulder, close to his neck.


    ¡°Eh?¡± opening his eyes slightly, Khal tilted his head to his left shoulder only to stiffen up instantly.


    ¡°Chirp.¡±


    Right on top of his left shoulder, Khal watched as a bird representing a mixture between a hawk and an eagle sat calmly, staring at him with its tiny ck eyes seemingly curious.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Like trying to make Khal say something, the Ruby Beast let out a sharp sound and began to flutter its wings gently.


    ¡°This¡­ It thinks I am its mother?¡± Khal¡¯s face held a perplexed look, not believing this could actually happen with him.


    A Beast that thought a human was its mother? They didn¡¯t even look the same yet the Ruby Beast sat on his shoulder, a human being like it was the most natural thing to do.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    With a harp sound once again, the Ruby Beast began to act restless and jumped here and there on his shoulder.


    ¡°What does he¡­he? Is it even a he?¡± wondered Khal as he extended his palm before his shoulder.


    Although he was skeptical that the Beast won¡¯t hurt or kill him, watching as it sat so innocently on his shoulder like that made him decide to try out something.


    And just as he thought, the moment his hand was close to the Beast it jumped atop his palm examining both Khal and the ground below with an interested gaze.


    ¡°Woah¡­¡± Khal raised the tiny being before his face and began to examine it.


    Just as it was obvious at first nce, the Ruby Beast was a hybrid between a hawk and an eagle whilst its feathers were shaded with a dark red color. It had tiny eyes, filled with abyss ckness, while its beak and ws were bright red as though they were ruby.


    ¡°So fluffy¡­¡± eximed Khal as he was brave enough to pet the bird. And to his surprise, he enjoyed it!


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems you arepletely harmless and I hope it remains like this,¡± said Khal, directing his words toward the Ruby Beast.


    As though the Beast had understood Khal¡¯s words the Beast let out a chirpy sound and pushed its body against his fingers while its eyes closed into a pleasant curve.


    ¡°What should I name you then? I still don¡¯t know if you are a boy or girl.¡±


    However, the Beast this time didn¡¯t do anything but simply bent its head to the side, seemingly confused about what Khal tried to say.


    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Khal began to ponder and suddenly an idea popped into his mind, ¡°How about Rubie? It sounds great right?¡±


    The Beast hearing Khal¡¯s question fluttered its wings and pushed its head against his hand.


    Khal noticing the merry behavior of the Beast he nodded and grinned, ¡°Then it is decided. Your name will be Rubie!¡±


    However, what Khal didn¡¯t know that the name Rubie not only meant the crystal ruby that he thought about, but it meant also jewel which was only given to females.


    ¨C


    After naming his Beast and making sure Rubie was truly harmless, Khal decided to continue his cultivation in de Mountain and reach 1000 units of Body Essence as soon as possible.


    ¡°I was able to obtain more than 40 under three days so I should reach 1000 today. Thanks to Bazz¡¯s kindness, I got the entire day off so I have a bit less than 24 hours before I need to go to Logan.¡± thought Khal as he sat into a lotus position and began to consume and transform Essence Particles into Body Essence.


    Consuming the Essence Particles in the air, after about 8 hours of continuous sitting Khal consumed 13 Essence, pushing Body Essence all the way up to 990 units.


    ¡°One more!¡± thought Khal excitedly and waited for the final Essence Particle to be consumed.


    While he did wait patently, Rubie was quietly sitting on his shoulder, apparently sleeping soundlessly with her eyes tightly closed.


    Seconds then minutes passed seamlessly and after close to three quarterster the familiar voice sounded in his head once again.


    [Notify! 1 Essence Particle had been consumed!]


    [Congrattions! You sessfully obtained 1000 units of ¡®Body Essence¡¯!]


    In that instant, the bracelet on his wrist lit up and words began to form before his eyes.


    [Notify! You reached enough ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to Unlock/Strengthen the following aspects¡­]


    [You can Unlock ability ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯!]


    [You can Unlock ability ¡®Essence Path Status¡¯!]


    [You can Strengthen ability ¡®Detector¡¯!]


    [You can Strengthen ability ¡®Maism¡¯!]


    [You can Strengthen ability ¡®Transfiguration¡¯!]


    [You can Strengthen ability ¡®Creation Mode¡¯!]


    As the words sounded inside his head and formed before his eyes at the very same time, Khal gradually became dumbfounded while no words could escape his mouth.


    ¡°Holy shit¡­ I can do so many things with 1000 Essence?¡± wondered Khal as he examined every ability that he can strengthen or unlock.

 Chapter 113: Power Core Holder!

    Chapter 113: Power Core Holder!


    ¡°So many things I can strengthen, but what will I gain if I do?¡± pondered Khal as he watched the words in the air, but a voice replied inside his head right away.


    [Notify! Choose one to see further information!]


    Khal nodded and did exactly as he was told and selected the first option, the ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯ ability.


    ? Power Core Holder: An ability to hold and use 2 Power Cores at once. (Can be strengthened by ¡®Body Essence¡¯!)


    [Warning! Needed ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to unlock this ability ¨C 1000!]


    ¡°Just as I have thought,¡± eximed Khal loudly and chose the second ability.


    ? Essence Path Status: A ¡®Status¡¯ that unlocks further abilities to help open the 24 sealed Essence Paths in the body!


    [Warning! Needed ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to unlock this ability ¨C 1000!]


    ¡°A Status simr to Artifact Creation Status? Intriguing,¡± said Khal and continued to check the remaining abilities.


    ? Detector -> Revealer: An ability that detects Cores¡¯ together with their unique traits.


    ? Boosted Maism: Holds a bigger radius and can pull more Cores toward the ¡®Owner¡¯ with greater speed.


    ? Transfiguration -> Essence Refiner: An ability to refine ¡®Beast Essence¡¯ into ¡®Body Essence¡¯ with greater sess. (Can refine 1 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯ into 20 ¡®Body Essence¡¯!)


    ? Upgraded Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (168 hours -> 84 hours)


    [Notify! Each of the following abilities needs 750 ¡®Body Essence¡¯!]


    Khal read every ability before him in the air while gradually a light frown emerged on his face.


    ¡°Each of these abilities has extremely useful traits that I must obtain, but for the time being, I can only choose only one.¡±


    Especially the Essence Refiner ability. If Khal could obtain that power reaching thousands of Body Essence under days wouldn¡¯t pose a problem at all. Unfortunately though, he must wait for the second chance he could buy it because this time he won¡¯t but instead choose something else.


    ¡°I want to unlock ability ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯!¡±


    [Are you sure about your choice? Once you decide to buy it your ¡®Body Essence¡¯ will fall from 1000 units to 100 units again.]


    ¡°Just what I have feared of¡­¡± thought Khal as he realized that this was the worst-case scenario. This meant after he bought something the collected Essence inside his body would vanish and he needed to collect Body Essence once again all the way from the start!


    Like this, things became quiteplicated but not to the degree he couldn¡¯t solve it.


    ¡°Once I collect enough Body Essence again, my next target will be the Essence Refiner ability for sure!¡± thought Khal and confirmed his choice the next second.


    ¡°Yes, I want to choose that!¡±


    [Understood!]


    [Notify! Using 1000 ¡®Body Essence¡¯ to Unlock ability ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯!]


    Immediately after the voice sounded, Khal felt as the Essence inside his body suddenly moved toward his bracelet as though it was a raging river.


    However, the sensation wasn¡¯t painful nor ufortable but instead pleasant which was quite strange to say because right now his Essence was suck from his body!


    Sometimeter, when almost all the Body Essence vanished into his bracelet, Khal felt as something snapped so tilted his gaze at his wrist.


    Crack!


    Snap!


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    The Power Core that was embedded into the bracelet gradually began to shrink while right next to it another spot where another Core could be ced was formed.


    [Notify! Ability ¡®Power Core Holder¡¯ sessfully obtained!]


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± when the process was done, Khal suddenly felt as the pleasant sensation vanished and what reced it was indescribable exhaustion making his vision turn blurry while his body became extremely weak.


    Hisplexion paled, his back was covered with cold sweat, and the muscles in his entire body were twitching like crazy.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Rubie noticing as Khal¡¯s body suddenly fell onto the ground powerlessly jumped onto the ground and looked at him with a worried expression.


    ¡°Damn¡­ I feel¡­ Quite sleepy¡­¡± mumbled Khal as his vision gradually became darker and in the end, everything turned ck.


    ***


    ¡°he¡­ hey¡­ Hey¡­ HEY! WAKE UP!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Leaping onto his feet as fast as lightning, Khal looked at his surroundings hurriedly while his face held aplexion he didn¡¯t know where he was.


    ¡°Um¡­ Hello? Earth calls for Khal, Khal are you there?¡± hearing the familiar voice from the side Khal tilted his head to the side slowly, only to snap back into reality the very moment he saw the individual before him.


    ¡°Neo?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is me and yes, I am perfectly fine. Thanks for asking.¡± nodded Neo as his body was still locked firmly onto the floor akin to a wild beast or ve.


    ¡°Wait¡­ How did I get here?¡± looked around Khal abruptly, realizing he was once again teleported into this strange ce called Soul Prison.


    ¡°Well, that question even myself can¡¯t answer, but right before you appeared out of thin air like some kind of great magician, a voice sounded in the surroundings.¡± gestured Neo as he tried to imitate the way Khal just emerged but failed because of theck of space where he could move.


    ¡°A voice?¡± asked Khal, instantly ncing at Neo with confusion.


    Neo as a reply nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, it said ¡®Until 1% of replenishment the owner¡¯s consciousness will be ced into Soul Prison¡¯ or something like that. I guess it was the bracelet¡¯s doing this time too.¡±


    Khal was surprised by this but found it only natural for Neo to find it out. Except for what his bracelet could do, he already told him the truth so it was only natural to suspect that the ce he was sealed into was the bracelet.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡± nodded Khal and looked at the chains around Neo. After thinking for a while Khal looked around and thought, ¡°How should I take those off from him?¡±


    [Do you wish to undo the ¡®Soul Chains¡¯?]


    The voice inside Khal¡¯s head resounded like thunder, making his face to be contorted into a grimace slightly.


    ¡°Yeah, I want.¡± nodded Khal, causing the chains around Neo to disperse into tiny fragments in a sh.


    ¡°Argh, finally! Thanks a lot!¡± sighed Neo, seemingly happy he can finally move once again, ¡°So? Were you able to find out something about our situation?¡±


    Khal hearing this simply shook his head and sighed, ¡°Unfortunately nothing. I had no time at all¡­¡±


    ¡°What? No time? You went away for weeks and you were unable to find even the slightest clue?!¡±


    Though, Khal shook his head once again while shaking his hand around, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean that way. The problem was¡­¡±


    Like that, Khal told Neo everything that happened so far, including his ¡®ident¡¯ with Moras, the challenges in Moon Academy, and his misfortune to obtaining the Moon Robe.


    When he arrived at the end of his story, Neo¡¯splexion was already ice cold.


    ¡°So briefly, that is what happened with me and that is why I was unable to look for clues.¡± sighed Khal as he nced at Neo.


    Silence descended between the two and only after several long secondster did Neo lock his gaze with Khal¡¯s and ask, ¡°That bitch, Alde¡­ Did hey a finger on Liza or Miss Mary?¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t expect this question to be Neo¡¯s very first so waspletely caught off guard and didn¡¯t know what he should reply to that all of a sudden.


    However, Neopletely misunderstood Khal¡¯s hesitation and began to emit a tiny amount of killing intent, making Khal feel a bit of pressure.


    ¡°No, no, he didn¡¯t. He didn¡¯ty even a finger on Liza, but even if he wanted to he couldn¡¯t. Liza is way stronger than him and is currently in Moon Academy while also a strong and well-known Cultivator is standing behind her! He wouldn¡¯t dare to do anything reckless even if he had guts bigger than the heavens!¡±


    ¡°Then that is a relief.¡± sighed Neo, his previous killing intent vanishing in a blink of an eye, ¡°And what about Miss Mary?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm? Something the matter?¡± asked Neo with a raised brow, finding it strange that Khal didn¡¯t reply to him even after several seconds.


    On the other hand, Khal didn¡¯t stay silent because he didn¡¯t know what happened with Miss Mary, but because he knew exactly what happened with her.


    ¡°Hey, talk to me if I ask you. What happened with Miss Mary? Is she okay?¡± asked Neo, his voice hold a bit of irritation and fear.


    ¡°Miss Mary¡­¡± began to say Khal and after taking a deep breath looked firmly into Neo¡¯s eyes and said, ¡°She¡­ Died.¡±

 Chapter 114: Plan For Revenge

    Chapter 114: n For Revenge


    Khal remained silent after he told Neo the sad news and waited patiently; his eyes never leaving Neo¡¯s gaze.


    Minutes passed like that and just when Khal thought Neo will throw a tantrum and start shouting while also trying to beat him up, unexpectedly, the only thing he did was start tough.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Hahaha! HAHAHAHA!¡±


    Khal watched as Neo began tough like some kind of maniac with his palm over his face and didn¡¯t know what he should do.


    The whole situation right now was so shocking and at the same time so confusing that Khal couldn¡¯t find his words for a brief moment.


    ¡°Haha¡­ Ha¡­ So that¡¯s how it is. I see, I see¡­¡± Neo lowered his hand after several minutes of loudughter, revealing such a wicked smile that Khal felt his blood freeze for a second; this was the very first time in his entire life that he saw someone smile that wickedly!


    However, what Khal found even stranger that even though Neo grinned like that, his eyes showed not madness but instead extreme pain. It was apparent that currently he was in so much grief that no words could describe how he felt.


    ¡°He lost his family, his home, his title, and life. And now Miss Mary too¡­ the things he went through truly is hell in itself.¡± thought Khal but suddenly Neo began to talk.


    ¡°Tell me everything¡­ The way she died, what lead to her demise, and who was brave enough to kill her. I want to know everything.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± began to say Khal, but the moment he saw the emotion behind Neo¡¯s eyes he knew that lying here would only make things worst.


    Lying was like a good painkiller; it gave instant relief but had permanent side effects. On the other hand, truth was like a good surgery that gave pain but cured scars and deep wounds.


    That is why, Khal decided not to lie and even though he knew he was 100% the cause of Miss Mary¡¯s death, he epted what shoulde.


    Taking a deep breath, Khal looked at Neo and told him everything. The way he met with Alde in the Ceremony, the way assassins that were sent by Alde came to kill him, and the way they killed Miss Mary.


    All in all, he told how a single, arrogant, and at the same time naive mistake of his led to an innocent human¡¯s death.


    When he reached the end of his story, Khal closed his eyes gently and waited for Neo to punch him in the face. But strangely, even after several minutes, he felt nothing.


    ¡°?¡± opening his eyes, Khal noticed that Neo was still before him with an indifferent expression and didn¡¯t know what he should say.


    ¡°So that¡¯s what truly happened?¡± asked Neo in a surprisingly calm voice.


    ¡°Eh? Oh, yeah. And that is why even though my following words do not matter to you, I must apologize to you deeply! It was all because of me! If I wouldn¡¯t h-¡°


    ¡°That was not your fault, be at ease,¡± said Neo unexpectedly, making Khal flinch with surprise in a sh.


    ¡°What? How? If it we-¡°


    ¡°As I said, it was not your fault.¡± cut Neo into Khal¡¯s sentence once again and continued, ¡°You said yourself that you were from apletely different world right?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Yes, bu-¡°


    ¡°Then that means you couldn¡¯t be med there. You came from a world wherews, rules, and the way people lived differed. As I can see, the world you have lived in does not know what ¡®the strong makes the rules while the weak obey them¡¯ truly means.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is true. But that doesn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t have acted with caution!¡± said Khal which made Neo nod instantly.


    ¡°That is true, but you didn¡¯t. Which again, came from your inexperience about this world and the way you have lived in your past life. What you did, you can¡¯t make it back no matter how sour it seems to be and how much both of us want to redo it. On the other hand, there is still something that only you can do.¡±


    ¡°To take revenge on that bitch Alde.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Wait, what?¡± asked Neo suddenly, surprised that Khal said the exact same words he wanted to say.


    ¡°What? Did you think you were the only one who wanted to kill that fucker? I even made my n to do it!¡±


    ¡°Really? How?¡± asked Neo, his eyes brightening up with curiosity.


    Khal was about to tell Neo his n, but suddenly his body lit up with a silver light while a loud voice resounded in the surroundings.


    [Notify! 1% of ¡®Body Essence¡¯ had been replenished!]


    [Pulling ¡®Owner¡¯ out of ¡®Soul Prison¡¯!]


    Without waiting for Khal to even say a word, the silver light enveloped his entire body and in a sh vanished into thin air, leaving Neo behind once again.


    However, this time Neo didn¡¯t start to shout like previously, but simply watched Khal¡¯s vanishing figure with an indifferent expression, while his hand gradually tightened into a clenching fist.


    ***


    Back inside de Mountain, where in fact only several minutes have passed, Khal opened his eyes slowly, only to feel Rubie pricking his cheeks powerfully.


    ¡°Arg..H-hey¡­ Stop it, that hurts!¡± said Khal with a paleplexion and pushed himself up from the ground with trembling hands.


    His entire being felt extremely numb, every muscle inside his body was twitching like crazy while he felt as though his soul had been sucked out of him!


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Before Khal on the ground, Rubie was fluttering her wings from time to time, her eyes hold great worry.


    ¡°I am okay, I just became a little bit tired that¡¯s all. But thanks for your worry,¡± mumbled Khal in a hoarse voice and petted Rubie gently on her head, causing her to calm down immediately.


    ¡°It seems I need to suffer this pain every time I want to unlock or strengthen something? Amazing indeed!¡± thought Khal with a sour expression and leaned against the wall behind him.


    After waiting for an entire hour in sheer silence with Rubie on his shoulder, Khal raised his hand and began to move it around.


    ¡°Okay, it seems the pain lessened quite a bit and my Essence had been replenished.¡± lowering his hand, Khal took out a small pebble from his pocket and began to examine it.


    It was the purplish Power Core he made from the Gxy Steel thanks to his Creation Mode.


    ¡°Now that I have unlocked the Power Core Holder ability, I can use this Core too, right?¡± said Khal and without hesitation ced the core into the empty space that appeared before he fell unconscious.


    [¡®Power Core: Ster Domain¡¯ detected!]


    [¡®Power Core: Ster Domain¡¯ obtained¡­]


    [Starting ¡®Fusion¡¯¡­]


    In a sh, the tiny pebble in the bracelet erupted with purple light while several thin veins with the same purplish color began to move below Khal¡¯s skin.


    Sometimeter, the light began to dissipate, and Khal felt as a new power appeared inside his body.


    [¡®Fusion¡¯pleted!]


    [¡®Third Stage: Ster Domain¡¯ active!]


    The voice inside his head made Khal feel instant ecstasy, but soon hisplexion changed into confusion with a deep frown.


    ¡°Wait, what? Third Stage?¡±

 Chapter 115: Stellar Domain!

    Chapter 115: Ster Domain!


    Khal felt confused when the voice said it was on the Third Stage when it was quite apparent that he just obtained it and didn¡¯t consume any Beast Essence to strengthen its power.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because my Heaven¡¯s Eyes is also on the Third Stage? Then, does this mean¡­¡± wondered Khal with widened eyes and an idea manifested inside his head all of a sudden.


    ¡°Just like how Natural Born Talents function, I only need to cultivate only one power to make the rest follow? Isn¡¯t this a bit¡­ Ridiculous?¡±


    Maybe right now it wasn¡¯t that obvious, but what if in the future he strengthens his bracelet to the point where it could hold not one but several other Cores at the same time while his strength also reached the Final Stage in cultivation?


    Didn¡¯t that mean whenever he obtains a new Power Core in the future it would automatically reach the highest Stage right away? That was fucking overpowered!


    ¡°This bracelet¡­ Just who was the one creating this thing?¡± pondered Khal as the question about this item¡¯s true origin finally appeared in his mind on a deeper level.


    ¡°Neo told me it was given to him by an old man several years ago but he didn¡¯t know who the old man truly was. On the other hand, in my past life, I got it from Nancy and this was the cause that I was transmigrated into this world. Maybe¡­¡± an idea that never appeared in his head suddenly arose, making his eyes sh with a profound light.


    ¡°Could it be that she knew what this thing¡¯s real purpose was but decided not to tell me? No, that can¡¯t be¡­ Especially in my old world where cultivation wasn¡¯t even a thing. Then how?¡±


    Khal felt his brain almost melting by the way he tried to figure out the currently impossible. Naturally, it had ways to solve it, but right now he was not strong nor had enough clues to solve this problem yet.


    That is why he just shook his head and instead nced at the purple Power Core embedded inside his bracelet.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what it can do. I spent my sweat and Essence on you so be powerful!¡± said Khal in a serious voice and stood up.


    When he obtained his Heaven¡¯s Eyes for the first time he knew exactly how to activate and use it.


    And this is what was happening right now. Extending his left arm before his body with his palm facing downward, Khal opened his mouth and began to talk, ¡°Ster Domain, Open!¡±


    BAM!


    Immediately as his voice fell, the surroundings around him vanished and changed. The cave walls, ground, and ceiling disappeared and what reced it was an infinite gxy filled with uncountable colorful stars and universes!


    ¡°Woah! It¡¯s¡­ Gorgeous!¡± was Khal¡¯s first impression of the breathtaking sight and stepped forward; however, the very moment he moved, a shocking scene followed to happen.


    When he raised his right foot and stepped an inch forward, the entirety of the gxy around him rotated forward too! However, the biggest surprise wasn¡¯t this, but Rubie, who suddenly cried out with pain and fell weakly from his shoulder right next to his feet!


    ¡°Rubie!¡± Khal became instantly worried by this and extended his arm to pick her up, but when he did the gxy around him rotated once again, causing Rubie to shriek up again but this time with greater pain.


    ¡°Fuck! Ster Domain, Close!¡±


    Swish!


    In a blink of an eye, the gxy around Khal shrunk and vanished from sight, revealing de Mountain¡¯s cave where he just was a few moments ago.


    ¡°Rubie¡­ Are you okay?¡± asked Khal as he raised her small body from the ground.


    Standing onto his ws atop his palm, Rubie shook her head gently and even staggered a few times doing so, seemingly confused about the past moments.


    But except that, nothing seemed to happen with her and she was perfectly safe and sound.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ Thank God!¡± sighed Khal with relief and put Rubie back onto his shoulder, ¡°Just what happened now? This new Power Core seems to be exceptionally powerful but I can¡¯t seem to understand its purpose¡­¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After the unexpected that happened with Rubie, Khal decided not to try out his newfound power but instead consume a few more Essence Particles to strengthen his Heaven¡¯s Eyes. Only after that did he go to Logan to continue fixing his Secret Art with his help.


    Naturally, when Logan noticed the Ruby Beast on Khal¡¯s shoulder he seemed to be surprised, but after hearing the story his only answer was a simple nod, and proceeded to ignore her.


    It appeared as though this wasn¡¯t the first time for him to see a real Beast follow a Cultivator.


    Two days passed in a blink of an eye, and soon the three days where he could do whatever he wanted to finallye.


    Because the tournament began less than a month, Khal decided to now strengthen his Power Cores before expanding his Body Essence.


    That is why he chose to go to Moon Mountain and y lower Stage Beasts at the bottom of the Mountain¡¯s feet.


    Now that he had a Rubie, two Power Cores, and his Diamond Skin with his Devil Fangs, Khal wasn¡¯t scared to hunt alone. If it weren¡¯t a powerful Beast on the Fifth Cultivation Stage or above, he could easily take care of any creature.


    But his worry was only useless because under the whole night he met no strong Beasts only weak ones. And even they were killed mercilessly and turned into solid corpses of ruby by Rubie, who in fact consumed not their Beast Essence as any normal Beast would, but their corpses which were transformed!


    She left the Beast Essence to Khal, while she merrily devoured the ruby corps like it was the most delicious meal in the world!


    ¡°Ruby Beasts are truly unique species,¡± eximed Khal with awe as he went to consume the Beast Essence.


    An entire night went on like this, and Khal was able to consume 23 Beast Essence under one night, pushing his Heaven¡¯s Eyes all the way to 71!


    Obviously, it was all thanks to Rubie who killed any Beast in their proximity like bats would insects; without her, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to consume even half of this.


    And what was even more surprising, that after consuming so many corpses without rest even Rubie seemed to be on the verge of a breakthrough into the Second Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°For the Fourth Stage, I just need 500 Beast Essence. I have no time to waste,¡± mumbled Khal as he watched the sun rising from the east.


    ¡°For the time being, I can¡¯t hunt here even if I try. Beasts on Moon Mountain hide the moment the sunes out so where should I go hunt for more Beast Essence?¡±


    Khal began to ponder on that question, but it wasn¡¯t long when suddenly his eyes brightened up with an idea, and a smile formed on his face.


    ¡°Shadow Woods. Even though it is extremely upied by Cultivators, there is something there that only I know about,¡± said Khal as the memories about a specific creature that almost killed him appeared inside his head.


    The Beast could hunt even stronger Cultivators than its Stage, but because of the sunlight, it¡¯s forced to hunt only on innocent preys or weak Beasts that walked into its territory.


    He was almost killed by it, but thanks to Moras¡¯ unexpected ¡®help¡¯, he was able to avoid being eaten by it.


    And now that he became stronger, way stronger than that time, Khal decided to kill that Beast!


    ¡°Ghost Spider¡­ I wonder if it became stronger or not,¡± said Khal, a slight curve forming on his face.

 Chapter 116: Prey Becomes Predator

    Chapter 116: Prey Bes Predator


    As the sun was hanging above the sky, Khal entered Shadow Woods with Rubie on his shoulder and walked toward the deepest part of it where the Ghost Spider was hiding.


    Cultivators around him that hunted for weak Beasts when saw Rubie on Khal¡¯s shoulder all became shocked, some even confused.


    ¡°A Summoner Talent? What Stage is that Beast on? It looks cute though.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only on the First Stage. And her owner¡­ Look at him he has¡­ Wait, isn¡¯t that guy?¡±


    As people realized that the hybrid Beast¡¯s owner was none other but Khal, everyone stayed silent and didn¡¯t dare to talk any louder.


    Khal was the one holding the Moon Robe and not only beat a Natural Born with two Talents but even crushed close to a hundred Cultivators single-handedly! Fearing that they will give rise to his wrath because they talked trash about his Beast all the Cultivators began to retreat and give space to him.


    Obviously, Khal noticed this and could only sigh helplessly, but in truth, this was what he wanted to. Not to be looked down on and avoiding being underestimated.


    He wanted to be strong and make others acknowledge his strength and now he reached it, or at least he earned others respect only in Moon Academy. As for other cities or people in farawaynds, it is inevitable to be looked down on, especially if his body didn¡¯t emit any Cultivation Presence.


    But this could change with Rubie here. If she was able to reach greater heights in strength others won¡¯t have a single thought he was weak.


    A Cultivator with a powerful Beast as hispanion? Who in their right mind would think that individual was weak? Only retards for sure.


    Walking among the woods toward the center of Shadow Woods, people watched as Khal¡¯s figure vanished from their sight a few momentster.


    ¡°What do you think he wants to do there?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know but to tell the truth, I don¡¯t really care at all. It is apparent he ns to hunt for Beasts in the danger zone so anything that happens with him there is only his own misfortune.¡± eximed a guy as he shed at a Beast akin to a rabbit, chopping its body in half.


    Khal walked for minutes in a straight line when he finally arrived where he first met with the Ghost Spider.


    About a hundred meters away from him the woods have already darkened, enveloping the whole forest before him intoplete darkness.


    ¡°It should be here,¡± said Khal in a low voice as his eyes already turned sky clear blue.


    After breaking into the Third Cultivation Stage with his Heaven¡¯s Eyes the radius of his sight expanded from 6 meters to 7 while his vision became even cleared. He even was able to see a bit of thing in the darkness before him.


    The Devil Fangs were tightly in his grasp while Rubie was calmly prying their surroundings with her tiny eyes.


    Silence filled the air and Khal waited patently, but even after several minutes, nothing happened. There was not even the slightest of sign that Ghost Spider would want to attack him.


    ¡°Did it change its habitat after Moras injured it? That should be impossible,¡± mumbled Khal as he knew that Beasts won¡¯t change their territory so easily.


    Raising his fan, Khal poured a bit of Essence into it and swung it horizontally.


    Swish!


    With a silver light, Khal¡¯s Essence broke forth from the fan, making the top of the trees¡¯ start to shake a bit.


    Drop¡­ Drop¡­ Drop¡­


    And just as he thought, the moment he did that small drops of blood began to fall onto the ground one after another, creating a small pond of blood after only ten seconds.


    ¡°It is still here.¡± thought Khal nonchntly as he watched that the blood was still fresh.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    Suddenly, Rubie who acted calm and quiet all this time now cried up loudly, her gaze fixed firmly on a tree not far away from Khal.


    ¡°It¡¯sing.¡± thought Khal as he knew Beast¡¯s had greater danger sense than humans and Rubie noticed the Ghost Spider¡¯s approach.


    Weaker Beasts had a greater sense about stronger enemies in their proximity than vice-versa.


    Khal tightened his grip gently on his weapon but waited patiently for the Beast to approach him. He acted as though he didn¡¯t notice Rubie¡¯s warning and pretended to be oblivious about the approaching danger.


    However, Rubie didn¡¯t know this and began to cry even louder whilst she even fluttered her wings wildly just to make Khal notice the problem.


    But just as she did, a sh appeared from above targeting Rubie¡¯s tiny figure on Khal¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°Just in your dreams!¡± said Khal loudly and in a sh moved.


    His feet got covered with blue Essence while his skin turned crystal ck. With a momentum that left a great and wide crater in the soil, Khal appeared a few meters away, while his eyes were firmly fixed on the spot where he just stood.


    There, about 5 meters away from him, a leg that was as thick as a human and as long as a pole was solidly pierced into the ground while a disgusting face with hundreds of eyes were staring down at him from above, a mixture of blood and drool flowing out from its jaw like water.


    ¡°There you are,¡± said Khal and without hesitation raised his arm.


    ¡°Ster Domain, Open!¡±


    BAM!


    With a great explosion, the forest vanished and what reced it was a limitless and infinite space filled with millions of stars and thousands of gxies!


    When he first tried his new power, Khal was unable to discover how to make Rubie immune to his domain¡¯s power, but after asking about Domain-type Talents from Logan, he got his answer.


    There were numerous Domain-type Talents. Some restricted powers, some boosted them and there were even some that affected the body or mind directly. But every Domain-Type Talent had onemon trait that was absolute; the power to decide who was affected and who was not!


    Simply put, just a simplemand from Khal could decide if the people in his domain were enemies or allies, resulting in them being affected by his Domain¡¯s power or not.


    And that is why, he concentrated on affecting only the Ghost Spider without causing harm to Rubie.


    And just as he belived it, it worked perfectly!


    The moment he moved his arm to the right resulting in the gxies and stars around him rotating to the right too, the spider suddenly fell down heavily while Rubie remained on his shoulder without any sign of harm.


    ¡°It truly worked!¡± eximed Khal merrily, and swing his arm to the left, making his domain rotate toward the left too.


    ¡°SCHREEEEh!!¡± with painful screeching as though someone was tortured, the Ghost Spider wanted to stand up, but only in vain.


    The moment it tried to push its massive physique up onto its legs, its figure began to wobble here and there akin to someone who was drunk and had no. bnce at all.


    ¡°Sit back down,¡± said Khal with a grin and swung his arm down without any hesitation.


    ¡°SCHREEEEECHH!!!¡± crying out with thunder loud blood-freezing shriek, the Ghost Spider¡¯s body copsed ponderously, drawing out a slight tremor in Khal¡¯s domain.

 Chapter 117: Ghost Spider Eggs

    Chapter 117: Ghost Spider Eggs


    ¡°This power is way more powerful than I have thought.¡± Khal¡¯s expression showed great surprise, never would he have thought his Ster Domain would be so dominant against the Ghost Spider.


    ¡°It is clearly on the Fourth Cultivation Stage but even like that it was unable to resist my domain. Just what is the nature of my domain?¡±


    This question made Khal wonder quite deeply because as far as he could see it his power was a Talent that affects his enemy¡¯s mind directly. Once he began to rotate the gxy around him, any individual in his domain would be incapable to move properly; or at least that what he noticed from his previous attempts so far.


    ¡°Well, at least killing it like this will be much easier,¡± said Khal, and without hesitation began to walk toward the Beast.


    ¡°SCREEEEEECH!!!¡±


    With painful howls that could put fear into any weak-minded Cultivator¡¯s heart, the Ghost Spider struggled to stand up, but whenever Khal took a step forward its body would tremble and drop back to the ground powerlessly.


    ¡°Just die for me!¡± said Khal and once he was next to the Beast swung his weapon vertically, drawing a crescent silver arc in the air.


    Swish!


    With a clean and smooth cut, Khal chopped the Ghost Spider¡¯s humongous head off, turning its colossal body into Beast Essence in a sh.


    ¡°This was surprisingly¡­ Easy.¡± thought Khal as he sat down and began to consume the Beast Essence.


    Sometimeter, about only 5 minutester, Khal opened his eyes while a voice sounded inside his head.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 16 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°16 out of 20? That¡¯s quite a decent amount.¡± a smile formed on Khal¡¯s face as he stood up and patted his clothes gently.


    ¡°Chirp!¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Khal as he noticed Rubie¡¯s abrupt change of behavior and began to examine his surroundings for any sign of threat.


    However, instead of continuing to flutter her wings, suddenly Rubie leaped into the air and began to fly toward the woods that was enveloped in abyss darkness.


    ¡°Chirp!¡± seeing as Khal didn¡¯te after her Rubie turned around and with a low sound signaled him to follow her.


    ¡°Did she find something?¡± Khal turned quite confused why Rubie decided to fly toward the danger zone but still decided to follow her.


    Walking among the towering woods where everything was so dark that even his Heaven¡¯s Eyes barely helped, Khal run closely behind Rubie and watched as she arrived before a huge hole in the ground and flew into it.


    ¡°A cave?¡± eximed Khal with shock and after examining it for a bit he began to descend after Rubie.


    The hole was about ten meters wide in radius while it was extremely deep. Luckily, it was not steep so Khal could safely descend without any external help, but even like that he made sure to stay on his guard.


    Whatever this ce led to, it was unknown what waited for him down there.


    After climbing down for almost 30 minutes straight, Khal gradually reached the bottom only to see something that he didn¡¯t think he would see.


    The cave was as enormous as three football stadiums put next to each other while on the ceiling blue crystals with different sizes and shapes shone the space below them with gentle blue light.


    However, this wasn¡¯t what made Khalpletely speechless, but the things found in this massively huge cave.


    Hundreds if not thousands of eggs with the size of a human baby were ced all over the ce, filling the cave almost to the absolute brim!


    ¡°The hideout of the Ghost Spider?¡± Khal watched the almost infinite amount of Ghost Spider Eggs on the ground and didn¡¯t know what to say.


    So many eggs¡­ If all of them seeded to hatch, not only Shadow Woods but even Moon Mountain and Moon City would end up in utter chaos!


    As Khal reached this point he nced at Rubie on the side, who already began to feast on the eggs even before he has arrived.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! This can be a huge opportunity! Even though these are only eggs, they are still on the First Cultivation Stage! If I can get one Beast Essence from each, getting a few hundred shouldn¡¯t pose a problem at all!¡±


    Immediately after he thought about this, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate at all and began to slice the eggs up, turning them into Beast Essence one after another.


    When there was more than 50 yellow mass in the air, Khal sat down and started to consume them.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 2 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡­]


    Consuming each Beast Essence without stopping even for a second, Khal felt as his Heaven¡¯s Eyes began to grow, approaching the next Stage at a rapid pace.


    Under a mere 10 minutes, his Heaven¡¯s Eyes reached from an amount of 87 to 164! If this went on, reaching the 500 margin wouldn¡¯t take him a lot of time.


    Bam!


    Just as he consumed a Beast Essence that gave him an amount of 3, suddenly Khal¡¯s eyes opened wide with shock only to see Rubie in the distance finally break into the Second Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°Nice,¡± eximed Khal merrily and watched as Rubie¡¯s body underwent great changes.


    Her tiny body grew a foot bigger whilst her crimson feathers turned a shade deeper than before. Her ws became sharper while her beak grew a bit longer too.


    ¡°She will be a great predator once she reaches the higher Stages.¡± thought Khal and continued to kill and consume the Ghost Spider¡¯s Essences.


    Time passed by in a blink of an eye, and after spending their time in the cave for close to an hour, Khal¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Eyes reached an entire amount of 342 Beast Essence!


    ¡°And this was thest one¡­¡± sighed Khal as he watched the final Ghost Spider Egg disappearing inside Rubie¡¯s belly, pushing her presence closer to the Third Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°This was quite a great harvest, wasn¡¯t it?¡± asked Khal from Rubie who just simply let out a satisfied pitch and flew back onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back,¡± said Khal quietly, and after making sure that they truly ate everything, Khal walked to the exit and began to climb back up.


    The way up was surprisingly smoother than when he descended, and after a bit less than half an hour Khal reached the surface safe and sound.


    Climbing out of the hole, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate to run, but not even after he took a step forward, a loud shriek as though thunder has descended from the skies came from behind his back.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± without waiting even for a second to find out what shrieked, Khal elerated his Essence around his feet and like a bullet exploded forward.


    BAM!


    Sprinting at the highest speed that his legs currently could bear, Khal watched as the trees around him turned blurry while Rubie on his shoulder held onto him tightly trying not to fall off.


    Only after running for straight 5 minutes without rest and seeing other Cultivators did he dare to slow down and breathe in a mouthful of fresh air to calm himself down.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that was, but I don¡¯t want to find it out,¡± eximed Khal in a low voice as he thought back how a cold shiver swept through his spine the moment that blood-freezing scream sounded behind his back.


    He could clearly remember that even Rubie trembled uncontrobly and was frozen in ce by the being that tried to approach them a few moments ago.

 Chapter 118: Buying Pills

    Chapter 118: Buying Pills


    After calming himself down and making sure nothing followed him, Khal walked out of Shadow Woods and began to wander on its outer part hoping to find a few weak Beasts he could kill.


    Cultivators were all over the ce so his search was quite hard, but thanks to his reputation in Moon Academy those who saw him immediately decided to keep their distance from him and hunt somewhere else.


    And naturally, Rubie helped him too to scare them away. Whenever they approached a group of Cultivators Rubie would stare at them with a piercing re or simply shriek up in a threatening manner; which in fact was still a little ¡®chirp¡¯ sound, but because of her Cultivation Stage she was still able to scare all of them away.


    And thanks to her, Khal was able to hunt a few First Stage Beasts and consume their Essence, but it seemed his fortune began to deplete after he visited the cave.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 1 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯]


    ¡°This was my 7th creature yet all of them only gave me 1. Well, considering that I just consumed more than 200 Essence in that cave, it¡¯s not a surprise at all that my luck began to lessen.¡± Khal stood up and raised his gaze toward the sky.


    ¡°It¡¯s still too early,¡± mumbled Khal and nced around, only to see the entire Shadow Woods be filled with Cultivators.


    ¡°This won¡¯t do it. I need to obtain Beast Essence faster than this. Except for de Mountain is there no other ways?¡± as Khal pondered suddenly his eyes brightened and took out his Cultivation Badge.


    /Name: Khal Nevio/


    ? Currency: 9.243 Silver Coins


    ? Age: 17


    ? Cultivation Talent: Sight Enhancement


    ? Cultivation Stage: Vessel


    ? Rank: E


    Looking at his currency that he only used to buy food and drinks Khal raised his face and a smile appeared on his face.


    ¨C


    Inside Moon Academy close to the cksmithing Department, Khal walked into the Pharmacy Department and looked around.


    The whole ce was like a huge garden, filled with different herbs, flowers, leaves and so much more, each having a different shape, color, and size.


    ¡°Esteemed Guest, what can I do for you?¡± a woman in a green uniform and Moon Academy¡¯s emblem visibly on her chest walked next to Khal and smiled warmly.


    ¡°Can I buy Essence Pills here? The quality is not important,¡± replied Khal,pletely ignoring the woman¡¯s shocked gaze on Rubie.


    The woman wasn¡¯t surprised by Khal¡¯s question because almost every Cultivator asked this same question and as a reply nodded immediately.


    ¡°Yes, we have, but because we are low on stock from them I can only give you Low-Quality ones.¡±


    ¡°As I said, the quality does not matter for me,¡± said Khal as he knew even a Low-Quality Essence Pill was able to give Cultivators 50 Beast Essence.


    ¡°I see, then how much Essence Pills do Esteemed Guest want to buy?¡± asked the woman, her warm smile never leaving her face.


    ¡°How much for one piece?¡±


    ¡°One piece of Low-Quality Essence Pill costs exactly 1000 Silver coins.¡±


    When Khal heard the answer he almost choked on his own saliva and couldn¡¯t utter a single word for quite a while.


    ¡°O-one thousand Silver coins? How much for a High-Quality Pill?¡± asked Khal, hardly believing it costs so much.


    One thousand Silver coins equaled 1 gold coin! An entire month of living for a normal family with 2 children! Yet, here only a single Low-Quality Essence Pill¡¯s price was that much! Buying one here and whoosh, one month of your earning vanished into thin air just like that! Wasn¡¯t this daylight robbery under the clear sky?


    ¡°One piece of High-Quality Essence Pill costs 10 Gold coins.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    The moment Khal heard this he stood there with a stupified expression, not knowing what he should think or say. This was simply madness on a whole other level!


    Obviously, the woman instantly understood what Khal thought from his reaction and that¡¯s why she smiled and asked again, ¡°How much Low-Quality Essence Pill does Esteemed Guest want to buy?¡±


    The question pulled Khal back to reality right away and after pondering for a while he sighed and said, ¡°Five pieces¡­ Please.¡±


    The woman upon hearing this beamed like sun and after a polite bow talked warmly, ¡°Understood. Please wait here, I will be right back.¡±


    Walking away and disappearing behind the corner which in fact was a tree, Khal waited for 2 minutes and the woman appeared once again.


    ¡°Here, five pieces of Low-Quality Essence Pills.¡± said the woman and handed over a small box to Khal. In it, 5 small pills, almost as tiny as beans were ced, each shining with a gentle yellow shade.


    ¡°Together with the box, it will be 5 Gold coins and 100 Silver coins.¡±


    ¡°!?¡± Khal instantly raised his head upon hearing the price and instantly shook his head and said, ¡°I will only take the pills then.¡±


    ¡°As you wish.¡± said the woman calmly, but her eyes couldn¡¯t hide her disdain.


    Handing his Cultivation Badge over, the woman took down 5000 Silver coins from his currency, leaving on it only 4.243 Silver coins.


    ¡°Thank you very much!¡± said the woman as she walked Khal out with a wave.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ 100 Silver coins for a fucking box? That¡¯s an entire breakfast, lunch, and dinner altogether for fuck sake!¡± cursed Khal out loud as he nced at the 5 pieces of Essence Pills in his hand.


    ¡°I paid 5 Gold coins for all of you so be good and give me a lot of Beast Essences! Please¡­¡± mumbled Khal and put the first pill into his mouth.


    Immediately as he swallowed it down, a refreshing feeling passed through his body just like previously and soon a voice appeared inside his head.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 9 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    Khal listened to the voice in his head and his face instantly turned sour.


    ¡°Next one!¡± said Khal and put the second pill into his mouth.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 6 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°Next!¡±


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 8 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°Come on! I don¡¯t believe this! This is fucking scamming!¡±


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 2 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Khal stared motionlessly at the final pill inside his hold with a darkened expression, his hand slightly trembling from anger.


    ¡°Five. Thousand. Gold. Coins¡­ Five thousand Gold coins for 25 God damn Beast Essence! 25!¡± said Khal, feeling insanely angry he only got 25 from 4 Essence Pills that could have given him 100 at least!


    He felt angry not because he was unlucky, but because he felt kind of scammed.


    Five thousand Silver Coins for a mere 25 Beast Essence didn¡¯t worth it at all and Khal knew this clearly.


    ¡°Argh, please Gods! If you can hear me above there please help me get a decent amount this time!¡± said Khal loudly towards the skies, and threw the pill into his mouth.


    However, just as it was about to fell into his mouth, a crimson color shed before his eyes only to see Rubie swallowing the pill on his other shoulder.


    And just as she gulped down the pill, her presence skyrocketed and in a sh, she reached the peak of the Second Cultivation Stage in one go!


    Only one more push and she will be able to break sessfully into the Third Cultivation Stage!


    However, Khal couldn¡¯t feel happy about this at all because it was quite apparent that the amount of Beast Essence Rubie just got from that pill was quite a decent amount.


    It was definitely above 30 and the one getting it was not him but her!


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have bought those pills and should have started to cultivate in de Mountain!¡± mumbled Khal in a low voice.


    ¡°?¡±


    Turning her tiny eyes toward him upon hearing his voice, Rubie stepped closer to his face and in a loving manner began to stroke herself against his cheeks causing Khal to sigh and pat her on the head gently.

 Chapter 119: Forge. Learn. Consume. Repeat.

    Chapter 119: Forge. Learn. Consume. Repeat.


    After spending more than half of his wealth on the pills, Khal decided to consume Essence Particles in de Mountain at day while hunting for Beasts on Moon Mountain at night.


    Like this, after his remaining 2 days he was able to raise his Heaven¡¯s Eyes all the way to 411 pushing him extremely close to the Fourth Cultivation Stage.


    And just like that, a new week began and the time for him to go and forge with Bazz arrived once again.


    Because now he was finally able to forge a piece of rod normally without any exterior help, Bazz decided to teach him how to refine the most basic material in the world to perfection, the Glowcopper!


    Glowcopper was a piece of metal that was the mostmon material in the Federation. They used Glowcopper to create Low-Quality weapons, artifacts, boxes, armors, shields and so much more. Even Bronze coins had a small amount of Glowcopper in them, so it was truly a material that can be found everywhere.


    The refining process of a Glowcopper was quite easy and even a beginner could refine it to perfection after a few tries, but its tempering part was what made it hard to forge. Because Glowcopper lit up with almost blinding light every time they got hit during Soul Thread Tempering, it was quite hard to see and strike the right point you wanted to.


    And that¡¯s what Khal did in the following 2 days. Bazz taught him first how to perfectly refine it with the Soul Thread Refining technique before trying to temper it.


    But what Khal found pleasantly surprised that even though he made several mistakes that not even a beginner would do, Bazz decided not to torture him like the previous times but let him rest at night which Khal dly epted. Using it to sleep for a bit then consume Essence Particles in de Mountain, Khal was able to learn how to forge and be stronger at the same time.


    After 2 more days, Khal went to fix his Secret Art with Logan, but because the remaining 3 Forms that still needed to be fixed were harder than the first 4, Khal had quite a hard time even with Logan¡¯s help.


    But naturally, the nights were Khal¡¯s so he was able to steadily consume Essence every day.


    When thest 3 days of the week finally came, Khal¡¯s Heaven¡¯s Eyes reached an amount of 467, meaning he only needed 33 Beast Essence to break into the Fourth Cultivation Stage!


    That is why instead of going to hunt, where it wasn¡¯t sure he would get enough Beast Essence under 1 night, Khal remained in de Mountain for a bit more than 1 day to break into the next Stage!


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eye has reached the Fourth Cultivation Stage!]


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Ster Domain has reached the Fourth Cultivation Stage!]


    Khal felt ecstasy upon hearing the voice inside his head as his belief seems to be true. Just like how he has thought, he only needed to strengthen and reach the next Stage with one of his Power Cores to make the other one follow suit!


    ¡°Fourth Stage¡­ To reach the Fifth Stage I need 1000 Beast Essence. Will I be able to reach it under two weeks?¡± pondered Khal deeply when suddenly a loud power erupted out from his side, from above his shoulder!


    Bam!


    ¡°?¡± turning his gaze to the left, Khal watched as Rubie¡¯s body underwent great changes once again, while her presence broke into the Third Cultivation Stage in a sh!


    ¡°Screech!¡± with a sharper and way more intimidating pitch, Rubie cried out gently toward Khal, seemingly happy as she finally reached the Third Cultivation Stage.


    ¡°Woah, look at you! You have grown up a lot!¡± eximed Khal with shock, hardly believing that Rubie was born less than half a month ago!


    Not only his appearance grew bigger and be way more intimidating, but even her aura leaked a kind of majestic aura that only a few Beasts had.


    This type of cultivation speed was simply too fast!


    ¡°Well, considering she ate several hundreds of corpses, eggs and even was able to consume the Essence Particles here¡­ It¡¯s not a surprise at all.¡±


    Khal understood clearly that reaching the first few Stages was not hard at all, because the only thing you had to do was to consume enough Beast Essence.


    Naturally, the time you needed to reach the next Stage grew every time you broke through, but once one reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage everything changed.


    From that point on every Stage required a kind of ¡®enlightenment¡¯ or special item to let the Cultivator break into the next Stage while enough Beast Essence was a must too.


    For example, to break into the Sixth Cultivation Stage, into the so-called Cultivator Stage, one needed to open up one of the 24 sealed Essence Paths in the body. Without that, even if one consumed enough Beast Essence, breaking into that Stage will only remain as a dream!


    In truth, a lot of Cultivators failed to step into the Sixth Cultivation Stage as opening one sealed Essence Path was way harder than swallowing a sword for the first time without dying! It was an extremely dangerous process and if one failed or opened it unsessfully it could result in dire consequences!


    But for the time being, there was no reason for Khal to worry about things like that but simply make sure he reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage before the tournament began.


    If he were able to reach it then his chances for survival would increase by leaps and bounds! But in reality, consuming 1000 Beast Essence only under a mere two weeks¡­ Well, that was something impossible to achive, but he will make sure to do everything in his power to turn the impossible into possible.


    ¡°I will do my best and see what the future holds to me.¡± sighed Khal as he continued to consume the Essence Particles from the air.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Days after days have passed in a blink of an eye, and when Khal was not forging with Bazz or fixing his Secret Art with Logan he did everything in his power to strengthen his Talents as fast as he possibly could.


    Let it be consuming Essence Particles in de Mountain or hunting on Moon Mountain for Beasts, Khal consumed Essence as though there was tomorrow.


    Naturally, he still met with Liza and Nate asionally when he went hunting onto Moon Mountain, but except for that and a few mundane things he spent almost his entire days with three stuff; forging with Bazz, learning with Logan, and consuming Essence together with Rubie.


    ¡°So it¡¯s tomorrow huh?¡± sighed Khal inside the dark cave as he realized that only one day remained for the start of the tournament.


    As silence filled the dark cave, Khal pondered for a while and nced at Rubie on his shoulder.


    ¡°Should I meet her?¡± asked Khal from Rubie as Liza¡¯s figure appeared in her mind.


    Maybe he met with her a few times, in truth he did spend more than a few minutes with her ever since they enrolled into this Academy. But now that only one day remained for the tournament and his life was unknown, for some reason Khal wanted to spend thisst day with her.


    ¡°Haha, such an odd yet familiar sensation.¡± thought Khal as he knew that Liza was not Nancy, yet, for some strange reason he couldn¡¯t stop his heart pounding hard whenever he thought about her.


    Rubie looked up at Khal, seemingly confused about what he tried to say. Ever since she broke into the Third Cultivation Stage her intelligence level became higher, but knowing what Khal tried to say was still out of her understanding.


    She could understand simplemands such ase here or stop, butplex sentences were still out of question; maybe once he reaches higher Stages she will be able to, but that is a mystery that the future holds.


    After sometimeter Khal just smiled and stood up, ¡°What question is even that? Isn¡¯t the answer quite obvious?¡±


    With that, Khal took out his key from his pocket, and with a gentle flick with it in the air, he split the space before him into two.

 Chapter 120: Dinner

    Chapter 120: Dinner


    As the moon just emerged from the east bringing darkness upon half of the world, a girl was slowly walking on Moon Academy¡¯s streets, seemingly anxious about something.


    It was Liza, who decided to get some fresh air below the starry sky to calm herself down. Since she realized that less than a day remained before Khal set off to the capital to that hellish tournament with his own life on the line, she couldn¡¯t help but feel extremely worried.


    When she lost against him a month ago she didn¡¯t realize this as she didn¡¯t want to, but now that only one day remained she finally acknowledged the fact that this could be the veryst moment she could meet him again!


    Just the thought alone that she won¡¯t be able to see him again made her heart tighten and feel an indescribable feeling that she only felt once in her entire life¡­


    When she lost her parents¡­


    That¡¯s why she walked to Moon Academy¡¯s gate in the hope she could see him and apany him on his hunt, yet, who would have thought that even after standing there for an entire hour, not even his shadow could be glimpsed.


    ¡°Did he decided to get some rest? No, that can¡¯t be true. He is not that stupid to spend hisst day asleep! He must have already set off to Moon Mountain!¡± eximed Liza loudly, biting her lower lip gently as her eyes shed with even greater anxiety.


    But who would have thought that just as she was about to go to Moon Mountain after Khal, a warm voice came from behind her back, making her body flinch scarcely.


    ¡°Why are you out here sote? By any chance, you were hoping to find me?¡±


    Turning around in a sh, Liza was dumbfounded to notice that Khal was looking at her with a wide grin, quite apparent what he was thinking.


    But her shock didn¡¯tst long because a secondter she hugged herself and with the same smile as him, she asked, ¡°And what if I was?¡±


    Khal was surprised to hear Liza¡¯s honest answer as he had never expected it, so simply shrugged and stepped closer to her, his eyes deeply staring into hers.


    ¡°Wh-what?¡± asked Liza in a low voice, her cheeks turning mildly rosy unknown what Khal nned to do.


    Khal seeing Liza¡¯s reaction couldn¡¯t help but smile even wider and avert his gaze toward the city and ask, ¡°Are you hungry? Let¡¯s go eat something. I am starving!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Liza turned speechless after hearing Khal¡¯s question and even stumbled a bit, but couldn¡¯t even reply as Khal has already grabbed her hand and pulled her away in a sh.


    ¡°I know a great ce. The food there is remarkably delicious! You will like it for sure!¡± said Khal merrily and pulled the stupified Liza behind him toward the city.


    ¨C


    Moon City was a rtively popr ce among Cultivators and merchants where one could buy and sell almost everything.


    From High-Quality weapons all the way to everyday stuff, there was almost everything; except those things that only was sold in the capital city, but even those were only a few.


    And exactly because of this that hundreds if not thousands of people came and went from day to day, ces such as luxurious restaurants were a must!


    For example, Moon City¡¯s most renowned restaurant, the Lunar Tavern was where food was so delicious that all the people leaving that ce felt like they were blessed by the Moon Goddess herself!


    There were even Cultivators from several points of the continent that came just because of its well-known reputation! No matter what, all of them desired to taste it!


    And this is the exact ce where Khal brought Liza.


    ¡°Esteemed Guests, wee to Lunar Tavern! My name is Lily, what can I do for you?¡± asked a kind woman in herte twenties, obviously looking at Khal and Liza like a couple especially that Khal still held Liza by her arm.


    ¡°A table for tw-, for three, please,¡± said Khal as he realized Rubie was there too.


    ¡°Understood Sir, please follow me.¡± with a warm smile, Lily turned around and began to show the way for the three.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Khal, his hand still firmly holding Liza¡¯s palm.


    The interior of the restaurant was nothing but chintzy. Crystalmps with yellow stones on them on the sides, while several golden chandeliers hung from high above with several hundreds of tiny candles burning on them with gentle light. The floor was made out of not marble nor wood but out of royal red carpet, while the white jade pirs between the tables were decorated with golden jewels, giving the whole ce a cozy and noble atmosphere.


    As Khal and Liza examined the sight around them with awe, Lily stopped before a table next to a wide window and gestured toward it.


    ¡°How about this, Sir? Our Table 21; the best spot for couples with Tamed Beasts.¡±


    ¡°What? Coup-¡°


    ¡°Yes, it will be perfect,¡± said Khal in a sh right before Liza could have, and moved her to sit down.


    After both of them sat down Khal looked up at Lily beside their table and asked, ¡°What kind of food do you rmend for us?¡±


    ¡°We have Thermal-Cooked Dragon Wings with Hellme Sd which is a perfect choice if you want to feel refreshed after a tiring day. But we also have the Hundred vored Ice Rabbit Limbs that can ease both the mind and body. Both of them are the most delicious food on our today¡¯s menu so I am quite confident you will like them.¡±


    Tilting his gaze at Liza, Khal looked at her and waited for her response.


    ¡°They truly sound good, but¡­ They seem way too expen-¡°


    ¡°We want 2 from each please,¡± replied Khal toward Lily, not waiting for Liza to finish her sentence.


    ¡°Khal! You¡­¡±


    ¡°Understood Sir! I will serve your food right away!¡± bowed Lily and without any further question walked away with hurried steps.


    Khal smiled merrily upon seeing this and turned her head toward Liza, but his smile immediately turned into a frown, ¡°What?¡±


    Liza who stared at Khal with a piercing stare stayed silent for a very long time and only sometimeter did she ask, ¡°What is this all about?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what is this all about¡¯? Can¡¯t I invite you for a dinner without a reason? Hell, we didn¡¯t even spend time together ever since we enrolled into the Academy!¡±


    ¡°That is true.¡± nodded Liza, but her eyes were still firmly locked on Khal, ¡°But why now and here? I mean, we could have eaten together whenever we wanted to and in ces where food and things are not this¡­ luxurious¡­¡±


    ¡°I thought we should try this out. It was a very long time since¡­¡± began to say Khal but abruptly stopped in mid-sentence as he noticed Liza¡¯s change of emotion.


    ¡°Sorry.¡± apologized Khal in a sh, ¡°In all honesty, even myself can¡¯t answer that question properly. I just simply wanted to spend some time with you before I leave this city.¡±


    Liza nced at Khal and after a brief silence she could only sigh and say coldly, ¡°If you dare say to me that you brought me here because you fear you won¡¯t see me again I will stand up right away and leave.¡±


    ¡°Wha¡­ No! Of course not! I already told you why!¡± waved Khal his hand hurriedly, but still couldn¡¯t help but start sweating profusely.


    Of course, he brought her here because he feared he won¡¯t see her again, but it was also true he wanted to spend some time with her! Damn, they talked only for a few minutes daily even though they should have talked more than that!


    That was his major reason for bringing her here, and anything else was secondary.


    Liza stared at Khal for quite a while, but no matter what she tried to think about, Khal had a point so could do nothing but sigh.


    ¡°Sure, whatever¡­¡±

 Chapter 121: A Secret

    Chapter 121: A Secret


    ¡°Anyway, what Cultivation Stage are you on? I hope you don¡¯t want to say you are still on the Third Stage!¡± asked Liza as she locked her gaze with Khal¡¯s.


    ¡°What? Of course not! In fact, I have already reached the Middle Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage!¡± eximed Khal proudly, making Rubie on his shoulder flutter her wings in approval too.


    ¡°What? How?¡± asked Liza, seemingly shocked by what Khal just said.


    If anyone told her that they reached the Middle Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage from the Low Phase of the Third Cultivation Stage under a single month, then she wouldugh out loud for sure.


    But seeing Khal¡¯s dead seriousplexion while also knowing he was not the type of guy who loved joking with things like this so casually, she didn¡¯t know how to react.


    Even herself, with a Natural Born Talent, was still on the Upper Phase of the Third Cultivation Stage, so what Khal just said was something extremely hard to believe!


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ Impossible,¡± eximed Liza loudly, her voice carrying a bit of doubt.


    ¡°But it is not,¡± said Khal and activated his Heaven¡¯s Eyes, making his Cultivation Presence leak out from his body gently, avoiding to scare or attracting unwanted attention from other guests around them.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Liza was unable to find words she wanted to say as she stared at Khal like aplete freak.


    His cultivation speed was everything but not normal! Saying that it was abnormal would be aplete understatement!


    ¡°But how?¡±


    ¡°Well even myself can hardly believe it, but my luck was pretty good in thest month,¡± said Khal as he began to exin to Liza how he, or to be more precise, how Rubie found the Ghost Spider¡¯s hideout about 2 weeks ago that gave them a huge boost in their cultivation.


    ¡°And also let¡¯s not forget that I have de Mountain where I can improve my Talent way faster than normal cultivation,¡± said Khal as he got to the end of his story after 10 minutes of straight-talking.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why she seems so powerful. I found it strange at first but now it is only natural for her to be so strong under such a short span of time.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± smiled Khal as he patted Rubie on her head, ¡°Would you have believed a month ago if I tell you I will have a Tamed Beast in the future?¡±


    ¡°Definitely not. Particrly because it was you who once said you hated Beasts, especially those with wings.¡±


    ¡°Really? Did I say something like that?¡± asked Khal with a wry smile as he felt Rubie¡¯s piercing re on his skin, ¡°I am quite sure I just joked about that.¡±


    ¡°Well, it could be, yeah,¡± said Liza with a smile as she noticed Khal¡¯s and Rubie¡¯s reaction between each other.


    ¡°Sir, Mdy, your food.¡± Lily who walked away not long ago appeared next to their table once again, but this time both her hands full with 4 tes.


    cing two tes before Liza and the remaining two before Khal, Lily bowed politely and walked away.


    Khal stared at the two types of food before him as he didn¡¯t know what to say; in his eyes, both of them seemed masterpieces!


    The one on the left was obviously the Thermal-Cooked Dragon Wings with Hellme Sds. The two pieces of wings on the tes were as big as human feet and looked exceptionally tasty. Their colors were perfectly cooked with a color of gray-brown without any shade of pink or red.


    The Hellmes around them looked even greater as they looked exactly like mes! They were dark red and the veins on their surface shone with an even darker red as they emitted a bit of heat at the same time.


    On the other hand, the Hundred voured Rabbit Limbs were theplete opposite. While their size was surprisingly the same as that of the Dragon Wings, their color was bright blue in color whilst the te around it were frozen because of the cold aura it exuded.


    ¡°Woah! This looks super delicious!¡± eximed Liza loud, her eyes shining like stars, but immediately realized her mistake so cleared her throat and nced up at Khal.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t mind this at all and just smiled as he picked up the twares from the table.


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±


    With that, Khal cut a slice off from the Rabbit Limb and put it into his mouth.


    ¡°!?¡±


    However, in a sh, his eyes widened with shock, while his movements halted abruptly.


    It was delicious! Not, it was more than that¡­ It was heavenly and even that would not describe how Khal felt!


    Right now, there were truly hundreds of vors in his mouth from salty to sweet and even seasonings that he has never tasted ever before!


    Liza seeing Khal¡¯s expression didn¡¯t hesitate and put a piece of Dragon Wing with Hellme Sd into her mouth as she began to savor it carefully.


    However, her expression was exactly that of Khal¡¯s; pure bliss and indescribable shock!


    Khal even gave a few slices to Rubie, but even the little bird couldn¡¯t stop but show ecstasy upon swallowing the food.


    There were no words that could describe how they felt, but even if there were they wouldn¡¯t care to say them. They simply are the food, trying to enjoy and savor the vors as much as they could without saying a single word.


    But sometimeter, when they were close to the final slices, Liza¡¯s movements gradually slowed down and abruptly stopped.


    Khal naturally noticed this and stopped too and frowned, ¡°Something the matter?¡±


    Liza who seemed so merry suddenly nced at Khal with worry in her eyes, causing Khal to frown instantly.


    ¡°Khal, I need to tell you something,¡± said Liza suddenly, her arms already lowered.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± said Khal, curious what Liza tried to say.


    Liza struggled a bit on how to start her sentence but after seeing Khal seemed confused she sighed and said, ¡°I need to tell you something which I kept as a secret until now.¡±


    ¡°A secret?¡±


    ¡°Yes, a secret which I wanted to avoid telling you, but now that you go to that tournament I have no choice but to say it to you.¡±


    Khal put down the silverware onto the table and stayed silent. Whatever Liza was about to say seemed to be something extremely serious so he must listen to her with the same gravity too.


    Liza waited for a second and only then did she open her mouth, ¡°In the past few months, I¡¯m having the same dreams over and over again. A dream where I got killed.¡±


    ¡°What? You get killed? By who?¡± asked Khal, seemingly confused.


    ¡°Yes, but as for by who I don¡¯t know. Their faces were all blurry so I can¡¯t recall their faces. However, this is not what matters but the event after this.¡±


    When Khal heard this he looked surprised as he knew that once one died in their dreams they would wake up no matter what, knowing it was just a simple nightmare.


    However, a dream where one continued to sleep even after you were killed¡­ He never heard about something like that.


    ¡°After I was killed, I was able to see myself from outside the body and even another 3 corpses next to mine. They seemed strangers but for some strange reason they felt quite close to me.¡±


    Khal seemed to be confused, but for some reason deep inside his heart, he felt something was not right here.


    ¡°But what happens after this where things get confusing for me. Once I die and see those corpses, the next thing I was able to see was¡­ you as you killed yourself.¡±


    ¡°¡­Eh?¡±

 Chapter 122: Shocking!

    Chapter 122: Shocking!


    Khal stayed motionless, his face holding indescribable confusion.


    Got killed in her dream and even saw his demise? Which he caused himself bymitting suicide? Wasn¡¯t this somewhat¡­ Familiar?


    Khal subconsciously swallowed down his saliva and asked, ¡°About the part where you got to see those three corpses¡­ What was their outer appearance? Their age, heights¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Liza seemed surprised by Khal¡¯s sudden questions and began to ponder, ¡°Well, just like how I can¡¯t remember the faces who killed me the same goes for them too. However, if I am right, they were a couple in their forties while the third one was a young boy only in his early teens. Maybe it was their child but I am not quite sure about that part.¡±


    Khal lowered his hand below the table and tightened it into a fist while he started to sweat profusely.


    Those there corpses¡­ Weren¡¯t they Nancy¡¯s past parents and her little brother? No, that can¡¯t be. Maybe just a simple coincidence.


    As Khal pondered deeply and tried not to raise his hope for no reason, Liza sighed and continued, ¡°Though, what makes me confused the most the way you died.¡±


    ¡°The way I died? How did I end my life?¡± asked Khal, curious and at the same time nervous to know how hemitted suicide.


    ¡°It was strange, the whole dream was strange. It rained and you were standing on top of a strange building. He¡¯ll, it was almost as big as a mountain! Almost like the realm pir but with only difference it was full of windows and was made out of some kind of alloy akin to steel!¡± eximed Liza with awe in her eyes.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t seem to be happy nor shocked, but instead, hisplexion stiffened rock solid.


    ¡°Haha, interesting. Don¡¯t tell me in your dream I died because I decided to jump down. Haha, that would be hrious!¡± chuckled Khal with a wry smile etched on his face.


    ¡°Actually, yes. You truly did threw yourself down and that¡¯s exactly how you died,¡± eximed Liza in an instant.


    ¡°!?¡±


    At this moment Khal couldn¡¯t help himself but tremble uncontrobly. His arms, especially his fingers began to shake like leaves in a cold autumn afternoon whilst thick bean-sized sweat drops began to form on his forehead, neck, and back.


    At this point, there was no mistake about it at all. That dream was his and her final moments from their past life! His and his girlfriend¡¯s, Nancy¡¯s!


    ¡°But how? Then this means she is her? Nancy? Did she get reincarnated too? But if yes, why can¡¯t she remember it properly like me? How is this possible?¡±


    Questions one after another popped up in Khal¡¯s head, putting his mind intoplete chaos in a split second!


    ¡°And that¡¯s why I think this is a sign. A hint that tells me you shouldn¡¯t go to that tournament! There¡­ You will just die!¡± said Liza, her eyes bing a bit teary from the worry she was currently feeling.


    However, her worry gradually became confusion as she noticed that Khal didn¡¯t react at all but instead remained indifferent without any hint of emotion on his face!


    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t believe me?¡± asked Liza in a low voice, thinking that Khal didn¡¯t trust her words.


    ¡°Of course I believe you, it¡¯s just¡­¡± began to say Khal, but couldn¡¯t finish his sentence as he didn¡¯t know how to.


    He can¡¯t just go and say, ¡®Hey, in fact, that was your memory from your past life and both of us got reincarnated into this world!¡¯, can he?


    Things now were way moreplicated than that and Khal needed time to soothe his thoughts out.


    That¡¯s why instead of talking he simply waved his hand toward Lily, and said, ¡°Please, I would like to pay.¡±


    ¡°Understood, Sir. Please wait a moment.¡± bowed Lily and went away to bring the bill for him.


    On the other hand, however, Liza seemed sad and didn¡¯t know what to say. In her eyes, it seemed that Khal didn¡¯t believe her at all and even thought she wanted to stop him with such a ridiculous lie.


    But in reality, she really saw that kind of dream night after night, and she truly belived it was a sign for her to stop Khal from participating in the tournament.


    She thought telling him this would change his mind, but it turned out to be a huge mistake. Maybe she did theplete opposite and made him hate her for trying to stop him!


    As she reached this point of thought, Liza subconsciously lowered her head in shame and stayed silent, dwelling deeply in her thoughts.


    ¡°Sir, here is your bill.¡± said Lily suddenly, as she handed a piece of paper to Khal, ¡°It will be two Gold coins and four hundred Silver coins in total!¡±


    Without even caring about the price, Khal paid the amount with his Badge and stood up, ¡°Thank you very much. The food was delicious.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d to hear that. Please,e next time!¡± bowed Lily with a beaming smile and then escorted them out.


    The two walked back to the Academy, but even after they have spent their time together in an amazing restaurant, they didn¡¯t speak a word.


    Instead, the silence between them was so heavy and grave that it felt almost like they were at a funeral!


    That¡¯s why, once they stepped through the Academy¡¯s gate, Liza nced up at Khal and smiled, ¡°Thank you very much for the food, it was amazing. As for what I have just told you¡­ Please just forget it. It was my mistake to tell you.¡±


    Without even waiting for Khal¡¯s answer, Liza took out her key from her pocket and with a white sh vanished into thin air.


    Khal on the other hand didn¡¯t move but simply stared at the spot where Liza vanished; currently, his face and mind were holding so many emotions that it was simply impossible to count.


    ¨C


    The next day has arrived surprisingly fast and when the sun appeared high above the sky Logan, Jas, Bazz, and some of the teachers and students from Moon Academy stood before the gate, all of them waiting for Khal to arrive.


    Liza was among the crowd too, but because of what happened yesterday she was unable to sleep or practice, and now she even seemed quite exhausted.


    ¡°There he is!¡±


    Suddenly a guy among the crowd yelled loudly, causing everyone around him to turn their heads to the side in an instant.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± asked Jas from Khal once he arrived before them with Rubie.


    ¡°She reached the Third Cultivation Stage already?¡± wondered Jas as he knew that Rubie was still a newborn, but naturally didn¡¯t let his surprise be shown on his face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded Khal only after he saw Nate¡¯s smile and nod from the side; it seems he got the letter he sent with Rubie yesterday night, so he was at ease.


    ¡°Perfect. Anything you want to say before you go?¡± asked Jas calmly.


    Khal nced toward Liza¡¯s direction, but instead of saying something he simply shook his head, ¡°There is nothing.¡±


    ¡°I see. Then I wish the best of luck for you,¡± said Jas and tilted his gaze at Logan.


    Logan nodded as an answer and after cing his hand on his shoulder he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get going, we have quite a few things to do in the capital.¡±


    And just like that, everyone watched Khal vanished into thin air together with Logan, leaving Moon Academy maybe for thest time¡­

 Chapter 123: Haven City

    Chapter 123: Haven City


    Ephus, the name that was bestowed upon the where humans lived in the First Realm by both humans and beings from the Second Realm, the Realm of Cultivation.


    Ephus, in truth, was quite simr to Earth from Khal¡¯s previous life with the sole difference that it was about 3 timesrger and there were only 4 continents, each having its ownws and leaders.


    Luckily, Khal was blessed enough to live on the most peaceful continent out of the four, on the Southern Continent!


    In stark contrast to the Western Continent where Cultivators were in never-ending war between each other, people on the Southern Continent lived in harmony, all thanks to the fact that all Cities there formed a permanent alliance with each other, creating a so-called Federation.


    To put it simply, all the cities were led by the Cultivator¡¯s Organization but hadplete independence in internal affairs let it be creating specialws or the prices of things there.


    And this Federation¡¯s capital was the biggest city on the Southern Continent, named Haven City!


    Haven City was about 20 times bigger than Moon City with millions of Cultivators living there in happiness without any sign of conflict between each other.


    And exactly in this city, where even the impossible could turn into the possible, the Thousand Life Tournament, the biggest event on the Southern Continent was finally held again after an entire decade!


    ¡°Holy mother of God! This city wall is huge!¡± eximed Khal with shock, his head almostpletely bent backward as he tried to get a glimpse of the top of the wall before him.


    Compared to Moon City¡¯s walls that were already huge, this was on apletely different level. He could even say if he was an ant before an elephant back in Moon City, then right now he was also an ant but before a huge fucking giant!


    The sizeparison was simply a joke that made Khal feel so helpless that he didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    ¡°Just what kind of Beasts are they trying to protect this city against with such a huge wall? A hord of giants or what?¡± thought Khal as he watched Logan who began to walk toward the gate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We need to register ourselves for the tournament and upy our rooms in the hotel.¡±


    ¡°What kind of hotel will we stay in? Also, why do we have to register? Didn¡¯t you say that every Academy sends only one participant?¡± asked Khal curiously from Logan¡¯s side.


    ¡°You ask too much.¡± sighed Logan quietly, but still proceeded to exin, ¡°I indeed said every Academy could send only one participant, but I never said they must send one. Just as you had the choice to decide not to participate without giving the Moon Robe to anyone, other Academies had the same right too. So asions, where Academies decided not to send their participants are not rare, so the registration process is a must.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± nodded Khal, ¡°And how long will the tournamentst?¡±


    ¡°About a week, but only for the winner. As for the rest, it depends how long they survive,¡± said Logan, his mouth forming a grin which made Khal¡¯s mood immediately drop a level.


    The two walked among the hundreds of thousands of Cultivators and sometimeter the two finally arrived before a huge building, with a huge sign on its top.


    ¡®Resort of Paradise¡¯


    ¡°Esteemed Guests, I am deeply sorry but for the week we ar-¡°


    ¡°We are from Moon Academy,¡± said Logan in a sh, giving the woman a crest that had Moon Academy¡¯s emblem on it.


    As the woman saw the crest in Logan¡¯s hand herplexion immediately turned shocked and bowed, ¡°I am deeply sorry for my unwanted rudeness! Please, this way.¡±


    As the woman gestured toward them, Khal and Logan followed her inside the building and watched as she led the way forward with steady steps.


    Sometimeter, the two arrived before a huge door and the woman turned around to face them.


    With a polite look on her face she bowed once again and said, ¡°Esteemed Guests, we are here.¡±


    Right as her voice fell, the doors unlocked, opening into a huge hall filled with several other Cultivators too.


    The hall was full of tables with foods and drinks ced on them in a gracious manner, while on the very opposite side of the hall was a small tform about a few meters in size.


    ¡°Please go inside and enjoy the foods and drinks until Master Adames. He will be here soon.¡±


    Logan nodded as he knew who Master Adam was and without asking anything else walked inside with Khal on his side.


    The very moment they did, however, all the Cultivators inside turned to look at them, their eyes fixed especially on Khal.


    ¡°That is the Moon Robe. They are from the Moon Academy!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Why can¡¯t I feel any presence from that guy? Is he Talentless?¡±


    ¡°Did you go insane? He is hiding it on purpose! But as I can see he has a Beast Summoner Talent. And especially quite a powerful one.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just on the Third Cultivation Stage.¡±


    Cultivators began to whisper between each other as they evaluated Khal¡¯s strength the very moment he stepped inside.


    Some of them ignored the very moment they noticed Rubie and her Cultivation Stage on Khal¡¯s shoulder as in their eyes it was nothing but average, while some even began to ridicule him as he exhibited his Talent before everyone present.


    The most important rule that everyone knew as to never showcase your Talent and strength before a battle as you can easily find yourself dead!


    Especially if you had a Summoner type Talent!


    Those with such Talent must hide the fact they were able to summon Beasts as that was like a secret finishing move for them.


    Yet, Khal not only revealed the fact that he had a Summoner Talent, but even exhibited what kind of Beast he could summon before everyone in the hall!


    This simply made him look not strong but aplete fool who wanted to die on the very first day of the tournament!


    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m starving. Oh, look! There is still some food there!¡± eximed Logan after examining the Cultivators present for a brief moment and walked toward a table on the side.


    Khal did the same and followed Logan from behind,pletely ignoring the people in the hall as though they were just mere speck of dust.


    However, this act of his angered everyone present in a sh, and low curses one after another could be heard all over the ce.


    He didn¡¯t even try to look at them to see how strong his enemies were but simply ignored them right from the start! For them Cultivators who all came first from their respected Cities this was an inexcusable sin!


    However, what they didn¡¯t know that Khal didn¡¯t care if he hurt their pride or not. He was also a Cultivator but even like that he knew assessing one¡¯s true strength just from a single glimpse was impossible.


    It could lead to overestimate one¡¯s power or do theplete opposite and underestimate it; out of the two, thetter was a dire mistake to do while the former was simply naive thinking.


    That¡¯s why he decided to follow his Master andpletely ignore the Cultivators and their ridiculous beliefs around him.


    He didn¡¯t have to show now what he could do, but instead when the real battle began. And when that starts, he will see if they will act the same way or not as now!

 Chapter 124: Introduce Oneself!

    Chapter 124: Introduce Oneself!


    Cultivators with their respected Masters arrived one after another, each wearing a special uniform akin to the Moon Robe on Khal.


    Some looked quite the same as Khal¡¯s with only the color varying while there were some whose uniforms¡¯ style was designedpletely different.


    There were even some that arrived half-naked with only the lower parts of their robes or uniforms seen on them; naturally, these types of Cultivators were only males while none of them were females.


    Just imagining the faces all the male Cultivators present as they watched a female walk into the hall half-nakedly¡­ The sight would be extremely hrious for sure!


    And exactly how Khal was evaluated the moment he stepped in, each and every Cultivator that arrived went through the same thing as him; it was apparent that everyone wanted to know who was stronger and who was weaker than them.


    Sometimeter the whole hall was filled almost to the brim with participants and their Masters, making the air in the room turn heavier than normal.


    The tension in the air could be physically felt and even that was a simple underestimation!


    ¡°Esteemed Guests! Master Adam has finally arrived!¡± the woman who escorted them inside the hall now stood at the side of the door and spoke loudly for everyone to hear.


    Immediately, the whole ce turned dead silent and a man in histe thirties walked inside the hall, his aura majestically enveloping his body.


    He was wearing a ck robe with blood-red crystals embedded into its surface, forming a wild dragon. On its waist, a long but thin sword was sheathed in its scabbard, the man¡¯s palm gently resting on the sword¡¯s hilt, indicating he could and will pull it out whenever he wanted.


    His blue eyes that held an indescribable passion but at the same time firmness looked at everyone in the hall one by one, his gaze stopping on a few participants but only for a split second.


    Among the few was Khal too, but the moment Master Adam looked at him a cold shiver swept through his spine in an instant as though he was nced at by a terrifying Beast he can¡¯t fight with, not even in a thousand years!


    ¡°He is on the Ninth Cultivation Stage!¡± was what appeared in everyone¡¯s mind together with deep respect toward the man before them.


    Anyone that was able to reach the Ninth Cultivation Stage was considered nothing but a powerful expert who is about to step into the Second Realm!


    In their eyes, including even the participant¡¯s Masters, Master Adam was an existence way above them that they could only hope to reach one day.


    After ncing at everyone present, Master Adam nodded and in a low hoarse voice asked from the woman on his side, ¡°Is this all?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master Adam. There are a total of two hundred and fifty-one participants present that decided to partake in the tournament.¡±


    ¡°Only that much?¡± asked Master Adam, his eyebrows tightly furrowed with a hint of anger.


    ¡°Yes, it seems out of the three hundred and eighteen Academies that are currently existing on the Southern Continent only two hundred and fifty-one decided to participate in the Thousand Life Tournament.¡±


    ¡°So less than 80% percent?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± nodded the woman, her face holding extreme indifference.


    When Master Adam heard the answer a slight snort escaped his mouth and eximed loudly, ¡°A bunch of weaklings, cowards that don¡¯t deserve the title of a Cultivator!¡±


    As those words of his fell, every Cultivator in the hall couldn¡¯t help but flinch slightly as even Master Adam¡¯s voice held a kind of dominance they have never seen in their entire lifetime!


    If it were anyone else who would have said those exact same words, they wouldn¡¯t have hesitated to beat the individual up until not even their mothers would recognize them, but the situation now was a bit different.


    The one saying those words were no one else but a powerful expert on the Ninth Cultivation Stage and the Organizers of the Thousand Life Tournament, Master Adam!


    Anyone that tried to say a single bad word about him, especially right in his face could only pray for a merciless death!


    As a heavy silence filled the hall no one daring to utter a word, Master Adam sighed and began to walk toward the tform in the distance.


    Instantly, everyone before him stepped to the side, giving him and the woman behind him way without anyint.


    Walking with steady steps, Master Adam stepped onto the tform and faced everyone in the hall, his palm still on the hilt of his sword.


    ¡°My name Adam Godford and I will be the one who oversees the Thousand Life Tournament in Haven City this time. If you have any questions you can ask me freely, but I would be d that with useless questions find Madam Snow,¡± gestured Master Adam toward the woman on his side, who as a result bowed toward the Cultivators politely.


    ¡°Well then, now that we are done with this, I ask you toe up onto this tform one by one and briefly introduce yourselves. Name, Academy, and your Cultivation Stage. Naturally, you can lie about thetter one, but let¡¯s hope you won¡¯t find yourself dead because of that.¡±


    ¡°Also, it¡¯s the part of the Registration Process. Madam Snow will record these pieces of information for the future so please do as I said.¡±


    After he said that, Master Adam walked to the side and waited for the first one toe onto the tform.


    ¡°Well, if no one wants to be first, I guess I will.¡± said a voice on the front and stepped onto the tform.


    It was a boy, around the age of 17 or 18. He had medium-short brown hair and nut-brown eyes that held great confidence together with his posture. He wore a uniform simr to Khal¡¯s with the only difference that his was azure blue with golden scales akin to dragon scares sewed into its surface.


    ¡°It¡¯s Theon from Skywave Academy. I am on the Third Cultivation Stage!¡±


    After he introduced himself, Theon nced at Madam Snow on the side, and only after seeing her nod did he step down.


    And surprisingly after he did, Cultivators one by one walked onto the tform and introduced themselves one after another.


    ¡°My name is Varys from Arrowhead Academy. Fourth Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡°Elysia from Crystal Academy. Third Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡­


    Sometimeter, about 15 minutester when more than a hundred Cultivator introduced themselves, it was Khal¡¯s turn to walk up and introduce himself.


    However, when he did, a lot of Cultivators¡¯plexion turned sour and confused, as all of them thought the same thing as the very first time they saw him.


    ¡°He is a fool.¡±


    No one was brave enough to tell or show their Talents, yet Khal did exactly that and exhibited to everyone in the hall that he had a Beast Summoning Talent with Rubie sitting on his shoulder.


    ¡°My name is Khal from Moon Academy. Fourth Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    In a sh, almost every Cultivator¡¯s face turned confused than into ridicule as they seemed like they just heard the worst joke in the world.


    ¡°Fourth Cultivation Stage? Who is he trying to fool here? His bird is obviously on the Third Cultivation Stage, haha!¡±


    ¡°Everyone knows that Beasts are on the same Cultivation Stage as their Master! He is simply digging his own grave trying to say such ridiculous lie!¡±


    Some people began to chuckle and whisper among each other with mocking grins on their faces, while some just simply looked at Khal like an idiot who went crazy.


    However, Logan who was still eating in the corner just simply smiled upon hearing the mockery and even a slight chuckle escaped from his mouth.


    Obviously, this couldn¡¯t escape Master Adam¡¯s eyes and a slight frown even appeared on his forehead but that was all.


    After making sure Madam Snow recorded his information he looked toward the crowd and watched as the next Cultivator, walked onto the tform.


    ¡°Se, Holy Academy, Fifth Cultivation Stage.¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯

 Chapter 125: Tournament Rules

    Chapter 125: Tournament Rules


    The hall instantly quietened down and no one dared to let out a word, some even holding their breath in fear causing a ruckus.


    Fifth Cultivation Stage. The point where one will meet their first and most important bottleneck!


    If they sessfully break into the next Stage, their future to step into the Second Realm was 99% guaranteed, but if not¡­ They might never be able to break into the Sixth Cultivation Stage at all!


    Reaching the Fifth Cultivation Stage was nothing a huge feat one couldn¡¯t aplish, but it was another story if one reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage at the age of 17!


    As everyone knew, the participants came out from the freshmen this year, the new Cultivators who only obtained their Talents a bit more than a month ago.


    So this meant that the girl right before them not only was an unparalleled genius who reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage in under a month but even had a solid background that helped her!


    No one in the entire cultivation world is capable of reaching the Fifth Cultivation Stage under a single month without any outer help. Let it be Essence Pills, ces simr to de Mountain, or some kind of extremely powerful Secret Arts, this female Cultivator before them definitely used external help to reach her current Cultivation Stage under such a short span of time!


    But even if she did, it didn¡¯t change the fact that right now, she was the strongest among all of them!


    ¡°She is telling the truth. She is truly on the Fifth Cultivation Stage.¡± eximed her thoughts quietly Madam Snow toward Master Adam as she recorded Se¡¯s data into her notebook slowly.


    Master Adam nodded as he felt Se¡¯s Cultivation Presence too, but his face didn¡¯t show the slightest of surprise at all.


    After Se walked down from the tform Cultivators one after another introduced themselves, announcing their names, Academy, and their Cultivation Stage.


    However, luckily no one appeared after Se who seemed to be on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, leaving the majority of the participants only on the Fourth and Third Cultivation Stage.


    Unfortunately, there were even some that were on the Second Cultivation Stage, but those were the typical Cultivators that have already given up all hope to survive even the first day.


    ¡°Perfect, it seems we got everything we needed,¡± eximed Madam Snow, closing her notebook and lowering her hands before her slim waist.


    Master Adam nodded upon hearing this and walked to the middle of the tform.


    ¡°Now then, let me announce the rules of this decade¡¯s Thousand Life Tournament.¡±


    ¡°?¡± when the crowd of Cultivators heard this immediately turned confused as they didn¡¯t understand what ¡®rules¡¯ there can be in a battle where only killing meant survival.


    That¡¯s why the whole crowd quietened down and waited with curiousplexions for Master Adam to continue.


    ¡°As you may know, thest Thousand Life Tournament was held in a one-on-one system where one qualified for the next round if they killed their opponents.¡±


    Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, some evenughing as this was only basic knowledge and those who didn¡¯t know were all fools.


    ¡°Well, this time things won¡¯t work the same way as then.¡±


    Immediately as his voice fell, the entirety of the hall broke into a loud uproar, some cursing out loud in confusion while some only raised a brow for that statement.


    There were even some whose eyes brightened up with the hope that maybe they could avoid being killed.


    But that hope was shattered like a piece of ss right away the next second¡­


    ¡°Instead of a one-on-one fight, I and the Cultivator¡¯s Organization decided to hold the tournament in a deserted area where all the two hundred and fifty-one participants will fight against each other at the same time until only one remained!¡±


    ¡°WHAAAAT!?¡±


    Another huge uproar broke out, while those with hope a moment ago now truly lost all hope.


    A battle where they had to fight not one, but everyone at the same time to survive¡­ Their chance for survival, especially for those who were still on the Second Cultivation Stage now truly fell all the way down to zero¡­


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this to us! We chose our participants because it was told it will be a one-on-one fight! If we knew this, we would have brought someone else who could have had a higher chance for survival in a free-for-all battle! This is unfair!¡±


    Suddenly a man in his forties yelled up loudly, causing a lot of Cultivators in the hall to nod in agreement.


    Master Adam hearing this tilted his indifferent gaze at the man and asked, ¡°What was your name again?¡±


    ¡°Vyn Fern from Coldbreeze Acade-¡°


    ¡°I see, then you must be the type of Cultivator that cries whenever something unexpected happens. That¡¯s why you will never be able to reach bigger heights in your cultivation because instead of thinking about how to solve your problems you instead decide toin about your misfortune. Pathetic indeed¡­¡±


    ¡°What? That is bullish*t! I have never done such a shameless thing, I¡¯m a Cultivator!¡±


    ¡°You just did. And what¡¯s more, that is the real reason you stuck on the Fifth Cultivation Stage mare than 7 years so far. If I were you I would hide in shame!¡±


    As Master Adam¡¯s calm voice fell in the hall as though thunder descended, everyone froze up in a sh, their body trembling uncontrobly as they experienced a Ninth Stage Cultivator¡¯s wrath for the very first time.


    Even though Master Adam didn¡¯t seem angry, his voice clearly indicated it. That¡¯s why, right now everyone knew one fact for sure; if they dared to do something reckless, their heads will be chopped off no question about that!


    ¡°I am awfully ashamed of what I have just said! Please, think about my previous statements as a mere joke!¡± eximed Vyn in a trembling voice, even jumping onto his knees to show his sincere apology.


    Before the strong, the weak could only bow their head and do as they were told!


    Or at least that¡¯s how it worked except for Logan who was still eating merrily in the corner and even showing a satisfied smile as he enjoyed the show before him.


    When Khal, who stood next to Logan as a sculpture, noticed Master Adam¡¯s gaze on them wanted to warn his Logan, but surprisingly he didn¡¯t have to.


    The very moment Master Adam looked at them the only thing he did was a simple frown and continued to ignore them.


    ¡°Well then, is there anyone who wishes to share any of their thoughts with us?¡± asked Master Adam, his question obviously holding great irony with a hint of irritation.


    ¡°No one? Perfect. Then, for the time being, that¡¯s all. The rest will be announced tomorrow morning here, exactly at 11 a.m! You can leave now!¡±


    As his voice fell, Master Adam waved his hand and the doors on the opposite side opened, indicating that they can leave at once.


    No one objected this ¡®order¡¯ of Master Adam¡¯s at all and without daring to stay even a second more before him everyone hurried to leave.


    Khal and Logan did the same, however just as they were about to do so, Master Adam¡¯s voice appeared from behind them, stopping them from leaving.


    ¡°I would have never thought the day wille when I see you again Logan. Or should I call you Asher instead?¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Turning around, Logan nced at Master Adam who happened to be a meter away from him, and after pondering for a while tilted his gaze at Khal, ¡°You can go ahead, I will be right behind you.¡±


    Khal didn¡¯t know what was happening but still nodded and without asking any question turned around and left the hall, leaving Logan all alone with Master Adam and Madam Snow.

 Chapter 126: Fake Pill

    Chapter 126: Fake Pill


    After Khal walked out, the doors behind him closed leaving only Logan and Master Adam in the hall together with Madam Snow.


    Silence filled the interior of the room, but soon Master Adam tilted his gaze at Madam Snow and said, ¡°You can also leave. I have a few things to discuss with this old friend of mine.¡±


    Madam Snow without any objection nodded and after bowing politely toward Logan left the hall in hurried steps.


    Only when the doors closedpletely did Master Adam¡¯s indifferentplexion form a beaming smile and hug Logan tightly.


    ¡°Asher, the hell happened with you? You look just as crap when Ist saw you! And¡­¡± after examining Logan from up to bottom, Master Adam¡¯s brows tightened and asked, ¡°Why are you hiding your real Cultivation Strength? This is not you at all! Where is the old Asher who acted intimidating all the time?¡±


    Logan who seemed a bit annoyed by Master Adam¡¯s clingy behavior stepped a meter back and said, ¡°I already told you not to call me on that name. That is the past and you know that already!¡±


    ¡°Ah, my bad, my bad¡­¡± grinned Master Adam with a wry smile, his previous mighty behavior now nowhere to be seen.


    Right now, he was like a little kid before his parents who he didn¡¯t see in years!


    ¡°But I am serious about myst question. Why are you hiding your real strength? Seventh Cultivation Stage? Really? You are way stronger than that even stronger than m-¡°


    ¡°I have my own reasons,¡± replied Logan coldly, causing Master Adam to stay silent in a sh.


    If others would have seen this they would believe Master Adam would kill Logan right in this instant, but strangely that¡¯s not what happened. Instead of chopping Logan¡¯s head off as he would with anyone else, Master Adam did nothing while even stiffened up as though he was just disciplined by his old teacher.


    The sight was nothing anyone would believe to see from an expert who stood atop all living beings in the First Realm!


    Logan naturally noticed this change in Master Adam as he had great eyes, hence couldn¡¯t help but sigh deeply, ¡°Just forget what I said. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just some things are better left unsaid. Even if I tell you the reason you would be unable to help me.¡±


    Master Adam understood Logan¡¯s intention and nodded, then tilted his gaze toward the door behind Logan, ¡°That was your disciple, right? Isn¡¯t he¡­¡±


    ¡°Weak? Haha, I will only say that this tournament won¡¯t be boring and if you dare underestimate him you will be pleasantly surprised!¡±


    ¡°What should that even mean?¡± asked Master Adam with confusion in his eyes, but the only thing Logan did was smile.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    While Logan and Master Adam began to chat with each other, Khal decided to check out Haven City in greater detail.


    ¡°Come! Magical herbs that you will only find here! Illness? Injuries? Diseases? With these herbs, you can heal all! Just buy 1 and you get 2! Come freely!¡±


    ¡°Weapons? Armors? Shields? You will find it all here! They were made by the best cksmiths from around the world!¡±


    ¡°Low on Cultivation Base? Come to my ¡®Essence Shop¡¯! Here you will be able to buy High-Quality Essence Pills only for 1 Gold coin!¡±


    People yelled loudly next to each other from behind their stalls, trying to obtain more customers with prices and lines that would make anyone feel attracted in an instant.


    Especially the one that stated that only for 1 gold coin for a High-Quality Essence Pill. When Khal heard it he couldn¡¯t help but turn his head toward the guy who said that and walk to his stall out of sheer curiosity.


    ¡°Little guy, you seem low on your Cultivation Base. Want to improve it with a High-Quality Essence Pill? It¡¯s only 1 Gold coin!¡±


    A guy who wore only shorts and was naked on top, revealing his skinny upper body to all to see, talked toward Khal with a grin, seemingly happy that he got another customer.


    Khal nced at the guy in silence and after pondering for a while took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge.


    ? Currency: 1.843 Silver Coins


    Looking at the amount of money he had, Khal raised his gaze at the guy, only to see him still grinning at him like aplete idiot.


    After thinking for a while Khal was about to buy one pill to try his luck, but then noticed something on the side that made him change his mind.


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked Khal, pointing at the pills on the left side of the stall that was shining with a light green hue.


    ¡°Eh? What do you mean what¡¯s that? That is the Essence Pill! Did you not see any in your life kid?¡± smiled the guy, showing his row of yellowish teeth to Khal; however his eyes couldn¡¯t hide his irritation that Khal decided to ask instead of buying.


    Obviously, Khal noticed this, and while even a deep frown appeared on his face, ¡°I see¡­¡±


    Without saying anything else, Khal turned around and was about to leave when suddenly the guy grabbed his hand firmly, stopping him from leaving.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Khal, his eyes shing with a cold light.


    ¡°You came to buy pills right? Then why are you leaving so soon? Do you have a problem with my items?¡± the guy¡¯s grin now could nowhere be seen and what was visible on his face was ice coldness.


    When Khal heard this his brows furrowed together tightly and wanted to pull his hand away, but realized he couldn¡¯t; the guy was holding him in one ce firmly which was quite surprising considering his skinny physique.


    Khal knew that this guy was only bad news thus wanted to use greater strength to escape, but before he could have done so Rubie acted before him.


    ¡°SCREECH!!¡± with a loud cry that was exceedingly loud, Rubie on Khal¡¯s shoulder fluttered her wings toward the guy, causing the firm grip around Khal¡¯s wrist to loosen a bit.


    And exactly this is what Khal needed. Without any hesitation, he pulled his arm away and after ncing back at the guy with a cold re for onest time he began to walk away with steady steps.


    ¡°You fucker¡­¡± hissed the guy with clenched teeth, his face holding great anger for some strange reason.


    Walking away without looking back, Khal checked his things if they were still with him, and only after that did he sigh with relief.


    ¡°That guy¡­ He definitely tried to steal my bracelet back there.¡± thought Khal, as he thought back how painful it was the moment the guy grabbed his arm.


    His wrist hurt not because the man had an exceptionally firm grip, but because he tried to pull his bracelet off his wrist which only resulted in a sharp pain piercing into his right arm in an instant.


    But thanks to the fact that it couldn¡¯t be taken off as it was stuck to his skin, with Rubie¡¯s help he was able to leave that ce without causing any unwanted ruckus.


    ¡°Thanks a lot. You save me there,¡± said Khal, petting Rubie on his shoulder gently, causing the little bird to close her eyes into a shape of a crescent moon.


    After walking around the city for a bit, Khal began to feel bored and decided to head back to the hotel.


    But who would have thought that the moment he turned around to head back the very first thing he would see was an olddy standing and staring at him from exactly one feet away from him.


    ¡°!?¡±

 Chapter 127: Old Lady

    Chapter 127: Old Lady


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ Sorry. Can I help you with something?¡± asked Khal, his voice holding a bit of confusion and suspicion.


    Maybe he didn¡¯t use his Heaven¡¯s Eyes to feel his surroundings, but that fact didn¡¯t mean his perception was bad either. In fact, the higher one gets in their Cultivation Stage the sharper their senses would be, so Khal¡¯s awareness could be said was quite great.


    Thus, seeing as an olddy that didn¡¯t look stronger than a Third Stage Cultivator approached him without any warning made Khal feel an indescribable sense of danger he didn¡¯t feel in his entire life.


    Not even Rubie, a true Beast was capable of detecting thedy¡¯s approach if it wasn¡¯t for him turning around! Hell, she could have cut his throat from behind without him knowing who killed him!


    ¡°Oh? Me? Haha, it seems I scared you a bit. Sorry, sorry.¡± chuckled the olddy in a cracked voice, her eyes gleaming with a mysterious light.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant¡­¡± said Khal with a nonchnt face, hiding the fact he was truly scared.


    Especially if he looked straight into the olddy¡¯s eyes. The longer he stared into them the more he felt that the individual before him was not an old woman but a thousand years old powerful expert!


    Obviously, the olddy noticed Khal¡¯s brief change of behavior but strangely did nothing. Instead, she continued to smile while her gaze gradually shifted onto his right wrist, ¡°That bracelet¡­ Where did you obtain it?¡±


    Khal was surprised by the sudden question as he did not expect it, hence could do nothing but nce at the bracelet and remain silent for a while.


    ¡°I¡­ Got it from an old man several years ago in the past. He gave it to me as a gift but for what reason, he never told me.¡± eximed Khal hesitantly as he lifted his eyes.


    ¡°I see¡­ So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± nodded the old woman mildly and locked her gaze with Khal¡¯s.


    However, immediately as she did, cold sweat covered Khal¡¯s back in a sh, locking his whole being in one ce!


    Right now, Khal knew for sure that if he decided to run now he will certainly die no question about it!


    And this feeling of dread only grew stronger on him as he watched the olddy put her hand inside her robe and pull something out with slow motion!


    Even Rubie seemed anxious even though she always looked and acted strong before anyone, let it be a being that was one or two Cultivation Stage above hers!


    ¡°I need to do something!¡± thought Khal as a drop of sweat fell off his forehead onto the ground below.


    But to his great surprise, just as he was about to escape, something unexpected happened he would have never believed it would.


    ¡°Here, take this.¡± the olddy pulled out a ring from below her robe and extended it toward Khal.


    The ring was silvery in color with a tiny ck pebble embedded into its top; except that, the ring looked nothing special.


    Khal nced at the ring and frowned. It seemed the pebble was not a Power Core nor an Ember Core as no voice appeared in his head as a notification.


    ¡°What is this? And why do you give me this?¡± asked Khal slowly, seemingly suspicious why the olddy wanted to give him that ring.


    ¡°It is a Spatial Ring.¡± replied the old woman while not answering why she wanted to give Khal the ring.


    Khal was still a bit skeptical about what he should do, but in the end, still took it away.


    ¡°Perfect.¡± nodded the olddy with a smile and continued, ¡°As I said, that is a Spatial Ring but you must not look into it. Only when Thousand Life Tournament ends you are allowed to take whatever lies inside it.¡±


    ¡°What happens if I do take the thing inside it?¡± asked Khal, but the next second he regretted to ask that question.


    Like a cold breeze on a cold winter night, the old woman¡¯s smile vanished while her body suddenly began to leak suffocating presence together with a bit of killing intent.


    Right now, the fragile-looking olddy could nowhere to be seen, but a strong expert who was shockingly on Ninth Cultivation Stage!


    No, her Cultivation Presence was even above that¡­ Above the Ninth, the Final Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°H-how can this even be? She is way above a Celestial Ruler in presence alone! How can she be this strong?!¡±


    Khal froze up in a sh, not daring to move even an inch. The title of Celestial Ruler was only given to those who reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage and were qualified to step into the Second Realm!


    The Ninth Cultivation Stage was the Final Stage in the First Realm and no other Stage should exist after it. Yet, right now before Khal, a human being who looked no less than 90 years old was emitting a presence that was stronger than those on the Ninth Stage!


    She felt twice as powerful as Master Adam! This wasplete madness!


    ¡°Just who is she¡­¡± thought Khal with widened eyes while cold sweat flowed down his back slowly.


    The olddy noticing Khal¡¯s paleplexion smiled and retracted her presence and killing intent, causing her to turn back into her original ¡®fragile¡¯ disguise.


    ¡°I hope I don¡¯t need to tell you what will happen if you decide to take the item in that ring before the tournament ends.¡± said the woman and waved her hand.


    At that very moment, all the people around Khal began to move once again, filling the surroundings with loud shouts and yells once again.


    Wait¡­ Again?


    Suddenly Khal realized that the time around him was frozen until this very moment, and only started to flow again once the olddy waved her hand!


    ¡°This? How?¡± asked Khal as he titled his gaze at the old woman but she was nowhere to be seen.


    She vanished into thin air as though she didn¡¯t exist at all!


    Pondering for a while, Khal lowered his gaze at the ring in his hand and thought, ¡°So it was not just a hallucination¡­¡±


    ¨C


    After deciding to put the ring away and not wear it on his finger as he didn¡¯t want to risk his life for unnecessary danger, Khal walked back to the hotel.


    Entering through the main door, Khal asked for his room and the woman in the reception gave him a key with the number ¡®111¡¯ on it.


    ¡°One hundred and eleven¡­ Quite an easy room number to remember.¡± thought Khal as he went to the first floor and looked for his room door.


    Sometimeter he did find it sessfully and without hesitation he opened it.


    However, when he pushed the door open, the sight that waited for him was nothing he expected to be.


    Huge and infinite amount of trees as far as one could see, shining sun above in the clear blue sky, emerald green grass with different shaped and colored flowers below, and flying butterflies in the air. The entirety of the room was exactly what others should call a Paradise!


    ¡°This works exactly as my V.I.P Key back in Moon Academy,¡± said Khal, seemingly surprised as he stepped inside.

 Chapter 128: Transfer Station

    Chapter 128: Transfer Station


    Stepping through the door, Khal felt as a gentle breeze hit him on the face while fresh air filled his lungs.


    The whole scene around him and the sensation felt terrifyingly real that he never felt back in de Mountain.


    Inside de Mountain, he always knew that he was in a separate space that was formed through special means, yet right now that feeling could be felt nowhere.


    Everything he sensed and saw around him was as though he had been teleported into a point somewhere else on Ephus.


    ¡°Woah! This is amazing!¡± was what left Khal¡¯s mouth after a moment of silence.


    After he stepped inside his ¡®room¡¯, the door behind him closed but in contrast to his V.I.P Key, the door remained there and didn¡¯t vanish.


    ¡°Screech!¡± jumping into the air, Rubie began to fly between the trees, seemingly enjoying the feeling she was out in the ¡®wild¡¯ if one could say that.


    ¨C


    Time passed in a blink of an eye and after eating dinner Khal went back to his room and fell asleep.


    Surprisingly the grass was extremely soft, softer than any luxurious bed he had ever slept on hence he was able to fell asleep quite fast.


    It didn¡¯t take him even a minute te fall into a deep slumber which never happened with him!


    Before he could have realized it, the next day arrived and Khal went to eat something for breakfast; his stomach was quite empty and he began to starve a bit.


    Naturally, only after he took a quick shower in the smallke in its ¡®room¡¯ that appeared next to him out of nowhere.


    After that, he went down and ate some eggs together with some strange-looking baked creatures representing octopuses and shrimps together with Logan.


    11 a.m arrived quickly and the time for everyone to gather in the hall came.


    Only when everyone was there and entered the hall did Master Adam and Madam Snow appeared and stood atop the tform.


    ¡°Well, it seems everyone is here,¡± said Master Adam after a moment of silence and flicked his sleeve.


    Swish!


    In a sh, everyone in the hall felt like the space around them twisted and soon they were inside a spacious room, filled with hundreds of tall and thick pirs.


    In its middle, a huge circr tform was ced with hundreds of pipes going out of it and vanishing into the distance among the pirs.


    ¡°What is that?¡± this question manifested inside numerous people¡¯s heads as never in their entire lives did they see such a thing before.


    But their anxiety and suspicion were quickly answered by Madam Snow from the side the next second.


    ¡°What you can see before yourselves is a special product that the Cultivator¡¯s Organization created through years of hard work and endeavors. It is a Transfer Station that is capable of teleporting hundreds of beings from one point to another as easily as Teleportation Arrays.¡±


    When Madam Snow¡¯s voice fell the whole room was filled with an uproar as this was something they never would have belived to see nor hear!


    Teleportation Array was a unique pattern that could be created with the help of one¡¯s Essence. Once created on two different points, let it be between two cities or two continents, one will be capable of teleporting the distance between the two arrays in a sh!


    However, only those could use a Teleportation Array that created them hence Teleportation Arrays weren¡¯t so popr in the Cultivation world.


    However, this Teleportation Station finally solved the problem that the Teleportation Arrays had for ages!


    People could travel far distances way faster and morefortably while they could also save their power and power for future events without wasting!


    This was news that will renovate not only the Southern Continent but the whole world! Hell, it could even push the human race toward fame if they seed to bring it into the Second Relm!


    While everyone was mesmerized by this amazing finding, Madam Snow stepped next to the Transfer Station and said, ¡°Well then, onto the Thousand Life Tournament.¡±


    ¡°As Master Adam has already announced yesterday, the tournament will be held on a deserted area, as for where that is, I am strictly prohibited to tell.¡±


    After her voice fell, she gestured toward the tform and continued, ¡°Now then, all the participants here, please step onto this tform.


    Every Cultivator did as Madam Snow said, and without asking questions all of them stepped onto the Transfer Station.


    ¡°Perfect. Them let us began the Thousand Life Tournament!¡± eximed Madam Snow with a bit louder voice and pushed a button on the side.


    Swish!


    In a sh, Khal watched as his vision turnedpletely dark and a few minutester he found himself on a vast wastnd filled with nothing but sand while above him the sun was scorching with insane heat.


    ¡°Where are the others?¡± was the very first question that appeared inside his head, but surprisingly no one was around him.


    No matter where tried to look, the only thing he was able to see was an infinite amount of sand all around him!


    ¨C


    Inside Haven City and basically inside every City on the Southern Continent, every Cultivator was holding their Cultivator¡¯s Badge in their hands, staring at a hologram that was yed into the air before them through their Badge.


    The hologram was separated into 251 screens, each of them holding different scenes with a single Cultivator visible on them.


    Some were standing inside a deep canyon, some were before a huge volcano while others stood in the middle of a frozen wastnd!


    As Cultivators all around the Southern Continent watched this sight with confusion suddenly another screen popped up with a single man in its middle.


    The man looked quite young, maybe someone in his twenties while his clothing was a simple suit with a ck tie hanging from his neck.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen! Fellow Cultivators from the Southern Continent wee! My name is David Kilgard and it is my pleasure to be your host in this decade¡¯s Thousand Life Tournament!¡±


    As his voice fell a smile formed on his face and continued spiritedly, ¡°Maybe you all wondering why every participant seems to be in different environments instead of an arena. Well, the answer is quite simple! With a sudden change of rules, the Thousand Life Tournament will officially be a free-for-all battle among all the two hundred and fifty-one participating Cultivators!¡±


    Immediately after he said those words, an enormous uproar broke out in all cities all around the Southern Continent.


    ¡°What? A free-for-all battle?¡± eximed Scarlett inside Jas¡¯s room with rm stered over her face.


    Even the other teachers from Moon Academy that were currently on her side seemed shocked too, hardly believing that something like this could truly happen.


    Jas who sat inside his chair all this time raised his crossed fingers before his mouth, his face showing a slight frown as he stared at the huge hologram in the middle of the room.


    ¡°Yes, I know it arrived with great shock for all of you, but this is what the Cultivator¡¯s Organization decided!¡± said David and smiled, ¡°So then, let us see the rules and the changes!¡±


    In a sh, a huge map emerged before everyone, revealing a huge map about an insanely huge ind.


    ¡°This is the ce where our participants will fight against each other to decide which one of them is the strongest! But unfortunately, because of different means, I was strictly told not to tell any information about this amazing location, hence I decided to call it the Netherworld!¡±


    ¡°As you can see, the Netherworld is separated into 251 areas, each section holding a unique environment. A dark forest filled with hungry Beasts, a jungle where poisonous nt Beasts lurks, different vast wastnds where temperature can be either so hot you die from dehydration or so cold you freeze to death! The variations are numerous!¡±


    ¡°However, each area is about 20 miles huge, so participants can freely roam from one area to another! Naturally, only if they are strong enough to survive before getting killed by either the environment, the Beasts or other participants¡­¡±


    All the spectator¡¯s faces changed drastically upon hearing this as they realized one thing in an instant.


    Right now, the participants not only needed to defend and fight against other Cultivators, but they had to fight unknown Beasts while also finding a way to survive in different environments!


    This was way harder than any of the previous Thousand Life Tournaments before!


    ¡°This will be harder than I have thought,¡± eximed Jas quietly, his eyes fixed firmly on the screen that showed Khal¡¯s figure.

 Chapter 129: First Enemy

    Chapter 129: First Enemy


    Scorching heat, burning sand, and no water. Khal stood in the middle of a vast wastnd filled with nothing but golden-colored sand dunes as far as his eyes could see.


    ¡°Okay, first I need to find water and a ce where I can stay and think further.¡± thought Khal as he knew that under such a horrible heat he will die in hours if he didn¡¯t hurry up.


    ¡°Rubie, go check our surroundings,¡± said Khal as he patted Rubie gently, causing her to nod and fly high up into the air.


    Under a split second that looked like a crimson sh, Rubie reached the highest point in the sky where she could currently hover and nced around.


    While Khal waited for Rubie to find something, he walked atop thergest sand dune closest to him and looked around too.


    But of course, this endeavor of his ended up as a failure as no matter where he tried to look the only thing he saw was sand¡­


    ¡°Screech!¡± suddenly Rubie¡¯s loud cry appeared from above and the next thing Khal felt was Rubiending on his shoulder while fixing her gaze toward his left.


    Because the sun was still high up in the sky, Khal could hardly figure out what direction that was, but if he was right Rubie wanted him to go toward the north.


    ¡°Good job,¡± said Khal and without wasting his time began to walk toward the north.


    Yes, walk. Running under such an intense heat while also not knowing what danger lurked around him would only lead him to his demise faster.


    Also, what was the most important thing for him currently was to save as much of his energy as he possibly could. Let¡¯s not forget that besides surviving in this shitty environment he will have to fight against enemies too!


    Saving as much energy as he could, was a must!


    ¡°Hmph! Unfortunately, he is not that dumb¡­¡± Alde who watched the tournament inside his room sneered coldly, his eyes holding disdain as he watched Khal¡¯s walking figure.


    ¡°What do you think, how much are his chances for survival?¡± asked Liza a bit worriedly from Nate who sat on her side; currently they were sitting inside the library, both of them staring at Khal on the screen.


    However, instead of answering right away, Nate just simply stayed silent while his right hand subconsciously dropped to his pocket.


    Before Khal went away he sent him a piece of paper with a message that stated he should only open it once he died. But if somehow he still won and was lucky enough to stay alive, then he didn¡¯t have to because whatever he wrote inside it he will do it himself.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just hope for the best,¡± replied Nate after a moment of silence and continued to watch the screen without blinking his eyes.


    And almost every person in every Academy in the Southern Continent looked and felt the same way. Each and every one of them prayed for the Gods above in silence to help those Cultivators that represented their city.


    If a Cultivator died soon it not only meant their death but also the misfortune that will befall on the Academy and the city they represented!


    On the other hand, if a Cultivator somehow survived long enough and died in thest few that remained in the end or even won the tournament, then their city and Academy will experience such growth in prosperity and fame that would happen never again!


    People in that cities will no longer need to fear being looked down on as they will be the ones looking down on others!


    However, some didn¡¯t even pray nor looked anxious as they just simply stared at the screen with indifferent gazes as though they didn¡¯t care about the oue at all.


    As for why they seemed so unfazed waspletely unknown.


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s hot¡­¡± sighed Khal as he wiped his sweat off his forehead.


    So far he walked more than 12 miles yet he saw nothing on the horizon but golden sand, ¡°You sure we need to go there?¡±


    ¡°Screech!¡± as a reply Rubie cried out loud and nodded her head firmly. It was apparent she was quite sure they went in the right direction.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± eximed Khal with another sigh, however just as he was about to quicken his pace suddenly the ground below him began to shake like crazy!


    TREMBLE!!


    A tremor akin to a powerful earthquake shook the entirend around Khal, causing the sand below his feet to shift and fell toward the deeper parts bit by bit.


    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± asked Khal with squinted eyes as he watched a huge sand cloud in the distance approaching them with crazy speed.


    ¡°SCREECH!!¡± suddenly Rubie began to flutter her wings wildly, making Khal realize that whatever was on its way toward them was nothing but bad news.


    In a sh, he summoned his Demon Fangs into his grasp while his eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit in their middle, causing his body to erupt with a powerful presence.


    However, this scene caused many to exim with shock in an instant as a second ago he didn¡¯t have any Cultivation Presence at all!


    ¡°Fourth Cultivation Stage?! He reached the Middle Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage in a single month? How?¡± asked Connor with awe in Jas¡¯s room.


    ¡°Logan told me he killed a Ghost Spider and found its hideout filled with hundreds of Ghost-Spider Eggs. That and with the help of de Mountain¡¯s special trait his cultivation progressed quite steadily,¡± replied Jas calmly, his eyes never leaving the screen.


    ¡°Fourth Cultivation Stage or not, the thing that goes after him will be a tough enemy. Especially in that environment,¡± said Raffin from the side suddenly, causing others next to him to nod in agreement.


    And just as he said those, the sand cloud arrived before Khal, and a massive body erupted onto the surface from below, enveloping Khal¡¯s figure and his surroundings into darkness instantly.


    ¡°Grit Eater!¡± shouted Khal with shock as he knew just what kind of creature emerged before him.


    He could clearly remember from his time back in the library that once he read about a scary Beast that lived in deserts and loved to hunt for prey that was alone.


    It was a Beast that represented an enormous worm with a huge and oval-shaped mouth, filled with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth. It had numerous basketball-sized eyes on its body so it was capable of seeing anything around it while its end was a sharp tail akin to a scorpion¡¯s!


    It was could eat anything smaller than a house with a single swallow or even poison any that was bigger than that!


    It was a Beast on the Fourth Cultivation Stage that was extremely hard to kill and almost impossible to run away from once it locked its sight on you!


    Except if you could fly. Maybe if you were capable of flying then escaping was a possible feat, but not even that was 100% sure.


    Khal watched the Beast before him with an indifferent gaze, but his eyes couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety. The Beast before him was simply way too huge, ten times as huge as the Ghost Spider back in Shadow Woods!


    Finding a way to injure it will be extremely hard let alone killing it! This thing¡¯s physique was massively enormous and as he understood from the book its skin was exceptionally tough too!


    It was even possible that his Devil Fangs won¡¯t be able to prate its defense once he gets close to it, resulting in his certain and painful death right away!


    However, Khal couldn¡¯t think any further as the Grit Eater shrieked toward the sky with a deafening cry akin to a choking zombie and gushed toward him with crazy speed.


    Watching as the Beast descended upon him, ready to eat him alive, his feet got enveloped with blue Essence and pushing his feet against the sand he dodged.


    But who would have thought that just as he did Rubie on his shoulder moved too and with a crimson sh appeared next to the Beast and swung its ws toward one of its huge eyes!


    Swish!


    ¡°RAAAUUGGHHH!!!¡±

 Chapter 130: Artificial Beast Essence

    Chapter 130: Artificial Beast Essence


    A blood-freezing howl that shook the entirety of the wastnd broke out from the Grit Eater.


    BOOM!


    BAM!


    TREMBLE!


    Like a wild creature that went insane, the Beast went on a crazy frenzy, sending massive amounts of sand into the air with each st as its body hit the ground powerfully.


    ¡°SCHREEECH!¡± however even under such a maddened state, where anyone near it would be smashed into a pulp right away, Rubie assaulted the Grit Eater without mercy like a real predator.


    One sh with her ws after another while evading the onught at the same time, Rubie now showed why her species were called the Emperor of the Skies by Cultivators!


    Every person that spectated Khal¡¯s fight looked bewildered as they wouldn¡¯t have thought that the bird on Khal¡¯s shoulder would be so powerful!


    The bird that was still on the Third Cultivation Stage right now barraged a Beast above her in Stage with relentless attacks, causing the Grit Eater¡¯s skin and the sand around it to be soaked with dark red blood that gradually began to solidify.


    Khal watched this scene with a slightly dropped jaw as this was his very first time watching Rubie fighting for real.


    He saw her kill Beasts before on Moon Mountain, but at that time he knew she held back because they only had to kill First and Second Stage Beasts.


    However, now that she was against a terrifying Beast that was a Stage above hers, she truly showed her real strength!


    The Grit Eater that was considered an unparalleled creature in the deserts right now was like a mouse before a cunning cat; it could do nothing but wait for its death helplessly!


    The more Rubie¡¯s ws sliced into the Beast¡¯s eyes, sending blood and shredded eye parts into the sky, the more solidified blood began to fell into the sand while the Grit Eater¡¯s movement became slower and slower with each passing second.


    ¡°Damn, this is not a fight at all¡­ This is a massacre!¡± thought Khal as he watched the humongous body of the Grit Eater deop into the sand, no longer moving an inch.


    ¡°SCREECH!!¡± with a victorious cry, Rubie stood atop the huge Beast¡¯s head, her wings wide open showing her majestic figure to all to see!


    ¡°Good job Rubie!¡± eximed Khal merrily as he walked toward the corpse, but just as he raised his feet an amazing sight urred.


    The Grit Eater¡¯s body suddenly turned into a yellow liquid just like any other Beast¡¯s body would after death, but instead of hovering above the ground it flew and melted inside Khal¡¯s body in a sh!


    [Warning! ¡®Unidentified¡¯ substance detected in the body!]


    [Beginning ¡®Scanning¡¯ and ¡®Experimental¡¯ procedure!]


    BAM!


    ¡°Argh!¡± screaming up loudly, Khal¡¯s body fell into the sand, his hands tightly holding his chest in pain.


    His eyes turned blood red whilst the veins below his skin popped out one by one in a disgusting manner.


    ¡°What¡­ The actual fuck is happening with me?¡± groaned Khal in pain.


    Currently, he felt as though his body was pierced from the inside, while his heart was beating like a war drum on a battlefield!


    It felt as though his heart wanted to explode and leap out of his chest!


    ¡°What is happening?¡± asked Scarlett with a deep frown, but strangely no one could answer her question.


    Even Jas and Jane, two experts that lived through quite a lot and knew about things that others not, didn¡¯t know what was currently happening with Khal.


    It was apletely new sight even for them too!


    A Cultivator whose physical state suddenly dropped to such a frightening level without getting poisoned or cursed¡­ They couldn¡¯t think about any logical exnation at all!


    Watching as Khal¡¯s body struggled in the sand like a fish that was thrown into thend, Liza¡¯s and Nate¡¯splexion stiffened up a bit while Alde¡¯s face showed enjoyment.


    [Notify! Identification achieved!]


    [Notify! ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯ scanned and recorded!]


    [Notify! ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯ is harmless for ¡®Owner¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 7 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°Huh?¡± in a sh, Khal felt as the pain inside his body began to lessen while a pleasant sensation began to spread throughout his sore body parts.


    Almost in no time at all, he regained his physical strengthpletely. Standing up from the sand and ncing at his body Khal felt confused.


    ¡°Artificial Beast Essence? What the hell?¡± Khal felt confused by this, but couldn¡¯t really think further as Rubie cried up loudly from above his head.


    ¡°What?¡± asked Khal as he turned his head around, but his eyes immediately widened as a result.


    In the far distance, about 2 miles away from him several huge sand clouds were on their way to him, each twice as big as the first one!


    ¡°Fuck! Grit Eaters! And many at once!¡± eximed Khal loudly and without hesitation activated his Secret Art¡¯s First Form.


    BAM!


    Pushing his feet powerfully against the sand, Khal¡¯s body burst forward in the opposite direction like lightning!


    Rubie was naturally was not stupid either and even though she could kill one Grit Eater at a time with ease, several more at the same time was still an impossible feat even for her!


    Hence, without hesitancy she pped her wings and began to follow Khal, her eyes continuously looking out for any unwanted dangers from high above.


    However, not even a few minutes have passed when suddenly Khal heard Rubie¡¯s cry from above, making him turn his head toward the right.


    ¡°Another hord? Just how many is there?¡± thought Khal with shock as he changed his direction toward the left in a sh.


    But just as he did, Rubie¡¯s cry sounded from above once again, causing Khal¡¯splexion to change drastically.


    South, North, West, and East. From each direction Khal saw as Grit Eaters approached him at a rapid pace, each of them obviously targeting him as their prey.


    ¡°What should I do now?¡± ponder Khal with an indifferent face, his grip tightening around his Devil Fangs.


    ¡°Ha! He is a dead person! Didn¡¯t he know that Grit Eaters can sense if another Grit Eater dies? Once you kill one you will be the target for all the Grit Eater there! You will die a miserable death!¡±


    Every spectator knew this, some even averting their gazes from Khal¡¯s figure as in their eyes he was already dead. Instead, they went to check out other participants on another screen who was still alive.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ This is bullish*t! How could a Fourth Stage Cultivator without any experience survive in such a harsh environment! This is total crap!¡± eximed Scarlett angrily, causing many around her to nod immediately in agreement.


    But strangely, Jas didn¡¯t seem anxious nor disappointed at all. No, instead his face held a mysterious smile that made all the teachers present turn confused in an instant.


    ¡°Why does Principal Jas look so hap-¡± began to say Connor, but even before he could have finished his sentence something unexpected happened.


    Right before Khal, a Grit Eater with a size twice as huge as the previous one emerged and in a sh consumed Khal¡¯s figure.


    Yet, just as others would have thought that Khal was dead, the Grit Eater¡¯s back abruptly opened wide like a blossoming flower whilst Khal¡¯s blood-covered figure began to climb out from the gap!


    His body was covered with dark red blood, while his rigid, crystal-like skin flickered with a ck hue as the light shone on it.


    In his hand, the dagger now was opened into a fan shape, its blood-covered edge gleaming with a bright silver light.


    ¡°!?¡±


    While everyone looked at Khal¡¯s monster-like figure with dumbfounded expressions, the Grit Eater¡¯s body gradually turned into a yellow substance and was consumed by Khal right away.


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 5 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]

 Chapter 131: Freak

    Chapter 131: Freak


    Spectators remained silent, each of theirplexion holding different types of emotions.


    Some held shock, some looked indifferent while there were a few that seemed angered; just like how Alde¡¯s expression appeared to be at the moment.


    ¡°This¡­ How the fuck did he survive?¡± asked Alde after a moment of silence, hisplexion gradually darkening from deep anger.


    So far, from time to time whenever he thought or believed that Khal would fail and die, he had to realize that he was wrong and Khal seeded to define his assumption every time!


    The sensation he was currently feeling was akin to smallrvas crawling under his skin and no matter what he tried to do it didn¡¯t go away.


    And this almost unbearable feeling grew bigger and bigger with each passing day since the moment he first met with him!


    He tried to kill him not once but twice, yet failed both times miserably. First, he sent assassins at him that was on the First Stage as he believed their strength would have been enough to kill him; but turned out that his attempt failed miserably.


    That is why he sent Moras at Khal for the second time. Even though Moras was an average type assassin in his family he thought that a Fourth Stage Cultivator, especially with a powerful Talent such as Moras¡¯s, killing Khal will be a piece of cake.


    Yet, that endeavor of his went awry too and miserably on top of that!


    ¡°He still won¡¯t be able to win. Once he meets with her, she will definitely kill him.¡± thought Alde, his eyes subconsciously shifting to the screen where Se¡¯s figure could be seen.


    On the other hand, Liza¡¯s and Nate¡¯s expressions rxed as they could finally sigh with relief as it seemed that Khal was doing just perfectly fine.


    ¡°Haha! That brat¡­ Not bad at all!¡±ughed Raffin spiritedly as he patted his thigh, showing his white row of teeth as he grinned widely.


    ¡°Grit Eaters are truly terrifying Beasts that could kill anyone below them in Cultivation Strength no question.¡± said Raffin as he crossed his bulging arms before his wide chest and leaned back into his chair, ¡°However, Grit Eater¡¯s have one significant weakness that makes them insanely vulnerable. With enough weapon and the right weapon, even a Second Stage Cultivator could kill it.¡±


    ¡°However, the attempt to find its weakness was a bit risky that¡¯s why I said that brat has nuts bigger than the skies!¡±


    And it was exactly what Raffin said. Khal didn¡¯t know about the Grit Eaters¡¯ hidden ability that Alde or others knew about, but he knew about this weakness thanks to the book.


    Though, that weakness required one to attempt something that others would call suicide!


    He had to let the Beast consume him, and if he were lucky enough not to be sliced up by the hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, he could use a sharp weapon to cut himself out from the interior!


    But what others didn¡¯t know that Khal didn¡¯t need luck as he had the strongest defense that he could currently wish for; his Diamond Skin!


    Thanks to its an extremely tough trait, except for several white marks on his crystal-like skin those ¡®sharp¡¯ teeth couldn¡¯t harm him at all.


    Naturally, he didn¡¯t want to use this method if it wasn¡¯t a must as he didn¡¯t know if his Diamond Skin was strong enough, but after this attempt, he knew for sure¡­ He can kill every Grit Eater in this wastnd!


    ¡°Thanks to this Artificial Beast Essence, just like normal Beast Essence my energy got replenished quite a bit, so¡­¡± immediately after he said that, Khal turned around, his face holding a smug grin that no one would have belived to see.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± lots of spectators asked the same question, as everyone saw that Khal didn¡¯t try to escape but remained motionless.


    ¡°Yeah, you were able to kill one through sheer luck, but you can¡¯t kill the rest! There are more than twenty others on their way toward you! Run you fool!¡± Merlyn shouted up, but Asur simply shook his head; his face even held a smile that was rare to see on him!


    ¡°That was no luck but skill. Did you forget he owns a powerful Beast Core? Maybe the blood on him hides it, but you can clearly see that he used that to survive the Beast¡¯s teeth. And if I am right, he ns to¡­¡±


    And just as Asur reached that point of his sentence, three more Grit Eaters emerged before Khal, the middle one immediately falling and eating him in an instant!


    Yet, just as that happened, exactly the same sight urred before everyone like a few moments ago and Khal¡¯s body emerged through a sliced wound, killing the Beast right away!


    But not even a secondter as he emerged, the Grit Eater on the left appeared and is him, but that was too killed by Khal then consumed by another one in a sh!


    Devoured, killed, then eaten alive once again!


    Khal was consumed alive but every time he was belived to be dead he emerged, his body covered with way more blood than the previous time!


    Every time he emerged from the gap he created, showing his blood and sliced flesh-covered body to all to see, he looked more and more like a devil that emerged from the deepest part of hell!


    And what was even scarier than Rubie was bold enough and do the same thing as him!


    Flying into one of the Grit Eater¡¯s mouths with blinding speed and reappearing through a bloody gap that turned into solidified ruby a few secondster, made the spectators turn speechless with gaped mouths!


    None of them could believe what they were watching at the moment!


    ¡°He is a monster¡­ No that is not the right term. He is a freak! An insane maniac that not fears death!¡±


    Well, they were half right as Khal was truly not afraid of death as he already experienced what it was like dying once.


    Thus, something like this as being eaten alive for him was nothing special at all.


    Obviously, it was a scary experience for the first few times but it gradually became quite boring. Damn, even Rubie, a bird ughtered these ¡®terrifying¡¯ Beasts that were scary as they were pigs!


    In Khal¡¯s eyes, these Grit Eaters became quite¡­ weak.


    Of course, if anyone else, especially those on or below his Stage would have known what he thought they would definitely strangle him alive for being so arrogant!


    ¡°RAAAUUURGHHH!!!¡±


    As thest Grit Eater fell into the sand, a voice ringed inside Khal¡¯s head from time to time.


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 6 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 2 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 9 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has¡­]


    Khal felt a warm sensation sweeping through his body as though he just merged into a hot spring; he even closed his eyes to enjoy the brief moment as this felt somehow much better when he consumed normal Beast Essence!


    Sometimeter, when the final notification appeared in his head Khal opened his eyes and smiled.


    His Heaven¡¯s eyes grew all the way from 409 to 503!


    His Heaven¡¯s Eyes strength jumped almost a hundred only by killing a bit more than 20 Grit Eater!


    Even his energy and physical strength got replenished through this mean which made his mood better instantly.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± however his merry expression didn¡¯tst long as he felt Rubie¡¯s sad and piercing re on his skin.


    ¡°What? Did you get injured?¡± asked Khal, but after seeing that except for the blood all over her body she looked perfectly fine.


    ¡°Schreeech!¡± suddenly Rubie cried out loud toward Khal, making Khale to an awful realization.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I didn¡¯t think about this!¡± said Khal hurriedly as he discovered something he didn¡¯t until this moment.


    All the Artificial Beast Essences, including the ones that came from Rubie¡¯s kill, he consumed all of them without realizing!


    He didn¡¯t leave any for her even though he should have!


    ¡°I am truly sorry!¡± said Khal as he tried to make Rubie happy once again.


    But no matter what he said or tried to do, Rubie on his shoulder remained silent, even turning her head away as though she was angry.


    However, what Khal didn¡¯t realize that as he acted in such a manner all the spectators stared at him like aplete fool, not knowing why he was apologizing to a Beast which was his own summon in the first ce!

 Chapter 132: Kill Or Be Killed

    Chapter 132: Kill Or Be Killed


    After killing all the Grit Eaters that craved for his death, Khal decided to continue his way toward the north as he nned in the beginning.


    On his way, Rubie was still angry with him, but until they found out something rather interesting. On their way, they met a few First Stage Beasts akin to scorpions and as an atonement for what he did, Khal let Rubie kill and consume their Essence.


    However, what neither he nor Rubie would have thought that the moment the Beasts were killed, no matter if Khal was a meter or a mile away, the Essence would always track him and melt into his body automatically!


    Rubie even wanted to fly before the Artificial Beast Essence to make it melt into her body, but strangely as though it was a non-existent material it drifted right through her body and melted into Khal¡¯s body!


    But luckily, not only they were the only ones stupified by this weird change of events but almost every spectator that watched this spectacle!


    ¡°What the hell is going on? Why does that bird try to consume the Beast Essence from its owner? She is just a mere summon hence if the owner gets stronger she will too, right?¡±


    Simr questions popped up in the minds of people but soon all of those changed as a sudden realization hit them.


    ¡°Wait¡­ What if that bird is not his summon at all but¡­ A Tamed Beast? Did he tame a wild Beast? How?¡±


    As this suspicion appeared in more people¡¯s heads, more and more spectators began to realize this was the truth.


    ¡°Now that I think about it, during his battle against the Grit Eaters his Cultivation Stage was on the Fourth Stage yet that bird is obviously still a Stage below his!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I noticed that too. But that bird is only on the Third Cultivation Stage. At first, I thought it was a mistake from my side but now¡­ That Beast truly seems to be a Tamed Beast!¡±


    And as this sudden discovery appeared in everyone¡¯s mind, a new question arose that they neglected until this very moment!


    What was Khal¡¯s real Talent then?


    Some guessed the weapon in his hand was his Talent while some that didn¡¯t know about Beast Cores but noticed his crystal skin thought that was his Talent. There were even a few that said he didn¡¯t use his Talent and only used Secret Arts to fight!


    But in truth, only a few knew what Khal¡¯s real Talent was as his power was a simple Sight Enhancing ability that was hard to see through the screens alone.


    While spectators watched Khal¡¯s journey with keen interest, Khal himself continued to walk toward the north with Rubie still hovering above him in the skies.


    Sometimeter, after walking for a few more miles without any further crisis Khal stood atop a dune while his eyes opened extra wide.


    ¡°This¡­ What?¡±


    About a few hundred meters away from him, Khal watched as the desert abruptly vanished and what reced it was a vast and green forest, with a crystal clear river flowing among the woods smoothly.


    The sight was breathtaking and confusing at the same time, but it was exactly because of this feeling that deep inside Khal¡¯s heart a slight suspicion began to grow slowly.


    Artificial Beast Essence that only he could consume, Transfer Station, and now this bizarre sight he never seen nor read about anywhere.


    Was he still on the Southern Continent or was he somewhere else? Maybe he wasn¡¯t even on the same as Ephus but got teleported onto apletely new one? Or was he¡­


    Inside Khal¡¯s mind questions one after another popped up while his suspicion in his heart grew bigger with each passing second.


    ¡°In one way or another, soon I will find it out.¡± thought Khal and without hesitation walked toward the river.


    Even though the Artificial Beast Essences were able to replenish his energy, they were incapable of reducing his thirst, especially under such a scorching heat!


    That is why Khal strode quickly toward the forest to get something to drink from the river.


    However, to his great surprise, the moment he put his feet from the desert into the forest the heat around him vanished in a sh whilst a pleasant cold breeze weed him.


    ¡°Yeah, it feels much better here,¡± eximed Khal quietly as he watched Rubiend on his shoulder and enjoy the breeze with a merryplexion too.


    Walking to the river and checking that it was harmless Khal didn¡¯t hesitate to drink from the river and wash off the blood from his body.


    Afterpletely clean and refreshed, Khal stood up and looked around, but his face suddenly changed into a slight frown.


    Except for the breeze that hit his face from time to time he could detect no Beasts around him nor could he hear anything else; it was quiet and peaceful.


    But exactly because of this why Khal felt strange while also knowing something was not amiss and as a result, his grip gradually began to tighten around his weapon.


    Crack!


    ¡°!¡±


    Turning his head around, Khal¡¯s eyes narrowed and without hesitation waved his fan, firing several Essence Projectiles toward a bush in the distance.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    ¡°Argh! H-hey! Calm down man, calm down!¡± a guy in a crimson robe jumped out of the bush that Khal targeted, his hands above his head with shock stered over his face.


    ¡°The fuck? You could have killed me there!¡± eximed the guy, showing a kind of angry expression toward Khal.


    However, when Khal heard this his face remained indifferent, and pointed his weapon toward the guy, ¡°Yeah, I could have. But unfortunately, I didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°The fuck?¡± asked the guy, his face showing deep confusion.


    Khal obviously understood what he thought and asked, ¡°Did you forget where are we right now?¡±


    The simple question made the guy lower his hands slowly and say, ¡°Yeah, I know. But that doesn¡¯t mean we have to kill each other right away. We can still be allies you kn-¡°


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m perfectly fine alone.¡±


    Swish!


    sh!


    Without waiting for the guy to react, Rubie already shed past the guy, shing a deep wound into his shoulder.


    ¡°Eh?¡± the guy was surprised by this and lowered his gaze onto the deep wound, but hisplexion paled right after he did.


    ¡°You¡­ Wh¡­ Grh¡­shr¡­¡±


    Even before he could have finished his sentence the guy suddenly copsed while solid ruby-shaped blood fell out of his mouth and wound as he tried to speak but in all vain!


    ¡°He¡­ Didn¡¯t hesitate at all!¡± Scarlett was shocked to see this as she thought Khal would falter the moment he needed to kill!


    But he didn¡¯t! Not only that, he even killed the guy like a cold-blooded killer which dumbfounded not only her but everyone around the world!


    Any participant that so far met with others and had to kill all hesitated as they didn¡¯t want to, yet Khal didn¡¯t! He murdered the guy without a second thought!


    Jas who saw this scene seemed indifferent but his eyes couldn¡¯t help but sh with a mysterious light that never appeared in his eyes a long time ago!


    ¡°Kill or be killed. Getting allies? Did he go crazy?¡± thought Khal, even a slight sneer escaping his mouth.


    The very first moment the guy appeared he was able to notice that he had hidden motives so that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t hesitate to kill.


    Unfortunately, the guy couldn¡¯t hide his intentions as good as Moras did hence he was able to see through him right away!


    But to tell the truth Khal didn¡¯t want allies in this shitty tournament as in the end he will have to fight them in one way or another. That is why the best solution for him was to kill everyone while letting no one getting close to him!


    One could survive in this tournament only if they were strong and trusted in no one!


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going¡­¡± said Khal to Rubie and without ncing at the corpse he walked away.


    However, when his figure disappeared in the distance, suddenly the guy¡¯s corpse on the ground slowly began to form wide cracks and soon vanished into thin air in the shape of vibrating fragments¡­

 Chapter 133: Do I?

    Chapter 133: Do I?


    Khal continued to venture inside the forest and surprisingly he met Beast here too just like in the desert.


    Though, the only difference this time was that the Beasts were not Grit Eaters but creatures that Khal recognized way too well; he even killed them before!


    Razor Hounds!


    They were Beasts that loved hunting in groups and liked to trap their prey even more. They had terrifying learning capacity, hence if you were incapable to escape quickly they will find a way to trap you and kill you right away!


    Their most hazardous trait was their fur that was capable of turning steel strong. The only way to prate their fur was to attack them with an exceptionally sharp weapon or attack their check where the fur was lesser than anywhere else on their body.


    However, back when Khal killed them he was still on the First Cultivation Stage while now he was on the Fourth! Killing them now will be as easy for him as taking a stroll in a park!


    Walking behind a tree, Khal nced at the group of Razor Hounds in the distance that was sleeping soundlessly in the grass, their long noses buried below their paws.


    ¡°In their sleep, they look exactly like dogs. Kind of cute.¡± thought Khal and withdrew his Devil Fangs while his mouth formed a slight curve, ¡°But unfortunately they are not.¡±


    Swish!


    In the following moment, Khal¡¯s body shed like a ghost and with a single move beheaded all the Razor Hound in the ground.


    He was so fast, smooth and quiet that neither of the Razor Hounds had time to realize what came to collect their souls!


    ¡°Dance of The Celestial Serpent Third Form- Emerald Snake Dance!¡±


    After modifying and fixing his Secret Art with Logan¡¯s help, Khal was able to use almost all the 7 Forms of the Secret Art without problem, including the Third Form too!


    The First Form elerated his speed continuously on a long run while the Second Form helped him get behind close enemies undetectably while also using the Essence around his palm to st away opponents or projectiles with ease.


    On the other hand, the Third Form was surprisingly a mixture of these two Forms; elerating his speed to a limited level but in a way where his approach was hardly detectable.


    It was exceptionally effective against enemies that were far away from him and lost track of his figure for a split second or entirely.


    Naturally, because it was so powerful Khal could hardly use it with his current Cultivation Strength. Maybe twice or thrice a day, but any more than that would injure his legs for sure!


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 2 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 3 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has¡­]


    Notification one after another sounded in Khal¡¯s head, pushing his Heaven¡¯s Eyes to even greater heights.


    From his past 409 units of Essence his Talent reached 427, making him get closer and closer to the halfway point!


    ¡°Four hundred and twenty-seven¡­ I start to feel that I am not in a tournament but back on Moon Mountain collecting Essence to be stronger¡­¡± sighed Khal as he continued to walk forward.


    Killing Razor Hounds from the Third Cultivation Stage as though he just sawed grass in the back of his yard, Khal strengthened his Talent with a steady pace while Rubie could do nothing but spy their surroundings from above with a saddened expression.


    Sometimeter when he killed his 33rd Razor Hound, Khal turned disappointed as there remained no more Beasts in the forest he was in.


    He searched the entirety of the area and killed every Beast he met with, leaving nothing alive in the woods except him and Rubie!


    ¡°Sigh¡­ And here I am thinking I can reach the Upper Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage¡­ What a disappointment¡­¡± sighed Khal with dissatisfaction as he heard the final notification ring inside his head.


    However, the spectators that heard this and saw his face didn¡¯t seem that dissatisfied as they were instead angered by that promation of his!


    ¡°What? Dissatisfied?! You should consider yourself fortunate that you are still alive!¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­ This is a total joke! He didn¡¯t meet with a single participant so far except that weak one, yet he dares to act so arrogantly! I feel like choking him alive!¡±


    ¡°His arrogance will lead to his demise!¡±


    Spectators cursed and


    ¡°Pfft¡­ He is truly nuts for saying something so bold before millions of Cultivators just because he killed a few weak Beasts.¡±ughed Nate, even wiping a small teardrop away from the corner of his eyes.


    Even Liza seemed to smile as she knew that when Khal acted this way it meant he was confident.


    However, what neither they and the spectators knew that Khal said those things not because he was arrogant or felt strong after killing a few Beasts, but because he didn¡¯t know he was watched 24/7, letting him say things with greater ease.


    He knew there will be ways to inspect the happenings that urred with the participants, but he thought there will be an object like a camera in the air or something else that indicated who was currently watched and who was not.


    If he would have known others heard what he just said he would have definitely buried himself just from pure shame!


    He was in a tournament to kill participants and not in a tour where he should strengthen his Talent!


    Eximing how good and disappointed he was just because he killed a few Third Stage Beasts¡­ Ha! How ridiculously pathetic!


    ¡°SCREECH!¡± just as Khal was about to think what he should do next, suddenly Rubie¡¯s cry resounded from above his head while he noticed a slight movement behind him in the distance.


    ¡°Enemy!¡± thought Khal, but suddenly a great idea appeared inside his head.


    Except raising his guard he did nothing. He even unsummoned his Devil Fangs and made Rubiend on his shoulder as he crouched down to seem unsuspicious!


    ¡°Huh? Someone else?¡± a guy in a ck robe with blue symbols sewed into its surface walked among the woods when he abruptly noticed Khal in the distance.


    The guy seemed to be 17, his physique and facial expression looking quite average with his slim body and dark ck hair and brown eyes.


    The only thing that seemed special about him was the long spikesing out of both of his elbows, looking quite scary and sharp.


    ¡°Body Modifying Talent. Quite powerful as it can modify different parts of the body, giving the individual inhuman powers that not even Secret Arts can achive,¡± eximed Connor deeply, but soon a frown appeared on his face.


    ¡°He seems to be on the upper Phase of the Third Cultivation Stage but¡­ Why is he showing his back to that guy? Did he go insane or what? He is right behind him, he should have noticed him already!¡±


    This question caused many to feel confused, but not the guy. Instead, what appeared on the guy¡¯s face sly girn as he even licked the side of his mouth!


    ¡°I hit the jackpot! It¡¯s him! The guy with his stupid summon! And he is even showing his back to me,pletely unaware of what will kill him! What a fool, this will be too easy!¡± thought the guy with a wide grin and began to approach Khal while gradually lowering his presence.


    ¡°Turn around you fool!¡± said Scarlett, herplexion a bit worried as she didn¡¯t want to believe Khal was incapable of detecting the Cultivator behind him.


    However, the following events not only dumbfounded Scarlet but everyone else that watched Khal.


    ¡°Haha! You are mine!¡± shouted up the guy when he was an inch away from Khal and swung his bent arm, causing the spike to fly toward Khal¡¯s neck with blinding speed!


    But what the guy didn¡¯t expect was just as his assault was about to behead Khal, Khal himself suddenly vanished into thin air and appeared behind him the very next second with a crystal ck weapon before his neck.


    ¡°!?¡± the guy froze up in an instant, his back soaking with cold sweat right away.


    ¡°You¡­ How?¡± was what the guy could ask through ttering teeth as he didn¡¯t think Khal would be this strong.


    However, instead of getting an answer, the guy watched as Khal bent his face a bit forward and with a calm grin looked straight at him from the side.


    Though, the guy stiffened up not because of the grin but because of the pair of eyes that stared at him with a terrifyingly calm re!


    It was as though he was stared at by a devil that pierced right into his soul just with its gaze alone!


    The feeling was chilling and extremely scary!


    ¡°But¡­ How!? You have a Summoning Talent! How can you have¡­¡± asked the guy with a shaking voice, his eyes holding great terror.


    ¡°Do I?¡± asked Khal with a smile, and without waiting for the guy to reply, he cut his throat wide open.

 Chapter 134: Human Essence

    Chapter 134: Human Essence


    The sight as Khal split his enemy¡¯s throat wide open without hesitation made some to froze up immediately.


    So far, Khal killed two participants in the tournament, and both times he hesitated not even the slightest! He killed both of them like they were no different than Beasts in the wild; without any sympathy or remorse.


    Naturally, this didn¡¯t mean he was a bad person or Cultivator as they also knew if he didn¡¯t decide to kill then he would have been the one dying, though he should have at least showed a bit of emotion!


    Killing for the first time should leave an impact on the individual¡¯s mind or behavior, right? Like throwing up, a pale face, or a kind of depression or change in mood, right?


    Yet, Khal showed none of them and even looked kind of happy! This confused many and even made them think about one thing¡­


    That he was a cold-blooded person who didn¡¯t know what sympathy was!


    ¡°Well, at least we don¡¯t have to fear he will die because of hesitation¡­¡± sighed Scarlett, even leaning back into her chair as herplexion rxed.


    ¡°Indeed, but don¡¯t you find it strange?¡± suddenly a petite woman with a huge weapon on her side talked up, causing the rest around her to shift their gaze at her.


    ¡°What did you mean, Dorothea?¡± asked Jas as his gaze titled from Khal¡¯s figure.


    ¡°I mean look at his eyes,¡± said Dorothea as she pointed at Khal, ¡°Do you think those are the eyes one should have?¡±


    Jas and the others seemed a bit troubled by this question, but Dorothea quickly exined, ¡°Anyone should feel disturbed upon killing another human being, except if the individual was born cold-blooded or already killed before. Of course, the difference between the two is huge and I hope I don¡¯t need to exin to you why.¡±


    ¡°And you think he was born cold-blooded? Just simply because of his actions?¡± asked Connor from the side with a slightly raised eyebrow.


    ¡°No.¡± as she shook her head, Dorothea said, ¡°I think he has already killed before. And when I say kill, I don¡¯t mean Beasts but human beings.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    When others heard this theirplexion changed drastically as they knew what that indicated.


    Maybe not every Cultivator knew it, but if a human kills another then they could consume their Essence and be stronger just like how they would with Beast Essences.


    Typically, it needed a special Secret Art to do so, but once one learned how to use it, consuming both Beast and Human Essence wouldn¡¯t pose a problem!


    Though, maybe killing other Cultivators in the Cultivation World because of battles or wars wasmon and inevitable, but consuming their Essence was not and even strictly prohibited!


    One could even get a death sentence just because of it! This also showed just how dire the consequences were if one decided to consume Human Essence!


    When Dorothea noticed the mixture of emotions on the other¡¯s faces she shook her head and said, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me, when I said he must have killed before I didn¡¯t mean he must have consumed Human Essence. I just say he must have killed humans before as his actions, behavior, and eyes indicate toward that.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that didn¡¯t suggest he didn¡¯t consume Human Essence before. Maybe¡­¡±


    ¡°He did not consume Human Essence.¡± cut into Connor¡¯s sentence Jas, silencing him right away.


    Sometimeter Connor swallowed his saliva and asked, ¡°How are you so sure about it?¡±


    Jas simply shifted his gaze at Connor and said, ¡°If one consumes Human Essence their Cultivation presence will slightly alter. Also, the individual bes akin to a drug addict and will crave for more Human Essence, thus Khal obviously didn¡¯t consume Human Essence before.¡±


    Once others heard this theirplexion rxed right away, but then another question appeared in their minds.


    ¡°Then who do you think he killed before?¡± pondered Scarlett loudly.


    However, Jas this time didn¡¯t answer but stayed silent as he had a guess who Khal killed before.


    ¨C


    Time passed in a blink of an eye, and surprisingly nighttime came. Ever since Khal killed the guy, he met with no one else and even didn¡¯t try to venture anywhere else. He remained in the forest and built a campfire.


    ¡°It¡¯s kind of lonely here, but luckily I have you,¡± said Khal with a smile as he patted Rubie on his side.


    Putting sticks on the campfire to make the fire burn even brighter, suddenly a silver light shed before Khal and hovered before his face.


    Swish!


    ¡°Hug? What is this?¡± eximed Khal with surprise and watched as his Cultivator¡¯s Badge abruptly lit up and a hologram emerged before his face.


    ¡°Dear Participants! Wee to the Thousand Life Tournament!¡±


    Suddenly, a guy in a ck suit and tie popped up inside the screen, startling Khal a bit as he didn¡¯t expect this to happen.


    Of course, the guy was no one else but David, the host of the Thousand Life Tournament.


    ¡°Maybe you don¡¯t know me so let me introduce my humble self.¡± after bowing graciously David smiled and continued, ¡°My name is David Kilgard and I am your host in this decades tournament!¡±


    After he said that, David took out a notepad from somewhere that the screen did not show and nced at it, ¡°Well now that we had this, let¡¯s not waste your precious time and let me get straight to the point.¡±


    ¡°Only half a day have passed since the start, yet out of the two hundred and fifty-one participants so far eighty-three Cultivators have died, leaving only one hundred and sixty-eight alive. Quite amusing if you ask me!¡±


    When Khal and the other participants heard this theirplexion changed and remained dead silent. Just under half a day 83 have died? What? How can that be amusing at all?


    While others absorbed this piece of news, David waved his hand and a map appeared on the screen.


    It was a huge ind sectioned into 251 areas, each seemingly having its own environment.


    As Khal inspected the map, trying to figure out where he was, David began to talk, ¡°As you can see, this is the ind you are currently fighting on! Several areas, each varying from one another!¡±


    After a brief silence, David waved his hand once again, but this time several sections turned ck; almost 1/3 of them!


    ¡°These are the sections where no one is currently staying at, hence we will make a slight change to this!¡±


    Immediately as his voice fell, a slight tremor shook the ground while the dark sections vanished from the map while what appeared in their ce were long lines between each section that still remained!


    ¡°What happened? An earthquake?¡± asked Khal as he stood up immediately.


    And it wasn¡¯t just him but every Cultivator that appeared to be on edge because of the sudden change of events!


    While they tried to figure out what happened, David smiled and said, ¡°This phenomenon will happen after every 24 hours until one section not remains! I hope you understand what that means.¡±


    ¡°Well then! I wish the best of my luck to all of you and let us see which one of you will be the Strongest Cultivator!¡± and like that, the screen together with David vanished, making everything turn silent once again!


    Except for one change as the map that David showed now remained on every Cultivator¡¯s Badge!

 Chapter 135: Transforming The Essence!

    Chapter 135: Transforming The Essence!


    After David¡¯s figure vanished from sight, Khal grabbed his badge and began to inspect the map.


    And just as he was able to see it for the first time, the map was rtively¡­ big. Though, saying that it was huge could even be an underestimation as the word ¡®huge¡¯ couldn¡¯t describe entirely the size of this massively enormous ¡®ind¡¯!


    ¡°Okay, it seems I am currently here.¡± thought Khal as he shifted his gaze at one of the many sections on the map.


    It was a rtively small areapared to the rest, while a bit toward the east, a small red dot was shining brightly akin to a miniature red sun; logically, that indicated his current position that even an idiot would realize.


    As Khal pondered what he should do next, he nced at the other three sections next to his and thought, ¡°Two on the west and one on the South¡­ The rest has disappeared, including the one I came from.¡±


    Tapping gently on his thigh continuously, Khal raised his gaze at the starry sky above and began to ponder.


    Staring at the moon that was hanging in the boundless sky in its full glory for a while, Khal¡¯s mouth curved slightly while an idea popped up in his mind.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Somewhere else, where thend was perfectly t and only huge pieces of ruins could be seen scattered over the ce, a girl in a beautiful purple robe with butterfly symbols embedded onto its surface was running quickly, visibly afraid of something.


    Ever since she was teleported into this strange ruin-filled area, creatures simr to that of iron golems were chasing her, giving her no rest at all.


    She fled for more than 6 hours straight without rest, trying to hide but only in vain! She even had to listen to David¡¯s speech during her escape!


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have such bad luck from the beginning! Even with my Talent and strength, I was unable to prate their steel-hard defense!¡± eximed the girl quietly, her chest heaving up and down in a rapid manner.


    She was from Butterfly Academy, from an average Academy somewhere in the northern part of the Southern Continent.


    Her name in fact was Seren, and just as her name indicated, she was quite a beauty. Milk smooth skin, raven ck hair with a pair of blue eyes that held great firmness, but a bit of helplessness too thanks to her current situation.


    She had a slim waist with a voluptuous body, yet even like this, she didn¡¯t seem to be the seductive type of woman but the kind of innocent girl.


    BAM!


    ¡°Here theye!¡± mumbled Seren quietly, her tiny fingers firmly tightening around both daggers¡¯ hilt in her grasp.


    BAM!


    Seren put her head out from behind one of the bricks that hid her figure and watched as a huge robotic golem approached her position, its huge legs smashing solid rocks into dust with ease!


    ¡°I should go.¡± thought Seren as she knew that trying to fight with this thing was only useless. Its metallic body was harder than steel, and her daggers that were fused with his Talent were unable to even leave a slight scratch mark!


    BAM!


    ¡°Yeah, I should get out, right now!¡± nodded Seren, but just as she turned her head around, suddenly her movement froze still while her pupils shrunk to the size of a needle.


    Right before her, a boy in a white uniform crouched inches away from her face, his strange but terrifyingly scary eyes staring right at her.


    ¡°Wh-¡± started to say Seren, but was suddenly silenced by the boy¡¯s index finger.


    And right after that, the next thing she was able to see was a silver sh before everything came toplete darkness.


    ¡°I am sorry¡­¡± apologized Khal in his heart as he watched Seren¡¯s beheaded body fall before his feet lifelessly.


    For some reason, out of the three participants he killed so far, she felt the worst. Her death left a kind of sour taste in his mouth that he could hardly swallow.


    Maybe because she was a girl or maybe because she didn¡¯t want to kill him and even seemed to be scared of him, but whatever was the reason, Khal felt as his mood worsened a bit.


    BAM!


    ¡°¡­¡± raising his gaze at the metallic Beast before him that represented an iron golem Khal stood up and swung his Devil Fangs before his body.


    Swish!


    Crack!


    BAM!


    With several sudden flickers, silver light appeared and vanished around the golem, its body sliced into hundreds of parts in a sh!


    But even before its body could have fallen onto the ground, it turned into a yellow substance and flew toward Khal¡¯s body.


    However, opposite to what used to happen, the moment the Artificial Beast Essence melted into his body it didn¡¯t be a part of his Talent but flowed into his heart!


    ¡°Argh!¡± clenching his teeth in pain, Khal fell onto his knees and endured the familiar difort that swept through his body once again.


    And exactly a minuteter¡­


    [Notify! ¡®Transfiguration process sessful!]


    [Notify! Your ¡®Body Essence¡¯ has grown from 100 units to 170 units!]


    ¡°It worked!¡± said Khal merrily, standing up from the ground as though nothing happened at all.


    ¡°It seems I can increase my Body Essence exactly the same way as I would do with normal Beast Essence!¡± Khal¡¯s mood immediately skyrocketed as he knew what he should do next.


    His original n was exactly this. He wanted to see if he could increase his Body Essence with Artificial Beast Essence or not, and to his great surprise, he could!


    And now he discovered this, he began to hunt for all the Metal Golems among the ruins.


    Finding them wasn¡¯t hard at all as Metal Golems were the types of Beasts that could detect anyone in a mile radius, hence even before Khal could have found them, they were the ones that brought themselves before him!


    And with his Devil Fangs, that could cut through even his Diamond Skin as he already tried it once before, killing these Metal Golems was a piece of cake!


    In the following 3 hours, Khal spent all his time killing all the Metal Golems in the ruins while turning all the Artificial Beast Essences into his Body Essence.


    Under 3 hours, his 170 units of Body Essence skyrocketed all the way to 820 units, surprising even Khal himself!


    He could clearly remember that he spent 3 days back in de Mountain just to increase his Body Essence by 710 units, yet he almost did the exact same under but more than 3 hours! This was ridiculous and incredible at the same time!


    Though, the spectators that watched Khal didn¡¯t feel the same way as him, not even in the least! No, instead every one of them, including Jas too, stared at Khal like some kind of unknown phenomenon that they have never seen before in their entire life!


    They weren¡¯t shocked by the fact that Khal killed all the Metal Golems with quite ease as even a Second Stage Cultivator would have done the same with a good weapon, but they look stupified because they saw what he did with their Essence!


    He used the Essence not for strengthening his Talent but to increase his own Body Essence!!


    They could clearly see that whenever the Beast Essence entered Khal¡¯s Body, instead of bing one with his Talent and Cultivation Strength it would turn into Body Essence and melt with his body!


    This sight was something that everyone knew about but none of them dared to copy as it would lead them only into their demise!


    ¡°Essence Transfiguration¡­ How can he use such a high level and powerful Secret Art from the Cultivator Level? He clearly didn¡¯t open none of his Essence Paths so how?¡± asked Connor, hisplexion showing great tremor.


    And it wasn¡¯t just him who asked the same question, but everyone else all around the world.


    Jane, Scarlett, Alde, Liza, Nate, Asur, Merlyn, Marx and even Jas too! All of them knew what kind of Secret Art Khal was using, but none of them understood how Khal, a Fourth Stage Cultivator was able to use it!

 Chapter 136: Abyss Web

    Chapter 136: Abyss Web


    While others tried to figure out how was Khal able to use such a powerful Secret Art, Khal himself was running toward the section that was currently the closest to him as he already killed all the Beasts in the ruins.


    He even sent Rubie into the sky so maybe she will be able to find one or two hidden Beasts before he reached the next area, but unfortunately, there remained none.


    ¡°What kind of region is this?¡± running for one hour straight at a steady pace, Khal finally reached the border of the ruins only to see apletely new and breathtaking scenery before him.


    It was an area filled with average-sized trees and bushes with the sole exception that instead of leaves, what one could glimpse on them were crystals, each differing in size and color.


    There were emeralds, rubies, diamonds, obsidian, gold, and silver-colored crystals, each of them illuminating the entirety of the area with a beautiful colorful hue.


    ¡°Where did I see this before?¡± pondered Khal out loud but soon his eyes brightened and said, ¡°Mirage Grove! Yeah, now I can remember! It was only a few rows of text, but I can remember reading about it.¡±


    Mirage Grove was an extraordinary and rare location that only a few could find in their entire life. Every crystal that grew in Mirage Grove was actually real crystals, hence it could be said one became rich for the rest of their lives the very moment they discovered the forest.


    They needed to fear no more that they will have no money in the future as they could literally swim in money if they sold the crystals alone!


    ¡°Screech!¡± suddenly Rubie cried out aloud, causing Khal to snap his head to the side.


    ¡°Crystal Snake!¡± eximed Khal happily, as he watched a Beast akin to a snake slithering among the grass slowly in the distance.


    Its body was crystal-like with a shade of emerald green which made it almostpletely invisible among the green grass! If it weren¡¯t for Rubie¡¯s warning he wouldn¡¯t have noticed it at all!


    ¡°Good job!¡± said Khal and waved his weapon toward the Beast.


    Swish!


    In a sh, the Crystal Snake¡¯s body was hit with numerous Essence Projectile akin to wind des, but except for a few white scratch marks on its skin, it was perfectly fine!


    ¡°!¡±


    Khal seemed to be surprised by this as his Devil Fang was a weapon that was able to cut even his Diamond Skin rtively easily, yet it was unable to injure this Beast.


    ¡°What Stage is it on?¡± Khal narrowed his eyes and began to concentrate on the Beast that stared right back at him after his previous attempt.


    Though, the very next second Khal¡¯s face turned from indifference into shock, and didn¡¯t hesitate to run away.


    ¡°Fifth Cultivation Stage! And what¡¯s more, it¡¯s on the Peak Phase, half step into the Cultivator Stage!¡± thought Khal and began to run like crazy.


    He was currently on the Fourth Cultivation Stage and thanks to his Devil Fangs that grew stronger together with him, he could kill anything all the way to the Fifth Cultivation Stage quite easily.


    However, this didn¡¯t mean he was invincible. If he met with a Beast that not only was higher in Cultivation Base than him but also had stronger defense than his Diamond Skin, well he could do nothing but run.


    Obviously, such asions were quite rare and he met with no Beasts that could defend against his attacks so far such as this one.


    ¡°At least I have ways to run,¡± said Khal, and activated his First Form, causing his body to burst into the distance in a sh.


    Bam!


    Leaving deep pits in the ground, Khal¡¯s body shed among the crystal woods while Rubie followed him from above.


    ¡°This should be enough,¡± said Khal as he stopped running and nced behind. And just as he believed, the Crystal Snake truly couldn¡¯t keep up with his pace.


    Turning back around, Khal was about to continue his exploration in this new environment when suddenly his abdomen turned numb and cold sweat began to cover his back.


    ¡°Wh-¡± began to say Khal as he turned around and raised his fan, but before he could have finished his sentence a powerful force descended upon his raised weapon.


    Swish!


    ng!


    The tip of a long and sharp sword materialized above his skull, barely stopped from killing him; if it weren¡¯t for his slight hunch, reaction speed, and his Devil Fang then he would have been lying on the ground in two halves!


    ¡°That was close.¡± thought Khal, his face indifferent as he stared at the guy that tried to assault him.


    ¡°Tsk¡­ It seems I have failed this time.¡± said the guy and with a strong thrust against Khal¡¯s weapon jumped a few meters back.


    ¡°This time? Wait, where is Rubie?¡± the realization as Rubie didn¡¯t warn him suddenly appeared in Khal¡¯s mind, but strangely he was unable to see her.


    She vanished without a trace!


    ¡°Oh? You are looking for your little pet?¡± asked the guy with a sly grin and waved his hand.


    In an instant, Rubie¡¯s figure appeared before the guy out of nowhere, her whole body covered with a strange material akin to glue.


    The substance was ck and akin to a living being twisted and moved around Rubie¡¯s body.


    ¡°Let her go,¡± said Khal with terrifying calmness as he watched Rubie struggling to get free but only in vain; her entirety was covered by the ck material and it was even a question if she could breathe or not.


    However, the guy just simply grinned and threw Rubie onto a tree on the side that got stuck on it right away.


    ¡°The only way you can free your pet is to kill me. Even if you try to unsummon it, my Abyss Web will remain on its body and suffocate it until it dies!¡±


    Khal stared at the guy calmly, his face as calm as a still pond. The guy before him was the same height as him, with the only exception that his upper body was naked showing his fit body to all to see, while his legs were covered with ck clothing.


    ¡°Hm? Oh, haha! Scared already?¡±ughed the guy merrily as he noticed that Khal didn¡¯t move even after what he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry though. You will follow that ugly shit straight into hell too!¡±


    Immediately as his voice fell, the guys¡¯ body shed and appeared right before Khal, his sword raised high above his head.


    ¡°You can only thank yourself for dying! Now die!¡± chuckled the guy loudly and swung his sword toward Khal¡¯s head once again.


    Khal watched the sword descending upon him like silver thunder, but instead of avoiding or defending, he simply stood still and waited.


    ¡°Haha! Scared shitless!¡±ughed the guy even louder, but the next scene made his grin froze on his face right away.


    CLANG!


    Akin to smashing an iron rod against a steel shield, the moment his sword fell on Khal¡¯s head a deafening and sharp metallic sound echoed throughout the surroundings, even creating a slight gust of wind that shook the crystal leaves around.


    ¡°Huh? A Beast Core? Only at the Third Cultivation Stage and already consumed a Beast Core?¡± asked the guy, his eyes shing with greed right away.

 Chapter 137: Unexpected Encounter

    Chapter 137: Unexpected Encounter


    Beast Cores as their names suggested were cores that could be obtained from Alphas from different Beast species. By consuming such a Core, Cultivators were able to obtain a power akin to a second Talent, boosting their strengths several folds.


    However, only a few knew that once a Cultivator consumes a Beast Core, the Core itself won¡¯t bepletely one with the body as a portion of it will always remain intact.


    Once consumed, the Beast Core will gradually reconstruct itself over time and once the body was destroyed, the Beast Core can be obtained by others!


    Of course, it was only possible if the Beast Core reconstructed itself in the body. If not, then even though the Cultivator was killed the Beast Core won¡¯t appear ever again!


    ¡°Your Beast Core¡­ When did you obtain it?¡± asked the guy abruptly, increasing his distance between him and Khal once again.


    Right now, he stared at Khal not like an opponent, but instead as a treasure box that hid great and priceless treasures once one opened it!


    Though, what surprised him that instead of answering, Khal simply lowered his body while the weapon vanished from his hold; his left arm extended toward him while his right palm rested above his left elbow.


    ¡°What is he doing with such an ugly stance?¡± the guy stood in one ce in confusion only to widen his eyes the next second.


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    With a flicker that was impossible to follow, Khal¡¯s figure arose before the guy and swung his palm that was already covered with Essence.


    The guy seeing this was surprised but snorted coldly right away, ¡°Courting death!¡±


    With a wave of his hand, jet ck liquid flew toward Khal, ready to cover his body too just like Rubie¡¯s.


    Khal watched with a calm expression as this happened, but instead of panicking his feet shifted to the side together with his body.


    Swish!


    Like a phantom under the night sky, Khal¡¯s body vanished from sight and a secondter reappeared, but this time behind the guy.


    ¡°Wha-¡± the guy was shocked to see this and was about to turn around, but Khal didn¡¯t let him. With a solid and powerful thrust onto the middle of his back, the Essence around his palm broke forth, crashing into the guy¡¯s body like a tidal wave!


    BOOOM!


    In a split second, the guy¡¯s entire physique exploded into thousands of pieces, while the trees and ground before Khal turned to smashed dust and broken debris!


    Simply put, from the guy¡¯s body remained nothing but a pond of blood and mincemeat!


    ¡°Scre¡­ech!¡± with a weak cry, Rubie fell onto the ground, the ck material no longer covering her body as it evaporated into thin air.


    ¡°You okay?¡± asked Khal as he picked up Rubie, checking his body for any injury.


    But luckily, it seemed that except for theck of oxygen she was doing perfectly fine. She seemed a bit weak, but in a few moments she will regain her strength right away.


    ¡°Unexpected. You have quite an intriguing Secret Art.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Turning around as fast as lightning, Khal watched as a girl in a breathtaking golden robe stepped out from a tree¡¯s cover, her delicate eyes fixed on him.


    She had a long brown hair braided into a pigtail that crashed over her shoulders, while her amethyst eyes below her slender eyebrows stared at Rubie in Khal¡¯s hold quite nonchntly.


    In her right hand was firmly holding a long sword that seemed to be crafter out from some kind of white material akin to marble.


    When Khal saw the girl before him he immediately raised his guard as he was clear about this person¡¯s identity; Fifth Stage Cultivator, Se from Heaven Academy!


    Noticing that Khal didn¡¯t talk, Se shifted her delicate eyes at Khal and opened her small lips, ¡°When I first saw you fight that guy, I thought you will die as he restricted your Talent right from the beginning. But who would have thought you will have such a powerful Secret Art that could back you up even in such a disadvantageous situation. What is it called?¡±


    ¡°Why does that even matter for you?¡± asked Khal coldly as he put Rubie onto his shoulder once she regained a bit of her strength.


    Se seemed surprised by this reply as shock shed in her eyes but unexpectedly began to smile.


    However, when Khal saw her smile he was immediately taken aback. Her calm smile was akin to the starry sky at night; gorgeous and breathtaking!


    Never in his entire life did he seen such a morous and warm smile that almost made him want to kneel before her!


    ¡°How can a simple smile hold such power?¡± wondered Khal as he raised his guard even higher. Whatever Se wanted, he knew he was only bad news!


    Out of all the participants in this tournament, he knew that only Se could pose him a problem as she not only was stronger than him in the Cultivation Stage but even had a special aura covering her that he only saw once!


    ¡°A Natural Born Cultivator!¡± thought Khal and took a step back unconsciously.


    Smiling for a while as her eyes imitated two crescent moons, Se turned indifferent once more and gently raised her sword.


    ¡°I was just simply curious as I wanted to learn it once I win this tournament. But it seems you are unwilling to tell me, hence¡­¡±


    Without talking any further, Se¡¯s sword lit up with golden light, illuminating her surroundings with a lustrous glow akin to the sun!


    Upon seeing the raised sword and its glow Khal¡¯s abdomen turned extremely numb and knew if he didn¡¯t move right at this moment he will surely die!


    This attack before him was something that not even his Diamond Skin could repel, and trying to defend against it would be clearly a foolish choice.


    Se¡¯s expression remained indifferent all this time and without any hesitancy swung her sword vertically.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    As though a small nuke was dropped onto the ground, everything was engulfed with golden light whilst the grass and trees around and in the distance evaporated into thin air, leaving only a several meters deep and wide crater where Khal¡¯s body stood a moment ago!


    Staring at the pit her attack just formed, Se lowered her sword, but her eyes were fixed in the distance, her gaze holding unknown thought.


    ¨C


    Running among the woods all the way to the next section, which in fact was a huge jungle filled with sapphire blue woods, Khal stopped and hid into a small hole under a tree¡¯s roots.


    His nonchnt face was kind of pale, his chest heaved up and down while the muscles inside his legs seemed to twitch continuously.


    ¡°That was no normal attack¡­ What the hell was that? Her Talent? No, that can¡¯t be¡­ Then it must have been a Secret Art!¡± said Khal as his breathing gradually slowed and calmed down.


    Just a few moments ago, he was only a hairsbreadth from dying but thanks to his Third then First Form of his Secret Art together with his Diamond Skin, he was able to escape safely.


    Yet, the fact that his Diamond Skin was full of wide and deep cracks all over his body was something Khal wouldn¡¯t have expected. Just simply from the shockwave that a Fifth Stage Cultivator¡¯s attack created, his Diamond Skin was cracked and almost destroyed!


    This was madness in itself!


    And not only Khal was shocked by this, but several others too, especially the teachers and experts from Moon Academy.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have foreseen that the legendary World Devouring Strike would appear in this tournament in the hands of such a young Cultivator,¡± mumbled Jas, his eyes shing with both tremor and fear.

 Chapter 138: World Devouring Strike

    Chapter 138: World Devouring Strike


    ¡°What? The legendary World Devouring Strike which can demolish half of a continent if used by a Celestial Ruler?¡± stood up Connor abruptly, his palms trembling from the shock.


    ¡°Yes,¡± nodded Jas, but then continued, ¡°Though, because she is still on the Fifth Cultivation Stage she can¡¯t bring its full potential out, not even close. If I should say, that attack right now was only¡­ 0,5% of what the true World Devouring Strike could do.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Many in the room turned speechless, their face unable to hide their awe. Even Jane, who always looked collected and calm seemed now dumbfounded by Jas¡¯s statement.


    ¡°0,5%¡­ Haha¡­ Then whoever can master such a terrific Art could be considered as a God amongst us ¡®weak¡¯ Cultivators.¡± sighed Connor, his body dropping back into his seat.


    ¡°But there is none who was able to master and utilize it perfectly,¡± suddenly Jas talked, confusing Connor and the others right away.


    ¡°What should that mean?¡±


    ¡°It means, mastering the World Devouring Strike perfectly only one in a million can do. So far, only one person was able to achive that feat, but unfortunately, even he died before he had the chance to use it.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Seeing everyone¡¯s confused gaze, Jas proceeded on to exin, ¡°The World Devouring Strike is indeed a powerful Secret Art that canpete with any Cultivator Level Arts, but it differs slightly from the rest.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s concept is about collecting a so-called World Essence from nature over time and turning into mass-energy in the body. However, it does not require the Cultivator¡¯s Essence Path like many Cultivator Level Arts as it can be used without that.¡±


    ¡°However, if one does use their Essence Path during the Secret Art, the effect it can achive could soar even above the heavens! The more Essence Path one uses during the process, the greater the results will be. Let it be drying the ocean or erase mountains from existence, the World Devouring Strike can do all of it.¡±


    ¡°But you said no one can truly achive such a feat, and even the sole Cultivator that did, died right away. Why is that?¡± asked suddenly Jane from the side, her interest piqued.


    Tilting his gaze at her, Jas asked calmly, ¡°What do you think World Essence is?¡±


    ¡°World Essence is the purest form of Essence Particles throat can be found everywhere, even here but can¡¯t be consumed as our body is incapable of doing so.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your statement is true indeed, but the part where Cultivators can¡¯t consume World Essence is a false statement.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°World Essence can be consumed, but only once one purified their bodypletely. Flesh, bones, blood, and even the Essence itself. Once all those had been purified, one can consume World Essence without further ado!¡±


    After giving them a moment of silence toprehend what he meant, Jas continued to talk, ¡°However, exactly because the World Essence is pure, it holds a greater amount of Essence than any Beast Essence in this world. So here is the question; what will happen if one¡¯s body was not strong enough, but still continued to consume Wold Essence as though it was normal Beast Essence?¡±


    Everyone before Jas obviously knew the answer, hence remained silent and began to ponder.


    If what Jas just told them was true, then the chances for Khal to win was closer to nil than to one!


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Hours have passed in silence, and Khal did nothing but remained in his little hideout, rxing and waiting for his strength to replenish.


    His Diamond Skin was gradually healing which cause Khal to feel rxed, however, his legs were the biggest problem here.


    Normally this wouldn¡¯t have happened with him if his Body Essence were still at 100 units, but because he increased it by a huge margin, his Body Essence was exceptionally hugepared to normal Cultivators.


    Because he didn¡¯t watch how much Essence he used during his time when he used the Emerald Snake Dance, his legs were so numb even after hours that let alone walking, he couldn¡¯t even stand up properly!


    He needed at least a few more hours to get back a bit of a sensation into his legs, but even that won¡¯t be enough for him to continue with his original n.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I can do anything about it so I will rx for the time being.¡± sighed Khal and pushed himself even deeper into the hole to camouge himself more.


    He even told Rubie to lower her presence as he didn¡¯t want any unwanted dangers. If he was found here either by Se or a Beast with a strong defense akin to the Crystal snake, he could be referred to as a dead man.


    Time flowed imperceptibly and half a day passed in the blink of an eye. Under half a day Khal did nothing but rest and made sure his legs continued to heal at a steady pace.


    There were times when Beasts with lower Cultivation Stage walked past him, but thanks to his presence less state and Rubie¡¯s lowered aura, none of them were intrigued to check him or simply didn¡¯t notice them.


    Swish!


    Sometimeter as Khal¡¯s legs were about to healpletely, Khal took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge and nced at it.


    But what surprised him, that except for the one section he came from there were no other sections! All of them vanished from thest time and what reced them were long ck lines connecting to another section far away.


    Some were two sections away but there was the one that was so far that the ck line crossed through 4 previous sections!


    ¡°If she decided to follow me, hunting for Beasts here or going back should be a foolish move as she could find me in no time at all.¡± pondered Khal, and his gaze shifted to one of the ck lines that connected into another section that remained.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    ¨C


    After waiting for a bit more and moving his legs around, Khal climbed out of his hideout and examined his surroundings. Once he made sure Se was not in his proximity and didn¡¯t hide from him to ambush him, Khal didn¡¯t hesitate and began to run.


    On his way, he met a few Beasts akin to panther with the sole exception that their fur and the skin below them was sapphire-colored vines, while their teeth and ws were ck in color.


    Obviously, they were nt Beasts. In the jungle that was filled with Sapphire trees all over, these Beast were the natural predators without question!


    However, because they were still on the Third Cultivation Stage and had hardly any defense, before Khal¡¯s Devil Fangs they were sliced and killed in a sh, increasing his strength even further.


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 4 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    ¡°So this should be it, huh¡­¡± eximed Khal loudly after he killed another Beast at the border of this section.


    Right before him, a long and wide bridge made out of ck jade could be seen, vanishing into the distance where the expected other section was.


    But the greatest sight wasn¡¯t the bridge that miraculously arose once the section disappeared from the map, but the sight below it.


    About a hundred meters below, a vast and infinitely deep ocean could be seen, filled with hundreds of aquatic Beasts of different sizes and shapes their Cultivation Stages varying.


    It was apparent that once one fell into the water only death waited and nothing more. Or at least if one couldn¡¯t fly by ident, though only one out of a thousand should have such Talent.


    Shifting his gaze from the water to the bridge Khal pondered for a while and stepped onto the bridge.

 Chapter 139: A Simple Bridge

    Chapter 139: A Simple Bridge


    As his foot touched the bridge¡¯s surface, Khal felt as a strong gust of wind crashed into his body from the side, almost sending his body flying off from the bridge!


    ¡°Jesus! This is fucking nonsense!¡± thought Khal as he stepped another inch forward and felt as the wind instead of weakening it became even stronger!


    It was so strong that if he wasn¡¯t careful enough he could quite easily find himself among the oceanic Beast below him in a sh!


    One slow step forward following the other, Khal supported himself on the bridge¡¯s side which was simr to a balustrade made out of ck jade, and sauntered steadily.


    Even Rubie was struggling on Khal¡¯s shoulder against the powerful wind, hence she climbed into his robe, revealing only her little head below Khal¡¯s chin.


    Walking for one hour straight with a snail-like pace, Khal stopped his steps and turned around only to widen his eyes extrarge; under 1 hour, he was able to walk a bit more than 1 mile! The section from where he just came from was clearly visible in the distance, while the other section where he wanted to go could nowhere to be seen!


    ¡°Fucking perfect¡­¡± Khal cursed out loudly, but because of the almost deafening wind that could be called a storm instead, his voice was nothing more but a quiet buzz.


    ¨C


    Hours have passed and after unknown how many steps, Khal finally was able to see another section in the distance.


    From far away, Khal was able to see several huge mountains with clouds covering their peak, while on some of their sides a river was falling into somewhere below that was hidden from another mountain.


    ¡°Finally!¡± sighed Khal with relief, even a merry smile forming on his face as his body began to feel exhausted, but unfortunately his celebration didn¡¯tst long.


    Just as his voice fell, suddenly the bridge below his feet began to tremble like crazy while the section before him vanished in a blink of an eye!


    Yeah, it vanished! In its entirety, the section with its beautiful mountains and river fall turned into blue fragments and dispersed into thin air, leaving only an infinitely long bridge before Khal¡¯s sight.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Standing still like aplete idiot, Khal looked at the scenery before him with a frozen expression, his voice not wanting toe out of his mouth.


    Right now, he was simply lost and didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry!


    ¡°I should turn around and walk back, right?¡± asked Khal after a moment of silence and took out his Cultivator¡¯s Badge to see the changes on the map.


    Holding it as firmly as his dear life depended on it, Khal nced at the badge but hisplexion paled right after he did.


    Currently, both sections, the one he wanted to reach and the one he came from, vanishedpletely, while the closest area to him turned out to be 3 sections away!


    Putting his Cultivator¡¯s Badge away with slow movements, Khal¡¯s gaze gradually lowered only to see Rubie ncing right back up at him with afortable look stered all over her face.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Somewhere else, where the ground, the trees, and even the sky itself was frozen, Se walked forward with wide steps, her face holding nothing but indifference.


    ¡°SCHREECHH!!¡±


    Sometimeter, suddenly a loud cry resounded in the silent domain, causing Se to halt her movements and raise her head toward the skies.


    Right above her head, about 2 or 3 miles away, a huge bird covered in blue mes was descending toward her at a rapid pace with the obvious intent to kill her!


    ¡°Ice Phoenix!¡± somewhere in the Southern Continent an old man was staring at the screen, his eyes shing with excitement.


    His name was in fact Elder Caz, the Principal of Heaven Academy and the Chief of the entirety of Heaven City!


    After Haven City, which was the capital, Heaven City was the second strongest City on the Southern Continent in both military and technology prowess, manpower, fame, influence, and wealth!


    No one except the capital had what it took topete with them and this was also true to the Academy inside it!


    Heaven Academy was the harshest Academy in the whole Southern Continent as they only allowed Cultivators with at least a B rank Talent to enroll. Anyone else below that requirement was prohibited to enter the Academy for the rest of their lives while if they somehow had the lowest Rank among Cultivators, expelling them from Heaven City was a must!


    In their eyes, weak Cultivators only degenerated their reputation while only the strong had a ce to remain in Heaven City!


    Elder Caz watched Se¡¯s figure with a tranquil expression, waiting to see how his disciple will act in the face of an Ice Phoenix, one of the strongest and most all-rounded Beasts on the Fifth Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°SCHREEECH!!¡± with another deafening cry toward the heavens the Ice Phoenix¡¯s speed quickened and akin to teleportation, manifested before Se.


    The very moment as this happened and the Beast¡¯s figure appeared meters away from her, the temperature dropped below zero in a sh while blue mes exploded toward Se like a tsunami!


    Though, Se¡¯s face even in the face of such a terrifying Beast and situation just simply raised her sword toward the skies, cutting the blue mes into two!


    ¡°Schreeech!?¡± the Ice Phoenix seemed to be in confusion as this was the first time in its life that someone could repel its attack without sustaining any injuries!


    She naturally noticed this change in the Beast and didn¡¯t let this opportunity swim away.


    Right after splitting the blue mes into two, Se¡¯s left eye turned golden with a spinning triangle in its very middle while blue Essence began to cover her palm!


    Swish!


    ¡°Sche-¡°


    sh!


    Akin to a phantom that collected its prey¡¯s soul during the night, Se¡¯s body vanished and reappeared behind the Beast, which body was no longer in one piece.


    The sight as this urred shocked many to the very core as the movement technique that Se just used was extremely simr to what Khal used!


    The Dance of The Celestial Serpent Second Form; Azure Snake Dance!


    Although she used the Second Form a bit differently than Khal, the basics were the same; terrifyingly the same!


    In contrast to Liza who could copy Secret Arts to a limited amount, Se¡¯s strange Talent let her copy any without limit! It could even copy a Cultivator Level Art to perfection just by a single nce which was madness in itself!


    ¡°Haha, to think she will use her Mirror Sight against that Beast¡­ Haha, she must be pretty angered that she was unable to kill brat below her Stage.¡± Elder Caz chuckled merrily a bit then immediately turned serious, his eyes fixed on a different screen.


    ¡°Though, in truth, even I would be furious. Training day and night to perfect my techniques and strengthen my Talents only to let a weak brat like him escape¡­ I would feel ashamed too!¡± said Elder Caz, his gaze flickering with different emotions as he watched Khal¡¯s struggling figure on the screen.


    Only after a brief momentter did he avert his gaze, no longer interested in him while even a slight smile formed on his face.


    ¡°Well, he will be dead even before they will have the chance to meet again so it¡¯s okay.¡±

 Chapter 140: Spirit Body

    Chapter 140: Spirit Body


    After killing the Ice Phoenix as though it was just a simple Low Stage Beast, Se consumed its Essence and continued on her way.


    As she did, she met with several other Ice Phoenixes one after another, but in front of her sword, none of them was able to survive.


    Each and every one of them was sliced into numerous pieces in a blink of an eye, leaving none of them alive as all of them were turned into Essence and consumed by Se right away!


    And what was even more terrifying that she used to kill them with Khal¡¯s Secret Art every single time! Using his Second Form as though she learned it for years, her proficiency with the Azure Snake Dance became greater by the second while even slight modifications could be noticed in it!


    The Second Form was a way to avoid and get behind the enemy in closebat while initiating a counter-attack with the help of the Essence around the palms.


    Yet, this Essence that should have been around the palms slowly began to move around Se¡¯s sword, covering its de with a gentle blue light akin to blue mes!


    When Elder Caz saw this, a grin emerged on his face, and began to praise Se in his mind.


    ¡°Learning and Modifying to perfection with a single nce. The real nature of the Mirror Sight! Not even the Gods have what it takes to oppose such a heavenly power, haha!¡±


    Se continued to walk in the frozen domain akin to someone taking a peaceful stroll in a park, her sword killing any Beast that dared to approach her without mercy!


    But despite killing so many powerful creatures in a gracious manner that was still an underestimation to call elegant, her expression was cold and indifferent from start to end.


    Her eyes, expression, and stature held such confidence and indifference that it made others believe, in her eyes, no one was worthy enough to stand before her!


    This was not arrogance, but pure and sheer confidence that can from her power!


    Because of this many in the world began to worship her deeply and even give her the name of Queen!


    Time passed in a blink of an eye, and Se¡¯s strength improved with each second. However, after killing another Beast with ease, suddenly her movements halted and her gaze shifted at a frozen rock in the distance.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die right away I would rmend showing yourself.¡± Se¡¯s cold voice resounded in the air, turning many confused in a sh; some even began to search among the screens to find out who Se was talking to.


    Though not even a secondter as her voice fell, a guy stepped out from behind the rock and with a wry smile on his face began tough.


    It was surprisingly Theon, the one from Skywave Academy!


    ¡°Third Cultivation Stage¡­¡± Se¡¯s eyes suddenly shed with disappointment, her mood turning sour right away.


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case then¡­¡± without hesitation Se raised her sword toward the skies, and slowly her sword began to be illuminated with golden light.


    Then seeing this seemed surprised and even his face paled slightly, but had no time to talk as Se already swung her sword, causing the world to be enveloped with golden light in an instant!


    BOOOM!


    The sky trembled and the earth split, a powerful gust of wind appeared sending frozen debris and entire trees flying into the air!


    Without holding back anything, Se used her World Devouring Strike on Theon, giving him no mercy at all!


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Sometimeter as the light began to dissipate, revealing the terrifying sight that Se¡¯s attack caused many breathed in cold air, their palms sweating because of nervousness.


    Such power¡­ She used this power not once but twice and in a short amount of time!


    Shaking earth, demolishing mountains, and splitting oceans¡­ In the eyes of every Cultivator, this was what real strength and power meant!


    ¡°Poor guy, he died without having the chance to speak. She truly is a queen who despises any being below her¡­ Sigh¡­¡±


    Many sighed and felt sympathy toward Theon who died without the chance to fight back. For a Cultivator, such death was the worst!


    ¡°Woah! It¡¯s quite a powerful Secret Art!¡±


    However, just as everyone was about to forget Theon¡¯s name as he died, abruptly a calm voice sounded from the deep crater, shocking many right away!


    Even Se, who was about to leave stopped abruptly, her delicate eyes widening from poor shock!


    Turning toward the pit her strike formed, Se and all the Cultivators currently spectating watched as Theon¡¯s figure slowly emerged from the crater, his hand continuously patting his robe.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Feeling the kind of awkward atmosphere in the air, Theon stopped walking and raise his gaze at Se. Seeing her sharp gaze on him he frowned but suddenly realized something and widened his eyes.


    ¡°Oh, wait. That assault just now should have killed me¡­¡± thought Theon, obviously not daring to say that out loud before Se.


    However, as though Se read his mind, she squinted her eyes and asked coldly, ¡°Why are you so shocked?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ It¡¯s nothing¡­¡± replied Theon, but his answer only made his thoughts even more obvious, causing many to be furious.


    Se was one of them too and her mood immediately changed to the worst, resulting in raising her sword.


    ¡°Courting death!¡± snorted Se, and vanished from her spot and reappeared the next second behind Theon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me me for your own mis-¡± as Se turned around she seemed angry but the next second her eyes widened once again!


    Theon, who should have been lying on the ground in several pieces was standing before her, his face inches away from hers!


    ¡°Ho-¡± eximed Se with shock before a sharp pain pierced into her stomach, sending her body flying into the distance like a cannonball!


    BAM!


    Crashing into a frozen tree and turning it into debris, an arrow of blood flew out of Se¡¯s mouth covering the frozen ground before her with dark red blood!


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± Elder Caz stood up abruptly, his eyes shaking with tremor as he stared at Theon¡¯s body on the screen.


    ¡°How was he able to survive both of her attacks? She clearly attacked all of his vital points hence there is no way he was able to dodge all of them!¡±


    Elder Caz¡¯s gaze shook powerfully, ring at Theon like a ghost from a nightmare!


    However, a secondter his eyes widened evenrger, almost popping out of their sockets as a sudden and hard realization hit him.


    ¡°Spirit Body¡­ That boy has Spirit Body Talent!?¡±


    Spirit Body Talent was an extremely rare Body type Talent, almost as rare as Asur¡¯s Healing Talent; only one of every thousand Cultivators obtained a Spirit Body and all of them could be considered as indestructible beings on the higher Stages!


    Spirit Body was a Talent that let Cultivator¡¯s body turn into a non-solid state for a limited time, letting any attack through their body without sustaining any injury or harm; so killing them was basically impossible!


    In the First Cultivation Stage Cultivators could keep their Spirit Body working only for a few seconds while on the Ninth Stage it could even reach several days!


    The higher one was in Cultivation Base the longer the durationsted while the asions where they could use it became way more frequent!


    Only with the help of a weapon that was capable of cutting the soul itself could one hope to kill such a Cultivator or when the Spirit Body was on cooldown.


    Any other means will only end up as a failure!


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± standing up from the debris while coughing blood onto the ground, Se¡¯s eyes shifted toward Theon, her face as cold as ice!

 Chapter 141: Restriction Domain!

    Chapter 141: Restriction Domain!


    Se¡¯splexion was ice cold, her eyes holding a great grudge against Theon in the distance.


    So far in her life, let it be before she got her Talent or after that, no one dared to touch her let alone punch her in the abdomen!


    She was respected by many and even made people kneeling before her as her Natural Born presence put fear into anyone¡¯s heart that was below her in Cultivation base!


    Yet, this boy, who wasn¡¯t even on the Fourth Cultivation Stage, not only dared to attack her without mercy, but even seeded with it!


    He punched her right in her stomach with such great force that blood filled her mouth, some even falling out and falling onto her robe that he got from his Master!


    After her failure of killing Khal with one of the strongest Secret Arts in the cultivation world, this was such a blow to her pride that she couldn¡¯t overlook it just with a simple sneer!


    The only way she could soothe the raging fire in her heart was to kill Theon right here and now! No matter what she needed to do, she will definitely slice him up into hundreds of pieces!


    ¡°Although I am surprised to see someone with a Spirit Body on this tournament, once your Talent gets into its cooldown you will be dead.¡±


    Theon hearing this just simply smiled while even augh slight escaped his mouth as he found Se¡¯s threat kinda funny.


    On the other hand, when Se saw this her mood just became colder while her hand began to move, ¡°I see¡­ I hope this arrogance of yours won¡¯t vanish once I pierce your skull with my sword!¡±


    Swish!


    In a sh, Se¡¯s figure arose before Theon, her sword raised high above her head, ready to chop it down with all the anger contained within it.


    Theon seeing this stoppedughing and pushed his feet to the side, though his smile still remaining on his face.


    Avoiding the sword by only a hairsbreadth and watching as the de pointed toward the ground, Theon stepped on the tip of the sword in false and swung his palm.


    BAM!


    Akin to a bull mming into a wall, Se felt a great force crashing into the middle of her chest, sending her body flying once again.


    ¡°A great sword indeed, it should be on the Legendary Tier.¡± hummed Theon with interest, his feet still on the sword that was pierced forcefully into the ground.


    ¡°Argh¡­¡± as Theon was inspecting Se¡¯s sword with great allure, Se in the distance stood up from the debris, blood streaming down from the corner of her mouth.


    Elder Caz seeing this sight turned silent, his body stiffened motionless in his seat.


    Did he see it right or was it just an illusion? Did that brat still on the Third Stage really just disarmed and punched a Natural Born on the Fifth Stage like it was nothing or was that some kind of a trick?


    Hence, Elder Caz didn¡¯t hesitate at all and pinched himself powerfully on the arm, creating great pain in his hand in an instant!


    However, even after several seconds, the sight before him remained the same with Theon still ying with the sword, while Se stared at him from the distance with debris and blood covering her body!


    He didn¡¯t hallucinate a thing and everything he just saw was true!


    ¡°This¡­ How?¡± was the only thing Elder Caz and almost everyone around the world could utter after several moments of silence.


    ¡°How did you do that?¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡± raising his gaze at Se, Theon frowned and asked, ¡°Do what?¡±


    Se upon hearing Theon¡¯s innocent question turned even colder but still decided to ask in a calm voice, ¡°The way you moved and attacked me. That was not a Secret Art nor a second Talent. How did you do it?¡±


    Realizing what Se was talking about, Theon¡¯s eyes brightened immediately, and moved his feet. In a sh, the sword that was pierced into the ground until this very moment now was kicked into the air and with a smooth move was grabbed by him.


    Theon stared at the sword for a while and once his gazes seemed to lose interest in it, threw it toward Se. This act of his not only surprised but also dumbfounded many as only fools would do such a thing!


    ¡°What I just did was called Martial Arts. My Master taught me how to use it when I was still a little kid,¡± said Theon calmly, but once he saw the confusion in Se¡¯s eyes as she stared at the sword on the ground he just smiled.


    ¡°My Master taught me to respect my enemies and fight them fair and square. If I would dare to take your weapon away, then it would be equal to me disregarding my Master¡¯s teaching. I would never dare to do a lowlife move such as that, never in my life!¡±


    ¡°So pick your weapon up and don¡¯t spare your strength on me! If you end up killing me that only meant I was not enough strong!¡±


    BOOM!


    In a sh, a powerful aura broke forth from Theon, shocking Se and everyone around into speechlessness!


    Peak Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage! He was half a step away to reach the Fifth Cultivation Stage which meant he concealed his true strength all this time!


    Se stared at Theon with a calm gaze, the fire in her heart no longer raging as before. Now she understood that Theon acted not out of arrogance, but because of pure respect and excitement!


    It seemed he was the type of guy that loved to fight and turned excited in the face of death! If not, then he wouldn¡¯t have smiled so casually when she attacked and didn¡¯t have threw her weapon back at her.


    Everything he said and the way he just acted made Se¡¯s heart calm down almostpletely while she began to feel respect toward Theon for some strange reason!


    Even though he was still below her in Cultivation Base, she began to feel respect that she only showed and felt toward Cultivators above her! This feeling surprised her a bit, but only for a bit.


    ¡°You are blessed to be a disciple of such a great Master,¡± eximed Se calmly, her fingers tightly clenching around the sword¡¯s hilt on the ground.


    ¡°Yes, I feel blessed indeed. Without my Master, I would have been long ago! He taught me how to fight, how to survive, and how to strive for more! Hence I ask you¡­ please fight me with everything you have!¡± said Theon, his eyes holding deep respect and firm passion as he talked.


    ¡°¡­¡± Se stared at Theon in silence and nodded mildly as she gradually began to lift her sword.


    ¡°In respect of you and your Master, I will.¡±


    BAM!


    Right as her voice fell, a suffocating presence erupted from her body, making the air around her to be filled with great pressure!


    Theon however didn¡¯t seem scared nor shocked, instead, his eyes brightened up like stars while a wide smile shaped on his face!


    He seemed extremely excited!


    ¡°That¡¯s what I like to see!¡± eximed Theon merrily as he watched Se¡¯s body vanishing and appearing before him out of thin air in a sh!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    With a flicker of silver light, Se¡¯s sword approached his abdomen while another silver sh moved toward his neck!


    Two attacks with a single weapon at the same time! A rare sight that only a few could achive at the Fifth Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°Perfect!¡± Theon¡¯s eye shone brightly as adrenalin began to rush through his veins.


    Pushing his feet powerfully against the ground that left a deep pit below his feet, Theon jumped high up into the air and avoided the first assault toward his abdomen while deflecting the second one simply with his robe-covered hand!


    ng!


    The moment Se¡¯s sword hit Theon¡¯s robe, a metallic sound reverberated throughout the air, making many frown with confusion at that sight.


    ¡°Golden Dragon Scales. My Master gave them as gifts as their durability was exceptionally great. Not even a Sixth Stage Cultivator could break them! Though I only have them on my left side hence you should aim at my right!¡± exined Theon still in the air, and kicked toward Se.


    Learning from her previous mistakes, Se didn¡¯t let Theon¡¯s attack hit her body, therefore she raised her sword and used it as a shield.


    However¡­


    BAM!


    The strength behind Theon¡¯s kick was so great that Se was unable to remain still, and had to take a few steps back as the sword in her hand began to tremble slightly.


    ¡°How can his attacks have such a tremendous force even without any Secret Arts? Does learning Martial Arts truly grant such a huge physical advantage against others?¡± wondered Se with shock once she halted her body and stared at Theon.


    ¡°Well, it does not really matter,¡± said Se as she extended her free arm before her chest.


    Upon seeing this, Elder Caz stood up abruptly and opened his mouth wide. He was way familiar with that sight and that¡¯s why he seemed to be so shocked.


    ¡°Will she use her second Talent? Against a brat lo-¡°


    However, even before he could have said anything more, Se¡¯s calm but loud voice sounded right away.


    ¡°Restriction Domain, Open!¡±


    BAM!

 Chapter 142: Against All Odds!

    Chapter 142: Against All Odds!


    As Se¡¯s voice fell, the whole area around Theon began to change and twist as though space suddenly became unstable, ready to copse at any given moment.


    In a short amount of time, the frozen scenery around him turned to pitch ck with silver chains moving, twisting, and shaking all around as though they were living beings!


    ¡°Domain-type Talent?¡± Theon seemed surprised but his eyes still beamed like stars from the excitement.


    He never fought against a Natural Born Cultivator and especially not against one with a Domain-type Talent! This was his first time thus he will definitely savor this moment real well!


    ¡°Here Ie!¡± shouted Theon and moved his feet but found it strange as his speed was rtively slow. It felt almost akin to someone putting a rope around his waist and pulling him backward while he wanted to run forward!


    The feeling was weird and hard to just simply ignore!


    ¡°In my Restriction Domain, every type of Movement Skill or Art is limited and every individual¡¯s Talent will be halved for 1 minute! You have no chance to fight nor win. It¡¯s my victory.¡±


    Se¡¯s voice was calm and quiet but in the ears of the spectators and Theon, it was as loud as thunder.


    ¡°That girl¡­ Why did she need to use her Natural Talent against someone like him? Argh¡­ Such a waste!¡± murmured Elder Caz angrily but in the end, still sighed helplessly.


    Theon stared at Se with a calm look in silence, though the next second sighed and nodded, ¡°Winning against you with Martial Arts alone is indeed true. However¡­¡±


    As he said that, Theon¡¯s body gradually became half-transparent while gentle white light began to envelop his body, ¡°Even though my power was halved, 30 seconds will be still enough for me to win!¡±


    Swish!


    ¡°!?¡±


    ng!


    Se raised her sword and defended against Theon¡¯s palm that appeared out of nowhere in a split second!


    ¡°Ho-¡± Se seemed to be dumbfounded by Theon¡¯s newfound speed but as another palm moved toward her chest she was unable to finish her simple question.


    ¡°29¡±


    ng!


    Following the palm that was deflected, Theon tilted his body slightly to the side, and with a powerful swing kicked toward Se¡¯s head.


    ng!


    However, this one too was deflected with Se¡¯s sword and even a counter-attack came, shing at his thigh, ready to cut his leg off with one smooth sh!


    Theon obviously anticipated this, but he wasn¡¯t scared at all. Rather, he seemed as calm as a still pond and didn¡¯t move.


    Swish!


    With a crescent silver arc, Se¡¯s sword reached Theon¡¯s thigh but the moment it would have cut his leg off, it simply passed through his thigh as though it was nothing but air!


    ¡°Spirit Body can resist some types of Domain¡¯s but in exchange, its time limit will shorten drastically,¡± eximed Elder Caz, seemingly intrigued in the fight between the two Cultivators.


    When the sword passed through his leg, Theon stepped on Se¡¯s sword once again, but this time instead of pushing her away he jumped into the air, his waist now one level with Se¡¯s eyes and his heel aiming at Se¡¯s head!


    ¡°!?¡±


    Swish!


    ¡°Huh?¡± Theon seemed to be confused as to why his kick didn¡¯t reach his target but soon found it out.


    Se who should have been standing before her now was behind him in the air, her left eye turned golden with a spinning triangle in its middle!


    She used her Mirror Sight to use Khal¡¯s Secret Art once again and evade Theon¡¯s fatal onught!


    And now that she was in advantage, Se didn¡¯t hesitate and swung her sword, crashing into Theon¡¯s body powerfully.


    Or at least would have crashed if his body wouldn¡¯t have been in that annoying Spirit Body, making him impossible to touch!


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    A powerful gust of wind broke out from her sh, but except that and the chains shaking in the distance, nothing happened at all.


    ¡°21¡± Theon¡¯s voice sounded once again in everyone¡¯s ear, his feet targeting one of Se¡¯s legs this time.


    Se noticed this and jumped up to avoid it, but who would have thought this is what Theon exactly wanted.


    Still, in the air, Se watched as Theon extended his arm and grabbed her ankle firmly and with a strong swing made her body fly into the distance.


    BOOOM!


    Even though there were no physical ground or objects around, the moment Se¡¯s body reached a limited range her body crashed into an invisible wall, making the entire Domain shake like crazy in a blink of an eye!


    But it was only obvious as every Domain type Talents had a limited space where one could move around as they were no separate dimensions.


    Standing up from the ground among a slightly contortedplexion from the pain, Se was about to use Khal¡¯s Secret Art through her Mirror Sight to close the distance between her and Theon, but it seemed unnecessary.


    The moment she raised her gaze what she saw was Theon¡¯s already approaching figure, his palm ready to crash into her chest akin to a train that had no brakes!


    ¡°Sigh¡­ It seems I am truly weak after all¡­¡± suddenly a disappointed sigh escaped from Se¡¯s mouth, but it wasn¡¯t directed toward Theon but herself!


    And right after as she said that, the triangle stopped spinning in her eyes while a sudden mysterious power erupted from her body!


    BAM!


    Straight off as that happened, her body turned half-transparent while Theon¡¯s palm passed right through her body, dumbfounding Theon to his very core.


    And this is exactly what Se needed. As soon as Theon seemed shocked causing his mind to ckout for a split second, Se swung her sword and pierced Theon right in his heart!


    ¡°!¡± feeling the piercing pain in his chest, Theon lowered his gaze, only to find Se¡¯s sword stabbed deeply into him!


    ¡°rgh!¡± vomiting up a huge amount of blood that fell right onto the de, Theon began to smile and without having the chance to say anything lost control over his body and copsed.


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Every spectator, including Elder Caz that watched this scene unfold remained silent, unknown what they should say or how they should react.


    Everything that just urred under the previous moments was things that no normal Cultivator could understand as the way Se won was nothing ordinary at all!


    Withdrawing her sword and making her domain and golden eye disappear, Selia stared at Theon¡¯s body on the frozen ground with an expressionless face.


    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­¡± raising her hand to cover her mouth, Se coughed up a small amount of blood one after another while her delicateplexion began to pale gradually.


    It seemed that whatever power she just used affected her body quite severely and its signs showed right away!


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have done that¡­¡± mumbled Se with a pale face and after ncing at Theon¡¯s body for onest time walked away, her sword still dripping blood onto the ground.


    However, when her body vanished into the distance and no spectators were watching the area where they just fought, Theon¡¯s body gradually began to form cracks and soon vanished into thin air in the shape of small blue fragments.

 Chapter 143: Blessing or Disaster?

    Chapter 143: Blessing or Disaster?


    Hours have passed and another day flew away in the blink of an eye.


    Changes around the map once again urred as sections vanished while what remained in their ce was only an infinitely deep ocean with a long and wide ck bridge crossing it.


    Out of 251 participants from the start, under three days Cultivators died at a rapid speed, leaving only 23 left alive!


    In mere 3 days, 228 participants died, each one of them dying through different means. Some were eaten alive by huge Beasts, some died because of the harsh environments, and were unable to find a safe section where they could have survived but a bit more than 50% of them died through a battle against other Cultivators.


    All in all, only 23 participants remained in the tournament and that was the only thing that mattered.


    ¡°Our me Academy can finally leave behind the shame we have reapedst decades Thousand Life Tournament! We can finally rise and make everyone know our name once again!¡±


    ¡°Top 25 in the Thousand Life Tournament. I¡­ I can hardly believe this! Jade Academy received such a heaven-given blessing as today!¡±


    ¡°Hmph¡­ This was only natural. Thunderbone City was fated to reach the top and rise just like how we did a hundred years ago!¡±


    Leaders of cities whose Academies were still participating in the tournament were talking out aloud with different emotions; some were happy, some were shocked while there were even those who thought about this as something only natural.


    One of thetter individuals was Elder Caz, who stared at Se¡¯s figure on the screen with an indifferent face, unknow what he was currently thinking.


    Ever since her fight with Theon and her usage of her strange power, her condition seemed to recover steadily, but her movements were still kind of sluggish and stiff.


    Elder Caz understood it was because she used her Mirror Sight to its full potential, but as to that it woulde with such a dire consequence he didn¡¯t know.


    Se told him that her Mirror Sight had a great and powerful ability that she will use only if she seems to have no other choice, but she never told him it woulde with such dire consequences.


    ¡°Interior injuries to an unknown degree. Even her Essence Paths could have been damaged because of that¡­¡± Elder Caz¡¯s angry voice resounded suddenly in the empty room, his gaze holding worry and incite at the same time.


    Time flowed slowly and Se¡¯splexion together with both her physical and mental condition recovered once again; she looked as healthy and ice-cold as ever before without any sign of her injury from her previous fight.


    ¡°Huh? Another Cultivator?¡± inside a section that was filled with burning trees, buildings while the ground and skies were filled with dust, a guy in a dark orange robe emerged behind Se, seemingly surprised he met someone there.


    ¡°¡­¡± upon hearing his voice, Se turned around slowly.


    Staring at the guy with a cold gaze that caused the guy to stiffen up, Se raised her sword and swung it horizontally without hesitation.


    Swish!


    Despite her swinging her weapon in a gracious manner that seemed slow, a crescent silver arc appeared around the guy¡¯s neck in a split second, beheading him on the spot without mercy.


    Without looking at the corpse not even for a second, Se turned around and began to walk away with slow and steady steps.


    ¨C


    While all that happened, Khal was still struggling in the middle of a ck bridge, trying to get finally reach a section once and for all!


    He was strolling for more than a day, and he was still unable to reach a section! He could have already reached one about several hours ago, but just as the first previous time that one too vanished into thin air right before his very eyes!


    And what was even worse that the next section this time was not 3, but 6 sections away, and ever since then he was walking without rest!


    Resisting the powerful storm that tried to push him off the bridge while also stopping asionally to get a bit of ¡®rest¡¯, Khal¡¯s life became aplete hell.


    ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have chosen this fucking bridge!¡± cursed Khal inwardly as the end of his robe and his hair fluttered wildly from the strong wind in the air.


    Though,pletely opposite to him, Rubie seemed extremely delighted, her eyes even showing greatfort inside Khal¡¯s robe.


    Since she entered Khal¡¯s robe she never left and even slept there while ignoring the fact that Khal was struggling not to die!


    But obviously, Khal couldn¡¯t me her. She was still on the Third Cultivation Stage and was not strong enough to resist the powerful storm on his shoulder alone.


    Sooner orter her little body would have been blown away, sending her straight into the ocean or far away into the distance without any chance to return.


    ¡°Just how far away I am from the next section?¡± Khal took out his badge carefully and took a nce at it.


    However, when he saw the map his face immediately brightened up, and raised his head, ¡°I should be there under a few hours!¡±


    ¨C


    Inside Moon Academy, everyone was watching Khal¡¯s figure in silence, their faces showing a mixture of emotions.


    Some were happy as Khal was able to survive for so long even after meeting Se, but seemed confused and bored too as he as they couldn¡¯t see him fight with either a Cultivator or Beast.


    ¡°This is fucking bullish*t! If I knew this I would have asked for the Moon Robe personally! Staying on a fucking bridge and waiting for others to die¡­ Was this some kind of joke? Like this, anyone could reach the top 10 easily! Damn, I could even win the whole thing alone like that!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Did this guy forget to pay his brain bill or what? You dare to say such a thing with your trash Talent and weak Cultivation Base? You would have died a thousand times let alone surviving this far! You would have only brought disgrace onto our Academy!¡±


    ¡°Huh?! You have something to say for me brat? I dare you to say that again!¡±


    People began to talk among each other as some thought Khal was lucky and even a First Stage Cultivator could have done what he was doing, while others stayed silent and praised him deeply.


    Anyone that had a bit of brain could see that even though Khal was not fighting with other Cultivators he was still struggling to stay alive on that bridge.


    And what¡¯s more, he was struggling for more than a day! Anyone with a weak will or without any determination would have died hundreds of times so far!


    ¡°Well, at least we can consider ourselves lucky, right?¡± Scarlett in the Principal¡¯s Room talked, seemingly calm as she stared at Khal on the screen.


    ¡°Lucky? Haha! I would rather call ourselves blessed!¡±ughed Raffin on the side loudly, ¡°I checked records and Moon Academy never seemed to reach the top 50 in the Thousand Life Tournament let alone top 25! Let it be luck or pure coincidence, that brat blessed us!¡±


    ¡°He was the right choice to send, no question about it.¡±


    Many around Raffin nodded in agreement while only a few didn¡¯t. One of them was Jane, who knew that maybe Khal was lucky all this time, he didn¡¯t show any great achievements except killing those Grit Eaters.


    If this went on and died right away once he met with another Cultivator, let it be either top 25 or top 10, they could earn not even the slightest of merit or credit.


    Hell, they could even get others to despise them and call Moon Academy shameless because they sent a Cultivator that only survived because of sheer luck and didn¡¯t do a thing.


    He only killed 3 enemies so far and all 3 of them were below him in Cultivation Base so he didn¡¯t do anything that could deserve him getting any merit at all!

 Chapter 144: Closing Sections

    Chapter 144: Closing Sections


    As time went by slowly, Khal finally began to see a section a distance, making his mood skyrocket in an instant!


    ¡°Thank God! I somehow finally made it!¡± eximed Khal merrily right after he stepped onto the section¡¯s surface.


    Right that instant, the powerful storm vanished, and what reced it was a pleasantly warm breeze on his face.


    The vast ocean changed into a massively huge golden grasnd, each strand of grass as tall as a human leg!


    Paff¡­


    Falling onto the grass with an exhaustedplexion, Khalid motionless on the ground, his chest heaving up and down with a bit rapid manner.


    ¡°¡­¡± feeling as Khal stopped moving, Rubie popped her little head out curiously from below his robe and looked around.


    ¡°Schreeech!¡± Rubie¡¯splexion changed in an instant and as though she just got reborn a few moments ago, jumped into the air, and began to fly cheerfully.


    It seemed staying in Khal¡¯s robe was great, but flying in the air felt even greater for her.


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± taking a huge breath and exhaling deeply, Khal put his palm on his knee and pushed himself up.


    Raising his eyes and watching the scenery before him, Khal¡¯s mind began to rx bit by bit.


    Compared to the forest where he hunted for Razor Hounds, this ce was way better as it made him feel calmer than usual.


    ¡°Let¡¯s search for Beasts. I need to replenish my energy somehow.¡±


    Khal began to walk among the huge grass that reached all the way up to his waist and began to search for Beasts in the proximity.


    And surprisingly, he didn¡¯t have to search for too long as only after a bit more than 5 minutester he spotted the first creature of this section in the distance.


    ¡°Swift Mantis and it¡¯s on the Fourth Cultivation Stage close to the Middle Phase.¡± thought Khal as he signaled Rubie to survey the proximity until he kills it.


    Approaching the Beast from behind that looked exactly like an oversized mantis with a dark yellow color, Khal summoned his Devil Fangs into his grasp.


    Once he was closer than 5 meters, Khal channeled a bit of his Essence into his weapon and swung it horizontally.


    Swish!


    Several silver flicker akin to wind des broke forth from his fan, and in a split second the Swift Mantis was sliced up into several pieces!


    [Notify! ¡®Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡¯ has consumed 4 ¡®Artificial Beast Essence¡¯!]


    When Khal heard the notification inside his head a slight frown formed on his face, seemingly confused over something.


    ¡°4¡­ Why do I only get only below 10 every time I consume these Artificial essences? So far I have never consumed more than 9 which is confusing. ¡± pondered Khal as he knew that a Beast on the Fourth Cultivation Stage could give at least 20 Essence.


    Yet, not only was he not able to consume more than 10 but he asionally obtained only 4 or 5 which was considered bad.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just my luck¡­¡± sighed Khal and proceeded on with his search.


    Now that he consumed a bit of Essence his body got recovered to a degree hence he had no problem with killing Beasts as he nned originally.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Using his Devil Fangs to fight with the Swift Mantis¡¯ Khal began to consume Essences once again.


    However, because not all of the Beasts were as unaware as the first creature was, Khal had to fight a bit more seriously but not to a degree where he had to break a sweat.


    With his enormous amount of Body Essence, weapon, and his Secret Art, even if the Swift Mantis¡¯ evaded some of his attacks thanks to its nimble movements, in the end, all of them were sliced up.


    When Scarlett and the others saw this they became rxed as it seemed Khal won¡¯t struggle to stay alive.


    ¡°Well, obviously if he had the strength to kill a group of Grit Eaters all alone then he won¡¯t die in the face of some weak Swift Mantis,¡± eximed Connor deeply.


    ¡°How many participants are still alive?¡± in a spacious white room filled with several huge screens and buttons, Master Adam was standing behind David with a nonchnt face.


    David who was pushing buttons after buttons on the panel turned his head slightly to the side, his eyes still fixed on the screen.


    ¡°Since thest restriction, out of the 23 participants, 9 have died, leaving only 14 in game.¡±


    Master Adam nodded his head and after a brief moment of pondering he said, ¡°Close the 16 furthest sections, leaving only 7 on the map.¡±


    ¡°Huh? But Sir, the time for restriction is yet toe. I ca-¡± began to say David, but the moment he turned around and nced at Master Adam he stayed silent.


    ¡°Just do as I said. Also, after this, restrict 1 section after every 2 hours while also increasing the Beasts¡¯ Stages all the way to the Fifth Cultivation Stage once only one section remained.¡±


    ¡°But, Sir! That is¡­¡± David was speechless by this and didn¡¯t know what he should do.


    He was in charge to control the happenings inside the tournament, but Master Adam was the Head outside the Tournament. If he said he should do it, then withoutint he must do it!


    However, doing such a thing as that¡­


    It seemed as Master Adam wanted to end the tournament as fast as he could for no reason!


    Master Adam naturally understood what David was thinking, hence closed his eyes and began to exin his reason, ¡°I got the order from the Cultivation Organization. It seems ¡®The Core¡¯ began to show minor signs of shutting down, hence we must quicken the events for a bit.¡±


    David¡¯splexion changed abruptly upon hearing this news as he didn¡¯t expect that to be the reason.


    ¡°That is impossible. We made strict checkups before the start of this tournament while also performing several hundreds of tests! That must be some kind of misunderstanding!¡±


    Master Adam nodded and said, ¡°That can be the case indeed, but to avoid unnecessary casualties we must proceed on with this. Of course, we don¡¯t need to end the tournament, we just need to elerate the happenings a bit.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, this is also a great choice for us to make this event a bit more exciting!¡±


    David stared at Master Adam with a calm gaze and only after a moment of silence did he sigh and nod, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Turning back around, David pressed a few buttons on the panel before him and nced at the screens in the air.


    After pressing and selecting several numbers on the screen one after another, David nced around and looked at Master Adam.


    ¡°Should I warn them or no?¡±


    Master Adam thought for a while and shook his head.


    ¡°There is no reason for that. It¡¯s not like they will have someone in real life who tells them when dangeres. If they end up dying that only meant they were either weak or unlucky. A Cultivator needs none of those two traits!¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± nodded David and without further ado pressed a sole red button on the left.


    ¨C


    Back on the huge yellow grass field, Khal was currently beheading a Swift Mantis after avoiding its attacks.


    However, just before he could have consumed its Essence, suddenly the ground below his feet began to shake like crazy akin to a powerful earthquake.


    ¡°Huh?¡± looking around to see what was happening, Khal suddenly heard Rubie¡¯s loud cry from above, causing him to turn around.


    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me!?¡± cursed Khal loudly as he watched the area in the distance vanish into thin air in the shape of blue fragments at a rapid pace!

 Chapter 145: Moving Bridge

    Chapter 145: Moving Bridge


    TREMBLE!


    ¡°Fuck!¡± without hesitating even a second more, Khal spun around and began to run away as though he was chased.


    Rubie obviously noticed the sudden change of events in the distance too, hence followed Khal closely from behind.


    Swish!


    With the help of his recovered Body Essence, Khal was able to use his Crimson Snake Dance with greater proficiency while also increasing his speed by a huge margin!


    Essence akin to blue mes spun around his leg, his feet left deep pits in the ground while his body burst toward the nearest bridge at a terrifyingly fast pace!


    While running, Khal nced at the map, but what he saw didn¡¯t make hisplexion any happier at all.


    On the map, a bridge with a ridiculously long length could be seen, its other end reaching another section on the north that was also fading away just like the one he was currently on!


    ¡°This is definitely bad news!¡± eximed Scarlett loudly, her eyes holding worry as she didn¡¯t want to see Khal die this way.


    ¡°This is full of crap! How should he even survive like that? He will fall into the ocean and die!¡± Raffin seemed angry as he would have never thought the tournament will be so shameless to kill participants like this.


    It was as though they particrly selected some including Khal and giving them no chance for survival at all, they threw them right into death¡¯s arm!


    However, even before Raffin could have be angrier, Jas suddenly shook his head and said, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be the case. Look closely, the bridge on the north is on the move.¡±


    Upon hearing Jas¡¯s voice, everyone¡¯s gaze shifted onto the ck line closest to Khal, only to see it gradually move toward the south together with the rest of the bridges around the map!


    ¡°It¡¯s moving? But why? Shouldn¡¯t they vanish together with the sections?¡± asked one of the twin teachers on the side, but it seemed no one could answer that question.


    Khal obviously noticed this too and without any hesitation changed directions.


    If he wanted to survive he must first reach the bridge no matter what! However, for that to happen he must make a shortcut and reach the point where the bridge will be once he reaches the section¡¯s edge.


    elerating his speed further to increase his speed, Khal moved swiftly toward the northwest, the point where he should jump on the bridge before the section would vanish.


    Swish!


    Running with insane speed, the Essence around Khal¡¯s leg left blue flicker behind his wake and once he reached the edge of the section nced toward the right.


    There, quite far in the distance, Khal was able to see the moving bridge he saw on the map, thus without hesitation began to approach it.


    Though, the moment he did and got a greater sight on the bridge hisplexion changed in a sh.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone else on it!¡± thought Khal as his eyes caught a small figure in the middle of the bridge¡¯s surface.


    It was a guy, wearing a dark red robe with symbols akin to mes all over its surface. He was firmly clenching the side of the bridge as it was moving, fearing he would fall into the water below and die.


    And exactly as he noticed the guy, as though he felt his stare on his skin, the guy turned his head toward his direction, his eyes fixed firmly on his approaching figure.


    ¡°At least he can¡¯t move.¡± thought Khal as he knew just how hard it was not to fall off that bridge thanks to the powerful storm.


    About a few minutester, Khal finally reached the bridge, but before stepping onto it he made sure Rubie fly into his robe, and only after that did he jump onto the bridge.


    And exactly as he did, the pleasantly warm breeze from the section was directly reced with a powerful gust of wind, crashing straight into his body, almost pushing him off the bridge!


    ¡°I definitely didn¡¯t miss this¡­¡± said Khal, his hair and robe wildly fluttering in the air.


    As the bridge moved, Khal stared at the part where he just stood a moment ago turning into blue fragments, causing the entire section to vanish into nothingness in a blink!


    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± sighing with relief as he was able to escape just in time, Khal turned to look at the guy and opened his mouth.


    However, after thinking for a while he diced to close it back, as no matter how loud he would try to speak, his endeavor would only be useless thanks to the deafening storm around them.


    Instead, he took out his badge and inspected the map, trying to figure out what he should do next.


    To him, it was a bit suspicious and confusing as to why all of this was happening as the time for constraints didn¡¯te yet. It seemed something must have happened or the staff simply wanted to elerate things a bit just for fun.


    Either way, Khal was happy to see he was fine and the bridge they were currently on was moving toward another section somewhere else in the middle region at a steady pace.


    ¡°I should be okay once we reach the next section.¡± thought Khal, as he saw that he will be able to step foot way before the other guy could have the chance.


    And once he does¡­ He will kill him without hesitation!


    Neither Khal nor the guy attempted to approach the other one, knowing whoever does it first will die.


    That¡¯s why they waited patiently to arrive before the next section. Until then, they clenched their teeth powerfully together, withstanding the powerful gust of wind that crashed continuously onto their body in the hope to blow them away.


    Time flowed in silence and about an hourter Khal finally spotted a section in the distance, resulting in his eyes brightening up like stars.


    ¡°There it is!¡± Khal seemed happy and even began to approach the edge of the bridge as it will soon attach itself onto the section at any given moment.


    The guy behind him obviously seemed to understand his aim, hence strolled toward Khal with steady steps, hisplexion determined to stop him.


    He understood that if Khal steps foot onto the section first it literally meant his death, thus he had to stop him no matter what!


    However, just as he took a step forward he noticed Khal¡¯s gaze on his skin, a ck crystal weapon already tightly held in his grasp.


    The indication was rtively obvious that even an idiot should understand, but unfortunately, the guy didn¡¯t care about it; he could decide and wait on the bridge until someone appeared and attracted Khal¡¯s attention, but he was a Cultivator!


    He would rather die because he decided to fight instead of waiting in one ce like some kind of coward!


    He killed everyone in this tournament only with his sheer force and boldness and he will do exactly the same with Khal!


    Though, if anyone else would have heard this, they would definitely haveughed at him as his behavior was not courage or boldness, but simple foolishness!


    A great Cultivator was not strong because he or she was brave in the face of death, but because they could adapt to situations and think for the best solutions in any given situation.


    Sometimes the best solution was to stay back and wait patiently while doing nothing. And this situation was exactly this, yet the guy failed to notice this just because he wanted to show his ¡®superiority¡¯!


    When Khal noticed as the guy wasn¡¯t stopping even after his obvious sign, he frowned and thought, ¡°Is this guy nuts or just simply stupid? Or maybe he does not fear death?¡±


    But before he could have thought any further, he watched the guy extending his arm toward him, crimson light immediately enveloping the ground below his feet!


    ¡°Huh?¡±

 Chapter 146: Top Five!

    Chapter 146: Top Five!


    The very moment the crimson light appeared below his feet, Khal watched as several blood-covered hands began to rise to the surface one by one, grabbing him by the leg firmly!


    ¡°Let it go!¡± shouted Khal and waved his Devil Fangs in a blink.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    Several silver light shed in a wink, slicing up the hands around his legs without mercy, yet not even a secondter another dose of hands emerged, grabbing his legs once again!


    ¡°What the hell are these?¡± thought Khal as he felt his body sinking lower and lower into the unknown crimson abyss.


    ¡°Ha! Struggle as much as you want, but you won¡¯t be able to escape! Once grabbed and dragged into my Thousand Hell, getting away is simply impossible!¡±ughed the guy inwardly and watched Khal¡¯s figure sinking deeper and deeper into the crimson void.


    Thousand Hell in fact was a unique type of Talent that forced enemies into a separate space and sealed them away there for a limited time or maybe eternally!


    Khal obviously understood or at least felt that this was the case, hence tried to get out of the hands¡¯ grasp. But no matter how many times he shed at the hands and sliced them up, newer ones would arise and continue to pull him down!


    ¡°I guess I have only one solution left.¡± thought Khal as he wanted to use his Ster Domain to stop the guy, but unexpectedly something else happened.


    Just as he was about to extend his arm, a blue light shed next to his ear, piercing a hole into the guy¡¯s forehead!


    ¡°!?¡± Khal watched as the guy¡¯s body slumped and like a soulless doll was blown off the bridge right into the ocean below.


    At the same time as this, the hands and the crimson portal below his feet vanished, turning everything back into its original state.


    ¡°Who?¡± turning around in sh, Khal watched as a girl at the edge of the section stood straight, a longbow made out of blue jade pointed toward his direction.


    ¡°A bow? That must be her Talent,¡± eximed Khal as he watched the girl pull her hand backward, causing a jade arrow to manifest on the bow¡¯s string.


    Swish!


    Letting go of the string, the arrow turned into a blue beam of light, targeting Khal¡¯s head in the same manner as it did with the previous guy.


    ¡®¡­¡¯ Khal stared at the approaching arrow with an indifferent gaze and raised his fan.


    ng!


    A sharp metallic sound rippled inside Khal¡¯s ear as he deflected the attack, making the arrow falling into the water on his side right away.


    The girl upon seeing this seemed surprised, but still pulled her hand backward and fired several more arrows at Khal.


    ng!


    ng!


    ng!


    However, no matter how fast they were or how much she shot, Khal simply waved his hand around, deflecting all the assaults with his fan.


    And as this happened, Khal watched that the bridge was soon about to attach itself onto the section and his eyes brightened up.


    BAM!


    TREMBLE!


    ¡°Woah!¡± trying to hold onto the bridge¡¯s side firmly as it literally crashed onto the section¡¯s side, Khal lost his guard for a split second and fell behind, almost falling off the bridge!


    And exactly this is what the girl needed. The very moment Khal fell on his butt she shot two arrows at him, his heart!


    Swish!


    ng!


    Yet, that arrow of hers was also deflected as the rest, making the girl¡¯s eyes widen with even greater shock.


    ¡°How?¡± she was sure she shot at Khal at the right moment when his sight was blocked by his own weapon, hence he should have been already lying on the bridge cold dead, yet he wasn¡¯t!


    While the girl seemed to be confused by this, Khal stood up in a sh and without further ado began to walk toward the section.


    ¡°I can¡¯t let him!¡± eximed the girl and began to fire arrows at Khal, but this time with a faster pace and with a bigger number of arrows!


    However, even that was unable to stop Khal. Step by step, he approached the section at a steady pace and it was not long enough he reached its edge, only a step away from getting onto the ground.


    ¡°Stop!¡± shouted the girl, and in an instant her arrow lit up with blue light, emitting a powerful aura!


    ¡°A Weapon-associated Secret Art?¡± thought Khal as he watched the girl letting her fingers go and shot the arrow at him.


    BOOM!


    Like a small blue sun, blinding blue light enveloped the bridge and the proximity, melting the ground into a boiling mass in a wink!


    ¡°I¡­ I did it!¡± said the girl with a smile, fisting the air happily!


    ¡°That was a great technique I¡¯m not gonna lie.¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Upon hearing a voice in her ear, the girl wanted to turn around and shoot an arrow, but even before she could have, her sight turned ck, unknown just who killed her.


    Khal looked at the girl¡¯s body falling before his feet with an indifferent gaze and a bitter nced around.


    He was standing at the edge of this new section that was quite a bizarre one. Burning trees and bushes, ash and dust-filled skies and ground, the whole sight before him seemed like scenery from an apocalyptic video.


    Even the houses in the far distance could be seen burning as though some bandits just went and burnt down the whole vige and its surroundings!


    ¡°I wonder what type of Beasts I can find here.¡± thought Khal, but suddenly a screen popped up before him in the air.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen! Dear Cultivators! I am honored to announce that after such a long time, we can finally see the remaining FIVE Cultivators that survived until this very point!¡±


    As Davids¡¯s voice sounded, five other screens popped up, each holding the remaining 5 Cultivator¡¯s live feed videos!


    ¡°As you can see, they are the remaining participant on this decade¡¯s Thousand Life Tournament, the TOP FIVE!¡±


    David¡¯s sentence caused several people¡¯s celebrating roars all around the Southern Continent!


    ¡°Now then, as we have our five strongest Cultivators, let¡¯s make things even more interesting.¡± waving his hand, the map before everyone changed and 5 red dots lit up abruptly.


    They were the positions of the participants and including Khal, everyone was able to see them as clear as day!


    ¡°From now on, all the participants will be able to observe the movements of the rest, giving them the chance to hunt them down whenever they want! Also, after every 2 hours, a restriction will ur so I advise you to stay on guard!¡±


    ¡°Well, that is all from me, thus I wish you the best of my luck!¡±


    Finishing his brief announcement, David¡¯s figure vanished into thin air, only leaving the map before Khal with the 5 remaining red dots on it.


    Khal stared at his position in silence, but not because he was pondering but because at the other side of this section, another red dot could be seen!


    And what¡¯s more, it began to move toward him at a rapid pace! It seemed whoever it was had either a powerful Movement-type Talent or had a Secret Art simr to his!

 Chapter 147: Domain Clash!

    Chapter 147: Domain sh!


    The red dot on the map moved extremely fast, making Khal realize he only had a few minutes before his enemy arrived.


    Pondering what he should do as he didn¡¯t want to wait without doing anything, Khal nced around, looking for a ce, an item, or an object that could help him.


    However, no matter where he looked he seemed to find nothing that could help him. In a ce where everything was burning and filled with dark ash, he could do zero things!


    Especially because he was wearing a white robe that could notice anyone from miles away!


    ¡°Wait¡­ ck ashes and my robe¡­ That¡¯s it!¡± thought Khal as a great idea appeared inside his mind and began to move.


    ¨C


    Among the burning mes and ash, a girl in a beautiful white robe was running, her hand clenching a white marble sword tightly.


    She was none other but Se, whose n was to kill the on her section as the rest were quite far away from her.


    Her feet moved extremely fast, faster than Khal¡¯s Secret Art¡¯s First Form.


    Running through burning viges one after another, Se reached the other end of the section in a bit more than 10 minutes and looked around.


    ¡°Where¡­¡± ncing at the map, Se watched as she was exactly on the other red dot, yet she could see nobody.


    ¡°Screech!¡± suddenly from above her head, a loud cry sounded in the air, causing Se to raise her head and stare at a crimson red bird in the sky.


    However, when she recognized the Beast her eyes flickered with a hint of anger and her fingers subconsciously tightened around her sword, ¡°That¡¯s his!¡±


    Immediately after she said that, her eyes caught the sight of the way too familiar-looking white robe not far away from her behind a tree.


    ¡°There he is!¡± eximed Se and without any further hesitation raised and swung her sword.


    ¡°Die!¡±


    Swish!


    A silver crescent arc arose the moment her voice fell, cutting the tree together with the white robe behind it in half in a split second!


    ¡°Hmph¡­ Trying to ambush me with such a weak try¡­¡± eximed her thoughts Se with a cold sneer and walked next to where she sliced Khal¡¯s body up.


    ¡°Next time at least try a bit bet-, eh?¡± abruptly halting her speech once she arrived next to Khal, suddenly Se¡¯s brows knitted together as confusion stered over her pretty face.


    Khal¡¯s sliced body that should have been right before here could be nowhere to be seen whilst only a white robe was visibly on the ground!


    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± suddenly a voice sounded from her side, but even before she could have reacted a sharp pain pierced into her right hand.


    Swish!


    Watching as her word with half of her hand still holding the sword flew up high into the air, Se¡¯s face paled and grabbed her shoulder, trying to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°You!¡± watching as Khal emerged from the ash on the ground, covered in a crystal-like skin akin to obsidian but with a way more translucent shade, Se remained silent, her eyes holding anger and shock at the same time!


    She was not only shocked because he was able to ambush her, but because he stood before herpletely naked!


    Even though his body was akin to a sculpture made out of ck crystal, he was still naked before not only her but millions of Cultivators!


    This was simply outrageous!


    ¡°This guy¡­¡± several spectators twitched upon seeing Khal¡¯s bold appearance, some even holding back the urge to curse.


    ¡°Haha! This guy is simply shameless beyond belief!¡±ughed Nate wildly while Liza on his side pped herself on the face, feeling ashamed instead of Khal.


    Though, Khal didn¡¯t feel anything about his outer appearance at all and instead grabbed Se¡¯s weapon that was dropped into his hand from the air by Rubie.


    ¡°Quite a great weapon,¡± eximed Khal as he examined the weapon, hisplexion holding not even the bit of embarrassment.


    ¡®¡­¡¯ remaining silent to calm herself down. After taking a deep breath she nced at her side and waved her hand.


    In a split second, the bleeding stopped, helping her avoiding dying from blood looks, but herplexion was still pale.


    Losing an arm and a bit amount of blood could make many Cultivators scream with agony and fall unconscious, sending them right into their inevitable demise, but unfortunately, Se was not like that.


    With a simple wave of her arm, she sealed her wound, stopping the bleeding right away.


    ¡°What kind of Secret Art was that?¡± wondered Khal, but couldn¡¯t ponder any further as suddenly Se¡¯s figure appeared in front of him.


    Swish!


    ¡°Woah!¡± eximed Khal with shock as he was stunned to see Se move with such speed even after losing her arm!


    Avoiding her palm that was covered with Essence, Khal moved with the help of his Second Form and once behind her, swung the sword at her neck!


    ¡°I already know this trick!¡± said Se and just like how Khal performed a second ago, she stepped to the side and appeared behind him under a split moment!


    ¡®¡­¡¯ Khal seemed to be a bit surprised by this, but not to the degree where he would get caught out of his guard.


    Just before Se¡¯s hand could have touched his back, his eyes Heaven¡¯s Eyes appeared, and with its help seeing behind him as though he stared forward, he swayed the sword in his hand backward!


    Though, it seemed this was exactly what Se wanted. Merely before the sword could have cut her other hand off, her wrist twisted unnaturally and grabbed the de firmly with her bare fingers!


    She stopped the sword with nothing but with her fingers alone!


    Feeling as his strike was halted, Khal was about to summon his fan and attack her but was a breath toote.


    Suddenly the sword¡¯s hilt in his hand lit up, and like some kind of oven, it began to burn hotter and hotter, making his Diamond Skin melt with each passing second!


    ¡°Interesting¡­¡± said Khal and without further ado let the sword go.


    ¡°Hmph!¡± with a cold snort, Se grabbed her sword by the hilt and said, ¡°Now you should prepare to die!¡±


    Right as her voice fell, the space around Khal twisted and in a sh, everything changed.


    The scenery around him turned ck while silver chains moving, twisting, and shaking here and there could be seen in the distance!


    ¡°So this is her Second Talent. Restriction type, huh?¡± thought Khal as he felt his power immediately getting limited once inside this strange domain.


    ¡°Sigh¡­ It seems this is where all ends.¡± sighed Scarlett, making all the teachers around her turn gloomy right away.


    All of them belived that maybe Khal will be able to win after his unexpectedly great ambush, but after this, the result was way too obvious.


    He couldn¡¯t win no matter what!


    ¡°He should have gone for the head instead of her weapon!¡± said Conner, anger could be discerned inside his voice as he couldn¡¯t believe Khal missed an evident golden chance right at the very beginning of this fight.


    ¡°There is no need to act calm, both of us know this is the end,¡± said Se with an indifferent face as he noticed Khal¡¯s unusually calm gaze, mistaking it as his arrogance.


    Upon hearing this, Khal¡¯s mouth however curved into a smile, and nodded, ¡°Yes, it is indeed the end. But not for me.¡±


    Right as he said that, he extended his hand forward and said, ¡°Ster Domain, Open!¡±


    BAM!

 Chapter 148: Died But... Alive?

    Chapter 148: Died But... Alive?


    Right in that instant as his voice fell, the ckness around Khal changed into a scenery simr to a gxy!


    ¡°WHAAT!?¡± Elder Caz stood up abruptly from his seat, his face holding great rm.


    And it wasn¡¯t only him who reacted in the same way as every spectator on the Southern Continent stared at this sight with widened eyes!


    ¡°How is this possible? Isn¡¯t his Talent associated with his sight? How can he create a Domain?¡± Scarlett and the rest of the teachers seemed confused and dumbfounded as they wouldn¡¯t have expected this at all!


    However, in contrast to their shock, Jas looked indifferent, his eyes instead scanning Khal¡¯s body quite intently.


    The moment Se noticed as half of her domain was engulfed with a colorful scenery akin to a vast universe, her eyes shook with tremor but soon calmed down and smiled.


    It looked like her Domain still had the upper hand against Khal¡¯s!


    When two Domains shed with each other, obviously the one with the stronger Cultivation Base and capability would win and dominate the other one!


    And exactly that was what happening at the moment!


    Even though half of her Domain was engulfed by Khal¡¯s, slight signs of hers fighting back could be discerned while it gradually began to consume Khal¡¯s Domain!


    In a matter of time, Khal¡¯s Domain will be erased from sight and hers will once again dominate, putting an end to Khal¡¯s annoying tries and struggle!


    Khal obviously noticed this too but didn¡¯t seem to panic. Instead, he took a step forward, causing something that shouldn¡¯t have happened.


    Tremble!


    ¡°!?¡±


    The moment Khal took a step forward, Se¡¯s Domain shook while Khal¡¯s Domain was pushed a bit forward at the same time!


    Tap¡­


    Tremble!!


    ¡°Is this even possible?¡± Se¡¯s pupils contracted to the size of a needle, hardly believing what she was witnessing.


    With each step Khal took, her Domain would quake while his Domain would spread toward her, consuming her domain like some kind of virus without mercy!


    This was simply a sight that shouldn¡¯t have happened, not with her who was on the verge of stepping inside the Sixth Cultivation Stage!


    ¡°You are annoying!¡± hissed Se and her left eye turned golden with a motionless triangle in its middle!


    Seeing this, Khal halted his movements and raised his guard as he didn¡¯t know what to expect.


    However, when he saw as Se raised her hand in the exact same manner as he did, he seemed to feel what was about to happen, hence summoned his fan and was about to wave it, but was toote to do so.


    With a firm and determine motion Se waved her hand and said, ¡°Ster Domain, Open!¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    The two stood in silence as they waited for something to happen, but even after several seconds, nothing happened.


    Se seemed shocked by this and waved her hand again, this with greater enthusiasm.


    ¡°Ster Domain, Open!¡±


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    However, just like what happened previously, nothing happened, not even in the slightest.


    Khal and every spectator stared at her in silence, waiting for something to happen.


    ¡°Why is it not working?¡± asked Se as she clearly felt the power inside Khal¡¯s body through her Mirror Sight, yet for some strange reason she was unable to use it.


    This was the first she failed to do so!


    While Se tried to figure out the cause of her failure, Khal smiled and thought, ¡°Trying to copy my Talent? Sorry, but that will be impossible!¡±


    As his Talents were not his but only borrowed source of powers from the Power Cores in his bracelet, Se will be unable to copy them. She needs some kind of power to consume the energy from the Power Cores, and obviously, her golden eyes were incapable to do that.


    After trying a few more times, Se lowered her hand, her face holding both anger and confusion.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± asked Se, thinking Khal avoided her Mirror Sight with some strange technique or skill.


    Khal thought this will be Se¡¯s question and simply smiled and without answering her, waved his fan.


    ng!


    ¡°Eh?¡± however all of his attacks were deflected with rtive ease with a single sword from Se.


    ¡°It seems my strength is still under her Domain¡¯s influence¡­¡± Khal seemed to realize why his attack failed to work and continued to walk forward, nning to surpass Se with his Domain.


    ¡°Hmph! Courting death!¡± raising her sword above her hand, golden light began to envelop the de, making Khal¡¯s face change abruptly.


    It was the exact same strike that almost took his life, hence he knew he must avoids it no matter what.


    However, a slight problem arose¡­ He can¡¯t!


    In contrast to the previous time, this time he was inside her Domain that limited her movements while also trapping him!


    Considering the effect and the attack¡¯s radius, no matter where he ran, he will definitely die!


    ¡°If you can¡¯t escape then approach!¡± thought Khal and activated his Secret Art¡¯s First Form.


    Crack!


    Though, the moment he took a step forward, the Ster Domain around him broke and vanished, and what reced it was the previous ckness, with chains all around him in the distance!


    ¡°What?¡± thought Khal as he watched his body bing extremely heavy, almost as though a mountain was pressing down on his shoulder!


    Raising his head, Khal watched as Se¡¯s goldeneye was slightly bleeding for an unknown reason whilst her sword descended upon him from above like heaven¡¯s verdict!


    BOOOM!


    The whole Domain shook with great tremor, while the darkness was immediately filled with blinding golden light.


    The only thing Khal was able to see was Se¡¯s mocking grin before sight turnedpletely ck, with no thoughts appearing inside his head again.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Inside a spacious room, filled with hundreds if not thousands of pirs, a great device akin to a tform was ced, shining with a gentle blue hue.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    With a loud crash, a body appeared out of thin air, causing the people that stood on the side to turn their heads toward the individual who appeared.


    ¡°Argh¡­ My head¡­ It hurts¡­¡± staggering onto his feet, the boy held his head with his palm, hisplexion showing great pain.


    ¡°You did well.¡±


    Suddenly from his side, the boy heard a familiar voice hence turned his gaze there, but he was immediately found dumbfounded by the sight that weed him.


    Before him, a man he knew really well was standing with a wide grin on his face, his gaze examining hisplexion with great interest.


    ¡°Logan?¡± asked Khal in a low voice, but the moment he realized he was alive he grabbed his body and eximed with shock, ¡°Wait, what? I am alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you indeed are.¡±ughed Logan as his eyes turned crescent.


    Khal seemed to be confused by this hence averted his gaze from Logan into the distance, but the sight there stunned him a level greater.


    Every participant, including the ones he had personally killed, was standing there, each looking at him with different emotions swirling inside their eyes.


    ¡°But¡­ How?¡± mumbled Khal and nced at Logan, his face holding confusion.


    ¡°I was surprised too when we were told the details, but it seems you have not been teleported away into a separate region but were transported into a digital world.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± when Khal heard this his face turned even more startled, but before he could have asked anything else, Madam Snow stepped next to him and said, ¡°Congrattions, you have finished in fifth ce. Your cement and rewards will be announced and given to you once the tournament ends. Until then, please stay here and feel free to enjoy the tournament next to some food and drink.¡±


    Khal hearing this nodded but soon realized something thus touched his body that was covered in his Moon Robe and his eyes widened abruptly.


    ¡°Wait¡­ Where is Rubie?¡±

 Chapter 149: A Mistake

    Chapter 149: A Mistake


    After using her Mirror Sight to copy her own second Talent and boost her Domain¡¯s power, Se used her World Devouring Strike to demolish Khal¡¯s existence from this world once and for all!


    However, this deed didn¡¯te without a price as her Mirror Sight vanished from her left eye and blood began to flow down from the corner of her eyes ever so slowly.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    Spectators all around the globe were silent as no one would have expected this oue. Well, they did thought she will win, but never would have expected she will struggle this much.


    First Theon and now Khal. Both under her Stage cornered her and forced her to use her ace not once but twice!


    She, who was on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, she who should have been able to kill both with rtive easily, she shouldn¡¯t have struggled this much.


    Was she that weak as a Cultivator or were those two exceptionally strong?


    At this moment, many thought about the same thing which surprised them quite a bit; were Natural Born Cultivators really as strong as they have first belived?


    This question lingered in many minds around the Southern Continent, but unfortunately, none were sure how to answer it.


    ¡°This isplete b*llshit! Her powers are simply overpowered! No way in hell this is how it ends!¡± Connor cursed out loud as he felt the way Khal died was unfair and unjust.


    Yes, he did die through a battle where he didn¡¯t put shame on Moon Academy¡¯s reputation and even increased that, but he felt his battle was simply outrageous!


    Against a heaven-defying Secret Art, a Domain that restricted Cultivators strength and a Talent that can copy any Talent and Art¡­ Just how could have he won?


    He didn¡¯t have a chance at all!


    Oh, wait. He did have one, but he missed it by going for the weapon instead of the head!


    The thought he could have won angered Connor beyond belief but was almost instantly calmed down by Jas¡¯s calm gaze from the other side of the table.


    The gaze he held now didn¡¯t hold any remorse or anger, but instead insane calmness that was unnatural in this situation. It was almost like he did not care about Khal¡¯s, one of Moon Academy¡¯s greatest student¡¯s death at all!


    The rest around him was nowhere far from his thoughts either as they held a simr expression as his too.


    Jane, Scarlett, Raffin, Dorothea, and many others stared at the screen like they couldn¡¯t admit the harsh truth that Khal truly died.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue to watch the tournament and wait for the announcements,¡± said Jas in a calm voice, causing all the teachers to nod their heads slowly.


    ¨C


    ¡°Hahaha! That bastard finally died! Haha, deserved really well!¡± Alde seemed to be on cloud nine as heughed merely the moment Se killed Khal.


    ¡°He deserved to be killed! Damn, he should have died way before the tournament, tsk,¡± eximed Alde with a bit of a sour expression as he regretted a bit it was not him who killed Khal.


    ¡°Well, never regret something you can¡¯t change, right? I should instead think of a way to reward that girl¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s what I should do it!¡±


    Without wasting any more time Alde stood up and left his room, closing the behind him exceptionally gently.


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Inside a room, Nate and Liza were staring at the screen with nk expressions, none of them knowing what they should say.


    They watched Khal¡¯s fight from start to end, and even though they tried to forget about the fact participants could die, they were pped right back into reality once they saw how Khal¡¯s body was engulfed with the golden light, evaporating his body into smaller fragments than dust in a split second!


    And the p was nothing they could have expected as it was harder and way more painful than a sword pierced into their hearts!


    Especially Liza. Her eyes were so hollow that it was frightening, while the next moment her body began to leak a terrifying presence Nate hardly seen from Cultivators from the same Cultivation Stage as her!


    ¡°What is that girl¡¯s name? Which Academy is she from?¡± asked Liza in a calm tone, yet her gaze shed with ice coldness as she started at Se¡¯s figure on the screen.


    Nate obviously understood the reason for her question, but no matter how much he wanted to tell her he knows that would be the worst option.


    Hence he shook his head and said, ¡°I do not know.¡±


    ¡°I see¡­¡± standing up abruptly without waiting for Nate to finish his sentence, Liza left the room, mming the door behind her powerfully.


    Watching as the clock and several paintings on the walls shook from the tremor while the doors handle was frozen with ice jade, Nate sighed and took out the piece of paper he held all this time.


    After thinking for a moment, Nate sighed and opened it, and began to read the context of it.


    However, when he reached its end, his face was extremely stiff while his eyes shed with shock and rm.


    Taking out a small capsule from his pocket that was given to him together with the letter, Nate sighed and whispered, ¡°And you want me to do something that terrifying as that? Even though we knew each other only for a month or even less than that?¡±


    ¡°You simply ask the impossible from me Khal.¡±


    Sighing once again but this time a level deeper, Nate raised his eyes onto the ceiling above and leaned back into his chair, seemingly troubled over several things.


    And after pondering for minutes, Nate closed his eyes and nodded, seemingly decided on what he should do next.


    ¡°But maybe I can do something about it¡­¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¡°Where is Rubie? My Beast? Is she here too?¡± Khal¡¯s worried expression could be heard in the huge hall, causing many to turn their head in his direction.


    When Madam Snow heard Khal¡¯s question confusion shed in her eyes and asked, ¡°Beast? You mean your summ-¡°


    ¡°She is not my summon, she is mypanion. She was born from an egg as I brought her away from Moon Mountain from a nest.¡±


    ¡°A Tamed Beast?¡± Madam Snow seemed surprised to discover that Rubie was not Khal¡¯s summon which was only obvious.


    Because she worked behind the stage to make sure everything went perfectly smooth, she didn¡¯t have the chance to see Khal fight and find out Rubie was not his summon.


    Thus, she raised her notebook and after typing a few things on it herplexion changed, and said abruptly, ¡°Please wait for a second here.¡±


    Walking away with wide strides, causing Khal and Logan to look at each other in confusion, unknowing what was happening.


    Sometimeter, Madam Snow appeared once again, but this time Master Adam was also on her side.


    ¡°So? What was this abrupt matter you had to drag me all the way here? I hope it¡¯s not meaningless, cause if yes¡­¡± Master Adam crossed his arms before his chest, starting at Madam Snow with a stern gaze.


    ¡°Sir, please look at this feed. Both of you too,¡± said Madam Snow to Master Adam, Logan, and Khal and waved her hand, putting a screen into the air for the three to see.


    On the screen, the area where Khal previously fought could be seen, with a sole tree in the very center. And exactly on this tree¡¯s top, a bird in a red color could be seen, making Khal¡¯s eyes widen right away!


    ¡°It¡¯s Rubie!¡±


    ¡°Rubie?¡± asked Master Adam, seemingly confused by Khal¡¯s statement but his suspicion was immediately answered by Madam Snow.


    ¡°It seems that Ruby Beast is not his summon but was tamed. Simply, that bird is his Tamed Beast and was brought into the tournament together with him.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± realizing the weight behind this, Master Adam¡¯s face changed, and shifted his gaze at Khal, ¡°And why didn¡¯t you tell us this important piece of information? You should have told us that you have a Tamed Beast!¡±


    ¡°I mean, you didn¡¯t tell me to do so.¡± frowned Khal, ignoring the fact he was talking at a Ninth Stage Cultivator.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Master Adam was about to say something when he suddenly realized Khal had a point. They informed neither him nor any participants about this, but not because they forgot to say it, but simply because they had no such rules that prohibited others from bringing Tamed Beasts.


    Taking a moment of silence before sighing, Master Adam nced at Madam Snow and said, ¡°Refresh the number of participants and the marks on the map. Make sure the rest of the participants can see that Beast¡¯s location on the map. Also, give a live feed for spectators to see her whereabouts and also what she is doing. I doubt she will be able to win, but as she is partly Khal¡¯s power, he is qualified to remain in the game.¡±


    ¡°What? But Sir, that¡¯s not ch¡­¡±


    ¡°Just do what I said and don¡¯t ask any useless questions. The sooner the better as we can avoid unnecessary ruckus in the future. I will personally exin everyone else once the tournament ends.¡± waved his hand Master Adam and without saying anything else turned around, leaving the shocked Madam Snow behind together with Logan and Khal who seemed to have the same expressions too!

 Chapter 150: Rubie!

    Chapter 150: Rubie!


    After the abrupt decision of Master Adam, spectators all around the world began to notice as a screen appeared out of nowhere, a sole Beast visible on its middle.


    ¡°Huh? A Beast? Why is it on the screen?¡±


    ¡°Take this off right now! Who cares about that a bird!¡±


    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t that Beast with the boy who just died? Is it still alive?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they will let a Tamed Beast participate even its owner died! Isn¡¯t this simply cheating?¡±


    And just a secondter, a red dot appeared on the map, causing all to realize it was really the case.


    That red bird was really participating even though its owner just died!


    Spectators all around the world upon seeing this began to feel angry as this should be against the rules and it instantly caused a huge uproar around the Southern Continent.


    On the other hand, there were those that just simplyughed at this sight as it was funny.


    ¡°Ha, letting a bird participate? I bet it won¡¯t even survive before the next restriction happens!¡±


    ¡°Me too! 100 Silver coins she dies in the next 1 hour!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in! But I don¡¯t think the bird will die that soon, so let it be about one and a half an hour. If not, 1 Gold coin is yours!¡±


    ¡°Bet!¡±


    People began to bet on Rubie, some even betting on their precious items or weapons just to see how futile it was to let the bird remain in the tournament.


    ¡°This is some kind of bad joke right? That bird will represent our Academy? That is¡­¡± Scarlett seemed stunned by this change of events, unknown how she should react.


    Connor, Raffin, and the rest seemed to have the sameplexions, none of them expecting such an oue.


    ¡°Well, at least we have a chance to grab the top 3!¡± eximed Dorothea merrily, causing many to nce at her in confusion.


    ¡°What? That¡¯s the truth! We have the possibility!¡±


    Jas nodded but then he gently shook his head, ¡°That is true but your wish is simply impossible. You saw it too and Khal¡¯s Beast is only on the Third Cultivation Stage. She can¡¯tpete with the rest no question about it.¡±


    ¡°Principal Jas is right,¡± Raffin on the side nodded and said, ¡°Not only is it impossible, but escaping is also. The Beast was always in Khal¡¯s robe whenever he walked on the bridge. If that section copse that is game over.¡±


    Realizing he had a point, Dorothea nced at Rubie on the screen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just hope then the section won¡¯t copse.¡±


    ¨C


    Among the burning scenery, Se wiped her blood off from her eyes and nced at the map.


    However, when she did her face stiffened, and looked around, ¡°He is still alive? Where?¡±


    ncing around with raised guard, Se pried her surroundings but saw nothing. Not even the slightest bit of sign of Khal, even though her map signaled he was right next to him.


    ¡°Camouge? No, that is impossible. He has no such Talent¡­¡±


    ¡°Schreeech!¡±


    ¡°!?¡±


    Raising her head only to see Rubie¡¯s figure on top of the tree, Se narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°His Beast?¡±


    Rub it scanned the ground from above in the hope to find Khal, but no matter where she looked she was unable to see him.


    This caused her eyes to turn anxious, but once she noticed Se¡¯s figure below her gaze turned sharp and opened her wings extra wide.


    ¡°SCHREEECH!!¡±


    With a thunderous cry that seemed majestic and held great anger, Rubie leaped into the air and like crimson thunder flew at Se.


    ¡°Annoying just as its owner¡­¡± with a cold sneer Se swung the sword horizontally, sending a crescent silver arc at Rubie.


    ¡°Just follow your owner obediently and die!¡±


    Swish!


    ¡°!?¡±


    However, to her surprise, just before her attack had a chance to slice her up, Rubie changed direction and avoided her attack with ease.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± seeing this Se snorted and swung her sword once again, this time with greater speed and concentrations!


    Swish!


    Several crescent arcs akin to wind des appeared before Rubie, giving her no chance to dodge to neither left or right.


    But who would have thought that Rubie didn¡¯t n to and instead pped her wings and burst toward the skies like a rocket, avoiding the assaults once again.


    ¡°What?¡± raising her head to follow Rubie¡¯s figure, Se wanted to continue her attack, but failed to do so as the sun above her shone right into her eyes.


    ¡°Schreeech!¡±


    With a deafening cry, Rubie¡¯s figure could be seen shing and appearing above Se, her ws inches away from he face.


    ¡°Courting death!¡±


    Swish!


    ng!


    With a fast swing that exceeded even a sh, Se¡¯s sword appeared before her face, barely protecting her face in time.


    ¡°Screech!¡± however this didn¡¯t hinder Rubie at all as she pped her wings and appeared next to Se the next second!


    Swish!


    ng!


    This attempt of her was defended again, but just like the first time she grabbed her wings and appeared on the other side of Se, her ws targeting her weak spots.


    One silver flicker followed by a crimson one, Se and Rubie exchanged blows one after another, dumbfounding many that watched to speechlessness.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Not even Khal, who watched this sight could utter a word as this was his first time seeing Rubie with such hostility and desire.


    It was like her anger could be only put out if she killed Se and no matter what, she won¡¯t stop until the very end.


    ¡°Stop fighting with that weak Beast! Kill it!¡±


    Elder Caz was furious upon seeing the fight between Se and Rubie as it put great shame upon his and Heaven¡¯s Academy name!


    Struggling to kill a Third Stage Beast on the Fifth Cultivation Stage¡­ This made him feel ashamed of himself!


    ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Se understood the situation too, but what she should do?


    One of her arms was cut off, she was half-blind on her left eye and her strength was depleted almost entirely with her fight with Khal and Theon and by the usage of her Mirror Sight!


    She was so obsessed to kill anyone and everyone in her way that she forgot to rest and recover her power that she lost and now it pushed her all the way to this point!


    This was an absolute disgrace, a huge shame not only for her, but for her Master and Academy!


    ¡°I was an idiot and reckless!¡± groaned Se angrily, but suddenly her eyes brightened, and moved.


    ¡°Schreeech!¡±


    Swish!


    With a smooth step to the side, Se avoided Rubie¡¯s attack only by a hair¡¯s margin and shed at her body from below.


    sh!


    With a clean slice, Se¡¯s sword cut Rubie¡¯s body into two, putting an end to the fight between the two once and for all!


    ¡°That¡¯s why Beasts never win against us Cultivators. Once lost their sanity because of emotions, they are nothing but walking meat ready to be killed.¡± snorted Se and walked away with wide strides, not daring to stay even a second more on that ce as she felt indescribable humiliation that she struggled against a weak Beast for so long!


    However, Khal didn¡¯t care even the slightest how Se felt as he ran next to the Transfer Station and picked Rubie¡¯s weak body up.


    ¡°You were amazing!¡± eximed Khal happily, caressing Rubie¡¯s body gently to open her eyes.


    ¡°¡­?¡±


    Opening her eyes slowly, Rubie seemed to be startled by Khal¡¯s figure, but after realizing it was truly him and not a dream, she fluttered her wings and jumped onto his shoulder, pushing her head merrily onto his cheeks.

 Chapter 151: Martial Element

    Chapter 151: Martial Element


    Khal was happy to see that Rubie was well and alive. She exceeded all his expectations as he never would have belived she would attack a Cultivator 2 Stages above hers!


    This simply showed just how tight his bond with her truly was and just how terrifying she could be just to avenge him.


    And this is why he must avoid her rage to break onto the surface like that in the future.


    If she lost her cool in real life as she did back in that Digital World against Se, she will die way faster as other Cultivators won¡¯t be as ¡®weak¡¯ as Se was.


    Also, to make it fair, even though Se was on the Fifth Stage both her power and physical strength were depleted and on the limit thussting that long wasn¡¯t a surprise, could be said it was the norm.


    ¡°Beautiful Beast, what is her name?¡± as Khal was enjoying the warm sensation of Rubie¡¯s feather against his cheek, a calm voice appeared behind him causing him to turn around.


    ¡°It¡¯s Rubie. By the way, you must be Theon from Skywave Academy, right?¡± asked Khal in a friendly manner as he recognized the guy, extending his arm toward him.


    ¡°Haha, so you can remember me. My honor.¡± smiled Theon as he epted Khal¡¯s handshake.


    At the beginning of the tournament, he didn¡¯t really put high hopes in Khal as he wouldn¡¯t be able to survive long and even die early game, but who would have imagined he wouldn¡¯t only make his guess wrong but even finish higher than him!


    And what¡¯s more, in an exceptionally dominant way!


    ¡°I must say, the way you fought, I loved it! Especially your Secret Art when you got behind Se! That was amazing!¡±


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s quite a great Secret Art, yeah.¡± nodded Khal, feeling the urge to also grin when he saw Theon¡¯s smile.


    ¡°Though¡­¡± however, soon Theon¡¯s smile vanished, reced by a deep frown, and asked, ¡°Your movements felt kind of familiar that is why I came here. Did you learn any Martial Arts in the past?¡±


    ¡°Eh?¡± surprised to hear this question, Khal shook his head gently and said, ¡°I indeed heard about Martial Arts when I was still a little kid, but I have never learned any Martial technique or skill. Why do you ask it anyway?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Then I guess it must be your Secret Art indeed.¡± pondered Theon with his gaze on Khal¡¯s feet and after a moment of silence asked, ¡°Can you show me your movement skill, please? You would help me a lot and naturally, I will repay your kindness two folds!¡±


    Khal was taken aback by Theon¡¯s sudden request and kindness, hence he didn¡¯t know how to react for a while.


    ¡°S-sure, but you don¡¯t need to repay me. I didn¡¯t do you anything sp-¡°


    ¡°I must and I will! That is how it goes and how it should be! If I ask for a request from someone then I pay it back two folds! However, if I get humiliated by others I will pay it back ten folds!¡±


    Khal watched as Theon seemed extremely serious about his morals hence just decided to nod and say, ¡°Okay, okay, I understand. Then once I show you, just repay me by telling more about this Martial Arts. You piqued my interest.¡±


    When Theon heard this, his eyes brightened up like stars in the sky and nodded his head firmly like a chicken would picking rice from the ground.


    ¡°Sure!¡±


    Upon hearing this Khal nodded and shifted his gaze at the crowd behind Theon, ¡°Let¡¯s get a bit further, let¡¯s not disturb others.¡±


    After walking away a bit further with Logan following them from behind in silence, Khal stood before Theon and asked, ¡°You ready?¡±


    ¡°Whenever you are!¡±


    Khal lowered his body and once seemed ready he activated his Second Form and moved.


    Swish!


    ¡°Woah! It truly has Martial Arts but on a whole different level! It definitely was created by a Martial Artist, no question about it!¡± Theon¡¯s eyes widened with shock as he felt Khal¡¯s palm on the side of his neck.


    Of course, he could have avoided and countered Khal¡¯s assault, but because he wanted to confirm his suspicion he decided to throw his defense away and concentrate on Khal¡¯s Secret Art more.


    ¡°Exactly as I have thought, your Secret Art uses Martial Arts elements as its basic. What is it called?¡±


    ¡°Dance of The Celestial Serpent, but in truth what I used was only its Second Form,¡± replied Khal as he lowered his hand.


    ¡°Wait, what? Second Form? You are already capable of learning Expert Level Secret Arts such this one?¡± asked Theon, seemingly shocked by Khal¡¯s casual statement.


    ¡°What? No, of course I can¡¯t! Believe it or not, even though this Secret Art has 7 forms it is only on the Moderate Level. Naturally, it is full of errors, thus that is why my Master and I try to correct and modify this Secret Art.¡±


    Turning around to face Khal, Theon shook his head and said, ¡°That must be impossible. Any Secret Art that holds Marital elements should be at least on the Expert Level. Something must have gone wrong during its categorization process and I am 100% sure about it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s what I have thought, but well¡­ it¡¯s already in my possession so¡­¡± with a shrug, Khal nced at the screen on one of the pirs and watched the currently ongoing fight.


    It was between two guys, one with an Earth element Talent that allowed him to control and form different objects from the ground around him, while the other one had a pure Defense-type Talent akin to a ck hole around his palm.


    Whatever reached it was sucked into that massive ckness, unknown what happened with it.


    ¡°The guy with the Earth Talent will win.¡± suddenly Theon from the side said, causing Khal to look at him with confusion.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡±


    Theon however instead of giving a reasonable answer shrugged and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a hunch?¡±


    ¡°A hunch?¡± Khal seemed to be even more confused by this and nced behind Logan, but even he just shrugged at that.


    Not even he would dare to say who will win between the two as both were on the same Cultivation Stage and were evenly matched.


    Turning his head back to watch the fight on the screen, Khal waited patiently and it wasn¡¯t long before the battle was finallying to an end.


    ¡°Here ites!¡± thought Khal and watched as the guy with the Defense-type Talent moved, obviously with the n to suck and demolish the guy with his Talent.


    However, just as he could have stepped a meter forward, the ground below his feet vanished and once his body fell into the hole, it was smashed into a bloody mess without mercy.


    ¡°!?¡±


    ¡°You were right, it was really that guy who has won,¡± said Khal with a wry smile.


    However, Theon just simply shrugged and said, ¡°Well, it was kinda obvious¡­¡±


    ¡°Obvious, huh?¡± thought Khal as he would have bet on the guy¡¯s victory who just died a few seconds ago.


    Just simply because of his Talent, which was able to consume any type of attack in both close and long-range, Khal would have bet his currency on the guy. But who would have guessed that the guy with the Earth Talent had such a high proficient control over his Talent?


    But even knowing that the guy was such a pro controlling his Talent, Khal would still pick the other guy as that type of ambush was simply too slow and simple!


    Yet, the guy failed to dodge in time as he was way too focused on his enemy without scanning his surroundings, hence his death was only understandable.


    He simply died not because the guy with the Earth Talent was strong, but simply because he was the careless one!


    ¡°Well, whatever¡­¡± sighed Khal inwardly and turned to look at Theon.


    ¡°Okay, as promised, tell me more about this Martial Arts you have talked about.¡±

 Chapter 152: Summoner Talent

    Chapter 152: Summoner Talent


    ¡°Sure! However, it may be a bitplex to understand as this will be your first time hearing about Martial Arts in greater detail so try not to get bored so easily.¡±ughed Theon wryly, seemingly worried Khal will get bored quite easily.


    Khal however obviously understood Theon¡¯s worry hence just smiled and said, ¡°Haha, do not worry at all. Just howplex can it be for me not getting the hang of it? It¡¯s not like you ask me to understand atom physics, right?.¡±


    ¡°Atom physics?¡± Theon seemed to be confused by that unknown definition for which Khal just waved his hand, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s nothing, just a stupid phrase. But anyway, it can¡¯t be thatplex, right?¡±


    ¡°Do you really want me to answer that?¡± asked Theon, without any sign of sarcasm in his tone or on his face.


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Khal now began to realize that maybe this world¡¯s Martial Arts werepletely different from the one he knew from his past world and began to suspect that maybe it was really asplex as atom physics.


    ¡°Well, what is the most important here is that if you have any questions ask it right away or the concept will be very confusing in the end. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± nodded Khal, making Theon start his exnation about Martial Arts concepts quite spiritedly.


    And until they talked, or at least Theon talked and Khal listened intently, inside the Digital World things began to finally elerate.


    It turned out that the section where Khal and Rubie fought with Se began to copse, forcing Se to head toward the next section.


    Stepping onto the bridge just to meet with the powerful storm that tried to push her off, Se seemed a bit exhausted and even struggled to remain on her feet, but held out really well.


    Walking all the way to the other side of the bridge where another section was, Se checked if there were anyone in her surroundings but find out with great relief that there were none.


    She could finally rest and concentrate on recovering her depleted power and physical strength after such a long time.


    Though, she didn¡¯t have a lot of time for that as the next restriction would happen about 2 hourster and who could foresee which section will copse next.


    It could even be hers once again and if that happens she could do nothing but head toward the next section where the possibility of meeting others was a verdict.


    There were 2 sections next to hers and out of them, both held one Cultivator each, pushing her fate more and more toward the worst-case scenario.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe myself that I became so pathetic! This is simply a shame that no blood can erase!¡± Se¡¯s deep groan could be heard through the screen, causing many to hold their lips tightly shut.


    It was not like they didn¡¯t agree with that statement, but instead, because they did and couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy.


    Just who could have thought such an outline could happen? Who could have guessed that a Fifth Stage Cultivator will be forced to such an extent where she had to y her ace, her most powerful move twice? And against opponents below her Cultivation Stage to make things even worse!


    Everything that happened with Se could be said unexpected and unfortunate as both of her opponents were no normal Cultivators. Each held extreme strength and powerful Talents and skills that not even a Natural Born was able to easily take care of.


    No matter how ¡®obvious¡¯ it felt for spectators that she should have killed those two without struggle, any Cultivator with at least a bit of brain should know Se had no easy time at all.


    It was like she fought not two Four Stage Cultivators but two experts on her level! Even though there should have been disparity, there was none which was crazy!


    ¡°Moon Academy and Skywave Academy was it? Hmm¡­ It seems I must take a little tour once all this ends,¡± murmured Elder Caz as he was calmly sitting in his chair, his eyes tightly shut.


    He seemed angry that her disciple was forced into such a pathetic state, but in the end, she still won.


    Lost limb? Any magic pill or herb can regrow a lost arm or leg so that is not a problem at all.


    Lost pride? Only weak Cultivators think that way. Instead of mourning over a loss or defeat, use that emotion generated from those defeats to motivate and push yourself onto greater heights.


    Elder Caz knew that this was a great lesson for Se and this will only make her stronger than ever. It could even be said those two were a critical stepstone in her cultivation path toward a much greater future!


    Time passed seemingly in silence, and the time for restriction finally appeared.


    Everyone was keenly staring at the map to see which zone was about to copse but to their surprise, it was neither of those that had a red dot.


    Upon seeing this, spectators groaned up regretfully as they had to wait 2 more hours to see action once again.


    On the other hand, however, the remaining 3 participants sighed up with relief when they saw it was not they who had to run.


    It seemed the gods above were watching them, helping them to recover as much energy as much they could before the final sh was about to take ce.


    Another 2 hours have passed and restriction urred once again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see then.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s gaze was fixed on the map and a secondter a section with a red dot began to slowly fade away!


    ¡°Haha, the heavens really are against her!¡±ughed Elder Caz as he watched Se run toward the next bridge that will lead her to the next section and her next opponent.


    With the help of a powerful Secret Art Se reached the other end of the section in no time at all and didn¡¯t hesitate to jumper onto the bridge as the ground below her feet was about to vanish.


    And just as always, the moment she was on the bridge a powerful wind crashed into her body, almost pushing her off into the water below. But thanks to her 4 hours of preparation she was able to recover to some degree hence resisting the storm didn¡¯t pose her a problem at all.


    However, just as she began to move, she noticed as the red dot on the section where she was currently heading suddenly moved and began to approach her.


    It was apparent that the other Cultivator was nning to kill while her strength was restricted because of the storm.


    ¡°Hmph¡­¡± with a cold snort Se tightened her grasp around the hilt of her sword and began to walk.


    Thanks to the small length of the bridge it didn¡¯t take her long before reaching the other section, but the sight that waited for her surprised her.


    At the edge of the section, a guy in a brown robe that was embedded with different-sized crystals was standing calmly, on his side 2 creatures simr to lions could be seen.


    The only difference was that the creature¡¯s color was red, their eyes and razor-sharp teeth and ws abyss ck while the fur around their necks was zing with wildly white fire!


    ¡°Summoner-type Talent!¡±

 Chapter 153: Surprising End

    Chapter 153: Surprising End


    ¡°He is definitely a Summoner! Those two Beasts on his side are one of the rarest creatures that a Summoner can summon!¡±


    Several spectators instantly recognized the Beasts on the guy¡¯s side as those creatures were considered one of the most hazardous predators a Summoner can ask for, Sunray Lions.


    Sunray Lions were Beasts that were capable of emitting such a burning force through their pores that the proximity around them would melt into boiling mass, demolishing everything in a wink!


    Their ws were capable of tearing even the hardest alloy into pieces like they were just tofu and their eyes could even see in pitch-ck darkness as clearly as it would at daytime!


    Its physical strength was able to rival anyone a Stage above it while its speed could reach the speed of light once on the Ninth Cultivation Stage!


    If one Cultivator was unfortunate enough to cross paths with such a Beast, the only thing they could wish for was a merciless death unless they were not strong enough to kill it as escape was simply impossible.


    But what shocked many was not that the guy had such a great and hazardous Beast, but the fact he controlled 2!


    As everyone knows, Summoners can have more summons in their lifetimes but they can only summon only one Beast, thus seeing that the guy was able to summon 2 was something exceedingly startling and rming!


    ¡°Unfortunately he is still on the Second Cultivation Stage. Maybe if it were the Third or even the Fourth, he could have had a slight chance to win,¡± eximed Connor calmly but to his surprise, Dorothea opposed his idea.


    ¡°You maybe be right, but let¡¯s not forget about several crucial points before judging. First and foremost, that girl is injured while her power should be around only 40% of her real strength. Also, she is currently in a danger zone where her strength and options are restricted even more. I even bet she can¡¯t use her golden eye again as it would only kill her.¡±


    Dorothea¡¯s statement made Connor realize just how stupid he was and nodded, ¡°That is true. Then what do you think, will she die? Though, that would be ridiculous in my opinion.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say the definition ridiculous is right to use here as her condition is already dire, but dying at the hands of a Second Stage Cultivator is indeed a shame. But again, considering her situation and the number of enemies she has, her chances for survival are quite slim, let it be against a Second Stage Cultivator or not,¡± replied Dorothea, her gaze as calm as ever.


    Inside the Digital World, Se stared at the guy calmly, thinking of a way to get out of this tight situation without dying.


    However, no matter how hard she tried toe up with a solution as there seemed to be none. She was simply cornered and trapped, without any possible way for her to escape.


    She couldn¡¯t use her Mirror Sight as it was damaged, she couldn¡¯t use her World Devouring Strike as her World Essence didn¡¯t get recovered enough and she couldn¡¯t even use her Domain as it wouldn¡¯t help her at all.


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± cursed Se, but thanks to the powerful gust of wind around her, her voice was muted.


    ¡°Haha, such an easy enemy. The only thing I need to do is wait here and watch as she dies. Simply perfect!¡±ughed the guy loudly, even showing his arrogance by sitting down below a tree on his side.


    But who would have thought that just as he did, a crescent arc appeared out of nowhere, cutting his body in half, causing his carcass to fell onto the ground in two different halves!


    The guy had no chance to realize what happened much less screaming up from the pain that appeared inside his body before his vision turned ck.


    ¡°!?¡±


    Every spectator looked at this scene with a wide-open mouth and watched as a girl appeared out of nowhere, her right hand firmly holding onto a crimson red dagger.


    ¡°What? Killed? Where did shee from?¡± these types of questions appeared inside everyone¡¯s mind as none of them noticed the girl¡¯s approach at all.


    She wasn¡¯t even visible on the screen when she killed the guy as if she just popped out of thin air!


    But even before others could havee up with some sort of exnation, the girl¡¯s body vanished once again, her gaze already fixed on Se¡¯s figure on the bridge.


    ¡°How can she just simply disappear into thin air without any sign? The map clearly shows she is there but she is not! Not even her presence can be felt, how is this possible?!¡±


    ¡°What kind of Talent is that?¡± Khal seemed to be surprised by this as he stared at the screen with widened eyes.


    He had already finished talking with Theon about Martial Arts hence his focus was already fixed on the end just as anyone else¡¯s and was surprised to see the mysterious girl¡¯s power.


    ¡°That is quite a powerful Body Modifying Talent. I have never seen this type before, not in my years of cultivation.¡± suddenly from behind his back, Logan¡¯s voice sounded, startling both him and Theon on his side.


    ¡°Body Modifying Talent?¡± asked Khal but soon realized he met with a Cultivator with such a Talent before. It was the guy who had huge spikesing out of his elbows who he killed by tricking him.


    ¡°A Talent that can make the individualpletely invisible? That¡¯s not quite, but extremely powerful!¡± said Khal, his eyes trying to figure out the girl¡¯s location.


    Se did the same or at least tried to but failed miserably. No matter which direction she nced at, she was incapable of discerning the enemy¡¯s position.


    Only the red dot on the map helped her but because it showed she was somewhere in a hundred-meter radius before her, its help was useless.


    However, now that her way toward the section was cleared and she was free to leave the bridge, Se raised her sword and began to walk forward.


    With slow and cautious strides, Se checked her surroundings for onest time and stepped foot onto the ground.


    But exactly as she did, a flicker appeared on her side, cutting her other arm off too with rtively easily!


    Swish!


    Just how it happened with the guy before, the girl materialized out of thin air, her short dagger only inches away from Se¡¯s throat.


    However, in contrast to the previous moment, this time the girl¡¯s presence could easily be discerned, though some wished not to as their blood froze right in their veins.


    ¡°Sixth Cultivation Stage¡­ She reached the Cultivator Level!!¡±


    A huge uproar broke out from every corner of the Southern Continent, as this was something no one would have imagined to happen.


    What was the Sixth Stage? A bottleneck that only those were capable of breaking that opened one of their sealed Essence Path in their bodies! Achieving that was harder than finding a needle in the middle of hay!


    ¡°You¡­ Who are you?¡± asked Se,pletely ignoring the fact that her arm was bleeding rapidly, sending her soon into her inevitable death.


    The girl before her however just simply smiled and without answering her swung her dagger, its de cleanly slicing her head off from her neck.


    BAM!


    Right in that instant, on everyone¡¯s screen a huge ¡®WINNER!¡¯ sign appeared, indicating that after more than 3 days of straight hell, the Thousand Life Tournament finally found its final victor!


    Khal and the others upon seeing this thought that they can finally leave and earn their rewards, but who would have expected that suddenly the scenery around them twisted before finding themselves in the middle of a huge tform, with David, Madam Snow, and Master Adam standing straight right before them!


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± asked Connor, his face holding deep shock upon seeing that not only Khal, but every participant that died was well and alive without any exception!


    And it wasn¡¯t only him who appeared to be speechless but almost every Cultivator on the Southern Continent stared at this sighted with wide open jaws, unknown how they should react at this.


    Only Jas and a few seemed to smile with an unnoticed smile, seemingly as if they have already known about this oue way before the tournament.

 Chapter 154: Rewards

    Chapter 154: Rewards


    While many spectators were speechless and dumbfounded beyond belief, David stepped forward and began to talk clearly for all to hear.


    ¡°Ladies and Gentlemen! After 3 extremely long days, the Thousand Life Tournament finally arrived at its glorious end, but with an extremely pleasant and unexpected twist if I can say that, haha!¡±


    ¡°I am quite sure you all feel confused and have several unanswered questions at the moment, thus let my humble self exin all of you what truly happened in this decade tournament!¡± waving his hand toward the sky, a huge hologram appeared above David¡¯s head with the image of an object that Khal and the other participant were already so familiar with.


    ¡°What you all can see right now is called the Transfer Station, an exceptionally priceless device, formted and built by the Cultivator¡¯s Organization through thousands of experiments and blood-given tries!¡±


    Cultivators around the Southern Continent roared up with shock, awe, and surprise as they knew exactly what this implied.


    It meant a new era not only for those who lived on the Southern Continent but for all the humans that lived on the surface of Ephus! A new beginning that will push them onto greater heights they couldn¡¯t have imagined several years ago!


    With piqued interest and irrepressible excitement, people leaned toward the screen with greater anticipation, ready to hear what this new device truly was.


    In their minds, anything that was able to revive any Cultivator from their death before millions of people like some kind of ancient magic, was nothing but a priceless treasure that the heavens sent!


    Adam naturally felt the excitement and the expectations in the air even though he could only see the participants, thus smiled and proceeded to speak.


    ¡°With the help of thousands of programs, Magic Arrays, and smaller chips, the Transfer Station will capable of transferring Cultivator¡¯s body into a parallel universe or you can also say into a digital world where everything was possible!¡±


    ¡°Cultivation, Beast hunting, learning different techniques, obtaining powers, and consuming Essence, everything is possible in there! The Administrators can even form several billions of different worlds at the same time, giving the perfect environment for every individual to cultivate, hence the choices and possibilities are endless!¡±


    People stared at Adam¡¯s figure on the screen like some kind of God who has descended amongst them and bestowed them with his blessing that they didn¡¯t deserve at all!


    However, like it was not enough what he said, he smiled once again and continued, ¡°But the most important aspect of this Transfer Station was not its ability to send you into another world, but to make you immortal there! Anyone that enters the Digital World and was killed, will be transported back into the Real World without any internal or external injuries!¡±


    ¡°Simply put, once inside, people can be stronger, evolve, and reach higher Cultivation Stage with each passing day without the lurking fear of dying at any given moment!¡±


    This statement of his was the final drop inside the cup as every Cultivator stood up from their seats and began to roar toward the skies like some kind of maddened beast.


    Right now, every Cultivator felt a sudden urge to jump out of their windows and dance naked on the streets as this news was something that not only meant a new era in the history of Cultivation, but also opened a brand new door toward a future they would have never imagined before!


    This was so outrageous that even some bigger Families and Cities began to search for these new Transfer Stations in the hope to buy them just to be the first ones in line who try and experience this amazing new Digital World way before anyone else could!


    However, Davids¡¯s next sentence destroyed this joy and attempts of theirs right away¡­


    ¡°However, I must announce that these Transfer Stations will be only avable in the Cultivator¡¯s Organization in selected cities and they are not buyable products. Furthermore, I need to say that if you go inside the Digital World and die, you cannot enter it again for 6 months as it is strictly prohibited because of your health.¡±


    ¡°As for in what kind of ways it¡¯s dangerous, you will be told in ater event as for now, let¡¯s get onto the next segment! The Reward Ceremony!¡±


    As his voice fell, the hologram before everyone changed, with several names below each other and their cement next to their names.


    ¡°As I have said a few moments ago, only a few selected cities will have the right to obtain the Transfer Station, and they are the following!¡±


    Immediately after, the 251 names suddenly vanished, only leaving 50 lit on the screen, which was the top 50 Cultivators from the tournament.


    When Khal saw his name on the fifth ce and the statement that Moon City was eligible to obtain a Transfer Station, his jaw dropped down to his knees while hisplexion turned to that of a shock.


    Even though he knew he ended in 5th ce, he didn¡¯t think he will obtain such a huge reward for not only him but also for Moon City!


    This was simply he wouldn¡¯t have imagined not on his wildest dream ever!


    When Jas and all the teachers, students, and Cultivators in Moon City saw this, their expression brightened while high and loud cheers broke forth right in the very next second.


    Even Liza, who seemed to be calm once again after she found out that Khal was still alive through miraculous means, appeared to be extremely happy and cheerful.


    On the other hand, the same couldn¡¯t be told from Alde who was currently standing in the middle of the street, his hands shaking from anger as he held his Cultivator¡¯s Badge.


    ¡°Fucking bullish*t!¡±


    BAM!


    Breaking the badge into two then another half, Alde tossed the pieces of his previously glorious badge onto the ground, and spit on it just to vent his wrath a bit down.


    ¡°Transfer Station and Digital World my ass!¡± hissed Alde coldly as he turned around and walked back where he had juste from, ¡°That¡¯s it. I will ughter that piece of sh*t with my own two hands once hees back! It seems no one is capable of throwing a single trash out just me!¡±


    While Alde seemed extremely pissed over Khal¡¯s well-being, Master Adam stepped next to David and began to speak too.


    ¡°Also, next to these rewards, there will be additional prizes that will be given to the participants in the following days so please take a look at them.¡±


    As his voice fell, another hologram appeared above in the sky, making all the participant¡¯s eyes to fell out of their sockets right the very moment they saw the rewards on the huge hologram.


    {Prizes}


    ? Top 50:


    ¨C Right to obtain 1 Transfer Stations


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ? Top 25:


    ¨C 10.000 Silver Coins


    ¨C 5 Low-Quality Essence Pills


    ¨C Right to obtain 1 Transfer Stations


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ? Top 10:


    ¨C 100.000 Silver Coins


    ¨C 10 Middle-Quality Essence Pills


    ¨C 1 Secret Art below Expert Level


    ¨C Right to obtain 1 Transfer Stations


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ? Top 5:


    ¨C 1.000 Gold Coins


    ¨C 15 High-Quality Essence Pills


    ¨C 1 Secret Art below Cultivator Level


    ¨C 1 weapon/armor below wless Tier


    ¨C Right to obtain 1 Transfer Stations


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    ? Top 1:


    ¨C 10.000 Gold Coins


    ¨C 25 High-Quality Essence Pills


    ¨C 1 Secret Art from Cultivator Level


    ¨C 1 weapon/armor below World Tier


    ¨C 1 day in Heaven¡¯s Altar in Heaven¡¯s City


    ¨C Right to obtain 1 Transfer Stations


    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-


    Silence filled the air as no one dared to talk nor breathe. Some didn¡¯t even dare to blink in fear if they do the sight before their eyes will vanish.


    Only a moment of silenceter did someone dared tough up as he realized he was not dreaming nor hallucinating, causing the rest around him to snap back into reality right away!

 Chapter 155: Raven

    Chapter 155: Raven


    Right now no Cultivator was present that had either an indifferent or calm face as none of them were able to hold back their emotions upon seeing the rewards.


    There were even some that grieved in poor regret and remorse as they couldn¡¯t reach at least the top 50 as the rewards just there seemed to be heaven-defying!


    When Master Adam saw the many startling expressions before him a slight curve emerged onto his face and said, ¡°And this is all I can provide for the winners of thispetition. I hope you can find this amount satisfactory and I also expect you to learn from your previous mistakes and strive for greater heights.¡±


    After his speech, Master Adam waved his hand and all the screens turned ck while the space around the participants twisted again, sending everyone back to the hall filled with pirs.


    ¡°Now then, you are free to go and collect your rewards inside your residents. Also, if you have any questions to ask, please feel free to ask any of the avable staff in Paradise Hotel as they are there to help you anytime.¡± said Master Adam and after a brief pause continued, ¡°Also, I hope you will stay in Haven City for one more day as I wish to invite all of you presently here for a final Banquet in Hotel Paradise!¡±


    All the Cultivators roared up with a boisterous cheer as they couldn¡¯t have wished for better. Obviously, the loudest about this were the ones from the top 50 while the rest just simply pped their hands as they still felt sad they couldn¡¯t grab a spot at least in the top 50.


    After exining the exact time and location for the participants, Khal and Theon, who finished on the 5th and 24th ce respectively, decided to walk back to the hotel and collect their rewards, but who would have guessed just as they were about to leave, a girl topped them from doing so.


    And it was no one else but Se, the one they fought theirst battle in the Thousand Life Tournament!


    ¡°Umm¡­ How can we he-¡°


    ¡°Fight me. You can evene at me at the same time if you wish, I don¡¯t care.¡± without even waiting for Khal to finish his question, Se summoned her sword into her grasp, showing her thirst for battle and revenge!


    Since her loss could be said was because of them as they were the ones that weakened her to such a pathetic state in the end game, she didn¡¯t want anything more but to vent her anger on either Khal or Theon or maybe on both of them!


    Khal and Theon on the other hand seemed surprised by this and looked at each other in speechlessness as they didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    Just how brave one needed to be to initiate a fight right before several hundred Cultivators that even had a powerful expert in their numbers?!


    In Khal¡¯s opinion, their boldness must certainly be bigger than the sky that is for sure!


    ¡°So? Will you fight me or not?¡± asked Se, emitting a suffocating presence that was now at its peak as she wasn¡¯t injured or weakened like the previous time.


    This caused many to turn their head toward them, including Madam Snow and Master Adam too, and wait for what will happen.


    ¡°I will just go ahead and wait for you outside.¡± Logan¡¯s calm voice sounded from the side and Khal watched as his Master after patting him on the shoulder walked away, seemingly indifferent about the current happenings.


    Khal shifted his gaze from Se at Logan then back at her, but after pondering for a while he just shook his head and said, ¡°There is no need for that, I wille too.¡±


    When Theon saw that Khal followed Logan from behind and passed by Se with an indifferent gaze, he was still a bit hesitant but still followed suit and walked beside Khal in silence.


    He knew clearly that staying and fighting would only attract unwanted dangers and unnecessary problems, thus the best option here was to ignore Se even though she seemed angered.


    However, Khal didn¡¯t decide solely because he wanted to avoid unnecessary problems but because he knew he can¡¯t offend her unless he didn¡¯t want to die.


    Se was exactly like Alde, but in a way more dangerous way. She not only was stronger, but even her cultivation growth and origin seemed to be exceptionally unique, as Heaven City was the second strongest City in the Federation.


    Those that didn¡¯t fear to cause a ruckus in front of a powerful expert such as Master Adam definitely must have strong support from behind the curtains.


    Trying to fight with her and even beating her would only be an act akin to throwing oil onto the fire; a stupid mistake just like how he did previously.


    ¡°You¡­ Courting death!¡± Se however thought otherwise and swung her sword toward Khal¡¯s neck without thinking about the consequences.


    She didn¡¯t care if Khal and Theon agreed to fight with her or not, today she will definitely collect her debt no matter what!


    Khal noticed the cold sh and wanted to act, but it seemed he didn¡¯t have to as his eyes have already caught something quite interesting, hence decided not to move.


    Swish!


    ng!


    A ck dagger that had golden carvings along its de appeared out of thin air, stopping and even pushing Se¡¯s sword to the side with an easy trust.


    ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Se¡¯s eyes contracted in tremor as she stared at the girl before her, her dagger once again inches away from her throat again.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± nodded the girl that killed Se back in the Digital World and just like the previous time her smile was still on her pretty face as if it didn¡¯t vanish ever since then.


    Her silk smooth blond hair seemed to flutter behind her back, falling onto the middle of her back like a river fall, while her pair of ice-blue eyes stared firmly into Se¡¯s that held nothing but hatred and grudge.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t cause ruckus just because you have wished for it or try to take revenge. Just because you are from Heaven City, it does not mean you can do whatever you desire, or at least not in my presence that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    When others heard this, a sense of awe swept through the entirety of the hall as no one would have imagined the girl say something so bold before so many people.


    If it were anyone else they would have definitelyughed out loud, but as the one before them was a Sixt Stage Cultivator and the sole winner of the Thousand Life Tournament, no one dared to speak nor giggle.


    Before this girl, who was the same age as them if not younger, they were just mere ants before a towering giant, ready to be crushed into pieces at any given moment!


    ¡°Haha, you really are something else¡­¡± Se¡¯s coldugh could be heard while the sword in his hand was ready to move.


    However, just before things could have gotten out of hand, Master Adam¡¯s figure appeared between the two, his gaze colder than ice itself.


    He stared deeply at the two before him with a frozen expression while an invisible and suffocating force began to leak from his body, causing the two before him to halt and think twice before doing anything reckless.


    ¡°Put your weapons down now¡­ Both of you.¡± the calm yet loud voice of Master Adam caused everyone around to stiffen like sculpture, not daring to take a single breath much less moving!


    Se and the girl shifted their gazes onto Master Adam, and from among the two, thetter one was to do as she was told to.


    ¡°This junior apologizes for her recklessness. I just didn¡¯t want to see blood spill needlessly thus I acted without any consideration. I am deeply sorry.¡±


    Although angry for her, Master Adam shifted his gaze at Se, but instead of an apology, what he received was a cold snort.


    ¡°Cowards.¡± with that single word that was directed towards both the girl, Khal, and Theon, Se lowered her weapon and without any further ado walked away in wide and steady strides, seemingly angered as her n of revenge failed miserably.


    When Khal saw this an unnoticed smile emerged on his face and turned toward the girl before him who just happened to save his life from ¡®unavoidable¡¯ death.


    ¡°I appreciate your help but you shouldn¡¯t have done that. She will definitely find a way to hurt you back, I am quite sure about that.¡±


    ¡°That must be indeed true but I don¡¯t really care. The difference between us is as vast as two continents on this; and when I talk about difference, I do not only refer to strength.¡±


    Khal listened to this in silence, but deep inside was shocked to hear that!


    Those words seemed to be not onlye because of arrogance but thanks to her pure confidence in both of her umted prowess and background that seemed even more mysterious than ever!


    The girl noticed Khal¡¯s abrupt silence and questioning look hence extended her arm and smiled, ¡°My name is Raven, Cultivator from Eternal Academy and currently on the Sixth Stage. My pleasure to meet with you.¡±

 Chapter 156: Chameleon Armor

    Chapter 156: Chameleon Armor


    Raven extended her arms toward Khal with a friendly smile, seemingly no hidden ulterior motive toward him.


    ¡°The name is Khal from Moon City and he is Theon from Skywave Academy. We were about to go and collect our rewards, would you like toe with us?¡±


    Khal knew that even though he could have defended against Se¡¯s attack rtively easily, he didn¡¯t want to throw this opportunity into the trash, hence asked Raven if she would like toe with them.


    A chance where one could form various connections with experts didn¡¯te easy, especially not if the individual was on a higher Stage than him. Thus, this was the perfect time to throw his shot and befriend with her who seemed to be on an already terrifying level of Cultivation Base and fighting skills.


    ¡°Sure. I already nned to go there, so I don¡¯t seem to find a reason why I shouldn¡¯t join.¡±


    Khal heard her answer and a smile even formed on his face, while he nodded his head mildly, ¡°Great!¡±


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    After walking back to their hotel while talking and getting to know each other better, the three arrived before the building¡¯s entrance, a woman in simr attire as Madam Snow stood straight, weing them with a blossoming smile.


    ¡°Wee back to Resort of Paradise Esteemed Guests, please feel free to enjoy your stay.¡±


    Opening the door, the three walked inside and watched as three other women appeared from the sides, all holding a shiny silver card in their hands in a gracious manner.


    ¡°What is this?¡± asked Khal, but he had a hunch what they were quite obviously from the Cultivator¡¯s Organization thanks to the emblem on its surface.


    ¡°Dear Cultivators, here are your rewards.¡±


    Swish!


    In a blink, three holographic screens appeared before the three, each having their respected rewards from the tournament they were qualified to obtain.


    [Top 5 Rewards]


    ? 1.000 Gold Coins {Collect}


    ? 15 High-Quality Essence Pills {Collect}


    ? 1 Secret Art below Cultivator Level {Collect}


    ? 1 weapon/armor below wless Tier {Collect}


    Khal read all the prizes¡¯ information to see if they matched with the ones in his head, but soon a frown formed on his face, the exact same reaction that Raven and Theon had on his side.


    The woman that handed Khal the card seemed to notice their sudden confusion hence just smiled and began to exin, ¡°The Transfer Station is not on the list as you have automatically collected them. In the following week, you and all the participants that reached the final 50 will receive the device without any mishap.¡±


    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why.¡± nodded Khal, and without hesitation touched the first ¡®collect¡¯ sign on the card.


    Swish!


    ? Currency: 1.001 Gold Coins/843 Silver Coins


    Khal immediately felt the urge to cry toward the sky and roar thank you as loudly as he could as he wouldn¡¯t have imagined he would ever see so much money in his possession much less have it!


    Thus, didn¡¯t hesitate at all and collected his next reward. A secondter, 15 yellowish pills with an alluring presence materialized before him in the air.


    ¡°15 High-quality Essence Pills. With this much and a bit of luck, breaking into the Fifth Stage won¡¯t pose a problem.¡± thought Khal and proceeded on.


    ? 1 Secret Art below Cultivator Level {Collect}


    However, when he saw what the next reward was he seemed to be a bit hesitant as he couldn¡¯t think of a Secret Art that could improve his strength at all.


    However, because he could finally choose his first a lever Expert Level Art he decided to ignore it for the time being as he didn¡¯t want rush thing unnecessarily; instead went and collected his next reward as he already had an idea in mind for that.


    Pressing the collect sign, before Khal a screen popped up, and several exotic, luxurious, and powerful-looking items and objects appeared one by one, each described in detail.


    However, despite how appealing the weapons seemed to be Khal ignored them and went into the categories and chose armors.


    Swish!


    Immediately after more than half of the choices vanished, leaving only armors on the screen, each having various shapes, colors, looks, and material that they were forged and crafted from.


    ¡°I must get a proper armor as my Diamond Skin starts to lose its effect and soon it will be useless.¡±


    Khal knew that his Diamond Skin was powerful but against enemies or attacks such as Se and her World Devouring Strike it did not protect him at all.


    And because his Diamond Skin was not like his Devil Fangs that grew in power together with him, what he needed now was not a weapon but armor; a powerful one that has the capability of keeping him alive at least from attacks from the Fifth Cultivation Stage.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what we got here. Armors below the wless Tier must be pretty powerful, right?¡± thought Khal and began to check all the armors in great detail.


    [Mist Crystal Armor]


    ? Tier: Refined Tier


    ? Description: An armor made out of a rare material known as Mist Crystal that is capable of releasing mist around the body upon powerful contact.


    ¡°Even though its usage is usage seems pretty useful, against enemies with greater perception and even Talents such as mine, this armor is useless.¡± Khal didn¡¯t hesitate even for a second and continued finding armor.


    And to make things way easier for him to find the best he needed, Khal set the category once again, changing the screen to only show ones with Tier on the Refined Level.


    Swish!


    And just as he thought, the numbers decreased rapidly, leaving only a few that could be counted on two hands and even leaving a few free.


    ¡°Just this many? How about the wless Tier or even the ones over it? Is there even any?¡± Khal seemed shocked by this, as he didn¡¯t really believe only this much was avable in a huge city such as Haven City.


    ¡°There are indeed only this much avable but not because we are low on stock but because they are all top quality products among their Tiers.¡± exined one of the women next to Khal, seemingly as if she somehow felt his suspicion.


    ¡°Oh, I see, I didn¡¯t know this. Thank you,¡± said Khal, causing the woman¡¯s face to blossom into a beautiful smile.


    Feeling as his face turned a bit red from the woman¡¯s surprisingly beautiful smile, and with an awkward cough shifted his gaze back at the screen.


    However, when he did his gaze grabbed the image of the 5th armor that was presented on the screen and his interest was piqued immediately.


    It was an armor that was thin, full-body armor covering every inch of the wearer. It was made out of several kinds of strange green materials akin to scales, resulting in its surface not being smooth but rigid.


    Though, what caught Khal¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t its majestic design but its name and its description which was a bit absurd.


    [Chameleon Armor]


    ? Tier: Refined


    ? Description: An armor made out of the scales of the Thousand Skin Chameleon that grants the armor to change its material upon touch.


    Khal seemed to be speechless upon reading the description as it was something he wouldn¡¯t have expected to see from an item only on the Refined Tier.


    The capability of this armor seemed weak at first sight as who would want such an item if they can buy something way better, but Khal thought otherwise thus tapped on the ¡®collect¡¯ sign without hesitation.

 Chapter 157: Hundred Slice Cage

    Chapter 157: Hundred Slice Cage


    Swish!


    Green light shot forth from the card, vanishing into Khal¡¯s head and soon a colorful light manifested inside his mind surprising him deeply.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± asked Khal as he felt a warm presence deep inside his mind. He never experienced something like this before hence his face now was full of shock.


    ¡°Some object on or above Middle-Quality possess a so-called Soul Alloy hence people can keep and retrieve them in their Soul freely. You can think about the process as a Spatial Ring but with the sole exception that in this condition it¡¯s your body the Spatial Ring.¡± Logan on the side exined to Khal what happened as he noticed his confusion.


    ¡°Soul Alloy¡­ Now things make greater sense.¡± nodded Khal as he could clearly remember Bazz mentioning Soul Alloys once.


    ¡°Then I should collect the Secret Art.¡± thought Khal and tapped on the final ¡®collect¡¯ sign on the silver card.


    Swish!


    Just like what happened previously, the screen changed before him, and several hundred if not thousands of across with detail below them appeared.


    Without hesitation, Khal tapped on the categorization menu and selected ¡®Expert Level¡¯.


    ¡°Not a lot but sufficient amount.¡± thought Khal as he watched the few Secret Arts that were only a bit more in number than the armors.


    However, after checking all of them out Khal¡¯s face seemed to be disappointed as none of them were to his liking. Each Art was about movements or defense, but he already had both of them thus they were useless.


    ¡°Is there a Secret Art that can be used with a weapon, for example, a fan?¡± asked Khal from the woman before him, who seemed surprised by this question.


    ¡°Please give me a moment, I will immediately ask the higher-ups about this matter.¡± the woman bowed at Khal and without further ado walked away with quick strides.


    If it were anyone she would simply apologize they didn¡¯t have, but Khal was another matter as he ended up in the 5th ce thus he was considered a VIP as a powerful Cultivator.


    Sometimeter, the woman came back, and surprisingly she held two scrolls in her hand.


    This surprised Khal a bit as even though he asked his question he didn¡¯t expect she will be able to find a Secret Art associated with a fan much less two!


    ¡°Esteemed Guest, here they are.¡± bowed lightly the woman and handed the two scrolls to Khal.


    Both were a foot long and a human fist wide, while their colors were ck with a golden emblem on their middle.


    Swish!


    Two photographic screens manifested above the scrolls, making Khal inspect both with piqued interest.


    [Wind Shock]


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description: Through channeling Essence into the weapon massive wind shock can be created.


    <best results="" can="" be="" achieved="" with="" fan-type="" weapons!=""></best>


    [Hundred Slice Cage]


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description: A powerful Art capable of creating motionless wind des after the first swing and explode them after the second one.


    <only functional="" with="" fan-type="" weapons!=""></only>


    ¡°Oh?¡± Khal¡¯s eyes were glued on the second Secret Art as its description seemed intriguing.


    The first one was interesting too, but because he can already achive a simr effect with his Devil Fangs it seemed useless to him.


    ¡°I will choose this,¡± said Khal as he put Hundred Slice Cage away and handed the other one back to the woman.


    ¡°Perfect choice. Now if you excuse me¡­¡± smiled the woman and after taking the scroll bowed and walked away as shepleted her duty with him.


    ¡°How are you doing guys?¡± asked Khal as he watched Raven and Theon still pondered.


    ¡°I am okay, I think I will just consume these pills.¡± shrugged Theon as his best rewards were the pills.


    ¡°How about you?¡± Khal turned toward Raven, leaving Theon alone as he couldn¡¯t help him with what he was doing.


    Also, he asked her because she seemed troubled more than he was, but in truth, it was only natural.


    As she finished in 1st ce, her options to choose from were bigger than them thus she seemed to be quite troubled.


    Khal seeing that she was still among the Secret Arts asked, ¡°What kind of Secret Art do you want?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Oh, I would prefer something with movements as I have none. But as I can see all of them are weak.¡±


    ¡°Weak¡­¡± Khal didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as Raven just called Cultivator Level Secret Arts weak skills.


    Even the remaining women on their sides seemed shocked, but as she did not want to be rude she just simply smiled; only her eyes showed their real emotions.


    ¡°Then how about this one? It seems pretty decent, or at least for me,¡± asked Theon suddenly who seemed to already finish consuming the pills.


    ¡°So fast?¡± asked Khal as not even 5 seconds have passed since Theon started to consume the pills?


    ¡°Huh? Fast? They were only pills and I threw them into my mouth. Why what should have done?¡± Theon seemed confused, not understanding why Khal seemed surprised.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Khal wanted to say something but realized he couldn¡¯t.


    It looked like only he was the only one that is pills one by one while devouring the feeling that each pill provided after each consumption.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ This one seems pretty good, yeah. Then I will go with this one.¡± said Rave and without hesitation collected the Art that Theon suggested.


    Time slowly passed and after helping Raven choose a weapon that was a Legendary Tier dagger, much better than her first one, Khal said his goodbye to the two as he had other things to do before the banquet.


    ¡°I will go too, I have an appointment to reach. Meet you tonight kid!¡± with a wave of his hand, Logan left the hotel and walked away.


    Walking back to his ¡®room¡¯ that was still the paradise-looking environment as previously, Khal nced around and nodded.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try them out.¡± closing his eyes, Khal concentrated on the armor inside his consciousness and soon a green light enveloped his body.


    ¡°Woah! It looks better from up close than from photos,¡± eximed Khal loudly as the armor wrapped his whole body up, leaving no open spot out at all!


    Even his whole head was covered with green scales, each as small as a tip of a pinky.


    ¡°And it¡¯s amazingly light too! It¡¯s neither tight nor heavy, makes perfectly fine to move in. It feels almost like it¡¯s not on my body in the least!¡±


    Khal moved around the trees while throwing punches and kicks, testing the arm¡¯s flexibility and durability out while Rubie spectated all this from a tree with interested gazes.


    BAM!


    Punching a tree into dust as though it was tofu before his fist, Khal nced at the armor only to see no marks on it!


    Obviously, he didn¡¯t expect cut marks on it, but not even a slight scratch could be seen which was a great sign.


    ¡°Let¡¯s try its ability out,¡± said Khal and thought back to what he should do to active its unique trait.


    ¡°Just a slight touch should be perfect, right?¡± asked Khal and without hesitation ced his palm on a small stone on his side.


    ¡®¡­¡¯


    tter~tter!


    ¡°!?¡±


    After a bit, more than 3 seconds, the scales on the armor began to shake like leaves on the trees under the wind and watched as they gradually began to shift, twist and change.


    Starting from his fingers then spreading further upward on his arm like a virus, Khal watched as the armor soon turned from a green metallic shade into a rigid, grey-colored material, with the exact same outer appearance as the stone he just touched!

 Chapter 158: Banquet

    Chapter 158: Banquet


    Khal stared at his armor which was nowpletely gray and felt great joy. But to erase his suspicion that still lingered in his heart, he threw a punch once again, this time toward a bigger and way massive boulder on the other side.


    BAM!


    With a loud crash, the huge boulder that could have broken any Low Stage Cultivator¡¯s first if they tried to simply punch it without any Secret Art or armor, now rendered into dust while the armor seemed perfectly fine!


    ¡°Just as I have thought.¡± sighed Khal happily, as his suspicion had fully vanished.


    It seems the material of the armor has truly changed, but its durability has not. It was as solid as ever, maybe even a bit stronger than it previously was!


    ¡°Could it be that the more I change its appearance the harder it can get? I can¡¯t wait to find it out!¡±


    Feeling as his curiosity started to grow hence walked next to the small pond in the distance and put his hand into it.


    And just as he thought, after a few seconds his scales trembled and changed, giving him an appearance as if his armor was made out of crystal clear water yet his body could not be seen at all!


    It even flowed around his body, giving a feeling he was truly made out of pure liquid which was amazing!


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if the same goes for its hardness too like this.¡± Khal didn¡¯t hesitate and swung his arm, punching a wide tree into dust in a sh!


    BAM!


    Watching as the tree fell heavily onto the ground, Khal raised his arm and couldn¡¯t help but form a wide smile below his face.


    This was incredible! Outrageously amazing and unbelievable! This armor was simply the best as it not only had great defense, but it had a camouged ability too!


    Coupled with his Talentless Presence, now he could truly hide whenever and wherever he wanted from now anyone!


    Once he does then no one will be able to find him! Maybe it was not arrogance to assert that not even a Ninth Stage Cultivator had what it took to find him once he conceals himself!


    ¡°I did the right choice, no question about it.¡± nodded Khal as he made the armor vanish from his body back into his consciousness and retrieve his fan in the next second.


    Taking out the scroll and opening it, Khal read the concept of the Hundred Slice Cage and memorized it.


    After 1 hour, as its concept and the level ofplexity of the Art was quite deep to understand, Khal extended his weapon and closed his eyes.


    In a wink, his interior arose in his mind whilst several paths where he could control his Essence appeared; obviously, they were the normal Essence Paths and not the ones that were sealed.


    ¡°I should use it like this right?¡± murmured Khal as he began to manipte his Body Essence from his chest slowly toward his fan. The sole exception this timepared to any other was that he bent and twisted the Essence like a rope, giving it a twisted string-like appearance during its route!


    ¡°Let¡¯s try it out.¡± once the Essence reached his fan, causing it to light up with a gentle silver glow with a mixture of blue, Khal swung his weapon.


    Swish!


    Several crescent arcs with the color of silver and blue arose before Khal, however instead fly into the distance and slicking the trees up, it simply floated before him, seemingly gently and harmless.


    ¡°It worked!¡± Khal felt ecstasy upon learning he seeded on the first time, but the best part was still in the end.


    Raising his fan, Khal smiled and swayed it once again, but this time he sent normal wind des instead of the first type ones.


    And just as he did¡­


    BOOM!


    With a great explosion that sent debris and broken tree parts into the air, Khal searched as the surrounding areas got exploded almost to nothingness!


    From a few wind des that exploded, he achieved greater chaos than he would with his Devil Fangs normally!


    ¡°This wille in handy.¡± thought Khal as he knew that with his ever-growing Essence, this Secret Art will be one of his killer moves for sure!


    ¨C


    ¨C


    ¨C


    Time passed in a wink and the darkness fell finally, opening the banquet that all participants have waited for!


    ¡°I am d to see all of you in one piece and I hope it will remain like this! Now then, enjoy the food, the drinks, and the fresh atmosphere as long as you wish!¡± Master Adam raised a ss of champagne toward the crowd before him, opening the feast officially!


    CHEERS!!


    After raising their respected sses full of different kinds of wines and champagne, everyone took a small sip from their drinks and began to talk with each other spiritedly.


    ¡°So Khal, what are your ns for the future?¡± Raven who had already found Khal and Theon among the crowd, looked at the former one with interest in her eyes.


    ¡°Huh? My ns? Well, I should go back to my Academy first and graduate. If I know it right, one is eligible to leave the Academy once they surpass the Fifth Stage and beat their Master.¡±


    ¡°Yep, that is true. But what about after that? Any exact ns except getting stronger?¡± asked Raven, making both Khal and Theon feel confused as they did not understand her sudden questioning.


    ¡°Well¡­ I have no specific objective as I only want to be stronger with each day thus no, except getting stronger I have none.¡±


    ¡°I see. And what about you, Theon?¡±


    ¡°The same as for Khal. Graduate, and getting stronger. I n to be as strong as my Master!¡± Theon¡¯s eyes brightened up like stars in the sky, making Raven smile warmly immediately.


    ¡°You seem very fond of your Master. What is his name?¡±


    ¡°Of course I am! He is the kindest and best Master one can wish for! He knows everything and can solve anything! But as for his name¡­¡± suddenly Theon¡¯s smile vanished and only an awkwardugh escaped his mouth.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I fear I cannot tell you as I was prohibited from doing so.¡±


    ¡°I see, that is not a problem at all, I can understand your Master.¡± smiled Raven, but her eyes shed with a mysterious glint.


    ¡°And what about you? What do you n to do now that you ced 1st? You are famous now you know that right?¡± grabbing the momentary silence Khal grabbed the opportunity and asked Raven.


    ¡°What are my ns, hmm¡­¡± pondering deeply without any sign of acting, Raven shifted her gaze at Khal and said, ¡°As I have already passed the final test of my Academy and sessfully graduated from there, I n to make my own Sect.¡±


    ¡°So that is why you asked us what we n to do, now it makes bigger sense.¡± nodded his head Khal and asked, ¡°And why a Sect? I mean, it needs tons of things to create and build a Sect out of nowhere, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes it is, but I have already nned beforehand andpleted everything. The only thing that now waits for me is to collect members that are wishing to join my Sect.¡±


    ¡°And so far how many members did you gather?¡± asked Theon, no sarcasm or sly meaning behind his words.


    ¡°If you join, then that will make it 91, hence you can still be considered as a Core Disciples once I form my Sect. I hope you know what a Core Disciple means and I don¡¯t need to exin,¡± said Raven curiously, but thankfully it seemed she didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Yeah, that sounds exceptionally great, I will join! Though, as I said I¡¯m still in Academy, is that a problem?¡± asked Theon, seemingly confused and worried.


    ¡°Not at all. If you decide to join, then you are already in, and once you graduate you can enter my Sect right away.¡±


    ¡°Perfect, then I¡¯m in!¡± smiled Theon as he already decided on the matter inside his head.


    Raven smiled upon hearing this and shifted her gaze at Khal, who seemed to be still hesitant about his choice.


    ¡°How about you? Do you want to join?¡±

 Chapter 159: Record of All Realms

    Chapter 159: Record of All Realms


    Khal looked at Raven in silence and only after a moment of silenceter did he sigh and shook his head.


    ¡°I appreciate your kindness but I fear I have to refuse.¡±


    Raven seemed surprised by his answer as this was the very first time that someone rejected her offer. Even a curious glint shed deep within her eyes, interested in the reason behind Khal¡¯s decision.


    ¡°Why is that? You don¡¯t need to rush your decision as my offer will be always open before you.¡± smiled Raven toward Khal.


    ¡°I know, and I really appreciate the invitation but I can¡¯t ept it. Even though I have said I don¡¯t have exact ideas for the future, I can¡¯t join your Sect, I am sorry.¡±


    Raven and Theon nced at Khal dumbfounded as he just refused an extremely great opportunity that maybe he will regret for the rest of his life!


    And what was even more confusing was that he didn¡¯t want to tell the exact reason, or maybe dared not. This however only piqued Raven¡¯s curiosity even more, but still decided not to ask more questions as she didn¡¯t want to appear rude.


    Everyone had their own secrets, including her, thus seeing Khal deciding this way was only understandable for her.


    But in truth, Khal didn¡¯t reject the offer because he wanted to or because he didn¡¯t see it alluring enough, but because he couldn¡¯t join. Once he gets back into Moon Academy, he will do something that had a high possibility of turning his life upside down, thus he must avoid joining parties at all cost.


    He didn¡¯t want to bring chaos upon their heads for no reason, he was at least that responsible for his actions.


    As he thought about this his eyes shed with a hint of coldness, his mouth slightly curving into a wicked smile that he made sure to hide from others when he was looked at.


    ¡°That bastard¡­ It¡¯s finally time to pay him back his favor a hundred folds. He will regret even the moment he was born in this world!¡±


    Time flowed like a river and everyone enjoyed their time with the rest next to delicious foods, drinks, andughs.


    Soon midnight came and Khal decided to go back to his room as he felt kind of exhausted and he still had two things to do.


    Closing the door behind his back, Khal took out the 15 pills from his pocket and without hesitation threw all of them into his mouth, in the same manner as Theon did.


    BAM!


    Right after he did, a powerful presence broke forth from his body that seemed to be growing each passing second without stop!


    It was so great that Rubie had to fly onto a tree as she couldn¡¯t remain still on Khal¡¯s shoulder.


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 64 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 31 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 26 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes has consumed 53 ¡®Beast Essence¡¯!]


    [Notify! Heaven¡¯s Eyes¡­]


    Khal felt as his power surged and skyrocketed, reaching the bottleneck of the Fourth Cultivation Stage, breaking through it as easy as taking a breath, and proceeding on its upswing without any sign of halting!


    Only after half a minuteter did Khal felt as the power inside his body began to slow down and vanish, leaving only a pleasantly warm sensation inside his body together with a notification inside his head.


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Heaven¡¯s Eye has reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage!]


    [Notify! ¡®Power Core¡¯ Ster Domain has reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage!]


    As the two notifies resounded inside his head Khal couldn¡¯t help but smile while savoring the remaining sensations inside his body that still lingered there even after his breakthrough.


    ¡°From 589 Essence my power broke into the Fifth Stage and surged all the way to 243! Quite a decent amount indeed.¡± Khal grinned like aplete idiot, but soon his face turned serious and took out a small ring from his pocket.


    It was the Spatial Ring he got from the olddy who he met before the tournament and now that it has ended, he was allowed to see the things kept inside it.


    Though, he was still hesitant if he should use and watch what was inside as he didn¡¯t know if it was a trap or not.


    Pondering for a while, Khal shrugged and said, ¡°I don¡¯t seem to find the logic why a powerful expert would kill me this way as she could have done it when she met me. There is nothing to be afraid of¡­ I guess¡­¡±


    Swallowing a huge amount of alive in nervousness, Khal poured a bit of his Essence into the ring, resulting in blinding light emerging in an instant.


    Swish!


    ¡°Huh? A book?¡± Khal watched as a book as thick as his feet appeared in his hand, while the ring between his fingers turned back into its original appearance.


    It looked like except for the huge and ancient-looking book, there was nothing else inside it which disturbed him a bit thus Khal shifted his gaze at the title of the book.


    ¡°Record of All Realms?¡± seemingly confused and curious at the same time about its context, Khal put his hand on the book¡¯s smooth cover and opened it.


    ¡®Records of the Six Realms and the one forgotten by all, the Zero Realm.¡¯


    ¡°It seems it contains things about the realms, their traits, unique locations, special creatures, and their weapons and so much more. Just who was that olddy and why did she give this to me?¡± Khal began to feel more and more confused as he realized this book was something no normal cultivator should have!


    This was a book¡­ No, a treasure, tha was priceless beyond belief!


    Reading it for a while, Khal put the book down and held his head, deep shock visible on his face.


    He read the first few pages, yet the amount of new information in them was so much that his head felt as if it wanted to be exploded!


    This was simply outrageous, yet at the same time amazing!


    ¡°Just who the hell was able to write these things without dying? Was it the olddy or someone else?¡± a question popped up inside his head one after another as he couldn¡¯t see nor find the name of the writer on or inside the book.


    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter as it¡¯s now in my possession thus I must keep this protected no matter what.¡± thought Khal as he knew that this book in the wrong hands could lead to cmity in a blink!


    As he thought about this, his eyes turned firm and without any hesitation started to read it from the beginning but with greater concentration this time.


    And just as he did, somewhere in a farawaynd that could be on the other side of Ephus or maybe not, an exceptionally beautiful woman with otherworldly facial features was lying calmly below a tree, her delicate face slowly forming a gentle smile that seemed to be able to cause wars between Continents if seen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you will use that knowledge that not even ¡®he¡¯ knows about¡­¡±

 Chapter 160: Coming Back

    Chapter 160: Coming Back


    The night passed rtively fast as Khal tried to remember and understand everything he read from the book, yet even under the whole night, he was able to read only 11 pages out of the 3000 plus pages¡­


    ¡°Schreeech!¡± with a loud cry that snapped Khal right back into reality, Rubiended on his shoulder and pushed her face against his cheeks.


    ¡°It¡¯s already time? Damn, time flies real fast¡­¡± sighed Khal and nced at the book inside his hand.


    ¡°So far I was able to learn a few things about this world, especially about the 4 Continents, but s, it¡¯s time to go.¡±


    Shifting his gaze at the ring on his side that he put down there since the very start, Khal grabbed it and ced it onto his right ring finger.


    Swish!


    With white light, Khal ced the book and his Secret Art scroll into the Spatial Ring to save himself from carrying them inside his pocket and stood up.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get going, Logan must be already waiting for us,¡± said Khal and after stretching his sore muscles as he didn¡¯t move an inch for hours, he went to leave his room.


    ¨C


    ¡°Are you ready? If you forgot anything you wille back here on your own.¡±


    ¡°I am ready, I am no longer a small kid who forgets stuff that easily.¡± sighed Khal helplessly once he reached the main hall and heard Logan¡¯s question.


    ¡°Perfect, then let¡¯s get going! Others are already waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Un.¡± nodded Khal, but before following Logan, he turned and nced at Raven and Theon who stood close to him.


    ¡°I hope we can meet again in the future.¡± smiled Khal, his arm already extended for a friendly handshake.


    ¡°The feeling is mutual.¡± smiled Raven after epting Khal¡¯s hand after Theon and took out a ck token from her pocket, ¡°But before you leave, please take this. If you ever change your mind, make sure toe to Eternal Mountain and show this to the people there. They will bring you to me and my Sect right away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I won¡¯t deny this offer this time,¡± said Khal, and took away the ck token and ced it inside his ring.


    When Raven and Theon saw this they seemed surprised as only noble people could afford to buy Spatial Rings, but still decided to remain silent.


    ¡°Well, I hope once we meet again we won¡¯t stand before each other as enemies but as equals.¡± smiled Khal, making the two before him immediately understand his words and nod.


    After saying a quick and a not so heartfelt goodbye as he was sure they will meet again in the future, Khal watched as Logan ced his arm on his shoulder, and just like the way they came, he teleported them away.


    Swish!


    In a split second that was faster than blinking, Khal watched as the scenery around him changed from a luxurious hotel hall into a hist green open space, with a massive city wall rising toward the skies before him.


    ¡°Wee back to Moon City kid. You have done better than I have expected.¡± Jas who waited for their arrival for hours before the city gate, smiled at Khal, his eyes holding unmistakable pride once he noticed Khal.


    He started at him like a proud dad before his son who achieved great scores on an extremely hard exam that everyone failed to do sessfully.


    ¡°I am honored for yourpliment, but in truth, I did nothing special at all. I was only able to beat those below my Stage, yet was unable to win against someone who was not,¡± said Khal, without a bit of arrogance or false regret seen inside his eyes.


    ¡°Haha, that is true and it¡¯s great you admit your defeat and mistakes, but don¡¯t make that influence your mind. Your opponent was indeed stronger than you, but as I can feel, you have already reached her Stage right? If it were now, you would definitely win.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± surprised by Jas¡¯ sudden statement, Khal raised his gaze with shock, not believing if he just heard it right or not.


    He was currently in a Talentless state thus his presence was non-existent. He had no Cultivator Presence, yet Jas was able to guess his Cultivation Base? How?


    Seeing the shock and confusion inside his eyes, Jas just simply touched his beard andughed, ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be so surprised. Everyone has secrets and hidden tricks that no one knows about, even myself is one among them.¡±


    Khal nodded upon hearing this, but deep inside he felt wary.


    Could this mean Jas realized his source of power and found out his bracelet¡¯s use or was he simply able to detect his real Cultivation Base through different means? Well, in both cases this meant he must need to be cautious around him as he does not want to be ab rat for others much less an enemy.


    If his ability, that he can cultivate through Artifacts, or if he wants to be more precise through their Cores gets revealed to everyone, his life could easily be a mess, no different than hell itself.


    Everyone will try to hunt him down for his bracelet, trying to obtain the heaven-defying power to hold multiple abilities and Talents at the same time.


    Hence, he must avoid this at all costs!


    Jas and Logan as they were powerful Cultivators obviously noticed Khal¡¯s sudden change of mood and behavior, but as he was not their enemy not they wanted his bracelet, they didn¡¯t do anything but simply ignored him.


    They too wanted to find people with simr abilities as Khal, as they have already figured out his secret, but they knew that he was not in connection with ¡®them¡¯ not even the slightest.


    Hence, they just simply ignored him, and continued to monitor his growth as maybe they will be able to see something that the world did not see for hundreds of years, a-


    ¡°Khal!¡± suddenly a feminine voice sounded from the gates, and the only thing Jas and Logan were able to see was a blue sh and a girl¡¯s figure hanging around Khal¡¯s neck.


    ¡°Schreeech!¡± Rubie who was pushed down from Khal¡¯s shoulder seemed to be angry and wanted tond back, but as the girl was hugging him way too tightly she couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you are alive¡­¡± a quiet voice akin to a mosquito buzzed inside Khal¡¯s ear, causing his body to feel rxed in an instant.


    ¡°Me too,¡± said Khal, his voice softer and warmer than it originally used to be, and hugged Liza back tightly.


    Maybe it was because he missed her or because he knew she was truly Nancy, but this time Khal felt like everything seemed insignificant and only the current sensation he felt was what mattered.


    ¡°Khm¡­ Can we go now? We still have a few things to do.¡± Logan on the side cleared his throat, making the two instantlye back onto earth step back from each other.


    ¡°Haha! You two are truly close to each other.¡± chuckled Jas quietly, but his voice still made Liza¡¯s face turn slightly rosy.


    On the other hand Khal just simply smiled and said, ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. We really do need to do a few things.¡±


    However, because no one truly realized the hidden meaning behind his words and his kind of serious tone of voice, Logan nodded and began to walk toward the city, with the rest closely following him from behind.

 Chapter 161 - First Step

    The news about Khal''s arrival spread in Moon City and Moon Academy like wildfire and soon thousands of people began appearing on the streets, all of them cheering him like a veteran soldier that just returned from a long-fought war.


    At first, Khal was surprised to see so many Cultivators celebrating his return, but once Jas exined to him why they were so happy everything became clear.


    "Thanks to you, not only Moon Academy but the entirety of Moon City will be able to live the next decade in growing fame, wealth, and prosperity. Also, thanks to the fact that Moon City''s Cultivator''s Organization obtained the right to have a Transfer Station, people that are struggling and even remained on the lower Stages for years maybe could break through their bottlenecks in that Digital World, thus you are a hero for them. Haha, it is not an exaggeration to say you saved their future!"


    "So that''s why..." nodded Khal and waved back at the crowd that celebrated him, causing a huge wave of cheers to break out from the people right away.


    Some were so happy that they even raised their weapons high into the air while there were even a few that fired different kinds of abilities high up into the skies!


    Enjoying this unique feeling, Khal suddenly noticed Liza''s gaze on his skin thus nced at her and asked, "Something the matter?"


    "Nothing particrly. It''s just great to see you smile again."ughed Liza, causing Khal to subconsciously smile even more.


    "Well, life is too short not to enjoy these moments thus it would be strange if I don''t smile upon seeing so many people cheering on me."


    "That''s how you think?"


    "Yep."


    Liza seeing Khal''s happy grin that she had hardly seen in years, smiled too and tugged him by the waist, "Well, let''s hope this fame won''t go over your head."


    "Haha, of course not! But even if it goes I''m pretty sure you will p me back to earth."


    Soon they arrived back at Moon Academy where students were waiting already, all of them staring at Khal with admiration and respect.


    None of them held the gaze that they did a month ago as now they didn''t dare to. No matter what others said, Khal was a being that defined every rational thinking.


    He had two Talents, a powerful Secret Art and weapon, a Beast Core, a Tamed Beast. He had strength that was able to beat others above his Stage while also the intention to kill without hesitation.


    Simply put, Khal was a Cultivator that no ordinary person could rival! Or at least not those withmon Talents and weak Cultivation Bases...


    "Not gonna lie, you look more handsome than ever before." once next to Khal, Merlyn began to smile seductively at him, making Liza and Rubie narrow their eyes at her in an instant.


    Even Khal seemed surprised as this was the first time for him to see Merlyn act this way even though he knew her quite well.


    "Oh, my~"ughed Merlyn and even took a step back, however her eyes shed with a profound light as she perked at Khal''s figure curiously.


    "Junior Brother! You are back!" Marx opened his arms wide open and hugged Khal powerfully, almost breaking the bones inside his body.


    "Argh... Yeah... It is really nice to see you too... But, please put me down now. You are killing me..." hissed Khal, barely able to keep breathing.


    "My bad."ughed Marx awkwardly and put Khal down, but his eyes still held great respect.


    Ever since he saw Khal''s bravery and the way he fought against Se and basically everyone, his respect toward him deepened even more.


    Anyone with a lower Cultivation Base would have run away or stood still waiting for their death, yet Khal fought Se without fear.


    Naturally, he did run away the first time which he felt a bit cowardly but who cares about that? He fought for the second time like a real man and that''s all that matters!


    "If you have any injury let me heal you, you can always ask me to help," eximed Asur from the side for which Khal smiled and chuckled, "Well, I think I have a few broken ribs from the previous hug so..."


    Immediately as his voice fell everyone around smiled while some evenughed merrily. There were even several female Cultivators that tried to use this as an opportunity to get closer to Khal, but all were halted by Liza''s and Rubie''s sharp gaze from the side.


    "I think this is yours." while everyone talked and enjoyed the moment, Nash appeared out of nowhere, his hand holding a small box and a letter.


    When Khal noticed the box he was confused but the moment his gaze grabbed the letter he immediately understood what was inside the box.


    "Thanks a lot. I will take care of the matter personally," said Khal with a slight smile, his eyes shing with a coldness that only Nash was able to notice and understand.


    Though, exactly because of this as he understood that coldness was why he felt sad. He knew that what Khal was about to do will turn his world upside down and maybe even pushing his life into chaos.


    If he can pull it off safely he can avoid pulling his loved ones into the approaching mayhem, but if not...


    "What''s that?" asked Liza curiously as she pried the box in Khal''s grasp.


    "Oh? Just a few things I asked Nash to throw out before I went away but now that I am still alive I just keep them," eximed Khal, and even before Liza could have had the chance to take it away from him he put it inside his ring.


    "Huh? A Spatial Ring? Where did you get it?" Logan and several others seemed surprised by the ring on Khal''s finger, but he simply shrugged and said, "Of course bought it from the prize I won. How else could have I bought a Spatial Ring?"


    That reasonable answer made everyone around look at Khal in even more awe as his reply seemed way too casual.


    "Damn, I want to buy a Spatial Ring too! It''s so cool!"


    "Me too!


    "Me too!"


    People one after another seemed sad about the fact they were unable to obtain a Spatial Ring, but surprisingly none of them talked with jealousy or envy.


    Every one of them knew that Khal deserved that ring fair and square for which they didn''t dislike not hate him, not in the slightest.


    The atmosphere seemed to be happy and full of joy when suddenly a figure appeared out of the crowd and walked before Khal.


    Everyone seemed confused by this and the whole ce went dead silent, but on the other hand, Khal''s gaze turned ice cold while the smile on his face has already vanished a long time ago


    Staring at Alde, the one he hated and despised the most, Khal felt the urge to summon his weapon and cut his throat wide open right there and then, but resisted the temptation to do so.


    Instead, he forced a smile and wanted to say something, but suddenly Alde extended his arms and raised his face, showing a beaming smile that surprised not only him but everyone present!


    "You were phenomenal! Maybe it appears a bit strange thanks to our past, but I hope we can forget about that and get to know each other better. How does that sound for you?"


    ''...''


    "Eh?"

 Chapter 162 - Golden Card

    Khal stared at Alde with stupified expression as he didn''t expect him to act this way, but soon realized the hidden motive behind his strange act.


    "Try to perform the same thing as me? Haha, how foolish."ughed Khal inwardly, even feeling a bit of pity toward him.


    However, exactly because he knew what that bastard nned to do did Khal smile and nod, "What happened has happened and we can''t change that. However, what lies before us are all depending on our actions, thus I hope we can be friends."


    This surprised a lot of people, especially Liza and Nate. The former one was deeply confused because she knew that behind Miss Mary''s death Alde stood while Nate seemed shocked that Khal''s friendly behavior was theplete opposite he wrote inside his letter.


    Alde on the other hand stared at Khal with amazement before smiling even more and put his hand on his shoulder, "That''s what I liked to hear. The best thing to say to start a blossoming friendship!"


    Though, deep inside his heart Alde wasughing like a maniac.


    ''Blossoming friendship my ass! I will get close to you and your friends, then torture you before killing you for good! I will even make that chick mine before sending her right after you!'' sneered Alde inwardly, his eyes secretly taking nces at Liza''s body behind Khal from time to time.


    Khal, however, was no fool and as his guard was up before Alde he easily noticed that move from him, thus a hint of coldness shed inside his eyes but decided to remain calm.


    Instead, he smiled wider too and put his hands on Alde''s shoulder too, "Haha, I like the sound of that!"


    People around them immediately broke into a huge uproar upon hearing his answer as this meant huge news!


    Alde was from the Ourvi Family, one of the strongest and leading figures on the Southern Continent, thus if Alde wanted to befriend with Khal that meant he wanted him into his family!


    And as it seemed to be the case, it meant Khal was no longer touchable for normal people as he now had the backing of the Ourvi Family!


    And just who could be brave and bold enough to wage war against not only a Cultivator that was powerful but also had the support of one of the biggest families on the Southern Continent? Of course, only aplete dumbhead would or someone with balls bigger than the heavens itself!


    However, what none of them knew and would have believed was that the exact ''fool'' they were talking about was standing right before their very eyes, holding Alde''s arm with a wide smile etched on his face.


    -


    After celebrating his arrival and his formed ''friendship'' with Alde, Khal was brought into Principal Jas''s room, where only the teachers and himself were allowed to be.


    "You did a great work kid! Especially the way you killed those worms, I liked it! A real man should be just like you!" said Raffin with a wide grin, his wide palm patting Khal powerfully on the shoulder.


    "Splendid job." nodded Scarlett, her eyes now holding a gentle glint whenever she looked at Khal.


    "You should have gone to the head and you would have won, but still, you did well," eximed Connor too from the side.


    Jane and the rest said simr things, all of them congratting Khal for his achievements.


    "Now that everyone is here..." after clearing his throat and sitting back into his chair, Jas began to talk, silencing everyone in the room in a wink.


    "First of all, let me gratte you once again, you performed way beyond all of our expectations."


    "Schreeech!" crying up loudly, that made Jas shift his gaze at her, Rubie seemed insulted as she wasn''tplimented even though she helped too!


    "Haha, you too Rubie, you performed incredibly well!"


    Upon hearing Jas''s voice Rubie closed her eyes into two crescent moons and fluttered her wings gently; it seemed now she felt much better than a few seconds ago.


    "Haha, now then." Jas waved his hands and a golden card materialized between his fingers.


    "Please ept this gift from me and everyone else present here."


    "What is that?" Khal''s interest was piqued upon seeing the gold card, thus asked.


    "With this card, you can buy 1 item freely in the Cultivator''s Organization. Let it be Secret Art, a new weapon, armor, or something else, you can use this whenever you want."


    Khal seemed shocked by the golden card and asked immediately, "I can even buy a weapon from any Tier? For example a sword from the World Tier?"


    However, Jas just simplyughed at that question and shook his head helplessly, "I like the way you think, but do you think World Tier weapons are like apples on trees, growing everywhere?"


    "I..."


    Jas just smiled even more and handed the gold card to Khal, "Obviously, if you can find a weapon to your liking that is on the World Tier you can buy it, yes, but in Moon City, I hardly assume you will find any."


    Khal grabbed the gold card from Jas and after inspecting it he bowed, "Thank you very much!"


    "This was only natural." waved Jas his hand, as though didn''t want to see Khal be this formal and humble upon something he should be proud of!


    "Well, anyway, from me this was everything. If no one else wants to say anything to you, you are free to go."


    Khal nced around but seeing as all of them shook their heads he turned toward Jas and bowed.


    "Then if you excuse me..."


    Walking out of the room, Khal closed the door behind his back and nced at the golden card in his grasp.


    "I wonder if I can find something interesting."


    -


    Walking down the streets all the way to the Cultivator''s Organization, Khal stepped inside the facility and walked before a table on the side.


    Behind that, a woman he knew from the past was standing calmly with a nonchnt gaze, her eyes fixed on something that was out of sight from Khal''s side.


    "Hi, I want to use this, I hope you can help me." Khal put his golden card gently on the top of the counter, his face holding a gentle smile.


    "Please, give me a mo-" Noelle was about to say something when suddenly her eyes widened upon noticing the golden card, thus she had to raise her gaze to see who the individual was.


    However, when she did, her eyes opened even wider, making Khal fear her beautiful eyes will fall out of their sockets if she doesn''t blink fast!


    "It''s you!" said Noelle but realizing her improper behavior she cleared her throat and calmed herself down, "I''m sorry, where are my manners."


    Pushing to the side whatever she held behind the counter, Noelle smiled and asked, "What can I do for you?"


    Khal seeing this grinned even more and tapped on the golden card that he put on the counter, "I want to use this, thus I thought you can help me."


    "Oh, of course, I can! Please follow me," said Noelle, immediately walking toward a door on the sides.


    Khal nodded and after picking up the card followed Noelle, curious where she will lead him.

 Chapter 163 - Another Ember Core

    Khal followed Noelle through the silver door and soon found himself inside a huge open space, filled with hundreds if not thousands of cases, each with a different size and shape.


    "Wee to the Treasury Room. Here only the staff or people with a Golden Card such as yourself are allowed to enter." exined Noelle as she turned around to face Khal, "You can go and look around freely, and if you found an item to your liking, you can use that card to trade for it."


    "I see, thank you." smiled Khal and began to walk but then as he realized something suddenly stopped and asked, "Can you please show me where can I find long-range weapons?"


    "Sure, please follow me." nodded Noelle and brought Khal to a section in the far right back of the room.


    "Here we are. However, because long-range weapons are not so popr among Cultivators as they prefer swords and daggers more, we only have a few in our stock. I hope this won''t be a problem for you."


    Khal shook his head and was about to say no, but suddenly a voice sounded in his mind, cutting his voice off.


    [Notify! ''Ember Core'' has been found!]


    "Eh? An Ember Core? Which one?" Khal immediately began to scan the cases before him, but as he couldn''t tell which one had the Ember Core by a single nce he had to do something else.


    Just like the first time he obtained his Devil Fangs, Khal activated his Maism ability manually and watched keenly which weapon was about to move.


    And just as he thought, one of the cases in the rear began to shake gently, causing Khal''s mouth to curve into a slight smile.


    "What Tier is this weapon?" asked Khal as he walked next to the case, surprising Noelle a bit as he didn''t nce at the rest but chose to ask about that weapon right from the start.


    "Umm... That weapon is called the Soul Piercer, a quite hard to use but powerful bow that was crafted by a 7 Star cksmith. If I am right, it was crafted from Fox Steel and it reached the Legendary Tier."


    "Legendary Tier?" eximed Khal with shock, as he wouldn''t have expected that it will be a High-quality weapon.


    "Yes, it is, but once again, it''s a weapon that is extremely hard to use. Once a man tried to use it, but failed to even pull its string."


    "And where are the arrows? I can only see the bow itself but no arrows," asked Khal as he inspected the weapon in the half-transparent case.


    The bow was dark red in color and hadplex engravings etched into its surface akin to ancient markings. Its string was long but thin, made of orange-red fur with steel trimmings that had a blood-red hue.


    "There are indeed no arrows for this item as this weapon does not require one."


    "Huh? What do you mean it does not require one?" asked Khal, seemingly confused by that statement.


    How could a bow not require an arrow? What was the logic behind something like that? It was almost like saying a sword''s hilt didn''t require a de or a car didn''t need wheels! It wasplete nonsense!


    Noelle understood Khal''s suspicion clearly thus began to exin quickly, "As I said, the bow was crafted from a very rare metal called the Fox Steel. I wonder if you ever heard about such steel before."


    "Yes, I did." nodded Khal as he could remember Bazz once mention Fox Steel when he taught him about different kinds of metals.


    Fox Steel was an extremely rare and hard to forge metal that was capable of consuming the Soul of the dead and seal it inside of itself.


    "Well, then I hope you also know that through your Essence, the sealed Souls can be extracted from the Fox Steel and shape it at will. Of course, the process is extremely hard and dangerous, but once mastered, it can be a lethal weapon."


    "Dangerous? Why?" asked Khal as he didn''t understand why would a shaped Soul be dangerous. In his opinion, it wasn''t hazardous at all as souls couldn''t kill, right?


    However, Noelle just smiled upon that innocent question of his and asked, "Why do you think the weapon was given the title of Soul Piercer and not something else?"


    When Khal heard this he realized something and his eyes widened, "You mean, the extracted soul''s can... Kill?"


    "Exactly." nodded Noelle but then proceeded on saying, "However, because it''s hard to extract much less shape the soul from the Fox Steel, if you fail to control it and it identally touches your body... You can be considered as dead."


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent and shifted his gaze at the weapon. After a moment of silence, ha nced at Noelle once again and gave her his card, "I want it."


    "What? Are you sure? I just told you it is extremely hard to use and if y-"


    "I decided already. Also, you said you need Essence to shape and control the soul, right?"


    "Well, yes, but..."


    "Then you don''t need to worry, I will be perfectly fine," said Khal and after giving the golden card to Noelle he picked the case up and walked toward the exit.


    On the other hand, Noelle just stood in one ce like aplete idiot, unknown how she should process all the things that happened.


    Only after several minutester did she nce at the card in her hands and frown, "Does he have a death wish? That bow... Not even a Cultivator on the Eighth Stage was able to use that properly, how does he wish to use it then?"


    Among great worry and regret that she was unable to stop Khal from choosing that weapon, Noelle put the card away and sighed.


    -


    -


    -


    After getting his new weapon, the Soul Piercer, Khal decided to go back to de Mountain and try it before doing anything else.


    Opening the space crack and stepping through it, Khal walked inside the cave and put the case inside his hand down.


    "Let''s see..." opening the case''s lid, Khal took out the bow and held it in his grasp.


    "Not heavy nor too light, it has a perfect weight," eximed Khal and put his fingers on the string attempting to pull it, but found himself unable to do so.


    "It''s really stiff. Almost like it''s not a string but a rod." thought Khal and channeled a bit of his Essence into the weapon.


    Immediately after he did, the string loosened a bit but was still as stiff as a rock.


    "So I need to channel Essence to be able to pull the string back, huh?" thus Khal poured more Essence into the bow, almost half of his 820 units of Body Essence, and immediately after that he was able to pull the quiver back.


    But what made Khal surprised was that even after pouring close to 410 units of Essence inside the bow, he was able to pull the string back only an inch!


    An inch and no more at all! It didn''t even budge no matter how hard Khal tried to move it, causing Khal''splexion to turn into shock.


    "Just how should a normal Cultivator use this weapon?" thought Khal as he knew that normal Cultivators didn''t have 410 units of Essence much less 100!


    Thus, this weapon was simply a great joke for normal Cultivators, right? A weapon that was created just to watch and collect dust without the chance to use.


    "Well, maybe things will change once I break it." thought Khal and summoned his Devil Fangs.


    "To obtain an Ember Core one first needs to destroy the Vessel right? Then I will slice this thing up and obtain it''s Core!" without hesitation, Khal swung his weapon, its edge already covered in silver light.


    BOOM!

 Chapter 164 - Soul Piercer

    A powerful gust of wind broke out the moment Khal''s fan contacted with the bow, making Rubie clench into Khal''s shoulder a bit harder to avoid being blown away.


    "Nothing?" a hint of surprise shed inside Khal''s eyes the moment he saw that the bow was safe and sound, but thinking about it more, it was just natural.


    The weapon in his hold was on the Legendary Tier, a tool that was created through extreme hardships. Any weapon or armor that reached such a Tier formed their Spirit Essence, thus it could be said they had their own spirit too.


    Luckily it was not on the World Tier as if it would have been, he was quite sure the weapon would have fought back and maybe even would have killed him.


    "Let''s try it again." raising his Devil Fangs high above his head as though it was a hammer, Khal swung his arm, striking the bow in his other hand with all his might!


    BOOM!


    BAM!


    CLANG!


    Sounds again to whacking a steel rod into a metal wall resounded throughout the cave whilst powerful shockwaves flew around after each of Khal''s hits.


    Crack!


    "!?"


    After unknown how much hit and swingter, Khal noticed with great surprise that cracks began to form on the bow, ready to break into two at any given moment.


    "You are mine!" eximed Khal inwardly and pouring a lot of his Essence into his fan, he began to strike the spot where the crack formed.


    BAM!


    CRACK!


    With a sharp snap akin to breaking someone''s bone, the bow cracked into two, revealing a small red core akin to a tiny, perfectly polished orb.


    [Notify! Vessel shattered! ''Ember Core'' has been detected!]


    [Utilizing ''Maism''!]


    Swish!


    In a blink, the red core shed and hit Khal''s forehead, melting into his body the very next second.


    [Notify! ''Ember Core'' Soul Piercer obtained!]


    As the voice appeared inside Khal''s head, a warm and pleasant sensation swept through his body, causing every strand of his hair to stand on end in an instant!


    "Hm?" while enjoying the feeling inside his body, Khal suddenly felt a strange sensation in his right hand thus lowered his gaze.


    "A ring?" Khal suddenly noticed an orangish-red ring, with an outer appearance of a circr bow appeared on his middle finger.


    After examining it, Khal tried to pull it down, but just like how his bracelet, it was stuck on his finger, even causing a sharp pain to pierce into his finger whenever he tried to move it.


    "First my earring thanks to my Devil Fangs now this. I wonder why they appear in the shape of essories instead of staying inside my body." wondered Khal but still proceeded on summoning the Soul Piercer.


    Swish!


    With a crimson sh, a bow with a simr appearance that the one before him appeared in the air before falling into Khal''s hand gently.


    "Looks the same to me." thought Khal and put his fingers on the string.


    But the moment he began to pull it backward, the expected resistance was no longer there and made him feel as if he began to pull silk instead of a metal rod.


    And the very same time he did that, an even greater sight appeared in his line of sight.


    Without doing anything, the carvings on the bow began to lit up one by one, and slowly, ck mist manifested in the middle of the bow''s string.


    "This should be the soul, right? But howe I''m perfectly fine even though it''s visibly in contact with my skin?" Khal wondered, but figuring out it must be because it was no longer a normal weapon but a part of his power and body, Khal let go of the string and watched the Soul Arrow fly into the distance with a ck sh!


    "I must try this thing out on a real target." unsummoning his bow, Khal stood up and thought, "And if I go hunting, I should invite her too, right?"


    -


    Liza was currently before ake, Jane on her side with both of her arms held behind her back.


    "Freeze the water."


    Swish!


    With a single wave of her hand, Liza froze theke into thick ice, causing the temperature around her and Jane to drop several degrees right in that instant.


    Jane nced at this sight with a nod and said, "Your proficiency with your Jade Ice improved once again. You can not only freeze faster than a month ago, but you even avoided using too much of your power, saving a lot of energy for other use. Great Job."


    "Now use your second Talent, but this time without melting the ice away."


    Liza seemed troubled by that request but still did as she was told. Waving her hand but this time sending a wave of crimson fire, Liza controlled her fire to remain destructive but at the same time avoiding melting the ice away.


    But unfortunately, her attempt failed, and her Jade Ice was turned back into water in a split second, right when the fire reached above its surface.


    "I still can''t do this." sighed Liza, but her eyes still held a hint of confidence that she will be able to do it as it''s only a matter of when.


    Jane remained silent as she didn''t me Liza at all. Both of her Talents wereplete opposites to each other, thus seeing as she failed her request was only natural.


    Water and fire were natural nemeses to each other without any chance to coexist with one another. However, things were different if these two powers were under the same control and came from the same source of power, from a Cultivator.


    Then there was the possibility to make these two entirely ipatible elements to find harmony and maybe create something new that no one else saw ever before!


    "Just focus on this in the following days and try to perfect this technique. With your level of understanding and proficiency, I am sure you can do it."


    "Yes, Master." nodded Liza and watched as Jane waved her hand and vanished into thin air.


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    Freezing the water before sending fire in an attempt to send it through the air without melting the ice away, Liza seemed determined even though all of her endeavors failed miserably.


    "I don''t understand why Master doesn''t let me do this in V.I.P room where my concentration would be 120%. Such a waste of precious resources," murmured Liza and was about to freeze the water again but suddenly noticed a figure watching her from the side.


    "Khal? What are you doing here?" Liza looked surprised as she didn''t know why Khal was there.


    As everyone knows, ever since he came back every teacher proceeded on helping their students in cultivation once again thus he should be with Logan too.


    But how unfortunate, if she would have known Khal''s Master was currently enjoying life on a beach next to a bottle of cocktail, she would cough up blood for sure!


    "What? You want me to go away?" asked Khal, acting surprised by Liza''s question.


    "What? No! Of course not! I was just surprised to see you here, that''s all."


    "Oh, is that so?" asked Khal, his eyes narrowing into a slit.


    Rolling her eyes, Liza continued to practice but proceeded on asking, "Since when did youe? I was unable to detect you."


    Khal hearing this could only smile as it was only natural. He not only was Cultivation Talentless but even tried out his Chameleon Armor to see how it operated in real situations.


    And the results? It was outstanding!


    Not only was Liza unable to detect him, but even Jane, a professional Cultivator failed to do so even though he stood there for several minutes!


    His new armor was simply amazing and Khal knew that it will help him in hundreds of situations in the close future, he was sure about it!

 Chapter 165 - A Little Challenge

    "So, you still didn''t answer me. Why are you here?" asked Liza, her gaze never losing concentration as she tried not to melt the ice with her fire.


    "Well, I just thought of finding you and ask you if you want to hunt for Beasts. It''s soon nighttime thus Moon Mountain soon be filled with different creatures."


    Khal''s sentence surprised Liza a bit but soon her face turned into a frown.


    "Why would you? I mean, you don''t need me to hunt for Beasts, right?"


    Khal''s mouth twitched, but still forced on a smile and said, "Well, right... But when was thest time we did something together?"


    "About 4 or 5 days ago, before the tournament."


    ''...''


    This time not only his mouth but even his eyes twitched for Khal, not knowing whether he shouldugh or cry.


    He tried to call Liza away and spend a bit of time with her yet she openly insisted on his request!


    "She is exactly as stubborn as... Her... Hell, this is confusing..." murmured Khal and said, "But don''t you want at least raise your Cultivation Stage? I know that practicing and polishing your techniques is important but you should at least concentrate on raising your Cultivation Base too. You are still on the Lower Phase of the Fourth Cultivation Stage!"


    Halting her movements, Liza shifted her gaze at Khal and narrowed her eyes.


    Khal immediately froze up upon seeing Liza''s sharp eyes, but her next move surprised him even more.


    "Sure. If you can beat me, I will go. But if you lose, you will help me practice." said Liza, her eyes shing with a profound glint.


    "T-that''s all?" asked Khal, making sure he didn''t mishear what Liza just said as it sounded kid''s y for him.


    He already beat Liza when he was still on the Third Stage, thus this challenge will be even easier.


    "Yes. If you can be-"


    Swish!


    Just before she could have finished her sentence, Liza watched as Khal appeared beginner, his left hand holding her left wrist tightly while his right palm was gently ced on her head.


    "I think I have won, right?" smiled Khal and stared at Liza''s frozen expression from behind.


    Wait, frozen?


    Khal seemingly confused by Liza''splexion, was about to ask something but suddenly noticed as his left palm began to form a thickyer of ice, while his right started to burn as it was set on fire!


    "Ouch! Hey! I didn''t hurt y-" started to say Khal but soon realized that Liza has already spun around, her heel aiming right at his head from the side.


    "Oh?"


    Swish!


    Using his Second Form to avoid and appear behind her once again, Khal was about to grab her wrist but found with surprise that Liza had already vanished from her previous spot and appeared behind him, her Essence-covered palm aiming at her back.


    "Yeah, I forgot she can use the same move..." sighed Khal but still decided to do something Liza didn''t know yet.


    Just before her palm could havee into contact with his back, Khal''s body shed with a green light and a beautiful green armor appeared on his body.


    BOOM!


    A powerful shockwave broke out the moment Liza''s palm hit Khal''s armor, but except that, nothing happened; Khal stood in one ce without any sign of moving which was surprising.


    "Great armor, right?" asked Khal, and without waiting for Liza to react grabbed her arm and pushed her toward theke.


    However, just before Liza could have fallen into the water, Khal grabbed Liza''s wrist tightly, halting her body just an inch above theke''s surface.


    "Will you admit your defeat?" unsummoning his armor to show his face, Khal smiled at Liza who stared right back at him with a cold expression, without any sign of answering his question.


    Only after a moment of silenceter did she open her mouth and say, "You cheated."


    "I don''t know what you are talking about," said Khal, his face terrifyingly serious.


    "Hmm? Really?"


    "Yeah, I am quite sure about that."


    ''...'' Liza stared deeply into Khal''s eyes, but suddenly as though she noticed a ghost, her face paled with fear and shouted, "Master!"


    "Eh?" flinching slightly as he didn''t feel Liza''s Master approach at all, Khal was about to turn around and pull Liza back, but suddenly something unexpected happened.


    Just as he could have turned around, he felt a strong force drawing him toward theke and because he was caught off guard he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Like a bag that was helpless before it was thrown away, Khal watched as he was yanked into the water while Liza thanks to freezing her foot onto the ground stood up and stared down at him.


    "Hey, that was unfair!" eximed Khal after breaking onto the surface, realizing he was tricked by quite hard.


    "Hmm? I don''t know what are you talking about," said Liza, her face just as serious as Khal was a few moments ago.


    "I-" Khal wanted to say something but found himself unable to find the words as he was the first one who cheated, to begin with.


    "What goes aroundes around, huh?" sighed Khal inwardly and put both his arms up even though it was hard to remain on the surface just with his legs.


    "Okay, you won."


    Liza hearing Khal admitting defeat smiled andughed, "That''s what you got for trying to trick me! Well deserved! Haha!"


    "Yes, yes... Now help me out, it''s freezing cold in here," said Khal as he closed his eyes and extended his arm for help.


    "Haha, I''m surprised you ced 5th on that tournament. Maybe it wasn''t that hard if you got fooled this easi-, huh?"


    Ssh!


    Watching as Khal pulled herself into the water and climbed out, Liza looked shocked and stared deeply at Khal whoughed at the edge of theke.


    "So who was fooled by who? Haha!"


    "You!!" climbing out of theke with record speed, Liza shot fireballs and ice spikes at Khal who was running away whileughing merrily and evading her attack with ease.


    Meanwhile, on top of the building not far away from the two, Jane was standing calmly, her eyes shing with different emotions from time to time as she watched the two fool around since the beginning.


    -


    -


    -


    When the moon finally emerged onto the boundless sky from the west, two figures could be seen walking slowly among the wood on Moon Mountain, both of them seemingly in a happy mood.


    "So, what kind of Beast are you nning to y?" asked Liza calmly, her gaze scanning their surroundings nonstop.


    Khal who was caressing Rubie on his shoulder nced at Liza and shrugged slightly, "Any type. I will help you increase your Cultivation Base."


    "Huh? What about you? I hope you don''t n to give all the Essence to me. We will split it."


    "I am already on the Fifth Cultivation Stage while also I got my share thanks to the tournament. So it''s alright, you can have it all."


    "No, we will split it." insisted Liza.


    "I sai-"


    "Rooaar!"


    Khal''s sentence was abruptly cut by a low growl and Beast''s figure that popped out of the bush in the distance.


    "Well, it seems we have our first pr-"


    BOOOM!


    But even before Khal could have finished his sentence, he watched as the Beast that looked like a hybrid between a monkey and tiger exploded into bits of flesh before its body got burnt to ashes by the powerful crimson mes.


    ''...''


    "What? You told me we will hunt together, then here. We hunt together." eximed Liza, not understanding why Khal looked at her the way he did.

 Chapter 166 - Soul Arrow

    Warning! Tier 5 privilege is not 25 chaps but 20!!! For some reason it didn''t set onto 25 chaps but soon it will be solved!!


    ---


    After killing the Beast that didn''t even have time to scream up thanks to Liza''s swift assault, Khal sighed and said, "Consume it''s Essence and let''s get going. We should go higher, at least we will find stronger creatures there."


    "Un." nodding, Liza consumed the Beast Essence and without saying anything else followed Khal closely.


    To make their search for Beasts with higher Stages easier, Khal patted Rubie gently and asked her to spy their surroundings from above.


    "Schreech!" with a low cry, Rubie fluttered her wings and flew high up into the air, her eyes scanning the earth below nonstop.


    "By the way, what was that armor you used to protect yourself from my attack? Was that your reward also?" Liza asked Khal, curious about the green armor as that was her first time seeing Khal use that armor.


    "Yeah, it is called Chameleon Armor. Quite a powerful item and it has quite a great defensive ability too."


    "Hmmm? Powerful? What should that mean?" asked Liza, a hint of curiosity shing in her delicate eyes.


    "Let me show you instead," said Khal and summoned his armor.


    In a blink, the green armor made out of tiny scales appeared on his body, his entire figure wrapped uppletely without any spot left open.


    Once his armor was on, Khal walked next to a huge boulder and put his palm onto its surface.


    Liza seemed confused by this as she didn''t understand what Khal tried to do, but soon her eyes opened wide from surprise.


    Slowly, the green scales on the armor began to shake gently and soon changed, causing Khal''s armor to be one with the rock almost as if he has vanished into thin air.


    "Woah! So cool!" eximed Liza without any hint of sarcasm, and walked around Khal and the boulder to inspect him in greater detail.


    Except for the fact that his body''s contour could be seen from both sides, Khal becamepletely one with the rock. If she watched him from the front, no matter if she stared right at him she couldn''t see him at all!


    "Schreech!" suddenly a loud cry came from above, making both Khal and Liza realize Rubie found their first real target.


    "Let''s go," said Khal and I summoned his armor before he began to run toward the ce where Rubie was.


    Liza followed Khal closely from behind and soon they arrived before a small river fall, with a huge Beast sitting idly in the middle of the pond on a small rock.


    "Moon Frog," said Liza, herplexion a bitplex from different emotions.


    Moon Frogs were usually Beasts on the Fourth Cultivation Stage that did nothing but sit in one ce, enjoying the moon''s light every single night. They were peaceful beings that didn''t attack any Cultivator if they weren''t attacked either. But if they felt threatened, chaos could easily emerge.


    Moon Frogs were Beasts with exceptional defensive powers as their skin was extremely sturdy while their long tongue that could reach even a hundred meters far was as hard as steel.


    Once grabbed by their tongue, no matter how hard one struggled, without a powerful weapon that was at least on the wless Tier, hoping to escape was only a foolish dream.


    "What should we do? I don''t think so my power is powerful enough to prate its skin. Maybe I can open a small wound but that won''t be enough to kill it." whispered Liza, but watched with shock that Khal was already holding a crimson bow, his fingers resting on its string.


    "Huh? Another weapon? Just how many rewards did you get because of the tournament?"


    "Just a few," said Khal and pulled the string backward slowly.


    Liza first seemed confused and even wanted to warn Khal that he had no arrows ced on the string, but soon realized that he didn''t have to.


    As soon as he pulled the bow''s string back fully, a ck mist arose from the carvings from the weapon, forming a floating ck arrow between Khal''s finger, ready to be fired at any given moment!


    "Ribbit?" feeling targeted, the Moon Frog averted its gaze from the sky and turned its gaze toward a tree, where it noticed Khal''s figure aiming at it with an arrow.


    "Ribbit!" immediately realizing what was happening, the frog turned frenzied and shot its tongue at Khal with blinding fast speed!


    Khal watched the approaching attack with a calm gaze and with a gentle tug he let the string go.


    Swish!


    With a silent ''whoosh'' sound the ck arrow was fired, and with speed twice as fast as the Moon Frogs'' tongue it broke through the air and reached the Beast with lightning speed!


    The Moon Frog seeing this remained motionless as it was confident in its skin''s sturdiness and continued to attack Khal, ready to trap him with its tongue!


    However, just before that could have happened, Khal''s arrow surprisingly didn''t pierce its skin but flew straight through its body, dissolving into thin air once it hit the ground behind it.


    And exactly as this happened, the frog''s whole figure stiffened up, its tongue freezing just an inch before Khal''s nonchnt face in mid-air.


    "What?" Liza seemingly startled by what happened watched as the Moon Frog''s body went limp, and turned into a yellow substance, clearly showing that it has just died and turned into Beast Essence.


    "That was surprisingly easy." thought Khal, pleasantly surprised and satisfied by his weapon''s sneaky, but fatal power.


    "With a single strike, I was able to kill a Fourth Stage Beast without breaking a sweat. This weapon is much better than I have thought!" smiled Khal, but soon a frown formed on his face, "But it still has its own disadvantages..."


    For example, Khal found out that every time he used the arrow, or to be more precise its ability to form Soul Arrows, around 20 to 30 units of his Essence was used.


    For him, that amount was not a lot, but in a battle where he needed to use his Devil Fangs'' abilities, it was a lot. Especially when he will buy and upgrade newer things on his bracelet, making his Body Essence fall back to 100 units.


    Once that happens, he won''t be able to use his bow or at least his usage with it will be limited just like with his Devil Fang''s!


    "Well, considering hiw powerful it is, it''s only natural. The only question here is how far can I go with this weapon." Khal''s curiosity was piqued as he wondered if he was able to kill Beasts on the Fifth Stage or even higher than that as his arrows didn''t target the body but their soul!


    "Consume the Essence and let''s continue. We still have a lot of time," said Khal and signaled Rubie to go and look for more Beasts.


    "Huh? No, you killed it, so it''s obviously yours. I already told you, we will split the Essence fairly." insisted Liza, making Khal feel a bit of headache.


    "I just want to help her, why can''t she see that?" sighed Khal inwardly, but knowing her nature he nodded.


    "Sure."


    Jumping onto the rock where the Essence was, Khal sat down and began to consume the Essence.


    After about 2 minutester, Khal opened his eyes and stood up, in his head a notification ying loudly.


    [Notify! ''Heaven''s Eyes'' has consumed 17 ''Beast Essence''!]

 Chapter 167 - Essence Refiner

    The night passed rtively nicely as nothing unexpected happened with the two on Moon Mountain and they were able to kill every Beast they met with.


    Naturally, during this time Khal tried to convince Liza to consume all the Beast Essence they hunted as her Cultivation Base was lower than his, but she stubbornly insisted thus Khal could do nothing but consume the ones he killed.


    However, exactly because of this, he made sure to let Liza do the finishing moves on the Beasts as then he could say it was her who delivered the finishing blow, hence the Beast Essence was rightfully hers.


    Soon dawn arrived and once the moon descended and the sun rose on the sky once again, the two walked back to Moon City.


    After arriving back at Moon Academy the two decided to get some rest thus both went back into their rooms after saying goodbye to each other.


    "Under a single night, I was able to improve my Power from 250 to 312 units but..." realizing that he could obtain several new features with his bracelet Khal waved his hand once he was inside de Mountain and said, "Show me what I can obtain with my current amount of Body Essence!"


    [Understood! Showing unlockable abilities!]


    Swish!


    ? Detector -> Revealer: An ability that detects Cores'' together with their unique traits.


    ? Boosted Maism: Holds a bigger radius and can pull more Cores toward the ''Owner'' with greater speed.


    ? Transfiguration -> Essence Refiner: An ability to refine ''Beast Essence'' into ''Body Essence'' with greater sess. (Can refine 1 ''Beast Essence'' into 20 ''Body Essence''!)


    ? Upgraded Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (168 hours -> 84 hours)


    [Notify! Each of the following abilities needs 750 ''Body Essence''!]


    Looking over all the abilities, Khal nced at the Essence Refiner ability and nodded, "I want this."


    [Understood!]


    [Unlocking ability ''Essence Refiner''!]


    In a blink, Khal felt as the Body Essence inside his body began to be sucked away at a rapid pace, but just as he thought he will fall unconscious once again like the previous time the sucking suddenly ended and a voice sounded inside his head.


    [Ability ''Essence Refiner'' has been sessfully unlocked!]


    When Khal heard this he couldn''t help but form a smile on his kind of exhausted face and ask, "How much Beast Essence do I have currently?"


    [Notify! 312 units of ''Beast Essence'' detected in the body!]


    "How much can I transform?"


    [Notify! You can use all 312 units and transform them into 6240 units of ''Body Essence'' or you can also choose a specific amount.]


    "Can I transform more than that?" asked Khal calmly.


    [You can''t transform more than 312 units as you can''t lower the ''Cores'' Cultivation Stages!]


    "I guessed so much." thought Khal and said, "Then transform 100 Beast Essence!"


    [Notify! Do you really wish to turn 100 units of ''Beast Essence'' into 2000 units of ''Body Essence''!]


    "Yes." nodded Khal without a second thought.


    [Understood!]


    Swish!


    Right in that instant, Khal felt as though someone pierced a sword right through his chest whilst his heart began to throb like war drums on a battlefield!


    "Argh...." holding back the urge to scream as this was way more painful than ever before, Khal fell onto the ground, his fingers tightly clenching his robe above his chest part.


    "Schreech!" Rubie seemed to feel worried andnded before Khal, trying to figure out what was happening with him.


    Khal, however, couldn''t talk nor do anything to make her feel calmer as the pain in his chest became more and more unbearable, almost to the point where he wished to die.


    "Fuck! Why is this different from before?" cursed Khal inwardly while his body began to be soaked with cold sweat, feeling as though his heart was about to explode.


    [Notify! The more ''Essence'' you strive to refine the higher your suffering will be... Obviously.]


    "!?"


    Hearing that the voice said ''obviously'', Khal frowned as this was the first time it said something like this.


    "Obviously... At least I should have been warned, no?! What if I die because of this?!" roared Khal in his heart angrily.


    [Notify! You can''t die by the ''Refining Process'' but a bit of pain is unavoidable!]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent as he couldn''t believe his ears. Did the voice suddenly obtain personality or what?


    It answered him just like any normal being which was strange as so far it never did such a thing! Until this moment it was like aputer, only answered with sentences that was programmed into it beforehand yet now it replied with a bit more... Human-like?


    It still had its strict form when answering, but at the same time, it began to use words that it never did before, giving it a kind of feeling as though it had a personality!


    "Just what is happening here?" thought Khal waiting for a response, but weirdly he didn''t get any.


    Just like in the past, the bracelet remained silent, leaving Khal inplete obliviousness.


    The pain tortured Khal for around 5 more minutes that in fact seemed hours, but once it ended, everything turned to the best. Khal felt a warm sensation sweep through his whole body, washing his pain away entirely as if it wasn''t even there a second ago.


    [Notify! Your ''Body Essence'' has increased from 50 units to 2050 units!]


    Once the voice vanished from his head, Khal felt the pain followed suit too, and his body felt refreshed once again as though he was just dipped in a great hot spring!


    "Schreech!"


    Slowly pushing his body up from the ground as his head still felt dizzy, Khal nced at Rubie and patted her gently.


    "I am okay, don''t worry. But still, get ready for simr spectacles in the future or even worse..."


    "?" Rubie tilted her head as she didn''t really understand what Khal meant, but this only made Khal smile even more.


    However, soon he turned serious and said, "Show me the abilities that I can now unlock."


    [Understood!]


    Swish!


    Before Khal, the previous abilities appeared once again, but this time with 3 extra elements.


    ? Power Core Holder: An ability to hold and use 3 Power Cores at once. (Can be further strengthened by ''Body Essence''!)


    [Warning! Needed ''Body Essence'' to unlock this ability - 2000!]


    ? Essence Path Status: A ''Status'' that unlocks further abilities to help open the 24 sealed Essence Paths in the body!


    [Warning! Needed ''Body Essence'' to unlock this ability - 1000!]


    ? Spirit Creation Mode: A half-automatic function, able to help the ''Owner'' forge, refine and temper any kind of material and their Soul Thread after analysis. (Only usable every 240 hours!)


    [Warning! Needed ''Body Essence'' to unlock this ability - 2000!]


    "Hmm..." pondering which one he should unlock, Khal shook his head and thought, "Unlocking the 1st and 3rd ability is out of the question. If I do, I will have less Body Essence than a normal Cultivator and lose 70% of my strength. But with the 2nd option..."


    Pondering in silence, Khal''s eyes shed with a profound glint and selected the Essence Path Status.


    "I want this. I want the Essence Path Status!"


    [Understood!]


    [Unlocking ability ''Essence Path Status''!]


    Swish!


    Khal felt as his Essence began to flow into his bracelet like a raging river, but in contrast to the previous time, it wasn''t as unbearable, as only half of his Essence had been sucked away.


    And soon, as the process stopped, Khal watched as new words began to form around his bracelet while a voice resounded inside his head.


    [Ability ''Essence Path Status'' has been sessfully unlocked!]

 Chapter 168 - Essence Paths

    Hearing the notification inside his head, Khal smiled and opened the new Status that manifested among the rest in the shape of white letters around his bracelet.


    {''Essence Path'' Status}


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Right Arm: 0/4


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Left Arm: 0/4


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Right Leg: 0/4


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Left Arm: 0/4


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Stomach: 0/2


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Chest: 0/2


    ? Opened Essence Path in Spine: 0/1


    ? Opened Essence Paths in Head: 0/3


    [Notify! Each Path can be unlocked throughout opening their sealed Gates, starting from the Heart.]


    Swish!


    "Huh?" Khal watched with surprise that the Essence inside his body moved and umted inside his heart, while several lines, akin to thin channels began to form around his heart, 5 channels connecting to it right from the start.


    "So these are the Essence Paths?" eximed Khal as he inspected his interior, watching each path forming aplex system inside his body with one another.


    "It says I should open the gates to open the path, but how? I should just simply control my Essence against them?" pondered Khal and tried it out.


    Sitting crossed leg and closing his eyes, Khal concentrated on his Essence and controlled it toward the Essence Path that led to his left arm.


    BAM!


    "!?"


    However, the moment his Essence touched the gate that will open the path, Khal felt as if someone threw an entire mountain onto his left shoulder, almost making him believe that his arm was gone for good!


    "What the fuck is this? How the hell should I open this Path like this?" asked Khal loudly, hardly believing that it will be possible for him to open that gate.


    Not only did his arm turn numb because of the invisible weight that fell on it, but the sharp pain because of it still lingered inside his muscles that made him realize that it was not an illusion at all!


    The pain was real and he really could have lost his left arm there if he didn''t stop just in time!


    While Khal mulled over what he should do, suddenly the voice inside his head appeared, but this time with a higher tone of voice that was also a new aspect that Khal never heard before.


    [Notify! Each Essence Path holds special traits and meanings. You must understand each of those traits and meaning to hope opening the gates.]


    "Special traits and meaning? Do I get special powers if I understand them too?"


    [No.]


    ''...'' Khal slowly began to realize that the voice really started to obtain a kind of attitude which was surprising.


    "Maybe it is in connection with the Essence my bracelet sucks away? Can it be it uses that as the source of energy to enhance itself?" guessed Khal inwardly and the more he thought about it the more likely it felt.


    While pondering about this matter deeply and trying to guess what will happen if he decides to give his bracelet more and more Beast Essence, Khal asked, "Then why is it important for me to understand the meanings, obviously except for the fact I can open the paths? Is there no other reasons?"


    [Currently, they do not hold any reasons but once you reach the Third Realm they will.]


    "Third Realm? Why?" Khal''s curiosity deepened a level more, but unfortunately, he didn''t get an answer this time which made him a bit mad.


    "Wait, I have the book. That will help me." thought Khal and took the thick book out from his ring that he obtained from the olddy.


    "Let''s see... It should hold all information about all the realms so it should help me find the answer too," mumbled Khal and turned the pages over one after another.


    And soon he really did find the page that had the title ''Third Realm, Realm of Misery''.


    "Hmm... Quite an intriguing name," eximed Khal and began to read the first sentence below the title.


    However, soon his face turned serious thenplicated as it turned out that the Third Realm was way moreplicated than he has first belived.


    The Third Realm, the Realm of Misery had another name that only a few knew, and it was called the Realm of All Paths.


    The book stated in the first few paragraphs that once a being reached the Third Realm with all of their sealed Paths and with their Immortal Core formed, which was a foreign definition for him, Cultivators must choose a Path where they continued their journey.


    The book also stated that one individual must choose one path, but if they wished, they could choose numerous others at once, but if they do, they can easily find themselves in great misery.


    Each Path had its uniqueness, together with their strength and weakness. Just only when a being reached full perfection in their path can they attempt a so-called Ascension trial on the Ascension Path, attempting to enter the Fourth Realm, the Realm of Ascension!


    "So, if I understand it right, with opening the gates, I will be able to reach the Second Realm, but at the same time I also get an insight about the Paths that can I choose once I reach the Third Realm?"


    [Yes.]


    "And is there only 24? Or is there more?"


    [There are an infinite amount of Paths one can take, but the 24 sealed paths are the main ones.]


    "I see..." nodded Khal but soon realized he just conversed with a voice inside his head.


    "Wait, howe you can suddenly talk so well?" asked Khal, feeling a bit strange he talked into the nothingness.


    Even Rubie tilted her head, finding it intriguing that Khal talked in himself.


    However, no matter how long Khal has waited no answer came. It seemed the voice either didn''t want to answer or couldn''t as it didn''t reach that point yet.


    In either way, Khal understood that the more abilities he unlocked or strengthened, s he gave his Essence to the bracelet, the more the voice seemed to be humanoid.


    After reading a bit more about the Third Realm, Khal decided to consume Essence Particles from the cave as his power got reduced thanks to him turning 100 units into Body Essence.


    The next day arrived in a blink and Khal decided to go and visit Bazz as he still was his disciple, thus until he does not graduate from Moon Academy he has to attend his lectures.


    As for Alde and his n for his revenge, Khal already nned it out perfectly, the only thing he needed was the perfect timing where no one saw him.


    "You brat truly came back only after 2 days. Do you really have no respect for this Master to such extent?" Bazz stood before Khal with crossed arms, hisplexion seemingly angry.


    "Haha, I am deeply sorry Master, I just had other things to attend to before I even had the chance toe here. But now I coulde here, I hope you can continue to teach me how to forge!" smiled Khal wryly, even moving his arms around just to show his enthusiasm.


    ''...'' Bazz stared at Khal in silence and after a moment of pondering he smiled, revealing his row of white teeth, and began tough wildly.


    "Haha, that''s what I like to hear brat! Let''s see if you have forgotten what I have thought you."


    BAM!


    Putting huge steel that seemed like a tree trunk before Khal, Bazz grinned and said, "Now forge this Oak Iron."


    ''...'' Khal nced at familiar steel that was bigger than his body before starting up at Bazz who just grinned at him in silence.


    "Okay..." sighed Khal and picked up the hammer he was so used to from the side.


    However, instead of starting as he learned from Bazz, Khal smiled and thought, "I will give him a little bit of a surprise."


    Swish!


    Immediately as he thought about this, a warm and familiar force appeared inside his body even before he ced his palm atop the Oak Iron.


    [Creation Mode Activated!]

 Chapter 169 - Dark Oak Iron

    [Notify! High-quality material detected!]


    [Notify! Scanning high-quality material!]


    Khal watched as the power inside his body slowly began to swirl and sweep through his fingers into the piece of steel before flowing back into his body.


    [New material, ''Oak Iron'' recorded!]


    Swish!


    Right as the voice appeared inside his head, Khal watched as several holograms arose in different ces of the smithery, but a bit differently than the first time.


    "Hm? I need to cut it?" wondered Khal as the closest hologram to him was before a table, where several huge des could be seen, the hologram using one to cut the Oak Iron into two.


    "Well, let''s do as it wants me to do it," eximed Khal inwardly and picked up the Oak Iron, "Ugh... It''s kinda heavy..."


    Meanwhile, Bazz on the side watched Khal carry the metal toward the side, his eyes shing with profound light.


    "Not bad, he realized the iron is too big to forge so he decides to cut it in half."


    However, how surprised he would be if he finds out that Khal didn''t realize this at all, but was the help of his system; his face would be phenomenal!


    "I should use this?" asked Khal as he picked up a de from the wall that looked more like a chainsaw than an iron cutter.


    Shrugging as the hologram was the one indicating him using this, Khal put above the metal, exactly onto the position where the hologram did and pushed it.


    Though, no matter how hard he tried, the de didn''t cut the iron, not even scratching it.


    "How does this work?" asked Khal, but when he poured a bit of his Essence inside the tool a shocking sight happened.


    BAM!


    "!?"


    As he continued to push the de onto the metal, the moment he poured his Essence into the de, the spikes on it began to move exactly the same way as a chainsaw would, even giving out a sharp ''zziii'' sound.


    The whole process happened too fast for Khal to stop his pushing motion in time and as a result, the Oak Iron together with the table below it was cut in half as easily as a hot knife would slice tofu in two!


    ''...'' slowly turning around to nce at Bazz, Khal smiled wryly but upon seeing Bazz''s ice-cold gaze on him, he stiffened up and decided to pick up one half of the Oak Iron and bring it to the firece.


    Arriving before the firece with quick strides, Khal ced the piece of metal in exactly the 75-degree position as the hologram and walked behind the bellows.


    "Oh?" Bazz seemed surprised that Khal once again seeded to put the metal into the firece perfectly, thus began to scan Khal''s every move with caution.


    Shhh!


    Shhh!


    Shhh!


    Letting the power inside his body to use the pedals that controlled the bellows with his feet, Khal pretended to look serious but inside he felt bored.


    "This Creation Mode is too great. It''s like sitting in a car that was on autopilot, the feeling is simply amazing!" Khal wanted to smile, but because he felt Bazz watching him he didn''t.


    Shh!


    After half an hour of silence heating, suddenly Khal watched as his body moved, picked up the scissor-like object with the hooked end from the side, and pulled out the iron from the firece that shone with a yellowish-white hue.


    "Perfect timing," eximed Bazz inside, feeling kind of surprised how precise Khal worked so far.


    Picking up the hammer from the side he was so used to, Khal subconsciously tightened his grip around the handle once he raised it above his head and swung it powerfully.


    CLANG!


    A sound akin to a sharp but melodic pitch celebrated throughout the smithery, making Bazz''s face change slightly.


    "Perfect use of strength, perfect striking force, and perfect spot! He did his first strike perfectly!" screamed Bazz inwardly, his previous suspicion about Khal that was about to vanish slowly emerging onto the surface once again.


    "He is definitely a genius, but why can''t he forge other irons like this too? Is he just pretending not to?"


    ng!


    Khal''s hand moved with lightning speed, each of his strikes hitting the perfect spot on the metal, shrinking its size with every piece of his assault.


    The Oak Iron gradually became smaller and smaller, and once it was no bigger than a two feet wide piece of metal, Khal watched as several Soul Threads began to appear in his line of sight, exactly 4 in number!


    Together with the four Soul Threads, Khal watched as several red dots formed on the Oak Iron''s surface, making him know it was time for him to do Soul Thread Refining!


    CLANG!


    A higher pitch that was shaper and was way more deafening than the previous one broke out the moment Khal''s hammer hit the iron, turning Bazz''splexion even more serious than before.


    "Soul Thread Refining? Don''t tell me he tries to do what he did previously again? He couldn''t even forge a piece of rod normally so how?"


    CLANG!


    Khal''s hand moved without stopping, and under a mere 5 minutes, he hit about 300+ spots on the Oak Iron with ease.


    Whenever the pain appeared in his hand, Khal felt as the familiar warm sensation from the first time appeared and washed the sour feeling away from his arm, helping in his forging process a ton.


    [Notify! ''Soul Essence'' detected!]


    [Final strikes for sess: 4]


    Soon, a waited notification appeared inside his head, making Khal tighten his grip even more and strike the first ce where one of the four red dots remained.


    BAM!


    Though, when his hammer mmed into the spot, what appeared was not the previous sharp noise, but a sound as though someone mmed their first into a huge and thick tree, hoping to break it by a single punch!!


    ''Soul Thread Tempering!'' eximed Bazz inwardly, his face stiffening up from the shock.


    He couldn''t believe that a boy that couldn''t even forge a simple iron nod now once again attempted the Soul Thread Refining process!


    ''If he pulls this off, I swear...''


    BAM!


    "Two more to go!" thought Khal and swung his hammer, striking the third red dot with perfect strength and force!


    BAM!


    "And thest one!" thought Khal as he raised his arm before mming it back down as if he wanted to crack it into two.


    BAM!


    In that instant, Khal watched as a ck light broke out while the Oak Iron''s surface began to crack and reveal a new look.


    [Notify! ''Soul Essence'' sessfully created!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    [Warning! Forming ''Power Core'' is improbable!]


    [Please ce a ''Core'' into the ''Dark Oak Iron'' first!]


    Ignoring the voice inside his head as he knew what they meant, Khal put the hammer in his hand down to the side and nced at the new iron which now was called Dark Oak Iron.


    Now the brownish color could no longer be seen, but a full ck hue with a rigid surface akin to the crust. Its appearance was exactly like a tree''s trunk, while the light that flowed through the windows on the sides made it sparkle a bit.


    "I did it. Is this good enough?" asked Khal as he shifted his gaze from the piece of steel at Bazz, but when he did see his face he froze up.


    Only after a momentary silenceter did he frown and ask as he nced at the Dark Oak Iron, "Is there a problem? Did I do something wrong?"

 Chapter 170 - Invitation

    Khal nced at Bazz inplete silence, trying to figure out why his Master seemed so serious.


    "Did I do something wrong? I am pretty sure I did everything perfectly well..." mumbled Khal, even patting the piece of metal on his side with a gentle motion.


    However, when Bazz saw this, his mouth twitched slightly but still decided to remain silent as he didn''t want to curse out loud.


    ''This brat... Is he not knowing no 17 years old exists on this that can do Soul Thread Tempering?! And he did it not once but twice and still pretends he can''t forge metal?! I will think I will go fucking insane!''


    Bazz felt the urge to jump and skin Khal alive as he still tried to pretend about his forging skills. This was simr to thinking he was a clown he can fool and the thought of it only made him even angrier!


    This was pure disrespect in its full glory and if it would have been anyone else, he sure would have kicked their asses blue a very long time ago!


    "You... Why are you acting like you can''t forge?" asked Bazz, his gaze full of suspicion as his gaze was firmly fixed on Khal.


    "Eh?" Khal seemed to realize why Bazz was so silent so far thus smiled and said, "What do you mean pretending? I still can''t forge, I just learned a few tricks while I was inside the capital."


    "What do you mean by that?" asked Bazz, his brows lowering into a deep frown.


    Khal however just smiled even more and even patted the Oak Iron on his side while exining, "I told Master before right? That I learned how to forge Star Steel in the past... Or at least watched how to do it."


    Realizing what Khal meant, Bazz''s eyes widened in surprise, and asked, "Don''t tell me you..."


    "Yep," nodded Khal and grinned, "Streets can truly teach you how to do a few things even if you just watch from the sides."


    -


    -


    -


    After hisplete bullshit lie, Khal was told toe back tomorrow and they will continue forging, but as for the rest of the day, he could do whatever he wanted.


    He even asked Bazz if he can take his forged Dark Oak Iron away as he wanted to keep it as a ''souvenir'' and even though Bazz seemed confused about it, he agreed.


    "It seems I have my third Core, but I won''t turn it into a Power Core right away. I''m curious what kind of Talent I will get once I unlock the Spirit Creation Mode and forge this further." thought Khal merrily as he nced at his Spatial Ring that held the piece of iron in it.


    Walking on the streets to figure out what he should do, Khal was about to go into the Pharmacy Department and buy a few Essence Pills to save time for himself in his cultivation as he now had money to do so, but before he could have had the chance, an unexpected figure appeared before him- Alde.


    "Howe you are here?" asked Khal, forcing a smile on his face as now he was ''friends'' with Alde.


    Alde appeared to be just as happy as Khal only if his eyes wouldn''t have betrayed his real emotions, but unfortunately, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Instead, he just smiled widely and asked in a friendly manner, "Finally found you! I have searched the entire Academy just to find you! Where have you been?"


    "I just came from the cksmith Department," replied Khal as it was no secret that he was a disciple of Bazz.


    "I see," nodded Alde and asked, "So it seems you are free then... I was thinking about doing a Group Mission that needs only 2 people. Do you want to help me? It''s quite an easy one to be honest."


    Alde even took out his Cultivator''s Badge from his pocket, showing Khal the Mission, however, he didn''t notice that as he did, Khal''s gaze suddenly turned slightly cold then turned back normal once again.


    It happened so fast, that not even an onlooker would have noticed the changes in his eyes, not if it didn''t know him well.


    /Group Mission: y 50 Crystal Bats/


    ? yed Crystal Bat: 0/50


    ~Requirements~


    - At least 2 Cultivators on or above the Fourth Cultivation Stage: 1/2+


    ~Rewards~


    - Healing Potion (Each Cultivator Receives 1 piece)


    "Crystal Bats? The ones that reside inside Moon Mountain caves around the middle parts?" asked Khal, shifting his gaze from the card onto Alde.


    "Yes," nodded Alde and asked, "So? Do want to join? I know the rewards are not so alluring, but if you decide to join you can have all the Essence we collect."


    ''?'' Khal seemingly confused and even feeling a bit of suspicion frowned and asked, "Then how will you profit out of this? I mean, if you invite me, we should at least share the Essence, right?"


    "Oh,e on. If I want I can get thousands of Essence Pills, thus those few are nothing for me. Instead, I want to help you, and also as I have said, I want to form a great friendship with you, hence this is a perfect chance!"


    ''...'' Khal watched Alde put his palm on his shoulder while smiled at him widely, making him feel that something smelled extremely suspicious here.


    One needed to be aplete retard not to see the signs, but Khal still decided to act like a retard and nod firmly, "Sure, let''s go."


    The grin on Alde''s face grew wide upon hearing this, and nodded, "Perfect, absolutely fantastic! Then let''s get going now, shall we?"


    "Yeah, let''s go." nodded Khal, but inside he wasughing.


    ''I don''t know what this idiot is nning to do, but I am more than willing to ept his offer. Maybe I don''t even need to follow my original n and if I have the chance, I can kill him now.'' thought Khal, but soon threw the idea away as it was a bad one.


    If he does decide to kill Alde there, he can easily get under suspicion as he was the one with him before he died, hence, that choice was out of the question.


    "It seems I will stay with n A then." thought Khal, and without a second thought followed Alde closely toward Moon Mountain.


    -


    -


    -


    While Khal seemed to be going with Alde on a ''hunt'', in Heaven Academy, an old man was sitting behind a desk, before her a young woman in a white robe and an emotionless face.


    Both of them stared at the recording of the Thousand Life Tournament, the part where the young woman was fighting with Khal, and using her finishing move to kill him.


    Obviously, the old man was Elder Caz whilst the youngdy was Se, who watched back the recording seemingly the 5th time already.


    Once the rey came to an end, Elder Caz leaned back into his chair, his face seemingly forgotten all human emotions.


    Right now, he was like an ice sculpture, ice-cold and stiff to the point where any weak-willed individual would be scared into oblivion just by a single nce!


    "Any words?" asked Elder Caz after a moment of silence, his gaze still firmly fixed on Se''s figure.


    On the other hand, Se seemed not angry at all as herplexion was amazingly calm even though she just watched back her failure for the 6th time so far.


    "I have nothing to say. I was reckless and arrogant, I deserved to be killed," said Se, her voice holding not a bit of arrogance or sarcasm.


    If Khal, Raven, or Theon would have been there, they would be shocked speechless for sure how well-behaved she was at the moment.


    Elder Caz hearing her answer crossed his arms and gestured toward Se to continue talking, almost like a teacher would toward a student who was in the middle of o presentation but abruptly stuck.


    "I should have concentrated on saving my energy on the end game instead of letting my emotions go wild. Even though that girl was on the Sixth Stage, if I have enough energy and my mind would have been clear, I could have won."


    "Exactly." nodded Elder Caz finally, and leaned forward, "Can you remember your words after you killed that bird?"


    Se pondered for a while and after a moment of silenceter nodded, "Yes, I do."


    "Well, if you ask me, between the two of you, you seemed no different than her. You appeared like some kind of crazed Beast that was cornered and wanted to get out of the tight situation as fast as possible. Both when you have fought with the boy from the Skywave Academy or the one from Moon Academy; both times, you let them get into your head, thus leading yourself into your own demise."


    ''...''


    Se listened to her Master in silence, and could do nothing but nod. In fact, what he just said was true; he let her enemies get inside her head even though she shouldn''t have done that!


    No matter what others say or think, this was the harsh truth.


    "I regret my actions and I deserve any type of punishment..." said Se, bowing deeply toward Elder Caz who just hummed and waved his hand.


    "There is no need for that. You already learned your lesson, so instead go and cultivate. Reach the Sixth Stage as fast as possible so you can start your real cultivation!"


    "Yes, Master!"


    Without anything else, Se walked out of the room, however, when she closed the door, Elder Caz stood up and waved his hand, causing the scenery around him to change in a wink.


    "Hmm... It''s quite a long time since I was in Moon City. I feel kind of nostalgic..." murmured Elder Caz and began to walk slowly toward the gates with his hand behind his back.

 Chapter 171 - Crystal Bats

    After epting Alde''s offer to do the Group Mission together, Khal followed him onto Moon Mountain while listening to his ''amazing'' stories in silence.


    However, Khal didn''t let his tales influence him nor make him drop his guard down as he knew clearly that was exactly what Alde wanted; make him feelfortable around him and when he expected the least, attack him from the dark.


    He was no fool to be tricked by something like that obviously, thus that is why he pretended to listen intently whilst remaining sharp, ready for the unexpected at any given moment.


    As he knew, Crystal Bats inhabited the caves of Moon Mountain, but in contrast to other creatures, they never emerged during the night. They were active Beasts 24/7 both day and night, but with the sole exception that they were never leaving their caves, thus Cultivators had to go and find them instead.


    "Before I epted this mission, I looked into Crystal Bats'' weaknesses into greater depth and they are surprisingly an easy type of creatures to kill." after reaching the foot of the mountain and starting their ascension, Alde started to say.


    "Crystal Bats are Beasts on the Fourth Cultivation Stage yet a single sword strike can kill them as their body was made out of fragile crystals. However, exactly because of this, they liked to be in groups that can easily reach the hundreds if not thousands, hence they are quite a tricky type of species to deal with."


    Khal listened to Alde''s speech intently, while made sure to survey his surroundings without rest. He even signaled Rubie to watch their backs as he could easily imagine Alde hiring an assassin that ambushed them from the dark.


    Alde naturally noticed this but decided not to say anything about it. If he chose to ask Khal not to do what he was doing, his n could easily go awry and he could even be suspicious.


    But how bad for him, he didn''t know that he already became suspicious and even seen right through his act.


    After walking for about one and half an hour straight without meeting any Beast as it was still daytime, Alde nced at the cave''s entrance and said, "We arrived. This will be the one."


    Khal inspected the entrance, but except for the small yellow crystals that illuminated the interior, he saw nothing out of ordinary; the cave seemed to be just like any other, a normal, wide, and dark cave filled with mystery that waited to be discovered for others.


    "Let''s go." Alde didn''t think for a second more and summoned a longsword into his grasp before walking inside.


    Khal nced behind him for onest time and only after scanning no one was around did he follow Alde into the cave with his Devil Fangs already readied in his hand.


    "This is way bigger than I have first thought," eximed Khal with awe as he noticed that once inside, the cave became three times bigger than it seemed to be from the outside.


    The walls were rigid, filled with yellow stones that looked more like pebbles than crystals, while a gentle breeze continuously flew in from behind them from the exit.


    "In the first few miles we won''t meet any Crystal Bats, but after that, we will see a ton, so get ready," said Alde quietly bit clearly, while his eyes pried for any kind of movement in the distance.


    Khal did the same, but not in the hope to see Beasts, but to find any hint about traps or enemies.


    With steady steps and serious gazes, the two walked in the maze-like interior in silence and soon Alde stopped, signaling for Khal to look into the distance.


    "Crystal Bats, about a hundred of them," whispered Alde as he stared at the Beasts that hanged upside down from the cave''s ceiling.


    Each of them was as big as a human child, with bodies made out of orangish material that was simr to crystals.


    As for their facial features, Khal couldn''t see them as each of their wings covered them.


    "We should attack at the same time. Like that, killing 50 will be a piece of cake or maybe we can kill all of them."


    Khal heard this and nodded while the fan in his hand began to slowly glow with silver light.


    Alde noticed this and smiled, thus he raised his sword too while white light began to envelop his de in the same manner as Khal''s.


    "Whenever you are ready," said Alde calmly.


    "Let''s do it," nodded Khal, and once Alde swung his weapon only then did he followed suit.


    Swish!


    Two crescent arcs, one silver, and one white appeared in the air, and with speed simr to teleportation both appeared in the middle of the hord, exploding with a loud ''BAM'' sound!


    TREMBLE!


    "SQUEAAK!!!"


    Several Crystal Bats turned into debris and Beast Essence, but at the same time, several others woke up and rushed at them with bared fangs!


    "Hmph!" Alde only snorted upon seeing this and waved his weapon once again, this time sending not one, but several crescent arcs toward the creatures at the same time!


    Khal didn''t hold back either and began to swing his fan from side to side, while avoiding and slicing up all the creatures that were able to get through both of their assaults.


    However, the whole process didn''tst more than 2 minutes as both Alde''s and Khal''s attacks were way too overwhelming!


    In a sh, all the hundred of Crustal Bats were reduced to nothingness, while their body gradually turned into Beast Essence ready to be consumed and be the part of either the two.


    "This wasn''t a challenge at all. It couldn''t even be called as a warm-up." sneered Alde as he finished off thest Crystal Bat.


    Khal only nodded upon that statement as for the first time he had to agree. Even though these Beasts were on the Fourth Stage, he was able to kill each of them with rtive ease, even without his either of his Talents.


    Even Rubie killed a few with her Third Cultivation Stage which further indicated just how weak these Beasts truly were!


    After looking around to make sure no one was left alive, Alde turned toward Khal and smiled, "Now as I have promised, all these Essences are yours!"


    Khal shifted his gaze at Alde, and after pondering for a while shook his head, "No, I would feel bad if I do consume all of them all by myself."


    "But-"


    "I insist, so I hope you can at least consume half of it," said Khal, his eyes showing firmness.


    Alde remained silent as he didn''t what to say, thus only could nod and start consuming Essence.


    Khal seeing this formed an unnoticed smile on his face and proceeded on consuming the Beast Essences together with Rubie too while also looking out for unwanted dangers.


    Sometimeter, both of them consumed their final Essence, while Khal felt as his power fell back to 212 units because thest time now reached 473 thanks to the average of 11 Beast Essence he was able to consume.


    "What do you think, do you want to go deeper?" asked Alde once he opened his eyes and finished consuming his Essence, starting at Khal who was on his side.


    "Wepleted the Mission right?"


    "Yeah." nodded Alde and even showed his badge to show it.


    /Group Mission: y 50 Crystal Bats/


    ? yed Crystal Bat: 50/50


    ~Requirements~


    - At least 2 Cultivators on or above the Fourth Cultivation Stage: 2/2+


    ~Rewards~


    - Healing Potion (Each Cultivator Receives 1 piece)


    Khal nced at it and nodded, then asked, "And what do you want to hunt? Are there other creatures in here?"


    When Alde heard this a mysterious smile appeared on his face and began to walk away, going even deeper into the caves.


    "You will see it,e."


    Khal raised a brow but as he was curious he followed Alde, his weapon still tightly held in his hand.


    The two walked deeper and deeper into the caves, and if Khal was right, right now, they were about 10 miles below the surface, even lower than Moon Mountain''s foot.


    After walking for 2 hours straight and killing the Crystal Bats that came in their way, making Khal''s power grow once again, reaching 659 units, Alde stopped and pointed forward.


    "Down there, an Alpha resides."


    "Eh?" Khal was surprised to hear this and looked at the huge hole before him that was so big and deep that its bottom couldn''t be seen from the dense darkness.


    It was so dark down there that it could even be called a bottomless pit akin to an abyss!


    "And Alpha? What type of Beast? Is it also a Crystal Bat?" asked Khal as he was curious because if an Alpha was killed one could acquire a Beast Core!


    However, to his surprise, Alde shook his head and smiled, "It''s not a Crystal Bat but something way scarier and hazardous than that."


    "A Blood Centipede!"

 Chapter 172 - Beast Slayer

    Blood Centipede.


    Khal was able to remember this type of Beast quite well as he already read about it from the book he obtained from the olddy.


    And what could he say... Blood Centipedes were creatures not only with chilling and powerful powers but their Cultivation Strength was strong too!


    They were Beasts on the Fifth Stage and on its Peak to top it off! Blood Centipedes had a small centipede-like appearance, but with the sole difference that they had small mouths filled with tiny razor-sharp teeth in each of their feet, helping them to bury themselves into their prey and suck their blood away from their body from the inside.


    Imagining the sensation as his blood was sucked away from the inside in a blink made Khal feel a slight chill run through his spine, all his hair on his body standing on end!


    "And it''s an Alpha? What Cultivation Stage is that even on?" Khal seemed to be a bit hesitant as he knew that Alpha''s were asionally above their species in Stage, thus daring to challenge it was quite risky.


    An Alpha Blood Centipede could easily be on the Sixth Cultivation Stage that he can not hope to kill, no matter what!


    From the First Stage to the Fifth Stage, power differences weren''t huge, but after that, each Stage represented a different and separate Realm!


    The disparity between the Fifth and the Sixth Cultivation Stage was as vast as heaven and earth; there was no possibility for them topete with such a Beast!


    Or at least not if you had no heaven-defying Talents...


    "I know what you think, but the Alpha is still on the Fifth Stage, half a step into the Sixth Stage. However, if we go now and kill it before it sessfully breaks into the next Stage, we will still have a chance to win."


    Khal listened to this with an indifferent expression, but deep inside he sneered coldly at that statement.


    ''Half a step into the Sixth Stage and he thinks we still have the chance, huh? I think this clown doesn''t even know what he is babbling about!''


    What did that mean to be half step into the Sixth Stage? It meant that the individual seeded to open one of its sealed Essence Path slightly, boosting their strength by leaps and bounds!


    Even if it''s just a ''half step'', one that didn''t even open its sealed gatepletely could be hardly killed, yet Alde just said they have a chance!


    Khal felt the urge tough right into his face but decided not to. Only a fool would think they have a chance against someone that was half a step into the Sixth Stage!


    Just as Khal wanted to shake his head and reject the idea, however, Alde smiled and suddenly a red bell appeared in his grasp.


    [Notify! 1 ''Power Core'' had been detected in proximity!]


    "What''s that?" asked Khal, his eyes rose from confusion and surprise as the voice appeared inside his head.


    "This? It is called Beast yer, a World Tier object I brought to kill that Beast." smiled Alde, even pushing his chest out proudly to show that he had a World Tier item in his possession.


    "An item on the World Tier?" Khal''s interest was piqued, but considering its name and its appearance, he could kind of guess how it functioned.


    "Let me demonstrate it," said Alde, confusing Khal, and without waiting for a response shook the bell.


    Ding!


    "SCREECH!!!!" the very moment the Beast yer was ringed with a sharp and almost deafening sound, Rubie cried up and fell onto the ground, her body twitching from pain.


    "STOP IT!" a cold glint shed inside Khal''s eyes, his weapon ready to be swung.


    Alde knew that things could go awry if he didn''t stop thus put the bell away, but deep inside his eyes, joy could be seen shing.


    It seemed this is exactly what he wanted to see and show Khal that just a single flick from his finger could end his tamed Beast''s life.


    However, because he didn''t want to destroy his facade he looked shocked and said with a worriedplexion, "I-I am sorry! I didn''t think this would happen! The Beast yer only affects real Beasts, and because I thought she was your summon I ringed it without thought!"


    ''...'' Khal clearly understood this wasplete bullshit as everyone has already known Rubie was not his summon and neither did he have Summoning-type Talent.


    It was clear he did that on purpose and just acted this way to show it was truly an ''ident''.


    "Didn''t you follow the Thousand Life Tournament? It should be obvious by now that she is not my summon," said Khal coldly, his hand holding Rubie''s weak body while the blood inside him boiled.


    It seemed just that single sound from the bell pushed her to the edge, almost killing her on the spot! If he wouldn''t have stopped Alde in time she...


    Just the thought alone made Khal extremely angry and knew this couldn''t go on. That bell was way too risky for Rubie to stay close to it hence he stood up and turned around to leave.


    "Her condition isn''t the best so I will go now." without turning around or saying anything else, Khal vanished into the distance, leaving Alde behind whose eyes seemed to be gleaming from satisfaction.


    -


    -


    -


    Going back to Moon Academy, Khal didn''t hesitate at all and epted the reward he should get from the mission and gave it to Rubie.


    Pouring the Healing Potion into her beak, Khal waited to see Rubie''s condition recover but seemed to be not working at all!


    Rubie''s body was still limp, her eyes tightly shut while her breathing was frighteningly slow; it was apparent that if he didn''t do something she could truly lose her life!


    "If something happens with her I swear..." Khal''s gaze turned extremely sharp and cold and without a second thought run toward the Pharmacy Department.


    Kicking the door open that surprised everyone inside deeply, Khal ran to the desk on the side and put Rubie gently down while staring at the woman before him with a stiffplexion.


    "Give me your best medicine that can treat her!"


    "Eh?" the woman seemingly startled shifted her gaze at Rubie, but soon her eyes widened in even greater shock than before.


    "What happened? This is no ordinary injury at all. Her brain seems to be damaged while some of her organs seem to be torn!"


    "Can it be cured or not?" asked Khal, ignoring the questionpletely.


    "Naturally, please wait here. I will be right back." the woman turned around and with a quick and huge stride ran away beforeing back with a tiny pill in her hand.


    "Phoenix Tear, a powerful pill capable of restoring any injury or wound until they are not fatal." said the woman and made Rubie swallow it professionally.


    Khal stared at Rubie intently and waited for the oue, but even after several seconds nothing happened; her condition seemed to be the same, without any sign of change.


    When Khal saw this hisplexion froze stiff solid, while his eyes shed with killing intent that was the first to see in him; right now, he truly wished to kill Alde, and he will!


    The woman noticed this and felt her body tremble uncontrobly hence wanted to say something, but who would have guessed that an abrupt red light broke forth from Rubie''s body, stopping her from doing so!


    "What is happening?" asked Khal in confusion, but the woman''s eyes brightened up before her right at that instant!


    "It works! The Phoenix Tear works!" said the woman, ncing at Khal to see if his mood improved or not.


    But just as she thought, her mood truly did change as his killing intent vanished and hope flickered in his gaze!


    ''...'' opening her eyes slowly, Rubie tried to move but seemed to be struggling.


    "She will be fine now, but I rmend letting her rest. Her injuries seemed to be way too serious and even though the pill worked her condition can fall decrease once again."


    While listening to the woman intently, Khal nodded and said, "I see, I will remember it. Though, how much should I pay for the Phoenix Tear?"


    "Eh?" the woman seemed surprised as she didn''t expect Khal will directly ask about the price, thus needed a bit of time before she could answer.


    "Normally, it would be 100 Golden Coins in total, but because you helped Moon Academy and Moon City on the Thousand Life Tournament please ept this as a gift. This is the least we can do to repay your deeds."


    Khal seemed to be speechless after learning the prize, but after thinking what it could aplish it was only understandable. However, exactly because of this and for the fact he was not shameless, he shook his head.


    "No, I will pay for it. I don''t have the face not to as that pill was definitely a rare item."


    "Bu-"


    "Please."


    The woman gazed at Khal in silence, but after seeing her determined expression she sighed and nodded.


    "Sure, but at least let me give you a 50% discount. I hope you can at least ept this offer of mine."


    Khal heard this and after pondering for a while nodded too and handed his Cultivator''s Badge to the woman to pay.

 Chapter 173 - Blood Centipede

    After paying 50 Gold Coins for the Phoenix Tear, Khal picked up Rubie and went to find Liza.


    Luckily, he didn''t have to search for a long time as she was practicing next to the sameke as previously with her Master, thus he walked straight to them.


    "Khal! Wait, What happened with her?" Liza noticed Khal''s approach so stopped practicing, but when she noticed Rubie''s weak state she became a bit worried.


    For her, Rubie was the same as for Khal, hence seeing her like that made her heart tighten a bit.


    "It''s a long story so I will tell youter. Instead, can I ask you to look out for her, please? I have a few things to do."


    Noticing the sharp and cold glint in Khal''s eyes, Liza understood that something must have happened, hence nced at Jane on her side, hoping she could help.


    "You just continue to practice, I will take care of her," said Jane and without a second thought took Rubie away from Khal''s hold.


    "Thank you very much! I will definitely pay your kindness back!" bowed Khal politely and with a quick spin, burst back toward Moon Mountain.


    "Her brain and organs seem to be recovered from a horrible condition so luckily she will be alright, but she still needs to rest," said Jane and nced at Liza.


    "I will be right back."


    "Un." nodding, Liza watched as Jane vanished into thin air and shifted her gaze toward the direction where Khal just ran away, her eyes holding a bit of worry.


    -


    -


    -


    With his First Form, Khal reached the cave''s entrance in no time at all and went inside.


    Thanks to the fact that the Crystal Bats have been killed and the whole route toward the pit was cleared, Khal met with no Beasts at all.


    Soon, he arrived at the edge of the crater and gazed down, concentrating if he could see or at least hear anything down below.


    ''...''


    Ding!


    "KREEIIIKK!"


    Following a sharp sound that seemed to be Alde''s Beast yer Bell, a blood-freezing scream broke out from the deep darkness, causing Khal''s eyes to show a hint of coldness.


    "He is still here..." without thinking any further, Khal summoned his Chameleon Armor and after changing its appearance into the exact same material as that of the cave''s wall, he started to descend.


    The way down was pretty easy as small holes and gaps were everywhere on the wall''s surface, so Khal reached the bottom almost in no time.


    However, during his descent, he made sure to scan his surroundings, especially the area below him from where the continuous deafening screams and sharp ringing tone could be heard.


    "Just die already!"


    DING!


    "KREEEIIKK!!"


    Once on the bottom, Khal turned his gaze toward the middle, only to see Alde wave his Beast yer Bell and his sword nonstop, while a creature simr to a blood-red centipede with a size of a human arm was running here and there,pletely ignoring Alde''s attempts.


    "Why does this shit not working!? Fucking crap!"


    BAM!


    mming the bell onto the ground and crashing it into pieces with his feet before kicking it away, Alde raised his sword and stared at the Beast that was crawling around the ce without rest.


    However, Khal didn''t look at Alde, but instead, his gaze caught the item on the ground which shone with a gentle crimson hue and emitted a gentle power he recognized really well; the Power Core his bracelet detected before!


    "I should get that." thought Khal, and with slow and stealthy steps approached the debris on the ground.


    Meanwhile, Alde who seemed maddened to the utmost extent, raised his sword and pointed it toward the Blood Centipede.


    "If I alone can''t kill you, then 3 more of me will!"


    Swish!


    "!?"


    Khal was about to pick up the Power Core from the ground, when suddenly his movements stopped whilst his gaze halted on Alde''s figure that suddenly began to duplicate!


    Yes, duplicate! Like a slime that you pull toward two opposite ways, Alde''s body expanded then snapped and a new Alde appeared next to the original one!


    This happened two more times, and in a blink, there were four, exactly the same looking Alde before Khal, dumbfounding him to his very core!


    "Are you kidding me, right?" thought Khal and without further thinking, he picked the Power Core up from the ground before putting it into his Spatial Ring.


    "Such a Talent can truly exist?" asked Khal inwardly, as Alde''s ability made him feel troubled.


    While Khal watched Alde and its duplicates from the shadows in deep silence and thoughts, the 4 Alde''s charged at the Beast, each of their swords already lit up with white light.


    Swish!


    With a powerful swing, 4 white crescent arcs appeared in the air and flew toward the Beast like bullets, but because of the creature''s speed, none of them reached their targets.


    Instead, they have given the Beast an advantage; with the help of the smokescreen, the Beast disguised its movements, and once close enough it leaped at Alde''s original body, burying itself deep inside his body!


    Khal seeing this seemed happy but at the same time sad too. He rejoiced that Alde will finally die, but also felt a bit of a regret that it was not him who killed him.


    "Well, whatever. At least I don''t need to cover my hands with bl-, huh?" however, just as he could have finished talking, a confusing and terrifying sight has appeared.


    The moment the creature buried itself into Alde''s body and began to such his blood away in a crazy manner, Alde''s body indeed died, but his duplicates did not!


    They were moving and doing perfectly fine, ignoring the fact that the ''original'' Alde has been dead long ago!


    "What is happening? Shouldn''t they disappear once the original body was killed?" asked Khal himself with deep shock, but soon found out it was truly not the case at all.


    The three remaining Alde moved and acted just like previously, and attacked the Blood Centipede inside the dead body with their swords!


    "DIE!!"


    Swish!


    "KREEIIKK!!"


    With a smooth cut, the Alde in the middle sliced the dead body up together with the Beast inside it into several pieces, ending the creatures deafening scream in a wink!


    "Hmph! Half a step or not, before me you are still trash." sneering coldly, the remaining two duplicates melted back into his body, making Khal feel even more shocked and scared.


    It seemed Alde''s consciousness could freely swap bodies among his duplicates, thus no matter what happens, until he has at least one remaining copy of himself, he can remain alive!


    "I must kill him. His ability will be too much to handle if I let him go away now!" thought Khal and without hesitation summoned his Soul Piercer and pulled its string backward.


    In a sh, ck mist in the shape of an arrow emerged between his fingers, and once fully materialized, he fired.


    Swish!


    "Huh?" feeling that something was amiss, Alde turned around but it was toote for him to react.


    With a ck line that seemed to be fully invisible inside the almost pitch-ck darkness, the arrow appeared before Alde''s face and flew through his head!


    Paff!


    Without any opportunity to say anything or even realize what happened, Alde''s Soul was pierced and like a sandbag, his body fell onto the ground, no longer breathing.

 Chapter 174 - Hiding

    Despite killing Alde with his Soul Piercer, Khal waited to make sure his assault truly worked or not.


    But even after waiting for several minutes in straight silence, Alde''s body remained motionless, causing Khal to collect his courage and walk out of the darkness.


    With slow steps, Khal scanned his surroundings to get ready for the unexpected but it turned out his fear was only useless; even after he stood next to the dead body, nothing happened with him.


    "Did he really die?" Khal seemingly still suspicious about Alde''s death, shot a few more arrows into his body just to make sure he really died.


    "This should be enough..." mumbled Khal and shifted his gaze at the sliced-up corpse on his other side.


    "Let''s see if this will be my lucky day or not." crouching down and examining the carcass, Khal began to search the corpse and it wasn''t long before his face turned merry behind his armor.


    In one of the sliced-up pieces that appeared to be the Blood Centipede''s middle part, an orb with a size of a half fist could be seen shining, oozing a powerful presence that seemed way too alluring not to pick up!


    "Beast Core! I truly found another Beast Core! Haha, my luck is truly the best today!" Khal eximed with joy and picked up the blood-red orb, holding it in the middle of his palm like a priceless treasure.


    However, soon his expression turned serious, and shook his head, "I shouldn''t consume this yet but wait until I have another free space in my bracelet."


    Previously, when he consumed his first Beast Core the voice stated he could have turned it into a Power Core, unlocking hidden potentials of the Beast Core if he had a free slot in his bracelet.


    And because he didn''t have he had to consume it without unlocking any secret power, but now he knew about this he decided to wait and put it away into his Spatial Ring.


    "Let''s get out of here," murmured Khal, but just as he was about to turn around his moments froze, while his expression behind the armor stiffened rock solid.


    Alde''s corpse he just killed, suddenly began to dpose and rot, and soon turn into dust as if it wasn''t there a few moments ago.


    "Don''t tell me..." climbing up on the wall and running toward with record speed, Khal reached the exit just a second before a suffocating presence broke out not far away from the cave''s entrance, halting his movements in a blink!


    "Not good!" thought Khal and without hesitation spun around before rushing back into the cave, but now choosing apletely different route.


    "Search every crook and cranny and find him! But make sure you don''t kill him as I want him alive no matter what!" a familiar voice sounded from behind Khal''s back, causing his steps to quicken in an instant.


    "That bastard... The one I just killed was his clone too and now he even brought others to find me! I need to hide fast!" Khal began to search for ces where he could hide, but no matter how deep he ran there were no gaps in the walls or ceiling where he could stand and use his armor to conceal himself.


    If he tried and stood next to the wall he was sure he would be found by those experts behind him that seemed to have a Cultivation Base from the Sixth Cultivation Stage!


    It seemed Alde now truly got angered and now utilized his family''s power to move several strong experts just to catch him.


    Running at max speed, Khal reached an intersection where he could go left or right, but because each of them seemed to be the same he chose the left.


    And shortly after as he did, two men in ck robes arrived at that same crossroad halting their movements too before each chose to go into one of the tunnels.


    "Come out, I know you are here! Let''s avoid unnecessary hardships and juste back with me." the guy that chose to go into the left tunnel began to speak calmly, its eyes scanning every corner, trying to see if he could get a glimpse of the unknown person that his Young Master talked about.


    However, no matter how far he walked or how hard he tried to find that unknown man, he found no one at all.


    "Eh?" arriving into a dead end, the guy halted his steps and looked around.


    Except for the small yellowish crystals that illuminated the area, the guy saw no one thus turned around and began to run back where he just came from.


    And exactly as his figure vanished, the wall began to move, revealing a small and tight passage. In fact, the one that moved wasn''t even the wall, but Khal''s figure that changed his armor''s material into the same look as the cave''s wall and stood still at the edge of the tiny path, giving an illusion that he was also the part of the wall!


    Of course, this was a risky attempt to do because if the guy decided to walk closer to him he would have been busted for sure!


    But thanks to his luck, he wasn''t and he could finally sigh with relief after a long time.


    "That was close, but it would be foolish to think I am safe. I bet they will search the entirety of this cave system and even put watchers outside to prevent my escape... This is really bad news..."


    Khal began to ponder what he should do when suddenly he felt someone approach once again thus stepped into the passage once again, even holding his breath back.


    "A dead-end?" mumbled the man that seemed to be a bit older than the previous guy, but just as he was about to leave, his eyes suddenly got fixed on the dead-end.


    Khal seeing this felt his back be soaked with cold sweat while an urge to run away also appeared in his mind.


    But just as he thought he will be busted, the precious guy emerged in the distance and shouted, "What are you doing? I have already checked everything there, so let''s go!"


    ''...'' shifting his gaze at the guy that appeared behind him, the man nodded before taking a final nce at the wall and running away with hurried steps.


    "That was close... Way too close!" Khal seemed to be more anxious than before, now no longer daring to feel rxed.


    Even though it appeared that no one wille back here again or at least not shortly, Khal knew he must find a way to get out of this ce as fast as he could.


    "What should I do? The whole ce is filled with men searching for me while people will definitely be waiting for me outside." pondered Khal, his brain moving every cogwheel it could just to think for a solution.


    Not long after, he did find a solution, but the chance it will work or at least could help him was very slim.


    ''At least I should try it...'' mumbled Khal and closed his eyes.


    After calming his breathing and heartbeat down, he opened his eyes and said, "Transform 100 Beast Essence into Body Essence!"


    [Notify! You want to transfigure 100 units of ''Beast Essence'' into 2000 units of ''Body Essence''?]


    "Yes!"


    [Understood!]


    [Starting ''Transformation'' process!]


    Swish!


    Immediately as the final sentence appeared inside his head, Khal felt a sharp pain inside his heart, causing his body to fall onto the ground with a slight and painful groan.

 Chapter 175 - Bloodshed Touch

    Pain pierced inside Khal''s heart, almost forcing him to scream up, but thanks to the fact he already anticipated what to feel he was able to remain silent while only letting low groans escape his mouth and nothing else.


    After a while, the pain began to lessen and the familiar warm sensation swept through his body while the voice resounded inside his head once again.


    [Notify! Your ''Body Essence'' has increased from 1050 units to 3050 units!]


    "Nice. Now increase the amount of Cores I can have by 1!"


    [That will be 2000 ''Body Essence. Do you wish to continue?]


    "Yes."


    [Understood!]


    Swish!


    Right after that, Khal felt the Body Essence inside him flowing into his bracelet, while the bracelet itself underwent another change like the previous time.


    The bracelet became a bit wider and thicker, while another gap where Khal will be able to put his next Power Core appeared, just below the previous two.


    Soon, after two-third of his Essence was sucked away, the process stopped and the voice began to talk once again.


    [Third Power Core Holder obtained!]


    Doesn''t even wait for the voice to finish talking, Khal took out the Beast Core he obtained from his ring and began to consume it.


    Instantly, the orb in his hand began to evaporate while red mist started to cover his body from every angle, gradually seeping into his body through the armor.


    Once the orb and the small centipede-like creature inside it were fully consumed, Khal felt a sharp pain inside his body before the voice inside his head began to talk.


    [Notify! ''Beast Core'' detected!]


    [Would you like to transform ''Beast Core'' into ''Power Core''?]


    "Yes."


    [Understood!]


    [Forming ''Beast Core'' into ''Power Core''!]


    This time, Khal could feel that the power he just consumed began to move and swirl toward his bracelet, and gradually form a pebble inside the empty slot he just acquired.


    As the pain inside his body now haspletely vanished, Khal could freely inspect the events without struggling to keep his eyes open and watch as his third Power Core began to form right before his very eyes.


    And soon, a crimson red pebble with a shape and size just like the rest appeared in the third slot together with a notification in his head.


    [''Fusion'' and ''Forming Process''pleted!]


    [Hidden potentials have been unlocked!]


    [''Fifth Stage: Blood Sensation'' had been sessfully transformed into ''Fifth Stage: Bloodshed Touch''!]


    "Bloodshed Touch? How can I use it?" curious about his new power, Khal activated his Bloodshed Touch without a second thought, but right after he did, his eyes widened with shock.


    The tip of his fingers turned slightly crimson while his sight changedpletely. Everything around him turned ck and white, including the shining crystals too, while in few ces in the distance several red figures could be seen moving here and there with rapid pace.


    The further the bloody figures were, the more their contours turned transparent while the closer they were the brighter they shone!


    "Those are... People?" Khal immediately understood what or who those figures were as almost all of them had the shape of a human, while the rest had different silhouettes, meaning they were Beasts.


    "It seems I can see their blood flow through the walls akin to a heat sensor, but in a more improved manner. This is cool!" eximed Khal, and shifted his gaze onto his body, curious what to expect to see.


    But just as he had guessed beforehand, he was able to see through his skin and watch his blood flow inside his veins like a river inside a small passage.


    "Originally, it would have been only Blood Sensation but after its hidden potentials had been unlocked, it turned into Bloodshed Touch. Maybe I should try it out..." as he thought about this, Khal began to walk toward the closest Beast he could see through the walls while also looking out for enemies that tried to find him.


    Soon after, he reached his first target which was a small Beast with an appearance to that of a rat, but with a bigger body and sharper teeth and ws that seemed to be able to slice through solid rock if it wanted to!


    "Third Cultivation Stage... Perfect target to test out my new power." thought Khal and moved.


    With a strong push against the ground with his feet, he appeared next to the Beast and touched its body even before it could have reacted.


    And exactly as his finger came into contact with the creature''s body, Khal was able to feel and see as the Beast''s blood seeped out of its vein through its pores and umted around his fingers, causing the Beast to shriek up and jump away with terror in its eyes.


    "So I can suck anyone''s blood out, but only if I seem to be in contact with my prey?" asked Khal as he watched that except for looking a bit dizzy, the Beast he touched was doing perfectly fine.


    ''...'' ncing at the floating blood around his fingers, Khal tried to manipte it, seeing if he could shape it, but his wish was shattered.


    Except for floating around his fingers, he could do nothing about them, only let them fall onto the ground, painting the earth red.


    "Wait, now that my Beast Core became a Power Core, it can be improved too, right?" asked Khal, trying not to lose his hope to manipte the blood he stole.


    [Any ''Beast Core'' that had been turned into a ''Power Core'' can be indeed strengthened further.]


    The voice inside his head replied his hunch and his mood immediately skyrocketed. It seems, his Bloodshed Touch will be able to steal and shape other''s blood, or even better; manipte other''s blood!


    Just the thought alone made Khal unable to wait anymore, wanting to reach the higher Stages as fast as possible.


    "Out of all of my powers, this one seems the most promising so far." thought Khal, but he knew his strength will only get stronger as time goes on.


    "Well, now that I have this ability, getting out of this ce without getting caught shouldn''t pose a problem," said Khal and after watching the moving figure through the wall he began to move.


    As far he could know, Moon Mountain had several cave entrances, each connecting somewhere in the interior, thus the only thing Khal had to do was to find a connection, and leave it in an entrance where no one was.


    The n was simple and easy, but in reality, it was quite a hard task to aplish. Without any map and any knowledge about the cave system that Moon Mountain had, Khal''s only support was his ability to see people through the walls, and go on a route that didn''t go toward them.


    Hours have passed like this, changing directions to avoid humans and killing Beasts that he met on his way, but after more than 6 hours of straight running without rest or trouble, Khal finally reached another cave''s entrance somewhere on thepletely opposite side of the mountain.


    "Perfect, no one is here." without hesitating even for a second more, Khal burst out of the cave, right into the distance as if his life was on the line, which in truth this time was!


    Using his First Form to its fullest, Khal ran like a madman on a chase, and traveled a mile almost in a blink!


    Without stopping or even slowing down, Khal ran all the way back to Moon City, and once inside the Academy, he hid in a dark corner and vanished into a white crack.


    Only then, when he was safe and sound and before de Mountain did he dare to take off his armor and took a deep breath, attempting to calm his ragged breathing as fast as he could.

 Chapter 176 - Change Of Plans

    Taking deep breaths one after another, Khal''s heart began to calm down bit by bit and soon his chest was no longer heaving up and down like crazy.


    "This is bad... Real bad..." thought Khal, immediately realizing the weight behind Alde''s Talent.


    "This is fucking cheating! He can simply leave a duplicate of himself anywhere in the world, and once he thinks his life is in danger he can just simply swap his body, avoiding death like it was nothing! This is simply ridiculous!"


    Khal began to move back and forth in de Mountain, trying to figure out what he should do next, but no matter what he thought about, nothing came up in his mind.


    Alde''s Talent was simply too powerful for him to counter, and even if he killed all the duplicates he created, a final one could be anywhere, pushing him back to square one once again!


    "No, this is not right. Think Khal, think! No power exists in this world that has no weakness!" mumbled Khal, his brain never stopping to find a solution.


    Just like his three Power Cores that had their own weaknesses and the ways they can be countered, Alde''s Talent should have also one, but as for what, Khal couldn''t think of any at all!


    "I have a few guesses to think of, but all of them are hard to rify and there is a high chance they are wrong!" Khal stood still and soon could only do nothing but sigh.


    It seems, until he didn''t learn about Alde''s Talent in greater detail, he could do nothing but guess blindly and hope he was right.


    "At least I haven''t been busted thanks to my armor so I''m still okay. Maybe he will feel suspicious about me, but I have way too many witnesses that saw I was here before he ''died''. But to make sure I avoid his suspicion..." Without hesitation, Khal opened the space crack and stepped through it.


    -


    -


    -


    Back at theke where Liza was still practicing without a moment of rest, Khal walked back hisplexion as calm as ever.


    "You are back! Where did you go? It has been hours!" Liza stopped what she was doing and walked before Khal, but just before she could have asked anything else, a figure appeared in the distance, walking toward them with a darkened expression.


    "Alde? What are you doing here?" Liza''splexion turned ice-cold, even raising her guard as she was ready to fight, but who would have thought that Aldepletely ignored her and stood right before Khal, staring deeply into his eyes.


    "Where were you?"


    "What do you mean ''where were you''? I went and searched for help to cure Rubie''s condition that you caused with your bell obviously!" answered Khal, his gaze innocent but at the same time cold.


    "Then where she is? Why aren''t you with her?" asked Alde, his suspicion growing stronger with each second.


    Khal wanted to answer he went to get medicine, but even before he had the chance, a voice already answered instead of him, "He went away to get herbs and pills for his bird."


    Turning around to see Jane''s figure appearing out of thin air, Alde sneered and asked, "Then show me your herbs and pills you have ''bought''."


    Upon hearing this, a cold smile formed on Khal''s face, and waved his hand, summoning several looking herbs and pills above his palm.


    However, this only made Alde''s expression even darker and say, "You could have obtained these several days ago, you sure you got them today?"


    "Yes, and if you don''t believe me, your ''friend'', then you can feel free to go and ask the staff in Pharmacy Department. They will be more than d to answer your questions." said Khal, but soon frowned and asked, "But still, why is this so important for you to know? Your face is darker than the clouds and your mood seems to be sour too. Something must have happened with you for sure, so if you feel troubled, you can always tell and ask for my help."


    When Alde heard this his clicked his tongue but soon realized he need to calm down so did just like that. Taking a deep breath, he smiled and began tough, "Haha, I am sorry, I got over the line."


    "Don''t worry about it." smiled Khal, and said, "Though, your reaction still piques my interest, what happened with you?"


    Alde however didn''t reply to that question immediately and just shook his head, "Nothing special I can''t solve. I was just curious where you were after you have left, but it seems I just overreacted things. Now, if you excuse me..."


    With a deep bow toward Jane, Liza then Khal, Alde turned around and left, however, this time not from where he came from but toward the direction where the Pharmacy Department was seated.


    Once his figure could be no longer seen, Khal turned to look at Jane and ask, "Is she doing okay?"


    Jane who knew that there were greater things behind the curtains than it seemed to be at first nce, stared at Khal and said, "She is resting and her condition improves steadily, but her injuries were no ordinary ones. What happened with her?"


    ''...'' Khal remained silent and only after a while did he sigh and exin what happened with Rubie.


    Obviously, the part where he brought her back while he went back to Moon Mountain to get his revenge he didn''t tell, but with simple logic, the way Khal ran away and from Alde''s reaction both Liza and Jane could figure out the rest of the story.


    "And what do you want to do next? You know he is not the easy guy to deal with, right?" Liza seemed to be anxious, worried about the consequences that Khal will have to bear if things get clear.


    "You don''t need to fear, I will be perfectly fine. I''m sure I will be able to find a way to solve this problem," said Khal and shifted his gaze at Jane in silence.


    Jane immediately understood what he wanted and nodded, "I will take care of her until she gets better, you take care of the things you have to."


    "Thank you very much!" bowed Khal and said, "I will find Respected Elder 3 dayster and take her away. I hope it is not a problem."


    "This is the least I can do for you." waved Jane her hand, showing she didn''t feel bothered at all by the small task.


    Khal nodded and after waving goodbye to Liza he ran away.


    Meanwhile, in a dark corner close to the Pharmacy Department, Alde was standing with an impatient expression when suddenly a guy emerged before him out of thin air.


    "So? How did it go? Did you find the man?"


    The man that was kneeling before Alde shook his head and said, "We searched the entirety of the cave system and even went to investigate the surroundings, but because there are numerous entrances and possible routes that the man could have chosen from is way many."


    ''...''


    Feeling the cold stare on his skin, the man slightly trembled and quickly said, "But, we did find something, Young Master."


    "I''m listening."

 Chapter 177 - Crazy Slaughter

    As he still had time before his lecture with Bazz, Khal decided to hunt for Beasts on Moon Mountain as the night was already approaching.


    But obviously only after he ate and filled his stomach really well in one of the most luxurious restaurants in Moon City, the Lunar Tavern.


    "Now that I have money, those 3 Golden Coins felt nothing at all." thought Khal, but knew thinking his money was infinite was a fool''s thinking.


    He clearly understood that if he decided to spend his currency blindly like an idiot, he could easily find himself in square one once again hence made sure not to eat too much in that ce.


    At the time when Khal reached Moon Mountain the sky has already turned dark while the moon was fully visible on the sky in its full glory!


    "Without Rubie, it will be tough to find creatures so I should use my new power." thought Khal and activated his Bloodshed Touch.


    Immediately as he did, his sight turned ck and white, while in the distance, right through trees, bushes, and rock, Khal was able to see several crimson silhouettes moving here and there.


    "Only Beasts on the lower Stages while none of them close to the Fourth Cultivation Stage," mumbled Khal as he watched the crimson figures in the distance.


    Thanks to their contours and the way they seemed to be moving, he instantly recognized what type of Beasts they were together with their Cultivation Base.


    "I should go higher. The higher I go the stronger Beasts I will meet, right?" asked Khal, and only after scanning his surroundings to make sure no one was following him nor was there any danger lurking around him did he start to ascend.


    Sometimeter, Khal reached the middle part of the mountain, while several, bigger types of creatures were visible in the distance, seemingly Beasts with an appearance of a bison.


    "Iron Feet Bull? Perfect prey to kill first," eximed Khal in a low voice as he knew Iron Feet Bulls were quite a sedate type of Beasts just like the Moon Frogs.


    They never attacked if they didn''t feel threatened, but unfortunately, its enemy this time was Khal, who wanted to reach the Sixth Cultivation Stage as fast as possible, thus peace was never an option!


    With a fast and smooth move, Khal appeared next to the Beast, and with a single strike with his weapon he killed it; the creature didn''t even have time to cry out before its vision turnedpletely dark.


    Once killed, Khal consumed its Beast Essence, pushing his power units from 559 to 571 as he got 12 Beast Essence from his first prey!


    "Not a bad amount from a creature on the Fourth Stage." thought Khal and without hesitation began to run toward his next victim, that was still oblivious that its death was approaching rapidly!


    Khal''s body shed among the trees and rock like a ghost, killing and collecting Beast''s Soul and Essence as if he was the reaper himself!


    He killed several types of creatures and thanks to his Bloodshed Touch ability that let him track any Beast almost in an unlimited range, he was literally on a killing spree!


    He was like a crazy ughter whose presence alone brought death to his victims, leaving no chance for them to be able to survive once he locked his sight on them!


    The night went rtively like this, without any kind of problem or dilemma, and Khal was able to improve his strength quite quickly.


    Under a mere 5 hours of non-stop killing and consumption, Khal''s 571 units skyrocketed all the way to 1173 units! This was a crazy jump that''s for sure!


    For the Sixth Stage, one needed 2500 units of Beast Essence, so if things went on like this, he was quite sure he will reach that amount in two days if not sooner!


    "Tsk... It seems time is over," eximed Khal with regret, noticing as the moon was already below the horizon while the sun was high up in the sky.


    "Well, considering that I killed like a maniac and pushed myself all the way to 1197 units, this day was more than sessful." checking that there were no more Beasts outside, Khal deactivated his eyes and walked back to Moon Mountain.


    On his way back, however, he made sure to continue reading the Record of All Realms, while with his Heaven''s Eyes he scanned his surroundings to avoid unnecessary dangers.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the cksmith Department, Bazz was currently forging a piece of metal with a serious gaze when suddenly Khal stepped through the door, his face already holding a slight smile.


    "I''m here, Master! What should I do today?" asked Khal, but to his surprise, Bazz didn''t answer but continued to forge, his face never losing concentration not even for a split second!


    "Such a powerful concentration! I can even feel the tension in the air!" Khal seemingly shocked by Bazz''s level of profession decided to wait on the side in silence while examining his every move closely and intently.


    ng!


    Soon, a sharp sound reverberated in the air, while gentle white light began to flow out of the piece of metal Bazz was forming.


    "What is that?" Khal looked confused as he knew Bazz has already pulled that metal''s Soul Essence out, but soon realized what that white light was.


    "Spirit Essence? That is the Spirit Essence that can be created once one seeded with the Soul Essence Tempering?"


    BAM!


    And just as his voice fell, a powerful shockwave broke forth from the metal, pushing several tools and objects off the tables as though they weighed nothing!


    "Essence Burst! So this how an Essence Burst feel?" Khal immediately recognized the powerful shockwave that carried a kind of unique power, Spirit Essence!


    "Phew... I finally did it. This baby looked easier to forge at first nce but seems I was wrong." sighed Bazz as he picked the chunk up and began to inspect it.


    "Considering that it''s High-Quality steel, it held way too many Soul Threads that I almost failed to temper it! I must inspect it before continuing to forging it," mumbled Bazz and put it back down, but immediately after he did, he noticed Khal''s figure on his side and frowned.


    "You are already here?"


    "I mean, shouldn''t I?" asked Khal, surprised to hear Bazz say that.


    ''...'' Bazz remained silent and after pondering for a while just waved his hand and shook his head.


    "Well, never mind. I was just confused for a bit as I thought it was still yesterday."


    "Yesterday?"


    "Yeah," nodded Bazz and put his forged metal into a box on the side while talking, "Yesterday when you went away, I began to forge this Dragon Steel without stop. But because everything seemed to pass so fast, I thought it was still yesterday, but it seems no; happens a few times when I concentrate too much, so sorry."


    ''When I concentrate too much... Just how hard did this guy concentrate to lose the track of time?'' wondered Khal, but still smiled and shook his head, "It''s not a problem at all, at least I was able to learn a few things while watching."


    "Oh? Really?" asked Bazz immediately and threw him a piece of steel which surface was full of golden scales, almost akin to an ancient dragon!


    "Then let me see what you have learned!"

 Chapter 178 - Andre Dusk

    "What?"


    Bazz seeing Khal''s surprised expression frowned and said, "What ''what''? You said you were able to learn a few things from watching me forging, then here... Show me. I''m curious to see."


    ''...'' Khal remained silent for a bit and after a bit sighed and shook his head, "That will be impossible. This Dragon Steel is a High-Quality item and I have never seen it much less forge it!"


    "Then how did you know it''s a Dragon Steel?" questioned Bazz, seemingly wary about Khal''s statement.


    "I mean, the metal you forged had the same appearance and you were the one who told it was named Dragon Steel," said Khal that was telling half lie and truth.


    He indeed saw Bazz forging the same looking metal that he was currently holding, but he also learned its name and quality once he touched it.


    His Analyzer ability immediately scanned the piece of metal, thus learning its name and quality wasn''t a challenge at all.


    ''...'' Bazz seemed to realized his disciple was right so sighed.


    "Whatever... Let''s start forging."


    -


    -


    -


    After spending several hours, almost half a day with Bazz and learning new techniques, Khal left the smithery and was about to meet Liza, when suddenly a guy blocked his path.


    "You are?" Khal seemed indifferent to the guy before him.


    The guy before him had an exceptionally strong body, his muscles bulging like balloons, while his manly facial expression would have been able to make any woman''s heart melt.


    To put it simply, he was the sheer definition of manliness!


    "You can''t remember me at all?" questioned the guy, his brow raised high in slight surprise.


    Khal began to ponder and soon his eyes widened and nodded, "Yeah, now I can. You are Andre Dusk, right? Another individual with the V.I.P key."


    Andre appeared to smile as it seemed Khal luckily didn''t forget him thus extended his arm for a handshake and proceed on saying, "Congrattions for your achievements. To tell the truth I would have never believed you will reach 5th ce."


    Khal knew that Andre meant no contempt with his words so epted the handshake and smiled, "Well, I was pleasantly surprised too. If they say I will finish 5th out of hundreds of Cultivators I wouldn''t dare to bet on it."


    "Haha, humble, I see."ughed Andre but soon turned serious which made Khal''s mood turn to that too.


    "Let''s not beat around the bush, I want to challenge you."


    Khal appreciated Andre''s straightforwardness but before he replied to that challenge he asked, "And why me?"


    "Isn''t that obvious?" smiled slightly Andre and continued, "You are currently the most renowned Cultivator out of all Moon Academy and you have several powers I seem to find interesting. Now that we are no longer on the lower Stages but both of us are soon on the verge to break into the Sixth Stage, I want to test out my strength. I hope it''s not a problem for you and you can spare a bit of your time for me and my selfish request."


    Khal listened patiently for Andre to finish talking and once silence descended he began to ponder.


    To tell the truth he wanted to test out his strength against someone on the same Stage as him, as the time he lost against Se was still in his mouth as a bitter taste.


    "Wait... How did you know I am also in the Fifth Stage?" realized Khal and asked with surprise.


    However, Andre just simply smiled and pointed at his eyes, "Close inspection. One''s bodynguage can tell a lot of things from one-self."


    ''...'' Khal thought it was total bullshit as to how could a simple body posture tell what kind of Stage the individual was on, but decided not to ask any further questions.


    Instead, he nodded and said, "I ept your challenge, but what will you, or to be more precise I benefit from it?"


    The question was a good one as every challenge should be fought for something, but because both of them had a V.I.P Key, none of them needed the other''s one. So Khal was curious what Andre had in mind.


    "If you win, I will tell you a little secret about Moon Mountain, but if I win, you have to answer one of my questions. Deal?"


    "Just that?" asked Khal, thinking Andre''s deal was a bit too simple, but that is why it made it special.


    "Yeah." nodded Andre, showing he had no other conditions for Khal.


    Khal hearing this smiled and nodded, "If that''s all, then I don''t seem to find why not to ept your challenge. I love secrets."


    -


    -


    -


    The news about Khal fighting with Andre spread in the interior of Moon Academy like wildfire, and soon every Cultivator ran to the Arena to watch their fight.


    Among these curious individuals, several teachers attended too as they were curious to see just how strong Khal became after the tournament; among their numbers were Jas too, whose presence alone shocked many as it was rare to see him outside his room.


    "Tsk... I can''t believe I was summoned from my vacation because of a stupid fight. I expect you topensate me because of this, old man." Logan who seemed a bit annoyed that he had to leave the beach and his peaceful life behind stared at Jas.


    "Old man?" asked with a slightly raised brow Jas, seemingly unhappy by Logan''s tone of voice and the way he talked with him.


    ''...'' Logan however just remained silent and shrugged while shifted his gaze at the two on the tform.


    "So? What is this about? I was enjoying an extremely good cocktail when I was ordered toe back."


    "One of Raffin''s students challenged Khal, as for what purpose we don''t know. Maybe just a little test of strength."


    "So I was basically summoned to watch 2 kids fight with each other?" Logan sighed helplessly.


    "Of course not. You were summoned to overlook the match as you are Khal''s Master and your disciple is fighting. I hope you didn''t forget the rules under such a short amount of time."


    "Of course not, but still... I still would have had 2 more days to enjoy the sun and the ocean!" eximed Logan with a regretful sigh but once he saw Jas''s gaze he just waved his hand and said, "Nevermind, I was also bored so this isn''t as bad."


    With that said Logan leaped into the air, and jumping through everyone''s head from above, hended on the tform and pped his hands.


    "Well then, let''s start this fight, shall we?"

 Chapter 179 - Emperor’s Palm!

    Once Logan''s p was heard, everyone in the arena quietened down and waited patiently for the fight to start.


    Meanwhile, in the middle of the tform, Khal and Andre were quietly standing before each other, both of their faces holding indifference and confidence.


    None of them thought their opponent was stronger than them as both of them knew just how strong they were; both of them were confident in their own Talents and skills, so they weren''t nervous at all.


    Logan stared at the two before him and when he saw both of them were ready, raised his hand and talked calmly.


    "Ready? Fight!"


    Swish!


    BAM!


    A huge tremor broke out even before Logan''s voice could have fallen, and in the very center of the tform, Khal and Andre could be seen pushing each other toward the opposite side.


    In Khal''s hand, his Devil Fangs in the shape of the fan were already held, while Andre''s fist was strongly pushing against it, trying to force himself through Khal''s defense.


    "Your weapon is exceptionally well forged. It was able to remain intact even after my fist punch," eximed Andre with amazement, but his eyes still remained indifferent.


    "And your first punch is extremely powerful too. If it weren''t for this weapon of mine, a bone in my hand would have been broken by now for sure," replied Khal, feeling the tremendous amount of strength behind Andre''s fist.


    After exchanging quick words, Khal pushed his feet to the side and like a phantom vanished and reappeared behind Andre, his weapon already targeting his neck from the side!


    However, Andre was no slow either. The moment he noticed Khal''s disappearance, he crouched down, barely avoiding Khal''s attack, and spun around with his left leg already extended forward.


    ''...'' watching as Andre wanted to kick him off his feet, Khal jumped backward and increased his distance.


    But it seemed this was exactly what Andre wanted. The moment he moved he leaped toward Khal, his fist already before his chest, ready to crash and break a few ribs inside him!


    "Interesting." was the only thing Khal thought before his eyes turned sky blue with a crimson slit appearing in their midst!


    Swish!


    Right after he did, everything inside his mind and eyes changed in a wink! He was able to see everything in a 10 meters radius, while Andre''s fist slowed down drastically!


    ''...'' waving his hand and grabbing Andre''s wrist within a sh, Khal tilted his body slightly toward the side while pulled Andre toward him.


    Andre seemed surprised about Khal''s reaction and movement speed but didn''t panic. Instead, he let himself be pulled and even pushed his body toward Khal, seemingly ready to touch his body.


    When Khal saw this he was stunned but not to the degree he couldn''t do something. Once Andre was literally before him and his palm inches above his shoulder, Khal''s thighs bulged with power and his momentum exploded abruptly almost akin to a rocket!


    BAM!


    ''Dance of The Celestial Serpent Third Form; Emerald Snake Dance!''


    With a strong push against the tform below his feet that cracked and turned into debris, Khal appeared at the edge of the tform, his hand still holding Andre''s figure firmly behind him!


    "HA!" with a loud shout as Andre''s body weight quite a lot, Khal raised and swung Andre from behind and thrashed him into the wall without mercy.


    BOOM!


    The whole Arena turned dead silent as they stared at Khal and the spot where he smashed Andre like he was nothing but trash that was just thrown out right into the bin!


    "He is strong!"


    "Huh? Why? What did you expect? He finished 5th in the Thousand Life Tournament so this is only natural."


    "I know, but still... That is an Andre Dusk! At least he should have been a tougher opponent, right?"


    Cultivators began to whisper between each other, almost all of them admiring Khal''s strength. Only a few like Liza, Nate, Jas, Logan, and the rest of the teachers didn''t as they notice small details that made them think otherwise.


    "That technique just now put a great burden on his body" eximed Nate from Liza''s side as he noticed Khal''s kind of trembling legs.


    "Un." Liza nodded upon hearing that in silence as she felt the Essence inside her body move ording to what she just saw, trying to secretly imitate the skill Khal just used.


    Khal however just stared at the dust before him with an expressionless gaze, his Heaven''s Eyes still staring at the spot where he just mmed Andre.


    "Not bad, but I don''t think you can repeat that move once again." a voice appeared before Khal, and with a powerful gust of wind, the dust was blown away, revealing Andre''s figure.


    "Oh?" Khal appeared to be indifferent, but inside he was surprised as Andre''s body was perfectly fine!


    Not only did he have no broken bones from the impact, but Khal couldn''t even see a slight scratch mark or injury on his skin! It was amazing and scary, as it meant Andre''s defense was much scarier he previously thought.


    "Now it''s my turn then," said Andre and like lightning, his body turned into a line of sh and appeared before Khal as if he just teleported!


    "Wha-" Khal tried to move and avoid the fast attack, but Andre''s movements were so fast that even with his Heaven''s Eyes they seemed to be quick!


    The only thing he was able to aplish was a slight tilt with his waist, and instead of his head, Andre ced his palm on his left arm.


    BAM!


    "!?!"


    Khal''s eyes widened immediately, while the ground below his feet turned to debris and his knee bent slightly; right now, he felt as though a mountain fell on his body, leaving him no chance to move at all!


    "Emperor''s Palm!" said Andre and began to push Khal''s body from above, making his leg bend more and more with each second!


    "What is happening? Khal is being suppressed? By a mere palm!?" this thought appeared in several people''s heads, trying to figure out the cause behind all this as that was no Secret Art.


    "That is Andre''s Talent, Emperor''s Palm!"ughed Raffin from above the Arena next to Scarlet and several others and continued, "A simple touch of his can weight tons and crush anyone! Quite a powerful Talent if used right, but also easy to counter if wielded incorrectly."


    "Will Khal be able to escape now that he was caught in this power?" asked Scarlett, seemingly curious to find out the answer but kind of knew what to hear.


    "Escape?" asked Raffin and even a mocking grin formed on his face as if he just heard a great joke, "Yeah he can."


    "Really? How?"


    "If he sacrifices his own arm in exchange to escape!"ughed Raffin, but soon turned serious and continued, "However, considering the weight my student is currently putting on him, I would be surprised if he could even move much less cut his arm off!"


    "Then you think Khal lost?" questioned Scarlett.


    But this time Raffin didn''t answer immediately and only after a short pondering did he talk, "Khal is a tricky opponent to fight against so I do not dare to say it for sure, but as far I can see, yeah... He lost."

 Chapter 180 - Enlightenment State

    ''Damn... I feel like my arm is about to be torn off!'' cried Khal inwardly, trying to move but only in vain.


    No matter how hard he attempted to move left, right, back or forth, Andre''s palm was like a ma, stuck on his shoulder while pushing down on him like an eternal mountain!


    The weight felt tremendous, but luckily not to the point where he would die. Though, Khal was pretty sure if Andre wanted to, he could kill him right here and now, smashing his body as effortlessly as taking a deep breath!


    "Just admit your defeat. I don''t n to crush the bones inside your arm much less kill you," said Andre calmly and quietly that made every person in the Arena turn dead silent in an instant.


    "Is this for real? I see things right or what? Khal is really on the verge of losing?" several people began to feel shocked while many had eyes wide open!


    In their imaginations, Khal was an extremely powerful existence that was able to rival a Natural Cultivator above his own Cultivation Stage, yet now, he was struggling to fight someone on his own level!


    Did the world go crazy or did Khal simply underestimate Andre from the start thus this is why he was currently on the losing end? Or maybe... did he get weak?


    But what none of them realized was that Khal didn''t get cocky and underestimated Andre nor did he get weaker. He was just simply caught off guard by Andre that''s all.


    But even like this, Khal knew he won''t lose as he still didn''t use several powers of his. This is why he just smiled and was about to open his Ster Domain when suddenly a change urred inside his body.


    Crack!


    "?" feeling like something inside his left hand cracked but not his bone, Khal nced inside his body with the help of his Heaven''s Eyes only to see something unexpected.


    "The gate... It''s slightly opened!" thought Khal but soon his face turnedplicated and worry reced his joy.


    "Is this bad or good news?" Khal didn''t know what to expect if he decided to wait and watch his sealed gate be forced open, but soon he got an answer.


    [Use your Essence and open the sealed gate!]


    Hearing the voice in his head that felt kind of urgent, Khal was surprised but still did as he was told. Closing his eyes while resisting Andre''s Talent, Khal collected his Essence inside his heart and pushed it toward the gate that will open the Essence Path into his left arm!


    BAM!


    Right as his Essence reached and touched the gate, the weight on his body doubled, while his arm felt almost like breaking off from its ce!


    But no matter how painful did it feel, Khal realized that something this time was different, and time seemed to slow down almost into a crawl inside his eyes.


    "What... Is this?" mumbled Khal and tried to move his body but found it out he was unable to.


    [You are currently in the Enlightenment State!]


    "Enlightenment... State? What is that?" questioned Khal, seemingly confused as he never heard nor read such a definition before.


    [The Enlightenment State is a unique state of mind where you canprehend things better while time flows slowly around you.]


    "And why can''t I move?"


    [Because the Enlightenment State affects your mind only and not your ''real'' body. Think about it as a separate space where you can see and inspect everything, but with better understanding, clearer mind, and without moving.]


    "I kind of get it now." Khal nodded and closed his eyes.


    Now that time flowed extremely slowly, he knew he had time to soothe his mind out while also think a way to open his first sealed Essence Path.


    But just as he closed his eyes, something unexpected happened. The Arena together with every individual in it vanished while suddenly he found himself standing before an extremely huge mountain!


    "What?" Khal immediately opened his eyes and soon found himself back in the Arena where time flowed slowly, but after he closed his eyes he was standing before the mountain once again!


    "I can... Move?" Khal was pleasantly surprised to see as his body moved without problem, not like when he opened his eyes.


    [This is an illusion thates from the Essence Path you try to unseal. If you can understand its meaning, you can open the sealed gate!]


    "I see. But, wait... Since when did you start to talk so friendly?" asked Khal and to his surprise, an answer came right away.


    [Your Body Essence.]


    "Eh? Do you mean whenever I exchange my Body Essence for newer abilities, you... evolve?"


    [Yes.]


    When Khal heard this he nodded and thought, "Kind of thought but still... Hearing I was right, still makes me uneasy."


    Khal wanted to say something, but soon a huge earthquake interrupted him.


    [You should hurry up. Your Enlightenment State won''t persist for too long, so you will have at most 15 more minutes.]


    "Damn. What should I do now then? I mean, just staring at a mountain won''t help me, right?"


    [Why not ascending it then?]


    "That''s..." Khal seemed startled by that statement but after thinking about it a bit deeper the voice was right.


    "Yeah, you are right. Thanks," said Khal and without any further ado began to run toward the mountain.


    But not even after he took his first step, he felt as if he stepped into mud, his feet quite hard to raise.


    "?" Khal took another few steps forward, but every time he did, a powerful force almost akin to gravity began to pull his body down, slowing his movement down with every step he took!


    "Mud? There is no mud, then why can''t I move properly?" thought Khal but he didn''t get an answer this time. It seemed the voice didn''t want to help him or maybe even itself was unable to answer that question.


    Soon, after taking his 50th step, Khal felt the force turning wilder, almost like someone this time not only tried to pull him down but even pushed him from above by his shoulder, especially by his left hand!


    And momentster, the feeling gradually began to turn into that simr painful sensation that he felt before entering the Enlightenment State but this stronger!


    "Enlightenment... Understanding what each Essence Path means..." Khal mumbled quietly, but after several minutes of thinking, he just sighed and said, "But really... What should I understand from pain and the weight on my body? Even the time limit is on my neck, giving me no time to think properly! Argh, this is annoying!"


    Khal felt like tearing his hair out from frustration, but soon his hands stopped while his brows gradually lowered into a deep frown.


    "Annoying? Why do I even feel annoyed? This is not me at all."


    As Khal thought about this, finding it strange to see himself getting so stressed so easily, suddenly his eyes widened and brightened up like stars.


    "That''s it! I got it!"

 Chapter 181 - First Seal... Open!

    As though lightning just hit his head and he got enlightened, Khal realized something and took a deep breath.


    After keeping it inside his lungs for a moment, he opened his mouth and began to blow the air out at a steady, but slow pace.


    And to his surprise, just as he did this, the weight on his body began to lessen, while the pain started to vanish slowly!


    "It works! I''m a genius! Haha!"ughed Khal wildly, hardly believing his sudden ''idea'' had really worked.


    He realized what to do the very moment he noticed himself stressed and annoyed over things he usually wouldn''t be.


    It seemed the key here was the stress. Now that he thought about it, he realized that the weight on his body didn''te because of an invisible power that pushed down on him or because gravity became stronger, but instead because his mind was affected, making him stressed and feel as if his body became heavier and heavier!


    It was quite a hard andplicated feeling, but the key here was to calm himself down, soothe his breathing out, and concentrate on his body and feelings.


    It seemed he had to remain calm and steady both in mind and heart like an eternal mountain that nobody could disturb no matter what!


    Taking one step after another, Khal watched as the mountain''s peak came closer and closer, while the pain and weight on his body became less and less!


    Every time he took a step, an invisible sensation arose inside his chest almost making him go insane and stressed, but every time that would have happened he forcefully resisted and calmed himself down.


    His expression after 100 steps was so solid and calm, that not only no emotions could be seen on his face, but it was almost like he had no soul at all! Hisplexion seemed serene yet scary at the same time, just like an ancient mountain that seemed peaceful from the outside but once on it, lurking danger could be found in its every nook!


    "So strange... I can literally feel myself getting more and more emotionless." thought Khal, but found out with greater surprise that even his thoughts seemed monotone, almost as if he was a robot without any type of feelings!


    "So this means I was only half right at the beginning. This Essence Path should be about my emotions and how to control them? How to remain calm in any type of situation, right?"


    And exactly as this thought appeared inside his mind, even before he could have taken a single step further, a blinding light suddenly enveloped his body, turning his vision white!


    Meanwhile, back in the Arena, everyone watched as Khal was staring nkly at the ground below his feet, almost as if he fell unconscious!


    "Did he fall asleep? In the middle of a battle?" asked Jane, seemingly shocked and stupified by the sudden thought.


    "That would be ridiculous! Falling asleep while he is about to lose? Not even the most idiot Cultivator in this world would do such a shameless thing!"ughed Raffin as he felt the question was funny, but unfortunately his eyes told otherwise.


    "Something must have happened," mumbled Scarlett quietly.


    Doubtful whispers and guessings started to sound around the Arena, everyone trying to figure out why Khal was not moving even after several seconds! Hell, he didn''t even blink even once yet, almost like he forgot how to do it!


    "Do you think he is okay?" asked Liza, finding it also confusing Khal''s abrupt change of behavior.


    However, Nate could not answer her question in time, as suddenly blinding light broke out from the tform, its source seemingly Khal''s left hand!


    "What is happening now?" several people screamed up with surprise, covering their faces as the light was almost blinding.


    However, there were those few that didn''t close their eyes and just simply stared at Khal like some kind of strange phenomenon that shouldn''t have urred.


    "This... How is this even possible!" all the teachers, including Jas watched the sight with dumbfounded gazes, none of them believing what they were seeing!


    "He opened his first Essence Path? He didn''t even reach the peak of his Stage yet he unsealed his first gate!? How could this even be?" Scarlett on the side appeared to be rmed, hardly believing this could be possible.


    Everyone knew that one could only start to unlock their Essence Path once they reached the Peak Phase of the Fifth Cultivation Stage! There were no shortcuts nor cheating as that was a principle that no one could defy!


    Yet, right before her and everyone''s eyes, Khal not only did overturn this golden rule, but even proved it was wrong! It seemed one could truly open their sealed Essence Path way before the Peak Phase, but as to how or by what means, it was a mystery!


    BAM!


    A secondter, a huge burst together with a powerful shockwave came from below the tform before everything turned silent.


    ''...''


    People began to open their eyes slowly once the glow vanished, but the sight they saw made all of their mouths gaping while their eyes opening extra wide!


    Drip... Drip... Drip...


    In the silent hall, where even a single pin''s drop could have been heard as clearly and loudly as thunder, every Cultivator watched with a stupifiedplexion as Andre''s figure was buried into the wall on the side, his mouth, nose, and ear bleeding, unknown if his life was in danger or not.


    ''...''


    Everyone took a huge swallow in their nervousness and nced at Khal, who still stood motionless in one ce, his expression as solid as rock and as cold as ice; currently, his face and eyes held no types of emotions to the point that it was terrifying!


    It was like he was apletely different person, erasing the original Khalpletely!


    "This is bad news, it seems he was affected by his unsealed Path!" said Jane, her voice now holding deep gravity and worry.


    Her statement immediately made all that heard knew what that meant, hence their faces stiffened while their mood turned deadly serious.


    Even Logan who stood on the sides all this time seemed to understand what happened and that is why he began to walk toward Khal, but who would have guessed that just as he did, Khal moved and appeared before him, his weapon ready to strike him from the side!


    "Not good!" shouted Scarlett, but soon an even greater sight emerged.


    With a movement skill that seemed faster than a sh, Logan grabbed Khal''s head firmly and with a powerful swing mmed his face right into the tform below!


    BAM!


    "Will youe back to your senses voluntarily or do you want me to p you back to reality?" asked Logan in a calm voice, his hand still pushing Khal''s head into the debris.

 Chapter 182 - Suspicious

    Warning! Tier 5 privilege is not 25 chaps but 20!!! For some reason it didn''t set onto 25 chaps but soon it will be solved!!


    ---


    Crack!


    Logan pushed Khal''s face hard into the tform, making the ground below his face to crack and turn into debris bit by bit.


    "Let... Me... Go..." with a monotone and ice-cold tone, Khal hissed at Logan, seemingly still not woken up from his trance-like state.


    "What happened? Why did Khal attack his Master so suddenly?" Liza stood up, her eyes holding confusion and a bit of worry.


    Nate on her side remained silent as he had a guess, but if he was right, then he was afraid Khal had almost zero chance to turn back to his old self!


    As everyone knew, one could only open their sealed Essence Path if they have understood their meaning. However, there was that slight chance where theyprehended the meaning so deeply that their minds get affected!


    The better case was when one only got affected by a small amount, only changing their behavior or the way they talked slightly, but in the worst scenario, they would turn into apletely new person!


    And as far as things seemed to be, thetter one happened to ur with Khal, changing his whole being maybe forever!


    ''...'' Logan seemed to see that his strike didn''t work at all thus sighed and hit a point on Khal''s shoulder that appeared to be exactly where his opened Essence Path was!


    "ARGH!" Khal yelled up with pain, almost as if somebody just pierced his heart and struggled to get out of Logan''s firm hold!


    But because Logan was way above him in Cultivation Stage, an existence who could surpass him by a single finger, Khal had no chance to escape.


    "Just wake up already!" said Logan and pped Khal firmly on his cheeks.


    SLAP!


    "!?"


    The p was so strong and loud, that the whole arena reverberated by the sharp sound, causing many Cultivators'' buttocks to tighten up as if they were the ones that just got hit and not Khal!


    ''...'' Logan looked at Khal, whose eyes were tightly shut, and raised his hand to p him again but suddenly Khal''s low and hoarse voice sounded.


    "Ouch... It... hurts for god''s sake!" mumbled Khal and as though he just woke up from a deep slumber, he opened his eyes, seemingly dizzy.


    "Huh? Wait... Why does my face hurt like hell? Damn, my nose is even bleeding! What did you do to me?" asked Khal now with a more energetic tone, seemingly oblivious to all that happened with him in the previous few moments.


    Once Khal came back to his senses and no longer acted like an emotionless maniac, Logan smiled and stood up, "You got out of control so I had to step in."


    Khal watching Logan''s extended arm seemed to be confused, but still epted his help.


    After being on his feet, Khal looked around only to see as everyone looked at him with a scared or either a shocked expression, almost as if he was a ghost!


    "What happened? Where is Andre?" questioned Khal, but soon noticed Andre''s figure deeply buried in the wall and hisplexion changed.


    Logan seeing this nced at Andre and said, "You have no reason to worry, he is still alive. You just simply broke a few of his bones inside his body, but still..."


    Logan looked at Khal, and after pondering for a while he said quietly, "You have quite a tremendous amount of Body Essence. If it weren''t for me stepping in just in time, I''m pretty sure you would have sted a hole into his chest."


    ''...''


    Khal stared at the unconscious Andre in the distance and wanted to say something when suddenly Jas figure appeared on his side out of thin air.


    "The winner is Khal, you all can leave now." with a calm tone of voice, Jas looked at every Cultivator on the spectator seats and waved his hand, causing everyone to vanish into thin air.


    "?" Khal stared at this scene with a dumbfounded expression while Jas on his side asked, "How are you feeling?"


    "Huh?" Khal seemingly surprised by Jas'' serious behavior, thought for a while and nodded, "Yeah, kind of. Except for this numb feeling in my should... Eh?"


    "What?" asked Jas with a frown.


    "I... Why is it sealed?" mumbled Khal as he felt that the Essence Path was sealed again, no sign that it was opened a few moments ago at all!


    Logan understood his confusion thus began to exin slowly, "I sealed your opened Essence Path before things could have truly get out of control, but you do not need to worry. Once you reach the Peak Phase of your current Stage, you can safely attempt to open it again."


    "Huh? You sealed what?" asked Khal, his eyes wide open.


    Logan wanted to exin him in greater detail, but even before he could have had the chance, Jane from the side interrupted him, "How were you able to open your first gate? It ismon knowledge one can only see the Essence Paths in the body if they reach the Peak of the Fifth Cultivation Stage, yet you, who is still in the Middle Phase, seeded not only seeing it but open led one of it too! Did you use a Forbidden Art?"


    Khal noticed that a lot of teachers now stood around him, all of them staring at him with a stern gaze as if he was a murderer or something!


    Even Jas seemed to be skeptical about him, looking at him as if he just did a grave sin that no punishment can wash away!


    "What? Forbidden Art? I didn''t use such a thing! I won''t lower myself to such a degree as using Forbidden Arts! The thought alone is hurtful!" Khal turned slightly angry upon hearing what he was used of as he was way too clear about what Forbidden Arts were.


    Forbidden Arts were quite simr to Secret Arts, with the sole exception they were used to achieve things that are strictly prohibited.


    For example, Khal has already read about a few Forbidden Arts from his book, The Life and Death Gate was able to bring back the dead into life in exchange for hundred other lives!


    It was strictly banned to use, and anyone that was caught upon using such a terrifying Forbidden Art had to be beheaded on the spot!


    "You didn''t? Then how were you able to open your first gate so soon?" asked Jane, her and everyone else''s gaze filled with suspicion as they stared at Khal in silence.

 Chapter 183 - Proving Himself!

    "I..." Khal was speechless as he realized that these people around him were really serious! They were actually thinking he had used a Forbidden Art to open his Essence Path even though he didn''t!


    ''This isplete bullshit!'' cursed Khal inwardly, as he didn''t dare to say those words out aloud.


    "So? We don''t really have time to waste on you, so talk! Or, if you don''t want to answer, then that''s fine with us... But you have to bear the consequences..." said Connor, his respect toward Khal slowly vanishing from his gaze and gradually turn into pity and disdain.


    "I told you the truth! I really didn''t practice any type of Forbidden Art nor did I use any prohibited item!"


    "Words are meaningless without proof as only actions can talk the truth. Tell us how you did it and only then will we believe you, but if not..." Dorothea who was silent all this time stared daggers at Khal, her eyes even leaking slight killing intent!


    Khal, however, seeing this didn''t turn stressed nor scared but strangely calmed down and even stared right back at Dorothea; now he really was annoyed that everyone used him, but as he was no fool to think he could fight with her or even anyone else from there as they were several Stages above him, he just remained motionless!


    He just simply wanted to show he was no weak-willed individual that would get intimidated by a simple killing intent.


    "Oh?" Dorothea seemed surprised, but as she also knew Khal didn''t mean to be arrogant she just stared at him with a curious gaze.


    "Okay, I will tell you and then you will see I really didn''t use any shameless techniques." nodded Khal and looked at each teacher straight in the eyes.


    "Hmph, then do it. So far you have only talked and not acted." sneered Connor coldly.


    Khal nodded and said, "You all know I have a Sight Enhancement Talent, but that is an underestimation. My Heaven''s Eyes not only can see everything around me as clear as day, but if I wish, I can inspect my body''s interior, including my bones, muscles, my Body Essence, and Essence Path."


    "Ever since I was a Cultivator, I was able to see them the very beginning, but only now did I get the courage to attempt to open one."


    "And you think we will believe that crap?" asked Connor once again, but Khal''s following answer shocked not only him, but everyone present.


    "If you wish, I can demonstrate it to you."


    ''...''


    Everyone upon hearing that turned silent, none of them know how to react.


    Jas who was silent all this time on the side seemed to think about something and asked, "And how do you want to demonstrate it?"


    Khal turned to look at Jas and after showing a slight smile he exined, "If I am right, you all now thinking that I have used a Forbidden Art called Path Breaker, right?"


    Once Khal''s question sounded, almost all the experts present nodded while a few just simply remained nonchnt, waiting to see what Khal tried to say.


    "Well, then you should also know and understand clearly how the Path Breaker works, or at least I hope you do."


    "Obviously we know how that Forbidden Art works, you don''t need to teach us about something that we already know!" blurted out Raffin, now even him getting annoyed by Khal as he just talked instead of acting!


    However, Khal still stayed calm and nodded, "Then you should also know that it can only open sealed Essence Paths and not show all the 24 sealed paths in your body."


    Scarlett on the side suddenly realized what Khal tried to say and raised her brow, "You say you can see and detect all the Essence Paths in your body?"


    "Didn''t I say that just about a few seconds ago?" asked Khal without any type of arrogance or contempt in his tone or gaze.


    ''...''


    As everyone remained silent, Khal turned toward Jas and extended his arm, "I will prove it right now. As you know, the first few Essence Path is simr to everyone but there are ces where they differ for all people. For example the arms and legs."


    "How do you know this?" asked Connor, seemingly shocked by Khal''s knowledge.


    Not everyone knew about Forbidden Arts while even less knew about Path Breaker and how it functioned, thus it was surprising to hear Khal speak about it in such depth.


    Khal shifted his gaze at Connor and remained silent as he knew there was no good answer here while didn''t want to say he read this from the book he got from a mysterious olddy.


    If you didn''t want others to know your secret just simply stay silent, that''s how easy it was.


    However, Connor and others seeing his silence seemed to get more suspicious, but Khal didn''t care about them; soon, he will prove clearly that he didn''t use any Forbidden Art!


    "Please..." said Khal calmly and waved gently his hand toward Jas to grab it.


    Jas naturally understood what Khal tried to do, thus did as he asked and grabbed his wrist.


    Then, Jas closed his eyes and with an invisible power began to inspect Khal''s body, revealing all the Essence Paths inside his body inside his kind.


    When Khal saw this he nodded and pointed at his shoulder, the middle of his biceps, the right side of his wrist, and the back of his palm.


    However, the moment Jas saw this his eyes widened slightly open by shock, and looked at Khal, who just stood still, waiting for him to talk.


    "You... You can really detect your Essence Paths inside your body?"


    As Jas'' shocked voice was heard, every expert around them turned stupified and stared at Khal in silence, waiting for his reply eagerly.


    "Yes. As I have told this before, my Talent allows me to do it." nodded Khal, without any hint of falsehood.


    Jas staring at Khal for several straight minutes he nodded and nced at every expert, "It seems Khal was telling the truth, he didn''t use the Path Breaker."


    "Maybe he really didn''t use the Path Breaker, but he could have used any other Forbidden Art! Not only the Path Breaker can unlock sealed Paths!"


    Jas heard Dorothea saying this, but shook his head, "You are indeed right, but he didn''t. I inspected his body in greater detail and his body is still intact; he never used any type of Forbidden Art in his entire life."


    ''...''


    Every expert hearing this turned silent, hardly believing that what Khal just told them was the truth as they have never heard about a Talent that could detect the Essence Paths in the body!

 Chapter 184 - Steel Box

    Khal just remained silent, waiting patiently to see what will happen.


    After a moment of silence, Jas sighed upon seeing all the confused stares and said, "No matter how hard you all try to think of any other possibilities, what Khal told us is the truth, no question about it."


    "But such a Talent... I have never heard about it before!" eximed Connor with shock.


    "Me neither.", nodded Jas and proceeded on saying, "But because more and more Talents are appearing on this world, it is not impossible for a Talent such as Khal''s to appear, right?"


    Connor hearing this shut his mouth and after pondering for a while nodded; he knew that what Jas said was right, no question about it.


    "Well, now that this question had been solved, you can go," said Jas to Khal on his side.


    "And what about Andre?" questioned Khal, seemingly worried by Andre who was still buried inside the Arena''s wall.


    "Oh, him? He is a strong individual, he will be perfectly fine. I will take care of him personally." replied Raffin to Khal and walked toward Andre.


    Khal watching as Raffin dragged Andre''s body out of the debris without any sign of mercy, he frowned slightly but didn''t say anything.


    Instead, he bowed at each and every teacher around him, and walked away.


    Sometimeter, when he was outside the building, Khal could finally take a mouthful of fresh air and sigh with relief.


    ''That was tiring as hell!'' thought Khal, but soon noticed several figures walking toward him from the side thus smiled and waved his hand.


    "You guys have waited for me?" Khal smiled widely once Liza, Nate, Merlyn, Marx, and Asur stood before him, all looking at him in silence.


    Noticing their strange behavior, Khal frowned, "What?"


    Liza''s slender and delicate brows twitched and said, "That is exactly what we should ask from you. What happened to you? Why did you attack your Master? You acted like someone without any rational thinking!"


    "Oh... About that..." Khal smiled wryly and exined to his friends what happened.


    Once he reached the end of his story he shrugged and said, "And this is what happened. But luckily nothing dire happened and I am safe and sound, right?"


    Nate watching as Khal smiled widely didn''t know whether tough or cry as it seemed Khal had no clue at all what could have happened with him.


    ''This guy... He either doesn''t care about the consequences or is simply blind bold.''


    After talking for a bit more, suddenly Marx stepped a little forth and asked, "Little Junior, do you wish to hunt for Beasts? We were about to go, but because we were notified about your battle we decided to wait and ask you afterward."


    Khal nced at Marx and after pondering for a while nodded and looked at Liza and Nate before asking, "What about you guys, do you wanna join?"


    "I''m sorry but I will pass it this time. I have a few things to do." shook his head Nate and after waving a goodbye he walked away.


    "And you?" asked Khal from Liza.


    "I fear I have to decline your offer too, I must attend for practice with my Master as I still haven''t perfected my new technique."


    "That''s okay, then next time." smiled Khal and after chatting for a bit more with Liza he set off with Marx and the other to hunt for Beasts.


    The day went by in a sh, and after hunting for Beasts in several ces such as the Shadow Woods, Moon Mountain, and even on the outskirts far away for wild Beasts, Khal went back to de Mountain.


    "I was able to increase my units to 1335, but I could have pushed it higher if I would have been all alone," said Khal to himself, and after crossing his legs on the ground began to consume Essence Particles.


    -


    -


    -


    The next morning arrived quick, and after consuming 17 Essence Particles in one single night, Khal stood up and went to the cksmithing Department.


    "You kid finally arrived! I thought you would nevere!" Bazz grinned at Khal, a piece of chuck already prepared for Khal to forge.


    Khal saw this and could smile slightly, knowing he won''t have a great time today either.


    Picking up the hammer and starting to forge the piece of metal that seemed to be an ordinary alloy, Khal concentrated and gave his best to see and show just how much he has improved.


    After several hours of straight hell, Khal stroke his metal for onest time and put his hammer down.


    "Done... I did quite well..." mumbled Khal as he looked at the perfectly square piece of ck metal, that was tempered to perfection.


    Even though he didn''t use any type of technique or skill, it seemed he had done well.


    Bazz who stood on the side and examined Khal''s every move until this moment now walked closer and picked the metal up.


    Inspecting it with narrowed eyes, Khal could hear only hummed sounds from Bazz, unknown what he was thinking. Only after several silent minutester did he put the iron back where it was and turn around, seemingly looking for something.


    "Did... Did I made a mistake?" Khal seemed to be worried as he has never seen Bazz so quiet and serious, thus felt maybe he really done a mistake he didn''t notice.


    However, no matter if he asked that question or either another, Bazz didn''t answer him, not after he took out a box from below the desk and put it before Khal.


    The box was small, almost a foot big in both width, height, and length. It was made out of ck steel, while several strange carvings he never saw before were carved on its surface.


    Khal seemed to be confused upon seeing the box and nced at Bazz, but he just simply stared back at him without any intention of speaking.


    ''So you want me to open this?'' thought Khal to himself and even though he was confused he proceeded to open it.


    However, the moment he opened the lid of the box, Khal''s brows lowered into a frown and nced back up at Bazz.


    "What is this?"

 Chapter 185 - Star Token

    Bazz just smiled and took out the item from the box, that was no bigger than a human palm.


    "This is called the Star Token, an item that qualifies you to participate in the uing Star Forging Competition!"


    "Star Forging Competition?" Khal appeared confused and couldn''t help ask the question out aloud.


    Bazz nodded and handed the token that had the shape of a star with a silver color while talking, "It is a well-knownpetition among all cksmiths on the Southern Continents which is held every single year!"


    "And that Star Token will allow you to partake in the Beginners Event the next week in Heaven City!"


    When Khal heard the city''s name he almost choked on his own saliva as that was exactly where Se was! Just the thought alone he could meet with that crazy girl again made Khal feel a slight shiver sweep through his body.


    "Beginners Event? Then it seems there will be other Events too, right?" asked Khal as he took away the Star Token.


    "Yes," nodded Bazz and then said, "The wholepetition will be divided into four major events such as Beginners, Advanced, Professional, and Mastery Events. The Beginners Event is for rookies such as yourself, while the Mastery Event is only for those that strive to obtain their 9th Golden Star, earning the title of Star Forger!"


    "And so far how many individuals were able to obtain that title?" asked Khal, his interest piqued abruptly.


    Bazz hearing the question began to ponder and after counting on his finger he raised his right hand, showing the number of 3.


    "What? Only three?"


    "Yes, and out of the three, 1 is already dead, 1 is unknown if alive or not while the third is already in the Third Realm," replied Bazz, shocking Khal deeply.


    "Wait, then currently the best cksmith only has..." asked Khal and Bazz continued, "7 Golden Star."


    "7? There is no one with 8?"


    "There is none. In case, obtaining your 8th Golden Star is way harder than getting your 9th as the requirements for it are harsher too." sighed Bazz helplessly, as if he just thought about a faraway dream of his.


    Khal naturally noticed this and his eyes immediately shed with interest thus asked, "Master, if I can, how many stars do you have?"


    Bazz kind of expected this question, hence pushed his chest out with pride and said, "5! Out of the many cksmiths in this world, only less than 100 have 5 Golden Star so I am pretty proud about it."


    "Less than 100? Including the remaining 3 continents too?"


    "Yep!" nodded Bazz and then said, "And that is why I told you I will definitely make an exceptional forger out of you! Maybe you won''t obtain your 9th Golden Star, but I am pretty sure with your talent 7 Golden Stars won''t be a dream at all!"


    Khal was seemingly surprised by how confident Bazz was about his future and even kind of felt touched, as he was the first-ever to tell him such a thing right before him without any type of lying!


    Bazz noticed the change in Khal''s gaze andplexion but just merelyughed and said, "Haha, don''t get so emotional now, that is the truth! You have talent kid, way bigger than you think and that is why..."


    BAM!


    Taking out a huge piece of metal that was even bigger than the Oak Iron and putting it onto the table only to make Khal''splexion stiffen, Bazz grinned and said, "Until the start of thepetition, you will practice day and night without rest!"


    "So try and don''t die at me, okay?"


    -


    -


    -


    Days passed in a blink, or at least for everyone except for Khal, and after an entire week of straight hell, Bazz patted Khal on the shoulder and said, "Go and sleep well, tomorrow we will leave. As for Jas or the others, you don''t need to worry as I have already informed them."


    Khal who was sitting on a chair with thick sweat drops flowing down his forehead nodded and stood up, his whole body trembling every time he took a step forward.


    When Bazz saw this he couldn''t help but grin wider, recalling the previous days as Khal gave his best to improve his skills.


    Once on the street, Khal was about to go back to de Mountain, but to his great surprise suddenly Alde appeared on his side, halting his movementspletely.


    "I heard you willpete in the uing Star Forging Competition and as I can see you practiced for it real hard. Good job!" smiled Alde, ignoring the fact that Khal was struggling to remain on his feet.


    Khal nced at Alde and after pondering for a while, forced a smile and said, "You are just as kind as ever, but who told you this?"


    "Huh? What do you mean who? Everyone was informed about this a week ago through our badge. The only reason Ie to find you now was that you were inside the cksmith Department for 7 straight days without stepping a single foot out!" said Alde, surprised by Khal''s abrupt question.


    ''...'' Khal remained silent as he didn''t want to tell the reason why, so instead he just sighed and waved his hand.


    "I see, so that''s how it is..." mumbled Khal and took out his key, ready to go back to de Mountain.


    "Where are you going? I was about to invite you fo-"


    "Sorry, I''m going to sleep now... I didn''t have a proper rest for a week so next time." waved Khal his hand and vanished into the space crack, leaving the stupified Alde behind all alone.


    Once inside his cave, Khal closed his eyes and without any care in the world fell forward, even hitting his head powerfully right into the ground.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside this area where everything was gray with a mixture of silver, Khal stood up and looked around.


    "I''m back here again? Now that I think about it, how can I even get into this ce." thought Khal as he watched he was again inside this so call Soul Prison.


    [Both your mind and biological body must be on or below the critical level, so your Soul will be transported here to help faster recovery.]


    As the voice sounded inside his head Khal seemed a bit surprised as he didn''t expect an answer, but soon realized from now on this will be the norm, thanks to him feeding his bracelet with his Body Essence from time to time.


    "You are back." from behind him Khal heard a familiar voice so turned around and nced at Neo, who sat in a lotus position, seemingly calm.

 Chapter 186 - Nova

    Khal nced at Neo and stayed silent.


    However, exactly because of this, Neo seemed to understand Khal thus sighed and asked, "So it failed..."


    "Yeah..." nodded Khal and began to exin the events in detail.


    After talking for almost half an hour straight, Khal sighed helplessly, "And this all... His Talent is simply a cheat code and no matter how hard I try to think, I can''te up with a solution to kill him."


    ''...'' Neo stayed silent and gradually his brows lowered into a tight frown, seemingly troubled too as what Khal just told him was truly a problematic situation to solve.


    "At first sight, I would say he is unkible too, but..." raising his gaze at Khal, Neo pondered for a while then said, "If I think about it more, it seems pretty obvious where his original body is."


    "Huh? How?" asked Khal, feeling a bit lost.


    "You told me when you killed him, he brought numerous Cultivators that were on the Sixth Stage from his family, right? How fast did they arrive at Moon Mountain after his death?"


    "About 5 or 10 minutes after he died but I didn''t really care about it so I don''t know. But why..." started to say Khal, soon realizing something.


    "Yes, exactly what you think." nodded Neo and raised a finger, "Alde seems to hide his real body neither in Moon City nor in his Ourvi House cause both of them are far away from Moon Mountain. Except if they used teleportation, they should have reached you a bit more than 20 minutes at full speed."


    "Yeah, now that you say it, even with my Secret Art I need at least 20 minutes," mumbled Khal and soon his eyes brightened.


    "Then this means..." Khal and nced at Neo, who smiled and nodded, "That his main body is somewhere in Shadow Woods!"


    When Khal heard this he realized that all this time he just talked with a duplicate with Alde while his real self was hiding somewhere deep inside Shadow Woods.


    "Then this also shows that his ability has limits as his duplicates can''t go far away from his real body. This is good news."


    Neo agreed with Khal and asked, "Do you think you can find him in Shadow Woods?"


    "Yeah, now that I know where to search for his real body, I won''t have a problem. The only question that remains now is how I will find all his duplicates and kill them at the same time." pondered Khal to himself.


    "About that matter, it is quite easy," Neo said to him.


    "Huh? How so?"


    "When I was little, I heard gossips from my parents about an extremely powerful Secret Art that can be used only with a Sight Enhancement Talent so with your Talent it will be a perfect match. Rumors said with that Secret Art one could observe anything and everything in a hundred miles!"


    "What is the name and Level of this Art?" asked Khal without hesitation with his interest piqued.


    "If I can remember right it is called the Creator''s Gaze from the Cultivator Level. As far as I know, so far only one person was able to master it and that individual has already reached the Third Realm, so..."


    Khal understood what Neo tried to say hence nodded, "I will make sure to search for this Art, thanks."


    "Don''t even mention, instead tell me, did you find anything how I could get out of here?"


    "Well, about that not, but I happened to find something rather interesting."


    Then Khal proceeded on telling Neo his ''idental'' encounter with the olddy that was quite intrigued by his bracelet.


    Once he reached the end of the story, Khal touched his chin and said with a wondering tone, "She seemed rather familiar with the bracelet as she even asked where I got it, so maybe she can be associated with the old man who gave it to you."


    Neo remained silent and after pondering for straight minutes in silence nodded and looked up at Khal, "Maybe you are right. Do you have any clue where she could be now?"


    "I don''t, but even if I would, I wouldn''t even bother to find her. She was way stronger than anyone on the Ninth Stage! I could even consider myself lucky that I am alive!"


    Neo seemed to realize Khal was right thus nodded and wanted to say something, but s, before he could have started his dialogue a voice sounded in the surroundings.


    [Recoverypleted!]


    [Pulling ''Owner'' out of ''Soul Prison''!]


    And just like that, without any chance for Khal to say a thing Khal was teleported away, leaving Neo all alone once again.


    "Sigh... And here we go again..."


    -


    -


    -


    Back in de Mountain, Khal''s figure was gently lying face down on the rigid and cold ground, his body motionless as if he was dead.


    After a while, suddenly his fingers began to twitch together with his feet, and soon his eyes tightened before they gradually opened wide.


    "That was somewhat fast," mumbled Khal, feeling his body still numb from the week straight of forging.


    [As only your mental state and your biological body got exhausted and not your Body Essence, recovery was faster also.]


    "I see..." Khal nodded, nowpletely used to the friendly and calm voice that reced the monotone and robotic voice inside his head.


    "Anyway, I forgot to ask this before but who or what are you?" Khal wanted to ask this question a long time ago and now that he finally had time he asked it.


    [I am incapable to answer that question yet.]


    "Yet... Then it seems you will be able to once in the future when I provided you enough Body Essence, that''s good to hear."


    After pondering for a while, Khal''s brow raised and asked, "And even though you don''t know what you are, do you have a name, nickname, or ID?"


    [No, I have none.]


    "Then do you want one? Let me give you one!" said Khal and hearing no objection began to think.


    As far he knew and saw, every time he feeds his bracelet with Essence its voice would turn more and more feminine, thus he must think about a girlish name.


    "How about... Ekko? Like the echo of the sound."


    [That would be a terrible choice.]


    "Then Jinkal?"


    [Even worse.]


    "Casey?"


    [That is a masculine name.]


    "Timbre?"


    [I start to feel sorry for you future kids...]


    ''...'' Khal hearing this felt his mouth twitch slightly but swallowed back the words he wanted to say and instead began to ponder more.


    Only after several minutester did he raise a brow and ask, "Then what do you think about Nova? It means ''new and ever-increasing light'', just the star!"


    [...]


    Khal waited in nervous silence, hoping the voice will like it.


    And to his great surprise, she indeed liked it!


    [From this day on, my name is Nova!]

 Chapter 187 - Heaven City

    Khal seemed happy that Nova liked her name thus nodded and closed his eyes before he began to consume Essence Particles from the air.


    Hourster, Khal opened his eyes and stood up.


    "21... Under a single night, I only consumed 21 Essence." mumbled Khal and sighed, "It seems de Mountain is no longer beneficial for me."


    After saying that, Khal opened the space crack and left de Mountain to find Jane.


    But to his surprise, he didn''t have to search for too long as Jane had already waited for him exactly a few meters away from him once he left de Mountain.


    "Here, she has recoveredpletely without any aftereffects. She is perfectly fine as a newborn."


    "Screech!"


    Rubie who was standing atop Jane''s shoulder all this time noticed Khal and cried out with happiness and fluttered her wings before flying toward Khal as if she saw him again after years!


    "Haha!" Khalughed as he watched Rubie''s joyous expression and behavior, and turned to look at Jane, "Thank you very much. I will definitely repay your kindness in the future!"


    Jane looked at Khal''s bowing figure and just waved her hand, "No need for that. I just did what I had to as you are a disciple of Moon Academy and also..."


    Khal raised his head as he noticed Jane''s abrupt silence, but when he did, the only thing he saw was Jane simply shaking his head before turning around.


    "Just make sure you don''t do anything reckless."


    Swish!


    With a gentle breeze, Jane''s figure vanished into thin air leaving Khal behind with Rubie still rubbing her head against his cheeks merrily.


    Khal seeing this pondered for a while, but soon just shrugged and looked at Rubie.


    "We still have a bit of time, so what do you think? Should we go hunt for a bit?"


    "Screech!" Rubie seemed to agree with Khal''s idea thus fluttered her wings and cried out in a low but sharp voice.


    -


    -


    -


    Time passed quickly, and after hunting low Stage Beasts in Shadow Woods and letting Rubie consume their Essence, Khal walked back to the cksmith Department where Bazz was already waiting for him.


    "Ready?"


    "Yeah, let''s go." nodded Khal and watched as Bazz grabbed his shoulder, and the next second the scenery around him changed.


    "Master can also use teleportation techniques?" asked Khal, seemingly surprised by Bazz''s power.


    "What? Of course, I can! Even though I have a profession as a cksmith I am still a Cultivator! In truth, I am already on the Seventh Cultivation Stage, so using simple teleportation Secret Arts is not hard at all." eximed Bazz a bit angrily, as if he felt hurt by Khal''s question.


    ''...'' Khal simply remained silent and nodded before turning his gaze at the sight before him that was simr to the one he saw before the Thousand Life Tournament.


    "Wee to Heaven City, the second most renowned city out of all on the Southern Continent!" said Bazz with a grin, and after breathing in a handful of air through his nostrils, he nodded, "Yeah, the air here is definitely better than in Moon City!"


    After walking through the city gate Bazz led them toward a huge building, somewhere in the center of Heaven City.


    "Esteemed Guests, wee to the Star Mansion! May I see your Star Tokens?"


    A beautiful woman in an extremely attractive dress that could make any men drool their saliva by a single nce stood in the entrance, her delicate eyes staring at Khal and Bazz patiently.


    Khal took out his Star Token and handed over the woman, but found out with shock that Bazz did the same, but with a token that was made out of gold!


    Inspecting both tokens before giving them back to the two, the woman smiled and gestured toward the door, "Please enjoy your stay and if you have any questions or problems ask the staff or the judges inside without hesitation."


    After putting the Star Token away, Bazz and Khal entered the building that opened right into an enormous hall that didn''t pale inparison to the one inside Resort of Paradise!


    Red carpet on the ground, curved staircases on both sides that led the way to the second floor, hundreds of portraits and statues on and before the walls with golden chandeliers hanging from the ceiling with lit candles on them.


    The whole ce was the real definition of luxurious and noble, almost making Khal feel ashamed that he was standing inside there without any status!


    However, the most eye-catching sight was in the distance, about 100 meters from them. There, what Khal was able to see were 4 doors, each made out of different materials with a beautiful and huge star engraved in their middle.


    "The silver-colored door will be yours. Once you enter you will be teleported into another hall where you will meet other participants and the judge that is in charge of the event," exined Bazz in a calm voice.


    Khal nodded and nced at the golden door between the sapphire and diamond doors, and asked, "When thepetition ended, where should I wait for Master?"


    "Just stay outside of this building and wait for me. Because Professional Eventsst longer than Beginners Event, I think you will have to wait for a few days before we can go back to Moon City."


    Khal kind of anticipated this answer thus nodded and after asking a few more questions walked to the silver door and raised his Star Token.


    Right after he did, the door together with the token lit up with a silver light, and soon found himself standing in apletely different hall.


    "So this is where I will participate, huh?" asked Khal himself and watched the hundreds of sections, each representing a smithery.


    After standing still and inspecting his surroundings, Khal moved and walked to a free section which was still free without any participant standing on it.


    There, he waited patiently in silence for thepetition to start, but soon his face stiffened as he noticed a figure in the distance about 20 sections away from him.


    "Why the hell is she here!?" Khal''s eyes widened as she watched Se in the distance who was examining the items in her section.


    "Let''s just hope she won''t see me." thought Khal, but as if heavens loved to y a trick on him, it was exactly then she turned around, staring straight at him.


    "Fuck..." Khal cursed inwardly, but it was already toote to hide. Instead, he averted his gaze and acted like he didn''t see her, examining a hammer that just happened to be on his side.


    ''He is here too?'' Se seemed to be shocked to see Khal in thispetition, but soon her eyes shed with hatred before a cold smile appeared on her face.


    ''Just wait and see. This time I show you just how superior I am to you!'' with that in her mind Se turned back around, this time her eyes burning with fire and the spirit ofpeting!


    Sometimeter, when almost every section had been taken, an old man in a white robe appeared in the distance atop a tform, his sharp gaze inspecting all participants before him.


    After a while, he nodded and cleared his throat before he began to speak, "Wee everyone, my name is Elder Sige and I will be your judge in this year''s Beginners Event. Now that you know who I am, let me introduce you to the rules real quick."

 Chapter 188 - Free Choice

    Once Elder Sige stopped speaking, a hologram appeared before everybody, several lines of text visible on them.


    "As you can see, the rules are quite simple and easy to understand. You will have 24 hours to forge any material you wish to the best of your ability, using only the tools avable to you in your section. Any type of item or object that was not the section''s part originally will mean disqualification immediately."


    After exining the rules briefly, Elder Sige waved his hand once again, and another hologram appeared before everyone, this time with several materials visible on them from Low-Quality ones to High-quality ones.


    There were even a few Supreme-Quality ones, but as they were extremely hard to forge it was hardly possible anyone will choose them.


    "Your time will start once you have chosen your metal, but until then, you will have 15 minutes to prepare. Any questions?"


    As soon as Elder Sige asked that, a hand was raised high into the air.


    "Yes? What do you want to know?" asked Elder Sige as he nced at the owner of the hand, who appeared to be a handsome young man with a red bird simr to a hawk on his shoulder.


    "If I choose a material but I find it too hard to forge, can I rece it with another metal?" Khal asked the question, seemingly not worried by the hundreds of gazes on his skin.


    "What? Is he a fool or what?! What does he think, where is he?" sneered Se inwardly, finding Khal''s question incredibly stupid and naive.


    Elder Sige too raised his brow upon that question but surprisingly, after touching his chin and pondering for a while he nodded, stunning many in the hall.


    "Your question is indeed a good one." eximed Elder Sige with a calm voice and then said, "Yes, you can change your material as much as you wish under the 24 hours, but if you do, your final score will change drastically at the end of thepetition, so if I were you, I would choose wisely."


    "I see. Thank you Respected Elder!" bowed Khal, showing his respect without any hint of arrogance.


    Although Elder Sige seemed stunned by Khal''s polite behavior he just waved his hand and said, "Any more questions?"


    However, except Khal, no one else had a question thus Elder Sige nodded and crossed his arms behind his back.


    "Therefore, the Beginners Event right at this moment shall begin!"


    Swish!


    Right as his voice fell, every Cultivator started to look through the list of materials, including Khal too.


    "Hmm... Which one should I choose? I am quite familiar with all of them, but without my Creation Mode, I can''t forge them no matter what. Maybe I can struggle and temper a few Low-Quality ones, but I''m pretty sure they won''t be enough for me to pass."


    Khal seemed to be in trouble but soon just shrugged and thought, "Well, whatever... I will just use my Creation Mode as that is why I have it in the first ce, right? To use it in these types of situations!"


    With that, Khal wanted to choose a High-Quality material and start forging, but s, a better idea appeared inside his head, freezing his fingers right above the hologram.


    "Wait a minute... With my Creation Mode, I can pull out any material''s Soul Essence, then why don''t I try and forge a Supreme-Quality material? I should get more scores with that, right?" said Khal to himself and soon choose the ''only Supreme-Quality materials'' option.


    Swish!


    In a blink, several materials appeared on the hologram, each having an amazing appearance that he never saw among High-Quality materials!


    "Toxic Mist, Storm steel of Death, Subis Steel... What the hell are this stuff? Even though their appearance seems harmless their names tell otherwise!" mumbled Khal with shock, but who would have thought that this statement of his would be heard by Elder Sige, who stood several sections away from him!


    "What did that boy just say? Is he trying to forge a Supreme-Quality metal? For real?" asked himself Elder Sige as he shifted his gaze at Khal in the distance.


    While oblivious that he was being watched, Khal nced at metal and his eyes immediately lit up, "This one will be it then!"


    Swish!


    "Huh? That one? Is he for real!?" screamed Elder Sige inwardly, hardly believing what Khal just chose to forge.


    "That''s one of the most difficult metals to forge, ming Sun Steel! Not only is it exceptionally tough, but it glows with an almost blinding light while also emitting intense heat that could melt hammers in seconds during the forging process! Not even a cksmith with 5 stars would dare to forge that piece of metal!"


    Se and several others seemed to notice Elder Sige''s change of behavior thus turned around to see what he was watching so intently, but when they did, all of their jaws came loose!


    "Is he for real? Forging a Supreme-Quality metal? Just who is he?"


    "He must have gone insane. Didn''t he listen when Elder Sige said choose wisely? Yet this fool went and chose a High-Quality material..."


    "He dug his own hole! Haha, what a clown! Don''t bite off more than you can chew, fool! "


    Several Cultivators appeared to enjoy Khal''s ''stupid'' choice, including Se too.


    "Hmph! He truly has no brain at all!" sneered Se coldly in her heart, and without caring about Khal any further, proceeded on minding her own business.


    Khal on the other hand just simply ignored the shocked and ridiculed gazes on his body and activated his Creation Mode.


    Swish!


    Right after, several holograms that only he was capable of seeing appeared in his sight, helping him start forging.


    However, when he saw this piece of metal did not need to be brought to the firece but had to be forged right from the start, Khal seemed confused but still picked the hammer up and started forging.


    "Wait... What?" when Elder Sige noticed this he turned speechless as it seemed Khal knew exactly how to forge the ming Sun Steel!


    ''Did he forge that material before?'' thought Elder Sige himself, but soon shook his head, ''No, that can''t be. He is still 17 years old, he must have only forged High-Quality metals at most. There is no way he worked with Supreme-Quality materials before!''


    But no matter how he looked at it, Khal truly seemed to be familiar with the ming Sun Steel as he forged in an extremely professional manner.


    ''Just where did he learn to forge such a hard metal?'' thought Elder Sige, trying to figure out Khal''s origin.

 Chapter 189 - Dangerous Attempt!

    ng!


    ng!


    ??


    ng!


    The sharp noises filled the entirety of the hall, showing just how determined everyone present was to pass the Beginners Event and obtain their first-ever Golden Star in their lives to be an official cksmith!


    Some were forging Middle-Quality steels with great enthusiasm while some tried their best to refine and temper High-Quality materials as if their lives were on the line!


    Only a single young man was bold enough to choose a Supreme-Quality material on his firstpetition even though he never in his life touched much less forged such hard steel.


    But who would have guessed that this boy didn''t have to forge Supreme-Quality materials as he had a power, a cheat code to help him forge it without a problem!


    ng!


    As the strong pitch reverberated in the surroundings, Khal watched as ming Sun Steel slowly began to glow, while the heat around him started to increase with each of his strikes!


    "Amazing! To think such steel can truly exist... I can''t wait to see what it will be once I pull its Soul Essence out!" thought Khal to himself, and after letting the force inside him take full control over his body, he proceeded to hit the chunk of metal with greater power!


    On the other hand, Elder Sige didn''t seem to be happy, but instead became dumbfounded, his jaw already dropped to the ground because of pure shock!


    ''Just who the hell is he? He is forging that steel for more than 15 minutes now, yet he has made no mistakes at all! Not even once!!''


    Elder Sige recollected his thoughts after a moment of silence and straightened his back, ''I should not judge so quickly. Even though his performance so far is outstanding, forging the ming Sun Steel is not that easy especially if the one doing it was a newbie. Just let me see how far you can go!''


    Under Elder Sige prying and calm gaze Khal proceeded on forging the ming Sun Steel, and after 1 hour of straight arms swinging and hammer striking, the heat increased so much that Rubie had to fly into the distance while Khal had to resist the urge to stop right there and then.


    ''Hell, this is almost like being inside a sauna! No, it''s even hotter than that!'' thought Khal inwardly, his body below his robe already soaked in sweat almost as if he just took a quick bath!


    ''Let''s just hope I can finish this quickly or else I will definitely be scorched alive!''


    Swish!


    After swinging his hammer a few more times, Khal watched as several red dots appeared on the piece of metal''s surface while 8 Soul Threads appeared below its gleaming texture.


    "8? That''s the most I have seen so far," eximed Khal with shock, amazed to see 8 Soul Threads inside a single chunk of metal even though he knew the average amount was 3!


    Though maybe he was truly shocked to see 8 Soul Threads, he knew that until he had his Creation Mode helping him forge, he will be doing perfectly fine thus didn''t worry at all.


    Instead, he tightened his grip around the hammer''s hilt and swung his arm, striking the first red dot on the ming Sun Steel.


    CLANG!


    A metallic pitch with a mixture of a unique tone suddenly resounded inside the hall, causing many to halt whatever they were doing and turn toward Khal, including Se too.


    "This... Is he really doing Soul Thread Refining? Isn''t he just 17 years old? Where did he learn the technique from?" mumbled Elder Sige, but soon another melodic pitch appeared, but this time from somewhere else!


    "That girl... She is using Soul Thread Refining too!?" Elder Sige felt even more shocked to see that both Khal and Se, two individuals only 17 years old, were able to use the Soul Thread Refining Technique as easily as breathing air!


    ''Just wait and see... I can do just as good as you if not better!'' hissed Se inwardly, an indistinguishable me already burning inside her heart to show she was better than Khal!


    However, Khal didn''t care about Se nor about her performance as he didn''t want to get distracted by useless things such as that. Instead, he quickened his movements and continued to refine the threads inside the ming Sun Steel until he could finally start pulling its Soul Essence out!


    Sharp metallic sounds filled the entirety of the hall, pushing the ordinary metallic sounds into the background while only Khal''s and Se''s performances could be heard!


    Elder Sige watched both of them with great shock, but as more time went by he soon began to realize that... Both of them were monsters!


    One was forging a Supreme-Quality metal under intense heat while the other one moved as quick as lightning without making any mistakes even though she was doing Soul Thread Refinement.


    But, if his shock wasn''t great enough, about 4 hours after the start of their outstanding ''performance'', the moment both of their hammers hit the piece of steel at the same time, an even greater pitch together with a slight shockwave swept through the hall, shocking Elder Sige and every participant around even more!


    "Essence Burst! Those two just began to do Soul Thread Tempering!"


    Knowing what it exactly meant, Elder Sige''splexion turned serious and got ready if anything seemed to get out of control, especially in the case of Khal as he was forging an extremely difficult and dangerous metal!


    Rumors say that a ming Sun Steel''s Essence Burst was so fast and powerful that it could demolish city''s and melt everything into a boiling mess under seconds in a proximity of 10 miles!


    If it was forged improperly, not only could it cause the piece of metal to bepletely useless, losing all of its previous value as a Supreme-Quality material wholly, but it could also kill hundreds if not thousands of lives in a blink!


    ''At least he is just performing Soul Thread Tempering, so at the very most, only this hall will be affected if he fails.'' thought Elder Sige calmly, but even after he attempted tofort himself, he still felt a bit anxious.


    Just who would have guessed that there will be someone crazy enough to forge a Supreme-Quality material in the Beginners Event, and a ming Sun Steel on top of that!


    No one obviously!


    And while Elder Sige watched Khal''s every movement with a sharp gaze, ready to jump in and help him if he seemed to make a mistake, inside Khal''s head Nova''s voice sounded, bringing joy to Khal.


    [Notify! ''Soul Essence'' detected!]


    [Final strikes for sess: 8]


    Immediately after that, the sight in Khal''s eyes changed, leaving only 8 red dots on the chunk of metal''s surface out of the previous hundred!


    ''...'' Khal nced at the sight with an unnoticeable smile on his face and without further ado, swung the hammer in his grasp, striking the first red dot with extreme precision and power!


    CLANG!

 Chapter 190 - Scorching Sun Steel

    CLANG!


    "!?"


    ??


    When the sharp sounded in the hall, many stopped forging and turned toward Khal with widened eyes. Even Se, who was in the middle of his Soul Thread Refining process nced behind for a split second, her eyes shaking from tremor!


    "This boy... He already began to form the Soul Essence!" Elder Sige cried inwardly, feeling his palm slightly turn sweaty from nervousness.


    Se seeing this clenched her teeth firmly together and turned back around while her eyes shed with a profound glint.


    "I won''t lose. Not this time!"


    CLANG!


    "HUH?" Elder Sige couldn''t help but exim out loud with shock as another sharp and metallic pitch sounded, but this time from another section!


    "Both of them are pulling their metal''s Soul Essence out!? At the age of 17? Heavens, just how talented are they?!"


    CLANG!


    Elder Sige and almost everyone present watched as Se and Khal struck their steel, giving their material a unique aura with each strike!


    After the 4th strike, Se''s metal burst out with a powerful aura, emitting a gentle light that only those with Soul Essence could do!


    "She seeded... At such a young age, she pulled her material''s Soul Essence out..." Elder Sige felt stupefied, but it wasn''t long before another sharp pitch appeared, shifting his and Se''s gaze toward Khal.


    CLANG!


    "!?"


    Everyone stared at Khal with widened eyes and loosed jaws as that was his 5th strike yet the Soul Essence was still not formed!


    CLANG!


    "Heavens... Wasn''t that his sixth strike already?"


    CLANG!


    "That''s... The seventh..."


    And just as those words left his mouth, Khal raised his hammer for onest time and struck the glowing metal, sending a powerful ripple everywhere!


    BAM!


    In a blink, blinding light erupted from the ming Sun Steel, while the anvil below it started to show signs of melting! Even the hammer inside Khal''s grasp started to melt a bit, that''s just how ridiculously hot the steel was burning!!


    "Fuck!" Khal had to jump several meters back from the steel as his robe showed signs of turning into ash while his skin felt a little bit burnt!


    "He..." Elder Sige wanted to say something but realized he was incapable of saying a word. Khal''s and Se''s performance just now pped him so hard in the fact that he turned speechless.


    [Notify! ''Soul Essence'' sessfully created!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    [Warning! Forming ''Power Core'' is improbable!]


    [Please ce a ''Core'' into the ''Scorching Sun Steel'' first!]


    Khal listened to Nova''s voice in his head and couldn''t help but form a satisfied smile.


    Elder Sige stared at Khal for a long time before clearing his throat and teleporting both him and Se before him onto the tform.


    Many participants there were shocked to see this sight, but as they were yet to finish forging their material they had no choice but to continue their work.


    "Congrattions, both of you had exceeded my expectations." smiled Elder Sige and took out several Golden Stars from his spatial ring before giving 2 pieces to Se while 3 pieces to Khal.


    When Khal saw that he got 1 star more than Se he looked confused and nced up at Elder Sige.


    Elder Sige, however, kind of anticipated this gaze from Khal thus just smiled before exining everything, "As you may know, Beginners Event is only about showing your skills how you can forge, refine, and temper normal materials thus your performance could have been said was equal with those in the Advanced Event!"


    Then he continued, "asionally, one could only get 1 Golden Star in their firstpetition, on the Beginner Event, but because both of you have achieved a requirement that is a must in an Advanced Event, both of you will get more than 1 Golden Star."


    "But Respected Elder, why do I get 1 star less than him? I clearly did the same thing as him and employed the Soul Thread Tempering Technique sessfully! So why?" Se seemed angry as she couldn''t ept nor understand why Khal got 3, while she only got 2 Golden Stars!


    Elder Sige nodded as he knew it will cause a bit of confusion hence began to exin, "Your answer is indeed a good one and the answer for it is quite a simple one."


    "While you have forged a High-Quality material and formed its Soul Essence, he did the exact same thing, but with a Supreme-Quality material while the number of Soul Threads he had to forge with was twice as yours too."


    Elder Sige seeing that Se couldn''t ept this sighed and said, "Even though your talent is exceptional without question, you still chose to forge a High-Quality material, which is a level lower than his. However, exactly because of that level, which is as vast as heaven and earth, does he deserves one Golden Star more."


    ''...'' Se still seemed to say something, but no matter what she tried to think about, Elder Sige was right. If she would have forged the same quality material as Khal, then she could have won, but like this...


    "I want another try!" said Se abruptly, shocking both Khal and Elder Sige deeply.


    "You want what?" asked Elder Sige from her, thinking he just misheard Se.


    "I said, I want another try. Should I pronounce it word by word or did you understand it?"


    "!?" Khal was speechless what he heard and shifted his gaze at Elder Sige, waiting to see how he will act.


    Elder Sige seemed deeply dumbfounded by Se''s arrogant behavior too, but as he knew just what kind of background she had he just swallowed back the words he wanted to say next and smiled wryly.


    "I fear that is an impossible request that I cannot allow not because I don''t want to, but because I don''t qualify to do so. Every participant has only one try and once they finished their attempt, let it be a sessful one or a failure, they cannot try again until next year."


    ''...''


    At this moment, Se''splexion changed between several colors and emotions, thetter one especially among the malicious ones, but as she had no power over thispetition''s rules, she could only turn around and storm toward the exit among low curses.


    BAM!


    mming the door shut that even others in the next hall could hear, Se burst out of the building,pletely ignoring the confused stares on her skin.


    Meanwhile, still inside the hall Khal and Elder Sige looked at this sight in silence, none of them understanding just why did Se seem so angry over something so meaningless thing.

 Chapter 191 - Request Hall

    After the abrupt and unexpected spectacle by Se, Khal looked at the three Golden Star in his grasp and asked, "Is there any special benefit of these Golden Stars except showing others my status among cksmiths?"


    Elder Sige raised a brow upon that question as he didn''t expect Khal to ask that, but still nodded, "There are indeed other benefits except showing your level of status. For example, you can ept tasks on or below your Star Level in the Request Hall."


    ??


    "Request Hall? Where did I hear this name?" mumbled Khal but soon his eyes brightened and said, "I got it! During one of my sessions with my Master, he told me he had to deliver one of his forged items into the Request Hall. If I''m right, he forged a long sword for someone but as for who he didn''t mention."


    "Exactly," nodded Elder Sige and proceeded on saying, "In the Request Hall, until you have at least one Golden Star, you can ept any type of task rted to your profession let it be forging swords or armors, creating pills or potions, or simply doing somethingpletely else."


    "I see, thank you very much for the detailed exnation. Now that you excuse me, I shall leave." bowed Khal, but just as he was about to leave, Elder Sige cleared his throat before asking, "Wait for a minute young one. Before you leave, can you please tell me who is your master?"


    "It''s Master Bazz, from Moon Academy," replied Khal without hesitancy.


    "So it''s him... I see..." nodded Elder Sige then waved his hand, "Thank you, now you can leave."


    After bowing at Elder Sige, Khal turned around and left the room under many sharp stares from the rest of the participants that were still struggling to finish their work.


    However, he didn''t forget to throw the Scorching Sun Steel into his spatial ring as he could clearly remember the rules stating he was allowed to do so.


    Once outside, Khal looked at the sun that was still high above the sky and sighed, "Master told me to wait here, but I don''t really want to sit in one ce as he said hispetition couldst for days."


    After ncing at Rubie on his shoulder Khal had a sudden idea and thought, "How about we check out this Request Hall? Maybe we can see ourselves what we can ept with 3 Golden Stars."


    Sometimeter, after asking around to locate the Request Hall, Khal stood before this huge building that was twice as bigger as the Star Mansion!


    ''So this is the Request Hall, huh? Except for its size, nothing special so far.'' thought Khal with an indifferent gaze and entered the building through the huge doors.


    Though, when he did, what opened before his line of sight was an extremely spacious hall, with thousands if not millions of bulletin boards with numerous papers pierced on their surface, simr to notice boards from taverns!


    "Well, this sight is... Unexpected, if I can the least," mumbled Khal and approached the closest bulletin board that had almost a hundred pieces of paper pinned on it.


    ''Shadow City needs 500 High-Quality Essence Pills! - Rewards: 5,000 Gold Coins!''


    ''Madam Mio searches for 2 Supreme-Quality Blood-Vessel Potions! - Rewards: 10,000 Gold Coins!''


    ''Elder Yill is looking for a 4 Star cksmith for work! - Reward: 2,500 Gold Coins!''


    Khal read one request after another, and watched as there really were a ton of different tasks one could ept. And what''s more, the rewards were heaven-defying too!


    ''Damn, with these tasks one could get rich in no time at all!'' thought Khal to himself and stepped to the next bulletin board.


    However, when he did, a guy pushed himself to the side, almost making him fall onto the ground!


    "Get out of my way, brat, or I will shove my feet right up to your ass!"


    The guy that seemed bulky and half a head taller than Khal turned to look at him, his eyes piercing daggers right at him as if he wanted to kill him with a single stare!


    ''...'' Khal frowned when he heard this as the man was the one bumping into him not the other way around, but knowing he was in another city, he knew the best choice was simply to ignore these types of people.


    Hence, he turned around, ready to leave, but who would have thought that the guy would grab his shoulder and halt his movements!


    "Hey, I was talking to you, kid. And when I''m talking to you, you will remain here until I say so!"


    Turning around, Khal nced at the guy once again, but this time his eyes were firmly fixed on his figure without any emotion on his face.


    "What? You have a problem?" the guy noticed Khal''s indifference and misunderstood it as arrogance, thus became angered whilst even small veins started to pop out on his thick neck.


    "Look, someone angered Mad w! Who is this time?"


    "What? Really? Where?"


    "There! Are you blind or what? Who can not notice Mad w''s figure from this close?"


    People began to whisper among each other when they noticed Khal and the guy, named Mad w''s little quarrel, curious to see what will happen next.


    However, soon a guy among the crowd suddenly frowned and asked loudly, "Wait, that boy... Why does he seem so familiar?"


    Soon, everyone began to ponder and it wasn''t long before someone gasp with shock and said, "That''s him! The boy from the Thousand Life Tournament who almost achieved victory against Young Miss! It''s him!"


    This caused a ruckus among the crowd, all starting to feel even more excited to watch what will happen. Everyone there knew just what kind of person Mad w was and how he felt toward this Young Miss who was in truth Se!


    It could be said he was in mad love with her and even that would be an underestimation!


    When Mad w heard the whispers among the crowd he turned to look at Khal and a cold smile arose on his face.


    "I see, so it turns out it''s you... I didn''t think I will meet you so soon, but it seems even the heavens want me to crush you, haha!"


    Mad w was about to tighten his palm around Khal''s shoulder, obviously with the attempt to crush all three bones inside his shoulder into dust!


    Khal obviously noticed this and even though he wanted to avoid causing a ruckus, he no longer had a choice.


    However, just as he was about to move and use his Bloodshed Touch to teach the guy a lesson, a figure appeared between them, halting both his and Mad ws'' attempts.


    "I hope you all know what are the consequences if you try to fight inside the Request Hall, right?" a young man that appeared to be no older than 30 looked at Khal then slowly shifted his gaze at Mad w, whose grip was still firmly on Khal''s shoulder.


    Even Rubie, who was about to attack seemed to freeze and tremble slightly, as the presence the guy was emitting was extremely terrifying, could be said blood-freezing!


    ''Ninth Stage! Another expert on the Ninth Stage!'' cried Khal inwardly, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat upon feeling the guy''s aura that had a hint of killing intent!

 Chapter 192 - Deathmatch!?

    The entirety of the Request Hall froze up almost as if the passage of time itself was halted!


    "Master Gram has appeared! Those two now are in deep trouble!"


    ??


    Although the man stared at both Khal and Mad w with an indifferent gaze, even a fool would feel and know if either of the two tried anything they will be beheaded right on the spot!


    "I hope both of you understand how dire the consequences will be if you try to fight here." the man warned the two once again, but this time his gaze was on Mad w''s figure, especially on his hand that was firmly grabbing Khal''s shoulder.


    "Tsk..." with a cold sneer, Mad w released his grip from Khal, but instead of going away he just stood still, his hatred-filled eyes trying to stare holes into Khal''s face.


    When the man saw this nodded and withdrew his presence and killing intent before shifting his gaze at Khal.


    "So it''s you, the boy from Moon City that almost won against Young Miss." eximed Master Gram with a profound gaze as he examined Khal''s figure from up to bottom.


    Khal obviously figured out that the Young Miss was Se, but as why everyone called her like that from Heaven City, he had no clue. Instead, he took this chance to bow and turn around to leave.


    But who could have guessed that just as he was ready to leave, Master Gram appeared before him and asked in a cold voice, "Where do you think you are going?"


    "Huh?" Khal looked at Master Gram with a raised brow before asking, "Why? I can''t leave?"


    ''...'' Master Gram furrowed his brows upon that question and crossed his arms before his chest before replying, "You could have but now that you have caused trouble in this Request Hall, I shall punish you."


    "Eh?" Khal was simplified hearing this, even feeling as if he just heard something wrong


    "I am deeply sorry, but I do not recall doing anything that is punishable much less something that could have offended this ce''s rules. I think there is a misunderstanding here."


    "Oh? And what makes you say that?" asked Master Gram as he found it interesting Khal didn''t back down even though he knew he was facing a Cultivator on the Ninth Stage.


    "Is he a fool? Just who in their right mind dares to question Master Gram''s statement?"


    "Right? Everything that Master Gram says in the Request Hall is like a verdict! No one should oppose him or death will easily find its way at you!"


    "Talking back to Master Gram... Damn, he has balls harder than steel, I must give that to him!"


    People whispered among each other, thinking Khal was an idiot that was dropped onto his head during his birth, and s, that is why he was so arrogant before Master Gram.


    One more mistake and his head will definitely fly high up into the air, no questions about that!


    Khal heard the whispers from others, but as he knew that Master Gram was not that type of person who would kill without reason from the way he stood and talked, he didn''t panic.


    "I just came from the Star Forging Competition to see what task I can ept just out of pure curiosity, but not even a minute after I have arrived, I was used by something I didn''t do while also was almost attacked for no logical reason. If Respected Master asks, the one that needs punishment here should not be me, but him," said Khal, even pointing toward Mad w who was trembling from anger.


    Once Khal finished talking, the entirety of the hall became significantly quieter, while Master Gram raised a brow, finding Khal quite interesting.


    "Bullshit! He was the one bumping into me I just defended myself. Everyone can see just what an arrogant liar he is just from the way he talks back to Master! It should be obvious he should be the one punished not me!" Mad w pointed at Khal, his voice as loud as thunder even though he controlled himself as much as he could because Master Gram was present.


    Although Master Gram saw everything from start to end and knew who was right or wrong, he also knew things won''t be solved as easily as saying sorry to each other thus...


    "I see, then what do you intend to do? Fighting here and in the city is strictly prohibited, I hope you know this." Master Gram nced at Mad w, hoping he will give up.


    But who could have thought, the thing he tried to achieve was backfired and something even worse urred he didn''t seeing beforehand!


    With a smug grin, Mad w took out his Cultivator''s Badge before pointing toward Khal, whose badge appeared out of thin air too and lit up with a ck light!


    "I will challenge you to a deathmatch! If you are a real man, you should ept it!"


    "!?"


    A huge uproar broke out from the Request Hall, almost everyone staring at Mad w like a madman with widened eyes and dropped jaws!


    "Did I hear it right? Does Mad w want to challenge that boy who just finished 5th on the Thousand Life Tournament for a deathmatch?"


    "Yeah, now his name truly makes sense... Even though he is strong than average, I don''t think he has what it takes to beat that boy. He has gone mad this time for sure!"


    "Will he ept the challenge?"


    Every Cultivator whispered spirited among each other, waiting eagerly for Khal''s reply. But just a few secondster when they thought Khal will ept and fight Mad w, Khal just simply said...


    "No."


    ''...''


    ''...''


    ''...''


    "HUUUHH!?"


    An even greater uproar broke out inside the Request Hall than the previous time, almost as if they just heard something impossible!


    "You... What did you just say?" muttered Mad w with a terrifyingly cold grin, his hand, and body now shaking from pure anger.


    Khal however just crossed his arms before his chest with a nonchnt gaze on his face and proceeded to repeat his answer, "I said, no. Why should I ept something so ridiculously outrageous as a deathmatch, particrly from someone like you? It makes no sense at all."


    "Someone... Like... Him... Now he has done it!" was the only thought inside everyone''s mind, and just as they have thought Mad w exploded with anger right at that instant.


    "I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU!!!" with a thunderous roar, Mad w jumped at Khal, both of his arms already turned into Beast ws that looked extremely sharp and fatal!


    But not even after he took a meter forward into the air, Master Gram''s figure appeared out of thin air, his feet right above Mad w''s skull.


    BAM!


    Without the chance to even utter a word, Mad w''s head together with his body was buried deep into the ground, Master Gram standing gracefully atop his body with his right feet atop the head.


    "I hope you will take full responsibility for your previous actions and pay for the damage you have caused. And if you dare to resist even for a bit from this moment on, I have the right to kill you right here and now!"


    Every Cultivator sucked in a mouthful of cold air, scared almost shitless by the killing intent and the suffocating presence that Master Gram was currently emitting from his body!


    "I... Fuck it!" Mad w just simply cursed out loud from below the debris before rxing his body, knowing he stood no chance against Master Adam, not even if he had a thousand more lives!


    Upon seeing this, Master Gram retrieved his power and shifted his gaze toward the spot where Khal stood, but obviously, he no longer was there as he left a long time ago.


    ''What an interesting young man...'' thought Master Gram before averting his gaze with a mysterious smile on his face.

 Chapter 193 - Drinking The Toxin

    After sneaking out of the Request Hall while everyone''s gaze was on Master Gram and Mad w, Khal walked back to the Star Mansion and waited patiently there.


    As he could do nothing but sit, he decided to take a seat on the side under a tree''s shadow, and once taking afortable spot there he took out his book before starting to read it.


    ??


    People looked at him in deep confusion about what he was doing, especially because it was not an everyday sight to see a Cultivator read a book that thick and big that Khal was looking at with an intense gaze.


    Many hourster, when the sun was no longer in the sky and the people vanished from the streets, the door of the Star Mansion opened, and several individuals began to walk out with either a merry, a saddened, or angeredplexion.


    However, even though about a hundred individuals have walked out, Khal couldn''t discover his Master thus shifted his gaze back at the book in his hand and proceeded on reading it.


    Time flowed rapidly once again, and when the sun appeared and reached the highest point in the boundless sky, the door opened yet again, this time with Bazz''s figure seen among the crowd.


    "Master! How did it go?" Khal immediately put the book away and walked toward Bazz, who seemed to be in a very good mood.


    "I did exceptionally great even though I didn''t have high expectations for myself. I sessfully acquired my sixth Golden Star!" Bazz even showed his Golden Star, grinning like a little kid who just got his first best grade from school.


    "Congrattions, Master!" smiled Khal, even feeling happy for Bazz''s sess for some reason.


    "Haha, you think too much of me. Anyway, how did it go for you?" Bazz turned serious when he asked that question, excited and worried at the same time to hear the answer.


    Khal however just nodded and surprisingly even smiled, easing the heavy weight from Bazz''s heart in an instant!


    "I performed really well too, and maybe Master won''t believe me, I even obtained 3 Golden Stars!"


    "I see, I am d-, wait... What did you just say? 3 Golden Stars?" Bazz eyes widened in shock, feeling as though he just misheard Khal''s previous statement.


    "Yeah, look." Khal summoned out the 3 Golden Stars he got from Elder Sige, even telling Bazz the full story of how he earned them.


    "You... Did you just forge a ming Sun Steel and seeded to pull its Soul Essence out?" Bazz could hardly believe his ear thus had to confirm if he heard it right or not, but Khal''s nod left him even more speechless than before.


    ''He just forged a Supreme-Quality material with 8 Soul Threads under a few hours on his first try and he even seeded?! Heavens, he is just 17 years old! How could this even happen?!''


    Bazz turned silent for several minutes once Khal finished talking, not knowing whether he shouldugh or cry about the fact that Khal had obtained 3 Golden Stars in less than 2 months of forging!


    Maybe he was the very first human being in all history who achieved such a ridiculous feat and not even ''that'' man was as heaven-defyingly talented as him.


    After pondering and trying to digest the shocking news for several minutes, Bazz sighed before he put his hand on Khal''s shoulder and smiled, "It looks like we have to make your training even harder than before."


    ''...''


    "Wait, what?"


    -


    -


    -


    After sessfullypleting the Star Forging Competition, Khal was brought back to Moon Academy, but when he waved goodbye to Bazz hisplexion seemed nothing but tragic.


    ''Fucking hell, I shouldn''t have told him what I have forged, I should have lied to him!'' Khal felt helpless as from this moment on Bazz decided to double the difficulty of his forging sessions, meaning he will die almost every time he has to forge!


    Even before thepetition, he felt like dying whenever Bazz thought of him, but now that ''feeling'' will no longer remain as a ''feeling'' as it will be reality real soon!


    "Argh!!!! I am so stupid!" groaned Khal with a mixture of anger and helplessness before he fell onto his butt and stared at the cave''s ceiling above him in silence.


    After pondering for a while, Khal decided to take out his book from his spatial ring as he still didn''t finish reading the chapter he was currently in, but to his surprise what appeared in his hand was not the book but a wooden box.


    "Huh? Why did this appear?" mumbled Khal, but soon realized it was because both the book and the box were next to each other, and as he didn''t focus enough he identally summoned the box instead of the book.


    ''I must be tired, maybe I should sleep a bit...'' thought Khal as he realized thest time he slept properly was quite a long time ago, so maybe it was time for that to do.


    As he got to learn, Cultivators didn''t have to sleep daily as normal humans like from his modern world as the Beast Essence would replenish their body instead, but they still had to sleep one or two times a month. If not, aftereffects could easily show on the Cultivator like stress, irritation, or fatigue. Even his cultivation and concentration could be affected which was not a very good thing.


    ''Now that I think about it, my body feels heavier than it used to be. If it weren''t for the Beast Essences and the asions in the Soul Prison where my body gets recovered to a degree, I don''t know what could have happened with me.'' sighed Khal inwardly as he wanted to put the box away, but suddenly Rubie flew down from his shoulder, her gaze fixed firmly on the box.


    "Huh, what do you want?" asked Khal from her in a somewhat surprised look.


    Though, when seeing she didn''t answer but simply stared at the box, Khal frowned and opened it.


    "There is nothing inside this but a letter and the gold toxic I wanted to use on Alde," eximed Khal, even taking out the letter and the small ss that held the Golden Hawk Toxic.


    Yet, the moment he did, Rubie moved and with a swift move grabbed the ss out of his hand before smashing it on the ground, sending pieces of ss all around!


    "What are you doi-, hey! Don''t!" Khal seemed shocked by Rubie''s abrupt behavior, but his eyes widened evenrger the moment he saw her start drinking the golden liquid as if it was water!


    "Stop it!" shouted Khal and even attempted to stop Rubie in fear she will die, but just as he was about to stand up, suddenly Rubie''s body lit up with golden light while her body underwent abrupt and visible changes at once!


    "What... Is happening?" Khal mumbled in a startled voice.

 Chapter 194 - Real Cultivator!

    A brilliant golden light broke forth from Rubie''s body while her body underwent abrupt and visible changes.


    Her crimson body became bigger and more intimidating while her eyes turned from ck to golden. Even her tail grew longer and even separated into 7 ends, each covered with a crimson substance that looked more like a crimson liquid than mes!


    ??


    "Is this... Evolution?" Khal mumbled with a somewhat dazed voice and watched as Rubie became more and more different than she was previously.


    After many minutester, Rubie''s evolution stoppedpletely after the golden light vanished, leaving her standing before Khal with apletely new appearance.


    "SCREECH!!" with a glorious cry that was thunderous, Rubie leaped into the air andnded atop Khal''s shoulder, now her stance on him way more majestic and confident than ever before!


    It looked almost like that everything in her presence was nothing more but ants that couldn''t catch her attention at all!


    "Fifth Cultivation Stage! She reached the Fifth Stage just by drinking the toxin?" Khal couldn''t help but exim out loud, immediately surprising Rubie on her shoulder.


    "You almost gave me a heart attack you know that, right?" Khalughed seeing this, his previous nervousness gradually vanishing.


    Rubie, however, misunderstood what he tried to say, and began to rub herself against him, even purring in a low pitch like a cat, showing just how much he loved Khal.


    "Haha!" Khal could do nothing butugh, even more, his anxiety flying out of the cave right in that instant.


    After calming down fully and checking if Rubie was truly fine, Khal decided to get a quick nap before going to Moon Mountain and see just how strong Rubie did be, but just as he thought... Her strength improved leaps and bounds!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Like a silent reaper under the full moon, Rubie hunted Third and even Fourth Stage Beasts ten times bigger than her as if they were just mere worms and nothing more!


    No matter if they could conceal their presence or run as fast as lightning, before her golden eyes and ridiculous speed they becamepletely helpless.


    Even Khal, who was also on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, could hardly follow her movements that''s how fast she became!


    Once killed her 38th prey and consumed its Essence, Rubiended on Khal''s shoulder who looked at her with a bbergastedplexion.


    Khal was unable to utter a word for several minutes, finding it hard to believe that Rubie was a Beast on the Third Cultivation Stage about 2 hours ago!


    ''If I would have known that the toxin has such a miraculous effect on her, I would have given to her way sooner.'' sighed Khal inwardly, regretting his obliviousness.


    If he would have known this sooner and helped Rubie evolve before the Thousand Life Tournament, then maybe he could have won the whole event without breaking a sweat!


    But s, he didn''t, so grieving over something that had already happened was pointless and he knew this way too well.


    Instead, he used this new opportunity to boost his strength, hoping to reach the peak of the Fifth Stage as fast as he could. And with Rubie there together with his Bloodshed Touch, the word ''fast'' was a huge underestimation.


    Just under a few hours, the two killed a bit more than 300 Beasts, all around the Third and Fourth Cultivation Stage, pushing Khal''s power from 1374 units of Beast Essence all the way to 2482!


    Yes, just under a single night Khal obtained more than 1000 Beast Essence, separating him only 18 units away from reaching his bottleneck which was considered crazy!


    Of course, any normal Cultivator wouldn''t have been able to do the same thing as him as they had neither Rubie nor the ability to see all beings through obstacles, thus Khal''s ridiculous growth could be said ''normal'' or expected.


    However, because it was already morning and he practically massacred the entire bottom of Moon Mountain, leaving almost no living Beast there, Khal had no choice but to go back to Moon Academy and continue his progress there.


    Once back, Khal decided to buy a few Essence Pills to push himself to the utmost peak!


    Walking inside the Pharmacy Department and buying 4 Low-Quality Essence Pills for 4 Gold coins, Khal tossed two inside his mouth while giving the remaining two to Rubie.


    [Notify! Heaven''s Eyes has consumed 14 ''Beast Essence''!]


    [Notify! Heaven''s Eyes has consumed 32 ''Beast Essence''!]


    Instantly, a warm sensation swept through his body together with the notifications, and Khal felt his power reach 2500 Beast Essence.


    Yet, even though he needed 18 units and consumed 46, once he reached the bottleneck it didn''t go further nor did he broke through as he thought, but instead, Nova''s voice sounded in his mind.


    [You need to unseal at least one sealed Essence Path to break into the next Stage!]


    "Oh, yeah... True. I almost forgot." Khal mumbled in a low voice as he realized his mistake and closed his eyes.


    Swish!


    Right as he did, he controlled his Essence toward the sealed gate that he attempted to open previously, and pushed the Essence against it.


    But to his great surprise, he didn''t have to struggle nor did he have to expect insane pain like thest time, as the sealed gate opened without a problem, filling the previously empty Essence Path to the brim!


    BAM!


    In a blink, Khal felt as the invisible barrier that blocked his breakthrough until this moment suddenly copsed, and his power skyrocketed right into the Sixth Cultivation Stage!


    [You have sessfully unsealed the Path of Mountain Hearts!]


    [Congrattions! ''Power Core'' Heaven''s Eye has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! ''Power Core'' Ster Domain has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! ''Power Core'' Bloodshed Touch has reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! You have officially be a Real Cultivator!]


    Khal listened to Nova''s voice with a smile stered over his face while he enjoyed the feeling as his body broke into the Sixth Cultivation Stage.


    ''Finally... The Sixth Cultivation Stage...'' Khal felt an indescribable feeling inside his body, almost as if he was just born new!


    However, just as he was ready to stand up, Nova''s voice resounded once again.


    [Congrattions! Now that you have be a Real Cultivator, ''Personal Status'' and ''Essence Status'' have been blended and improved into ''Cultivator Status''!]


    [Congrattions! Now that you have be a Real Cultivator, you are qualified to obtain ''Cultivation Quests''!]


    [Congrattions! Now that you have be a Real Cultivator, you are qualified to obtain ''Secret Art Improver''!]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent for quite a while as he tried to digest the new information that barraged him one after another, and only after an entire minuteter did he lower his gaze to look at his bracelet that now had more than a few things flying around it.


    <<Cultivator Status>>


    <


    >


    <<Obrainer Status>>


    <<Artifact Creation Status>>


    <<Essence Path Status>>


    <<Cultivation Quests>>


    <<Secret Art Improver>>


    With a dazed expression, Khal swallowed hard before he decided to see what these new powers were, starting with his Cultivator Status first.


    Swish!


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 1050


    ? Beast Essence: 0


    ? Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 1


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 1


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 1


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 1


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 1


    ¡ã Agility: 1


    ¡ã Speed: 1

 Chapter 195 - Cultivation Quests

    Khal stared at the letters in the air with a somewhat perplexed look before frowning, "What the hell is this? Why is everything 1?"


    [Those are your Cultivation Traits. They are showing your current strength as a Real Cultivator.]


    ??


    "Oh?" Khal eximed out with piqued curiosity and asked, "But still, only 1 for each status isn''t it a bit... low?"


    [It is indeed, but you can improve the numbers bypleting Quests!]


    "Quests? Do you mean Cultivation Quests?"


    [Yes. Open it and you will see it.]


    Once Khal heard this he subconsciously nodded his head before opening the Cultivation Quests.


    Swish!


    In the next second, the white light around his bracelet began to move and form letters, showing him apletely new sight that he has never seen before.


    {Cultivation Quests}


    /Do 100 push-ups/


    ? Done push-ups: 0/100


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Strength


    ? +1 Speed


    ---


    /Change and win against any other Cultivator/


    ? Done challenge: 0/1


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Mental Resistance


    ? +1 Mental Strength


    ---


    /Kill 50 Beasts above the Fourth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/50


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    ''...''


    When Khal remained silent and didn''t talk, Nova took the chance to speak and rify a few things.


    [Every Cultivation Quest is avable only for 24 hours, so it is highly rmended to do them in time as the more you do the stronger you can be!]


    [Also, you have ess only for 3 Quests currently at the most, but if you wish, you can increase this amount in exchange for 10,000 Body Essence!]


    "T-Ten thousand!?" Khal couldn''t help but exim with shock as the amount was astronomical even for him.


    [Yes.]


    "And with how many quests will it increase? Three? Four? I hope it''s more than four."


    [With just with one.]


    ''...''


    Despite kind of anticipating this kind of answer, Khal still hoped Nova will say otherwise, but s, she didn''t and he could do nothing about it.


    ''10,000 Body Essence... Wait, now that I think about it more, that''s only 500 Beast Essence thanks to my Essence Refiner ability. Maybe 10,000 isn''t as a ridiculously huge amount as I have first thought.'' pondered Khal inwardly, even touching his chin.


    After a moment of silence, Khal raised his gaze as if Nova was standing before him and asked, "By the way, these Cultivation Traits... Is it a must for me to improve them?"


    [No, but if you do, you will have an easier start once you reach the Second Realm.]


    "The Second Realm? Why? How will these traits help me there?" questioned Khal, but unfortunately, this time no answer came.


    "I see... Trying to be secretive, huh?" Khal narrowed his eyes and then asked, "Then at least can you tell me if they have a limit? I mean, is there a threshold of how much I can collect for each Cultivation Trait?"


    Khal waited patiently for an answer and just as he thought, Nova answered him in the same calm manner.


    [There is none. You can improve each of your Cultivation Traits as much as you wish.]


    [However, once you reach the Tenth Stage, you won''t be able to increase them until you reach the Second Realm!]


    "What? Tenth Stage? Wasn''t there only nine, so howe you say tenth?" Khal looked confused as he clearly understood that in the cultivation world the highest Stage was the Ninth whilst there was nothing such as the Tenth Stage. Yet, Nova just said there was, but no matter how long he waited for an expected answer, he didn''t get any; this made him feel a bit helpless.


    It seemed, either Nova did not want to answer or not she didn''t have the answer to his question. In Khal''s opinion, Nova was the former one, but as he couldn''t do anything about it he let it slide for the time being.


    ''Cultivation Quests and Traits, huh? Let''s see how it will affect me.'' thought Khal and didn''t hesitate to start the first quest, which was the 100 push-ups.


    "1...2...3...25...26...38... Hell, this is harder... than I have thought..." taking a break after reaching the halfway point, Khal wiped the sweat off his forehead while his face showed sheer disbelief and confusion.


    He was able to do only 50 push-ups in one go? What? Is he truly this weak or what?


    [Yes, you are indeed weak. Or to be more precise your body is.]


    "What? Then how was I able to swing my hammer during training without getting tired so fast? Or how was I able to block other''s attacks without sustaining any minor injuries? This makes no sense at all!" Khal eximed out loud, a bit aghast to believe he was truly this weak.


    Hell, even under Bazz''s hellish training without his Creation Mode, he could endure at least for several hours straight or even a day without getting tired, yet here, under 5 minutes of push-ups, he became so tired almost as if he just worked out for hours!


    [Those are all because of your Body Essence.]


    "What? What should that even mean?" Khal questioned in a bit higher tone than he originally wanted to.


    [Every time you fight or move, your body subconsciously uses your Body Essence to assist you.]


    [So whenever you either move or use a weapon or tool, a small portion of your Body Essence will boost your strength, giving you stamina and power that is slightly above the normal level.]


    ''...''


    Hearing Khal''s silence, Nova continued to speak.


    [Also, there are a few Cultivation Quests that will restrict different aspects of your body to achieve greater results.]


    [For example, during this Cultivation Quest what you are doing, your Body Essence will be temporarily sealed as its purpose is to strengthen your body without any interior or exterior assistance.]


    "So the reason why my body feels rather light whenever I move or fight even if I don''t use any Secret Arts is that my Body Essence helps me automatically?"


    [Yes. But if you want, try to move while examining your Essence flow and you will see.]


    Khal nodded and did exactly what Nova said. After standing up and closing his eyes, he started to walk around the cave, even jumping a few times only to see that Nova was right; whenever he took a step or leaped into the air, a small portion of his Body Essence would move into his feet, strengthening his legs without him noticing it!


    It was quite a startling discovery, but now that he knew about this and he finally understood why his hand didn''t break when he blocked others'' attacks with enormous force with his weapon or why his movements remained exceptionally fast even when he didn''t use any Secret Arts, everything became clear to him.


    Even when he jumped, he could easily leap into the air 2 to 3 meters high, but when he forcefully blocked the Essence from boosting his legs, he couldn''t even jump a few feet!


    The disparity was ridiculously vast that stunned and amazed Khal at the same time!


    ''So it was all because of my Essence... How intriguing...'' Khal smiled and without hesitation continued to do the push-ups, rather excited to see the difference between 1 and 2 points of Physical Strength as soon as possible!

 Chapter 196 - Ripped Apart

    "78...79...80..."


    Khal''s voice could be heard inside de Mountain, while he himself was doing pushups with a kind of struggledplexion stered on his face.


    ??


    He seemed almost like someone who tried to exercise by normal means, but couldn''t as someone just dropped an entire mountain on them out of the fun!


    "97...98...99... And... 100!"


    Right as he made his 100th push-up, Khal''s body copsed onto the ground, while Nova''s voice sounded in his head.


    [Congrattions! Cultivation Quest, ''do 100 push-ups'' has beenpleted!]


    [+1 Physical Strength acquired!]


    Swish!


    Once Nova''s voice fell, Khal felt the muscles inside his body slightly twitch before a pleasantly warm sensation appeared throughout his physique.


    ''5 minutes... Never in my entire two lives did I feel 5 minutes this hellishly long! Heavens, or was a real struggle!'' Khal sighed inwardly as he never thought doing normal push-ups could be such a challenge.


    After taking a bit of a rest, Khal stood up before he inspected his body. And to his surprise, the sight that waited for him was shocking!


    Previously, his body had a bit less than the average amount of muscles on his body, but this time it wasn''t the case at all. Wherever he looked, let it be his arms, legs, or chest, he was able to see them getting better shape as the muscle grew in size!


    The change wasn''t tremendous, but it wasrge enough to see the difference between the previous and the current condition.


    "Oh?" Khal eximed out with interest while his eyes shed with a mixture of interest and excitement.


    After getting used to the slight changes in his body, Khal decided to do another Quest that seemed rtively easy.


    /Kill 50 Beasts above the Fourth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/50


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    Although killing 50 Beasts seem a lot and even impossible under 24 for normal Cultivators, but Khal was no ordinary Cultivator as he had more than enough power to kill 300+ Beasts under that time much less 50.


    Thus, Khal stood up and after patting his robe he left de Mountain together with the evolved Rubie on his shoulder.


    Because it was still daytime and nighttime was still distant, Khal decided to hunt for Beasts in a ce where no one dared, in the deepest and most hazardous parts of Shadow Woods!


    Sometimeter, he reached Shadow Woods, and without thinking about anything else he walked toward the inner parts with wide strides.


    And because Shadow Woods was still a ce that was filled with hundreds of Cultivators, many there noticed him which caused whispers to appears in the next second.


    "Look, he is there! What is he doing here?"


    "Dunno, but as I can see the ns to go into the Danger Zone."


    "What? Does he want to kill Beasts there? But there..."


    "Yeah, I know. But considering his powers, I think he is more than qualified to remain alive in there. He even has a tamed Bea-, huh?"


    Suddenly many stopped talking, noticing that on Khal''s shoulder a Beast they didn''t see before was calmly sitting, its golden eyes scanning them with an indifferent expression almost as if they were negligible before her!


    "What the hell is that Beast? I have never seen one such as that!"


    "Wait, isn''t that..." just as a guy wanted to say that the Beast on Khal''s shoulder was Rubie, Khal has long ago vanished among the woods, leaving everyone behind among questions and suspicions.


    Khal walked in Shadow Woods in silence and soon he reached the boulder where everything turned pitch ck, no light entering the ce all!


    After scanning his surroundings and watching no Beast lurked around him, Khal nodded and activated his Bloodshed Touch.


    Swish!


    His sight changed and turned ck and white, while several crimson contours arose in his line of sight, each having a different shape and size.


    Some moved here and there with slow movements while few just remained motionless, seemingly asleep.


    ''No Beasts in the proximity?'' Khal thought with surprise as the closest Beast to him was at least 500 meters away.


    But it''s not like that 500 meters couldn''t be traveled in an almost instant if he wished to, but he rather decided not to. Shadow Woods, especially its Danger Zone was a ce where danger lurked everywhere, and even though he saw Beasts with his Bloodshed Touch, it was only true for ''normal'' Beasts.


    nt Beasts werepletely another story as their bodies were made out of nts, thus it could be even said that his blood detecting power became useless against them!


    That is why, no matter if he had Rubie, three Power Cores to boost his strength, or even if he was on the Sixth Cultivation Stage, he must be cautious with every step he took or death will easily find its way toward him.


    "Let''s go. You will watch the skies, Rubie. Leave the rest to me." Khal said to Rubie who seemed to understand what he said, thus began to scan the scenery above them, searching for unexpected or hidden enemies.


    As for Khal, he activated his Heaven''s Eyes with his Bloodshed Touch still active, and watched as everything around him as clear as day! No matter if the sight 5 meters away from him was pure ckness, once his Heaven''s Eyes was activated the darkness around him dissipated in a radius of 20 meters!


    ''So my Heaven''s Eyes boundary doubled while even the things inside its area feel slower. Amazing!'' Khal couldn''t help but smile before entering the deepest part of Shadow Woods together with Rubie.


    However, not even after he took 5 steps, suddenly one of the bushes about 15 meters before moved and creature representing a deer emerged. The sole exception however was that the deer''s entire body was made out of branches,pletely invisible before Khal''s Bloodshed Touch!


    ''Just as I have thought. nt Beast has no blood thus my blood detection ispletely useless on them.'' Khal thought without feeling any surprise before summoning his Devil Fangs into his grasp.


    However, this time as he wanted to try out something, he didn''t channel his Body Essence into the fan but instead activated a Secret Art he never wielded until this very moment!


    ''Hundred Slice Cage!''


    Whoosh!


    With a single wave of his weapon after he activated the Secret Art, several wind des manifested around the Beast that looked at this sight in confusion as they didn''t hurt it at all but simply floated around him without the intention to kill it!


    Khal upon seeing this just smiled even more and with no further thinking, waved his fan once more time, causing a sight that was simr to a firework show!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    With a huge ''boom'', the Beast''s body was exploded into thousands of parts while the branches that formed its core were turned and sliced into smaller fragments than dust!


    The nt Beast has been ripped apart and was turned into nothingness in less than a second, giving it no chance at all to cry out with pain!


    Seeing the destructive and kind of merciless power of this Secret Art on a real target, Khal nodded, satisfied with the results, and proceeded with his hunt after consuming the Beast Essence.

 Chapter 197 - Hideout

    After consuming the nt Beast''s Essence, Khal roamed deeper into the shadows, hoping to find more nt Beasts.


    And even though he couldn''t detect them with his Bloodshed Touch, Khal had a n to figure out nt Beast''s positions.


    ??


    As far as he knew, normal Beasts feared nt Beasts so much that they would rather leave and escape from their own territories just to avoid fighting them!


    Thus, Khal nned to simply search the areas where he could see no normal Beasts with his Bloodshed Touch, and see if his hunch was right or not.


    And once he reached such an area, and indeed, there really were nt Beasts around him, four to be exact!


    Each had a small physique, about two feet in size while their appearance was simr to that of a small rabbit, with the sole difference that their bodies were not made out of flesh and fur but colorful flowers akin to roses!


    Their fur was rose petals while the seemingly sharp and spiked fangs and ws on their bodies were thorns! Khal seeing them had an impression of being beautiful, but as he knew these Beasts were terrifying creatures on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, he was no fool to believe they were weak or harmless beings at all!


    He understood really well that they could easily kill even him, someone on the Sixth Stage if he lowered his guardpletely, but s, only aplete idiot would do such a ridiculous thing.


    Therefore, he didn''t hesitate to use his Hundred Slice Cage and slice them up without any mercy.


    After killing them with rtive easily, Khal consumed two of their Beast Essence, getting 11 and 21 of Beast Essence from each, while giving the remaining two to Rubie.


    Now that she has reached the Fifth Stage, Khal wanted her to reach the next Stage as fast as possible as he knew once she did, she would be a True Beast just like how humans would be a Real Cultivator once they reached that Stage.


    It could be said just like how for humans, the Sixth Stage for Beasts was also a milestone where their power would improve with leap and bounds!


    Continuing his hunt for 5 hours straight and ying every nt Beast that attempted to kill him together with a few normal Beasts, Khal''s units of Beast Essence increased steadily while he also reached the 50th kill.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    [Congrattions! Cultivation Quest, ''Kill 50 Beasts above the Fourth Cultivation Stage'' has beenpleted!]


    [+1 to all Cultivation Trait acquired!]


    Khal closed his eyes for a moment to enjoy the slight changes inside his body, and once everything vanished he opened his Cultivator Status.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 1050


    ? Beast Essence: 338


    ? Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 3


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 2


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 2


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 2


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 2


    ¡ã Agility: 2


    ¡ã Speed: 2


    ncing at his Cultivation Status, Khal nodded with a satisfied grin and raised his gaze.


    ''Now that I have finished this quest, I should go back but...'' Khal remembered what Neo told him hence he decided to throw his previous n aside and push deeper into the darkness.


    With his Devil Fangs in his hand and his blood detecting ability with his Bloodshed Touch, Khal walked around the inner parts of Shadow Woods, but except for nt Beasts and normal Beasts, he saw nothing.


    ''Strange... So far I have been walking aimlessly for 4 hours straight yet no sign of humans. Maybe Neo''s guess was wrong?'' Khal wondered to himself with furrowed brows.


    However, after many minutes of silent pondering, Khal raised a brow as an abrupt idea popped up in his head, ''Or maybe he was actually right?''


    Khal gradually lowered his gaze onto the ground and soon a smile that so far never shown appeared.


    ''So there you are. Lying low in your hideout like a little rat.''


    Right below his feet, Khal was able to see several red dots moving almost with no change of position here and there. And because they were dots, almost as small as a speck of grain, Khal knew they were awfully deep underground, even several miles deep if not more!


    Though, soon Khal''s mood changed to theplete opposite, and his brows gradually lowered into a frown, while his eyes scanned his surroundings.


    Now that he found out that Neo was right and Alde has really had a hideout in Shadow Woods, and underground on top of that, now Khal had to make sure to do a few things before he could attempt to kill him.


    ''First, find and learn the Secret Art Neo told you then find his other selves before killing them together with the main one!'' Khal thought to himself and after taking one final nce at the spot belowground, he walked away.


    Meanwhile, about a hundred meters away from him atop a tree, a monkey made out of some material simr to ck wood was staring at Khal''s departing figure.


    "Did he go away?" Alde who was sitting inside a small room in a lotus position asked from a man who stood outside before his door.


    "Yes, Young Master. It seems so." replied the man, his face void of any emotion whilst his voice held deep respect.


    "Did he find the entrance?"


    "No, Young Master, he didn''t. He is still unaware of the secret passage and it seems he just came to hunt for Beasts without any secondary intentions. However..."


    When Alde heard as the man abruptly halted his speech, Alde''s indifferent, but cold voice sounded, "However?"


    The man thought for a while, and after taking a breath he exined, "It seems Young Master''s ''friend'' has sessfully broken into the Sixth Stage. Even his tamed Beast reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage, and seemingly underwent an evolution?"


    "WHAT?!" Alde''s angry voice reverberated from the room, however, everyone that heard it could clearly hear the disbelief in his voice.


    The man remained silent and motionless as he waited for Alde to be even more furious and cause a ruckus, but luckily and unexpectedly, he didn''t. Instead, he turned calmer than ever andmanded in a low voice, "I want details."


    -


    -


    -


    Back inside Moon Academy, Khal decided to go and check the Cultivator''s Organization if he could buy or at least find the Secret Art that Neo talked about.


    Once inside the building, Khal proceeded to walk before this huge desk on the side, that had Noelle''s alluring figure standing calmly behind it.


    "Hi, wee back. How can I be onto your help this time?" once noticing his figure and approach, Noelle stopped doing whatever she was doing behind her desk and smiled at Khal as though he was a very close friend of hers for years now!


    Obviously, it was all because of the previous time when he came and used his Golden Card that in truth only a few can have. And also, with his amazing achievements such as his cement inside the Thousand Life Tournament, his reputation was quite high, even among the Cultivator''s Organization.


    Khal naturally understood this and smiled too before speaking without beating around the bush, "Do you know about a Secret Art called Creator''s Gaze?"

 Chapter 198 - Creator’s Gaze

    "What? The Creator''s Gaze?" as if she just heard something extremely terrifying, Noelle''splexion suddenly paled, and stared at Khal in deep silence.


    "Eh... Yeah?" Khal didn''t really understand why was it such a big deal, like wasn''t it just a Secret Art? It''s not like he asked to kill someone or something, right?


    ??


    However, when he answered and confirmed Noelle''s uncertainty, her face paled even more, and swallowed hard before shaking her head, "N-no... We do not have that Secret Art, not in the slightest. B-but why do you need that, if I may ask?"


    "Umm... I just got to hear about it and I liked its concept so I wanted to see if I can find or even buy it here. Though, it seems I won''t be able to, do..." Khal sighed, but soon frowned and asked, "But why do I feel like I have asked about something I shouldn''t have?"


    When Noelle heard this, she frowned and asked, "Wait... You don''t know what that Secret Art truly is?"


    "Huh? No? I mean, should I?" Khal asked from her, while slowly a strange feeling began to arise in his body.


    ''...'' Noelle remained silent, but watching Khal''s innocent face and the fact he truly seemed oblivious, she nced around before leaning forward.


    "That Secret Art you want to buy... It''s a Forbidden Art!"


    "WHAT!?"


    Hearing Khal''s abrupt and loud yell, many Cultivators in the distance turned to look at him with raised brows and confused looks.


    Realizing his mistake, Khal quickly cleared his throat and then said, this time with a lowered voice, "I wasn''t told about something like that! I hope I won''t get into trouble because of this."


    "I thought so..." sighed Noelle with relief, almost as if a huge stone just fell off from her heart.


    She then continued to say, "Don''t worry, it''s not the first time that someone came and asked about it as it is hidden from the public, thus you can say not knowing about it is a norm."


    "I see, thank God..." Khal sighed too, feeling as if things could have gone out of hand real quick if it wasn''t for Noelle.


    "Anyway, I hope you will just think about my previous question as a bad joke that you didn''t hear, "Khal said to her with a wry smile that was stered over his face.


    "As I said, there is no reason for you to feel anxious. It''s obvious you didn''t know about it being a Forbidden Art thus you are safe. However, next time make sure you are careful as you can easily find yourself in trouble." Noelle said to her, her eyes and face dead serious this time.


    "I will definitely be cautious next time, thank you very much for your warning. As for this Secret Art... Why is it forbidden to use? Isn''t it just a simple Sight Enhancement skill?" Khal felt his interest piqued and couldn''t help to ask.


    Noelle kind of anticipated Khal to ask this question sooner orter, thus answered him withoutint as it is only better for him to ask her instead of someone else.


    "The Creator''s Gaze is indeed an Art specialized for sight enhancement, but it''s a bit more than that. While the Secret Art can see everything in its radius, it can also affect other being''s minds, such as their emotions or way of behavior. They even say it can alter one''s memory too, thus using it is strictly prohibited."


    " I see, thank you for exining this important piece of information for me!" said Khal afterward and after bowing at Noelle, he left the building.


    ''I will need to talk with rascal the next time I meet with him!'' thought Khal inwardly, as he felt the urge to enter the Soul Prison and choke Neo alive as he didn''t feel him something so important!


    As for his future ns though, it seems until he can''t obtain the Secret Art, killing Alde will be purely impossible for him.


    ''It seems I have to think for another solution for the time being.'' thought Khal and he suddenly had an idea who could help him.


    Walking through Moon Academy, Khal reached this smallke with a single colorful tree next to its side, whereas he thought, Logan''s sleeping figure could be seen below it.


    "Master, I need your help."


    "In what matter?" without even opening his eyes and remaining still on the ground, Logan asked from him.


    Seeing this Khal''s eyes twitched slightly, but considering it is Logan who he was talking about, it was normal to see him act so carefree.


    Thus, he just sat down before him and proceeded to talk, "I need a Secret Art that can detect others in a big area."


    "How big are you exactly talking about?"


    "About a few citiesrge or a bit more than that."


    ''...'' opening his eyes slowly and staring at Khal like a fool, Logan didn''t know what to say for a long time.


    Only after pondering for a while did frown and ask, "Who do you want to find? I hope you don''t n to do something unnecessarily stupid."


    "I won''t, as for the reason, I just simply want to increase my strength."


    "But you have your Heaven''s Eyes, isn''t that enough?" asked Logan from him.


    "Enough? There is no such thing as enough. As a Cultivator, I must strive for more, even if it''s an ability that seems to be the same such as my Talent, but in truth, it is not."


    ''...'' Logan stayed silent for a couple of minutes before sighed and sat up and nodded.


    "Sure, I have quite a few in mind that can help you, but they are not strong enough to cover several cities. They could wrap a single city at most, but more than that is impossible. Only one Secret Art is capable of doing more than that, but it''s a Forbidden Art so don''t even try to ask about it."


    "Sure." Khal nodded with a serious face, but unfortunately, he already knew about the Forbidden Art his Master talked about.


    Seeing that Khal seemed uninterested in the Forbidden Art, Logan nodded but couldn''t help and feel as something was not quite right here. Anyone that heard about a Forbidden Art would be curious and at least try to know the name of it, but Khal didn''t which either meant he didn''t have an interest in Forbidden Arts or he already knew about it.


    ''Well, whatever. Until he doesn''t use any Forbidden Arts and gets in trouble, I am okay with that...'' thought Logan inwardly before starting to talk.


    "Let''s see... As far as I know, there are exactly three Secret Arts that can help you."


    "The first one is called Earth Sense and until you have at least one of your limps on the ground, you can see and detect anything in a huge radius and even things underground! Though, learning this Art is quite tricky and hard, they also say you need and earth associated Talent to use it, thus I don''t really rmend you choose it."


    "The next one should be the Ruler''s Domain. It is very simr to Domain-type Talents as it summons a big domain where you can see everything to your will, but because of its huge energy consumption, it is quite hard to use. They say not even a Cultivator on the Ninth Stage has what it takes to use it more than 3 seconds."


    As for thest one, and I think you should choose this, Jade Tombstone is the best. Though, it''s quite a hassle to use it, but if you can getplete mastery over it, you can survey cities non-stop! Sounds cool right?"


    "Hmm..." Khal began to ponder once Logan finished talking and it seemed he was in a deep dilemma about which one he should choose.


    ''Earth Sense sounds good, but if what Logan said is true and I need a Talent associated with the earth element, then it''s a no-no. As for thest two...''


    Khal began to reevaluate thest two Secret Arts and soon nodded as he knew which one he should choose.


    "A? Which one will you choose?" asked Logan, but inside he already knew the answer and just asked him out of pure boredom.


    "Well, even though the Ruler''s Domain seems to be the most promising one that I was looking for, but because it has a huge energy consumption, I will try and learn the third Secret Art."


    "Just as I have thought." smiled Logan and nodded before lying back down and waving his hand, "It''s a good choice indeed, and if you don''t like it or either can''t learn it, you always have the chance to learn the other two."


    "Yes, thank you for your help, Master." bowed Khal toward Logan once on his feet before walking away with quick strides.


    Sometimeter, he reached and entered the Cultivator''s Organization once again, taking Noelle by surprise as she didn''t think Khal woulde back so soon.

 Chapter 199 - Jade Tombstone

    "Wee back, again. How can I help you?" asked Noelle as a smile blossomed on her face?


    "I''m looking for a Secret Art called Jade Tombstone. Can you help find it?" Khal asked from her, this time confident he won''t ask about a Forbidden Art like the previous time.


    ??


    "Oh? That one?" Noelle seemed surprised by Khal''s choice as that was not a Secret Art everyone would like to learn. It could be even said it was an extremely unique Art thanks to its level ofplexity.


    "Yeah, I can definitely help you with it. Please give me a second." with that, Noelle walked into the room where Khal once was in the back, and it wasn''t long before she came back with a big ck scroll in her hand.


    "Here you go. Jade Tombstone, a Cultivator Level Secret Art that can survey and detect anything in its area once used. Take your time to look at it." Noelle handed the Secret Art over to Khal, who dly epted it.


    /Jade Tombstone/


    ? Level: Cultivator


    ? Description: An Art created to oversee everything in its territory, even from hundreds of thousands of miles far!


    ? Price: 500 Golden Coins


    "!?"


    Khal almost coughed up blood the moment he saw the prize as it was ridiculously expensive.


    "F-five hundred Golden Coins!? That''s expensive!" Khal looked at Noelle with shock.


    "Five hundred Golden Coins are indeed a lot, but considering the potential and the Level of this Art, it should be said it''s quite cheap. In fact, Any other Secret Art on the Cultivator Level starts from 500 Golden Coins, so it has quite a decent price."


    When Khal listened to this he closed his mouth tightly shut, unknown what he should say.


    ''Five hundred Golden Coins... Luckily I can afford it, but still...'' Khal felt his heart ache when he nced at his currency that will soon change drastically, unknown whether he shouldugh or cry.


    ''If it weren''t for him, I wouldn''t even buy such an Art, but s...'' with a helpless sigh, Khal handed his badge over to Noelle and said, "I will buy it."


    "Eh? What? You will?" Noelle asked from him, seemingly surprised by his decision.


    "Um... Yeah? Why, shouldn''t I?" Khal asked her with a raised brow, not understanding why Noelle seemed so surprised this time.


    However, Noelle stared at Khal with shock not because she thought he should not buy it, but because it was useless to him to do so. Or at least if he didn''t reach the Sixth Cultivation Stage already as that is one of the requirements to use this Secret Art!


    "I-If you don''t mind me asking... What Cultivation Stage are you currently on?"


    "Sixth," answered Khal with a straight face without hesitation.


    "WHAT?" now it was Noelle''s turn to yell and attract other''s attention just like how Khal did previous before calming down.


    "You... Did you reach the Sixth Stage already? You really became a Cultivator?" Noelle''s gaze this time changed, now her eyes holding deeper respect toward Khal than ever before.


    As everyone knew, breaking through the bottleneck on the Fifth Stage and sessfully opening one of the sealed Essence Paths was no small feat to do at all. There were even thousands, if not millions of people out there that still struggled to unseal at least one, yet Khal, who was still so young, seeded with it!


    ''But then this means... He must have to graduate from Moon Academy.'' sighed Noelle inwardly, but she knew this woulde sooner orter.


    Anyone that has the talent to reach the Sixth Cultivation Stage asionally reached it in under a few months or a year as they only have to consume Beast Essence, but reaching the Sixth Stage under 2 months... It was the first or at least for her to hear.


    "Then I can only wish you the best of my luck." smiled Noelle and after taking off 500 Golden Coins from Khal''s badge, she handed it back to him together with the Secret Art.


    "Thank you very much!" Khal also smiled and after a quick bow, he left the building.


    Sometimeter, once he got back to de Mountain, he opened the scroll with a determined expression.


    ''The sooner I can learn this Art the faster I can get rid of that bastard.'' thought Khal and like a maniac, he began to read the context like crazy.


    However, the more he deepened himself into the Secret Art, the more hisplexion turned confused while his brows gradually lowered into a frown.


    ''This Secret Art is way better than it seems, but at the same time way moreplex too.''


    As far as he could understand, Jade Tombstone was a Secret Art that used the Essence in the body to mark any object one wished to mark and create something simr to a formation.


    Furthermore, the size of this formation can be unlimited, but the bigger one ns to make it, the more of these markings one needs to create too.


    "I kind of understand it now, but what makes me a bit worried are the requirements," mumbled Khal as he shifted his gaze at the requirements.


    "First I need to reach the Sixth Cultivation Stage which I have already aplished so I am okay. After that, I need to unlock all the sealed Essence Paths in one of my arms, which I think will be the hardest one, andstly, have arge amount of Essence in my body."


    Scratching his head gently, Khal closed his eyes and could do nothing but sigh helplessly.


    "It seems my n willst longer than I have previously thought..." Khal mumbled in a dejected voice as he knew unsealing the remaining 3 Essence Paths in his body will take more time and effort than the first one.


    "Well, let''s try opening the next path, maybe it is not even that hard as they say," said Khal, and after taking up the lotus position he began to control his Essence into the first Essence Path that he already unlocked.


    Like pouring water into a pipe, the Essence flowed through the first path and approached the next gate that was tightly shut like a locked door.


    "Here we go..." Khal took a deep breath and pushed his Body Essence against the gate.


    BAM!


    In a wink, a powerful aura simr to wind des broke forth from his body, or to be more precise from his biceps, and surrounded him at once from all directions!


    Compared to the first gate he attempted to open, this time felt no suffocating pressure on his body, but for some reason, he felt terrified almost as if thousands of swords were pointing at him!


    ''What are these? Why do I feel imminent death?'' asked Khal, but even though he seemed calm, he could feel cold sweat flowing down on his back.


    After examining the wind des for a while without any results, Khal tried to push his Essence into the great, forcing himself through.


    However, not even as he pushed 1% of his Body Essence against the gate, the wind des around him began to turn chaotic, a few even cutting his skin causing blood to flow out slowly!


    "The hell?" Khal halted his attempt and didn''t hesitate to withdrew his Body Essence as fast as possible.


    After all wind des vanished from his surroundings as he was no longer forced to open the second gate, Khal frowned and shook his head.


    "This is not right. How am I supposed to open the gate like this? If I try to force my way through I will definitely die without a joke!" Khal pondered deeply, but soon Nova''s voice sounded in his head.


    [Try to understand the phenomenon you just saw. If you seed toprehend its meaning, the seal will be unlocked automatically!]


    "Understand it? What should I understand from numerous floating wind des around him that can kill me?" Khal asked Noha, but not to his surprise, no answer came from her this time.


    "Well, if I don''t try, I won''t know, right?" sighed Khal helplessly and proceeded on with another attempt.


    Meanwhile, inside Jas''s room, Logan was sitting on a sofa in a rxed manner, while Jas looked at him with a seriousplexion from his desk.


    "You say he reached the Sixth Stage already?" after a moment of silenceter, Jas finally decided to talk and ask Logan.


    "Yeah, I am positive." nodded Logan with a bored face, almost as if he couldn''t care less about the situation.


    "Hmm..." Jas began to ponder and after another lengthy silence, he closed his eyes and sighed, "Even though every Cultivator can reach the Fifth Stage under a few months, it doesn''t mean they can progress forward. Some will be stuck on that level for the rest of their lives and some will have to struggle for several months or even years to reach the next stage."


    "But to think he reached the Sixth Stage so soon... It is truly unknown what the future holds for him."


    After Jas finished talking, Logan shifted his gaze at him and asked, "So? What do you n to do now?"


    Jas, however, just waved his hand and said, "Exactly what you think. He must follow the rules and fight you. Once you reach the Sixth Stage, you must fight your Master. If you lose, you will be expelled from the Academy, but if you win, you will be allowed to join ''that'' without question."

 Chapter 200 - Fight Him!

    Time passed by in a blink, and even after several attempts of understanding what those wind des around him could mean, Khal just simply gave up for the time being and decided to do something else.


    ''I still didn''t check out what that Secret Art Improver could do.'' thought Khal and waved his hand to see what this new improver ability can do.


    ??


    {Secret Art Improver}


    /Learned Secret Arts/


    ? Dance of The Celestial Serpent (Moderate Level)


    ? Hundred Slice Cage (Expert Level)


    [Choose a Secret Art to improve it!]


    Once Khal read the bottom text, his eyebrow raised slightly, ''So it seems I can only improve Secret Arts that I have used before, which makes sense.''


    Thus, Khal selected his second Secret Art, the Hundred Slice Cage.


    Swish!


    ~Current Form~


    /Hundred Slice Cage/


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description:?A powerful Art capable of creating motionless wind des after the first swing and explode them after the second one.


    <Only functional with fan-type weapons!>


    ~Improved Form~


    /Ghost Slice/


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description: A powerful Art capable of creating invisible wind des after the first swing and explode them after the second one.


    <Only functional with fan-type weapons!>


    [5,000 Body Essence is required!]


    ''Five thousand... Quite a lot, but with my current units of Beast Essence, I can easily afford it. I only need to transform them, but if I do...'' suddenly Khal could feel a shiver sweep through his body as he couldn''t dare to imagine what type of pain he must endure if he does it.


    ''I think I will wait with it for the time being.'' thought Khal as he knew he must learn Jade Tombstone as fast as possible or he will never be able to get his revenge on Alde.


    However, before he could even start his attempt once again, a person suddenly appeared in the cave''s entrance, surprising him deeply.


    "Master." Khal stood up and bowed with lightning speed once he realized that the one who appeared was in fact, Logan.


    "Don''t ask any questions, just follow me," Logan said to him, and turned around to leave.


    Khal seemingly confused by Logan''s serious attitude stood still for a while, but knowing that it must be something important he did as he was told.


    After putting his newly acquired Secret Art into his Spatial Ring, Khal followed Logan out of de Mountain in silence, pondering what could have happened.


    However, his curiosity soon was changed into confusion as he watched that Logan didn''t lead him somewhere inside Moon Academy, but he instead brought him all the way outside of Moon City!


    ''Just where is he trying to bring me?'' Khal''s curiosity began to grow with each step, but it wasn''t long before he noticed several figures in the distance.


    ''Experts?'' Khal immediately recognized the Cultivators in the distance as they were the teachers of Moon Academy.


    Raffin, Scarlett, Dorothea, Connor, and others were standing calmly in the distance, all staring at their approach with indifferent gazes. Even Jas was visible on the front, which made Khal feel a little bit nervous.


    Once arrived before the experts, Logan stood next to Jas and waited in silence.


    "You are finally here, so let me get straight to the point." Jas began to talk and once Khal was listening he continued, "First and foremost, let us gratte for you bing officially a Cultivator. However, now that you have seeded to reach the Sixth Stage, you can no longer remain in Moon Academy."


    "Huh?" Khal immediately became stupefied.


    Jas kind of anticipated this reaction from Khal, thus didn''t seem to be surprised, and exined, "Do not be so startled as this is the rules of this Academy Once you reach the Sixth Stage, you are qualified to graduate and take your final test before you can start your real cultivation in a ce far superior to Moon Academy."


    "Final test?"


    "Yes, your final test. You will fight against your master, Logan. If you lose, you will be expelled, but if you win, you will be rewarded."


    When Khal didn''t say anything, Jas nodded and proceeded to talk, "Rules are simple. Except for Logan, who has to lower his strength to the Sixth Stage, there will be no restrictions. No time limit, no holding back, no nothing. Any questions?"


    "About no holding back... Does it mean killing is allowed?" asked Khal from Jas with a calm face.


    But who could have guessed his question would make not only Jas, but every expert before Khal smile almost as if they just heard something rather funny.


    "If you can kill Logan, I not only will I reward you but I will even give you absolute ess to all resources I have."


    ''...'' when Khal heard this he nodded, but still asked, "And what about me? Can he kill me?"


    "He can."


    "!?" this time Khal couldn''t remain calm as this was the moment he realized that this ''graduation'' held greater weight than any challenge he epted in his entire life!


    "Anything else?" asked Jas when he saw that Khal didn''t say anything.


    "Yeah, onest thing. About Rubie... Can she fight too?" Khal asked Jas as he was curious if they will let Rubie fight alongside him or not.


    ''Considering she is my Tamed Beast, she is considered as my own power, right?''


    And to his surprise, when Jas heard his question he nodded his head mildly and said, "She can."


    Khal seemed happy by this, however, Logan was theplete opposite, he felt as this match was a little bit unfair.


    ''Two against one and he has to lower his Stage onto mine, I have everything I need to win this battle.'' thought Khal and nodded, "Okay, I understood."


    "Perfect, then get to your positions."


    Khal and Logan did as Jas told and once they stood about a hundred meters away from each other, Jas nced at both of them and nodded.


    "Ready?"


    "Anytime," Logan answered nonchntly, though a sword was alreadyunched in his grasp.


    Khal seeing this retrieved his Devil Fangs and nodded too, "I am ready."


    "Perfect, then on the count of three."


    Immediately as he said that, all the experts behind Jas turned serious, which surprised Khal a little bit but decided to ignore them.


    "One... Two... Three!"


    Swish!


    "!?"


    Khal watched as Logan immediately traveled the distance between them and his sword was already next to his neck.


    However, even though feeling the chilling sensation on his neck, Khal remained calm and quickly raised his weapon to block the attack.


    BOOM!


    A powerful ripple broke out when the two weapons met that moved the grass on the ground and the clothes on Jas and the experts, but that was only the beginning.


    Logan moved his arm and like lightning attack Khal''s waist from the other side. However as Khal has long ago activated his Heaven''s Eyes, this attack was deflected too almost as easily as taking a stroll in a park!


    ''Things became rtively slow after my Heaven''s Eyes reached the Sixth Stage. It''s like I am watching a movie in slow motion!'' thought Khal as he was delighted he wasn''t losing against Logan like thest time but even had the upper hand!


    Within a few seconds, Khal and Logan exchanged several blows, filling the surroundings with sharp and metallic sounds while the ground around their feet was cut, leaving a few meters long gashes.


    "He is strong. Much stronger than on the tournament." Scarlett eximed quietly, her eyes fixed on Khal''s figure like a hawk.


    "He indeed became more powerful, but Logan is obviously going easy on him even though he lowered his Stage," answered Dorothea calmly.


    "Yeah, he is going easy on him. Khal is already using one of his Talents while Logan didn''t do anything special except some weak sword techniques. Even though Khal is strong, against a monster like Logan, he has no opportunity at all to win." Raffin joined the conversation from the side, seemingly convinced that Khal has no chance for victory.


    Many other experts nodded in agreement as all of them knew just how terrifying Logan was once he goes all out even if he lowered his Cultivation Base.


    "Let''s just wait and see," said Jas suddenly in a calm voice, surprising everyone behind him as they wouldn''t have thought he would say something like that.


    Does he believe Khal has a chance? Against Logan?


    Everyone exchanged nces with each other, trying to figure out what could make Jas, the person who knew Logan the best, think Khal had a chance in this fight.


    "Screech!!!"


    However, even before they could have thought any further, suddenly a glorious cry resounded in the air, surprising some of the experts.


    With a quick and powerful leap into the air, Rubie who sat on Khal''s shoulder all this time abruptly flew into the sky, and like crimson lightning, attacked Logan from behind, while Khal did the same but from the front!


    ''...'' Logan however just simply remained calm, and with a natural flick, swung the sword in his grasp that was already lit up with abyss ck mes!


    Swish!


    BOOOM!

 Chapter 201 - Victory?

    A powerful gust of wind appeared the moment Logan shed with his sword, even making the temperature around him rise drastically to the point where the grass turned to ash!


    "Woah!"


    ??


    "SCREECH!"


    Both Khal and Rubie were forced to halt their assaults and retreat several meters in an instant, leaving Logan alone in the middle of the sea of fire!


    "Haha, I told you all! Even on the Sixth Stage, he has terrifying powers! Whenever I see his mes I can''t help but feel a cold shiver run down my spine!" Raffin eximed out loud, his eyes holding rivalry but at the same time admiration whenever he looked at Logan in the distance.


    The others around him were the same too, as they also thought Logan''s power was top-notch no matter which Stage he was currently on.


    Though, even after seeing Logan''s noticeable advantage against Khal, Jas still remained calm as if he didn''t think what Logan did was anything incredible to talk about.


    "So? Will you continue to stand there like a fool or will you attack me already?" Logan asked from Khal, seemingly bored for no reason.


    ''...''


    Khal was speechless upon hearing Logan''s arrogant and kind of provoking statement, feeling almost as if he was looking down on him.


    However, even though he wanted to prove Logan wrong right then and there, he knew he has to be calm and act patiently. If he decided to behave rashly, he would only y onto Logan''s hand and even lose with a high likelihood.


    That is why just simply smiled and without saying a thing waved his Devil Fangs.


    Whoosh!


    "What are those? Wind des?" Scarlett couldn''t help but exim out with confusion the moment she saw the floating wind des around Logan.


    Even the rest seemed confused, but soon that feeling turned into ridicule as they assumed Khal wanted to restrict Logan''s movement with those.


    ''...''


    Logan stared at the floating wind des around him with an indifferent gaze, but soon his eyes widened, and moved his feet.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    Like several bombs detonated at the same time, every wind de exploded with terrifying power, slicing the ground below into several pieces, while also forming deep pits here and there.


    "W-What a powerful ability..." muttered Scarlett a bit dumbfoundedly, while the rest around her looked the same as her.


    "Exploding wind des? What kind of Secret Art is that?" Conner seemingly curious about the origin of the Art Khal has used asked out loud, but as no one really knew the answer it appeared he will remain oblivious until he does not ask Khal personally.


    Meanwhile, among the dust cloud and craters that Khal''s previous has attack formed, Logan''s figure was slowly emerging, his body still intact even after being in the center of such a crazy and hazardous onught!


    ''Where is he?'' however, Logan couldn''t care less about his situation or feel proud that he survived, as the moment the dust dissipated, Khal was nowhere to be seen.


    "Looking for me?" suddenly a voice resounded from behind, making Logan spin around and swing his weapon, but soon realized the one that was behind him was not Khal but Rubie!


    "Bad choice," Logan said nonchntly and with lightning speed changed his sword''s trajectory, defending against Rubie''s ws just in time.


    CLANG!


    The sound of steel against steel reverberated throughout the air, but what stunned Logan was that even though he defended in time, Rubie''s attack was abruptly strong, pushing his weapon together with his arm to the side with ease!


    ''What physical strength... Even though she is still on the Fifth Stage, her evolution not only affected her Cultivation Base, speed, and appearance but even her basic strength too!'' Logan seemed startled as he knew Ruby Beasts weren''t dangerous except their speed.


    But it looked like after Rubie''s evolution, not only did she became stronger in her basic traits, but also gained plus characteristics such as this enhanced physical strength that no Rubie Beast had.


    However, soon his shock suddenly deepened another level as the moment Rubie finished her attack, Khal''s figure emerged right before him, his weapon targeting his throat with obvious killing intent.


    ''Not bad!'' Logan suddenly smiled upon realizing Khal''s smart schemes, but to his surprise the moment he wanted to move, Khal vanished once again, and like a phantom appeared right behind him!


    Logan spun around the very moment he noticed Khal''s vanishing from his sight, as he knew way too well what kind of trick Khal was using; The Dance of The Celestial Serpent, Azure Snake Dance!


    Swish!


    With a cold flicker, Logan shed horizontally with his burning sword, melting the ground below it into a boiling mess, but it seemed Khal had long ago predicted this move and just simply waved his hand.


    "Ster Domain, Open!"


    BAM!


    Right as his voice fell, the surroundings around them changed, recing the emerald green grass and the azure blue sky into an endless and vast cosmos, filled with an infinite amount of stars,s, and gxies everywhere in the distance!


    "What beautiful sight..." was the only all the experts could think of once they saw the Ster Domain, even though they had seen it before during the Thousand Life Tournament.


    However, that was the only thing they could say or think about as suddenly the cosmos around them began to spin while and immense pain pierced their head, almost as if hundreds of swords got stabbed into their brain from every angle!


    Even Logan was affected, but as he knew what to expect the moment he noticed the changes, he was prepared long ago. However, even like this, he couldn''t help but feel severe pain and difort, almost as if someone was twisting his muscles from the inside, resulting in his body bing quite sluggish while his hand even started to tremble slightly as he tried to control himself!


    And this is exactly what Khal needed!


    Once this tiny opening has appeared, he didn''t hesitate to avoid Logan''s attack with his third form, and once next to him, he swung his hand, his Bloodshed Touch already active!

 Chapter 202 - A Little Bit Serious

    Khal''s palm was descending from above with crazy speed, ready to touch and manipte the blood inside Logan''s body.


    However, even though knowing the imminent and unknown threat, Logan remained calm and slightly push to the side of his feet, he appeared behind Khal, his sword already targeting Khal''s neck!


    ??


    "Amazing! He not only copied Khal''s movement technique perfectly but even cornered him with almost no effort at all! That''s Logan for you!" Raffin eximed with admiration the moment Logan moved,pletely oblivious by the fact Logan didn''t copy but simply learned the Secret Art together with Khal.


    As they were fixing and modifying the Art to be useable since the moment Khal acquired it, it was the norm for Logan to know how to utilize it.


    The moment Jas saw this he just sighed, as it seemed Raffin and the others were right; beating Logan in a one-on-one fight was simply impossible. And what''s more, even though Khal showed great progress and signs he had the chance to win, he fought with everything he had while Logan didn''t. It could be said Logan only used a bit more than half of his powers could allow on the Sixth Stage, thus Khal really had no chance to win.


    ''Sigh... How unfortunate...'' sighed Jas inwardly as he was ready to stop the fight, but before he could move, a green light flickered and a beautiful emerald green armor emerged and wrapped itself around Khal''s body!


    CLANG!


    The moment Logan''s weapon reached Khal''s neck, a sound almost as if hitting a metal bar against steel resounded, while Logan''s brows lowered into a deep frown.


    "An armor made out of scales? What kind of armor is that?" these thoughts appeared inside everyone''s head, trying to figure out the origin of Khal''s armor.


    "He must have obtained it after the tournament," Connor said suddenly.


    "Yeah, kind of figured, but still... Logan''s ze Sword can pierce and cut through almost everything with ease below the Legendary Tier, so how?"


    The question was good, but no one truly believed Khal had armor from the Legendary Tier or above. Not only were armor extremely hard to forge but because cksmiths had to refine and temper each of their body parts almost the same time, creating an armor that reaches the Legendary Tier was extremely tough, almost impossible, much less finding one.


    However, what neither of them knew was that even Khal seemed startled below the armor, as he understood the best that his Chameleon Armor was only on the Refined Tier!


    ''What is going on here?'' Khal seemingly confused, wanted to figure out the cause of this strange phenomenon, but was stopped by another assault by Logan, but this time his sword was covered in abyss ck mes!


    Khal was caught by surprise upon seeing this and couldn''t even react in time, thus Logan''s zing weapon easily reached its target, exploding into his left side with tremendous power!


    BAM!


    The ground below Khal cracked and melted, while Rubie was blown into the distance as she seemed to struggle whenever Logan''s mes appeared; it looked like the mes were too hot for her to resist with her Cultivation Base, which was only natural.


    BAM!


    "!?"


    Though, even after the second assault, Khal''s armor seemed to be perfectly intact which only resulted in everyone else''splexion to turn from confusion into aghast.


    "Could it be that his armor... Is truly on the Legendary Tier?" Connor couldn''t help but ask, as he found it unimaginable that Khal had armor from the Legendary Tier.


    While others tried to understand what Tier that armor was on, Khal suddenly noticed that the scales around the part where Logan''s attack fell moved and changed into a colorful color for a second before changing back into their original, emerald green appearance!


    ''What was that? Colorful scales? I have never seen them before!'' Khal noticed the slight and abrupt change on his armor, but it seemed Logan did too, and he even recognized them!


    "Thousand Skin Chameleon scales?" Logan eximed in an indifferent tone, but his face showed otherwise as his eyes shed with a bit of excitement after a long time!


    Bam!


    Whoosh!


    BOOM!


    Assaults after assaults fell on Khal''s body with lightning speed, giving almost an illusion that hundreds of sword strike chopped down on him at the very same time!


    The ground broke, grass melted and the air turned chaotic. Logan''s onught was ridiculously fast and crazy, almost as though he went mad!


    Yet, even like this, Logan was still unable to pierce through Khal''s armor much less injure him! Whenever his sword hit the green armor, the scales on it would turn colorful for a split second then turn normal in the next moment.


    However, what made Khal shocked was not how crazily Logan was attacking him, almost as if he murdered his parents and now he wanted to kill him, but the fact that every time a hit fell on his armor a portion of his Essence would vanish from his body!


    And the stronger the attack was, the higher amount of Body Essence he would lose!


    Just under a few minutes, Khal''s 1050 units of Body Essence decreased to 743, and it was still declining rapidly!


    When Khal noticed this, he realized Logan must have figured out this, thus that is why he attacked him this maddened!


    Hence, Khal began to move, using his movement skills to avoid Logan''s strikes, but as his Body Essence was lessening at a rapid pace, his ability to move faster lessened significantly too, and couldn''t prevent Logan from hitting him at least once out of every 10 attempts!


    Several hours went like this, and even though Khal tried to look for an opening to do a counter-attack Logan would always hit him twice as powerful as he did before, pushing Khal back to defend.


    Even Rubie, who tried to help Khal seemed helpless, as whenever she attacked Logan, she would always meet with Logan''s mes, forcing her back into the distance!


    It was right at this moment, that all the experts and Khal realized that Logan became a little bit more serious, as his superior sword techniques and movement skills finally began to show their glory once again after many years!

 Chapter 203 - Moon Token

    Outside Moon City, about fifteen miles away toward the west, two figures could be seen shing and moving at a rapid pace while the surroundings around them turned chaotic.


    Abyss ck mes melted the grass and ground, making the air vibrate because of the immense heat, while wind des sliced the surrounding earth into nothing more but debris that was smaller than an inch!


    ??


    Khal did everything in his power to prevent Logan fromnding a strike on him, even using his movement techniques and Devil Fang, but it was harder than doing.


    Not only was he unable to avoid Logan''s crazy frenzy, but as time went on his speed decreased drastically as his Body Essence was also consumed rapidly, thus the number of strikes that hit him increased too!


    At the start, Logan was able to strike him only after every tenth attempt, but only after half an hourter this became almost every third strike!


    CLANG!


    [Your Body Essence has dropped below 15%!]


    The moment Nova''s voice appeared, Khal realized he must do something quickly or it won''t be long before he falls unconscious or even worse... Die.


    ''Rubie is unable to approach Logan because of the mes and I can''t open my Ster Domain as Logan would always stop me before I had the chance. What should I do?''


    Khal pondered deeply, trying to figure out what kind of solution could save him from this tight situation.


    However, even after several minutes of deep pondering, Khal was unable toe up with any idea.


    [Your Body Essence has dropped below 10%!]


    [You should do something or you will die from Exhaustion...]


    ''...'' Khal''s eyebrow twitched upon hearing Nova''s evident ''help'' and resisted the urge to curse at her aloud.


    ''Then what do you say, what should I do? I hope you have something in mind and didn''t just talk to say obvious bullshit, right?''


    [Use your Bloodshed Touch again.]


    ''Eh? Why? It''s only useful if I can get in contact with my enemy. However, currently, I can only retreat and struggle to avoid attacks much less going and grab his body?''


    [Just do it.]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent and after thinking about it he nodded. He had no other choice, thus he can at least try and do as Nova told him, and hope something good will happen.


    Hence, almost immediately he activated his Bloodshed Touch, and soon, everything in his eyes turned ck and white while Logan''s body became a shining crimson silhouette!


    ''And now what?'' Khal asked from Nova as he avoided Logan''s zing sword by a hairsbreadth that targeted his shoulder.


    [Now take away your armor.]


    ''Say that again?'' Khal seemingly stupified by Nova''s ridiculous request asked with shock, feeling almost as if he just misheard her or something.


    [I said take your armor off. Should I say it word by word for you?]


    Once Khal heard this he realized he didn''t mishear what Nova said, thus hisplexion turned rock-solid, and asked in a low voice, ''Why? You know I will die like that, right?''


    [Because you possess greater protection than this armor can provide.]


    Khal remained silent, but soon as he felt his Body Essence was on the verge of depletingpletely nodded.


    ''Sure, I will. But then what? Let myself sliced up?''


    [In truth, yes.]


    ''...''


    Khal started to believe that Nova was really on his side or tried to kill him. And from her suggestions, Khal felt she was trying to get rid of him.


    [You have no reason to fret. You will understand everything if you do exactly as I say. Just make sure to concentrate on the point where you will feel the pain.]


    ''Okay... I will...'' answered Khal after another strike from Logan as it has pushed his amount of Body Essence right into the Danger Level!


    ng!


    Once Logan''s sword crashed into his armor and pulled it back, ready to strike once again, Khal unsummoned his armor.


    "!?"


    All the experts and Jas looked at this sight with confusion and shock, not understanding why Khal did something ridiculously crazy such as that.


    However, even though Logan seemed startled by Khal''s sudden choice, he still swung his sword, drawing a beautiful crescent arc in the air that targeted Khal''s neck!


    Khal seeing this immediately felt a tingling and numb sensation in his abdomen, thus subconsciously raised his arm, hoping he could at least defend against the assault to some degree.


    "Is he a moron? He will die like this!" Scarlett eximed out loud, herplexion slightly pale as she didn''t want to see Khal''s head rolling onto the ground.


    Even though it was a final test where killing was allowed, if it seemed that the disciple was about to lose, or worse die, it was Jas'' responsibility to stop the fight.


    Yet, Jas not only stayed still almost as if he didn''t want to halt the battle, but he even crossed his arms, his gaze immensely indifferent!


    "We should h-" Scarlett began to talk once again, but this time, even before she had the chance to finish her sentence, Logan''s reached Khal, cutting into his arm and proceed on slicing toward his neck!


    Logan''s sword was like a hot knife, cutting through Khal''s skin and flesh as if it was tofu!


    However, just as the de could have had the chance to reach the bone and slice through it too, a sight, that neither Logan nor any of the experts thought urred.


    The moment Khal''s blood was spilled, many would think it would drop onto the ground, painting the ground with red, but this wasn''t the case at all. Almost as though his blood had its own will, it moved, and like a serpent twisted around Logan''s sword, holding it in one ce extremely firmly!


    "!?"


    Logan struggled to move his sword and pull it away, but found it with surprise that no matter how much strength he applied into his arm, his sword was stuck in Khal''s arms and blood! It felt like he has stabbed his weapon into mud that suddenly turned solid, trapping his sword''s de inside it without a chance to pull it out!


    Meanwhile, Khal seemed startled as he could see way more than others thanks to his sight. Except for the massive pain in his arm that could have made him scream up, he watched as the blood inside him flowed perfectly fine, while he felt a kind of strange connection between him and the solid blood around Logan''s weapon.


    It felt like if he wished to he could move them, but no matter how hard he tried to control them, he failed every time.


    [This is your chance...]


    When Nova''s voice appeared in his head, Khal realized this truly was his golden opportunity, thus didn''t hesitate and swung his arm with his Bloodshed Touch still active, and grabbed Logan''s arm!


    And because Logan waspletely taken by surprise by this sudden change of event, Khal seeded to clench Logan''s wrist!


    ''...'' Logan seeing this shifted his gaze at Khal, not knowing what he tried to do with only one hand, but unfortunately, his question was answered really fast.


    Like piercing several tubes into his veins, Logan suddenly felt as his blood was sucked away and umted around Khal''s fingers, making his body feel weaker and weaker with each passing second!


    ''Not good!'' Logan seemed to realize the threat and wanted to escape, but suddenly the amount of blood escaping his body doubled, rendering him immobile in a wink.


    "Okay, that''s enough."


    Suddenly Jas'' calm voice resounded from the side, halting Khal from doing anything else.


    Khal nodded and with Logan''s sword still stuck in his arm, took a few steps back and waited for Jas to continue talking.


    However, the moment he did, Logan fell on his knees weakly, his skin andplexion paler than a sheet of paper.


    "Are you okay?" Jas asked Logan, a bit perplexed by the amount of damage Khal did to him.


    However, his shock deepened a level more when Logan tried to talk, but the only thing that came out of his mouth was dark red blood!


    ''...''


    Seeing this, Jas stayed silent before taking out a pill from his spatial ring and throwing it to Logan.


    "Eat this quick."


    Logan grabbed the pill and threw it into his mouth without a second thought, and watched as his skin gradually obtained back its original color, while his weakplexion became healthier too.


    Jas nodded his head mildly once Logan was able to stand onto his feet again and shifted his gaze at Khal after his eyes examined his bracelet on his wrist for a brief moment.


    And soon, Jas sighed and took out a white token before throwing it toward Khal.


    "Take this. You have deserved to acquire it, no question about it."


    Khal caught the token with his healthy arm, and after examining the circr object that had a moon carved into its middle, raised his gaze and asked, "What is this?"


    "This is your reward for passing your final test, a Moon Token."

 Chapter 204 - Silver Robe

    "Moon Token?" Khal asked Jas as he inspected the item in his hold.


    "Yes, it is an extremely valuable token that you will be able to use once you reach the Second Realm. I rmend you put it away and show no one or you can easily find yourself in great trouble."


    ??


    Khal raised his gaze at Jas and nodded before tossing his Moon Token into his spatial ring.


    "Now then..." Jas extended his arm toward Khal and showed a smile that was rare to see from him.


    "Congrattions on bing a Real Cultivator, I can''t wait to see what the future holds for you."


    Khal upon hearing Jas''spliment smiled and epted the handshake, however, was deeply surprised since the end of the battle.


    ''Just what happened? Why did my blood turn solid?'' Khal felt confused as he couldn''t get his head around what happened just now.


    [Since you reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage, each of your Power Cores became stronger.]


    ''Yeah, I know that, but that doesn''t exin how my blood became solid.''


    Until this moment, Khal clearly understood that the stronger he became, the stronger his Talents turned to be too.


    For example, in the beginning, his Heaven''s Eyes was able to see things only in a five-meter radius, while only boosting his reaction speed a bit. However, now that he reached the Sixth Stage, the radius became 20 meters while things in it seemed to move rtively slowly thanks to his enhanced reaction speed.


    Furthermore, the same went for his Ster Domain. At the start, the area where he could affect others was smaller than 10 meters, but now it has already expanded more than 50 meters, which was an extremely huge difference!


    Though, neither of these abilities seemed to show that they have achieved to obtain extra features. Like, his Bloodshed Touch''s main purpose was to suck and draw other beings'' blood with a single touch and not to make his blood turn solid.


    Even though he wished that he could manipte blood with this power, he didn''t feel like it would be possible to do so. Yet, after what happened just now, it seemed he will definitely be able to manipte his blood if not others.


    Jas obviously noticed his surprise, and shifted his gaze at the sword stabbed in Khal''s hand, which was still stuck there because of the solidified blood.


    Khal noticed Jas''s gaze thus looked at his arm and asked from Nova, ''How can I take the weapon out of my hand? Even though I don''t feel any pain, it''s still ufortable, especially when I move.''


    [Just think about them as if they were a part of your body and try to rx them.]


    ''Try to rx them as if they were my muscles?'' Khal was confused, but when he saw Logan''s gaze too on the sword, he realized it should be best to try and take it out as fast as possible.


    Hence, after taking a deep breath, Khal closed his eyes and imagined as the blood around the de was his own muscles and attempted to rx them.


    And to his great surprise, it worked!


    Just like how one''s muscle would loosen, the blood did the exact same, and the previous firm hold softened and Khal was able to pull the sword out of the wound.


    Though, the moment he did, immense pain priced his arm, almost making him yell up, but thanks to him anticipating it beforehand he just clenched his teeth and handed the sword to Logan.


    "If you don''t want to die from blood loss, eat this quick." Jas seeing as Khal''s round began to bleed like crazy, threw a golden pill to Khal, who didn''t even hesitate to toss it right into his mouth!


    And exactly a secondter, the gap that would have needed at least several months to recover, began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a few minutester it vanished wholly as if it wasn''t even there in the first ce!


    "Thank you very much!" Khal bowed to Jas, showing his gratitude.


    "It''s nothing." Jas just waved his hand, and asked, "Instead tell me, what are you nning to do now that you have stepped on the path of cultivation?"


    Khal hearing this began to ponder as the question was indeed a good one. He had quite a lot to do and aplish, even after he seeds in killing Alde.


    He had to find out the origin of his bracelet before helping Neo get out of Soul prison while also protecting Liza, who was still oblivious about their shared past.


    And to do all of those, he had to be stronger, much stronger than he was now.


    He not only has to be stronger in Cultivation Base, but he also needs to refine his Secret Arts and mastery over his Talents. Just like how Logan showed him, only a simple sword technique that was honed through countless years of hardships and difficulties was way more than enough to surpass him.


    Furthermore, Khal was no fool to think that Logan used all his strength during their battle as it was obvious he didn''t. Maybe he took him a little bit seriously in the end, but if he wanted to he could have killed him with a single strike from the get-go. The only reason why he didn''t was that it was a graduation test and not a deathmatch.


    However, if it were thetter one, then Khal was pretty sure he would have graduated not from Moon Acadamy but his life instead!


    And this is why Khal turned serious, and with a determinedplexion, he said, "I will be stronger and enter Realms where no humans have ever been before!"


    Jas and the experts that have already walked closer, upon hearing this widened their eyes, but soon all smiled, some even chuckling as if what Khal just said was something funny.


    Jas however just smiled and nodded, "If that''s what you truly wish to do then I won''t stop you at all as everyone here and on this has the very same dream as you. To be the strongest and be the one on the very top."


    Khal nodded, but still felt confused why the restughed at what he just said. If everyone had the same aim as him, then what made his previous statement so funny?


    However, little did Khal know that the reason why all the experts smiled andughed was that in their eyes his deration was like a child saying what he wants to be when he grows up.


    If it were so easy and reach the higher Realms just because one decided to do so, then humans would have reached them a very long time ago.


    Nheless, reality was harsher and much crueler than one belived it to be. Let alone surviving in the Second Realm where other terrifying races existed alongside humans, the Third Realm or even the ones above that were extremely dangerous, to the point where the slightest mistake could mean your demise!


    This, hearing Khal say he will be the very first one to reach the Realms above the Third Realm was not only funny, but in their eyes, it was an insanely bold and extremely arrogant promation to say.


    "Anyways, now that you havepleted your final test, you have no reason to remain in Moon Academy. However, if you want, you can naturally decide to remain here as long as you wish, but then you have to do a few things." Jas said to Khal after a moment of silence and waited for Khal''s answer.


    Khal, however, immediately nodded and said without a moment of hesitation, "I will stay in Moon Academy. I still have a few things to do before I can decide to go and explore the world."


    The experts seemed curious what Khal had to do that made him so serious, but as it was not their business they simply remained silent. Only Jane had a slight hunch of what Khal wanted to do, but as she wasn''t sure she could only narrow her eyes slightly.


    Jas seemingly unaware of the hidden meaning of what Khal just said nodded, "I see, then please hand over your key. As you are no longer a student of Moon Academy, you can''t carry that key. But don''t worry, you will be given a normal room until you don''t decide to leave."


    Khal knew it made sense thus handed the V.I.P key to Jas.


    "Thank you, also, you can keep your Moon Robe as you deserve it, but please wear this until you are inside Moon City." Jas waved his hand, and soon a robe that looked the same as the Moon Robe appeared, with the sole exception it had a beautiful silver color with golden patterns on it that seemed noble.


    After taking the robe away and bowing to Jas and the experts, Khal walked away with Rubie.

 Chapter 205 - Sword Aura

    Once Khal walked away, the experts followed suit, leaving only Logan and Jas behind.


    After a moment of silence the seemed to be several minutes, Jas nced at Logan and asked, "Why did you go easy on him?"


    ??


    Logan''s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing the question, but still answered in a calm voice, "If I would have gone all out he wouldn''t have stood a chance."


    "Is that so?" Jas smiled as he knew that Logan made a mistake and didn''t give his all because he underestimated Khal and not because he went easy on him.


    Even though he knew his student had exceptional abilities, because he didn''t use them more than a few months much less hone them to perfection, Logan believed he could easily win even without giving his all.


    However, reality always proved the arrogant wrong, and just as it happened, the unexpected happened and he was defeated by a youngster.


    ''Well, to be honest, even I couldn''t have predicted this oue, especially not his newfound power. It seems whatever that tool is, he will definitely be a terrifying existence in the future and maybe...'' as Jas reached that thought, he just shook his head helplessly and began to walk towards Moon City together with Logan on his side.


    "Anyways, you know you could have died just now if it weren''t for me stopping him in time, right?"


    "Oh, shut up already old geezer! You perfectly know I could have easily won if it weren''t for my kind heart!"


    "Haha!"


    -


    -


    -


    Back inside Moon Academy, after Khal changed into his new robe and saw it was a perfect fit, he decided to go and meet with Liza. And just as he thought, she was still next to the sameke, practicing and refining her mastery over her Talents almost with no rest.


    "Khal?" Liza noticed Khal''s approach and stopped freezing and melting theke, however, when she saw his new robe, she couldn''t help but raise her delicate brows.


    "What is that silver robe on you? And... Is that Rubie? Why does she look different than before? What happened with her?"


    As Khal didn''t meet with Liza after Rubie''s evolution it was only natural for her to feel confused, but once Khal exined to her what happened, her confusion quickly turned into shock and awe.


    "She drank a Golden Hawk''s toxin you have acquired in the past and that caused her to evolve? I never hear about something like this before, this is... A miracle?" Liza mumbled as she stroked Rubie''s now way softer feather, who apparently enjoyed the massage.


    "When that happened, even I was stupified when I saw it, but luckily nothing happened with her either. But anyway, I have something way more important to tell you." Khal nced at Liza and after taking a deep breath proceeded on telling her what happened with him in the past few days.


    And once he reached the end of his story, where he told Liza he seeded in reaching the Sixth Cultivation Stage and alsopleted his final test which was to beat Logan in a one-on-one fight, Liza looked amazed.


    "You have already reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage? How? It hasn''t been a month since the Thousand Life Tournament!" Liza asked Khal, seemingly stupified by the pace he was cultivating.


    Even though the first Five Stages are about consuming Beast Essence, which can be done quite easily by Essence Pills if one had the money, reaching the Sixth Stage was another question. One not only had to reach the exact amount of Essence that was required for the Sixth Stage, but they also had to open a sealed Essence Path which was no small feat at all!


    Yet, Khal, not only reached the Fifth Cultivation Stage under 2 months but he even understood one of his sealed Essence Path''s meanings, breaking into the Sixth Cultivation Stage and bing a Real Cultivator!


    ''Just how can he cultivate this rapidly? It is almost inhuman!'' Liza thought, secretly admiring Khal and the speed he was bing stronger.


    However, soon her admiration turned into worry, and asked in a low voice, "And what do you n to do now that you are... No longer a student?"


    Khal kind of expected this question and just sat down, even smiling at her warmly.


    "I will stay here of course. Until you don''t reach the Sixth Stage, I will go nowhere."


    "But what about your cultivation? Now that you have reached the Sixth Stage it will be extremely troublesome for you to reach the next Stage, you should-"


    "As I said, I will stay here." Khal said seriously as he interrupted Liza and then continued, "Also, you don''t need to worry about my cultivation, I will be perfectly fine."


    ''...''


    Liza remained silent as she didn''t know how to react this time. However, considering Khal''s personality, she clearly understood if he decided on something he won''t change his mind no matter what. This is why she could do nothing but shake her head and proceed on practicing.


    Meanwhile, Khal sat in a lotus position and after closing his eyes, attempted to open his next Essence Path.


    Swish!


    Right after his Body Essence reached the second seal, several wind des arose around him, but just like previously, no matter how long or hard he concentrated on them, he couldn''tprehend what they really were, much less their meaning.


    "Huh? Since when did you learn Sword Aura?" seeing the sudden change around Khal''s body, Liza halted her movements once again and stared at him with surprise.


    "Sword Aura? Are you talking about these wind des?" Khal asked Liza, as he stared at the half-transparent crescent des before him in the air with piqued interest.


    "Wind des?" Liza frowned and shook her head gently, "Those are no wind des, Khal. Those are Sword Aura, an extremely destructive power that is insanely hard to learn and needs years, if not decades to master! But as I can see and feel, they somewhatck... Destructiveness."


    She then said, "Also, Sword Aura usually manifests around the de of the sword first, yet they are obviously floating around you even though you have no sword... It''s strange if I can say the least."


    "Hmm..." Khal seemed to realize something and abruptly stood up, his hand already clenching his Devil Fangs firmly.


    "Khal?" Liza appeared to be confused as she watched Khal jump onto his feet with the Sword Aura still floating around him.


    However, before she could have gotten a response, Khal suddenly swung his weapon, striking one of the crescent des before him.


    BAM!

 Chapter 206 - Path Of Myriad Swords

    Even though Khal just hit nothing but air, the moment his weapon reached the crescent arc, a metallic pitch appeared together with a powerful gust of wind, shocking both Khal and Liza at the same time.


    "So this is a Sword Aura, huh?" Khal mumbled in a low voice and began to swing his weapon once again.


    ??


    Swish!


    ng!


    Another metallic pitch reverberated in the air followed by a strong shockwave, but this time after Khal pulled his weapon back and was ready to strike once again the hundreds of Sword Aura around him moved and began to assault him.


    "Watch out!" Liza seemed shocked once she saw this, and even tried to help Khal, but she was quickly halted in her tracks.


    With quick and smooth feet movements, Khal avoided the half-transparent arcs that now represented sharp swords, while also shing against those that targetted his vital parts such as the head, throat, and chest.


    ng!


    The continuous sound of steel crashing against steel resounded throughout the air, attracting several gazes from the distance.


    "Look! What is he doing? Isn''t unofficial fights prohibited in the Academy?"


    "Yes, it indeed is, but he fights with no one. Watch closely, he is battling against... Wind des?"


    "What?"


    Many that became curious gradually began to approach the spot where Khal was avoiding and deflecting the translucent sword attacks, watching the happenings in silence.


    "What is happening here?" Jane suddenly appeared next to Liza and watched as Khal fended against the hundreds of sword strikes around him, while Rubie just watched the whole spectacle from above the tree with a nonchnt gaze.


    Liza proceeded to tell her Master what happened, and a minuteter, she stopped talking.


    "Oh? So he already attempting to open his second Essence Path?" Jane seemed interested, her eyes flickering with a profound light as she stared at Khal in the distance.


    BAM!


    After several minutes of straight avoiding and deflecting, suddenly the onught became even more rapid and crazy, pushing Khal more and more into a corner where he could do nothing but watch as his body was getting stabbed and sliced from time to time.


    However, at the same time, Khal could feel as his sight became sharper and sharper, while a sensation began to appear between him and his weapon.


    ''Soft, hard, calm, chaotic, flexible, stiff... Each strike holds a different Sword Aura... It seems they try to enlighten me on the way how I should use my weapon.'' thought Khal as he noticed that each attack varied from one another, and their attack pattern was different too.


    ''However, the only problem here is that my weapon is not a sword but a hybrid... Should I still try toprehend their meaning?'' Khal asked himself inwardly as he evaded a slow sword strike from the side, but failed to do the same when a fast and aggressive one appeared from above, cutting his shoulder deeply.


    When Liza saw this she clenched her tiny hands and asked, "Master, can one die during their attempt to open their Essence Path?"


    Jane obviously understood Liza''s worry, and even though she wanted to say no, she could only nod her head.


    "Unfortunately, yes they can. As everyone has different Essence Paths in their bodies, their meaning also differs too. Some Essence Path only needs to be understood through simple knowledge to unlock, but some had harsher conditions, such as the one Khal is currently doing."


    She then proceeded on saying, "There are way too many paths with way too many meanings that can beprehended through way too many manners. For example, one of my Essence Path required me to stay alive in an almost inhuman cold environment where I almost froze to death."


    When Liza heard this she suddenly realized unlocking Essence Paths is way more hazardous and difficult than she first belived it to be.


    After pondering for a while and watching as Khal started to struggle and collect numerous wounds under the barrage of attacks, Liza asked, "Why is he not stopping?"


    "Because he can''t," Jane replied, stupifying Liza in a blink.


    "He can''t? Why?"


    "Because if he does stop now, he will suffer from a bacsh greatly as he already opened his second Essence Path slightly. He must keep on going or he can die or worse, be a cripple."


    "!?"


    Liza''s eyes widened like saucers, not believing what she just heard.


    Cripple? What did that mean? It meant if Khal failed to open his Essence Path and became a cripple, he could no longer proceed on his cultivation, sticking on his current Cultivation Stage or even worse, falling all the way back to the First Stage!


    Now Liza felt really anxious as Khal''s situation didn''t look great at all. He had several wounds all over his body, crimson blood flowing out them slowly.


    However, what neither she nor the others knew that the reason why Khal obtained so many wounds was not that he couldn''t dodge in time, but because he tried to mimic andprehend each sword strikes meaning.


    Which in fact was crazy as he could have easily opened his second Essence Path if he just simply inspected each Sword Auras, but he decided to mimic them!


    There were indeed others with such thoughts as him and even attempted to improve their knowledge about swords, but all failed miserably as all died or either became a cripple.


    Why? Because the Sword Auras were no living beings and even though they had a level of consciousness, they didn''t know what the word ''stop'' or ''mercy'' meant. Once they started attacking someone, they will persist until that individual is either a corpse or they were erased from existence itself.


    This is the true reason why Cultivators with Sword Aura or Auras are so scary that anyone would bow their heads just to avoid being killed.


    ''Soft as silk then hard like steel. Aggressive like a beast and peaceful like an ancient pond. Sometimes predictable but in other times unpredictable. There are numerous ways one can use the sword, but in truth, it all depends on the enemy.''


    ''If my opponent is forceful I will act calm. If my foe decides to surpass me with heavy strikes I will counter him with light movements! This is how it is, and the way how the sword should be used!''


    BAM!


    In that very instant, as Khal countered the Sword Auras with theirplete opposite characteristic, suddenly a slight eruption urred in his body and the second gate opened entirely!


    [You have sessfully unsealed the Path of Myriad Swords!]

 Chapter 207 - Pictures Of The Past

    Khal felt as the sealed gate in his left arm opened, unlocking the second Essence Pathpletely!


    BAM!


    ??


    And just like that, the Sword Auras that assaulted Khal halted and exploded into several particles, leaving Khal''s wounded figure finally alone.


    "He did it!" Liza eximed out loud, feeling happy about Khal as heprehended the meanings behind the Sword Auras and seeded in unlocking his second Essence Path.


    She even took a step forward to go and check if he had any serious injuries, but just as she did, suddenly another explosion broke forth from Khal''s body, surprising not only her but even Jane and the many onlookers also.


    "What is happening now?" Liza watched as Khal''s lower left arm was suddenly set on zing fire, which glowed with a beautiful crimson color, but at the same time immense heat too!


    Just from where she was standing, which was around 10 meters, she could feel the suffocating heat that was almost unnatural!


    "He definitely went insane!" Jane suddenly talked, realizing as Khal attempted to open his Third Essence Path right after he unlocked the second!


    "What? But isn''t that..." Liza began to ask, but she couldn''t even finish her sentence as suddenly the mes around Khal''s arm exploded and turned chaotic, consuming his body as a whole!


    "KHAL!" Liza now really became frightened, her face even turning as pale as a sheet of paper, and was ready to use her Talent to extinguish the mes around Khal when a shocking sight seemed to arise.


    Suddenly, Khal, who was enveloped with chaotic mes that scorched the ground around him, simply sat down into a lotus position and closed his eyes, seemingly meditating and concentrating on calming himself down.


    "Huh?" Liza and everyone around turned stupified as this was not what they expected to see. They thought Khal will scream and yell in pain and even attempt to jump into theke on the side just to stay alive!


    Yet, the awaited sight never arrived and Khal was still calmly sitting on the ground, his entire being engulfed with violent mes that radiated immense heat into the surroundings. He sat there almost as if the mes on him and the heat they emitted were non-existent which was confusing and startling at the same time!


    However, none of them knew that the reason why Khal seemed so calm was not that he resisted by sheer will bower the mes'' destructive traits, but because he didn''t feel any scorching heat at all much less pain! In fact, what he was feeling was pleasant warmness, almost as if he was sitting inside a hot spring that replenished his energy and refreshed his body, making him feel like he was reborn once again!


    ''What aforting sensation...'' thought Khal as he enjoyed the almost heavenly sensations in his body, but soon several pictures emerged in his mind, kicking him back right into a reality.


    ''What the hell are these? Memories?'' Khal suddenly realized that the pictures in his head in truth were his memories from both his past and current life.


    The first one was a picture about him standing before a familiar-looking girl, who he could never forget even of God himself erased his memories, while the girl herself was holding a box in both of her hands.


    ''Haha, isn''t that my gift when I confessed to Nancy. If I can recall correctly I gave her a ne which at first seemed ridiculous, but surprisingly she liked it.'' Khal thought as the nostalgic feelings hit him like a train, but soon he frowned and asked, '' But why is this appearing now? Where is the meaning of the Third Path?''


    Khal was confused and tried to concentrate on the pleasant feeling around his body, maybe giving him a hint, but not even a secondter another picture appeared in his mind, automatically attracting his attention onto it.


    ''This? Haha, I can clearly remember this restaurant! This is where I brought Nancy on our first date and I sessfully forgot to bring my wallet so I had to ask her to pay... Ha... What a downfall was it, I swear I could have buried myself alive at that time.'' Khal showed a bittersweet smile and watched as the third picture appeared.


    And again, this was also a memory of Nancy, in fact, a memory of their first kiss. And for some reason, when Khal saw the image, he could have sworn he felt the gentle sensation on his lips even though no one was kissing him at the moment.


    Shortly, the third picture was reced by a fourth then a fifth, and this went all the way until number twelve. Each showed a different asion, but each had one single thing inmon; each held the same person, his first andst love, Nancy.


    Khal however couldn''t help but feel a tightening sensation in his chest, almost as if someone grabbed his heart from inside and began to gradually tighten their grip while his eyes slightly turned wetter even though he looked perfectly calm.


    But this tightening sensation didn''tst long when suddenly the thirteenth picture appeared, but this time with an entirely different setting. Instead of Nancy, what Khal was able to see was his parents throwing an expensive bracelet he wanted to give Nancy as a gift.


    The fourteenth was the sight where his phone was seized from him and destroyed just to prevent him from talking with her.


    The fifteenth was a scene where his father wanted to break the bracelet he got from Nancy as a gift but luckily failed as Khal was good enough to protect at least the bracelet if he couldn''t do the same for himself.


    Simr pictures appeared in his mind, and Khal felt as the tightening sensation in his chest turned slowly rxed and what reced it was something... else.


    He can''t really understand what this feeling was, but the more he saw the ever-changing pictures in his mind about his parents and Nancy, the sensation inside him only became sharper and stronger, almost like something tried to break onto the surface but couldn''t as something was still missing.


    ''What do I miss? It is already evident that these pictures are the ones that try to make meprehend something, but what? What exactly should these images that hold two entirely opposite significance mean?'' Khal pondered deeply, but s, he couldn''te up with an idea.

 Chapter 208 - Flames Of Ambition

    Time passed silently, and everyone watched with back-held breaths as Khal sat in one ce, his body still covered with zing mes without any sign of his body turning into ash!


    "It seems the fire ispletely harmless on him. He will be fine." Jane eximed, instantly soothing Liza''s nerves on her side.


    ??


    "But still... To think he was bold enough to try his luck and attempt to unlock his third seal right after opening his second... Just what is he thinking?"


    Everyone understood that once an Essence Path was opened, the body needed time to get used to it before one could try to use it with Secret Arts or either attempt to open another path.


    Yet, Khal didn''t even wait for a second much less a minute after he sessfully opened his Second Path, which was considered an extremely foolish decision.


    Why? Because if he didn''t let his body adapt to the additional fraction that appeared in his body, he could easily suffer internal injuries or worse, destroying the Essence Path in his body which in the long run will be an extremely huge blow to one''s cultivation.


    ''Why does he love risking his life all the time? This is not funny at all!'' Liza sighed inwardly, feeling her heart tighten from anxiety whenever she watched Khal do something risky.


    However, if she would have known that Khal would be perfectly fine even if he opened up several seals at the same time she wouldn''t get worried so easily.


    What Jane said was indeed right, but it only applied to ordinary Cultivators and not Khal, who was undoubtedly not an ordinary Cultivator thanks to his bracelet.


    Why was that? Why must ordinary Cultivators wait and get used to the Essence Paths they opened while Khal didn''t? The answer was really simple if one took a moment to think.


    Because of Body Essence.


    While other Cultivators had less than 100 units of Body Essence in their bodies that needed time to fully upy the opened Essence Path, Khal had over 1000 units which immediately filled the path the moment Khal unlocked it.


    Thus, fearing his Essence Path will get destroyed or he will sustain internal injuries was only meaningless distress.


    Soon, three hours have passed already, but no sign indicated that Khal was on the verge of a breakthrough while the mes didn''t get weaker but happened to burn even stronger with each passing second.


    The majority of the onlookers have already walked away as they had either something else to do or just simply got bored. Only a few remained, including Jane and Liza, who inspected Khal''s body with keen eyes, ready to help him if something unexpected would happen.


    Meanwhile, inside his head, Khal was watching over and over again the pictures, his brain burning on all cylinders as he tried to figure out the meaning behind the images.


    ''So far 576 pictures of my past life, half of them about Nancy while the other half is about those individuals that I once called family.''


    He then continued to say, ''Yet, even after seeing so many past memories, I have no idea at all what I''m missing out.''


    Khal sighed inwardly and even tried to stop unlocking the sealed gate but find it with a shock that he... Couldn''t!


    What''s more, not only did he fail to retract his Body Essence from the third gate that will open the route into the next Essence Path, but he couldn''t even open his eyes!


    ''What?'' Khal was shocked to discover that his eyes were glued down,pletely sealing away his sight. The only thing he could see was the memories of his past life appearing inside his mind one after another!


    ''Wait... Why can''t I talk! Huh? Now that I say, even my hearing is gone too! What''s happening here?'' Khal seemed to realize that things now became quiteplicated.


    Though, thanks to his experience when he opened his first Essence Path, he understood that whenever stress appeared to emerge in his mind, he must do everything to first cool off and remain calm, which, in fact, happened surprisingly easily.


    ''It seems every Essence Path I open will influence me in one way or another. I''m curious if I will be able to use those Sword Auras I have fought against. How cool would that be?''


    However, Khal soon pushed this idea and question back into his head, and I stead concentrated on his current situation.


    He couldn''t move his body at all, cutting off all the possibilities of him talking and opening his eyes while he couldn''t feel or hear anything.


    The only thing he could do was to think and watch the changing images in his mind while the burning sensation still lingered in his chest.


    ''Okay, let''s think! As it seems, I cannot leave this state until I don''t figure out the meaning behind these pictures, but what exactly do they want me to understand? They are all past memories, one about the happiest days of my life while the other one is about my worst. What should I see or notice?''


    Khal pondered with all his might, and soon he noticed something.


    Suddenly, he discovered that each memory carried not only one thing inmon, but two to be more precise!


    Each image was about Nancy, one about herself, and the other one was about him, struggling to keep safe the things he either tried to give to Nancy or got from her.


    And the more Khal watched this, and the more he realized it was indeed the way he discovered, a sudden idea appeared in his mind, that not even he could have thought about as it was rather... Simple.


    And once the idea about the picture''s meanings arose in him, a different memory emerged in his mind, representing a sole figure he knew way too well.


    Liza.


    And right as her image appeared, Khal seemed to realize the meaning and if he could have, he would have smiled right there and then.


    ''So that''s how it is, huh?''


    BAM!


    Immediately after he said that, the sensation in his chest exploded, followed by Nova''s calm voice.


    [You have sessfully unsealed the Path of zing mes of Ambition!]

 Chapter 209 - River Shifter

    BAM!


    The mes on Khal''s body exploded with great power, surprising everyone around him as finally after so many hourster, something started to happen!


    ??


    Slowly, the chaotic crimson ze began to shrink and gradually be a small ball of fire before Khal''s chest before entering his body.


    ''...''


    Those that stayed there even after several hours watched with their breaths held back, curious and nervous to see what will happen.


    But to their great amazement, Khal just simply opened his eyes, revealing a pair of gazes that carried never seen before firmness.


    "You... Feeling okay? Any difort or internal injuries? If you feel even the slightest pain tell me immediately or-"


    "I feel perfectly fine, but thank you for your concern." Khal interrupted Jane kind of rudely before ignoring herpletely and shifting his gaze at Liza.


    Right now, in his eyes, Liza changedpletely, almost as if she became an entirely different existance. Her beautiful amber-brown eyes now seemed way more alluring while her figure, the curves he didn''t give attention to before now became clearer in his mind. Even her milk-white skin now appeared to him like porcin that made him think that could break any given moment if he averted his gaze even for a split second.


    And exactly these changes in his mind and eyes, Khal felt as something inside him broke to the surface, something that he only felt once in his past life...


    A reason to live for, a reason that told him life wasn''t as a horrible ce as he previously thought.


    And these impressions and feelings were clearly visible in his eyes, that someone, such as Jane, with several years of experience, couldn''t miss no matter what.


    ''Oh?'' Jane raised one of her brows, her eyes flickering with profound light while her thoughts remained unknown.


    "Khal? Are you sure you are okay?" suddenly Liza walked before Khal, examining his body while she remained oblivious to the changes inside Khal.


    "Yeah, now I feel much better." smiled Khal, feeling as his heart beating slowed down significantly while his mind became clearer too.


    Rubie flew down from the tree and once shended on his shoulder she began to stare at Khal with eyes filled with slight jealousy as she also noticed the changes in Khal''s gaze.


    After making sure he was doing fine, Jane and the rest of the onlookers walked away as there was no longer need to linger there, while Khal went toward Moon Mountain as his eyes were fixed on the text before him.


    {Cultivation Quests}


    /Run 5 kilometers without any Secret Arts and stopping/


    ? Done kilometers: 0/5


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Agility


    ? +1 Speed


    ---


    /Defend against 10 attacks with only your body/


    ? Defended attacks: 0/10


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Resistance


    ? +1 Mental Strength


    ---


    /Kill 1 Beast on the Sixth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/1


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    As the 24 hours limit for the previous quests has long ago expired, Khal watched as three new tasks appeared, each a bit harder than the previous ones.


    ''Even though the second and third quest is kind of hard, they are far from impossible to do. But first, let''splete the first one.'' sighed Khal inwardly, as he knew clear well it will be hell to run 5 kilometers.


    If 100 push-ups were real torture, then what will happen now? He didn''t want to think about it, but as he knew there was no gain without pain, he just clenched his teeth and began to run while Rubie watched all this from above the sky.


    However, not even 500 meterster, Khal noticed as his pace became slower while weight akin to a boulder started to take down on him.


    His forehead held several, bean-sized sweatdrops began to form, while his breathing turned ragged and quick.


    ''This is not normal at all. Even though Nova told me the reason already, there must be something else too she didn''t tell me. There is no way in hell a mere 500 meters could cause such exhaustion.'' Khal thought to himself, but persisted in running without stop.


    Once he reached the 1-kilometer mark, Khal felt exhausted but not to the point where he wished to stop.


    After the second kilometer, his legs ached from pain, but that too was bearable with simply gritting his teeth and continuing running.


    Real hell only came when he reached 3 kilometers as his whole body was soaked in sweat, while his legs felt like jelly. Though, as the challenge told him he had to run 5 kilometers in one go without resting, Khal had no choice but to curse out loud and proceed on running.


    After the fourth kilometer, Khal really wished to stop, lie down and rest. At the moment, the green grass below his feet for some reason seemed to appear alluringly soft andfortable, but as he had alreadye this far, there was no reason for him to give up.


    ''Just 1 kilometer... One more thousand meters and you can rest,e on!'' gritting his teeth andmanding his legs to move, Khal quickened his pace, now only his sheer willpower as his source of fuel.


    However, even though he elerated his speed, he looked like he was jogging, and an extremely slow tempo to say the least. Though, considering that Khal felt like he was pulling several cars behind him and his body felt rather weak, on the verge of copsing, it was understandable.


    Luckily, no wild Beasts appeared in his close proximity, thus he was not disturbed at all, but even if a few appeared, they were in by Rubie without a second thought.


    And precisely 45 minutester, which was considered trash in his old world, Khal finally took his final step, reaching 5000 metes, and immediately copsed onto the ground.


    "Haa... Haa... Haa..." breathing heavily, almost as if he just ran a marathon, Khal spread his arms and legs wide as he tried to calm and refresh himself.


    [Congrattions! Cultivation Quest ''Run 5 kilometers without any Secret Arts and stopping'' was sessfullypleted!]


    [+1 Agility acquired!]


    [+1 Speed acquired!]


    Once Nova''s voice fell, Khal felt as the muscles in his legs began to move and twitch slightly and after a few secondster stopped.


    Even his exhaustion got slightly better, but he still needed at least 15 minutes to recoverpletely.


    Just only then did he stand up onto his still weak felt feet, and sigh deeply.


    "I would lie if I say it felt great, but at least I was able to obtain more strength." Khal immediately moved his feet and was pleasantly surprised to watch as they not only felt a bit lighter than previously, but he could run faster too.


    ''Only 3 points on Agility and Speed... What will happen if I reach 50 or even 100? Will I be able to move as quickly as with my Secret Art? I can''t wait to find out!''


    After waiting for a bit and making sure he was fresh and ready, Khal activated his Crimson Snake Dance and like lightning burst away.


    And because his basic speed was already 3 times faster than before, together with his Secret Art he reached Moon Mountain in less than 3 minutes!


    But because he had a n how toplete the second Cultivation Quest, Khal didn''t slow down at all once he reached the mountain foot, and moved toward a river fall that was visible even from far away.


    Whoosh!


    Bam!


    With a powerful stomp in the ground to get his insanely fast speed to aplete halt, Khal looked around and examined the surroundings.


    On the right side, beautiful and crystal clear water crashed into a hugeke from above, while on the other side theke gradually continued to flow, changing into a wide and long river that vanished among the woods in the distance, leading into the unknown.


    However, even though the sight seemed extremely peaceful and gorgeous, Khal knew this was not a ce to feel at ease at all.


    His eyes were already fixed on theke about five meters before him, his gaze slowly following a shadow that moved here and there with an ordinary speed.


    And just a secondter...


    Ssh!


    A creature representing a redfish with a huge, de-like nose jumped out from the water high into the air and shot a ball of water at Khal.


    "Come!" Khal remained calm, and raised his hands before his face, protecting his face from the water attack with only his bare skin!


    BAM!


    The moment the waterball came into contact with his arm, it suddenly exploded, pushing Khal one step behind even though he made sure to resist with all his might.


    ''A River Shifter on the Fourth Cultivation Stage is not a big deal to deal with, but because their attacks are quite powerful, especially if you try to defend against it with your bare hands, they can cause quite a problem.'' thought Khal to himself and lowered his hands to see the damage that was caused by the River Shifter.


    But luckily, except for a small circr wound that was slightly bleeding, he sustained no serious damage at all.

 Chapter 210 - True Beast

    Under the moon''s light, a young man could be seen standing not far away from a crystal clearke, his arms crossed before his body as a manner of defense.


    Ssh!


    ??


    Suddenly, out of theke, a creature that represented a fish but with a long, de-like nose jumped out high into the air, and like a gun, fired a ball of water toward the young man.


    Bam!


    Like a bullet, the attack exploded onto the boy, sending drops of water and a gentle gust of wind into the surroundings, but except for that, nothing serious happened.


    ''Right more to go.'' Khal thought to himself and watched as the River Shifter jumped out once again and fired at him another attack.


    Bam!


    Khal defended against the creature''s attack with nothing more but with his bare skin and watched as on his arms deep wounds began to form gradually, sending drops of blood onto the ground.


    Bam!


    "One more to go," mumbled Khal with gritted teeth as he withstood the piercing pain in his arms.


    Luckily, the River Shifter was only on the Fourth Stage and while its speed was exceptionally terrifying in the water, it had weak attacks once outside on the surface.


    If it weren''t for the fact that he had to defend with nothing but his body, Khal would have easily killed the Beast hundreds of times already even with his eyes closed!


    ''Here ites!'' Khal got ready for the final attack as he saw slight movements below theke`s surface, but soon his eyes widened as not one, but five River Shifters emerged, each facing him with visible killing intent.


    Not waiting for Khal to react at all, all five creatures fired at him a huge ball of water that this time was not only blue in color but had a slight hue of crimson too!


    "!?"


    BOOM!


    Each ball of water erupted into Khal''s body like bombs, sending a powerful shockwave into the surroundings that were strong enough to shake trees several tens of meters away like crazy!


    "Cough... Cough... That was close..." Khal coughed slightly because of the dust that rose into the air because of the previous attack, and lowered his hands to his side that no longer had any skin, but only raw and bleeding flesh!


    Blood dripped onto the ground, painting the grass and the earth into a color of dark red, while Khal had a kind of uglyplexion.


    It was obvious he felt immense pain, but because of Nova''s voice in his head, the pain eased slightly.


    [Congrattions! Cultivation Quest ''Defend against 10 attacks with only your body '' was sessfullypleted!]


    [+1 Physical Resistance acquired!]


    [+1 Mental Strength acquired!]


    "At once..." Khal groaned with a mixture of relief and pain, but couldn''t help but lower his gaze at his arms that were now in a very unsightly shape.


    Ssh!


    However, before he could have thought any further about what to do, the five River Shifters emerged once again, ready to attack him just like previously.


    "It was enough, get out of my sight at once!" Khal said out loud with an annoyed expression and waved his Devil Fangs twice.


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    Without any mercy, the five creatures were sliced and ripped apart by Khal''s Secret Art before turning into a yellowish substance floating above theke, ready to be consumed.


    However, Khal couldn''t care less about the Beast Essence as the pain in his arms was getting more and more unbearable, while his blood was also flowing without halt which made him feel a bit scared he will die from blood loss.


    But soon, he realized something and without hesitation activated his Bloodshed Touch while also concentrating on both of his arms.


    And soon, just as he thought, the blood that would have flowed and dropped down suddenly turned solid, forming ayer of solid blood around his flesh akin to armor.


    "This will do it for the time being," Khal told himself after seeing that the solidified blood was quite durable and even made the pain feel not that hurtful as it previously was.


    Hence, Khal didn''t hesitate and half of the Beast Essences, getting 24 units of Essences, while giving the other half to Rubie who dly epted it.


    After that, Khal checked hisst quest, which was quite a difficult one.


    /Kill 1 Beast on the Sixth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/1


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    ''Sixth Cultivation Stage, huh? If I am right, toward the peak of Moon Mountain I will be able to find one, so let''s check it out.''


    With that, Khal didn''t hesitate and with his Secret Art began to ascend the mountain at a rapid pace.


    Of course, if he met with a Beast on his way, he would kill them without a second thought and consume their Essence to further strengthen himself.


    And exactly an hourter, Khal reached the middle region of the mountain, but because here the path became way steeper than below, he had no choice but ascend slower.


    Obviously, bird type Beast that habituated that region all tried to attack and kill him, but because they were all only on the Fourth Stage and only a few in the Fifth Stage, they were all in and consumed by Rubie in a blink!


    She made sure Khal was safe and sound, giving other creatures no chance at all to approach him. They stood no chance before Rubie, who was called the Emperor of the Skies way before her evolution!


    After climbing for a bit more than half an hour straight, Khal finally reached the area where the ground was almost t once again and looked around.


    Though the very moment he did, the sight that waited for him made his whole body stiff as a few meters away from him, a beast that represented a hybrid between a wolf and a tiger with silver fur lied on top of a boulder, its gold eyes staring straight at him.


    Its whole figure leaked a terrifying and suffocating presence that only creatures that broke through the bottleneck of the Fifth Cultivation Stage and reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage had; a True Beast that stepped on the path of real cultivation!

 Chapter 211 - Shadow Claws

    Khal stood frozen in one ce like a statue, fearing that if he dared to move or did something unexpected, his life will be reaped in a wink!


    The reason why, because the creature before him not only was a True Beast that reached the Sixth Stage, but even was one of the scariest entities a Cultivator could fight with on Moon Mountain.


    ??


    Shadow ws, a Beast that could kill their preys through their shadows! They say, Shadow ws can injure others by simply attacking their shadows, and kill them that way! An extremely terrifying ability that is extremely hard to counter!


    Or at least, for those that were not Khal, as they didn''t have what he had to win this fight.


    However, because rumors said that the Beast was terrifyingly fast, Khal had no choice but to stand still and wait to see what will happen. Even Rubie, who was confident in her speed and maneuvers in the air dared not to approach Khal and the Beast, as she feared she will die if she do it.


    Silence filled the air as the Beast and Khal stared at each other, both examining and evaluating the other with pair of sharp and cold eyes.


    One minute... Five minutes... Ten minutes...


    Almost when things seemed to go this way almost forever, suddenly the Beast''s eyes moved slightly and vanished from its ce as though it teleported right away!


    Khal, however, already thought this will happen, and with extreme reaction, speed summoned his Chameleon Armor.


    CLANG!


    And exactly a millisecondter the armor wrapped itself around Khal''s entire body, a sharp metallic resounded in the surroundings while Khal''s 1050 Body Essence dropped to 610 in an instant!


    "!?"


    Khal feeling the drastic drop felt immensely shocked, as not even Logan was able to strike his armor to such degree. 640 units of Body Essence just because of a single hit... It was ridiculously strong!


    However, because the Beast swung its ws for a second time, now aiming at his shadow, Khal had no choice but to activate his movements technique and with its Second Form, he vanished from the ce he stood and reappeared behind the creature, his weapon already targeting the Beast''s body.


    But unfortunately, Khal was unable tond his strike as he wished as the creature was not slow either and had reaction speed on par with his, thus was able to spin around with lightning speed and deflect his weapon with its ws!


    ng!


    BOOM!


    Sparks appeared the moment the Devil Fangs and the creature''s ws shed, while a powerful ripple broke out, formingrge and wide cracks on the boulders'' and trees'' surface in the distance.


    "Strong!" Khal couldn''t help but exim with shock as the Beast before him was no weaker than him at all, maybe even stronger a bit!


    ''Fast, strong and had a dreadful ability which can mean death right away if one doesn''t concentrate enough. Truly a terrifying opponent to fight against...'' Khal thought and with a seriousplexion moved.


    After exchanging several blows, cracking the ground below their feet, and sending powerful shock waves that broke down trees and boulders in the distance while also making sure his shadow was not reached, Khal used his Third Form to increase the distance and summoned a bow in his hands.


    Grabbing the almost hair-thin string of his Soul Piercer, Khal pulled it back with no second thought and watched as ck most in the shape of an arrow manifested between his fingers, ready to be fired.


    "ROOAAR!"


    The Beast seemed to feel the immense threating from the arrow, thus growled with a mixture of anger and fear before shing with silver light and appearing before Khal with raised ws!


    "Hmph!" with a cold sneer, Khal released his fingers from the string, and because the distance between him and the creature was extremely close, there was no way he could miss his target.


    "Grrr!"


    The Beast watched as the arrow was ready to pierce its head and even changed its attack into defense to deflect Khal''s assault, but where could he have thought that the arrow would fly right through ws and head, ending its life right there and then!


    Paff!


    Falling lifelessly onto the ground, the Shadow ws'' body slowly turned into a familiar-looking Beast Essence, while Nova''s voice appeared in his head.


    [Congrattions! Cultivation Quest ''Kill 1 Beast on the Sixth Cultivation Stage'' was sessfullypleted!]


    [+1 to all Cultivation Traits acquired!]


    Khal closed his eyes to enjoy the changes in his whole body, and a few minutester he opened his eyes once again and nced at his bracelet.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 1050


    ? Beast Essence: 694


    ? Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 4


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 4


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 3


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 4


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 3


    ¡ã Agility: 4


    ¡ã Speed: 4


    Except for Soul Strength and Mental Resistance, all of his Cultivation Traits reached 4, which maybe seemed insignificantpared to 1, they had a huge impact on him.


    For example, he knew for sure that if it wasn''t for his 3 points of Physical Strength, the moment he exchanged blows with the Beast he would have been pushed back or even worse, sted away and killed without him knowing what happened.


    But luckily that didn''t happen, and one could even say that the fight against the Beast, where other Cultivators would struggle to remain alive, seemed surprisingly easy. It was indeed challenging and he had to use his Secret Art and also his Heaven''s Eyes to avoid his shadow being hit, but except those two factors, Khal knew way too well that he didn''t give his all during this fight, which in truth was great, but in a startling manner that''s all.


    However, Khal couldn''t relish his strength for way too long, as suddenly his eyes noticed something in the distance, causing a deep and confused frown to form on his face in the very next second.


    "What is that?" Khal mumbled, and watched as high above, almost on top of Moon Mountain, the clouds slowly vanished from sight, revealing a building that he has never seen before.

 Chapter 212 - Unsealing The Fourth Path

    The building atop the mountain was by no means small. Only a fraction of it was visible currently for Khal, but even that part wasrger than any building in Moon City, including the main mansion in Moon Academy.


    The visible building, which, was a tower, alone showed that whoever built it had extreme skills and imagination in architecture. The tower''s walls were made out of beautiful, snow-white jade that shone brightly under the moon''s light, while on its surface, even from far below where Khal stood, the different symbols and designed elements, such as the mystical beasts and sceneries, were amazingly morous and harmonious with each other.


    ??


    The roof had a strangely sloping shape withyers of vibrant red tiles that covered even sharp angles while above the closed windows gold ornaments were hanging, that moved gently here and there in the slight breeze. The whole building was marvelous and emitted a majestic aura that made Khal feel kind of tiny before its presence.


    "What is that?" Khal mumbled in a low voice, but before he had the chance to see further, clouds appeared in the sky, concealing the glorious sight from his sight once again.


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent for a while, his brain trying to process the sight he just saw a few moments ago.


    Never did he see a building as mysterious and spectacr before as now, while he also never heard rumors about a building existing on top of Moon Mountain before. The sight surprised him quite a lot while also piqued his curiosity, but as he knew that high Beasts on the Sixth Cultivation Stage and above it were rathermon toward the top, he decided not to ascend any further and hunt for creatures on the level where he currently was.


    But to his great surprise, except for the Shadow ws he just killed, he met with no other True Beast but only creatures on the Fifth Cultivation Stage at most.


    It seemed that the area where he was hunting was previously the Shadow ws'' territory, thus seeing as there were no other True Beasts now made sense.


    Time passed rather quickly, and once the sun appeared on the east, Khal decided to leave the mountain and head back to Moon City.


    He was able to increase his 694 units of Beast Essence to 1327, which was quite a good harvest under one night. It could have been more, but as he gave half of his Beast Essence to Rubie, he was able to obtain that much.


    After arriving back at Moon Academy, Khal decided to continue learning forging with Bazz for a few hours before finding a quiet and peaceful spot from others where he could continue with his cultivation without attracting any unwanted attention like previously.


    ''Jas told me he will give me a room where I can stay, but he still didn''t give me anything. I wonder if I should go and find him.'' Khal sighed inwardly and decided to put this matter aside until he unlocked his fourth Essence Path.


    Sitting down below a colorful tree''s shade and closing his eyes, Khal moved his Essence inside his already opened paths and pushed it against the fourth gate which will allow him to finally use his Jade Tombstone.


    And soon, Khal felt a strange power emerge inside his body, seemingly the sensation that he had toprehend to unlock the Fourth Essence Path.


    Minutes... Hours... And a day. Time passed with nothing but Khal sitting in one spot, while Rubie sat on a branch above his head with closed eyes and a rxed body.


    And exactly after a bit more than a dayter...


    BAM!


    Suddenly, a sound akin to breaking an iron lock in half resounded from Khal''s body before his eyes opened with shing excitement.


    [You have sessfully unsealed the Path of Unbreaking Spirit!]


    "It was quite hard, but in the end, I was able to do it!" eximed Khal happily and without hesitation took out his Secret Art to start learning it.


    However, just as he did, a figure emerged abruptly on his side, halting him from starting to learn the Jade Tombstone Art.


    "Principal Jas!" Khal jumped onto his feet and was ready to bow, but Jas just simply waved his hand.


    "No, please, don''t. You are no longer a student of this academy but a Real Cultivator. Just call me as a fellow Cultivator, Jas."


    Khal upon hearing this nodded and after bowing politely, he looked at Jas in silence, curious if he was here as he thought or for some other reason.


    And indeed, just as he thought, Jas extended his arm that was holding a silver key, with an appearance quite simr to the V.I.P Key Khal had to give back.


    "Here, as I promised you can use this key to stay here until you wish for. However, once you decide to leave with no n toe back, you must give it back to me." Jas exined to Khal as he handed the key over to him.


    "I understood, thank you very much."


    "Don''t even mention it." smiled Jas, but soon narrowed his gaze and said, "I see you have already opened 4 Essence Path, huh? You exceed all of my expectations whenever I see you."


    Khal could only smile and shake his head gently. In his opinion, even though these 4 paths he unsealed caused him some small trouble at the start, all of them were easilyprehended by him in the end. He even started to doubt if the rumors about the Essence Paths were real or no.


    However, if Jas would have heard his thoughts he would have definitely pped him hard that his face would remain red for days if not weeks!


    The four Essence Paths Khal unlocked could be referred to as simple to understand and the hardest ones will only appear once he unlocks more than half at least.


    Jas, still oblivious about Khal''s previous thoughts, caressed his beard gently and asked, "Anyways, I still have quite a few things to do so if you excuse me..."


    "Wait, I have a question." Khal suddenly said, stopping Jas in his tracks just before he could have vanished.


    "What do you want to know. If it''s in my knowledge I will definitely answer it."


    Khal nodded and after taking a deep breath he began to exin the sight he saw atop the mountain yesterday.


    He described everything he could remember, what it looked like, and even the symbols that were carved on its walls.


    After he finished talking, however, he noticed as Jas''s face held a confused look, seemingly deep in thought what or how he should answer.


    After a moment of silenceter, Jas raised his gaze and asked, "You sure what you just saw was right? I hope you didn''t hit your head during your hunt."


    "Huh? No?" Khal raised his brow in confusion and proceeded on asking, "Why?"


    Though, his answer only made Jas frown deeper before he sighed and said, "To tell you the truth, even myself don''t know the answer as this is the first that I hear something like this."


    "Huh?"


    Khal turned perplexed once he heard this, and didn''t know how to react.


    Jas could only shake his head and sigh, "I''m sorry, but I really don''t know. Maybe there is indeed a tower there, but as I have no news about it, I can''t help you."


    "No, it''s nothing." Khal waved his hand before sighing helplessly.


    After Jas walked away, Khal sat back down and looked a bit confused.


    "Not even he knows about the building? Maybe I really just imagined things and there was nothing there?" Khal seemed to doubt his memories, but until he doesn''t go back to Moon Mountain and see if what he saw was right or not, he couldn''t help but stay skeptical and start learning his new Secret Art.


    Meanwhile, right at the foot of Moon Mountain, Jas was already standing with a gaze staring at the white clouds above, while Logan stood beside him with an indifferent expression.


    "I hope you don''t n to go up there and see if what he said is true, right? You know what kind of Beast resides up there and so do I."


    Jas stayed silent for minutes before averting his gaze and nced at Logan, "Yes, I do. That is why I invited you toe as you have already surpassed me regarding strengths. So with you here, I don''t need to think, right?"


    Logan hearing this turned to look at Jas to meet his gaze with a nonchnt look, but deep inside he didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    What was he? A bodyguard? Of course, as a teacher inside Moon Academy where Jas was the principal, he must make sure he was safe and sound, but that didn''t mean he could make him do tasks he didn''t want to.


    Especially ones that were about to find something that came out of a previous disciple''s mouth, that seemed more than impossible to believe.

 Chapter 213 - Jade Carvings

    "I know it is strange for me to ask for your help and even stranger that I believe in a seemingly outrageous story, but what benefit would Khal get by telling a fake tale? There is no reason for him to lie, especially to me." Jas told Logan, his gaze calm.


    Logan continued to stare at Jas for quite a while and only after several minutes of silent ponderingter did he sigh and shook his head helplessly.


    "Let''s say what Khal said was true and we indeed find that tower on the mountain... What do you n to do then?"


    Jas upon hearing the question shifted his gaze back at the clouds above where the mountain''s peak vanished and smiled. However, rather than answering the question, he instead decided to ask another one, "Ever heard about the legend of the Moon Goddess?"


    Logan seemed confused by the question but still nodded, "Yes, I did. An existence that descended from the Higher Realms into our world, exactly onto this mountain when the moon was full. They said the being was a woman that not only had otherworldly features that even Gods would envy but possessed strength that was second to none."


    He then continued, "She saved several lives by cursing the wrong and blessing the good. This is why our city, Academy, and this mountain holds the name moon in them as this is the way we can express our gratitude to everything she has done not only for us but to everyone. But that is only a legend, a tale that remained alive even thousands of yearster, and nothing more. There are even some that say it''s a funny joke as those that ascended the mountain never saw a thing up there and even lost their lives because of ''that'' Beast."


    Jas listened to Logan''s brief exnation of the story about the Moon Goddess and nodded.


    "Indeed, it is just a myth, a made-up story to make humans believe something that seemed impossible, but after hearing what Khal said, a thought made me think... What if, the legend that all of us belived as a legend, is true? That the Moon Goddess did exist and descended and the tower he saw was something she created during her time in our world? Maybe it appears weird, but I believe otherwise."


    Logan didn''t know what to say. Even though he found the whole scenario absurd and straight out wanted tough, he knew way too well that once Jas''s curiosity was ignited, there was almost no way to extinguish it.


    Furthermore, he understood that if they indeed find the tower then not only theirs, but every other person'' in Moon Academy and even those in Moon City will receive a great boost in strength. And who knows, maybe Moon Academy will be able to develop to the point where it can stand on the top, together with Heaven City and Haven City!


    However, these kinds of thoughts were only small beliefs and nothing more until they won''t check it out themselves and confirm if what Khal said was indeed valid or not.


    Hence, Logan just sighed and with a defeated nod he began to walk forward.


    "Then let''s go and see if what Khal just said is indeed true or not. I want to see that tower with my two own eyes."


    Meanwhile, Khal, who was oblivious to all of this, sat calmly below the same colorful tree, in his hand the Secret Art that will help him take his first step toward his long-awaited revenge.


    Learning and using the Jade Tombstone was rtively easy, the hardest aspect of it was the requirements where he had to open four of his Essence Paths in one of his arms which in the end seemed simple to aplish.


    Now, the only thing Khal had to do was to memorize the way he had to use his Essence and the context of the Secret Art.


    Sometimeter, Khal put down the scroll from his hand onto the ground and raised his left hand before his eyes. And soon, about a few secondster, all five of his fingers turned shining azure blue, almost as if they were crafted out by the most polished jade that existed on this.


    Seeing this Khal couldn''t help but form a smile and stand up before turning around waving his hand at the tree.


    Whoosh!


    With one single motion that for some reason seemed ten, Khal drew a strange symbol atop the tree''s surface and watched as it slowly melted into the texture of the tree and vanish from his sight. However, because there was a strange connection between him and the symbol, Khal could feel that the symbol was indeed there and it didn''t vanish at all!


    "Nice!" Khal eximed out with joy before he spun around and left hurriedly with Rubie following him from above.


    With that, he began to carve symbols almost on everything. Buildings, trees, ground, and different objects such as barrels or broken woods.


    Under 5 hours, Khal carved more than a hundred symbols inside and even outside Moon City before halting his steps right before the main gate.


    "It''s done! Now onto the main course..." Khal closed his eyes, and pressed a point between his forehead with his jade-like index finger and soon apletely new sight manifested in his kind.


    Swish!


    In a blink, inside Khal''s mind, the entire scenery of Moon City arose, including every item, object, building, street, and even the moving people inside it!


    He saw everything as clear as day from above, almost as though he was looking at a live feed video but with the sole exception, he watched it not from a screen but his mind!


    "Holy fuck! This Secret Art is... Ridiculous!" Khal couldn''t help but blurt out his shock, surprising many that heard him.


    However, Khal didn''t care about others and instead lowered his arm before opening his eyes that flickered with shock.


    But he was stunned not only because of how useful this Secret Art was, but because of the amount of Body Essence it consumed.


    His 1050 units of Essence, just under this short amount which was no longer than 5 seconds, decreased in a wink, falling below 200 almost instantly! It was a ridiculously huge amount, which not even Khal could ignore.

 Chapter 214 - Increasing Essence Like Crazy

    A bit less than 800 units if Essence just to use a Secret Art... Not even Khal was stupid enough to use such an ability that cost that much.


    ''No, I must have done something wrong. Logan told me this Art will be tricky to use, but he never mentioned it will have a huge Essence consumption.'' Khal suddenly realized a problem and began to use his brain toe up with a solution.


    And soon, he indeed found an issue. It was about the number of jade markings he ced around the City. It seemed every carving was fueled from his Essence, and the more there were the more of his Essence was needed.


    However, he couldn''t decrease the number of his markings, as one jade mark had a hundred-meter radius and had to be inside another carving''s radius to work. Thus, if he wanted to inspect everything inside Moon City, this 100 was a must and he couldn''t decree the amount.


    ''It seems I can only go and increase my Body Essence.'' thought Khal to himself and looked at his Character Status.


    ? Beast Essence: 1327


    Khal pondered deeply as he stared at the units of Beast Essence he possessed before he closed his eyes and sighed.


    ''Hey, Nova. If I decide to turn 327 Beast Essence into 6540 units of Body Essence, will I die?''


    [No, you will not. You will only feel pain that will make you wish if you were dead instead.]


    ''...''


    Khal remained indifferent as the answer didn''t surprise him at all as this is what he guessed to hear. He only asked Nova to see if his guess was wrong, but unfortunately, it wasn''t.


    After thinking over the pros and cons, Khal gritted his teeth and nodded, "Then it is decided."


    Taking out the key he got from Jas, Khal quickly went back to Moon Academy and searched for his room.


    And to his surprise, it wasn''t long before he found it, as it was inside one of the buildings close to Moon Academy''s main gates.


    Entering the building, Khal quickly ascended the stairs and once he reached the third floor, he opened the door that opened into his new room with no extra thoughts.


    The room was neither small nor big, it had a perfect size for everyday uses, but because he was now in a bit of a hurry, Khal decided to ignore the appearance of his temporary new home and sat down on the floor, in the middle of the room.


    "I am ready. Transform 327 units of Beast Essence into Body Essence." Khal talked to Nova, who immediately responded.


    [Okay, starting the Transformation process in three... Two... One... Now!]


    BAM!


    Right as Nova''s voice fell, Khal was able to feel an immense pain pierce his chest, or more specifically his heart, while the yellow is Best Essence from his bracelet began to flow toward his heart like a raging river, rapidly changing into a bluish color, into units of Body Essence.


    However, Khal couldn''t examine this miraculous change as suddenly his face paled and his sitting silhouette suddenly fell onto the floor with both of his hands firmly grabbing his robe around his chest part.


    "ARRRGGGHHHH!!" with a painful cry that was as loud as thunder, Khal struggled on the floor, kicking and pushing objects away from his way, smashing and breaking some that were fragile.


    The yell resounded in the entirety of his room, and if it weren''t for the soundproof arrays on the walls, floor, and ceiling that sealed every sound inside, Khal''s scream would have definitely attracted others'' attention, maybe even some experts for sure.


    Khal struggled on the ground like a fish that was thrown onto the solid ground from the ocean, trying to surpass the otherworldly pain he was currently feeling.


    And just as Nova said, he truly wished to die at the moment. The piercing pain was simr to thousands of needles goring his heart non-stop, making death extremely alluring for real!


    After one minute that felt like an eternity for Khal, the pain slowly started to lessen, but not vanish. At that time, Khal no longer had any color on his face but only whiteness, almost as though his face was made out of sheets of paper!


    His whole body was trembling and shaking, while his entire figure was covered in thick, bean-sized sweat drops as of he just came out of a nice shower.


    Rubie, who was sitting atop a chair on the side seemed calm, but even though she saw this sight several times before, her eyes couldn''t hide the worry in them.


    Another minute went away, and neither Khal''s scream nor the pain in his chest vanished. Only the units of his Body Essence seemed to undergo great change, as his 1050 units of Body Essence was rapidly growing, currently at 5342 units!


    After another minute, luckily the pain began to get weaker, but it was still so great that it made Khal continue his struggle and yells almost like he was tortured to death.


    And only after a bit more than 4 minutester did the pain go awaypletely, silencing Khal''s deafening screams at once, but not because he could finally shut his mouth after a long time, but because he fell unconscious.


    [Sessful Transformation!]


    [Your 1050 units of Body Essence has been increased to 7590 units!]


    However, because Khal had long ago fallen unconscious, he couldn''t hear what Nova said and only stare at Neo before him, as he was transported into the Soul Prison until his body won''t recover at least to a degree.


    "Wee back to my humble home," Neo said to Khal, feeling indifferent by his sudden appearance.


    As Khal''s arrival into the Soul Prison was extremely unpredictable, he felt no surprise when he saw Khal''s figure popping out of fairly nowhere as it now became the norm.


    Thus, instead, he just crossed his arms before his chest and asked, "So? How did it go? Did you find that rat''s whereabouts or hideout? I hope you did because I want to see him dead as soon as possible!"

 Chapter 215 - Dig Your Own Way!

    Neo waited patiently for Khal to answer, his eyes brimming with curiosity and hidden anger as he remembered theirst conversation.


    Ever since Khal told him what happened and what Alde tried and did with Liza and Miss Mary, his anger toward him was tremendous to the point if he could have the ability and leave this Soul Prison, he would have long ago gone and killed that bastard himself!


    However, Khal still stared at Neo for quite a long time as he was still under the trauma he felt a few moments ago.


    "Umm... Hello? You okay there?" Neo waved his hand before Khal''s face, trying to see if he will react, but he didn''t. Khal just simply stood in one ce like a frozen statue.


    "Okay...? This is kind of awkward." Neo mumbled, not knowing what he should do. He even pricked Khal''s cheeks and chest with his fingers, but they seemed to be useless as he got no reaction at all.


    And exactly after 5 minutester...


    "Eh?" suddenly Khal eximed out loud, his eyes looking around in confusion while his arms subconsciously raised to grab his chest as if he was still under pain.


    But only after seeing the vast and infinite greyness around him did he realize that he was no longer feeling pain and torture-like suffering, but he was transported into Soul Prison!


    "You... Okay? You were standing there in one ce for several minutes straight without blinking or moving. You looked like aplete idiot, you know that, right?" Neo said to him, his brow slightly raised as he was still confused why Khal acted the way he did.


    "Huh? Ah! Yeah, I am fine. Sorry..." Khal apologized to Neo, but still examined his body with an expression like he was shocked to see himself still alive.


    Neo appeared to be even more confused by this but decided to ignore Khal and ask his question again, "So? Did you find his whereabouts or not?"


    "Hmm? His?"


    "Oh, please, don''t y dumb! You know clearly who I''m talking about! That fucker Alde. Did you discover his hideout?" Neo asked Khal with an itch of anger, feeling kind of irritated by Khal''s inability to answer his simple question even after so long.


    However, Khal didn''t answer him because he didn''t know the answer or felt like ying dumb before Neo, but because his brain and his whole body were still under the previous trauma so he was unable to reply. He had to wait a bit before he could think properly as even if they ask him how much two plus two was, he wouldn''t know the right response.


    Thus, Khal remained still with his eyes closed, and after taking several deep breaths to calm both his mind and body down, he opened his eyes, "Yeah, I did. I also found a way to examine the entirety of Moon City to find his clones."


    "Oh? Tell me more." Neo felt intrigued, waiting for Khal to proceed on with his story.


    Khal nodded and after taking another deep breath, he continued to tell everything including the Jade Tombstone he learned not long ago.


    Once he finished talking, Khal however sighed and scratched his cheek with his finger, "Though, maybe I have found his hideout, it will be tricky for me to enter. Like, I can''t just go and dig straight down, right? There must be a secret passage somewhere, but as to where I have no clue at all."


    Neo nodded as he understood what Khal said was indeed a problem, and even he tried to think about something.


    After a bitter, however, his brows lowered into a tight frown, and said, "I think you shouldn''t look for that passage."


    "Why?"


    "You ask why? Are you a moron or what?" Neo stared at Khal as others would at a fool and then said, "I bet my life that the passage they enter and exit is under great surveince. Also, considering that we are talking about the Ourvi Family, they definitely monitor the area around it if not the entire Shadow Woods. Maybe what you said about digging your way is not a bad idea."


    "And how do should I do that? Grab a shovel and start digging and pray for god''s help not to get caught or what? If I start digging on the surface, I am sure they will catch me in no time!" Khal sneered, as the idea was ridiculous.


    Neo however shook his head and said, "You don''t need to start digging from the surface if you can start from below it!"


    Khal frowned once he heard this before he asked, "From below? What do yo-, oh? Do you mean from ''there''?"


    Seeing that Khal finally realized what he meant to say, Neo nodded, but before he had a chance to say anything else, Nova''s voice sounded in the surroundings.


    [Recoverypleted!]


    [Pulling ''Owner'' out of ''Soul Prison''!]


    And just like that, Khal''s figure shed away with white light, leaving Neo alone once again, which now became the norm for him.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside his room, Khal slowly opened his eyes that seemed heavy for some strange reason, and sat up.


    However, when he did, he felt a slight and numbing pain not only in his chest but in his entire body, almost like he was just beaten up by hundreds of hammers during his sleep.


    "Argh... My head... It hurts." Khal held his face with his palm for quite a while, waiting for the pain to get washed away by time.


    Sometimeter, he lowered his hand and looked around, but when he saw the surroundings around him, a bitter smile appeared on his face.


    Decorations on the floor, the small carpet was ragged and wet from his previous sweating, chairs and tables flipped over and kicked away while a previously few fragile items nowy on the floor in nothing but pieces.


    The whole room was in a mess, and its main cause was sitting right in the center, him. The only thing that seemed perfectly intact except for the few items in the very distance was Rubie, who stood at the edge of the bed.

 Chapter 216 - Spirit Creation Mode

    While Khal inspected the chaos he did, Rubie flew off the edge of the bed andnded before Khal, her gaze holding worry.


    When Khal noticed her, he couldn''t help but smile bitterly before patting her head gently, "I already told you, there is no reason to feel worried. I am perfectly fine."


    Rubie seemed to rx when Khal began to pet her and talk, thus she just closed her eyes and enjoyed the gentle and pleasant caressing on her body as she usually do.


    After a while, Khal stood up and began to fix the room''s appearance before sitting down on the bed with a pondering look.


    ''Neo told me I should dig my way to the hideout as to avoid being detected, but how? With items, it would take an eternity for me to reach the hideout from ''there'' but I have also no ability to help myself.''


    Khal mulled over the ways he should proceed on before suddenly his eyes lit up like stars in the sky and waved his sleeve.


    Right then, a piece of the forged metal that had slight energy around it appeared in his hold. It was the steel he forged during his cksmithingpetition and seeded to pull its Soul Essence out, the Scorching Sun Steel!


    He also had another metal in his spatial ring, the Dark Oak Iron, but that wouldn''t help him at all, or at least the Scorching Sun Steel seemed a better choice.


    "I always wanted to ask this, but what is the difference between a Power Core that was created from a piece of metal that had Soul Essence or Spirit Essence?" Khal asked calmly, his question obviously directed toward Nova.


    [Soul, Spirit, Life, and God Essence. As their name suggests, each is superior to the other one, thus the Power Core created from them will be stronger too.]


    "For example?"


    [Let''s take your Ster Domain as an example. If you would have further tempered it and created its Spirit Essence, it could have obtained extra features.]


    "Like my second Beast Core that unlocked hidden potentials the moment it was turned into a Power Core?"


    [Yes.]


    "Interesting..." pondered Khal as he stared at the piece of steel in his hold and after a moment of silenceter asked, "How much Body Essence do I need to use to unlock another slot in my bracelet together with the Spirit Creation Mode?"


    [Exactly 4500 units of Body Essence.]


    Khal kind of waited for such an answer, but after hearing it from Nova he sort of felt puking up some blood.


    Currently, he had a bit more than 7500 of Essence, thus that meant he will remain with a bit more than 3000 units of Body Essence!


    It maybe seemed a lot, especially for other Cultivators, but if he wanted to find Alde''s clones inside Moon City with his Secret Art, that 3000 was an extremely low amount, could be said trivial!


    However, those two things he asked Nova were just as important as any other part of his n, hence he had no choice but to acquire them.


    "Then do it."


    [You want to unlock the ability ''Spirit Creation Mode'' and strengthen the ability ''Power Core Holder''?]


    Khal nodded firmly as he said, "Yes, I want."


    [Understood!]


    Swish!


    Khal watched as his bracelet underwent another change, forming a new slot on it while inside his body a new power emerged.


    And soon, once everything calmed down, Khal tossed his Scorching Sun Steel into his spatial ring before he stood up and walked to the door.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the cksmithing Department, Khal walked to the section where Bazz used to forge, and once there he said, "Master, I am here to forge."


    "Oh? So soon?" Bazz halted his swinging in mid-air and turned to look at Khal who seemed more than eager to forge than before."


    "Oho? You seem quite enthusiastic today, kid. Come let us start our pr-"


    "Master, if I can have a selfish request, can I forge myself? I want to try out something."


    "Hm?" Bazz appeared surprised by Khal''s sudden interruption into his sentence as this was the first, but instead of getting angry he turned silent and began to think.


    After a while, he touched his chin and asked, "Yeah, you can. But what do you want to do? I hope you don''t n to do something wasteful or stupid, right?"


    Khal however shook his head while showing the metal he wants to forge.


    "I want to temper and create this piece of steel''s Spirit Essence," said Khal with a nonchnt face, without beating around the bush.


    "!?"


    Bazz on the other became stupified the moment he noticed the Scorching Sun Steel in his disciple''s grasp, and soon turned dead serious once he realized what Khal just said.


    "You are just shitting me, right? If it''s a joke, I must tell you that you try to y with the wrong man here, brat."


    Khal saw Bazz''s serious and even a bit irritated gaze on him, but still remained calm as an ancient pond before replying with solid gravity, "I don''t joke, neither I am shitting on my own Master. I really am wanting to forge this metal, with 100% affirmative!"


    When Bazz heard Khal''s answer together with his seriousplexion and determined eyes, Bazz''s brows quickly lowered into an even deeper frown.


    "You know what you are talking about? That metal is extremely hard to forge metal which is also Supreme-Quality steel! In contrast to other steels, this one is capable of demolishing mountains if forged wrong much fewer cities! And you try to tell me you want to create its Spirit Essence with nothing more but the minor experience you have? Ha! Ridiculous!"


    Khal continued to listen to Bazz, but his firm gaze never vanished from his pair of emerald green eyes which surprised Bazz quite a lot.


    Did he know what that piece of steel was really capable of doing and yet he still wants to forge it? Did he go insane or simply got bored with his life? Not even him, a professional cksmith who forged, refined, and tempered thousands of metals if not millions have the courage to forge that piece of metal!


    It was akin tomitting suicide while also dragging everyone else''s life in Moon City into death!


    He must either have gone mad or have a few loose screws!

 Chapter 217 - Safety Chamber

    "So let me get this straight. You want to create that piece of Scorching Sun Steel''s Spirit Essence, that is capable of melting cities into boiling mass, here, in my smithery, and this Academy. Am I correct?" Bazz asked Khal to make sure he just didn''t hear things.


    However, Khal still nodded his head firmly before saying, "Yes, I want."


    "Then I refuse." Bazz then waved his hand, immediately rejecting Khal''s idea.


    "Huh?"


    "What, ''huh''? You heard me loud and clear! I said, you won''t forge that piece of metal, not here in this city much less in this smithery!" said Bazz, even slightly raising his voice to show Khal he was dead serious, and felt kind of irritated at the moment.


    "Then where can I?" Khal asked, but his question made Bazz''s face turn even uglier than before.


    "Where can you? Did you really lost a few screws or do you simply try to pull my leg?" Bazz asked Khal, now his eyes narrowed as he stared daggers at him.


    However, when he saw Khal''s persisting determination and thinking about the previous feats he achieved, he nced at the hammer in his hand and asked, "How sure are you that you can create its Spirit Essence?"


    "100%"


    ''...'' Bazz now really didn''t know what to say, even feeling the desire to p Khal powerfully in the neck, but resisted the urge to do such a violent act.


    Instead, he took a deep breath before saying, "So you say you are extremely confident in yourself that you can forge, refine, and temper the Scorching Sun Steel with Spirit Refining and Spirit Tempering technique that not even I, someone who forged years, is capable of using perfectly?"


    "Maybe it will sound shameless and arrogant, but yes, I can," Khal replied with a firm nod.


    Bazz stayed silent and after pondering for five minutes straight in deep silence he nodded and said, "Then follow me."


    Khal looked confused, but still followed Bazz outside the smithery without any question, and watched as he was led through several rooms before arriving before five, huge silver doors.


    Bazz didn''t hesitate at all and walked before the door on the very left and pushed it open, revealing a smithery quite simr to the one where Khal always practiced. The only difference was the walls, which had several tiny gaps on their surface, while numerous carvings could be seen drawn around them.


    "What is this ce?" Khal asked with a slightly raised brow as he walked inside and looked around.


    "This is a safety chamber. Anyone that tries or wishes to forge dangerous material such as the one you are currently holding, muste inside here." exined Bazz and then continued, "You can see those carvings on the walls, right?"


    "Yes." Khal nodded, but soon frowned, "But I have never seen them before. What are those?"


    "Well, it would be surprising if you did as they are Arrays, special formations to protect this ce from any unwanted incident."


    When Khal heard this, he raised a brow and asked, "And how are they working?"


    Bazz smiled and began to exin, "These Arrays are extremely powerful and had been created in a way to detect and nullify anything that could be destructive not only for this room but the whole city."


    "I see." said Khal as got the gist of these arrays and ced the Scorching Sun Steel onto the anvil before he said, "Then I will start right away."


    Bazz nodded, but before turning around to leave he said, "I will wait outside, but if you feel you will fail, run outside without a second thought. Even though the Arrays can stop and erase the Scorching Sun Steel''s power once it goes out of control, it still takes a bit of time. Thus, you need to leave as fast as possible or you will die without knowing what happened."


    "I understood, thank you," Khal said with a serious expression, but deep inside he was calm as ever.


    He knew clearly that once he activates his Spirit Creation Mode, no matter how dangerous a metal was to forge, there won''t be an issue.


    Bazz obviously somewhat noticed Khal''s inner thoughts, but still couldn''t help but feel anxious. However, now that he brought Khal here, he could do nothing but sigh deeply and close the doors after leaving the room.


    And once Khal was alone, he grinned and said, "Activate the Spirit Creation Mode!"


    [Understood!]


    [Activating Spirit Creation Mode!]


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, several holograms emerged before Khal, each showing what he should do, while his body was slowly enveloped with a familiar yet different power.


    "Let''s get started!" mumbled Khal and told Rubie to go into the furthest point of the room to make her safe from the uing scorching heat.


    Once she did, Khal grabbed the piece of metal and brought it before the firece. After heating it for a bit, exactly one minute straight, he picked it up and put it back onto the anvil before grabbing his hammer from the side and starting his forging process.


    CLANG!


    On the very first strike, together with a sharp and metallic pitch, Khal watched as a powerful ripple exploded from the steel, pushing several items on the side away.


    ''...''


    Khal however didn''t care about it at all, and continued to swing his hammer, causing the metal to brighten up with an orangish-red hue, while also emitting heat that made the surrounding temperature skyrocket in a sh!


    After thirty minutester, the heat was so unbearable that even the anvil started to turn red, while Khal felt his skin getting burnt slightly every time he hit the metal!


    After another thirty minutes, the heat reached heights that Khal could no longer ignore and activate his Diamond Skin to protect his skin and body, which luckily seemed to work.


    Once the rigid ck, crystal-like crust enveloped his body, Khal could still feel the immense heat around him, but now it got reduced quite a lot.


    And now that his body was no longer burnt every time he swung his arm, Khal was able to concentrate fully and let the power inside him take full control while also quickening his movements!


    CLANG!

 Chapter 218 - Inferno Steel

    Inside a room which walls were filled with numerous carvings and small gaps, a young man was seen standing before a chunk of metal that shone as brightly as a sun.


    His arm, which was d in a material simr to ck crystal, was constantly moving up and down, striking the piece of glowing steel with his hammer, resulting in not only the steel gleam brighter but also the temperature around it to rise beyond what should be called ordinary!


    CLANG!


    The sound of a metallic pitch, which was both sharp and loud, reverberated inside the room, while a powerful burst that broke forth from the metal almost sent the young man flying into the distance!


    However, because of the lowered posture and the firm stance the young man took up since the start of his process, no matter how strong the bursts were, he remained in one ce like an immovable mountain!


    And thus, time went by like this for hours...


    After exactly six hours of straight forgingter in the immense and suffocating heat, suddenly, Khal watched as several crimson dots arose on the metal''s surface, exactly around the Soul Threads, indicating that it was finally time for him to take his first major step; using the Spirit Refining Technique!


    CLANG~!


    Except for the louder pitch and the surrounding heat that skyrocketed once again, bing twice as hot as it previously was and even slightly melting the anvil, Khal noticed no other changes much less danger that could threaten his life. Thanks to his Diamond Skin that protected his body from turning into ash, he could continued to strike the dots without any fear!


    Hours have passed again, and after another 6 hours, Khal saw as eight, finger-sized red dots remained on the steel, implying that only eight strikes were needed to finish forging this metal.


    This immediately made his face show a wide smile, feeling extremely happy that he could finally finish and get some rest!


    After forging for more than 12 hours straight, even though he didn''t feel tired as the power that controlled him refreshed his muscles with energy whenever they felt sour or numb, he did feel difort because of the immense heat in the air.


    It could even be said he felt like an egg, boiling in extremely hot water as he was slowly getting cooked inside his Diamond Skin alive!


    Thus, after such a long time, he wished nothing more but to finish forging and get outside to enjoy the gentle breeze. Even Rubie, who was in the corner seemed like dying from the suffocating heat, her body slightly waving here and there as if she was drunk.


    Khal clenched his teeth and without thinking about anything else swung his arm, striking the first red dot powerfully.


    CLANG~!


    Then the second...


    CLANG~!


    And the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh...


    ''And the final one!'' Khal thought himself and like he wanted to smash the metal into chunks, he swung his hammer, striking thest dot with all his might!


    BAM!


    A powerful re exploded from the steel, turning the orangish-red color into pure yellow, almost white, while the heat it radiated leaped several levels into the skies and melted the anvil below it into a boiling mass in a blink! Even the tables and tools in the distance began to blend, like pieces of ice creams under the scorching hot sun on a summer day!


    And what was even more shocking was that even Khal''s Diamond Skin showed signs of melting which was even scarier!


    "Not good!" Khal quickly turned around and with lightning speed picked up Rubie from the ground before he burst toward the exit, knowing if he remained in that room his Diamond Skin will only melt away, turning him into ash in no time at all!


    However, just as he reached the door, Nova''s voice sounded in his head right before the metal stopped radiating immense heat and turned into a glowing yellow piece of steel!


    [Notify! ''Spirit Essence'' sessfully created!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    [Warning! Forming ''Power Core'' is improbable!]


    [Please ce a ''Core'' into the ''Inferno Steel'' first!]


    "I... Did it... Haha! I did it!" Khal eximed out merrily, and quickly approached the Inferno Steel in the middle of the boiling jam on the ground, and stared at it in silence.


    After a bitter, he extended his still Diamond Skin-covered arm and touched it. Even though he felt it was hot, hot enough to burn everyone''s flesh and skin into ash upon the slightest contact, with his Diamond Skin, it felt okay to grab it as it didn''t radiate the previous immense heat.


    And just as he picked up, the door behind him opened and two figures walked inside, one was Bazz but the other one was someone he didn''t see before.


    "So it''s him, huh?" the man, who seemed to be in his forties with long ck hair, beard, and sharp eyebrows stared at Khal with calm eyes before shooting his gaze at the yellow piece of metal in his hand.


    "Yes, Chief Rou, his name is Khal Nevio and he is my disciple," Bazz told the man called Chief Rou, but his gaze andplexion couldn''t hide the shock as he stared at Khal and the Inferno Steel in his old.


    He didn''t believe he would seed, thus was ready to jump in and help if anything seemed to go wrong, but who would have thought that the very moment Khal began his forging process he would meet with the head of this cksmithing Department, Chief Rou!


    He asked him why he was waiting before the chambers and as he didn''t want to lie, he told him everything. Of course, his story made Chief Rou extremely angry, especially when he learned Khal was a newbie, but once he learned Khal''s incredible feats, such as when he obtained 3 Golden Stars on his first Beginner Event, his boss seemed to calm down a bit.


    But even like that, Bazz knew if Khal fucked up, he will definitely lose his current position and that would be the least he has to worry about!


    Yet, to his great surprise, Khal not only not failed, but he even seeded in creating a Supreme-Quality metal''s Spirit Essence under just half a day as it would take at least a day if not more!


    It was a feat that not even he would have thought of in his wildest dream!

 Chapter 219 - Declined Offer

    "So, Khal, huh? Where did you learn the Spirit Refining and Tempering techniques?" while Bazz was still speechless in the back, Chief Rou approached Khal, his gaze fixed firmly on his face while his body emitted a presence that was neither strong nor weak.


    ''Seventh Cultivation Stage?'' Khal felt somewhat shocked inside, but his face didn''t show any change which startled Chief Rou.


    However, because he didn''t want to lose face before Khal, Chief Rou began to leak a bit more of his presence to put pressure on Khal, but not even that helped him achieve what he wanted as Khal still stood before him in one ce, his face and posture as calm as an ancient pond.


    "Hmph! Not bad from Summoner who is only on the Fifth Cultivation Stage," eximed Chief Rou with a slight sneer once he was a meter away from Khal.


    Yet, the moment he said those words, both Khal and Bazz tilted their heads to the side in confusion, not understanding what he just meant by that.


    "A Summoner? Fifth Cultivation Stage?" Khal asked, as he felt somewhat confused about what Chief Rou was talking about.


    Chief Rou''s brows lowered into a deep frown once he heard Khal''s question, and after a moment of silenceter pointed at Rubie, "She is your summon, right? And as she is on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, it means you are also on the Fifth Cultivation Stage too, thus that makes you her Summoner."


    And only then did Khal realize what Chief Rou meant, thus he just smiled and waved his hand, "Haha, no she is not. She is myrade, Rubie."


    "Eh? Your what?" Chief Rou froze up the minute he realized his mistake and asked with a voice filled with disbelief, "You say... She is your... Tamed Beast?"


    "Well, you can say that, yeah. But I prefer the word,panion, as it sounds better" said Khal, clearly showing his disgust toward the word Tamed Beast as he felt Rubie was more than that.


    "Uh..." Chief Rou quickly turned silent as he now didn''t know what to think.


    However, before he had the chance, Khal tossed his Inferno Steel into his spatial ring and asked, "If Respected Senior does not have anything else to ask me, then I shall leave..."


    After bowing at Chief Rou, Khal began to move toward the exit but was shortly stopped by Chief Rou who stepped before him.


    "Slow, kid. You still didn''t answer my question." Chief Rou narrowed his gaze at Khal as if he tried to figure out his secrets just with a single nce!


    Khal quietly clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction as his n to get away without answering the question failed, hence now he had no other choice but to answer.


    "What can I say? If I tell you it''s just happened would Respected Senior believe me?"


    "Of course not. It''s not like you can learn and use both the Spirit Refining and Tempering technique just because ''it happened''!"


    Khal somewhat waited for this type of answer hence nodded and shrugged, "Then I don''t know. Maybe I was just lucky that''s all."


    "Bullshit!" yelled Chief Rou, but fast recollected hisposure once he realized he got out of control and cleared his throat.


    "Even if you have somehow got lucky, it does not exin how you were able to use those two extremely difficult techniques under such a short amount of time, especially that you are a rookie as I heard from Bazz!"


    He then continued, "Except if you had been possessed by the God of cksmithing himself, there is no crap such as luck or coincidence! You either have been born with a hammer in hand or used some kind of cheat! In both ways, you are not an amateur and lied shamelessly to both your Master, Bazz, and me, the head of this Department!"


    Khal remained silent and after pondering for a while he sighed, "Okay, you got me. The main reason I can use the Spirit Refining and Tempering techniques is that I have Hidden Talent associated with cksmithing, or to be more precise with hammers.


    Bazz and Chief Rou frowned, hence asked, "Hidden Talent? Do you mean that Hidden Talent that only a few out of a million has? A Talent even rarer than Cultivators with Natural Born Talents?"


    "I think so, yeah." nodded Khal and proceeded on lying without a flinch, "And since I have this Hidden Talent, I can asionally forge like a professional, even create Soul and Spirit Essences without a problem. Hell, who knows, maybe I will be able to forge Life and even that legendary God Essence if I reach higher Stages in my Cultivation! Haha!"


    When the two men heard Khalugh merrily they both became speechless, but they still couldn''t help but feel as their bodies trembled from sheer excitement!


    The only person in existence that achieved creating God Essence was a legendary person who already reached the Higher Realms with his otherworldly knowledge of cksmithing while no one else was able to copy his way of forging!


    However, now that they heard what Khal just said about his Hidden Talent and thinking back on how effortlessly he forged one of the most dangerous metal''s Spirit Essence under less than a day, maybe they could see another prodigy''s rise after so many years!


    "Do you swear what you told us is really the truth?" asked Chief Rou, still feeling kind of skeptical about Khal''s story.


    Khal however stoppedughing the moment he heard the question before his face turned dead serious and said in a calm voice, "If I lie about my ability to forge and create Soul and Spirit Essence, God himself should punish me right here and now!"


    Hearing and seeing how serious Khal was, both Chief Rou and Bazz remained silent, now all of their suspicions washed away at once.


    "I see, then how about this? Would you like to be my student? I will promise if you do, I will definitely give you all the resources you need!"


    "Chief!" Bazz immediately yelled with shock, speechless that his boss would pull such a shameless move on Khal, especially before him, his Master!


    "What? I just simply asked him a question. It''s not like I am forcing him or something." shrugged Chief Rou, his gaze calmly fixed on Khal, "So? What is your answer?"


    Khal remained silent, but when he saw Bazz''s depressed gaze and Chief Rou''s cunning gaze below his indifferentplexion, he already knew what he should answer.


    Thus, he sighed and bowed politely. This caused Bazz''s face to turn even uglier while Chief Rou''s smile rose even wider with the slight hint of joy.


    "Haha! Perfect, then from now on yo-"


    "I deeply appreciate Respected Senior''s kindness, but I have to decline the offer. I already have a Master and it would be disrespectful for me to turn my back on him after what he has done for me until now," said Khal, ignoring the fact he just interrupted the Chief of the cksmithing Department.


    "Huh?" Chief Rou''s face immediately froze as he soon realized that Khal indeed just declined his offer which was the first after so many years.


    However, no matter how much he wanted to say the things currently in his mind and also pursue Khal to be his student, as he was not that shameless he just simply nodded and turned around before walking away in silence.


    And when Chief Rou''s figure could be no longer seen, Bazz turned to look at Khal, almost as if he stared at a ghost in human flesh.


    "What?" asked Khal and shrugged, "One day as a teacher, like a father for a lifetime."


    Bazz became speechless, but even before he had the chance to react, Khal suddenly frowned and asked, "Anyways... Master, do you know where can I buy pebbles or small crystals? I am quite in a need of a few so I need your help."


    ''...''


    "Eh?"

 Chapter 220 - Hell Blaze

    Back inside his room, Khal sat down onto his bed and took out a small crystal that had a yellowish color from his spatial ring before covering his arm with his Diamond Skin and taking out his Inferno Steel.


    "Let''s see what you can give me." Khal smiled, and without a second thought ced the crystal atop the Inferno Steel, which instantly consumed it.


    [Notify! ''Core'' detected!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    Right after Nova''s voice sounded, Khal felt as his hand was sucked onto the steel''s surface just like when he created his Ster Domain, while the Essence inside his body began to move and flow out through his fingers right into the metal.


    Meanwhile, the glowing steel in his hand gradually became dimmer and dimmer, and ten minutester itpletely turned dark, almost as if someone just blew off the candle that resided inside it.


    [''Spirit Essence'' depleted!]


    [Enough ''Body Essence'' used!]


    [Creation process seeded!]


    [''Power Core'' Hell ze created!]


    Cling!


    Khal watched as a shining yellow pebble fell out of the Inferno Steel before his feet, thus quickly picked it up and ced it inside his bracelet.


    [''Power Core: Hell ze'' detected!]


    [''Power Core: Hell ze'' obtained...]


    [Starting ''Fusion''...]


    In a sh, the tiny pebble in the bracelet erupted with yellow light while Khal watched as several thin yellowish veins began to move below his skin like slithering snakes!


    Sometimeter, the light began to dissipate, and Khal could feel as his fourth power finally materialized inside his body!


    [''Fusion''pleted!]


    [''Sixth Stage: Hell ze'' active!]


    Once Nova finished talking and his body got used to the warm feeling inside his body, Khal raised his hand and activated his Hell ze without a second thought.


    However, what happened next waspletely out of his expectations and his eyes widened with utter disbelief.


    BAM!


    Almost like detonating a bomb, his arm exploded with yellowish fire while the bed and the items in his very close proximity slowly began to melt while the wooden furnitures caught on fire!


    Even Rubie that was close to Khal had to fly far away, almost outside the window as her crimson feather turned dark, indicating it was scorched just by the heat alone!


    "Fuck!" Khal cursed out loud and without hesitation deactivated his power.


    "Holy... If I don''t shut off my power in time, this ce would have turned into a sea of mes and boiling mass just in seconds!" mumbled Khal, feeling kind of shocked by his Hell ze destructive trait.


    He didn''t even use it nor attacked anyone with it, yet it still caused such a mess! Then what will happen if he uses it at full capacity? Will he be able to suffocate his enemies just with his heat alone or even worse, turn them to ashes just by a single attack? Khal felt as his body trembled slightly from excitement as he resisted the urge to try it out once again there and then!


    ''It''s better than I have first thought. With this, things will be way easier.'' Khal said and once he cleaned and fixed the damages he identally caused, again, he left the room with Rubie.


    -


    -


    -


    After leaving his room, Khal went straight to find Liza before inviting her to eat together as thest time they did was quite a long time ago.


    After going to Lunar Tavern where they ate their fill next to merry chatting, Khal told Rubie to follow Liza for the time being as he is taking care of a few things.


    "Where are you going? I hope you n to do nothing dangerous." Liza said to Khal once she saw as Rubiended on her shoulder.


    "Of course not. I just thought you two should know each other better that''s all." Khal smiled, hiding the truth from Liza with a calmplexion.


    Because he will start digging his way toward Alde''s hideout, he will disguise himself just in case something happens. And because Alde was way too familiar with Rubie and her appearance, if he brings her with him, he will definitely get busted just by a single nce.


    Thus, he made sure Rubie remained behind and at least with someone he trusted the most.


    Liza raised a brow as he heard Khal''s reasoning, but didn''t say anything. In fact, when she thought about it more, what Khal said made sense for her as deepening her bond with Rubie was never a disadvantage.


    "Okay." nodded Liza and after talking with Khal for a bit more she walked away with Rubie, leaving Khal alone.


    And when their figure''s vanished in the distance, Khal stopped smiling and turned around to leave.


    "Let''s get start it."


    Leaving Moon Academy, Khal walked inside one of the buildings, and a few secondster he walked out, but this time his Chameleon Armor was already around his body.


    However, to avoid unnecessary attention with his emerald green scales, he turned his armor''s appearance into normal, silver-colored steel, as in Moon City tons of people were walking in sets of silver armors.


    Once he did, he walked outside the city straight to Shadow Woods, where several Cultivators took a nce at him, all with deep frowns and expressions that held deep disgust. In their eyes, those that wore a full set of armor were no better than cowards that hid behind protection instead of fighting head-on.


    Khal obviously felt the disgust-filled gazes on him, but he just simply ignored them and vanished inside the shadows without even taking a single nce at their directions.


    He walked in a straight line as his destination was already set, and soon he arrived before a huge gap, that led into an underground cave he was quite familiar with.


    It was the gap that led into the Ghost Spider''s nest where he and Rubie feasted on the Ghost Spider Eggs way before the Thousand Life Tournament.


    After taking a deep breath and ncing around to make sure no one was around, Khal leaped into the air and jumped into the hole.

 Chapter 221 - Underground Tunnel

    "What a sight... Basically, nothing has changed since we were here thest time."


    Once Khal reached the bottom of the hole and nced around, he saw as the ce was the same as when he and Rubie left it behind; broken and fully opened Ghost Spider Eggs all over the ce, each having nothing inside them.


    ''...''


    After starting at the sight for a while, Khal activated his Bloodshed Touch and began to look left and right, searching for the direction he can start digging.


    "So I should start here, huh?" Khal stared at the several tiny red dots in the distance, quite deep underground, obviously the silhouettes of Alde and his men from the Ourvi Family.


    "Let''s see just how powerful you are," murmured Khal and once his arm was raised, he activated his Hell ze, excited to see what it can do once used properly.


    BAM!


    In a blink, yellow mes with an almost lining light erupted and manifested around his arm while the surrounding temperature skyrocketed crazily!


    The heat that his mes emitted was so hot that the ground in a five-meter radius began to show signs of melting, while outside that range the air visibly vibrated!


    However, even under such an immense temperature, Khal noticed with pleasant surprise as his Chameleon Armor did perfectly fine and showed no signs of melting or breaking. Even the temperature inside the armor feltfortable, almost as if he was inside a slightly hot room filled with air conditioning.


    Watching the dancing fire around his arm with a nonchnt gaze, Khal extended his arm and put his palm atop the wall''s surface, which, to no one''s surprise, melted into a boiling mess right in that very instant!


    "Amazing. It''s like pushing my hand into water. I can feel almost no resistance at all!" eximed Khal with joy and pulled his hand back, "Now the only question that remains is, what will happen if I do... This!"


    BOOM!


    With a horizontal wave of his hand, Khal summoned an insanelyrge ze out of nowhere, melting and erasing the solid rock wall before him into nothingness! What remained in its ce was an extremely huge gap, its size extending for hundreds of meters in depth while rocks that melted into jam dripped from the ceiling and walls right on the ground!


    ''Hmm... Not bad.'' thought Khal calmly as he looked at the results, but deep inside he felt pleasantly satisfied.


    Although this one single attack cost him a bit more than 50 units of Body Essence, it was destructive enough to demolish anything and anyone on and below his Cultivation Stage just with a single wave of his hand, thus he felt no intention toin.


    This power was truly a frightening one and there was no question about it that in the wrong hands it could cause massive tragedy in entire cities if not in the whole Southern Continent!


    But luckily, it was in Khal''s possession, someone who didn''t wish world domination nor loved to shed blood if he didn''t have to.


    Sometimeter, after taking a deep breath, Khal raised his me-covered hand and continue to use his Hell ze to dig his way closer and closer toward Alde, who was hiding deep underground.


    Meanwhile, inside an underground shelter, several miles deep below the earth''s surface, Alde was calmly sitting in one ce inside an empty room, his eyes gently closed as it seemed he was in deep cultivation.


    "Young Master, another individual entered Shadow Woods."


    A man wearing a ck robe appeared just before the room where Alde was, his figure kneeling before its door even though Alde was inside.


    "Who is it?" Alde asked the man without even opening his eyes.


    "I apologize, Young Master, but I have no clue. He was wearing a full set of armor so his face and body were fully hidden."


    "Is he approaching the entrance?"


    "No, he is not. He just hunted a few Low-Stage Beasts before he decided to jump inside a hole that leads into a small underground cave system that was previously the home of the Ghost Spider which was killed by Khal."


    Alde remained silent for a while and asked, "What do you think he ns to do there?"


    The man in the ck robe pondered for a while and said, "Considering the amount of Ghost-Spider Eggs that remained there, he maybe wants to collect their shells as they can be sold for quite the amount of money. As for him being a threat to us, Young Master needs to worry not as that ce is extremely far away from this shelter while there are also no paths that could lead him toward this direction."


    He then said, "I checked that ce, so I am absolutely solid what I just said."


    "I see..." said Alde and after a while, he just sneered and said, "Then ignore him. He is just a mere loser, you don''t need to care about him. However, if he does decide to approach the entrance, notify me right away."


    "Yes, Young Master, as you wish." nodded the man, and vanished from his spot.


    Though, once he was alone again, Alde opened his eyes and nced at his palm, which trembled narrowly before he clenched into a tight fist.


    "That bastard... Ever since I was ''killed'' my ability to create duplicates was reduced to a mere number of one! I need at least two more weeks to replenish my Body Essencepletely before I can use my power entirely again."


    After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Alde closed his eyes and continued, "At least I remember that bastard killed me with a strange arrow, so he must be someone who prefers to use a bow or long-range weapons."


    And then he continued, "Even though it will be hard for me to find the real one, things like this will be way easier for me to find that asshole! And once I do..."


    When the scenery where the guy kneeled before him, begging for his mercy among tearful eyes appeared in his head, Alde couldn''t help but grin widely and even start tough almost as if he just went crazy.


    -


    -


    -


    Several hours have passed, and even though Khal dug many miles with his Hell ze, he was still quite far away from Alde and his hideout, but at least now he was able to discern out his figure among the many that moved here and there.


    "Let''s call it a day for now," mumbled Khal and walked back to the exit, but before he decided to leave, he made sure to enclose the opening he created with several huge boulders and remaining Ghost Eggs to avoid others finding it by ident.


    "Yeah, this will do it." Khal seemed satisfied by the way he barricaded the path he just created, while also feeling startled at how easily he just moved boulders as huge as cars.


    "I should do more Cultivation Quests. Ever since my points increased, my strength also improved by leaps and bounds."


    After making sure he really hid the route perfectly, Khal was ready to climb back up to the surface when he suddenly stopped and began to ponder.


    Sometimeter, he turned to look in theplete opposite direction where he just made his tunnel before waving his me-covered hand, starting to form a new path.


    BOOM!


    After half an hourter, he stopped forming the new path that now was a bit more than a mile long, and nced up.


    Above him, about a few hundred meters away from him he noticed several crimson figures, mainly with the shape of a human moving around, seemingly hunting for those Beasts that also shone with bright red color.


    "Yeah, this should be enough." Khal nodded and waved his hand, but this time he controlled his mes on purpose to only form a path that was small, but also big enough where he will be able to descend or ascend whenever he wanted to.


    And soon, after another thirty minutester, Khal reached the surface.


    After making sure no one was around, he emerged from underground and nced around quickly to memorize the surroundings before going back down and filling the gap.


    After he did, he went back to the cave filled with the remaining of Ghost-Spider Eggs and after barricading the second path too, he climbed back up to the surface before walking back to Moon City as though he did nothing special at all.


    "You are finally back. Can you now tell me now where did you just go?"


    When Liza noticed Khal''s approach, she stopped practicing whatever she did and nced at him with a slightly raised brow.


    However, Khal just simply smiled at Liza''s question and nced at the frozenke next to her, which now seemed to possess a unique aura he had never seen nor felt before.


    "How is your practice? I see you have progressed quite a lot since the start."

 Chapter 222 - Frozen Flames

    When Liza saw how slyly did Khal ignore her question and instead asked another one, her delicate mouth seemed to twitch from annoyance, but decided to calm down.


    Whatever Khal was hiding from her, she knew he will tell hell sooner orter, and if it was up to her, it will be definitely sooner.


    ''So you y like that, huh? Okay, let me just see how long you can remain silent.''


    Liza turned to look at Khal, and pointed her slender index finger at him with a cunning smile already stered on her face.


    "I will challenge you! If I win, you must tell me where you were!"


    ''...''


    Khal stood in one ce with a nonchnt gaze, his tranquil eyes staring at Liza like he just didn''t hear her.


    This immediately caused Liza to frown and ask, "Hello? Did you hear me?"


    "Yeah, I did." Khal nodded, but still showed no difference after his reply.


    "Then will you answer or what? I just challenged you, you know that, right?" asked Liza, but she couldn''t help but feel slightly annoyed by Khal''s indifference.


    But to her great surprise, Khal merely sighed before waving his hand and say, "I refuse."


    "Eh?"


    Liza looked stupified, feeling as though she just heard Khal''s answer wrong.


    Thus, she slightly lowered her hand and with her right brow raising toward the sky, she asked, "Say that again?"


    "I said, I refuse. It would be unfair if we fight, also, I am no longer a student of this academy so I don''t need to ept your fight."


    At this time, Liza now could feel herself both angered and helpless, while she tried to find the words to say but no matter what she thought about, nothing came out.


    She just simply stood there with a scarcely opened mouth, her mixed emotion-filled eyes staring deeply at Khal''s figure in the distance.


    Meanwhile, Khal could do nothing but smile bitterly.


    Why? Because what he just said was true!


    He was on the Sixth Cultivation Stage while Liza was only on the Lower Stage of the Fifth Cultivation Stage!


    Furthermore, no matter if she had two Talents and that strange ability to imitate his Secret Arts by a nce, now he was no longer the Khal he was in the past. Now, he had four Talents, each strong enough to let him fight with groups of Beasts alone while he also had two Secret Arts, both rather powerful.


    Hell, he didn''t even use The Dance of The Celestial Serpent''s remaining four forms, so his arsenal was even stronger!


    Thus, even if Liza would have been on the Sixth Stage, he was pretty sure he would still win without breaking a sweat.


    After several minutes of silence, Liza finally moved and raised her hand.


    "You are right, it would be indeed unfair if we fight head-on." said and after a slight pause, she pointed at theke next to her, "Then let''s make a deal. If you can break my ''ice'' I will do whatever you want, however, if you can''t, then you need to tell me why you act so secretive."


    Khal nced at the frozenke that still had a unique aura to it, and after pondering, he shifted his gaze back at Liza and asked, "And what if I don''t want to?"


    ''...''


    Liza immediately turned silent, however, her eyes told clearly what she was thinking, thus Khal just smiled.


    ''Well, it''s not like I won''t tell her what I did once I killed that asshole, but telling her now would bring unwanted and unseen problems. However, there is no way I would lose, right? Also, like this, I won myself a free treat, so I would be foolish not to ept it.'' Khal mulled over the pros and cons and soon nodded.


    "Sure, let''s do it."


    "Nice. Then you have three attempts."


    "Huh? Three? You didn''t tell me this." Khal frowned, but Liza just shrugged and said, "Sorry I forgot to tell you."


    "I see, then sorry, I changed my mind too," said Khal and turned around to leave.


    Liza seeing Khal was about to really leave, her face suddenly changed, and said quickly, "I was just joking! You can have as many attempts as you wish, not like you will have the chance to break my Frozen mes or whatever."


    Khal halted his steps when he heard Liza''s urgent voice and couldn''t help but smile. As now he knew she was Nancy and she indeed behaved as she did in her past life, he knew exactly what to do to make her change.


    "Frozen mes, huh? You have quite the confidence in your new power I can see that." Khal told in a calm voice as he turned around, his previous smile no longer visible on his face.


    "Hmph! You will see it once you try it. I bet you won''t be able to crack its surface let alone break it!" said Liza to Khal, her eyes sparkling with indefinite confidence.


    She practiced days and night without rest to achive almost perfect control over both of her Talents, and she indeed achieved that. Indeed, maybe it couldn''t be called perfect, but it wasplete enough for her to make her Talents melt and form an entirely new power that not even she would have dreamed to create if not for her master, Jane.


    Her Frozen mes was a unique ability where her Jade Ice was literally a block of frozen mes, and even though the outer appearance told others it was solid ice, in truth, if one tried to touch them, they would feel no coldness, but immense heat as though they just touched zing fire!


    Furthermore, it not only was exceptionally hot, but it was also extremely durable, so Liza was pretty sure Khal stood no chance to break it even if he used his armor to protect his body from the heat.


    ''You maybe are on the Sixth Stage and became a Real Cultivator, but that doesn''t mean your body became strong too. You will have no chance to break it, this is my win!''ughed Liza inwardly, and watched as Khal approached the frozenke with a nonchnt look on his face.

 Chapter 223 - Strong!

    Khal stood at the edge of theke, his gaze fixed on the azure ice that had the slight hue of crimson and this indescribable aura around it that he has never seen before.


    At first nce, he would say it was like any ordinary ice with the sole exception it seemed way more solid. However, knowing no ze had crimson color while no ice had such a weird feeling to it, Khal understood clearly Liza created something exceptionally unique and unknown.


    ''I bet not even Logan, someone with tons of experience and knowledge, has seen something like this before.'' Khal thought to himself and extended his arm to touch the surface of the Frozen mes.


    ''Huh? Did he lose his mind? His arm will get injured if he touches it!'' Liza screamed in her heart loudly while her expression changed abruptly.


    Even though she wanted to win this bet, and know what Khal was doing that made him behave so secretive, she didn''t want to see him injured especially not because of her. Thus, she felt the desire to jump in and stop him, but once she realized Khal''s Cultivation Base and the ways he could protect himself, she realized he couldn''t be harmed that easily.


    Or at least, she thought he wouldn''t...


    Khal obviously noticed these sudden change of emotions on Liza''s face from the corner of his eye, but still decided to proceed on touching the ice.


    ''But just in case, let''s use my Diamond Skin.'' told himself Khal, and covered his palm with his ck, crystal-like cluster and ced his palm atop the ice.


    "!?"


    However, he had to pull his hand back immediately, as the moment his palm got in contact with the Frozen mes, the Diamond Skin that was able to defend himself from the Scorching Sun Steel''s heat during his forging, now melted into ck dripping stuff almost with no resistance!


    ''Holy... This is fucking amazing and terrifying the same time!'' yelled Khal loudly inwardly, his gaze subconsciously shifting at Liza on his side.


    Now he fully realized that these Frozen mes were way scarier than the first belived. These Frozen mes opened apletely new path for Liza in both fighting ways and cultivation.


    Damn, it could even be possible that she just created a Talent that was far stronger than any Natural Born Talent existing currently! If that was the case, her future was truly limitless without any question!


    ''She is truly a genius.'' Khal praised Liza in his heart.


    However, he noticed in that instant as Liza crossed her slender arms below her peaks and a mocking grin formed on her delicate face.


    It seemed as if she wanted to tell Khal, ''See? I told you, no? You can''t win this one!'', which Khal just merely smiled and shifted his gaze back.


    After standing up, Khal dusted his silver robe before raising his hand and saying, "To tell you the truth, I indeed felt surprised just now. Your Frozen mes... It is truly one of a kind that if masteredpletely could be a heaven-defying power that only a few could rival with."


    Liza hearing Khal''s honestpliment smiled even wider and was ready to open her mouth to ask him if he just gave up, but suddenly she noticed as Khal clenched his pain into a tight fist and nced at her with a peaceful smile.


    "However, it is not indestructible, not even close!" Khal said calmly before swinging his fist, punching the thick ice as though he just forgot what happened with his Diamond Skin previously.


    BAM!


    A powerful ripple broke out the moment Khal mmed his fist into Liza''s Frozen mes, and the next second huge and wide cracks began to form on its surface before it exploded into numerous parts!


    "What... H-how?" Liza became utterly speechless, her jaws hitting the ground while her small eyes opened extra wide and round like saucers.


    Just now, Khal hit and destroyed the Frozen mes as though it was a mere ice block! Hell, he even looked extremely rxed, breaking no sweat at all during his attempt when he broke the ice!


    "How is this even possible? This makes no sense at all!" eximed Liza out loud after a moment of deep silence, hardly epting that Khal just demolished her Frozen mes so easily.


    "Makes no sense? I think it makes pretty much sense considering I''m in a whole other realm in Cultivation Base than you." shrugged Khal, feeling no pain just now.


    In fact, he felt and was perfectly fine, as the amount of time his fist touched Liza''s Frozen mes was no longer than a few milliseconds if not less! Under such a short amount of time, feeling pain was simply impossible much less getting injured or burnt.


    Liza stared at Khal with a slightly opened mouth, I know how to react to that statement just now.


    When she said that it didn''t make any sense, she didn''t mean like that. What she wanted to say, that her Frozen mes were way more durable than her Jade Ice, thus they couldn''t be broken by simple means such as punches or kicks, or at least not until one didn''t use a special Secret Art or had a body associated Talent.


    But she clearly understood that Khal had neither a body associated with Talent nor he used any unique Secret Art that could have boosted his physical strength as her special ability would have activated on its own, but it didn''t.


    Hence, she couldn''t think about anything at all, but stare at Khal like a monster in human disguise.


    Khal obviously realized Liza''s confusion, but what could he do? Tell her that he can improve his physical strength and almost every characteristic of his body through quests that he can do daily? Not even he would believe such a story if he were told, much less Liza.


    Instead, he just ignored her confused gaze and smiled.


    "So? You told me if I seed in breaking that ''indestructible'' ice of yours, you will do whatever I say so, right?"


    "That''s..."


    "Right?" asked Khal with a sharper tone, but his face was still as calm as before.


    ''...''

 Chapter 224 - Found You!

    Liza seemed hesitant about her answer, but as she was the one starting this whole challenge, she had no choice but to sigh and nod.


    "Yeah... Right..."


    Khal smiled once he heard her answer and said, "Then I want you to do me a favor. Don''t leave the Academy until I say so."


    "...Eh?" Liza became startled, not quite expecting Khal to say what he just did.


    After thinking for a while, she seemed hesitant to ask him the reason, but in the end, she couldn''t win over her piqued curiosity.


    "Why?"


    Khal this time turned serious and with words that held hidden gravity, said, "Just do as I say and don''t leave this Academy."


    When Liza heard and saw just how serious Khal was, she turned silent, not knowing what she should reply that.


    Why did Khal want her to stay inside Moon Academy? Did something happen? That is why he was acting so strange in the past few days? Is he not trusting her enough to tell her what was going on? This kind of hurt her feelings while also making her worried.


    "Khal... What hap-"


    "I promise I will tell you everything, but until then please don''t ask me anything. I will be fine." Khal interrupted Liza as he clearly understood what she tried to ask and waved his hand.


    Liza closed her mouth, but her eyes couldn''t hide her ever-growing concern. Now shepletely realized that things weren''t as simple as she first belived them to be, thus couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    However, knowing Khal''s character, she knew clearly he won''t tell her no matter what even if she begged him among tearful eyes.


    Furthermore, considering that he was acting so serious even though he reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage, this only showed the situation was even dire as he wanted her, someone only on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, to stay safe.


    And as she thought about this, Liza felt her heart tighten before asking in a low voice, "You promise?"


    Khal seeing her worried expression and concern-filled tone of voice, smiled and nodded, "If I can''t keep such a simple promise, can I even call myself a man?"


    Khal''s words however didn''t make Liza feel any relief at all, but s, she could only nod her head in silence.


    Khal smiled once again at her, and after ncing at the fragments of Frozen mes all over the ce he nodded and asked, "Anyways, I still have things to do, so I have to go."


    "Wait! Won''t you take Rubie with you?" Liza stopped Khal immediately, her hand firmly holding onto his sleeves as though she didn''t want him to leave.


    This surprised her quite a bit, but before she couldprehend why she did behave that way, Khal suddenly grabbed her hand gently and said, "I wish her to be with you as you will be safe with her around you."


    However, this only made Liza''s delicate brows deepen into a frown, thus Khal just chuckled slightly and quickly added, "Don''t misunderstand my words, you are not weak, particrly not with your newfound power, however, with her on your side you won''t get into trouble that easily. Also, that''s the only way I will be at ease."


    Liza seemed confused as she didn''t quite understand why she would get into trouble, but considering Khal''s secretive behavior it could be said it made sense.


    If he was doing something exceptionally dangerous that included powerful experts, then she would be their target too, and thus, it only became understandable why he wanted to keep her safe.


    Holding Liza''s hand in her palm for a while, Khal let go before walking away without looking back.


    Meanwhile, atop the closest building in the distance, Jane stood on the rooftop with a nonchntplexion while her eyes flickered with different emotions from time to time, seemingly deep in her own thoughts.


    After walking away, Khal decided not to linger around aimlessly and chose to hunt for beasts atop Moon Mountain before returning to the cave through his newly formed secret path to proceed on with his digging.


    Time passed rather quickly, and after more than three dayster, Khal finally aplished getting so close to Alde''s hideout where every single individual''s outline appeared exceedingly apparent.


    "Only five guards?" Khal frowned with surprise the moment he noticed that except Alde''s sitting figure in the middle, five figures could be seen walking around the ce, seemingly patrolling the ce.


    However, he didn''t mind at all that they were so few as it only made his n work even better. The fewer people he had to deal with, the faster and smoother can he kill Alde and that is only what mattered to him!


    ''Now then, onto the final step.'' thought Khal and sat down before activating his Jade Tombstone.


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, Moon City''s entire image arose in his mind, while his Body Essence began to decrease rapidly almost as if it was water that flowed out of a tap without any obstruction.


    However, thanks to his preparation in the past three days, turning the hunted Beast Essences almost every time into his units of Body Essence that now reach 9786, he could easily inspect the entirety of Moon City for minutes which was perfectly enough time for him to find what he wanted.


    And exactly a bit more than a minuteter, after inspecting 98% of Moon City akin to a God, Khal found Alde''s clone, practicing his sword techniques in an open practice area outside with a bald guy he hasn''t seen before.


    "So only one, huh? As I thought, he can''t just go and produce clones as though breathing, he still has limits," mumbled Khal as he stood up before dusting his silver robe.


    As for the possibility that Alde hid another clone of himself somewhere in an unknown ce or even worse, in the Ourvi Family, Khal didn''t fear at all. He already knew that Alde had to be close to his clones, hence, the only ce he could possibly be was on Moon City or Moon Mountain, but because he already checked Moon Mountain several times and found nothing, he was sure only these two Alde existed currently.


    Therefore, Khal couldn''t help but smile, and close his eyes to take a deep breath. And once he calmed his heartbeat down, he opened his eyelids again, now his eyes holding nothing but ice coldness.

 Chapter 225 - Starting His Revenge!

    Deep under the earth surface somewhere inside Shadow Woods, a man in a ck uniform was slowly walking up and down in a wide and long white corridor, when suddenly another man in the same clothing as him appeared at the corner.


    "Finally! I thought you will nevere!" the guy seemed happy when he noticed his colleague, his mood taking a one hundred eighty turn in a sh.


    "Hmph! Pathetic! Feeling so bored when you have such a huge responsibility to protect the Young Master... I still can''t understand how you were selected, such a disgrace..." the man snorted coldly, causing the other man to smile bitterly.


    "Haha, what can I say? Walking around the same ce over and over again without anyone to talk to can be quite boring you know that, right?" said the man with a bitter smile, however hispanion only sneered coldly once again, looking at him as though he was some kind of insect that was unpleasant to the eye.


    "Anyways, now that you are here, its time for me to g-"


    BOOM!


    Though, just before he could have finished talking, a sudden explosion broke the walls on the sides, burying both of them under melted jam and huge pieces of debris in the very next second, unknown if they were alive or not.


    Meanwhile, a figure d in silver armor began to walk out slowly from the gap where the wall broke down, looking at the two men below the debris with aplexion that was hidden.


    ''...''


    After staring at the two men in silence, Khal raised his arm that was already covered in zing yellow fire, and without thinking about anything else, scorched the two bodies into nothing more but ash.


    ''Bunch of trashes. I can hardly believe that asshole really thought a few Sixth Stage Cultivators will save his life in this ce.'' thought Khal calmly, his gaze staring at the spot where the two men previously were a few moments ago.


    "Found him! Over here!"


    Suddenly a man appeared at the corner of the corridor in the same ck uniform as the previous two, shouting in a loud voice that soon brought another two men that seemingly were looking for the source of the explosion too.


    "Where are the Tom and Jeff? Shouldn''t they suppose to be somewhere here?" one of the men asked in a confused expression, his gaze scanning the surroundings to find those two that no longer were among the living.


    "Who cares where those two fools are! We have an intruder right here, so get ready to f-"


    BOOM!


    However, his sentence never came to an end as his, and the remaining two men''s bodies evaporated into nothingness because of the fire that engulfed their bodies out of nowhere!


    ''This is really ridiculous... And they dare to im themselves as guards? At least I have killed them or they would only bring shame on that title.'' Khal shook his head slightly, his face showing discernable disgust as he looked in the direction where he just killed the three men known as ''guards''.


    "WHO DARES TO CAUSE RUCKUS IN MY PLACE??!!"


    Just as Khal was about to move to the ce where Alde could be seen, suddenly a loud roar resounded in the air, shaking the walls on the sides before a man in a ck robe with silver symbols on it appeared out of thin air, it''s gaze fixed on Khal with visible killing intent.


    "You? What the fuck do you want?" it seemed the man recognized Khal, which didn''t surprise Khal at all as he kind of guessed he was seen the moment he descended into the Ghost Spider''s nest three days ago.


    Instead, he just turned to face the man, his brows furrowed deeply together behind his armor.


    ''Seventh Cultivation Stage? It will be troublesome to kill him.''


    Khal knew that after the Fifth Cultivation Stage every Stage was like a separate realm, each exceptionally stronger than the previous one by several levels! Thus, killing someone that was above the other in Cultivation Stage was almost impossible, or at least until one had no heaven-defying Talent.


    "I will ask this one more time. Who are you and why did youe here?"


    ''...''


    Seeing as Khal just stared at him without saying a single word, the man furrowed its brows, seemingly annoyed by Khal''s silence.


    "I don''t know who told you about this ce, but once I find out the truth I swear not even God will be able to save you and the ones closest to you!" hissed the man coldly, his body leaking suffocating presence mixed with killing intent that Khal never seen nor felt before.


    Yet, not even this seemed to work on Khal as he still remained silent and unmoved, almost as if he just fell unconscious on his very own feet!


    The man snorted once he got no reply, even feeling kind of angry as he thought Khal looked down on him and took out a crimson dagger from his spatial ring and began to talk.


    "Your quite the cocky one, but I don''t really care at all as exactly this is what will lead to your death!"


    WHOOSH!


    In a single blink, the man appeared before Khal with his weapon raised high above his head, and with a powerful swing that drew a vertical crimson arc in the air, chopped at Khal''s body with the desire to cut his body in half!


    "Di-, huh?"


    The man was ready to kill Khal with a single strike, however, just the instant his dagger could have reached its target, suddenly Khal''s figure vanished into thin air and reappeared behind him almost like a ghost!


    "Courting death!" the man spun around with top-notch speed and reaction speed once he noticed Khal behind him, but something he could hardly believe happened.


    Just as he turned around, ready to swing his weapon and slice Khal''s body from side to side into two, Khal has long ago stood before him, his palm that was covered with blue light, in direct contact with his chest.


    "Wha-"


    KA-BOOOM!!!

 Chapter 226 - Useless Threat

    The very instant the Khal ced his palm atop the man''s chest, the blue mes around his palm began to rotate like a crazy vortex before bursting forward, crashing into the man''s body like a cannonball!


    KA-BOOM!


    The entire ce shook as though it was shaken by a sudden earthquake while the entire hallway together with the man was torn, destroyed, and erased out of existence itself!


    The more than 9000 units of Body Essence this time showed its terrifying might, eradicating even Cultivators at the Seventh Stage as if they were nothing but mere ants before a frenzied storm!


    However, Khal knew clearly that the main reason he was able to win this fight was not that he solely used his Secret Art''s Second Form, the Azure Snake Dance, but because of other aspects that seemed useless, but yed a huge role too!


    First of all, his Heaven''s Eyes. Without that ability, that let him not only see every movement around him but also made him see actions as if he watched a film in slow motion, he wouldn''t have been able to dodge the assault and would be lying on the floor as sliced meat right now!


    Nheless, the most important fact that led him to victory was something he never did in the past ever, using The Dance of the Celestial Serpent''s Fourth Form, the Sapphire Snake Dance!


    While the first three forms focused purely on the element of evading and dodging by elerating both of his legs'' momentum, until then the fourth form hastened the velocity of his... Arms!


    By moving his Essence inside his whole arms, he could boost his arms'' speed by several levels for a split second, almost like Janna''s weapon-associated Secret Art.


    And jointly with his Azure Snake Dance, which can erupt his Body Essence at contact, causing an effect simr to a powerful shockwave, this became such a lethal assault that not even a Cultivator at the Seventh Stage stood a chance against!


    But obviously, this power didn''te without consequences as Khal had to deplete almost all of his units of Body Essence while he also had to concentrate without lowering his guard even for a split second.


    Just this fight, which didn''tst more than 2 seconds, diminished him mentally that it was frightening! And it all urred while his Mental Strength was already 4, meaning it was three if not four times stronger mentally than before!


    Though, he was no fool to think he would be able to win against all Seventh Stage Cultivators like this, as the man he just killed was a specialist in the field of speed and not in strength or defense while also he also underestimated his strength which basically sealed his fate eternally!


    All in all, Khal had the perfect advantage to achive victory while he had the power of surprise too!


    After taking a moment to calm himself down and also get used to the numb feeling in his arm after using the Sapphire Snake Dance with so much Body Essence, Khal nced in a specific direction where Alde was still sitting calmly in one ce.


    "Hmm?" Khal walked in the maze-like corridors before arriving before the door that will lead him to Alde.


    However, he couldn''t help but lower his brow into a deep frown, confused why Alde was still inside motionless instead of running away, saving his life until he could have.


    ''Maybe he thinks he will be okay and was confident in his men and that man''s ability to protect him?'' Khal guesses in his heart silently, but in truth, he didn''t know the answer.


    Though, the real reason why Alde didn''t run away was not that he was confident in his men or because he was stupid, but because he didn''t hear nor feel anything inside there.


    Because of the numerous arrays that blocked any sound and any tremor from outside to boost his concentration on his cultivation, it was sheer impossible for him to know what was happening outside his room until he wished to know.


    s, because he didn''t think there was someone who would find this hideout much less attack them and seed in killing five Sixth Stage and one Seventh Stage Cultivator, he was as oblivious as a sheep before a newly built gate!


    ''Well, not like I care if he runs or stays as the end result will be the same...'' thought Khal and without hesitation knocked on the door.


    Knock~knock!


    ''Who the fu-"


    BAM!


    Without waiting for Alde to finish his cursing, Khal kicked the door wide open, sending the huge frame flying across the room with insane momentum, crashing into the wall on the opposite side with great power.


    "Huh?!"


    Alde watched this sight with a dumbfounded expression, his eyes as round and big as saucers.


    "The hell happened? Dan! The fuck is happening here?" Alde asked once he came back to his senses, his guard raised as he knew things became serious this time.


    "They won''te, so you can quit yelling." Khal''s voice that was lowered on purpose sounded in the room, stunning Alde.


    "Who?" Alde stood up from the floor when he heard the deep and unfamiliar voice from the darkness where the door once was, and watched in silence as a figure d in aplete set of armor walked inside his room almost as though he just walked inside not a foreign room but his own!


    After walking inside the room and standing exactly five meters away from Alde, Khal stood motionlessly, his thoughts currently unknown.


    A heavy silence filled the air and surroundings around Khal and Alde, staring at each other with hostile gazes!


    This seemingly deep silence went on for a while, but it was soon broken by Alde, who suddenly summoned a sword out of his spatial ring and held it firmly into his grasp with an ice-cold firmness while his body began to leak his Cultivation Base which was on the Fifth Cultivation Stage!


    "I see... So you want to y like this, huh? Then I won''t be polite either!" said Alde to Khal with a snort and with lightning speed closed the distance between him and Khal.


    "DIE!"

 Chapter 227 - You Can’t Hide!

    ''...''


    Khal watched as Alde''s sword appeared at the side of his neck almost the very next instant he swung his arm, yet, he still stood in one ce almost like he couldn''t keep up with the assault.


    "Go to hell!" Alde roared loudly and watched with an almost evil grin as his sword appeared and hit the armor part round Khal''s neck.


    ''Hmph! You should have stayed home and nevere here. Now you can only me your own foolishness for dying!''ughed Alde inwardly, but the very next second his grin froze atop his face, while his eyes bulged out from their sockets in sheer shock.


    CLANG!


    A metallic sound akin to smashing a steel rod into a metal wall resounded in the surroundings, while the sword together with Alde''s hand began to tremble slightly without leaving even a small white scar on Khal''s armor.


    ''Impossible! My Dark de is capable of piercing anything below the wless Tier and also powerful enough to leave marks on Legendary Tier items! This should be impossible!'' Alde yelled inwardly, his heart filled with shock as he watched his weapon was unable to leave even a tiny scratch on Khal''s armor.


    Meanwhile, Khal just simply stared at Alde and his sword with a nonchnt look, while he watched as his Body Essence decreased only by ten units. Compared to Logan''s, which was superior in every aspect, these ten units were rather... insignificant.


    "You really think you can hurt me with such a frail toy? Howughable..." Khal began to speak in his lowered voice to avoid him being recognized, while his gaze never left Alde''s face.


    When Alde heard what Khal said, he felt as his back started to be soaked with cold sweat, while his arm couldn''t help but start trembling from uncontroble fear. Only now did he realize, the person before him was someone way out of his league and his life this time was indeed in danger!


    "Fuck!"


    Alde suddenly let out a loud curse and was about to distance himself, but even before he had the chance, Khal moved.


    "Where do you think you are going?" Khal''s voice sounded in Alde''s ear, and the very next thing he saw was a ck sh before the scenery around him began to spin, only to cken intoplete darkness once he noticed his still standing, but now headless body before him in the distance.


    Paff!


    Khal, however, didn''t even wait for the body topletely fall onto the ground as he knew exactly that the one he just killed was only a copy and the real one was on the run inside Moon City.


    ''You can run, but you can''t hide!'' grinned Khal like a maniac, while he watched Alde''s panicked silhouette in his mind as he ran like some scared little kid toward the exit of Moon City.


    BOOM!


    Turning on his Secret Art''s first form without a second thought after throwing several pills into his mouth, causing his Body Essence to get replenished in an instant, Khal pushed his feet against the ground below his feet and burst forward like thunder, leaving behind a huge and deep pit where he just stood a millisecond ago!


    With his insane amount of Body Essence and his unique Secret Art, Khal literally flew through the miles-long underground passage before reaching the surface in less than 10 seconds, which was considered insanely fast!


    He burst through the interior of the Shadow Forest in another and reached its outer section in 5 seconds, while his speed didn''t decrease but did theplete opposite, elerated!


    "Woah! W-what happened just now? What was it?"


    "Ay! D-did you see it?"


    "Y-yeah... I mean... No? It was too fast to see what it was!"


    Cultivators one after another turned perplexed and startled by the speed with which Khal ran, some even falling onto their butts from either shock or the strong after wind he carried!


    Meanwhile, inside Moon City, Alde was running toward the exit with a pale face while his eyes held burning anger.


    ''Those useless pieces of shits! They had only one task! One! And they fucking failed to do it!'' Alde cursed in his heart in irritation, his strides bing faster and longer with each step.


    ''And that man... I swear if I find out your identity, you are as good as dead! Not even your ancestors will be able to save your life and the consequences you will have to bear because of what you did today!''


    After a few secondster, Alde reached the main gates and activated one of his Secret Arts that instantly elerated his speed, and in the very next second, he already appeared several hundreds of meters away.


    ''Just wait until I get back! I will make sure to turn your life into real he-, huh?''


    Alde suddenly stopped whatever he wanted to say as he felt his back got covered with cold sweat, while his neck turned slightly numb, this turned around to see why he felt like that.


    But when he did, his already pale face abruptly turned even whiter, almost as white as snow, and his body began to tremble unconsciously.


    "N-no... This is impossible... How did he..." Alde stuttered with fear, his saucer-like eyes staring at the figure behind him that approached him with the speed that could be hardly called human!


    "Got you!" Khal''s voice that now felt like the voice of death appeared next to his ear, freezing every cell and muscle of his body to rock solid.


    "!?"


    A secondter, Alde felt a strong grip at the back of his neck before watching as his head was mmed powerfully into the ground, creating a huge crater with his body as its center!


    "Did I overdo it?" mumbled Khal, and grabbed Alde''s head by his hair, before raising its head from the debris that now had a broken and bleeding nose together with a few missed teeth instead of the previous handsome face he had.


    "Bleargh!"


    However, the moment he did, Alde immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood before turning his bloodshot eyes at him, who still had his silver armor on, and asked, "W-What do you want from me?"

 Chapter 228 - Secret That No One Knows

    Khal stared at Alde''s distorted face in silence whilepletely ignoring the struggling groans and dripping blood from his mouth.


    "Y-you... What... do you want... from me?" Alde asked Khal in a hoarse voice, his bloodshot eyes staring at Khal with terror as though he was staring at the reaper himself!


    ''...''


    Seeing that Khal didn''t answer nor did he move but just simply gazed at him, Alde gritted his teeth and said, "I can give you whatever you want! Fame? Power? Wealth? I can grant you all of that if you wish you just need to say it!"


    However, it seemed not even this seemed alluring enough for Khal, as his hold on his head didn''t loosen but even tightened a little bit more!


    "Argh! Then what do you want? I am certain I didn''t meet a powerful expert such as yourself before much less offend!" said Alde with a painful grimace.


    "Are you sure about that?"


    Suddenly, the armor on Khal''s body lit up before vanishing into thin air, revealing his face to Aldepletely.


    "You!" Alde''s eyes shrunk to the size of a needle the moment he saw Khal''s face inches away from his, causing his already whiteplexion to turn even whiter!


    Khal stared into Alde''s eyes with eyes as cold as ice, while hisplexion became void of any emotion.


    "H-how is this possible?!"


    It seemed Alde''s brain ceased to function the moment he realized it was Khal instead of a powerful expert, hardly believing what his eyes were currently seeing.


    After a moment of silenceter, Alde decided to take a deep breath and ask in a low voice, "How did you know?"


    "Know what?" Khal asked Alde with an indifferent face.


    Alde frowned when he heard Khal''s question, but as his life was right in Khal''s mercy, he could only grit his teeth even more and ask, "How did you know where was the hideout? I don''t believe you just found it by chance! Who was that rat who told you?"


    Khal remained silent for a while and only after a whileter did he smile and say, "Although it wasn''t that obvious at first, when your loyal dogs chased me and tried to take my life at Moon Mountain, everything came together after a while."


    "Chased on Moon Mountain? What d-" Alde began to talk, confused when he heard what Khal said, but the very next second his eyes widened because of the sudden realization.


    "I-It was you!?" yelled Alde with fear, but this only resulted in him coughing up a mouthful of blood as he still didn''t recover from the previous impact.


    Khal seeing this smiled, but his smile this time was not warm but instead akin to an evil grin, before raising his hand and cing his fingers atop Alde''s chest.


    "What are you d-, AAARRGHHH!!"


    Even before Alde could have asked his question, Khal thrusted his fingers deep into his chest while he activated his Bloodshed Touch in the very next instant, drawing away the blood from his body at an insanely fast pace!


    The shriek that sounded like someone being tortured resounded in the surroundings, but because they were quite a distance away from any cities, no one was able to hear it much lesse to help him.


    "S-stop it! Please! I beg you! What did I do to deserve this?" Alde struggled to get away from Khal, but for some strange reason, he was unable; it felt like an entire mountain suddenly pressed down onto his body, locking him down in one ce without any chance of him escaping!


    "You really ask that question?" asked Khal in a cold voice while he even pushed his finger deeper into Alde, causing him to scream even louder.


    "Maybe this will make you remember what you did to deserve this," said Khal, his gaze now as sharp as a sword''s.


    "AAAARRGHHH!! STOP! PLEASE! AAAAARRGH!!"


    Alde screamed like a pig on the verge of ying, his eyes flowing with tears as though he was crying while blood continuously seeped out of his mouth.


    Khal watched Alde without any pity or sympathy but when he saw hisplexion became inhumanly white he didn''t hesitate to pull his fingers out as he didn''t want to kill Alde yet.


    He wanted to torment him to the point where he wished death woulde to him!


    After pulling his fingers out from his chest that was followed by a shriek that was not human-like, Khal pressed Alde''s pale face into the debris-filled ground and leaned forward.


    "So? Any idea?"


    "Bleargh!"


    Once Alde coughed up an insane amount of blood, he forced his eyelids open to look at Khal with terror and say, "I-If it''s about the assassins... Then let me apologize... I didn''t mean t-, AAARGH!!"


    However, even before he had the chance to finish his sentence, a shape pain pierced his left thigh, sending another wave of pain through his body!


    "Oh? Sorry, what did you say? I think I missed a few words so can you repeat it?" Khal asked calmly while his hand held his Devil Fangs that now rested deep inside Alde''s


    Alde felt the urge to curse at Khal and his entire past ancestors loud, but what came out of his mouth was not those words but apologetic ones.


    "I... I said I am sorry! I shou-, AAAARRGGHHH!"


    "Go on. I''m listening," said Khal with the same indifferentplexion, his Devil Fangs now seated inside the other leg, but with the sole exception that he opened it into a fan the moment he pierced his muscle.


    ''Mother... Fucker...'' cursed Alde inwardly, his face turning uglier with each passing second.


    After a while when he felt no more pain, Aldeughed up another handful of blood and asked, "Then... what the hell do you want me to say? Damn, for fuck sake! If I could, I would turn back time and never act so foolishly as I did, sorry! Better?"


    ''...''


    Khal stared at Alde in silence without piercing him once again, which at Alde believed his apology worked and he will be saved.


    ''Just let me fucking go and I will send you to the other world just like how I did with that bitch! Maybe I am weak now, but after a year or two I swear I will...''


    Khal remained silent for a long while, but soon he just shook his head before sighing almost as if he felt depressed, "Unfortunately, that''s not how it works. You did something unforgivable and you know it too. Even if you had a thousand... No, a million copies that all wished to sacrifice themselves to me, not even then would you be able to wash your sin off your body."


    "Then what do you n to do? Kill me? You know if you dare to kill me my family will do everything in their powers to find and kill you, right? Your life will be turned upside down and you will no longer get to live your peaceful life as it was before, you know that right?!"


    ''...''


    After getting no response from Khal, Alde showed a sly grin, feeling as though his ''threat'' worked this time, and continued, "What''s more, not only you will know what true nightmare and agony is, but even your little ''girlfriend''!"


    "However, if you spare my life and let me go now, we can act as nothing happened and go our separate ways. No one has to know what happened here nor will anyone learn about it. How, does it sound?"


    Alde stayed motionless on the ground, waiting for Khal''s answer in silence, but soon, instead of the anticipated ''yes'' answer, what reached his ear was another feel sigh.


    "You are really an idiot, aren''t you?"


    "What did you sa-, AAARRGGHHH!"


    Alde was about to ask back when suddenly the fan that was still pierced into his thigh was pulled out before Khal ced it before Alde''s neck.


    "You don''t seem to really realize your current situation, asshole. You have no room to make deals much less think you will survive and see daylight ever again."


    Alde felt as cold sweat soaked his back from terror, while his eyes shrunk to that of a size of a needle before he asked immediately as he felt the killing intent on his skin from Khal''s gaze, "D-Did you go insane!? I didn''t joke when I said your life will be hell if you kill me! Not only yours but everyone you care about and love! All of them!"


    Khal, however, still seemed indifferent and was ready to cut Alde''s throat slightly open to make him die slowly, but suddenly an idea appeared in his head thus lowered his arm before saying, "You are right. It would be incredibly foolish of me to drag my loved ones into trouble."


    "However..." Khal suddenly raised back his weapon before Alde''s neck, who began to feel rxed and even happy about his ''seemingly'' change of mind, before continuing, "Now that I have the power to protect them, I don''t see a reason why not to kill you."


    "What? You can''t be for re-" Alde widened his eyes and began to talk, but was suddenly interrupted as Khal continued, "But if you tell me a little secret I want to know, I will consider not to kill you as not even I want unnecessary problem."


    After saying that, Khal''s mouth curved upward into a smile, and pushing his Devil Fangs a bit into Alde''s skin, he asked, "So? What do you think?"

 Chapter 229 - A Powerful Expert

    "So? What do you say?" Khal asked Alde with a grin that represented a snake''s.


    Alde stared at Khal with trembling eyes, but as the weapon pressing against his neck stopped him from saying the words he wanted to say, he gulped down his saliva gently and asked, "W-What secret do you want to know?"


    Khal stopped his weapon from slitting Alde''s throat open and smiled coldly, "What do you know about the incident that took ce several years ago? Where all noble people died in and around Moon City? Why is that no one talks about it nor remembers when I ask people?"


    Indeed, during his free time, Khal asked several people about the incident that changed Neo''s and Liza''s lifepletely, but no one seemed to remember about such an event which was weird.


    If hundreds of noble and influential people, all with powerful backgrounds suddenly died, it was simply impossible to hide it from the people. As a matter of fact, people around the world would try to obtain their past wealth such as their territories, money, treasures, Secret Arts, and a lot more. Yet, when Khal searched in libraries to see what happened, he found nothing but only that the Ourvi Family''s power suddenly rose to greater heights under a single night which was ridiculous!


    Thus, Khal could only think of one possibility, but neither seemed feasible as that would only mean the Ourvi Family had someone that could literally control the whole world by himself!


    ''Let''s hope my guess is wrong as things could be even more serious as they are now.'' thought Khal and stared daggers at Alde to make him talk.


    When Alde heard the question his eyes seemed to tremble slightly, but only for a split second, but that was enough for Khal to know Alde indeed knew something thus smile even colder.


    "It seems you indeed know something, so talk," Khal smiled at Alde, but the next second hisplexion turned deadly serious and added, "But don''t even try to think about lying or say you don''t know a thing as I will make sure to severe all your limbs right here and now before slitting your throat wide open."


    "!?"


    Once Alde felt the killing intent in Khal''s gaze his body began to tremble unwittingly before quickly nodding his head.


    "Perfect, now speak. I don''t n on staying here all day nor you do."


    Alde gritted his teeth as he felt the dagger on his neck, but as he heard Khal will spare his life if he told him the truth he was more than willing to talk.


    "Okay, I will speak." sighed Alde and began to spill the beans like an obedient little kid before his parent who just scolded him.


    Khal listened intently to all the words Alde told him, but after the very few words, hisplexion turned stiffer and stiffer while the feeling that was deep in his heart grew bigger and bigger.


    It seemed his thoughts were right, which meant extremely huge problems!


    After about half an hourter, Alde stopped talking and asked, "And this is all I know, I swear on my life! Now let me go as you have promised!"


    Yet, it seemed Khal didn''t even hear him as hisplexion showed he was in deep thoughts, while his eyes changed several times under not more but a few seconds!


    ''This is a bigger problem than I have first believed... If what this rat just told me is true, then the whole Southern... No! The entire surface of this is in great danger!'' Khal thought, his back slowly forming thick and cold sweat drops just from imagining what could possibly happen.


    What Alde told him was exactly what he believed, and wished not to be the case, that someone erased and altered all memories of every human on this!


    Alde told him that the Ourvi Family had an expert Cultivator, simr to Master Adam from Heaven Academy, on the Ninth Cultivation Stage who had a Talent that was able to influence others'' brains to an almost absolute extent!


    And with him, with such a terrifying expert that could easily rule over an entire continent if not the whole world, Alde''s family decided to demolish all the noble families in Moon City and around its wide proximity before acquiring their property, their wealth, their treasures and everything else that seemed important while destroying anything else that they seemed useless!


    However, such a Talent, which seemed to rival even God''s, had its own ws and weaknesses too, or at least Khal hoped so, thus asked Alde about it after several minutes of silence.


    "Why is it that you only decided to dominate the areas around Moon City instead of the entire Southern Continent or even all the four main Continents? Is there a specific reason?"


    "Are you an idi-" Alde started to ask Khal if he was an idiot, but instantly realized his position in this conversation so quickly swallowed back down his words before calming himself down.


    "Because she can''t alter anyone''s memories at will as she needs to prepare beforehand as she needs to meet special requirements. Also, the more individual''s mind she does n to alter or erase, the stronger her Cultivation Base needs to be, s, with her peak Cultivation Stage in the First Realm this is the most she could achieve."


    The moment Khal heard this answer he immediately sighed with relief as it meant world domination will be truly impossible, but still, he had several questions that made the story quite foggy.


    For example, what about the people that were in connections with the noble people and were far away when this entire incident happened? They must have noticed when suddenly their old connections were severed, right? Or the people that knew about or at least heard about these noble people but suddenly found out they died?


    But when he asked this question, Alde simply justughed coldly before he answered, "Of course we thought about this and as a result, we killed those that showed signs of trouble toward us while destroying all pieces of information. Naturally, we did it step by step since the start to avoid unnecessary problems, and even now as we talk, people all around the world from my family make sure to keep this a secret."


    "What? How is that even possible?" asked Khal, hardly believing what Alde just said.

 Chapter 230 - Collected Debt

    Khal could hardly believe what he just heard.


    He knew that the Ourvi Famil was one of the strongest families on the Southern Continent, but as to that they were this strong... It was unthinkable!


    To be able to have influence over the happenings in the entire continent, meant the Ourvi Family had a tremendous amount of power, more than one could have believed it to be.


    When Alde saw Khal''s shocked gaze he grinned with pride and said, "Shocked? Not everyone knows this, as my family usually works in the shadows, from behind the curtains, but almost all the bigger families are aware of our terrifying power on the Southern Continent. If we wish to, we can kill thousands of people under a single night, bringing the entire Southern Continent into pure chaos!"


    "You can even say we have the whole continent atop our palm, but as we, or to be more precise my father, wish to remain hidden for the time being because of some stupid reason that he insists on telling me, we don''t do it."


    He then added, now with umted confidence and determination, "That is why, if you spare my life, not only will I promise to forget all that happened here, but I also make sure to get special privilege in my family!"


    "Just think about it! You no longer have to fear starvation nor do you have to worry that either you or your beloved ones'' lives get into danger as they will be protected by my men! Hell, you all will be able to swim in gold and fame if you decide to join my family right now and here!"


    "Also, now that I can see just how strong you have be and how much potential is still in you, I would be a fool not to attempt to recruit you."


    Khal listened to Alde''s alluring invitation in silence, but his weapon never got lowered from before his neck, not even an inch. Instead, he kept it there where it was and just stared at Alde with an ice-cold gaze.


    Alde seemed nervous because of Khal''s silence, but deep inside he was confident he will ept it as just who in their right mind would refuse such an offer? Let alone the fact that if he decides to kill him he will be hunted down for the rest of his life, turning his life into a real hell, his loved ones, especially Liza, will be captured and tortured for the rest of their lives as apensation!


    So in Alde''s opinion, only a fool that wentpletely insane would choose to refuse his offer and kill him.


    "Come on! Don''t you want power? Don''t you want to protect her? With this chance you will be able to do anything, you just only to say one thing! said Alde after a small while as he seemed to misunderstand Khal''s silence, but in reality, he already nned his revenge on Khal.


    ''Just let me free and I swear you will regret even the day you came onto this world! Maybe not now, but I pledge myself as an Ourvi that I will take my revenge on you in the future!''


    Seconds turned into minutes, and after a long and deep silenceter Khal suddenly smiled, which made Alde smile too before saying, "Perfect, perfect! It seems you are indeed not a fo-"


    Swish!


    Alde suddenly stopped talking as suddenly his eyes caught a glimpse of a ck sh before a sharp pain pierced his left arm.


    "E-Eh?! Wha-, ARRGGHH! YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID? AAARRGHH!" Alde screamed at the top of his lungs, clenching the bleeding spot on his left shoulder where his left arm should have been!


    "You are really naive to think I will forgive what you did just because you offer me something I already have! As for why I cut down your arm, that was for trying to kill me and Liza back then after the Ceremony."


    "I-"


    Swish!


    "AAAARRRGHHH!"


    After another ck sh, Alde''s right arm got also severed, falling into the puddle of crimson blood on the ground that formed thanks to his blood that flowed out both of his wounds where his arms should have been located!


    While Alde screamed like a tortured pig, Khal raised his weapon above his head and continued to speak.


    "And this was for attempting to kill me for the second time."


    Taking a deep, but calm breath, Khal snorted coldy and continued, "As for the main reason why I will never forgive you, not even in a million years, is because of you someone lost her life even though she shouldn''t have to! And I am here to collect that debt!"


    Alde forced himself to remain silent and nce at Khal, but the sight he saw was something that made his already hopeless gaze be even hopeless.


    "P-Please... I regretted what I did, so..."


    "It''s already toote for that, but let''s hope in your next life you will think twice before acting so headlong! You can never know what the future holds for you, right?" said Khal, and even before waiting for Alde to respond, he swung his weapon that was now covered in crimson mes and drew a scarlet crescent arc in the air, slicing Alde''s armless body into two, perfect halves!


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    The very instant his weapon reached the other end of Alde, the mes that remained on the body exploded with exceptionally great power, turning Alde''s now long ago ceased corpse into nothing more but ash while the ground below melted into a boiling mess in a split second!


    Khal stood on the side with an indifferent gaze, staring at the spot where Alde was just a few moments ago, his body still like a frozen sculpture.


    And exactly after one whole minuteter, that for some reason seemed an entire hour for him, Khal closed his eyes before sighing deeply that made him feel as though just a huge mountain fell off his heart.


    "It''s finally over..."

 Chapter 231 - Sweet Loot

    In the middle of a vast green field where only a few bushes and trees could be seen with some small boulders here and there, a young man stood motionless with his eyes gently closed, seemingly enjoying the sun''s hot gleam on his skin.


    Standing there in one ce for several straight minutes, the young man gradually opened his eyes, revealing a pair of green eyes that seemed to sparkle like two pieces of emeralds under the light!


    "It''s finally over..." Khal sighed with extreme relief after taking a deep breath, feeling the heavy pressure, which was akin to a great mountain, falling down from his heart.


    "Even though it took me faster than I had originally anticipated, I killed this dog once and for all," mumbled Khal and suddenly a figure''s image popped up in his mind, causing him to shake his head once again.


    ''Now you can rest in real peace, Miss Mary.''


    After staring at the spot that now was only a deep crater filled with burned debris and melted jam, Khal was about to leave when suddenly his eyes caught a glimpse of something, halting his steps immediately.


    "A spatial ring?" Khal seemed surprised that Alde''s spatial ring was still intact even after he used his Hell ze, but now that he found it, it would be foolish for him to leave it there.


    Thus, he picked it up from the ground before pouring a bit of his Body Essence into it to see what was inside it. But when he saw the amount of stuff inside the ring, his eyes suddenly widened as huge as saucers while his jaw dropped below his knees just from pure shock!


    "T-This..." Khal tried to find the words to describe his current feelings, but strangely nothing came out of his mouth even after he stood there for a whole minute!


    He was just simply too shocked to speak, that''s all.


    And to be honest, his reaction was not exaggerated, not even the slightest. Inside the spatial ring, Khal watched as numerous pills with different colors, scrolls with different thicknesses, and weapons with different shapes and sizes lied on top of each other, almost like they have been tossed inside without the slightest care in the world!


    Furthermore, including these things that could be sold even for tens if not hundreds of golds each, Khal could see several hundreds of strange stones together with coins, the majority of it having gold and shiny cluster!


    "That dog... He had all of these things all this time yet he used none of them. Let alone the weapons that seem to be Middle-Quality ones, just these Expert Level Secret Arts alone could have helped him stay alive a little bit longer, yet he decided not to use them... What a waste!" said Khal to himself as he inspected the Secret Arts one by one, and realized each of them were extremely useful!


    There was a Secret Art that could make one skin harder, while there was even one that could tame and force an unbreakable contract on beasts, turning them into Tamed Beasts!


    Every single Secret Art was capable of turning an average Cultivator into an extremely powerful expert in its own Cultivation Stage, yet, for some unknown reason, Alde decided to just toss them inside his spatial ring like some kind of trash!


    But how would he react if he would have learned that Alde decided not to use these things as he indeed saw these items as trash, which, in fact, was not a huge surprise, considering that in the Ourvi Family he could easily obtain items with better quality than all of thesebined!


    "And these pills... There are several Low and Middle-Quality Essence Pills, even a few High-Quality ones while I can see several others I have never seen before! Just what did he do until now that he was only on the Fifth Cultivation Stage? With so many Essence Pills, anyone could have reached the Peak of the Fifth Stage in a single month much less two! Was he wasting his time on purpose?"


    However, as Alde was no longer among the living while he also didn''t really care about just why was Alde such an idiot, Khal quickly tossed all the items and money from Alde''s ring into his before throwing the now empty spatial ring far away into the distance.


    "Well, now that we have done with this too, it''s time to get back." Khal pped his hands together merrily before summoning his armor back on and leaving the murder scene as if he did nothing special at all.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere far away from Moon City, inside a huge mansion, two men were sitting inside a luxurious and spacious room that was filled with nothing but luxurious decorations and furniture, both drinking some expensive-looking wine from crystal ss.


    "Haha! Those bastards from the Silk City really thought they can fool us! A hundred Golden Coins for a single Essence Refiner Pill... They should feel blessed that they are still alive!"


    A man in a ck robe talked with obvious detest, his right hand gently circling the crystal ss that was half-filled with dark-red wine.


    The other man next to him, who wore the same colored robe with the sole exception that he had beautiful golden and silver symbols on it, just shook his head mildly that held a smile.


    "Calm down Edvin, they just wanted to make a good business, that''s all."


    "Hmph! Good business my ass!" snorted the man called Edvin and continued, "Even though an Essence Refiner Pill is hard to make and requires a lot of material, it is nowhere near as a hundred Golden Coins! If it weren''t for me saving face for the Ourvi Family and you, Anred, I would have cut off their ugly heads right there and then!"


    Anred hearing this shook his head once again and was ready to talk, but suddenly the door on the side was burst open and a man with a pale face came in with ragged breathing.


    "M-My Lord, emergency! Young Master had been attacked and had gone missing!"


    "WHAT?!"


    Anred stood up immediately, the ss full of wine in his hand falling out of his hand and breaking into fragments. However, he couldn''t care about the mess he just made, and instead, he looked at his subordinate with an ice-cold re, his body leaking terrifying presence together with blood-freezing killing intent!


    Even Edvin seemed shocked, trying to figure out just who was foolish enough to offend the Ourvi Family, especially the son of its leader to top it off! In his eyes, anyone who was bold enough to do such a stupid thing had balls asrge as the skies or simply got bored of their lives.


    "Tell me what happened, now!" hissed Anred in a terrifyingly low voice, resisting his urge to choke someone alive.

 Chapter 232 - Want Him Alive!

    Anred listened to the story from his subordinate with a stiffplexion, his thoughts obvious to both Edvin and the man who talked with a back nowpletely soaked with cold sweat.


    "A-And this is all we know so far from the recordings... We already organized and sent several groups in the hope to find the Young Master, but it seems he left Moon City to who knows where. His current location is unknown."


    Anred remained silent for an entire minute before the marble floor below his feet cracked and turned into small debris in no time at all!


    "I don''t care if it means to dig the whole Southern Continent up, I want my son back! As for that man, send the Shadows to find him and bring him back here!"


    "Y-Yes my Lord!" the subordinate quickly turned around and ran out of the room, leaving alone the now angered Anred and the calm, but sharp-looking Edvin.


    Sometimeter, Edvin ced the ss of wine onto the table next to him before he stood up and said, "I will go too and search for your son."


    "No, there is no need. You go and find that bastard." gritted his teeth Anred before continuing, "Even though the Shadows are exceptionally the best at searching and finding individuals, I feel like they still won''t be able to find him so go and help them."


    "But..."


    Anred quickly waved his hand and said, "Just don''t ask any questions and go. I give you full control over this matter and even get temporary authority over the resources. Use them as you wish."


    When Edvin heard this his eyes brightened immediately before his expression turned back to serious once again and nodded.


    "You can be sure, even if that is thest thing I do, I will find him! However, if it turns out the individual is a powerful expert that not even I can excel, what should I do?"


    Anred snorted coldly and nced at Edvin with a sharp re before saying, "Then you are free to kill it. However, I hardly believe anyone except ''those two'' has the capability to rival you in strength and Talent. But, we have talked enough! Now go!"


    Edvin nodded and after bowing at Anred he left the room with wide strides.


    And once only he remained in the room, the anger that was surpassed all this time in his heart now broke forth, sending the table and the chairs flying through the room while the floor and even the walls showed wide and deep cracks!


    "I swear if anything happened with him, you will regret even the day you have came onto this world!"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside Moon City, Khal walked inside a small tavern where he unsummoned his armor before waiting for a while and leaving with aplexion that he wore an extremely long time ago; real and pure happiness!


    ''The weather is particrly good today, isn''t it?'' Khal thought with a wide grin, almost like he just woke up after a deep slumber only to find out he won the lottery.


    After gazing at the clear sky for a while, Khal decided to get something to eat, but before that, he walked back to the ce where Liza was practicing.


    However, the moment he reached theke, he found out that this time Liza was not alone as a guy with average facial features stood beside her, talking at her like they were friends for years. He even tried to touch her shoulder several times, but as Liza always avoided his attempts, he was unable to, but it didn''t seem he minded it at all.


    ''Who the hell is he?'' Khal narrowed his eyes and walked toward Liza, who was obviously in difort around the guy.


    "Haha, so then I have killed this extremely powerful Beast that was on the Fifth Cultivation Stage where I almost lost my li-, huh?"


    The guy suddenly stopped talking as he felt a hand on his shoulder, but instead of turning around to see who it was he frowned with irritation and say, "Look man, I don''t know what you want, but if its nothing then you can scr-"


    "Khal!"


    Liza, who seemed to be bored to death suddenly turned one hundred and eighty in behavior and run past the guy to stand before Khal, which surprised the guy quite a lot but still frowned and murmured, "Khal? Why does that name sound so familiar?"


    And after the next instant, the guy''s eyes widened, and said, "Wait! Don''t tell me!"


    Turning around, the guy looked at Khal and the moment he recognized Khal his face paled and said, " I-I am sorry. I just remembered I have a few things to do!"


    With that, the guy ran away like he just saw a ghost and got scared, causing Khal to raise his brow in confusion.


    "Who was that guy? I don''t seem to recognize him, yet he acts like I was some kind of serial killer."


    Liza rolled her eyes as she watched the guy''s figure vanishing at the corner before saying, "That guy is always here and tries to talk with me, hoping to get close to me, particrly in the past few days. Luckily you came just in time or I didn''t know what would I have done with him."


    Khal shifted his gaze at Liza who sighed with relief, like someone who just was saved from a stalker, and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    "Well, at least he won''t bother you for the time being, but still, why did he seem so scared?"


    When Liza heard the question she nced at Khal with a slightly raised brow and asked, "You really don''t know?"


    "Huh? Know what?" Khal asked Liza, seemingly confused as he didn''t have the slightest clue why the guy feared him like that.


    Liza remained silent for quite a while and could only sigh and say, "Your graduation... Everyone learned about it already so it''s not a surprise he was scared. Everyone would be scared of a Cultivator that sessfully reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage in just a few months! In their eyes, you are a freaking monster disguised as a human!"


    ''...''

 Chapter 233 - Upgrading And Improving!

    Khal stared at Liza for quite a while, hardly finding the words he wanted to say at that statement.


    A monster in human skin? A Cultivation genius? What was she talking about? In his opinion, he did nothing special at all except killing Beasts and consuming their Essence. Hell, he could have reached the Sixth Stage even before if he didn''t decide to turn his Beast Essences into Body Essence here and there!


    Of course, if Liza or anyone else would hear this, they would definitely make sure to beat up Khal as those words sounded pretty arrogant!


    Maybe Khal didn''t know it as he had several Talents and Secret Arts together with a Tamed Beast thus he could easily kill several Beasts, but this wasn''t the case for others. As a matter of fact, an average Cultivator in the best case scenario needed at least half a year to reach the Peak of the Fifth Cultivation Stage while an unknown amount of time to unlock one of their sealed Essence Paths!


    If one thought about this like this, then Khal was indeed a genius, a cultivation monster disguised as human!


    "Well... Whatever..." sighed Khal and after ncing at theke that was covered with Frozen mes he shifted his gaze back at Liza and asked, "Anyway, do you want to eat something? It''s on me!"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside Lunar Tavern, Khal and Liza ate several delicious-looking foods that refreshed their very being while Rubie did the same but with a slice of single meat that was as huge as half a human!


    All three looked ted by the vors of the food and also the amount they could fill their stomach, and it was clearly written on their faces.


    Sometimeter, just as Khal was about to put another sliced meat that had a blue color into his mouth, suddenly he noticed as Liza was staring at him with an intense stare in silence, almost as if she wanted to know something from him.


    As a matter of fact, she was like this since quite a while ago, but because he thought she will stop ring at him like that he simply ignored her, but it seemed it didn''t work thus he could do nothing but lower his arm before sighing and asking, "What''s the matter? You have been staring at me for at least five minutes so far."


    When Khal asked his question Liza nodded and said, "Didn''t you forget something?"


    "Forget what?" Khal this time raised his brow in confusion, but soon realized what she meant thus sighed and said, "If I tell you the truth, will you promise you won''t talk about it no matter what nor tell anyone?"


    This time, it was Liza''s time to be confused but in the end, she nodded.


    "I will promise."


    "I see..." Khal said and after making sure no one was around, he smiled coldly which startled Liza, but instead of telling her straight he asked, "Can you remember the incident in the Ceremony and the following events after that?"


    "Uhm... Yeah, I can, but why do you make me recollect what happened that time? Just thinking back hurts me..." Liza said Khal, her shining eyes gradually turning sad and depressed.


    Khal however continued to smile and say, "And can you remember what I showed you once we left the hospital?"


    "The ring? I can, but I don''t know what rtion does that has with your curr-, oh..." Liza suddenly stopped talking, seemingly realizing something.


    And soon, her little eyes widened extrarge before asking, "Don''t tell me you have..."


    "Yes, I did."


    ''...''


    Liza looked stupefied even though she expected this answer, and couldn''t help but clench her palm into a tight fist. Ever since the ident that happened a few months ago, she held a great grudge toward the Ourvi Family, especially toward Alde, but because she was weak and helpless she didn''t dare to provoke much less offend them even though her wish was to burn them all alive.


    Yet, Khal who was thought to be Talentless dared to do the impossible and even seeded with it too! It was something that made Liza feel extreme happiness and a wave of powerful relief but at the same time an amount of worry and anxiety that she didn''t know if she ever felt before or not.


    After processing the small piece of information that currently felt a ton, she nced up at Khal with eyes filled with concern, and asked, "And what will you do now? Do they kn-"


    "They don''t," said Khal quickly, his gaze holding one hundred percent of assurance.


    "But still, it''s ''them'' we are talking about! You can never be sure when it includes those people! They are dangerous people that can rival all the other powerful families if they wished to! I... Do you have any idea just how dire your current situation is?"


    "I do, but I don''t care. Once I get even stronger than currently, I will make sure to demolish all of them from this''s surface even if that''s thest thing I do!" Khal said, his eyes now turned ice-cold with a hint of killing intent in them.


    "You..." Liza looked speechless, but soon herplexion turned angry, and stood up before storming toward the exit without saying a single word.


    Khal watching as Liza run out like that sighed as he kind of foresaw such an oue.


    But in truth, what could have he told her? What he just told her was the truth as that was the only way for him to protect her from the Ourvi Family, hence he had no choice.


    After taking a little bit of time to ponder, Khal nced at Rubie and said, "Go and follow her. Make sure she is safe if I''m not around."


    Rubie seemingly understanding Khal''s words, or at least understanding them half, pped her wings and vanished from her spot.


    ''...''


    Khal nodded mildly once he saw this and nced at the bracelet on his wrist before his eyes lit up with determination and thought, "I will get stronger and I know exactly how to do it!"


    And with that in mind, he waved his hand, immediately summoning several words shaped from white light in his line of sight.

 Chapter 234 - Buy Them All!

    Whoosh!


    Immediately after the words manifested in his line of sight, Khal remained silent and began to ponder.


    ? Detector -> Revealer: An ability that detects Cores'' together with their unique traits.


    ? Boosted Maism: Holds a bigger radius and can pull more Cores toward the ''Owner'' with greater speed.


    ? Upgraded Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (168 hours -> 84 hours)


    ? Upgraded Spirit Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (720 hours -> 360 hours)


    [Notify! Each of the following abilities needs 750 Body Essence!]


    Khal looked at the four abilities he could obtain, and after a small whileter he said, "I want them all!"


    [That will be 3000 units of Body Essence, leaving you with only 6786 units in total.]


    [Do you still wish to buy all of them?]


    "Yes, I want."


    [Understood!]


    [Using 3000 units of Body Essence to unlock Revealer, Boosted Maism, Upgraded Creation Mode, and Upgraded Spirit Creation Mode!]


    Swish!


    Right as Nova''s voice fell in his head, Khal felt as a portion of his Body Essence began to flow toward his bracelet like a raging river, and soon several announcements appeared in his mind again.


    [Abilities Revealer, Boosted Maism, Upgraded Creation Mode, and Upgraded Spirit Creation Mode are sessfully acquired!]


    Khal couldn''t help but smile before opening his Artifact Creation Status and nce at the remaining few abilities he still didn''t obtain.


    {Artifact Creation}


    ? Life Creation Mode: (Not yet obtained! Need 5000 Body Essence to activate!)


    ? God Creation Mode: (Not yet obtained! Need 10000 Body Essence to activate!)


    [Notify! You can use Body Essence in exchange to improve some of the abilities proficiency!]


    ''So for now, I can only buy the Life Creation Mode which will leave me with a mere amount of 1786 units of Body Essence... Well, Whatever.'' Khal sighed inwardly and bought the Life Creation Mode without any further thoughts.


    [Ability Life Creation Mode sessfully acquired!]


    "Nice!" Khal seemed happy and quickly checked if he could improve this newly obtained power like the rest.


    ? Supreme Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (84 hours -> 42 hours)


    ? Supreme Spirit Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (360 hours -> 180 hours)


    [Notify! Each of the following abilities needs 2000 Body Essence!]


    ? Upgraded Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (4320 hours -> 2160 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 2500 Body Essence!]


    "THE FUCK?!"


    Khal cursed out loud by ident the moment he noticed the amount of time he has to wait once he used his Life Creation Mode which was simply ridiculous!


    However, he quickly realized his mistake as a lot of people turned their attention to him, thus cleared his throat and bowed before apologizing.


    ''Still, waiting half a year just after one use... just how long will be the time limit on the God Creation Mode? A year? Or more?'' Khal thought after saying his apology to the guests in the room and began to ponder.


    Though, after several minutes of deep thinkingter he gave up the idea of unlocking either of the abilities as he didn''t have enough Body Essence and he didn''t wish to die yet.


    Thus, he just made the words vanish before raising his hand into the air while saying, "I would like to pay, please!"


    -


    -


    -


    After paying 7 golden coins, Khal decided to head right into the wild, or to be more specific onto Moon Mountain, to hunt for Beasts and increase his Body Essence once again.


    However, not even as he started his hunt, he saw two figures descending from the mountain, each holding a seriousplexion without talking.


    "Logan and Jas?" Khal immediately recognized the two and without a second thought approached them.


    The two men obviously noticed Khal''s approach thus stopped in their tracks, but even then they remained silent, confusing Khal quite a lot.


    "Why are you two so serious? And what happened with you? Your clothes and body are a real mess!" Khal asked from the two men as once he was closer he noticed both robes had holes, dirt, and burn marks all over the ce.


    And knowing that Moon Academy''s robes were quite durable as they couldn''t be cut or burnt so easily, Khal''s shock deepened a level more while his interest got piqued also.


    However, Jas just shook his head before sighing almost like just missed an insanely huge opportunity that could have changed his life.


    "We are fine, but still, make sure not to approach the peak of this mountain or you will die miserably."


    "Die? Why? What is up there? H-Hey!" Khal asked the two, but instead of answering his question both Logan and Jas shook their heads and walked away with heavy steps.


    "Just what could have happened with them to feel so depressed?" Khal felt pretty confused but as he didn''t want to chase after the two, he shifted his gaze in a specific direction where Moon Mountain''s peak was above the milk-white clouds.


    Meanwhile, Logan and Jas walked with slow and heavy steps next to each other, almost as if they have juste back from a long and hard-fought battle.


    The two remained like that for quite a long time, but soon Logan halted his steps and nced at Jas.


    "We must do something! We can''t just leave without killing ''that''! That''s something not even the Cultivation Organization knows about! It''s a huge possibility not only for Moon City to rise to the top but also for us to be even stronger!"


    Jas stopped walking before turning around to meet Logan''s gaze, but soon could only sigh helplessly and shake his head, "Unfortunately, we can''t do anything about it. You saw it with your own eyes too and except for that sole passage, we can''t enter the Moon Temple, or not until ''that'' is there protecting the path from any intruders."


    "Then what do you want to do? Do you wish to leave without giving it another try?"


    Jas hearing Logan''s words shook his head before saying, "Of course not as even I know that temple is a real treasure in itself, but until ''that'' is there we have no choice at all. Hell, I think there is not even a single individual in the entire First Realm that could rival such a being!"


    Logan turned silent after Jas'' words deep in thought as he knew Jas was right. Existence in the First Realm that had the ability to kill even him, a Cultivator on the Ninth Stage... Just thinking back alone how lucky he was by escaping ''that'' with his life still intact made a cold shiver run down his spine!


    "Just how can a creature such as ''that'' exist in the first ce" murmured Logan quietly before shifting his gaze at the clouds in the sky that hid the mountain''s peak, leaving only one''s imagination to think what could there possibly be.

 Chapter 235 - Crazy Growth!

    Time passed by rtively quickly and even before Khal could have realized the entire night went away in a blink.


    During that time, Khal was able to hunt quite a lot of Beasts, but because he turned all of their Essence into Body Essence, his units underwent a shocking... growth, if one can even call that like that.


    Just under a single night, his mere 1786 units skyrocketed to 15,543 units which were simply... ridiculous! These many units of Body Essence were simply so much that the God Creation Mode which he believed will be extremely had to obtain now could be acquired as easily as taking a deep breath!


    And thus, he didn''t hesitate at all and unlocked it!


    [Ability God Creation Mode sessfully acquired!]


    Khal immediately opened the upgrading section to see just how many units of Body Essence were needed for it to get improved.


    ? Upgraded God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (8760 hours -> 6570 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 7500 Body Essence!]


    ''...''


    Khal smiled bitterly once he noticed the amount of Essence he needed, but what tightened his heart the most was the number of hours he had to wait to use his God Creation Mode once again.


    ''A year just to forge a metal? It''s quite absurd, isn''t it?'' Khal thought, but soon a voice he was familiar with but at the same time not resounded in his mind, shocking him quite deeply.


    [You are pretty naive to think that a Power Core created from a Spirit or Life Essence can bepared to one that was created from God Essence!]


    [The differences are as vast as the Realms that exist in this dimension!]


    "N-Nova? It''s you?" Khal couldn''t help but ask out loud, surprised by the strong and firm feminine voice in his head that waspletely distinct from the previous Nova from the past!


    [Of course, it is me! Just who else would be talking in your head if not me?]


    ''...''


    Khal stayed silent for quite a while, not knowing what to say.


    Just about a day ago, Nova was like a monotone voice with almost no emotion in her tone, yet now, she talked to him like a fully grown adult or at least a young adult for sure!


    ''Well, judging by the amount of Body Essence I gave her in the past few days, she indeed has evolved quite a lot.'' Khal thought to himself calmly.


    [Yes, I have evolved further thanks to you, but I am still far away from regaining my real self, so hurry up and feed me with more Essence!]


    ''Eh? Regaining your real self? What do you mean by that?'' Khal halted in his steps when he heard what Nova just said and furrowed his brows in puzzlement.


    [What do you think the word ''regaining'' means? It is exactly what it means!]


    ''You were once a living being?'' Khal asked Nova, feeling stupefied.


    [Living Being? Your choice of words is pretty inadequate and rather bold to say, Khal.]


    ''In what way?''


    [In a way where you should never call a God as a mortal if you still want to continue to live! We are all Celestial Existences, way above the definition of living beings!]


    ''But you still breathed, moved, and lived a life like any other ''living being'', right? So you should be considered as a living being!'' said Khal, which only resulted in a cold snort from Nova that was also the first for Khal to hear.


    [Living beings are indeed individuals that can breathe, move, and live like any other. However, that isn''t the case for us Celestial Existences as we can remain alive without filling our lungs with air, move with our bodies crippled, and live as long as no one else could!]


    ''So basically you are Immortals?'' Khal asked.


    [You can say that, yes. Though, even that would be an underestimation to say, but whatever...]


    ''I see... '' said Khal after pondering for a while and decided to ask, "Then if you are a Celestial Existence, how did you get like... this?"


    [For that answer, I don''t know the answer yet, as a huge portion of my memories is still sealed away.]


    ''Then what can you remember? I mean, what will you do once you regain your real self?'' Khal asked Nova as this question mattered a lot right now.


    As a matter of fact, now that things have changed so drastically and came to this, Khal started to feel an indescribable feeling in his heart he has never felt before. Who was Nova in the past and how did she be a part of the bracelet? What is her origin and what are her real intentions? Or more importantly, what will happen once she regains her real self? Will he lose all of his hard obtained abilities or can he keep them?


    Right now, Khal had so many questions he would like to ask but as Nova''s memories were still sealed away, he could do nothing but wait patiently.


    [My intentions? I don''t really have any except getting back my real body which is somewhere in the Sixth Realm.]


    ''T-The Sixth Realm?! So you have once lived in the Sixth Realm?'' Khal looked stupefied as the highest Realm humans have reached was the Third Realm, yet Nova was in the Sixth Realm! Just what kind of individual was she back in the past? Now Khal''s interest really got piqued and couldn''t wait to know more.


    [Anyways, just make sure you feed me with a lot of Body Essence and you won''t regret it, I promise.]


    ''...''


    Khal turned silent, not sure what to say. In fact, because he found out that Nova was a being that could y millions of lives by a single flick of her sleeve while not knowing if she was a friend or foe, he felt quite hesitant.


    What if Nova just decided to kill him or cause cmity not only on his loved ones but everyone else, including all the races that existed in the Second Realm and above, if he helped her regain her past strength and self? It was an extremely huge gamble he couldn''t afford to risk.


    [You don''t need to fear, I won''t kill you nor anyone else from your race as that would be a waste of my time. In truth, if you help me, I will make sure to remember what you have done for me and be in your debt forever!]

 Chapter 236 - Eternal Oath

    Khal pondered for several minutes in one ce as he tried to calcte the pros, cons, and every possible oue of this ''gamble'', but no matter how long he mulled over the things over and over again, he found out that there were more cons than pros and it didn''t worth the risk.


    However, because of the gains he could mayhap obtain if he decides to help Nova, he didn''t immediately throw the idea of helping away, but instead chose to ask, ''And how can I be so sure you don''t lie to me? Or what good do I have from helping you except for remaining in your debt forever? I hope you know I am not a Celestial Being, thus for me reaching the Sixth Realm is quite unlikely. Or at least currently that is for me.''


    [You indeed have a point.]


    Nova remained silent for minutes before suddenly she sighed and started to talk.


    [Then how about this. We will make an Eternal Oath and you will have no reason to fear me nor feel wary when I try to help you.]


    ''An Eternal Oath? What''s that?'' Khal asked Nova as this was his very first time hearing this definition.


    [Eternal Oath is kind of like a contract where two sides agree on something and promise each other never to break their words.]


    [However, in contrast to normal contracts where no severe punishment befalls on the side which breaks the promise, here, with an Eternal Oath, breaking your words means unavoidable death!]


    [Let it be a God, an Immortal, a Mortal, or a Celestial Existence, if any one of them takes an Eternal Oath and breaks their promise, they will perish with no chance to regret their decision!]


    Khal seemed startled to hear such a thing existed, but because he was still skeptical if Nova told him the truth and she didn''t just want to push him into a trap, he chose to remain silent and go back to Moon Academy, or to be more precise into its library.


    Once he was in there, he quickly searched for books that talked about contracts or oaths, and to his surprise, it wasn''t long before he found one that indeed had a description about this so-called Eternal Oath!


    And what was even more shocking, that its concept was wholly the same as what Nova just told him, showing she didn''t lie at all.


    Thus he nodded and said, now in a more rxed manner, ''Okay, let''s do it.''


    [Perfect choice. I knew you wouldn''t be foolish enough to miss such a once-in-a-lifetime chance like this. Do you want me to hel-]


    ''No need, I already have the knowledge of how to do it.'' said Khal, his words interrupting Nova.


    [How rude... Well, whatever, do as you please.]


    Khal ignored Nova as her words may be sounded genuine, he can never be careful enough, thus instead went into Moon City to see if he could buy an empty scroll as that was the very first step for him to form the Eternal Oath with Nova.


    And to his surprise, he didn''t have to search for long as he easily found a stall that sold empty scrolls, each having the same long and circr shape, but each in a different color.


    After buying a ck scroll for 2 Silver Coins, Khal walked back into his room to avoid unwanted attention during he did the Eternal Oath, and once the door was closed he said, "Okay, let''s start it."


    He then fused his Body Essence into his finger that soon formed blue light akin to blue mes and began to write words and draw symbols on the scroll, simr to the one he saw in the book back in the library.


    Sometimeter, Khal straightened his back and took a step back, indicating that after three entire hourster he finally finished his preparation. Now only one thing remained, and that was to vow their promise before the scroll.


    "You can start it," Khal said to Nova, who surprisingly didn''t talk until this very moment.


    [You indeed took your time to draw such a simple Array.]


    "Simple..."


    Khal didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry at that statement, as the Array he has just drawn into the scroll was extremelyplex and it almost used up all of his Body Essence, which was currently 5543 units, almost 555 times more than any other Cultivator''s Body Essence around the world!


    [Well, whatever... Let''s start it.]


    After waiting for a while, Khal felt his bracelet lit up with white light, before Nova''s voice sounded, but this time not in his head but in the surroundings!


    "I, Tinera, vow before the Seven Supreme Existences that I will keep my promise and never betray Khal Nevio for the rest of my existence while also making sure to do everything in my power to help him in any situation until my power lets me do so! If I ever dare to break this oath, my body, soul, and spirit shall be obliterated from all Realms!"


    Swish!


    Immediately as Nova''s voice fell, the scroll before Khal lit up with ck light, surprising him a lot. However, he felt shocked not because the scroll lit up and the Eternal Oath seemingly worked, but the words Nova, or to be more precise, Tinera told.


    [Feeling surprised? I bet this wasn''t in the book you have just read, right?]


    Tinera asked Khal, now inside his head, her voice holding apparent self-satisfaction.


    "Well, I indeed feel pretty startled by this as the book only stated the two sides need to take their promise before the Eternal Oath Array and nothing like this. I was just surprised that''s all."


    [Yes, you can take a normal vow with normal words before the Eternal Oath Array, but then it won''t work properly. That is why you need to say the exact words I just said to achieve perfect results without any mishaps!]


    "I see, then I will do it," said Khal, and after taking a deep breath and rethinking his choice he nodded and started to talk.

 Chapter 237 - Seven Supreme Existences

    Before the scroll that was shining with ck light, Khal stood motionlessly before he took a deep breath and started to talk.


    "I, Khal Nevio, vow before the Seven Supreme Existence and promise I will never betray Tinera while helping her regaining her past self together with her real body until my power let me do so! If I ever dare to break this oath, my body, soul, and spirit shall be obliterated from all Realms!"


    BAM!


    TREMBLE!!


    Right in the very next instant, Khal watched as the scroll on the table exploded with ck light, while the whole room shook as a powerful quake appeared out of nowhere!


    Meanwhile, right above Moon City in the sky, the milk-white clouds suddenly split open while a ck pir of light descended from the unknown and pierced the rooftop of the house, exactly where Khal and the scroll were located!


    "Huh? What is that? ck thunder?"


    "I don''t know, but I have never seen something like this before. Maybe someone triggered some kind of special enlightenment during their cultivation or used some kind of powerful Secret Art?"


    "You are maybe right, but we won''t know the truth until we don''t go and check it out ourselves, right? Let''s go and see what that ck thunder really was."


    Simr conversations proceeded all around the Academy, even inside the city, and almost all of the people decided to not guess around and head toward the location where the ck thunder struck.


    "What was that?" Jas who sat inside his room with Logan looked outside the window and watched the spot where the ck lightning struck, stupifying him deeply.


    Even Logan stared at the split clouds in the sky with a stupefied expression, as this was his very first time seeing such a thing.


    "Let''s check it out." Logan suddenly stood up and without hesitation vanished from his spot.


    Meanwhile, inside his room, Khal watched as out of nowhere a ck thunder appeared from above and struck the scroll, which as a result floated up into the air and began to shine with dark light! Hell, it couldn''t even be called light at this point as it was darker than ink, like the deepest color of an abyss!


    Bam!


    After a few secondster, a shockwave broke forth from the scroll which soon rolled up on its own before a golden symbol manifested in its middle that Khal couldn''t understand nor had he seen it ever before.


    [We are done here. Now I hope you can believe me.]


    Nova talked once the scroll descended back onto the table, lying there as any ordinary scrolls except for the golden symbol that sealed it with a mysterious power.


    Khal nodded as he now really believed Nova without any doubt remaining in his heart.


    "Though, who are these Seven Supreme Existences we talked about during our promise?" Khal asked Nova, curious to find out the meaning behind the Seven Supreme Existences.


    [The Seven Supreme Existences? Umm...]


    Nova remained silent for a while, and soon she began to talk, but now with a not-so-sure tone of voice.


    [As you may have realized thanks to that book you obtained, there exists a total of Seven Realm, six known by almost everyone while the seventh is hidden from all the races that exist.]


    [And each of these Realms has their own rulers or you can say guardians, known as the Supreme Existences. They have the strength that far surpasses my own, a Celestial Existence''s strength, which is simply stupifying!]


    "Howe neither I nor any of the Cultivators present heard about this?" Khal asked Nova, his brows lowered into a tight frown.


    [Because their names only appear from the Fourth Realm, where your race has never been ever! In fact, not only yours, but almost 80% of the existing races didn''t reach that Realm, so it''s not surprising that there are no records of the Seven Supreme Existences in the Lower Realms.]


    "I see, and how can I find them? You said each Realm has their own Supreme Existence, acting as guardians, so I should be able to find them here, right?"


    However, this question of his only made Nova giggle gently before talking.


    [Haha, if you think finding a Supreme Existence would be that easy, then I would have done that long ago.]


    [Though, I don''t deny the fact you can find the First Supreme from this, I just simply state you won''t be able to. They exist in a separate dimension inside the Realms, meaning, you need to find their entrance into their dimension which can be anything! A piece of rock on the street, a hidden cave behind a river fall, a door, chimney, or window on houses, or even a single leaf atop a random tree!]


    [There is no way you to find them, or at least not until they wish for you to find them.]


    ''...''


    Khal turned speechless once he heard Nova''s exnation, as it was indeed shocking!


    ''To think such things really existed... This world is truly full of mysteries and wonders, waiting to be discovered!''


    After pondering for a while and also digesting the tons of information he learned from Nova he wanted to ask something when suddenly someone began to knock on his door.


    "Who could this be?" Khal frowned, wondering who could possibly know that he lived here.


    "Jas? Logan? Why are you here? Did something happen?" Khal asked the very instant he opened his door and recognizing the two individuals before him.


    Jas however didn''t answer him immediately as he scanned the room behind him with a hawk-like gaze, but soon frowned and asked, "What did you do?"


    "Huh? What do you mean by what I did? I did nothing." replied Khal right away, even turning around to look around his room.


    Jas and Logan frowned when they heard his answer, but as they found no damage inside the room, nor they noticed any strange aura in the air, they turned to look at Khal before Logan exined, "There was this powerful ck lightning that appeared and struck this ce a few moments ago, and we believed something dire must have happened, but it seems, we were wrong."


    "ck lightning?" Khal asked, but soon realized what they could have possibly seen.


    ''So that ck lightning appeared not out of thin air but from the sky? And it even pierced through this building without causing any harm or damage? Just what was that ck lightning?'' Khal asked himself, but as he saw Jas'' and Logan''s sharp gaze he just smiled and shook his head.


    "Well, I don''t know what happened, but as you can see, neither this room nor I was struck by that ck lightning you have seen, so you can be at ease."

 Chapter 238 - Outrageous Progress!

    Jas and Logan stared at Khal for a while before nodding and turning around to leave. Even though they still felt somewhat curious and suspicious about the ck lighting, as they indeed found nothing out of ordinary in the room nor around it, they could only leave.


    Maybe Jas could have forced Khal to tell them the truth by threatening him for several reasons, but as he was not the type of person who would lower himself to such levels he didn''t do it.


    Khal watching as the two men walked away sighed and closed the door.


    [Now what do you n to do?]


    Khal remained silent after hearing the question, and after pondering for a whole minute he began to exin his n.


    "From now on I will increase my strength with the Cultivation Quests while also concentrating on increasing my Cultivation Base and continuing to learn forging with Bazz. Of course, I will also supply you with my Body Essence when I have the chance to do so."


    [That''s what I like to hear!]


    Nova seemed happy, even letting out a slight chuckle that Khal didn''t expect at all, but s, he just smiled before opening the tasks he could currently do.


    {Cultivation Quests}


    /Jump 3 meters 150 times/


    ? Done jumps: 0/150


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Strength


    ? +1 Speed


    ---


    /Remain below the water surface with one breath for 3 minutes straight five times/


    ? Done: 0/5


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Mental Resistance


    ? +1 Mental Strength


    ---


    /Kill 25 Beasts above the Fifth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/25


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    ''...''


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a huge mansion that was surrounded by several smaller buildings, Anred was sitting behind his desk with aplexion full of gravity while his eyes held a mixture of hatred and and worry that was hidden deeply.


    Ever since he learned that his son, Alde, has gone missing because of an unexpected ambush, he sent several of his people to find him and the man, but s, not even after a week did they find a clue about his whereabouts much less find him.


    "Just who the fuck are you?" Anred mumbled in a deep voice as his gaze was fixed on a hologram, ying the scene where Khal killed all five guards together with Alde.


    After rewatching it over a dozen times, Anred leaned back into his chair, and began to ponder deeply while his fingers gently began to tap on the desk''s surface.


    And like this, seconds became minutes, and minutes became hours, and after a full three hours of deep ponderingter, suddenly a knock sounded on the door stopping the tapping sound in the room at once.


    Knock~knock!


    "Come in."


    Immediately as his voice fell, the door on the side opened, and Edvin with a nonchnt expression walked in.


    "Any news?" Anred asked, waiting for Edvin to talk.


    Edvin however shook his head before saying, "Unfortunately, we still can''t find the Young Master nor that man, but we indeed found this."


    Taking out a ck ring with the Ourvi Family Emblem on it, Edvin ced it atop the desk and continued to talk.


    "This is the Young Master''s spatial ring. One of my men has found it toward the east, about fifty miles away from here."


    Anred picked up the ring with a heavy face and inspected it carefully before pouring a bit of his Body Essence into it. However, when he saw that there was nothing inside it he raised his brow and nced at Edvin with a questioning look.


    "It was empty when they have found it."


    ''...''


    Anred nodded and shifted his gaze back at the ring before asking, "It seems whoever is behind all of this knew we can track the rings and decided to take everything from inside it before tossing it away. Interesting..."


    Crack!


    With a strong sp, Anred broke the ring into several small pieces before asking, "What about the Shadows? Did they find anything?"


    "Not yet. However, they started to monitor all the individuals around the Southern Continent that have armors, especially the ones simr to the one in the recording."


    Anred nodded and said, "Just make sure to do your best and report back every time you seem to find something even if it''s the slightest hint or clue."


    "Sure."


    "Perfect, then you can now go," said Anred and waved his hand.


    Edvin nodded, and after bowing slightly to Anred he turned around and walked away.


    Once the door was closed again, Anred sighed deeply, and stared at the fragments scattered around the desk and floor with aplicated gaze.


    "Just who did you offend this time?"


    -


    -


    -


    Days went by one after another, and an entire week passed in a blink.


    During that time, Khal made sure to increase both his Cultivation Base, his Body Essence, and his points with Cultivation Quests.


    At first, things seemed rather impossible to do at the same time, which indeed was true, but after slight changes in his routine, he was able to adapt fairly well.


    In at early morning every day, Khal made sure to do all of his quests that were not about hunting Beasts before spending his remaining time with Liza.


    There, because Liza was practicing with her Frozen mes he only sat on the sides while consuming the Essence Pills he acquired from Alde, further increasing both his Body Essence and Cultivation Base.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 16,382


    ? Beast Essence: 3174


    ? Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 14


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 12


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 11


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 14


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 12


    ¡ã Agility: 15


    ¡ã Speed: 12


    ''...''


    Under a colorful tree''s shade, Khal stared at the rows of words made out of white light in his line of sight with an expressionless face, but deep inside he was shocked beyond belief.


    Just under a single week, he literally increased his strength by almost tenfolds while he was still on the Sixth Cultivation Stage!


    Furthermore, his Body Essence increased from five thousand units to more than sixteen thousand, which was a ridiculous amount!


    Let alone his terrifying physical traits that not even a Cultivator with a Body Tempering Talent had, with his quantity of Body Essence alone he could easily kill a Cultivator from the Seventh Stage, and maybe even rival some from the Eighth Stage without using his Talents but only his Secret Arts!


    Just the thought alone what will he be if he continues to increase his strength like this made Khal feel excited toward the future.

 Chapter 239 - Rock Golem

    After inspecting his Status with sparkling eyes, Khal opened his Secret Art Improver.


    {Secret Art Improver}


    /Learned Secret Arts/


    ? Dance of The Celestial Serpent (Moderate Level)


    ? Hundred Slice Cage (Expert Level)


    ? Jade Tombstone (Cultivator Level)


    [Choose a Secret Art to improve it!]


    Once the words manifested before his line of sight, Khal didn''t hesitate and chose the Hundred Slice Cage.


    Swish!


    ~Current Form~


    /Hundred Slice Cage/


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description:?A powerful Art capable of creating motionless wind des after the first swing and explode them after the second one.


    <Only functional with fan-type weapons!>


    ~Improved Form~


    /Ghost Slice/


    ? Level: Expert


    ? Description: A powerful Art capable of creating invisible wind des after the first swing and explode them after the second one.


    <Only functional with fan-type weapons!>


    [5,000 Body Essence is required!]


    ''I have quite an amount of Body Essence so let''s choose this.''


    [It''s indeed a good choice.]


    Nova''s voice sounded in his head before Khal felt as a small portion of his Body Essence flowed into his bracelet while something inside him changed.


    [There you go. Your Art had been modified sessfully.]


    Nova said to Khal, her voice filled with satisfaction akin to a kid who has eaten her best food and felt satisfied after a long time!


    Khal felt kind of surprised, but when he recalled that Nova was evolving every time she consumed his Body Essence he just shook his head and nced at the Secret Arts he can further improve.


    ? Dance of The Celestial Serpent (Moderate Level)


    ? Ghost Slice (Expert Level)


    ? Jade Tombstone (Cultivator Level)


    Khal raised a brow when he discovered his Ghost Slice can be further enhanced this quickly selected it to see what it will be and how much Body Essence he has needed.


    ~Improved Form~


    /Phantom Death/


    ? Level: Cultivator


    ? Description: A powerful Art capable of creating invisible wind des after the first swing that tracks enemies and explode when in a one-meter radius!


    <Only functional with fan-type weapons!>


    <Only functional with four opened Essence Path!>


    [50,000 Body Essence is required!]


    "!?"


    The improved version of the Ghost Slice was indeed terrifying, but the most shocking aspect was not its tracking ability but the 50,000 Essence that was needed!


    Even though he could easily collect that much under a bit more than a month, 50,000 units of Body Essence was still considered an insanely huge amount that could make him invincible even among powerful experts much less those on the same Stage as him!


    ''Unfortunately, that is still far away so let''s see what the rest can be after improvement.'' thought Khal before inspecting Phantom Death for a bit more and selecting his remaining two Secret Arts.


    ~Current Form~


    /Jade Tombstone/


    ? Level: Cultivator


    ? Description: An Art created to oversee everything in its territory, even from hundreds of thousands of miles far!


    ~Improved Form~


    /Jade Garden/


    ? Level: Cultivator


    ? Description: An Art capable of creating a special territory that is supervised even from hundreds of miles away together with a uniquew that everyone needs and must obey!


    <Only functional with seven opened Essence Path!>


    [50,000 Body Essence is required!]


    ''Uniquew? What kind ofw is it talking about?'' Khal pondered for a while, but as no answer came, not even from Nova, he just shrugged and chose his final and most useful Secret Art, his Dance of The Celestial Serpent!


    ~Current Form~


    /Dance of The Celestial Serpent/


    ? Level: Moderate


    ? Description: A never-seen unique Art.


    ~Improved Form~


    /Celestial Serpent /


    ? Level: Realm


    ? Description: A special Art created to imitate every type of Movement technique by a single nce!


    <Only functional with twenty-four opened Essence Paths!>


    [1,000,000 Body Essence is required!]


    "Pfft!!"


    Khal almost chocked on his own saliva when he saw the description and the amount of Body Essence of his third Secret Art.


    ''The fuck?''


    Khal felt stupified even after several minutes, hardly believing what he was seeing.


    The legendary Realm Level Secret Art that no one has ever used as it was extremely powerful for a human body to withstand right now was before his very eyes, showing the unbelievable possibility he will be able to use it once in the future!


    "O-one million? Isn''t that a bit too... Much?" Khal was now really stupified as for him one million units of Body Essence was still too much.


    If a mere ten thousand was able to make him kill a Seventh Stage Cultivator by a mere p, what would happen with one million units? Would he eradicate cities by a single seeing of his hand? Just the thought alone made Khal feel a shiver sweep through his body because of a mixture of excitement and fear.


    "What are you staring at so much?"


    Suddenly, Liza''s voice sounded in his ear, snapping Khal back to reality right away.


    "Nothing, I was just pondering that''s all," Khal said to Liza, his gaze already shifted from the words that gradually vanished from his sight.


    Liza hearing this only raised a brow, but as she was already used to this since Khal did this almost every day, she just sighed and said, "Anyways, can you help me? I seem to find a great Mission, but I am not confident enough to do it alone so I hoped if you can help me."


    "A Mission?" asked Khal as he could remember he too has done a few missions in the past, but all of them very rtively easy.


    Yet, Liza who could be considered a top Cultivator on her Stage said she wanted to do a Mission but was not confident enough if she can do it thus needed help... It somewhat piqued his interest.


    "Tell me more about it," Khal said to Liza, curious to see the Mission Liza has epted.


    "Sure, take a look," Liza said after a nod and showed him her badge which already showcased the task for Khal.


    /Mission: y a Rock Golem/


    ? yed Rock Golem: 0/1


    ~Requirements~


    - At least a Cultivator on the Peak Fifth Cultivation Stage or above: 1/1+


    ~Rewards~


    - Five High-Quality Essence Pills


    - One freely selected Secret Art below the Cultivator Level


    - 15,000 Silver Coins

 Chapter 240 - Rock Heart

    "Rock Golem?" Khal raised his brow once he saw what the Mission was about, especially the rewards.


    He saw quite a few Mission rewards before, but one with so many valuable items as rewards he didn''t see ever. This was his very first time seeing something like this and he was pleasantly surprised, to say the least.


    "Startled, huh? I was the same when I found this mission yesterday, but to be honest, I was a bit hesitant to ept it even when I saw the rewards."


    "Hesitant? Why?" asked Khal.


    "Why? You never heard about Rock Golems before? They are terrifying creatures on the peak of the Fifth Cultivation Stage, some even reaching the Sixth Stage, which is considered as invincible creatures among their own Stage!


    "Of course I know about Rock Golems, a creature that can regenerate infinitely while also having exceptional physical strength, but I think they are not invincible at all. You just need to break their Rock Heart and that''s all."


    "That''s all..." Liza seemed stupefied by Khal''s somewhat arrogant words, but after considering he was already on the Sixth Cultivation Stage they seemed the truth.


    Khal obviously understood her thoughts and quickly added, "Sorry, maybe my words seemed rather arrogant."


    "No, you are right. The only way to kill a Rock Golem is to pierce its heart, as that is the core that helps it regenerate continuously, However, even if I know what to do, detecting its Rock Heart is still considered difficult for me as it is constantly moving within its body." Liza sighed, but to her surprise, Khal quickly shook his head and smiled.


    "That must be not the case."


    "What do you mean by that?" Liza asked and continued, "I know you have a Sight Enhancing Talent, so for you detecting its core may not be so difficult, but it is not the case for me. I have no Talent nor Secret Art to help me as you do, and that is why I asked for your help."


    Khal nodded and said, "I know, and I will indeed help you, but what I meant is that it won''t be difficult even for you. The only thing you need to do is to watch its body and its behavior."


    "Its body and behavior?" Liza raised her brow when she heard this.


    "Yes. You only need to watch those two things, as Rock Golems tend to defend or even not to use their parts where their Rock Heart currently is."


    He then continued, "For example, if it''s Rock Heart is in its right hand, Rock Golems asionally show their left side to their enemies for better defense while if it is in their left leg, they never move from their spot until the Rock Heart does not move to another location. If you know and notice these little details, killing Rock Golems is not so difficult either."


    Liza stayed silent after Khal''s exnation before she raised her delicate brow and asked, "Since when did you be so knowledgeable in the field of Beasts?"


    "I was always an expert, you just didn''t notice it." Khal smiled widely, but in truth, he was just lying.


    In truth, he never knew a thing about Beasts and their traits, but ever since he started reading the mysterious book, his knowledge about a lot of things got vaster at a terrifying rate!


    Not only did he acquire tons of new information about beasts he has never seen or heard of before, but he got to learn quite a few new things that could help him once he decides to discover the world before ascending into the Second Realm.


    For example, the book stated that every Realm, including the First Realm where he currently is, has a so-called Realm Tomb where one can gain ess to the Realms below them!


    Thus, if a being finds this so-called Realm Tomb on the Fifth Realm, they can freely travel onto the Realm below it, but of course, to a limited amount of time which always differs regarding from which Realm one tries to go to which Realm.


    For instance, if Khal once reaches the Fifth Realm but decides toe back down to the First Realm, he can only remain here only for a bit more than ten seconds as more than that and he will be forced back into the Fifth Realm by the Realm Tomb.


    However, if he goes back only to the Fourth Realm, he can stay there for more than a day, as the power difference between beings inside the Fifth Realm and the Fourth Realm is not ''that'' vast as between the Fifth and First Realm.


    Though, these pieces of information are currently useless to him, thus Khal just simply ignored them for the time being and concentrated on the things he can and must do presently.


    "Anyways, when do we want to go? If I am right, Rock Golems are not habitant creatures on Moon Mountain as they can be found on the Fiery Grasnds, and it is quite far away." Khal said as he stared at Liza calmly.


    "How about tomorrow early in the morning?"


    "That''s okay for me." nodded Khal and after talking with Liza for a bit more he walked away as it was time for him to forge with Bazz once again.


    However, not after he took a few steps forward, suddenly a cold chill swept through his body, almost akin to someone watching him from the darkness, but even after he nced around he saw no one, which made his brows lower into a frown.


    ''Trying to hide from me, huh?'' Khal closed his eyes and quickly a clear picture of Moon City and Moon Academy together with every moving and not moving people and object manifested in his head, almost as though he was looking down onto the whole city from above like a God!


    ''There you are.'' Khal concentrated on a spot not far away from him, where a man wearing a full set of ck clothes stood behind a building, seemingly one with its shadow, making its silhouette and presence hard to detect.


    But unfortunately for him, thanks to the Jade Tombstone that made the entire Moon City Khal''s territory, he was easily discovered, and even identified as only a fool would not know who it was.


    ''So they have already started their search, huh?'' Khal pondered, while an unnoticed smile appeared on his face before opening his eyes calmly and proceeding to walk to the cksmith Department where Bazz was already waiting for him.

 Chapter 241 - Fiery Grassland

    Before Moon City''s gate, a young man wearing a silver robe could be seen standing calmly, his sweat-covered forehead slightly shining below the sunlight, seemingly because he just finished training.


    {Cultivation Quests}


    /Run 30 miles without stopping/


    ? Done miles: 30/30


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Strength


    ? +1 Speed


    ---


    /Meditate for 5 hours straight under a river fall/


    ? Done attempt: 1/1


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Resistance


    ? +1 Mental Strength


    ---


    /Kill a Beast on the Sixth Cultivation Stage/


    ? Killed Beasts: 0/1


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 to every Cultivation Trait


    Khal stared at the words before his eyes with a nonchnt expression before he nodded with a satisfied nod.


    Out of the three daily quests he has done 2 sessfully and now only one remained, which he hoped he could do once he arrives at the Fiery Grasnds with Liza.


    ''Even though I couldn''t hunt for Beasts this time as these tasks took more time than the previous ones, I am still satisfied as my strength improved once again.'' Khal smiled as he took a quick nce at his Cultivator Status.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 11,382


    ? Beast Essence: 3174


    ? Cultivation Grade: Real Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 15


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 13


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 11


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 15


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 12


    ¡ã Agility: 15


    ¡ã Speed: 13


    Out of the seven traits, four increased by one which maybe seemed little, but the amount of strength and boost they have given to him could be considered tremendous!


    Right now, if he wished to he could easily run a single mile under a bit more than a minute without any Secret Art, and if he used one, that amount immediately decreased to a mere few seconds!


    Furthermore, now he can easily punch fist-sized holes into steel walls, indicating that his physical strength has indeed exploded above the normal level among all Cultivators in the First Realm!


    Maybe not even a Cultivator with a Body Refining Talent had such a huge amount of physical strength like him, but until he didn''t try to fight with one, he won''t know it for sure.


    ''Just a bit more than a single week and I have reached such terrifying heights... Can''t wait to see what my level will be in a few more months!'' thought Khal as he leaned against the wall behind his back and closed his eyes, dozing slightly off and enjoying the cold breeze on his face.


    Khal waited about half an hour before his eyes gradually opened and nced at the side where a figure approached him with a smile on her delicate face while her nice and wless figure together with the majestic crimson beast on her shoulder attracted many gazes with each of her steps.


    "Ready?" Khal asked as he stepped away from the wall and watched that Liza and Rubie seemed to get closer to each other in such a short amount of time.


    "Yeah, let''s go." Liza nodded and with Khal on her side began to walk away while starting to chat with him spiritedly.


    However, even though Khal showed her that he was listening and acting calm, inside his guard was raised as he noticed that they were followed by the same man who lurked around him yesterday.


    ''So he decides to follow me everywhere, huh?'' thought Khal as he watched a man among the darkness of the trees in that far distance following them.


    In fact, he followed him even during his timepleting his Cultivation Quests, but as he found out he was only observing him and had no intention of killing him, he let it be.


    Furthermore, he let him be because if he decided to attack him or show him he already knew about him that would only make his situation even worse as the suspicion on him would only grow for sure. That is why, until he decided not to cause any trouble for him nor Liza, he will just simply ignored him.


    -


    -


    -


    After walking for hours and even killing a few weak Beasts that Khal let to give both Liza and Rubie, the three finally arrived at the Fiery Grasnds where the sight changed from peacefulness to sheer chaos!


    Until this very moment, Khal walked in a vast green field with bushes and trees in the distance, but all of that was changed abruptly as the green grasses became yellow while in a few ces the ground was cracked withva flowing in them. Even the trees in the distance were without leaves, some even scorched ash ck because of the heat andva around them!


    "So this is the Fiery Grasnds, huh? It is indeed fiery, to say the least." Khal expressed his thoughts while he gazed at the amazing sight before him.


    Liza looked the same but soon she raised her hand and pointed to the left, "Let''s go that way."


    "Sure."


    Sometimeter, the two arrived before this extremely long and wide river ofva, where a huge creature made out of rock stood motionlessly at its other side.


    "T-That is a Rock Golem? It''s huge!" Liza stared at the beast before her at the other side of theva river, her mouth slightly opened because of the shock.


    The Rock Golem was just like a miniature mountain, more than twenty meters in height and almost ten meters in width. Its body was made out of pure and solid rock, while its face held no facial features such as eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.


    Liza remained silent for a while before her eyes turned sharp and her expression became serious.


    "Luckily it''s still on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, so I can still take care of it with my power."


    "Then I will stay behind and help when you say so." said Khal as he took a step back before adding, "But I think you will be perfectly fine if you watch the signs I have told you on the way here."


    Liza hearing this nodded and without any further ado, she waved her hand.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    With a slight explosion from her palm, the flowingva before her got frozen with azure jade-like ice, while the surroundingva and ground gradually turned frosty and hard because of the sudden drop of temperature!


    However, the very moment this happened, the Rock Golem on the other side also stood up, causing a small tremor in the surroundings just with a single step of its feet alone!


    TREMBLE!

 Chapter 242 - Easy Kill

    The ground shook like crazy once the Rock Golem took a step to the side, however, this didn''t stop Liza from advancing forward.


    "Here Ie!"


    With a strong push against the ground below her feet, Liza crossed the distance between her and the creature in an almost split second, and waved her hand.


    "Jade Lock!"


    Swish!


    Directly after she said that, the Rock Golem''s feet got frozen and stuck on the ground, sealing its movements away just like that.


    "Die!"


    Swish!


    Several crimson arcs appeared in the air the moment Liza swung her hand, slicing the mountain-sized Rock Golem into several pieces almost in an instant!


    However, the very next second as the creature''s body was sliced into hundreds of pieces, the sliced parts moved and connected back to each other, almost like they were pulled to each other with a strange power.


    ''I was just curious to see if I were lucky enough to slice its Rock Heart with one try, but s...'' Liza sighed inwardly and moved.


    With a single wave of her hand, a gorgeous sword made out of her Jade Ice, its tip covered in crimson mes.


    Moving around the creature with quick steps, Liza waved her sword, sending crimson mes at the Rock Golem from time to time, trying to see how it will react and behave instead of trying to slice it up blindly like the previous time.


    Khal seeing this nodded with satisfaction, but his gaze was secretly taking nces from time to time toward a specific direction in the distance.


    Watching as the man was still monitoring him since yesterday without rest, Khal couldn''t help but frown slightly.


    ''Even though I said I will ignore him, it''s still annoying having someone around me all the time. What should I do?''


    While Khal pondered on this problem with a troubled expression, Liza''s moving figure and continuous attacks finally came to an abrupt end, while her mouth curved into a smile.


    "So there it is." Liza pushed her feet against the ground which resulted in cracking a little, and appeared at the left side of the Rock Golem in the very next second.


    "!?"


    The Rock Golem noticed the sudden appearance of its enemy on its left side, which made it more alerted and even tried to move its body, but s, it was already toote.


    With a single swing of his sword, Liza cut off the creature''s arm, sending it to fly into the air, and with another few swings, she chopped it into tiny chunks!


    Crack!


    And exactly as she did that, her sword seemed to slice and break something inside the arm, which instantly caused a chain reaction at the Rock Golem''s remaining body that fell onto the ground like a puppet that just lost its strings, rendering it stock-still!


    "T-This was indeed easier than I have thought..." Liza mumbled with a shocked voice, hardly believing she just killed a creature at the Peak Fifth Stage with such ease.


    If it wouldn''t have been for Khal''s help, she was pretty sure she would have struggled for days to find its Rock Heart and kill it if not making her give up the mission.


    As she thought about this, she shifted her eyes at Khal who stood on the other side of the frozenva river with a ponderingplexion, while Rubie sat on his shoulder calmly.


    Feeling the gaze on his skin, Khal raised his head, and seeing as Liza has already killed the Rock Golem couldn''t help but smile and ask, "It wasn''t that hard, right?"


    "Un." Liza nodded and once she consumed the Rock Golems Essence she walked back to Khal and asked, "Even though I got what we havee for, wouldn''t it be a waste of our trip and time if we go right back?"


    Khal nodded as he too felt like that, and thus smiled before asking, "Then how about this? In the following two hours, let''s go and see which of us can kill the most Rock Golems."


    "And how will we count our kills?" Liza asked Khal.


    Khal nodded as he already thought about this and said, "How about this. Instead of destroying the Rock Golems'' corepletely, we collect them. That way, we will know how much we killed, avoiding the possibility of cheating."


    "Collect them? But how? If we don''t destroy their Rock Hearts they will get to regenerate infinitely, so how do you n to collect them?" Liza looked confused, but Khal''s following exnation quickly enlightened her.


    "Maybe it will be shared this way, but if you have good timing, you can take its Rock Heart out of its body. As for the part of destroying, you just need to pierce your sword into it without breaking itpletely, so you don''t need to fear that they will regenerate again."


    "Making it harder, huh? Well, it sounds great, so I''m in! Though, the loser has to pay for the dinner tonight!" Liza smiled and without waiting for Khal to say anything, she turned around and burst into the distance, starting her hunt right away.


    Khal seeing this shook his head helplessly, and after telling Rubie to follow her, he too started to look for Rock Golems.


    However, because he knew if he took this challenge seriously Liza would stand no chance, thus he decided not to use neither of his Talents, only his Devil Fangs and his improved physical strength.


    And exactly about three minutes of him starting his search he indeed found a Rock Golem in the distance, which was seemingly walking aimlessly on thend.


    ''...''


    Khal, who stood about a hundred meters away from the seemingly moving mountain, looked nonchnt, his gaze inspecting the Rock Golem in the hope to see where its Rock Heart could be.


    And it wasn''t long before his eyes glued to the creature''s right leg before he threw his weapon that pierced the lower part of the Rock Golem''s leg.


    "?"


    The creature nced down at its leg as it felt something piercing it, but even before it could have gotten the chance to react, its whole body copsed onto the ground, while an orange fist-sized orb that was pierced perfectly in its middle appeared among the debris.


    "One down, more to go." Khal quickly consumed the Beast Essence and put its pierced Rock Heart away, before proceeding with his hunt.


    Time quickly passed, and the promised two hours have ended.


    Killing his final Rock Golem and consuming its Essence which increased his units from 3174 to 3547, Khal used his Bloodshed Touch to detect and find Liza.


    "It''s already time? That was quick." Liza who was just about to find another Rock Golem sighed, and nced at Khal, "So? How much did you kill?"


    Khal smiled and was ready to take out his pile of Rock Hearts, but before he could have done so, the ground not far away from him and Liza split apart and something that was neitherva nor a creature emerged, startling the two.

 Chapter 243 - Lava Fruit

    "W-What is that?" Liza stared at the thing before her with a stupified expression as this was her first time seeing something like that ever.


    Khal seemed to look the same, but not because he saw such a thing before, but because he did, or to be more precise read about it in the book.


    "That''s a Lava Fruit, but how could something like that appear here?"


    "Lava Fruit? What''s that?" Liza frowned while her gaze was still staring at the thing called Lava Fruit.


    About a hundred meters away from them, a thick pir of solidva rose into the air, while atop it a mass ofva in the shape of a human heart rested, its size not bigger than a human''s fist.


    However, the most noticeable trait for some strange reason was not its shape, size, or look, but the aura it was emitting. Except for the immense heat that could easily rival Khal''s Hell ze, the Lava Fruit radiated a kind of aura that felt pleasing to one''s eyes, almost making Khal, Rubie and Liza think as they were staring at not a lump ofva but the most delicious looking food in their entire time, making them want to take a small bite from it!


    "So this is what a Lava Fruit is capable of? Truly frightening!" Khal said in a low voice as he now belived that the words in the book about the Lava Fruit were indeed not exaggerated, maybe they were even understated!


    In the book he got from the old woman, Khal was able to learn tons of new things, including the information about this Lava Fruit, which had another name such as Evil Fruit.


    No matter how ridiculous it may have sounded, but that mass ofva was indeed a fruit, which in fact could be consumed by one if specific conditions were reached and obtain a boost in strength without any after-effects.


    However, if one tried to consume it or even attempt to get closer to it withoutpleting the requirements, one can only wish for painful torture only to get crippled in the end and live the rest of their lives in literal hell!


    Though, this kind of fruit only appears at the bottom of extremely hot ces, such as volcanos, and not at ces like the Fiery Grasnds!


    It made no sense at all to see a Lava Fruit here, in the Fiery Grasnd!


    "What should we do now? Should we take it with us?" Liza seemed to be under a great dilemma of what they should do as one of her parts wanted to leave the fruit where it was, but her other half wished to grab and take it away with them.


    Khal swallowed hard once hearing Liza''s question and after wiping off a drop of sweat from his forehead he shook his head.


    "Normally, I would say let''s leave as we don''t know what that thing truly is, but unfortunately, it would be a foolish choice to leave a priceless treasure such as this one behind."


    "Priceless treasure? In what way a mass ofva can be considered a priceless treasure?" Liza asked Khal, seemingly confused to hear such a thing from him.


    Khal however was not surprised by her question as he too would have felt bewildered if it was not for the book, thus, he quickly shook his head and exined, "Lava Fruits could be considered extremely rare objects that can boost one''s strength after consuming it, especially those with the element of fire."


    He then quickly continued, "If someone with a fire-associated Talent eats the Lava Fruit, their Talent will get several levels stronger than previously, even having the chance to go through a so-called Talent Mutation!"


    "Talent Mutation? What is that? I have never heard about it." Liza asked immediately, her eyes beaming with curiosity as she had a Talent associated with fire, hence this was a chance for her to improve her strength!


    "Let''s take an easy example, your me Control Talent. If you meet the specific requirements to consume the Lava Fruit, your Talent not only will get stronger by a notch, but you will be able to controlva too. Of course, this has a slim chance while also there is the possibility to get other abilities, but this is the mostmon."


    "What are the requirements?" Liza asked hurriedly, obviously wanting to consume the Lava Fruit as this was indeed a huge chance for her!


    Khal smiled after seeing her excitedplexion, almost like a little girl who was about to get her present at Christmas, thus opened his mouth to tell her, but suddenly the ground at several ces around the Lava Fruit split apart too, and several arms arose from the boilingva below!


    BAM!


    TREMBLE!!


    Khal and Liza had to take a firmer stance as the moment the arms that were as big as a bus mmed into the ground, the wholend trembled almost like it was shaken by a powerful tremor, while both watched as a huge silhouette covered in still drippingva came up from below!


    ''A Lava Fruit and now a Magma Golem? Just what on earth is happening here?'' Khal looked shocked and startled by the sight he was seeing as both the fruit and the creature were things that shouldn''t have appeared here at the Fiery Grasnds!


    Both were things that could be only found inside volcanos where the temperature was extremely high, and not in a ce like here, which was a barrennd where heat wasn''t even that humanly suffocating with only a small amount ofva flowing here and there.


    ''Could this be in connection with that man?'' Khal subconsciously looked at the shadow in the distance, but seeing as he was doing nothing but watching, he frowned.


    TREMBLE!!


    Once the entire creature emerged through the fissure, revealing its massive size that was twice as big as a Rock Golem, it looked around thend before walking toward the Lava Fruit with huge and long steps.


    "Not good! It will consume it!" Liza said loudly, but no matter how much she wanted to stop it, the Magma Golem before her was not something she could hope topete with as it was at the peak of the Sixth Cultivation Stage she was a whole Stage below it!

 Chapter 244 - Magma Golem

    "W-What should we do? Let the creature consume the Lava Fruit?" Liza asked Khal in a lowered voice.


    Khal stared at the Magma Golem with narrowed eyes, seemingly pondering on what he should do.


    Even though he was quite confident in his ability to kill this Magma Golem with a single strike thanks to his insane amount of Body Essence, with the man lurking around him all the time he has to be careful with each of his moves, especially the ones he used during his time killing Alde and his men.


    Of course, this did not mean he was helpless as he had quite a few cards up in his sleeves, but he didn''t really want to use them as that would only mean he would show his strength to his enemy.


    However, considering that it was a Lava Fruit he was talking about, Khal could only sigh and say, "Stay behind, I will take care of it."


    "Eh? A-Are you sure? That Beast is a Magma Golem we are talking about! Even though that Lava Fruit is truly a priceless treasure, there is no reason for you to risk your life for it!" Liza quickly opposed Khal''s idea, trying to convince Khal to forgot about fighting such a creature alone.


    Maybe he was already a Sixth Stage Cultivator with terrifying powers, he would be a fool to fight against a Magna Golem, especially alone!


    Although she didn''t know what a Lava Fruit was before, she clearly understood what kind of creature was a Magma Golem. Just like Rock Golems, they were capable of regeneration infinitely, but instead of one core in their body, they had three!


    Furthermore, Magma Golems were able to controlva around their proximity, making them not only fearsome opponents that were literally immortals but also ones with scary powers that could kill almost everyone with a single strike!


    Khal understood Liza''s worry, but he just smiled before speaking in a confident voice, "No need to worry, I will be fine."


    And without waiting for Liza to respond, Khal vanished from his spot before reappearing next to the Magma Golem''s feet and swinging his Devil Fangs.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    With his Body Essence fused into his weapon, Khal sliced the creature''s left leg, which was almost three houses in size, off, and quickly activated his Heaven''s Eyes.


    ''Not here?'' Khal frowned when he saw that the Magma Golem had none of its cores in his left leg, even though all the indications he just saw told him one should be there!


    However, he quickly realized that something was off, as the moment he chopped the creature''s leg off, the ground below his feet suddenly began to turn crimson and turn softer and softer with each second at a rapid pace!


    ''Not good!''


    Khal immediately realized his mistake and without a second thought activated his Secret Art''s Third Form, the Emerald Snake Dance!


    Whoosh!


    BOOM!


    Exactly as he jumped away and avoided his almost sudden death, Khal watched from a distance as the spot he just stood a few moments ago now was a fountain ofva, sending a chill down his spine when he thought what could have happened just now!


    TREMBLE!!!


    The earth shook as the Magma Golem colossal body came to an abrupt halt, its upper body turning toward Khal''s direction while its left leg has already regenerated back from the previous assault.


    ''...''


    Khal stared at the Magma Golem with a nonchnt look, but his eyes never ceased to search for little signs that could tell him its cores location.


    Though he couldn''t search for long as the Magma Golem suddenly moved again, but instead of moving toward the Lava Fruit as it previously did, it decided to move toward Khal with the intent of kill!


    Normally, Magma Golems would ignore almost everyone on and below their Stage, as they could not pose them any threat at all. Yet, when it got attacked by a being that was akin to an ant in its eyes just now, it realized that its life could be in immediate danger if it didn''t take care of it right then and there!


    Khal knew this too and was shocked to see this, but he didn''t feel scared nor anxious but instead a smile formed on his face.


    ''Let''s try ''that'' out then!'' Khal said to himself and immediately after that, both of his feet were covered in rotating blue mes which in truth were his Body Essence!


    However, instead of the usual rotation that was when he used his Crimson Snake Dance form, this time they rotated extremely fast, almost to the point where they seemed blurry!


    The Dance of The Celestial Serpent Fifth Form; Orchid Snake Dance!


    BOOM!


    And right as he moved, the spot where he stood exploded, sendingva into the air!


    However, Khal couldn''t care about it the least as he moved toward the Magma Golem with insane speed, while his eyes stared at its body without blinking!


    ''Where are they?'' Khal tried to figure out the three core''s location.


    Thanks to the book that carried almost all the knowledge he needed, Khal knew that just like Rock Golems, Magma Golems had special behaviors that could tell him their cores'' locations.


    Yet, when he noticed its behavior previously and destroyed its leg where one of its core should have been, he found it with surprise that there were none!


    This made him ponder deeply as it made no sense for him, but after a small whileter his eyes suddenly lit up like stars on the night sky, and his mouth curved upwards.


    ''So that is the case, huh?'' Khal immediately elerated his speed while avoiding severalva streams that broke onto the surface from below.


    Whoosh!


    ''It should be here, right?'' Khal thought to himself once he appeared before the abdomen of the creature and without further ado, he smashed his right feet deeply into the Magma Golem''s body!


    BOOM!


    And almost the very next instant as he said that, the Essence around his feet burst forward, crashing into the Magma Golem and forming an enormous gash in its lower body!

 Chapter 245 - Consuming The Lava Fruit

    BOOM!


    Khal kicked a huge hole into the Magma Golem''s body, sending parts of its body flying into the air in the very next instant!


    TREMBLE!!


    The Magma Golem staggered a few steps behind by the impact, causing the ground below its humongous figure to shake like crazy as though the earth wanted to split apart!


    ''Just two out of the three?'' Khal raised his brow the moment he noticed he was only able to destroy only two of its cores instead of all three.


    Meanwhile, in the close distance, Liza stared at Khal with widened eyes, even letting out a startled gasp.


    "H-He is strong! This is what means to be a True Cultivator?" Liza asked herself, wondering if all Sixth Stage Cultivators in the world were this strong as Khal.


    Just a single kick alone from him created a huge hole in the middle of a giant creature, something she has never seen before!


    Furthermore, the speed and momentum he attacked was so fast that she couldn''t even take out his trajectory, which made her wonder if she was to fight with Khal once she reaches the Sixth Stage, would she be able to win?


    However, deep inside her heart, for some strange reason she felt like if they were to fight seriously, she would stand no chance at all.


    "Hm?"


    While Liza stared at Khal with an intense gaze, suddenly around her feet blue Essence began to form akin to azure mes, indicating her Hidden Talent activated on its own once again.


    "So that is how you did it, huh?" Liza mumbled in a low voice while moving her feet gently here and there, feeling a unique power she was somewhat familiar with.


    TREMBLE!!


    In the meantime, Khal watched as the Magma Golem''s body began to regenerate and the huge gap in its abdomen got filled in once again.


    ''Its regeneration ability is rather slow, but it''s not a huge surprise considering I just destroyed two of its core.'' Khal quickly evaded another attack from the Magma Golem with ease before increasing his distance to see where thest core could be.


    However, even after minutes of straight observation, he noticed no signs that could help him at all. The only thing he was able to do is to move continuously around thend while dodging the eruptingva from underground.


    ''Okay, then I guess I have no other choice, huh?'' Khal quickly took a deep breath and waved his Devil Fang.


    When Liza saw this she anticipated a powerful attack to manifest and end the Magma Golem, but even several secondster, nothing happened which confused her deeply.


    "What is happe-"


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    But even before she had the chance to finish her sentence, Khal quickly waved his weapon for a second time which was followed by an insanely huge explosion that turned the Magma Golem''s right side turned into nothing more but debris and dust!


    "W-What?! What happened just now? Why did the beast explode like that?" Liza eximed out with shock, her jaw dropped onto the ground from pure shock.


    However, her awe didn''tst long enough as suddenly its body began to regrow its lost body parts one again, indicating Khal still missed to destroy its third core.


    ''...''


    Khal stared at this sight with a nonchnt look, showing no sign of panic, and instead waved his fan another two times.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    And just like previously, after the second swing, the other half of the creature''s body exploded into bits of rock, while a fist-sized orb, in hundreds of pieces, fell off from the air!


    ''A bit more than five thousand units of Body Essence to use twice the Ghost Slice against a Magma Golem, huh?'' Khal thought with a slightly bitter expression as he had to use almost half of his current units of Body Essence just to kill a single creature which wasn''t even that if a threat.


    Khal quickly shook his head after thinking about this and proceeded on consuming the Magma Golem''s Essence, gaining him a total of 39 units out of 50!


    "Are you okay?" Liza appeared on his side once he finished consuming the Essence, which at Khal nodded and nced at the Lava Fruit in the distance.


    "Yeah, but more importantly, you should go and consume the Lava Fruit," Khal said to Liza and quickly exined her what she should do to consume the fruit without getting killed or injured.


    "This will really work?" Liza asked once Khal finished talking, her delicate brows lowered into a frown.


    "Yes, it will." nodded Khal firmly, showing just how confident he was.


    "I see, then I will give it a try."


    As she said that, Liza quickly turned around and walked toward the Lava Fruit that was still atop the solidva pir in the air.


    Once she reached was about fifty meters away from it, she quickly waved her hand, forming a staircase from her Jade Ice into the air.


    After taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and began her ascend toward the Lava Fruit while suddenly her body was covered with crimson mes akin to ayer that protected her.


    Khal told her if she wanted to consume it, she had to do three things.


    First, she had to form ayer of me around her body to protect herself from the Lava Fruit''s heat.


    Secondly, she had to approach the fruit with closed eyes, as if she tried to get close to it with her eyes opened, she would get so attracted that it would make her literally hypnotized, making her lower her guard and get injured thanks to the immense heat it radiated.


    Andstly, once she reached the Lava Fruit, she must not touch it at all cost as it would turn chaotic and consume her body as a whole before changing her into nothing more but a pile of ash!


    Khal watched Liza''s ascending figure with a serious expression, but not because he was worried if Liza would get injured, but because he suddenly noticed the man in the distance move closer to them!

 Chapter 246 - Talent Mutation

    ''What is he trying to do?'' Khal remained nonchnt but he continued to follow the man''s figure from the corner of his eye.


    Even Rubie seemed to be on edge as she too noticed the man, but as Khal didn''t do anything she did nothing either. However, it was obvious if she found that the man was a threat to either Liza or Khal she will attack without hesitation.


    "Easy, just let''s wait and see what he tries to do." Khal petted Rubie on his shoulder, calming her a level down.


    Meanwhile, Liza has already reached the top of her staircase and stood before the Lava Fruit with her eyes closed and ayer of fire covering her body.


    She stood there motionlessly, however, that was all she did. Even after several minutes straight she stood in one ce, not moving even an inch.


    Khal raised his brow when he saw this, but in truth, he was not surprised. Out of the three requirements, the third one was the most difficult as it said one can not touch the Lava Fruit no matter what, thus this is why Liza stood in one ce; she tried to figure out how to consume the fruit without touching it.


    Though, maybe it seemedplicated at first nce, it was not hard at all. There were different methods, each differing per person, how one could consume something without touching it, including treasures such as the Lava Fruit.


    For example, one could consume treasures with their Essence while others could consume them through Secret Arts or simply by their Talents!


    And exactly because of this, Liza tried to think which one would be the best for her. As she didn''t have a Secret Art that could help her, there only remained her Essence and Talent.


    However, as she was not proficient in controlling her Essence like Khal much less control it in a way where it could make her consume the Lava Fruit, the only thing she could do was to try using her own Talent!


    Although she has never tried it before, she felt like if she attempted to use her me Controlling ability she will definitely seed, thus she didn''t hesitate and raised her hand before heryer of fire expanded and engulfed the Lava Fruit too!


    And to her great surprise, the moment that happened a warm sensation entered her body, while the Lava Fruit gradually became smaller with each second!


    ''It''s working!'' Liza looked joyful once she felt her body, or to be more specific her Talent, undergo strange but pleasant changes, indicating she indeed started to consume the Lava Fruit.


    In the meantime, Khal stared at the man in the distance with a sharp gaze, ready to move if he had to, but just as he thought he will attack, suddenly the man halted his steps and remained motionless before his eyes met with Khal''s.


    ''...''


    The two stared at each other for a while before the man waved his hand and vanished into thin air, leaving no indication at all that it was there just a few seconds ago.


    "That''s all? What did he try to do?" Khal seemed confused by this and even kept his guard raised as he thought he will get ambushed, but to his shock, nothing happened.


    "Interesting..." Khal mumbled in a low voice before his gaze got shifted at Liza, whose body suddenly exploded with great power right after thest but of Lava Fruit vanished from sight!


    BAM!


    Immediately after, the heat that was previously around because of the Lava Fruit vanished, while Liza''s body emitted an aura Khal has never seen before around her.


    "How are you feeling?" Khal asked Liza once she walked back down, his face holding a smile and eyes that seemed curious for an answer.


    Liza hearing the question nced at both of her hands, but instead of answering she swung her hand upward, immediately causing Lava to explode from below the ground akin to the fountain in the distance!


    "Oh? Talent Mutation?" Khal raised his brow as even though he told Liza her Talent can undergo mutation, he knew the chances for that were low, extremely low.


    Nevertheless, it seemed her luck was pretty good thus he just smiled and congratted her.


    Liza smiled hearing Khal, but quickly widened her smile and said, "Anyways, we still have a deal to finish, right? How many Rock Golems did you kill?"


    As she asked that, she took out several pieces of cracked Rock Hearts, 28 to be exact.


    "I have killed twenty-eight. And you?"


    Khal seeing the Rock Hearts and the proud smile on her face, Khal couldn''t help but chuckle and wave his hand before summoning a small pile of Rock Hearts onto the ground, dumbfounding Liza deeply as the amount far surpassed her mere twenty-eight!


    "Well, I think tonight''s dinner is on you."


    -


    -


    -


    After winning their little contest by a huge margin, Khal and Liza went back to Moon City where Liza ''invited'' Khal and Rubie for dinner.


    After eating themselves almost full in Lunar Tavern, Liza went to collect her reward for her Mission with Rubie while Khal went back into his room to continue his cultivation.


    Once inside his small room, Khal sat down in a lotus position and closed his eyes.


    ''I have concentrated on doing quests so much that my process with my Essence Paths has remained the same. It''s time to unlock a few.''


    As the requirements to reach the Stages above the Sixth Stage was to consume enough Beast Essence and unlock his Essence Paths, Khal knew it was important for him to unlock all paths as soon as possible so he can reach the Second Realm faster too!


    Thus, he quickly concentrated and controlled his Essence into the sealed gate in his right hand, attempting to open it.


    However, to his surprise when he did and his Body Essence touched the gate, a slight sensation swept through his body before the gate got unlocked effortlessly, causing his fifth Essence Path to be opened just like that!


    "....Eh?"

 Chapter 247 - Rapid Unlocking

    Khal opened his eyes and examined his body, only to find with a shock that his fifth Essence Path was opened with no effort at all!


    Just by using his Body Essence and pushing it against the sealed gate, he was able to open it as though he just took a deep breath! It was shocking!


    "What happened? Where is the enlightenment? Why is it that I didn''t have toprehend the meaning behind this path?"


    While Khal pondered on this question, suddenly Nova''s gentle chuckle resounded in his head before she started to talk.


    [You don''t need to feel startled. Because of your increased Mental and Soul Strength, the way youprehend the Essence Paths'' meaning increased drastically too!]


    "What? How could that be possible? I don''t even remember what the meaning of the fifth path was!"


    [Really? Then why don''t you try to think back?]


    Khal frowned after hearing Nova saying this, but still did what she just said to him. However, exactly a secondter as he closed his eyes to recall what happened a few seconds ago, his eyes shot wide open, his face holding deep shock!


    "H-How can this even be possible?" Khal mumbled, hardly believing what he just recalled.


    For some strange reason, he could remember himself doing movement techniques against thousands of enemies for days and nights in his mind, even though he could clearly recall he was just sitting in one ce for no longer than a few seconds!


    This was something he has never experienced before but this also made him finally realize what his Soul Strength among his Cultivation Traits real meant. While his Mental Strength improved his concentration and strengthened his willpower, his Soul Strength improved his speed ofprehension!


    Now he finally understood why he didn''t see Cultivation Quest before that rewarded him with Soul Strength as there were no Quests so far that was about understandingplex things!


    "Interesting. I am curious to see if I can understand and learnplex Secret Arts in the future if I continue to increase it." Khal smiled and quickly closed his to see just how far can he go and how many Essence Paths can he unseal.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    In a single minute, Khal opened another three Essence Paths in his right arm, stupifying him so deeply that he couldn''t even talk for a long while.


    Though, it was only natural as anyone else that would see this sight would be just as bbergasted as normally, a Cultivator needed several days if not months or years to unlock just a single Essence Path!


    Yet, Khal, just like some kind of crazy cheater ignored thismon sense that was applied to all and went and unsealed four Essence Paths without any effort a bit more than a minute!


    If anyone would have seen this sight they would definitely not call him a human any longer as this broke through the limits any human could do, making him a terrifying monster!


    "Will I be able to unseal all my Essence Paths like this? Isn''t this somewhat... Easy?" Khal asked with a raised brow, but deep inside he couldn''t feel any happier at all.


    This not only meant he can reach the Ninth Cultivation Stage in a bit more than a month but that his desire to demolish the Ourvi Family from this''s surface once and for all will happen sooner than anticipated!


    [You can, but make sure to adapt your body to your Essence Path.]


    [If you rush things and decide to unlock all your Essence Paths at once, your body can be a cripple as it couldn''t get used to the additional ''body parts''.]


    Khal knew what Nova meant thus nodded and asked, "Then how many and how asionally should I unlock my Essence Paths."


    Nova remained silent for a while, seemingly pondering over the answer, but soon quickly replied.


    [Unlocking a Path once a day should be the best as your body will have time to adapt to the new changes. Any more than that can cause permanent and irreversible effects.]


    When Khal heard this his body stiffened up as he just now unlocked four under a minute!


    [You don''t need to fear, you will be okay as your body is strong enough to take such a blow once or twice. Just make sure not to repeat this continuously or you can die quite easily.]


    Khal sighed with relief when he heard Nova and quickly nodded. However, now that he had eight Essence Paths unlocked, an amount that allowed him to break into the Seventh Stage, he knew what he should do, thus stood up and walked to the door.


    -


    -


    -


    "Are you sure what you just told me? A Lava Fruit and a Magma Golem in the Fiery Grasnd? And thetter one was killed with ease by a Sixth Stage Cultivator?" Anred stood in the middle of a spacious room while a man in a ck robe that covered his entire face kneeled before him with a lowered head and motionless body.


    "Yes, my Lord, that is exactly what happened. What''s more, when I tried to approach the Lava Fruit and take it away, I was noticed by the boy hence why I couldn''t bring the treasure back to me." the man talked with his head still lowered.


    "You, one of the Shadows, were noticed by a boy that was not even on the Seventh Stage? How is that possible?" Anred frowned, his face holding obvious signs of not believing the man''s story.


    The man seemed to feel the awkwardness in the air, thus quickly lowered his head even more, almost making his forehead touch the ground, and proceed on saying, "My Lord, I am telling the truth. I shall take on any type of punishment if I lie to you, my Lord!"


    When Anred heard this his tight frown gradually rxed, and crossed his arms before his chest.


    After pondering for a while in deep silence, Anred nodded and asked, "I see, I believe you..."


    The man hearing this seemed to sigh with relief, but that was quickly washed away as Anred continued to talk.


    "Only if you tell me how, one of the Shadows, was noticed by a mere boy that just only became a Sixth Stage Cultivator. Also, what happened with the Lava Fruit? Did the girl die?"


    Hearing the rapid questions together with the sharp and intense gaze on his skin, the man felt his back getting soaked with cold sweat, while he had to swallow hugely from nervousness.

 Chapter 248 - Heavenly Cultivator

    Anred stared at his subordinate in silence, but soon one of his eyebrows raised as even after minutes he got no answer.


    The man in the ck robe seemed to feel that he have to answer now or he will get into a dire situation, thus clenched his fingers into a tight fist before talking.


    "My Lord, the girl is still alive and... She seeded in consuming the Lava Fruit..."


    "What!? How can that even be possible?!" Anred raised his voice thanks to shock, but he quickly recovered from his mistake and said, "Tell me the details."


    The man nodded and hastily began to exin what he saw and once he reached the end of his story, what he heard was sheer silence. Naturally, he wouldn''t dare to raise his head in fear of causing trouble, hence the only thing he was able to do was to wait for Anred to talk.


    But as he thought about it on a deeper level, it was only understandable. Although he didn''t have vast knowledge as Anred or his friend Edwin, he clearly knew what a Lava Fruit was.


    As far as he knew, the Ourvi Family had several Lava Fruits and even other treasures that they were trying to consume, but as all of their attempts ended up so far with failures, it wasn''t a surprise to hear Anred so silent even after minutes!


    After minutester, Anred finally moved and asked, "This girl... Where is she now?"


    "She is inside Moon Academy, my Lord. However, if I may speak, I think she was able to consume the fruit not because she knew how to do it, but because her friend helped her."


    When Anred heard this he frowned and asked, "And what makes you say that?"


    The man quickly nodded and exined how Khal exined to Liza how to kill Rock Golems while also how he saw Khal exin to Liza the ways to consume the Lava Fruit.


    "Khal Nevio, huh? Isn''t he one of your suspects?" Anred asked after a moment of pondering as he stared at the still kneeling man before him.


    "Yes, my Lord, he indeed is, but what I saw was absolute. I am pretty confident that boy has told the girl how to consume the Lava Fruit!"


    Anred remained silent again for a while before nodding as if he decided on something and waved his hand, "I see, thank you for the report."


    "My Lord." the man lowered his head even more before his figure shed and vanished into thin air.


    Anred remained silent in his room before he took out a cube from his spatial ring and made it sh with ck light, which quickly manifested into a figure''s image.


    "How can I help you this time?"


    A man in a ck robe and a circr ss on his face asked Anred, seemingly calm even though the one he looked at was the leader of the Ourvi Family!


    Anred seeing the man''s casual look slightly formed a smile and started to talk.


    "I want to ask you for a favor, Roy."


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, somewhere on Moon Mountain, a young man''s figure could be seen shing among the woods while corpses that gradually turned into Beast Essence piled up wherever he went!


    If anyone would see such a sight, they would immediately get a fright as the creatures that were in as if they were mere ants were at the peak of the Sixth Cultivation Stage! Each was strong enough to kill Cultivators on and below the Sixth Stage with ease, yet, right now they were like chickens, falling onto the ground lifelessly one after another!


    And this sight went on for hours, exactly until the sun finally did not emerge, and the young boy who was no one else but Khal stood up from the ground after consuming his final Beast Essence.


    "1321 units of Beast Essence under a single night, huh? Not bad. Now I only need 93 units and I can sessfully reach the Seventh Cultivation Stage!" Khal told to himself before taking out two pills from his spatial ring.


    "I only have these two High-quality Essence Pills... Let''s hope they can give me enough." with that, Khal quickly tossed both pills into his mouth and swallowed them.


    Swish!


    Immediately as he said that, he felt a warm sensation swept through his body, and soon enough, the long-awaited voice appeared in his head.


    [Congrattions! Your Power Core Heaven''s Eye has reached the Seventh Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! Your Power Core Ster Domain has reached the Seventh Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! Your Power Core Bloodshed Touch has reached the Seventh Cultivation Stage!]


    [Congrattions! Your Power Core Hell ze has reached the Seventh Cultivation Stage!]


    [All of your Cultivation Traits have increased by 1 point!]


    [The number of Cultivation Quests you can do increased by 1!]


    Right as Nova''s voice fell in his head Khal quickly summoned his Cultivator Status to see what have changed.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 16,382


    ? Beast Essence: 3


    ? Cultivation Grade: Heavenly Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 15


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 13


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 12


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 15


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 13


    ¡ã Agility: 16


    ¡ã Speed: 13


    Khal seeing the information and his status smiled with satisfaction before shifting his gaze at the bracelet on his hand, seemingly deep in thought.


    However, soon he nodded as if he just decided on something and began to walk back to Moon Academy, or to be more precise, the cksmith Department inside it.


    Once he was there and walked inside the smithery where Bazz was working with thick sweat drops flowing down his forehead, Khal stood on the side and waited patiently for Bazz to finish his work.


    Sometimeter, after his unknown amount of strike, Bazz straightened his back and without ncing at Khal asked, "You want to learn forging already, kid?"


    Khal hearing Bazz smiled and quickly said, "Well, kind of. However, instead of learning, I want to try out something new. But for that, I need to use the Safety Chamber. Can I?"


    Bazz raised his brow and turned to look at Khal, who still stood on the side with a calm expression, waiting for his answer patiently.


    "Try out something in the Safety Chamber? What do you want to do?"


    Khal remained silent, not knowing how he should say it, but soon sighed and without beating around the bush he said, "I want to forge Life Essence."

 Chapter 249 - You Want To Do What?

    Bazz lowered his hand once he heard Khal and stared at him with an expressionless face.


    Only after several seconds of sheer silenceter did he frown and ask, "You want to do... What?"


    "I want to forge this metal''s, Life Essence." Khal took out his Dark Oak Iron from his spatial ring as he talked and ced it atop the desk.


    Bazz took a nce at the piece of metal before shifting his gaze back at Khal and ask, "You want to... Forge that Dark Oak Iron''s Life Essence?"


    "Yes, I want." Khal nodded, but deep inside he sighed as he did want to tell Bazz his real n.


    Originally, if he gets approval from Bazz he will unlock his God Creation Mode, and not only will he form the Dark Oak''s Life Essence, but he will also make its God Essence, which until this very moment no living being achieved!


    Of course, he will keep it a secret as things could be rather troublesome if his real n was to known, thus that is the reason why he had to lie.


    Bazz narrowed his eyes at Khal almost as if he nned to pierce his soul with his gaze alone and asked, "How sure you are you will seed?"


    "100%."


    ''...''


    Bazz turned silent once again, his frown this time way deeper than previously. Even though he knew that Khal possessed a powerful Hidden Talent that can help him forge metals better than anyone else, he was still skeptical about him seeding.


    Though, just as he wanted to answer a voice came from the side which surprised both Khal and Bazz.


    "Let him do it. I am curious to see if he can seed or not, especially after hisst time."


    "Chief Rou!" Bazz quickly bowed at the man on the side.


    Khal did the same as his master and once he straightened his back he asked, "Thank you very much!"


    "Haha! Your wee." smiled Chief Rou, but soon turned serious and said, "Now go and start forging. I want to see if you can really achive what you wish to do with that talent of yours or not."


    Khal nodded and after picking up the Dark Oak Iron he walked away with Bazz and Chief Rou following him from behind.


    "Then I will start it," Khal said and without a second thought entered one of the Safety Chamber, which doors closed behind his back once he waspletely inside.


    In the meantime, Bazz nced at Chief Rou and asked with a slight frown, "Why did you let him forge Life Essence? Aren''t you afraid that he will... Die?"


    Chief Rou rested his eyes on the now-closed doors before he closed them and sighed, "Dark Oak Iron, huh? It can indeed be a dangerous metal if forged without proper knowledge, but considering that he seeded in forging a Scorching Sun Steel into an Inferno Steel previously, it shouldn''t pose a problem for him."


    "Basically, it shouldn''t, yeah. But still, if he truly fails in creating its Life Essence, he can tru-"


    "I know, but there is no reason for worry. The Safety Chamber is not called that way just for fun. If his life seems to be in danger, the arrays will turn active on their own and teleport him outside. He won''t die." Chief Rou quickly ended Bazz''s question and continued to stare at the door with a nonchnt gaze.


    Bazz remained silent after that and decided to wait too and not ask any other questions in fear of angering his boss.


    Meanwhile, inside the room, Khal stood in one ce before a voice appeared in his head.


    [Ability God Creation Mode activated!]


    "Perfect, let''s start it then." Khal opened his eyes and grabbed the Dark Oak Iron on his side and brought it to the firece.


    Once before there, he activated his newly acquired ability, causing the familiar sensation to appear in his body while holograms around him emerged one after another.


    "There are quite a few, huh," Khal eximed with surprise as he stared at the holograms around him that reached almost twenty in numbers!


    Though, he felt shocked only for a second as the very next moment his eyes turned sharp and started to heat the Dark Oak Iron.


    Bit by bit, the ck iron became brighter and brighter, first, it was brown and it gradually became dull red and yellow. And exactly half an hourter, when it has reached the color of bright yellow, Khal moved quickly and with a smooth move took out the iron from among the zing fire.


    However, to his great surprise, instead of taking the iron to the anvil in the middle of the room and starting his forging there, his body moved toward the side where several metal tools hung from the wall.


    Once there, he put the bright and extremely hot Dark Oak Iron atop a small iron surface with one hand and held it there firmly while he extended his other hand to grab a tool from the side that looked quite like a crosscut saw but with a pretty big size, almost thrice as big as a crosscut saw!


    Khal watched his hand grab the tool and with a speed that seemed like a sh he cut off all sides of the Dark Oak Iron''s, giving it a perfect cube shape in no time at all!


    After that, Khal quickly picked up the chopped pieces with his tool before cing them into a bucket and tossing it back into the firece that still burned with crimson fire since the start.


    While the sliced-off pieces seemed to melt and turn into a boiling mess inside the bucket, Khal grabbed the now perfect cube and brought it to the anvil where he clutched two hammers in both of his hands and started to strike the Dark Oak Iron with rapid strikes!


    CLANG~!


    CLANG~!


    CLANG~!


    Several sharp but melodic sounds reverberated in the room almost simultaneously, while the Dark Oak Iron''s size and color became smaller and whiter with each strike!

 Chapter 250 - Light Pillar

    Sparks flew all around the ce with each of Khal''s hammer strikes while the Dark Oak Iron underwent slow, but visible changes.


    Its already small size gradually became smaller while its deep ck color strangely turned whiter, especially the veins inside it that Khal continuously hit with powerful swings.


    CLANG~!


    BAM!


    After an entire hourter, the first Essence Burst appeared from the forged iron, shaking a few tools on the walls, but this didn''t even hinder Khal from continuing his forging.


    No, instead it made his swinging motions even faster as both of his hands started to move twice as fast as before, causing his arms to turn into nothing but blurriness!


    Seconds turned into minutes and minutes became hours. After four hours of straight forging, suddenly the piece of metal erupted with another Essence Burst, but this time a unique aura engulfed its snow-white surface, one that Khal was quite familiar with.


    ''I seeded with making its Spirit Essence!'' Khal felt happy but knew he soon will be able to make something even greater thus quickly became serious and let the power in his body control him.


    After reheating the metal, Khal continued to forge the now White Oak Iron, but to his surprise, when red dots appeared on the iron''s surface, indicating he will start doing the Spirit Essence Refining technique, his body quickly moved to the firece and grabbed the bucket from inside it..


    After so many hours, the cut-off pieces nowpletely became melted metal which Khal immediately poured on the small white cube and started to proceed on forging it.


    Again, sharp and melodic sounds filled the Safety Chamber, but this time Khal struck with a much slower pace, even using only one hammer instead of two!


    Hitting the red dots in his sight, Khal watched with shock as the melted iron began to seep into the White Oak Iron, causing all six sides of it to gradually turn half ck and half white in a spiral-like shape, almost like a Yin-Yang sign!


    BAM!


    After a dozen or so strikes again, Essence Burst exploded from the piece of metal, while the Spirit Essence inside the iron''s veins became denser with each second and only a few red dots remained on the cube.


    ''Spirit Essence Tempering!''


    Khal quickly swung his arm and under a single minute, he struck all six sides of the cube exactly 24 times, turning the Spirit Essence inside it into something much greater, something much superior... Into Life Essence!


    The whole iron emitted an aura of life while its surface even trembled and throbbed slightly from time to time almost as if it had a heart of its own!


    ''Amazing... So this is what Life Essence feels like.'' Khal thought to himself with awe, as he felt his surroundings together with his body turn much calmer and warmer for some reason.


    However, no matter how shocked he felt right now, his body still continued to move, but this time his strikes became even slower but at the same time thrice if not four times powerful, shaking not only the anvil but the entire room slightly each time he hit the cube with his hammer!


    Meanwhile, outside the room, both Bazz and Chief Rou stood motionlessly, waiting patiently for Khal to finish his forging.


    Time flew slowly, but even after 3 days the door still remained tightly shut, making the two men feel slightly worried.


    Because both of them were professionals in the field of forging, they knew if one wanted to create Life Essence, they needed at least a day but not three! That is why when they saw Khal was still inside the Safety Chamber even after three days, they couldn''t help but feel anxious.


    And because Safety Chambers possessed several arrays that stopped any sounds or vibrations to leak outside from the rooms, they didn''t even know what was happening inside, hence their worry only grew stronger with each passing hour.


    "What should we do? Shouldn''t we go inside?" Bazz couldn''t resist the urge to ask as Khal was slowly inside the room for four straight days!


    Chief Rou knew what Bazz tried to say, but just like Bazz, he was just as clueless about what to do as him. If they decided to enter the room, there was the possibility of disturbing Khal and causing him to fail immediately.


    However, what if Khal was truly in danger and he was inside the room waiting for their help only to die because they didn''t go inside? Just the thought of losing such a hidden gem like Khal made Chief Rou quickly decide and talk.


    "We will wait three more hours and if he still doesn''te out, we will go ins-."


    KA-BOOOM!!


    However, just as he could have finished talking, blinding light exploded from the Safety Chamber the very moment as the doors before them were exploded wide open, while a mysterious and ancient power began to leak out of the room that neither Bazz nor Chief Rou have ever seen before!


    "W-W-What is this? What happened?"


    Both men stood in one ce with stupified expressions as the only thing they were currently seeing was a mixture of ck and white glow shining from inside the Safety Chamber with an almost blinding light!


    However, not only they stared at this sight with stupified expressions, but everyone else inside Moon City and Moon Academy! All of them stood motionless on the streets or at the windows, staring at the thick pir of light in the distance with widened eyes that were filled with shock and disbelief!


    "Hm?"


    Somewhere far away from the city, inside a huge and luxurious-looking smithery, a well-built man stopped swinging his hammer and looked in a specific direction with narrowed eyes.


    After staring at one single point for several seconds straight without blinking, suddenly his eyes widened with rm and without any hesitation vanished from his spot!


    And it wasn''t only him who did this as there were several other individuals all around the Southern Continent that turned shocked and started to move toward Moon City with rapid speed, some even approaching Moon City from the Eastern and the Western Continent!

 Chapter 251 - Give That To Me!

    Everyone stared at the pir of light that pierced the clouds above with widened eyes, their bodies froze into one ce from shock.


    "What is happening here?"


    Suddenly several figures appeared out of thin air, all of them staring at the Safety Chamber that was filled with white and ck glow, almost akin to light and shadow!


    Bazz and Chief Rou wanted to turn their heads toward where the voice just came from, but suddenly a powerful shockwave broke forth from the room, causing them to protect themselves instead of talking!


    CRACK!


    Several deep and wide fissures appeared on the ground while the walls around them seemed to be on the verge of copse!


    "Why didn''t the Nullification Arrays activate yet?" Bazz covered his face with his hands as he asked.


    "Do you really believe those formations will activate on Essence Bursts?" Chief Rou quickly answered in a calm voice, but deep inside he was shocked and confused just as Bazz was.


    As far as he knew, an incident where the Safety Chamber''s arrays ceased to function never happened before, especially not when the thing causing all this chaos so far was nothing more but a simple Essence Burst!


    Although all the chambers contained only a fewplex arrays, all of them possessed aplicated but basic array, the Nullification Array, which should activate on its own when some kind of strong energy, such as an Essence Burst, appears that couldn''t be controlled or contained appeared.


    However, there was this very low possibility where the array won''t activate, and that only happens in one case; when the power that went out of control was so strong that it couldn''t be nullified by any normal means any longer!


    .


    And it seemed this was exactly the case right now. Whatever happened inside just now, Khal did something that no one has ever done before, resulting in a strong Essence Burst to be created, one that was able to copse an entire department with ease!


    Just thinking about what would happen if instead of an Essence Burst something else would emerge made Chief Rou feel his abdomen turn slightly numb!


    TREMBLE!!


    "Not good!" Both Chief Rou and Bazz watched as the cracks on the ground and walls spread like spider webs, indicating it was only a matter of time before the entire department copsed, burying everyone, including them alive below tons of debris!


    "Seal!"


    However, just as things seemed to turn to the worst and the two men were ready to act in the hope to stop the nearing catastrophe, suddenly a feminine voice appeared from behind them.


    Whoosh!


    Immediately after that, the room''s entrance and its interior were engulfed with blue light that gradually turned solid, trapping the chaotic energy inside at once!


    "Miss Scarlett!"


    Both Bazz and Chief Rou turned to look at Scarlett''s figure next to Jas, Logan, Raffin, and all the other teachers.


    Jas looked at the now sealed room that was crammed with the still turbulent Essence Burst with a serious expression, and without turning his gaze away he asked, "What is happening here? How did this happen?"


    Bazz and Chief Rou nced at each other before quickly taking a deep breath and exining everything that just happened.


    Once they reached the end of their story, everyone around looked shocked, hardly believing that Khal has truly attempted to create Life Essence with only a few months of experience.


    Although they were not professional cksmiths, they had enough knowledge to know that what Khal did was simply suicide!


    Of course, they thought like this because they weren''t told about Khal''s ''Hidden Talent'', so it was only a natural reaction.


    "Is he still inside? Is he okay?" Connor asked the two from Jas'' side, which at everyone turned silent and stared at Bazz and Chief Rou, waiting for their answer keenly.


    "We d-"


    "EVERYONE GETAWAY! NOW!" suddenly Scarlett''s loud voice echoed in everyone''s ears, shocking and confusing many at the same time.


    However, because all of them were powerful experts that went through hundreds of life and death situations, they all knew that right now something was certainly amiss and they will definitely die if they won''t move right at that instant! Thus without a second thought, they did exactly what they were just told and vanished from their spot.


    And in the very moment as they did, Scarlett''s power cracked and broke into thousands of fragments while the terrifying power that umted inside the room broke out, breaking the department''s walls down together with a few buildings in the distance with rtive ease!


    BOOOM!


    TREMBLE!!


    Several buildings copsed into chunks of stone and debris while the ground in several hundreds of meters radius formed fissures that were deeper than a mile for sure!


    "T-This..." everyone turned speechless by the level of destruction that just happened.


    Even Jas and Logan looked stupified but quickly turned to look at the others on their sides with serious faces and started to talk urgently.


    "Quick! Go and search the surrounding area and see if there is any wounded that needs help!"


    "Yes!"


    Almost simultaneously all the experts have vanished from their spot in search of injured or those that needed help, while Jas, Logan, Bazz, and Chief Rou remained in one ce, staring at the huge crater where the cksmithing Department once stood.


    "Cough... Cough... That... That was close..."


    While the four were standing in silence as though they waited for something, slowly a figure started to walk out of the smoke in the crater.


    "He is alive? But how?"


    Bazz and everyone else seemed to be at a loss for words, but shortly they became happy as they realized that Khal indeed seeded in surviving in some miraculous way!


    Thus, all of them were ready to go and see if he needed help or not, when suddenly the space not far away from them twisted before a big crack formed in thin air and a man walked through it with a strict and seriousplexion.


    Everyone, including Khal, stared at the man in confusion, wondering what he wanted or wished to do, but they got their answers rather quickly.


    After walking through the space crack the man nced at Khal,pletely ignoring the scenery around him, before slowly shifting his gaze at the cube in Khal''s hand that emitted an ancient and powerful aura.


    "Impossible... How can this even be possible?" the man murmured in a low voice while his eyes shed with surprised glint, but soon they turned sharp again and pointed at Khal.


    "You! Give that to me, now!"

 Chapter 252 - Two Against One!

    Khal stood still in one ce once he heard the man''s words, but soon shifted his gaze at the cube in his grasp before shaking his head.


    "I think that will be impossible to do. This is mine and not yours." with that said Khal didn''t hesitate and tossed the half white and half ck cube into his spatial ring, immediately avoiding unexpected events that could bring him to lose the cube he just created.


    The man''splexion seeing Khal''s arrogant behavior instantly fumed with anger and was ready to act, but suddenly several figures appeared before Khal, halting his steps once and for all!


    "Old Lyron, don''t you think it''s rather rude to take away things from your juniors much less from a stranger? Don''t you feel a bit shameless?" Logan''s calm and clear voice sounded in the air.


    The man who was just called Lyron stopped moving and stared at Logan, Jas, and the others before Khal with a deep frown, his thoughts currently unknown.


    Only after a whileter did he took a step back and ask, but this time his body was leaking a suffocating presence that shocked even someone like Logan!


    "Oh? You sessfully reached the Ninth Stage? Impressive indeed." Loganplimented Lyron, but his figure didn''t show any sign of fear or flinch and held his stance as firmly as an immovable mountain.


    .


    What''s more, he too started to leak his Cultivation Base just to reduce the pressure from the others!


    ''...''


    Everyone watched with awe as two top experts fought each other just only with their presence alone, which as a result formed powerful shockwaves and ripples in the air, sending debris and chunks of huge rocks from the ground into the surroundings!


    "Don''t force me to fight Logan or you will regret it! I just want that iron and I will be gone right away! We don''t need to shed unnecessary blood here and you know this too!"


    Logan heard Lyron''s words but still remained unmoved and even smiled, "Unfortunately, you havee here unnecessarily. Neither I nor anyone here will give you that iron no matter what. We all know just what that piece of metal is and we are no fools to throw away such an opportunity!"


    When Lyron heard this his body trembled from another surge of anger but quickly calmed down before his mouth grew into a terrifying smile.


    "I see, so you still keep a grudge against me because I didn''t help you. Then how about this? If you promise to help me acquire that cube from that kid I will forge you the weapon you wished me to create in the past and even help you find he-"


    "Even if you promise me to sell your soul for me, I would still be unwilling to ept your support." Logan quickly interrupted Lyron with an ice-cold expression, causing silence to descend onto the surroundings once again.


    Only after several secondster did Logan smile again, and continue talking.


    "Though, to think one of the Golden Genius who is considered a humble and calm individual by many... You truly have shown your true colors now, huh? Not only did you fail to do what a junior was capable of under a few mere months of practice, but you even attempted to hurt and rob him under my and everyone else''s watch!"


    "You are truly just as pathetic as ever..."


    Lyron trembled from Logan''s words as he felt humiliated by the fact that he waspared with a mere kid, thus quickly waved his hand and summoned a weapon into his grasp.


    It was a hammer, its''s handle alone almost as big as an entire human arm! Its head was twice if not thrice the size of a chuck of brick-like silver metal which surface was engraved with several golden symbols, giving it a mysterious and unique feeling.


    "Oh? Do you really think your Sky Cracker truly can help you here?" Logan raised a brow and his body immediately exploded with mes that burnt with frenzy and were darker than the abyss itself!


    "You two should stop fighting right at this moment. This is not a battlefield nor a ce for your quarrel! If you continue to behave like this the"


    "Then what?" Lyron suddenly cut into Jas'' words, his gaze firm and hisposure unmoved.


    "What do you wish to do with your weak Cultivation Base geezer? Try to fight me? Ha! Howughable!"


    Everyone was shocked by Lyron calling Jas like that and they subconsciously shifted their gaze at Jas to see his reaction.


    However, to their surprise, he looked just as nonchnt as before and even smiled calmly.


    "Interesting. You not only came and caused a ruckus by trying to rob one of my students in my territory, but you even offended me. Then let me not be polite any longer..."


    After Jas''s words fell, another presence simr to Lyron and Logan broke forth, creating another powerful ripple in the air!


    "Ninth Stage Cultivator! Principal Jas seeded in reaching the Ninth Stage!"


    All experts behind Jas and everyone else around that watched the sight unfold stared at Jas with cked jaws. Though, their shock was short-lived as soon they became happy that Moon City had another Ninth Stage Cultivator after such a long time!


    ''...''


    Lyron stared at Jas with a deep frown, but because he was the one causing all of this he knew he could no longer back away from this. However, not like he would if he had the chance, as the piece of iron Khal possessed was something that was a priceless treasure and was thought to be only a legend.


    Hence, no matter if he had to kill hundreds, destroy cities and separate the earth, he will do everything in his power to acquire it!


    "I see, so that is how it is." Lyron''s gaze turned sharp and without thinking about anything else he swung his hammer, causing the surrounding space around its head to twist and turn!


    BOOM!


    "This is all? I thought the Sky Cracker is stronger than this." Logan said with a sigh of disappointment while his sword was pushed against the hammer, seemingly without any effort!


    "Yo-"


    BAM!


    "Why are you dozing off? It''s two against one not one against one." Jas'' voice sounded from the side while his fist mmed into Lyron''s face a secondter, sending his body flying down into the ground that cracked and shaped into a deep pit below his body thanks to the impact!

 Chapter 253 - Thunder Cell Body

    Smoke arose and debris flew everywhere the moment Lyron''s body mmed into the ground, shaking the entire surrounding akin to a slight earthquake!


    "Old Lyron, didn''t you be rather weak through the years? You were much stronger than this." Logan sighed with disappointment while Jas appeared on his side with the same nonchnt look.


    Rumble!


    From below the pile of rocks, Lyron''s figure emerged, a small trail of blood flowing down at the corner of his mouth thanks to the previous punch from Jas.


    "I see, so you want to y like this, huh? Then I will dly y along with the two of you!" Lyron wiped the blood off from his mouth and his body appeared before Logan in the very next instant, his hammer raised high above his head ready to strike!


    ''...''


    Logan just merely nced at the descending hammer before him before he raised his sword once again to deflect it just like previously.


    "You never learn when ites tob-, eh?"


    .


    Logan was ready to deflect Lyron''s weapon in the exact same manner as he did earlier and let Jas punch him again, when suddenly his eyes widened, and swung his sword to protect his side.


    And just a millisecondter he did, a massive force akin to a bull with thousands if not millions of strength mmed into his sword, sending him flying into the distance like a shooting star.


    "To think you can defend against my Sky Cracker with your physical strength alone, you must really be a fool!" Lyron snorted, thinking what Logan tried to do was arrogant.


    However, not even a secondter as he said that, a ck sh appeared in the distance before it exploded into Lyron akin to a ck meteorite!


    BOOM!


    "Now that was a real strike!" Logan smiled widely while his sword covered in abyss ck mes was pressing down onto Lyron''s hammer with extreme power!


    Lyron gritted his teeth under Logan''s attack, feeling as though he was resisting against not a sword but an entire mountain that emitted insane heat that no ordinary mes were able to emit!


    "To think you are not even trying hard and you are this strong... You are just as terrifying as ever!" Lyron groaned in a low voice, but soon raised his other hand to his side and summoned another hammer.


    It was the exact same size as the one in his other, but with the sole exception that it was ck in color, while the symbols carved onto its surface were crimson red.


    "Earth Crusher!" Lyron roared as though he tried to shake the heavens, and with an arm swing that felt like he could demolish even mountains, he hit Logan from the side.


    BAM!


    "!?"


    Or at least tried to, but just as his Earth Crusher could have broken Logan''s interior into a mess, a palm appeared from the side that was covered in a blue glove that emitted an ancient frosty aura.


    "Stay out of this old geezer! This is none of your business!" Lyron roared as he quickly pulled back both of his hammers and with a quick spin kicked at Jas'' head.


    "None of my business?" Jas asked with a slightly raised brow before he raised his hand, protecting the side of his head with rtive ease and causing a powerful ripple to fly through the air!


    BAM!


    "I think it''s more than my business," said Jas in a calm voice, and before Lyron could have to respond he grabbed his ankle and with a quick pull smashed his other fist into Lyron''s face, sending his body flying once again!


    "YOU!!!" after the punch in his face for the second time, Lyron exploded with rage, and without caring about a thing in the world, he started to attack both Jas and Logan at the same time.


    In the meantime, while shockwaves and chunks of rocks and debris flew everywhere, Khal and everyone else distanced themselves in fear of getting caught in the crossfire and dying for no special reason.


    Of course, Scarlett made sure to use her Talent and create arge barrier around the area where the three battled to protect the citizens and the students of Moon City and Moon Academy, but because she was low in Cultivation Base it was quite hard for her to use her power nonstop.


    "If this goes on, I can only keep my barrier only for five minutes at most!" Scarlett said with a nonchnt face, but it was obvious from the forming sweat on her forehead that she tried her best.


    "Five? That won''t do." Chief Rou shook his head.


    He and everyone present knew that in a battle five minutes was a huge amount of time, but only when the power differences were vast. However, even though it was two against one currently, there were no power differences between the two sides!


    Although Lyron was punched, kicked, hit, and mmed into the ground or by weapons multiple times, he always jumped back to his feet and continued to fight as though nothing happened!


    Not only that, but his speed, reaction time, and his strength never got slower or weaker but instead became faster and stronger, gradually closing the gap between his and his enemies!


    "Maybe he is not as skilled in the field ofbat as Logan or Jas, his Talent makes up for that more than enough." Chief Rou talked as he started at three fightings in the air.


    "His Talent? Why, what can his Talent do?" Khal quickly asked.


    "Thunder Cell Body. A body-type Talent that is capable of adjusting to almost anything, improve under pressure while also making the body possess nearly inexhaustible stamina!" Chief Rou exined and quickly continued, "Of course, maybe his Talent seems powerful and unbeatable at first nce, but it has its weakness too just like everything else in this world."


    "For example?" Khal asked, his interest piqued.


    "Well, just like during forging, if you temper a metal for too much or too long, it can lose significant parts that could determine if you seed to create that metal''s Spirit or Life Essence in the future! Or even worse, you can even damage the Soul Threads inside them, creating nothing but trash!"


    Khal immediately realized the meaning and widened his eyes before he asked, "So you say his Talent is like a double-edged sword that can strengthen him, cripple him or even kill him!?"


    "Yes, just like that." Chief Rou nodded, his face holding gravity.

 Chapter 254 - Life And Death Sword

    Khal remained silent after hearing Chief Rou''s exnation, and nced at Lyron in the sky, who still fought with Logan and Jas with obvious signs of his strength improving each second.


    However, after staring at the man for several seconds in silence, Khal just shrugged and thought to himself, ''It''s none of my business. He brought this trouble onto himself, not me.''


    Khal knew whatever was about to happen with Lyron was none of his business, thus was ready to leave and help those around Moon Academy that was in truly trouble because of him, but suddenly several figures appeared in the sky and distance, making his steps to halt abruptly.


    "Who the hell are they?" Khal narrowed his eyes as he stared at the crowd in the distance, but soon his eyes widened as all of them began to move toward his direction with visible hostility!


    "The hell?! Why are theying after me now?" Khal looked shocked as he didn''t understand why he was targeted even though he just hid his forged iron in his spatial ring.


    [If you think a mere spatial ring can disguise the presence of a God Essence, especially those stronger than you in Cultivation Base and years of experience, then you are thinking naively.]


    Hearing Nova''s voice in his head Khal frowned and asked quickly, "Then what should I do? I hope you don''t wish me to fight against all those experts alone, especially here. That is just too much to ask for."


    .


    Although he once beat close to a hundred Cultivators all alone, it was against people below the Fifth Stage. However, right now the amount that came after him not only was thrice if not four times more than previously, but the weakest among them were on the Seventh Cultivation Stage while the strongest ones were just like Lyron, they were all on the Ninth Cultivation Stage!


    Fighting so many experts all alone even with his improved Cultivation Traits, was something he could currently not do no matter what.


    Obviously, this sight caught many eyes, including Chief Rou and Bazz, whoseplexion immediately changed and turned toward Khal to tell him to run, but to their surprise, he was long gone from his spot.


    "Where did he go?" both men looked at each other in confusion as they didn''t notice Khal''s disappearance at all even though he just stood a meter away from them a second ago.


    However, one didn''t have to be a genius to know that the direction where Khal went was toward Moon Mountain as every cultivator that just appeared continued to fly or run toward that direction with rapid speed.


    "Tsk... Now my golden chance has truly swum away just like that." Lyron clicked his tongue in a mixture of dissatisfaction and anger, and after deflecting another strike from Logan he turned around, ready to chase after Khal just like the others.


    "Where do you think you are going?" Jas'' voice sounded and soon a first mmed into Lyron''s back, sending his body flying through the air which came to an abrupt halt right after it crashed into Scarlett''s barrier in the distance.


    After his m, without turning to look at Logan Jas waved his hand and said, "Go and help him. I will take care of this guy here."


    Logan remained silent for a while, but after seeing that the crowd of cultivators that chased Khal was getting further and further away he couldn''t help but nod and vanish from his spot like a ghost.


    Meanwhile, Lyron stood onto his feet with a rather angry face, his body slowly leaking a dangerous aura together with the intent of kill!


    Seeing this, Jas took a quick nce at the damaged surroundings and the people in Moon City that looked in this direction with worried and afraid expressions, before he sighed and shook his head inwardly.


    ''Although it was not entirely his fault that all of this is happening, he is still the main source of this catastrophe. Once everything is settled and calmed down, I will make sure to teach him a few lessons." thought Jas before his figure flickered in the air and threw a punch forward that cleanlynded on Lyron''s face once again.


    BOOM!


    TREMBLE!!


    In the meantime, Khal has already reached Moon Mountain thanks to his Secret Art, his improved speed, and a tremendous amount of Body Essence.


    However, strangely enough, when he reached the foot of the mountain, instead of continuing to run he stopped using his Secret Art and took out the half white and half ck cube from his spatial ring.


    After thinking for a while, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he took out a small pebble from his storage ring and put it above the iron cube.


    "Improve my Power Core Holder ability."


    [That will be 5,000 units of Body Essence, leaving you with only 1382 units. Are you sure?]


    "Yes."


    [I see. Then as you wish.]


    In the very next instant, Khal felt as a huge portion of his Essence flowed into his bracelet, evolving Nova even further, while the bracelet itself changed once again, bing thicker and a bit longer on his arm while an additional hole appeared next to the previous four.


    [You have improved Power Core Holder ability. If you want to further strengthen it, you will need 10,000 Body Essence!]


    Khal nodded after hearing Nova''s voice and without hesitation dropped the pebble in his grasp which immediately melted into the iron cube.


    [Notify! ''Core'' detected!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    Instantly, just like always, Khal felt his hand stuck onto the iron''s surface while his Essence surged into it like a raging river, helping to form the Power Core inside it.


    However, because this time it was not a normal Power Core as previously but one that was created from God Essence, Khal noticed that the amount of Body Essence that was needed was a lot more too.


    Out of his 1,383 units, 1,000 vanished in just a few seconds, and just as Khal thought that this amount will continue to increase luckily it didn''t, and exactly at 1,200 units, it stopped decreasing.


    [''God Essence'' depleted!]


    [Enough ''Body Essence'' used!]


    [Creation process seeded!]


    [''Power Core'' Life and Death Sword created!]


    Cling!


    Although he felt surprised and confused why his Power Core was called that way, Khal quickly picked the small shining pebble up from the ground and ced it into the empty slot inside his bracelet.


    [''Power Core: Life and Death Sword'' detected!]


    [''Power Core: Life and Death'' obtained...]


    [Starting ''Fusion''...]


    Swish!


    In a sh, Khal felt a familiar but much stronger energy sweep through his body, while several ck and white lights started to swirl below his skin with the thickness of human veins!


    And after a secondter...


    [''Fusion''pleted!]


    [''Seventh Stage: Life and Death Sword'' active!]

 Chapter 255 - No Mercy

    While Nova''s voice sounded in his mind, several figures appeared around Khal, surrounding him from all sides, cutting all of his chance off from escape.


    "You really thought you will outrun us with your low cultivation base, huh? You really are a naive kid!"


    One of the men that caught up with Khal and stood on the very front stared at Khal coldly, his grasp tightly holding a longsword that was made out of some kind of yellow material and emitted a powerful presence.


    "We don''t want to cause you trouble, kid, so be a good boy and give us the God Iron now. I promise you won''t regret it if you do." the man with the sword smiled, even taking a step forward to show he was ready to attack Khal if he didn''t give him what he wanted.


    Khal however didn''t look nervous nor was he in a hurry to move, but simply nced around to see just how many cultivators were currently surrounding him.


    ''Fifty-seven? That''s quite a lot. But....'' Khal thought for a second before he turned to look at the man again and smiled before tossing the cube, that now lost all of its previous God Essence, in his hand to the man.


    "Sure. Here, you can have it."


    The man quickly grabbed the half white and half ck cube with his free hand before lowering his gaze to inspecting it with a big smile on his face.


    However, it was not long before his smile froze and his fingers tightened around the cube, smashing it into hundreds of pieces.


    "I see, so you are trying to be funny, huh? Well, whatever... I have asked you nicely to hand the God Iron over but it seems it was not enough. Then I will kill you and take it away from your corpse myself!"


    The man snorted and raised his weapon high above his head with the intent of shing down with tremendous power!


    ''...''


    Khal watching as the man and many around him withdrew their weapons and were ready to attack him sighed and raised his hand.


    "Ster Domain, Open!"


    BAM!


    "Huh? A Domain? He has a Domain-type Talent?"


    A lot of cultivators nced around their proximity with widened eyes, watching as their surroundings suddenly were reced with an infinite amount of colorful stars,s, and cosmos in the distance!


    "Wait, why is this domain seem so familiar?" one of the cultivator''s voice that was filled with confusion sounded, but soon a shocked gasp could be heard, "Wait a damn minute! Isn''t this the kid who almost won against that powerful Fifth Stage Cultivator during the Thousand Life Tournament? What was his name again?"


    Many frowned when they heard this, but it wasn''t long before another cultivator''s voice sounded, "I know! He is that kid, Khal Nevio, the one that everyone belived was a Summoner!"


    "Yeah, now you say it, he is indeed him." almost everyone nodded when they realized it was indeed Khal.


    However, shortly after they did, theirplexion became confused.


    "But why is he already on the Seventh Cultivation Stage? Wasn''t he only on the Fourth Cultivation Stage during the tournament?"


    This question caused many to realize this problem and stare at Khal like some kind of stranger, but soon all smiled as though they realized something.


    "Haha, so that''s how it is! He must have used some powerful pill to give the illusion he has already reached the Seventh Cultivation Stage! Damn, my heart almost stopped there just now!"


    In the cultivation world, it was not a rare sight to see cultivators use pills or other powerful herbs to give others the feeling they wore strong, but in truth, they were not.


    And because back at the Thousand Life Tournament, where Khal was just only at the Fourth Cultivation Stage, it was not a surprise that others would think that Khal had used such a pill. In their head, no one was capable of reaching the Sixth Cultivation Stage from the Fourth Stage just a bit more than a month, much less the Seventh Cultivation Stage!


    The man with the longsword grinned as he started at Khal andughed, "Haha, you really do have a death wish, don''t you? Well, let me fulfill your wish then!"


    The man immediately moved and swung his weapon at Khal who still stood in one ce, his face as calm as an ancient pond.


    "Die!" the man roared, and his sword appeared right next to Khal''s neck, ready to sever Khal''s head right off from his body!


    However, just as the sight of Khal''s head flying into the air could have happened, Khal moved his arm causing the surrounding universe to spin with insane speed.


    "Bleargh!"


    Cultivators on and below the Eight Cultivation Stage staggered a few steps to the sides with their hands clenching their faces in pain. Meanwhile, those below them in strength coughed up huge amounts of blood and fell unconscious without the chance of knowing what just happened with them.


    As for the man who attacked Khal, because he was on the Ninth Cultivation Stage, he just frowned slightly before he proceeded on swinging his weapon, targeting Khal''s neck just as fast as before!


    Khal watching as his Ster Domain didn''t work against a Ninth Stage Cultivator seemed to be dissatisfied a bit, but s, he quickly activated his Heaven''s Eyes and used his Secret Art to get behind the man.


    Swish!


    "!?"


    However, just as he could have used his Essence-covered fist to strike the man, Khal suddenly noticed as the man has already spun around, his sword already before his face!


    ''So this the speed of a Ninth Stage Cultivator? Truly terrifying!'' Khal thought and quickly jumped backward, barely avoiding the sword from cutting his body into two!


    "I got you now!"


    "Hm?"


    Just as his feet touched the ground, Khal watched with shock as one of the Cultivators regained their senses even though his Ster Domain was still present, while several small daggers flew toward him that seemed pretty fast even with his Heaven''s Eyes.


    ng!


    Khal was ready to use his Devil Fang to deflect the assault, but just as he was about to raise his sword suddenly a figure appeared before him while abyss ck mes appeared out of thin air, turning the daggers to turn into nothing more but ash!


    "Logan?" Khal was slightly disappointed to see Logan standing before him as he wanted to at least test his newly acquired power after deflecting those daggers, but s, he couldn''tin too much.


    His enemy this time was not an ordinary cultivator with a weak cultivation base, but one that was on the Ninth Cultivation Stage while several on the Eighth and Seventh Stage were around him too.


    Also, he was no fool to think he could have won alone as he was barely in advantage against someone that didn''t even use their full strength, much less their Talent, thus he quickly sighed with relief that Logan came to help him.


    Though, the following sight quickly froze him up as suddenly Logan swung his sword and in the very next second all the cultivators below the Ninth Stage were engulfed with abyss ck mes, instantly burning their bodies away!

 Chapter 256 - Flame Armor

    After turning almost ny percent of the cultivators present into nothing but ash, Logan calmly turned to look at Khal and with a nonchnt look, asked, "I see, you are doing perfectly fine. That''s good to see, but..."


    Squinting his eyes, Logan pondered for a while before his brows lowered into a tight frown.


    "What?" Khal asked Logan as he noticed his strange gaze on his skin even after a whole minute. However, Logan decided not to answer his question but turn back around and nce at the few cultivators before him with a nonchnt look.


    "I will give all three of you one final chance. Go away now or you will end up just like the rest."


    The few cultivators, to be exact three, that was all on the Ninth Cultivation Stage nced at each other, seemingly hesitant about what they should do.


    .


    Although they wished to obtain the iron that formed its God Essence, they were no fool to sacrifice their lives for it as what they could even do with it if they were dead? Well, nothing of course.


    However, God Iron was not something everyone can see or possess much less create. In fact, the veryst time one made a God Iron was several hundred years ago, and ever since then, no one was able to create one not even close!


    Yet, right now, a boy who didn''t even look older than 19 created a God Iron with god knows what kind of trick and it was something that was hard to believe!


    Legends say that with a single God Iron, one could create a heaven-defying weapon or an almost indestructible set of armor! But there was also a slight chance where one could consume the God Essence from the iron, causing both of their cultivation base and physical strength to undergo never seen growth!


    Thus, because knowing all of these things, the three were in a deep dilemma about what they should do.


    Should they do everything in their powers to acquire the God Iron even if it meant to sacrifice themselves or they should retreat helplessly?


    Time passed away silently, and after several minutes all three cultivators'' eyes turned sharp before all of them clutched their weapons even more tightly than before.


    "I can''t call myself a man anymore if I run away and let this chance slip out of my hand! I will get that God Iron no matter what!" said the man with the longsword, his face holding a pair of dead serious eyes.


    "Me too! If we work together there is no way he can stop us." said the one on the left.


    "Yeah, it''s three against one. Even if count that brat in, we should take care of this matter with ease!"ughed the third cultivator on the right, seemingly confident.


    Logan and Khal stared at the three in silence, before Logan smiled coldly and said, "I see, you three are pretty confident in your powers. Then let me see just how strong you are!"


    BAM!


    Immediately as his voice fell, abyss ck mes exploded from Logan''s body before they quickly shrunk in size, forming ck armor!


    ''Armor made out of his mes? How can that even protect him from attacks?'' Khal raised his brow in confusion.


    The three cultivators thought the same, but because they didn''t want to waste any more time they raised their weapons and vanished from their spot before reappearing around Logan, attacking him from three different directions!


    "Die!"


    All three cultivators swung their weapons, one targeting Logan''s head from above, one targeting his chest from the left while thest went for his waist from the right!


    Each attack was seemed tremendously precise, ready to pierce and sh Logan''s brain, heart, and abdomen with one single strike!


    In Khal''s eyes, all three attacks were extremely fast, to the point where even his Heaven''s Eyes were incapable to keep track of their trajectory!


    Yet, under such scary assaults, Logan remained motionless, his sword still lowered next to his body.


    However, the next sight caused not just Khal, but the three cultivators that attacked Logan to open their eyes wide while their jaws dropped below their knees from pure shock!


    Just as the three weapons could have pierced Logan''s body and killing him on the spot, the moment they reached the mes on his body, the abyss mes began to spread on the weapon''s surface, melting the weapons away under a split second!


    "What?" Khal looked surprised and realized Logan''s me armor was way more powerful than any steel armor and made him wonder if he could do the same with his Hell ze or not.


    Though, the scene didn''t stop with the weapons melting away as the ck mes continued to spread forth, ready to engulf the three cultivators and burning their bodies away into ash!


    "Not good!"


    Out of the three cultivators, only one was fast enough to react in time, letting his sword''s hilt go a split second faster, but the remaining two was not that lucky. Just as they could have let go of their weapons, the mes have already reached the tip of their fingers and from there, there was nothing to stop them.


    Just like what happened to the weapons, the two cultivators'' body was engulfed with the abyss ck mes before their bodies quickly got scorched away into nothing more but a pile of ash!


    When Khal and the remaining cultivator saw this sight theirplexion stiffened and stared at Logan as though he was a monster!


    "What is the matter? Didn''t you just say you will take the God Iron no matter what will happen? Then do it quickly and attack me ." Logan said calmly, even showing a boringplexion almost as if he was about to fall asleep.


    Others would think the way he just talked and acted was rather arrogant, but after what happened it was not, not even a tiny bit!


    The cultivator looked at Logan with seriousness. He knew that he could not win this fight no matter what thus lowered his handspletely and closed his eyes.


    "Damn, this sucks!" the man sighed quietly and was ready to surrender, but just as he opened his mouth to talk, suddenly a sharp pain pierced his chest, causing blood to flow out of his mouth right away!


    "!?"

 Chapter 257 - Lifeforce Stealing

    The man nced at Khal with eyes filled with disbelief before he slowly lowered his gaze at the sword that was cleanly cut through his chest, piercing his heart with razor-like precision.


    "You... Wha-, bleargh!" the man tried to say something, but in the middle of his sentence blood gushed out of his mouth before life went out of his eyes and his body went limp.


    Even though he was a Ninth Stage Cultivator, everything happened so fast and suddenly that he was unable to react in time, and was killed by a boy who was two stages below him!


    Dying in such a way, the man''sst feeling was only regretting as he shouldn''t have lowered his guard even though he wished to surround.


    "Why did you kill him? He was obviously about to surrender." Logan frowned as he watched Khal pull out his strange sword from the man''s chest, painting the surroundings with dark red blood.


    It was a well-designed longsword, about 1.5 meters in length.. However, what was its most eye-catching trait was not its design or color but the material it was made out of. It looked like it was carved out of ordinary wood, but because of its metallic luster and its half ck and half white color, it was definitely not made out of wood for sure, or at least that''s what Logan believed.


    ''...''


    Logan frowned even deeper when he noticed that Khal didn''t move nor answer him even after several seconds, thus calmly walked next to him and asked, "Hey, are you ok-"


    "!?"


    Swish!


    Without even finishing his sentence, Logan quickly jumped away, and just as he did, the white side of the sword in Khal''s grasp exploded with white light destroying the ground a few meters around Khal in a sh!


    BOOM!


    "What is happening here?" Logan looked shocked as he watched the white light engulf Khal before melting into his body bit by bit.


    ''What a nice feeling. It''s almost as though I am sitting in a hot spring! I feel so refreshed!'' Khal thought to himself and closed his eyes to savor the sensation all over his body.


    [Lifeforce has been sessfully stolen. Your lifespan has increased by 65 years!]


    "...Eh?" Khal''s eyes snapped open immediately the moment he heard Nova''s voice in his head.


    ''Lifeforce stolen? Lifespan increased by 65?'' Khal felt confused as he didn''t understand the current happenings, but soon everything was exined by Nova.


    [Your Life and Death Sword is capable of stealing others'' life force, turning them into yours.]


    ''Lifeforce stealing? Do you mean until I have this sword and kill people with it, I can have basically an infinite amount of lifespan?'' Khal asked Nova with deep shock.


    [Yes. But that doesn''t mean you will be Immortal as your physical and spiritual body is far from away from it.]


    ''I know, but still... To think such an absurd power can truly exist... I still can hardly believe that this is what a Power Core will be created from God Essence. This is simply ridiculous!''


    While Khal stared at the longsword in his hand with a stupified expression, the dead cultivator''s body before his feet gradually began to wither away like a nt under the scorching sun!


    In the meantime, Logan watched Khal and the cultivator''s withering away body with aplicated gaze before his eyes shifted at the longsword in Khal''s hand.


    "That sword... Just what kind of weapon is that?"


    Logan knew that the longsword in Khal''s possession was no ordinary sword, but as he could only guess what could have happened he just sighed and walked next to Khal once again.


    This time, Khal however noticed Logan''s approach and quickly unsummoned his Life and Death Sword.


    "We should head back. Jas is still fighting with Old Lyron." Logan said calmly, acting as though nothing has happened a few moments ago.


    Khal quickly nodded and let Logan teleport themselves back to Moon Academy, but the following sight shocked both of them deeply.


    In the middle of the huge crater which was formed after the explosion that Khal''s ident created, Jas stood calmly next to Lyron''s lying body, his chest heaving up and down rapidly as an obvious sign of exhaustion.


    "You... are finally back... You can''t even imagine just how hard it was for me to keep the barrier up with you gone. " Scarlett sighed with relief once she noticed Logan on her side.


    Logan nced at Scarlett on his side, who seemed to be just as exhausted as Jas. He knew it was no small feat for her to keep her barrier under control under two Ninth Stage Cultivators'' rapid attacks, this quickly took out a green pill from his spatial ring and handed it over to her.


    "Here, eat this. It will replenish your strength in no time at all."


    Scarlett looking at the pill nodded and after thanking Logan for his help she quickly took the pill away before tossing it into her mouth and gulping it down.


    "Let''s go," Logan said after that, and even before waiting for Khal to respond, he descended into the crater where Jas and Lyron were.


    Jas, who still stood motionlessly next to Lyron, noticing as Logan finally came back with Khal perfectly fine looked happy, but soon turned serious again and nced down at Lyron.


    "Even though you are a genius cksmith, it does not mean you can do whatever you want. Not only did you try to rob one of my students under my watch and in my city, but you even attempted to attack him and force him to give you what originally was not yours. I hope you are ready to bear the consequences of your actions."


    Lyron opened his tightly shut eyelids slightly and tried to say something, but because his jaw was dislocated by Jas, he was unable to let out a single word. The only thing that came out of his mouth was a huge amount of blood and nothing else!


    "What is going on here? I only go away for a while and this is what I need to see when Ie back? This is uneptable! Bring me the one who did this or everyone here shall be punished ording to the organization''s rules!"


    A loud voice that sounded akin to thunder sounded from the skies after a small while, causing Khal and everyone else to raise their heads, only to see a man floating in the air with arms crossed before his chest.


    ''Who is he? Why does he look so familiar to me?'' Khal pondered with a slight frown, but it wasn''t long before his eyes widened with realization.


    ''I know! It''s Elder Elex, the head of Moon City''s Cultivators'' Organization!'' thought Khal, and watched with a serious expression as Elder Elex slowly descended from the sky, hisplexion rather dark and stiff from anger.

 Chapter 258 - Punishment

    Elder Elex stared at everyone one by one with a strictplexion before shifting his gaze at Lyron''s lying figure on the ground.


    "I see, so that is what happened." Elder Elex nodded as he put the pieces together in his head.


    Walking next to Lyron, he took out a piece of small red paper from his spatial ring before cing it atop Lyron''s head, causing it to melt away and form a red symbol in the middle of his forehead.


    "You wille with me, but before that...." Elder Elex nced back at Jas and asked in a now much calmer tone of voice, "Can you exin to me how did all of this happen?"


    Jas nodded and quickly proceeded to exin everything that urred to Elder Elex, not daring to miss out on a single detail or part.


    Once he reached the end of his story, Jas remained silent with a nonchnt look. However, this couldn''t be told about Elder Elex as his eyes at the moment were wide open as though he just heard something impossible to believe.


    And after a while, he nced at Khal on the side and said, "Show me the iron."


    ''...''


    Khal however didn''t move and stood motionlessly as though he just didn''t hear what Elder Elex just said.


    This surprised many, and thought this disrespectful behavior of his will anger Elder Elex, but surprisingly it didn''t. Instead, it made him sigh and wave his hand calmly.


    "Don''t worry, I won''t take it away from you. I just simply want to take a look at it."


    However, even after that, Khal remained in one ce, his face void of any emotions. It seemed like he wasn''t affected by Elder Elex presence at all which was startling.


    But in truth, the reason why he was acting like this was not that he wished to be disrespectful or tried to act arrogant, but because he couldn''t show the God Iron to Elder Elex. Since he used the God Iron to create his Power Core, meaning he diminished its God Essence, turning it into an ordinary piece of iron, he couldn''t show it to him.


    Furthermore, the iron cube which previously was the legendary God Iron was destroyed by one of the cultivators that tried to obtain it, thus it was simply impossible for him to do what Elder Elex wished for.


    Staring at Khal in silence for several seconds, Elder Elex sighed and shook his head helplessly, "So that''s how it is... What a pity."


    After saying that, he didn''t care about the matter any longer and after exchanging a few more words with Jas and the others he grabbed Lyron and vanished from his spot.


    "You don''t have the God Iron, do you?" Logan asked immediately after Elder Elex vanished, surprising everyone else, including Jas around him in a sh.


    And their shock and confusion only grew bigger when Khal nodded calmly, revealing that Logan''s question was right.


    "What? Then where is it? Did someone take it away from you? If yes, then let''s go after him, I will help you get the God Iron back no matter what!" said Bazz and Chief Rou from the side, ready to run at any given moment.


    Khal looked at the two and everyone else who waited for him to talk in silence, seemingly in a deep dilemma about what he should say. He couldn''t just say he used the God Essence from the God Iron to create a Power Core, right?


    Logan instantly realized Khal''s problem thus nced at the rest and said, "There is no need to worry, no one stole the God Iron."


    "Then where is it? I can''t feel that rich and dense aura around him like the moment he held the God Iron previously." Connor said, causing the rest to nod in agreement and look at Logan with suspicion.


    Logan, however, just smiled and said, "It''s because Khal consumed its Essence, turning it into his own power."


    "What!?" both Bazz and Chief Rou cried out with shock, hardly believing what Logan just said.


    A few evenughed at what they just heard, but Logan simply nced at Khal and said calmly, "Show them your cultivation base."


    Khal first looked surprised because of what Logan just said, but as he thought about it a bit more, he seemed to realize what he was thinking thus quickly nodded and activated his Heaven''s Eyes.


    "S-Seventh Cultivation Stage? But how? Wasn''t he only at the bottom of Sixth Cultivation Stage during his fight with Logan?" Connor expressed his and everyone else''s shock aloud. They just couldn''t believe to their eyes.


    "Yes, he was." Logan nodded and proceeded to continue speaking, "However, after he consumed the God Iron''s Essence his cultivation base underwent huge growth as you can see. Now he is at the Seventh Cultivation Stage!"


    When he said those words, everyone remained silent, their faces holding deep and utter disbelief that Khal just consumed a God Iron''s Essence to increase his cultivation base by one.


    Especially Bazz and Chief Rou. In their eyes, what Khal just did was uneptable and foolish as who in their right mind would choose to consume such a priceless treasure''s Essence, instead of turning it into a heaven-defying weapon or armor?


    No one!


    Thus, they couldn''t help but feel the urge to go and p Khal near close to his death, but as Jas and the rest were present, they resisted this urge with a great deal.


    Once everyone calmed down and now finally believed that Khal has indeed consumed the God Iron''s Essence, everyone nced around the chaotic surroundings withplicated expressions.


    Jas seemed to know what they were thinking thus nced at Connor on his side and asked, "Any casualties?"


    "Luckily there were none, but there are more than a handful of wounded that are still waiting for treatment," Connor exined the situation to Jas.


    "I see, that is good to hear. Make sure they are treated well." Jas nodded before ncing at Khal and sighing, "As for you... Maybe you didn''t mean to cause this chaos on purpose, it would still be unfair if you didn''t get punished. Also, the amount of damage you have caused is more than I can overlook without a word. I hope you can understand this."


    Khal heard this and swallowed hard, but as he knew Jas was right he could only sigh and nod, willingly epting the punishment that will fall on him soon.

 Chapter 259 - Soul Petals

    Inside a small but spacious room, on top of a bed, a young man was sitting calmly in a lotus position, his eyes gently closed while his body was covered in a profound aura.


    Time passed in silence and after an unknown amount of time, the young man opened his eyes, revealing a pair of emerald green eyes that held nothing but calmness.


    [Congrattions, you have sessfully unsealed the path of Falling Stars!]


    Khal listened to Nova''s voice in silence before he closed his eyes once again and sighed deeply.


    So far a week has gone by since the ident he has caused, and since then he was doing nothing but helping to rebuild the cksmithing Department.


    Luckily, the process went quickly, and in just a few days of constant working a whole new department was built and he was able to continue his cultivation without a problem.


    So far, he was able to unseal five Essence Paths, umting his amount of unlocked paths to thirteen!


    "Nine more and I will have all my sealed Essence Paths unlocked," said Khal quietly, but he knew it will take him more than nine days to unseal all of his remaining Essence Paths.


    ''Even though it still takes me a few minutes toprehend the Essence Paths'' meaning and unlock them, it still gets harder and harder over time.. It looks I will have to increase my traits even more.''


    As Khal thought about this, he nced at his bracelet and checked his current Cultivation Quests.


    {Cultivation Quests}


    /Do 1000 push-ups/


    ? Done push-ups: 0/1000


    ~Contribution~


    ? +1 Physical Strength


    ? +2 Agility


    ---


    /Kill 200 Beasts above the Sixth Cultivation Stage/


    ? in Beasts: 0/200


    ~Contribution~


    ? +2 to every Cultivation Traits


    ---


    /Consume 5 Soul Petals/


    ? Consumed: 0/5


    ~Contribution~


    ? +2 Soul Strength


    Khal nced over the three quests and nodded. Just as he thought, since he reached the Seventh Stage the quests became even harder toplete but at the same time, the rewards he can acquire became better too.


    It was pretty obvious especially when he saw the third quest where he had to consume five soul petals.


    Soul Petals were petals of a so-called Soul Flower which was extremely hard to find, and even if one was lucky enough to find one it was not sure that a Soul Flower would grow a single petal!


    It was said that only after a hundred years did one Soul Petal grew, thus even a Soul Flower with a single petal could be sold for a tremendous amount of money, much less one with five!


    "I need to find not one but five? Under twenty-four hours it will be simply impossible." Khal mumbled with a frown.


    [Maybe, with normal means it is indeed an impossible task, but I know a perfect ce where you should find enough Soul Petals for your quest.]


    [However, it is a very dangerous ce where even the slightest mistake can mean your death. After knowing this, do you still wish to know where this ce is?]


    Khal listened to Nova''s voice in silence before he nodded and said, "Yeah, tell me."


    [I see, then let me tell yo-]


    Knock~knock!


    Just as Nova was about to start talking, suddenly someone knocked on the door, confusing Khal.


    "Just who could it be?" Khal asked from himself and stood up before walking to the door to open it.


    "Huh? Liza? Rubie? What are you guys doing here? Did something happen?" Khal asked Liza the moment he noticed she was the one standing before her, feeling extremely happy that she was doing perfectly.


    During the one week of his helping to rebuild the cksmithing Department, he got to learn that Jane has taken Liza away to help her in her cultivation, thus why she wasn''t present during the ident.


    Liza stood before Khal with a deep frown on her delicate face before looking at Khal from to bottom and asked, "Why are we here? What do you think why?"


    Khal could only smile bitterly at that before waving his hand, "Yeah. Well, about that, as you can see I am perfectly fine and everything has been taken care of, so you don''t have to worry. Instead, tell me, how was the trip with Jane?"


    "With Master? It was great, but exhausting." Liza started to tell the story as Khal let her inside and told him everything that happened in the short period while she was away with Jane.


    Time quickly passed, and after chatting with each other for hours, Liza told Khal she had to do a few more things thus after saying her goodbye she went away with Rubie still on her shoulder. It seems the two became really good friends and formed a great bond with each other since the start which made Khal smile.


    If he was not around, he could be at ease that Rubie will protect Liza and that is what he wanted.


    "Well then... Where was I?" Khal powdered before nodded and said, "Ah, yeah. The ce where I can find Soul Petals. So Nova, where is it?"


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere in the northern region of the Southern Continent, a vast wastnd almost akin to a desert was located, which was filled with several deep and long fissures almost everywhere the eye could see. There were a few fissures that were no deeper and longer than a few hundred meters, but there were also some which bottom and end were unseen!


    And exactly at the edge of this seemingly infinitely deep and long chasm, Khal was standing calmly, his hair and silver robe fluttering in the wind.


    Khal stared down at the ckness with a nonchnt look before asking, ''It should be somewhere here, right?''


    [Yes. Although it is a bit hard to pinpoint the exact location, I am pretty sure this is where the entrance will be.]


    [Now you just need to reach the bottom and find the seal.]


    Khal nodded when he heard this and without asking about anything more he jumped into the fissure, his hand already holding his Devil Fangs.

 Chapter 260 - Entering The Zero Realm

    Once Khal jumped into the unknown, he watched as the surroundings around him quickly turned darker and darker.


    Khal was free-falling about five minutes straight already, yet he still failed to touch the bottom with his feet.


    Naturally, he was not worried that he will die from falling as he had already summoned his armor around his body. Furthermore, his Physical Resistance was improved drastically thanks to him doing his quests daily, hence he was pretty sure he will be perfectly fine.


    "Just how deep this canyon truly is? It feels like I''m falling for an eternity!" Khal mumbled, but immediately as thest word left his mouth he felt as his feet finally touched something solid.


    BOOM!


    ''Okay, I am here. Now what?'' Khal asked Nova,pletely ignoring the fact that his fall just created a hundred meters deep and wide put, while he also just survived something that normal cultivators would be unable to.


    [You are close to the seal. If I am right, it should be just ahead..]


    Khal nodded and began to walk forward, but he made sure to remain vignt as Nova told him the ce he will enter will be filled with hundreds of dangers, thus he was ready to fight at any given moment!


    He even activated his Heaven''s Eyes and Bloodshed Touch beforehand to see if he could find anything in the dense darkness, but luckily, he found nothing.


    After walking for several minutes straight, Khal suddenly noticed a small, white marking on a small piece of rock ahead and immediately became happy. It seemed he has found the seal Nova was talking about.


    "Is this it, right? What should I do with it?"


    [Just go and pour a bit of your Essence into it. The rest will follow suit automatically.]


    Khal took a deep breath before he nodded and did just as Nova said. Grabbing the stone and pouring a bit of his Essence into the rock, Khal watched as the white symbol on its surface suddenly lit up like antern, before the whole ground around him started to shake like crazy as though an army of giants appeared and started to walk around him!


    "What is happening?" Khal instantly raised his weapon and nced around, but except for the violent tremor, he saw no danger at all.


    However, it wasn''t long before his eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of something emerging from the ground a few meters away from him, seemingly being a gate that looked rather old and rusty.


    "A gate?" Khal frowned and walked before the gate, which now entirely emerged, and took a better glimpse.


    [Gate? No, what you can see at the moment is a teleporter.]


    "A teleporter? To where?" Khal asked, his interest piqued immediately after he heard Nova''s voice.


    [To the Zero Realm.]


    "What? This piece of stone can summon the entrance into the Zero Realm?" Khal was shocked beyond belief and stared at the piece of rock with bewilderment.


    He already knew that there existed a total of six realms that almost every being knew about, while there existed a seventh realm, the Zero Realm, which was so hidden and mysterious that only a handful knew about and even a few of them knew how one could enter that realm.


    The book stated a few ces where Khal would have been able to enter the Zero Realm, but all of those were in ces where not even a Ninth Stage Cultivator could enter much less wander around freely until they found the entrance.


    However, the book never stated there is an entrance in a ce like this, which was shocking news. It seems that the book was not that all-knowing as it stated.


    [That piece of stone is, in fact, a Realm Key, thus I would rmend you not to y with it so recklessly. As for your answer, yes, it indeed can summon one of the infinite amounts of gates into the Zero Realm, but this one is a bit more than special than the rest of the entrances.]


    "Special? In what way?" Khal asked calmly.


    [As you may already know, if one finds a way to enter the Zero Realm, they will meet with existences stronger than those in the Sixth Realm.]


    [However, with this Realm Key, you will be capable of entering a region of a Zero Realm where the creatures will be only slightly stronger than a Ninth Stage Beast from the First Realm.]


    "I see. So, can I keep this Realm Key with me?" Khal asked quickly before he decided to enter through the gate.


    [Yes, you can. But if you wish to use it, you have toe back here and activate it around here or it will be nothing but a piece of rock.]


    "I see, thank you," Khal said and after tossing the realm key into his spatial ring he took a step forward and ced his palm atop the gate.


    Once his fingers got into contact with the rigid surface of the ancient-looking gate, Khal watched as the ground began to shook once again before the gate''s doors opened wide, revealing a swirling colorful vortex.


    Khal stared at the vortex with a nonchnt look before he took a deep breath and stepped inside the vortex, teleporting himself into somewhere new and unknown.


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, somewhere in an unknown dimension where the space seemed to be copsing, two old but muscr looking humanoid creatures, one with a pair of dragon wings on his back and one with a third eye in the middle of its forehead sat before each other while their gazes were fixed on a wooden table that seemed to be a chessboard.


    "Old Eye, did you know there was a ruckus in the lower realms not long ago?" asked the humanoid creature with the dragon wings, his eyes never leaving the chessboard, not even for a second.


    The creature with the third eye hearing the question grabbed a ck figure before him that looked akin to a spider and ced it before a white figure that looked like a humanoid fox.


    "Yeah, I heard about it."


    Hearing the brief response from his friend, the creature with dragon wings frowned and asked, "Do you think it was ''his'' doing? I mean, they say the light that pierced the first three realms was and felt simr to when ''he'' ascended from the First Realm."


    Old Eye remained silent before shaking his head and saying, "It was not ''him''. He already died when he challenged the Ancient Stairs into the Fourth Realm, so it was someone else."


    "Yeah, I was thinking the same." nodded the creature with a calm expression, then continued, "It would be a pain in the ass if that bastard reincarnated again after so many years. The higher realms would definitely be brought into pure chaos if he were toe back."


    "Yeah, I am pretty sure it would." Old Eye nodded calmly.


    And thus, after saying those words, the two remained silent, continuing to y their game with great concentration.

 Chapter 261 - Eternal Garden

    Once stepping inside the vortex, Khal watched as his sight was engulfed in a colorful light before the scenery around him changed, revealing a breathtakingly gorgeous sight.


    Emerald green grasnd filled with innumerable trees, flowers, bushes, and nts that differed in size and color while the sky above was azure blue with the sun was shining at the very peak with its warm and gentle light.


    Khal closed his eyes and took a deep breath from the fresh air, while he enjoyed the breeze that hit against his face ever so slightly.


    "This ce... So this is the Zero Realm, huh?"


    [Well, notpletely as this is only a separate space somewhere inside it, but yes, you can say that.]


    [However, if I were you I wouldn''t stand around aimlessly and waste my time enjoying the sight. An hour spent here is an entire day in the First Realm, so make sure to collect those Soul Petals as fast as you can.]


    .


    Khal opened his eyes after hearing what Nova said and without hesitation began to look around with his Heaven''s Eyes in search for Soul Flowers.


    As far as he could remember, Soul Flowers were a type of flower that represented roses, but the exception was that they were much smaller and had a color of blue. But thanks to the fact that only a single petal grew on them every hundred years, giving them a unique appearance, Khal was sure he will find at least one without a problem.


    "Though, this ce is just simply amazing. There are so many herbs, fruits, and nts here that could be used to create magical pills that it''s ridiculous. Anyone visiting this ce would be rich in no time at all for sure!" Khal moved with fast steps while picking up and tossing things akin to herbs and different nts into his spatial ring one by one.


    However, even after close to half an hour, he was incapable of finding a Soul Flower, which made his brows get lowered into a frown.


    "Hey, didn''t you tell me I will be able to find tons of Soul Flowers here? Then why can''t I find any at all?" Khal asked Nova while he continued to collect different herbs and nts from around him without stopping.


    [I said you will be able to find more here with better chances and not that this ce will be full of them. Soul Flowers are exceptionally rare, so it is obvious you will have to search for them even in a ce like this.]


    Khal remained silent after hearing that and as nothing came into his mind he just shook his head and continued to run around the ce.


    Minutes passed away slowly, yet Khal found nothing but herbs that he identified as High-Grade herbs thanks to his book.


    "Hm? A stone tablet?" As Khal ran around the ce, his eyes suddenly spotted a piece of stone b in the distance, this quickly went to check it out.


    "Eternal Garden? So this ce is called as Eternal Garden?" mumbled Khal before asked, "Hey, Nova. What ce is this Eternal Garden?"


    [Eternal Garden is a small portion of the Zero Realm, somewhere in a separate space which is only connected to the First Realm thus only those from the First Realm can enter this ce.]


    [As for what this ce is or how it was created in the first ce, that not even I know. It''s a huge mystery even for me, someone that reached and traveled the Sixth Realms millions of years ago.]


    "Then why did you say that it will be a dangerous ce for me? Even though I am here for almost an hour, I have yet to see a creature that could threaten my life."


    [Because you have yet to reach the deeper parts of the Eternal Garden, that''s why. The deeper and further you go inside the Eternal Garden, the rarer herbs and nts will you be able to collect, while also meeting with terrifying beasts that you have never seen in your entire life!]


    Khal seemed surprised when he heard this, as he could hardly believe that he was still far away from the center of this ce. Even though he did not run at full speed, he still ran quite fast and traveled hundreds of miles!


    Yet, even after that, he was told he was still far from the center! Was this ce truly a garden because Khal hardly doubted it.


    After a while, Khal just sighed deeply before shaking his head and turning around to continue his search.


    Time flew away once again, and after another hourter, Khal watched as the herbs and nts around him became richer and denser in both aura and look, while the air around him became more profound!


    "This is simply unbelievable! Just by breathing in the Essence Particles from the air, I can feel my strength growing in each second!" Khal widened his eyes as he watched his Talents getting stronger and stronger by the second.


    [You don''t need to feel surprised. If you sessfully reach the Higher Realms, this will be only a normal case for you. What''s more, if you are lucky enough, you can find a ce where your cultivation not only doubles or triples, but you will be able to consume World Essence too!"


    "World Essence? What is that?" Khal looked confused, but just as he could have gotten an answer his body froze motionless while cold sweat poured down his back in a sh.


    ''W-What was this feeling just now? It felt like my body had been cut in half from the abdomen a moment ago!'' as Khal didn''t dare to talk out loud, in fear someone or something would hear his voice, he decided to ask the question in his head, while his eyes scanned his surroundings with intense gazes.


    However, even after using both his Heaven''s Eyes and Bloodshed Touch to see what made him feel so dreadful, he saw nothing, not even a fly or ant! This made him feel even more worried as this was his very first time feeling so scared for no special reason.


    [It seems you have finally reached the border of one of their territories, so make sure to keep your guard up. Though, it would be much better if you could deactivate your Talents and remain Talentless, avoiding the possibility of getting found out.]


    "Their?" Khal raised the question quietly, but still did what Nova just said, and shut off his Talents immediately, causing his body to bepletely neutral, without any profound aura that would tell others that he, in fact, was a cultivator.

 Chapter 262 - Tenth Stage Beast

    Khal remained motionless, while his eyes moved from side to side to detect any movements. But luckily, his fear was short-lived, as even after five minutes, nothing seemed to appear to kill him.


    [Just rx. As I said, you have only entered their territories it''s not like they will try to attack you. Or at least until if you don''t try to go any deeper than this.]


    "Their? You have already said this before, so can you please tell me just who''s territory did I enter?" Khal asked calmly even though he had an idea.


    [They are beasts that seeded to surpass the Ninth Stage without surpassing their Realm, known as Realm Beasts. They are creatures above the Ninth Cultivation Stage, they are on the Tenth Stage!]


    ''...''


    .


    Khal remained silent as it seemed his hunch became reality.


    The book he got from the olddy talked about creatures with a terrifying power that surpassed even those on the Ninth Cultivation Stage, but as he was yet to hear about such a creature much less meet with one and see if it truly existed or not, he thought it was only theory.


    But it seemed it was not a theory and such creatures indeed existed!


    "Are these creatures... Exist in the first Realm too?" Khal asked Nova, curious to find out the answer.


    [Yes, they indeed exist, but they are so few you can easily count their numbers on your hands.]


    "I see... That''s a relief." Khal sighed with relief.


    Sometimeter, Khal looked around and asked, "So should I retreat? I have yet to find any Soul Flowers."


    [This ce isrge enough for you to search in other directions so go and try another way. Though, remember... Time here flows differently, so try not to waste your time.]


    Khal nodded and without hesitation turned around and decided to go and search for Soul Flowers in another area.


    However, not even after a few minutester, he felt as his body turned numb again, indicating he entered another beast''s territory. Thus, he quickly changed directions before continuing his way forward with quick strides.


    Khal ran with insane speed without using any Secret Arts, while changing directions almost every three or five miles.


    After another hour, when things seemed he will fail to find any Soul Flower, Khal was just about to stop searching and leave the Zero Realm when suddenly his eyes caught a glimpse of something in the distance which immediately caused his eyes to brighten like stars.


    "Soul Flower! And what''s more, it has not one or two, but 7 petals!" Khal felt extremely happy and went to pick it up without hesitation.


    Once he held it in his hand, he inspected it before tearing off five petals and throwing them inside his mouth.


    Immediately as he did that, he suddenly felt the urge to sit down and start cultivating, hence he did just like that.


    Once he was sitting in a lotus position, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the mysterious power in his body that emerged out of nowhere.


    Another hour passed in a blink of an eye, and soon Khal felt as something in his body exploded, causing his Cultivation Base to skyrocket in a sh!


    BAM!


    [Congrattions, you have sessfully consumed five Soul Petals.]


    [Your Soul Strength increased by 6!]


    Khal opened his eyes once he heard Nova''s voice and was surprised to see that everything in his eyes became much clearer and calmer than ever before.


    "Amazing. It feels like I am watching the world from apletely different angle." Khal mumbled as he stood up and nced around.


    And indeed, wherever he looked at seemed to be different before he consumed the five Soul Petals.


    After a whileter, Khal nced down at the Soul Flower that still had two petals on it, but knowing he should get out of this ce because of the lurking danger and the fact that time flowed differently there, he didn''t hesitate but grabbed the Realm Key from his spatial ring and poured a bit if his Essence into it.


    Tremble!!


    Once the gate appeared, Khal took a quick nce around him to see if there were any Soul Flowers or not, and only after making sure that there were none did step through it.


    Once he was back in the dark canyon, Khal put the Realm Key away and began to climb back to the surface which was a piece of cake for him thanks to his enhanced physical strength.


    -


    -


    -


    Days passed quickly, and Khal did nothing but increase his cultivation base and do quests, which further improved his strength. Just under a week, he surpassed the Seventh Cultivation Stage and became an Eight Stage Cultivator, known as a Divine Cultivator.


    The speed he was cultivating frightened even Khal himself, but deep inside he was more than happy to see this.


    He also made sure to unlock one sealed Essence Paths per day, which was child''s y with his strengthened Soul and Mental Strength. However after a week, for some strange reason, he hit a bottleneck which made him unable to unseal his twenty-first path.


    "Argh! I failed again!"


    Khal groaned with irritation as he opened his eyes, staring into thin air with a rather angeredplexion.


    "No matter what I try to do, something keeps me away fromprehending the meaning behind the sealed path. What should I do?" Khal asked Nova.


    [You can''t unseal the path because it needs exterior help. Trying toprehend its meaning alone will lead you nowhere, so try and think what could help you.]


    "Think about what? My current path is about this strange maze that is only made out of mirrors and if my reflection is broken, I will die too. What could possibly help... Me... Wait a second."


    Khal remained silent and after a while, suddenly his eyes brightened up, and quickly took out the thick book from his spatial ring and opened it.


    "Yeah, this could definitely help me." Khal smiled happily.

 Chapter 263 - Becoming A True Beast

    "Are you sure about this? That ce is much more dangerous than you believe it to be."


    Inside a spacious room, Jas was sitting behind his desk while he stared at the young man who stood before him with a calm gaze.


    "Yes, I have already decided about this. I only came here to tell you this." Khal nodded, hisplexion collected.


    Jas stared at Khal''s face for a pretty long time before closed his eyes and sighed.


    "I see, then I have nothing more to say. But at the very least, can you tell me what makes you travel to the Western Continent so urgently? Maybe we can help you."


    Khal nodded and told them how he hit a bottleneck with his cultivation and how he needed exterior help for him to unseal his Essence Path.


    .


    "Hmm... Yeah, it''s quite a troublesome situation indeed and I don''t think there is anything we can give you to make you unseal your path." Jas nodded with a pondering look.


    "I know, that is why I decided to go to the Western Continent. I found out that there is a region which could help me, so I will give it a try."


    Jas nced at Khal and nodded. He knew that Khal''s situation was veryplex which needed external aid at all costs or he will remain stuck at his current level without him having the chance to progress any further.


    Though, he also knew what kind of ce the Western Continent really was, thus why he was rather worried about his safety. But s, as Khal was no longer a disciple of Moon Academy, he had no choice but to shake his head helplessly and ept his decision.


    "Just make sure not to do anything reckless. Cultivators in the Western Continent are famous for their vicious and crazy nature, so try to avoid conflicts at all costs."


    "I will, thank you." Khal bowed with respect before turning around and leaving the room.


    Once the door was shut, Jas nced at Logan, who was sitting next to a window all this time, and asked, "Will you follow him?"


    Logan, who sat calmly on the side with his gaze fixed at the scenery outside shook his head.


    "I won''t. I am not his nanny or something like that. He has to experience the full cruelty of this world all by himself without others'' need of help. That''s what will make him be a great cultivator."


    "And you are not afraid he will die and make you lose the chance to see if his source of power has any connection with yours at all?" Jas asked calmly.


    Logan this time didn''t answer immediately and remained silent.


    Only after a whileter did he avert his gaze from the window and tilted his head backward, staring at the ceiling together ratherzily.


    "We already know the answer, don''t we? His bracelet has nothing to do with ''them''. Even if it has, it''s obvious he has no special connection with the creators so it does not matter for me what happens with him."


    Jas listened silently to what Logan said, and only after a whileter did he say, "Yeah, you are right. But still... If he does, that not only will be a huge loss for the Moon Sect in the Second Realm, but also all the humans in every Realm and you are perfectly clear of this fact too."


    Logan shifted his gaze at Jas and after pondering for a while sighed, "Okay... I will think about it."


    Meanwhile, Khal already went to meet with Liza, telling her he will be gone for a while.


    "What? You will go to the Western Continent? I wille too then!" Liza was ready to go and take her stuff from her room, but Khal stopped her just in time before she had the chance to open the space crack with her key.


    "No, you will stay here. You still have to be a Real Cultivator and concentrate on strengthening your Talents, so you will note with me." Khal talked with seriousness, his tone holding a kind of firmness that tolerated nothing but abidance.


    Liza was surprised to see and hear Khal talk like this, and as a fact, it caught her out of her guard, making her unable to talk for a rather long time.


    However, what she didn''t know was that the real reason why Khal made her stay was not that he wanted her to increase her strength, but because he feared he will fail to protect her in the ce where he goes.


    Even though he felt awful that he had to go so far away, leaving Liza behind under Jane''s, Rubie''s, and the Moon Academy''s protection was a much better choice than bringing her into the Western Continent where people killed each other on a daily basis, without receiving any punishment.


    Khal stared at Liza in silence for a while before he took out something from his spatial ring and handing them over to Liza.


    "Take this. It''s a Soul Flower. If you consume its petals your soul will get stronger. It will definitely help you when you will try toprehend your Essence Path."


    Liza nced at the blue flower that only had two petals and her eyes immediately widened with disbelief. She knew what a Soul Flower was and just how hard it was to find one, so she could hardly believe that Khal gave something so precious to her.


    But who would guess what would happen if she founds out that Khal has already eaten five petals and those two are only the remainings? She would certainly fall unconscious from pure shock, no question about that.


    "And as for you." Khal nced at Rubie before taking out several yellow pills that emitted a strong scent that was simr to strong Beasts.


    "Here, eat this." Khal threw ten pills at Rubie, who quickly flew into the air and swallowed all ten pills with ease.


    Bam!


    And once she did gulp down thest pill, her body exploded with great strength, while her cultivation base soared above the clouds like a rocket.


    "Schreeech!!"


    With a majestic cry, Rubie extended her wings wide before vanishing from the spot where she was and reappearing on Khal''s shoulder in the very next second without any signs!


    "She... She became a True Beast! She reached the Sixth Cultivation Stage!" Liza eximed out with awe, staring at Rubie on Khal''s shoulder with a loosened jaw.

 Chapter 264 - Traveling To The Western Continent

    Liza stared at Rubie with awe before her eyes quickly turned bright, her whole body emitting happiness.


    Since Khal made Rubie follow her, even though she felt a little bit annoyed by her at first, she quickly began to love and adore her and that is why she tried to make Rubie get stronger in every possible way.


    However, after letting her consume tons of Beast Essence, she failed to help her break her bottleneck and make her a True Beast, so seeing that Khal helped her made her feel delighted.


    Khal smiled too seeing this as he first didn''t expect such a result, but now that Rubie was much stronger, he didn''t fear Liza will be in danger while he was far away.


    "One more thing before I leave," Khal caressed Rubie''s soft body and then said, but now with a much-lowered tone of voice, "Make sure to avoid the Ourvi Family at all cost. I don''t know what they will try to do while I am away, but I am sure they n nothing good."


    He then exined how he and Liza were stalked by one of their men since Alde''s death, but since their time in the Fiery Grasnd, there was no news from them, thus why he felt like that something was not quite right and decided to warn Liza beforehand.


    Liza, however, after hearing what he said sneered coldly, "Even if you would offer me half of the world, I would still decide to kill myself than talk with them much less join them! What they did is unforgivable and once I have enough strength, I will make sure they regret their decision that night!"


    The way of firmness and ice-coldness that Liza talked with made Khal shake his head gently, but not because he thought what she wanted to do was ridiculous, but because even before she has the chance to do something, the Ourvi Family will bepletely annihted by him..


    "Anyways, just promise me you won''t do anything reckless," said Khal after a while.


    "Sure, I won''t. I promise." Liza nodded.


    After talking for a bit more, Khal bid farewell to Liza and walked away.


    "Well then, which route should I take?" Khal murmured in a low voice as he stared at a map in his hand which he bought even before he went to talk with Jas.


    "Even though I n to reach the Western Continent, I also intend to kill as many Beasts as I can and increase my strength on the way."


    After pondering for a while, Khal fixed his gaze at a specific route and nodded, "Yeah, this one will be perfect."


    And thus, without saying anything else Khal activated his Secret Art and vanished into the distance.


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a dense forest, two figures walked next to each other in a rxed manner, both wearing crimson robes that had golden fire symbols on them.


    The two walked for hours while chatting with each other happily, even killing Beast on the Seventh Cultivation Stage as though they were mere ants, when suddenly both halted their steps, theirplexion turning rather serious.


    "Did you feel it?" The guy that wielded a longsword asked his friend quietly.


    "Yeah." the other guy responded with a slow nod, his grip around his spear even tightening by the second.


    Both stood still for minutes, starting at their surroundings with raised guards when suddenly one of the bushes on their sides began to move, making the guy with the spear react first with lightning speed.


    "There you are!"


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    With a powerful trust that felt like it pierced the space, the guy stabbed his weapon in the direction where the movement came, blowing up a huge area that left behind nothing but a deep crater together with flying debris in the air.


    "Did I kill it?" the guy looked confused, but soon his face paled and turned around in a sh.


    ng!


    "Don''t lower your guard no matter what! It''s a Thunder Spirit!" the guy with the sword told his friend calmly, while he proceeded to swing his sword, which deflected the previous attack, targeting the creature that sat not far away from them on a tree''s branch.


    It was a small beast with a size of a human baby. It had an appearance of a squirrel but with the sole exception that its fur and body were made out of nothing but swirling and chaotic yellow thunder while its ws and teeth looked sharper than a razor!


    However, the most terrifying aspect was not its appearance but the aura it emitted. Just by giving it, a single nce made one realize that this small beast was by no means a weak creature as it emitted an aura that was close to the Ninth Cultivation Stage, meaning it was already at the peak of the Eighth Cultivation Stage!


    The Thunder Spirit stared at the nearing sword with its deep yellow eyes before it let out a thin but sharp cry and vanished from the spot where it was a moment ago.


    "Watch out!" the guy with the spear cried out with shock as he noticed the Thunder Spirit appear next to his friend, its long and pointed ws targeting his neck with terrifying speed.


    The guy''splexion that was attacked turned pale in a sh once seeing this as he knew that there was nothing he could do to stop the Thunder Spirit''s assault.


    ''Fuck!'' the guy cursed in his heart and closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to pierce his neck, but just as that could have happened a ck sh appeared out of thin air and pierced the Thunder Spirit''s body.


    Paff!


    "E...Eh? W-Who?" The guy who was about to meet his ancestors opened his eyes and stared at the Thunder Spirit on the ground thaty before his feet, nowpletely lifelessly.


    Even the guy with the spear looked confused as everything happened just way too fast, but before he had the chance to talk, a young man in a silver robe casually emerged from the shadows while his face held a calm smile.


    "I hope it was not a problem that I have interrupted your fight, right?" Khal asked calmly from the guy with the sword.

 Chapter 265 - Seashell City

    Khal walked out of the woods'' shadow with a rxed smile while he held his Devil Fangs in his hand withposure.


    "Who are you?" the guy with the spare raised his weapon, showing visible hostility toward Khal.


    "Oh? This is how you show gratitude for saving yours and your friend''s life?" Khal raised his eyebrow, but did nothing else at all.


    "Calm down Neal, he is not our enemy." the guy who was just saved by Khal stopped his friend, Neal, from attacking before ncing at Khal and asked with a friendly smile, "Can I know your name?"


    Khal was surprised by the guy''s calm and decent behavior, which was rare to see, but still smiled and said, "You can call me Khal."


    "Khal, I see." the guy nodded then bowed and said, "Then Khal, thank you very much for saving my life, I will definitely pay you back in the future. If it weren''t for you, I would be already lying on the ground in a pond of cold blood.


    "As for my friend...." the guy nced at Neal before sighing, "Please forgive his rudeness. He can hardly trust people for specific reasons."


    "Hey, Gar!" Neal eximed out with irritation, but once he saw Gar''s sharp and dead serious gaze, he knew he has to shut his mouth tight.


    Hence, once he realized his mistake, Neal lowered his spear and bowed gently too, but his eyes still held a kind of coldness toward Khal, telling him he was yet to trust him fully.


    Khal obviously noticed this, but as he knew Neal was not a threat for him he just simply ignored him before pointing at the Thunder Spirit''s body, which was gradually turning into Beast Essence.


    "I hope you don''t mind if I consume that."


    "Huh?" Gar nced at the Thunder Spirit''s corpse before waving his hand around quickly even taking several steps back.


    "Of course not! You have killed it so it is only natural for you to consume its Essence."


    "I see, thank you." Khal smiled and without saying anything else he quickly walked over and began to consume the Thunder Spirit''s Essence.


    The two guys seeing Khal''s carefree behavior looked at each other in silence, their confused thoughts apparent in both of their eyes.


    "Just who is this guy? Even though he is before the two of us, he acts as though we are nothing more but ants. Can''t he recognize that both of us are on the Seventh Cultivation Stage?" Neal asked his friend in a low voice.


    Gar nodded in silence, as he too felt it was strange. When Khal revealed himself after he saved his life, the very first thing he noticed was Khal''s cultivation base, which was non-existent!


    However, knowing that Khal was definitely not older than them, even a few years younger, he felt it was simply impossible for Khal to have a higher cultivation base even if he used some miraculous item or Talent to conceal his strength.


    "I don''t know either, but for some reason, his name feels familiar to me." Gar pondered loudly, and soon his eyes widened with shock, "Wait, Khal. Isn''t he the guy from the Thousand Life Tournament?"


    "Yeah, you are right!" nodded Neal, but soon frowned with confusion, "But at that time wasn''t the only at the Fourth Cultivation Stage? Howe he was able to kill the Thunder Spirit?"


    As that realization hit the two, both fell into silence, pondering just how could have Khal kill the Thunder Spirit so easily.


    However, what neither of the two knew was that even if Khal would have been on the First Cultivation Stage, with his Soul Piercer, killing the Thunder Spirit with a single hit would not pose him a problem at all. Even a creature on the Ninth Stage could do nothing but die helplessly if it were hit by one of his arrows.


    The two waited in silence for Khal to finish consuming the Essence, and it wasn''t long before Khal finally opened his eyes and stood up from the ground.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 18,674


    ? Beast Essence: 1,004


    ? Cultivation Grade: Divine Cultivator


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 37


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 33


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 34


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 36


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 31


    ¡ã Agility: 36


    ¡ã Speed: 33


    ''Not bad.''


    Khal couldn''t help but smile as he stared at his status, feeling happy that he became even stronger since he started his journey toward the Western Continent.


    It has been an entire week since he left Moon City, and ever since then he did nothing butplete his quests daily while also turning almost 90% of his consumed Beast Essences into his Body Essence.


    Of course, he did daily necessities such as eating and sleeping day-to-day as he came across several cities on his way where he could, but most of the time he concentrated on getting stronger.


    Right now, even though he was just only at the Eight Cultivation Stage, there was hardly anyone who could threaten his life!


    After taking one final nce at his status Khal turned to look at the two before him and asked, "Where do you guys head to?"


    "We are currently heading to Seashell City," replied Gar calmly.


    "You guys too? What a coincidence." Khal smiled calmly.


    "Yeah. We have a mission there we have toplete, so we are heading there all the way from zing Dragon City." Gar said, his sword no longer in his hand as he understood that Khal was not hostile toward them.


    "zing Dragon City? Isn''t it on the very other side of the Southern Continent?" Khal widened his eyes with shock.


    Gar however nodded, and with a bittersweet smile said, "Unfortunately, it is."


    "Then since how long are you guys traveling?" Khal asked with curiosity, but the answer caught himpletely out of his guard.


    "Exactly for a month so far."


    Khal remained silent, staring at the two before him with a pondering look, trying to figure out just what kind of mission could have they ept that required them to travel all the way to Seashell City from the other side of the Southern Continent.

 Chapter 266 - Teleportation Array

    "If you don''t mind me asking, why do you n to go to Seashell City?" asked Gar calmly, "If I am correct, you are from Moon City, right? Do you have a mission there too?"


    Khal shook his head and said, "No, I don''t have."


    "Then why are you traveling from such a distant ce to Seashell City, especially alone?"


    "I n to go to the Western Continent. And because the only ce which could help me get there is in Seashell City, I had no choice but to go there," replied Khal while began to walk together with Gar and Neal following him.


    "What? The Western Continent? Why?" Neal expressed his shock and awe, not quite understanding why someone like Khal decided to go to such a dangerous ce like the Western Continent.


    "I have reached a bottleneck in my cultivation and the only thing that can help me is in that ce."


    Gar and Neil looked at each other once they heard the answer, their confusion growing even deeper than before.


    After a whileter, Gar turned to look at Khal and once he took a deep breath he asked, "If I am not being rude, what is your cultivation base?"


    Neal nced at Khal with curiosity as he too was interested in the answer.. Knowing that Khal was only at the Fourth Cultivation Stage during the tournament yet now he was able to kill a Thunder Spirit as easily as lifting his finger, he was more than eager to hear his answer.


    Khal however just merely smiled and waved his hand.


    Swish!


    Immediately after he did that, Gar and Neal watched as their surroundings vanished and what reced them was an infinite cosmos filled with uncountable stars,s, and gxies!


    "T-this... Impossible!" Neal couldn''t help but blurt out his thoughts, staring at Khal like a ghost.


    Right now, Khal''s body was emitting a powerful presence that only those on the Eighth Cultivation Stage had!


    "It''s real... He is truly on the Right Cultivation Stage!" Gar mumbled with shock and couldn''t help but feel as his back got soaked with cold sweat once he realized that if Khal wanted to, he could have easily killed them numerous times already!


    Even Neal looked pale while deep inside, he thanked the gods above that he didn''t act recklessly when he wanted to attack Khal.


    If he decided to attack him, he was pretty sure he would have died under a single second while putting his friend''s life into danger which was thest thing he wanted to do!


    Seeing theirplexions, Khal shook his head gently and waved his hand once again, causing the infinite cosmos from the surroundings to vanish at once.


    When the pressure finally vanished from their bodies, the two finally were able to breathe properly as though their necks had been just freed from a tight grip.


    "This guy is just way too scary," mumbled Neal as he massaged his neck as though he was just choked.


    Gar nodded and nced at Khal''s back, pondering just how was he able to reach such heights under such a minuscule amount of time.


    The three proceeded to walk forward in silence while killing creatures on their way that luckily were weaker than the Thunder Spirit from before. However, because the two guys now feared Khal because of his superior cultivation Base, they let him consume all the Essence without anyint.


    Khal felt a little bit strange because of this, but because Gar and Neal refused to consume the Essence even after he told them to do so, he decided not to be polite any longer and consumed them all.


    Thus, his 1,004 units of Body Essence grew once again, rising all the way to 1,143 units until they finally reached Seashell City.


    "And we are finally here." Khal grinned merrily as he looked at the huge city wall before him.


    Entering the city, Khal turned around and said, "Well, it seems this is where we have to separate our ways. It was fun traveling together."


    Gar and Neal nodded and after thanking Khal again that he saved their lives they bid their farewell and walked away.


    Meanwhile, Khal didn''t immediately go to find the teleportation point where he will be able to enter the Western Continent, but decided to find a ce where he could refill his empty stomach.


    After finishing his meal, which cost him three Gold Coins, Khal walked to the center of the city, where a huge, circr construction was built.


    It was made out of metal and white marble, while on its surface numerous andplex carvings were visible, glowing with gently white light.


    ''So this is a Teleportation Array, huh?'' Khal thought calmly.


    [Pathetic.]


    Khal was caught off from his guard when he heard Nova''s cold sneer in his head and asked, ''Pathetic? Why?''


    [You really ask that question even after ready about arrays from that book? Just take a closer look! Teleportation arrays are extremely easy to form, yet they made it look soplicated for no reason!]


    [Such a huge waste...]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent, unknown what to say at that statement.


    Easy to form? Of course, for someone that lived for thousands of years and came from the Sixth Realm, such an array was easy to create, but for cultivators in the First Realm was not.


    If it were, then there wouldn''t be a total of ten teleportation arrays on this, but more!


    This, Khal could do nothing but shake his head helplessly and walk toward the teleportation array, where a guard d in silver armor was calmly standing with a somewhat bored face.


    "I would like to go to use the teleportation array," Khal said the very moment he was before the guard.


    The guard, however, only gave Khal a quick and boring nce before averting his gaze.


    "It will be a thousand Gold Coins, kid."


    "Sure." Khal nodded and quickly took out a pouch which was filled with a thousand Gold Coins.


    "Huh? What?" the guard looked perplexed when Khal took out the amount he told him, but quickly snapped out of his daze and said, now with a wide grin on his face, "Oh, did I just say a thousand? Haha, sorry kid, I wanted to say two thousand."

 Chapter 267 - Taught Him A Lesson

    Khal frowned when he heard the guard suddenly change the prize, but soon smiled and asked, "Is that so?"


    "Yeah, I am really sorry. The price used to be a thousand, but it was increased to two thousand Gold Coins. I hope you can understand this, kid." the guard grinned widely, obviously trying to scam Khal into paying more than the original fee.


    "I see, then I guess I have no choice." Khal sighed and lowered his hand as though he was ready to take out more money.


    The guard''s smile seeing this widened even more.


    ''Haha! What a fool! To think earning money would be this ea-"


    BAM!


    The guard felt extremely happy, but just as he was about to finish his line of thought, a sudden force pierced his chest before his entire body was sted away like a cannonball, causing the entire armor to be destroyed into thousands of pieces if not more!


    BOOM!


    .


    "Bleargh!"


    Exploding into the side of a building with a force that broke several ribs upon impact, the guard fell on his knees while blood began to gush out of his mouth like a fountain.


    "Y-You... How... Dare you!" the guard gritted his teeth together firmly before he raised his gaze at Khal with anger.


    However, the moment his eyes met with Khal''s, his whole being turned stiff, almost as though he was just frozen motionless.


    "Oh, my lord... How can this be even possible?" the guard felt cold sweat soak his back while his body began to tremble unconsciously.


    Right now, Khal was emitting a powerful presence that the guard has never seen nor felt ever before.


    Though, it was not a surprise at all as the guard lived his almost entire life next to the Teleportation Array as he was only on the Fifth Cultivation Stage, three whole stages below Khal!


    Thus, if Khal wanted to, he could have easily crushed the guard with a simple flick of his finger, and that is why the guard was so scared as he offended someone he shouldn''t have.


    While the guard remained still on the ground with a pale face, suddenly a loud voice came from the side.


    "Who dares to cause a ruckus here?"


    A man wearing ocean blue armor appeared on the side together with several silver armored guards, his gaze firm as he looked at Khal before averting his gaze at the guard that was punched away a moment ago.


    Seeing the pathetic shape and look of one of his men, the man frowned and asked deeply, "What is happening here?"


    "S-Sir! I-" the guard was about to speak, but the man in the blue armor raised his hand and shook his head.


    "I didn''t ask you. You can exin everything by yourself soon, but not yet."


    The guard immediately shut his mouth and remained silent, while the man nodded and fixed his gaze at Khal.


    "So? Wish to tell me why did you attack one of my men? I hope you know if you don''t give me a proper answer, I can behead you right here and now?"


    And soon, the man released his cultivation base, filling the surroundings with an invisible force that was no weaker than Khal''s, maybe even stronger than his!


    ''Peak Divine Cultivator? Interesting.'' Khal smiled calmly before he shrugged and said, "I just wished to use the Teleportation Array, but when he told me I should pay two thousand Gold Coins, which is more than two folds of the original price, so I decided to teach him a lesson. Next time at least he won''t try to trick people and risk his life by offending someone he shouldn''t."


    The guards and the spectators around were left speechless once Khal finished talking, feeling as though they were just hallucinating.


    Although what he said was true, that two thousand Gold Coins were more than twice as much as it initially would be, it didn''t mean he should go and beat the guard up!


    Khal was, of course, well aware of this, but he didn''t care at all. Just who knows how many people did this guard trick and scam during his life, thus why he decided to teach him a little lesson that wasn''t even that severe.


    Rather, he should feel grateful for him that the one he tried to trick was him as if it would have been any other powerful cultivator with a much worst temper, that guy would be dead a long time ago if not crippled for sure!


    Khal remained silent after telling the man, who stood not far away from him with a deep and troubled frown, the truth, and waited patiently.


    Sometimeter, the man nced at the guard among the debris, and with a low voice that carried an invisible force that could squeeze one''s heart, asked, "Is this true?"


    The guard feeling a suffocating presence descend onto his body began to sweat profusely and couldn''t do anything else but nod.


    "Y-Yes... I-It is indeed... True..."


    "What?"


    Many around the guard looked dumbfounded, not expecting that one of theirpanions, who they trusted before, was such a despicable being.


    "So that is why he was always inviting us for meals every night! To think he was such a shameless man!"


    "I can hardly believe I was a friend with someone like him. Ptui!"


    "Yeah, me too. I am ashamed of myself for just knowing him!"


    Several guards and cultivators looked sickened and angry, all expressing their disgust by spitting, cursing, or sneering coldly at the guard, who already lowered his head in embarrassment and guilt.


    "I see, so that is how it is. What a shame..." the man in blue armor nodded and after shaking his head helplessly he turned to look at Khal and bowed deeply, his body no longer emitting his aura.


    "It was my fault for not noticing such a severe and wicked behavior, which not only puts disgrace on my name, but also on the entire Seashell City''s reputation! I hope you can forgive me and him, and let uspensate you with something in exchange."


    Khal hearing this couldn''t help but smile slightly before turning serious once again and asking, "Sure. And how do you exactly n to do so?"

 Chapter 268 - Western Continent

    The man looked happy that Khal was not the type to hold grudges thus bowed even deeper before straightening his back.


    "I have quite a few things in my mind at the moment, but before that, please let me introduce myself."


    Then, the man put his right hand above his heart and tilted his head a little bit down in a respected manner.


    "My name is Danhe Maygor and I am currently the leader of the Blue Shell Corps in Seashell City. As there is no Cultivators'' Association in our city, I was given the responsibility to monitor everything inside this city and protect the citizens from danger."


    Listening to what Danhe talked about, Khal nodded calmly without saying a single word and waited for Danhe to continue speaking.


    Danhe seeing that Khal showed no reaction at all as though he heard nothing shocking at all couldn''t help but admire him slightly before waving his hand and summoning an orange card which he extended toward Khal with respect.


    Khal took a quick nce at the orange card with a slightly raised brow before shifting his gaze at Danhe, seemingly confused about what that card was.


    .


    Danhe noticed this change, hence why he quickly smiled and said, "This is called a Border Pass. With this, you will be able to travel among continents and cities without restrictions or limitations, meaning you can travel as many times as you wish without paying a single coin."


    "Furthermore, from this moment on, if you ever need something, you can always find me here, in Seashell City," said Danhe and handed the golden card to Khal.


    Khal epted the card with a nonchnt nod, but deep inside he felt joy.


    "I see, thank you," said Khal after a moment of silence and nced at the teleportation array on the side


    "Then I will use this pass right away."


    "Sure. Please follow me then."


    Danhe then led Khal onto the tform where he made him stand in the very center before taking out a purple crystal from his spatial ring and smashing it into purple powder.


    "Then, I hope the next time we meet each other, such an incident won''t happen again," Danhe said, and without hesitation dropped the purple powder from his hand onto the carvings.


    Swish!


    In a sh, the carvings on the tform lit up with purple light before it enveloped Khal''s body, teleporting him away without any mishaps.


    Once Khal was teleported away, Danhe shook his head helplessly before his face turned deadly serious and turned to look at the guard on the ground.


    "As for you. I hope you are well aware of what will happen with you now."


    "S-Sir... I just..." the guard tried toe up with an excuse that could save him from his demise, but s, no matter what he said, he was dragged away like a criminal by the rest of the guards and Danhe.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere else, in the center of a city that looked no different than the rest on the Southern Continent, a tform simr to the one in Seashell City lit up with purple light before Khal walked out of it with a calm expression.


    "So this is the western continent, huh?" Khal inhaled from the fresh air through his nose and smiled.


    However,?just as he was about to leave the tform, suddenly several people in ck armor appeared before him, each pointing the tip of their weapons at him with a stiffplexion.


    "Hm?"


    Khal raised his brow when he saw this, but as he noticed that each cultivator before him was no stronger than those on the Seventh Cultivation Stage he just shook his head and sighed.


    "And now what?"


    While Khal remained still, wondering why he was greeted in such a fashion, a woman in a long crimson dress that looked rather luxurious, walked to the front, her slender fingers holding a golden fan before her face, only revealing her pair of sky blue eyes that seemed particrly enchanting for some reason.


    "What is your name kid?" the woman asked in a low, but crystal clear voice as she mysteriously gazed at Khal, her thoughts unknown.


    Khal seeing the woman frowned slightly and asked, "Shouldn''t one introduce oneself before asking for others'' names?"


    When the woman heard Khal''s question her pretty eyes widened scarcely, even shing with surprise by how calm Khal acted even though he was surrounded by numerous powerful cultivators.


    "The audacity! If you dare to speak so disrespectfully before Madam Rose ever again, I swear I will cut your hea-" one of the men that pointed their weapons were about to warn Khal to behave, but just as he could have finished talking, suddenly a low chuckle was heard from the side, halting his words abruptly.


    "Haha! You are indeed interesting. Just as he told me." the woman called Madam Rose began tough, and with style she closed her fan, revealing a smile that could easily start wars between nations.


    Khal seeing Madam Rose''s strange and unexpected behavior frowned even deeper and waited patiently to see what will happen.


    And to his and everyone else''s surprise, Madam Rose grabbed both sides of her dress and after gently raising them she bent her knees and bowed with grace.


    "Please forgive my manners and let me introduce myself properly. My name is Rose Kenmer, head of the Kenmer Family. I came here to make sure it was you who she was talking about, but it seems it is indeed you, Khal Nevio."


    "She?" Khal now felt even confused than before, not understanding just who Madam Rose was talking about and how she knew who he was.


    Madam Rose seemed to read his thoughts thus quickly ordered her men to lower their weapons before saying with a warm smile, "I don''t want to confuse you any further neither spoil your surprise, so I hope you will follow me back. I promise you will definitely not regret it if you do."

 Chapter 269 - Shock!

    After the unexpected encounter with Madam Rose, Khal decided to follow her and see what that surprise she was talking about really was.


    Also, because she mentioned that someone was watching him from the shadows without him knowing it, which was quite a scary revtion, he was curious to see just who the individual was.


    Thus, Khal decided to follow Madam Rose while her guards surrounded them from all directions, akin to what bodyguards would do with famous people.


    Khal watched as they left the city and traveled several miles before arriving before this huge and open field which had a huge mansion in its very center and a dense forest that surrounded it from all directions.


    "Madam Rose, it''s a pleasure to see you back again." an old man wearing a butler uniform weed Madam Rose with a respected bow before his eyes, which looked surprisingly sharp and profound, nced at Khal.


    "He is our guest tonight. Please prepare a room for him." Madam Rose asked the butler calmly.


    .


    "Yes, as you wish." the butler bowed slightly and turned around to do what he was just told.


    As for Madam Rose, she looked at the guards and said, "You can go and leave us alone now."


    "Yes, Ma''am!" the guards saluted before they too turned around and walked away with hurried steps.


    "As for you. Follow me. She is waiting for you, let''s not make her wait any longer." Madam Rose said to Khal with a mysterious smile before turning back around and continuing to walk toward the entrance of the mansion.


    Khal followed Madam Rose into the mansion, and to his no surprise, the interior was just as luxurious as its exterior. A spacious hall with expensive-looking paintings on the white jade walls, while crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling that was filled with different ores such as gold, silver, bronze, emerald, and diamond, which represented different images.


    Khal was left speechless upon seeing the breathtaking sight as this was his very first time seeing such a luxurious mansion in his entire life. There were even statues on the sides that were made out of jade and gold, each of them wearing different armors or dresses that looked nothing but unimaginably costly!


    Madam Rose seeing Khal''s reaction just smiled calmly and said, "Follow me. The fun only begins now."


    Then she led Khal into a huge living room which was as big as one''s garden, and stepped to the side.


    "I have brought him as you have asked."


    When Khal walked into the room, the very first thing he noticed was not the surrounding scenery but the individual that sat on a long andfy-looking sofa that was seated not far away from the firece.


    Because the individual was sitting with her back toward them, it was hard to figure out who the person was, but for some strange reason, Khal felt this uneasiness in his heart when he looked at the woman.


    And this nervousness only became stronger when the woman put down the teacup from her hand onto the ss table and stood up, letting some of her long brown hair fall over her shoulder akin to a waterfall.


    "So we finally meet again... Khal." the woman began to talk and turned around slowly.


    "You!" Khal''s pupils immediately shrunk to that of the size of a needle, his body starting to tremble uncontrobly from the shock.


    The one before him was no one else, but the one he thought he could never see ever again, Miss Mary, who should be dead and not alive!


    Miss Mary smiled when she saw Khal''s reaction and walked before him, standing exactly a meter away from him and looking at him with a calm smile on her still beautiful face.


    "You have indeed grown so much. I can''t tell you just how proud I am of you two."


    Khal however didn''t hear what she just said as he was still under shock.


    "B-But how? I saw you getting killed with my two eyes! Your head was cut off and you died!" he tried to find an exnation for all the current happenings, but no matter how hard he tried to think, he couldn''te up with any.


    Miss Mary however just smiled and said, "That was merely my puppet. The one that you saw getting killed was only my Talent, a hologram."


    "A hologram?" Khal asked with a deep frown.


    Miss Mary nodded and waved her hand, immediately summoning a figure before herself, that looked just like her!


    "My Talent is called Holograph Creation. With my Talent, I can create and duplicate anyone or anything whichter on I can control freely until it''s either destroyed or got unsummoned by me."


    She then waved her hand gently, causing the hologram to transfer into a second Khal that looked exactly as the original!


    "Hologram Creation?" Khal was shocked beyond belief as he watched his second self before him that looked nothing like a hologram but a real, living being!


    He even touched it and to his surprise, it felt perfectly real, almost as though he was touching not a lifeless puppet but himself instead!


    "But... Why?" Khal asked Miss Mary while watching her unsummoning her hologram.


    "Why?" Miss Mary smiled and pointed at Khal''s wrist before saying, "Because of that."


    "Because of... This?" Khal raised his brow and nced at the bracelet on his wrist.


    "Yes, because of that artifact. Or to be more specific, because of the person that gave you that artifact." Miss Mary said as she walked back to the sofa and motioned for the two behind her to follow her.


    Khal did just like that, and with Madam Rose, he sat down before Miss Mary who raised her cup and sipped from it.


    After drinking from the warm tea, she lowered her hands and gently leaned back into the sofa while crossing her slender legs that could easily attract any men''s attention.


    Not even Khal was able to resist stealing a few nces at Miss Mary and admire her figure before looking at her in the eyes and waiting for her to start speaking.


    And just as he thought, Miss Mary indeed began to speak.


    "So Khal... Do you wish to learn more about that artifact that altered your entire life?"

 Chapter 270 - The Bracelet’s Origin

    "You mean, you know where this thing came from originally?" Khal asked Miss Mary with disbelief.


    "Well, you can say that, yeah." Miss Mary smiled and continued, "Although we still have a lot of things to understand and discover, from the numerous records we have found throughout the years we got to learn that bracelet was once a powerful relic, a heaven-defying artifact called the Core Collector which was created by an ancient Sect known as the Skybreakers."


    "The... Skybreakers?" Khal raised his brow as he has never heard about such a faction before.


    "I know what you are thinking. Howe you have never heard about them if they had such a powerful thing such as that bracelet, right? Well, the answer is rather simple. They were never cultivators of our Realm, that is why."


    "What should that even mean?" Khal asked..


    "It means, the Skybreakers never lived in the First Realm, but existed in a higher Realm instead, in the Realm of Gods or its another name in the Fifth Realm!"


    "The Fifth Realm? The Skybreakers were really that strong that they were able to reach such heights?" asked Khal with disbelief, but soon frowned, realizing something was wrong.


    "Wait... Why did you say ''were''? Are they no longer in the Fifth Realm or what?"


    And to his surprise, Miss Mary nodded as an answer.


    "Seemingly, the Skybreakers were wiped out by a different race by unknown means, or at least that''s what we got to learn from the records we have found."


    "They were wiped out? Even though they had this artifact? Impossible." Khal looked startled as he was the most aware of just how ridiculously powerful his bracelet truly was.


    The bracelet was simply so heaven-defying, that it could make the weakest person invincible under days, much less a scary race that resided in the Fifth Realm!


    "Yes, we were thinking the same, but it is how it is."


    After Khal heard this he remained silent and soon raised his head before asking, "Then howe the bracelet is now in my possession? How did it get into our Realm all the way from the Fifth Realm? Also, where did you get to learn all of this knowledge?"


    Hearing Khal''s rapid questioning, Miss Mary just simply smiled and said calmly while taking a sip from her tea, "Calm down. I will exin everything clearly."


    Then, she began to exin everything she knew to Khal.


    Time passed quickly, and hours flew by in a sh. After about two to three hours of straight-talking, Miss Mary finally stopped speaking and let Khal, who was a long time ago at a loss of words, digest all the information she just told him.


    Seconds became minutes, and after ten minutes of silence, Khal finally raised his head and asked Miss Mary, "So, you say, everything you have just told me was learned from this mysterious ce called the Sky Pce where everything is rted to the Skybreakers?"


    "Yes."


    "And that this ce is in a separate space that could be only essed with a special ''key'', which was once guarded by a Skybreaker, who in fact was the one that gave me the bracelet in the past, but because he died, you were able to get your hands on the key."


    "Exactly." nodded Miss Mary.


    [That must be a special Realm Key into the Zero Realm, just like the one that brought you into the Eternal Garden.]


    ''Yeah, I kind of figured that out already.'' said Khal to Nova, whose voice suddenly sounded in his head.


    After that, Khal looked at Miss Mary and asked, "How did the Skybreaker die? Did he die knowing you will get the key or not?"


    However, this time the one answering him was not Miss Mary, but Madam Rose who sat and listened from the side in silence all this time.


    "We don''t know how he died as everything happened way too fast for us to find out the real cause of his death, but he indeed gave us the key willingly, but with one request."


    "And that was?" asked Khal, his interest piqued by several folds.


    Madam Rose smiled before she pointed at Khal, "That once you have sessfully activated that relic''s power, which only a few Skybreaker was capable of doing ever before, we have to protect you no matter what."


    "Huh? Me? But why?" Khal asked with confusion.


    Miss Mary and Madam Rose however shook their heads, as not even they knew the answer to that question.


    "However, before he died, he also gave us this and told us, if you ever seed on activating the relic, let us give you this."


    Then, Madam Rose stood up and after taking out an item from her spatial ring, she handed it over to Khal.


    It was a sky blue token, that had a circr shape and several symbols carved into its center, that Khal didn''t recognize at all.


    "What''s this?" Khal asked as he inspected the token with great curiosity.


    "We don''t know. We inspected it numerous times before, but after several experiments, we concluded that it is only an ordinary token with no special traits," answered Miss Mary.


    "I see..." Khal mumbled as he gazed at the token before tossing it into his spatial ring.


    "Anyways, I hope you are not angry that I kept you in the dark for so long. I had my reasons to do so." Miss Mary sighed, her eyes shing with some guilt.


    Khal remained silent for a while before he shook his head and smiled gently, "Of course I am not angry. As a fact, I feel relieved instead and happy."


    "That''s good to hear." Miss Mary sighed with relief.


    "But, when do you n to tell this to Liza? She was just as angry and depressed as I was, you know that right?"


    "Yes, I know." nodded Miss Mary and continued, "And I will meet her personally back at Moon City, but only once you have finished doing why you havee here."


    "Hm?"


    Seeing Khal''s somewhat confused and surprised face Miss Mary smiled and asked, "What? You thought I would not know why you havee to the Western Continent?"


    She then put the cup from her hand back onto the table and continued, "I know you have reached a bottleneck with your cultivation Khal, and also that you are nning to enter the Neverending Dungeon, so, please... Let me help you."

 Chapter 271 - Neverending Dungeon

    A huge tower akin to an eternal pir that pierced the skies in the middle of nowhere, a young man was standing before its bottom while two women and several cultivators dressed in silver armor stood behind him with calm faces.


    "So this is the Neverending Dungeon, huh?" Khal raised his hand to touch the pir''s surface, only to feel its ice-cold texture.


    "Where is the entrance of it?" Khal asked after a while as no matter where he looked, he saw no gate or whatsoever that could make him enter the pir.


    He read about the Neverending Dungeon from his book, but except for what kind of ce it was, there was no information about it, including the location of its entrance.


    "It is right up there." Miss Mary who walked next to Khal raised her hand and pointed toward the top of the pir.


    "There? Interesting..." Khal looked not so surprised by this revtion as he thought about that possibility too..


    After a while, Miss Mary turned to look at Khal and said, "Then as promised, they will apany you inside the dungeon just to make sure nothing will happen with you."


    As she said that, two figures, a woman and a man, walked forward and bowed at Khal.


    "It''s my pleasure to meet with you, Young Master. My name is Baylie, a peak Eight Stage Cultivator." said the man called Baylie.


    "It''s my pleasure to meet with you too, Young Master. My name is Deva, and I reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage about a week ago." the woman also introduced herself to Khal in a respected manner.


    Khal looked at the two and sometimeter nodded. Because he was told and also read about the Neverending Dungeon, he knew just what a scary ce it truly was.


    Even though he could easily kill anyone, even a cultivator on the Ninth Stage, in the First Realm, when he got to learn that creatures inside there were almost infinite in numbers and the weakest one was at the Eight Cultivation Stage, he was not confident staying alive especially when he willprehend the meaning behind his Essence Path.


    That is why, he needed someone''s help while he figures out how he could unlock his sealed path, or else there was no way he would survive.


    After a few minutes of silence, Khal raised his gaze toward the top of the pir and asked, "How will we go up there?"


    Although he was confident that with his ridiculous physical strength that was enhanced by the quests he was able to reach the top without problem, the same couldn''t be said for the two cultivators on his side.


    "Please, let me help you."


    And it was exactly then when Madam Rose stepped forward and with a slight flick of her wrist, she summoned a whirlwind below Khal''s, Baylie''s, and Deva''s feet before they were sted toward the sky.


    "Woooaaah!"


    Khal was a bit surprised by the sudden change of events, but even before he could have said anything else, he watched as the three of them reached the top of the pir in seconds andnded on it without any difficulty.


    Once up there, Khal took a small peek toward the bottom, only to see that they were way above the clouds, and Miss Mary and the others were smaller than ants!


    ''Was that her Talent or did she use a Secret Art?'' Khal wondered as he turned around, only to see the two before him waiting for him in silence.


    "You guys don''t need to act so tensely. Just behave the same way as you would do normally."


    Baylie and Deva looked at each other before both of them nodded.


    "Perfect. Then let''s get going." Khal smiled and began to walk toward the stairs in the center which will lead them inside the pir.


    "It''s quite dark in here..." mumbled Khal and was about to use his Hell ze to summon a bit of light, but to his surprise, Deva overtook him in speed and summoned purple fire around her hand, illuminating their entire surroundings with purple light.


    "Oh?" Khal raised his brow with interest as he felt that the purple mes were by no means weaker than his Hell ze even though she didn''t use them yet.


    Feeling his stare Deva smiled slightly and said, "This is my Talent, called the Soul Fire. It is capable of burning the Soul instead of the body."


    ''So quite like my Soul Piercer. Interesting.'' Khal nodded, wondering during their descent how would he counter such a seemingly invincible power.


    Sometimeter, after descending the spiral staircase for about five minutes, the three reached the first floor of the dungeon, which was surprisingly a green vast field without any trees, rocks, or bushes.


    "There is a total of 999 floors, each bigger and moreplicated than the rest before it," exined Baylie to Khal as he nced around.


    "And what about the creatures?" Khal asked as he had yet to see a single beast.


    Baylie and Deva wanted to answer Khal, but just as they wished to, the high grass around them in the distance suddenly began to move, alerting them in a sh!


    "Be careful! Creat-"


    Swish!


    BOOM!


    However, even before Baylie and Deva could have done anything else, a slight breeze touched their faces before everything around them exploded into debris!


    "Wh-What happened just now?" Deva looked speechless after seeing the several deep craters in the distance where several Beast Essence floated, indicating the creatures were in with a single strike.


    And then, soon both of them realized what happened and subconsciously looked at Khal, who held an obsidian ck fan in his grasp.


    ''...''


    Khal gave the two a slight nce before he walked next to the Beast Essences and began to consume them.


    "D-did he just kill those beasts? But... How?" Baylie was incapable of resisting the urge to ask the question as he could hardly believe Khal just killed several Eighth Stage Beasts as though they were nothing more but mere ants.

 Chapter 272 - Floor Clearing

    While the two stared at Khal with stupified expressions, trying to figure out how he was able to kill so many creatures that easily, Khal consumed the Beasts Essences in peace.


    Time passed quickly and after consuming all the Essences on the first floor, increasing his units of Beast Essence to 1,231, he opened his eyes and stood up.


    "Where can we descend to the second floor?"


    Baylie and Deva looked at Khal for a bit longer before both of them snapped out of their daze and quickly led the way toward the second floor.


    After traveling a few miles, which was confusing as the exterior of the pir was at the most a mile wide, the three arrived before the staircase which led the way down to the second floor.


    While descending, Deva decided to ask a question from Khal who followed her closely from behind.


    "So, Young Master, which floor do we wish to reach?"


    "ording to what I got to learn, we want to reach floor 489," Khal replied with a nonchnt look.


    "F-Four hundred and eighty-nine? No one has ever traveled so deep into the Neverending Dungeon!" Deva halted her steps, her pretty race holding great shock as she started at Khal with widened eyes.


    "Never? Then how did he know the exact amount of floors this dungeon had?" Khal raised his brow as he took a nce at Baylie behind him.


    "Knowing the number of floors and reaching them are two different things," said Baylie and continued to exin, "In the past, several experts used their Talents to examine the pir and its exterior and after many years they concluded that there are exactly 999 floors."


    "However, this doesn''t mean they have also roamed all the floors and reached the deepest one!"


    "Then how many floors had been explored so far?" Khal asked curiously.


    Baylie and Deva exchanged nces before both of them sighed and replied simultaneously, "Floor 299..."


    "Floor 299? Why, what is there?"


    However, to that question, not even the two knew the answer as not even they were told.


    "I see, so that''s why..." Khal nodded and decided not to mull over the matter anymore.


    The three continued their way down, and soon reached the second floor which this time was a dense forest, filled with trees higher than anything Khal had previously seen.


    "Kekek!"


    And exactly as they stepped foot onto the soil, Khal watched as several green creatures akin to goblins appeared on the trees'' trunks, each of them holding different weapons crafted from wood and stone.


    "Razor Goblins!" Deva and Baylie immediately summoned their weapons, a wand and a great sword respectively, before they stood around.


    "Let us take care of them," Deva told Khal, who was ready to use his Devil Fangs to kill the creatures around them.


    Khal took a nce at Deva and after seeing the plea in her eyes he sighed and nodded.


    "Sure."


    Deva hearing this smiled and tightened her fingers around her wand before raising it into the air and saying to Baylie, "Let''s teach them a lesson."


    "Sure thing!" Baylie grinned and with a wide swing, swayed his greatsword from side to side, immediately chopping the trees into half.


    Deva seeing the Razor Goblins falling from the air like raindrops smiled and spun her wand in her fingers before pointing it at the beasts.


    "Grim Fire, Soul Consumer!"


    BOOOM!


    Right as her voice fell, a sea of purple mes appeared out of thin air in the sky, engulfing the creature''s bodies that resulted in soul-shaking shrieks the very next second!


    "Kiiiieeeee!"


    Watching as the Razor Goblins struggled to put out the fire from their bodies among blood-freezing cries, Khal felt a chill brush through his body and couldn''t help but admire Deva''s power.


    ''Her power is truly frightening. The creatures'' body is intact yet they are obviously in pain, some even already dead!''


    [Soul Eroding skills are rare and ones that are associated with the element of fire are even rarer. That girl is special and once she reaches the Higher Realms she definitely bes a powerful and influential figure.]


    Hearing Nova''s voice Khal nodded as he thought the same too.


    The Razor Goblins died quicker than flies would and after a few minutes, every one of them was killed without any problems.


    Khal watching the huge amount of Beast Essences around him looked at Baylie and Deva before motioning them to consume them.


    "No, that is Young Master''s. We were told that whatever was in inside should and must belong to you, including Beast Essence."


    Khal hearing this shook his head and said, "I don''t care what you were told, you have worked for it, so it naturally belongs to the two of you."


    However, not even that made the two move, thus Khal sighed and said, "Then how about this? From the third floor on, we will y the creatures together and we will split the Beast Essence among us fairly. Is that okay with you?"


    Deva and Baylie looked at each other, hesitant about what to say, but in the end, they couldn''t help but epted Khal''s offer as they too wanted to be stronger and after seeing Khal''s strength they knew this was the perfect chance for them.


    "Nice, then let''s do it like this." Khal smiled and after consuming the Beast Essences, as the two insisted on it, they continued to travel even deeper into the dungeon.


    Quickly, they cleared fifty floors with rtive ease, splitting the Beast Essences between each other fairly.


    However, after the fiftieth floor, Khal noticed that Deva and Baylie looked rather exhausted as the amount of time they needed to kill the creatures became longer and longer, sometimes even needing his help!


    Of course, Khal knew it was not because they were weak, but because he was stronger than them thanks to his improved Cultivator Traits from his quests.


    Thus, after killing the final creature on floor 77, he stopped the two and sat down.


    "Sit down and rest. You need it."


    The two looked at Khal to say that they were perfectly fine and they can continue, but for some strange reason, no words left their mouths.


    And in the end, they could do nothing but sit down too, and replenish their energy in silence.

 Chapter 273 - Floor Three Hundred

    Time passed quickly and after a few hours of rest, the three proceeded to descend deeper into the dungeon, killing beasts and consuming their Essence.


    Though, because all the creatures were on the Eighth Cultivation Stage and their numbers were not few, Baylie and Deva became exhausted quite fast thus they could do nothing but stop after almost every twentieth floor.


    Because of this, the two felt rather embarrassed, especially Deva who was the strongest among the three. They didn''t understand just how Khal was capable of fighting so many terrifying creatures without losing a tremendous amount of his strength.


    ''Just who exactly is he?'' the two pondered to themselves while they sat in the middle of a desert and stared at Khal who gazed at the starry sky above them with a nonchnt look on his face.


    ''Hey, Nova... Can I ask you something?'' Khal decided to kill his boredom by asking a question from Nova.


    [What do you want to know?]


    Khal remained silent as he didn''t know how to ask his question, but after a small, whileter he sighed inwardly and asked, ''I know it hasn''t been a long time, but can you remember anything else since our oath?''


    [Well, not quite a lot, but there are a few things that I have found as... interesting.]


    Then Nova began to exin what he got to learn, which shocked Khal deeply.


    ording to Nova''s memories, she was once a powerful existence who was capable of annihting races with a simple curse of hers!


    However, because of unknown reasons, as that part of her memories are still foggy, she or to be more precise her soul and spirit were trapped and sealed inside the bracelet.


    ''Were you, in fact, the one that attacked the Skybreakers? Maybe that would exin why you were trapped inside the relic.'' Khal pondered as this was the most likely possibility that could have urred.


    [Yeah, maybe... But even if that happened, why would I attack a lowly race such as the Skybreakers?]


    Khal seemingly thought that was right, as ording to Nova, out of the many races the Skybreakers were not strong at all, only their relic was.


    So even if she wanted to acquire the bracelet, she could have easily done so without shedding any blood, much less going all the way topletely annihting the Skybreakers, so things seemed to be way moreplicated than that.


    After thinking for a while more, Khal could only sigh and ask, ''Then what about Neo? How was I able to invade his body in the first ce and how did his soul get sealed away? Also, what about my sealed Talent and my lost Hidden Talent?''


    As Nova was a part of the bracelet, obviously she already knew about his situation that he reincarnated into this body, thus why he asked this question.


    However, this time Nova was the one who remained silent, and only after several minutester did he began to speak.


    [Currently, I can only think about one exnation.]


    ''And that is?'' Khal asked, curious to hear Nova''s thoughts.


    [That the lost Hidden Talent and the sealed Talent are the main reason why the relic''s power was triggered, thus why it activated in the first ce. It seems one can only use the relic if they have no Talent, but that is only a guess from my side.]


    [As for how the original Khal has been sealed away and how you got reincarnated into this body, it''s aplete mystery even for myself.]


    Khal nodded slightly hearing this as he too thought this way.


    Time quickly passed away, and the three continued to descend the floors one after another while also taking breaks asionally because of Deva and Baylie.


    "I can''t believe it. We are really on floor 299!" Baylie gasped with shock as he watched Khal and Deva consuming the Essences in the distance.


    Because he was already at the peak of the Eighth Cultivation Stage, he needed only a small amount of Beast Essence to reach his bottleneck. Now, he only had to open a few of his sealed Essence Paths in order to enter the Ninth Cultivation Stage.


    ''If we could have him help us clear all the floors whenever the creatures reappear, the strength of the Kenmer Family would definitely skyrocket over a single night for sure!''


    Once Khal and Deva finished consuming their Essence, Khal was lead to the staircase that led the way to floor 300, but to his surprise both Deva and Baylie stood still, their faces slightly pale.


    "What happened?" Khal asked with a frown, thinking other creatures they missed to kill appeared, but no matter where he looked he saw nothing.


    "We... We shouldn''t go down there..." Deva muttered, seemingly insisting to descend any further.


    "Shouldn''t? Why?" Khal shifted his gaze at the staircase but saw nothing out of the ordinary.


    "Now I can understand why they failed to go any deeper than this floor. The next floor... Is not something we should enter." Baylie took a step backward, his body trembling from fear.


    ''Just what is happening with them? I don''t feel anything at all.'' Khal now really tried to figure out what was making the two behave so scared.


    [Oh? How interesting... To think that a beast like that could exist in the First Realm. It''s not a surprise they are so scared.]


    ''What are you talking about? What beast?'' Khal now began to feel irritated and asked Nova to tell him.


    [Because you have yet to experience life-threatening dangers, you have yet to sharpen your instincts to perfection. But those two have already undergone numerous life and death situations, so it''s not a surprise they notice something you can''t.]


    [It seems on the next floor, a beast seeded in reaching the peak of this Realm and is very close to entering the Tenth Cultivation Stage!]


    [But to be honest, likely, it has already reached it but then it would mean your journey until this point was meaningless.]


    Khal listening to Nova fell silent, not knowing what he should say.. Things turned out to be way worse than he initially believed them to be.

 Chapter 274 - World Devourer

    The three stood before the entrance of the staircase in silence, thinking about what they should do.


    After a whileter, Khal sighed and nced at the two on his side before starting to walk toward the stairs.


    "The two of you will stay here, I will go down and look around."


    Deva and Baylie hearing what Khal just said snapped out of their daze and quickly ran in front of him to stop him.


    "What are you guys doing?" Khal raised a brow when he saw that the two tried to dismiss his intention of descending into the next floor.


    "As we were given the task to protect the Young Master, we won''t let you descend onto the next floor!" Baylie said with a firm stance, but it was obvious he didn''t want to use force.


    "Yes, you are correct." nodded Khal and then crossed his arm before his chest before saying, "You were given the task to protect me and not to prevent me from aplishing what I havee for. So please step aside, I will enter the next floor."


    Khal''s words made the two feel startled and somewhat hesitant, but in the end, they still looked unwilling of letting Khal go.


    "Sigh..." Khal sighed deeply when he saw that he has failed to make the two move, thus waved his hand gently.


    Swish!


    "What... is this?" the two looked around and stared at the infinite gxy around them with confusion.


    However, the very next second as everything around them changed, the whole world suddenly began to spin, causing their vision to turn blurry while an almost insufferable pain pierced their heads at the very same time!


    "Arghh!!"


    Both Deva and Baylie fell onto the ground with their hands on their heads, feeling as though someone was trying to open their skulls open from the inside!


    Khal, on the other hand, just walked past the two with a nonchnt look, and without saying anything to them he descended onto the second floor.


    "What... Just happened now?"


    After an unknown amount of time, when Khal was no longer around and his Ster Domain has also vanished, the two slowly stood up from the ground, both holding painful expressions.


    Though, once they realized what really happened with them, both looked at each other with stupified expressions before rushing after Khal with insane speed.


    Meanwhile, on floor three hundred, Khal stood motionlessly in the middle of a small ind, while what he could see all around him was nothing more but crystal clear water where the bottom couldn''t be seen at all!


    "Just what is this floor? Also, where is that creature? I can''t detect any of its presence at all." Khal asked himself quietly, but soon heard several footsteps from behind him which made his sigh slightly.


    "Young Master! You have toe back with us fast or els-"


    BOOOM!


    However, just before Deva could have finished her sentence, the water''s surface exploded and a huge creature representing a half-sake and half-dragon emerged with a terrifying presence.


    "ROOOOAAAAR!!"


    The two behind Khal immediately paled upon seeing the creature roaring toward the sky while Khal''splexion looked rather stiff.


    ''A World Devourer?'' thought Khal with surprise as he recognized the beast from his book, but soon smiled and thought, ''Although it is indeed stronger than those at the peak of the Ninth Cultivation Stage, it has yet to reach the Tenth Stage so this is my chance!''


    As he reached that thought, Khal summoned his Soul Piercer into his hand and without hesitation fired an abyss ck arrow at the creature''s head!


    Whoosh!


    The beast noticed the arrow fired at it, which immediately angered it, hence why it quickly opened its humongous jaw wide and roared at the arrow.


    "ROOOAAARR!!"


    With a thunderous roar that shook the entire floor, the World Devourer summoned a powerful shockwave in the surrounding air, which erased Khal''s arrow in a sh!


    "!?"


    Khal widened his eyes with great surprise seeing this, but as the shockwave was still flying toward them, ready to shred their bodies apart into thousands of pieces, he quickly summoned his Devil Fangs and waved it.


    Swish!


    KA-BOOOM!


    An enormous explosion appeared between Khal and the creature, causing the water around them to be chaotic and form waves as huge as tsunamis in the distance!


    "Young Master! We have to go back... NOW! We stand no chance against that monster!" Deva shouted at Khal from behind even though she just saw that Khal was on equal terms with the beast with his cultivation base.


    However, Khal just simply ignored Deva''s plea and activated his Heaven''s Eyes before waving his weapon twice.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    Numerous explosions appeared around the serpent''s huge body, tearing deep cuts into the flesh of the beast that began to bleed right away, painting the crystal clear water into the color of deep red!


    "ROOOAAARR!!"


    "!!"


    Deva and Baylie froze motionless seeing as the creature had been injured, no longer able to suppress their shock.


    Let alone the fact that Khal was only at the Eighth Cultivation Stage and yet he seeded in injuring the beast that was obviously stronger than an average beast on the Ninth Stage, he even used an attack that Deva and Baylie failed to detect!


    This simply made them feel at the loss of words and stare at Khal as though he was no longer a human, but a monster instead!


    However, their shock was not long-lived as soon after Khal injured the beast, the creature made a thunderous cry toward the sky before leaping toward the ind, ready to devour them with a single bite!


    ''...''


    Khal seeing this knew they were now in real trouble, thus quickly raised his weapon and swung it.


    However, this time he fused almost every bit of his Body Essence into his attack, while also activated his Hell ze and Ster Domain at the same time.


    Swish!


    KA-BOOM!


    A never-before-seen power broke forth from Khal''s weapon, engulfing both the creature and the entire sky above with crimson mes, while the sea around the ind began to evaporate rapidly because of the sudden rise of temperature!

 Chapter 275 - Killing The Beast

    The entire sky which looked akin to an infinite cosmos, was painted crimson while the surrounding water around the ind began to evaporate with a speed that was visible to the naked eye!


    And exactly in the middle of this utter chaos, a collosal beast, which seemed to be a hybrid between a dragon and a serpent, could be seen struggling, seemingly attempting to escape the chaotic sea of mes and consume a small ind not far away from it.


    TREMBLE!


    The beast went on a crazy frenzy, but no matter where it tried to go or escape to, whenever it attempted to change positions or attack Khal on the ind, the cosmos around it began to spin while several powerful fire des crashed into its body, causing its humongous body to retreat and shiver with pain.


    "ROOOAAAR!!!"


    While the beast struggled to get close to Khal and the two behind him, Khal clenched his teeth and said, "Can you guys move already and help me? I won''t be able to keep it away from us for a long time!"


    Deva and Baylie who stood dumbstruck behind Khal suddenly snapped out of their daze and realizing that maybe they really had a chance for victory, withdrew their weapons and stood beside Khal.


    "DIE!!" Baylie roared loudly and with strength that made his muscles bulge with immense power, he swung his greatsword forward, creating arge and crescent sword sh in the air that flew toward the beast with a frightening momentum!


    BOOOM!


    "ROOOAAAR!!"


    However, to his great shock, his attempt was nonexistent, could be saidpletely meaningless, as the only thing that his attack left on the creature''s skin was a small cut and nothing more!


    "What? Impossible!" Baylie was at a loss for words, not believing that one of his most powerful Secret Art, Wave Strike, couldn''t injure the beast in front of him while Khal with the same cultivation base as him could.


    He thought it was simply ridiculous and impossible!


    "Let me try it! It seems its weakness is fire, so maybe my Talent will be more than useful here than yours." Deva quickly raised her staff and closed her eyes, before opening them once again and shouting, "Grim Area, Soul Fire!"


    BAM!


    Purple mes appeared out of the thin air in a huge radius around the beast, and just like how Khal''s Hell ze did, Deva''s Grim Fire also engulfed the entire creature, changing the crimson-colored sky into a wild orchid in a split second!


    "ROOOOAAARR!!"


    Once that happened, the creature''s movements and attempts became even crazier than before, but thanks to Khal, they were repealed each and every time without a problem.


    Though, it was obvious that he too was struggling to keep up with the defense as his Body Essence was reducing at a frightening speed!


    As a fact, if it weren''t for him increasing his Body Essence during his journey and his time inside this dungeon while also increasing his traits day by day, Khal was pretty sure he wouldn''t have been able to rival such a terrifying beast for such a long time.


    While Deva and Baylie attacked the World Devourer with continuous attacks, Khal took a quick nce at his units of Body Essence, only to make a bitter smile.


    ''A bit more than two thousand, huh? This can''t go on like this or else we will all die here!''


    Khal shifted his gaze at Deva and Baylie, only to see them struggling too, while bean-sized sweat drops flowed down from their faces, showing they were nearing their limit too.


    [You should hurry up.]


    ''Really? Thanks for the advice!'' Khal said with an annoyed face before shifted his gaze back at the beast and sighed.


    ''It seems I can only use that. With my units of Essence, it should be sufficient enough.'' thought Khal and summoned a half ck and half white sword into his other hand while also covering his Devil Fangs in a mixture of crimson fire and blue Essence!


    He then took a deep breath and once his heartbeat calmed down his gaze became sharp and lowered his body.


    "Dance of The Celestial Serpent, Seventh Form- Phantom Serpent Dance!"


    Crack!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    Right as his voice fell, Khal''s body shed away from the ind, leaving a deep pit in his prior spot, and reappeared right above the creature''s head!


    The serpent, however, seemed to anticipate this and has already raised its humongous head, it has wide open to consume Khal in one single bite!


    "Hmph."


    Though, just as Khal could have been eaten alive, suddenly Khal''s body shed once again and reappeared before the creature''s throat, both of his weapons already shed deep into its hard skin!


    "ROOOAAARR!!"


    The creature cried toward the sky with anger and pain, and without hesitation moved its long tail to m Khal away.


    However, this attempt of the creature failed too as Khal had already vanished from his spot and reappeared somewhere else.


    And just under a split second, both of his weapons chopped deep into its skin several times, one sucking its lifeforce away while the other one opened the wound even wider and scorching the flesh inside it with powerful explosions which were impossible to defend against!


    "ROOOAAARR!!!"


    Fresh blood and sliced flesh flew everywhere as Khal''s body shed continuously, leaving on the creature''s body nothing else but deep and wide wounds where the beasts'' bone was clearly visible!


    "I-Impossible... How can he be this strong?" Deva and Baylie have already stopped attacking, starting at the sight before them with widened eyes and loosened jaw.


    In their eyes, the creature was something that not even a handful of top experts would be able to take down, yet Khal, who was not even at the Ninth Cultivation Stage, was making the terrifying beast look as though it was nothing but a mere ant!


    "So this what that relic from the Higher Realms can grant for its owner? With that, he is simply invincible!" Baylie mumbled quietly while his eyes couldn''t hide his envy toward Khal''s luck.


    And just as he said those words, Khal''s sword pierced the beast''s forehead, making the creature roar toward the sky for one final time before copsing onto the ground.

 Chapter 276 - World Devourer Physique

    Tremble!!!


    The entire floor shook with great tremor once the World Devourer''s body copsed, creating deep and wide cracks all over the ce in a sh.


    [Lifeforce has been sessfully stolen. Your lifespan has increased by 231 years!]


    Khal hearing this felt joy rush through his body and quickly jumped atop the beast''s dead body. Though, the very moment his feet touched the hard skin, his face suddenly paled and stiffened before his body weakened and dropped onto his knee.


    "Bleargh!"


    [Your Body Essence has dropped below 5%!]


    "Cough... Cough... That was a close one..." Khal mumbled quietly while he wiped the blood away from the corner of his mouth.


    It seemed that using his Secret Art''s most powerful form which require a huge amount of his Essence while also utilizing several techniques and abilities at the same time pushed him to his very limit.


    ''Even though I have be much stronger, against such a creature I could barely keep up.'' Khal sighed inwardly as he knew that he must be much stronger or else he will quickly find himself dead.


    Luckily, creatures that reached the Tenth Stage in the First Realm were few, so at least that made him feel at ease.


    "Y-Young Master! Let me help you heal quickly!" Deva, who already jumped atop the beast''s corpse ran directly next to Khal and ced her palms atop his back.


    ''So her Talent can heal others too? Interesting...'' Khal thought to himself as he watched Deva use her purple mes to heal his body.


    Time passed quickly and after several hourster Deva pulled her hand away and stepped back.


    "We are done for now, but although I have healed the major injuries inside your body, including the splits around your Essence Paths, the Young Master should rest for a while more," Deva said as she watched Khal stand up with admiration in her eyes.


    "Damn... I still can''t believe this beast had been killed by the Young Master. It''s just simply unbelievable!" Baylie eximed with shock, his eyes gazing at the bottom below.


    Now that almost all the water had been evaporated thanks to Khal''s and Deva''s fire, the bottom was finally visible, but it was still engulfed in darkness showing just how humongous the beast really was that Khal just slew.


    "Let''s rest a bit more before and once all of us have replenished our energy we will descend onto the next floor."


    Hearing what Khal said, the two next to him nodded and sat down.


    However, Khal remained standing and looked down at his feet or to be more precise onto the corpse he was standing on.


    ''So it''s actually true. Beasts on the legendary Tenth Stage really do not turn into Essence until I find its Beast Core and consume it.'' thought Khal and pondered where the core could possibly be.


    The creature''s body was way toorge for him to search the entire corpse, thus he was thinking where the Beast Core could hide.


    [It''s inside its fang.]


    Suddenly, Nova''s voice resounded in his head, making Khal surprised but at the same time happy.


    ''How did you know that it''s there?''


    [I can sense its presence. I will show you where it is.]


    Khal felt even happier and without hesitation walked to the edge of the beast''s nose where he began to climb down into the beast''s mouth using the beast''s scales as his help.


    Seeing that Khal descended into the corpse''s mouth, both Deva and Baylie looked at each other in confusion before they walked over to get a better view of what he was trying to do.


    "Young Master, what are you doing?" Deva couldn''t help but ask loudly as she watched Khal reach the lower jaw and climb into the beast''s mouth.


    "I am just looking for something. You guys don''t have to worry about me, I will be fine," replied Khal and vanished into the creature''s mouth the next second.


    Once inside the huge mouth that was insanely huge, filled with thousands of razor-sharp fangs as big as houses, Khal walked before one specific fang and ced his hand onto its surface.


    BOOOM!


    Using his Secret art, Khal made the fang explode into bits and watched as a white orb the size of a human fell from the sky and crashed before his feet a few secondster.


    "T-this is a Beast Core? Isn''t this a little bit... Too big?" Khal asked himself, touching the orb''s smooth surface with his hand.


    Compared to the previous two he has consumed before this was ridiculously huge, making him question how he will be able to absorb it.


    "Well... Let''s give it a try."


    Khal quickly sat down into his lotus position and closed his eyes while he ced his palm atop the orb. Once he was ready, he used his Essence and imagined as the orb began to melt into his body, bing one with his body.


    And to his great shock, it worked!


    The orb began to decrease in size, while the white mist it released began to melt into Khal''s body bit by bit, filling his entire being up with an insane amount of energy!


    Even his Body Essence got replenished by it, which made him particrly delighted.


    Time passed slowly, and half an hourter the orb became half of its original size while its circr shape formed into that of the World Devourer.


    After another half an hourter, the solid World Devourer was consumed by Khal too, and soon a great power exploded forth from his body while Nova''s voice resounded inside his head.


    [Do you wish to transform the Beast Core into Power Core?]


    "Yes," Khal replied without hesitation.


    [Then I will strengthen your Power Core Holder right away.]


    In an instant, Khal felt as a huge portion of his restored Body Essence was sucked away, while an extra empty slot on his bracelet formed.


    [Starting Forming Process!]


    Swish!


    In a blink of an eye, the power that Khal just consumed began to move toward the bracelet and form a white pebble inside the empty slot, creating his new Power Core.


    [Fusion and Forming Processpleted!]


    [Hidden potentials have been unlocked!]


    [''Tenth Stage: Serpent Scale'' had been sessfully transformed into ''Tenth Stage: World Devourer Physique''!]


    "World Devourer Physique?" Khal frowned slightly in confusion and without hesitation activated his newfound ability.


    BAM!


    "Huh?" Khal watched with shock as his body became longer and bigger with each passing second while his appearance changed into the image of the World Devourer he killed!


    Within a span of a few seconds, Khal''s entire being, including his presence and appearance, became the miniature version of the World Devourer!


    "This.... A Transfiguration ability?" Khal felt pleasantly surprised as he watched his tail several hundred meters away in the distance move to hismand.

 Chapter 277 - Mirror Prison

    "Just how long does he n to remain down there? Should we go after him?" Deva asked Baylie as she gazed at the beast''s mouth with concern.


    "If he said he will be fine then he will be fine. Did you already forget hiw he slew this beast all alone? I don''t think there is anything in the First Realm that could threaten him." Bayliey next to Deva with a casual expression, his eyes closed.


    "I know, but still..." Deva shook her head helplessly and was ready to lie down, but just as she was ready to do so, something shed out from the creature''s mouth before it reappeared before her and Baylie.


    BAM!


    "!?"


    Baylie and Deva froze up on the spot upon seeing the humongous figure of another World Devourer before them, but quickly snapped out of their daze and summoned their weapons.


    "Where did this thinge from? Where is Young Master?" Baylie who was already on his feet asked with a nervous expression.


    "Right before you."


    "Eh?"


    Deva and Baylie looked confused when they heard Khal''s voice but did not see him. What made them even more confused was that the beast after appearing before them did nothing but simply remained before them with no intention of harm.


    "Wait... Is that... Young Master?" soon Deva realized what was happening and her eyes widened extrarge from shock.


    "Huh? There is no way in hell! That''s a creature before us! Can''t you feel its presence? Let''s kill it now or we will die here!" Baylie tightened his grip around his sword, but it was obvious he was anxious.


    Deva however just simply shook her head and said, "No, he is the Young Master."


    "Nonsense! What are you tal-" Baylie was ready to oppose Deva, but suddenly the creature moved which immediately caused Baylie''s body to stiffen up, ready to fight.


    "Calm down big boy. It is indeed me." Khal''s voice resounded from the beast''s mouth and soon the massive image of the serpent shrunk into Khal''s figure.


    The sight as the several hundred meters tall and long beast abruptly changed into Khal made Baylie stupified and speechless while Deva simply sighed with relief.


    "What? You have never seen someone with a Transfiguration ability before or what?" Khal smiled at Baylie''s reaction.


    ''...''


    Baylie remained silent as he realized he indeed failed this time, but as he indeed did not see any Cultivator with a Transfiguration Talent before, it was not a huge embarrassment for him.


    As for Deva, it seemed she immediately recognized Khal''s fake presence, thus why she did not attack him right from the start.


    "Congrattions Young Master, you have acquired a powerful Beast Core," Deva told Khal.


    "So it was a Beast Core... Why did I not think about it sooner?" Baylie sighed and shook his head, finally epting his defeat.


    Khal seeing Baylie justughed and said, "Let''s descend. I have a feeling that the beast''s corpse will soon vanish and turn into Essence as I have consumed its core."


    Thus, without any objection the two followed Khal down, using the World Devourer''s scales during their way down.


    Once they reached the bottom, Khal looked at the humungous corpse that was akin to a huge skyscraper, and waited patiently. And to his not so surprise, after a few minutester the World Devourer''s body began to shift and change before it became a mass of a yellow substance that floated a bit above the ground.


    "Young Master should go and consume it," Deva said which Baylie agreed without hesitation.


    "Then I won''t be humble this time." Khal nodded and went to consume it. He wanted to see just how much Beast Essence can he obtain after killing a Tenth Stage Beast.


    And to his surprise, the amount was astronomical!


    [Notify! You have has consumed 101 ''Beast Essence''!]


    ''101?! That''s a lot!''


    Although he could easily acquire that many by ying several weaker creatures or simply consume enough Essence Pills, it was a different feeling when he acquired that many essences from a beast from above the Ninth Cultivation Stage.


    And exactly with this amount, Khal''s units of Beast Essence reached the peak of his base, umting an exact amount of 10,000!


    ''Now the only thing I have to do is to unseal all of my Essence Paths!'' thought Khal and without hesitation continued to descend even deeper.


    Killing beasts and with ease, the three cleared all the floors they entered without breaking a sweat, and after a few hourster they finally reached the objective they havee for.


    Floor 489!


    The whole floor was like an oversized prison, with the walls, ground, and ceiling made out of a mirror!


    Even the bars of the cells were made out of that material, giving the whole ce a bizarre but unique feeling.


    "What is this ce? Why is everything made out of a mirror?" Baylie asked curiously.


    Although they have cleared and saw many different environments on each floor, one such as this was the first for him.


    "It is called Mirror Prison."


    "Mirror Prison? How do you know it''s called as such?" Baylie raised a brow, curious how Khal knew about something that not even those that examined the Neverending Dungeon for years knew yet.


    Khal, however, just smiled and shrugged.


    "I have my ways of knowing what I want to know."


    tter


    "Get ready to fight," Khal said calmly once he heard the ttering sound and summoned his Devil Fangs into his hand.


    Deva and Baylie did exactly like that and summoned their weapons. They watched as several humanoid figures, d in mirror armors appeared in the distance, their hands holding shields that were made out of mirror too.


    Khal seeing this scene took a step forward and said, "Listen here carefully. Those things are called Mirror Soldiers, creatures at the peak of the Eighth Cultivation Stage, and their shields and armors are capable of reflecting any type of attacks, let it be spiritual, mental, or physical. What''s more, if your attack falls on your reflection, you will likely die, so make sure not to do anything reckless."


    "What? Then how should we fight? They are simply invincible!" Baylie frowned.


    "Not exactly." smiled Khal and without hesitation fired a wind de, hitting one of the Mirror Soldier''s reflections on the walls in the distance.


    Crack!


    "If you aim at their reflections in the surroundings, they can be killed just this easily," said Khal with a calm face and watched as the Mirror Soldier got sliced into half just as its reflection was a second ago.

 Chapter 278 - Ninth Cultivation Stage!

    "We can kill them just like that?" Deva and Baylie looked speeches by the scene, but soon turned happy and without hesitation started to target the reflections around them.


    Swish!


    Bam!


    Crack!


    Purple mes, wind des, and several sword shes flew everywhere, destroying the entire surroundings together with the approaching creatures in minutes.


    About a hundred Mirror Soldiers fell under that short period without having the chance to fight back, making the three at the end of their battle smile with relief and joy.


    "We did it! Haha, it wasn''t that hard, right?"ughed Baylie with a wide grin as he thought this fight was the easiest for him so far.


    Although the Mirror Soldiers were at the peak of the Eighth Cultivation Stage, which would have caused quite a headache for them if the fight would have been done anywhere else, against a unique power where they could die by a single strike because their reflection was hit, they were no better than pigs waiting to get ughtered.


    Even Deva nodded in agreement as she too thought the same thing, but yet, for some strange reason she couldn''t help but feel this weird feeling in her heart and took several nces in Khal''s direction.


    ''Just how does he know so much about this ce? There are no current records of these mirror types of creatures in the Cultivator''s Association, yet he instantly knew how to kill them. It''s like he knew their weaknesses from the get-go, but how?'' Deva pondered, but no matter what she thought about, nothing came into her my d that could answer her suspicions.


    After killing all the creatures, Khal looked at the two behind him and said, "You two can do whatever you want to, but make sure not to descend any deeper than this."


    Baylie and Deva nodded, but in their hearts, they wondered why Khal suddenly warned them not to descend any further. However, they could only guess blindly in silence as Khal has already sat down, his eyes closed as he seemingly began to cultivate.


    "Let''s stand guard. Although we have killed all the creatures, we can''t know when they will reappear," said Baylie to Deva calmly.


    The Neverending Dungeon was a strange ce where creatures existed on each floor no matter how many times they were killed before. After an unknown duration of time, each floor was reced by a bunch of other creatures,pletely different from the ones they have killed.


    That is why Baylie suggested protecting Khal as it was the best to remain alert even when things seemed to be peaceful at first nce.


    Time passed by in silence and while Deva and Baylie stood on the sides, Khal wasprehending everything that happened during his fight against the Mirror Soldiers and tried to find a string of connections between that and the meaning behind his Essence Path.


    However, it was easier to say than done, as even after two hours straight of thinkingter he still failed to find any rtion between the two. And with his already enhanced mental and soul strength it was scary to think he failed even after such a long time.


    ''I am close, but something is still missing. But what could it be?''


    Khal mulled over the things he went through during his battle, checking even the smallest detail, and soon he indeed found something.


    ''So that what was missing!'' Khal immediately pushed his Essence against his sealed gate and the very next second he did...


    BAM!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully unsealed the Path of Maze of Reflections!]


    Right as Nova''s voice fell, Khal''s body exploded with terrifying presence while a power that he never experienced before surged through his entire core!


    "T-This... He is entering the Ninth Cultivation Stage!" Baylie eximed out loud, seemingly speeches by the happenings.


    Although they were notified and told that Khal wasing to the Neverending Dungeon because he hit a bottleneck, they thought it was because he was struggling to open up his eighteenth or neenth Essence Path and not his twenty-first!


    They felt shocked when they learned he was already an Eighth Stage Cultivator at such a young age, but thinking he reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage... It was unfathomable. His future was simply limitless with such a ridiculous cultivation talent!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage!]


    [All of your Power Cores have been improved to the next Cultivation Stage!]


    [All of your Cultivator Traits have been increased by 2!]


    Once all the announcements vanished, Khal opened his eyes and nced at his palm with a pondering look.


    ''...''


    Starting at his hand for several minutes straight in silence, Khal finally smiled and clenched his fingers into a tight fist.


    ''I did it. I have finally reached the Ninth Stage!'' Khal thought with joy and without hesitation activated his Heaven''s Eyes to see just hiw much it changed.


    Swish!


    ''Amazing! It feels like I am watching myself and everything around me from far above!'' Khal eximed with shock as every little thing and detail was perfectly visible in his head in a hundred meters radius as if he was staring at them from a few centimeters close!


    What''s more, even the things that moved in his vision became extremely slower than before. Just a single blink from Deva and Bayliested for at least two seconds was a ridiculously long time!


    ''What about the rest?'' Khal immediately became excited and was ready to check his other powers, but still resisted the urge and stood up.


    "Let''s head back up. There is no longer a reason for us to descend any deeper."


    Hearing what Khal just said, the two on the side nodded slightly and started to follow Khal back up to the surface.


    Their journey back to the surface was rather peaceful and without problems. Even when they reached floors where creatures have reappeared they were all killed by Khal with a single assault, shocking Deva and Baylie even deeper.


    "How will we get down?" Khal asked Deva once they emerged back to the surface and walked to the edge.


    However, Deva instead of answering took out a crimson crystal from her spatial ring and dropped it down before saying calmly, "And now we will wait."


    Khal raised his brow when he heard this, but decided not to say anything but remain silent and wait just as Deva told him.

 Chapter 279 - Going Home

    Khal and the two on his side waited patiently atop the pir in silence and just as the sun was about to vanish on the horizon a gentle breeze hit Khal''s face and a figure emerged before them, floating in thin air.


    "So? How did it go?" Madam Rose asked with a smile even though she has guessed the answer from Khal''s expression.


    "I sessfully broke through," Khal said.


    "I see, congrattions." Madam Rose congratted Khal before she nced at Deva and Baylie and said, "As for the two of you, great work. It must have been hard for you to fight non-stop."


    "No, not at all! Although there were a few close calls where I thought we will die, everything went smoothly thanks to the Young Master!" Baylie said, making Deva on his side nod with agreement.


    "Oh? I can''t wait to hear what happened, but first, let''s head back, shall we?" Madam Rose suppressing her curiosity waved her hand and without any hesitation made the three before her float into the air before descending toward the ground.


    Once they were back on solid ground, the four were escorted back to the mansion where Miss Mary waited for them next to a huge table filled with different foods and drinks that looked luxuriously expensive but delicious!


    "Wee back. I bet you all are hungry so eat as much as you want. You deserve it." Miss Mary said with a warm smile.


    Khal and the two on his side watching the food before them looked shocked, but soon felt as their saliva amasses in their mouth thus couldn''t help it but sit down and start eating with joy.


    "Ah~! This is just simply delicious! Eating Madam Mary''s cooking after such a long time again makes me almost cry with joy!" Baylie eximed his thoughts as he stuffed his mouth full of different kinds of meat.


    "Yeah, the seasoning, the vor, the harmony... Everything is simply otherworldly!" Deva nodded as she too eat crazily, but with more grace than Baylie of course.


    "Haha, I am d to hear that. Eat as much as you want, sith you were fighting with beasts for almost three days straight."ughed Miss Mary.


    "Three days?" Khal who was also enjoying the meal stopped moving and frowned.


    "We were really inside that dungeon for three days? It''s quite hard to believe."


    Miss Mary and Madam Rose nodded and began to exin, "I know, we too thought something must have happened in there, that is why we were ready to send a rescue team after you but luckily we didn''t have to."


    After Miss Mary said that she took a sip from her ss which was filled with red wine and asked, "So? Can you tell us what happened? I am dying to know!"


    Khal nodded and after swallowing down the portion in his mouth he wiped his lips and started to recall everything that happened with them.


    From start to finish, Miss Mary and Madam Rose remained silent but once Khal reached his story where they killed the World Devourer they looked shocked and theirplexion became even more stunned as he continued talking.


    Once he finished talking, the two women nced at Deva and Baylie and asked, "Is this... Really true?"


    "Yeah. Everything he just said is one hundred percent urate." Baylie responded without looking up as he still stuffed food into his mouth.


    "Unbelievable..." even the butler who stood in silence all this time on the side looked speechless, hardly believing the three really just aplished such an impossible feat.


    Khal just smiled seeing the two women''s and the butler''splexion and continued to eat as he didn''t have the chance while he was eating.


    After he finished eating,pletely satisfied, Khal chatted with the five a little while longer before saying his goodbye to get some good rest as he didn''t sleep properly for God knows how long.


    After he was shown to his room, Khal thanked the butler and entered. And to his not-so-surprise, the room was just as luxurious and spacious as he imagined, with a huge bathroom on the side and an even bigger bed in the middle.


    ncing around with awe, Khal went to take a quick bath before jumping atop his bed, which was at least four meters wide, and closed his eyes, falling into a deep sleep under seconds.


    The next morning, Khal woke up refreshed but almost after noon, thus he quickly dressed up and went down to get histe breakfast.


    Filling his stomach with freshly made eggs, bacon, and bread, Khal went to find Miss Mary, but to his great surprise, he didn''t have to as she found him first.


    "Ready to go?"


    "Yeah... Unfortunately, it is time for me to go back, so..." Khal was hesitant to say his goodbye to Miss Mary as he wished to stay at least a few more days.


    But s, as he knew that the Ourvi Family was still searching for him and Liza could get into trouble at any given time, he had no choice but to head back.


    "I see, then it can''t be helped." Miss Mary nodded, not even sad in the slightest. As a matter of fact, she even smiled and waved her hand, surprising and confusing Khal deeply.


    "Ma''am, everything is prepared. We can leave anytime you wish." the butler bowed at Miss Mary.


    Miss Mary nodded and turned to look at Khal, who still looked confused, and smiled, "Let''s go. I can''t wait to see that silly girl again!"


    ''...''


    "Huh?"


    -


    -


    -


    Back on the Southern Continent, inside Moon City, a pretty girl with a crimson beast on her shoulder walked out of a restaurant and was ready to leave before a man in a ck suit stepped before her and bowed.


    "Young Miss, I hope you can reconsider our off-"


    "I already gave you my reply, and not once. So leave me alone already!" Liza said with an annoyed expression and without saying anything else she walked around the man.


    Ever since Khal left the city, she was stopped by several people from the Ourvi Family as they tried to persuade her to join their family.


    They said they needed a cultivated just like her, and they will give her anything, including an almost infinite amount of resources if she decides to join them. They even went all the way where they entered Moon Academy through unknown means, trying to convince her when her master, Jane was not around.


    This only angered Liza and reported them, which as a result prohibited the Ourvi Family to enter Moon Academy without proper permission. But as Liza asionally went to eat outside the Academy, it was simply impossible to avoid these people.


    The man hearing the answer grimaced at Liza''s answer but quickly smiled again and stepped to the side to halt her once again.


    "Please, consider our offer once again. If it were anyone else, I am sure they would ept such a once-in-a-lifetime offer without a second thought, sow-"


    "Yeah, if it were anyone else, but I am not them and my answer won''t change no matter what you say. Now step to the side or don''t me me for being rude." Liza''s face this time looked dark, seemingly fed up and irritated by the happenings.


    However, the man remained motionless with a slight smug on his face, confident that Liza won''t attack him or else she has to bear the consequences.


    "I see. I warned you." Liza smiled coldly seeing as the man didn''t move and raised her hand, ready to strike, but just as she was about to do so, a figure emerged before her, halting her movement just in time.


    "Khal?" Liza was surprised, but soon became happy and said, "You are finally back!"


    However, Khal didn''t respond and instead looked coldly at the man before him, who simply frowned and asked, "Who the hell are you, brat? If you don''t need anything then scram off!"

 Chapter 280 - A Little Surprise

    Khal frowned deeply when he heard how the man talked and crossed his arms before his chest in a calm but confident manner.


    "And what if I don''t?"


    The man sneered seeing Khal''s behavior, thinking he was rather arrogant, and said, "I see you don''t know how to respect your elders, especially the ones that are stronger than you by a huge margin!"


    Swish!


    As the man''s voice fell, a powerful presence close to the Eighth Cultivation Stage broke forth from his body, surprising many on the streets.


    Even Liza was rmed and looked even slightly pale as she realized just how vast the gap between her and the man truly was. It seemed the man hid his presence on purpose, making her believe he was only at the Fifth Cultivation Stage!


    If she were to attack him, she certainly would have lost while sustaining several grave injuries or even worse, getting killed by offending such a powerful expert.


    But luckily Khal appeared just in time, making her avoid such a disaster.


    "So? Will you f*ck off willingly or should I help you? The choice is yours." the man stared at Khal with sharp and cold eyes, seemingly ready to teach him a few lessons.


    ''He doesn''t even have a cultivation base yet tries to act strong and mighty. Then let me teach him how to behave properly by breaking a few of his bones if his father failed to do so!''


    Khal looked at the man with curiosity and couldn''t help but smile in the end, thinking he was rather... cute, to say the least.


    The man noticed this change on Khal''s face and it immediately triggered him, thus why he summoned a sword into his grasp while his whole being started to emit killing intent.


    "I see, so you wish to die. Then I will kill you right away!" hissed the man, but even before he could have taken a step forward, Khal sighed and waved his hand.


    Swish!


    "H-Huh?" the man widened his eyes with shock while his expression paled and watched as a ck fan was gently ced before his neck.


    It was apparent that if he moved even an inch forward or tried to swallow his neck will be cut open in a split second!


    "I will say this only once so listen carefully," said Khal and leaned closer to the man, while his hand pushed his weapon a little bit deeper into the man''s throat, making a string of blood flow down.


    "Scram off and don''t let me see you ever again or I will make sure you will never see daylight ever again!"


    "S-Sure!" the man, whosepletion already was paler than a sheet of paper nodded hurriedly and fell back onto his arse before he staggered back up onto his feet and ran away as if he just saw a ghost.


    Everyone around who saw this scene looked stupified, perplexed, and confused by the previous scenes. None of them understood what happened and stared at Khal with eyes that tried to figure out an exnation.


    Meanwhile, Khal just simply sighed and turned around to look at Liza, only to find her leaping figure before him.


    "Woah! Haha!" Khal caught Liza with a chuckle as he didn''t expect this, but still hugged her back, even petting Rubie who seemed to be just as happy to see him as Liza.


    "You are finally back. I thought you will nevere back! You made me worry, you know that right?" Liza said somewhat angrily as she stepped back and looked up at Khal.


    "Hehe... Sorry..." Khal only smiled bitterly as he could say nothing.


    He knew what could have Liza felt as he was indeed away for quite a long time, but luckily now he was back and everything was perfectly fine.


    Liza narrowed her eyes seeing Khal smile like an idiot, but as she knew he didn''t travel to the neighborhood city but far away, to the Western Continent, she just sighed helplessly and asked, "Instead tell me everything that happened with you! I can''t wait to hear what kind of journey you have gone through! It must have been difficult for sure."


    Khal nodded and said, "That is true, it was not an easy trip at all. But before I say anything more, I need to show you something. I have brought you a present, you will definitely like it."


    "Huh? A present? I am no longer a kid you know right?" Liza frowned, but it was apparent from her shining eyes that she was dying to know what kind of present she will get.


    Khal just chuckled as he found her adorable as she tried to disguise her curiosity, but instead of answering he quickly grabbed her hand and pulled away.


    "It''s somewhere else, so I will bring you there."


    Khal brought Liza through several stalls before he took her inside a building with which Liza was perfectly familiar.


    "Lunar Tavern? Why are we here? Where is everyone?" Liza asked several questions as she looked at Khal and the empty restaurant in confusion, but Khal just led her forward with a mysterious smile on his face, refusing to answer her.


    "Here we are." Khal stopped before a huge door on the highest floor, and stepped to the side.


    "Ladies first."


    Liza knitted her delicate brows together, but as she already wanted to get answers to her questions that she didn''t get from Khal, she didn''t hesitate and pushed the doors open and walked inside.


    However, the very moment she did, a huge circr table filled with luxurious food weed her with two figures, a woman and a butler, standing before it, both looking at her with a calm smile on their faces.


    "You look just as beautiful as ever, Liz," said Miss Mary with a calm smile as she walked before Liza.


    ''...''


    Liza stood motionlessly before the entrance and stared at Miss Mary with widened eyes while her lips and body trembled unconsciously from the indescribable shock she was currently feeling.


    And just a secondter, she jumped at Miss Mary, as he did with Khal, but with the sole difference that this time thick tears flowed down from the corner of her eyes, and her arms locked tightly around Miss Mary''s waist, almost breaking her core!


    "Haha! Easy, easy! You will kill me!"ughed Miss Mary, but still let Liza hug her the way she did and hugged her back in an exact way a mother would her child.

 Chapter 281 - Request

    Liza and Miss Mary hugged each other for several minutes straight before Miss Mary loosened her grip only to see as Liza refused to let her go.


    "Come on, it''s not like I will disappear or something like that." Miss Mary chuckled as she put her hand gently on Liza''s.


    Liza however just tightened her hold, seemingly fearing that Miss Mary will indeed vanish, but as she knew that was impossible she let her go and stepped back, tears still flowing down from the corner of her eyes.


    Miss Mary seeing her like that shook her head helplessly and wiped her tears away from her face before she looked her up and down and said, "You have indeed be strong. You will soon be a Real Cultivator."


    Liza wiped the remaining tears away from her face and nodded, but instantly asked, "Where were you? I thought you were... Dead."


    Just as Khal, Liza too failed to understand how Miss Mary was alive, which of course was only natural.


    Miss Mary, however, instead of answering right away stepped to the side and gestured toward the table, and smiled, "First, let''s start to eat. We can talk during that too."


    She then sat down and gestured toward Khal, Liza, and Rubie to join her.


    Liza looked at Miss Mary and the food in silence, but after seeing as Khal has already sat down and started to eat she had no choice but to sit down too.


    Once all three of them started to eat, Miss Mary started to exin everything that happened to her and why she had to pretend her death.


    She even told her about the Skybreakers and Khal''s bracelet, which Khal agreed during their trip back to Moon City.


    When Liza learned Khal''s source of power she looked shocked and speechless, but quickly became rxed again, seemingly rxed too.


    "Now I can understand why you have no cultivation presence and your ridiculous growth perfectly," said Liza calmly as she looked at Khal.


    "But this means you really do not have any Talent? So you have really failed to acquire one during the Ceremony?"


    Khal after swallowing down the piece of meat he shook his head and said, "No, I didn''t. My real Talent has been sealed away by the relic."


    "I see..." Liza nodded, seemingly deep in thought.


    After a whileter, Liza directed her gaze back at Miss Mary and asked, somewhat hesitantly, "And... What will you do now? Will you leave again?"


    Miss Mary stared at Liza for minutes, which only made Liza feel even more nervous, but soon smiled and shook her head.


    "I won''t. Although there will be times I have to go back to the Western Continent, I decided to stay here, with the two of you."


    When Liza heard this her eyes brightened up like stars and asked, "Really? And where?"


    "I have already decided on this matter and I will build a mansion close to where we have lived." Miss Mary replied casually.


    "A m-mansion?" Liza looked stupified as she knew that building a mansion was not something anyone could do. It needed not only the permission of the Cultivator''s Association but also needed a tremendous amount of money too!


    Miss Mary obviously knew what Liza was thinking, thus quickly chuckled, "Don''t worry, Dan has already settled everything."


    "Dan?" Liza frowned, but shortly realized who dan was and nced at the butler on the side.


    Feeling get gaze, the butler called Dan bowed and said, "It''s a pleasure to meet with the Young Miss. If you need anything in the future, please don''t hesitate to ask for my help."


    "S-Sure..." Liza nodded and smiled, "It''s my pleasure too. Also, thank you for protecting her."


    "That is only natural. If anything would happen with ma''am I can''t even imagine what would happen." Dan said calmly.


    Then the three continued to talk, and after several hourster when all the food was eaten the three left the restaurant. However, just as they stepped outside, a figure appeared before the five.


    "Logan? Why are you here?" Khal asked as he didn''t expect him to appear?


    Logan looked at Miss Mary and Dan next to Khal for a second before he averted his gaze and said, "Do you have free time? Jas wants to talk with you."


    "Jas?" Khal frowned, wondering what the old man wanted from him, and nced at Miss Mary.


    Miss Mary however just smiled and said, "Just go. We will be fine."


    Khal pondered for a while before he nodded and after saying his goodbye he followed Logan away.


    "So? What did you need me for?" Khal asked Jas once he was inside the room.


    Jas smiled seeing Khal being so casual before him and said, "Before I say anything else, let me congratte you on bing a Celestial Ruler. Your growth is just as ridiculous as ever."


    Hearing the word Celestial Ruler, which referred to the Ninth Cultivation Stage Khal looked surprised and asked, "How did you know I have seeded?"


    "It was not that hard to figure out. Your whole being leaks confidence which was never around you when you left."


    "I see..." Khal nodded and waited for Jas to continue.


    "So about the reason why I called you here, is because I want to ask you a request." Jas continued, now looking serious once again.


    "A request? What do you want me to do?"


    Jas smiled when he heard Khal and asked, "Can you remember about that strange building you saw back on Moon Mountain?"


    Khal remained silent and nodded.


    "Well, we went to see if it was real or not, and we indeed found it. What''s more, we even found the sole gate that leads the way inside, but..."


    "But what?" Khal asked after seeing that Jas didn''t talk even after several seconds.


    Jas sighed and continued, "But we failed to get close to it much less open it as it was protected by a terrifying beast, way stronger than the both of usbined."


    "Stronger than the both of you?" Khal asked with a raised brow, and thought, ''Then it must have been a beast which has already reached the Tenth Cultivation Stage."

 Chapter 282 - Moonlight Rabbit

    "So? Will you help us kill that beast?" asked Jas and continued, "I am pretty sure with you, we will have no problem beating it."


    Khal closed his eyes for a while and started to ponder.


    As far as he could understand, creatures on the Tenth Cultivation Stage were in apletely different realm, so much that they couldn''t even bepared to any of the beasts below their Stage.


    Even the World Devourer, which was only half a step away from breaking into the Tenth Stage, was an existence that Khal was incapable of killing alone, even though at that time he had the strength to kill a dozen of beasts from the Ninth Cultivation Stage with a single strike.


    Although he reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage, obtained a powerful Power Core, and also replenished his units of Body Essence during his trip from the Western Continent, if he were to fight against such a beast, together with Jas and Logan, he was not sure if he would win or not.


    That is why he opened his eyes and asked, "That beast... What type of power did it use?"


    Jas kind of expected this question, but could only sigh and shake his head, "We don''t know. We have only fought with it for a few seconds before we had to retreat."


    "Then what was the beast''s appearance?" Khal asked calmly. Maybe if he knew what kind of beast the creature was, then he could figure out its powers thanks to his book.


    "It''s appearance? Let me think..." Jas closed his eyes to get a better image of the beast and quickly exined, "Despite we only saw it for a few seconds, I can clearly remember it was a rabbit."


    "A rabbit?"


    "Yeah." Jas nodded and continued, "It was about a meter tall with fur that shone with bright silver. Its speed was so fast that it felt like it was teleporting and if it weren''t for Logan, I am pretty sure we would have died there."


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent and put his fingers below his chins. Once he pondered enough, he nodded and said, "That creature you have fought, must be a Moonlight Rabbit."


    "Moonlight Rabbit?"


    Both men raised a brow upon hearing the unknown name, this Khal quickly cleared his throat and said, "During my time on Moon Mountain, I have killed several thousands of beasts, including a creature with simr features such as the one you described."


    Then he continued, "As even I have failed to recognize the beast and because its strength intrigued me I have gone through several records back in the library and found out that it is called the Moonlight Rabbit."


    Of course, what Khal said was aplete lie as he never encountered a Moonlight Rabbit before and read about it from his book.


    "A Moonlight Rabbit, huh? Interesting... Tell me more about it." Jas said with piques interest as it was rare for him to learn about a creature he has yet to met with.


    "ording to the record I have read, Moonlight Rabbits are exceptionally rare species and only a few exists on Moon Mountain, three to be exact."


    "They creatures capable of jumping and running with the speed of light once they reach the Ninth Cultivation Stage and said to have ws that are capable of slicing up even an entire mountain with a single strike. What is more, under the moon''s light, its power doubles!"


    "Quite a frightening creature..." Logan said quietly from the side, making Khal nod in agreement.


    But soon Khal smiled and said, "But although it seems such a scary existence, it has a huge w too."


    "And that is?" Jas asked immediately.


    "During the daytime, both its speed and strength gets reduced by half, so if we want to kill it, it must be during the day!"


    "Oh? So will you help us?" Jas asked.


    Khal smiled and asked, "Of course. If I get something for an exchange, naturally."


    Jas already foresaw this moment where Khal would ask this question thus is why he smiled and asked, "And what do you want?"


    Khal pondered before he smiled and asked, "How about you get me a Realm Level Secret Art? I always wanted to see one."


    "A Realm Level Secret Art? Did you go insane or what? It''s a bit like they grow on the side, you know that right?" Logan frowned, finding Khal''s suggestion rather ridiculous and impossible to aplish.


    However, to his great surprise, Jas nodded and said, "Understood. If you help us I will give you a Realm Level Secret Art."


    "Perfect! Then let''s discuss our n right away." Khal smiled and sat down as he knew it will take quite a time for them toe up with a working strategy against the Moonlight Rabbit.


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, inside the Ourvi Family''s main mansion, a man was standing before Edwin and Anred.


    "So you tell me you have failed to convince that girl and was even threatened by a boy who was no older than my son?" Anred frowned deeply, making the man lower his head and start to tremble slightly from fear.


    "Y-Yes, Sir..." nodded the man firmly and continued, "However, that boy was definitely not a simple cultivator. His movement technique was simply way too fast even for me and my Talent."


    "Even for your Seven Sense?" asked Erwin with a raised brow.


    "Y-yes. I thought I will teach him a lesson for trying to act arrogant before me, especially because he had no cultivation presence, but it seems I was wrong."


    "No cultivation presence?" Anred and Erwin looked at each other before looking back at the man and asked, "For instance, that boy... Was he wearing a silver robe?"


    "Eh?" the man seemed confused by the sudden question, but seeing the two men''s impatient gaze on his skin, he quickly closed his eyes and started to think.


    "Y-Yeah, he was indeed wearing a silver robe. B-But why is that important?" the man replied with a nod, but as he got no answer, he slowly reopened his eyes only to see no sign of the two men, leaving him all alone inside the huge hall.


    "H-hello?"

 Chapter 283 - Ascending Moon Mountain

    After discussing their n, Khal went to find Miss Mary and Liza using his Jade Tombstone Secret Art in his mind, but as he saw they were not inside the city he decided to check outside.


    As he could remember, Miss Mary told him they will start building their mansion close to the orphanage, so he went to see if they were there or not.


    However, the moment he reached the orphanage, his steps halted and his eyes widened from pure shock.


    Right before Khal, about a few hundred meters away, a huge pce which was at least twice as huge as the biggest building inside Moon Academy appeared out of thin air while Miss Mary, Liza, and Dan stood before it with calm expressions.


    "W-What the hell!?"


    Hearing his voice, the three turned around and looked at him.


    "Ah, you are finally here. Come, let''s go inside." Miss Mary smiled slightly as she gestured at Khal.


    Staring at the mansion for a little while longer, Khal snapped out of his daze and walked over before asking, "How did this thing appear just out of nowhere?"


    "Oh, this? It''s Dan''s power. It''s quite a great ability, right?" Miss Mary said as she looked at Dan.


    Dan just smiled hearing Miss Mary''spliment and took out a tiny item from his spatial ring which represented a small sword.


    Swish!


    Dan waved his hand and soon the small sword expanded in size, bing a real sword that emitted a powerful aura.


    "Dan is capable of changing any item''s size with a single touch. He can even shift people or creatures to a limited extent! No matter how many times I see it I can''t get enough of it." Miss Mary exined excitedly as if she was a little girl who just saw her first magic trick in real life.


    "Please ma''am, you tter me too much." Dan bowed slightly but it was obvious he felt great after the praise.


    In the cultivation world, there were thousands if not more different Talents, each having their strength and weakness. However, Dan had a Talent that was looked down on as many found it useless, thus why Dan felt joy when he heard someone praising his Talent.


    "Amazing! Your Talent is truly a fantastic ability! The amount of possibilities you can use that power is simply endless!" Khal agreed with Miss Mary and even felt a tinge of envy. Such a power during a fight could be a deciding factor and only a fool would think it was weak or useless ability.


    Dan bowed to Khal, showing his gratitude for him before he shifted his gaze at Miss Mary and asked, "Shall we go inside?"


    "Yeah, let''s go. It has been a century since thest time I was I side this beauty." Miss Mary nodded and started to walk with Liza on her side, but when he noticed that Khal was still standing she stopped and asked, "You won''te with us?"


    "I won''t." Khal shook his head and said, "I was asked to help to kill this creature atop Moon Mountain so I havee to inform you I won''t be back for a while."


    "I see... Just make sure you won''t do anything dangerous or reckless."


    "I won''t." Khal nodded and looked at Liza for a second before he turned around and walked away.


    Miss Mary noticed this and nced at Liza, but when she noticed the glint in her eyes she looked at Khal''s departing figure with a mysterious smile on her face.


    ''Oh? How interesting...''


    -


    -


    -


    After telling Miss Mary and the rest he won''t be around for a while, Khal went to the bottom of Moon Mountain where he waited for Jas and Logan to arrive while practicing his movement and weapon techniques using his surroundings as a practice field.


    Although he had Secret Arts such as his Dance of The Celestial Snake and Ghost Slice which boosted his strength, he realized his arsenal in the field of techniques was rather few.


    So for in a case where he met with an enemy capable of countering these Secret Arts of his, Khal wanted to expand his skills, hence he will have more ways to fight. Also, this is why he asked for a Realm Level Secret Art from Jas to begin with.


    Closing his eyes, Khal summoned his Devil Fangs into his grasp and took a deep breath before he began to move with insane speed.


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    Time passed quickly, and once the moon emerged Khal noticed as two figures approached him from the distance thus quickly stopped moving and unsummoned his weapon.


    Once Jas and Logan were close enough to Khal, both of them noticed the hundreds of cutout trees and the fissures on the ground, causing a frown to appear on their faces.


    "What happened here?"


    "I just was to happen to practice. Nothing extraordinary." Khal replied calmly while he wiped the sweat off his face.


    "Nothing extraordinary?" Jas raised a brow and nced at the surroundings for one more time.


    ''How the hell do you call this as nothing extraordinary? It feels as though two powerful experts have fought here not a long time ago!''


    "Anyways... Can we start going or do the two of you wish to talk more?" Logan on the side suddenly asked, looking at the two in front of him with a calmplexion.


    "Yeah, let''s go." Khal nodded.


    Thus, the three started to ascend Moon Mountain together while killing Beasts one after another with rtive ease.


    After climbing through several boulders and walking through forests, the three finally arrived before this insanely huge and smooth-surfaced mountain wall, which only had a single cave entrance carved into it which looked obviously artificial.


    "We have arrived. This path will lead us to the gates and the beast that guards it," said Jas and looked at Khal and Logan before continuing, "Then as nned, we will wait here until dawn so let''s rest until then."


    Khal and Logan nodded and both of them sat down, recovering their strength in silence as both of them knew the following fight won''t be an easy one and if they were not rested they could quickly lose their lives.

 Chapter 284 - Scary Creature

    Time passed in silence and the three replenished their strength and energy until dawn.


    Once the sun was visible on the horizon, the three slowly opened their eyes simultaneously and stood up.


    "Ready?"


    Logan and Khal nodded hearing Jas'' question, their whole being emitting a kind of profound aura that showed only confidence.


    "Perfect. Then let''s do as we have discussed."


    With that, the three entered the cave with Khal being on the front, Jas being in the middle, and Logan walking at the rear.


    The three walked in silence and once they were deep inside, Jas took out a cube from his spatial ring and tossed it into the air.


    Swish!


    Immediately, the cube floated above the three and lit up with white light, enveloping their surroundings in bright light.


    At the same time as the path in front of him became visible, Khal activated his Heaven''s Eyes and summoned his Devil Fangs into his right while his Life and Death Sword into his left hand.


    "Let''s go," Khal said quietly once he took a deep breath and proceeded to walk forward with steps that carried caution.


    Jas and Logan seemed to be on the edge too, but knowing that Khal was capable of detecting every movement around them from all angles and from a huge distance, they didn''t fear getting ambushed likest time when they visited this ce.


    The cave was obviously man-made as the curved walls and ceiling were curved and way too smooth to be formed through natural means. What''s more, the entire path was unnaturally huge, to the point where twenty people could have easily stood beside each other, and even then there would be space for a carriage to pass by without hitting anyone.


    However, the biggest problem was not the huge open space which will only make the battle much harder as that meant the Moonlight Rabbit will have more area to move around and attack, but the several holes at the bottom which seemed to be formed as tunnels.


    Khal was told that when Jas and Logan first fought with the creature, the Moonlight Rabbit used these tunnels as a way to escape and assault them. And with its insane speed, such a method of attacking was extremely hard to counter to the point where Jas and Logan had to retreat after only a few seconds.


    Though, it didn''t mean Khal felt nervous or scared. He was confident in his Heaven''s Eyes, particrly after he reached the Ninth Stage. No matter how fast the creature was, Khal was pretty confident he will be able to track its movement and warn the two behind him when it appears. Also, he had his Bloodshed Touch which helps him see the creature even through walls, so he felt rather soothed.


    Khal led the way forward with cautious steps and it wasn''t long before he noticed something in the distance. It was a silver gate with several white symbols carved atop its surface while in its very center a blue gem representing a full moon was etched.


    Khal inspected the gate with a nonchnt expression, but soon his eyes snapped to the side and shouted, "From the right!"


    Jas who stood behind Khal reacted in a split second and jumped several meters backward, only to see a silver sh pass through the spot where he was a second ago and vanish in one of the tunnels on the side!


    "So you try to run, huh?" Khal smiled and without a second thought used his Hell ze and fired at the tunnel where the Moon Rabbit vanished into.


    BAM!


    The moment the crimson fire filled the tunnel, pirs of mes started to explode out from the rest of the shafts while the silver creature shed out and quickly vanished inside the tunnels on the other side.


    "Do it!" Khal shouted, and watched as Logan summoned his ck mes and fired pirs of fire at the holes in the same manner as Khal did.


    Swish!


    And just as they thought, this was enough to lure the beast out and once it was outside Jas moved with lightning speed and swung his fist.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    Jas'' punch shook the entire surroundings while it left a deep pit on the ground, but unfortunately, it still missed its target.


    The creature has avoided his attack just a second before Jas'' fist could have smashed its body into a bloody mess, and retreated several meters away from the three, staring at them from distance with its white eye with obvious bloodlust.


    "It is indeed fast," Khal said calmly.


    Although he had his Heaven''s Eyes and everything in his sight moved with snail slow speed, the creature''s movements were still difficult to follow!


    "But that doesn''t mean we can''t kill!" Khal then followed and raised his Devil Fang before he smiled coldly and said, "The stage has been set... Let''s dance!"


    Swish!


    Khal waved his weapon horizontally, causing the several wind des, which floated invisibly around the beast until this very moment, emerged and exploded one by one!


    BAM!


    BOOOM!


    The creature noticing the immediate threat moved and wanted to vanish into one of the tunnels on the side, but was halted by one of the wind des that exploded right before the entrance!


    Swish!


    However, this attack failed to hit the creature too as the rabbit changed directions and started to run toward the tunnels on the other side. But just like previously, the moment the beast was about to enter the hole, a wind de exploded just in time changing the creature''s path once again!


    Khal seeing this smiled slightly.


    Although the Moonlight Rabbit was a terrifying beast that was capable of traveling almost with the speed of light and destroying mountains with its ws, its defense was not outstanding at all. Just a single strike from a cultivator from the Eighth Cultivation Stage could end its life, so it was obvious why it didn''t dare to take his attacks head-on and decided to avoid them instead!


    And exactly because of knowing this, Khal made sure to use this to his advantage, luring the beast to the spot where they will be able to start their n for real.


    "Let''s retreat!" said Khal and without hesitation started to jump backward with Jas and Logan doing the same.

 Chapter 285 - Almost Killed

    The three retreated rapidly while making sure the Moonlight Rabbit was lured toward the outside where the sun was already high in the air.


    ording to the Record of All Realms, Moonlight Rabbits will have their strength reduced by at least half under the daylight hence why the three decided to bring it outside the cave before attempting to kill it.


    However, the creature was notpletely a nipoop either. After it noticed the sunlight at the end of the cave it realized what Khal and the two men nned to do, so it quickly stopped in its track but was quickly forced to continue its way forward because of the exploding wind des.


    Khal smiled. Upon seeing that the beast was incapable of escape he quickened his steps and approached the entrance of the cave faster than before while making sure to give no chance for the creature to escape.


    The first one to exit the cave was Jas who used his fist to punch the ground with all his might, forming a ridiculous deep pit that was at least a hundred meters deep!


    Next, Logan emerged from the cave and jumped inside the pit while he waved his hand, summoning thick and tall abyss ck mes in a huge circr shape around the pit''s edge and the cave''s entrance, sealing off all the escape routes the beast maybe wish to use during their fight.


    "Here Ie!" Khal''s voice sounded from the cave and the next second his figure could be seen jumping down, followed by the Moonlight Rabbit which was forced to jump after him as the cave exploded with hundreds of wind des the very second it did.


    Landing inside the pit with a powerful ''Bam!'' that cracked the ground below Khal''s feet, Khal turned around and watched the creature in front of him that seemed troubled and nervous.


    Jas and Logan appeared at the left and right side of the beast too, trapping it in the center of a triangle formation.


    While the three watched the creature in silence, the Moonlight Rabbit suddenly fixed its gaze at the sun above before it shifted its attention at Khal who smiled at it mockingly.


    ''Although you have surpassed the Ninth Cultivation Stage, if your strength is halved you are no better than an ant ready to be in!''


    However, his smile was quickly erased from his face as the very next moment he thought that the beast shed before his face, its ws inches away from splitting his throat wide open!


    "!?"


    ng!


    Reacting just in time, Khal used his Devil Fangs to protect himself, but unexpectedly the moment the beast''s ws got into contact with his weapon Khal felt a ridiculous amount of strength pressing onto him, sending his body fly into the distance right away!


    BOOM!


    "Cough!" exploding into the wall on the side, Khal felt as though he was just hit by a train causing blood to gush into his mouth!


    Jas and Logan were shocked to see this as this sight. Khal told them the Moonlight Rabbit''s strength should have been reduced the moment it was under daylight, but it seemed it was not the case at all. As a fact, it was even faster than before!


    Khal staggered out of the gash he was buried in and looked at the beast in front of him with a deep grimace.


    ''So this how strong it is when its strength had been halved? This creature is in apletely different realm!'' Khal thought calmly while he wiped the blood off the corner of his mouth.


    Although Jas and Logan felt skeptical about the issue where the Moonlight Rabbit gets weaker under the sunlight, Khal didn''t. He was perfectly sure that the information about the beast was valid as the attack just now was only a bit stronger than the World Devourer''s back in the Neverending Dungeon.


    It was obvious the Moonlight Rabbit had been weakened and just simply didn''t use its full strength when they were still inside the cave!


    ''This will be harder than I have thought!'' Khal frowned, but was not given the time to think any further than that as the beast moved once again, and just like previously, it appeared right before him akin to thunder!


    Swish!


    Khal, however, learning from his previous mistake didn''t dare to use his weapon as a shield, and decided to tilt his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the beast''s attack before swinging his sword and shing a shallow cut into its body.


    [Fraction of Lifeforce has been stolen. Your lifespan has increased by 1 year!]


    Ever since he acquired his Life and Death Sword Khal was curious to see just what his sword''s full potential was and as he experimented with it, he was not left unsurprised.


    During his journey to the Western Continent, Khal fought a lot with his Life and Death Sword and uncovered many mysteries. And out of the many hidden secrets, Khal found out that just a slight scratch from his sword was capable of stealing others'' life force, meaning he just has to make his sword get in contact with his enemies in ordance to kill them!


    It was akin to putting a flower below the burning sun during summer and watching it get sucked dry from the immense heat! Without spilling any blood, Khal was able to kill anyone without a problem!


    However, it didn''t mean this ability of his waspletely invincible as he had to make his sword touch his target directly, or else it is nothing but a useless tool. And it seemed the Moonlight Rabbit realized right after it tasted the feeling of losing a year''s worth of life essence just from a single scratch.


    Thus why it quickly changed its target and decided to attack jas, who was seemingly the least threat to it and perfect prey as he not only had no armor and shield to protect himself as Khal did, but also was a fighter that used only his fists! For it, such a target was the perfect and the easiest one to kill!


    "Hmph..." Jas sneered slightly upon seeing this and quickly summoned a pair of azure gloves around his fists that emitted an icy aura which made the surrounding temperature drop several levels right away!


    "Come!" Jas roared with rock-solid resolution and threw a punch at the creature which traveled hundreds of meters in a split second and was ready to sever his head off from his body!

 Chapter 286 - Hardfought Victory

    Khal watched as Jas confronted the beast head-on even after knowing the difference in strength, feeling a tinge of worry.


    But his worry was fairly short-lived. Just a secondter as Jas''s fist could havee into contact with the beast''s body, a figure holding a deep crimson sword suddenly appeared between the two.


    "Logan!?" Khal was surprised to see Logan''s fast movement which was almost on par with the Moonlight Rabbit''s, but the following scene shocked him even deeper.


    Swinging his crimson weapon just in time, Khal watched as Logan deflected the creature''s attack and was sent flying into the distance just like he was previously, his fatepletely unknown.


    Although Khal survived the assault from the beast and the impact, it didn''t mean Logan was capable of surviving such a strong blow with his body being not tempered and refined as such as his.


    However, Khal couldn''t worry about Logan''s well-being as exactly because of this sacrifice of his Jas was able to get next to the rabbit''s side andnd a perfect blow on its body.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    A perfect fit at the perfect time. Jas'' fist buried itself into the Moonlight Rabbit''s side, crushing several ribs inside of its body before mming its body away like a ragdoll.


    Khal showed a grin as he knew this strike was definitely enough to kill the beast. Or even if not, Khal was pretty sure the Moonlight Rabbit was severely damaged, both internally and externally, so it was only a matter of time before they will kill it.


    However, reality sometimes fails to be as we n it to be, and this was the case too. The moment the creature''s body crashed into the side, silver light exploded forth from the crevice before the rabbit''s figure emerged from among dust and debris, its entire body enveloped in a silver glow.


    "What is happening?" Khal raised his head at the darkening sky above but his face immediately paled upon realization and snapped his head toward Jas, ready to warn him.


    But it was already toote, and he couldn''t even mutter a single sound before he watched blood spill before his eyes.


    "Argh!" Jas clenched his teeth together and ced his right hand on his left shoulder and watched his left hand lying before his feet in the distance.


    Just now, if it weren''t for his years of life and death fights which honed his senses to tremendous heights, he wouldn''t have been able to stand in one piece where he was for sure.


    "This creature is just way too scary... Even though I have reacted in time I still lost one of my arms..." Jas groaned with pain and watched as the Moonlight Rabbit stood in the distance, its bloodlust-filled gaze fixed on him. It was obvious it held a grudge against him because of his previous strike.


    But at the same time, it was impossible to not notice the deep and frozen wound on the creature''s side that Jas caused with his strike. This made Khal sigh with relief and know that their chance for victory maybe was not absolute, it was still very high.


    ''Though, to think this Moonlight Rabbit unlocked its hidden ability and used it at this moment... We are extremely lucky it has such a huge weakness or else we would stand by chance at all.'' sighed Khal inwardly.


    ording to his book, Moonlight Rabbits'' ability was their extreme speed, but there was this minuscule possibility where they unlock another one, known as Moon Summoning.


    When they use Moon Summoning, no matter if it was during daytime or not, their strength will be doubled immediately for a short period. This meant, if they were to fight this beast during the night while it also used its Moon Summoning ability, its strength would be four times that of its original, making it an existence that no one can rival in the First Realm!


    ''Luckily, it has already reached its limit.'' thought Khal and unsummoned his weapons.


    "It''s about time to end this."


    After taking a deep breath, Khal dashed forward and in a split second appeared before the wounded beast.


    The Moonlight Rabbit noticed Khal''s approach and was about to move when Khal''s body suddenly expanded and shifted while a suffocating presence broke out of him, making its body froze up on the spot from sheer fear!


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    With a huge and powerful bite, Khal swallowed the whole beast together with arge portion of the ground down with a single gulp and quickly changed back to his human form.


    ''...''


    Jas stared at Khal with cked jaw, feeling as though he just hallucinated a second ago. Did Khal really just turn into a huge serpent and gulp the beast down in whole or did he go insane? Since when did Khal acquire such a ridiculous ability?


    Of course, it was only natural for Jas to have such a reaction as Khal didn''t tell him about him obtaining a Beast Core after killing the World Devourer.


    Khal just shook his head feeling the gaze on the skin, but knowing there was something much important to take care of the vanished and reappeared at the spot where Logan crashed.


    Tossing the huge stone pieces to the side as though they weight nothing, Khal brought Logan''s body out from the debris and examined his condition.


    And a secondter he sighed with relief and stood up.


    "He is alive, but if he does not get treatment shortly his life will be in danger."


    "I will bring him back to Moon City, you wait here until then," Jas said and after putting Logan''s unconscious body over his shoulder he teleported away.


    Khal seeing as he was left alone fell onto his butt and sighed deeply. Although he would say the fight was easier than he first believed it to be, it was still a hard-fought fight that cost way too much.


    Not only did Jas lose one of his arms during their fight while he sustained several internal injuries from the blow from the beast with his enhanced physical strength, but even Logan was put before death''s door from where he was lucky enough toe back with who knows what miracle.


    Khal was pretty sure Logan used some kind of trick to save his life at the veryst moment, but what method he did was currently unknown. Everything happened just way too fast, even with his Heaven''s Eyes active.


    While Khal waited in silence, suddenly he felt a familiar feeling wash through his body out of nowhere.


    "This..." Khal snapped his eyes open, seemingly in disbelief.


    [Beast Core has been sessfully consumed!]


    [Do you wish to transform the Beast Core into Power Core?]

 Chapter 287 - Moon Temple

    Khal remained silent. However, because of the ever-increasing pain in his body, he realized he was not feeling things as he indeed was on the verge to acquire a new core.


    [Because almost all the beasts above the Ninth Cultivation Stage formed their cores, it''s evident the Moonlight Rabbit has formed its own too. When you consumed the beast, you have consumed its core too.]


    ''I see, but... I don''t have enough Body Essence to improve my core holder.'' thought Khal and opened his status.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Talentless (Sealed)


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 15,974


    ? Beast Essence: 493


    ? Cultivation Grade: Celestial Ruler


    ¡ã Physical Strength: 46


    ¡ã Mental Strength: 41


    ¡ã Soul Strength: 38


    ¡ã Physical Resistance: 45


    ¡ã Mental Resistance: 43


    ¡ã Agility: 44


    ¡ã Speed: 43


    Since his previous Beast Core required him an exact amount of 10,000, Khal knew that this one will require him twice as much, an amount of 20,000!


    And as he could see it, he only had a bit less than 16,000, quite far away from improving his Power Core Holder.


    Despite increasing his Body Essence as much as he possibly could inside the Neverending Dungeon, he didn''t think he will be lucky enough to obtain another Beast Core in such a short period of time.


    If he were to know this, he would have definitely stayed longer in the Neverending Dungeon, increasing his Body Essence at least until it did not reach 20,000!


    But everyone was smarter after knowing what happened, so Khal could only sigh helplessly and say, "I don''t want to."


    Whoosh!


    As his voice fell, Khal watched as the energy be one with his body and soon an announcement yed in his head.


    [''Beast Core: Moon w'' has been sessfully consumed!]


    Khal hearing that he obtained the Beast Core felt joy and regret at the same time. But again, as there was nothing he could do now he could only ept such an oue and move on.


    ''Let''s be optimistic. At least this is a Beast Core from a beast that surpassed the Ninth Cultivation Stage. Although I could have gotten a much stronger ability, it is better than nothing, right?''


    Khal replenished his energy that was lost during the fight while he waited for Jas to return. He even ate several healing pills that he bought beforehand just in case he needed them, repairing his broken bones and damaged organs in his body.


    Time passed in silence and after a few hourster Khal felt a weak ripple in the air before he watched Jas emerge out from thin air. He was finally back.


    "How is Logan?" Khal asked with concern as he stood up and dusted off his clothes.


    "He will be alright but needs at least a week to recover. Almost all of his bones snapped and had been crushed while some of his organs had been pierced through by them. The experts told me it was aplete miracle none of his vital parts had been punctured or else he wouldn''t have survived." Jas exined.


    "Aplete miracle, huh?" Khal touched his chin, pondering deeply about that part.


    "Anyways, let''s go and see what lies behind that gate. Although I wanted to enter that ce with Logan, I can''t wait any longer... just what kind of ce can it be that needed such a terrifying beast as a guardian?"


    The question was a reasonable one as even Khal wondered about the answer. Any type of ce that was guarded by a creature on the Tenth Cultivation Stage must be extremely ancient with many mysteries waiting there to be unearthed.


    "Let''s go." Khal nodded and with Jas following him climbed out of the crater and entered the cave.


    Arriving before the huge gate which indeed looked rather ancient and mysterious, Jas and Khal looked at each other not knowing what they should do.


    Althoughmon sense told them to go up and open it with a simple push, they could never know if danger lurked around or not. Maybe the gate could be opened only through special means and anyone or anything that tried to unlock it normally would trigger a trap and die immediately!


    It was something they didn''t dare to risk doing until they didn''t make sure that it was perfectly safe.


    However, their worry was meaningless. Just a few seconds after they started to ponder what they should do, the blue gem in the center of the gate lit up before the sides of the gate proceeded to open up without causing a single sound.


    Looking at each other, Jas and Khal nodded and went to enter the unknown. Going through the gate with raised guards, the two looked around to be shocked beyond belief.


    Greener fields than emerald wherever they looked at and cherry blossoms on the sides of the jade path that led the way upward where the majestic looking building that Khal saw in the past was visible.


    However, the most shocking thing was not the breathtaking sight that was impossible to find elsewhere, but the number of Essence Particles in the air that was shockingly dense! Just taking a single sniff from the air made Jas and Khal feel as their Essence thrived!


    "It feels like I am back to de Mountain! No... It''s simply impossible topare the two. The difference in the density of essence is just simply way too vast!" mumbled Khal with a startledplexion, feeling as if he just entered apletely new world.


    After basking in the dense essence for a while longer, Jas and Khal followed the path until they reached the building they saw in the distance.


    "It was already a morous sight from the distance, but seeing it from far away is another thing. Whoever made this was a master in the field of architecture!" Khalplimented the scenery before him with a slightly loosened jaw, while Jas on his side did nothing but nod in agreement.


    "Huh? What does that mean?" Khal pointed at the carvings above the entrance of the building, as they seemed to be some type of ancient letters he failed to recognize.


    Jas followed his finger, but the very moment he read the carvings his eyes widened, and mumbled, "Unbelievable. To think this is indeed the ce from the legends..."


    "Legend? Why? What are those carvings mean?" Khal asked, his interest piqued after seeing Jas'' reaction.


    "ording to those carvings, which were written in the ancientnguage, this building is the Moon Temple. The legendary pce where the Moon Goddes lived during the ancient era. Simply unbelievable...." said Jas instantly without hiding a thing from Khal.

 Chapter 288 - Spiritual Weapons

    Khal listened to Jas'' story in silence and couldn''t help but feel awe the more he listened.


    He has already heard and read about the Moon Goddess''s legend many times, but hearing the legends and seeing it in person were two different things. Listening to the legend while looking at the majestic pce gave Khal a unique and mysterious feeling that he was traveling back in time, where the Moon Goddess descended onto the First Realm.


    ''Such a powerful existence, yet was forced to descend from the Higher Realms... I wonder what the reason was.'' Khal sighed inwardly.


    Once Jas finished talking he looked around and walked up before the gate before he ced his palm atop its surface.


    Khal felt nervous upon seeing this, but Jas just smiled slightly and said, "I have already checked the surroundings. This door is safe to open."


    With that, Jas took a deep breath and utilizing a little bit of his strength, pushed the door open.


    However, even before they could have taken a single step forward, both Jas and Khal froze up on the spot while their eyes went round like saucers.


    "T-This..."


    Shining golds, jade scrolls, and numerous weapons way above the thousands. The pce was filled with treasures and gold almost to the brim, while the ridiculously dense amount of Essence Particles that umted inside the pce throughout the decades and centuries broke forth!


    Khal took a deep breath only to watch as his units of Essence suddenly leaped from 293 units instantly to 304 and with each sniff, it increased non-stop!


    "Just what is this outrageous thickness? Just inhaling the air here could make anyone be a cultivation genius!" Khal was left speechless.


    Jas on his side nodded and said, "Not only that, but those weapons are no ordinary neither. Each one of them is emitting a powerful presence while also consuming the essence from the air! Those are all Spiritual Weapons!"


    "What?" Khal snapped out of his daze and turned his head toward Jas. He knew what Spiritual Weapons were, thanks to his book, but ording to it, no Spiritual Weapon should exist in the First Realm, much less this many.


    However, after thinking back that the ce they were currently standing before was in connection with an existence that came from a Higher Realm, it only made sense.


    Spiritual Weapons were a type of weapons that had their own consciousness and instead of getting chosen by other cultivators, they were the ones that chose their masters. Once the link between the two had been sessfully formed, the owners of the weapons will be able to utilize otherworldly powers that they would be incapable of doing with normal weapons!


    However, if one tried to force their will on such a weapon and make their own, the weapon would not hesitate to kill it right on the spot! Such behavior was the Spiritual Weapons'' nature and nothing could change it no matter what.


    They would rather self-destruct than follow a master that forced their will on them!


    The two entered the pce and inspected the treasures with keen eyes and excited expressions.


    Khal picked up a white dagger that had small holes all over its de. It also emitted a powerful aura and upon closer inspection, Khal recognized it was also a Spiritual Weapon.


    ''How do I know if it epts me as its master? Is there a special method or technique that must be used if I wish to form a link?''


    Although he knew about spiritual weapons he didn''t know how to acquire their approval. That is why he decided to ask Nova instead of Jas, who was an expert from the Higher Realms and had more experience in the field of spiritual weapons.


    [Just pour a little bit of your Essence inside. If the weapon epts it, it means it acknowledges you as its master, but if not, it will simply repel it.]


    [But make sure not try it a second time or attempt to use a lot of essences as it will only trigger its wrath and kill you right on the spot. Remember, these are weapons with consciousness and they originate not from this Realm.]


    Khal nodded. He knew that Nova was right and it was indeed better to be safe than sorry. He will try to pour only a small fraction of his essence into the dagger and leave everything else to his luck.


    Bam!


    The results, however, were disappointing. The moment Khal fused a but of his essence into the weapon, the dagger shook gently before it pushed it out of itself. It was obvious he failed to form the link, thus why Khal just shook his head helplessly and ced the dagger back where it originally was.


    Jas watched Khal from the side and noticed what he did, thus tried doing the same with a sword, but the results ended up the same as his. The sword abolished his essence in second and as a warning, it started to emit an aura that told Jas not to try again or the consequences will be severe.


    Jas naturally understood the warning and didn''t continue his attempt and decided to try his luck on other weapons while also checking out the many jade scrolls that seemed to be Secret Arts. However, because each of the scrolls was sealed down with some type of powerful power, the two decided to leave them there for the time being and continue their luck with the spiritual weapons.


    The two wandered around in silence, trying to acquire spiritual weapons, but each of their attempts failed, leaving them helpless and with a foul taste in their mouth. It was like going up to your crush, telling her your feelings only to get rejected and left behind with depression.


    Time flowed slowly, and after countless failed attempts Khal felt like punching someone in the face.


    He wanted to obtain a spiritual weapon as they were a better version of Ember Cores. They were able to grow stronger just like any cultivators while also bestowing their masters with otherworldly strength, but so far this wish was pretty far and seemingly impossible to achieve.


    ''I can''t believe there is not a single one that wishes to form a link with me!'' Khal thought with slight anger and looked around to find another weapon.


    And it was not even long before his eyes spotted one among the sea of gold.. However, when he walked closer and got a better look, his brows lowered into a deep frown, seemingly in confusion about what the weapon truly was.

 Chapter 289 - Challenged By A... Weapon?

    The weapon before Khal was by no means unique, or at least not by the standards of his previous world.


    It was a scythe with a much smaller size, akin to a chained sickle but without the chains.


    Its design, on the other hand, was also rather eye-catching. The weapon''s razor-sharp savagely shaped edge was wrapped in a shining golden cluster, while the color became darker toward the bottom of its handle that seemedfortable to the touch even just by a nce.


    "Hm?"


    As Khal picked up the weapon and inspected it from closer, he noticed that on the area where he held the weapon, just below his fingertips, several small buttons were ced that could be pushed.


    ''A hybrid weapon?'' Khal recognized the design as his Devil Fangs worked the same way. However, when he tried to push the button, strangely nothing happened which confused him. It felt like the buttons were stuck.


    [Interesting. I had never seen a man-made Spiritual Weapon before.]


    ''So this was made by someone from the Higher Realms?''


    [Yes.]


    Nova replied affirmatively and continued.


    [Although you don''t know this, Spiritual Weapons are asionally not made by others. They are born through special, but natural means where they consume the essence from their surroundings, forming their own consciousness over time which can be either a few decades or several centuries.]


    [Of course, the longer a weapon forms its own consciousness, the stronger the weapon will be in the end.]


    [However, a Spiritual Weapon that was not born through natural means and was created by hands and was bestowed a consciousness... I have never seen bit heard about such a thing before.]


    Khal listened to Nova''s exnation in silence and once Nova finished talking he raised a brow and asked, ''So, does a Spiritual Weapon that is born naturally has more potential to this one?''


    Nova remained silent, seemingly in deep thought before he started to speak.


    [As far as I can sense it, this Spiritual Weapon is no different than the rest, so I think it''s worth a try at least.]


    ''I see... Then I will give it a shot.'' thought Khal, but deep inside he didn''t have much hope for sess.


    Not only did he try his luck over more than several hundred Spiritual Weapons since he was inside Moon Temple, but this weapon also gave him a mixture of weird sensations that the rest never gave him. It made him somewhat ufortable but at the same time strangelyfortable too!


    ''Let''s see. If there is any god above, please bless me and let me obtain this weapon.'' Khal raised his head toward the sky before taking a deep breath and pouring a bit of his essence into the weapon.


    BAM!


    ''...''


    Khal watched as his Essence was dispersed into the air, obviously showing that he failed once again.


    And to make matters worse, at the very same moment he failed, in the close distance, Jas stood motionlessly with his gaze fixed on a pair of white glows, that floated before his face before they shed and attached themselves onto his hand.


    ''Fuck it! Am I really this unlucky or what!?'' Khal became angry and was about to smash the weapon in his hand onto the ground, before the sickle in his hand shed and flew high up onto the air, its edge pointing at Khal with an eerie aura.


    ''What is happening here?'' Khal frowned when he saw this sight, confused deeply.


    [Get ready to fight. It has challenged you.]


    ''It has challenged me? What?''


    [Yes, it wants to fight you. Although it has rejected you for the first time it still sees potential inside you so it wants to see what you are capable of. If you can beat it, there is a very high chance you will earn approval and will be your weapon willingly! If I were you I wouldn''t waste such a rare opportunity.]


    Khal felt shocked. A weapon wanted to fight him? But can he win against a weapon? It was not a cultivator neither a beast, so except for destroying itpletely he saw no solution that could help him beat it.


    [You don''t need to win. Just show what you can do and the rest will be decided by it.]


    ''If you say so...'' Khal sighed and summoned his Devil Fangs. Activating his Heaven''s Eyes, Khal didn''t waste any more time and swung his fan twice, causing the surroundings around the scythe to explode.


    BOOOM!


    Whoosh!


    "!?"


    ng!


    Using his fan, Khal deflected the weapon''s attack just in time before it could have pierced his forehead and jumped backward.


    ''Fast!'' Khal felt the back of his palm slowly getting wet from nervousness, thus tightening his grip, and took a deep breath to calm himself down.


    Although the scythe moved fast even below his Heaven''s Eyes, it was not as fast as the Moonlight Rabbit. He knew he had a high chance for victory if he didn''t lose concentration.


    Jas noticed the situation appeared next to Khal and was ready to use his newly acquired gloves, but Khal stopped him just in time.


    "Please stay back. It''s mine."


    Raising his brow, Jas was surprised by Khal''s request, but as he knew he was not the type of guy who would do something recklessly and without a reason, he knew it was fine to let him fight alone and step back. However, just in case if anything unexpected would happen, he made sure to watch the fight with raised guard and sharp senses from a close but safe distance and help Khal if he had to.


    Khal nodded seeing that Jas stepped back and fixed his gaze back at the floating weapon in the air. It seemed it waited for Khal on purpose to finish talking.


    ''At least it knows the importance of fair y.'' Khal smiled and after taking a deep breath he channeled his essence into his legs and took a step forward.


    However, even though it was just a single step, Khal traveled a bit less than a hundred meters in a sh and appeared before the weapon, while swinging his crimson-covered weapon horizontally, drawing a beautiful crimson arc in the air.


    Swish


    KA-BOOOM!


    The two weapons collided with each other, sending a powerful ripple throughout the air that shook the whole building while sparks flew everywhere akin to a firework!

 Chapter 290 - Smashed Into The Ground!

    ng!


    BAM!


    Tremble!


    Ripples flew everywhere and the surrounding treasures were sted away whenever Khal and the weapon collided with each other.


    Jas watched the sight from afar with awe, but couldn''t help feeling lost and helpless.


    Although he decided that, he would help Khal if things changed to that of the worst, he realized he was rather naive. Not only was the two moving with speed which made his head a little bit dizzy even with his cultivation base, but the strength they fought was on apletely different level too!


    Jas knew for sure that if this fight would have happened anywhere else, the entire surroundings would have been leveled to the ground in seconds if not instantly!


    While Jas spectated the fight with the slightly loosened jaw, Khal on the other hand sweated like crazy. His eyes shone with a sharp glint showing his level of concentration while he used everything he possibly could to beat the scythe.


    However, no matter if he used every ounce of his physical strength which was a scary thing to think about, or if he used his Talents, the scythe seemed to be always on par with him, sometimes even taking the advantage to push him back.


    Khal even tried to use his Ster Domain, seeing if it could influence the weapon''s movement or not, but unfortunately, the results were disappointing. His ability waspletely useless, not even affecting it in the slightest.


    What was even worse, that because he fought a weapon, which was made out of metal instead of flesh and blood, Khal''s Bloodshed Touch and Life and Death Sword became a good-for-nothing.


    ''Just how strong is this weapon? It''s obviously stronger than me yet it still fights me.'' Khal thought as he defended against the weapons attack with his fan, and then continued, ''Or did it challenge me just to bully me? If that''s the case I won''t hesitate to consume it and destroy it!''


    [If I were you, I wouldn''t do something so foolish. Or at least not until you have a death wish.]


    Just as Khal was ready to use his World Devourer Physique to consume the weapon with one swallow, Nova''s voice sounded in his head.


    ''Foolish? Why?'' Khal asked Nova as he avoided another attack just barely enough to miss his right eye.


    [Just think about it. That weapon originates from a Higher Realm, so it is obviously stronger than you. So what will happen if you, who couldn''t even be considered as a mere ant before the weakest entity from the Second Realm, try to consume it?]


    Realizing his mistake Khal sucked in a mouthful of cold air.


    ''Then I would be killed from the inside without the chance to regret my decision...''


    [Precisely.]


    Khal remained silent as he continued to defend against the attacks and sighed. It seemed irritation has taken a roll on him and he almost made a rash decision that could have cost his life!


    ''Then what should I do? How do I beat it? I can''t use half my abilities, my Secret Arts are useless here and even my enhanced strength is only enough for me to keep myself alive.''


    [Did you forget what I told you?]


    ''You told me I have to beat it.''


    Hearing that Khal was silent Nova sighed and continued to talk.


    [Then let me correct myself. When I said beat, I didn''t mean it in that way. You have to beat it not in an all-out fight but with a single exchange. You have to show it that you have potential and you can truly be its master.]


    Khal remained silent. He has to beat the weapon with a single move but not with an all-out attack? How was the even possible?


    Khal pondered and soon his eyes widened and thought about something.


    [Yes, exactly that. If you do that and seed, you will win.]


    ''I see, then I will give it a try right away.'' Khal smiled and after taking a deep breath unsummoned his weapon and took up a firm stance. Right now, he looked like an immovable mountain that will not copse not even if the heavens fell on it.


    "What is he doing? He ispletely wide open!" Jas frowned, but became shocked to see the scythe in the air stop its barrage of assaults and float motionlessly.


    However, because soon the weapon exploded with a terrifying aura, pushing its strength twice above what it was previously!


    ''Here ites!'' Khal immediately noticed the excitement inside that suffocating presence and readied himself. It seemed the weapon waited for this very moment, and everything will be decided right now.


    "Come!" Khal yelled at the weapon, even gesturing toward it with his raised hand. And the weapon needed nothing more than that and burst toward Khal with the speed that was twice if not thrice as fast as before!


    Khal watched the approaching golden sh with a nonchnt look, pushing his Heaven''s Eyes to their limit.


    The very moment the scythe appeared a meter before him, Khal''s eyes shed with a mysterious glint, and moved, extending his arm toward the weapon.


    ''Dance of the Celestial Serpent Second, Fourth, and Sixth Form- Azure, Sapphire, and Apricot Snake Dance!''


    Whoosh!


    Using his Secret Art''s second form to summon a protection field created from his essence around his palms while using his fourth and sixth form to boost his body speed, strength, and flexibility, Khal twisted his body in an unnatural way to the side and grabbed the handle of the weapon that already cut a deep wound into the side of his chest!


    BOOOM!


    With a firm grip, Khal tightened his fingers around the weapon and pushed every ounce of his physical strength into his arms and legs, holding it in one ce.


    CRACK!


    Deep fissures formed below his feet once he grabbed hold of the weapon, but because the scythe traveled with speed and power that was inhumanly impossible to replicate in the First Realm, Khal was dragged forward while his feet were left deep and long trenches in the ground.


    "STOP ALREADY FOR GOD DAMN SAKE!!!" Khal roared like a vast as veins bulged from below his skin on his arms, legs, and neck, using everything he could to make the weapon stop.


    However, as it was still not enough Khal felt aggravated and angry at the same time, thus stomping on the ground powerfully, yelled and poured every fraction of his Body Essence into his hands.


    And exactly as he did that, he felt as the remaining three sealed gates popped open while something inside him snapped.


    "THIS... ENDS... NOW!"


    KA-BOOOM!


    TREMBLE!!!


    With a quick raise of his hand, Khal mmed the weapon powerfully into the ground, sending a wild shockwave around the air that sted everything away, including Jas, while cracks began to spread all over the ground and the walls in the distance akin to a spider web!


    It was, without a question, a perfect knockout that not even the weapon was capable of defending against, burying it deep into the jade floor, halting it''s movementpletely!

 Chapter 291 - Pond Of Ascension

    Inside the Moon Temple, which now was full of fissures and holes while all the treasures were sted to the sides, Khal stood motionlessly in the center, his chest heaving up and down rapidly. It was obvious that he has reached his limit which was the very first for him since he was reincarnated.


    "I... Did I... do it?" Khal asked with a weakened voice as he watched the weapon that was buried deep into the jaded floor together with his arm.


    However, his question was quickly answered. Not long before he asked his doubts, the weapon in his hand broke free and floated before his face, its de pointing at his face in a threatening manner!


    ''It''s over!''


    Khal''s eyes widened with shock. He wanted to move, but his body didn''t abide by what his brainmanded it to do. As a fact, it turned numb to the point where he was forced to drop onto one knee, supporting himself with the other as though he was pressed down by an eternal mountain from above.


    Khal readied himself for the worst, but surprisingly, the weapon didn''t attack him. It just floated before him motionlessly, doing nothing at all. Although it emitted a threatening aura, upon closer inspection Khal quickly realized it was not really threatening him as it wished to strike him, but it was its natural aura!


    ''It won''t kill me? Then does this mean...'' Khal wondered if this really meant that he just won, and used his remaining strength to push himself onto his feet.


    Once he was wholly on his feet, which felt like a mass of jelly, Khal stared at the weapon in silence before he extended his hand to grab it.


    At first, he believed the weapon would attack him or avoid his attempt, but nothing like that urred at all. Instead, the weapon floated into his grasp, cing itself perfectly into his hand that now felt even morefortable to the touch than during the first time when he held it.


    ''I see... So your name is Moonshadow.'' Khal''s eyes widened. The moment his fingers got into connection with the weapon, memories that were obviously the weapon''s flooded his mind, helping Khal understand Moonshadow''s past with ease.


    It seemed Moonshadow was once a core of a moon that was acquired by a powerful expert who crafted it and was able to forcefully awaken its consciousness.


    After it was refined, tempered, and designed to perfection by the expert, it was given the name Moonshadow before it was gifted to a deity called Moon Goddess.


    However, because the Moon Goddess despised weapons with cruel appearance such as the Moonshadow had, it was tossed and sealed away among thousands of other treasures for centuries without anyone using it.


    ''Judged by your appearance even though you were the strongest at that time... How cruel... Why keep something in your possession if you decide not to use it? At least give it to someone who would be d to use it and don''t toss it away as though it was trash!'' Khal felt anger swelling up inside himself. He not only was able to see the memories but also feel what Moonshadow felt, thus why he felt like that.


    It was like someone judged you as good-for-nothing and instead of giving you a chance, see if you had potential, you were sealed away inside a small room for thousands of years without having the chance to do a single thing!


    It was like torture, worse than death itself!


    Khal looked around the hall and seemed to realize that all the spiritual weapons around were the same. They were tossed away just like Moonshadow was, without having a single individual to use them properly.


    They too wanted to get free of this ce just like how Moonshadow.


    But then why is it that they didn''t choose Khal as their master? Well, Khal knew the answer for that and he realized just how foolishly did he think previously.


    It seemed, the weapons didn''t choose him not because he was weak or they looked down on him, but because he was not proficient enough with their type of style. And it was a truth he couldn''t deny.


    Since the beginning, he has used hybrid and fan-type weapons, only using swords rarely. And because these weapons had their own consciousness and pride, just like humans had, no matter how much they wanted to be free, it was only natural for them to ignore Khal instead of sticking with him, who couldn''t utilize their full potential as a real expert would.


    As for Moonshadow, because Khal was used to hybrid weapons, which were looked down on almost all the time and were rarely used by any because of theirplex usage, it was only obvious why Khal was chosen.


    Although Khal felt rather nervous because hepletely understood just howplex this weapon in his hand truly was, he also felt the trust and confidence from Moonshadow so he couldn''t help but smile.


    ''One day, you will be a symbol that will be feared by all, I promise.'' Khal said to Moonshadow, who as a response emitted a powerful aura that was filled with anticipation, excitement, and... Bloodlust. After thousands of years of istion from the outer world, Moonshadow couldn''t wait to get out and spill some blood to vent its anger that umted through time.


    ''Woah, calm down there!'' Khal was surprised, feeling that dealing with this weapon will be quite tricky, but as it immediately withdrew its bloodlust, Khal let out a sigh of relief.


    "Are you okay?" Jas approached Khal from afar as he was sted away, but when he noticed the weapon in his hand he smiled and said, "Congrattions. You have acquired a spiritual weapon too."


    "I can say the same to you. You were even luckier than me, at least you didn''t have to fight it." Khal smiled before he looked around and noticed stairs at the other end of the hall and asked, "Should we check out what is above us? Or do you want to look around here for a bit more"


    "Nah, I got what I wanted. Let''s go and check the upper floors out. I am curious to see what lies up there too."


    Khal nodded and after tossing a healing pill into his mouth he followed Jas up to the second floor. However, when the two of them reached the second floor, what waited for them was not a hall filled with treasure but a single pond, which color was white! If Khal didn''t walk closer to see that it was slightly transparent, he would have thought it was milk!


    [Oh? To think a Pond of Ascension will be found here.... Truly unexpected.]

 Chapter 292 - Heaven Essence Pills

    ''Pond of Ascension?'' Khal raised a brow.


    He knew what the Pond of Ascension was and what purpose it held, thus why he felt surprised.


    ording to the ''Record of All Realms'', only one Pond of Ascension existed in each Realm, which helped beings enter the next Realm once they reached the peak they could possibly attain in their current Realm.


    And because the only Pond of Ascension in the Human First Realm was located between all the continents on a private ind, it was hard to believe there was another Pond of Ascension here.


    Even Jas seemed to recognize the pool before them, and hisplexion changed too, showing awe before it gradually turned into excitement that Khal rarely saw from him.


    "This is simply too perfect! With this pce and this pond, I can create my own sect and start nurturing exceptional talents!" As Jas saw the limitless possibilities, he failed to surpass his but emotions and eximed out aloud.


    "You n to create a sect too?" Khal remembered that Raven too did n the same thing, maybe he could mention Jas and tell him to form an alliance. Even though he knew Raven for a short while, he understood her quite well and he was definitely a force to join hands with.


    "Too? Oh, you perhaps talking about that girl from the Thousand Life Tournament, right? I heard she ns to form a Sect too and already started recruiting cultivators from all around the world."


    "Yeah, her name is Raven. I think you should consider forming a mutual rtionship with her." Khal nodded as he said.


    Jas touched his chin, pondering about what Khal just said. And after a while, he nodded.


    "Yeah, that would be the best." said Jas and continued, "Although other sects rarely fight each other over territories, the same couldn''t be said for those greedy Families, especially if we talk about the Ourvi Family. I am pretty sure they will try to force their selfish wills on this ce and take it away from us, so until we don''t get strong enough to protect ourselves properly, we need support."


    With that in mind, Jas noted down that when they finished with everything here and go back to Moon City, he should get in contact with Raven and discuss the matter.


    "Should we check out what is on the next floor?" Khal asked after a minute of silenceter, which at Jas nodded.


    The third floor was also unique just like the previous two, as it was a huge artificial garden filled with hundreds of herbs that emitted a powerful aura that made Khal and Jas pinch their noses as it made them rather ufortable, even feeling slight pain.


    "So many magical herbs. Alchemists and medical experts would go crazy if they would see such a sight." Jas said calmly as he looked at the almost dozen or so herbs around him.


    "It seems this is the final floor too," Khal said as he noticed that no more stairs went higher than the third floor.


    The two walked back to the first floor and exited Moon Temple before deciding to search the surroundings. And not to their great surprise, the outside was just as incredible as the Moon Temple''s interior was.


    As they followed the jade path that went everywhere around in the once glorious ancient city, Khal saw several buildings of different sizes but with the same design as the Moon Temple. There were also several small open fields, filled with different targets, seemingly being practice puppets for different means.


    "This is even greater than I have thought! With such an environment, reaching the top among all Sects won''t be hard at all! Haha!" Jas couldn''t hold back his excitement andughed toward the sky.


    During his life, he visited and saw many sects and families, butpared to this one, which was deeply hidden all this time on top of Moon Mountain, each of them could be considered trash and even that would be a huge understatement!


    The two walked around a while more before they decided to go back to Moon Temple. As the density of essence particles was the densest inside there, especially on the second floor because of the Pond of Ascension, they wanted to increase their essence before going back to Moon Academy and start recruiting talents.


    Sitting down and closing their eyes, both men started to inhale deep breaths causing the essence in their bodies to grow at a rapid rate. Just under a single minute, both of them increased their units at least by 1 to 3, which was simply a ridiculous amount!


    Time passed quickly, and the two remained motionlessly on the ground for many hours which became days even before they could have realized it.


    The first one to open his eyes was Jas, who exhaled deeply before curving his mouth into a slight smile.


    ''This ce is truly legendary. Just under a few days, I was able to unseal one of my remaining Essence Paths which would have needed at least a month to do! I even feel refreshed and rxed in my mind!''


    As Jas thought about this he stood up and shifted his gaze to the side, only to see Khal still cultivating in silence.


    ''...''


    Jas touched his chin. He pondered for a while before deciding to walk away in silence. He trusted Khal so did not fear he would cause a ruckus with the ce while he was away, thus why he decided in such away.


    After Jas left, to gather great and promising cultivation talents that could push his sect in the future to the top, Khal opened his eyes slightly and looked around. Seeing Jas nowhere, he smiled and took out several golden pills from his spatial ring.


    [Heaven Essence Pills. Just one pill can increase one''s essence by a thousand. You n to consume all of them?]


    ''Yeah.'' Khal nodded. He found these pills back on the first floor and decided to take a few away with him. Although it was a shameless move, as there were a hundred more down there he was pretty sure Jas didn''t even notice it in the first ce so everything was perfectly fine.


    In truth, until this very moment, he didn''t increase his units of Beast Essence at all but transformed them. And because of that, his units of Body Essence grew by leaps and bounds, breaking the thirty thousand mark, reaching an amount of 32,262 units of Body Essence!


    Right now, he felt like he could easily shatter any creature on the Tenth Cultivation Stage, but he was not a fool to believe it. He already fought once before and another one that was half a step away from it, and knew he needed much more than a ridiculous amount of Body Essence.


    He also had to reach the Tenth Cultivation Stage just to have the chance topete and that is why he chose to ''borrow'' these golden pills from the first floor.


    ''With this many, I can easily reach ten thousand units, but I am not sure that will be enough for me to reach the Tenth Stage.'' Khal thought calmly as there was yet to be a single cultivator except himself and a few others that knew about the Tenth Cultivation Stage much less attempting to reach it.


    As everyone used the Pond of Ascension to enter the Second Realm once they reached the peak in the Ninth Cultivation Stage, he will be the very first cultivator to attempt the impossible and break into the next Stage!


    Although it was kind of risky because of the unknown dangers, Khal knew there was no such thing as a safe gamble as there will be always risks at stake no matter what. There were only easier and harder paths with more dangers on thetter than the former.


    Of course, this also meant a path filled with risks and dangers will have much more to offer in the end than a path that only has a few!


    Khal took a deep breath as he thought about these things, and once he was ready, he tossed all the golden pills in his hand right into his mouth and swallowed them down.

 Chapter 293 - Bottleneck

    Khal swallowed down the golden pills and let them be one with his body.


    A warm feeling akin to a hot spring washed over his body, pushing his units of Essence ridiculously toward the unknown peak.


    From a mere two hundred units, Khal felt as his essence broke past the five thousand border and continued to increase without any sign of slowing down or halting!


    ''Hey, Nova... Do you know anyone that has sessfully broken into the Tenth Cultivation Stage?''


    [Way too many to count. As far as I can see, only your race is oblivious by the fact that not the Ninth Cultivation Stage is the peak in the First Realm.]


    [Now I can understand why you humans were considered the weakest among all the races out in the Second Realm and above even though you possess such a unique and special Blessing.]


    ''Blessing? What is that?'' Khal asked with surprise as this was something he never heard nor read about back in his book. The concept of ''Blessing'' was new even for him.


    [You don''t know what is a blessing?]


    ''I don''t...''


    [Hmm... Well, if I think about it, it''s not a surprise at all as you have yet to reach the Second Realm.]


    [As for what they are, Blessings are unique abilities that each race possesses, each Blessing different than the rest. Some can control their bloodlines to create stronger offspring, some can manipte the elements while some are capable of creating worlds by a simple wish.]


    [However, each Blessing has only one type, meaning each race has only the same Blessing. For example, in the Higher Realms, there is a race called the Hell Bringers. They are capable of manipting others'' fear, even summoning their enemies'' worst nightmares during a fight if they reached a higher stage in their cultivation!]


    ''That sounds really scary.'' Khal eximed his thought with awe and a tinge of fear.


    [They are indeed are a scary race to fear from, but luckily their nature is not hostile and they don''t seek trouble. As a fact, they are known for their kind personality. They even look at their own Blessings as a curse instead of a weapon that could pull disaster onto others with a singlemand!]


    ''I see..." Khal sighed with relief inwardly, but soon frowned and asked, ''But how can that be that our Talents, our Blessings are different from one another?''


    Thinking about the fact that each cultivator had its own Talent, but each was different from the rest almostpletely, was something Khal didn''t understand.


    If what Nova said was true, then shouldn''t all humans possess the same Talent instead of wielding different abilities? It made no sense at all that only they possessed such a strange but unique Blessing from all races out there, right?


    [Yes, you are right. That is why I told you it''s such a shame that your race cultivated only until the Ninth Cultivation Stage with such a powerful Blessing instead of the Tenth Cultivation Stage.]


    [I am pretty sure if your race would be a top existence if you start to cultivate all the way instead of stopping just before the finish line which in truth is the start of everything!]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent as he felt his rapidly growing essence in his body slowly slowing down before haltingpletely as it reached a bottleneck once again.


    After a whileter he sighed and shook his head, finding humans ridiculously stupid for missing out on such a fate-changing detail, but soon he found a little problem.


    ''Wait... If we are capable of receiving information from the Second Realm and above, howe we have yet to find out the truth? It shouldn''t take a long time for someone in the Second Realm to realize their mistake and inform the rest of us in the First Realm, right?''


    [Unfortunately, that is not the case. Each race cultivates its Blessings through different means and methods in their realm.]


    [For instance, while you have to kill beasts and consume their essence in this Realm to reach the peak, there is a race that only has to eat to get stronger, such as the Void Eaters.]


    ''Eat to get physically stronger? What kind of power even is that?'' Khal looked baffled by the sudden revtion.


    [I hope you now understand what I am talking about. Although other races understood that your race is capable of improving your Blessings by consuming other beings'' essence, it doesn''t mean they would know about the fact that all of you ascended even before reaching your peak in the First Realm.]


    [In truth, even I, a Celestial Being who reached the peak in all Realms, was surprised when I found out this piece of information. Though, now I canpletely understand why you were considered as the weakest race among all.]


    ''I see, then I should inform about this matter everyone as soon as possible.'' Khal nodded and closed his eyes, ''But for now... I should concentrate on breaking this invisible wall inside me and reach the Tenth Cultivation Stage.''


    Ever since his Body Essence reached another bottleneck, Khal felt this weird feeling inside his body that made him feel that he was extremely close to breaking into the next Cultivation Stage but at the same time millions of light-years away!


    It was such an untouchable sensation that made him feel strange but at the same time excited too as if he now seeds in breaking this bottleneck, he will be the very first cultivator among his race to achieve the impossible!


    However, exactly because of this, he was forced to figure out a solution that will help him seed with this seemingly unachievable task.


    Until this moment, Khal had to unlock an exact amount of his Essence Paths while also consuming enough Beast Essence to reach the next Cultivation Stage. But currently, this was not the case at all.


    Not only did he unlock all of his Essence Paths in his body that he possibly could, but he also consumed enough Beast Essence!


    This meant he has to think about something else, a way that could help him break his bottleneck and enter the Tenth Cultivation Stage.


    But what could that possibly be?

 Chapter 294 - Soul World

    Khal sat next to the pond without moving, hisplexion cid without any type of emotion.


    However, the same couldn''t be told in his mind. He made his brain work on all cylinders in the past several hours, yet he found nothing at all that could have helped him.


    He already unsealed all Essence Paths in his body while also consumed all the Beast Essence he possibly could, thus why he didn''t understand what he was missing out on.


    He even tried to use pushing his essence against the invisible wall that resided exactly inside the middle of his forehead, but found it with surprise that it was useless.


    All of his efforts were for naught.


    ''This is not right. I know I am right there. I only need a small push but what?'' Khal wracked his brain for another hour and soon enough, he found something.


    Although the invisible barrier inside his body was not in connection with neither his essence and essence paths, Khal realized that it was, in fact, in connection with his will.


    It felt like the invisible barrier was a gate while his will was a miniature version of himself and the clearer his mind together with his will was, the clearer the gate would be while the closer he was able to get to it.


    ''So that''s what I need to do.'' Khal immediately emptied his mind, closing out anything unnecessary from his head. He even stopped thinking which was quite a hard process as the human brain can never stop thinking no matter how hard one tried. Maybe one could curtail their thought process to the minimum without being aware of the minuscule amount of thoughts in the back of their head, butpletely emptying their brain was extremely hard to the point where it was almost impossible!


    However, it seemed this was exactly what Khal needed to do in the hope to reach and break the invisible barrier in his head.


    Taking a deep breath, Khal calmed himself down and started to clear his mind from everything bit by bit. He closed off his senses such as hearing, smelling, touch, and feeling, avoiding the slim chance of getting distracted by any of those things.


    Right now, he could neither hear his surroundings, feel his skin, and smell the air as he even stopped breathing!


    Of course, all of these things wouldn''t have been possible without his enhanced traits and steel strong mental strength. Nheless, exactly because of all these why Khal was able to reach the invisible barrier inside his head under no time at all before smashing it into bits with his will, sending a powerful burst throughout his brain that shook him to his very core!


    BAM!


    [Congrattions! You have sessfully be a Realm Cultivator!]


    [You have consumed enough Beast Essence to Ascend!]


    [All of your Power Cores have reached the Tenth Cultivation Stage!]


    [All of your Cultivator Traits increased by 3!]


    [Your sea of consciousness expanded! Soul World has been formed!]


    Swish!


    ''Wha-what the hell is this? Where am I?'' Khal''s eyes became huge like saucers as he watched that the ckness in his mind turn white and blue before they began to expand all the way into the infinite while he appeared in the middle of all this all of a sudden!


    [Oho? A Soul World? Things start to be even more interesting.]


    ''A Soul World? What is that?'' Khal frowned as he nced around only to realize that there was nothing around him except the white ground below his feet that was akin to clouds and the azure blue sky above that emitted calmness.


    [Well, how should I put it...]


    Nova began to ponder before starting to talk.


    [Soul World is like a better version of your consciousness. In your Soul World, you will be capable of creating anything, and on the Higher Realms there will be a chance for you to turn it into your own domain!]


    ''So basically I am a god here?''


    [Basically, yes.]


    Khal felt stupified and quickly asked, ''And how do I create things?''


    [Haha, calm down. Maybe I have said you will be able to build your world in here, it does not mean creating things out of thin air is just a snap of his finger. You need a tremendous amount of energy, which in this case can be your essence.]


    [Also, you must have a strong Soul World. Although you have sessfully formed your Soul Word, which can be considered a shocking finding as only at the Third Realm can one form their own Soul World, you need to make sure it''s strong enough before you start to do anything at all.]


    ''Strong enough? What do you mean?'' Khal asked with a raised brow.


    [Just m your feet against the ground.]


    Khal frowned when he heard this, but did as he was told. Raising his feet, he stomped powerfully, but quickly realized it was a big mistake.


    Tremble!!!


    Like an earthquake during an explosion, Khal felt as though his head was split into two and was immediately pushed out of his Soul World!


    "Bleargh!"


    Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Khal supported himself on the ground while he watched as his vision became dizzy and everything around him spun like crazy.


    It felt like he was on a rollercoaster.


    [See? If your Soul World is not strong enough to withstand a simple stomp how do you wish to create anything? Remember, you must reinforce your Soul World no matter what or you can easily die.]


    Khal coughed up several amounts of blood before wiping his mouth and raising his head. At the moment hisplexion was pale as a sheet of paper while sweat drops with the size of a bean covered his face.


    ''And... How do I do that?'' Khal asked, his voice rather weak.


    [There are many ways. Some magical herbs or pills can strengthen your mind together with your Soul World. Many cultivation methods can bolster your mental strength or you can simply do your Cultivation Quests and increase your Cultivator Traits.]


    ''I see... I will try to do something about it.'' Khal nodded and stood up, however, something unexpected happened.


    Just as he was about to stand up, Khal suddenly realized that no strength was left in his legs thanks to the previous ident and started to fall toward the side!


    ''Wha-'' Khal widened his eyes when he noticed this fact, but unfortunately, he couldn''t do anything about it but watch as his body crashed into the pond, turning his vision all white!


    Ssh!

 Chapter 295 - Accidental Ascension

    Ssh!


    Khal watched as his vision turned all white while a warm sensation enveloped his body while an even warmer feeling pierced his pores, invading every inch of his whole all the way to the bones.


    The feeling was akin to submerging himself into a hot spring while thousands of needles pierced his body through his pores one by one.


    One would believe it was a weird and unpleasant sensation, but strangely, it was not. As a fact, Khal felt as his body began to rx while every cell in his body underwent a great change, an evolution!


    ''Wait... Am I going to ascend!?'' Khal suddenly snapped his eyes open upon realizing what was happening and tried to move, only to find out that his body didn''t listen to hismand. It was like he was tied down by chains, restricting and sealing his movementspletely!


    [Once you enter the Pond of Ascension, you cannot halt the ascension process. You have to let your body evolve and break the border of your Realm to reach the next Realm.]


    ''No, no... This is not right at all! Stop it! Now!'' Khal struggled even more, but the results were the same as before. He was floating in the middle of whiteness without any chance of him moving even an inch much less escape from the pond.


    He was truly ascending to the Second Realm, like it or not.


    ''Stop it! Come on!'' Khal clenched his teeth to utter some strength into his body, ''Liza and Miss Mary are still there, I can''t leave just yet! Their lives will be in danger!''


    Although Miss Mary was an influential figure with a great and powerful background in the Western Continent, she could be considered a no one when it came to the leader of the Southern Continent, the Ourvi Family. Til he does not obliterate them from the''s surface once and for all, Khal couldn''t be at ease, especially after witnessing how they tried to force Liza to join them.


    ''Fuck! Is there really no way for me to halt my ascension?!'' Khal roared inwardly, feeling helpless and angry. If he wouldn''t have stood up right away after bing dizzy but waited for a while to recover his strength, all of this wouldn''t have happened at all.


    [Calm down. There is still a way for you to go back. Although it will take a while, I am sure you will be able to do it.]


    ''How?'' Khal asked as he calmed himself. He knew bing angry won''t change anything, so instead let the warmth sweep through his body even more and calm down his mind.


    [First of all, you have to understand your ascension is a must, there is no way to stop it, or at least not until if you cripple yourselfpletely. But I think you don''t want to do that, right?]


    Hearing that Khal was silent Nova hummed with satisfaction and continued to speak.


    [Now then... As for how you will be able to go back to the First Realm, there is only one way. It''s easy, but at the same time an incredibly risky method, so I would rmend you do it only when you reached the peak of the Second Realm.]


    ''And the method is?'' Khal asked calmly.


    [As you know, the Zero Realm is in connection with all the other Realms, so the only thing you have to do is...]


    ''Is to use it as a passage to get me back to the First Realm. However, because it won''t be a separate space from the one where I previously was, I can easily meet with beings or creatures from Higher Realms. Death will lurk from all sides and the possibility of me sessfully going back is close to nil, right?''


    [I like that I don''t have to exin everything to you.]


    Khal remained silent. He closed his eyes to ponder only to sigh deeply after a momentter.


    ''So that''s how it is...''


    Khal nowpletely realized that he could do nothing about his current situation. What already happened can''t be changed, like it or not. Now the only thing he could do is to do what Nova told him, no shortcuts.


    While Khal pondered, suddenly he noticed as a strange power inside him started to swell while a voice pierced his mind.


    [Your body has evolved!]


    [Congrattions, you have sessfully be an Awakened!]


    [All of your Power Cores have evolved and be First Stage!]


    [Seal has been shattered!]


    [Your Blessing has evolved and be First Stage!]


    ''Shattered seal? Don''t tell me...'' Khal widened his eyes and wanted to check if things were true or not, but the voice in his head continued to speak.


    [All of your umted Cultivator Traits now will merge with your bodypletely!]


    In seconds, Khal felt as his bones, muscles, tendons and every cell in his body underwent another change, while even a strange feeling swept through his Soul World.


    [Congrattions, you have sessfully be a Body Refiner!]


    [All of your Power Cores have evolved and be Second Stage!]


    [Your Blessing has evolved and be Second Stage!]


    At that very moment, Khal felt a powerful force pull his body toward the surface and soon found himself flying out of the white pond like a bullet.


    Boom!


    With tremendous force, Khal''s flying figure destroyed several trees in split seconds beforeing to aplete halt with a loud ''bang'' once he crashed into a huge boulder that immediately turned into small chunks of debris and dust.


    "Cough~Cough... Where... Am I?" coughed Khal as he waved his hand to make the flying dust around him go away.


    Khal stood up slowly from the debris with a painful grimace and looked around. Although he was just shot out from the pond like a cannonball, demolishing tens of trees and a single ship-sized boulder with his mere body, it was shocking to see that he sustained zero-damage and injury!


    However, Khal didn''t notice this at all as he was more focused on the sight around him, or to be more precise at the three humanoid creatures in the distance that were approaching him with mocking smiles.


    It was obvious they were not approaching him to be friends, particrly because of the way they were holding their weapons in their hands.


    They wanted trouble for sure.

 Chapter 296 - Torn To Shreds!

    Khal remained silent, watching as the three being approached him with visible hostility.


    Each creature was humanoid with the sole difference that their legs were simr to that of a bull while two, twisted horns could be seen growing out of their foreheads. Each of them wore silver armor and held a long, silver sword that shone eerily under the sun''s gleam.


    "Grash Suf Tharsa Miyra. Kara Suf Jasd Hr."


    ''What the hell is he babbling about?'' Khal frowned, not understanding what the creatures tried to say.


    [He is using the Ancient Tongue, anguage that is used by races to understand each other.]


    ''And what did he say?'' Khal asked, but knew whatever the creature said, it was nothing good for sure.


    [He said you will have two choices. Either give them all your essories and treasure or they will kill you on the spot.]


    Khal stayed mute before he examined the three creatures and asked, ''Do you think I can win against them?''


    Khal asked this question as he felt no pressure from the three before him, meaning they were either on his level or they had yet to show their true strength.


    [All three of them are on the same Stage as you, all of them are Body Refiners. But if I were you, I wouldn''t underestimate them as their Blessings are quite powerful, especially in the early stages in the Second Realm.]


    [Their race are known for their crazy and short-tempered nature, that is why they are called the Berserk Horns or just simply the Berserkers. Their Blessings allow them to improve their physical strength at least twice, but when they reach the Higher Realms it''s not a surprise to see some that are capable of increasing their strength thrice if not four times!]


    [They can easily overwhelm a whole army by their physical strength alone if they need to.]


    ''Sounds terrifying.'' Khal nodded scarcely but that didn''t mean he was scared or whatever. As a fact, he felt even more excited as he wanted to see just how strong he became now that he reached the Second Realm and even surpassed a Stage right off the bat!


    What''s more, he even had his Moonshadow to test its strength while also his newly acquired Blessing that was sealed all this time.


    "GHAR FUL SUF TAHATD!!!"


    [He is running out of patience. He said choose or die.]


    "Haha!" Khalughed upon hearing this and smiled coldly while straightening his back and summoning a golden scythe into his grasp.


    "!?!"


    All three creatures froze up upon noticing Khal''s weapon that emitted a scary and almost suffocating presence. In their eyes, the weapon seemed like a terrifying and bloodthirsty beast that just got out of its cage and wanted to kill!


    Khal smiled even wider when he saw this, but soon he became confused as the three creatures'' became excited and without hesitation leaped at him with obvious greed in their eyes.


    "Courting death!" Khal sneered and without hesitation swung his weapon while pressing one switch on it with his finger which caused a shocking sight in the next second.


    The very same second as he pressed the switch, the scythe''s head suddenly came loose and while attached to the handle through an iron string which Khal held firmly, it began to fly toward the three creatures with a silver sh.


    The three creatures became shocked and their pupils shrunk to the size of a needle. When they noticed that Khal had a Spiritual Weapon that seemed to be only useful in close range, they didn''t hesitate to lunge themselves onto him.


    Like, who in their right mind wouldn''t want a Spiritual Weapon that looked so mighty and threatening? Also, their race specialized in closebat thanks to their Blessings, so Moonshadow was the perfect weapon for them, no question about it.


    However, exactly because of this, they didn''t assume that the weapon in their enemy''s hand was a little bit more than it showed to one''s eye. It was not only a close-range weapon but also could attack others in mid-range, which was quite a rare sight, particrly as it was a Spiritual Weapon!


    If they would have known this, they wouldn''t have acted so rashly. Now, the only thing they could do was to watch and hope that their armor was strong enough to repel the weapon''s sharpness.


    But their hope was useless and short-lived as it was shattered like ss. The very moment the de got into contact with the silver armor, not even a sound could be heard before it sliced through the three creature''s bodies horizontally, akin to a hot knife through butter!


    "I am not done yet!" Khal smiled even colder and pressed several other switches on the handle while he swung his arm around as if he was fighting with a sword against an invisible enemy.


    Swish!


    Whoosh!


    Swish!


    Moonshadow flew everywhere and under a split second it shredded the three creatures up into small pieces. What remained from the three was only a pile of bloody mess and nothing more!


    Swish!


    ng!


    With a metallic sound, Khal watched as Moonshadow attached itself back to the handle, bing a whole once again.


    ''That Moon Goddess was a fool not to use you.'' Khal shook his head, feeling regret that such a powerful weapon rotted in a treasure hall for centuries until all this time.


    After ncing at the spot where the pile of mincemeat was visible, Khal frowned and pinched his nose before turning away in disgust.


    Although he has killed beasts and a single individual, Andre before, this situation waspletely different. Killing Beast was a must for him to get stronger as their Essence was like a source of power while he killed Andre because of his revenge.


    However, this time, he killed neither because of the two, but because his life was in danger. Also, their bodies didn''t turn into Essence, but remained in one ce as a pond of blood and mincemeat, which emitted a sour, nose twisting smell that made him feel slightly sick.


    [You have to get used to such sight if you wish to be stronger as only worse will wait for you in your path.]


    ''Yeah, I know..'' Khal nodded withposure and waved his hand, immediately scorching the mess away with his Hell ze.

 Chapter 297 - Knowledge Pill

    In the middle of a dense, but red-colored forest, where the trees grew over a hundred meters, Khal walked calmly with Moonshadow in his grasp while his eyes scanned the surroundings with the help of his Heaven''s Eyes.


    Ever since he killed the three Berserkers, he was forced to travel aimlessly in the hope he could find a city sooner orter.


    Of course, his journey was not an easy one at all as the Second Realm was not a ce like the First Realm. He was now in a world where danger lurked in almost every corner, and not only from beasts but from other races too and this was shown right from the start since he decided to find a city.


    Just under a short span of ten minutes after he started to walk away, he was ambushed by three beasts and two other Berserkers. Luckily, they were all weaker than the first three and stood no chance against him as they were torn to shreds by Moonshadow under seconds!


    And things only got worse than this as he traveled further away. Almost every five minutes, he was attacked by either a Berserker or a beast, making him feel rather annoyed.


    Swish!


    Slicing off a Berserker''s head from his neck with a smooth motion before scorching the corpse away, Khal showed no change of emotions and continued to walk forward.


    ''Why is that all of the Berserkers I have met so far attacks me without a second thought? Are they that greedy or simply arezy tomunicate?'' Khal sighed inwardly.


    So far he has traveled for almost two hours straight without finding a city, but under such a little amount of time he has killed way too many Berserkers and Beasts he could count on his two hands, maybe the number was already in the three digits.


    Naturally, whenever he killed beasts, Khal consumed their essence to increase his strength, which so far increased his essence by only 147 units, or at least that''s how much he calcted so far.


    And why was he calcting instead of checking it constantly in his status? Well... The problem is that he was unable to.


    After he killed the first three Berserkers he wanted to check out his status while also seeing what his sealed Talent was, but found out with surprise that his bracelet was not working.


    Khal raised his hand to see if it was reacting, but just like previously, it was not. Right now, it was just like a piece of a normal bracelet and nothing more.


    However, Khal knew it did not mean he has lost his ability to use his powers as he already used his Heaven''s Eyes and Hell ze several times so far while he also talked continuously with Nova, who was also a part of the bracelet.


    So there was still hope and it seemed that the bracelet was simply on a weird cooldown or something like that.


    [Berserkers are famous for their greed, especially when ites to rare treasures. And because you are holding one in your hand for everyone to see, it is only obvious that you are a target.]


    Nova exined why Khal was attacked all the time


    [As for themunication part, how do you wish tomunicate them if you can''t even understand what they say much less talk?]


    ''Well, you can always help me. You would make a perfect trantor, you know that, right?''


    Khal continued to walk forward, but with Moonshadow still in his hand even after what Nova told me. He wished to familiarize himself with it as much as he could as he realized the more he used it the morepatible it was with him.


    Continuing his way while taking lives away as though he was the reaper, Khal walked for another hour before he finally noticed a city wall in the distance.


    ''Do you think it''s safe for me to enter this city?'' Khal asked Nova while he examined the city from a safe distance from where he was yet to be noticed.


    [If you put your weapon away, my answer is yes. Also, because it seems that this is the Berserkers'', it is only obvious that the city will be full of Berserkers so try not to take out any fancy or rare-looking thing.]


    [That would only dig your grave.]


    ''Noted.'' Khal nodded and after putting his weapon away began to walk toward the city gates.


    "Grad Suf Tottasv Gahskf Guysr."


    ''This again?'' Khal sighed as he was stopped by a Berserker just before he could have walked through the gate.


    [He is saying you have to pay a fee if you wish to enter.]


    ''Fee? How much?'' Khal''s face paled slightly as he realized that he had no money at all. Or at least he had, but that money was only useful in the First Realm.


    [Don''t worry. Except for the Fifth and Sixth Realm, the currency is the same everywhere, so just give them one Gold Coin.]


    ''Sure.'' Khal sighed with relief and took out a golden coin from his spatial ring, which was still stuffed with many more, and handed it over to one of the guards.


    Of course, he did hide his hand in his pocket to avoid the guards seeing that he had a spatial ring. Knowing their nature from the previous encounters, he was sure they would too start a fight over his ring just out of pure greed.


    The guard took away the coin from Khal and after inspecting it he nodded and made way, letting him inside without further ado.


    [Now that you are here, what do you wish to do?]


    Khal looked around once he was inside the city, and noted down that this city was somewhat simr to the ones in the First Realm with the sole exception that everything, including the streets, walls, buildings, and so on were made out of red material, making everything red around him.


    Once he was used to the redness Khal touched his chin and said, ''Well, I wish to learn the Ancient Tounge so I should find a library first.''


    [That won''t help you at all. If you want to learn it, you have to buy a Knowledge Pill and consume it.]


    ''And where do I find such a pill?'' Khal asked.


    [You can find many in almost every city. Like that stall right there. As I can see, it sells Knowledge Pills for a rather reasonable price.]


    Khal turned to the side and soon noticed the stall that Nova was talking about.. Thus, he quickly made his way over it where an old man sat calmly, his face slightly hidden behind his huge straw hat.

 Chapter 298 - Old Man

    Feeling a presence before him, the old man with the straw hat raised his head slightly and nced at Khal before raising two fingers.


    [He is indicating you have to pay two Gold Coins.]


    ''Two? That''s rather expensive, no? That is exactly two portions of food for two people.'' Khal eximed with shock, but once he thought about it more, he realized its price was indeed reasonable.


    Watching as the old man was staring at him in silence and was waiting patiently, Khal took out two gold coins from his ring before handing them over to him.


    The old man epted the money and handed a pill to Khal, but just as he was about to pull his hand back, his movements halted for a single second before acting as though nothing happened at all.


    Khal obviously noticed this and saw that the old man eyed his bracelet for a second before acting normal. This confused him deeply.


    [You are now in the Second Realm, kid. Although many can''t recognize this artifact, make sure to hide it from bare sight as anyone with a keen eye can perceive it''s not an ordinary relic.]


    Khal nodded and slid his sleeve onto his bracelet before tossing the pill into his mouth.


    Whoosh!


    In a split second, Khal felt as tons of information suddenly invaded his brain one after another before the foreign buzzing sounds around him became clear. He finally understood what the other race around him were talking about.


    "Kid... Where did you get that artifact?"


    While Khal was inspecting his surroundings, enjoying the fact that he was finally understanding what the others were talking about, suddenly the old man in front of him talked.


    "Huh?" snapping out of his daze, Khal realized the old man was talking to him thus frowned, and without answering him he turned around to leave.


    However, just as he was about to take his first step, the old man appeared before him like a ghost, blocking his path.


    "What do you want?" Khal frowned with annoyance, but didn''t get angry. He knew that the old man was no ordinary individual at all. Traveling several meters without any sign in an instant as if he was a phantom... Only those with great and terrifying strength were capable of doing.


    [Be careful. He is not in your league.]


    ''Yeah, I figured that out myself too.'' thought Khal and calmed himself downpletely.


    "You have yet to answer my question, kid. Where did you find that artifact?" the old man stared at Khal''s hand with a calm, but unreadableplexion. It was unknown what the old man was thinking.


    "And why should I answer you?" Khal raised a brow.


    The old man raised his gaze at Khal upon hearing his answer and stared deeply into his eyes.


    ''...''


    The two locked their gazes firmly together without blinking, but even though Khal showed he was calm, he couldn''t help but sweat profusely. The longer he stared into the old man''s eyes, the more he felt that he was looking not a pair of eyes, but he was staring down into a deep abyss that brought fear and anxiety onto him.


    "What is happening there? Why are they looking at each other so intensely?"


    "Wait, isn''t that the old man who always sells those pills to the newbies that wish to learn the Ancient Tounge?"


    "Yeah, he is. Did the brat try to steal from him or what?"


    Many on the streets stopped walking and looked at Khal and the old man, trying to guess what was happening between the two.


    Of course, Khal noticed this but couldn''t do anything about it as the old man was not moving nor blinking at all, making him unable to do anything either.


    Seconds passed by, and more and more walkers halted their steps to see what will happen, but when the crowd was in the hundreds and even a few guards could be seen approaching them from a distance, the old man sighed and closed his eyes, releasing Khal from the pressure.


    Khal sighed with relief when that happened, and watched as the old man walked past by him and sat back behind the stall, acting as though the previous ruckus didn''t happen at all.


    "What is happening? What is this huge ruckus here?" two Berserker guards in silver armor and weapons walked through the herd of people and approached Khal with fierce expressions.


    "I apologize for everything, we had a small misunderstanding with each other, but luckily everything has been solved." Khal sped his hands together and bowed slightly.


    "A small misunderstanding?" The guards frowned and nced at the old man behind the stall, but when they saw he just waved his hand in an ''I don''t care'' manner, they answered slightly and shifted their attention back at Khal.


    "If it''s a small misunderstanding then it''s okay, but if you cause a ruckus once again, I will definitely make sure to beat your ass up personally, did you understand it brat?"


    Khal''s brows twitched upon hearing the arrogant way the guard talk, but still nodded. Thest thing he wanted to do was anger the guards and all the Berserkers in the city, so he decided to swallow the frog down for the time being.


    "That''s what I like to see." The guard nodded with satisfaction and turned toward the crowd.


    "Okay, that is for today. You can now scram the fuck off!"


    Everyone did as they were told, and walked away. Khal did the same, but shortly after he left the scene he felt that someone was watching him from afar.


    ''Stalking me, huh?'' Khal thought as he knew who the individual was and entered a building that seemed to be a library.


    "Wee to our humble home. How may I help you?"


    Behind a counter, a beautiful female Berserker with great assets smiled at Khal the minute he entered the building.


    "Umm... I-I am new here, so I would like to know more about this ce and." Khal spoke awkwardly, as his eyes subconsciously lowered at the woman''s chest from time to time. Although he has already seen many in his previous life, it was his very first time seeing two melons of such a size.


    To put it simply, they were humongous!


    "Oh? An Ascender? I see, please wait here for a second." the woman smiled warmly, and walked away beforeing back with several books in her hand.


    "Here you go. These have everything you want to know, but even if not, juste and ask for my help. You don''t need to be shy."


    "T-Thank you...." Khal nodded and after picking up the books he walked to a table where he could start reading in silence.

 Chapter 299 - Planet Katrov

    Now that Khal understood the Ancient Tounge and was able to read, he browsed through several books in silence and learned quite a lot from them.


    First of all, he learned that he was currently on a called Katrov, which was located in the Oux System that was in the Berserkers'' possession.


    Of course, this was not a surprise for him. Thanks to the Records of All Realms, Khal understood that when one ascends into the next Realm, they will be teleported into a random location. If one was lucky they will automatically find themselves in a city with great surroundings, but there are also asions where one gets teleported into the middle of the wilderness where creatures were waiting in the shadows!


    Khal was neither lucky nor unfortunate when he ascended. Although he was teleported into a forest where creatures lived, it was a territory where only beasts on the lower stage existed, so he was saved from trouble.


    As for the city, it was named the Crimson Horn City and was located in the eastern part of the, far from the capital but close to one of the many space stations.


    Reading through the many books, Khal got a clearer understanding of his situation and leaned back into his chair to ponder.


    After many minutes of silence, Khal opened his eyes and stood up before bringing the books back at the female Berserker.


    "Thank you very much." Khal thanked after handing back the books together with a gold coin.


    "Sir, you don''t have to pay." the female Berserker looked shocked and was about to hand the gold coin back to Khal before she was stopped.


    "Please, take it. I can''t just leave when I have used something that is not even mine," said Khal calmly.


    "But knowledge is no one''s, everyone has the right to learn it freely."


    Khal remained silent before smiled and pushed the female''s hand back together with the coin, "Then consider it as a gift for helping me."


    "But..." the female Berserker wanted to refuse Khal''s offer, but found it with surprise that Khal has already vanished from his spot, as though he was not even there a second ago.


    ''...''


    Khal walked on the streets, inspecting everything around him with keen eyes. Naturally, he still felt the old man''s eyes on him, so he decided not to leave the city yet, but prepared a few things beforehand, just in case the old man wanted to cause trouble for him once he chose to leave the city.


    First and foremost, he went to eat in a nearby restaurant. Once he ate his fill there for three gold coins, he went inside a shop where technique scrolls were on sale.


    Although he had Moonshadow in his possession, which alone was capable of killing several Body Refiners into shreds, he wished to leave it as his ace, using it only when he was in danger.


    Of course, he could always improve his Secret Arts to a higher level, but as now his bracelet was not functioning, he couldn''t. But even if it would have been functioning, he wouldn''t waste his time and essence to strengthen them as they now could be considered as trash in the Second Realm!


    While Realm Level Secret Arts could be considered as the peak at the First Realm, they were only the weakest among all the Secret Arts in the Second Realm to the point where no one even bothered to learn one!


    As a fact, from the Second Realm on, Secret Arts get to called as Martial Techniques which are categorized into different Grades, such as Mortal, Earth, Heaven, and Celestial Grade Techniques with Mortal being the weakest and Celestial the strongest.


    Furthermore, each Grade is further split into Low, High, and Peak levels, each stronger to a degree than the one below them!


    And because he has yet to learn a Realm Level Secret Art back in the First Realm, Khal could be considered aplete no one with no cards up in his sleeve except his Talents, a ridiculous amount of Essence, and Moonshadow.


    That is why, he must learn at least a Mortal Grade Technique to at least have the chance to escape if he was unfortunate enough to meet with an opponent he was incapable of defeating.


    Entering the building, which seemed to sell many scrolls, Khal looked around before walking up to the desk in the front where an old Berserker stood with a stern look.


    "What do you want, kid?"


    Ignoring the lofty tone, Khal nced at the scrolls on the sides and asked, "How much for a Martial Technique?"


    "So you are a newbie, huh?" The Berserker immediately realized that Khal was an ascender and a wide but foxy smile appeared on his face.


    "Two hundred Gold Coins for a Mortal Grade Technique, two thousand for Earth Grade Techniques, ten thousand for Heaven Grade ones, and twenty thousand for a Celestial Grade technique."


    Khal remained silent and frowned. The price for the Martial Technique seemed rather high and unreasonable no matter how he looked at it.


    Seeing that Khal was not speaking nor showed any reaction, the Berserker sneered coldly and crossed his arms before his chest.


    "What? Do you have no money, brat? Then why did youe here in the first ce? Scram now or I wi-"


    Whoosh!


    With a quick gesture, Khal summoned his Devil Fangs into his grasp and ced it right before the Berserker''s throat.


    Feeling the coldness around his neck, the Berserker''s face paled and his body froze up into an ice sculpture, fearing that if he dares to move even a single inch, Khal will cut open his throat in seconds!


    "Who do you try to fool old fart? Even a retard would see through your shitty lie easily with that foul smile much less me." Khal said coldly and made sure to press his weapon slightly against the Berserker''s throat.


    The Berserker felt as his body began to sweat profusely and began to stutter quietly, "I-I... P-Please... T-This little one was wrong... P-Please, forgive this little one... I-If you spare this little one''s lowly life, I swear I won''t lie again. Hell, I will even give you one Martial Technique for free!"


    Khal was silently examining the Berserker''s face to see if he was lying, but as he was on the point of almost fainting from sheer fear, he knew what he just said was the truth and he won''t try to scam him again.


    "You are way too kind. I ept your offer." Khal smiled after a while and removed his weapon from the Berserker''s throat.


    Feeling as the cold de was no longer pressing against his skin, the Berserker sighed with relief but soon gritted his teeth and stared at Khal with hatred.


    "What? You have a problem?" Khal narrowed his eyes as he noticed the hostilitying from the Berserker and raised his hand slightly, indicating he was ready to slice his head off at any moment.


    "!?"


    The Berserker froze up once again and felt cold sweat soaking his entire back, hence why he quickly shook his head and forced a kind smile.


    "N-Not at all. Come, let me show you the best Martial Techniques my shop can offer to Young Master! I am sure you will be intrigued!"

 Chapter 300 - Lightning Step

    Khal followed the old Berserker from behind and listened to what he was telling him.


    "I have many Martial Techniques from movement and martial skills all the way to weapon techniques while also having support techniques such as this little baby here." the Berserker picked up a white scroll and showed it to Khal with a smile.


    "Although this is only a Mortal Grade technique, this Body Reinforcement Skill is capable of turning your muscles and tendons as hard as steel which coulde in handy any time."


    Khal examined the scroll and pondered. ording to the Record of All Realms, every Martial Technique can be learned if given the time, but one also has to meet the requirements such as the Cultivation Stage.


    For instance, while Mortal Grade techniques can be learned by anyone, Earth Grade Martial Techniques can be used if one reached the Second Stage, the Body Refiner Stage!


    Meanwhile, Heaven Grade techniques required one to be at the Third, at the Body Temperer Stage while Celestial Grade ones could be learned only by those that reached the Fourth Cultivation Stage, the Limit Breaker Stage!


    As for Peak Celestial Grade techniques, which were quite rare to find in the Second Realm, one needs to reach the final stage and be an Ascender just to have the chance to practice it much less use it!


    So, as far as Khal could see it, his threshold right now was an Earth Grade technique and one that only at the Low Level. Any more than that would be meaningless as his body was not strong enough yet.


    "Is there any Earth Grade movement technique that is below the High Level?"


    Khal asked after a moment of silence.


    "Earth Grade? But isn''t the Young Master only an Awakened? I hope Young Master knows Awakened ones cannot learn Earth Grade Techniques." the Berserker asked with a raised brow.


    Khal nodded and raised his hand before crimson mes started to dance around his fingers that seemed both dangerous and serine at the same time.


    "B-Body Refiner!?" the berserker looked shocked, and took half a step back unconsciously.


    Khal just simply smiled at the reaction and clenched his fingers into a fist, extinguishing the mes in a sh.


    "So? Do you have any movement techniques?"


    The Berserker snapped out his daze and quickly nodded, "S-Sure! Let me show Young Master right away."


    Leading the way now with quicker steps, the Berserker took down several silver scrolls and put them on a desk before Khal.


    "These are the best Earth Grade movement techniques that are below the High Level. Take your time to inspect them."


    Khal nodded and picked up one of the scrolls and opened it. However, as there was a seal on it, preventing anyone from learning the techniques in the store without paying for it, Khal was able to get only a glimpse of what it was capable of.


    "That skill is called the Calm Flow. It''s quite a good movement technique for an ambush as it makes its user approach their enemies without a sound." the Berserker exined while he wiped thick, bean-sized sweat drops from his forehead.


    He was still under the immense shock that Khal was a Body Refiner, and now finally understood just how big a mistake he did with trying to fool Khal.


    As Katrov was not a globe filled with experts, if Khal wished for it, he could have easily cut off his head and escaped without anyone noticing it. Right now, he could bless the gods above that his life was still intact and Khal had no malicious intents.


    Khal looked at the scroll with a pondering look and shook his head before cing it back onto the desk and grabbing another one.


    "That one is a good one too, but I wouldn''t call that a movement technique."


    "Why?" Khal asked without raising his gaze away from the scroll.


    "Cause it''s just way too loud and brutal." the Berserker exined and continued, "In my opinion, movement techniques should allow their users to move swiftly, quietly, and smoothly. Like a single leaf dancing during autumn in a breeze."


    "However, although this technique makes one move fast, exceptionally fast, it''s as loud as thunder! Using this during a fight is akin to telling the enemy where you are!"


    ''So that is why it''s called Lightning Steps...'' Khal thought and without eximing his thought, he examined the rest of the scrolls on the desk.


    But it seemed that the rest of the Martial Techniques didn''t make his interest piqued, thus he didn''t hesitate and grabbed the scroll which was the Lightning Step.


    "I will choose this."


    "A-Are you sure about this? There are more movement techniques, each of them having better potential and usage than that one." The Berserker asked, a little hesitant.


    "Yeah, I am rock solid. I will choose this and like you have said, I can take this free, right?" Khal asked with a curved mouth.


    The Berserker''s brow twitched seeing Khal''s smile, but quickly remember just what his strength was thus quickly swallowed down what he wished to say together with his pride and nodded.


    "N-Naturally! I am a man so it''s also true I will keep my words. If I said you can choose one Martial Technique freely, then I will allow you to do that." the Berserker forced a smile, pretending that it didn''t hurt him at all that one of his Martial Techniques had been sold out for free.


    "Perfect!" Khal smiled brightly and put the scroll into his spatial ring before he nced around once again and asked, "Anyways, can you show me weapon-associated skills?"


    ''...''


    Hearing that the Berserker didn''t respond and just stood still Khal sighed and said, "Don''t worry, I will pay this time. I am not that shameless after all..."


    "H-Huh? N-No, I apologize, I didn''t mean like that!" the Berserker waved his hands around quickly, feeling even more anxious than before, but as he didn''t wish to sell any more Martial Techniques for free nor did he wish to anger Khal, he ced the scrolls from the desk back to their original spot before leading Khal into a new room.

 Chapter 301 - Practice Grounds

    "Here we are. Every scroll here is a Martial Technique rted to weapons. Please, take your time and see if there is any you like or not." the Berserker stepped to the side while gesturing at Khal with much greater politeness than before. It seemed strength really mattered and people will think twice before doing anything at all.


    Khal walked inside the room and looked around. It was a huge hall filled with various scrolls which number reached the hundreds if note the four digits!


    White, silver, red and golden. Each Grade was corrted with a specific color with white being Mortal Grade techniques while golden being Celestial Grade ones. Also, if there were two or more scrolls with the same color but different Levels, then it would be shown through their shade as the deeper their tone was, the higher their Level truly was.


    "Is there any which is rted to fan-type weapons? I can''t see any." Khal asked calmly without averting his gaze from the scrolls.


    "A fan-type Martial Technique?" the Berserker looked confused as he thought Khal used a dagger and not a fan.


    ''Why does he want such a technique? Is he looking one for someone or is he in truth a fan user and just used that dagger as a disguise?'' the Berserker tried to guess the truth, but as he noticed Khal''s impatient look he quickly snapped out of his daze and nodded.


    "Y-Yeah. I just to have one, but it''s only at the Mortal Grade." the Berserker exined as he took down a dark-white scroll from the side and handed it over to Khal.


    ''Peak Level?'' Khal immediately recognized the scroll''s level and opened it.


    Reading through the brief exnation, Khal''s eyes brightened up and nced up.


    "How much for this?"


    The Berserker looked surprised by how excited Khal looked just after reading through it once, but still answered, "A h-hundred Gold Coins. And this time, this is the original price, I swear!"


    "A hundred Gold Coins? Seems good for me." Khal nodded and without hesitation took out a hundred pieces of Gold Coins from his spatial ring.


    "Here."


    The Berserker was speechless as he didn''t believe Khal to keep his words and really pay the money, but soon snapped back to reality and bowed at him.


    "Thank you very much, Young Master. Is there anything else you need?"


    "I don''t, or wait... Yeah, I have, as a fact." Khal nodded.


    "And what would that be?"


    "Is there a ce in this city where I can practice these techniques?"


    -


    -


    -


    "So this is the legendary ce? Interesting." Connor said with a curious gaze as he examined the ancient gate before him while he and many other experts from Moon Academy stood on his side, including Logan who was wrapped in bandages all over his body.


    "Yeah, ording to the legends, this ce once had the Moon Goddess." nodded Jas and exined, "It was guarded all this time by a terrifying Moonlight Rabbit, a beast above the Ninth Cultivation Stage."


    "So the rumors about such beasts were indeed true. I can hardly believe it, though, I would like to fight with one, one day." Raffin touched his chin while showing an excited smile.


    "Then you would be killed in seconds." Logan refuted Raffin''s idea with a nonchnt look.


    "Huh? You mean I am weak?" Raffin raised a brow, feeling slightly offended by that deration.


    Logan shifted his gaze at Raffin before looking at his own condition and asked, "Do you think you would stand a chance alone if the three of us could hardly win against that thing? Think before you speak."


    "This time, he is right." Scarlett sighed as she looked at the gate, halting Raffin just in time before he could have started to argue. Even the rest of the experts behind her nodded, they too knowing if Logan was almost killed while he was teamed up by Jas, then Raffin truly stood no chance at all!


    Of course, neither of them knew that in fact, Khal helped them too. If they would, they would simply get dumbstruck not only because three top individuals were incapable of killing a single beast with ease, but because Khal has already reached the Ninth Cultivation Stage!


    "Well, it does not matter anymore, let''s go, shall we?" Jas asked and once everyone nodded, he pushed the gates open.


    "T-This!"


    Many were left speechless upon feeling the density of essence in the ce while also seeing the breathtaking sight, but Jas just merely smiled and said, "Just wait. The best part is yet toe."


    Shortly after, Jas led the group of experts into Moon Temple, causing all of them to drop their jaws when they saw the outrageous amount of treasures, together with the Secret Arts and Spiritual Weapons all around in the hall.


    "If you decide to join my sect, you will be allowed to choose one Spiritual Weapon and a Secret Art from this ce freely. The choice is yours." smiled Jas calmly, waiting for the reaction of the other.


    And to his not so surprised, everyone raised their hands immediately, indicating they wish to join his sect.


    "Perfect." Jas nodded and tossed several silver tokens to the people before him once taken out of his spatial ring and continued, "Then as promised, go and choose."


    Immediately, everyone hurried to look around, hoping to find a Spiritual Weapon they like. Meanwhile, Jas told Logan to do the same but also make sure to watch the others just in case if they want to steal something, and went to the second floor.


    ''I wonder if he is still cultivat-, huh? W-What happened here?'' Jas pondered before his steps came to an abrupt halt and looked at the sight before him with widened eyes.


    "Where is he? Why is there blood?" Jas muttered with narrowed eyes, while he couldn''t help but feel worried upon seeing that Khal has strangely vanished.


    -


    -


    -


    Meanwhile, in Crimson Horn City, Khal stood before a small gate, while his gaze was fixed on the scenery behind it.


    A huge open field which was separated into four, square sections, each section looking different things than the rest.


    ''So this how the Practice Grounds look like, huh?'' Khal thought, and walked through the gate.

 Chapter 302 - Flame Lotus

    The Practice Grounds was built at the center of the city, if anyone wished to fight with others or practice their skills without them risking their lives in the wild.


    And just like on any other day, today it was full of creatures too. Some practiced on one section by punching several meters thick metal boxes, while some simply tested their techniques on standing or moving targets on another section.


    There were even a few individuals that battled against each other, exchanging pointers in a friendly manner.


    ''What a lively ce. It''spletely different from the First Realm.'' Khal looked around the ce with awe, but not for too long. He too wished to practice as he too wished to get stronger and get back to Liza and the others as soon as possible.


    "This spot should be perfect." Khal nced around and when he noticed no one was around, he withdrew his weapon and fixed his gaze on the target on his front.


    It was a steel puppet with a ck luster. It was shaped like a humanoid beast that had a lower part that represented a snake while its upper body was akin to a human''s. It looked somewhat simr to a Naga.


    ''Yeah, it will make the perfect target.'' Khal nodded and summoned the white technique scroll he just bought right into his grasp.


    Now that it was his as he bought it, the seal on it was liftedpletely, thus he was able to read the whole context without a problem.


    After going through it slowly several times and memorizing it, Khal tossed it back into his spatial ring and raised his weapon.


    ng!


    With a sharp metallic pitch that traveled far and earned a few individuals'' attention in the close distance, Khal extended his fan to the side and closed his eyes.


    "What is he doing with such a weak-looking weapon? Wait... Don''t tell me that''s his weapon?"


    "Huh? Why? What weapon is he using?"


    Those that stopped practicing all shifted their attention at Khal, only to sneer out loud with ridicule.


    "A fan? Haha! How boring! I bet my money he is just as weak as that fragile-looking to-"


    BOOOM!


    However, they couldn''t even finish their sentence before the whole sight before they turned crimson and a huge explosion in a form of a lotus broke toward the skies with terrifying might! Everything around them shook like crazy to the point where some even fell back onto their butts, unable to keep their bnce any longer!


    "Woah! A mere Mortal Grade Technique is capable of causing such destruction? Then how good will be the Earth Grade Lightning Step?" Khal looked bbergasted, hardly believing what his eyes were seeing.


    Where the training puppet once stood, now there was only a huge, three to four meters deep crater with melted chunks dripping toward the bottom, showing the might of the previous strike!


    ''Interesting... This me Lotus was capable of melting Void Steel away as though it was only butter!'' Khal thought as he nced at his weapon, which was covered in a mixture of crimson mes and essence.


    ording to what the old Berserker told him back in the store, every training puppet was created from a so-called Void Steel which was able to consume huge portions of energy to a limited degree, so anyone could use any type of Martial Techniques freely without worrying that they will get destroyed identally.


    Yet, who could have guessed that there will be someone that will seed to do the impossible and not destroy one training puppet, butpletely erase its existence! It was shocking!


    Of course, it was all possible because Khal used a but more than a thousand units of his essence. And because average people had only a maximum of a hundred units in their reserve, it was no surprise Khal just used his technique ten times more efficient than anyone else!


    While Khal recalled his previous strike with a pondering look, trying to find any mistake in the process, a figure suddenly approached him before standing right before him.


    "Hm?"


    Raising his gaze slightly, the very first thing Khal noticed was a pair of silver eyes, staring at him with indefinite coldness but at the same time made him feel captivated for some strange reason.


    Then, he quickly realized that the owner of those cold eyes was in truth a female, who looked breathtakingly gorgeous.


    Her figure was slender and petite. Her long silver hair shone brightly under the sun''s glow while they carried a kind of alluring fragrance that was the first for Khal to smell. However, her most eye-catching trait was not her physical features, such as her sharp curves at the back and the front, but her ice-cold expression that made her look like a frozen fairy, an ice goddess.


    "And you are?" Khal raised a brow, finding it strange that an unknown individual, such a beautiful female on top of that, came before him just for no reason.


    [She is from the Fairy race. They are usually friendly, but because their Blessings is associated with the ice element, they can be rather hostile toward fire users.]


    ''So you mean I should be careful around her, huh?''


    [Yes, just in case...]


    Khal gave a slight nod, and examined the Fairy before him. It seemed she was on the same Cultivation Stage as him, maybe a little bit higher as her presence was closer to the Third Cultivation Stage than his.


    The two stared at each other for many minutes, neither of the two talking or moving. However, this quickly reaped many individuals'' attention from all around the Practice Ground, especially because of the Fairy. One simply needed to be blind or needed a strong will topletely neglect such beauty.


    After many minutes of silence, the Fairy finally moved, but to everyone''s surprise, it was not her hand nor her feet, but the ice particles that appeared above her through her skin which quickly materialized into a solid state.


    In a blink if an eye, it became a huge ice spear with a length of at least two and half a meter!


    Whoosh!


    With a quick and firm grab, the Fairy swung the weapon forward, and stopped its sharp tip just an inch before Khal''s face!


    "You will fight me!" said the Fairy with deep coldness. Although many thought such a deration was funny, some, including Khal noticed the obvious, knowing that he had no other choice but to ept the challenge or the consequences will be dire!

 Chapter 303 - Rebooted Bracelet!

    Khal stood calmly before the Fairy and gazed at the spear with a nonchnt look before raising his hand and cing one finger on the tip.


    "Were you not taught how to introduce yourself before you wish to fight someone? I don''t believe a beautifuldy such as yourself doesn''t even know basic manners." Khal smiled mildly as he pushed the spear slightly to the side.


    The Fairy frowned upon seeing Khal''s casual behavior, but knowing he was right she could only nod and say, "The name is Da. Happy?"


    "How cold..." Khal mumbled quietly but smiled and nodded, "I see, so it''s Da. A morous name for an even morous wom-"


    "Quite the needless ttering and raise your weapon! We will fight!" the Fairy interrupted Khal, and put her weapon''s tip back right before his face.


    Khal frowned slightly. Although he has already met many arrogant and unreasonable individuals in his life, what Da was doing was on a whole another level. Not only did shee and challenge him for no specific reason, but she even pointed her weapon at him in a threatening manner.


    ''This woman has problems...'' was what Khal thought before he curved his mouth into a smile and crossed his arms before his chest.


    "And exactly who decided that?"


    "Me, naturally," Da said in a cold voice.


    "You? But I don''t even know you yet you wish to fight me? For what reason? It''s not like I have killed your parents right?" Khal asked with a grin.


    "You didn''t, but you have just used Nether Fire, a wicked me of the Nether Race that almost annihted my entire race during the Second Ster War!"


    She then took a deep breath and continued, "Although I cannot kill you no matter how much I wish it, I still can cripple you! So raise your weapon and fight!"


    "At least feel lucky that we met here. If it would have been outside of the city walls, I wouldn''t have hesitated to kill you."


    ''...''


    Khal became silent, his smile no longer visible on his face. If at first, he thought the woman was trying to act arrogant and show her superiority, then now he was sure this time she was threatening him for sure.


    And this meant huge trouble as now he not only had an enemy''s wrath, but an entire race''s that wille after his head even though he was not from the Nether Race.


    He must find a solution to get out of this crisis without hitting or offending the Fairy before him. If he decides to fight her, that would only make things even moreplicated as that would be akin to throwing oil onto the fire!


    If he epts her challenge he was doomed for use!


    That is why he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before sighing deeply.


    "Youngdy, I am pretty sure you have misunderstood something here. I don''te from the Nether Race nor my me is called the Nether Fire."


    After saying that Khal opened his eyes, which now turned sky blue with a crimson slit, and gazed deeply into Da''s before continuing, "My name is Khal Nevio and I heil from the human race. Although I have indeed just used mes, my Blessing is associated with my sight. And ording to my knowledge, every race, including the Nether Race, can have only one Blessing, right?"


    The Fairy looked speechless when she noticed that suddenly a presence broke out of Khal''s body even though all this time he had none!


    But shortly after, her delicate brows lowered into a frown, and her eyes narrowed into a slit as she examined Khal''s aura.


    ''Is he telling the truth? But how can that be? I would swear on my life when he used his mes he used his Blessing, but then how can this be?''


    And soon, she gazed into Khal''s eyes, trying to find the truth or the slightest sign if he was using a trick. But no matter how long she tried to stare, she find nothing and realized that Khal''s eyes were indeed a part of his body, it was his Blessing.


    "See? I told you right?" Khal smiled when he saw that Da lowered her weapon and sighed inwardly.


    ''That was close...''


    "So... Is there anything else you want to say to me or you wish to watch me all day? Naturally, I wouldn''t mind thetter." Khal asked with a smile when he saw that Da was not moving an inch even after several minutes but simply stared at him in silence.


    "Hmph!"


    And just as he thought, Da just sneered coldly before turning around and walking away with wide steps. This made the crowd around them walk away with disappointed sighs, as they thought they will be able to see a great fight between the two.


    Watching Da''s back in the distance Khal shook his head and sighed, ''Although I can understand that my Hell ze and the Nether Fire could have some simrities, but do I really look like someone from the Nether Race?''


    Swish!


    "Huh?"


    As Khal pondered about the question, suddenly the bracelet on his wrist lit up with a white light slightly.


    [Power Obtainer active!]


    ''Finally!'' Khal felt joy when he heard this and without hesitation opened his Status.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Power Imitation


    ? Natural Born Talent: Perfect Disguise


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 32,463


    ? Beast Essence: 218


    ? Cultivation Stage: Body Refiner


    ''W-What?'' Khal''s eyes turned as round as saucers while his jaw dropped down to his knee from disbelief.


    Although he was aware of his Talents finally being unsealed, he didn''t understand why did his Cultivator Traits all of a sudden vanish from his status. But then, Khal quickly realized they disappeared because they were added to his overall strength during his ascension, so it only made sense that he could no longer see them.


    ''Then this means...'' Khal waved his hand, and just as he thought, the panel of ''Cultivation Quests'' was no longer among the rest.. They disappeared too.

 Chapter 304 - Power Imitation And Perfect Disguise

    <<Cultivator Status>>


    <


    >


    <<Obrainer Status>>


    <<Artifact Creation Status>>


    <<Secret Art Improver>>


    ''Even the Essence Path Status have vanished?'' Khal thought as he looked at the now remaining five main panels in his line of sight.


    [As you have unsealed all of your Essence Paths, that Status keeps no importance or whatsoever.]


    ''I see.'' Khal nodded mildly and opened his Cultivator Status once again.


    ''Power Imitation and Perfect Disguise... So these were my Talents I have obtained that day.''


    During the Ceremony, Khal could remember as he acquired his Talents just like Liza or anyone else, but because of the relic, they have been sealed away, making him be a Talentless brat until all this time.


    But now, things finally changed. Not only was he able to use his bracelet and Power Cores in the same way as until now, but he has acquired an additional two too! And if he looked at their names only, they seemed by no means weak at all!


    ''Just how can I use these two abilities?'' Khal touched his chin as he began to ponder.


    ording to the records and everyone else back in the First Realm, the very moment one received their Talents they will automatically know how to use theirs.


    But unfortunately, this wasn''t the case for Khal at all as he was unable to feel anything even after many minutester.


    ''What about the other one?'' Khal thought and tried to use his Perfect Disguise. And just as he did, a shocking scene happened.


    Suddenly, his skin became white, his hair and eyes changed into a silver color and his body started to shift and change. In a sh, his whole being changed into the exact same shape and appearance as that of the Fairy and became Da!


    ''What the...!'' Khal looked shocked and looked at his body in awe. He even touched his chest to see if he was hallucinating or not, but as he felt the softness in his grasp he couldn''t help but let out a startled sigh.


    ''This... I really just became her.''


    What''s more, his appearance was not a simple illusion or trick, but he truly became her. Even his manhood has vanished, further indicating that he truly became like the Fairy, aplete woman!


    ''Let''s change back real quick before I cause another trouble.'' Khal thought as he noticed that luckily no one was looking toward his direction, and deactivated his Perfect Disguise.


    Swish!


    ''Thank God... It''s still there...'' Khal sighed with relief as he checked his low part, feeling peace at once.


    It seemed Khal''s Perfect Disguise worked in the same way as his World Devourer Physique where it lets him change and shift his appearancepletely. The only difference between that and this Talent of his, that one could only change him into one form, while the other one had an infinite amount of variations depending on who he wished to change into.


    The only thing he has to do was to think about the individual and imagine her or his image! In a perfect sense, he could be anyone until he saw them at least once!


    Truly deserves to be called the Perfect Disguise.


    ''If I would have had this ability in the past, killing Alde wouldn''t have needed such hassle. Maybe even destroying the entire Ourvi Family under a single night wouldn''t have been a problem. What a pity...'' Khal shook his head helplessly before shifting his attention back to his second Talent.


    ''Power Imitation. The name does not hide anything as it''s easy to guess what I can do with it, but the question here is how? I can''t seem to find how should I activate it.''


    Khal pondered deeply, but as he heard an abrupt and powerful explosion from his side he turned his head toward the source of the sound.


    "HA!"


    BOOM!


    A powerful ripple exploded everywhere as a Berserker on the other section mmed his fist against a thick metal wall with all his might.


    ''A fist technique?'' Khal immediately realized the Berserker used a special Martial Technique as the moment his fist connected with the metal wall, three echoes could be heard instead of one.


    "HA!"


    BOOOM!


    The Berserker threw another punch, creating a strong shockwave around his figure, while three loud echoes could be heard again like previously.


    ''Hm?'' as Khal watched this, suddenly he felt as something inside his body moved, and even before he could have noticed, he already took up a simr stance as the Berserker and threw a punch forward.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    ''T-This!'' Khal''s eyes widened as he watched the air before him vibrate scarcely, while three swells were formed around his fist simultaneously!


    He has imitated the Berserker just by simply ncing at him once!


    ''So this is how it works? This is what the Power Imitation can do? I can copy Martial Techniques by a simple nce?'' Khal thought, but shortly after realized that was not the case at all.


    Somewhere else on another section, he was able to see Da practicing with her ice spear, doing thrusting, spinning, and swinging motions at a ridiculous speed and concentration. However, this wasn''t what made Khal feel at a loss of words, but instead that suddenly ice particles began to emerge from his skin little by little, and in no time at all, they materialized into a spear, identical to that of Da''s!


    And even before he realized, Khal watched himself imitate Da''s every movement, doing it so smoothly and wlessly that if one looked at the two they would think they were each other''s reflection!


    ''This is just simply way too ridiculous! I don''t even have a Power Core rted to the ice element, yet I am capable of using it without any problem! Just how strong is this Talent truly?'' thought Khal with awe.


    As Da was practicing her spear techniques, suddenly herplexion which was fully concentrated all this time suddenly became ice-cold as she felt someone''s gaze on her skin, hence why she stopped moving and shifted her silver eyes to the side.


    However, the moment she noticed as Khal was holding an ice spear in hand, one with an exact appearance as hers, confusion shed through her eyes before she began to approach Khal for the second time.

 Chapter 305 - Frozen Mist

    ''Shit! There shees!'' Khal swore in his heart, noticing as Da was approaching him once again, and tried to make the spear vanish, but only to no avail.


    ''Can''t I undo this or what?'' Khal jerked his hand gently, but unfortunately, the spear still remained in his hand. It was like his fingers had been glued to the handle of the weapon, making him unable to let it go.


    Khal tried several times, but shortly after his second attempt, he watched as Da arrived before him, her cold and indifferent gaze staring deeply at the ice spear in his hand.


    Feeling a little bit ufortable and embarrassed, Khal coughed awkwardly before showing a bright smile and asked, "How can I help you this time?"


    Da remained silent, seemingly in deep thoughts as her eyes gazed at the spear in his hand. Only after minutester did she avert her gaze and look at Khal, her whole face just as unreadable as ever.


    "Where did you get your hands on a Frozen Mist?" Da asked coldly.


    "Frozen Mist? What is that?" Khal tilted his head mildly as he has never heard about a thing called the Frozen Mist. Not even in his book even though he was reading it almost daily.


    This question made Da raise one of her delicate brows but quickly pointed at the spear in Khal''s hand and said, "That, in your hand, is a Frozen Mist, a blessing you can only acquire if you get a gift from an Ice Spirit. Where did you get it?"


    ''Oh, now I get it.'' Khal''s eyes lit up as he understood now what a Frozen Mist was.


    Spirits or on their other name Elemental Spirits are rare creatures that are greatly intelligent, but very weak while their numbers are extremely rare. However, no matter if they are weak or awfully rare, everyone wishes to find one as their Blessings allow them to boost one''s strength by a huge margin with their Gift.


    If one was lucky enough and gets one Elemental Spirit''s approval, they will be gifted a Spirit Core which will melt with their soul upon consumption, giving them an ability simr to a powerful Martial Technique or a weaker second Blessing.


    And it seems, the power he just imitated with his Talent was exactly that, a Spirit''s Gift!


    ''So I can even mimic such powers as the Spirit''s Gift? This is bing better and better by the second!'' Khal couldn''t help but feel joy run through his body and identally show an excited grin.


    "Why are you smiling?" Da frowned as she asked coldly.


    "Huh? Why? I can''t?" Khal raised a brow before touching his chin and said with a pondering expression, "You know, you should try smiling too. I bet you would look even more lovely with one."


    ''...''


    Da frowned even deeper, which made Khal sigh helplessly.


    Da watched Khal in silence before spinning her spear before herself and asked, "I want to fight you. Will you ept my challenge?"


    Khal acted surprised when he heard Da, but quickly smiled and asked, "Oh? Where is the previous threatening behavior?"


    "That time I thought you were gone from the Nether Race, but as you said, you are not, so there is no reason for me to act currently as I did previously," Da replied nonchntly.


    "So? Will you ept my challenge or not?"


    Khal was silent for a second before raising the ice spear in his hand and cing its end next to his feet while its edge pointed toward the sky.


    "What is the reason you wish to fight me? I mean, there are way too many individuals here you can choose from, so why me?" Khal asked calmly.


    "Because you are the only one here who got one of the Ice Spirit''s approval except myself. What is more, it seems your Spirit Core was from the same Spirit, which makes me wonder which one of our Frozen Mist is the strongest."


    Listening to Da''s reason, Khal nced at his spear before shifting his gaze back at Da and nodded.


    "Sure, I will ept your challenge."


    "Perfect. Then foll-"


    "However, only if you wish to make a deal with me." Khal quickly continued, interrupting Da just before she could have spoken her third word.


    Although Da didn''t like the way Khal acted and interrupted her, she still asked, "And what would this deal be?"


    "How about this? If I win, you will help me y some beasts. As in case if you win... What do you want?"


    Looking at Khal without any change of facial expression, Da closed her eyes before opening them once again.


    "If I win, you will have to tell me where you have acquired that fire ability of yours."


    ''She still thinks I am rted to the Nether Race?'' Khal wondered but still nodded, "Sure, I''m in."


    "Perfect, then follow me."


    Watching as Da turned around and began to walk away, Khal instantly knew where she nned to go, thus quickly followed after her from behind.


    Out of the four sections in the Practice Ground, three are filled with tools and targets which anyone can use freely to practice their techniques and skills.


    On the other hand, the fourth section was a fighting ground, a huge and open space split into different tforms where individuals could fight against each other, let it be a simple friendly exchange or vent out one''s frustration on others.


    As Khal followed Da to one of the free tforms among somewhere in the central, he noticed as more and more people started to notice their arrival and stopped whatever they were doing.


    Of course, this was only understandable as Da''s beauty was something that was hard to ignore, even if one was apletely ignorant individual.


    "We are here. Do you wish to rest for a while?" Da turned to face Khal once they were on top of the tform.


    Khal however just shook his head and said, "I am perfectly fine. But I saw that you have practiced rather intensely, so I should be the one asking this."


    "I can fight right away. Although it is not obvious, but I have a tremendous amount of stamina. I will be fine." Da said as she took on a firm stance and pointed her weapon at Khal.


    "If you say so...." Khal nodded and raised his ice spear too while he lowered his posture.

 Chapter 306 - Imitating Her Blessing!?

    "Whenever you are ready," Khal said calmly, both his hands holding his spear with a firm grip.


    Da nodded and without hesitation moved. With a strong push with his feet against the ground, she closed the distance between her and Khal in a sh, and swung her spear vertically.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    A slight explosion was heard the very next second as Khal raised his ice spear to defend against the attack, sending powerful ripples through the air.


    "Huh? What is happening?"


    Many creatures in the surroundings stopped doing whatever they were practicing and nced around to find the source of the previous st.


    "Look! Over there! They are fighting each other." one Berserker pointed toward the eastern section, where Khal and Da''s figure could be seen fighting each other with two ice spears.


    BOOM!


    Another powerful shockwave broke forth from Khal''s direction, forcing many to raise their hands to protect themselves. Some even had to take a step back as all of them were below the Second Stage.


    "T-This... Why are they fighting so seriously? Do they have grudge against each other or what?" one Berserker asked quietly while thick bean-sized sweat drops started to flow down from his face.


    "Maybe that guy was a previous lover of that beauty and something happened?"


    "Could he have cheated on her?" another Berserker asked after swallowing hardly. Just imagining himself under those powerful barrages made his abdomen turn numb from fear.


    "T-That must be the case, yeah. Even though her expression seems cold, I can somewhat feel her fury. That guy is a dead person for sure."


    BAM!


    Deflecting another strike from Da while beingpletely oblivious of the forming misunderstanding behind his back, Khal jump a meter back and raised his spear, ready to meet Da''s attack once again.


    However, to his surprise, Da stopped attacking and just looked at him coldly before she asked, "Will you quit defending yourself and start attacking me already or what?"


    ''How do you want me to attack you if you don''t even give me enough time to blink?'' Khal reviled in his heart, but quickly took a deep breath and lowered his stance.


    The main reason why he was only defending and did nothing at all was in truth not because he couldn''t or was forced to only defend, but because he was analyzing Da''s technique.


    After activating his Power Imitation for the first time, Khal finally realized how his Talent worked. It seemed that his Talent was like an empty scroll and whatever he saw, will be written inside it and he could gain ess to it whenever he wanted.


    Of course, this doesn''t mean he could use it perfectly right from the start, as such power doesn''t and shouldn''t even exist to begin with, or everything that exists would lose its meaning.


    That being said, although Khal can use any skill and ability after just seeing it once, he still has to practice with it if he wished to reach perfection. Or, if he wished to use a technique with perfection, he must make sure to imitate someone that already achieved perfection, or else he must need to practice.


    ''Well, I have already learned a few of his techniques, I guess it will be enough.'' Khal tightened his grip and lowered his posture.


    "Hm?" Da frowned when she saw Khal''s posture, but soon widened her eyes with shock.


    ''Wait! Isn''t that m-'' Da started to think, but just as she was about to finish her line of thought Khal pushed his feet against the ground and appeared right before her.


    "!?"


    Watching as the ice spear descended on her figure from above in the exact same manner as she did previously, Da raised her weapon horizontally with both hands, meeting the attack head-on!


    BOOM!


    "Here Ie!" Khal said with a calm smile and began his assault.


    Swinging, pulling, thrusting, and chopping. Khal''s barrage of attacks was like rain falling during a storm; neverending and crazy!


    He bombarded Da precisely the same way as she did against him, making her do only defense without any chance of counterattack! To put it simply, she was corneredpletely!


    "Just how... Do you know about our Mist Dance?!" Da asked with a startled expression as she defended against Khal.


    "It''s a secret technique of my family that only the Fairy Race is capable of practicing and no one else!"


    Khal just smiled without answering. This made Da feel angry and caused her face to turn colder than ever before.


    "Fine! If you won''t talk, that''s fine for me. Then I will force you instead!"


    BAM!


    Immediately after Da said those words, an icy power burst from her body, freezing the ground below her feet and causing the surrounding temperature to drop drastically in a sh!


    Just under a few seconds, the climate that felt as if one was during summer fell below zero. The ground froze, the grass and bushes on the sides became blue from the frost, while many Berserkers started to tremble from the cold.


    Especially Khal, as he was the closest to all of this and he was the one who fell under the most coldness out of everyone. Just like the grass and leaves around him, his hair and brows turned white while his entire body began to shake profusely.


    ''So you want to make me give up?'' Khal narrowed his eyes as he instantly realized Da''s n.


    It seems she thinks she will be able to force him to give up this fight and tell her the truth.


    But unfortunately, this won''t happen at all as Khal had something that will help him in this situation, and that was his Hell ze! With that, he was pretty sure Da''s ice power won''t affect him.


    ''If you use ice, then I will use fire! Let''s see which element is the strongest!'' Khal said inwardly, but just as he was about to summon his Hell ze, a shocking sight emerged.


    Suddenly, Khal felt as something inside his body moved, and just as he could have understood what was happening, he noticed as his body temperature began to rise continuously while he was feeling less and less cold by the second!


    What''s more, around the tip of his ice spear several ice particles started to materialize one by one, while a slight connection formed between him and them!


    "I-Impossible! But how!?" Da now could no longer keep up her facade as she became totally dumbstruck upon seeing the sight before her.

 Chapter 307 - Surrendered

    Khal was speechless by the sudden change of events, but shortly after a smile stered over his face and slowly tightened his grip around his spear.


    ''Martial Techniques, Gifts and now Blessings. Is there anything I can''t copy?''


    Now Khal truly felt regret and was angry about the fact that such a Talent was sealed away from him during his time in the First Realm. Such an ability made him possess and imitate simply anything he saw after a single nce waspletely out of this world.


    Simply put, this Talent of his was just like the relic on his wrist and could allow him to possess as many abilities as he wishes.


    [Not quite. Your Talent seems to have a very huge w.]


    Suddenly, Nova''s voice sounded in Khal''s head, surprising Khal slightly.


    ''What do you mean by that? If you are talking about the level of mastery that I can use the abilities depending on the individual I am imitating, that''s indeed a w but not a big one.'' said Khal calmly.


    [I was not talking about that, but somethingpletely different.]


    ''And that is?'' Khal raised a brow, his interest piqued.


    [It seems, while you can keep and use abilities such as Gifts and Martial Techniques even after seeing it once, you can''t do the same when ites to one''s Blessing.]


    ''What do you mean by that?''


    [Just nce to the side and you will understand.]


    Khal was confused, but still did just as Nova told him and nced away from Da. However, exactly when he did, his eyes widened slightly, and watched as the coldness around him began to reappear once again while the materialized ice particles started to vapor into thin air!


    Even his connection with the previously acquired ice element and Frozen Mist began to fade away just as fast as it appeared and he could do nothing about it!


    ''What is happening here?'' Khal frowned and nced back at Da, only to feel as his connection with the ice element started to reappear once again.


    [Your power can indeed mimic everything, but when ites to powers that are associated with one''s soul, such as Gifts from Spirits or Blessings, your Talent can imitate them only if you keep your eyes on your target constantly.]


    [If you look away, your imitation will fail to function and can only copy Martial Techniques, which is only rted to the body.]


    ''That''s... truly a huge disadvantage...'' thought Khal, but the next second smiled and continued, ''Or would be if the one using it would be someone else, but luckily, I am not someone else.''


    Swish!


    Right after, Khal activated his Heaven''s Eyes, expending his sight by hundreds of meters in an instant. Now, even if he was looking somewhere else, thanks to the image in his mind he was capable of seeing Da, thus he could keep imitating her Blessing as if it was his!


    [Well, that is also a solution.]


    It was apparent Nova felt slightly surprised by Khal''s solution, but decided not to say anything else except that.


    "Ready for round two?" Khal asked Da with a smile, but to his surprise, Da simply lowered her weapon and surrendered.


    "I give up. You won."


    "Huh? Why?" Khal was perplexed by her decision and stood up straight.


    "I know when I have to give up and it''s obviously now. In truth, I just wanted to test out your strength." Da replied nonchntly while she undid her freezing power from the surroundings, making everyone around them sigh with relief once they felt as the temperature began to rise once again.


    Seeing this sight, Khal raised a brow before the sudden realization hit him like a train.


    ''Oh, so that''s why...''


    It seemed Da stopped fighting not because she knew he was stronger, but because she noticed the fact that many could have frozen to their death if they kept using their ice powers!


    Just Da''s ice powers alone made the temperature drop below zero, then just how cold could have been when Khal imitated her Blessing? It must have been blood-freezing cold and that is why Khal couldn''t help but appreciate how caring Da was. If it weren''t for her, he wouldn''t have noticed this problem at all and would have killed many!


    "I see..." Khal mumbled quietly and after thinking for a while he made the spear vanish before he cupped his hands together and bowed.


    "It was a pleasure to fight you, I have learned a lot."


    Da nodded and waved her spear around before making it vanish into thin air.


    "Then as I promised, I will help you ki-"


    "About that... Just forget about it." Khal quickly interrupted Da.


    "Why?" Da raised a brow. She didn''t understand why Khal was suddenly changing his mind or at least she had a guess, but she doesn''t really think that would be a reason.


    "There is no specific reason, I just changed my mind," Khal answered with a calm smile, and without saying anything else he turned around before walking away.


    ''...''


    Da stood in one ce with a pondering look on her cold face and watched Khal''s departing figure in silence. Only when he was twenty meters far did she move and start to follow him from behind.


    Khal noticed this, but as he thought she just happened to go the same way as him, he didn''t say anything at all and walked toward the city gate.


    However, when he saw that Da was truly following him, even when he walked through the city gates, he halted his steps and faced her.


    "Why are you following me?"


    "Who said I was following you? I am heading to Jade Horn City. It''s toward this way." Da said calmly, her face just as cold as ever.


    "I see." Khal nodded and without further ado began to walk toward another direction.


    However, not even after he took a few steps, he stopped and turned around, his face holding a slight frown.


    "It''s faster this way," Da said without flinching.


    Khal''s mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, he just decided to ignore her and continued to go on with his n.

 Chapter 308 - Ice Heart

    Khal walked through the forest with his Devil Fangs in hand while Da followed him from behind in silence.


    He was walking about two hours straight since he left Crimson Horn City, and was killing beasts without a single rest while also making sure to consume their essence.


    "Interesting. I have heard many rumors about your race and the way you can consume beasts'' life essence with ease, but seeing it in person is apletely different story. I wonder if I could do the same if you kill another beast and let me try it." eximed Da from behind, her expressionpletely unreadable.


    Standing up from the ground once he finished consuming the essence, Khal turned to look at Da and said, "I wouldn''t really rmend it."


    "Why?"


    "Why?" Khal frowned and pointed at him before turning his finger toward Da and saying, "Isn''t that obvious already? We are not from the same race. Our bodies were built up differently from one another."


    "Furthermore, my race and I are consuming beasts'' essence to strengthen our Blessings. I bet you and your race are doing the same, but instead of essence consuming, you have another method."


    Da fell into deep thoughts before nodding and saying, "Indeed, my race must consume ice treasures or practice in an extremely cold environment day by day if we wish to be stronger."


    "Thought so," Khal said, and continued, "If I were to try out your method of cultivation, I am pretty sure I would freeze to my death under seconds."


    Da pondered and shortly after nodded, deciding to forget about trying to consume essence which had the possibility of killing her.


    "Anyways, how long are you nning to tag along? You have said it''s faster this way, but we have long gone in the opposite direction." Khal asked out loud.


    Da remained silent and after a short while said, "I have changed my mind. I will go to Jade Horn Cityter."


    Khal raised a brow in question and said, "That still doesn''t exin why you follow me around. Don''t get me wrong, as a fact, I am pleased that such beauty as yourself follow me around, it''s just that it feels like you are a stalker. At least be honest and tell me the truth."


    "Or maybe you have a crush on me, if that''s the case, sorry, I already have someone."


    "I don''t have a crush on you nor I am a stalker. But if I can be honest, I kind of feelfortable around you, which is the first for me as I never get along very well with others, especially if they are the opposite sex."


    "So you indeed have a crush on me." Khal immediately said.


    "I don''t." Da denied the statement without thinking and continued, "I just simply wish to find out why you are different from the rest. Also, this weird feeling makes me believe I won''t regret following you."


    "It''s called love."


    ''...''


    Da stared daggers at Khal, which at Khal just shook his head helplessly and turned around.


    "Whatever, do as you please. Just make sure not to cause trouble for me."


    "Sure." Da nodded and proceeded to follow Khal in silence.


    [Interesting. It seems you have met with someone great this time.]


    ''Someone great? Do you mean Da? Why?'' Khal asked once he heard Nova''s voice.


    [Because she has the Ice Heart, something only a few Fairy is born with from her race.]


    ''Ice Heart? Why does that name sound simr?'' Khal pondered and shortly asked, ''Ice Heart... Do you mean the rare ability that is capable of telling if one has a good or evil will?''


    [Yes. But the Ice Heart is not only able to do that, but it also has the power to tell if one will have heavenly luck or a hellish curse shortly.]


    ''And because she feels that I will have luck, she decided to tag along?'' Khal asked.


    [It seems so.]


    Khal took a nce back at Da, who was looking around without talking while following him. At the moment, Khal must have to admit that Da truly looked morous, looking as if she was an in mortal who just happened to fall from the heavens.


    However, he couldn''t admire her beauty for long as Da shortly noticed him staring, causing a slight frown to appear on her wless face.


    "What?"


    "It''s nothi-"


    BAM!


    Khal wished to say something, but just as he began to talk a powerful tremor shook the ground below his feet as if someone just detonated a bomb in the close distance.


    "What was this? An explosion?" Khal without hesitation activated his Heaven''s Eyes and used it to check out the surrounding area.


    And soon, he indeed found something, however, the sight made him feel rather perplexed.


    "What is that?"


    "What did you find?" Da asked when he noticed Khal''splexion and reaction.


    "It seems the previous explosion was because of a... Door."


    "A door?" Da asked, as she believed she just misunderstood what she just heard.


    Though, when she saw as Khal was nodding his head she became just as confused as Khal and asked for a more detailed description.


    "The gate is about three meters tall and it seems to be made out of some kind of brownish metal, maybe bronze or something else." Khal exined calmly before continuing, "There are ck symbols carved all around its surface, while in its very middle a ck crystal was ced."


    The more and more Khal described the shape and appearance of the gate, the wider and brighter Da''s eyes opened while her little fingers tightened into a fist from pure excitement.


    "That is an entrance into a hidden shrine! And a rare one too! Quick, let''s go there!" loosing herposure, Da took several quick and wide strides forward, her facepletely filled with joy and excitement. Just like a little kid that got her wished toy during Christmas!


    ''This girl....'' Khal couldn''t help but shake his head helplessly and proceeded to run after Da.

 Chapter 309 - Hidden Shrine

    Khal followed Da and soon he was standing before the gate that emitted an ancient aura that made him feel an urge to kowtow before he could enter.


    "What is a hidden shrine?" Khal asked Da as he inspected the gate with keen eyes.


    "You never heard about hidden shrines before?" Da looked surprised as the concept of hidden shrines was well-known not only around the Second Realm but above it too.


    "Do you think I would ask about it if I would know?" Khal asked with a frown on his face.


    Although he had the Record of All Realms in his possession, Khal had yet to meet with the concept of hidden shrines, so it was still unknown for him what it really was.


    He had read about many things such as dungeons like the Neverending Dungeon from the First Realm or Realm Zones where one can teleport into separate spaces with the help of Realm Keys, but hearing about Hidden Shrines was the first.


    Da just shook her head and once she shifted her gaze back at the gate, she began to exin, "Well, hidden shrines are ces created by powerful individuals that failed to ascend into the next Realm and decided to create a shrine where they settle down and wait until they take theirst breath."


    "Only when the creator of such a ce dies will the shrine emerge and appear, thus why they are called as hidden shrines." Da said, but quickly added, "However, it does not mean one will be safe once they enter as danger will await inside there almost every corner! Dying inside there is much easier than one could think as the slightest mistake could easily lead to one''s demise."


    Khal listened to Da''s exnation before asking, "Then why take the risk to enter a ce where you are not sure you can even survive? Isn''t it the same as a suicide?"


    "Maybe it is." Da nodded before continuing, "But the treasures one can find and collect from inside are worth the risk, believe me. Especially if the entrance is this big."


    "What does that even mean?"


    "It means, the bigger a hidden shrine''s entrance is, the more treasure will reside inside as the ce itself was created huge too," Da said.


    "Every expert that creates a hidden shrine will use their own life force during the process, hence they will only create such a huge gate if they have many things to protect."


    "I see, then should we enter it?" Khal asked with piqued interest as he was excited to see the interior, particrly because what was hidden there were many treasures and not trash.


    And who in their right mind didn''t like treasures? Only fools would not like or those thatcked the desire of greed!


    Da fell into deep pondering silence, showing a troubled expression she didn''t reveal before. It was pretty obvious she felt hesitant to enter even though she wished nothing more but to acquire the rich from inside.


    As Da was silent for many minutes Khal just shook his head and ce a hand on the gate.


    "W-What are you doing!?" Da snapped out of her daze when she saw Khal was about to open the shrine''s entrance and raised a hand.


    "What? I will enter the shrine or I can''t?" Khal halted his movements and nced at Da with a subtle frown.


    "It''s not like you can''t, it''s just too much of a risk and you will die if you d-, H-hey! Are you even listening to me?" Da was shocked to see as Khal just shook his head and pushed the gate open, feeling even a little bit panicked.


    Maybe she didn''t tell this to Khal, but once a hidden shrine''s gate was opened it will trigger the shrine''s core inside, which will detonate itself automatically after a specific amount of time. It couldst for a day or even a week, no one really knows the exact period as each shrine differs in this case.


    However, once the core detonates, the results will be pretty obvious; everything in a mile radius will be destroyed and turned to dust while the shrine itself and the things inside it will be erased from existence in seconds!


    "Yeah, I do. But then what if it''s too much of a risk?" Khal shrugged, "Who knows when such a chance will present itself ever again, so even if I have to wager my life, I will do it."


    Also, he was not an idiot. Although he knew Da only for half a day and under that time she showed nothing but coldness, he could easily discern her thoughts as her face immediately changed the moment she began to ponder.


    It was obvious she wished to call for help, which in this case was her race or family. Of course, he will not wait for that to happen as that would mean the things inside will be taken away without anything left for him. And as he didn''t wish for that to happen, he decided to act. before her.


    "But you are just a Body Refiner while the one creating this ce was an Ascender! The difference between the two of you is simply too vast, you will just make yourself killed! If you wait for a while, I can call for my family that will help us clear the traps inside the shrine." Da tried to stop Khal, but unfortunately, she didn''t know that with her sentence she only made Khal''s choice even firmer.


    ''So I was right.'' Khal sighed inwardly and without saying anything turned back around and walked through the now opened gate.


    "W-Wait!" Da''s face paled when she saw this and wished to grab Khal''s hand, but it was already toote. Khal has long vanished into the void inside the gate, his life now in the hands of fate.


    "Why is he so stubborn? If he would have waited for a while longer, I could have asked my parents to send a squad to clear this ce, saving us huge trouble." Da shook her head helplessly and summoned a jade token from her ne.


    "Let''s hope they will arrive in time or else...." mumbled Da and after making the token lit up with gentle blue light, she ced it down on the ground before running after Khal with her Frozen Mist in hand.

 Chapter 310 - Trial

    Inside a huge hall, which was almost twice the size of a football stadium, a ck void emerged from out of thin air and a figure could be seen walking out of it.


    It was a young boy with a seemingly nonchnt expression, his emerald green eyes scanning his surroundings with caution from time to time.


    "So this is how a hidden shrine looks like on the inside? I thought it will be a little bit more... Luxurious..." Khal mumbled quietly, his voice carrying a hint of disappointment.


    Indeed, the interior of the shrine was not as majestic as one would think, as the whole ce was literally empty, with only a few scrollsid here and there together with some weapons that seemed below average as a matter of quality and appearance.


    "Didn''t you say that therger the entrance the greater amount of treasure will there be inside? Then what is the meaning of this?" Khal knitted his brows together without turning toward the void from where Da''s figure emerged.


    Da who just arrived next to Khal halted her steps and looked around, just only to get confused in the same way as Khal.


    "I... don''t know... In truth, this is my very first time seeing a hidden shrine from the inside, but ording to several records, this shouldn''t be like this."


    "Then did someone find a way inside and take away everything, leaving behind nothing but these Mortal Grade techniques?" Khal asked as he picked up a scroll from the ground and checked it, only to shake his head helplessly and toss it into his spatial ring.


    Da wished to deny that suspicion from Khal with a no, but just before she had the chance to talk a blinding light appeared before them out of thin air.


    "What is happening?" Da raised her guard immediately and watched as the light before them manifested into a humanoid shape and began to talk.


    "Congrattions, you deserve my praise for finding and entering my shrine even after knowing the risk."


    The manifested light began to speak calmly, making Khal and Da nce at each other before lowering their weapons slightly.


    "So you are the creator of this shrine, right?" Khal asked, but strangely, he got no reply and the humanoid figure simply continued to talk.


    ''A record?'' Khal pondered but decided to remain silent and listen.


    "Maybe you are pondering who I am, but I can say it with assurance that you don''t need to know it as I am no longer alive when you see this vision. Instead, let me tell you what you need to know to acquire my legacy that I decided to leave behind to the newer generations such as yourselves."


    As None talked the scenery around Khal and Da changed before several carvings began to form on the jade floor below while a fist-sized orb began to float in the distance with a golden glow.


    "Your trial is rather easy. The carvings you can see hold different powers, some can freeze you to death, some can burn you to ashes, and so on. However, there are also a few that has no special properties, such as the ones you are standing on."


    "Find ones such as those and cross the hall without dying. If you seed, you can get the orb and leave this ce in one piece. As for if you fail... I don''t think I need to exin what will happen then, right?"


    And as the light said thosest words, it dispersed into light particles, leaving the two youngsters alone in the hall once again.


    The two were silent for a long time, both of them thinking about how to differentiate the symbols on the ground from one another.


    "Can you recognize any of the symbols?" Khal was the first to break the silence as he felt a slight headache staring at the symbols for a long while.


    "Unfortunately, I can''t." Da sighed and asked, "And I guess you neither."


    "Yeah..." Khal nodded mildly as he felt stuck too. He even activated his Heaven''s Eyes in the hope to get a better look, but his effort was meaningless. Even if he saw the carvings with clearer sight, that did not mean he would miraculously understand their meaning.


    "Then what should we do? The hall is simply way too huge and I can see a thousand symbols if not more."


    Khal nced at the spot where the void was previously, as now it has long vanished, and touched his chin gently.


    [Those symbols have no meaning at all. They are arrays.]


    ''Arrays?'' Khal asked with surprise and asked, ''Then can you tell which Array is which?''


    [Well, I have memories of using basic arrays in the past, but these are on a whole other level. It''s obvious whoever did this was an expert, so I can''t help you.]


    Khal''s eyes twitched slightly upon hearing this. Why does she bring his hope up only to shatter it like that? It made no sense at all!


    ''Whatever...'' Khal shook his head inwardly and asked Da, "Do you know anything about Arrays?"


    "Arrays?" Da raised her delicate brow at the sudden and unexpected question, but soon nodded and said, "Yeah, I have a little bit of knowledge about Arrays as my father is an Array Master."


    "Oh? Then howe you can''t recognize these arrays before you?"


    "What do you mean-, wait... You are right! These are really arrays!" Da''s eyes lit up like stars by the sudden revtion before her gaze turned sharp once again and said, "Although they seem a little bitplex because they have been formed inside the symbols,pared to my father''s they seem rather simple."


    "Your father is an Array Master and you have only a little bit of knowledge? Your father didn''t wish you to learn his ways or what?" Khal asked with doubt in his voice.


    "In truth, he didn''t. He wished me to follow my path and not his, that is why he told me he will only teach me about arrays if I truly wish to follow down that path with the entirety of my heart. Of course, with him always talking about and creating arrays, it''s impossible not to learn a few things." Da exined with a nonchnt look, but Khal obviously noticed the hidden warmth in her words.


    "What a great father." Khal nodded with admiration, but suddenly an image of his past life father popped up in his mind which made his mood instantly sour.


    "Anyways, do you think we can get to that orb?" Khal asked after a while. He felt at ease once again after knowing Da knew about arrays thanks to her father.


    "I will give my best shot.." Da nodded and without saying anything else, started to concentrate on the symbols with Khal inspecting the surroundings with keen eyes too.

 Chapter 311 - Mirror Array

    Da examined the symbols one by one with a nonchnt expression, but from just how serious her eyes looked it was obvious she was concentrating on everything she had.


    Minutes ticked by as they slowly turned into hours, and after a bit more than an hourter Da pointed at a symbol in the left and said, "That should be the right one."


    "Should be?" Khal raised a brow and said, "I hope you know that our lives are on the line here, right? Just a simple ''should be'' alone won''t be enough. We need a solid choice."


    "Yeah, I know, but as I said, although my father is an expert when ites to arrays, I am not. I can distinguish the difference between a few around us, but not all of them."


    As a fact, it would be aplete miracle if she would be able to do it. Not only were the arraysplex to the point where Da felt a headache when she tried to understand them, but they were carved into the symbols where the array became smaller and more jammed too!


    Comprehending which one did what with her limited knowledge was simply asking for the impossible.


    Khal seemed to realize this and could only sigh before asking, "Then how sure you are that is the correct one?"


    "About 70 to 75 percent..." Da replied once she thought over many things once again.


    "75% at best, huh?" Khal didn''t know how he should feel about it.


    If it would have been anytime else without any risk involved, that 75% would make him happy without a question, but unfortunately, that was not the case currently. He knew that the remaining 25% in this situation was like buying a ticket to the afterlife; it was simply a wish of suicide.


    Khal closed his eyes and began to ponder only to sigh after a few minutes.


    ''What a pity... If I would have an ability simr to that dog''s, Andre, we could have easily found the traps and walked to the other side.''


    Indeed, if Khal would have a power that let himself clone several times as Alde did, he could have easily sent them to stand on the symbols and see which one reacted and killed them and which one did not.


    But s, that was only a wish that was useless to grieve for as presently he could do nothing about it to obtain.


    "Do you think we can activate the arrays with our powers if we attack them?" Khal asked suddenly.


    "Unfortunately, we can''t." Da shook her head as she took thought about this possibility.


    Although many arrays could be triggered by a simple attack or a toss of items, these arrays were created in a way where they would only activate when someone was standing on them directly.


    "And how about if we travel through the air?"


    "Through the air? You mean flying?" Da asked.


    "Well, I wouldn''t say flying, but simply traveling through the air," Khal eximed his thoughts as he examined the sight above.


    Da did the same as him, but soon she shook her head and pointed at several points around to the hall, "It seems None has thought about this too and created several detection arrays. If you try toplete this tries by traveling through the air, I fear you won''t be able to take even a second breath before you get yourself killed."


    "What a pain in the ass..." Khal mumbled with irritation in his voice, thinking he could have used his World Devourer Physique to get themselves to the other side of the hall as his length would have been just long enough.


    But seems this option was out of the question too.


    "Then I guess we will have to go with your decision," Khal said, but just as he was about to take a step forward and put his feet onto the symbol, Da shouted suddenly.


    "Wait!"


    "What did you find?" Khal asked calmly, feeling no annoyance that he was stopped. As a fact, he was slightly at relief as it seemed Da figured out something and he didn''t have to risk his life.


    "Don''t step on it yet. Maybe I have found something." Da looked at several symbols before raising her gaze up and down several times and pointing her slender fingers toward the right.


    "There. That will be the right one, I am one hundred percent sure."


    "So confident?" Khal was startled by the change of attitude in Da, as she felt way more confident this time than previously, and couldn''t help but ask, "Why the sudden change of mind? Didn''t you say this is the right one?"


    "Yeah, maybe I did, but that was before I noticed those." as she said that, Da lifted her finger, pointing at the ceiling above.


    "Noticed what? I can''t see anything up there." Khal used his Heaven''s Eyes to inspect the symbol, but even then he found nothing.


    "That''s because you have never seen a Mirror Array before."


    "Mirror Array? What is that?" Khal frowned and concentrated several levels more to see what Da was talking about. But of course, he saw nothing even after he pushed his Heaven''s Eyes all to the very limit.


    "Mirror Arrays or on their other name, Camouge Arrays are capable of disguising other arrays in their proximity almost wholly, which in this case are..." Da exined before leaping at the symbol she pointed at thest time, taking Khal byplete surprise.


    "H-Hey!" Khal was about to act and pull her back, but watched with a startled expression as Da''s feet has already touched the symbol, but the anticipated death didn''te.


    "Huh? S-She seeded?" Khal was surprised to see this, but quickly became happy and asked, "How did you know that was the right choice?"


    Da nced at Khal before pointing at him then upward and saying, "If you wouldn''t have made me look up, I wouldn''t have figured out that all this time the bad choice was the right choice because of that."


    "Because of the Mirror Array?" Khal asked.


    However, Da shook her head and said, "No, not because of that, but instead the array it was trying to cloak, a Nullification Array."

 Chapter 312 - Space Orb

    "Nullification Array?" although Khal was not an expert on arrays, he could easily figure out its usage just from hearing its name alone.


    And just as he realized something, Khal nced above before asking, "So you mean, those arrays above nullify the ones below them?"


    "Exactly." Da nodded before pointing at the symbol which she chose initially, "And those, that seem to be the right ones, are in truth traps."


    "How?"


    "It''s easy. Just like how Nullification Arrays had been ced above several Trap Arrays, Element and Detection Arrays had been ced above?those ones." Da exined.


    Khal seemed to understand what was going on and couldn''t help but feel as cold sweat began to flow down on his back. Just now, he would have stepped on the symbol which previously he thought was harmless, bringing himself right into death''s embrace without knowing a thing!


    His death would have been so fast that he wouldn''t have been able toprehend what happened with him before leaving the living!


    "Thank you. You saved me there." Khal thanked Da for saving his life, noting down he must pay her back in the future.


    Da just nodded mildly without the slightest change in herplexion and nced up. After examining the structure of the ceiling she waved toward Khal and said, "Follow me."


    Thus, Da began to jump from symbol to symbol while Khal followed her every step calmly. And from that moment on, the two met with no difficulties at all and reached the other side with rtive ease.


    "That was easier than I have thought," Da eximed out loud as she nced back at the floor of symbols, but it was obvious she felt nervous as thick drops of sweat trickled down her wless, but ice-cold face.


    Although she was sure and confident in her ability to discern some arrays even if they were camouged, she feared there will be some that were hidden even more than the rest, rewriting everything she until that moment believed and killing them right there and then.


    But luckily, such a worry turned out to be meaningless and they reached the orb without a problem.


    "So what is this in the end?" Khal walked before the floating orb and asked while examining it from up close.


    "It''s a Space Orb," Da replied nonchntly once she was next to Khal.


    "This is a Space Orb?" Khal widened his eyes slightly as he was perfectly clear what a Space Orb meant.


    It was a priceless treasure that contained an almost infinite space in it, meaning it was capable of storing anything and everything, even an entire world!


    It was not even impossible that one could contain an entire army within a Space Orb, but of course, for those to happen one needed to feed the treasure with energy which could be one''s own power or energy crystals that were extremely hard to find around the Second Realm.


    "Just where did that guy get this treasure from? Space Orbs are extremely rare treasures even in the Higher Realms, I bet he found it in the Second Realm much less in the First Realm." Da pondered quietly.


    ''Maybe he obtained it simrly as I did with my bracelet.'' Khal could only think of such a possibility before ncing at Da and asking, "So, how will we split this item?"


    Da stared at the orb with a deep pondering look before saying, "How about we first check what resides inside and then decide?"


    "That is fine by me." Khal nodded and with Da, he ced a hand on the orb before closing his eyes.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, a whole new scenery emerged before the two as their consciousness sipped into the Space Orb.


    "T-This..." Da felt immense shock when she saw the pile of scrolls all around the ce, each having different colors and shades from one another.


    "These are... Martial Techniques?" Khal asked under his breath, but soon realized he was wrong as the scrolls were neither white, silver, ck nor golden. Their color was instead red, blue, yellow, and green, indicating they were not techniques.


    "What are these?" Khal asked as he picked up a scroll and opened it.


    However, not long after he began to read, his face changed once again, and nced at Da, "Advanced Defensive Array? Wait... Isn''t this an instruction on how to set up an array?"


    "Yes, it is... And not just that one, but all of these scrolls here are. Each is blueprints about different arrays, and extremelyplicated ones too!" mumbled Da before her eyes lit up and said happily, "My father will definitely be joyous when he sees this!"


    After checking a few more scrolls from among the thousands, Khal and Da pulled their consciousness out of the orb and nced at each other.


    "So, what do you think?" Khal asked calmly, but quickly added, "How about this? As I have no reason to have the scrolls as I am no expert in the field of arrays, you will take them while I keep the orb. Sounds fair?"


    Da fell into silent pondering. Although she knew Khal''s proposal was indeed fair, it was still hard to ept he will keep such a priceless treasure such as the Space Orb.


    However, after thinking about how he helped her find the hidden arrays above and how it made sense that the scrolls would be useless for him, she couldn''t help but nod.


    "Let''s do that." and without thinking, Da put her hand on the orb before pulling it away the next second.


    "Done. I have taken every scroll, so you are free to put the orb away."


    Khal nodded and after checking the interior of the orb he tossed it into his spatial ring and asked, "So... How will we get out of this -"


    And just as he was about to finish his question, a ck void simr to the one they have just entered this ce with, emerged on his side out of thin air, seemingly being the exit.


    "Whatever...." Khal shook his head and without asking anything else walked through the void with Da following him closely from behind.

 Chapter 313 - Bargain

    Somewhere in the middle of a dense forest filled with trees that reached above tens of meters, several humanoid creatures d in sky blue armors walked around the ce, seemingly in the search of something.


    "I found it!" one of the patrolling guards suddenly roared loudly, making several guards stop searching and run toward the guard who just shouted.


    "Let me check it." a man in a much grander armor walked through the crowd of guards that made way for him and grabbed the token the guard was holding.


    After inspecting it silently with an indifferent gaze, he hummed slightly and turned around, "My Lord, it has indeed been found."


    The man extended the token in his hand toward a man d in white armor, with the obvious sign of handing it over.


    The man, whose facial expression was seemingly ice-cold and had several facial features that were scarily identical to Da''s, grabbed the token and nced at it.


    "Where did you find it?" the man then asked his subordinate immediately. He didn''t even have to look at the token to know that it was the exact same token he has just given his daughter, Da, in the past.


    "Right over there, my Lord." the man who was seemingly themander of the group of soldiers present pointed where the token was found.


    "Hmm..." Da''s father searched the proximity and fell into deep pondering.


    When he gave this token to his daughter, he told her she should only use it if there was an immediate threat or crisis that she was unable to solve alone and her life was in danger.


    That is why when he got the signal he left behind everything important and moved the best of his men to where the signal wasing from.


    At first, when he found out that it came from one of the Berserker''ss, he felt slightly worried, but that worry quickly turned into anxiety as when he reached the signal, his daughter could be seen nowhere.


    This made his heart tighten from a lingering fear, something he experienced an extremely long time ago, exactly when he was still a weakling which resulted in him losing someone precious to him.


    As the memories appeared in his mind, something he wished would nevere to the surface ever again, the man''s face became ice-cold filled with hidden danger, and looked at the soldiers around him that still waited for his order.


    Yet, not even before he could have opened his mouth a gate emerged from below the surface before its huge gates exploded wide open and two individuals walked out of it.


    "This... A Hidden Shrine? And they came out of it without any injury even though it has such a huge size? Then does this mean..." themander and the soldiers around looked perplexed and confused at the same time, not understanding what was currently happening.


    "Dad! You are here!" Da who looked nonchnt all this time seemed to turn 180 degrees and without hesitation leaped into his father''s embrace.


    "My little fairy... Care to exin what happened here?" the father asked with a gentle tone once he sighed deeply, feeling as though a huge boulder had been lifted from his heart.


    Letting go of his father, Da proceeded to tell everything to her father, leaving out no details, let it be small or big.


    After close to fifteen minutes of straight-talking, as she started from the very beginning where she met with Khal in Crimson Horn City, Da remained silent, waiting for her father to talk.


    On the other hand, Da''s father, who was silent all this time nced at Khal and asked, "So you should be the one, huh?"


    "My Lord, my name is Khal Nevio. It''s my pleasure to meet with you." Khal acted politely as he knew the one before he was a very important figure from the Fairy race and thest thing he wished to make an enemy out of them.


    Especially after he was surrounded by hundreds of soldiers that reached the Body Tempering Stage, apletely whole level above his!


    "Hmm... Not bad. The name is Roice Sourbelle, Da''s father." Roice nodded with satisfaction and asked, "My daughter told me you were using mes simr to the Nether Race. However, she also told me you hail from the human race, so if you don''t mind, I feel slightly curious to see just how can a human use Nether Fire."


    Khal stayed silent and even without looking at the tensed expressions of the soldiers around, he understood what the man before him meant.


    ''So he wants to make sure I was telling the truth and I don''te from the Nether Race, huh? Well, I would do the same, especially after my race was almost wiped out.'' Khal thought to himself and nodded.


    "Sure. There you go." Khal extended his arm gently and right after he did, crimson mes akin to dancing snakes appeared floating above the middle of his palm.


    Every soldier, including themander, tensed their muscles upon seeing the mes above Khal''s hand, their eyes filled with hatred and disdain. Some even raised their weapons, ready to pounce on Khal as though he was a criminal, but luckily they were stopped by Da''s father just in time.


    "That''s enough, thank you." Roice waved his hand and said, "It seems you are not one of those bastards."


    "Huh?" many soldiers around looked bewildered, not understanding what their leader was talking about. They were able to sense an aura inside the mes that only those from Neither Race had, so seeing as their boss halted them made them feel confused.


    Understanding their thoughts, Da''s father shook his head and exined loudly, "Although his me indeed has simrities to the Nether Fire, it''s not Nether Fire. As a fact, he is not even a Nether as he doesn''t have several physical characteristics a Nether should have."


    As the soldiers listened to their leader''s exnation, more and more realized he was right and lowered their weapons while gazing at Khal with different looks.


    Seeing as his men finally calmed down, or at least didn''t feel the urge to kill Khal, Roice shifted his gaze back at Khal and said, "Anyway, I alsoe to learn you two cleared the trial inside that Hidden Shrine and you split everything, with my daughter getting all the array prints while you keeping the Space Orb, right?"


    "That is right." Khal nodded with a calm smile.


    "I see, then do you wish to sell the orb to me. I will guarantee you will get a hefty prize in exchange if you do give us the Space Orb in your possession.." Roice asked, his gaze calm and serious.

 Chapter 314 - Planet Nia

    Hearing Roice''s question Khal pondered for a small while before asking, "And exactly what would I get in exchange? The Space Orb is quite a rare treasure, so rare that maybe you won''t be able to find another one, so I should get something equivalent for it, right?"


    Roice''s eyes brightened up slightly upon seeing that Khal didn''t reject his offer right away and quickly smiled.


    "Naturally! Although we don''t have everything in our possession that the universe could provide, I am pretty sure if you tell me what you wish to get in exchange I can get it."


    Khal nodded and thought Roice was quite good when it came to business. Some people would asionally fall into the biggest mistake they could ever make during trading and that would be offering something instead of asking what the other party needed or wanted in exchange.


    Such a misstep could immediately give rise to a slight conflict between the two parties or even worse, losing the opportunity to get their hands on the items they wished to obtain.


    But luckily Roice didn''t make this amateur mistake as he instantly asked Khal what he wished in exchange, which was the basics of the basics when someone wished to bargain.


    Khal touched his chin to ponder what he wished to ask for, which at Roice just remained silent and waited patiently.


    ''What do I need? I have powerful weapons, the ability to learn any type of technique by a nce and I can get my hands on Essence at any moment. I don''t really have anything I want, or maybe...'' as Khal was thinking he raised his gaze and asked, "How about an armor? Do you have something which is equivalent to the Space Orb in value?"


    Indeed, what Khal needed at the moment was ayer of protection. Although he could surpass everyone on his level and many above it, if he were to meet someone that was several stages above him he would definitely have a hard time surviving, and he has yet to think about escape.


    That is why Khal thought an armor that was strong enough to keep his life intact would be a must, and this was the greatest opportunity for him to get his hands on one.


    "An armor?" Roice closed his eyes to recall something in his mind before he opened them once again and nodded, "Yeah, as a fact, we have one. Although we have nned to destroy it and make some extremely powerful weapons out of its materials, it seems that will change."


    "Can I have a look at it? I wish to see what kind of armor it is before I decide." Khal said calmly which at Roice nodded and smiled.


    "That is only natural. However, as it is currently on our home, far away from this one, I hope you cane with us."


    "Sure. Except for hunting for beasts, I had no other ns, so I can change my schedule. Besides, I am curious to see what kind of ce the Fairy Race leaves on so it will be a great experience."


    "Haha! Perfect! Then please follow me." Roice waved his hand to the soldiers who immediately stood into position and with Roice on the front, they began to walk away.


    The group walked through the dense forest while Roice chatted with Khal, hoping to know him a little bit better as in his eyes Khal was somewhat an interesting individual. Anyone that could act so calmly before him, someone who hailed from a strong race and was known by millions thanks to his reputation as one of the strongest Array Master throughout the Second Realm, could only be someone powerful, no matter if they were a human or another race.


    Also, the fact that Khal''s body emitted no aura further indicated that Khal was not as simple as one would think he is. And with his eyes and senses which became sharper by the years, Roice could understand Khal was strong, much stronger than what he showed to others around him.


    The group walked for a minute and soon arrived before this huge open space of field where a spaceship that was as enormous as a football stadium could be seen standing majestically.


    Although this was his very first time seeing a spaceship with such an advanced look in his life, Khal knew it was the creation of a race named the Hundred Hands, a race which Blessing allowed them to create any type of weapons, tools, items, or armors just out of mere raw ores in minutes!


    As a fact, if it weren''t for them, none of the races in and above the Second Realm would have the power to travel through space, or at least not until they learned a powerful technique that let them do so.


    After examining the spaceship with amazement, Khal followed Roice and Da inside and sat down on afy seat that made all his muscles rx slightly just under a few seconds.


    ''Good chair'' Khal closed his eyes with a slight smile stered on his face, while Roice walked next to one of the soldiers behind the panels and ordered, "Let''s get back home."


    "Yes, my Lord!" the soldier nodded and without further ado made the spaceship float above the ground before bursting away into the unknown.


    -


    -


    -


    The Second Realm, different from the First Realm, was an entire universe filled with systems instead of a single where several races existed, each upying varied areas that could range from a single sr system or all the way to a whole ster system.


    For instance, while the Berserkers only possess a few sr systems under their belts, the Fairy Race has several hundred under their control, each of theirs filled with rich resources that could make anyone feel envious and start a war over them if the Fairies wouldn''t have been a stronger race.


    Especially after their home, Nia, which although was 70% a frozen wastnd, the habitat, the environment below the surface were on a whole other level! Everything that grew there, let it be nts or beasts, would evolve with a speed thrice as fast as they normally would, giving them a huge advantage when ites to cultivating special herbs or growing strong beasts that could be tamed afterward.


    And if things were not alluring enough, the ice crystals above the surface, which umted the pure frost air over the years could be easily harvested inrge amounts and soldter to other races for other goods or simply keeping them for themselves to craft great armaments and tools in great numbers!


    ''So that is Nia. An azure gem floating in the vast nothingness..'' Khal thought calmly while he watched as the sky blue globe in the dark space becamerger andrge by the second as the spaceship he was in approached it with great speed.

 Chapter 315 - Fairyland

    As the spaceship approached the surface of Nia with great speed, Khal watched with starry eyes as apletely new sight emerged before him.


    Although the sight of space filled with colorfuls and bright stars was a first-rate experience for him as this was his very first time traveling through the cosmos, nothing beat the excitement the moment he realized his feet will soon touch a new surface!


    Of course, one could say he already traveled through space, through a wormhole when he ascended, but that was not different from jumping into a pool and swimming across an underwater tunnel before emerging on the other side. The experience and the sensation he was feeling were two, entirely different things, there was no question about that.


    "You seem pretty excited. Well, I don''t me you at all as everyone who gets the chance tond on our looks the same." Da who sat all this time next to Khal spoke nonchntly, attracting Khal''s gaze away from the scenery outside.


    "I am not exactly excited, it''s just this is my first time traveling to another." Khal didn''t keep this fact as a secret and told Da right away.


    "What? You have never traveled in space before? That''s impossible!" Da widened her pretty eyes slightly wide, looking at Khal with a suspicious gaze.


    Khal only shrugged at her and forced a smile, "Believing it or not, that''s the truth."


    "Then how did you advance to the next Stage? Although Katrov is filled with many herbs and magical nts capable of increasing one''s physical strength and opening all of your meridians, that ce has an extremely low quality of Realm Essence, so achieving a breakthrough there is simply an impossible wish! Or did you be a Body Refiner through a special method?"


    Khal understoodpletely from where Da''s suspicion came from, as he was absolutely clear how one could advance stages in the Second Realm.


    One needed to train their bodies through different means while also improving their Blessings by the same standards as they did so far in the First Realm.


    Naturally, when he talked about training one''s body, it was not as simple as doing push-ups or running around the day and night, believing that will be enough to surpass the Cultivation Stages, as it was much moreplex than that.


    For Instance, when one ascended into the Second Realm and became an Awakened, one needed to open and connect all of their so-called Meridians in their bodies which were the exact same thing as the human''s Essence Paths with the sole difference that Essence Paths were much thicker in size than other races'' Meridians!


    In this area, humans were obviously half a step ahead of the rest of the races as they opened their Essence Paths way before the Second Realm, right in the First Realm, and ascended just like that!


    However, the real challenge only came after that!


    All the races, including the Human race, have to start consuming pure and special particles from their surroundings which can be found everywhere, known as the Realm Essence!


    Realm Essence is not simr to the Essence Particles or World Essence from the First Realm at all. While the former improves one''s Blessing with thetter one being apletely different source of energy, which can be only used through unique techniques, Realm Essence can increase every living being''s Body Essence almost infinitely!


    Only when one umted enough Body Essence and increased their Blessing to the peak will they have the chance to reach the Second Cultivation Stage and start training their bodies from the inside out for real through different methods as Da just said!


    However, exactly because of this, Khal decided to just simply smile, obviously showing that he wished not to talk about this topic any longer.


    Da frowned when she saw this, but knowing that everyone had their own secrets, just like how she had hers, she didn''t push the matter any further and averted her gaze onto the azure scenery outside the window.


    Once the spaceship was in the''s atmosphere and descend into a huge crater where itnded after a slow descent, a huge barrier appeared atop the barrier, sealing out the blood-freezing cold that was present on the outside.


    "Come." Roice gestured toward Khal casually to follow him, which at Khal nodded and walked after him with an indifferent look.


    Soon, when he walked out of the spaceship, several soldiers saluted at Roice respectfully before they surrounded him and the two on his side, escorting them through an underground tunnel that lead slightly downward.


    After several minutes of silent walking, Khal watched as the sight before him expanded and they arrived inside an extremely huge cave, which couldn''t even be called a cave as everything around him was filled with green!


    Big and healthy trees, emerald grass with colorful flowers, and an enormous and majestic looking pce with a size twice as huge as the spaceship! Everything around him made him feel as though he was looking at a holynd filled with life instead of a creepy and dark cave below a frozen wastnd''s surface where life shouldn''t even exist!


    Just like a scenery popped out of a fantasy world; a fairnd!


    "morous!" Khal muttered with a startled expression under his breath as he looked around.


    "Thank you. Although it''s not only you who said such words, I appreciate your praise." Roice showed a smile and lead Khal into the huge pce that stood majestically in the middle of a huge emerald green field.


    "Wee back my Lord, Young Lady, and also our dear guest." A man in a crimson robe appeared on the side, bowing to Roice, Da, and Khal with deep respect.


    "Astro, this kind gentlemen is Khal Nevio, a friend of mine. He wishes to trade his Space Orb for something simr in value, so please bring us ''that''. Roice said calmly.


    Astro''s eyes shed with great surprise when he heard what kind of treasure Khal wished to trade with and couldn''t help but give a nce at the young man on Roice''s side.


    However, his nce only took a single second before he bowed once again and said, "Please wait here, my Lord. I will bring it here right away."


    With that, Astro vanished into thin air like a ghost without any sign of warning, taking Khalpletely out of his guard.


    ''Fast!''

 Chapter 316 - Weird Armor

    After seeing as Astro vanished from his spot like a ghost, Khal and the rest waited patiently while chatting casually.


    And soon, about a minute or soter Khal watched as Astro and several other guards appeared from the entrance on the side, carrying a huge metallic box as though it weighs nothing.


    "My Lord, here is what you requested." Astro bowed gently toward his master once the metal box was lifted to stand high, showing a single keyhole in the middle, seemingly being a lock.


    Roice nodded and thanked Astro for his help and without hesitation waved his hand, summoning a ck key into his grasp before cing it into the hole and turning it toward the left several times.


    Click!


    With a metallic sound which was akin to breaking a metal pipe into two, the key turned aplete 360 degrees, causing the door to open from the right, revealing what was inside.


    Or at least, would have revealed the item inside, if there were any as of right at the moment Khal saw nothing, but an empty box with a single-pole ced in the middle.


    "What is the meaning of this? Where is the armor?" Khal knitted his brows together, shifting his gaze at Roice who stood next to the box with a rxed smile on his face.


    "Please, don''t act so rash. Take a closer look instead and you will get your answer." Roice pointed toward the interior of the metal box calmly, his intention clear.


    At first, Khal felt confused as to what he should see if the box was empty, but after thinking for a while he realized there was no reason for Roice to behave so mysteriously if there truly was nothing, hence he did just as he was told and stepped closer to the box to get a better look.


    [Oh? Who would have guessed such an item will be crafted from that ore? I am amazed.]


    Listening to Nova''s voice, Khal narrowed his eyes only to widen them the next second and extend his hand out with a startled expression.


    "T-This... How can this be?" Khal muttered under his breath, his voice filled with shock.


    Right as he extended his arm, Khal believed he will be able to reach his hand outpletely, but s, that''s not what happened and instead, his fingers met with an invisible surface, akin to a barrier!


    However, when Khal ced the entirety of his palm against the surface of this ''barrier'', he had to realize quickly that the thing he was feeling at the moment was the front of something he was quite familiar with; the chest te of armor!


    The hard surface was cold to the touch... There was no mistake about it, it was truly an armor he was feeling!


    "But... How? It''spletely invisible?" Khal extended his other hand to get a better feel and image about the appearance of the armament.


    "Haha, the reaction I have waited for." Roiceughed out with joy and step next to Khal while exining.


    "This armor is quite special as it was not only found inside a Hidden Shrine, but was also crafted out of a material called the Soulsilver, an extremely rare material that is not only simply imperceptible because of its see-through appearance, but extremely durable too!"


    "Soulsilver? Never heard of it before." Khal shook his head, but he didn''t really care to be honest.


    As a fact, he felt excited as this armor was much better than he first believed it to be. An armor that was basically invisible? Are you kidding?


    Not only does he have no reason to fear getting killed by an ambush or an attack he didn''t anticipate, but he could also make his enemies believe he waspletely unguarded and vulnerable!


    That was the best thing he could wish for!


    However, this was only if the armor was strong enough to protect him from such attacks, or else it waspletely useless.


    This is why Khal quickly ced a palm atop the invisible armor and asked, "And how durable it is?"


    Roice at this question just smiled and instead of answering he asked, "Do you know why it is called Soulsilver?"


    "..No..." Khal answered, but deep inside felt slightly confused by such a question. Didn''t he just tell him a few seconds ago that he didn''t know what a Soulsilver was? Then how should he know why it was called in such a way?


    Roice obviously read Khal''s mind from his face, but ignoring it he just smiled calmly as he did until all this time and said, "It was called Soulsilver because its weight and durability dependspletely on one''s soul."


    "You mean..." Khal widened his eyes upon realization and looked at his hand which was in contact with the armor.


    "Yes." Roice nodded and said, "If you have a strong soul, you can make it so hard that it would be on par with that of an Abyss Crystal''s, but if not, it can break as easily as a piece of ss."


    When Khal heard this he fell into deep silence, obviously contemting if he should trade his Space Orb for the armor.


    Roice seemed to notice his hesitation and proposed an idea several minutester.


    "How about you try it on and see just how durable it bes when you wear it and only then decide?"


    "Really? I can?" Khal asked with joy, but soon turned solemn and asked, "But what if my soul turns out to be weak? What if it''s gonna break like ss as you have said? Wouldn''t that be a problem?"


    "Not at all." Roice shook his head and showed a smile, "Although I have indeed said such a thing, it is simply impossible for it to break."


    "What do you mean under that?" Khal asked, feeling this material called Soulsilver was much weirder than he initially believed.


    "What I mean, while Soulsilver can indeed be destroyed, it can only be done when someone exerts a force several times greater and faster than it can withstand and react to."


    "React to?" Khal now totally lost the string which he followed until now and couldn''t help but feel deeply confused.


    However, Roice didn''t get angry at all, but instead stepped next to Khal and ced his hand atop the invisible armor too.


    "Let me show you instead," Roice said calmly and used a little bit of his strength in his arms to push on the armor.


    And just as he did and Khal expected to see the armor together with the box move backward, something so unexpected happened that Khal felt his eyes widen like saucers, threatening his eyeballs to fall out of their sockets!


    "Y-Your arm! It went through! Your arm went right through the armor!" Khal felt perplexed as he watched Roice''s fingers clenching the pole in the middle while his own palm was still resting on the armor''s chest te on the outside.

 Chapter 317 - Trust

    "As you can see, if I exert a little bit of force that the Soulsilver cannot resist, it will simply let my hand through without any problems. As for the spot where my arm went through, you don''t need to fear as the armor will rebuild itself automatically in no time at all." Roice exined calmly and slowly retreated his arm before cing it back on the spot where his hand went through just a moment ago.


    "Haha! You don''t have to feel so surprised. This is only possible as no soul is attached to the armor, thus even a little bit of force is enough to get through its defense." Roiceughed gently when he saw Khal''s shocked face.


    However, Khal still stared at the armor with a stupified expression for several seconds before something clicked in his brain, causing his eyes to lit up with realization.


    "It seems you finally understood." Roice nodded with a smile.


    Khal seeing Roice''s expression showed a smile too and said, "Indeed, this Soulsilver is rather a unique one. But in a good way, obviously."


    "I agree." Roice nodded and looked at the invisible armor in the box, "Although it''s somethingpletely useless in the hands of an individual who possess a weak soul, it can be the greatest treasure in someone else''s whose soul is as vast as a bottomless ocean and as strong as an ancient steel wall!"


    Khal listening to Roice put a finger over his lips and said, "Then if I can, I would like to try and see just how good this armor is before I decided to trade it for my Space Orb."


    "Naturally." Roice took a step behind while gesturing for Khal to take his time to put the armor on.


    However, as he did, all the guards around tensed slightly, their eyes turning sharp, seemingly ready to attack Khal if he tried anything funny. Even Astro, who just stood on the sides with a casual smile was prepared, obviously for evident reasons.


    ''Well, considering that I am a stranger and about to use a potentially powerful treasure in their home which is in their current possession, it''s only natural for the security to tighten up so much.'' Khal agreed with how the guards acted, as he would do the same if he were in their boots.


    Like, how could you watch calmly as a stranger began to try and use one of your potent armaments in your very own house? You would feel and behave the very same way as they were doing currently even if you wouldn''t show it, no question about it.


    As Khal thought about this, he approached the steel box and began to grab the armor inside it before putting it on himself one by one.


    In a sh, Khal put all the armor pieces, except the helmet as there was none on himself, and felt as a strange connection between him and the armor was formed, while the armor itself automatically adjusted itself to his body like some kind of magic!


    "It''s one of the main advantages of this armor. No matter who wishes to use it, it will adapt to the owner''s body on its own without a problem." Roice exined with a nonchnt expression when he saw Khal''s surprised gaze.


    "I see..." Khal nodded and moved his arm around, only to get another surprise as not only did the armor adjust to his size perfectly, but it weighed literally nothing while he also heard no sound at all whenever he moved his body around!


    "This is truly a piece of art," Khal mumbled under his breath, his curiosity piquing over the one who crafted this piece of armor even more than before.


    "Haha! I am d you like it." Roiceughed, but soon his eyes turned sharp and said, "Now let''s see if this armor will be yours or not."


    As he said, he gestured toward Astro who immediately moved and summoned a short sword into his grasp before he began to approach Khal with slow, but steady steps.


    Khal noticing this obviously understood the intention and didn''t do anything but stand in one ce while his gaze was firmly fixed on Astro''s weapon.


    Although now it will be clear if his soul was strong enough to make the armor act as a solidyer of protection or not, he still felt slightly nervous because the one attacking him was someone with a hidden and unknown strength.


    And of course, there was nothing worse than facing the unknown, especially if that came from someone with a greater aura than his!


    ''Limit Breaker... He is on the Fourth Cultivation Stage!'' Khal thought slightly nervously as he stared at Astro''s approaching figure and without hesitation activated his Heaven''s Eyes.


    "A Blessing associated with sight? That''s quite rare." Roice said quietly and immediately raised his hand, just in time to halt the guards'' movement around the hall as they obviously misunderstood Khal''s aim with activating his Blessing.


    "Stay in position! No one moves until I say so!" Roice said loudly, making sure every guard around him heard clearly what he just said.


    As for Astro, he was naturally understanding Khal''s reason just like how Roice did and smiled slightly, "You don''t have to worry, I won''t injure you much less take away your life. There is no reason for you to use your Blessing, I promise."


    Khal listened to Astro and after pondering for a while nodded and deactivated his Heaven''s Eyes, taking everyone around by surprise.


    After taking a deep breath, Khal showed a calm smile and said, "Whenever you are ready."


    Astro looked startled by the sudden change of behavior Khal showed, but not because he did what he told him, but because he trusted in him.


    Such a thing was extremely unexpected as Astro belived Khal to be a cautious young man who hardly trusts anyone, but it seems he was wrong.


    "It looks like even my eyes can make a mistake or two sometimes." Astro sighed with a slight smile as he closed his eyes before opening them again, this time showing a serious expression.


    "Then here Ie...." Astro said in an indifferent tone of voice, and without waiting for Khal''s response vanished from his spot before reappearing before Khal in the very next second like a phantom!

 Chapter 318 - Successful Trade

    ''Here hees!'' was what Khal thought as he lowered his stance and readied himself for the impact.


    Whoosh!


    ng!


    A powerful ripple followed by a thunderous explosion broke the surrounding air, forcing the ground below Khal''s feet to crack while several soldiers in the distance took a few steps back as they failed to keep their bnce.


    "This man..." The corner of Roice''s mouth twitched slightly as he watched this sight, feeling like choking Astro to death for his inability of holding back.


    As for the results of his attack, he doesn''t even need to look to know that he has failed; the sound when his weapon hit the Soulsilver told everything.


    "He indeed has a strong soul." Roice nodded mildly with an indifferent look, but deep inside he felt shocked for several reasons.


    First of all, the fact that Khal let himself hit with a lowered guard even though understanding that the individual behind the attack was a Limit Breaker was something he has never seen in his entire lifetime!


    Trusting others so fast and easily for the first time was something only fools would do, and Roice started to doubt if Khal was right in the mind or not.


    As for the second reason, he felt dumbfounded and slightly terrified because Khal ended up defending against one of Astro''s attacks! Although the attempt was without any special power behind it, it still showed the fact that Khal had an incredibly strong soul and could easily make the Soulsilver so durable that it could defend against even an assault from a Limit Breaker head-on!


    ''That piece of armament will be a terrifying asset in his hands.'' Roice'' narrowed his eyes, gazing at Khal''s calm figure in the distance with wary eyes.


    Now that he saw just how strong that armor was on him, Roice couldn''t help but feel slightly bothered if Khal will keep his promise and give him the Space Orb or will strive to do something fishy.


    Khal naturally felt the almost piercing stare on his skin and even without turning around, he knew that Roice was the one looking at him.


    ''He thinks I will run away without giving him the Space Orb, right?'' Khal sighed, and shook his head inwardly before looking at Astro who still stood in one ce with a stupified expression on his face because of the previous events.


    He still couldn''tprehend how Khal was able to defend against his attack, even though being two whole stages below him, implying his soul should be weaker than his!


    "Thank you very much for helping!" Khal bowed politely toward Astro before walking in front of Roice and summoning an orb above his palm.


    "I have decided. I will keep this armor and s, as promised, I will give this Space Orb to you in exchange."


    Roice looked at the orb in Khal''s hand with an unreadable expression, but it was not long before he showed a grateful smile and took the Space Orb into his hand.


    "It was a pleasure to do business with you."


    "Same." Khal closed his eyes smiled calmly.l, but deep inside he felt joy as he definitely was the winner of this deal, no matter how he looked at it.


    Although the Space Orb was a rare and extremely dangerous treasure that could be used in many surprisingly good and many scarily horrible ways, the Soulsilver armor was simply on a whole another level!


    Not only was it capable of protecting him from a powerful attack from someone who was above him in strength with ease, but Khal felt that it was not even brought to its limit and could have handled an even greater assault with twice if not thrice as much power!


    Just thinking about this made Khal jerk with tion as he just got his hand on something unexpectedly great, and he was sure now he didn''t have to fear getting killed easily in the Second Realm.


    ''I bet this armor is so great because I have formed my Soul World.'' Khal pondered, but was quickly brought out of his line of thought as Roice began to speak to him.


    "Now then, do you wish to join us for dinner? I bet you are eager to eat something after traveling so much with us."


    Khal felt slightly surprised by Roice''s hospitality, but as he had other ns in his mind he just shook his head and said, "Although I appreciate your kindness and want to stay, I fear I have to refuse. Unfortunately, I have other things to do."


    Roice and Da look surprised and exchanged nces with each other when they heard this. While other individuals would beg for them on their knees just to get the chance to see the interior of their home, Khal straight out refused it even though he was offered the chance!


    This was the very first for them under the many years they have lived, hence why they felt so surprised.


    ''Quite an interesting one.'' Roice thought before he showed a friendly smile and said, "I see. And where do you n to go? Maybe I can help you get there if it''s not so far away."


    Again, Khal felt a slight surprise upon hearing Roice''s kind offer, wondering why he was so helpful with him when they just met not a long time ago.


    But how would he have known that when he showed his trust in Astro previously, he gained Roice''s respect and thus why he wished to help him so easily. If it weren''t for that, there was an extremely high chance he would have not offered his help to him, much less invite him for a dinner!


    After thinking for a while, Khal looked at Roice and said, "I n to visit Thov and hunt some beasts there."


    "You wish to go there? I hope you know that ce is under the Night Crawlers'' supervision, right?" Roice widened his eyes.


    "Yeah, I know. And?" Khal asked, raising a brow at the strange question.


    "You...." even Da and Astro felt stupified by the casual response of Khal, not knowing if he was just joking or was really serious at the moment.

 Chapter 319 - Offer

    Night Crawlers. A race that is known far and wide in the Second and Higher Realms for their scary Blessing which allows them to turn literally every living into soulless but moving corpses by a simple scratch!


    Every race was scared of them because of this, but luckily, they were notpletely invincible as their Blessing only worked during the night, hence they were basically mortals during the daytime if they had no powerful techniques to protect themselves.


    But the main reason why the three felt stupefied by Khal''s decision was not this, but was because the he was trying to visit was in almost all-time darkness, meaning the sun was barely shining there!


    He literally wishes to go to a ce where his life will be in constant danger not only because of the lurking beasts there, but because of the Night Crawlers too!


    Khal looked at the three in silence before he sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe they looked at him like someone who lost his mind, he waspletely sane, and had many reasons to go to that hell pit.


    First of all, he wants to go to Thov, was because of the number of strong beasts lurking there. Killing them, he was sure he could make his Talents grow at a tremendous rate.


    Of course, there is the question of why if there were many others with strong beasts, but Khal didn''t care because this is where his very main reasones into the picture. While Thov is rich with beasts with high Cultivation Stages, the air there is also filled with dense Realm Essence!


    And because he was in a hurry to get back to the First Realm, there was no better ce he could wish for than this, where he could cultivate his Talents and start consuming Realm Essence to start his body refining process.


    "I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have already decided on this matter. Of course, if you now do not wish to help me get there, I perfectly understand it, thus at least please send me to the closest to it from where I can travel there."


    Roice, Da, and Astro exchanged looks, and for a while, they didn''t know what to say. Although theypletely respected Khal''s decision and knew that with his newly acquired armor he had a higher chance of survival, they still couldn''t help but feel deeply shocked.


    There were a quite few who would risk their safety just to get stronger in such fashion, as many would try and look for an easier way. Like, why risk your life if you could achive the same by simply not rushing things?


    It didn''t make sense at all!


    Khal, however, understood their thoughts and just shook his head inwardly. He couldn''t hope for them to understand the reasons nor cared if they looked at him like a madman, he already decided what he will do, no matter what.


    After a few seconds of silenceter Roice cleared his throat, finally breaking the silence, and said, "I see, if that is what you wish to do, I won''t stop you. Everyone roams their own paths, some being harder than the rest, so it''s only natural for you to do something we shouldn''t do normally. Also, I know you have a solid reason why you attempt to do something so dangerous, thus why I will help you get there."


    As he said those words, Roice nced at Astro on his side and said, "Take him to Thov."


    At first, Astro felt surprised but quickly bowed, "Yes, my Lord."


    Then he looked at Khal and said, "Please follow me. I will escort you to Thov."


    Khal showed a thankful smile before he turned toward Roice and Da before he sped his hands and bowed, "I appreciate your kindness. If I will have the chance, I will make sure to repay you."


    "Haha! There is no reason." Roice shook his hand around in a refused manner, but Khal couldn''t be fooled that easily. He saw clearly the anticipation in Roice''s eyes, so he naturally understood he only told what he did out of formality.


    Thus, Khal just smiled calmly and said, "Well then, I hope we will have the chance to meet again."


    "Haha, same! We should sit down and talk with each other a bit next time, maybe next to a tea. How does that sound?" Roice smiled, startling Da and many soldiers around by his sudden proposal.


    Especially Da. She knew the best just what kind of man his father really was and he would not offer something like that just for no reason. He always acts for a specific motive, and she knew that the best.


    Maybe she missed out on something until now that she should have noticed? Da nced at Khal with narrowed eyes, trying to see what he missed, but s, she saw nothing out of ordinary.


    "Once I achieved what I wanted, I''m sure we will be able to talk." Khal showed a rxed smile before bowing once again and asking Astro to show the way.


    Once they couldn''t be seen anymore, Da nced up at her father with a slight frown and asked, "What was that just now?"


    "What was that, you ask?" Roice curved his lips and touched his chin before continuing, "Who knows. Maybe we have just obtained an exceptionally strong friend."


    "Especially strong?" Da raised a grow and shifted her attention where Khal could have been seen thest time, "What do you mean by that?"


    However, Roice just kept smiling, only giving her a simple answer, "You will understand soon enough. Now, instead, tell me how you met with him and what happened inside the Hidden Shrine."


    -


    -


    -


    Inside a much smaller spaceshippared to the one Khal traveled first, Khal sat on afortable sofa with his eyes closed, seemingly in deep mediation.


    "So you eventually decided toe back here?" a voice filled with irritation sounded in Khal''s ear, forcing his head to get shaken slightly.


    Turning around in the middle of greyness, Khal looked at the figure before him with a bittersweet smile and scratched his nose gently, feeling slightly awkward.


    "Sorry, I was quite busy you know.. Lot of things happened."

 Chapter 320 - Planet Thov

    "Busy my ass! You were away for several weeks withouting back at least for a hi!" Neo sneered, his eyes as sharp as razors and if he could, he would definitely pierce a hole into the middle of Khal''s forehead.


    As for Khal, he could do nothing but show an awkward smile before sighing helplessly. Although he felt Neo was acting strange and maybe like a wife who got angry over his husband getting backte from work, he couldn''t me him at all. He was forced to remain inside this ce with literally no one around, so it was only natural for him to be so angry as he would feel and act the same if he were in his shoes.


    "I am sorry, I really do." was what Khal could think of and say after several minutes of pondering.


    Seeing that Khal was truly feeling sorry Neo could only sigh helplessly and cross his arms before asking, "Whatever. Instead, tell me what made you so ''busy''... I am dying to know what happened!"


    Khal feeling relief that Neo didn''t throw a tantrum and epted the past nodded and quickly narrated to him what happened in the past few weeks, including the part where the bracelet''s origin had been finally revealed!


    After a long and slightly tiring speechter Khal just shook his head and said, "And now I n to increase my strength as much as possible before I attempt to go back to the First Realm."


    Neo who remained silent all this time and whose face had undergone different emotions such as shock, awe, anger, surprise, and slight panic closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his nerves down. It was obvious he needed a little bit of time to digest the information that Khal has just given him.


    Time ticked silently, and after close to ten minutes Neo finally opened his eyes and asked, "How long will it take for you to get back to the First Realm?"


    "Honestly? I don''t have a fricking clue." Khal shook his head in a defeated manner and said, "It could take weeks, maybe months, or even a year or more. Although I hate to admit it, reaching the peak of the Second Realm maybe sounds easy, it is, in fact, not and cannot be rushed. I can only do my best."


    "A month!? A YEAR!? Do you have a fucking clue just how long that is!?" Neo''s nerves snapped when he heard Khal''s answer and began to yell, "Those fuckers are still alive out there, looking for clues about the one who killed that rat, Andre! It''s only a matter of time before they put the pieces together and then Liza and Miss Mary will be in great danger! Do you even realize the weight behind your current situation!? THEIR LIVES ARE ON THE FUCKING LINE HERE!"


    "Calm down angry boy. Take a deep breath and rx." Khal said calmly and added, "Do you think I don''t feel the same way as you, frustrated and angry? That I don''t know what will happen if I don''t hurry up and go back? Naturally, I do, but would yelling and grieving over things you cannot change help? Of course, it wouldn''t and you shouldn''t do that either as that is only a waste of your energy."


    Neo clenched his teeth so hard where it almost broke under the force, but exactly because of this reason why he was able to swallow back the words he wished to tell next and calm down.


    "Then what will you do?" Neo hissed with surpassed anger through his teeth, his clenched fingers on his side trembling like crazy.


    "What I will do?" Khal raised a brow and said, "I have already told you. I will do my best to reach the peak travel back to the First Realm."


    "And then?"


    "And then what, you ask?" Khal this time showed a terrifyingly cold smile and sneered, "Isn''t that obvious? I will make sure to erase those bastards right out of existence itself then reveal everything they have done with the world to everyone to know!"


    Neo nodded slightly and sighed deeply, letting out all the umted frustration inside him with that single breathe.


    "Anyways, it seems it''s time for me to go." Khal suddenly said as he lifted his head as if he wanted to see something above. Neo did the same but except for the infinite greyness, he was unable to see a thing.


    "Sure." Neo nodded indifferently, trying to show he didn''t care, but unfortunately, he couldn''t fool Khal. His eyes told everything, including his true thoughts and current emotions.


    "I will make sure toe more often. We still have a lot of things to discuss."


    "Whatever." Neo just waved his hand andy down, seemingly ready to fall asleep as he had no better thing to do.


    Upon seeing this, Khal just simply shook his head and with a sh vanished from the Soul Prison and opened his eyes on the spaceship.


    "We have finally arrived."


    Turning his head to the side, Khal saw as the one talking to him was Astro, hence quickly stood up and bowed.


    "Thank you very much and I apologize for the trouble."


    "Please, I only did what I was told to do." Astro shook his head before looking toward the exit and said, "Then let''s go outside, shall we?"


    "Un." Khal nodded and followed Astro outside, but the moment they took a step outside of the ship, several creatures with long spears blocked their paths, their weapons pointing toward them threateningly.


    "What business do you have on Thov?"


    ''Night Crawlers?'' Khal immediately recognized the creatures in front of him, but didn''t act nervous nor scared, but simply raised his hands and said, "I just wish to hunt some beasts, that''s all."


    The creatures, that had charcoal-like skin looked at each other before shifting their soulless gaze back to Khal and asked, "I hope you know that you will have to pay a hefty amount to be allowed to hunt, right?"


    "Yeah, I am well aware of the rules here." Khal nodded, obviously not surprised what he was just told.


    "I see, then follow us.." the creature nodded as he lowered his weapon, gesturing toward Khal to follow them.

 Chapter 321 - Ridiculous Price

    After seeing the Night Crawler''s gesture, Khal nodded and was ready to follow them, but was abruptly stopped by Astro.


    "Before you leave, please take this with you. My Lord told me to hand this over to you once we arrive," said Astro calmly and extended his arms forward, holding a blue token in his hand.


    Khal took a nce at the token and was surprised to see that except for the color, it looked exactly the same that he has gotten from Jas after sessfully beating Logan during his graduation.


    ''Now that I think about it, I should see what that token can really do now that I am in the Second Realm.'' Khal thought after realizing his mistake, but quickly put the matter to the side for the time being and grabbed the blue token from Astro''s hand.


    "And this is...?" Khal asked as he examined the token, feeling the smooth and cold surface of it. It felt almost like he was touching not an item but a piece of ice instead!


    "That is amunication token. If you pour a little bit of your essence into it you can send a message to us through that. My Lord said, if you ever wish and have the time to meet with him, don''t hesitate to use it." Astro exined slowly and without any change of facial expression.


    "I see." Khal nodded and looked at Astro with a smile, "Thank you. I will make sure to use it when I will have the time to do so."


    Astro nodded briefly and after saying his farewell he quickly walked back into his spaceship and flew away, leaving Khal behind all alone.


    "Can we go now?" one of the creatures asked in a slightly irritated tone from Khal, seemingly not happy that Khal was wasting their time with useless chit-chat.


    "Yeah, sorry." Khal quickly nodded his head and without further ado followed the creatures closely from behind while observing the surroundings.


    But not even a few minutes after he did, Khal couldn''t help but sigh with appreciation; Thov was indeed a breathtaking sight, Khal couldn''t deny this fact.


    Huge mountain peaks in the far distance, piercing the milky white clouds above, colorful trees and fields of emerald grasnds on all sides while even an azure blueke that shone brightly under the moon''s glow was visible toward the west.


    However, the most noticeable fact was not those things that made him feel like he was currently looking at a piece of art, but the density of Realm Essence that flowed through the air, filling Khal''s nostrils and lungs before increasing his essence in his body with almost every sniff he took!


    ''This... A magnificent ce indeed.'' Khal showed a slight smile, seemingly excited to go and hunt for beasts as soon as possible.


    [Magnificent? Haha! This ce is utter trash! Just wait until you reach the Higher Realms. Almost all thes there are tens, if not hundreds of times better than this!]


    Khal hearing Nova''s scoff simply showed a bittersweet smile and shook his head inwardly. He kind of knew Nova''s reaction would be something like this the moment he said those words, but he couldn''t me her; she was a Celestial Being, someone powerful that once lived in the highest realm one could possibly live, in the Sixth Realm!


    ''Well, at least for me it is a magnificent ce.'' Khal thought and watched as he finally arrived before this huge facility that was built from dark and solid material, slightly akin to dark steel.


    "Wait here." the creature told Khal to wait and left him outside with the rest of the Night Crawlers before it walked inside.


    ''I don''t really understand. Many fears from the Night Crawlers but they seem to be rather chill. I mean, they show no hostility and yet to start a fight with me even though I thought that''s what will happen.'' Khal thought as he looked at one of the creatures that stood on his side.


    ck and rigid skin, long and sharp w-like nails, short ck hair, and eyes that contained no iris nor sclera, but only a huge and single pupil. Looking at those eyes made Khal feel that he was staring into the abyss itself, with no sign of soul existing in it at all!


    [They fear their powers, not their behavior. Although they possess a dangerous Blessing that could easily induce chaos, it does not mean they will behave arrogantly or viciously toward another without a solid reason.]


    ''So that''s how it is.'' Khal nodded in realization and watched as the door before him opened and the previous creature walked out with an older-looking Night Crawler following behind it.


    "So you must be the one who wishes to hunt for beasts, right?" the creature asked and examined Khal''s figure from top to bottom before letting out a hum and saying quietly, "So he is a human, huh?"


    Khal raised a brow when he heard thest words and felt slightly insulted by the tone he said it, he decided to just ignore it and wait patiently for what he will say next.


    And soon enough, the old creature nodded mildly after pondering for a full minute and said with an indifferent expression, "A hundred Gold Coins for an hour. You must decide on the duration and pay the amount beforehand. After that, you are free to go anywhere on this and kill as many beasts as you wish, but once the amount of time you have paid for expires, you will be brought back here."


    "Naturally, at that time you will have the chance to pay more and stay longer or simply decide not to and leave this under an hour of duration. Any questions?"


    Listening to the old crawler''s exnation Khal widened his eyes in shock, finding the amount of money he has to pay a little bit ridiculous.


    A hundred Gold Coins just for an hour? More than two thousand for a single day!? That was simply outrageous and he couldn''t afford that much!


    Although he had a lot of money thanks to the spatial ring he has obtained after killing Andre, it was still not an amount he could call himself rich with. At the very best, with the number of coins he had currently, he could only stay on this for at least a little bit more than 18 hours before goingpletely bankrupt and needing to leave if he didn''t wish to cause trouble.


    ''Fucking bullshit!'' was what Khal could think after many minutes of silence, feeling as though the old codger before him wished to scam him.

 Chapter 322 - Killing Spree

    Khal felt anger sweep through his body, but quickly calmed down and took a deep breath.


    The old crawler naturally noticed this, but surprisingly it didn''t seem to bother him at all. Instead, he just crossed his arms before his chest and said, "Of course, if you wish not to pay anything, that is perfectly fine with me too, but then you must leave in the following hour."


    Khal looked at the creature before shaking his head slightly and taking a small pouch out from his spatial ring.


    "Here... It''s exactly 700 Gold Coins. You can count it if you don''t believe me." Khal said in an indifferent voice, but anyone with a keen eye saw that he felt slightly upset he had to pay that much.


    The old creature took the pouch away from Khal''s hand and while ignoring Khal''s obvious anger he counted the amount inside it. Only after going through it twice and making sure it was indeed 700 Gold Coins did he nod calmly and look at Khal with a slight smile.


    "Then as promised, you can stay and hunt for beasts for 7 hours without any restriction. However, once the time has been expired, you will be brought back to this ce. Also, keep in mind that if you dare to hide and stay for more than the amount of time you have paid for, you will be listed as a sinner, thus once have been caught, punishment will be given to you ordingly."


    "Any questions?"


    Khal shook his head quickly.


    "Perfect. Now you are free to go then." the old crawler gestured which at Khal simply nodded, and with quick steps vanished into the distance.


    Once his figure was far away, the old creature looked at one of his subordinates on his side and said quietly, "Follow him from a safe distance and make sure he does not n anything."


    "Boss, you think he will try to hide and stay longer than the paid duration?"


    The old creature touched his chin gently before giving a slight nod as a reply and saying, "It''s very likely, yeah."


    "I see, then I will keep an eye on him no matter what!" after bowing with respect, the creature pushed his feet against the ground and burst into the distance with a speed that was by no means inferior to Khal''s.


    Seeing this, the old creature nodded with slight satisfaction and after ordering the rest of his subordinates to continue with their work, he walked back into the building.


    -


    -


    -


    Running through the colorful forests and the vast grasnds with lightning speed, Khal scanned his proximity with his Heaven''s Eyes.


    ''This is ridiculous! Paying that much only for 7 hours? And if I stay any longer than that I be a criminal!? They have fucking lost their minds!'' Khal cursed in his heart, but as he could no longer do anything about the matter as he already paid the price, he quickly calmed his nerves down and started to focus on the objective before him.


    Traveling through the forest with rapid steps, Khal gazed at the scenery before him with a nonchnt expression before suddenly his head snapped toward the left.


    ''Find one!'' thought Khal and without hesitation activated his Lightning Step that he learned back on Katrov.


    BAM!


    With speed twice as fast as before, Khal vanished from his spot with a thunderous st that traveled far and wide, leaving only a deep pit on the spot where he just stood moments ago!


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, Khal traveled hundreds of meters in an instant and reached an open field where a creature representing a crimson fox stood on all fours, its sharp and narrowed gaze directed right at him threateningly.


    "Only at the Body Refining Stage? Then die!" Khal sneered coldly and swung his Devil Fangs twice.


    BOOOOM!!


    Like magic, several crescent winds des emerged around the creature out of thin air and exploded right the next second, tearing the beast''s body into numerous parts under a single second!


    Poor thing didn''t even have the chance to cry out in pain, that''s just how fast it has died.


    But Khal didn''t care about this at all nor did he feel sympathy. This was how things worked in the cultivation world and this is the way it will work in the future too; the strong will devour the weak while the weak could only ept their fate!


    [You have sessfully consumed 68 Beast Essence.]


    After consuming the floating essence and increasing his Beast Essence by 68, Khal quickly jumped back up onto his feet and burst into the distance, hoping to find his next prey as soon as possible.


    "Damn, he is faster than he looks." said a voice just after a few seconds that Khal zoomed off into the distance, and soon, the Night Crawler that was ordered to follow Khal arrived at the spot where the fox was just killed a moment ago.


    "With this speed, I wonder just how much beast he will be able to kill before running out of time." showing a slight smile, the Night Crawler took one final nce at the cracks on the ground that were created by the wind des before resuming his chase after Khal.


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    Whoosh!


    BAM!


    Zigzagging through trees and boulders with lightning speed, Khal killed beasts and consumed their essence one after another without caring anything in the world.


    No matter if the beasts were on the First or Second Cultivation Stage, all of them had no choice but to submit their essence to Khal, who was akin to the reaper, collecting souls inrge numbers under the full moon!


    There were even a few beasts that were on the Third Cultivation Stage yet failed to resist Khal''s mighty and crazy attacks.


    "Heavens above! How can this even be possible!? I can clearly feel he is only a Body Refiner, yet howe he is so powerful? This makes no sense at all!" the Night Crawler that followed Khal all this time looked stupified, hardly believing that Khal just killed a Steel Rhino, which was at the Third Cultivation Stage, a whole stage above the human before him!

 Chapter 323 - Not Going Anywhere!

    Somewhere on one of the mountains on Thov, a young man''s figure could be seen shing through different-sized boulders and obstacles, killing every living form that came before his path.


    Huge animals, grotesque insects, and carnivorous birds. All kinds of beasts that crossed paths with the young man voluntarily or not were in before all of their essences were consumed, bing a part of his body that further increased his strength!


    Swish!


    BAM!


    After killing another beast that finally increased his number of kills into the three digits, Khal took a moment to stand still and close his eyes.


    [You have sessfully consumed 95 Beast Essence!]


    Only when the notification was heard in his head did he open his eyes once again and take a quick nce at his status.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Power Imitation


    ? Natural Born Talent: Perfect Disguise


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 32,783


    ? Beast Essence: 2,174


    ? Cultivation Stage: Body Refiner


    With a nonchnt expression, Khal inspected his status in silence before closing his eyes once again and letting out a deep sigh.


    ''I have been hunting like crazy for the past six hours, yet, I was only able to consume a little bit more than one and a half thousand essence.''


    Indeed, even though he has given his all and used everything he possibly could to increase his units of essence, under a mere seven hours it was simply impossible to reach the required amount for the breakthrough which was 12,500 to be exact!


    As a fact, it was already a huge surprise in its own that he was able to kill that much beast and consume that many essences under such a short span of time, as anyone else would have exhausted their strength and stamina already before getting killed!


    Of course, that miracle was only possible because Khal possessed an inhuman amount of Body Essence together with several powers that put him at a huge advantage against his enemies, thus killing so many beasts under such a short amount of time was, in the end understandable.


    ''What should I do now?'' Khal opened his eyes and looked at the full moon above his head, pondering what he should do now that only an hour has remained before his time limit will expire.


    ''As far as I can see, this is the best ce where I can be the strongest in the shortest duration of time. There are many beasts from the First Cultivation Stage all the way to the Third, some even being on the Fourth Cultivation Stage while my Body Essence is continuously growing thanks to the dense Realm Essence on this ce.''


    ''If I were given enough time here, I am pretty sure I could reach the peak of this Realm in a single month!''


    Although that thought was ridiculous and somewhat arrogant, as many would need several months and years to reach the peak of the Second Realm, in truth, it was more than feasible for him than one would really think.


    With the benefits of this and the knowledge of both Nova and his book in possession, Khal had everything he must need to break through the Cultivation Stages in the fastest way possible.


    Khal clenched both his hand in frustration, but soon enough his body rxed and showed a cold smile before turning his head toward a specific direction; he already knew what he should do and it was right before him.


    "Maybe it''s ridiculous and my life will be in constant danger, if that''s what I have to do I will do it!" saying those words in a low and cold voice Khal pushed his feet against the ground and burst forward, seemingly targeting something or someone in the far distance.


    Meanwhile, the Night Crawler that followed Khal showed a scared expression as he realized that the one Khal targeted was he himself! He could clearly feel the killing intenting from Khal''s ice-cold gaze and he must need to be dead in the head not to understand what was currently happening!


    "Fuck this guy! He lost his fricking mind!" the Night Crawler blurted out a loud swear and without any hesitation turned around before bursting into the distance with speed faster than he has followed Khal until this moment!


    He knew he stood no chance against such a monster in a head-on fight that killed several beasts in a row without rest, hence why he decided to start running and go back to the base to call for help.


    "Wish to run? Just in your dreams!" Khal snorted coldly and without hesitation summoned a crimson bow into his grasp and pulled its strings back powerfully while channeling half of his Body Essence into it.


    In an instant, a meter long and a two-inch-wide ck arrow was formed between his fingers, emitting an ominous presence that not even an existence on the Body Temperer Stage would take lightly if was forced to defend against.


    "Go to hell itself!" Khal''s cold voice traveled through the air and let go of the string.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!!


    Breaking the speed of light with a thunderous outburst that sent powerful ripples through the air that cracked and broke the solid ground around Khal into several pieces, the arrow blurred for a second before it vanished from its spot and reappeared hundreds of meters away in the very same second!


    "Wha-!"


    The Night Crawler wished to ask how things got to this point, but not even before he could have uttered his first word the back arrow has already arrived before his face, piercing his head in one single try!


    Bam!


    However, the awaited spectacle as the head burst into flowing brain matter and blood didn''t happen as the arrow just simply flew through the creature''s head, leaving no apparent damage or whatsoever. Instead, the creature''s eyes just simply lost all the light they had before his entire body fell onto the ground limply, no longer moving and breathing.


    "I will go nowhere, even if that means I will make an enemy out of an entire race." Khal''s eyes flickered coldly under the moon''s light before his hand moved gently, summoning crimson mes that burnt the corpse before his feet into ashes in seconds!

 Chapter 324 - Criminal

    Watching as the Night Crawler''s lifeless body burnt into ashes in seconds, Khal lifted his gaze heavenwards, causing his indifferentplexion to be washed in the moon''s silver and gentle light.


    [I hope you know what the consequences of your act here today.]


    Khal listened to Nova''s calm voice with indifference before he lifted his lips, showing a mocking and somewhat arrogant smile.


    "Yeah, I am," Khal said coldly and shifted his eye at the spot where he just killed the creature with his Soul Piercer, "But I don''t really care. I am no longer a weakling as I have used to be back then. I have the strength to protect myself."


    [I admit that you can kill others a whole cultivation stage above you, but against enemies such as that Night Crawler, you stand no chance at all even with that invisible armor of yours. You will be killed in a breath of time!]


    Khal understood who Nova was referring to, but he just simplyughed and nodded, "That is true indeed, but then what? If he can''t find me, he can''t harm me, right? And even if he does, at that time I will be strong enough to y him with a single flick of my finger!"


    [You became quite arrogant and especially reckless. Did you lose all of your rationality or what?]


    Nova''s question made quite a sense indeed. Why would Khal do something so reckless as killing a Night Crawler in his own territory and start a conflict for no apparent reason? He could have effortlessly found another where things were the same, where he could have consumed beasts'' essence in great numbers, so his current act waspletely meaningless.


    Furthermore, he could have easily chosen not to kill beasts but consume Essence Pills in great numbers instead, and use them to increase both his Body and Beast Essences! These methods could have saved him from so much trouble, yet he still decided to ignore these facts and remain on this.


    "Lost my rationality?" Khal let out a coldugh and shook his head, "Not at all, my head is perfectly in its right ce. I became neither arrogant nor reckless, I just simply do what I must do, that''s all."


    As a fact, Khal understood way too clearly that there were many other paths he could have taken, but he didn''t wish to. And why? Because he didn''t have time!


    Going to another and hunt for weaker beasts there? Search for another ce simr to Thov? Consuming Essence Pills instead of killing creatures and consuming their essence? These were all things Khal saw as a waste of time and with such methods, it was indeed true that the time he reaches the peak of the Second Realm years will pass by!


    And he had could not wait for so long, not when knowing that his loved ones were in lurking danger!


    That is why, if he must make an enemy out of everyone, then let it be! He didn''t care because he already had a n, which he thought about ever since he left Katrov!


    ''I am sure everything will be perfectly fine.'' Khal closed his eyes and showed an indifferent smile before he turned around and walked away with quick and long strides.


    -


    -


    -


    Somewhere else on Thov, the old crawler stood before a small facility, his hand crossed before his chest as his seemingly boringplexion peered at the sight in front of him in silence.


    Seconds became minutes and with every passing minute, the creature''s eyes turned colder and colder, while the aura surrounding him became heavier too.


    "Boss, the time..." one of the many Night Crawlers that worked as the old creature''s subordinate walked out of the building behind, his expression rather pale.


    However, even after hearing his subordinate''s voice, the old crawler just stood silently in one ce without responding, hence the subordinate had no choice but to do the same and wait.


    Again, minutes flowed by seemingly unnoticed and in a sh, an entire hour has passed by with neither the two Night Crawlers moving or talking.


    However, when another hour has passed after the first one, the subordinate seemed to get impatient and was ready to talk when the old crawler finally moved.


    "B-Boss!?" the young crawler looked shocked and slightly terrified when he saw that his leader''splexion looked ghastly mad and grave, thus quickly decided to lower his head.


    The old crawler seemed to ignore this and just walked toward the building while saying, "Gather everyone and issue lockdown on the entire. No one can enter nor leave until I say so."


    Watching as his leader walked further away with each step, the subordinate snapped out of his daze and bowed with respect.


    And just like that, the entirety of Thov had been locked down, allowing not a single soul to leave or enter the globe''s surface.


    As the soldiers that specialized in such situations all gather in the main hall, every one of them holding a seriousplexion which created a heavy atmosphere in the room.


    "Everyone is here, huh?" the old crawler murmured in a low and indifferent tone of voice as his soulless gaze swept through each of the soldiers before him.


    After taking a moment to evaluate everyone''s level of strength, the old crawler nodded with satisfaction and waved his hand, creating a hovering image of Khal.


    Swish!


    "As you may already know, the reason I have gathered you is that we have a criminal, a human at that."


    The Night Crawlers d in ck armor looked at the floating image with noticeable disgust and hatred.


    "However, different from the previous situations, his crime is not only breaking the rules, but also murder. He has killed Lukas, who I sent to monitor his movements."


    "!?"


    A huge ruckus broke out when the soldiers heard the following words of their leader, and the feelings they have felt until this very moment only became several degrees deeper while the mes of outrage could be seen zing in their eyes!

 Chapter 325 - Vanished?

    "That fucking bastard killed Lukas?! Let''s fucking find him and skin him alive!"


    "Yeah, he can''t leave this. Once we have our hands on him let''s break his limbs and feed them to the beasts!"


    "How dare he kill Lukas!? I will gut him alive with my very two hands!"


    Every crawler roared with frenzied hatred, not surpassing the rage they were feeling at the moment, not even a bit.


    The old crawler, whose name in truth was Bane and was the supervisor of Thov, watched his subordinates with an indifferentplexion, his thoughts unknown.


    The soldiers seeing Bane''s indifference became silent in a blink, but the rage which still zed in their hearts was still present in their eyes and they attempted nothing to make it vanish; they wished to show their leader that they were angry and they wanted nothing more but find the human who took one of theirrade''s lives!


    "I see." Bane nodded like he just understood something and without any further pretending, he let his rage ooze out of his body too.


    Bam!


    Instantly, like breaking a tap and letting the water surge out, a suffocating and heavy presence descended on the shoulders of the many soldiers present, while an itch of killing intent lingered in the air that was simply impossible not to notice.


    "In one piece or shreds, I don''t care! Find that bastard and bring him back! Understood?"


    "YES, BOSS!" every creature let out a loud roar that held their rage within.


    "Then move! Whoever finds him first gets a reward afterward!"


    Hearing this, every one of the creature''s eyes lit up like stars in the night sky while the desire to find Khal was further ignited.


    "WE WON''T DISAPPOINT YOU, BOSS!!" roared each and every one of the soldiers and without further hesitation vanished from their spot like ghosts.


    On that night, the entirety of Thov was flooded with Night Crawlers, all of their bodies surrounded with dense killing intent that originated from their thirst for revenge!


    Meanwhile, on Nia, Roice was sitting in a spacious and luxurious room while with a calm gaze he examined the several scrolls he just obtained from his daughter one by one.


    All of those scrolls were like treasures in the hands of someone like him, and Array Master, and couldn''t help but show a satisfied and overjoyed smile from time to time.


    However, like a little kid who was interrupted and halted during his favorable game, his joy quickly turned sour as Astro walked into his room with hasty steps and bowed.


    "My Lord, I apologize for my disrespectful behavior, but I have major news to tell."


    Roice showed a slight frown as he lowered the scroll in his hands and said, "I hope it''s truly something major or else..."


    Astro just nodded and quickly began to talk.


    "Not quite a long time ago, I have received information about Thov on going full lockdown."


    "What? The where Khal went? Are you sure about this?" Roice''s eyes widened.


    "Yes, my Lord. I have dug into the matter a little deeper and it seems it''s indeed true. As a fact, rumors state that all of these are happening because of a sudden and unexpected murder by a human."


    When Roice heard this he felt as a slight headache invaded his mind, hence his body slowly dropped back into the chair.


    After pondering about the matter for a while, Roice couldn''t help but sigh and shake his head helplessly.


    "Just what the hell is that boy thinks? Killing a Night Crawler in their own territory? Did he lose his mind or simply that stupid?"


    -


    -


    -


    The moon shone brightly on the eternal starry sky while the scenery below was bathed in silver light.


    Colorful trees that swayed from side to side from the gentle breeze, crystal clear ponds that flickered under the moon''s glow, and the eternal mountains in the distance that broke the clouds, giving magical feelings for those looking from below that it was a staircase toward the heavens above!


    Such breathtaking scenery would make anyone believe that the whole globe was calm and serene, a literal paradise, but unfortunately, it was not the case at the moment as the rulers of this were in a huge frenzy to find someone they wished to see dead.


    They searched every nook and cranny of the, even detonating several ces that could provide a hideout to the individual they were looking for, but strangely, not even after three days of restless searching helped them find the murderer that killed one of theirrades.


    Almost like the criminal just vanished into thin air, leaving not a single bit of trace behind!


    BAM!


    Somewhere in this gorgeousndscape, where one''s mind would be cleared from all troubles and worries, a huge explosion urred, sending entire trees and boulders flying in a huge arc into the distance.


    "This is fucking annoying! We are searching for days now and yet, we have found not even a single footprint of his! Just where the fuck could have gone to?!"


    One of the Night Crawlers that worked as a soldier under Bane''s wings looked extremely angered, to the point where he couldn''t resist the urge but let everything out with a powerful punch.


    BAM!


    "Ramin, calm down. You won''t achive a thing just because you destroy the terrain."


    Ramin who was ready to throw out another punch halted his action and nced to the side, ncing at hisrade with eyes filled with zing rage.


    However, after seeing the calm eyes of his friend, Ramin took a deep breath and lowered his arms.


    "Yeah, you are right, Zeke. My emotions got me just now, sorry." Ramin sighed apologetically, his eyes inspecting the several fissures in the grounds that he just created with his fist.


    "Whatever..." Zeke shook his head mildly and shifted his gaze into the distance as if he wished to see what was behind the horizon.


    "I won''t me you as Lukas was your best friend, maybe someone akin to a big brother, but going on a rampage won''t bring him back."


    "I know, but still... Losing someone close to you... Why him? It''s unfair!"


    Zeke took a sideways nce at Ramin before he closed his eyes and said, "Life is always unfair, you need to understand that. But..., huh?"


    Just as Zeke wanted to finish talking, suddenly his eyes snapped open, and peered to the side with lightning speed.


    Ramin saw Zeke''s unexpected behavior and raised his guard too, but when he saw the thing his friend was looking at he just lowered his guard andughed quietly, "Huh? Why so serious? It''s just a Golden Fox, it''s harmless."


    Zeke however didn''t talk nor move but simply stared into the little golden creature''s eyes in silence, feeling slightly confused.


    ''I swear that I have felt being targeted just now. Even the killing intent was there, but it vanished the moment I noticed. Did ite from that creature?'' Zeke pondered deeply and watched as the creature finally moved and with quick steps it vanished into the woods.


    "Oh! Haha! And there he goes! It seems he didn''t like you at all.." Raminughed when he saw this, particrly because he knew that Golden Foxes were gracious creatures and were very hard to scare away.

 Chapter 326 - Slay, Hide, Repeat...

    Running through the colorful forest with great speed, a golden figure could be seen zigzagging among trees and boulders while leaving behind nothing more but golden blurs that remained under the moon''s silver light for only a second or two before fading away into thin air.


    Traveling several miles in minutes, the golden figure changed directions several times before it finally slowed down and halted its steps, revealing that it was a little fox with golden fur and three small but elegant tails that moved gently up and down.


    The little fox examined its surroundings cautiously before it locked its flickering golden gaze onto the huge figure not far away from itself.


    It was a creature with physical traits that of an ape with the slight difference that its size alone was twice as huge as a normal ape''s. It had deep crimson fur on its muscr figure that zed gently akin to mes while its raven ws shed with a sharp metallic cluster whenever the moon''s glow shone on them.


    The golden creature remained hidden in the tree''s shadow for over a few seconds before its little frame blurred for a moment only to vanish from its spot and reappear right at the ape''s side!


    "?!"


    The mammal seemed to sense the sudden threat and wished to react, but sadly, that was only a false dream and the sole thing it was able to do was sense the approaching death and nothing more!


    Swish!


    With a quick and smooth sh, the little fox swung its small but razor-sharp ws, and like a hot knife cutting through butter, it sliced the creature into shreds under a blink, giving it no chance at all to cry out from the horrendous pain it could have felt at the moment.


    Thud!


    Watching as the once terrifying beast that in the past was capable of killing any existence on the Body Refiner Stage while also threatening some of the beings'' lives on the Body Temperer Stage fell onto the ground in pieces, the golden little creature just remained indifferent and approached the now pile of flesh and organs in front of it.


    And just like magic, when the little canine arrived into a three-meter radius from the pile of mess, the bloody mash slowly began to twist and turn before flying slightly into the air, changing into a yellowish substance that hovered inches above the ground!


    Seeing this change, the creature''s golden eyes flickered with joy for a moment before turning indifferent once again and decided to sit down calmly just a foot away from the floating substance.


    And exactly a secondter...


    Whoosh!


    The yellowish liquid-like matter quickly moved and melted into the golden fox''s body, seemingly bing one with it.


    Feeling as the substance entered its body, filling it with mysterious but pleasant energy to its very core, the little creature couldn''t help but tremble slightly from pleasure before opening its eyes and standing up on all fours.


    [You have sessfully consumed 81 Beast Essence!]


    [You have consumed enough Beast Essence, thus reaching the threshold of your current Stage!]


    [You must refine your body in its whole to reach the next Cultivation Stage!]


    As the notifications sounded in the creature''s mind, a sparse smile that seemed slightly sly formed on its tiny face before its body began to bend and grow, inducing its little frame to berger and wider with each passing second!


    "The peak of the Body Refining Stage, huh?" a deep and nonchnt voice resounded in the night while a young man dressed in a silver robe appeared on the spot where the little trickster stood moments ago.


    Khal raised his eyes that sparkled like two pieces of polished emerald toward the silver moon above, his seemingly wless face showing indifference that looked even more elegant than it has used to be for no apparent reasons.


    After mesmerizing himself for a while in the moon''s grand form over his head, Khal lowered his gaze and waved his hand.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Power Imitation


    ? Natural Born Talent: Perfect Disguise


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 34,463


    ? Beast Essence: 12,500


    ? Cultivation Stage: Body Refiner


    Examining his Cultivation Status in silence, Khal showed slight disappointment before shaking his head and averting his gaze toward the scenery in the far distance.


    [Why do you feel dissatisfied? Not only did you reach the peak of the Second Cultivation Stage under just three days, but you have also increased the amount of Body Essence by a whole 2,000 units! That''s something you must feel proud of!]


    However, Khal just shook his head after hearing Nova''s voice and said, "Not at all. On a like this, where creatures have strong Cultivation Stages meaning they had a dense amount of Beast Essence, I should have reached the peak way sooner than 72 hours."


    [Maybe. Maybe not. But why fret about something you cannot change any longer and why not concentrate on the things you still can? If I were you, I would think about ways to refine my body and reach the Third Cultivation Stage as soon as possible!]


    Khal remained silent and didn''t answer. However, from the way how his eyes flickered, it was rather obvious he clearly understood what Nova just told him, and couldn''t help but nod as a result.


    "Yeah, you are right," Khal replied calmly before his eyes suddenly turned sky blue and several figures image appeared in his mind.


    ''Already here? They are pretty fast for crawlers.'' Khal thought to himself before his body twisted once again, bing the little golden fox he just previously used as a disguise and vanished from his spot.


    Whoosh!


    And just a few seconds after he disappeared, two Night Crawlers appeared out of thin air, their vignt gazes scanning their surroundings in great detail and caution.


    "Eh? But I swear I just felt his presence here a second ago, so where is he now?" Zeke asked with furrowed brows, feeling deeply confused by the current change of events.


    Ramin felt the same way as he too could state positively that he just felt a slight presence from around here, but now he felt nothing as if it was just an illusion of some sort.


    "Maybe he used some kind of unique technique to disguise his presence, so he must be around here, he couldn''t have gone too far away. Let''s go!"


    Zeke nodded as he too thought the same way, hence without any further hesitation began to follow Ramin, quickly disappearing into the woods in the distance.

 Chapter 327 - Body Refining

    Somewhere on Thov, inside a capacious underground cavern where the only source of light came from little bugs that emitted gentle crimson light whenever they began to crawl on the sides, a little golden fox emerged from the shadows, his xen eyes flickering gently in the dark as it scanned his surroundings with caution.


    "This will be a perfect spot to cultivate." the little canine opened its mouth lightly, causing a deep masculine voice to escape it before its little frame began to twist and grow, quickly revealing a young man wearing a silver robe.


    Whoosh!


    With aplexion that held none of the existing emotions known in the world, Khal didn''t think twice and sat down into a lotus position before closing his eyes and putting his hands gently on hisps.


    ''Now that I have reached the peak of the Second Cultivation Stage with the units of my Beast Essence, I must attempt to refine my body from the inside out.''


    Indeed, for one to reach the Third Cultivation Stage and be a Body Temperer, one not only needed to increase their Blessing''s potential to the peak inside the Second Cultivation Stage, but they also had to undergo a so-called Body Refining process which required one to possess an immense quantity of Body Essence that could be umted only through the consumption of the Realm Essence or some unique technique!


    Luckily, Khal umted and possessed just enough Body Essence, as the required amount for the Body Refining process was exactly 30,000 units, if not a little bit more!


    However, although he had a sufficient quantity of Body Essence, it did not mean he will seed in refining his body with 100% sess as Body Refining was way moreplex than that; it required one to use the essence in the body to refine everything, including every piece of bones, muscles, tendons and even the organs before retracting every ounce of the essence into the Meridians, keeping and circting it in there constantly!


    Such a process was extremely dangerous and one could easily end up before death''s door if they were not careful enough or even worse, getting crippled by their very own hand!


    And that is why Khal decided to find a ce where not even the Night Crawlers could gain ess, or at least not until they were crazy enough to detonate an entire mountain into bits of debris!


    Yes, into bits of debris as he was currently sitting in the very center of one of thergest mountains existing on this and without powersparable to his Perfect Disguise and Bloodshed Touch or something that could peer miles into a solid mass, there was simply no way they could found him!


    Khal took a deep breath as he calmed his mind down, and began to control the more than 30,000 units of Essence in his body at once!


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, the dense amount of azure essence in his body exploded and became turbulent, enshrouding his entire body both on the inside and the outside; right now, he was glowing like a hugentern, emitting an almost blinding blue light from every pore of his body!


    "Hm? Did you feel it just now?" several Night Crawlers in a few miles radius shifted their attention toward a specific direction before each and every one of them kicked their feet against the ground and began to dash ahead.


    Even Bane, who was several tens of miles away felt the sudden surge of aura in the distance and started to run toward the source with an expression as cold as ice and eyes as sharp as swords!


    Khal obviously noticed the approaching presence with the discernable killing intent, but decided to just ignore them and continue with his refining process; he was pretty confident in both his hiding spot and in his chances to break into the Third Cultivation Stage before the crawlers find a way to him.


    Everything will be perfectly fi-!


    BOOOOOM!


    "?!"


    A powerful tremor shook the entire mountain range together with the whole interior of the cave while a loud roar was heard even from where Khal was sitting.


    "HUMAN! YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS TO SHOW YOURSELF OR I WILL OBLITERATE THIS ENTIRE MOUNTAIN RANGE TOGETHER WITH YOU, LEAVING NOT EVEN YOUR CORPSE BEHIND!"


    Khal remained motionless on the ground, but it wasn''t long before a cold and mocking smile emerged on his once indifferent face.


    Demolish the entire mountain range? Did his mind get shrouded from revenge or was he just that retarded? He not only was inside the very center of a mountain which had a width that was several hundred miles long and height that pierced the clouds above, but the entirety of this mountain was also ridiculously hard to the point where one full strike from him could only leave a small crater and nothing more!


    In Khal''s eyes, Bane''s deration was rather bold and arrogant than being intimidating.


    ''What a fool...'' Khal shook his head helplessly and without giving any more of his attention to the creature he continued to concentrate on refining his body with the knowledge he has obtained from the Record of All Realms.


    Bane stood before the mountain''s foot with a chilly look and waited patiently for a response with several soldiers behind him. However, when he saw that the aura deep in the mountain only became stronger instead of showing signs of weakening, his face darkened and dense killing intent broke out from his body.


    "WHAT INSOLENCE!!" Bane roared toward the mountain which caused even the surroundingndscape to tremble under his rage!


    Without caring to surpass his visible bloodlust and wish to skin Khal alive for his audacity, Bane turned toward his soldiers with a grim face and hissed, "Find a way to him even if it means to force and squeeze yourself through pits and holes! I want his head before my feet no matter what!"


    "YES, BOSS!"


    Every Night Crawler before Bane let out a thunderous cry filled with rage and thirst for blood before each of them used their movement technique and vanished from sight.

 Chapter 328 - Final Steps

    Thov became chaotic. Hundreds of Night Crawlers surrounded a single mountain range and used their strongest attack, striking the huge summit with all their might.


    Pirs of zing mes, flickering bolts of lightning, and sharp weapon minds enveloped the whole sky, sending huge chunks of debris and entire pieces of trees flying across the air while causing the entire surroundings in a hundred miles radius to tremble like crazy!


    BOOOOOM!!!


    TREMBLE!!!


    Watching as the whole range was decreasing in size bit by bit, Bane showed a cold grin and fixed his gaze on a specific point, almost as if he had the ability to peer through the solid surface.


    "Just wait and see... Once I get you out of that little den of yours, I will make sure you will experience hell a thousand times over and make you wish you were never born!" Bane hissed with unsurpassable rage and without a second thought ordered all of his soldiers to quicken up their pace.


    Meanwhile, deep inside the center of this mountain, Khal was cultivating with a rxed expression, his whole body emitting an azure blue light that made one feel he was an ancient being instead of a mortal!


    However, if one looked closely at his face, one would notice that he was not as rxed as he showed it. Thick, bean-sized sweat drops rolled down his cheeks, while his sharp eyebrows twitched from time to time due to unprecedented pain.


    ''This is much harder than I have thought. Refining your body from the inside out is indeed a hard and dangerous process.'' Khal thought with gravity as he controlled the essence inside his body with caution and watched as one of his rib bones slowly but surely changed, bing slightly jade-like in appearance.


    So far, he turned 60% of his bones sessfully, using about 4,000 units of Body Essence, leaving him with a little bit more than 30,000 for the rest of his bones, muscles, tendons, and organs.


    Though, just after this many, Khal felt like copsing on the spot from the immense amount of pain he was feeling throughout his body whenever his bones were changed because of his essence.


    And the worst part didn''t evene yet!


    If just some corbone or fingerbones were enough to make his head turn dizzy, what will happen once he attempts to refine his lungs or even worse, his internal organs like his heart or brain? Just what kind of hell will he experience at that time?


    When thinking about the approaching trial of a nightmare, which will be one hell of torture, Khal couldn''t help but swallow a big from anxiety.


    ''Let''s hope for the best.'' Khal sighed inwardly, praying he will be strong enough to withstand the pain, or else the only thing that will wait for him if he doesn''t and loses his focus will be death and nothing else!


    The following minutes were rather calm and without mishaps. Except for the crazy tremor that shook the entire mountain range thanks to the continuous assaults of the Night Crawlers outside, and the slightly sharper pain during the time when he refined his spine, Khal was able to refine all of his bones and now began to concentrate on his muscles and tendons.


    Using his Body Essence, which now plummeted below the 27,000 margin, Khal refined his muscles and tendons bit by bit, turning their appearance into a simr, jade-like looking to his bones, that they had a deep crimson and bright white flush instead of just white.


    However, the biggest contrast was not the outer look or color between those two and his bones, but the agony he felt; every time he refined a muscle or tendon in his body, the pain he previously felt was doubled, driving him almost insane and making him lose focus many times over.


    But luckily, it never happened and he was able to keep his mind on track every time, withstanding the pain with sheer willpower. Therefore, after refining every bone, muscle, and tendon in his body for close to an hour, Khal took a deep breath and controlled his essence to one of his organs, his liver.


    ''Herees nothing...''


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, a dense amount of Body Essence enveloped his liver in its entirely, making it glow with a bright azure color while its appearance began to change the same way just like how his bones or muscles did.


    But unfortunately...


    "Bleargh!"


    Coughing up a huge amount of blood and painting the ground in front of him red, Khal felt like something akin to a huge de was stabbed into his lower chest, making his body turn so weak that he almost fell to the side unconscious!


    ''F-Fuck! This is no joke at all!'' Khal swore in his heart as his face turned white as a sheet of paper, feeling that if he loses even a bit of concentration right now, he is as good as a dead man for sure!


    Thus, clenching his teeth to the point where crushing them was almost possible, Khal forced his mind to refocus and proceeded to refine his liver then went to refine the rest of his organs one by one.


    After another hour of almost unbearable torture, where Khal almost wished that death would be better than this hell, Khal finally arrived at his final two organs, his heart, and brain.


    [You still have enough time before they reach you, so make sure you have calmed down and are ready before you start.]


    Nova said those words as a means of help, but still, her voice couldn''t mask the deep shock she was currently feeling. Why? Because Khal did something no one has ever done before!


    He refined every bit of his part inside his body under a few hours without losing focus and dying! Even his veins were refined in their whole, something that is only possible when one had great concentration and control over one''s essence, or else it would take days to achievepletion!


    Also, she didn''t tell Khal this when he began to refine his body and neither did the book mention when he read it, but Body Refining was something that no one wished to rush as that would only make one die faster!


    Normally when someone attempts to break into the Third Cultivation Stage and start to refine their bodies, they would do so for days as they would take slight breaks whenever they sessfully refined one of their inner body parts, particrly after one of their organs.


    Yet, Khal not only did refine almost everything inside his body without doing a mistake and losing focus, but he did so under just a few hours of time while also enduring the horrendous pain that invaded his mind and body because of his ridiculously rushed method.


    It wouldn''t even be an underestimation to say that it is aplete miracle that he survived until this very point!

 Chapter 329 - Slight Change Of Plans

    "Bleargh!"


    Blood sttered everywhere as Khal spat out another mouthful of blood, painting the floor and even his silver robes into a sanguinary color while filling the cave with the smell of iron.


    [Concentrate! You are almost there, you just need to bear it out a little bit more!]


    Nova''s voice sounded in Khal''s head but in truth, Khal had no clue at all he was talking to him, much less what she was saying!


    About ten minutes have gone by since he began to refine his heart and brain, but those several minutes, in reality, were like hell... No! Like the worst nightmare in the deepest abyss in existence!


    Mind severing pain, chest piercing agony, and body splitting torment all at once! Except for those sensations and feelings, Khal was unable to feel a single thing much less hear the things that happened around him and in his head!


    As a fact, he blessed the heavens above that he was still able to keep himself from losing focus and concentrate on controlling the essence in his body to refine his remaining two organs!


    [Just one final push and you are there!]


    BOOOM!!


    The very moment Nova said those words that unfortunately reached no ears, a great tremor that was stronger and fiercer than any of the previous ones shook the whole cave while small cracks began to form on the walls, indicating it was only a matter of time before a wide hole was detonated there!


    [Tsk! They are quite the annoying ones.]


    Nova''s irritated voice sounded, but strangely it held not a bit of anxiety or fear as it seemed she trusted Khal''s abilities perfectly and didn''t worry even a bit!


    And just like she anticipated, in a few momentster when the cracks on the solid surfaces spread wide and far akin to spiderwebs, threatening the walls to copse in any seconds, the blue light around his body detonated!


    KA-BOOOOOM!!!


    The walls on the sides turned to debris and the ground around Khal cracked! Powerful ripples traveled through the air, further destroying the surroundings around Khal before the azure light began to move and withdraw into Khal''s body, indicating the refining process was a breakthrough and Khal seeded to be a true Body Temperer!


    [You have sessfully refined your body!]


    [All of your Power Cores have reached the Third Cultivation Stage!]


    [Both of your Blessings have reached the Third Cultivation Stage!]


    As the notifications about his sess appeared in his mind, Khal''s eyes snapped open, revealing a pair of sky blue eyes with a vertical crimson slit in their very center!


    BOOOOM!


    "I have found him! Right here!" a Night Crawler that has just appeared at the entrance of the hole which was created through force shouted excitedly, his revenge-filled eyes fixed firmly on Khal''s figure.


    "Now where will you try to r-"


    Swish!


    However, the Night Crawler didn''t even finish talking when suddenly his pupils shrunk to the size of a needle and watched as the scenery around him began to rotate before everything turned ck.


    Thud!


    Watching as the creature fell onto the ground lifelessly with its head rolling away to the side, sttering blood everywhere, Khal shifted his nonchnt gaze at the gap from where the creature just came from and showed a calm, but ice-cold smirk that was hidden with danger.


    ''Maybe I will change things up a little bit.''


    In the beginning, Khal nned to fight with the Night Crawlers only when he broke into the Fourth Cultivation Stage, but after seeing just how easily did this creature die under his hand even though being at the peak of the Body Temperer Stage, he decided not to hide any longer and fight.


    Furthermore, there was one crucial factor he realized and wished to see if it was true, thus for a few seconds, he did nothing but gaze at the corpse in front of him and wait.


    1 second, 3 seconds, 7 seconds...


    About 10 seconds of silent waitingter Khal''s eyes suddenly brightened and his lips curved upwards, showing a joyous but greedy grin which was the first from him; the corpse in front of his feet turned into a yellowish substance just like the beasts he killed in the past!


    It became a matter of essence that was waiting for Khal to be consumed!


    ''No wonder, how could have I forgotten this? All beasts and creatures in existence possess essence, including the many races out there! This means they can be turned into a source of the essence for us humans if killed too!''


    Although it was deeply forbidden for humans to consume Human Essence in the First Realm, it was not the case when it came to the rest of the creatures in the Second Realm and above. As a fact, it was highly rmended as the amount of essence they could provide to humans was twice as much as a beast on the same Cultivation Stage could!


    ''If I would have remembered this sooner and wouldn''t have burnt all the Berserkers corpses back on Katrov into ashes, I could have saved a few days'' worths of struggle!'' Khal sighed inwardly, but he couldn''t me himself. He was just too focused on erasing any evidence that could bring him trouble in the future while also was not used to consuming creatures'' essence from other races as this was something new even for him!


    Thus he could only shake his head helplessly and extend his hand before consuming the floating yellow essence in front of him under a few seconds.


    [You have sessfully consumed 252 Beast Essence!]


    "252 just from a single Third Stage Night Crawler?!" Khal eximed out aloud with utter disbelief as he couldn''t believe it even after hearing the information and seeing the increase of units on his Cultivator Status, but s, he soon realized it was indeed the reality, hence immediately shifted his gaze at the entrance that led the way outside and grinned.


    Straightaway, Khal licked his lips and summoned Moonshadow into his right and Devil Fangs into his left, and with calm and rxed steps began to walk outside, his gaze and aura exhibiting obvious signs of killing intent.

 Chapter 330 - Surrounded!

    Outside the mountain range that was continuously bombarded with powerful techniques that painted the sky with various colors, Bane was standing motionlessly below a huge colorful tree''s shade in the distance, his short ash ck hair fluttering to-and-fro whenever a gentle breeze came by as his ice-cold gaze was fixed on one sole point in the distance.


    "I have found him! Right here!"


    Suddenly, a loud and excited yell was heard from somewhere from the south, causing Bane''s eyes to light up slightly before his body blurred and vanished from his spot.


    "Who is inside there?" Bane immediately asked loudly the moment his figure appeared before a huge tunnel that was at least three meters high and five meters wide.


    "It was Cloven who formed this path, Boss, and he is the only one currently inside. It has been about half a minute by now." a soldier replied with haste and respect when he noticed Bane''s figure emerge in front of him out of thin air.


    When Bane heard the soldier''s exnation he lifted his head toward the peak and asked, "Is there any route that was found or formed to where the criminal is?"


    "There is none, Boss. As a fact, the very moment Cloven yelled that he found him, I have ordered the rest of the soldiers to surround the mountain range and get ready to do anything if the criminal tries to force his way through!"


    "We will immediately know if he tries anything fishy, but I hardly doubt it. I mean, Cloven has already reached the peak of the Third Cultivation Stage while that rat has only broken through! Cloven will be perfectly enough to capture it and bring him out!"


    Bane hearing what the soldier said nodded mildly and gazed into the dark tunnel which was at least ten miles deep if not deeper than that!


    Bane remained silent and waited patiently for Cloven to emerge, as he too thought that his subordinate, who was one of the strongest subordinates of his thanks to his terrifying physical strength, was enough to capture the human inside. However, when five full minutes have passed, Bane couldn''t help but show a deep frown while something akin to a squeezing feeling began to appear in his chest, something that made him feel slightly uneasy.


    "Something is not right." Bane said and was ready to move when suddenly the soldier on his side showed a smile and pointed forward.


    "Boss, look! It''s Cloven! He seeded! Haha! That human has been killed!"


    Indeed, deep inside the dark tunnel, a creature with a firm figure and bulging muscles that not even his armors were capable of concealing walked slowly toward their way, his long and deep dark hair that reached almost the ground swung from side to side with every step he took.


    Bane narrowed his eyes into an almost slit as he examined Cloven''s approaching figure, but no matter how long he stared and saw that it was indeed his mighty subordinate, the uneasiness in his heart yet to fade; as a fact, it only became worse and stronger while all of his instincts told him something was not right here and chaos will soon follow if he does not do something.


    And as an existence that fought hundreds if not thousands of battles where his life was on the line, Bane knew he must act, hence quickly summoned a sword into his grasp and raised it.


    "That is not Cloven, get ready to f-" Bane began to talk, but just as he was about to finish his order something golden shed in his retina before the soldier on his side was torn to shreds and turned into a pile of bloody mess!


    "What?!"


    Bane''s eyes widened with shock, not understanding what just happened, but before he could have had the chance to process one of his subordinate''s death, another golden glow shed from the dim mine, forcing him to raise his de before his face hurriedly.


    CLANG!


    BAM!


    Right after he did, a sweeping force crashed into his weapon, creating a powerful ripple that traveled far and wide with great power and speed, cracking the ground below his feet while crushing trees and boulders in the distance into dust and debris in a sh!


    "What the fuck is with this ridiculous strength?!" Bane cursed through his clenched teeth and with a powerful push waved his weapon horizontally with all his strength, immediately freeing himself from the pressure that pressed down on him.


    "I failed to kill him even with Moonshadow? Well, whatever... I am pretty sure I will be able to kill him, it''s just a matter of time."


    As Bane held his stance, ready to fight at any given moment, the creature seemingly Cloven walked out of the tunnel and moved his mouth, however, the deep and icy tone of voice that appeared was strangely off when he talked.


    Or at least anyone who has yet to meet with Cloven in the past would feel like that, but those that already did meet with him and knew him, like someone like Bane, would right away realize that he was not Cloven, but apletely different individual!


    "You are that human, right? What did you do with my subordinate?" Bane asked after taking a deep breath and calming his nerves down, his sword''s tip already pointing toward his enemy''s chest in a threatening manner.


    Cloven, who was in truth Khal, showed a wide grin which was kind of cold and eerie, and said indifferently, "I killed him."


    ''...''


    When Bane heard this, even though he somewhat expected such an answer, his expression darkened and the surpassed killing intent and rage in his heart was released at once like a tidal wave!


    BAM!


    The already cracked ground below Bane''s feet was crushed even further, forming a small pit before the debris in it was further crushed that was shortly blown away from the shockwave and breeze in the air.


    "You not only dared to break my rules on my own but also dared to kill three men of mine too! The sins you have done and the innocents'' blood which had been dried to your hands are unforgivable, thus you must need to die today!" Bane said coldly, his razor-sharp gaze fixed coldly on Khal''s disguised image.

 Chapter 331 - Arrogance Or Confidence?

    Khal, disguised as Cloven, stood motionlessly before Bane with a nonchnt look, his hands calmly clutching Moonshadow and Devil Fangs in each hand.


    <i>Whoosh</i>!


    <i>Whoosh</i>!


    While Khal and Bane looked at each other in silence, one with unsurpassable hatred and bloodlust while the other just with in indifference, several figures d in ck and silver armor appeared around the two, their hands holding different weapons such as swords, daggers, sabers, spears and so on.


    "Boss!" a Night Crawler that was d in abyss ck armor with silver markings all over its surface appeared next to Bane, his whole body emitting a terrifying aura that was only just a margin below Bane.


    "Boss, we have sensed the earlier shockwave, it must have been the criminal, right? Where is that low-life? I will take care of him without a problem!" the creature asked with an intense gaze as he scanned the surroundings, but when he heard no reply from his leader even after several seconds he raised a brow and shifted his eyes to the side.


    "Boss?"


    Bane, whoseplexion was still full of anger and thirst for blood raised his sword and pointed it at the sole individual before him before saying in a cold and low tone, "He is standing right before you."


    "What?!" the crawler immediately snapped his attention to where his boss was pointing, just only to notice one of hisrades standing not far away from him with two unfamiliar weapons in his hands.


    "But Boss... It''s Clov-"


    "Cloven is dead. That''s him, disguising himself as one of us! He also killed Quint!" Bane interrupted his subordinate''s words firmly, forcing the crawler to shut his mouth in fear he triggers his boss'' wrath on himself, but once he realized what he just heard his eyes widened, and shifted his gaze at Khal.


    ''I-Impossible!''


    Such thoughts appeared not only in his but every other Night Crawlers'' mind that was in the distance when they heard what Bane just said, turning their gaze at Khal in utter disbelief!


    "What? Cloven and Quint have died? That''s absurd! How!" Zeke who stood not far away looked startled, not wanting to believe what he just heard.


    However, things only became even more unexpected as suddenly a loud, but coldugh emerged from Cloven''s mouth before his body began to change and twist, quickly revealing Khal''s true appearance that left many speechless.


    "What kind of technique did he use?" Ramin asked with a hint of fear and couldn''t help but swallow nervously as he watched the human''s transformation in front of him.


    ''If it weren''t for the Boss, I wouldn''t even have noticed him! Even those unknown weapons... I thought he has obtained them after killing that human, but it seems...'' Ramin felt his heart in his chest getting squeezed by an invisible hand the more he looked at the human figure in front of him, making him realize that his thirst for revenge was bing more and more far-fetched than he initially believed.


    Meanwhile, Khal watched Bane and the rest of the Night Crawlers around him with a cold look while he examined everything in more than a mile distance in his mind with his Heaven''s Eyes.


    ''Close to half a thousand, huh?'' Khal curved his lips slightly upwards as he counted the number of Night Crawlers around him, feeling that things will be much more interesting from this point onward.


    "Listen here carefully as I won''t say this twice again. I want a thousand High-Quality Essence Pills together with a small spaceship and I won''t kill any of you here today. You have 15 seconds to ept or refuse, the choice is yours!" Khal said loudly to all hear, but his gaze was firmly fixed on Bane, even showing a slight and mocking grin.


    Everyone and everything at that instant became still to the point where a pin''s drop could have been heard, but soon, that silence quickly erupted into wild roars and cursing filled with the hint of killing intent too!


    "A thousand Essence Pills and a spaceship?! Did he go out of his fucking mind or what?"


    "Choose or he will kill all of us?! Is he dumb, stupid, or simply retarded?"


    "Know your fucking ce, human! A low-life creature such as yourself has no ce to demand such proposals here!"


    "Yeah! Let''s kill him already! We have let him talk more than enough!"


    Many Night Crawlers exploded with rage and desire to tear Khal''s body to shreds because of his vexatious arrogance and behavior, but s until their boss had yet to order to fight they could only bare their teeth at Khal in a threatening manner.


    Or at least that''s what almost all the soldiers present thought and done except a few that didn''t hesitate even a seconds before leaping forward with bloodshot eyes, their weapons firmly grasped in their hands!


    "Die!"


    "Fools!" Bane roared angrily and wished to stop his subordinates before they could get close to Khal, but sadly, he was toote to act.


    Khal simply nced at the five figures in front of him coldly before gently waving his right hand that held the golden scythe.


    Swish!


    In mere moments that felt like a fraction of a second, all five of the Night Crawlers'' bodies split into hundreds of pieces in mid-air, causing split organs, shattered bones, and blood in huge amounts to rain down from above that painted the ground below red and filled the air with the smell of iron!


    The sight immediately overawed the crowd of creatures around, forcing everyone that wished to talk to forcibly swallow back the words they wanted to say in fear and horror!


    ''H-He... He killed five Body Temperers as if they were mere ants!''


    The expression of many turned white as a sheet of paper upon the harsh realization, and all of them unconsciously took a step back from sheer horror. It seemed theystly realized just how grave a mistake it was for them to underestimate the human before them!


    Now they finally understood why their boss has yet to move or speak even after such a long time and why did he hold a grim expression at the moment; it seemed he too, a powerful being on the Limit Breaker Stage felt no confidence emerging as a victor if he now shed with the human before him!


    As for Khal, he just stood where he was with a kind of mocking grin that looked rather confident than arrogant and said calmly, "You have only five more seconds...."

 Chapter 332 - Foolish Mistake

    "You have five more seconds..." Khal''s cold and indifferent voice traveled through the air, reaching every one of the creatures'' ears and causing all of their expressions to be ghastly pale.


    Those words were like a bucket of cold water thrown at them, forcing them to realize that they were truly in the deep shit right now!


    "Boss, what should we do?" the Night Crawler who stood next to Bane swallowed nervously, his body trembling from fear as he looked at the human before him.


    Just now, five of hisrades that were at the peak of the Body Temperer Stage were torn to shreds, and in an instant to that! They didn''t even have the chance to scream up from either pain or horror, that''s just how fast everything has happened!


    ''Although we have the advantage in numbers, I still think we have no chance in this fight. We havepletely underestimated this human!''


    Bane, on the other side, just stood in one ce with a grim expression on his face, looking rather serious which was the first even for somebody like him; it was rather obvious that his following decision will determine if he and his men will be able to survive this sh or not!


    "Four... Three... Two... On-"


    "I ept!" hearing as the human before him was counting down with indifference, making him feel as if the reaper''s scythe was pressing firmly to his throat with each word, Bane quickly lowered his weapon and shouted his decision.


    Khal, who was ready to go all out and go on a rampage, stopped talking and curved his lips upward.


    "It seems you are not that of a fool in the end." Khal lowered his weapons slightly as he said those words and continued, "Then as said, I want a thousand High-Quality Essence Pills and a spaceship. You have 5 minutes or else I will have no choice but to use your essence for my forting breakthrough, and believe me, you don''t want that."


    Hearing his words, many looked raged and provoked, but once they recalled the scene where five of theirrades were ripped apart in split seconds despite having a stronger cultivation base than the human, they could only surpass their emotions.


    The only one who didn''t look angered and instead showed a slight fear was surprisingly Bane, as he was well aware of what those words by the human before him truly meant if the rest of the Night Crawlers didn''t; he literally stated he will kill every single one of them and turn their corpse into essence before consuming them!


    Although it didn''t sound terrifying nor intimidating as it was only a different form of death, Bane knew way too clearly it was by no means as simple as death.


    ording to several sources, while humans were a weak race where they stood no chance at all against those on the same Cultivation Stage as them much less those above them, except for their multifarious Blessings, they had a terrific trait that made quite a few creatures below them in cultivation stage to tremble in fear.


    Life Disintegration!


    It was a ''skill'' only the human race possessed, allowing them to turn any living being they have killed into a mass source of energy that can replenish and support their Blessing''s growth by a huge margin!


    Some even assert that whoever was killed by a human and was turned into a source of energy will have their soul and spirit to live in the literal abyss of hell until the very moment the human who consumed them will not die!


    As Bane thought about this he clenched his teeth and nodded before ncing at the soldier on his side, "Bring him what he asked for."


    "But Bo-"


    "Just. Do. It!" Bane hissed coldly, forcing the creature to jerk in fear and quickly nod his head like a pecking chicken before giving one final nce at Khal and running away hurriedly.


    Khal seeing this just showed a calm smile and added, "Oh, and if you or any of your men try to do something funny, don''t even hope to see moonlight ever again."


    After he said those words, Khal sat down on the cold and rigid ground before closing his eyes, dumbstruck everyone around him speechless as currently, he waspletely wide open!


    ''Chance!'' was the thought that appeared in many minds, but just before they could have taken a step further a loud and chilling hiss sounded in their ears.


    "Halt this instant!"


    Every Night Crawler shifted their gaze toward the source of the voice only to see their leader stare at them with a pair of sharp eyes, his whole body emitting a threatening aura that froze all of their movements in an instant!


    "If you dare to take even a step forward I will personally sever those brainless skulls off your heads!"


    Shuddering in fear and because of the slight killing intent that appeared in the air, many Night Crawlers took a step back in confusion, trying toe up with reasons why their leader stopped them from acting even in the face of such a great possibility!


    They could easily kill that human whose guard was down at the moment, yet their leader was stopping them! It made no fricking sense!


    Bane naturally knew that it made no sense for him to miss such a great chance, but he was no fool either to fall into an obvious trap such as this one in front of him. Although the human before him presented a lower guard, anyone with a keen sense and slight survival instinct would know that if they dared to attempt an ambush this moment would be equivalent to jumping right into the tiger''s dent blindly!


    They would die without knowing what killed them!


    ''He is scary... Is he truly a human?'' Bane pondered deeply as thick drops of sweat rolled down his face.


    Time passed slowly, making each second feel like hours and each minute like day, and exactly after a bit less than four minutester the creature that ran away came back, two items in both hands; one ck ring and one ck token, both crafted from unknown materials.


    "Here it is... Boss... A thousand Essence Pills, each High-Quality, and spaceship."


    Bane took away the two items from his soldier and gave a check before nodding and using a technique to make them float before Khal.


    Khal, whose eyes were already open the moment the creature came back grabbed both items and gave them a nce.


    "A spatial ring and a spatial token. Let''s see if the things I have asked for are inside the-" Khal began to speak before abruptly halting his words, his face bing rather serious.


    As this happened, the creature''s face who brought the two items stiffened. This immediately caught Bane''s attention, and as if a sudden realization hit him his eyes widened.


    "Don''t tell me you..."


    However, before he was about to finish his words a deep and heavy sigh appeared from his side, following a voice that was filled with disappointment.


    "What a pity..." Khal said coldly and without waiting for any of the creatures around him to respond he waved Moonshadow in his hand.


    "No!"


    Swish!

 Chapter 333 - Feast!

    "No!" Bane roared loudly and moved to stop Khal''s movement, but unfortunately, he waste by a fraction of a second.


    And that fraction of a second resulted in hundreds of creature''s death...


    Swish!


    With a flicker of golden, the weapon''s de in Khal''s grasp vanished and reappeared before the creatures in the distance almost simultaneously before moving and cutting their bodies into pieces smaller than the size of a finger!


    Torn flesh, split organs, and sliced bones flew everywhere, filling the air with the smell of iron and painting the ground with the color of crimson! The once paradise-looking scenery now became the literalndscape of hell, only blood and death discernible wherever one looked!


    And in the very center of this pit of hell, only two figures stood before each other, one with a calm and indifferentplexion while the other with a pale face, his body shuddering unwillingly from the emotion of fear!


    Those two were naturally Khal and Bane, while the blood of mess and the pile of mincemeat was the rest of the Night Crawlers that a moment ago surrounded the two from all directions!


    None of them were spared, not even the one closest to Bane as even he was killed under a blink of an eye without giving him the chance to regret his grave mistake he tried to do, resulting in both his and hisrades'' inevitable death!


    Bane looked at the sight before him with a dumbstruck face, hardly believing that what he just witnessed currently has indeed happened or not. As for Khal, he just viewed the sight around him with a?nonchntplexion and watched as all of the mincemeat around him began to turn into a yellowish substance, Beast Essence.


    The silence that enveloped the whole mountain range was heavy and filled with many emotions such as terror, shock, hatred, and regret! Of course, neither of those emotions were Khal''s as he at the moment except for the slight excitement felt nothing in particr.


    "Y-You... Do you even have a single clue what you have done? Don''t you know what fear is?" after many minutes of grave silence Bane slowly turned his grimplexion toward Khal, his body no longer trembling and his eyes looked sharper than before.


    Hearing his questions, Khal showed a mocking grin and asked, "Fear? Fear from what? If you truly think I will get scared from the likes of you or from the Night Crawlers, then you are gravely mistaken."


    Bane silently and examined the human''s expression before him, trying to see if he was bluffing or was really saying the truth and actually had no fear toward death.


    But no matter how hard he looked at Khal''s expression and how much he tried to find any signs of a lie in his words, he found none and it seemed what he just was indeed true; he feared neither of him nor from his race!


    Was this deep confidence in himself or foolish arrogance because of his preceding breakthrough?


    If it were in the past, Bane would have definitely said that it was thetter, but after witnessing Khal''s prowess first-hand a moment ago, he clearly understood he had everything that he needed to back up the words he just said.


    As for Khal, he thought nothing special about what he said as he just stated facts and not assumptions!


    Despite showing absolute dominance with his previous attack, Khal knew that was only a fraction of his true strength and the things he could do in a true life-and-death battle were much greater than a simple assault with his Moonshadow!


    He was pretty confident that even if a thousand creatures attacked him at once, he would emerge as the sole victor without a question!


    Naturally, if those thousand creatures were not two whole Stages above him, or else things would be rather tricky for sure.


    Pondering for another full minute, Bane looked at the two items in Khal''s hand and asked, "Did all of this happen because of him putting a tracking array inside the spatial ring?"


    "Oh? So you knew?" Khal asked with an intrigued expression before adding coldly, "So you gave me the ring even after knowing that fool put an array inside? I am amazed by your foolishness, but really!"


    Bane clenched his fist in anger and Khal''s mocking tone, but quickly calmed down and shook his head, "Although it will sound rather surprising, I didn''t. I only realized it when your expression has changed. If I would have realized sooner what that fool was trying to do, I could have stopped all this mess from happening. I failed... miserably."


    Khal watched with indifference as Bane''s eyes slightly were filled with regret and sighed inwardly.


    Although he doesn''t want to say this, even if he failed to notice the hidden array in the spatial ring, he would have killed everyone here today, so Bane was ming himself for no reason.


    Of course, he won''t tell him the truth as that would ignite deeper hatred in Bane''s heart.


    ''Well, not like it would matter something...'' Khal thought to himself and without for Bane to raise his guard or react, waved his fan while activating his me Lotus technique.


    Watching as he was surrounded with dense and zing crimson mes that represented the petals of a lotus, Bane stared deeply into the human''s eyes before him with unsurpassable rage, but with eyes that already epted his fate.


    Swish!


    BOOOOM!


    A towering pir of mes broke toward the sky that shook the surroundings in several tens meters in radius upon explosion, painting the ck sky with the color of bright crimson!


    Khal watched with a calm expression as the old crawler''s body was burnt away and after a few secondster when the pir of me dispersed into thin air what remained on his spot was a small pit filled with nothing more but ash and dust!


    Gazing at that spot for a while in silence, Khal just shook his head gently before turning his attention at the many floating Beast Essence around him, causing his eyes to lit up from excitement, akin to little stars during the night sky!


    ''Let''s have a feast then!''


    And with those words in mind, Khal walked up to the closest essence to him, and extending his hand he began to consume it.


    [You have sessfully consumed 214 Beast Essence!]

 Chapter 334 - Essence Consuming

    [You have consumed 173 Beast Essence!]


    [You have consumed 241 Beast Essence!]


    [You have consumed 205 Beast Essence!]


    [You have...]


    Walking from one spot to another, Khal consumed each and every one of the floating essences around him with a gleeful expression, his eyes incapable of hiding his true feelings at the moment.


    In a span of half an hour, which in truth felt like only a few minutes for Khal, all of the 426 essences were consumed without a problem, pushing both his units of Body and Beast Essence to never before seen heights!


    Just with the first 100, his Beast Essence has already reached the peak, hence letting him transform the remaining 326 and use them to increase his Body Essence, which although felt slightly painful, was not as unbearable as it was back in the First Realm.


    {Cultivator Status}


    ? Cultivation Talent: Power Imitation


    ? Natural Born Talent: Perfect Disguise


    ? Hidden Talent: Lost


    ? Body Essence: 167,436


    ? Beast Essence: 15,000


    ? Cultivation Stage: Body Temperer


    Khal stared nkly at the words of light in front of his face. Despite having a clear understanding of just how his transformation skill worked and just how much essence did he consume on average, it was still shocking to see his amount of Body Essence break through the 100,000 mark so easily.


    "Wait... Now that I have so much, it means I can develop one of my techniques, right?" Khal immediately waved his hand and opened his Secret Art Improver to see just what he can improve with close to 170,000 units of Body Essence.


    Swish!


    ? Dance of The Celestial Serpent (Moderate Level)


    ? Ghost Slice (Expert Level)


    ? Jade Tombstone (Cultivator Level)


    ? Lightning Step (Low Earth Grade)


    ? me Lotus (Peak Mortal Grade)


    ? Three Echo Punch (Peak Mortal Grade)


    In a blink, all of the techniques he has learned in the past appeared in his line of sight one after another, including even some that Khal has never seen before and is the first time to see them.


    "Haha! This is absolutely fantastic! Because of my Imitation Talent, it seems anything I have seen and learned will be recorded here and can be further improved!" Khal couldn''t help butugh out loud while holding a wide grin that made one think that he became aplete idiot all of a sudden.


    However, his joy onlysted for a couple of seconds before getting destroyed mercilessly by the harsh reality.


    ~Current Form~


    /Lightning Step/


    ? Grade: Earth (Low)


    ? Description: An Art created to travel akin to lightning, allowing the user to travel hundreds of meters in an instant!


    ~Improved Form~


    /Thunder Movement/


    ? Grade: Earth (Peak)


    ? Description: An Art created to travel akin to thunder in a chaotic storm, allowing the user to be a bolt of lightning, piercing through boulders and obstacles with a thunderous force!


    <Only functional on and above the Body Refiner Stage!>


    [250,000 Body Essence is required!]


    ...


    ~Current Form~


    /me Lotus/


    ? Grade: Mortal (Peak)


    ? Description: An Art created to burn enemies into ash in a form of a me lotus!


    ~Improved Form~


    /zing Petals/


    ? Grade: Earth (Low)


    ? Description: An Art created to fill the entire world with zing petals, burning everything within to ashes!


    <Only functional on and above the Body Refiner Stage!>


    [200,000 Body Essence is required!]


    ...


    ~Current Form~


    /Three Echo Punches/


    ? Grade: Mortal (Peak)


    ? Description: An Art created to umte and st out 6 times the owner''s basic attack power!


    ~Improved Form~


    /Four Echo Punches/


    ? Grade: Earth (Low)


    ? Description: An Art created to umte and st out 24 times the owner''s basic attack power!


    <Only functional on and above the Body Refiner Stage!>


    [200,000 Body Essence is required!]


    Khal stared with a nk face at the rows of contexts in his line of sight, feeling rather stupefied by both the improved versions of each technique and the amount of Body Essence he has to use and spend to obtain them!


    "This is fucking ridiculous!" Khal spat a curse out loud after a moment of silence and looked at the amount once again to make sure he was not seeing things, but s, the amount he just saw was indeed right, and he could buy none of them.


    Or at least he could obtain a few, those that he has learned back in the First Realm, his Ghost Slice and Jade Tombstone, while his Dance of The Celestial Serpent was still out of question, as it was even more expensive than the rest by at least four times!


    It was fricking 1,000,000 units of Body Essence!!


    ONE FUCKING MILLION UNITS!!!!


    Does anyone have a single clue just how great an amount that was? With one million units, no matter if the enemy had beings on the Fourth or Fifth Stage, Khal was confident he would be able to single-handedly wipe out an entire race without breaking a sweat!


    That fact was as sure as the sun will rise from the east and not from the west!


    Thinking about this, Khal quickly took a deep breath to calm his racing heart down, and soon showed a confident smile that told that he has already thought about what he should do next.


    "I still have one thousand Essence Pills, each of them being High-Quality ones! Also, I am rather sure there are even more back in their headquarters, so there is no reason for me to get angry over the needed amount, right?"


    As Khal thought about it he shifted his gaze toward a specific direction and after curving his lips upward he vanished from his spot.


    -


    -


    -


    On Night, where darkness ruled over everything endlessly since the creation of time, inside an enormous facility that was built from a dark material called Soul Obsidian, an old creature with features to that of a Night Crawler sat calmly on a huge throne inside a spacious hall where the only source of light was the small torches on the walls.


    The creature actually was the Alpha, the King of the Night Crawler Race and his name was King Zell, a powerful expert who reached the peak of the Fifth Cultivation Stage and was close to ascending into the Third Realm.


    "Tell me everything that happened, leaving out no detail." King Zell talked quietly, with a tone that could put one''s mind at ease, but if one listened closely, one would realize that his voice held a hint of hidden and deep rage, one that couldn''t be extinguished until someone''s blood was not spilled!


    "Yes, my Lord!" a Night Crawler who was d in silver armor and was kneeling in front of King Zell, lowered his head and began to talk without hesitation.

 Chapter 335 - Vault

    Inside the dark and almost horror-like hall, where the only light emanated from the small torches ced on the thick pirs on both sides, a creature d in armor was kneeling before a huge throne, narrating the events that happened in the past few days.


    Meanwhile, on the throne, King Zell listened carefully to the creature''s story without interrupting, but the more he heard, the uglier and darker his face grew to be. At the end of the story, it became so obscure that one couldn''t even discern his expression clearly as it literally became one with the darkness itself in the hall!


    Once the creature finished his report without leaving out any detail, let it be small or big, he lowered his head even deeper than it initially was, fearing that slight misbehavior will ignite his leader''s surpassed wrath, causing his inevitable demise on this very night!


    Seconds ticked away which slowly turned into minutes, and even after 3 full minutes King Zell did nothing but stare deeply at the creature in front of his feet with a deep and grave expression, his thoughts seemingly unknown.


    Only when another 3 minutes have passed by did King Zell narrow his eyes and ask, "This human you just talked about... Are you sure he was only at the Third Stage?"


    The words King Zell spoke were calm and indifferent, however, the creature who was targeted with them thoughtpletely otherwise; it felt like those words were like the scythe of the reaper, and if he does not answer with honesty or tries to hide something, he was sure to lose a few limbs if not his whole life!


    "Y-Yes, my Lord. There is no question about it as I saw him with my very own eyes! That human, without a doubt, was a Body Temperer. And as a fact, he just became one before the massacres took ce, I swear on that with my title and life!"


    King Zell fell into silence when he heard the firm and confident answer from the creature and leaned back while rubbing his sharp chin with his ashen fingers, revealing several inches of acute nails, that actually, had the power to slice through even the strongest alloy in the Second Realm with ease!


    After several seconds of pondering, which felt like an eternity for the creature, King Zell finally lowered his hand and took out a silver token from his spatial ring that rested on his right ring finger all this time before pouring a bit of his essence into it.


    Whoosh!


    Instantly, the token in his hand lit up with a silver light and a feminine voice that sounded both annoyed and cold appeared.


    "What do you want this time, old man?"


    The creature''s body in the hall twitched when he heard the repulsive voice from the token, feeling that whoever spoke was either had a death wish or was arrogant enough to talk like this before King Zell; either of both, the creature couldn''t help but sweat unwittingly under his armor, fearing that his lord will soon direct his rage onto him because of that idiot!


    As for King Zell himself, his eyes only twitched slightly as a response before he snorted coldly and asked, "Little Sparrow, I think you have forgotten who you are talking to, maybe I need to give you a good rem-"


    "I did not forget who you are nor do I care, dad. So tell me what you want and stop being a bother already!"


    ''...''


    ''...''


    Both men remained silent by just how raw and irritated the voice sounded when talked to the leader of the Night Crawler Race in the Second Realm.


    Wait... Dad?


    The creature kneeling on the ck floor felt as shock swept through his mind and was about to raise his head, when suddenly a piercing sensation rose on his skin, snapping him back into reality from his daze and lower his head so deep where his forehead almost touched the ground!


    Fuck! He almost raised his head without approval! If he didn''t regain his sense just in time and realize what seemed to be a normal behavior elsewhere was a forbidden sin in this ce, he could have lost his life without a chance to regret his action!


    ''Thankfully the Lord warned me in time or else...'' the creature sighed with relief in his heart while watching as thick sweat drops fell from his face onto the floor one by one.


    King Zell just stared coldly at the creature before him, but after seeing his reaction decided to ignore and heed no more attention to him and shift his gaze at the token.


    "Whatever, then I will be brief. Little Sparrow, I have a job for you..."


    -


    -


    -


    On Thov, inside a huge facility that once was Bane''s headquarter, Khal stood before a huge door, seemingly locked tightly to prevent the likes of him from opening it and getting inside.


    "Soul Obsidian?" Khal muttered in a low voice as he examined the floor, looking for a way to unlock it.


    However, because the sole key that could have opened this vault was in Bane''s possession, which was burnt to ash and dust a long time ago together with Bane and the rest of his essories, Khal had no normal means to unlock it.


    "Well, normal means, yeah..." Khal sighed and without hesitation tightened his fingers into a fist and threw out a quick and powerful punch.


    Three Echo Punch!


    BOOOM!


    Three, almost concurrent sts filled the air the moment Khal''s strike fell on the ck door, yet, the force which had the demolishing and crippling capability to kill almost any being on the Third Stage surprisingly failed to break the vault''s entrance, shocking Khal deeply.


    "Still not enough?" Khal tightened his brows into a frown and raised his hand once again before throwing out another punch, but this time with twice as much strength together with his Body Essence and Hell ze covering his fist.


    BOOOOOOM!!!


    A terrifying explosion that cracked the walls and the ground around Khal emerged, while the Soul Obsidian door that once stood majestically like an immovable mountain was sent flying, revealing the sight on the other side.


    "That''s what I thought!" Khal showed a small grin and walked inside the vault.

 Chapter 336 - Moon Sect

    Walking inside with slow but confident steps, Khal looked around the room with eyes that were a-flicker with curiosity over a genial smile.


    The interior of the vault was about as big as half of a basketball court or maybe a little bit bigger. However, although the size was notrgepared to a normal vault, the number of items inside it was, in fact, ridiculously immense!


    Gold, Silver, and Bronze Coins in vast amounts, the amount above the millions for sure! Pills, scrolls, and other treasures, each of them seemingly above thousands of Gold Coins in value could be seen thrown all around the ce together with some weapons that anyone would wish to obtain if had the chance!


    "Quite a wealth, not gonna lie," Khal admitted that the number of riches inside this vault by no means was a joke, but still,pared to the Moon Goddess'' wealth back in the First Realm, it was nothing but a fraction; one couldn''t evenpare the two, that''s just howrge the difference truly was!


    "However, this does not mean I won''t take them away. I mean, if I havee so far, it would be absurd not to, right?" Khal asked loudly even though he knew he won''t get an answer and without a second thought waved his hand, putting everything inside his spatial ring.


    "Huh?"


    Though not even after he put half of the vault inside his spatial ring, Khal found it with great surprise that he could fit nothing more inside, confusing him quite deeply.


    And just like he had been hit by a train, Khal facepalmed himself and groaned.


    "How could have I forgotten something so basic? "


    Indeed, the reason Khal felt the urge to hit himself several times was because he forgot that although spatial rings had the ability to store many things, including stuff like a spaceship or things of simr size, they still had their limits just like anything else in existence!


    Thus, seeing as his spatial ring was getting filled up at the end of the day, Khal couldn''t help but me himself for his own stupidity and obliviousness.


    "I need to buy a bigger spatial ring after I leave this." Khal sighed and started to throw out things from the spatial ring he thinks he does not need or won''t have a reason to keep it with himself.


    After selecting things he needs and separating the rest he does not want, Khal put everything else from the vault inside his spatial ring, filling it up to the brim with almost no space within!


    "It seems I am done here." Khal turned around once he checked everything he will leave behind for one final time and walked away.


    Once outside, Khal raised his head toward the full moon above, mesmerized by the breathtaking sight he couldn''t help but admire whenever he saw.


    "Oh... Really! The Moon Token! I almost forgot about it!" Khal said with sudden haste and took out a circr-shaped object from his spatial ring.


    "Jas told me I can only use it when I reached the Second Realm, so I guess now I can..." Khal examined the Moon Token in his hand and began to pour a bit of his essence into it.


    And as he did...


    Whoosh!


    In a single blink, a strange but not threatening power engulfed his body before a white light engulfed his whole body before causing it to vanish into thin air!


    "Oh? And just as I thought I could capture him... Well, whatever. At least I know where to find him." an indifferent voice appeared the moment Khal disappeared, while a figure emerged from among the trees'' shade in the distance, revealing a stunning image that seemed both threatening and charming at the same time, just like a rose.


    "I can''t wait to see what that old man will do when he learns the truth that his men were in by a little boy from a lowly human sect. Hehe!"


    -


    -


    -


    Whoosh!


    "Huh? Where am I?" Khal looked surprised when he saw that he was teleported away from Thov and found himself no longer in a paradise-likendscape but instead right before an entrance that was seemingly crafted from white jade!


    "Oh? Another disciple from Moon Academy?"


    While Khal stared at the jade entrance in front of him with slight shock and awe, a voice suddenly appeared on his side, pulling his attention away from the jade gate and the jade wall around it.


    ''...Humans?'' Khal widened his eyes in surprise when he saw two human figures in real flesh standing in the distance, both of them looking at him with curious gazes.


    "What is your name, boy?" one of the guards who stood on the left and had a bigger figure with a huge greatsword attached diagonally onto his back asked, his bright nut-brown eyes below his sharp eyebrows staring at Khal calmly.


    ''He is on the Fourth Cultivation Stage, but...'' Khal narrowed his eyes when he noticed the big guy''s aura being at the Limit Breaker Stage, feeling that something was slightly off.


    It felt like he just used something to boost his aura to make himself look like someone on the Fourth Cultivation Stage while originally being on the Third Stage, on the Body Temperer Stage!


    ''So this is the result if one enters the next Realm only at the Ninth Cultivation Stage? No wonder everyone thinks we are a weak race...''


    Seeing that the human in front of them was not speaking but examining them with narrowed eyes in silence, the other guard next to the big one, who had a smaller figure but wore the same silver robe as his friend took a step forward and pointed his sword which was seated in its scabbard until now at Khal.


    "Hey, are you deaf or what? We have asked you a question! Tell us who you are and how you got here or don''t me us for being rude!"


    Hearing what he was told, Khal raised a brow as he shifted his gaze at the other guard on the right, but before he had a chance to see the guy''s face his eyes widened slightly in shock while his gaze froze on the sword abruptly.


    ''Spiritual Weapon! He has a Spiritual Weapon!''

 Chapter 337 - Moon Sect (2)

    Spiritual Weapons.


    Armaments that were born through extraordinary means in nature and had their very own consciousness together with the ability to get stronger just like any being all around the Realms!


    The difference between a normal weapon forged from various ores or a Spiritual Weapon that was born through nature was akin toparing a stick to a well-sharpened and honed katana; the contrast between the two was simply so vast thatparing the two was meaningless!


    However, while Spiritual Weapons possessed great power and a fraction of consciousness where they had the ability to choose their own master, their numbers were rather low in all the Realms present.


    Of course, this did not mean that there was only a handful of about a thousand or so, as the total number of Spiritual Weapons in existence easily reached the seven digits, butpared to the thousands of billions and trillions of weapons, their numbers paled greatly inparison.


    Thus, seeing that a human, a simple guard at that, who was only at the Fourth Cultivation Stage and only had the strength of a Body Temperer possessed a Spiritual Weapon Khal couldn''t help but feel slightly startled.


    "So? Who the hell are you? This is the final warning, kid!" while Khal was deep in thought, the smaller guard asked again and took a step forward, his body emitting a threatening aura that was akin to a sword, ready to be unsheathed and slice its target!


    ''Great Sword Aura! Even though his true strength is onlyparable to a Body Temperer, he must be a real expert in the path of swords!'' Khal praised the guard before him and said, "The name is Khal, a former pupil of Moon Academy and disciple of Logan! Principal Jas gave me the token after I have sessfully graduated."


    The guard who was ready to attack seeing that Khal finally replied halted his movements before nodding and lowering his weapon.


    "See? It wasn''t that hard to answer us, right?" the small guardian showed a friendly smile, apletely different behavior he just demonstrated a few moments ago, and gestured toward Khal, "Come, I will bring you to the Trial Room right away."


    "Trial Room? What is that?" Khal raised a brow in confusion but still decided to follow the guard through the gate.


    And when he did, his eyes opened slightly wide from awe. The moment he stepped through the gate, a spectacle he didn''t expect emerged; the green grass below his feet suddenly turned shining silver, the slightly dark sky above clearedpletely, bing perfectly azure blue with milky white clouds floating slowly toward the west while a huge silver moon hovered in the far distance, half of its glorious form hidden below the horizon!


    "Woah..." Khal feltpletely bbergasted from the breathtaking sight and couldn''t surpass the urge to take a deep breath from the fresh air through his nostrils.


    "Wee to Moon Sect, kid. From now on, this is a ce you can call home." the guard said with a calm smile while his chest was slightly pushed out when he saw how Khal just reacted.


    "Maybe you don''t know this, but before we can let you be a disciple officially, first you have to take a test which will determine what Title and Court you will upy in Moon Sect."


    "Title? Court?" Khal asked with curiosity while his eyes watched as several other humans in a silver robe were walking around the ce, some looking almost as young as him while others looking several if not tens of years older than he was.


    "Outer Court Disciple, Inner Court Disciple, and Core Disciple. Once you take the test, you will fall into one of these three, determining your future position and treatment you will get inside the Sect."


    "What are the differences?" Khal shifted his gaze from the silver buildings on the side at the guard next to him, feeling that the following information he will be told will be important for him to know, hence listening carefully not to miss a thing won''t hurt.


    "The differences you ask?" the guardughed and nced at Khal with eyes as if he just heard a funny joke, "Everything! If you are not strong and get the lowest score on the test, you will be an Outer Court Disciple where life is literal hell as it does not matter if you are boy or girl, was rich or poor in the First Realm, or somehow hail from a strong Family, if you are strong you survive if not you will die. That is the kind of life you have to live if you be an Outer Court Disciple."


    "However, if you are lucky enough to be an Inner Court Disciple, your life will turn aplete 180 degrees and you will soar from hell into heaven right away! The sect will value you like a treasure and help you grow stronger through different means! If you are lucky, you maybe get a chance to enter the Third Realm with their help too!"


    Khal hearing this had a brief image of how life in the sect worked, but soon realized as there was one more thing that was not exined thus quickly asked, "And what about if I be a Core Disciple? I get even better treatment there right?"


    When the guard heard this he halted his steps and looked at Khal, examining his whole figure from up to the bottom before letting out a slight chuckle, seemingly mocking him for the question.


    "I am sorry to make you feel disappointed, but you have zero chance of bing an Inner Court Disciple after the test much less a Core Disciple. I don''t feel your cultivation base, thus if I am not wrong, you must be only at the First Stage. If I were you, I would already start thinking of ways how I could increase my strength the fastest way possible before dying who knows how in the Outer Court."


    Khal narrowed his eyes slightly at the guard''s words as it was slightly a soft spot for him when someone talked about killing him if he was not cautious enough.


    The guard obviously noticed Khal''s change of facial expression but just decided to shake his head, feeling slightly helpless. He just wished to help and warn Khal before he fell into someone''s scheme and trap, but s, if kind words won''t help him realize the severity of the matter he won''t push it any further.


    He did what he could, there was no other reason for him to help any more than this.


    "Anyways... We have arrived.." the guard said coolly and pointed toward a building in front of them.

 Chapter 338 - Senior Lin

    When Khal heard that they have finally arrived, he halted his steps and followed the guard''s finger to see where he was pointing at.


    "That is the ce where you will take your test, the Trial Room."


    It was a building with a size of a smaller house and a roof that had a slight slope shape withyers of silver tiles that covered its sharp angles; its design was quite the same as the buildings back in the First Realm on top of Moon Mountain.


    After inspecting the silver building, which in fact was built from a unique ore called Moon Silver which was capable of withstanding even several powerful strikes from a Body Temperer before copsing, Khal shifted his gaze at the gate in the center and watched as a woman with otherworldly features began to walk toward them with calm and slow steps.


    Her whole being was enhancing. Her midnight ck hair that flowed down smoothly over her shoulder, her sparkling, obsidian-colored eyes that were akin to a pair of jewels that melted into the snow, and her wless, milky skin together with her curvaceous body which could drive any man into insanity and make their imagination run wild; everything about her was like an immortal fairy''s, a goddess who couldn''t be reached by mere mortals!


    "This disciple greets the Sect Master!" the guard immediately sped his hands and bowed at the woman, his voice filled with nothing but deep respect.


    Wait... Sect Master?


    Hearing those two words, Khal immediately realized who this person before him truly was, thus quickly sped his hands, and just like how the guard did, he bowed too.


    "My name is Khal Nevio. It is my pleasure to meet with the Sect Master!"


    When the guard saw that Khal introduced himself and even bowed the same way as him, he couldn''t help but praise him a bit in his heart.


    ''Thankfully, this guy at least knows his ce before Senior Lin, not like a few others...'' as he thought about this, several pictures appeared in his head, and couldn''t help but let out a slight chuckle when he remembered how those fools he brought here in the past ended up almost dying because acting all mighty and arrogant before the Sect Master.


    Even the Sect Master, who was called as Senior Lin by the disciples, did a slight nod as an approval, but it was so tiny that it was almost nonexistent. Instead, what was more apparent on her beautiful face was her tight frown, seemingly troubled by something.


    "Why do you hide your real Cultivation Base?" not beating around the bush, Senior Lin immediately asked her thoughts, catching off guard the two in front of him, particrly Khal who couldn''t help but widen his eyes gently before calming down again and raise his head.


    "What does the Sect Master mean by that?" Khal asked calmly, but deep in his heart felt great shock for two major reasons.


    Firstly, he couldn''t really understand just how the woman before him noticed that his presence was hidden and disguised as so far no one was able to notice it let it be Jas, Logan or even that powerful expert back in Haven City, Master Adam!


    As for the second reason, he couldn''t help but feel startled as the the moment he raised his head and looked into the pair of ck eyes in front of him, he felt as a strange power tried to invade his mind and body, almost like it wished to seek and unearth every bit of his secrets that resided within him!


    ''Just in your dreams!'' Khal''splexion immediately sharpened when he felt the sudden crisis and without hesitation he began to circte his essence in his body while activating his Imitation Talent.


    BAM!


    As Khal''s eyes turnedpletely obsidian, a powerful aura and power broke out of his body which quickly spread out, targeting the woman before him like a surge of tidial wave!


    "What?!" both the guard and Senior Lin was taken by surprise by the sudden change of events, but s, thetter one was not called the Sect Master for fun.


    "Hmph!" with a cold snort, the Senior Lin''s beautiful obsidian eyes shed with a profound light and without holding back she activated her Blessing, Mind Enthralling Eyes!


    It was such a powerful and terrifying Talent that whoever fell under its captivating power had no choice but reveal all of their secrets to her, while those with a weaker will fell in the middle of her palm right away, getting under her control without a chance to resist!


    With such a horrondeous ability in possession, it was not a surprise at all that she was capable of climbing so far and bing not only the master of this sect but also achieve a powerful cultivation base that was on the verge of breaking into next Stage, bing a peak expert that could soon enter the next Realm!


    BAM!


    Instantly, apelling power and aura broke out of Senior Lin''s body that traveled toward Khal with great speed, ready to break Khal''s attack into bits and teach him a lesson!


    ''You must have thought twice before acting so rash, kid! Now I will make you regret your decision!'' Senior Lin sneered coldly in her heart, but the next second her pupils shrunk to the size of a needle from shock.


    Just as she thought her Mind Enthralling Eye''s power will crush Khal''s assault and even invade and capture his mind together with his body, a sight she didn''t anticipated happened!


    Her power which should have crushed the approaching attack instead was forced to aplete halt, sending powerful ripples through the air that caused her silk smooth ck hair to flutter wildly behind her back, boosting her natural charm by a notch higher!


    BOOOM!


    "T-This! How is this even possible?" the guard who was next to Khal looked stupefied as he was forced to take several steps back, but his shock deepened a level more when he saw only he took a step back and Khal didn''t!


    He stood where he was with a nonchnt look, seemingly unfazed by the wild shockwaves that not even a Body Refiner had what it took to resist against!


    "Just who the hell is he?" the guard hissed through his clenched teeth, his eyes revealing great shock as he watched the young figure before him stand on equal ground against someone who was the master of this sect!

 Chapter 339 - Ancestor

    BAM!


    As surrounding air became chaotic as the two powers shed against each other, sending powerful ripples through the air that forced back not only those on the Body Temperer Stage and below but also attracted many people''s attention all around the sect too!


    "Huh?" feeling the slight change of atmosphere together with the continuous ripples in the air, several figures around the sect shifted their gaze toward a specific direction before all of theirplexions changed drastically and like ghosts, began to vanish from their spots one by one.


    "Sect Master! What is happening here?" exactly a second after that, those figures appeared around Senior Lin and Khal, their faces showing utter disbelief upon seeing the sight before them.


    "What is the meaning of this, Disciple Allen?" one of the figures, who had an aura of a peak Limit Breaker and whose appearance was akin to someone in his seventies, asked the struggling guard in the distance with narrowed eyes.


    "Elder Shiu!" the guard called Allen looked pale when he saw the sharp and piercing re on his skin, but knowing the consequences if he does not reply fast he began to narrate the events in the past few minutes.


    "You say what?!" Elder Shiu and all the rest of the experts present looked stupefied and looked at the young man''s calm expression before Senior Lin with utter disbelief.


    "There is no way! Are you sure what you have just told me is the truth?" Elder Shiu asked Allen with slightly raised brows to confirm his doubts, but An just simply showed an awkward smile and replied, "Elder Shiu, with the utmost respect, but even if I don''t talk you can see that it is true. Also, why would I ever dare to lie about something like this?"


    Indeed, when Elder Shiu and the rest heard Allen''s response they all knew that whoever that young man was, he must be an exceptional talent to stand his ground against someone like Senior Lin.


    One of the many figures that were present stepped closer to Elder Shiu and asked, "Elder Shiu... Should we help her?"


    Elder Shiu nced at the person on his side, who was, in fact, a beautiful woman in her forties with honey brown hair and curves that contoured her assets perfectly, and said calmly, "Let''s just wait and see what will happen. Maybe the Sect Master is just testing him so we shouldn''t interrupt her yet."


    Everyone around Elder Shiu nodded with understanding and still stayed on guard to jump in any given moment if things got out of hand for some unknown reason.


    Meanwhile, Khal and Senior Lin stood in front of each other with a nonchnt gaze, both of their Mind Enthralling Eyes shing against each other wildly, fighting to decide which one is the strongest!


    ''He has the same Talent as me? But how?'' Senior Lin felt a slight headacheing when she thought the boy in front of him had the same power as she did.


    As it was basic knowledge, everyone understood that every human had different Talents and only just a few existed that weremonly appearing at different individuals, such as the Body Enhancing Physique or the ability to control different elements.


    However, a mind-type Talent that possessed the power to control others at will as the Mind Enthralling Eyes did was simply so unique that there must be no second one in existence!


    ''He must be using some kind of trick! I won''t believe he has the same powers as I do!'' as Senior Lin thought those words, she began to push and circte all her essence in her body, causing her power to grow in strength by several folds in an instant!


    Khal seeing as he was pushed back and the mind sealing power was approaching him by the second just smiled coldly and said, "If you want topete in quantity, then let''s do it properly!"


    BAM!


    Pushing all of his Body Essence in his body to the utmost limit, Khal felt as his body exploded with great power and watched as his Mind Enthralling Eyes grew at least ten times stronger than it originally was, crushing Senior Lin''s as if it was nothing but a mere joke!


    "Impossible! How does he have so much Body Essence?"? Senior Lin cried out loud with a pale face and used every bit of her remaining Body Essence to fight back the approaching attack, but s, it was simply meaningless.


    Right now, she was like a mortal standing before several hundreds of meters high tsunami, ready to be washed away and killed without the slightest chance to resist!


    "Sect Master!!" all the Elders present looked deathly pale and were ready to use whatever means necessary to save her, but just as they wished, suddenly a mighty voice appeared in the air.


    "Okay, that is enough already..."


    BANG!


    An incredibly heavy pressure fell on Khal''s body the very next second, forcing him to fall onto his knees and lose his ability to operate his Talent properly, saving Senior Lin just in time!


    ''What''s with this ridiculous pressure?! It''s almost like I am being pressed down by an entire mountain!'' Khal clenched his teeth to resist the pressure that wished to crush him from above, even trying to force himself back onto his feet, which luckily, slowly but surely was happening!


    "Oh? You are quite the interesting one." the voice sounded once again but this time with a hint of piqued interest and in the next second the pressure on Khal''s body was doubled!


    BAM!


    "Urgh!"


    Falling back onto his knees with an ugly face, Khal did everything he could to resist the power on him, but no matter if he wished to circte his Essence in his body or use his Talents, none of them worked properly; it felt like the pressure on him not only weighed down on him but also had a special trait that barred him from using his powers!


    Senior Lin and the Elders present sighed with relief upon seeing this sight, and couldn''t help but raise their heads toward the sky and sp their hands in respect.


    "We thank the Ancestor for the assistance!"

 Chapter 340 - Core Disciple

    "We thank the Ancestor for the assistance!"


    Everyone present, including even Senior Lin, who was the master of this sect, sped their hands together before their chests and bowed respectfully even though there was no one visibly present.


    "Whatever, just make sure such an ident won''t happen again."


    "It was this junior''s fault, I promise it won''t happen again!" Senior Lin bowed even deeper as he replied, her face as tranquil as a pond of water.


    "If you know your mistake that''s what matters. As for him... Just make him a Core Disciple already."


    Hearing what the voice just said, Senior Lin and everyone around looked stupefied, but as neither of them had the balls toin nor question their Ancestor''s decision, all of them nodded and bowed once again.


    "As you wish!"


    "That''s what I like to hear!" the mysterious voice hummed with satisfaction before the pressure on Khal''s body vanishedpletely, causing him to control his essence and use his Talents normally once again.


    ''Just... who was he?'' Khal asked himself as he stood up with slightly shaky legs, feeling deeply shocked by what just happened to him.


    He was currently on the Third Cultivation Stage with several powerful Talents and an amount of Body Essence that only a few had in the entire Second Realm if not no one.!


    Yet, even with so many metiers that made him simply invincible on his Cultivation Stage and literally put him on equal footing with those above him in strength, he failed to resist an unknown attack from an unknown existence which normally shouldn''t even ur!


    Especially not if the unknown existence in question turned out to be a human, as that was simply impossible for him to get surpassed like this. Even if the person was at the peak of the Fifth Cultivation Stage, his real strength would only be at the peak of the Limit Breaker Stage, giving him the chance to at least resist against the pressure if not repel itpletely!


    ''Wait... then does that mean...'' suddenly, a somewhat ridiculous idea materialized in Khal''s head, and couldn''t help but feel slightly startled.


    However, before he could have the chance to think any further, suddenly noticed as several figures appeared in front of him, each of them staring at him withplicated faces; some held stern and cold faces, some looked at him curiously while others seemed to be nonchnt as they examined him up to bottom.


    "So? How do you exin yourself? I hope you are well aware that offending the Sect Master is a great crime!" Elder Shiu asked coldly which at all the figures around him nodded in approval.


    "Crime?" Khal showed a deep frown and sneered, "So you tell me self-defense is a crime? Don''t make meugh!"


    "You!" Elder Shiu wished to walk up and p Khal in the face for his arrogant behavior but was abruptly halted by a firm palm on his shoulder.


    "Sect Master!"


    Senior Lin looked at Elder Shiu with a calm, but ice-cold gaze, seemingly telling the old man in front of her not to act so rashly or he will be the one who gets the worst out of it.


    "I apologize..." admitting his mistake, Elder Shiu lowered his head and took a step back, taking a spot right behind Senior Lin.


    Senior Lin nodded gently when she saw that Elder Shiu contained himself and nced at Khal, who was now holding none of his arrogant and cold looks, but his indifferent one instead.


    "You said your name was Khal, right?" Senior Lin asked with a serene voice after examining Khal''s figure for a while.


    "Yes, I did." Khal nodded, but except for that and the short answer, he said nothing else and remained silent, curious to see what will happen now.


    "I see. Then Core Disciple Khal, wee to Moon Sect. Elder Rene will take you to your residence where you will be able to live. He will also exin everything you need to know about this ce, the rules and the things you must not do. Also, if you have or will have any questions, just look for him."


    "Elder Rene?" Khal nced at the figures behind Senior Lin to see which one of them was Elder Rene, but it was not long before one of the individuals stepped forward, giving him the answer.


    A tall frame, maybe a bit taller than he was while his body was well built and muscr, giving him a kind of prevailing image that only a few could possess. Long, waist-length silver hair that was in perfect harmony with his shining silver robe and silver eyes that flickered ever so brightly, like two pieces of jewelry under the moon''s dazzling glow!


    ''Middle phase Limit Breaker, so in reality, he is only a middle phase Body Temperer.'' Khal thought to himself as he felt Elder Rene''s cultivation base.


    "Any questions?" Senior Lin suddenly asked which at Khal nodded and said, "As a matter of fact, yeah, I have one."


    "Tell me." Senior Lin although slightly annoyed that Khal will ask a question even though she just told him Elder Rene will exin everything, crossed her arms and waited patiently.


    Ignoring the impatient look on her face, Khal nced around and asked, "Is there a ce here where I can buy herbs?"


    -


    -


    -


    Moon Sect. One of the many sects around the Second Realm, but only one out of the twenty human sects that humans sessfully were able to establish through insanely hard work and sacrifice.


    Although it was a small sect like any other human-built sects around the Second Realm, which cannot even bepared with those bigger sects such as the God Life Sect or Immortal Blood Sect, it was still a perfect ce that provided great benefit for those that decided to join it.


    Of course, the amount and quality of those benefits greatly depended if one became an Outer, Inner, or Core Disciple as the rewards and benefits one got for each title differed greatly.


    For instance, while Outer Court Disciples needed to do dangerous missions where they had to risk their lives non-stop in wish to get stronger, Inner Court Disciples could remain behind the sect''s safe walls until they had enough Contribution Points which can be exchanged for anything. Naturally, they did a few missions a month, but it was far by not as much as Outer Court Disciples did.


    As for Core Disciples, they were those special individuals inside the sect that gained the most benefits and could literally buy and do almost anything and everything freely as their value to the sect was immeasurable; it could be said that they were priceless treasures that could bring them to a brighter future, thus the reason why they were allowed to do and have almost everything!


    And such an amazing privilege which only a few could have and ignited envy in the rest, was now in Khal''s possession, who was currently standing before a small building and gazed at the huge sign on it with Elder Rene on his side.


    ''Thousand Herb Garden''

 Chapter 341 - Contribution Points

    "This ce provides with the best herbs or medicines in this Sect." Elder Rene exined calmly as he stood next to Khal, his silver eyes fixed on the small sign above the entrance.


    "I see, thank you." Khal nodded slightly and without any further hesitation walked inside the building with Elder Rene following him from behind.


    ''Damn... The smell is quite pungent in here.'' Khal lowered his brows into a small frown when he walked inside, having a slight difort from the intense aroma that pierced his nostrils the very moment he walked inside.


    But of course, such a nose-twisting smell was not a huge surprise at all as the whole ce was filled with different kinds of herbs and medical pills, each emitting a different fragrance and odor.


    "Wee to Thousand Herb Garden! Oh? Elder Rene? Long time no see my friend, haha!" a man in his mid-forties and with a well-built body stood behind a small desk, his face holding a wide grin as he nced at Elder Rene before shifting his attention at Khal on his side.


    "As for you... I have never seen your face before, you must be someone new here, right?"


    Khal, who was scanning the surroundings with apparent affliction, nced at the man behind the desk and nodded before sping his hands together before his chest.


    "Indeed, I have just be a Core Disciple."


    "Oh? A Core Disciple?" the man raised a brow in surprise but seeing that Elder Rene said nothing and just stood on the side with a nonchnt face, he touched his chin and asked, "I see. Then what do you wish to buy."


    Hearing the question, Khal didn''t hesitate and took out a small note before handing it over to the man.


    "Do you have these items?"


    Taking away the note and inspecting each and every one of the listed items, the man widened his eyes slightly before raising his gaze at Khal and asked, "Do you really wish to buy all of these? I hope you are not just trying to pull a prank on me, kid."


    Almost every item that was present on the small piece of paper held great value and was top quality among their types without a question! Just a single one among them could be sold for tens of thousands of Gold if not hundreds!


    For instance, there was a type of item on the list called Rainbow Ginseng, a herb that could grant immunity against all the five primary elements for anyone that consumed it.


    However, that only applied to ordinary Rainbow Ginsengs. As for a thousand-year-old Rainbow Ginseng could make anyone give birth to one of the five main elements inside their bodies, that they could control and use at will in the future as though it was the very extension of their bodies!


    And such an extremely rare herb, which could cause a ruckus among anyone in existence, was present on the list, something that needed tens of thousands of Contribution Points at the very least!


    "Kid... I don''t want to disappoint you, but all these herbs are..."


    "Expensive. Yeah, I know that." Khal said with a nod and continued, "But I have more than enough to buy all of them, so can you please tell me if you have them in your store or not?"


    The man looked surprised, but soon narrowed his eyes and asked, "I do have all of them, yes, but I think you still underestimate their real value, kid. Although you have just be a Core Disciple, having greater benefits than those in the Inner or Outer Court, you still have to pay hundreds of thousands of Contribution Points in the end and maybe I have still told you a small amount with that."


    Contribution Points. A form of money that can be used only inside the sect to buy things one desired to obtain, let it be items, clothes, weapons, or even food. They were a special currency that could be obtained through either selling things, epting missions, or trading.


    And how many Contribution Points does Khal, someone who has just joined the sect not quite a long time ago? Well, the answer is...


    "I have a little bit more than a million Contribution Points, a million and three hundred thousand to be exact. Will that be enough for all those herbs or not?"


    The man behind the desk crossed his arms before his chest and began tough wildly.


    "HAHAHAHA! You are quite the funny guy kid! Over a million Contribution Points? Even if you were a part of this Sect for a decade and done missions all day would not be enough for you to umte that much! Hahaha! But at least you have tried i-"


    "He is telling the truth, Cruz. So quitughing already and give him what he wants."


    Suddenly, a soft but indifferent voice appeared from the side, halting Cruz fromughing any longer and look rather startled instead.


    "Wait... You are telling me he truly has that many Contribution Points even though he just became a Core Disciple?" Cruz asked Elder Cruz on the side, his voice still holding a hint of doubts.


    "Didn''t I just say that?" Elder Rene raised a brow slightly, looking at Cruz as if he was someone dumb.


    "B-But how?" Cruz shifted his gaze back at Khal, looking at him in apletely new light now. Anyone that could umte that many Contribution Points were either extremely hard-working or...


    As he reached that point with his line of thought, Cruz''s eyes immediately widened like saucers, and asked, "Y-You have exchanged Golden Coins for Contribution Points?"


    Khal remained silent when he heard the question but still showed a slight smile to make the man in front of him know that his guess was indeed right, or at least half right as what he sold was not his Gold Coins but the different weapons and items he obtained from the vault back in Thov.


    With all of those, his position in wealth literally skyrocketed, bing the fifth richest individual in the sect, only slightly behind Senior Lin and three other Sect Elders!

 Chapter 342 - Body Tempering

    "Then, can senior please bring me the items on that list?" Khal asked with a calm smile, snapping Cruz out of his daze.


    "S-Sure...Right away. Also, don''t call me senior, you make me look old. Just call me Cruz."


    "I see, then Cruz it is." Khal nodded and watched as Cruz walked away into a small room beforeing back with several boxes in their hands.


    "There you go. Although I still can''t understand what you need all these things for, I won''t care until you pay me." sighed Cruz and quickly added, "All of this will be a total of seven hundred thousand, four hundred and fifty Contribution Points."


    "That is quite a lot, but whatever," Khal muttered under his breath, causing Cruz''s mouth to twitch, and pulled out a silver token from his pocket after checking all the items in all of the boxes.


    It was the Moon Token he used to get here, and it turned out that it not only was a teleportation token, allowing the user to teleport back at the Moon Sect once every month but was also an object that held his umted Contribution Points, just like how a bank card would with money.


    "Do you need anything else?" Cruz asked Khal as he handed his Moon Token back, but Khal just shook his head and sped his hands before his chest once he put all of the crates into his spatial ring.


    "I got everything, thank you. Now if you excuse me." saying his farewell with a respectful bow, Khal turned around and with Elder Rene on his side, he left the store.


    Watching as the door closed slowly with Khal''s and Elder Rene''s back gradually disappearing in the distance, Cruz scratched his head with an awkward face before closing his eyes and sighing.


    "I wonder which family he hails from to be this rich. Haa... Life is truly unfair."


    However, who would guess what his reaction would be if he finds out that Khal hailed from no wealthy family neither did he acquire that much wealth through hard work, but have stolen it from a vault on Thov after killing all the crawlers living there; he would definitely freak out, no question about it!


    Meanwhile, somewhere on the western side in the center of the sect, Khal was standing before a huge building, seemingly built out of Moon Silver, an extremely durable material, and other shiny materials, giving the whole ce a somewhat luxurious feeling.


    "And this will be your residence." Elder Rene said calmly and quickly added as he summoned a silver scroll into his hand, "But remember, although you have be a Core Disciple and have greater benefits than the rest, you still need to obey basic rules so make sure you read this."


    Catching the scroll which Elder Rene threw at him, Khal nodded and tossed it into his spatial ring, "I will, thank you."


    "Perfect. Then if you have any questions or you can always find me in the Moon Pavilion, located on the northern side of the Core Court." Elder Rene said calmly and without saying anything else vanished into thin air.


    ''Moon Pavilion? I will make sure to check that out once.'' Khal thought to himself and walked into the building, which he can call his home from this moment on.


    Meanwhile, in the very center of the sect, on top of a small silver mountain, where everything shone with a gentle silver light, Elder Rene stood before Senior Lin and the rest of the sect Elders.


    "So? Did you find anything special about him?" Elder Shiu asked, his voice holding slight impatience which was a rarity if one knew him well enough.


    Elder Rene nced at Elder Shiu in silence and after pondering for a while he shook his head.


    "I couldn''t. For some reason, I couldn''t sense his real Cultivation Base nor his Talent''s nature. It was almost like something akin to an invisible barrier restricted me from doing so."


    "What? Even you too?" all the Elders present showed great surprise, as all of them understood just what kind of technique the man before them was practicing, thus they couldn''t reallyprehend how he failed to see through a boy who was several years younger than them!


    "Anything else you found except that?" suddenly Senior Lin spoke up, quietening down everyone around in an instant and making them focus on Elder Rene once again.


    "As a fact, I indeed did find something interesting." as he said those words, he began to narrate the events that happened in the Thousand Herb Garden, putting everyone into deep silence on the hill once he finished talking.


    "This... Those items... Can you recall what their name was?" Senior Lin asked with a slight frown, thinking about something that even she could hardly believe.


    "Yes, I can." Elder Rene nodded and after recalling the herb names on the list he saw for a glimpse in Khal''s hands, he began to recite them one by one.


    ''Rainbow Ginseng, Hellme Rose, Abyss Slime, Frozen Silk... These are herbs that are each other''s nemesis and could cause a great explosion if tried to mix together, but if they reach a given year...'' reaching that point in her thought, Senior Lin''s eyes widened abruptly and raised her face, showing a stupefied expression that no one has ever seen before.


    "He is tempering his body! He wants to temper his body with those herbs!"


    "What? Impossible! He can''t be a Body Temperer at such a young age, can he? But even if he is, each of those herbs can mean immediate death if consumed, much less if one tries to mix them and use them to temper their bodies!" Elder Shiu voiced his doubts immidieatly, but to his and everyone''s great surprise, Senior Lin shook his head.


    "That must be indeed the case if the herbs are of low quality. However, if they matured enough and one knows them as if they were the back of their hands, with extreme caution it is possible to mix them together and use them as a way to temper one''s body!"


    "But the process is..."


    "Extremely dangerous and almost 99% the chance he will fail and die, yes. But it is still possible." Senior Lin nodded calmly as he answered Elder Shiu''s doubts.


    Everyone on the hill fell into utter silence, causing the surroundings to be so silent that even their heartbeats could be heard from meters away with a little bit of concentration!


    As the silence continued to go on with no one talking or doing a thing, suddenly Elder Rene cleared his throat and asked, "So.... Should we stop him or not?"

 Chapter 343 - Torture

    "So... Should we stop him, or not?" asking the question with a calm voice, Elder Rene waited patiently for Senior Lin to decide even though he already knew what her answer will be.


    After pondering for a few seconds under the patient gazes of the Elders, Senior Lin sighed gently and waved her hand, "Yeah, let''s stop him. There is just too much of him we don''t know and why the Ancestor decided to make him a Core Disciple, so it should be the best if we don''t risk the chance of him getting killed by his own two hands."


    Elder Rene nodded when he heard Senior Lin''s voice, and without any further hesitation, he vanished from his spot before reappearing several hundreds of meters away, right before the entrance of Khal''s residence.


    "Disciple Khal, I am here to talk with you." knocking on the door twice, Elder Rene waited patiently, but when he got no response even after a full minute he frowned slightly and knocked again.


    "Disciple Khal, are you in there?"


    And again, no answer this time either.


    ''Don''t tell me...'' as a possible scenery popped up in his mind, Elder Rene waved his hand quickly, forcing the door open with a loud ''bang'' sound, and ran inside.


    "Huh? He is not here?" seeing as neither of the living room, bedroom, or bathroom was upied or locked, Elder Rene became confused and took out a sliver token from his spatial ring.


    "He is not here."


    "Huh? What do you mean he is not there? Where did he go then?" Senior Lin''s agitated voice came from the token, showing just how distressed she was currently feeling.


    Although he did not know who Khal was or what kind of background he possessed, the fact alone that their Ancestor showed fondness toward him and even ordered her to make him a Core Disciple showed his importance, hence hearing he vanished all of a sudden with the high possibility of death made her feel like choking someone to death!


    "Find out where he is and stop him from using those herbs no matter what! Even if you need to force him then do it!"


    "Sure, I will try my best." Elder Rene nodded and after putting the token away he sighed deeply, "What a pain in the ass..."


    Swish!


    The moment Elfer Rene vanished, a figure d in strange armor suddenly emerged from a corner andughed quietly.


    "This Chameleon Armor is still good for things like this." putting his armor back into his consciousness, Khal walked before the kicked door and shook his head.


    "Why did he have to use force? It''s not like I have locked the door, right?"


    After putting the door back to its ce and locking it, Khal walked inside the bathroom and after opening the tap he began to take down his clothes and his invisible armor one by one.


    "Let''s see now then." taking out the boxes from his spatial ring he has bought back in the Thousand Herb Garden and cing them to the side, Khal opened the first box and took a nce at the herb in it.


    It was a strand of grass with a length about to that of a pinky finger. It had a bright emerald color while the edges of it seemed extremely sharp, almost like a sword''s!


    "A thousand-year-old Emerald de Grass. A small strand of grass capable of healing almost any external wounds but also has the ability to slice your limbs off your body!" muttering those words with keen interest, Khal hummed slightly and tossed it into the water inside the bathtub.


    The next item was, however, a much more interesting one. The moment he opened the lid of the small box, the temperature inside the whole room began to drop drastically, nearly falling below zero!


    "Hundred-year-old Frozen Silk. A terrifyingly dangerous web from a Frozen Reaper that can deal almost incurable freezing damage to any living being." after saying those words, he tossed the herb too into the water and watched as the water began to slightly freeze, practically bing ice in just a few blink!


    The third herb was, however, theplete opposite to that of the Frozen Silk, and the moment Khal opened the lid, the almost freezing temperature in the room suddenly began to get heated, while burning hot steam rose from the box, filling the room in an instant.


    "Hellme Rose, a rare type of nt that only lives in extremely hot environments. They say that anyone that has a fire-type Blessing or ability and consumes it will experience great growth in strength, and if they are lucky their ability will undergo a mutation too!" as Khal said those words, suddenly Liza''s image popped into his mind, causing his face to be slightly gloomy before turning resolute once again.


    Ssh!


    Throwing the Hellme Rose and all the other herbs into the water one by one, filling the bathtub almost full, Khal waved his hand gently and with his Hell ze, he began to boil the water.


    After about 2 minutes when everything in the water got dissolved and mixed together perfectly, giving the water a slightly dark color, Khal nodded with satisfaction.


    "Thanks to the Records of All Realms and the detailed tempering process written down inside it, I was able to avoid causing a fatal chain reaction between the herbs!" showing a small smile, Khal moved his body and stepped into the dark liquid before lowering his body to the point where only his head was out.


    "I am pretty sure it will hurt, but..." thinking about why he was doing this, Khal took a deep breath, and after both his mind and body were ready, he began to slowly circte the Essence inside his Essence Paths.


    "ARGH!"


    Feeling an immense piercing pain all over his body the very second he began to circte his essence, Khal felt as if thousands of hair-thin needles were pierced deep into his flesh while a hot burning sensation akin tova invaded his interior through those piercing points almost without a breather!


    The sensation was akin to torture and he has yet to circte his essence properly, even though his book just told him to do that if he hopes to temper his body properly!

 Chapter 344 - Under Attack!

    While Khal sat in his residence''s bathtub, tempering his body among painful groans and frowns, Elder Rene flew high in the sky with great speed, his silver eyes scanning the sect below him with a sharp gaze.


    "He is not here either?" a deep frown appeared on Elder Rene''s calm face, seemingly troubled by the fact he couldn''t find Khal.


    "He couldn''t have just vanished into thin air right?"


    It made no sense at all for him not to locate someone he wished to find as his Talent specialized exactly in such a way; his Silent Ear was a unique Talent that allowed him to enhance his hearing to such levels where it could be called almost heave-defying!


    If used to its maximum capacity, he could even hear and see things miles away from him, that''s just how ridiculous his power was!


    Yet, right now, as he was using his powers to the utmost extent, allowing him to see things he originally would not wish to see such as the intimate affairs between two disciples in several residences, he was still unable to see the tiniest bit of trace of Khal.


    It was almost like he has vanished into thin air right the very moment he left him alone!


    As Elder Rene flew through the air, scanning all the Courts and buildings from the sky with a nonchnt face, suddenly the Moon Token in his pocket showed signs of slight trembling thus quickly grabbed it.


    "Any news about him?" Senior Lin''s frantic voice appeared from the other side of the token, causing Elder Rene to sigh in his heart.


    "Unfortunately, I did not. As a fact, I can''t even find a slight trace of him in the sect much less his body or corpse. Almost like he evaporated into nothingness."


    "Impossible!" Senior Lin shouted up which caught off guard Elder Rene slightly as this was the very first time someone like Senior Lin showed concern toward someone else, particrly toward a disciple at that!


    ''Well, considering that disciple became a Core Disciple by the Ancestor''s help the very moment he stepped foot inside the sect... no wonder she is so tense.'' Elder Rene thought to himself and opened his mouth to ask a question, but suddenly a great tremor appeared out of nowhere, shaking the whole sect in its entirety following with a loud shout.


    "DOGS OF THE MOON GODDESS! SHOW YOURSELVES IN THIS VERY INSTANT!"


    BOOOM!


    "!?"


    Watching as a huge silver object, representing a half-broken gate, flew across the air and exploded into a building in the far distance, Elder Rene''splexion stiffened slightly and immediately vanished from the sky.


    In the next second, on the opposite side of the sect from where the gate was just blown away, Elder Rene appeared and watched as several beings d in ck armor and terrifying aura stood before the main gate to the Outer Court!


    ''Night Crawlers!'' Elder Rene''splexion turned slightly pale and became even paler when he realized it was nighttime!


    "What is happening here?" Senior Lin together with the rest of the Elders appeared not long enough, but when they noticed the army of Night Crawlers in front of them, all of their expressions became as white as a sheet of paper.


    "So you have finally decided to crawl out from your shithole, huh?" a Night Crawler d in a deep blue armor,pletely different from the the rest of the creatures behind him, took a step forward and stared at the humans with obvious disgust and hatred.


    "Pathetic. Just as weak as ever." sneering coldly, the creature who was, in reality, the leader of the Night Crawler race, shifted his freezing stare at Senior Lin and asked, "I give you 1 minute to exin yourself before I burn this whole ce down to the ground."


    "What?" all the Elders together with Senior Lin looked stupefied when they heard what King Zell just said, and gradually began to panic from both confusion and fear.


    "L-Lord Zell... Please, let''s talk about this first. There must be a huge misunderstanding!" Senior Lin raised her hand forward, trying to remain calm, but her actions only made King Zell narrow his eyes and let his Cultivation Base go wild.


    BAM!


    Feeling the almost bone-crushing weight fell on her body, Senior Lin''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle while her asionally indifferent face paled greatly.


    ''P-Peak Ascender Stage! We are screwed!''


    "Haha! You are not only weak but even dare to move without my father''s permission? Are you really that dumb or do you simply have a death wish?" a serene but devil-like voice appeared in everyone''s ear the very next second before a beautiful figure with otherworldly features walked out from King''s Zell''s shadow and stood beside him.


    Obsidian ck skin that looked in regards to Night Crawlers was without any imperfections, bright yellow eyes that shone brighter than two pieces of golds, silk-smooth snow-white hair that fell behind her back like a waterfall, and assets that made her already voluptuous figure even more seductive and alluring to the eye than it originally was!


    All those features that could drive even other races to madness over lust together with her pretty face that held a tiny bit of mischief, made her look like a subus or little devil that no one could escape from no matter the struggle!


    Her name was Lirit, a peak Limit Breaker existence that was also King Zell''s only daughter even though he had many wives over the decades.


    "Dad, there is no reason for you to listen to their pathetic lies. What I saw is more than enough, there is no reason for you to waste your time with them. Just kill them already."


    Seeing the devilish grin on Lirit''s face, Senior Lin and all the Elders under King Zell''s pressure shuddered greater than before, feeling as the reaper''s scythe that lingered around their necks until this moment tightened more and more by the second.


    "L-Lord Zell... Please... We really have no clue... About what we did wrong! Please enlighten us!" Senior Lin forced herself to utter those words, hoping it will be enough to make King Zell believe her.


    ''...'' King Zell remained silent for a while as he examined Senior Lin''s face, but when he noticed she was not lying he snorted and withdrew his aura.


    "I will give you 2 minutes to bring me your disciple who was on Thov 3 days ago. If not, I don''t care if it was your sect or not, this ce together with all of your despisable lives will be razed from existence!"

 Chapter 345 - And You Call Yourself A King?

    Thov?" all the Elders looked at Senior Lin in confusion.


    Maybe not every disciple knew this, but all the Elders present were clear about the fact that whenever a disciple wished to leave the sect for a mission or for other reasons, let it be Outer, Inner, or Core Disciple, they have to get the approval of the Sect Master no matter what.


    Hence, the only person who would know which of their disciple went to Thov in the past three days should be only her and no one else. Or at least until if she got notified about such a thing, because if not and a disciple decided to sneak out secretly, which had a very low possibility of one to a million, they were really screwed this time.


    ''Let''s hope she knows who it was or else we are in real deep shit!'' all the Elders looked pale as they thought the same thing, waiting for Senior Lin to speak up and say the culprit''s name aloud.


    They would be more than d to skin alive that someone, teaching him a lesson for offending one of the scariest races such as the Night Crawlers!


    However, who would have thought that instead of saying the name they so waited to hear, Senior Lin''s delicate face paled even more and slowly turned toward their direction, herplexion telling everything they needed to know.


    ''Fuck!'' all the Elder''s faces turned ugly, almost like they have just swallowed a bug.


    After thinking for a while, Senior Lin shifted her slightly trembling eyes at King Zell and swallowed nervously while saying, "K-King Zell... With all my respect, although it is hard to believe what I say next, none of our disciples have left this sect''s walls. I supervise all activities inside and around our Moon Sect, thus I can say with assurance that no Moon Disciple visited Thov in the past 3 days."


    King Zell showed a deep and scary frown when he heard what Senior Lin just said and asked coldly, "So, you wish to tell me that one of my men who survived the massacre on Thov from a human in your Moon Robe saw things wrong and even my daughter, who saw that individual with her own eyes, lied to me just to cause trouble to you for no reason? You dare to say me that?"


    A heavy pressure fell on the group of humans once again when those were said, forcing all of them to fall onto their knees without a chance to resist. Even the ground below their legs became cracked, showing just how serious and dire the situation was to Senior Lin and the Elders at the moment.


    "I...I do not dare... to dere something like that... even if I had the guts as vast as the sky..." Senior Lin quickly hissed through her clenched teeth while she watched as trickles of blood dripped onto the ground from the corner of her mouth bit by bit.


    Butpared to the rest of the Elders on her side, her condition was way much better as there were a few Elders that have already fallen unconscious from failing to withstand the great pressure on their bodies while somey on the ground in a pond of blood, unknown if they were still alive or cold dead long ago!


    "Then how do you exin your previous statement?" King Zell sneered and increased the pressure on Senior Lin''s body even more, causing her to cough up a great amount of blood, painting the floor below her more crimson than it was.


    "I..." Senior Lin felt as her vision turned blurry and her consciousness seeps out of her control, but just as things seemed to end for once and for all, the scenery around her and King Zell changed, bing a vast colorful cosmos filled with stars,s, and meteorites.


    "Hm?" all the Night Crawlers including Lirit and King Zell looked around in confusion when they saw the sudden change of events, but even before they had the chance to move or say a word, the whole scenery around them began to spin.


    "Bleargh!"


    "ARGH!


    "W-What the... Blraergh!"


    Night Crawlers one after another began to scream as they clutched their heads in pain while a tremendous amount of ck blood gushed out of their mouths like a hot stream of river fall!


    One by one, hundreds of creatures fell onto the ground unknown if their lives were intact or not while the only ones that could resist the brain-piecing power were King Zell, Lirit, and a few others that were close to the Ascender Stage.


    "Domain type Blessing that attacks the mind?" King Zell muttered under his breath as he inspected the spinning scenery around him, seemingly unfazed that his soldiers were falling behind his back like leaves on a cold autumn night.


    The first thing that appeared in King Zell''s mind was that someone from the Star Angel Race appeared and decided to help these humans from their demise, but that thought was quickly thrown into the trash as the traits of the Domain around him was slightly different from that of the winged creatures.


    "This is annoying." looking at the things around him for a little while longer, King Zell sneered quietly and waved his hand casually, immediately tearing the domain into hundreds of pieces and letting his men finally take a breather that seemed like an eternity.


    "What... was that just now?" Senior Lin looked speechless by the sight she had just seen in the past few minutes, but couldn''t think any further as a young figure appeared on his side with casual steps.


    "Y-You!" Senior Lin and all the Elders that were still conscious looked dumbfounded to see Khal appear out of nowhere with a nonchnt expression, almost like he didn''t even care who the individual in front of him was!


    And as a fact, he really did not care, that is why he looked so indifferent even though the being in front of him was King Zell, a powerful expert who was only half a step away from reaching the Third Realm!


    Looking at the Elders around him with a nonchnt look, a cold sh appeared in Khal''s eyes before he shifted his gaze at King Zell and sneered.


    "You wish to see only one dead, yet you threaten hundreds instead even though they''re all innocent? Just how unreasonable can you be, but really? And you really call yourself a King?"

 Chapter 346 - Not Human!

    The ce in front of Moon Sect fell intoplete silence to the point where even a pin drop could have been heard if one would happen to fall onto the ground.


    Whether it was the Elders, Senior Lin, or the Night Crawlers, at this very moment all of them stared at the sole individual in front of them with tightly closed mouths and stupefied expressions.


    However, the silence was only short-lived for a few seconds before King Zell began tough wildly, attracting all the attention onto him at once.


    "HAHAHAHA!! HAHAHA!" among thunderousughs like someone who lost all screws in their heads, King Zell covered his face with his palm and showed a crazed smile before parting his fingers, revealing a menacing eye that held an immense amount of killing intent.


    "Dad, he is..." Lirit wished to say something when she saw Khal''s figure but was abruptly stopped by King Zell with a raised hand which made her small lips twitch scarcely.


    "I know, and I can''t lie but feel amused." as King Zell said those words he never even once took his eyes off Khal''s figure and even evaluated his figure from to bottom as if he wished to see through him.


    "Human, what is your name?"


    Khal crossed his arms casually at that question and showed a cold smile, "Why would I even tell my name to a corpse? It makes no sense at all."


    "THE AUDACITY!!" a Night Crawler d in ck armor took a step forward from behind King Zell and bared its white teeth at Khal as if he wished to tear out a chunk of flesh from Khal''s body.


    "Who do you, a lowly human with a little bit greater strength than the rest of your pathetic race, think you are? Know your ce tr-"


    Swish!


    Thud!


    "Eh?" feeling a slight piercing pain in his right shoulder after a sound akin to something heavy falling onto the ground, the creature widened his eyes and subconsciously shifted his gaze at his right.


    "M-My arm! It fell off! Argh!" clutching the spot where his right arm should have been attached, the creature turned pale from fear and watched as blood gushed out of his wound like a river fall from a den, filling the air with the smell of iron!


    "So annoying," Khal muttered coldly under his breath and without a second thought waved his hand which now held Moonshadow once again.


    Swish!


    Swish!


    Swish!


    In just under a few blinks, the creature''s body was torn to shreds, leaving on its spot nothing but shredded organs, bones, and flesh!


    "What?" Senior Lin and the Elders next to her seemed dumbstruck after witnessing the sight, and couldn''t help but shudder unwittingly and swallow nervously as their gazes were simultaneously glued onto the weapon in Khal''s hand.


    ''That weapon... It''s a Spiritual Weapon, but... Isn''t he only a Body Temperer? How can he use it that great where not even a Peak Limit Breaker can react in time?'' Lirit seemed muddled and gradually realized she must have underestimated the human boy in front of her.


    If it were her who would have been attacked by that assault just now... she was sure she would have died without having the chance to scream up with pain!


    Even King Zell seemed to realize this and turn grim, as the only person around who saw what just happened was him and maybe Senior Lin too. As for why he did not help his subordinate when he had the ability to do so... Well, he just simply wished to see the strength of the human in front of him, that is all.


    But now that he saw his strongest attack, he was perfectly aware of his limits thus showed a vermin-like smile and raised his feet to take a step forward. However, just as he was about to do so, Khal''s indifferent voice appeared in the air which made his feet freeze in the air.


    "If you take even a step forward, I promise you will end up just like how your dog did."


    ''...''


    Once again, the whole ce fell silent but soon King Zell''s eyes narrowed dangerously and said, "Your arrogance truly knows no limits, human brat. Do you really think because you have just killed one of my men with the help of a Spiritual Weapon, you can threaten me?"


    BAM!


    A powerful aura broke out of King Zell''s body the moment he said those words, which immediately appeared and pressed down on Khal''s body, seemingly in a drive to crush his body in its whole!


    Crack!


    "Haha! Not so cocky now, are w-, huh?" King Zell wished to mock Khal as he imagined his figure getting mashed under his presence, but who would have thought that his imagination didn''t evene true and instead the human appeared right in front of him!


    "You are really a fool to think I will just stand still and wait for you to take your chance on me," Khal said calmly and without allowing King Zell to snap out of his daze he swung his fist while also activating his Bloodshed Touch and pushing half of his Body Essence into his arm the very same time!


    BOOOM!


    "DAD!" Lirit watched with horror as his father''s figure was sent to fly through the air and crashed into a huge boulder while also destroying several trees in his way, but soon her pupils shrunk into the size of a needle as a cold breath akin to the reaper''s appeared on her left ear.


    "Just where do you think you are looking at, woman?"


    "Huh?" Lirit wished to turn around to defend herself, but unfortunately, she waste by a heartbeat.


    SLAP!


    With a loud p that could be heard even several even miles away, Khal watched as Lirit''s figure was pped flying into the far distance where she crashed into a small pond with a great ''ssh!'' sound, filling the air with thick crystal clear droplets of water in great numbers!


    "Phew... I feel somewhat better now. For some reason, their faces irritated my nerves." Khal sighed deeply and slowly shifted his gaze at the rest of the creatures in front of him, looking at them with a nonchnt look.


    "?!"


    All the creatures there seemed to see their past memories of their lives in a sh when Khal turned to look at them, as all of their eyes lost their previous firmness while their faces turned ashen, some even taking several steps back with shaking bodies out of sheer fear!


    Just now, a human who should be weak and beg for their mercy just now punched their leader right in the face and sent him flying while doing the same with the sole princess with a p!


    In their eyes, Khal was no longer a human but a horrendous creature disguised in human skin!


    However, just as they thought they will be the next in line, a coldugh emerged behind their backs together with a great explosion.


    "Now you have done it, human! I will make sure to break all of your bones in your body and feed your shredded flesh to my dogs!"


    BAM!


    In a blink, King Zell''s figure emerged just a meter away from Khal, his face filled with unsurpassable anger and killing intent!


    "Die!" King Zell hissed coldly and with all of his strength that made all of his muscles bulge terrifyingly, he threw out a punch at Khal''s face in the exact same manner as Khal did a few moments ago!

 Chapter 347 - Completely Surpassed!

    "Die!" throwing out a punch in the exact same manner as Khal did, King Zell roared angrily, his voice and eyes containing all the rage he was currently feeling.


    Since the very first day he knew himself, he strived for greatness and worked harder than anyone in his race, that is how he was capable of bing the leader of the Night Crawler Race in the Second Realm after a bit more than forty years!


    He killed all those that tried to hinder his growth and destroyed everything that attempted to stand before his path. Because of that, no one dared to underestimate him nor had the guts to offend him, yet, a lowly human who was not even on the Limit Breaker Stage not only did challenge him but even punched him right in the face!


    And to make things even worse, he seeded and did the same thing with his daughter too!


    What was this if not the biggest humiliation life has given to him?


    "If I don''t spill your organs and paint this ce with your blood today, I am the biggest disgrace my race has ever seen!" King Zell roared loudly and with a greater drive than before, he threw his fist forward.


    Khal watched the fist approach his face with a speed greater than he could follow and with a force that more than likely crush his skull and brain if happen to hit him, but still held a nonchntplexion and even began to smile.


    "Unfortunately, you have already lost even before having the chance topete." Khal sighed gently and just when the fist was about to crash into his face, he waved his hands.


    Swish!


    "!?"


    In that instant, everything came to an abrupt halt, and everyone around watched as King Zell''s fist became motionless in the air just about an inch away from Khal''s face almost as if it was frozen!


    "Y-You! What did you do to me?" King Zell hissed through his clenched teeth as he struggled to move his body, but found it with great fright that he was incapable of doing so.


    Despite feeling his body just as perfectly as ever before, for some unknown reasons he failed to control his movements, almost as if a ghost have invaded his body and prevented him from doing so!


    "What... is happening? Why is the King hesitating?" many Night Crawlers looked at this sight withplex faces, none of them understanding what was currently happening before their eyes.


    The same went for the Elders and Senior Lin too as even they showed great surprise and confusion. Especially Senior Lin as she was perfectly aware that Khal didn''t use any Martial Technique or secret skill as she would have easily noticed it.


    As for Khal, he just stared at King Zell with a calm expression,pletely unfazed that just now he was only a hairbreadth away from getting smashed into mincemeat for good!


    However, if one had a keen eyesight or looked closely at his forehead, one would realize he was not even as calm as he was showing it as small drops of sweat were flowing down his face one by one, seemingly the sign that he was at his limit just by sealing off King Zell''s movement.


    [You were quite reckless, that could have easily cost your life!]


    Nova''s voice appeared in Khal''s head, forcing a small bittersweet smile to appear on Khal''s face.


    Indeed, he could have easily died just now if it weren''t for his ridiculous amount of Body Essence and his trust in his Bloodshed Touch ability!


    ''Who would have guessed that this Talent of mine would grow so much that not even a Fifth Stage existence could resist it? Haha!'' Khalughed slightly in his heart, feeling both awe and joy after discovering just how great his Bloodshed Touch has be.


    He could clearly remember the time back in the First Realm where he used this ability to see creatures through walls from a far distance and hunt them down. He could also remember when he used it to solidify his blood during his fight with Logan, saving him from getting his arm to be cut off.


    However, since then, he didn''t really use it and didn''t notice just how strong it has be until this very moment.


    ''To think I can now control others'' through their blood once I touch them...'' Khal couldn''t help but feel ecstatic about this new discovery that could literally save him almost anytime in the future.


    Of course, although feeling happy, Khal was also secretly disappointed as unfortunately, while he could control anyone he once touched as there were quite a few downsides of this power, such as the amount of Body Essence it required him to use or the duration he could keep it active.


    Back in the First Realm, he did not notice this as his Body Essence did not flow through Essence Paths as it did now but surged in his entire body, but all of his Talent''s could only function by consuming his Body Essence just like how his Secret Arts and Martial Arts would when used; some would require more while some would need only a small amount.


    As for his Bloodshed Touch, it was definitely in the former category as only after a few seconds after he started to use it, more than a thousand units of his Body Essence had been absorbed without any sign of slowing down!


    Naturally,pared to his more than 100,000 units of essence thanks to his time on Thov, a single thousand units was nothing, but still, it was scary to think just how much his Bloodshed Touch required to make a single individual keep in ce.


    ''Well, it can be also because he is two whole Stages above me, who knows. I need to test it out once I am done with him.'' thought Khal and as he felt the connection between him and King Zell''s blood began to weaken, he raised his hand and grabbed the fist in front of him.


    "I will give you one final chance to redeem yourself and your men from your demise." by saying those words, Khal waved his other free hand and summoned a scroll into his hand which he opened and showed to King Zell.


    "Bring me all the items on this list and you can leave this ce alive. If not, even you know what will happen, right?"

 Chapter 348 - Given Chance, Lost Opportunity

    As Khal stared deeply into King Zell''s eyes, he secretly moved his Bloodshed Touch and forced the blood in the leader of the Night Crawler Race to get out of control for a split moment.


    King Zell''s face turned ugly when he felt as his blood began to move reverse in his veins, his almost soulless eyes gaping at the human in front of him as if he was a ghost of some sort.


    "You... How do you have three Blessings?" King Zell struggled to say those words as it was obvious from the trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth that he was feeling immense pain at the moment and could hardly speak.


    However, at the same time, he was also feeling indescribable shock as the human creature before him just now exhibited another Blessing even though he has already possessed two other!


    One was his appearance-changing ability which he used on Thov to fool Bane and his soldiers while the second one was used just now to save the Sect Elders and Senior Lin.


    While it was not a huge surprise that there were a few humans that possessed two Blessings, it was extremely rare that a human had three Blessings! It could be even said that only one out of a hundred million had the chance to own three Blessings at once, and even then if they were lucky enough!


    King Zell could easily count the number of such humans existing on one of his hands as all of those became powerful beings even if they hailed from the Human Race.


    However, all those experts were around seventy years old and not less than twenty as the human in front of him! Just what kind of treasure did he use to acquire such a great strength under so small amount of time?


    He wanted to know, but unfortunately, no matter how much he wished to unearth his secrets and make them his, he won''t be able to do so as currently he was in the tight hold of this human boy who he underestimated greatly.


    "Three?" Khal curved his lips upward as his eyes shed with slyness and asked, "Who said I only have three?"


    BAM!


    Immediately as he said those words his hand that held King Zell''s fist lit up with zing crimson mes while his eyes turned sky blue that emitted nothing but blood-freezing coldness!


    "Imp... Argh!" King Zell wished to say something when he saw the sudden changes on and around Khal, but because of the burning sensation that pierced his hand and doubled his pain, the only thing that escaped his mouth was a muffled groan filled with distress.


    As for the Elders and Senior Lin, they have already lost all of their logical reasoning as none of them couldprehend what was happening before their eyes.


    Five different Blessings, each of them used continuously to surpass and dominate an existence on the Peak Ascender Stage even though he was just a Body Temperer. Also, when they thought back how he used a sixth one to confront Senior Lin, they couldn''t help but feel their head start to hurt from a great headache.


    "Is he even a human at this point?" Senior Lin sighed deeply as her eyes were fixed on Khal''s back, realizing she could consider herself lucky for not getting killed when she offended him.


    "So? What will be your answer?" Khal asked calmly and even though he felt his Body Essence getting depleted at a rapid pace, he still tightened his palm around King Zell''s first, forcing an even greater grunt to appear in his ear.


    King Zell clenched his teeth in pain and was about to ept the offer, but just as he was about to open his mouth he noticed as the shadow below Khal''s feet began to move slightly, making his eyes flicker with light before a cunning smile appeared on his face.


    "My answer? You can go and fuck yourself that is my answer!"


    And immediately as he said those words, the shadow below Khal''s feet shifted and an arm holding a dagger flew out, threatening to slice Khal into two halves at a crazy speed!


    "WATCH OUT!" Senior Lin seeing this screamed out aloud in the hope it will help Khal react in time, but deep in her heart she already knew it was toote; the speed with which the weapon moved was just too great, and there was no chance at all that Khal will be able to survive.


    "It''s over..." Senior Lin''s face paled as he watched the dagger approach Khal''s lower part with a speed that not even a Peak Limit Breaker would be able to follow, and her head already imagined the sight she will see soon.


    However, just as the weapon could have reached him, a sigh simr to someone deeply disappointed in someone else appeared in the air before a cold voice filled with indifference followed suit.


    "I see... Then it has been settled."


    And with those words, a mixture of half ck and half white light broke out from Khal''s free hand before he swung his hand casually toward the shadow below him.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    [Lifeforce has been sessfully stolen. Your lifespan has increased by 201 years!]


    ''Woah! That much?'' Khal felt greatly surprised when he heard the notification in his head, but quickly calmed down and shifted his nonchnt gaze at King Zell who stared at the half ck and half white sword in his hand with a stupified expression.


    "Y-You... What did you do?" King Zell''s eyes trembled from fear as he stared at the spot where the weapon was pierced in the ground, thinking about something which he wished not to believe.


    However, his fear quickly turned into a nightmare by the following words that Khal has said.


    "I gave you a chance with which you didn''t live, so I have killed your daughter and now you," Khal said casually, and without waiting for King Zell to say anything else he waved his sword once again, sending King Zell''s head flying into the air!


    [Lifeforce has been sessfully stolen. Your lifespan has increased by 173 years!]

 Chapter 349 - Blood And Flesh

    ''That''s less than the first time?'' Khal thought to himself slightly disappointed as he watched King Zell''s headless corpse fall to the ground like a trunk and paint the silver grass into a deep crimson color before turning into a floating yellowish substance.


    "T-The King... Did he... die? Just like that?" a Night Crawler on the Peak Limit Breaker Stage muttered on a low, but shaky voice, his gaze wide like saucers.


    And it was not only him but the rest of the creatures behind him too! All of them were shaking like leaves in a wild storm, their dread-filled eyes staring at Khal like he was some kind of monster that crawled out of the deepest pit of hell!


    "F-Fuck this! I''m out of here!"


    "Me too!"


    "H-Hey! Where the hell you all think are going!"


    In the very next second, all the Elders behind Khal together with Senior Lin watched with still dumbfounded faces as the creatures one by one began to turn around and run like rats fleeing a sinking ship in the middle of an ocean, pushing each other away from one another as if there was no tomorrow!


    There were even a few that used their techniques to kill theirrades that were unlucky enough and happened to be in their paths, painting the silver scenery into the color of crimson and filling the air with the smell of iron in almost no time at all.


    The once seemingly still and peaceful domain now became the literal home of death and the birthce of souls! Night Crawlers fell lifelessly onto the ground one at a time like leaves in a cold autumn night, their corpses creating hills and their blood forming rivers.


    "Such a waste." Khal clicked his tongue in annoyance as he watched the precious amount of essences getting wasted in front of his eyes, thus quickly summoned his sole Spiritual Weapon into his now free hand and waved it.


    Swish!


    With a single swing, Moonshadow''s de attached itself off from the handle and under Khal''s precise control reaped almost hundreds of creatures'' lives as if they were nothing but pigs before a well-sharpened de that could only hope their death will be less painful than theirrades!


    And exactly under a few minutes, all the Night Crawlers, let it be those on the Third or Fourth Cultivation Stage, each of them was in without mercy, none of them given the chance to run away more than a few hundreds of meters!


    All of their lives had their owner, and that someone was Khal and no one else!


    [Your Body Essence has dropped below 20%!]


    ''More than 80% of my Body Essence was depleted just by dealing with a sole Peak Ascender Stage existence and several Third and Fourth Stage experts?'' Khal seemed unsatisfied by the amount of essence he needed to use this time, but , because he could do nothing about it he just shook his head and epted the fact.


    However, if any of the Elders or Senior Lin would have known what he was currently thinking, it was sure they would choke him to death if not beat him up until he did not apologize!


    He wasining even after all the things that happened? Didn''t he feel shame just by his own thoughts?


    Just how many beings existed in the whole Second Realm that could achieve what he did just now? Let alone the fact that he just demonstrated a fact that was believed to be impossible until this moment, but he even annihted literally an entire race including their leader too! Does he have any clue just what kind of feat did he achieve just now?


    ''But wait... Isn''t this a good thing for us?'' Senior Lin suddenly thought about something and her previously pale face gained back a bit of its color while her eyes brightened slightly.


    ''If this news gets out of here, the races that looked down on us now will have no choice but fear slightly and act with a little bit more caution when around us! With him here, we no longer have to feel worried about other races attacking us, and maybe... Just maybe we can have the chance to get the approval of the Moon Goddess!''


    As those words appeared in her head, a slight me of hope and excitement was ignited in her heart while her eyes looked at Khal''s figure in the distance in apletely new light.


    ''No wonder the Ancestor thought so highly of him, he is truly one of a kind among the rest! The Ancestor truly is a superb man!''


    However, if she would have known that her dear Ancestor only thought about Khal highly because he had the guts and power to go against her and resist her attacks back then and not because he knew the potential and strength hidden deep inside of Khal, what would her face be like?


    Well, it would be a sight to witness that was for sure!


    After killing all the creatures and leaving none of them alive, Khal quickly proceeded to consume the now yellowish substances above the ground and transform them into units of Body Essences, increasing the amount he had by a huge margin!


    Now, his previous 167,436 units almost doubled, reaching 302,872 units in just under a few minutes!


    Of course, the pain he felt during this time was great, butpared to the time when he tempered his body or refined his organs, it was nothing, could be even said was only a tickle at most!


    As for the Elders and Senior Lin, they were still watching Khal''s figure in the distance in silence and dumbfoundedplexion,pletely ignoring the moments where he groaned slightly or frowned out of pain.


    However, they soon had to snap back into reality, especially because it was not long before Khal finished consuming all the essences in the blood and corpse-filled field, and now was walking forward them with slow steps.


    "D-Disciple Khal..." Senior Lin and the Elders immediately stood up from the ground once Khal was before them, all of their expressions holding the same emotion; respect.


    Khal seeing the several respectful gazes on his skin held an indifferent face, but deep inside felt satisfied and couldn''t help but smile in his heart. Now that he showed off a little bit from his strength, he can ask for almost anything and hold position in the sect that won''t be lower than that of the Sect Master!


    He was sure he will be able to reach the Limit Breaker Stage in no time at all and focus his attention to reach the Fifth Cultivation Stage so he can finally attempt to enter the Zero Realm and go back to the First Realm as soon as possible!


    As he thought about this and Liza''s image popped up in his head, Khal''s face turned serious and his gaze instantly shifted at Senior Lin''s figure on the side before in a low and calm voice, said, "Sect Master, I need to ask for your help."

 Chapter 350 - Tempering Day And Night: Breakthrough!

    "Sect Master, I need to ask for your help."


    When those words sounded, all the Elders shifted their attention at Senior Lin on the side, who at first seemed confused but quickly calmed down and after bowing deeply, said, "Disciple Khal... After all the things you have done for us and saved this sect from destruction, even if you ask me to hand my title as the Sect Master to you I would not hesitate! So tell me what you want and I will act immediately!"


    "Huh?" all the Elders and even Khal looked dumbfounded after hearing the words Senior Lin just said, as they found her words and behavior a little bit... overdramatic.


    Handing over her title because she was saved from someone that threatened their lives? Sure, it was understandable to feel gratitude and respect toward him, and even the urge to give him something in exchange for his heroic deed, but going so far as to say such a thing like this... it was rather absurd, wasn''t it?


    Senior Lin seemed to feel the thoughts of the people around her thus raised her head slightly and while focusing on Khal''s face, she spoke calmly, "Don''t misunderstand me, I didn''t go insane nor do I feel the urge to be theatrical, I just simply do and say the right things that must be said and done after such situation."


    She then shifted her gaze at the Elders on her side and with a slightly colderplexion than when she stared at Khal, asked, "Or what? Don''t you feel and think the same as me? Don''t you feel shame that you, the seemingly strongest individuals in this sect failed to protect the walls of your home and had to depend on a sole disciple''s strength to survive? If I were you, I would reconsider if I still should carry the title of Sect Elder or not."


    The words of Senior Lin were akin to cold water dropping down right on their heads in the middle of a cold winter, forcing them to realize that what they have just heard was indeed the truth and the way they thought so far was naive and stupid.


    Indeed, if it was not for the young man in front of them that came just in time to save their lives, who else could have had the power to resist the assault of the several hundreds of Third and Fourth Stage experts together with a peak Fifth Stage being a few moments ago?


    They should have been the ones protecting this sect as they were the Elders and not Khal, yet they failed miserably, without even the tiniest of a chance to act as they were surpassed and looked down on as ants from the very first second they have appeared here!


    They failed miserably and Senior Lin''s words made perfect sense; they should really reconsider calling themselves the Elders of this Sect.


    As for the very reason why all of this happened, who cared about that? This was a world filled with unfairness and harshness, where the strong ruled and the weak obeyed!


    No one cared if everything that happened was because Khal offended the Night Crawler Race beforeing here or not, what mattered was if they were able to stand their ground when reality hit hard and survive or fall miserably. And as far as they could see it, they have fallen miserably, no question about it!


    As the realization hit them, all the Elders turned toward Senior Lin and after kneeling down onto the ground, they pushed their heads onto the ground one by one, showing that they recognized their mistakes and wished to be forgiven.


    Senior Lin seeing this looked cold for a small while before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to calm herself down.


    "Stand up. I won''t take away any of your ranks as Elder of this sect, but you will still be punished, including me too as I can be med just as much as you if not more. Even though I am the Sect Master with the greatest responsibility, I failed to protect this sect and no one can deny that fact."


    As she said those words, Senior Lin turned to look at Khal and bowed once again, "That is why, if you wish to be the master of this sect, you just need to say one word, nothing else."


    The whole ce fell intoplete silence when that happened, while Khal looked at Senior Lin with eyes as one would look at aplete idiot or at someone they didn''t know what to do.


    Be the master of this sect? What? He has no wish such as that nor did have such a desire in the past as currently, he has a much greater ambition than that. Maybe in the future, yes, but even if such a dayes where he decides to be a Sect Master, then it would be in his own sect which he created through his own efforts and not by stealing it away from someone else.


    Also, let''s not talk about the responsibilities and works thate with such a title... He was just way too young for those kinds of things, and Senior Lin was more than perfect to hold that position than him!


    Thinking about this, Khal showed a bittersweet smile and said calmly, "Sect Master, I don''t wish to be the master of this sect nor do I want anything ridiculous in exchange for me helping kill those weaklings, as I would have ended their lives sooner orter, I just hope you can get me these items."


    "Huh?" Senior Lin raised her head in surprise,pletely ignoring the part where Khal called the Night Crawlers as weaklings and stared at the piece of paper in his hand with widened eyes.


    "This... Do you wish to use this to temper your body?" Senior Lin asked after she calmed down and inspected the names of the items on Khal''s list.


    Khal nodded and after showing a slight smile asked, "Do you think it is possible for you to get these items for me?"


    Senior Lin looked up and down between the list and Khal in silence a few times before she jumped up onto her feet all of a sudden and showed a proud smile, "Believe me, if it''s just something like this, I will get you twice... No! Thrice the amount you currently want! I promise!"


    Khal''s smile widened more when he heard the response and said with a voice holding joy, "I see, then I will leave this matter to you."


    -


    -


    -


    After the incident that happened before Moon Sect, more than a week has passed in a blink, and under that amount of time Khal was given a prestige that was akin to the Elders but because of his stillcking Cultivation Base, he was still just a Core Disciple.


    However, that was soon to be changed as of right inside his residence, inside his bathtub, after tempering his body day and night without stopping, Khal finally reached the well-awaited bottleneck, keeping him only a single step away from breaking into the Fourth Cultivation Stage and bing an official Limit Breaker!


    "Herees nothing!" Khal told to himself calmly, and after tossing several items from his spatial ring into the water he was in that was cker than ink, he took a deep breath and without any further hesitation sunk below its surface.

 Chapter 351 - Limit Breaker

    On top of the small hill, Senior Lin was sitting in a lotus position and meditating with the Elders around her doing the same. None of them talked nor moved as all of them concentrated on themselves in silence, trying to break the current shackles in their bodies that deterred them from entering the next Cultivation Stage.


    BOOM!


    "?!"


    As all of them were concentrating on their own cultivation, suddenly a huge explosion shook the ground below their bodies, forcing all of their eyes to snap open in a sh and their guards to be raised in no time.


    After the sudden appearance of the Night Crawler Race, none of them, including Senior Lin, could remain calm when a slight tremor or ruckus was caused in or around the sect, as all of them suspected the first right of the bat.


    "What happened?" Senior Lin activated one of her Martial Techniques to look around the sect, especially around the entrance, but to her great surprise the explosion didn''te from there, but from the center of the sect instead!


    "Isn''t that area..." as a sudden realization hit her, Senior Lin shot up onto her feet and without saying anything else vanished from her spot, surprising all the Elders around her.


    "What are you all waiting for? Let''s go!" Elder Shiu scoffed at the rest coldly and he too stood up quickly before vanishing into thin air and following the route where Senior Lin has vanished into a few moments ago.


    All the Elders vanished one after another after hearing Elder Shiu, but once they reappeared several hundred meters away before the source of the explosion, all of their eyes widened as if they were saucers.


    "The residence... Did it... explode? But how?" an Elder that looked to be in his forties with a long beard and wide shoulders asked shockingly, his usually firm and calm gaze now fixed on the huge piles of broken debris and boulders with fright and disbelief.


    Everyone, including himself, knew perfectly well that the ce where now only ruin could be seen once stood a solid building that was capable of withstanding even a few strikes from a Peak Limit Breaker thanks to the materials it was built from and the arrays it has been installed with!


    Yet, such a building was destroyed entirely, inducedpletely into nothing more but dust and rubble under a seemingly few seconds if not less!


    "Sect Master... Isn''t this ce is..." Elder Rene Shiu stepped closer to Senior Lin''s side, whose pretty face now seemed to bepletely frozen and pale, almost like she just saw a ghost in the night!


    "Sect Mas...ter? Huh?" Elder Shiu was about to ask his question once again as he got no answer for the first time, but before he had the chance to do so, the center of the huge ruins began to move before a powerful aura exploded from below, sending several pieces flying high up into the air.


    "Damn... That was close!" Khal''s seemingly exhausted voice appeared in the air which was followed by a deep sigh the next second, making Senior Lin''s stiffplexion rx and a sigh of relief escape her mouth between her cherry lips as she watched Khal''s figure emerge from below the ruins unscathed.


    "Congrattions on your breakthrough, Disciple Khal. Or should I call you Elder Khal instead?" Senior Lin walked toward Khal with a calm smile, but soon had to stop in her track the moment her eyes began to wander at Khal''s lower parts, only to realize he wore nothing at all!


    He waspletely naked and every part of his skin was before bare sight, including his manhood too!


    ''What the hell is with that size? Isn''t he only 18?'' such thoughts appeared in Senior Lin''s head as her gaze subconsciously got glued at the thing between Khal''s legs before she had to turn her head away with a flushed face, feeling slightly shameless for staring so intensely and long.


    Although being Moon Sect''s master for almost a decade now who could get anything easily, Senior Lin was still a woman, and such an unexpected scene such as this could catch her off guard rather easily no matter if she was good at hiding her emotions behind a cold mask or not.


    She couldn''t keep herposure together, not after seeing a sight such as the one a few seconds ago that was a fact.


    "Huh?" Khal, who until this moment was in deep thought thanks to his breakthrough, after hearing Senior Lin''s voice turned to look toward her direction, only to see her looking away with a red face akin to a tomato.


    "Senior Lin? Why are you he-" Khal was about to ask Senior Lin why she was here, but suddenly turned silent as he noticed the awkward atmosphere in the air, quickly making him realize something was not quite right.


    And just as the sudden realization hit him, Khal lowered his gaze, and the only thing that came out of his mouth was a...


    "Oh..."


    Admitting his mistake and apologizing in his heart several times for showing such a shameful sight for Senior Lin, Khal quickly waved his hand and after summoning his Moon Robe from his spatial ring into his hand, he quickly began to put it on.


    Once the silver robe waspletely on him, Khal cleared his throat and walked before Senior Lin, pretending as if nothing happened.


    "Sect Master. It seems my breakthrough caused a little bit of a... mess. How should Ipensate for the damage?"


    Senior Lin hearing Khal''s calm voice and seeing that he acted indifferently and seemingly unfazed after all that happened showed slight surprise, but only for a split second as the next, she realized she overreacted things more than needed.


    In the end, she was an adult and such a sight was not a first for her to see, so acting like a maiden was unneeded.


    As she thought about this, her usually proud but coldplexion appeared once again, and her serene gaze nced at Khal in front of him before looking around herself and shaking her head gently.


    "There is no need forpensation. Even if you have decided to destroy a few more, after what you have done for me and for this sect, I will ignore it as if it was just an ident."


    Hearing Senior Lin''s words, Khal showed an awkward smile and as he didn''t know what to say, just simply scratched the back of his head slowly and remained silent.

 Chapter 352 - Final Decesion

    "I am d to see you safe and sound Elder Khal" as Khal was talking with Senior Lin, Elder Rene''s voice appeared attracting the gaze of the two almost instantly.


    "Elder... Khal?" Khal raised a brow and looked at Senior Lin with a questioning look as he didn''t quite know what to think.


    Elders in a Sect were usually those with great power and knowledge only slightly below the Sect Master''s level and those that were a part of the Sect for a long time, for a few decades at least!


    Of course, there were times where Core Disciples could request a trial from the Sect Master to be an Elder, but those were rather rare asions as almost all the time Core Disciples can only be an Elder if they have collected enough Contribution Points to the Sect through Missions or other different means.


    Usually, the numbers must be in the millions, so bing an Elder from a Core Disciple was quite a long road to walk. And even if one seeded to be an Elder, they will be only a Regr Elder, not a Peak Elder such as Elder Rene or Elder Shiu.


    Hence, hearing that he was called Elder Khal only after a week, something that one can only obtain through several years of blood and sweat gave him hard work, Khal felt rather confused. Even if he saved the Moon Sect fromplete destruction from King Zell and his men, from Khal''s point of view it was not worth enough to make him be one of the Elders of this sect.


    Senior Lin seemed to understand Khal''s thoughts when he saw his puzzled look, thus quickly curved her lips upward, showing a surprisingly blooming and charming smile that was quite the raritypared to her usually coldplexion, and said, "Don''t look so surprised. You have finally be a Limit Breaker, meaning you are qualified to be a Regr Elder."


    "Yeah, I know that, but..."


    "But you don''t understand why we wish you to be one even though your age and time in the Sect?" Senior Lin asked calmly, which at Khal showed a nod in silence.


    "Well, is it not clear enough?" Senior Lin asked and continued, "You not only have killed King Zell and several hundred of his powerful men all alone, but you have also shown such a great level of strength that no one has ever done before! Let alone the fact that you possess more than one Blessing, but you also have the potential that not even those heaven-defying geniuses have from other races! Hell, you even have the qualification to be the Master of this sect as I have said it before!"


    Khal listened quietly at the words Senior Lin just said and couldn''t help but feel that her reasoning was indeed correct and he undoubtedly had the qualification to be a Sect Elder if not the Sect Master himself.


    "I see." Khal nodded as he epted this fact and even felt slightly happy as this meant he can get more benefit in the future, but soon, his face turned serious and asked, "Sect Master, I-"


    "Just call me Senior Lin." Senior Lin quickly corrected Khal and after crossing her arms before her chest, pushing her bosom slightly upward, she asked, "Anyways, what were you about to ask?"


    Khal who was slightly distracted by the mountains that were hard not to notice, cleared his throat and said, "Then Senior Lin, I am curious how I can get to Gia."


    "Huh? Gia? What are you nning to do there?" Senior Lin knitted her delicate brows together to show a deep frown, making her previous joyful face be all cold and serious once again.


    [You n to enter the Zero Realm already?]


    Hearing the surprised voice of Nova in his head, Khal nodded slightly and thought, ''Yeah, I can''t wait any longer."


    [But you will just die! Entering the Zero Realm with your Cultivation Base is akin to jumping into a den filled with beasts several Stages above yours! You will die without the chance of knowing what has just killed you!]


    ''Maybe, maybe not. We won''t know it until we try it.''


    [You don''t need to try it to know what you are about to do is akin to suicide, Khal! It is not that digital world where if you die you stay alive. If you die, it is game over for you and for me too! Think this over one more time, please...]


    ''There is nothing to think over, Nova. I have already thought about it and this is my final decision.'' Khal stated with firm resolution and quickly said to Senior Lin, "I have a few things I need to take care of there, that''s all."


    Senior Lin raised a brow upon hearing Khal''s answer and remained silent for a while to ponder.


    Gia, huh? It shouldn''t be a problem to get you there." Senior Lin muttered quietly and after raising her gaze at Khal, she asked, "How long will you be away?"


    "I don''t know. It can be a week or even a month." Khal shrugged, showing he had no clue at all just how long will it take him to travel through the Zero Realm back and forth.


    "Hmm..." Senior Lin touched her small chin gently as she fell into deep thoughts once again before she nodded scarcely and said, "Okay. Elder Rene will take you to Gia and will wait there until you finish with your business there."


    Khal seemed ted when he heard this and sped his hands before his chest as he said, "Thank you very much, Sec- Senior Lin."


    "Don''t even mention it." Senior Lin showed a calm smile and after saying a few words to Elder Rene and ordering the rest of the Elders to find someone to clean the mess, she walked away.


    "Do you have anything you need or wish to do before we go?" Elder Rene asked Khal once Senior Lin vanished, his silver eyes calmly fixed on Khal''s figure.


    Even now, he could hardly believe that the young boy in front of him was also an Elder even though he just joined the sect, not more than a week ago!


    ''The world is indeed unfair...'' Elder Rene sighed bitterly in his heart and waited for Khal''s answer.


    To his surprise, however, Khal just shook his head and said, "No need to wait, we can leave right away."


    "I see, then follow me."


    "Please.." Khal nodded, and after giving one final nce at the mess around him which he just caused, he followed Elder Rene in silence.

 Chapter 353 - Hollow Tree

    Gia, a small that was less than half the size of Ephus back in the First Realm and was part of the Cassiopeia Zone somewhere in the Algor Star System that one of the middle tier races ruled, known as the Fangs.


    They were a hybrid race, creatures that represented crossbreds between serpents and lizardmen. Their lower bodies were strong and well-built, filled with bulging muscles together with a hard skin that was covered in small, but firm scales that allowed them to withstand powerful attacks from their enemies with their bare bodies alone! As for their heads, they looked exactly akin to a vipers'' with a pair of sharp fangs, forked tongue, and serpentine-like vertical pupils that could make anyone shudder in sheer fear once seen them!


    Their most feared and well-known trait, however, was not their looks and appearances, but their Blessing instead that could literally turn any of their attacks, even if it was through weapons or simple bare hand strikes, into lethal assaults which could end anyone''s lives in mere minutes!


    Their Toxic Blood possessed great poisonous characteristics which could solidify the blood, corrode the flesh together with the bones, or simply wrench the organs inside the body depending on the amount of toxin that entered the body!


    But despite having such a horrifying Blessing and menacing look, Fangs were not a race that behaved simr to the Berserkers and liked to see chaos, but instead were rather benevolent creatures that liked helping others more than going into battles. As a fact, they were a neutral race that liked to avoid confrontations and only fought when there was no other option for them.


    "Elder Rene, we are about tond on Gia." a young man wearing a silver robe representing he was part of the Moon Sect appeared next to Elder Rene and Khal, his back straighter than a pole.


    Elder Rene, who was silently cultivating opened his eyes, revealing a pair of silver eyes that flickered with a mysterious light for a split second before vanishing and looking at the young man on his side.


    "Thank you, you can go back now."


    The disciple sped his hands and bowed respectfully without saying anything and walked away. As for Elder Rene, he turned his head to his other side and said calmly, "Elder Khal, although I suspect you have already heard it, but we will soonnd on Gia."


    On afy-looking chair, which was capable of amodating even two to three people easily, Khal nodded his head gently but still kept his eyes closed; it was obvious he wished not to halt his cultivation after hearing the news, which was somewhat understandable.


    Once one finally reaches the Fourth Cultivation Stage, things will be slightly difficult as they have to turn their Essence into a part of their bodies that they canter use both internally and externally.


    It wasmon sense in the First Realm that no matter what, one cannot separate their Essence from their bodies, much less control it outside their physique as it was akin to a source of energy like blood or lifeforce that replenished the individuals'' body. Without Body Essence, none of the beings would be able to use Martial Techniques, Special Skills, and Abilities, or even ascend to the next Realm!


    However, once one became a Limit Breaker, one must find a way to turn this unique source of energy that they before used only to keep their powers active during fights, to turn into somethingpletely new, something that before it was not!


    Such a process was not easy at all, and one needed several years or even decades before they could figure out the crux of such a difficult obstacle and break into the next Cultivation Stage!


    ''I can''t wait to witness the moment when he bes an Ascender. Will it take him a year or more?'' Elder Rene pondered about such a question as he secretly examined Khal''s figure from the corner of his eyes.


    As time flowed in silence, the spaceship finally entered the orbit of Gia and soon enoughnded on a huge raised tform not far away from a city, known as Dragon Scale City.


    "We are finally here!" opening his eyes and standing up to stretch his sore body parts, Khal looked over at Elder Rene and said, "Will you stay here until Ie back or you will go back to the sect?"


    Elder Rene showed no sign of standing up and even closed his eyes before saying calmly, "I will stay here. Although you have the Moon Token with you, the Sect Master ordered me personally to wait for your return and bring you back once you finished with your business."


    Then he added quietly, "Well, not like you need my protection or whatever, but the order is still an order..."


    Khal became silent for a while before he nodded and after saying his goodbye, he left the spaceship and using his Lightning Steps, he began to move toward the north, which was in thepletely opposite direction to the Dragon Scale City.


    [Are you sure you want to do it now? Once you enter the Zero Realm, you won''t be able to leave it but through another entry point.]


    "As I have said this before, I have already decided on this matter. Nothing will be able to change my mind, not even you." Khal said quietly but firmly and looked around him as he continued to, leaving behind nothing but bully afterimages and the sound of thunder.


    "It should be somewhere here, right?" Khal murmured under his breath as he turned his head left and right, watching as the scenery around him continuously changed from vast yellow wastnds to scarlet forests into grey mountain ranges.


    "Found it!" Khal''s eyes suddenly lit up as he noticed a small leafless tree that had a shape of a cross with a small hole in the very center of its trunk in the far distance.


    Pushing his feet against the ground that made his feet sink into the soil slightly, Khal vanished from his spot and reappeared before the tree in the very next second.


    After breaking into the Fourth Cultivation Stage, not only did his physical strength grow by leaps and bounds but even his stamina and speed too, hence with an already fast movement technique such as the Lightning Step, it was no wonder how he was capable of traveling hundreds of meters in a mere instant.


    "So if I enter this hole, I will be teleported into the Zero Realm?" Khal narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the dark hole which was just huge enough for him to squeeze himself through, but after realizing there was no point in thinking too much he grabbed the two sides of the tree and climbed into the hole.

 Chapter 354 - A Completely New World

    In an unknown world where the sky was azure blue filled with huge chunks of floating rocks almost akin to oversized meteorites and where the scenery on the ground was as colorful as the mostplex kaleidoscopic piece of art throughout all the Cultivation Realms existing, a ck portal seemingly molded from ck matter formed slowly out of thin air before a young boy wearing a silver robe fell out,nding on the crimson grass face-first.


    BAM!


    "Argh... The ground is kind of... cold..." rubbing his nose and forehead with a slight painful grimace, Khal stood up slowly and looked around only to get dumbstruck by the breathtaking scenery around him.


    "So this is the Zero Realm?" Khal mumbled in a low voice as he was mesmerized by the sight around him, but quickly was snapped out of his daze as suddenly the back of his neck turned numb and cold sweat began to soak his back!


    "Shit!" tilting his head to the side without hesitation, Khal activated his Heaven''s Eyes and watched as a small object akin to a thin but sharp needle flew away just inches away from his right cheek, obviously its target was the middle of his head a few seconds ago!


    Swish!


    Watching as the spike flew away and crashed into a yellow tree in the distance, demolishing its seemingly rock-solid trunk into small pieces of tree crust and dust, Khal swallowed nervously as he imagined what the sight would have been if that thing exploded into his head instead!


    ''That was too close!'' Khal sighed in his heart before his eyes turned firm and with the help of his Heaven''s Eyes backtracked the previous attacks'' route in a split second.


    "Found you!" narrowing his eyes as his gaze instantly fixed on a beast in the far distance, seemingly being a hybrid between a scorpion and a porcupine with size as huge as a human baby, Khal scanned its body and evaluated its cultivation base silently.


    "It''s at the Peak Ascender Stage? No wonder it was able to pose a slight threat to me just now." Khal said to himself, but when he watched as the creature moved and fired several more of its spikes from its back at him again with obvious sign of killing intent, he just sneered and withdrew his Soul Piercer before firing a ck arrow at the beast.


    Whoosh!


    With a speed that was hard to track, the ck arrow blurred several times as it traveled through the air before it reappeared in front of the creature''s face and pierced right through its head!


    Thud!


    Watching as the beast fell onto the ground lifelessly like a ragdoll, Khal didn''t waste any more time and after kicking his feet against the ground below him he began to move toward a specific direction.


    Of course, the reason why he left the Beast Essence behind was not because he forgot about it, but because he simply had no choice. If he decided to go and consume the essence as he did until now, then there was a huge risk of him getting ambushed by a way stronger beast from the dark which would mean his definite end without question.


    Currently, he was inside the Zero Realm, a world where creatures from all over the existing Realms dwelled and lived. Hence, taking the risk of lowering his guard for a split second just to replenish the amount of essence in his body just a little was, of course, out of the question.


    [Try not to use any of your skills or Talents, especially not your Perfect Disguise, so you can avoid being spotted by stronger creatures. As a fact, you can already consider yourself lucky for not getting killed after using your Talent and bow.]


    Khal nodded scarcely upon hearing Nova''s voice and quickly deactivated his Heaven''s Eyes to make his body emit not even an ounce of cultivation aura, bing almostpletely invisible! What''s more, he reced his invisible armor with his Chameleon Armor, helping him to bend into his surroundings even more than before.


    Now, he waspletely one with the world around him with no aura emitting from his body, hence the possibility of creatures spotting him and hunting him down now was as low as one finding a needle in a haystack!


    ''ording to the book, if I want to get back to the First Realm I need to follow a green star on the sky, which must be that right up there.'' thinking to himself, Khal raised his eyes toward the sky and watched with a firm gaze as a small, flickering green star akin to a piece of emerald glowed brightly on the blue sky that was filled with a seemingly endless amount of huge chunks of floating boulders and rocks!


    Each of those boulders was massive enough to demolish all the continents on Ephus upon impact, wiping out all the living beings on its surface once and for all without any chance to resist or hope for survival!


    But luckily, such monstrous objects three to four times the size of the biggest mountain in the First Realm did not exist, so fearing such things as extinction or total annihtion waspletely meaningless.


    [Hide! Now!]


    As Khal was running through forests and wastnds with different colors that were akin to sceneries inside a fantasy novel, Nova''s sudden worried voice appeared, forcing Khal to halt his steps and without a second thought jumped into a small pit on the side that was seemingly formed by some small creature.


    SCHRIIIIEEEEK!


    And just as he did, a cry that made the surrounding ground shake and all the lurking creatures on it tremble in pure fear echoed throughout the air while the once colorful scenery gradually began to get engulfed with deep darkness and chaotic winds, almost like a storm was on the verge of breaking out!


    "That is a.... Creature?" Khal''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle as he watched the humongous thing in the sky soar through the air, only one of its wings exceeding more than ten miles alone and creating towering hurricanes in the far distance by a single p of it!

 Chapter 355 - Special Domain

    Khal watched with quivering eyes as the gigantic beast soared through the sky like the bringer of chaos, turning everything below it into literal hell where only death waited for those that were unfortunate enough to be there or were bold enough to enter that area!


    "So this is how beasts from the Higher Realms look like?" Khal asked in a low and scarcely shaky voice, fear clearly present on his face as he watched the beast fly further away from him while leaving behind its wake nothing but destruction with a single p of its wings!


    [That was a Cloudburst Bird, a beast which is only at the lowest Stage among the beasts inside the Fourth Realm. It''s a rather weak creature.]


    "Weak?!? That thing?! If it weren''t for you and my luck that it passed me from afar, I could have died without knowing what killed me!" Khal wished to curse Nova''s ancestors to hell one after another, but as he didn''t know if she even had any nor did he desire to attract unwanted attention, he resisted the urge and swallowed his next words.


    After taking a deep breath to calm both his chaotic mind and fast-beating heart that made his body tremble unwillingly, Khal opened his eyes and looked up at the sky.


    [Do you still think your choice was a wise one? After seeing that creature, do you still have what it takes to continue your journey?]


    As Khal watched the Cloudburst Bird''s massive image fly further and further away from where he was, Nova''s voice appeared in his head which sounded rather concerned.


    But who would have thought, that instead of doubting his decision ofing to the Zero Realm starting to hesitate, Khal even showed a crazy grin and said, "I do not regret my choice not even in the slightest. Even if a beasting from straight from the Sixth Realm appears in the distance like that bird, my determination is firm!"


    [Sigh... I see. You kind of remind me of someone I knew in the past. How funny...]


    "Someone? Who?" Khal asked with piqued curiosity as he looked around and climbed out of the pit he was in, but as he got no answer he just shook his head and continued to follow the green star in the sky.


    Khal walked for more than four hours straight in an explicit line and although he met several beasts on his way, each of them holding and possessing terrifying powers that could easily kill any cultivator from the Second Realm including Khal himself, thanks to his disguised aura and Chameleon Armor he was able to travel through differentndscapes without getting spotted.


    "Just how long more do I have to walk to reach the path into the First Realm?" Khal sighed quietly under his breath and watched as a beast representing a huge bee with snake scales covering its body flew far away into the distance.


    Currently, he was walking through a vast forest which was rather bizarre, to say the least. The trees were as tall as skyscrapers from his previous life while the trunks of each were as thick as three adult humans put next to each other! But the most bizarre characteristic of these humungous trees was not their height nor their thickness, but their appearance instead! Each tree had a deep blue color with small but thick scales growing on their branches instead of leaves, giving Khal a rather dumbfoundplexion as he examined the sight around him.


    "Huh? What is that?" as Khal walked through the forest with a high alert but also curiosity-filled eyes, his eyes spotted something in front of him.


    "A wooden path?" Khal raised a brow when he saw the blue path in the distance, seemingly crafted and built from the trunks and scales of the trees around him.


    [Be careful. You are currently in the Zero Realm thus not only beasts are your enemies but your environment too. Special Domains can also take your life away just like any terrifying creature or maybe make you encounter a fate worst than death!]


    "Special Domains?" Khal''s guard immidieatly got raised when he heard Nova''s words, knowing full well just what kind of weight those simple two words carried.


    Special Domains were areas in a specifdscape where thew of the universe worked differently, meaning anyone that entered them could meet their demise sooner than anticipated!


    For Instance, ording to the Record of All Realms, somewhere in the Fourth Realm there was a whole sr system called Timeless Zone where time flowedpletely differently, could be said almost chaotically!


    In there, one couldn''t even survive for a full day as time there worked randomly than it would normally. There were moments when it would rush a hundred times faster than normal or simply flow reverse, turning everyone into a baby in mere seconds before killing them. There were even times when it just stops, freezing everyone and everything that dared to enter the zone in the clutch of time!


    Special Domains were always feared by everyone, particrly if the Special Domain they have encountered was somethingpletely unknown; that was the nightmare of all cultivators as they could not anticipate what to do or think once they identally enter such forbiddennds!


    Thus it was no wonder when Khal stopped moving and seemed hesitant about what he should do next.


    "I think I will just go around it. A little detour won''t hurt me, right?" Khal said to him and was about to walk to the left when his body froze still and hisplexion stiffened.


    "A-Another path?" watching as another blue path identical with the first one was apparent on his left, Khal quickly looked toward his right only to see with horror as even there was a path.


    What''s more, there was another blue path behind him despite the fact that there was none when he came from there!


    "I hope it''s just some kind of a bad trick, right?" Khal muttered with a shaky voice, his face gradually losing all the previous colors it had.


    It seemed Nova jinxed it and he has already walked into a Special Domain where things seemed not to bright for him at the very moment.

 Chapter 356 - Abadoned City

    Khal looked around him a few more times to make sure he was not hallucinating and he has indeed been trapped inside a Special Domain, but no matter if he looked left, right, or even behind him, he had to quickly realize he indeed walked straight into a Special Domain without realizing it.


    "It seems I don''t really have any other option but go, huh?" Khal showed a bittersweet smile and after a deep breath to calm himself down he began to walk forward.


    [Strange... Something is off here.]


    ''Yeah, everything about this ce is off!'' Khal thought with a fit of scarce anger and watched his right foot as it touched slowly and carefully the blue wooden path before him.


    But luckily, his fear of something unexpected happening once he stood on the wooden path didn''t ur, hence he could let out a small sigh of relief and rx his stiff muscles and nerves.


    [No, what I mean is that things around here are strange in their entirety. Special Domains are perilous zones where one would die almost immediately after entering thanks to the terrifyingws that rule them inside, but somehow, it is not the case here... Weird.]


    Khal listened to Nova''s voice and the more he heard the more he realized she indeed had a point, particrly because all the Special Domains he has read about before in his books were exactly like how she described them; ces where one would die almost instantly without the slightest of hope to survive!


    So it was undoubtedly strange that he was still alive after more than several minutes despite the fact he was inside a Special Domain!


    ''Maybe we are not inside a Special Domain in the end?'' such an idea shed through Khal''s mind as he thought about the possibility, but unfortunately, his hope was immediately shattered.


    [No, we have been trapped inside a Special Domain, no question about that.]


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent for a while, but as he had no choice but to ept his current situation just shook his head and showed a bittersweet smile, ''At least it seems this domain is not a dangerous one so far, or else we would have already died, right?''


    [Hopefully, but let''s not jinx it.]


    Khal nodded at that and without saying anything else began to follow the wooden path despite having no clue where it will possibly lead him.


    Khal followed the blue path with cautious and slow steps with his gaze constantly scanning his surroundings for hidden dangers such as traps or beasts, but for some strange reason, he found nothing. Not even a single trace of a beast even though he has seen and encountered more than a hundred since he entered the Zero Realm!


    After walking for more than half an hour inside the blue forest without seeing another living being, Khal started to feel anxious, but luckily his worry was quickly taken away as it was not long before he noticed something in the distance which seemed to be a gate of some sort.


    "A city gate?" Khal''s right brow raised in confusion when he recognized the huge gate which turned out to be a part of an even bigger wall, seemingly built from the blue wood just like the wooden path he was walking on.


    Walking and stopping before the gate which stood about five meters high in height and three eight meters wide in width with an arched top, Khal narrowed his eyes to see whaty behind the gate.


    And just as he thought, what spread far and wide in the distance was none other but a massive city, each of its buildings constructed from the woods of the trees that stood outside the walls like towering giants supporting the skies with their sheer gigantic figure alone!


    ''Should I go inside?'' Khal asked, unsure what he should do at the moment.


    [Do you think you have any other choice?]


    ''Not really...'' Khal sighed and after he made sure there was no trap around the entrance, he walked inside with his Moonshadow and Devil Fangs firmly held in both hands.


    The city wasrge, to say the least. The streets crafted out of ck rocks were miles long and several meters wide, the azure buildings were more than four stories high while the decorations on the sides were almost as huge as a real human!


    The whole ce made Khal feel akin to a mere ant in the middle of a vast desert, making him somewhat lost of what he should do next.


    ''Any brilliant idea where I should go now?'' Khal asked Nova as he looked behind him, only to see that the gate has already vanished and what reced it was the same sight as the one before him and on his side.


    What''s more, to make things even worse than it already was, he was currently the only one inside the city, leaving him not the slightest of a chance to ask for help, much less keep himself away from the seemingly approaching boredom and loneliness.


    [For the time being, try looking around the city and see if there is indeed no one around.]


    Khal nodded as he did exactly that, but for some reason, he didn''t put too much hope into finding even a single soul in this seemingly abandoned giant city.


    Like, why should he? He was currently inside the Zero Realm, a Realm that is already a mythical and hidden world from the vast majority of races out in the remaining six Realms! So just how high were his chances of meeting with anyone else in this Special Domain which trapped himself in a seemingly neverending maze of sorts?


    Well, it was closer to zero than one in percentage that was sure.


    ''Well, I can only wish for the best and try my finest to get out of this seeming pit of hell.." Khal thought to himself and after taking a deep breath he began to walk around the city, checking out each building in the hope to find someone or something while beingpletely oblivious of the fact that he was being watched by a figure in the far distance from the shadows.

 Chapter 357 - Trapped

    Walking around the huge city like a lost soul in an endless maze, Khal checked out thousands of the houses he has walked by, but even then he was incapable of finding a single individual or their aura that could lead him to them!


    "I have checked close to ten thousand buildings, even used my Heaven''s Eyes yet I can find nothing! No people, no exit, nothing! Will I really be stuck here forever?" Khal let out a hopeless sigh as he sat down on a staircase right before a rtively small building that seemed to be a shop.


    Naturally, it seemed to be only a shop from the outside as the inside of it waspletely empty, just like how all the other buildings inside this seemingly infinitely vast abandoned city were.


    "Any idea or thought how I should get out of here? It''s been days since I have been trapped here with no results of me finding a way out."


    Khal''s question obviously was directed to Nova, who was quieter than she usually used to be for some strange reason.


    [If you want to hear my honest answer, I think you are screwed.]


    ''Hmm... Understandable.'' Khal nodded calmly and closed his eyes before his eyes snapped open the next moment and a great aura that was akin to a massive bomb exploded out of his body creating a huge crater below his body!


    BAM!


    "FUCKING BULLSHIT!" Khal cursed out loud from the top of his lungs in his life first and threw a powerful punch out.


    BOOOOM!!


    All the buildings and decorations in front of him in a range of two to three hundred meters turned to dust and debris in an immediate sh before they were erased from existence by the crimson mes that followed suit!


    BAM!


    BOOOM!


    KA-BOOOM!


    Directing all of his pent-up stress and anger into his fists and kicks while also using several of his Talents that caused the towering buildings around him to fall and be destroyed as easily as card castles because of a gentle breeze, Khal went on aplete rampage!


    No matter if it was a massive building with a height of hundreds of meters or a small vase with a single flower in it, everything before his wrath turned into ash and dust, blown away by the asionally arising wind that appeared from different directions from time to time.


    [Khal, calm down. If you behave like a child throwing a tantrum then nothing will be solved, and maybe you will even turn things worse than they already are.]


    Khal threw out several more punches and kicks before he lowered his hand and remained silent with his body remaining in one ce and eyes closed; it was obvious he was trying to calm himself down, which was rather hard as this was the first for him to feel this much anger because of his own helplessness.


    Taking several minutes to calm down, Khal exhaled deeply to let out a great amount of turbid air, and once his anger subsided a small amount he opened his previously closed eyes and looked around.


    But as he saw nothing but sheer destruction in a more than a thousand meters radius around him, he could only shake his head and look toward the sky which always remained dark, never turning into daytime despite him being inside the city for more than a day!


    "This sucks..." Khal let out another deep sigh before he sat down on the destroyed ground and closed his eyes.


    [What are you doing now?]


    ''Isn''t that clear? If I can''t leave this ce cause there is no path taking me out, then I will simply force a way out myself!'' Khal said firmly, almost as if he was confident in his statement bing reality.


    [Forcing your way out? Did you maybe forget that you are currently inside a Special Domain where space seems to be twisted to the point where you cannot leave? You are trapped, so how do you even n to force your way out from a ce where nothing can escape?]


    ''I will surpass the limits of my current Realm and force myself into the Third Realm.'' Khal responded calmly and focused on the essence inside his Essence Paths with all ounce of his concentration.


    [You want to do what?]


    Nova''s shocked voice sounded in Khal''s mind and quickly continued:


    [I hope you know that if you wish to enter the Third Realm you first need to be an Ascender which is apletely different story from the times when you had to be a Body Refiner or Body Temperer. It will take you years to reach the next Stage and even more than a few decades to reach the peak of the Ascender Stage before you can challenge the Thousand Path of Destiny!]


    Unfortunately, Khal didn''t seem to care about what Nova just said and even showed a cold smile which seemed somewhat stubborn and arrogant.


    Just how would he not understand what Nova tried to say to him? He was well aware that what he tried to do was somethingpletely new and needed years of hard effort if not decades!


    But he didn''t care as he knew that there was no other option for him to select from. He was currently trapped inside of a zone where not even beings from the Third and Fourth Realm could escape, so how would he, a mere Limit Breaker from the Second Realm hope to leave?


    He was trapped, hence the only choice he could take was to surpass his limit and reach the peak of the Ascender rank as soon as possible!


    And if he somehow achieves that, he can be qualified to challenge the Thousand Path of Destiny and enter the Third Realm, meaning he can force himself out of the Zero Realm and this cursed Special Domain before finding his way back again from the Thrid Realm!


    Although this was not what he initially nned, he could only do this and hope he can reach the peak of the Ascender Stage as soon as possible. Even if it will take him a year or more, he will make sure to force himself out of this ce no matter what!


    But just as Khal thought about this and was ready to immerse himself deeply into his cultivation, suddenly his body flinched and eyes snapped wide open as a deep and unfamiliar voice appeared right in his ear closely from his side!


    "Interesting.... It has been quite a while since I met with someone who is capable of withstanding my domain''s power for such a long time. I must say I am truly impressed, haha!"

 Chapter 358 - Forceful Improvement (1)

    When the calm but loudugh suddenly appeared from the side, Khal''s eyes snapped wide open and without wasting a single second he used his movement technique to appear a hundred meters away from the spot where he just was a second ago!


    "Oh? I recognize that technique! Although it is just a weak copypared to the one back in the Fifth Realm, that is definitely the Thunder Step Art, a powerful movement technique capable of turning any kind of movement into thunder!" the calm voice appeared once again, but this time from another direction.


    ''Where is he? I can''t see him!'' Khal turned his head left and right, but no matter where he looked or how hard he tried to see the individual who just spoke, he found nothing.


    Not even the smallest trace even though he has already activated his Heaven''s Eye, hence giving him the ability to see literally everything in more than a mile radius!


    ''Is he using some kind of ability to conceal himself and avoid my detection? But then...'' as Khal reached that point, suddenly his face paled and subconsciously tilted his head to the side.


    Swish!


    BAM!


    Khal watched with shrunk pupils as a huge building with a height of at least a hundred meters in the far distance exploded into huge chunks of debris before each of those pieces were shredded and turned into dust from the powerful shockwave that appeared afterward!


    If it were not for his Heaven''s Eye which was capable of slowing down any movement in his sight drastically, he wouldn''t have been able to dodge that attack just now, not even with his invisible armor on!


    That single attack alone could have easily pierced right through his armor before turning him into a bloody mist without giving him the slightest chance to utter a single word!


    "Oh? It seems those eyes not only can enhance your sight but even your reflexes! Haha, this is getting even more interesting than I have first believed!"


    Hearing the voice again despite not seeing the owner of it, Khal swallowed nervously before his face turned serious and looked in the direction from where the previous attack just came from.


    "Who are you? Why do you want to kill me? I don''t remember offending you in the slightest so can''t we just forget everything that happened and talk like two intelligent beings?"


    Silence descended on the surroundings after Khal finished talking, making Khal believe his words achieved reaching the ears of the mysterious individual who assaulted him and seeded in convincing him, but unfortunately, that is not what happened.


    "Talk? Sure, we can talk... After you have sessfully avoided 2,732 more of my attacks in exchange for the damage you have caused to all the buildings in my domain!"


    "What do y-." Khal wished to say something but was abruptly silenced as three attacks simr to the previous one appeared before him out of thin air, each targeting one of the lethal points on his body such as his brain, heart, and abdomen!


    "Fuck!" Khal cursed out loudly and without a second thought activated his Lightning Step to avoid the three attacks that threatened to take his life away.


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    BOOOM!


    The ce where he just stood a few moments ago turned into a seemingly bottomless pit with a radius of ten meters while a huge pir of a tornado with a height akin to a skyscraper rose high into the sky!


    Khal watched this sight with eyes filled with terror, but only for a short amount of time before he was forced to move once again, dodging another three wind bullets that targeted his body in the same manner as the previous three!


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    BOOOOM!


    Swish! Swish! Swish!


    BOOOOM!


    One by one, Khal dodged all the attacks with precise maneuvers that were sent to take his life, but even then he couldn''t help but feel that he was still just toyed with, almost as a cat would with a mouse before trapping it and killing it once and for all!


    ''He ispletely ying with me! He ns to tire me out before killing me!'' Khal thought to himself once he realized the mysterious individual''s n, thus his face quickly turned serious while his eyes flickered with a hint of firm resolution.


    "Then I will show him I am not someone who can be tossed around that easily!" Khal hissed through his clenched teeth coldly and after avoiding another wave of wind bullets that only brought destruction to the area where they crashed into, he pressed his feet firmly against the ground and dashed into the distance, exactly from where the attacks had been fired from!


    RUMBLE!


    The sound of thunder appeared every time when Khal''s body blurred and vanished before reappearing hundreds of meters away, avoiding several wind bullets in the process like a dragon in a raging storm!


    "Trying to approach me because you realized it was only a matter of time before you will be overwhelmed and killed by my attacks?" the voice appeared in the air just like how it always did, but this time it carried a kind of surprise that was hard to notice but was obviously there.


    "Very well, then let me see what you will do with these!" the very moment the voice vanished, close to fifty wind bullets appeared around Khal out of thin air, targeting all the essential parts of his body from every possible angle with speed twice as fast as previously!


    Watching this with his Heaven''s Eyes active, all the color left Khal''s face as he realized this was a checkmate for him this time. He was trapped and no matter where he tried to look, there was not even a single point around him where he could run through without getting hit by at least one of the many wind bullets that were capable of turning massive buildings into dust upon impact!


    ''I''m dead....'' Khal thought weakly as he watched the messengers of death falling down onto him like hellfire.

 Chapter 359 - Forceful Improvement (2)

    In the far distance on top of a huge building that was significantly taller than the rest of the buildings around, a humanoid creature with bronze skin and a single eye in the middle of his forehead looked calmly into the distance while hundreds of wind bullets formed above his head out of seemingly thin air before shooting into the horizon with almost untraceable velocity.


    His name was Old Eye, a powerful creature hailing from the Evesting Race, a race that only existed in the Fifth and above Realms and even there were considered one of the strongest races among the rest!


    They not only possessed an almost infinite amount of knowledge that none of the existing races couldpete with, but they even had the ability thanks to their Blessing to learn and master all the existent techniques with twice if not thrice as fast as the others!


    Furthermore, some of them that were pure Evestings, such as Old Eye, possessed a second ability which was to see things with perfect vision, let it be a meter or a hundred miles away!


    "Hm... He is quite good. Even with a lower version of the true Thunder Step Art, he is capable of avoiding all my attacks without getting hit or exhausted. I wonder if he has learned a unique technique to have such high stamina." Old Eye talked calmly to himself, all three of his eyes moving from side to side, seemingly following someone''s movement that only he could see.


    Naturally, those words were directed at Khal, who maybe was imperceptible from where Old Eye stood but was running and dodging all the wind bullets that came at him in the hope to take his life away from him.


    "Maybe I should spice things a little bit up?" Old Eye touched his chin as he pondered, but after realizing there was no point in wasting his time he shrugged casually and waved his hand.


    "Well, whatever. He would have died sooner orter, so it does not matter if deathes to im his life sooner, right?" Old Eye muttered quietly as his eyes followed the close to hundred wind pellets he had fired a second ago or so appear around Khal far behind the horizon, sealing his fate for once and for all.


    "Let your soul rest in eternal pe-"


    Bam!


    "Eh?" Old Eye was just about to close his eyes and say his adieu when suddenly an unexpected tremor shook the whole building below his feet while a massive and dense dust cloud in the shape of a mushroom rose high up into the air, engulfing the sky above almost in its entirety!


    Old Eye seemed confused when he saw this as this was not exactly what he believed to ur, but it was not even a secondter when all three of his eyes widened and snapped his head to the right only to see as a fist was already right before his nose!


    "Looking for me?"


    "What?"


    BOOOM!


    With a punch that was so powerful that turned a huge portion of the top of the building into chunks of debris just by the sheer force of the shockwave, Khal mmed his fist with all his might right into Old Eye''s face, sending his figure flying through the air and into the distance like a cannonball that destroyed all the buildings in its way upon impact!


    TREMBLE!


    Crack! Crack! Crack!


    As Khal watched with immense joy that his punch connected with the humanoid creature''s face and he seeded in delivering him a punch, a great tremor shook the entirety of the domain while several wide and long cracks appeared in the distance, each revealing different sceneries at the other side!


    [Quick! That is the exit! This is your chance!]


    Suddenly Nova''s urgent voice appeared in Khal''s head, making Khal realize that he was indeed right before the door of freedom, hence without thinking even for a second he pressed his feet firmly against the side of the building he was falling down next to and with a powerful kick, heunched himself out.


    BAM!


    Breaking the whole building in the process into thousands of pieces, Khal''s figure shot out like a bullet from a gun and bolted through the air and the crack in the distance with lightning speed! He moved so fast that torrents of sharp wind des were formed behind his wake, slicing through the thick walls of the buildings with seemingly ease, almost as though they were hot knives cutting into butter!


    KA-BOOOM!


    Several miles away on the horizon, a terrific explosion akin to an atom bomb appeared among the sea of buildings before Old Eye''s figure materialized at the spot where he stood a moment ago, his eyes scanning the surroundings of the domain with deep killing intent.


    "Where are you, brat? Where did you hide?!" Old Eye hissed coldly as his gaze swept through the scenery around him before he shifted his attention at the cracks in the distance and narrowed his eye.


    "Space crack? Did it appear because I lost concentration for a split second?" Old Eye wondered, but as he understood way too clearly that Khal escaped through one of those space cracks he sneered and said, "If you think you can escape, you are underestimating me!"


    Whoosh!


    Without a single trace, Old Eye''s figure blurred for a moment before he finished from his spot, unknown if he choose the right space crack that Khal chose or not.


    Meanwhile, Khal was running through huge pirs of rocks with green trees on their tops, his body moving between obstacles akin to a serpent, moving with terrifying speed but also with almostplete silence!


    Of course, he was running not just aimlessly as he made sure to follow the green star high above in the sky, but because he knew it was very likely that the three-eyed creature will follow him to take his revenge, he also looked for a hideout where he could hide and recover his strength.


    And it was not even that long before he finally spotted a small gap at one of the rock pir''s bottom, just with the perfect size where he could squeeze himself through and hide until he felt it was safe to resume his journey.

 Chapter 360 - Forceful Improvement (3-Last)

    "Where is he? Where did he hide? He is definitely here, but where?" high above a tndscape that was filled with millions of rock pirs as high as skyscrapers, Old Eye''s figure shed from miles to miles with speed akin to teleportation while his eyes never stopped to search for Khal''s figure below him even for a second.


    "I am pretty sure he took this route, there is no mistake about this. But then where could have gone to?" Old Eye narrowed his eyes as he murmured under his breath, directing his attention at the path from where both he and Khal just came from not a long time ago.


    As an existence that lived thousands of years and has seen many things in almost all the Realms except the Sixth Realm, Old Eye''s umted experience and knowledge was so much that it couldn''t be underestimated that easily, especially because he was a True Evesting with a pure bloodline.


    Hence, he knew perfectly well what Khal was currently thinking and hoping to do, including his actual goal of reaching the Realm Path below one of the six Realm Stars, the Star of Beginning.


    As he thought about this, Old Eye''s gaze turned toward the north and with a seemingly pondering look and without saying a thing gazed at the green star high above the sky in silence.


    After thinking for a while, which in realitysted only for a second, Old Eye lowered his gaze at thendscape below him and said quietly, "No, he is still here. Although that strange technique he used to ambush me has the ability to boost his speed akin to someone from the Third Realm, it also must have a huge side-effect, thus he must be hiding somewhere here to recover his strength."


    After he said those words, Old Eye clicked his tongue in annoyance, and with a deep frown, he added, "This is why I hate individuals with presence disguising techniques. They are too much hassle to deal with, particrly when one tries to find them."


    Meanwhile, deep inside one of the rock pir''s bottom, Khaly on the cold ground like a rag, his eyes tightly closed and chest moving up and down rapidly without any signs of slowing down, showing just how exhausted his body currently was feeling.


    "Argh... I can barely feel my legs!" Khal murmured with a painful grimace as he looked into the darkness around him, wondering if he had been a mole in one of his past lives for liking running into holes and underground locations whenever he was in imminent danger.


    "Sigh... What now?" Khal asked quietly, wondering what he should do next.


    Now that he has sessfully escaped from that seemingly infinite Special Domain, he was finally free but at the same time trapped again as now he couldn''t leave his current spot for who knows just how long. It felt like he just climbed out of a pit only to fall inside another one!


    [For the time being, just concentrate on recovering your strength. Although it is very unlikely you will be able to escape his eyes even if you are in perfect shape, it is not a bad thing to rest while you can.]


    Hearing Nova''s words, Khal nodded and closed his eyes to recover both his strength and lost Body Essence.


    ''Woah! The density of the essence here is much more abundant here than anywhere else!''


    [Naturally. You are inside the Zero Realm, a sacred location where all the Realms connect with one another. It is only natural that the Realm Essence here is greater in quality and quantity than inside anywhere the Second Realm!]


    ''I see, that makes sense indeed.'' Khal nodded and without saying anything else concentrated on consuming the essence around him; of course, he made sure to cultivate with a speed that was not ostentatious, thus avoiding the possibility of being spotted by Old Eye all of a sudden.


    Time passed rtively slowly, and after an hour of silent cultivationter, Khal let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes.


    ''Although I am far from being perfect, I recovered just enough to move my limbs around properly!'' Khal thought to himself as he moved his arms and legs around gently before waving his hand and making several rows of text appear right in front of him.


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------


    /Unknown Art/


    ? Level: ???


    ? Description: An unknown but destructive Art born forcefully through several different techniques that were used at the same time despite the sess rate being less than 1%!


    ----------------------------


    ''The fuck?'' Khal frowned when he read the description of the technique that he used to escape from the Special Domain, feeling slightly lost about what he should think at the moment.


    Back in the Special Domain during the moment when he was trapped inside the barrage of wind bullets without any hope for escape, he could remember he bet everything on the line and used all his learned techniques at the same time even knowing that it was very unlikely that they will function together.


    As a fact, he even prepared for death and only tried to do that as of a final struggle!


    However, who would have known that the very moment he activated all his skills and techniques, instead of failing and causing his body to explode from the inside, a strange power emerged from his bracelet and swept through his body,bining all of his activated techniques into apletely new Art!


    Of course, he was notining at all as he knew way too well that the reason he was still alive was all thanks to this Unknown Art and not because Old Eye suddenly changed his mind and helped him survive. No, Old Eye wanted to see him dead without question, and exactly because of this why Khal felt immense joy at the moment as he was the one who experienced firsthand just how strong this newly obtained power truly was.


    If he should describe it in words, it was heaven-defying, but even then that would be aplete underestimation as those two words alone were not enough to define the real value and potential of the Art in its whole!

 Chapter 361 - Lord Of The Zero Realm Appears!

    While Khal examined his newly acquired technique and wondered if he should use it to help him escape or not, suddenly the wholendscape began to shake like crazy, threatening the hole which Khal was in to copse and bury him alive!


    TREMBLE!!


    "I know you are here somewhere, so stop hiding ande out already. Let''s have a friendly talk with each other, shall we?" Old Eye''s voice traveled through the air like a breeze, forcing Khal''s body to stiffen slightly before rxing once again as he realized that he was not found yet but simply Old Eye used his essence to help his voice travel far and wide.


    However, to think that with his voice alone he was capable of shaking a wholendscape... Just what kind of existence was he and how great was his essence reserve?


    ''He must be at least a Third Realm existent if not a higher one.'' Khal thought in his heart as remained motionless, fearing his movement will be detected by the slight amount of essence focused into the air that just swept through his body.


    [He has already reached the Fifth Realm.]


    ''SAY WHAT?!'' Khal screamed in his mind when he heard what Nova just said as he resisted the urge to shout out loud.


    [You heard it right. He has already reached the Fifth Realm.]


    ''Then howe he hasn''t found me yet? No, how is that even possible I was even able to punch him?'' Khal asked with a deeply perplexed tone.


    [Because would you expect to get punched by an ant? It''s the same for him. He was caught off guard by your sudden surge of strength and speed that''s all.]


    She then quickly added;


    [However, don''t even think for a second you will be able to pull the same trick twice on him. No, I should instead say don''t even dream about getting close to him much less touch him, he will kill you under a breath!]


    ''Yeah, kind of figured that out when you mentioned he was a Fifth Realm existence...'' Khal showed a sarcastic smile and quickly asked, ''But then again if he is really a terrifying expert from the Fifth Realm, why did he not find me yet or just blew the wholendscape up if he knows I am here? Is he just bluffing and this is how he tries to force me out of here?''


    [Why would he bluff? Again, would you bluff before an ant if you wanted to kill it? Of course not! It is just he cannot just go and blow the whole ce up just because he wishes it.]


    ''But wh...'' Khal wished to ask something when another tremor shook the whole ce suddenly, causing small rocks to fall down onto his head while a gentle breeze carrying Old Eye''s voice appeared.


    "So? What will be? I promise if youe out now and do what I ask for obediently, I won''t kill you. If not, I will just go and erase this whole terrain together with you! I will give you one minute so think about it!"


    [Yeah, this time he is bluffing.]


    Khal remained silent when he heard what Nova said, thinking the same as her, however, once 45 seconds have passed, a terrifying presence appeared in the air while another wave of breeze emerged.


    "Only fifteen seconds left, kid."


    [He is just trying to scare you.]


    Bam!


    Suddenly, the gravity around Khal grew tremendously, creating deep and wide cracks below his body as it slowly but surely began to sink millimeter by millimeter into the ground!


    [He is just...]


    BAM!


    Next, the temperature grew to crazy heights, to the point where the rock walls around Khal began to turn red and start to melt bit by bit, turning into a liquified state akin tova!


    Luckily, he already changed his Chameleon Armor back into the invisible one, thus the moment the ground below his body slowly turned into a burning hot and bubbling melted rock he was able to avoid being roasted alive.


    [...]


    ''Is he still trying to scare me?'' Khal asked with clenched teeth as he resisted the terrifying pressure on his body while also making sure he concentrated with everything he got to make his invisible armor still functional.


    [No, he is not. He really will erase the whole terrain from existence! He will turn the wholendscape into a sea ofva!]


    ''Perfect... Then it seems we have a problem.'' Khal thought with a painful grimace and raised his gaze at the small hole in front of him which was the sole entrance and at the same time exit of the den he was currently in.


    ''I can''t move... The pressure is just too great!'' Khal struggled to push his body toward the exit, but had to discover it with disappointment he couldn''t even lift a finger much less move a whole limb!


    "It may seem you have forgotten whosends you are currently on, so let me teach you a quick lesson to make you remember."


    BOOOM!


    TREMBLE!


    Khal watched with widened eyes as the pressure on his body suddenly vanished while the searing temperature from the surroundings quickly dropped back to normal heights, saving him from dying from both bone-shattering pressure and flesh-scorching heat!


    "W-What happened?" finally able to fill his lungs with fresh air as the heat simply made that impossible, Khal inhaled deeply as he blurted out those words with a heaving chest.


    However, not even a secondter a loud roar sounded followed by a great explosion.


    "WHO THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Old Eye''s voice thundered through thendscape, generating a powerful ripple that cracked the walls around Khal with lightning speed.


    ''Not good!'' seeing as the whole pir he was under was now truly about to copse, Khal didn''t hesitate for a second and dashed out of the hole, even using his sheer body to escape faster just to avoid being buried alive under hundreds of tons of weight.


    In a sh, Khal used his Lightning Step movement technique to appear hundreds of meters away and watched as in the far distance Old Eye stood on top of one of the rock pirs, while high above him a young man wearing nothing but a red robe with golden symbols on it floated in thin air with a seemingly indifferent face.


    "Who do I think I am, you ask? I thought someone like you who was a True Evesting would have more brain cells than that, but it seems I was wrong." the mysterious young man said with a disappointed sigh and as he raised his handzily above his head, he continued, "Well, whatever. Before sending you to the afterlife, I will at least answer that final question of yours."


    He then showed a confident and proud smile, while saying, "I am the Lord of this Realm, the one who supervises everything happening in the Zero Realm and the one who makes sure no one breaks the rules I have set on this sacrednd."


    "Lord? Rules?! What kind of crap are you bbering about! You are no one here to say such pretentious words to me, to a True Evesting!" Old Eye yelled with anger, forcing many rock pirs around him to copse just from the terrifying presence leaking out of his body.


    "Sigh... You are truly a shame to your race, but whatever. I won''t waste my time with the likes of you, Exile."


    "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!" Old Eye''s expression turned ashen when he heard the words of the young man, but even before he had the chance to do a single thing, golden light broke out of the young man''s hand, engulfing everything around him in a blinding golden light almost immediately!

 Chapter 362 - Hale, Lord Of The Zero Realm

    Golden light broke out from the young man''s palm, swallowing the wholendscape in its entirety in blinding gold light and forcing Khal who watched this whole spectacle from afar to close his eyes in an instant!


    Whoosh!


    "If you can''t even distinguish the strong from the weak, how can you even call yourself someone blessed with knowledge? What a shame..." a disappointed sigh escaped from the mysterious young man''s mouth once the golden light weakened and vanished, seemingly talking to himself as Old Eye''s body was nowhere to be seen.


    "Huh? Where did he go?" Khal seemed confused as he tried to find Old Eye, but no matter where he looked, he found not a single trace of him; it was like he has just evaporated into thin air together with the golden light!


    [He has died. That fool didn''t even realize who he was messing with.]


    "Died? But how?" Khal asked when he heard Nova''s voice, his right brow slightly raised toward the sky on his forehead.


    "How, you ask? His body was simply disintegrated through the passage of time, that is all that happened."


    "?!"


    Khal flinched from surprise when he heard the somewhat unfamiliar voice appearing behind his back, and without hesitation jumped several meters forward and spun around with raised guard.


    [Don''t even try to do anything stupid, Khal. He will kill you as easily as squeezing an ant between his fingertips!]


    Khal remained silent when he heard Nova''s advice and once he remembered just what kind of fate did Old Eye end up with because of his hot temper, he just stayed in one ce and decided to examine the young man in front of him.


    And what to say, with the crimson robe with the golden sewing on it that symbolized different ancient beasts that gave him a rather ancient aura, the young man had a rtively dazzling and attractive look which was a pretty strange thing to think of as a male.


    He had long golden hair that reached the middle of his waist, waving from side to side whenever the breeze blew from either of the four directions. His skin was wless like white jade while his golden eyes flickered with great intelligence that made Khal feel he was standing before an ancient being that lived not millennials but eons, someone who has seen many and lived enough to know everything!


    ''Nova was right, he is definitely not someone I can escape from even if I was given a whole year''s head start!'' such a thought appeared in Khal''s head, finally realizing that he was by no means a match for the young man! If he dared to try anything suspicious, he was pretty sure he would watch the world spinning even before he could have the ability to utter a single sound much less move!


    Swallowing hard, Khal remained frozen in one ce like an ice sculpture and prayed silently in his heart for the young man not to hold a grudge against him and decide to kill him as he did with Old Eye just a few seconds ago.


    "Hm? Oh, my apologies, I have forgotten to introduce myself. No wonder you are so tense, haha! My bad, my bad!" the young man let out a lively chuckle as he said that, and once calmed down he extended his hand with a bright smile and said, "My name is Hale, the Lord of this Realm. It''s a great pleasure to meet with you."


    Khal''s gaze fell on the extended palm in front of him and seemed a bit hesitant to ept it or not, fearing that it was some kind of trap that he failed to see.


    [Idiot! ept his hand, quickly!]


    ''Wha-, s-sure!'' Khal snapped out of his daze when he heard just how angry Nova just yelled at him in his head and without a second thought extended his arm too, epting the handshake from Hale.


    "S-Same... T-The name is Khal." Khal forced himself to remain as calm as he could during the handshake, but couldn''t help but stutter a few times with a rather awkward smile.


    [You are pathetic...]


    ''Hey!'' Khal felt insulted by that, but as he was currently in front of Hale, an individual possessing the ability to kill even a being from the Fifth Realm as easily as blinking, he resisted the urge to show how he felt on his face, avoiding the possibility of offending Hale all of a sudden.


    "So it''s Khal... With such a unique name, it is no wonder you were able to reach the Zero Realm, haha!" Haleughed with joy as he shook Khal''s hand wildly, threatening to tear Khal''s hand right off his shoulder!


    However, although it seemed he was about to rip Khal''s hand down, if one took a closer look then one would get to notice a gentle golden light emitting from Hale''s palm, constantly fusing into Khal''s hand through the invisible armor seemingly in an unnoticeable manner.


    ''Huh? My body...?It suddenly became warmer?'' Khal felt surprised in his heart as he felt a warm sensation sweep through his body and replenish his depleted Body Essence, filling him with fresh Realm Essence although he was not consuming any at all at the moment!


    [Just don''t resist. He is trying to help you.]


    Khal nodded when he heard this and did exactly what Nova said, rxing his body and epting all the strange but warm energy that Hale wished to give him.


    A minute went by before Hale finally let Khal''s hand go and with the same calm smile as before, he asked, "Anyways, why did youe to the Zero Realm? This is not a ce where someone like you, a Second Realm existence should wander around, I hope you know that, right?"


    [Yeah, I told him the same but didn''t listen to me.]


    Khal''s brow twitched when he heard what Nova said again, but still deciding to just ignore her he just scratched his nose and said, "Well, it is quite a long story, but shortly, I have ascended identally and I have a few unfinished businesses back in the First Realm, hence why I wish to find the Realm Path and go back."


    "The Realm Path? You mean this?" Hale asked curiously and with a quick snap of his fingers changed the scenery around them in a mere instant, almost as if he has used some kind of magic!

 Chapter 363 - Finally Back!

    The scenery changed with a single snap, turning thendscape full of towering rock pirs into a gigantic mountain that stood proudly in the center of a vast wastnd, giving one a firm illusion that it was solely there with the purpose to support and hold the sole star above it with its peak, the Star of Beginning!


    "That mountain is the... Realm Path?" although feeling a tremendous amount of shock after witnessing just how easily Hale helped him travel hundreds of miles in a second, Khal quickly snapped out of his daze and asked.


    "Huh? That mountain?" Hale, however, raised a brow and quickly let out a chuckle and said, "Haha, it is not, of course. It is just a regr mountain. The path is right over there."


    Pointing at the bottom of the mountain where a huge cave was located with a width of at least fifty meters, Hale waved his hand gently and with a strange but powerful technique teleported the two of them right before the cave''s entrance in less than a breath time!


    While Khal examined the cave''s entrance in silence, Hale took a step forward, and with his hands behind his back, he gazed into the darkness with a seemingly pondering face; looking at him now, no one really would be able to know what he was currently thinking.


    "The First Realm, huh?" after remaining silent for more than a minute, Hale turned his head slightly toward Khal, and with his gaze still fixed on the darkness he continued, "Although I have lived millions of years already, seeing many things during my seemingly neverending life, I have never seen someoneing to the Zero Realm to go back a Realm, much less into the First Realm at that!"


    Saying those words, Hale looked at Khal with a profound gaze and said, "Hence, the Realm Path you are currently standing before and wish to use was not even utilized once since it was created, giving the possibility that it won''t even work and maybe even kill you if you decide to walk inside!"


    "After knowing this, do you still wish to enter?"


    Khal fell into silence when he heard Hale''s words, but a secondter a firm light shed in his eyes, and said with confidence, "Why would I back down now that I havee this close to what I came for? It would make no sense at all!"


    Hale smiled widely when he heard Khal''s words, boosting his natural charm by a huge margin that started to feel almost surreal.


    ''He is truly on a whole different level...'' Khal thought in his heart when he saw Hale''s dazzling image almost blinding him.


    He was pretty sure if there would be any females around, all of them would swarm around Hale like chicks pushing each other around just to get closer to him as much as they could! He wouldn''t even be surprised if a few would attempt to take his close off and pounce on him like some kind of hungry beasts trying to devour their prey!


    "Haha, I start to like you more and more!" Haleughed with joy when he said those words, making Khal flinch slightly as with such a stunning appearance those words felt slightly misunderstandable.


    "A-Anyways..." Khal quickly spoke after he cleared his throat to make the somewhat awkward feeling in his heart vanished, and with a slightly confused face, he asked, "If I may, why did you help me?"


    "You mean why did I kill that Evesting?" Hale asked calmly once he stoppedughing, looking at Khal with a questioning look.


    "No, not that. You have already told me he died because he broke your rules." Khal shook his head and quickly said, "No, what I mean under my question is exactly what it seems. Why did you help me recover my strength faster and bring me here? There is no reason for you to do something like this, right?"


    Upon hearing Khal''s words, Hale just smiled again and said, "Because I decided to help, that is all."


    "For no reason?" Khal asked with confusion.


    "For no reason." Hale nodded and as he tilted his head slightly to the side, asked, "Why? Do I really need a solid reason whenever I decide to do something? I just felt like helping you that is all, but if you will feel better because of this, I helped you as you made me remember myself."


    "Made you remember of yourself? How?" Khal asked with an even deeper confusion.


    However, this time Hale just remained silent, his crescent eyes closed as he faced Khal with the same smile on his handsome face.


    "Whatever..." Khal sighed helplessly and quickly sped his hand before bowing.


    "Although it may sound crazy and a little ridiculous, but I will definitely try to pay your kindness back in the future."


    "Haha, then I will wait patiently for that day toe." Haleughed and without saying anything else vanished into thin air, leaving Khal before the Realm Path all alone.


    Watching as he was alone, Khal straightened his back and ncing at the dark and seemingly eerie path in front of him, he took a deep breath, and without any hesitation walked inside.


    With confident steps, Khal walked calmly into the darkness withpletely unknown what to expect. However, after his fifth or so stepster, suddenly he watched with surprise as a small point of light began to form right in front of him, slowly but surely engulfing his entire body the longer he walked forward!


    ''It''s working!'' Khal thought with joy in his heart and soon enough watched as the light engulfed his vision and teleported him away, changing the darkness around him into the color of azure blue with white and fluffy things floating here and there around him.


    He was back! After such a long time, he finally came back to the First Realm and he was even able to see the beautiful floating clouds in the sky from above!


    Wait... From above?


    When Khal noticed this he directed his gaze down, only to see that there was no solid ground below his feet and he was currently high above the sky, floating in mid-air!


    And just a secondter, Khal''s joy quickly turned into a panicked scream as he felt gravity appearing on his body, dragging him down and forcing him to start falling with a rather fast speed!


    "Oh, hell noooaaaaaaaarrghh!"

 Chapter 364 - Northern Continent

    Falling from the sky with almost bullet-like speed, Khal watched as he passed the denseyer of clouds under seconds and with ever-growing speed approached the ground below him that seemed to be engulfed in nothing but white.


    ''The Northern Continent?'' Khal seemed to recognize thend below him and couldn''t help but feel slightly surprised.


    It turned out the Realm Path indeed worked but at the same time, it teleported him to the furthest point away from the Southern Continent possible, the Northern Continent.


    ''Well, whatever. I am no longer a First Realm Existence. I can easily go back to Moon City in less than half a day!'' Khal thought in his heart and when he was less than a hundred meters away from crashing into the ground he raised his hand and clenched his fingers into a tight fist.


    Although he was a Second Realm existence who tempered and even refined his body with rare treasures and with a method that no one ever before tried to do before, he still was a mortal who could die falling from the sky with nothing that could slow his descent down.


    Maybe if he was at the peak of the Third Realm and someone who has already entered the Fourth Realm, he could have had the chance of surviving such a suicidal fall, but currently, it was nothing but a ridiculous dream to hope for.


    Hence, without hesitation, Khal quickly pushed some of his essences into his arm and with a powerful swing, threw a punch out right below him that immidieatly created a huge shockwave, strong enough to halt his descent in the air for a few seconds before letting him fall again but with less speed than before!


    Thud!


    Reaching solid ground with two gentle taps, Khal nced around slowly and scanned his surroundings with keen eyes.


    Currently, he was standing in the very center of a valley of three rtively huge mountains that were covered in a thickyer of white snow. Also, the temperature was so cold that whenever he breathed out the air from his lungs, steam would emerge from his mouth and fly toward the sky before his face.


    Just looking at the white scenery around him made Khal know that he was indeed somewhere on the Northern Continent as such a thickyer of snow only existed here and nowhere else inside the remaining three continents.


    "Now I should only find out where I am exactly. From then, finding Moon City won''t be a problem at all." Khal muttered calmly and was about to run toward a southern direction when suddenly he noticed a white bear with a size about twice as his emerged in the distance, its deep ck eyes staring intently at him in a deep and threatening manner.


    "Just go away, pal. We are not in the same league." Khal said calmly as he activated his Heaven''s Eyes, forcing the beast to immidieatly tremble with pure fear and dash away while leaving a yellowish line of strain behind his wake in the white snow; it was pretty obvious that it has pissed itself from sheer horror when he felt Khal''s aura just a second ago.


    ''...''


    Khal remained silent upon seeing this sight and once the bear was out of his sight he deactivated his Heaven''s eyes before dashing into the distance, traveling half a mile in a single instant!


    "A city!" after running for a few seconds, Khal became happy when he noticed the huge city walls in the distance, thus pushing his feet a little bit stronger against the ground below his feet, he quickened his pace and dashed forward.


    Meanwhile, before the city gate, two guards d in white armors that were, in fact, stuffed out with expensive fur and leather that can protect them from freezing to death in this cold weather, when noticing as someone approached the city with terrifying speed akin to an avnche they felt shocked but quickly raised their weapons and roared;


    "HALT!"


    Bam!


    With a force that cracked the ground and sent fist-sized debris into the air, Khal came to an abrupt halt and nced at the two guards in front of him.


    "Which city is this?" Khal asked with an indifferent expression,pletely ignoring that the two guards pointed their weapons at him in a threatening manner with a hint of killing intent.


    In his eyes, they were nothing but ants that he could squeeze and use their weapons to winkle out the stuck meat from between his teeth any given time he wished.


    The two guards looked confused when they heard Khal''s seemingly strange question as who would not know what this city was? Anyone that did not live under a rock would know just what kind of history this city had!


    However, when they saw that the young boy in front of them wore only a single robe without any protective clothing against the blood-freezing cold that ruled this domain where they currently were, they seemed to realize he was not someone they could mess with that easily.


    Hence, one of the guards that seemed to have the bigger rank among the two took a confident step forward, and with his spear raised higher, he said in a stern voice, "Kid, do you live under a rock, or are you just simply trying to y a prank on us by not knowing the name of this city even after seeing the ice jade walls?"


    As if he was enlightened, Khal''s eyes brightened up, and asked quickly, "Is this Ice Jade City?"


    "Hmph, it seems you are not that stupi-" the guard sneered coldly when he heard Khal''s question and wished to scoff at him, but just before he could have had the chance to do so, Khal already dashed away with explosive speed, leaving behind nothing but the sound of thunder and a deep pit at the spot where he just stood a? few moments ago!


    As for the two guards, they just stood where they were motionless, their eyes wide as saucers as they simply failed to track Khal''s speed no matter just how focused they were a second ago!


    "J-Just who was that boy?"ing back from his sense, the guard at the rear asked with a stupefied expression, his gaze looking in the direction where Khal have just vanished to.


    The other guard, who looked just as shocked as the other one thought for an answer, but as he failed toe up with any he just shook his head helplessly before walking back to his original position. There, he leaned against the wall with a deep sigh and took out a cigarette from his pocket.


    "Let''s just forget about it. I think it''s better if we don''t know.." the guard sighed and took a deep inhale from the cigarette before blowing out the smoke into the air slowly, acting as though nothing special happened just now.

 Chapter 365 - Demolishing The Ourvi Family! (1)

    Not far away from Moon Academy, inside a newly built mansion which was rtively big with two floors and many rooms, Liza was sitting inside the living room before a huge table with Miss Mary sitting on her right and Dan standing not far away from behind her. There was even Rubie present on one of the nt''s top, her figure rather grown figure as majestic and arrogant as ever.


    "No news about him even after a month?" Miss Mary asked with a worried tone, her eyes subconsciously shifting to the little girl on her side who becamepletely silent and indifferent for weeks now, since the moment Khal went on missing to be exact.


    Ever since Khal vanished without any sign of finding his whereabouts, both Miss Mary and Liza used whatever means they could do to find him, but no matter where they searched or what kind of methods they tried to do, nothing worked.


    They even went and asked for Jas'' and Logan''s help, but to their great surprise, they were just as clueless as they were; Khal simply vanished into thin air without leaving behind any sign!


    Dan, who was silent all this time upon hearing Miss Mary''s question closed his eyes and shook his head gently, "I fear, it is the case, ma''am. We have tried our best, but even after searching back the exact route the Young Master has taken before disappearing, we found nothing."


    Miss Mary and the whole room fell into deep silence when she heard Dan''s words, trying to digest the truth that was right before her even at this very moment. She tried not to think about the worst, but after weeks of finding nothing, she couldn''t avoid reality any longer; she had to admit that Khal have gone totally missing and was very likely... dead.


    "Sigh..." Miss Mary let out a deep sigh that seemed to carry all the negative emotions a human could possibly have and began to gently massage her temple with somewhat trembling fingers.


    One didn''t have to be a genius to know she was using every ounce of her willpower to surpass her currently felt emotions that threatened to break onto the surface like a tidal wave.


    While the three remained silent, each immersed deeply in their own thoughts, suddenly a great tremor shook the walls of the mansion around them before a loud yell filled with cockiness sounded from the outside.


    "This is the final warning, criminals! If you wish to remain alive and see daylight ever again, do as I say ande out this instant!"


    "Tsk... Annoying pests!" Liza suddenly hissed angrily and stood up, obviously attempting to walk out of the building and give a piece of her mind to the ones outside.


    Since the day Khal have gone missing, the Ourvi Family attempted to recruit her into their family even more aggressively than ever before, even trying to capture her and force her to join them out of her free will!


    In the beginning, things were pretty much easy to handle with Miss Mary and Jas around, but as days have passed and the more the Ourvi Family tried, things have gradually gotten out of hand, to the point where Jas and Logan was incapable of helping.


    Of course, they didn''t help them because they wished not to, but rather because they were forced to remain at the sidelines or else even they would be listed as criminals, the ones that killed the heir of the Ourvi Family, Alde Ourvi!


    About a week or so ago, the Ourvi Family acquired just enough evidence to know that the one killing Alde was none other but Khal, an orphanage who attended the same Academy as Alde did.


    ording to sources, the Ourvi Family was able to find an individual from the Eastern Continent that possessed a unique Talent, capable of creating a special domain selected locations where she could rewind time and rewatch scenes that happened there in the past!


    Since then, the Ourvi Family found out the truth behind Alde''s death, hence anyone that had even the smallest tie with him before has gotten captured, their fates unknown even until this very moment!


    Naturally, individuals such as Jas and Logan that had unique backgrounds and were existences that couldn''t be messed with that easily were able to avoid the deathly grasp of the Ourvi Family, but the others, unfortunately, were not that fortunate.


    Seeing as Liza stood up and walked toward the gates, Miss Mary and Dan appeared before her, obviously with the attempt to calm her down and stop her from doing anything stupid.


    "Liza, my dear... Please, listen here. I know how you are feeling at the moment, but going out there won''t give you any good at all, I promise! While you are here, you are safe. They cannote through the formation Dan put up around the mansion, not even if several top experts start to bombard it without rest." Miss Mary said calmly, but deep within her eyes the concern and worry were greatly noticeable.


    "I don''t care," Liza said indifferently as she waved her hand toward Rubie, making her appear andnd on her shoulder swiftly with seeming imperceptible speed in the very next instant.


    "Then what do you even wish to achieve all alone against them? Fight them? The Ourvi Family is not something that you can just wipe off from the earth''s surface just because you wish to! Speak with them? They already stated you are a criminal and will do whatever they can to get their hands on you! The best at the moment would be if yo-"


    Bam!


    Without waiting for Miss Mary to finish her sentence, Liza kicked the mansion''s door wide open and with an indifferent and sharp gaze swept through the hundreds of cultivators that crowded at the other side of the half-transparent barrier that had been built around the mansion.


    "It seems you have finally decided toe out!" Edwin, one of the most trusted men Anred had, stood with a wide grin on his face, his eyes ring at Liza behind the barrier with a sharp gaze.


    "So? Will you finally hand yourself over, or will you watch as I will make this weak and fragile barrier of yours copse right before your very eyes? Of course, if you decide to choose thetter, your punishment will be much more severe afterward, so hope you choose wisely." Edwin said threateningly, his grin rather cocky and arrogant.


    Liza squinted her eyes when she heard the question and was about to open her lips when suddenly a cold, but rather familiar voice appeared in the air,ing from right behind Edwin and his men!


    "It seems the Ourvi Family has be even more daring than ever before.. Perfect, at least another reason why I should kill all of you guys once and for all."

 Chapter 366 - Demolishing The Ourvi Family (2)

    The words spoken were cold and indifferent, carrying not the slightest trace of emotion a human could possibly have.


    "You are?" Edwin squinted his eyes when he saw the young man standing behind him and his men, trying to recognize his face and match it with the ones in his mind.


    However, not even a secondter, a gentle gasp appeared from the mansion''s direction, attracting Edwin''s gaze almost immediately, and watch as the previously arrogant and cocky Liza now was on her knees, her trembling hands covering her mouth as tears flew out the corner of her eyes.


    "SCHRIIIEEEKKK!!!"


    A loud and almost ear-piercing cry pierced the air a secondter, and everyone, including Edwin, watched with dumbfounded faces as the crimson bird on Liza''s shoulder widened her wings in a majestic manner and with a single but powerful p appeared right before the young boy.


    ''Haha! It seems that stupid bird didn''t favor his face and now it wishes to kill him, how unfortunate.'' Edwinughed with joy in his heart as he already imagined the sight that will take ce before him. However, soon his expression froze, and watched stupefied as the crimson birdnded on the young boy''s hand and caressed herself against his face!


    ''The fuck?'' Edwin looked at the young boy in silence before a sudden thought shed in his mind and his eyes widened.


    "IT''S YOU!!!"


    Khal, who was enjoying the softness and warm sensation on his face showed a sarcastic smile and said, "Took you long enough to realize it."


    "Boss, who is that brat?" a man with a muscr build and bronze-like skin asked from Edwin''s side, seemingly confused by the sudden change of events.


    "Idiot! It is him! Khal Nevio, the one that killed our family''s heir!" Edwin said with anger and even smacked the guy on the back of his head even though being several years older than him.


    The people around felt shocked when they heard Edwin''s words, but following their shock, almost all of them turned toward Khal and stared at him with threatening and bloodshot eyes; it was like they wished to skin him alive and feed his bones to their dog!


    "Haha! To think I can hit two birds with one stone! This is truly the best day of my life!" Edwinughed loudly almost like he just heard a funny joke, and pointed at Khal, "Go and get him. Dead or alive, I will bring his body back with him!"


    Immidieatly as Edwin''s voice fell, everyone around him roared toward the sky with excitement and with raised weapons began to run toward Khal like hungry beasts wishing to shred their prey into numerous pieces.


    "Schriiek!"


    Rubie wailed loudly when she saw the crowd of cultivators running toward them and was ready to engage in a blood-filled battle, but to her great surprise, a gentle palm stopped her just before she could have leaped into the air.


    "It''s okay. You don''t have to do anything." Khal petted Rubie with a calm gaze and showed a cold smile, "It will be over in a second."


    "Do you really think you have the power to beat hundreds of cultivators on the Eighth Cultivation Stage and a handful that already reached the Ninth Stage?" Edwin scoffed at Khal''s seemingly bold statement and was ready tough, but shockingly he didn''t even have the chance when a cold voice abruptly appeared from behind him.


    "I don''t think it. I know it."


    "?!" Edwin''s pupils shrunk to the size of a needle when he heard Khal''s voice from behind his back and watched as all hell broke loose at the very same instant right before his very eyes.


    BOOOOM!


    TREMBLE!


    With the sound of thunder that shook the entirendscape in a mile radius, the earth shattered and broke into hundreds of fragments, while the small army of man that previously approached Khal with bloodlust now fell to the ground in numerous pieces!


    The beautiful Eden-like scenery turned into thend of literal hell, painting the formerly green environment into the color of deep crimson that was filled with nothing but the sight of split organs, shattered bones, and the putrid smell of iron!


    Just under a single second, the previously loud surroundings quietened down to total silence, to the point where even a fly''s buzz could be heard as clearly as thunder!


    "W-W-What... Impossible! T-This must be some kind of bad dream!" at this moment Edwin''s face has lost all colors from the sheer fear he was currently feeling, his eyes and body trembling as though he just saw a ghost.


    "A bad dream?" Khal who stood behind Edwin shook his head gently and with a cold chuckle that at the moment sounded akin to theugh of the devil, he ced the edge of his Moonshadow''s de before Edwin''s throat and said, "No, this is way worse than that... A nightmare!"


    And without even waiting for Edwin''s response, Khal moved his wrist, immediately cutting Edwin''s body into hundreds of pieces without even giving him the chance to scream up!


    "Tsk... Great, some of his blood fell on my robe. I need to wash itter." Khal clicked his tongue in annoyance as he watched some of Edwin''s blood falling on his silver robe and staining it, but quickly shook his head and turned around to see how Liza was doing.


    However, just before he could have turned aroundpletely, suddenly watched as a petite figure emerged right before him, and even before he would have had the chance to react, a soft sensation appeared right on his lips!


    "?!"


    Feeling as Liza hugged him tightly and kissed him gently, Khal was first at a loss for words, but soon his mind turned nk and instinctively decided to enjoy the moment and savor every second of it.


    Time passed slowly, extremely slowly, especially in the eyes of the two, and what felt like just mere seconds for others happened to feel like minutes for Khal instead. However, as things alwayse to an end, this seemingly heavenly moment came to an end too with Liza pulling her face away and staring deeply into Khal''s eyes, almost as if she wished to get lost in his gaze, never again wishing to see him going away.


    No words were said, only silence was between the two. However, it was obviously unnecessary to say even a single word as even like this, both of them knew perfectly well what the other one thought.


    "You two really got cozy with each other while I was away, huh?" as Khal and Liza enjoyed their moments with each other, suddenly a gentle voice appeared from the side, attracting both of their gazes from each other in an instant.


    "Miss Mary!" Khal''s eyes lit up like candles under the night sky when he saw Miss Mary''s smiling figure approaching them, thus without hesitation appeared before her and hugged her tightly.


    "Haha! Not so strong, you will break me. Haha!" Miss Mary let out a surprised chuckle, but still let Khal hug him however he wanted and she too hugged him back, small drops of tears already flowing down her cheeks; it seemed the weight that pressed down on her heart until this very moment finally fell down.


    "Wee back."

 Chapter 367 - Demolishing The Ourvi Family! (3)

    "Wee back."


    When those words were heard by Khal a sense of warmness swept through his body while his arm around Miss Mary tightened even more; he was d that he was able to arrive just in time.


    Hugging each other for a few more seconds, Khal finally let go of Miss Mary''s waist and took a step back.


    "Young Master, it''s nice to see you safe and sound." Dan, who watched everything from the back showed a calm smile and he walked closer.


    "It''s good to see you too." Khal showed the same friendly smile as Dan before hisplexion turned serious and turning back at Miss Mary he said, "Aunty, although I cannot describe how happy I am that all of you are safe and no matter how much I wish to stay, my time is running low."


    "What do you mean by that?" feeling the seriousness in Khal''s voice Miss Mary too became serious and asked.


    Khal sighed and quickly began to exin everything that happened with him, obviously leaving out the part where he almost died under the hands of Old Eye; thest thing he wished now was that his aunty and Liza would freak out and throw a tantrum.


    However, what Khal didn''t know was that even if he would have told them, they wouldn''t have said a thing as the moment he reached that part in his story, Miss Mary, Liza, and Dan have already be so numb from the waves of shock that they failed to react at the things they have heard!


    They just stood in one ce, their eyes wide as saucers and jaws dropped right before their knees from nothing but the pure stupefaction!


    Only after several minutester was Miss Mary capable of regaining her senses, and although with still deep shock, she asked, "Are... Are you really telling us the truth? I hope you don''t just wish to pull our legs just for some stupid fun."


    Khal, however, just shook his head and said calmly, "I am not. I really have ascended into the Second Realm and what I said was the truth; I have at least a day before I am forced to go back."


    Miss Mary and Liza looked at each other speechless, trying to say something but finding that they were unable to; what they were told just now waspletely out of their expectations and still needed a little bit of time to digest everything.


    "And what do you wish to do now... Under a single day?" Dan suddenly asked, his voice holding deeper respect and also a slight hint of fear when talking with Khal that was not there before.


    Although Miss Mary and Liza didn''t understand it or were still under the deep shock where they were unable to understand it yet, Dan clearly knew that the one before him was no longer a young boy who anyone can mess with casually but instead a monster!


    A beast disguised in human skin!


    Ascended into the Second Realm where he broke through for Cultivation Stage under a little bit less than two months and even found a way to descend into the First Realm? Was this some kind of a bad joke or was he just having a bad dream?


    Anyone that had a little bit ofmon knowledge would know that cultivation inside the Second Realm was way more difficult than in the First Realm, but not because of the many foreign races that existed there but because of the difficulty to break through into the next Cultivation Stage!


    ording to records, one needed several years just to reach the Fourth Cultivation Stage before having to struggle a few more decades to reach the Fifth Cultivation Stage! What''s more, it was also possible that one couldn''t even break through the Fourth Cultivation Stage and be an Ascender, given just how fricking difficult it was to reach it!


    Yet, a young boy who was not even 20 years old, seeded in aplishing the impossible and became a Limit Breaker in less than two months just after ascending into the Second Realm!


    What did that mean? It meant he was no longer a human but an anomaly, a never-before-seen monster that defiedws and rules in their entirety!


    When Khal heard Dan''s question, his eyes turned sharp and a cold grin emerged on his face; just from that alone, it was obvious what he will do.


    "Isn''t it obvious already? I will make them regret everything they have done until now and demolish them from existence, that is what I will do!"


    -


    -


    -


    Inside the Ourvi Family''s headquarters, Anred sat before a rtively huge table, hisplexion holding a rather stiff and dark facade. Before him, a man in a ck coat that covered every part of his body kneeled, his face lowered to the ground.


    "My Lord, there is still no any news abou-"


    "I DON''T CARE IF THERE ARE ANY OR NOT, I SAID FIND HIM SO FUCKING DO THAT!!!" yelling from the top of his lungs with pure anger, Anred mmed his fist on the desk in front of him, causing it to form deep cracks on its expensive-looking surface in an instant.


    "I-I... I have understood. I will continue trying my best."


    "Continue trying your best? Continue trying your best!" Anred asked loudly and continued, "Is this what you call your best? Don''t you feel any shame by stating that arrogance of yours? Especially in front of me?"


    The man immediately lowered his head, his body slightly trembling from the pressure falling on his body. He wished to say something to calm Anred''s wrath, but just as he was ready to speak, a great tremor shook the whole mansion, surprising both him and Anred!


    "Who dares to cause a ruckus at my home?" Anred stood up as he shouted akin to a beast, his mood obviously the worst at the moment as his eyes were slightly bloodshot and veins were bulging at the side of his neck.


    BOOM!


    And exactly the very next second of Anred''s yell, almost as if life wished to give an answer to his previous question right away, the huge jade wall in front of him exploded into small chunks of debris, revealing a young figure that held nothing but a golden scythe in one hand and a severed head in the other!


    "Now I understand why that trash had such a bad temper. Like father like son, huh?" walking inside the room while saying those words indifferently, Khal casually tossed the head in his hold onto the desk in front of Anred, immediately painting it into the color of deep crimson and filling the room with the foul smell of iron and blood!

 Chapter 368 - Demolishing The Ourvi Family! (4)

    With a heavy ''Thud!'' sound, the head fell on the table before Anred, painting the table into the color of deep crimson.


    Smelling the foul smell of blood, Anred showed a slight frown, but when he noticed the familiar face of the head his expression stiffened and darkened.


    "My Lord, don''t feel worried even for a second. I will take care of him right away!" the man with the hoodie on stood up from the side and dashed forward Khal with speed equivalent of those on the Ninth Cultivation Stage.


    "DIE!" swinging his dagger which shed with a cold glint, the man targeted Khal''s neck, hoping to slice his head off with one single strike.


    "You really don''t know what is good for you, huh? Very well." Khal said calmly without looking at the attack and softly flicked his wrist that held his Moonshadow.


    Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!...


    Under a single blink, hundreds of cold light shed around the man''s body before his body halted and slowly began to fall apart like a card castle!


    Watching as one of his strongest subordinates was cut into smaller pieces than a piece of pebble, Anred''s darkened face turned a one hundred and eighty-degree turn, changing into ghostly pale in color!


    "W-What? What did you do?" Anred stuttered with shrunk pupils, his body trembling from fear.


    Although he had a bad temper, he was not stupid. He knew perfectly well that the young boy before him used some kind of hidden and powerful technique that surpassed even his ability to track!


    ''Wait, that weapon in his hand... It''s a Spiritual Weapon? How did he get his hand on one?'' Anred''s eyes fell on the golden scythe in Khal''s hand before his eyes narrowed into a slit and thought ''It must definitely be from that Moon Temple! How dare that old man lie to me?!''


    About a week or two ago, Anred obtained the information from one of his Shadows that Jas, the principal of the Moon Academy suddenly created a Sect atop Moon Mountain all of a sudden.


    At first, he thought it was just a way to keep himself away from boredom, but once another piece of information fell into his hand which stated that more than 80% of Moon Academy students were brought into the sect while many more joined it from all around the Southern Continent, Anred knew that there was something more than he could see.


    Hence, with one of his Shadows he sent a spy inside to see why Jas'' sect was suddenly gaining so much poprity, and soon enough found out that the Moon Sect on top of Moon Mountain was a ce akin to paradise! Not only was the essence there much denser than anywhere else on the Southern Continent, but cultivators that joined the sect would gain many benefits freely such as essence pills, great weapons, and powerful Secret Arts!


    They even gave Spiritual Weapons to some of their Core Disciples, which was never heard before!


    Knowing Jas'' personality, Anred knew that Jas must have found an immense amount of wealth atop Moon Mountain when he found that temple, or else he would definitely not enjoy such a luxury to give away so many expensive things for free.


    He even suspected that Jas would hide Khal there, hence why he threatened him not once but twice to hand him over or else he would destroy the entirety of Moon Sect!


    But instead of showing fear, Jas just simply answered with;


    "Come and try it if you don''t fear death."


    Upon hearing those words, Anred was first hesitant but after a small amount of thinking, he decided to just force his way inside the sect and gain control over it while also killing the hiding Khal there.


    Or at least would have done that if Khal would have not shown up personally before his doors, showing he was indeed right and he truly hid in Moon Sect all this time!


    But how bad. If Anred would have known that Khal was not hiding in the Moon Sect but was instead traveling from to in the Second Realm and even had an encounter with two terrifying beings in the Zero Realm, his expression would have been a phenomenal sight to witness for sure.


    Thinking about what he should do now, Anred nced at the ring on his finger and was ready to summon his own Spiritual Weapon before a cold voice appeared in his ear.


    "If I were you, I wouldn''t do it."


    Raising his gaze to see Khal was still standing at the spot where he stood seconds ago, Anred sneered and said, "You truly think you have the audacity to tell me, the head of the Ourvi Family what to do? Although I am surprised you have acquired a unique Secret Art, you are just too naive to think that will be enough to stand on the same level as me!"


    With those words, Anred waved his hand and with a sh, an abyss ck sword materialized in his hold, emitting a rather eerie aura. However, even before his fingers could have gotten a good grip around its hilt, the sword suddenly cracked and fell into numerous pieces before his feet with a ttering sound!


    "What?" Anred widened his eyes, failing to understand what happened just now. It was a Spiritual Weapon, so how did it get broken?


    As Anred thought about it and wished to find an exnation, Khal finally began to walk toward Anred with casual steps and said nonchntly, "I have warned you. Next time I won''t be this lenient."


    "What did you say?!" Anred snapped out of his daze and was ready to summon another weapon into his hand, but unfortunately was slow to do so and watched as Khal appeared right before him like a ghost, his palm firmly holding his face!


    "I said, next time I won''t be this lenient," Khal said indifferently and without a care in the world raised Anred slightly before exerting a small force and mming Anred''s entire body headfirst into the ground!


    BOOOOOM!

 Chapter 369 - Demolishing The Ourvi Family! (5 Last)

    The whole tform below Khal broke into debris and without anything supporting him and being on the second floor of the mansion, he began to fall with Anred''s face still in his firm hold.


    BOOOM!


    Tremble!


    The entire mansion was shaken with great tremor once Khalnded on the ground, his hand pressing Anred''s face into the jade floor below him with force just strong enough not to break his skull into hundreds of pieces!


    "Bleargh!" coughing up a huge amount of blood, Anred raised his gaze at Khal, feeling fear and dread for the first time in his life after decades!


    Looking at Khal''s indifferent face above him and his emerald eyes that looked down on him as if he was an insignificant ant, Anred felt his body slowly trembling and wished to say something when suddenly a sharp pain assaulted his right hand.


    "ARGHH!!" screaming up with pain, Anred watched as his right arm now was twisted into an inhuman angle, his bone piercing through the spot where his elbow should be located!


    "Why are you screaming so loudly? It''s nothing but just a scratchpared to the lives of the innocent souls you have turned into living hell and even killed!" Khal said coldly and after cing his feet firmly on Anred''s left forearm he grabbed his wrist and twisted one hundred and eighty in degrees!


    "AAARGH!!!" another ear-piercing scream left Anred''s mouth that was almost akin to a pig which was tortured!


    "Please... Please forgive me... I promise I won''t touch any of your loved ones in the future! I will evenpensate them wi-, ARRRGHH!!"


    Ignoring his pathetic cry, Khal grabbed Anred''s left leg and with a smooth wrench deformed it just how he did with his right arm!


    "I was wrong! Please forgive me!" Anred now was almost crying even though he was a grown adult; he was looking rather pathetic at the moment, despite his enemy being only a young boy who was not even 20 years old!


    But if one understood that this young boy was in fact a Limit Breaker from the Second Realm, then such a sight was more than understandable despite the 30 years of an age difference between the two!


    Watching as Anred now was unable to move, Khal walked before him and crouched down, his Moonsadow gently raising his face by his chin.


    "Now listen here carefully as I will only say this once. You will tell me everything I wish to know. No questions asked, only answers. Understood?"


    "Why, what do you want to kno-,"


    Swish!


    "Argh..." clenching his teeth as a sharp pain pierced his left ear, Anred groaned lowly and looked at the thing that fell down onto the ground before him; it was his ear!


    "You are an even greater idiot than I have thought." Khal said quietly and said, "Well then, up to my questions."


    Khal began to interrogate Anred about several matters, such as where his bases were located throughout the Southern Continent, how many worked under his wings, and even about the mysterious expert that erased the memory of many about the incident where only he and Liza survived.


    At first, Anred was hesitant to answer everything, but once Khal used his weapon to literally skin him alive he was like someone who just ate a Truth Pill, revealing every bit of his secrets!


    After close to an hour of interrogation, Anred closed his eyes and said in a weak voice, "I... I have told you everything you wanted to know. Is there any reason for you to torture me?"


    Khal seemed deep in thought when he heard the words of Anred and immediately showed a cold smile.


    "You are right, I don''t."


    Anred let out a sigh of relief when he heard Khal''s answer, but soon his sigh halted and his face paled when he felt as the weapon below his chin now was pressed against his throat!


    "What... I have told you everything! Do you really wish to kill me? Don''t you fear the consequences?!"


    Khal sneered when he heard those words and asked, "Consequences? What kind of?"


    Anred opened his mouth to speak but found out no words were able toe out as Khal was right. There were no consequences.


    Even if he decided to kill him there was no one who would avenge him. No, as a fact many would thank him instead as they could gain many things from him being dead such as territories or treasures his family once possessed!


    Anred clenched his teeth when he thought about this and was ready to start a bargain when Khal''s cold voice suddenly appeared in his ear.


    "Don''t even waste your breath trying to convince me to leave you alive. You have already dug your own grave when you let your trash son let his ''revenge'' on me." Khal said and showing a devilish smile that in Anred''s eyes now looked wicked, he said, "But don''t worry. You can grieve over your mistakes and regret your whole life in hell right next to him."


    "You-!" Anred wished to curse at Khal but he didn''t even have the chance to utter a single word before his neck was cut wide open, blood gushing out of it onto the ground in great amount.


    After slitting Anred''s throat open and watching how he struggled to breathe, Khal stood up and patted his robe gently even though it was not dirty.


    "Let''s hope you have learned your lesson and you won''t make the same mistakes in your next life." Khal muttered nonchntly and without looking back walked away, leaving Anred behind in his own blood.


    Once walking a fair distance away from the mansion, Khal stopped walking and raised his hand, watching as golden light engulfed his arm, spreading over his skin with a rtively slow pace.


    "Although I still have time, because of breaking the rules mentioned in the book my time in the First Realm dropped from one day only to at least two to three hours.." saying those words under his breath, Khal lowered his hand and after ncing toward the sky he vanished from his spot with a gentle breeze.

 Chapter 370 - Sharing Secrets & Returning To The Zero Realm! (1)

    After killing Anred and putting a final end to his rotten ruling over many innocent lives, Khal went back to Miss Mary''s mansion. However, when he arrived before the entrance and was ready to walk inside, he was surprised to feel that many presences he was familiar with were present inside.


    "It''s good to see you guys again." as Khal walked inside, he showed a bright smile and looked at the faces that were inside the main hall, talking with each other with differentplexions.


    Jas, Logan, Bazz, Jane, and Scarlett. Everyone he knew in one way or another and helped him now stood before him, their gazes holding various emotions which was hard not to notice, especially for someone like Khal who was already a Second Realm existence.


    "So the news were true. You really have became a Second Realm existence." Jas walked before Khal, his eyes looking him up and down with a calm but firm gaze.


    "Haha! You really are something else, brat! I knew you were a genius when ites to forging, but I would have never thought you were also a cultivation genius! Haha!" Bazz stood next to Khal and with a heftyugh smacked his back with great power.


    But when he did, his smile froze on his face and what reced in the next second was a painful groan instead.


    "Damn... So this is how a Second Realm existence''s body feels like when hit? Its like trying to break an iron wall with a finger!" Bazz mumbled as he massaged his slightly swollen palm.


    Jane and Scarlett seeing the results of Bazz''s normal smack turned silent, their charming eyes looking at Khal in apletely different light. If before they felt like he was an ordinary cultivator with a slightly above average potential and talent than the rest, now they finally realized they have made a huge mistake in their judgement.


    The boy in front of them could literally ughter every single one of them with a single sneeze without them given the chance to put up the slightest resistance possible!


    As the two woman looked at Khal with slight worry and fear in their eyes, Logan walked before Khal and crossing his arms before his chest he asked, "So? Wish to exin yourself?"


    When everyone heard the arrogant tone of Logan, everyone in the mansion turned angry at Logan and at the same time fearful, worried that Khal would start a ruckus all of a sudden.


    However, their worry was meaningless. Not only would Khal not try to start anything with Logan such as a fight, he wouldn''t even get angry over something like his tone of his voice. As his past disciple, he respected him enough not to. Also, he was already used to it so he only showed a small smile and began to talk.


    At first, everyone felt surprised how calm Khal was and how he just ignored Logan''s arrogance even though he was literally an ant before his feet, but once they heard how he got into the Second Realm and what kind of a hell did he go through, those thoughts quickly turned insignificant and their face turned into total shock.


    Although they have already heard the brief story from Dan, they still could hardly believe the truth when they heard it from Khal himself.


    "This Zero Realm... How did you know it existed?" after waiting for Khal to finish talking, Jas touched his chin and asked.


    "Everything that one needs to know about all the existing Realms are written inside this." Khal didn''t hide anything and summoned the Record of All Realms into his hold, showing everyone the thick book he obtained before his Thousand life Tournament from the olddy.


    "Inside that... book?" Jas raised his brow in confusion when he heard Khal''s words and looked at the book.


    "Can I take a look at it?" Logan suddenly asked, his usual indifferent face now holding a deep curiosity which was a rather rare sight from him.


    And to everyone''s surprise, Khal nodded and handed Logan the book almost as if it was nothing but a piece of an ordinary book.


    But if one thought about it, it was normal for Khal to act this freely. He was currently a Limit Breaker in the First Realm. He could literally demolish entire cities with a single attack without anyone having the ability to stop him. Why should he feel worried Logn would suddenly something reckless as destroying it or trying to steal it?


    It made zero sense and Khal also knew Logan would do no stupid things such as the above mentioned.


    When Logan opened the book, everyone in the hall gathered around him with excited and curious gazes, just like small kids would do when their friend suddenly obtained a cool game or toy.


    "This is unbelievable... This book... This is priceless! Where did you get it from?" Jas eximed with awe when he read the context of the book, and despite reading only a few pages, his expression already held great disbelief just like the others around him.


    Clearly, every page and every pharagraph inside the book was akin to a newly discovered world and continent, elevating their previous knowledge to unprecedented levels when read!


    Khal showed a smile, and while waving his hand which resulted in the book returning into his hold, he said, "I have obtained it back in Haven City from an olddy seemingly for no reason."


    When they saw that Khal took the book away, a hint of disappointment and greed shed in Logan''s and the rest''s eyes, but as they realized who was standing before them they could only sigh helplessly and shake their heads.


    Seeing this, Khal kept his smile for a brief moment, before his face turned serious and said, "Okay, listen here what I will say next as I don''t really have a lot of time left in this Realm. I have a little bit more than an hour at the most."


    Instantly, the whole room turned intoplete silence, everyones'' gazes glued on Khal''s figure withplexions holding nothing but gravity.

 Chapter 371 - Sharing Secrets & Returning To The Zero Realm (2 Last)

    Inside the mansion that was filled with many powerful existences that reached either the Ninth or Eighth Cultivation Stage already, all looked and listened to a single individual who was not older than 20 years old.


    Jas, Logan, Scarlett, Bazz, Jane, Miss Mary, Liza, and Dan. Each of them remained silent as they listened to Khal''s words as if they were the words of God that held sacred meaning.


    And just like how saints would react when they obtained a sacred text from their Lord, when all of them heard and understood what Khal was saying all of theirplexions changed, instantly turning into that of an utter shock and speechlessness!


    "A-Are you telling us that the Ninth Cultivation Stage is not the peak for us human cultivators?" Jane asked with widened eyes, subconsciously taking a step toward Khal.


    "Yes. Furthermore, if you enter the Second Realm with your current strength your level of strength will be a whole Stage weaker than those on the same Stage as you." Khal nodded calmly, his eyes as tranquil as a pond of water while he spoke.


    "This... But how could this be possible? How did we fail to notice something so obvious?" Scarlett murmured as she gently held her chin with her delicate fingers, pondering about all the things she just learned from Khal.


    "It is because reaching the Tenth Cultivation Stage requires one to open their Soul World," Khal replied without a second thought.


    "Soul World?" everyone raised their brows upon hearing the unfamiliar context, but after hearing Khal''s exnation, their eyes lit up and theirplexion brightened with enlightenment.


    "No wonder... So that is why I felt this strange feeling inside me all this time." Logan said and added, "I thought this was akin to a sign to ascend, but it seems I was totally wrong. Luckily, I am still here and did not rush into the Second Realm."


    Everyone nodded in agreement. Just imagining their fate in the Second Realm where even the weakest existence could simply crush them without giving them the chance to resist... They couldn''t help but feel a cold shiver run through their bodies unwillingly.


    Instantly, their respect for Khal deepened an entire level more, and couldn''t stop but praise him in their hearts even though he could easily be qualified to be their son because of the wide age gap.


    "How bad... If you would have been only a few years older maybe I would have tried to charm you..." Scarlett sighed quietly but instantly regretted it as she felt a piercing re on her skin, making her feel almost as if bugs began to run under her skin all of a sudden.


    ''Liza?''


    Watching as Liza stared coldly at her with her leaking Eighth Cultivation Stage, Scarlett felt shocked before she becamepletely surprised.


    ''She has already reached the Eighth Cultivation Stage? When?'' she knew Liza had a terrifying learning capability and was a great Talent, but seeing she was already on the same Cultivation Stage as her despite being several years younger, she felt startled.


    ''These two... They are little monsters... Cultivation monsters!'' Scarlett swallowed her saliva nervously and looked to and fro between Khal and Liza.


    After telling them everything he wanted, Khal straightened his back and waved his hand.


    Whoosh!


    In a blink, several items such as pills, weapons, treasures, and many other things appeared on the floor of the mansion, shocking the crowd before Khal under a split second.


    "W-What are these?" Bazz asked with a trembling hand as he picked up a piece of ore that shone with a shiny blue glow while also emitting a small amount of frost from it too.


    "These are the things I have ''obtained'' during my time spent on one of the Night Crawlers''s," Khal said with a straight face, shamelessly lying about the truth about how he obtained these valuable treasures.


    "You will give all of these... to us? But we don''t deserve the-" this time Jas wished to say something, but when he saw Khal waving his hand he could do nothing but remain silent despite being the older one.


    "It is not about deserving it or not. I just feel at ease knowing you guys have these in your possession. With these items, I am pretty sure you will be able to defend yourself against even if the Cultivator''s Association itself decides to attack you!" Khal showed a confident smile as he said those words.


    "I-I see... Thank you." Jas didn''t push the matter any further nor did he stand on a ceremony and immediately stored all the treasures into his storage ring.


    Once that was done, Khal nodded and looked at his body.


    "So it is time, huh?"


    "What? Do you already have to go? But you said you still have an hour more! It only has been less than thirty minutes!" Liza who stood on Khal''s side looked tense, not epting the fact that Khal had to leave so soon even though he had juste.


    When Khal saw that Liza was about to cry, hisplexion softened, and ced his palm on the side of her head, gently wiping away her appearing tears at the corner of her eyes.


    "There is no reason to feel sad all of a sudden. It is not like you won''t see me soon enough." Khal said with a delicate smile and said softly, "Looking at your current cultivation andparing it to thest time I saw you, I am pretty sure it will only take you a little bit less than two months to reach the Tenth Cultivation Stage and ascend."


    Although his words sounded ridiculous and would make anyone feel start tough, when the rest around heard those words no one dared to scoff or start to mock; they understood that Khal knew Liza the best and with his current strength had everything to say such bold words even if they seemed ridiculous at first sight!


    "Two months?" suddenly Liza wiped the tears away from her eyes and when she showed a cocky smile that surprised everyone, even Khal, she said with confidence, "I will reach the Second Realm in less than a month, I swear that on my name! And when I do..."


    And after saying those words, she quickly grabbed Khal by the cor and after pulling him closer, she gave him a firm but gentle kiss!


    Khal at first was shocked by this sudden and bold move of Liza as there were still others present, but when he felt the heavenly softness of Liza''s lips he quickly threw the rest of his thought to the back of his head and decided to enjoy the moment.


    "Haha! That is youth for you!" Bazzughed happily, watching the two kissing each other in front of them without a single care in the world.


    As for the rest, they remained silent and averted their gazes, acting as if they saw nothing. Scarlett, who was red like a ripe tomato, even turned around but as for why it was unknown.


    After enjoying the pleasure that invaded his mind every time their lips contacted, Khal leaned backward and looked at Liza with a smile before watching as his body slowly started to fade.


    "Well, it seems I don''t have any time left." Khal smiled and said as he nced at everyone in front of him, "I have done everything I could, it is now on you guys. Also, when you ascend, make sure to use your Moon Tokens. I will wait for you in Moon Sect."


    And with thosest words, Khal faded into thin air, leaving the group of experts alone in the mansion in nothing but sheer silence where the only thing that could be heard was the windows rattling whenever a slightly stronger breeze hit them from outside!

 Chapter 372 - A Little Gift

    In a vast world where the sky was azure blue and the earth was emerald green, a young boy wearing nothing but a single silver robe appeared out of thin air, his eyes scanning his surroundings with tranquility.


    ''So I havee back to the Zero Realm, huh? I thought I will be teleported back to the Second Realm.'' Khal sighed in his heart as he saw he was in a colorful forest where the trunks and the leaves had different colors.


    "So you have finallye back." while Khal was searching for a specific star in the sky to start his way back to the Second Realm, suddenly a familiar voice appeared from his side catching him by surprise.


    "Hale?" Khal was startled to see Hail appear on his side, his ever so handsome face holding a gentle smile as he looked at him.


    "So you do remember my name, that is a relief." Hale smiled with such calmness that he could easily put ones'' mind at ease.


    "Relief? I was away only for a single day. What do you mean if I still remember you or not?" Khal raised a brow, confused about what Hale just said.


    "Just a single day?" Hale widened his eyes and touched his chin while murmuring, "So time in the Human Realm flows rtively slowly, I see, I see."


    "Why, how many days have passed here while I was gone?" Khal decided to ask but to his surprise, Hale chuckled and waved his hand around.


    "Days? No, no. Not days have passed, but months. Seven months and thirteen days to be exact." Hale said as if that was nothing unique.


    "WHAT?" Khal, however, seemed stupefied by the sudden revtion and blurted out with eyes as wide as saucers.


    "T-Then... How many days have passed in the Second Realm? Don''t tell me..."


    "Don''t worry, time only flows differently here. If you have spent a single day in the First Realm, then in the Second Realm only a few days have passed or a week at the most." Hale quickly said with a smile.


    "I-I see..." Khal calmed down in a blink upon hearing those words and asked, "Anyways, I need to get back to the Second Realm as soon as possible. Can you help me with that... please?"


    Although he felt tense asking such a request from an immortal being, and an existence that could literally erase him from existence with a single snap of his fingers, Khal still decided to ask his question as he thought Hale was a rather chill guy.


    "Naturally, that is why ae to find you in the first ce." Hale said with a smile and said, "Although you are strong, in the Zero Realm you are still an ant."


    [Hehe.]


    Upon hearing Nova''s small chuckle in his head, Khal felt his mouth twitch but knowing Hale was right he just sighed helplessly and showed an awkward smile.


    "Well, that is true, so I will bother you to help me."


    Hale just smiled and quickly waved his hand, changing the scenery around them in a sh!


    Whoosh!


    The colorful forest quickly changed into a golden shore with a vast and seemingly infinite ocean that extended beyond the horizon!


    "This is the Realm Path to the Second Realm," Hale said as he gazed at the crystal clear water in front of him.


    "Just go inside and try swimming as deep as you can. Then, you''ll find yourself unable to go any deeper as a force will pull you back up, bringing you to the Second Realm." Hale exined what Khal had to do.


    "I see, thank you." Khal nodded and was ready to leave before he was abruptly halted.


    "Wait a second."


    "Huh?" Khal turned around and with a raised brow watched as Hale pulled out a scroll from his pocket and handed it over to him.


    "A scroll?" Khal epted the scroll and turning it around he examined it.


    It was an old feather scroll, seemingly millions of years old. Just by looking at it made Khal think it was already a huge surprise it didn''t turn into dust under the passage of time!


    The scroll was sealed by a single ck string so it was apparent it could be opened without any struggle. However, when Khal wanted to pull the string, he found it with a shock that it didn''t move a single inch much less allow him to open it!


    "Why can''t I open it?" Khal attempted to pull the string, but after the fifth try, he gave up and decided to ask.


    "Just wait until you go back to the Second Realm. Then, you will be able to unseal it without a problem." Hale replied calmly.


    "I see, but at least can you tell me what is inside it?" Khal couldn''t help but feel his curiosity burn as the scroll in his hand was something he got from a powerful existence, thus it must be something important.


    Hale pondered for a brief moment when he heard Khal''s question, and said, "Let''s just say it is a little help from me in your cultivation."


    Khal frowned when he heard this but as he saw Hale wished to say nothing else he nodded and after thanking him again he jumped inside the water, quickly swimming toward the bottom like a fish!


    Khal swam with great speed using only his pure physical strength, but when he swam a mile deep down just as Hale said an invisible force halted him, and even before he could have reacted he was pulled upward.


    Ssh!


    Khal emerged from the water in a second and watched as he now was in a small pond, simr to the one from where emerged during his first time when he identally ascended.


    "Haha! This is our lucky day boys! We have caught another one!"


    As Khal was looking around to see where he was, suddenly a voice appeared from behind his back, forcing him to turn around and see that a group of creatures grinned at him with greed and bloodlust in their eyes.


    When Khal saw their looks and that they were up to no good, he sighed helplessly while summoning his Moonshadow into his grasp.


    "And here we go again...."

 Chapter 373 - Meeting With An Unexpected Friend

    The creatures in front of Khal had a rather unique appearance,pletely different from the ones he has seen before.


    In total contrast to themon humanoid figures that the Night Crawlers or the Berserkers had, the beings at the edge of the pond werepletely bestial.


    They had long metallic fur, long and scary faces akin to wolves, pointy ears, razor-sharp teeth, and ws that just by looking at made one think that it could rip trees and boulders into pieces with a single swing!


    Their whole appearance was the definition of brutal and feral, no matter from what angle one tried to look at them!


    ''To think I will be brought back into the domain of the Silver Furs...'' Khal closed his eyes as he sighed gently in his heart.


    "Haha, to think we would be hitting the jackpot today! Haha! This is our fifth catch today!" one of the Silver Fur that stood at the edge of the pond let out a wildugh that sounded somewhat akin to a hyena''sugh and nced at hisrades, "Quick, report to the boss. I am sure he will be more than gl-"


    The creature began to speak with delight but was abruptly quietened as suddenly watched the scenery around him spin like crazy before everything he once saw turned ck.


    "?!"


    The Silver Furs that were ready to run to bring their boss back halted dead in their tracks and watched with stupefied expressions as theirrade who just talked nowy on the cold ground, his head rolling away into the distance akin to a bowling ball!


    "W-What happened? Why is Second Leader dead all of a sudden?" the creature that was closest to the corpse began to look left and right, his body slightly trembling from the unknown fear that slowly crept itself into his body.


    The others behind it were doing the same, trying to find the culprit, but no matter where they looked or what tracking skill they used, they found no trace of the assassin at all!


    It was almost like the killer appeared and disappeared from thin air like death, reaping their leader''s soul under a single second!


    "Bring me to your boss. I wish to speak with him." as the creatures were almost going insane because of the incapability of not finding the assassin, suddenly Khal''s voice that was akin to a pissed Karen appeared from the side which immediately attracted their attention.


    "Brat, know your ce. You are not so-"


    Swish!


    Another head fell heavily to the ground, shocking the remaining two Silver Furs on the side right down to their bone!


    Khal giving no look at the corpses nced at the two remaining creatures and said indifferently, "I will give you two choices. You will bring me to your boss or I will kill you right here and now and find him myself. Not like choosing either one will change a thing though."


    The two Silver Furs were not idiots. When they saw how two of their strongest warriors fell in a blink while the human boy didn''t even flinch upon seeing death, they knew something was amiss.


    Also, because they were Silver Furs possessing a Blessing that allowed them to detect danger a few seconds beforehand which was something akin to a sixth sense, they didn''t hesitate to nod firmly and lead the human to their boss.


    "B-Boss... There is someone that wishes to talk with you." the two creatures kneeled down and watched as Silver Fur with a size twice asrge as theirs walked out of a small cave.


    "Huh? A human boy?" The boss looked confused, but seeing that only two of his men were currently present he frowned and asked, "Where the fuck are Kish and Manel?"


    "You are the boss of this gang?" seeing that he was ignored, Khal took a step forward silently and asked, his face as calm as an ancient pond.


    "I was not talking to you trash so shut the hell up or I will gut you alive!" the boss of the Silver Furs bared its sharp fangs at Khal, showing a rather intimidating look.


    Upon hearing those words Khal just smiled and swung his sleeve.


    Swish! Swish!


    Thud!


    Just under what seemed to be a breath, the two heads of the creatures next to Khal fell to the ground, filling the air with the smell of iron in an instant!


    "Now I believe you can only talk to me," Khal said with a calm smile.


    "Who are you and what do you want?" the creature narrowed his eyes at Khal whilepletely ignoring how his two men were killed before his very eyes.


    "Who am I is meaningless for you to know. As for why I am here... Well..." Khal began to speak calmly and soon his face turned chilling while a heavy pressure began to ooze out of his body, making the creature''s body tremble uncontrobly.


    "L-Limit Breaker?! Impossible! You are just way too young!"


    Ignoring the shocked face of the creature, Khal looked at the cave behind the creature and narrowed his eyes. Then, without saying anything else waved his hand, severing the creatures'' head off from his shoulders with a clean cut.


    "There is no longer a reason to talk with a criminal," Khal mumbled and walked inside the cave with slow steps, only to see several beings tied up to the walls with chains.


    There were young and old, female and male, each having wounds all over their bodies that didn''t seem to heal in any moment. Furthermore, they looked terrifyingly thin, indicating they were not fed properly and some were on the verge of starving!


    When Khal saw this sight his expression chilled and his fingers tightened into fists. Just the mere thought alone that simr things were happening all around the Second and even the Higher Realm made him feel boiling anger.


    "Huh?" as he examined everyone on the walls that seemed to lose all hope to ever see daylight again, suddenly his eyes spotted a petite figure in the distance, seemingly looking rather familiar to him.


    And to his great shock, it was indeed someone who he knew!


    "Raven?" Khal asked with widened eyes as he quickly used his weapon to cut the chains off from Raven''s body before catching her seemingly weak figure gently that would have been fallen to the ground like a ragdoll.

 Chapter 374 - Raven, The Genius! (1)

    The girl in front of him was none other but Raven, the girl who won the Thousand Life Tournament and won against Se, not once but twice!


    However,pared to her previous beauty, her blond hair was no longer smooth as it was in aplete mess, her milk-white skin was no longer wless as several wounds filled her body, and her ice-blue eyes now were rather hollow, seemingly without any hope!


    Khal didn''t know when she have ascended and had been captured, but from the looks of it, it was not only a few days but many weeks if not months!


    ''Hmm? Wait... Why does her cultivation feel normal like the rest?'' Khal seemed to find something strange about Raven, noticing that her cultivation base was normal instead of being weaker a whole Stage like all the other human cultivators!


    Khal wished to examine her body in greater detail using his Heaven''s Eyes, but just as he was about to move, Raven''s narrowly closed eyes opened and looked up at him.


    At first, she didn''t seem to recognize Khal but after a few seconds that seemed rather long, a small frown appeared on her sunken face before her previously hollow eyes began to regain light.


    "K-Khal? Is... Is that real-, cough!... cough!..."


    "Don''t waste your energy for talking. Swallow this first." seeing as it was hard for Raven to talk, Khal quickly took out a healing pill and a bottle of water from his spatial ring and gently helped her swallow it.


    Raven seemed to show no resistance at all and gulped the pill down, allowing her pretty face to regain some color while the wounds on her body slowly but surely began to get healed.


    Just under a few minutes, she quickly recovered from her miserable state and was finally able to stand up on her feet and walk around without any help.


    "Thank you... I owe you one." Raven said in a still weak voice as her eyes shone withplex emotions as she looked at Khal.


    "You... You have changed a lot since Ist saw you."


    "...Thank you? I guess?" Khal felt puzzled by that strangepliment he got but quickly regained his seriousness and started to help down the rest of the tied-up beings on the walls.


    Although he wished to know how Raven got here, he knew it was not really the right time for chit-chat.


    Raven seemed to notice her mistake and although feeling rather awkward she quickly cleared her mind and began to help Khal.


    "No, you just stay there and rest. You don''t need to help me." Khal quickly stopped Raven, even leaking some of his cultivation presence to make her obey him obediently.


    "You are... already a Limit Breaker? But... How?" Raven halted dead in her track and her eyes changed from indifference to pure shock quite fast.


    "It is quite a long story, so I will tell youter. Now just sit down and recover your strength. I will be done in a second." Khal said as he fed pills to all the beings he took down from the walls.


    Raven opened her mouth to say something but found it with surprise no words came out of it.


    Time passed quickly, and after ten minutes Khal finally freed the final captive and feed him a pill, quickly helping his miserable state to recover.


    "It is done," Khal said with a nod and took out a token from his spatial ring, it was his Moon Token.


    "What are you doing?" Raven who was watching every move of his finally asked, her eyes falling on the token before shifting back to Khal''s face.


    "I am just calling for help," Khal said and without a second word poured some of his essences into the token.


    "Khal? Where are you? Elder Rene even went to search the entirety of Gia because of you! You have gone more than a week!" Senior Lin''s agitated voice appeared from the token, forcing Khal to immediately form a bittersweet smile.


    "I am sorry, many things have urred. But you don''t need to worry, I am perfectly fine, furthermore..." Khal began to narrate what happened, obviously lying about 95% of the things such as his journey back to the First Realm and how he got on apletely different that was ruled by the Silver Furs.


    After he reached the end of his tale, he sighed and asked, "So, can senior help me and send someone over here. If I am right we are at..."


    Then, Khal realized he had no clue at all where he was hence subconsciously nced at Raven, hoping she knew.


    "We are at Boras," Raven said calmly, obviously knowing why Khal looked at her all of a sudden.


    "We are at Boras." Khal nodded with appreciation as he passed on Raven''s words to Senior Lin.


    Boras?" Senior Lin mumbled quietly and after several minutes of silence, she said, "I notified Elder Rene. He should be there in about 7 hours."


    "Thank you." Khal thanked Senior Lin for her help and put the token away.


    He then walked over all the beings and only when making sure they were recovering without a problem did he walk next to Raven and sit down.


    "It seems we will have to wait about 7 hours," Khal said after a brief amount of pondering.


    "Yeah, I heard it." Raven nodded, her behavior rather shy at the moment.


    Khal didn''t really care when he saw her like this as he thought she still needed time to recover her previous self. Instead, he looked at her and asked, "So? How did you reach the Tenth Cultivation Stage?"


    This immediately seemed to snap Raven out of her daze and with widened eyes asked, "H-How did you know?"


    "It was pretty obvious from your cultivation aura." Khal shrugged casually.


    "No, what I mean, how do you even know about the Tenth Cultivation Stage?" Raven shook her head but as though a switch had been flipped in her head her eyes widened even more and asked, "Don''t tell me... You have also..."


    "Also opened my Soul World?" Khal asked as he shifted his gaze at the cave''s entrance and nodded, "Yeah, I did."


    "B-But how? Until now it was aplete mystery even I have opened it through sheer luck! So how?"

 Chapter 375 - Raven, The Genius! (2 Last)

    Raven was shocked to hear that Khal knew about the Soul World. She could still clearly remember the way she has unlocked hers as it was throughplete sheer luck and a small amount of external help.


    Also, she was perfectly aware that no one except her knew about the existence of the Tenth Cultivation Stage, thus hearing that Khal had knowledge about it was rather shocking and confusing.


    Khal seemed to understand Raven''s thought hence just smiled and said, "What can I say? Sometimes my genius... it''s almost frightening."


    Raven felt her lips twitch slightly upon hearing Khal''s arrogant deration, but in the end, she just sighed and asked, "And who else knows about it?"


    "Only a few from Moon Academy," Khal replied casually, his eyes continuously scanning the scenery outside.


    Although he showed he was rxed, in fact, he was not. It was because he was currently on an unknown with unknown dangers lurking around together with many weak beings that he had to protect until Elder Rene does not arrive.


    After remaining silent for moments as Raven didn''t continue to speak even after getting her answer, Khal decided to ask, "And you? How did you figure out that there was one final stage beyond the Ninth Cultivation Stage? No, more importantly, how did you even ascend? Didn''t you say you wished to create a sect in the First Realm?"


    "Yeah, I did say that, but just as life things won''t go as smoothly as we n them to go." Raven showed a bittersweet smile and slowly began to narrate the events to Khal until the point where she was now.


    It was a rather long story as even after thirty minutes she was still speaking, but in the eyes of Khal who was left shocked right at the very start, it only felt a few minutes at most.


    It turned out that after the Thousand Life Tournament Raven decided to focus on her cultivation and reach the peak as soon as possible before starting her dream to build a sect.


    And to his great shock, Raven was able to reach the peak in less than 1 week!


    Yes, under one week which was unheard of before and even the word heaven-defying would be a huge underestimation!


    However, as great poweres with great responsibility and even greater oppositions in the path of cultivation, Raven found herself many enemies just because of her terrifying cultivation talent alone.


    Many wished to make her join their Families and Sects, but as she rejected all of them what she earned was not their respect but their jealousy and wrath instead!


    As the saying goes,'' if you are not with me then you are my enemy'' here immediately took effect and many wished to see her dead because of her immense potential; they looked at her like a threat, someone who can wipe them out in the future at any given moment.


    Hence, with many powerful cultivators trying to im her life because of fear, Raven had no choice but to flee as not even her own family had the ability to help her more than giving her a little more headstart.


    But even before she could have escaped to the Eastern Continent safely, she was forced into a corner where hope didn''t look promising for her. However, who would have thought that just when she thought she will get killed, fate would give her another chance by finding a strange nt, forcing her Soul World to open and help her ascend!


    "And that is how I ascended and got captured by those creatures," Raven said, herplexion filled with many emotions as she recalled her past.


    "If it were not for you, I don''t even know what would have happened with me. That is why I still can''t thank you enough when I said I owe you my life, I was not joking- I really do."


    Khal examined Raven''s expression and when he saw how serious she was he just sighed and shifted his gaze back at the scenery outside.


    "Do as you wish."


    "I will."


    Silence fell on the cave and time seemed to pass rtively slowly but in the end, seven hours still went by and Elder Rene finally arrived.


    With his help, Khal was able to get back to Moon Sect safely. As for the beings that had been freed by him, after getting in touch with some of his old friends that hailed from different races he was able to find them a ce to recover and stay for the time being.


    "So this is Moon Sect?" Raven asked with curiosity her now no longer hollow eyes staring at the gates of the sect.


    "It indeed is." Elder Rene nodded and stopped before the edge of the gate, "However if you wish to join us, you need to take a test. It will decide if you will be an Outer, Inner, or Core Disciple."


    "You are also a disciple, right? What is your title currently?" Raven asked from Khal, who stood beside Elder Rene with a tranquil expression.


    "Well... Not quite." Khal showed an awkward smile upon hearing the question but when he saw the confusion on Raven''s face he quickly added, "It is quite a long story, but shortly, through several major events and a bit of luck I have be an Elder. I am not a disciple."


    "What?! You are an Elder? But you are... How?" Raven''s eyes widened before her face turned serious and said, "Then I will be one too!"


    "I fear that is not how it works, youngdy." Elder Rene shook his head and quickly exined the requirements.


    After he finished talking, he crossed his arms before his chest and said, "So with the current strength of yours, you can only be an Inner disciple at most but even that would be hard to say. Of course, with hard work and patience, anything is possible."


    Raven remained silent and surprisingly, instead of throwing a tantrum or scoffing at Elder Rene''s derogatory words, she nodded and bowed, "I see, then let me take the test, please."


    "You have pretty good manners, not like a particr somebody.." Elder Rene said as he gave a sidelong nce at Khal before turning around and gesturing at Raven to follow him.

 Chapter 376 - Senior Lins Request

    Khal''s brows twitched when he heard Elder Rene''s words, but he just shook his head and without a word followed the two silently. He was curious to see what kind of results will Raven get now that she was also someone that achieved to open her Soul World.


    However, just before he could have followed Elder Rene and Raven inside the building where the test will take ce, Senior Lin''s figure appeared on his side, forcing him to halt his steps.


    "Senior." Khal bowed but was quickly stopped by Senior Lin.


    "I already told you, you don''t need to show me so much respect. Instead, just call me Lin." Senior Lin said with a small but rather charming smile.


    "Urgh... Lin? No, it feels weird." Khal shook his head, feeling it was not proper for him to call someone tens of years older than him on her name, especially if that someone was a woman!


    Senior Lin touched her chin when she heard Khal''s words and couldn''t help but sigh, "Then just call me Senior Lin."


    "Um... No, It''s too formal."


    "Brat, you-"


    "Okay, okay. I guess I will go with Senior Lin then." Khalughed when he saw how angry Senior Lin became and couldn''t help but think her expression was rather funny.


    "You! Don''t think you can act casually around me just because you have slightly greater strength than me! I am still your senior!" Senior Lin narrowed her eyes, looking like an angry cat at the moment.


    "My bad, my bad." Khal raised both his hands, admitting his mistake without putting up a fight.


    "Hmph, I thought so." Senior Lin nodded and after taking a deep breath she turned serious and said, "Now, as for why I am here, I need to ask you a favor."


    "A favor?" Khal also stopped smiling and showed a confused frown.


    "Yes." Senior Lin nodded and continued, "Not long ago, a dungeon was found on Roxa. However, in contrast to all the dungeons that were so far discovered in the Second Realm, this one is slightly different."


    "While average dungeons have hundreds if not thousands of levels with each differing from the other while also offering greater treasures the deeper one goes, this dungeon is only ten levels deep!"


    "But that is a good thing, no? I mean, if it only has ten levels doesn''t that mean you can clean the whole dungeon faster?" Khal raised a brow, not understanding why this was such a huge problem.


    "Yes, that would be true if the creatures inhabiting the floors were not on the Ascender Stage!" Senior Lin sighed helplessly.


    "What? Right on the first level?" Khal asked with widened eyes.


    "Yes, furthermore, it seems each is at the peak of that stage and has different powers!" Senior Lin nodded and added, "Other races have already tried their best, but except for cleaning the first three floors they were incapable of going any lower. What''s more, when they decided to retreat their numbers had been halved already despite going inside with Limit Breakers and several Ascenders!"


    The more Khal listened the more he felt it was unbelievable that such a dungeon could exist! Just imagining the sheer chaos the would undergo if a dungeon break would ur... Just thinking about it made Khal feel a cold sensation sweeping through his body unwittingly.


    "Luckily the creatures inside can''t leave the dungeon," Khal mumbled under his breath, but his belief onlysted for a few seconds before Senior Lin shattered it with a single sentence.


    "And that is where you are wrong, they can."


    "Huh? What do you mean by that?"


    "It''s exactly what I said." Senior Lin showed a bittersweet smile and exined, "Although creatures can''t escape on their own the dungeon still can kick them out."


    "Kick them... Out?" Khal felt puzzled.


    [She means if the numbers of the creatures increase to unprecedented levels the dungeon will allow some to leave to free more space.]


    [And when I say some, I don''t mean one or two, but hundreds or even thousands!]


    "Oh..." was what Khal was able to only say, now finally understanding the whole situation thanks to Nova''s help.


    "So you want me to go Roxa, enter a dungeon which is full of bloodthirsty creatures at the Ascender Stage and kill them to avoid an approaching catastrophe? All this all alone?"


    "Well, yes except thest part. You won''t be entering the dungeon alone." Senior Lin nodded and continued, "There will be others from different races too, each possessing great powers. With them, I am pretty sure you will be able to clean the dungeon and see whatys on the final level."


    ''Well, from the looks of it it will be them cleaning with me helping not the other way around, but whatever.'' Khal thought in his heart and asked, "And what will I get out from all this? I mean, you told me there will be many other powerful figures helping in this ''cleaning'', so for me, it makes zero sense to go there. They will even look at me as a hindrance instead."


    "That may be true, but with your strength, I am sure you will stun them greatly and make them understand we humans, in the end, are not that weak." Senior smiled and quickly added, "As for your reward, I will allow you to choose from any Heaven Grade Martial Techniques for free. It does not sound a bad deal, right?"


    Khal pondered for a while but in the end, he couldn''t resist the temptation. Like, who in their right mind would refuse to get a Heaven Grade Martial Technique for free?


    No one right?


    Hence after agreeing to help and discussing the time and day when they will leave for Roxa, Khal began to walk toward the building where Raven was taking her test at the moment.


    "I heard one of your friends is currently doing the test. I am curious about her so I wille too." Senior Lin said and followed Khal inside.


    However, just as the two reached the doors and were ready to walk inside, the wall on the right side suddenly copsed while a figure covered in wounds and blood flew out, crashing into the ground in the distance with a loud ''bang'' sound!


    "D-Disciple Emera? What happened with her?" Senior Lin''s eyes widened, watching as the young female cultivatory on the ground motionlessly, unknown if she was still alive or dead!

 Chapter 377 - Bitch slapped

    Dust and chunks of debris flew everywhere while the ground below Emera''s body cracked! Blood gushed out of her mouth while her wounds filled body twitched from time to time indicating just how much damage she sustained and how much pain she was currently feeling!


    "D-Disciple Emera? What happened with her?" Senior Lin''s eyes widened and with a sh appeared next to Emera''s side, instantly pushing a pill down her throat.


    "S-Sect Master... Cough... Cough... Thank you..." Emera thanked Senior Lin''s help and wished to stand up, but even after swallowing a recovery pill, her body failed to obey hermands as she immediately slumped back on her butt and resulting in a low painful groan to escape from between her narrow lips.


    "Don''t move. Several of your bones had been broken and even your flesh had been sliced." Senior Lin said in a grave tone as her fingers touched several parts of Emera''s body, examining her physical condition with closed eyes.


    Upon hearing those words Emera immidieatly stopped his attempt to stand up and could only bite her cherry lips. From herplexion alone, it was pretty obvious she felt deeply frustrated.


    "Just tell me what happened? These are no ordinary wounds. It is almost like you have tried to fight with a Body Temperer despite being only a Body Refiner!"


    The frustratedplexion of Emera only grew stronger upon hearing Senior Lin''s words and was about to say something when suddenly Elder Rene''s figure emerged through the huge hole on the building''s wall with Raven following him silently from behind.


    "It''s her! She was the one who almost killed me!" Emera immidieatly pointed at Raven, visible hatred and thirst for blood zing in her eyes.


    "What? Tried to kill you?" Senior Lin''s eyes narrowed and looked at Raven, her aura slowly leaking from her body.


    Although the sect allowed disciples to fight between each other and even allowed to initiate deathmatches where only one can leave with their life''s intact, without at least two Elders'' approval it was strictly prohibited to fight, much less kill!


    Especially not for those that were not even a part of the sect yet as they didn''t even finish their test!


    And to make things even worst, Raven was not only not a part of the sect yet but even attempted to kill Emera, an Inner Court Disciple who the sect valued greatly as her talent and potential were rather exceptional!


    No matter how one looked at it, Raven was in real deep trouble this time and did something she shouldn''t have done!


    ''You deserve to eat what you cook, bitch! Now your head will roll on this street for sure!'' Emera showed a brash smile, already imagining the sight of Raven begging for forgiveness just to be killed by Senior Lin!


    "Wait, let''s just calm down first, shall we?" Khal, who was standing on the side took a step forward and looked at Elder Rene, "I am pretty sure Elder Rene can tell us what happened really her-"


    "And who the hell are you?" as Khal was about to finish his sentence suddenly Emera interrupted him, even forcing herself onto her feet and pointing at him with her right index finger.


    "Pardon?" Khal shifted his gaze at Emera, thinking he just heard things.


    "Are you deaf or what? I asked who the fuck you really are? You are definitely not a Court Disciple much less an Inner Court Disciple as I have never seen your face before! This means you are either an Outer Court Disciple or a dog who has no ce to bark here!" Emera said with narrowed eyes before a cocky smile appeared on her face and added, "Furthermore, you have no cultivation base. Such trash as yourself shouldn''t even have the qualification to ta-"


    SLAP~!!!


    BAM!


    Under the shocked gaze of Elder Rene, Senior Lin, Raven, and many other disciples who stood in the distance Khal appeared before Emera and with one single motion pped him in the face, sending her body flying through the air which only came to aplete halt when it crashed into the wall of the building on the side!


    As for if she was still alive or not, it waspletely unknown! However, judging from the sound of the p that carried the pitch of breaking bones, it was very likely that Khal just killed an Inner Court Disciple.


    "Did... Did he really just go and bitch-pped one of my disciples to death?" Elder Rene muttered with widened eyes and watched how Khal walked to the huge pile of debris where Emera''s body was buried.


    No one said anything to that question and only watched how Khal put his hand into the pile of debris before pulling it out, holding Emera''s limp and seemingly lifeless body by her neck with only one hand!


    "He really killed her... He really just killed one of our disciples with a p..." Elder Rene mumbled, not believing what he was seeing. But before he had the chance to be angry, suddenly and to no ones'' expectation, he summoned a half ck and half white sword into his grasp before piercing it into Emera''s already dead body!


    "That is enough! You are going way too fa-" Elder Rene no longer was able to stand idle and started to shout, but just as he was ready to take a step forward to fight Khal his steps froze in mid-air!


    "Bleargh! Cough... Cough!..."


    Under everyone''s stupefied gaze, suddenly the previously dead Emera came back to life, and although with a ghastly paleplexion she began to breathe like any other living being while also coughing up a huge amount of blood with each cough!


    No one understood what was happening nor how it happened, but seeing that Emera was not dead made almost everyone sigh with relief while also starting to grow fear toward the young boy who held Emera by her neck with one hand, with seemingly zero effort!


    "Just who is he really?" Senior Lin was incapable of processing the things she had just seen in the past few minutes, feeling that her initial knowledge about Khal waspletely incorrect!


    The one she had in memory and the one before him although felt the same and had simrities, in the end, they still feltpletely different for some weird reason!


    ''Was he this scary against King Zell too or did my memory fails me this time?" Senior Lin couldn''t help but wonder in her heart secretly, skeptical if her memory was really as perfect as she believed it to be.


    * * * * *


    A/N: Thank you very much for all of you that read this story even until now, it means a lot to me! <3


    Also, make sure to check out my other novel Strings of Domination, maybe it will get you hooked too! :)

 Chapter 378 - Raven Becomes A Core Disciple?

    As the half-ck and white longsword pierced Emera''s chest with a seemingly fatal strike, Khal looked coldly at Emera without any trace of sympathy toward her.


    "I don''t know nor do I care who you are but if you ever dare to disrespect me in such manner again, I won''t be this forgiving as I was just now." Khal''s voice was akin to a basin of cold water that made Emera''s body tremble uncontrobly.


    "I... I am sorry..." Emera was no fool although her temper was bad. She knew that she had died just now if it were not for the sword in Khal''s hand she would have definitely seen her ancestors even though she was just 22 years old!


    The feeling as life force was poured into her body through the weapon''s de was something Emera has never seen before but was smart enough to know only powerful individuals had the strength to possess one!


    Khal when seeing how sincere Emera''s apology was sneered coldly and pulled his sword out of her chest before cing her figure onto her feet.


    "Argh..." a painful grimace emerged on Emera''s somewhat pretty face the moment Khal pulled his weapon out of her body, but to her great shock blood didn''t start to flow out of the wound as one would expect it to.


    As a fact, the wound including the ones that she has obtained through her battle with Raven several minutes ago began to shrink and vanish, healing on their own at a terrifying speed!


    ''What is that sword? It not only brought me back from the edge of death but even allowed my body to heal! Wait, more importantly, who even is he?'' several questions popped up in Emera''s head, her brown eyes looking at Khal''s cold but seemingly handsome face with both puzzlement and shock.


    ''So young... Is he a Core Disciple?'' Emera thought in her heart but when she saw how Senior Lin appeared on her side she decided to remain silent.


    "How are you feeling?" Senior Lin asked calmly, but even without a reply, she knew what the answer was and couldn''t help but feel shaken inside.


    The pierced chest, the broken bones, and the sliced flesh... Everything that should have needed at least a week of recovery was healed under a single minute! This was something she has only seen when one swallowed an extremely powerful healing pill or consumed a priceless treasure!


    "What is that sword?" Senior Lin decided to ask, her eyes fixed on Khal''s Life and Death Sword.


    "It is also one of my Talents." Khal showed a smile as he waved his hand and unsummoned his sword.


    "You... Just how many secrets do you still have?" Senior Lin asked as she massaged her temples gently.


    "Way too many to count." Khalughed, leaving Senior Lin dumbfounded but also thirsty to know more.


    "Anyways, I hope Elder Rene will exin to us what really happened," Khal said to Senior Lin, but his eyes were already on Elder Rene''s figure on the side who seemed to be at loss for words at the moment.


    Upon seeing how several pairs of eyes fell on him Elder Rene straightened his posture and without any hesitation began to narrate the events that happened inside the building.


    It was a short story and only under a few minutes did he finish talking, but even after a whole minuteter no one talked as everyone was left stupefied. Everyone except Khal and Raven, the only two who knew the real reason why things happened as they did.


    "So you are telling me... One of our Inner Court Disciple who is on the verge of stepping foot into the Third Cultivation Stage was beaten by someone at the bottom of the First Cultivation Stage? Did I understand that right?" Senior Lin asked, her face holding a deep frown.


    "Yes, Sect Master." Elder Rene nodded and added, "Furthermore, the battle didn''t evenst more than a few seconds, about ten seconds at most."


    Senior Lin widened her eyes and nced at Emera, but seeing her face was all flushed from the shame she currently felt, she had to ept the truth.


    "I see... Then she automatically bes an Inner Disciple." Senior Lin waved her hand.


    "Sect Master, if I may." suddenly Raven stepped forward and asked, "I want to challenge a Core Disciple."


    Everyone''s face changed when they heard Raven''s request. Only Khal''s face turned into a helpless smile and even shook his head as a result.


    ''This girl... She is truly something else.''


    "Look, I respect your strength and I know you have the qualifications to beat even the best Inner Court Disciples, but a Core Disciple... You want to swallow more than you can bite." Senior Lin sighed as she examined Raven''s figure in greater detail.


    "Sect Master is right. Although you have won against Disciple Emera this does not mean you will be able to do the same against those that have already be a Core Disciple." Elder Rene nodded in agreement and added, "It is already a huge shock you were able to win against a peak Body Refiner with your current strength. As for a peak Body Temperer... That is just impossible."


    "I will be the one to decide what is impossible or not." Raven said with great confidence and looked at Senior Lin before bowing, "I request the Sect Master''s help in this manner."


    Senior Lin sighed again and said, this time with a wry smile, "I would help you if I could, but the requirement to be a Core Disciple is that one needs to be a Body Temperer. Even if you have the strength your Cultivation Base is stillcking."


    "I see." Raven seemed to understand and nodded, "Then I only need to be a Body Temperer. Noted."


    The word ''only'' made both Senior Lin and Elder Rene shake their heads helplessly. They slowly didn''t know if Raven had unwavering confidence and determination or was simply arrogant.


    Either way, it was not their part to determine what she will do nor how she should behave until she follows the sect''s rules and dos not cause a ruckus.


    "Disciple Emera, please show Raven the way into the Inner Court and also help her in anything if she has questions. Hope you can do that at least." Senior Lin said before she turned toward Khal and said with narrowed eyes, "As for you, we will talkter."


    "Hehe..." Khal scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile and watched as Senior Lin vanished into thin air with Elder Rene too.


    "Come, I will show you around," Emera in front of Raven while also giving a sidelong nce at Khal.


    "You guys can go, I need to go somewhere else," Khal said and without waiting for a reply walked away.


    "Just who is he? I have never seen his face before. Is he a Core Disciple?" Emera mumbled in a low voice.


    "He was one indeed before bing an Elder," Raven said nonchntly, her azure eyes watching Khal''s departing figure.


    "I see, so he indeed wa-, wait... What did you just say? Elder?!?"


    "Yes, he is an Elder of this Sect.." Raven nodded casually and ignoring the stupefied expression on Emera''s face asked, "So? Will you show me where the Inner Court is or not? I wish to start my cultivation already."

 Chapter 379 - Secret To Reach The Third Realm!

    After the small incident with Emera, Khal decided to go back to his residence to rest.


    Luckily, after destroying his own home when he became a Limit Breaker people had reconstructed it so it looked just like how it was previously!


    Walking inside and sitting down on thefy bed which still felt like a fluff of cloud, Khal raised his hand and summoned the scroll that Hale had been given to him back in the Zero Realm.


    "Let''s check this out. I wonder what is inside." Khal mumbled to himself and pulled the edge of the scroll which easily opened not like the first time.


    Once the scroll was unfolded, Khal began to read the context of it slowly.


    At first, his expression was nonchnt with only his eyes showing curiosity, but only after a few seconds into his reading hisplexion changed drastically, turning into that of a deep shock!


    "What? Is this for real?"


    ording to the scroll that Hale just gave him, it was a manual on how to reach the Third Realm, the Realm of Misery!


    One had to note that after one reached the Fourth Cultivation Stage and became a Limit Breaker the road to surpass that stage sessfully and be an Ascender was extremely difficult and challenging!


    It was just as demanding as the bottleneck between the Fifth and Sixth Cultivation Stage back in the First Realm with the only difference being that this was at least twice as hard!


    Hence why it was not a great surprise that even after many decades beings were still stuck at the Fourth Cultivation Stage without any signs of approaching the Fifth Cultivation Stage and finally bing an Ascender!


    Yet, with the scroll in his hand, Khal was left speechless that it won''t even take him a month to be an Ascender and a little bit more than half a year to enter the Third Realm!


    [Why are you so shocked? The scroll in your hands is an item that once was in possession of the Lord of the Zero Realm, a realm which only a few knew about! It is only natural that it contains far superior knowledge than anything and anybody else!]


    "I am perfectly aware of that, but still... It''s just shocking how a simple scroll can allow one to break the seemingly adamant shackles on one''s body as if they were pieces of paper!" Khal sighed, realizing that he was still just a speck of small dust in the vast desert.


    After taking a deep breath to calm himself down, Khal showed a confident smile and began to read the whole text on the scroll once again, but this time in greater detail.


    ording to the scroll, for him to surpass the Limit Breaker Stage he had to turn his Body Essence into a so-called liquefied state before slowly turning that into a small solidified core inside his body which will serve as a ''generator'' or some short.


    It wasmon knowledge that beings could only consume the Realm Essence if they were in a motionless state, but with this core in his body, they will be able to consume essence even if they were moving or even fighting!


    This meant their essence reserves would be even greater than ever before and the number of times he could use his techniques and abilities would increase tremendously!


    Furthermore, the scroll also stated that the essence he will consume will be refined by the core, boosting his physical strength by a massive amount!


    ''Even the steps are written down in great detail! This is just the best!'' Khal felt almostughing out loud from the pure joy he was currently feeling but resisted the urge and instead sat into a lotus position before closing his eyes and following the steps he has just read.


    Time passed rtively quickly, particrly in the eyes of Khal and after about 5 hourster Khal opened his eyes while letting out a great amount of turbid air through his mouth.


    [Your cultivation speed is truly terrifying... Are you sure you are even a human?]


    Upon hearing Nova''s voice Khal couldn''t help himself to show a smile.


    Indeed, his cultivation pace was truly on another level as he was able to turn a small portion of his gas-like essence inside his Essence Paths slightly denser!


    Yes! Just under a few hours, he had already seeded in something that others could only do after several years of practice and patience!


    "It is only because I had this scroll. Without this, I am pretty sure I too would have needed at least a few months." Khal said and closed his eyes once again.


    [Few months... I don''t know if you slowly start to be arrogant or simply have unshakable confidence as vast as the seven realms!]


    Time began to flow faster once again and three days have passed in a blink. Under those three days, except for eating and going out to the bathroom from time to time Khal did nothing but cultivated and made his essence slowly turn denser and denser.


    At the start, Khal''s process was rather slow but as he got the hang of it and understood the crux of it his speed hastened seemingly without any sign of slowing down or halting!


    However, even like this, he was only able to turn about 10% of his essence denser and was far from finishing. It seems his estimation of one month was a good one and he really needed one month before he can be an Ascender!


    [It''s time for you to meet up with that woman.]


    Suddenly Nova''s voice sounded in Khal''s head forcing him to stop his cultivation and open his eyes, revealing a pair of bright green iris that flickered like two gems of emeralds.


    "Thank you." Khal thanked Nova for reminding him and after washing his body and changing robes walked to the entrance of the sect where he told Senior Lin they should meet.


    "You are finally here." Senior Lin crossed her arms below her huge bosom, showing a rather impatient face to Khal at the moment, almost as if she had been waiting for him for hours!


    "Huh? I am five minutes early before the discussed time, I was notte." Khal showed a puzzled look, not understanding why Senior Lin looked so angry at him.


    "Whatever, at least you are here." Senior Lin said and gestured toward Khal to follow her.


    ''She makes no sense....'' Khal shook his head helplessly and without saying anything else followed Senior Lin to the spaceship that stood in the distance.

 Chapter 380 - Planet Roxa

    Khal followed Senior Lin inside the spaceship and watched as they flew away with great speed.


    "How long will take us to reach Roxa?" Khal decided to ask Senior Lin when he saw how they were approaching then leaving numerouss one after another.


    "It should take us about nine more hours at the very least so I advise you to rx or cultivate in the meantime. I will do the same." Senior Lin said and closed her eyes, indicating she has started to cultivate.


    "Nine more hours at the least?" Khal murmured before shrugging and closing his eyes too. For him, the longer he could cultivate the better it was as the faster he could reach the next Cultivation Stage.


    And that seemingly nine hours that seemed to be an extremely long duration of time passed in a sh, and even before Khal could have realized it they have arrived at Roxa.


    "So this is Roxa?" Khal asked as he took a deep sniff, feeling as both his body and mind got refreshed just by breathing the air in.


    "What a fantastic! Even the density of the Realm Essence is greater here!" Khal muttered quietly as he followed Senior Lin from behind while also taking in the sight around him.


    Towering mountains that peak pierced the clouds, huge trees that possessed leaves with all the existing colors, and two suns that shone brightly on the boundless blue sky, filling the air on the with mind-calming warmth!


    Although the scenery was nothing out of the ordinary and could not bepared with the sight inside the Zero Realm, the scenery around Khal was still one that could earn the praise from many despite seeing so much better throughout their lives!


    ''I wonder if she will be here or not.'' Khal pondered as the figure of Da appeared in his mind.


    [Well, as Roxa is under the possession of the Fairy Race it is not impossible.]


    Khal nodded as he thought the same but just as he was about to think about something his eyes turned sharp and summoned his Devil Fangs!


    ng!


    Bam!


    The sound of metal shing against metal resounded in the air as a powerful ripple appeared, cracking the ground below Khal''s feet slightly.


    "Who?" Khal was about to do a counter-attack when his eyes widened and his lips curved upward scarcely.


    "Da?"


    "So you still remember me, huh?" Da''s ice-cold voice appeared in Khal''s ear while he watched as Da''s Frozen Mist firmly pressed down on his fan.


    "How would I even forget such a pretty face as yours?" Khal smiled but soon his eyes turned serious and asked, "But you should be more careful the next time you try to ambush me like this. I have almost killed you thinking you were an enemy."


    A smallyer of redness emerged onto Da''s cheeks when she heard Khal''s first words but when she heard what he said after her delicate brows furrowed and even a mocking grin appeared on her face.


    "You? Killing me? Please..."


    "What? I was not joking." Khal said and casually pushed his feet onto the side.


    Whoosh!


    "What?" Da''s eyes widened when she saw how easily and fast Khal vanished into thin air from her sight and appeared behind her, his weapon already pressed before her throat in a manner from where severing her head would only need a single flick!


    "But... How?" Da asked once Khal pulled his hand away and watched as Khal walked a little bit further away.


    "I am a Limit Breaker." Khal shrugged casually.


    "You what?!" Da''s eyes widened and added, "Impossible! There is no way you have reached the Fourth Cultivation Stage so fa-"


    But even before she could have finished her sentence Khal summoned his Hell ze around his palm, causing his Limit Breaker aura to leak from his body!


    "You... Really have be a Limit Breaker." Da mumbled in a low voice before her indifferent expression appeared on her face again and said, "Well, whatever. Congrattions."


    ''So cold...'' Khal thought in his heart, feeling slightly helpless.


    "You are also here to clear the dungeon?" Khal decided to ask while he unsummoned his weapon.


    Da nodded and began to follow Khal, "Yes, I asked my dad to let me join this exploration. Although he was rather against the idea at the beginning, in the end, he approved it."


    "Lord Roice, huh? I do remember I promised him I will repay him his kindness for bringing me to Thov, so maybe it is time for me to meet with him again."


    When Da heard how casually he was talking about her father, her brows twitched in annoyance. But as she knew what he said was true and even her father seemed eager to meet with him again, she just decided to remain silent and notment on the matter.


    Instead, she looked at Senior Lin and asked, "And who is she? Your mother?"


    Both Khal and Senior Lin choked on their saliva when they heard Da''s question, thetter even bing slightly angry despite showing she was calm on the surface.


    "M-My mother? What?" Khal asked with widened eyes and pointed to and fro between him and Senior Lin, "Honestly... Do we even look the same to you?"


    "Well, kinda." Da shrugged, ignoring the piercing re on her skin from Senior Lin.


    ''...''


    Khal opened his mouth to say something, but no matter what he tried to say no words left his mouth.


    Instead, he just sighed helplessly and said, "She is my Sect Master."


    "You have joined a sect? What kind of sect is that?"


    Khal felt surprised at how curious Da became and began to tell her how he got there, what kind of ce it was, and many other things.


    "We have arrived.." after walking for a little more than ten minutes straight, Senior Lin suddenly said, forcing Khal and Da to stop talking and shift their gaze onto the huge construction that towered toward the sky in front of them.

 Chapter 381 - Cube Tower

    The construction in front of the three was by no means small, could be said massively towering!


    It was like a huge pir of a tower which had a height of several hundreds of meters, almost as tall as the pir Khal once invaded and cleared back in the First Realm. However, in contrast to that tower which had a circr shape, this one was cuboid!


    Furthermore, to make its already bizarre appearance even weirder, the tower was separated into 10 parts, each part having the shape of a cube but at the same time having a smaller size the higher they were ced!


    "I have never seen such a weird dungeon ever before," Khal mumbled even though the number of dungeons he has ever seen in his life was merely one!


    "I have seen about a hundred dungeons and cleared at least half of them, but indeed, this is my first time seeing one with an appearance like this." Da nodded, a rarely seen shockedplexion visible on her usually cold face.


    Even Senior Lin felt stupefied despite seeing photos and pictures about the dungeon.


    "Well, things are usually different in person than from videos and photos. The feelings such a sight can give one simply cannot be given through a mere picture." Senior Lin said before she shifted her eyes at the bottom of the tower where other beings were already waiting while chatting with each other.


    Khal looked at the groups of different beings and after a little bit of thinking, he concluded that there were about 25 Limit Breaker and 5 Ascender present, each hailing from different races.


    Although Khal knew these existences presented no threat to him with his current strength, for some reason he couldn''t help but feel slightly excited to see what would happen if all these creatures suddenly would decide to attack him.


    Just the mere thoughts of several tens of powerful beings attacking him with different powers at the same time made the blood in Khal''s body start to boil from sheer excitement and hope that things would go wrong for the first time.


    [I slowly can''t choose if you either start to go crazy or simply you be extremely arrogant...]


    ''Do I?'' Khal asked with a frown and shrugged, ''I don''t know. I just simply wish to push my limits finally.''


    Ever since he met with Old Eye and Hale back in the Zero Realm, two existences that possessed godly powers and techniques, Khal realized just how weak and pathetic he really was before extremely powerful beings.


    Until this very moment, Khal didn''t really meet with any obstacles or difficulty throughout his cultivation path as his bracelet allowed him to possess different powers and grow in a way that no one else could imitate even if they tried!


    Hence, his thirst for challenge, especially after he tasted the real essence of what it meant to be in a die or live situation seemed to awaken a hidden desire inside him; the desire to be even stronger than he currently was!


    And for that to happen, the only way was to fight powerful enemies, even several at the same time if he needed to!


    "Why are you grinning like an idiot? You look like a creep."


    Upon hearing Da''s voice Khal realized that he really was grinning like an idiot hence quickly coughed twice and said, "We should get going. It seems they are only waiting for us."


    Senior Lin and Da watched Khal''s walking figure with confused looks but as they felt it was not worth the energy to think about what had just happened or what went through Khal''s head to make him smile like a retard, they shook their heads helplessly and began to follow him.


    "Finally, I thought you would nevere." a humanoid creature that had green skin and had a huge shell behind his back, representing a huge turtle walked before Senior Lin before his gaze fell on Khal''s and Da''s figure; after seeing thetter, his expression changed tremendously but quickly turned back to normal, almost as if nothing happened just now.


    "Senior Du, I apologize for beingte, I have no excuse." Senior Lin who was considered a woman with pride and a bit of arrogance, for the first time in a long time bowed.


    "Just make sure this won''t happen again in the future." Senior Du sighed helplessly and looked at Khal, "So he is the one?"


    "Yes." Senior Lin nodded and quickly continued, "He is an exceedingly outstanding individual of my sect. I am pretty sure with him on your side, you won''t need to worry about anything in the slightest."


    Senior Du frowned when he heard Senior Lin''s words but although obviously had opposing opinions about that deration he decided not toment on the matter.


    Or at least he didn''t but a creature with a simr appearance to Senior Du did, even showing his disgust and hatred toward Khal on his face as clearly as bright daylight!


    "Master Du, I still can''t believe you allowed this two trash to help us. If you ask me, they will be more of a hindrance than assistance!" the creature called Vern and who emitted an aura of a peak Limit Breaker sneered with disdain as his eyes tared coldly at Khal and Senior Lin.


    "Disciple Vern, hold your tongue if you don''t wish me to tear it out for you." Senior Du''splexion turned terrifyingly chilly, his eyes turning entirely ink-ck in a sh!


    Despite having the same views and beliefs as Vern, Senior Du still didn''t give voice to those thoughts of his as he felt it was a huge disrespect to belittle a race just because they were misfortune enough to possess weaker strength than them.


    That is why if he ever heard someone expressing foul words toward races such as the Human Race, let it be apletely unknown individual he has just met or someone who he knew since years Senior Du won''t tolerate such disrespect, especially if that someone was his own disciple!


    Vern seeing how his master turned angry and how he was about to use his Blessing on him shrunk his head in fear and with an awkward cough quickly walked away, not daring to linger around even a second longer!

 Chapter 382 - Little Ruckus

    "Hmph..." Senior Du sneered coldly as his previously ck eyes slowly began to turn back to their bright green color.


    "I deeply apologize for my disciple, it seems he was not taught properly enough."


    Senior Lin showed an awkward smile when he heard Senior Du''s apology and shook her hand, "You don''t have to apologiz-"


    "Yeah, no, he does have to apologize." Khal suddenly interrupted Senior Lin, shocking both the master of the Moon Sect, Da, and Senior Du.


    "Khal! Manners!" Senior Lin frowned, her eyes narrowed threateningly at Khal on her side.


    "Yeah, exactly because I have manners do I say what I did." Khal didn''t feel pressure nor scared when he saw Senior Lin''s dagger-like stare on him and turned to look at Senior Du, "Me and especially you were ridiculed and could be said humiliated just now. Although I respect Senior Du''s choice for silencing that overgrown turtle, it does not change the fact what has happened and were said."


    "Overgrown... Turtle?" Senior Du''splexion turned ugly when he heard those words and a hint of killing intent shed in his eyes.


    "Brat, it seems you were not thought how to respect those stronger than yourself! Although I have silenced my disciple, it does not mean you have the right for insulting him! Especially in front of me!"


    At this moment, Senior Du''s Ascender Stage aura was already leaking from his body in a form of ck mist while thick veins were bulging out of his neck. It was pretty obvious that Senior Du was holding his anger back or else he would have jumped on Khal a very long time ago.


    Da''s and Senior Lin''splexion paled when they felt Senior Du''s aura and quickly took a step backward. However, Khal on the other hand just remained firmly where he stood, hisplexion as indifferent as ever.


    "First of all, I was not insulting him, I just simply described him."


    "You!!! Know your ce!" Senior Du''s body trembled and was ready to throw out a punch to teach Khal a lesson when suddenly his eyes widened and his pupils shrunk to the smallest possible size!


    "Secondly, while I was taught how to respect those stronger than me, it seems you were not so it seems that task falls on me in the end. Now kneel."


    Even before Senior Du could haveprehended what happened he watched as the human boy in front of him appeared before him like a ghost and with a gentle tap on his shoulder pressed him down onto his knees!


    Bam!


    The ground was forced to crack below Senior Du''s knees just by the sheer amount of power he was forced to kneel down while a small ripple swept through the air that gently blew the leaves on the trees in close proximity.


    As the sound was rather loud it was impossible to escape from the group of creatures'' watch in the distance and immediately attracted all of their attention.


    However, Khal couldn''t care less about the cold stares on his skin that would have easily scared anyone to death if they were in his shoes and simply looked down at Senior Du without lowering his head.


    "So? Will you apologize to us or should I teach you a lesson, one that is harsher than this one?"


    Bullets of sweat oozed out of Senior Du''s forehead as he struggled to stand up, but for some strange reason, he was unable to move; it felt almost like he suddenly has lost control over his body!


    "W-What did you do to me? Why can''t I move?" Senior Du asked, trying his best to raise his head and look Khal in the eye.


    Although he was angry at the moment, Senior Du was no fool to not know that the reason his body was not listening to hismand was that the human boy in front of him was doing or did something.


    "What did I do, you ask? I just simply began to control the blood in your body to an extent where you can''t move. It is that simple."


    "My blood?" Senior Du frowned before blurting out, "Bullshit! You are just a Limit Breaker! How do have the ability to surpass me, a peak Ascender existence!"


    "Bullshit? Do you want me to show a little demonstration?" Khal asked with an amused smile, but just as he was about to use his Bloodshed Touch to halt Senior Du''s heart beating for a few seconds a figure appeared on his side.


    "Okay, that is enough. We don''t have time for this small ruckus so either put your hatred toward each other to the side for the time being or simply go somewhere else to finish."


    Khal turned to look at the creature and his eyes lit up, "Astro!"


    "It is indeed a pleasure to meet with you again." Astro, the right hand of Roice smiled gently.


    "Astro! You... Why are you here?" Da who until this moment looked stupefied snapped out of her daze and asked.


    Astro nced at Da before sighing and replying, "My Lord said I should follow you here and protect you in case things get out of hand. Also, he said I should supervise this mission and make sure nothing gets awry."


    ''So that is why he came to stop me.'' Khal thought in his heart as he pulled his hand back, allowing Senior Du to finally regain control over his body and stand up.


    "M-Master! What happened? Are you feeling good?" Vern quickly ran to the side of his master and looked at him with a rather worried look.


    However, Senior Du just shook his head and without saying a word bowed toward Astro and walked away.


    "You have be stronger, just as my Lord has said it," Astro said once Senior Du was not in the proximity and nced at Khal.


    "Lord Roice? How is he doing?" Khal asked, but instead of a proper reply what he got was a gentle chuckle before Astro waved his hand gesturing toward him and the two behind him to follow him.


    "Come, we have already wasted enough time here.. We should start entering the dungeon."

 Chapter 383 - First Floor; Instant Death!

    Khal, Da, and Senior Lin followed Astro to the entrance of the dungeon while also ignoring the several stares on their skin from the many creatures that emitted either a presence of a Limit Breaker or Ascender Stage!


    "Did you really have to do that? Now everyone is looking at us!" Senior Lin stepped closer to Khal as she asked in a lowered voice.


    "If I would have not done it, things would have gotten only worse." Khal said nonchntly and giving a quick sidelong nce at the woman on his side, he added, "Furthermore, now they will think twice before they try to do anything funny once we enter the dungeon. Remember? We are humans, ones from the ''weakest race'' that is no better than cannon fodders."


    "Huh? You mean..." Senior Lin''s eyes widened by the realization and looked at Senior Du who was hiding behind a tree, looking toward their direction with a mixture of hatred, confusion, and fear.


    "Yeah, I am pretty sure they have only invited us here to be their ''meat shield'' and not because they needed our help in clearing the dungeon."


    When Senior Lin heard what Khal was saying herplexion stiffened and slowly turned into anger before she closed her eyes and sighed, "It seems I have made a mistake again. I shouldn''t have epted this invitation."


    "That is not right either." Khal shook his head and with a small smile, continued, "This is the perfect opportunity for us to show that we are not that weak."


    "And how do you wish to show that?" Senior Lin asked, her delicate brows lowering into a tight frown.


    "Well, isn''t that clear already? I will demonstrate them a little from my power, but before that, I will let them struggle a little bit."


    Worry shed inside Senior Lin''s eyes, but as the memory of Khal killing hundreds of Night Crawlers on the Limit Breaker Stage together with their king, a peak Ascender Stage existence, she knew Khal had the strength to aplish what he just said.


    Furthermore, when she remembered just how many Talent''s he had and how strong he truly was, she could only sigh quietly, hoping he won''t go over the line and do something he is not confident in enough.


    On the other hand, Astro and Da listened to their conversation in stupefied silence, wondering if what they have just heard was real or they have just simply hallucinated things.


    Once the four were before the small entrance at the bottom of the cube tower, Astro cleared his throat gently and began to speak loudly, "Okay everyone, please gather here!"


    Shortly, every creature stood around Astro and listened to what he was saying.


    "And that is everything. Any questions?" Astro asked with a serious expression, his eyes sweeping through each and every being in front of him.


    "Nothing? Perfect. Then let''s enter the dungeon and remember everyone must obey mymands and work with each other or only you can me yourself for dying a pathetic death."


    Every creature nodded with a solemn expression, knowing that they will now enter a domain where several Ascender Stage creatures existed, each having the strength to kill any one of them just alone!


    Watching as everyone began to move, Khal nced at Da and Senior Lin before he too started to walk toward the entrance, still ignoring the stares on him from the different creatures around him.


    "Are you not nervous at all?" as Khal walked through the entrance and watched how the scenery around him changed into a frozennd, he looked at Da and smiled.


    "Why would I b-" Khal was ready to reply when suddenly his eyes narrowed and without hesitation picked Da up and jumped backward.


    "Wha-"


    "Wh-"


    "Don''t fuc-"


    Swish!


    Several creatures on the front wished to say something when suddenly a white sh appeared in the air before severing their heads off from their shoulders without giving them the chance to even react!


    "Huh? W-What happened? How did they die?" the remaining creatures watching as three of theirrades have died without having the chance to put up a fight halted dead in their tracks, their faces paling in a sh!


    "W-What was that just now?" Da''s eyes widened as she watched how three Limit Breakers have just died right in front of her eyes, cold sweat oozing out of her forehead from fear.


    Khal, on the other hand, remained solemn while his eyes slowly changed shape and color and stared into a specific direction in the sky. Without a question, he activated his Heaven''s Eyes to see what kind of creature ambushed them just now.


    "K-Khal? What are you doing?" watching as Khal suddenly put her down and raised his hand, summoning a bow into his hand Da looked stupefied and confused, not knowing what he wished to do and achive.


    Just now, the three creatures have died with no sign of where the attack came from, yet he wanted to do a counterattack? On whom?


    However, instead of a reply Khal just simply grabbed the string on the bow and once a ck arrow was formed between his fingers, he let the string go, letting the arrow zoom through the air with almost space-piercing speed!


    Swish!


    The air and even the ground trembled the moment Khal fired the ck arrow shocking all the creatures behind him, including Senior Lin and Astro too, but even before they could have had the chance to react or say something appeared in the sky before crashing into the ground below with a powerful force!


    BOOOM!


    The ground shook and a small crater together with wide and long cracks formed below the thing that have just fallen from the sky, shocking creatures behind Khal to their very core.


    It was not because they realized it was the creature that reaped those three Limit Breakers'' lives with a single attack but because they felt that the beast had the presence of an Ascender before vanishing from its bodypletely!


    What did this mean? It meant the human boy in front of them just one shot one killed a creature that was not only in the far distance high above in the sky among the dense clouds but one that was an entire Cultivation Stage above him!


    He just killed an Ascender Stage beast with one single strike despite being only a Limit Breaker!

 Chapter 384 - Collective Assault

    The whole ce fell into silence while everyone kept their breaths in their lungs.


    No one talked nor moved but simply stared at the human boy''s figure in front of them with eyes andplexions that held and showed nothing but utter disbelief!


    Everything became so quiet that right now if a pin would be dropped onto the ground, it was very likely everyone would notice it with trim to no difficulty!


    "Did... Did he really y that creature with a single arrow just now?" a creature that was unable to resist asking his question any longer finally asked, his gaze fixed on the dark crimson bow in Khal''s hand.


    That question was like a loud scream at the bottom of a snow-covered mountain, immediately starting an avnche. One by one everyone snapped out of their daze and the previously silent surroundings were quickly filled with whispers and murmurs.


    Some bolder ones even ran next to the in beast, hoping to see if they really have seen things right and it was truly at the Ascender Stage or not.


    But s, once they were close enough, just by looking at the bird''s humungous size and its feathers which shone with the glow of steel whenever light fell on them, they didn''t need anything else to know that the beast was indeed an Ascender Stage existence.


    "What kind of bow is that? Where did you buy it?" almost every being quickly surrounded Khal as they asked one question after another, mainly about the weapon in his hold.


    Although it was an extremely big feat for a Limit Breaker to be capable of killing a beast at the Ascender Stage, they still believed it was all thanks to the bow in Khal''s hand, an item that was extremely powerful, maybe even being a Spiritual Weapon!


    "I have gained it from one of my friends," Khal replied briefly with a calm smile and unsummoned his weapon, turning it back into its ring shape which now rested on his right ring finger.


    When the creatures saw how Khal put his bow away many turned disappointed but still continued their questioning with seemingly no rest. They even ignored the fact that they were currently inside a terrifying dungeon where three of theirrades had been just killed!


    ''Are they idiots or simply got blinded by greed?'' Khal thought in his heart, feeling that the way these beings behaved in a ce such as this dungeon where Ascender Stage beasts could be lurking every corner was somewhat foolish.


    It was almost like they had not even the slightest clue what danger really meant, thus why they were acting the way they were at the moment.


    "Okay, that is enough." Astro who watched everything from start to end walked to Khal''s side and looked at everyone with a sharp re, "Let''s concentrate on our goal and the reason why we all havee here."


    Every creature around Astro immidieatly quietened down and took several steps back, their faces changing in a sh from burning curiosity and greed to dead seriousness!


    "Perfect. Please, don''t forget where we are currently. Although it was stated that it was very unlikely that there will be any creatures on the first three floors as they had been cleared already, it does not mean you can rx. As you can see, three had already been killed in a split second just because they thought there won''t be any danger threatening their lives on the first few floors."


    Upon hearing Astro''s words theplexion of everyone only turned even more solemn while the silence for some reason became even heavier as they realized Astro was indeed telling the truth.


    Just because a simple report stated there won''t be any beasts on the first few floors, it did not mean they should lower their guards and act casually. As they have just seen it, three have already fallen into the clutch of death despite not even taking more than three steps!


    Furthermore, if it would have been any of them who entered the dungeon first, they were pretty sure they would have ended up with the same miserable end as those three; with inevitable death!


    Khal watched the faces of each creature and couldn''t help but praise Astro for pping everyone back to reality.


    As he has already asserted this before, they were not on a vacation but on a mission where death could easily im any one of their lives at any given moment!


    ''At the very least they are listening to what he says.'' Khal thought nonchntly in his heart and followed Astro and the rest from behind.


    As for Da and Senior Lin, they did the same but after witnessing what had just happened with the three Limit Breakers they made sure to remain as close to Khal as possible! It was pretty apparent that neither of them wished to risk the possibility of getting killed without even knowing what took them away from the living to the dead!


    The group walked through the azure and white frozenndscape with vignt eyes, approaching a small pir in the distance which was seemingly the bridge between the first and second floor!


    However, not even reaching the halfway point between the entrance and that tall pir, the group was forced to aplete halt as the ground below their feet suddenly began to tremble while a creature with a height of at least five meters emerged from the ground!


    "It''s an Ice Dawdler and at the Middle Phase of the Ascender Stage!" Astro shouted as he raised his sword in his hand and quickly added, "Get in formation, we will take it down together!"


    Instantly, all the beings summoned their weapons and activated their Blessings before all of them began to attack the humungous creature that looked like a fat spider with a body that seemed to be carved out of azure ice.


    "You... won''t help them?" while everyone was attacking the creature and defending against its attacks that seemed to be some kind of toxic webs that corroded everything it came into contact with, Da nced at Khal who watched the whole sight from a safe distance with his arms casually crossed before his chest.


    "Why should I?" Khal raised a brow when he heard the question and said, "If I join, I am pretty sure I would just ruin their fun. I will just stand here and watch them."


    "You..." Da''s cherry lips parted to say something but when she realized she was unable to say anything closed them and remained silent.


    She slowly started to believe that the Khal she met for the first time and the current Khal who now stood on her side was two,pletely different individuals! Although they were looking the same, their demeanor and aura werepletely different!

 Chapter 385 - Reaching The Fourth Floor

    The fight went on for about five minutes before it finally came to an end with the victor being the group of beings while the loser being the Ice Dawdler.


    However, although it seemed a fast and one-sided massacre from the sideline, the consequences after everything calmed down were not as light as one would have imagined them to be.


    Several beings at Limit Breaker got injured, one even losing a limb from failing to dodge the Ice Dawdler''s corrosive webs in time, while the chests of the Ascender Stage beings moved up and down in a seemingly rapid manner, showing how exhausted they really were even though they have just fought in arge group against a single enemy!


    "Is this even considered normal? How was this beast able to possess so much strength? This makes no sense!" Vern, who had several wounds all over his green skin which showed his flesh spoke loudly, not epting the fact that a single creature was able to stand its ground against them, a group that had several Limit Breakers and a few Ascenders for such a long time!


    "Yeah, it makes no sense at all." one of the beings that had an appearance of an angel with white wings spread wide behind her back nodded and said, "I have fought many beasts and creatures in the past that had the strength of an Ascender, but this waspletely different. It felt almost as if I was fighting not one, but several on the same stage at once!"


    Everyone nodded in agreement, all of theirplexions showing confusion, worry, and disbelief.


    "Although I do not know why each beast in this dungeon is much stronger on the same stage than those outsides, I am pretty sure our questions will be answered at the final floor. Now rest for the time being and try to recover your strength as much as you can. Once everyone is ready we will keep going and ascend to the second floor." Astro said loudly and walked to where Khal and Da were.


    "Why didn''t you join the battle?" once he was finally in front of Khal, Astro asked, his eyes slightly narrowed.


    "I just thought it would make no sense for me to help until it was not entirely necessary." Khal shrugged casually as he looked around with his Heaven''s Eyes.


    "You... Haven''t you be too arrogant since thest time we have met?" Astro''s mouth twitched as he asked.


    Khal turned to look at Astro and after pondering for a while he shook his head, "Arrogant? No. Confident in my own abilities? Definitely."


    "Arrogance and confidence sometimes look the same but at the end of the day, they are twopletely different things. However, when thetter turns into overconfidence, it is pretty much the same as arrogance with the sole difference that arrogancees from one''s pride while overconfidence does not."


    "Yeah, I am well aware of that." Khal nodded before he summoned a golden pill into his hand and extended it toward Astro, "Take this. Your internal organs had been slightly injured. In the long run, they can easily take you into your grave."


    Astro frowned when he heard Khal''s words and quickly used a technique to check his body, only to find with a shock that Khal was indeed right. Without him noticing it, several of his organs had been damaged and if he won''t heal them soon they can easily cause his death during another fight in the future!


    "But... How?" Astro asked as he epted the pill and swallowed it.


    "I told you, I am confident in my abilities." Khal smiled coolly, leaving Astro speechless.


    Time passed quickly and half an hourter the group was finally able to proceed on with their task again as almost everyone recovered back to their peak condition.


    Or at least everyone except the one with the lost limb; it was apparent that he needed more than consuming recovery pills one after another to fully heal his lost arm.


    The group walked through the frozenndscape with raised guards, but except for the first beast that Khal killed and the second one that was in by the group, they have met not a third one.


    Thus, they were able to ascend to the second floor with ease using the staircase inside the pir.


    And luckily, when they arrived on the second floor which was not a frozennd filled with hills of ice but a wastnd filled with wide and long fissures loaded with scorching magma, the group met with no beasts neither there nor on the stormy third floor!


    "I can''t believe we were able to reach the fourth floor without fighting with another creature since the first floor," Da mumbled quietly, her eyes scanning her surroundings while she stood on top of a big rock.


    Currently, they were in the middle of arge swamp where the color of the water was deep green and the trees on the sides that stood around 5 meters in height were deep ck. There were even small water lilies all around the ce, each having the color of either white or yellow.


    "Don''t lower your guard just because there were no creatures until now. The real game only starts from now on." Khal said calmly and with slightly narrowed eyes watched as about three to four hundred meters away the water began to bubble while a huge frame moved toward them with neither fast nor slow speed.


    "It seems we finally have apany," Khal said calmly, pointing at the creature in the distance that began to approach them.


    Astro who was on Khal''s side followed his finger and when he noticed the creature he quickly ordered everyone to stand in position and get ready for battle.


    In a sh, every expert took their positions in a hundred-meter radius with raised weapons and vignt eyes while Khal, as previously, just walked to the rear ready to watch the fight unfold with no intention to help.


    However, just as Khal was about to rx and wait for the fun to start, his face suddenly changed and quickly spun around, only to see another creature in the distance approach their location!


    What''s more, this creature''s aura was way stronger than the one on the front despite each standing just around the Middle Phase of the Ascender Stage!

 Chapter 386 - Monster Disguised In Human Skin

    Khal used his Heaven''s Eyes to get a better look at the approaching creature and found it with a shock that it was by no means small despite the water level being about a bit more than one meter deep!


    The creature had about a two meters big frame with at least a hundred meters in length. It was a huge green snake with scales as thick as a human arm and as many eyes like a spider!


    Furthermore, to make its appearance even more grotesque, the beast not only had a huge jaw that seemingly could easily swallow a truck but several human-sized bones were growing out from the sides of its body while from their tips green liquid dripped into the water, corroding the water lilies it was falling on!


    "Another beast with poisonous ability?" Khal frowned when he saw this but still signaled at Astro casually and said, "I will take care of this alone. Just concentrate on the one on the front."


    When Astro heard Khal''s words he first felt puzzled but upon seeing where he was pointing at and saw as a beast simr to the one on the front but with a way scarier aura was approaching them hisplexion paled and was ready to inform the others.


    "I said I will be more than enough to take care of it," Khal said, but although he seeded in stopping Astro from notifying the rest his voice was something that still attracted others'' attention.


    Thus, it didn''tst long before everyone noticed the second threat behind their backs, causing all of theirplexion to turn ghostly pale!


    "Sigh..." Khal massaged his temples when he saw how the spirit of each being before him dropped and couldn''t help but let out a deep sigh. Even those at the Ascender Stage looked like scared puppies, seemingly on the verge of pissing their pants from sheer fear at any given moment!


    ''Come on... I have the weakest Cultivation Base among all of us yet I am the calmest and most confident here! You guys should be the ones brimming with self-confidence, not me!'' Khal sighed helplessly in his heart and once he nced at the beast in front of him he mumbled, "Should I just use my Soul Piercer?"


    The question was a good one as his Soul Piercer was a weapon that was capable of piercing anyone''s soul directly, even causing instant death!


    However, while this weapon of his possessed such terrifying might it still had a huge drawback too; its ability to instakill was highly dependable on the fact how much essence he used and how strong his prey was both physically and in soul!


    For instance, the beast he has killed the very moment he entered the Zero Realm had a very weak physique and soul, allowing him to kill it with trim to no struggle. As for the beast he has in back on the first floor, it was apletely different story. Not only did it possess a strong body that could easily repel attacks from others but its soul was also powerful to the point if Khal would have not used one-fourth of his Body Essence it would have easily survived!


    And obviously, this beast in front of him not only possessed a stronger body but even a stronger aura than that bird back on the first floor! And Khal was pretty sure if this beast had a stronger body and aura, its soul must be stronger too!


    "Let''s just use that and see if it will work." Khal sighed and without hesitation activated his least used Power Core, his World Devourer Physique!


    However, the results that Khal believed after activating his World Devourer Physique were bigger than he initially expected them to be!


    Under all the creatures'' stupified gazes, Khal''s body grew and changed, bing a several miles long and hundreds of meters wide serpent with scales as thick as cabins and as white as snow!


    If it wouldn''t have been for Khal reacting in time and shifting his massive frame to another direction, his huge body would have definitely squashed all the beings that stood behind him, even killing those with a weaker physique such as Senior Lin and Da!


    "Wh-What the actual fuck?! What kind of broken ability is this shit?" Vern blurted out with a dumbfounded expression and watched as Khal''s now serpent shape how towered over them like a small mountain!


    They were literally surrounded from every direction with his body,pletely obscuring the view they once saw from them!


    Now he really brought the concept of a monster disguised in human skin to whole another level!


    While all the creatures were trying to find answers to their questions and guess how Khal was able to change form to such a humungous shape until then Khal felt surprised and delighted as he looked down on the scenery around them from high above despite feeling 3/4 of his body still being on the ground!


    ''Amazing... I have forgotten that each of my Power Cores be stronger as the higher Cultivation Stages I reach!''


    He could clearly remember that his World Devourer Physique was much smaller when he activated it after acquiring it. The difference between each size during that time and now was asrge as the distance between earth and sky!


    ''Well, at least now I can really don''t need to fear my stomach will corrode from the inside.'' Khal thought and under everyone''s dumbstruck gaze opened his jaws wide and with a quick move bit into the beast in the water, swallowing it down with one single gulp!


    The beast didn''t even have the chance to move much less dodge Khal''s descending jaw before its previously huge frame which now looked significantly tinypared to Khal''s vanished inside the abyss-like darkness inside Khal''s mouth!


    ''Sour...'' Khal thought with a puckeredplexion and was ready to eat the second beast too when suddenly Nova''s voice appeared in his head.


    [Found Beast Core. Do you wish to transform it into a Power Core?]

 Chapter 387 - Power Core: Toxic Nails

    [Found Beast Core: Do you wish to transform it into Power Core?]


    Upon hearing those words in his head Khal''s eyes in his humungous serpent state widened and felt slightly taken aback.


    Exactly when was thest time when he forged metal and turned it into a Power Core to boost his already ridiculously powerful strength? When was thest time he acquired a Beast Core and transformed it into a Power Core?


    It had been an extremely long time ago and Khal realized that he had been neglecting his power for far too long, a power that was the whole reason why he was where he was today!


    He was so focused on getting back to the First Realm and in increasing his Cultivation Base that hepletely forgot that his bracelet was a heaven-defying item, an object that could allow him to obtain several abilities from the cores of the artifacts!


    ''Once everything had been done here I need to start forging again and increase my number of Power Cores.'' Khal took a mental note and without hesitation allowed Nova to transform the Beast Core he consumed into a Power Core.


    Although he had no guess how much Body Essence will it require to increase the number of slots on his bracelets, Khal was not nervous at all. Currently, his amount of Body Essence was around 200,000 units, 203,783 units to be exact!


    Thus, fearing he will be sucked dry by his bracelet like he was during his first few tries was simply useless worry and why Khal even closed his eyes, enjoying the warm sensation that spread through his body as the Beast Core inside him gradually changed into a Power Core.


    [Fusion and Forming Processpleted!]


    [Hidden potentials have been unlocked!]


    [''Ascender Stage: Toxic Bite'' had been sessfully transformed into ''Ascender Stage: Toxic Nail''!]


    ''Only 20,000 Body Essence was depleted?'' Khal thought in his heart as he checked his status and ignoring his newly acquired Power Core he quickly shifted his massive frame and as he did with the first beast, he quickly gulped down the second one too!


    "Urgh... This one had an even worse taste." Khal mumbled with a sour expression and slowly turned back into his human form, now his bracelet holding a small green pebble next to the rest.


    After opening and closing his mouth in a repeated manner as to make the sour taste in his mouth vanish, Khal raised his head and was ready to speak when suddenly watched as all the creatures before him stood motionlessly, their gazes looking at him as if he was a ghost.


    "What? Have you guys never seen a shapeshifting ability?" Khal frowned deeply, not understanding why everyone was so shocked and stupified.


    ording to his knowledge shapeshifting abilities were rathermon and well-used in the Second Realm and even in the Higher Realms while there was even a race called Skin Stealers which were able to mimic anyone''s appearance with their Legacy!


    Yes, maybe his shapeshifting was sudden and his form was humungous, but it should not astound everyone to such extents, right? Right?


    "Khal... you..." Senior Lin stared at Khal with widened eyes, trying to find words she wished to say but only failed in the end. And it was not only her but everyone else, including Da and Astro.


    As for Senior Du and Vern, from their extremely paleplexions, one could easily guess what they were currently thinking and even see as they were thanking the gods in the heavens inside their heart that they didn''t try to fight Khal previously.


    Astro stared at the young boy in front of him with widened eyes before a shocked gasp left his mouth as he recalled what Khal said back on the first floor.


    ''It seems Lord Roice will be more than surprised once he hears the story I will tell him.'' a small, almost imperceptible smile appeared on Astro''s face before he pped his hands together, snapping everyone out of their daze in a blink.


    "Okay everyone, let''s go. If we waste time here any longer even more beasts will appear."


    Upon hearing Astro''s words every creature came back to their senses and after giving one final nce at Khal which held a mixture of emotions such as fear, worry, curiosity, and respect, each of them turned around and began to follow Astro toward the pir in the distance.


    "Are you sure you are a human and not a monster?" once they began to walk again, Senior Lin walked closer to Khal, examining him from top to bottom several times to make sure he was not a beast in human skin.


    Even Da examined him from the other side with a simr gaze, but this time her previously cold gaze which was always there whenever she talked with him or looked at him was nowhere to be seen, only pure admiration and curiosity.


    "I am a human so quit looking at me like I am not one," Khal said calmly as he looked at the Sect Master of the Moon Sect, and couldn''t help but feel amused how she was acting like a little child who just found something interesting.


    The group walked through the swamp while fighting and killing beasts one after another. However, during those battles Khal didn''t do anything but watched everything from the rear, even looking somewhat bored. Naturally, every creature noticed how bored he was, but remembering what he did previously none of them dared toin.


    After killing three more beasts the group finally reached the pir at the center of the swamp and ascended onto the fifth floor from where they proceeded on killing beasts they were crossing paths with.


    Of course, the amount of time they needed to kill each beast and rest afterward became longer and longer the more beasts they met, but even then Khal did nothing but watched, only helping the group when they were on the verge of getting killed.


    "L-Let''s go back... We can''t go on like this." Senior Du whose wrist was cleanly cut off and was full of wounds that showed his bones mumbled with an exhaustedplexion, his eyes looking at Astro whose body was also full of injuries but was doing slightly better.


    "The beasts are not only getting stronger but their numbers are also increasing the higher we go.. Going any further than this is literally suicide!" Vern nodded in agreement, holding his right shoulder with his left, obviously holding it in ce as it was broken.

 Chapter 388 - Ascending The Dungeon

    Everyone fell into deep silence upon hearing the words of Senior Du and Vern as they realized that what they were saying was the truth.


    Currently, they were on the sixth floor, and even though they have just ascended they have already met with three Ascender Stage beasts, ones that needed all of their strength to deal with.


    Every one of them was exhausted both mentally and physically while they were full of injuries and wounds, some even having several limbs lost despite being either at the peak of the Limit Breaker or Ascender Stage!


    Furthermore, those weaker Limit Breakers that were unfortunate enough orcked in both battle experience and skills were already dead, meaning their numbers had been decreased ever since the start!


    In the beginning, their group had a little more than 30 experts but at the very moment, that number plummeted way below 20, leaving only 16 alive from which at least half were on the verge of copsing!


    No matter how one looked at it, the wisest choice would indeed be to retreat no matter how much they wished to ascend and see what lied on the final tenth floor.


    Astro remained silent and studied each and everyone''splexion. However, the more he looked at the exhausted and seemingly pale faces around him, the more he realized there was indeed no reason for them to go and proceed any further.


    "Okay, let''s go back." after pondering for a while Astro nodded, earning several sighs of relief from everyone.


    "Finally..."


    "I thought I will die!"


    "I can finally rest!"


    Everyone felt thrilled and began to talk with each other as they began to walk back on the path they came from. Astro did the same, however when he was about to follow the rest, suddenly he stopped dead in his track and frowned.


    "Young Lady? What do you think you are doing?" watching as Da was walking toward the opposite direction as the rest, Astro frowned and appeared before her, blocking her pathpletely.


    "What do you think I am doing? I''m gonna ascend this dungeon with Khal." Da said with a cold face and going around Astro she quickly began to follow Khal who walked toward the pir in the distance with Senior Lin on his side.


    "No, I won''t allow it." Astro however was resolute and appeared before Da once again, even using his presence to force her to stop.


    Da''splexion paled slightly upon feeling the heavy pressure on her, but as she was quite used to it her facial expression remained unchanged and said, "Astro, you don''t have to worry, I will be safe. Khal will make sure to protect me. Right, Khal?"


    Astro frowned as he turned around, looking at the young boy in the silver robe who stood about three meters away from him, with an indifferentplexion lying on his face at the moment.


    "Although I tried to persuade her not to follow, she is quite a stubborn one." Khal shrugged and added, "Of course, if shees I will make sure no harm will fall on her, I promise."


    Astro remained silent as the sight of Khal killing three peaks Ascender Stage beasts as easily as lifting a finger emerged in his mind and couldn''t help but sigh.


    "How far are you nning to ascend?"


    "Isn''t that obvious already? I want to go all the way?" Khal replied with a confident smile.


    "All the way? To the tenth floor?" Astro frowned and said, "Although I do not doubt your strength after what you have shown me, I still think reaching the tenth floor alone still will be a huge challenge. Naturally, no disrespect ma''am."


    Senior Lin waved her hand, showing she didn''t really care what Astro said.


    "Challenge?" Khal then suddenlyughed, surprising the three around him. Only after a few seconds did he continue, "Believe me, this will be more of an excursion than a challenge."


    ''...''


    Astro became utterly silent when he heard Khal''s words and didn''t know what he should say. If he would have heard the same thinging from anyone else he was pretty sure he would haveughed at them but as it was Khal who said it, he didn''t.


    As for Senior Lin and Da, the two were already numb at this point and had no energy to either feel shocked or awe. The only thing could do was to shake their heads helplessly and remain silent.


    After thinking for a while, Astro withdrew his presence that pressed down on Da, and asked, "If you are this confident, why didn''t you help us until now? We could have avoided so many casualties and injuries."


    "Why didn''t I help?" Khal touched his chin as he acted as though he was thinking and then quickly shrugged, "Because I didn''t want to."


    Astro''s mouth twitched when he heard Khal''s answer and suddenly felt the urge to go up to Khal and give him a nice and clean p in the face.


    However, what he didn''t know was that Khal was at the moment lying. Although it was true that he didn''t want to help, it was not entirely because of that. No, the real reason behind his actions was that he wished to see the creatures struggle and end up in a miserable state.


    Every race and almost every creature despised the human race, some even humiliating them before others. So why should he help, why should he feel sorry for them?


    He will only help those that are genuine and kind toward him and his kind while he won''t give a zero shit for others that are not!


    Seeing that Astro remained silent Khal didn''t say anything either and began to walk toward the pir in the distance. He didn''t really wish to waste any more time here and wanted to see what secrets were hidden in this dungeon as soon as possible.


    Astro watched as Khal began to walk away while Da quickly followed him and couldn''t help but sigh.


    "I wonder what the Lord would do in this situation," Astro mumbled quietly and began to follow Khal just like how Senior Lin and Da were doing.

 Chapter 389 - Clearing The Whole Dungeon Alone!

    Khal walked through a small valley with Da, Senior Lin, and Astro while his seeming bored gaze scanned the surroundings around him.


    Currently, they were between two mountains that were covered with crimson grass and rocks while on both sides several cavities with a width and height of a human were visible. However, the most noticeable thing about this valley was not its crimson color or those cave entrances that emitted a rather eerie aura, but the several blood-red streams that rushed down from the mountaintops like waterfalls!


    Furthermore, their color was not red because of the color that painted the whole scenery on and around the two mountains but because the water was indeed deep crimson in color as it was blood!


    "What the hell is this ce? It feels like we are in the middle of a battlefield where a massacre had been taken ce." Senior Lin frowned as disgust shed in her eyes upon feeling the putrid smell of blood in the air.


    It was not only her but even Da and Astro too, as they too felt rather ufortable in such an environment that only appeared during and after a brutal sh between two races.


    Khal, on the other hand, felt nothing upon seeing the horror-like scenery around him as he has already seen simr scenery before. Of course, they were not as gruesome as this one, but it was more than enough to make him used to such a sight.


    Also, he has already seen blood flowing so it didn''t matter for him if he was seeing a few drops or a hundred liters at the same time.


    "I wonder where all this blood ising from," Da mumbled quietly as she looked left and right when suddenly Khal halted, forcing her and the two on her side to stop moving too.


    Tremble!


    The ground below each of their feet suddenly began to tremble as the blood that fell from above began to increase in amount and density while several smaller rocks began to fall from the mountainsides, only stopping when they reached the bottom!


    "What is happening?" Da''s body suddenly tensed up when she felt how the feeling of dread began to appear around her almost as if death finally arrived to im her life.


    Senior Lin and Astro felt as their bodies began to tremble too, but it was not as obvious as in Da''s case; they just only looked a tiny bit pale while their fingers clenched into a tight fist.


    "Rx. I will take care of this." Khal who stood on the front summoned his Devil Fangs into his hand and watched as a swarm of insects began to flood out of the caves from all sides, rushing toward them with bloodlust!


    "Just at the peak of the Body Temperer Stage?" Khal mumbled with a frown as he clearly remembered that they said the weakest beast in this dungeon was at the peak of the Limit Breaker.


    "Well, considering that there are tens of thousands of them swarming at us at the same time, I think not even a normal Ascender Stage being would stand a chance much less a peak Limit Breaker," Khal said to himself and after activating his Hell ze he swung his weapon.


    Swish!


    BOOOM!


    A powerful ripple together with a wave of zing mes broke out from Khal''s fan the moment he waved it, scorching and turning the sea of insects into nothing more but ash that was blown away into the distance by the breeze from one of the valley''s entrance!


    "Let''s go," Khal said with an indifferent face after putting his weapon away, giving not even a single nce at the many floating essences around him that could have possibly increased his Body Essence!


    Astro and Da looked at Khal with a stupefied expression after witnessing how he killed tens of thousands of beasts at the Body Temperer Stage while Senior Lin just sighed helplessly and without saying a single word began to follow Khal.


    Khal proceeded to walk through the sixth floor and kill beasts whenever he met with one, taking him no more than a few seconds to im their lives before continuing with his ascension.


    At first, he felt rather bored as the number of beasts he crossed paths with was quite a few, but once he reached the seventh floor this changed. Almost every few hundred meters he met with a beast that wished to im their lives, but unfortunately, neither of them were able to sustain more than two attacks before sumbing to their death once and for all!


    And like that, he literally cleared all the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth floors before finally reaching the tenth floor!


    "Unbelievable... We really reached the final floor!" Astro mumbled with a dazed expression, still struggling to believe that he was currently standing on the final level of this dungeon.


    "I thought it would be bigger." suddenly Khal eximed out loud as he looked around, hisplexion holding a hint of disappointment that rarely appeared on his face.


    Currently, they were standing in the very middle of the tenth floor, but even from there, they could clearly see the walls of the dungeon in the distance showing just how small thisst floor truly was.


    As a fact, the tenth floor was only a huge empty room with only witnesses wherever one looked and nothing else. It was a huge contrast to the previous nine where the environment was either extremely beautiful or terrifyingly scary.


    [If I have to take a rough guess, the distance from side to side shouldn''t even reach a mile.]


    ''Yeah, that is exactly what I had in mind.'' Khal nodded and raised his head toward the ceiling, which just as the walls on the sides, was perfectly visible to the naked eye.


    "And what exactly is that?" Khal asked out loud, causing the three on his sides to stop looking around and raise their heads, only to form a somewhat puzzled expression.

 Chapter 390 - Dungeon Core; Power Blessing!

    Senior Lin and the rest raised their heads when they heard Khal''s voice and found it with surprise that high above in the air, a small orb with the size of a fist floated in mid-air, emitting a powerful aura together with a gentle blue light.


    Khal watched the core with a nonchnt face when suddenly Nova''s voice appeared in his head, shocking him deeply.


    [''Dungeon Core: Power Blessing'' detected in surroundings!]


    [Do you wish to use Boosted Maism to acquire the core?]


    ''What?'' Khal immediately became stupified and his gaze toward the floating orb changedpletely.


    ''Is that orb a... A Power Core?''


    [That is not entirely true]


    Suddenly Nova''s voice appeared in Khal''s head, exining and clearing the doubts in Khal''s heart.


    [Power Cores are the cores of artifacts, allowing you to obtain different powers by destroying the artifact itself.]


    [The same goes for Ember Cores and Beast Cores. You need to destroy the vessel before you can gain ess over the cores inside them.]


    [However, Dungeon Cores are different in this matter as they can be not only acquired without breaking any vessel, but if you do obtain one you can gain ess over the dungeon itself!]


    As Khal listened to Nova''s exnation he finally seemed to understand what a Dungeon Core was but at the same time seemed to feel confused.


    ''Howe you know so many things about cores?''


    [I... Don''t know... Things are just flooding my mind on their own before I say them...]


    Khal became silent as he felt something was not quite right with what Nova said.


    If he was right and understood it clearly from the past conversation with Nova, the bracelet on him was a very powerful item that under some special circumstances sealed Nova away before it was taken down to the First Realm.


    However, if that really was the case and Nova was indeed a separate being as she has said it previously, why was that whenever something happened it was her who talked and mother another voice?


    For instance, why was that whenever he broke into the next Stage and his Power Cores were strengthened further the one who notified him was her and not someone ore something else?


    After all, if she was a being inside the bracelet, the one talking to him whenever he acquired a new core or simply increased his Cultivation Base should be the bracelet and not her, right?


    It didn''t make any sense at all!


    Khal began to ponder silently but the more he thought about it the more questions appeared in his head and the more confused he became, he just sighed and put the matter aside for the time being.


    ''I am pretty sure I will be able to find the answer for it sooner orter.''


    With that in mind, Khal quickly bent his legs and with a powerful bang leaped high into the air, traveling hundreds of meters in an instant!


    Senior Lin, Astro, and Da became stupified upon seeing just how ridiculously strong Khal''s physical fitness was and how high he had jumped in just a matter of a few seconds.


    Of course, although Khal''s physical strength was outstanding and just alone almost as strong as those at the Ascender Stage, the real reason why he was able to jump so high was because of his ridiculous amount of Body Essence.


    While normal beings only had a few thousand units of Body Essence until then he had close to two hundred thousand units in his body, something that only beasts and creatures existing in the Third Realm possessed!


    Thus, with such a huge amount of Body Essence flowing and strengthening his legs, it was by no means a huge surprise he was able to jump a few hundred meters high with a single leap!


    Khal dashed through the air with great momentum and only when he reached the level of the floating orb did he finally slow down before haltingpletely in mid-air.


    Whoosh!


    With a smooth and quick move, Khal grabbed the core while also allowing Nova to increase a slot on his bracelet to let the core fit inside.


    Swish!


    With a gentle blue light, the color quickly melted inside Khal''s hand before appearing inside the newly opened slot on his bracelet, increasing the number of his collected cores by one!


    [''Dungeon Core: Power Blessing'' has been sessfully collected!]


    Whoosh!


    A warm sensation swept through Khal''s body and mind together with numerous information about the core while a strange and seemingly invisible connection appeared between him and the dungeon.


    The feeling was akin to growing another limb, one that although invisible, he could freely control with his mind!


    Bam!


    Deep cracks and long fissures appeared on the ground once Khalnded, but despite it seeming to hurt his legs, Khal simply acted as if nothing happened and looked at the three in front of him with a nonchnt look.


    "It seems there is nothing else here. We should head back."


    Upon hearing Khal''s words the three looked at each other with confusion but although they wished to say something, knowing Khal''s prowess they decided not to.


    Thus, without gaining any knowledge or extra benefits by reaching the final floor, the three began to walk toward the exit where they juste from.


    "Where are you guys going? The exit is right here."


    Just as the three were about to descend onto the ninth floor, suddenly Khal''s voice appeared in their ears which halted their steps while a small white portal materialized on the side seemingly nowhere.


    "Huh? When?" the three stared with widened eyes at the white portal and watched as Khal walked toward it as if he knew exactly what it was.


    "Come on, this way is faster." Khal gestured toward the three without looking back and with a casual but long stride stepped through the portal.


    Senior Lin, Da, and Astro first were skeptical whether they should follow Khal or not, but as they knew without him they stood no chance against a creature if one suddenly appeared they had no choice but quickly follow him.

 Chapter 391 - Ability To Cure The Human Race? (1)

    The wind blew strong around the region of the cube tower as the group of creatures that fought with several creatures just to turn back around at the sixth floor emerged from the entrance, each holding mixture of emotions on their faces.


    Some looked relieved for not needing to ascend the cube tower any longer, some looked sad for losing eitherrades or friends while some seemed to be in anger foring just to collect wounds and injuries without getting no rewards in exchange.


    "It is all because of that bastard! If he would have helped us this would have not happened at all!" Vern who was holding his broken arm hissed coldly while a brief amount of pain emerged onto his face.


    When the other creatures heard Vern''s words many seemed to realize he was indeed right, resulting in hatred emerging in their heart like a me that was just ignited.


    "Yeah, if he would have used his power we could have avoided sustaining so many hardships and even could have reached the final floor without any of us dying!" a creature which had the body of a lion and whose upper body was full of open wounds nodded, his eyes filled with killing intent looking left and right seemingly looking for someone.


    "Where is he? Where the fuck is he? I want to teach him a lesson or two before I require a refund from that Fairy guy that asked for our help!"


    "Yeah, me too! I will definitely tear one or two of his limbs off! Where did he go?"


    "Don''t hide now bastard! Show yourself if you are a real man!"


    One after another, creatures began to regain their fighting spirit in the hope they could get their revenge whilepletely forgetting the fact how Khal, the one they want to beat up swallowed two Ascender Stage beasts with a single gulp.


    It seems the saying of ''hatred is blind; rage carries you away'' is indeed urate and these creatures are truly ignoring the fact that they are running into their own demise just because of hatred.


    "I can''t see him. Where is he?" Vern narrowed his eyes as he looked around, but when he saw that not only Khal was nowhere but even the two woman from his side and Astro, hisplexion turned ugly.


    "Don''t tell me... Did they..." just as Vern and the rest could have thought for something, suddenly the space around the entrance twisted and turned white before a figure emerged wearing a silver robe and a nonchnt face.


    "There you are! Nowe, let this daddy teach you a lesson!" the creature with the lion body and the presence of an Ascender Stage appeared in front of Khal who seemed to be stillpletely oblivious to what was happening.


    Or at least was, until when he saw how a fist appeared inches away from his face, ready to burst his head into chunks and brain matter!


    "You are really courting death!" Khal sneered coldly as his eyes turned emotionless while his nails changed color, bing deep green in hue!


    Whoosh!


    A strong breeze arose around the creature that wished to attack Khal before Khal himself emerged behind the creature and stood motionlessly while his cold gaze swept through those that wished to attack him too.


    "H-Huh? W-What did you do to... me..." the humanoid lion that was ready to turn around and throw out another punch suddenly froze and watched with terror as its body began to corrode and melt, quickly turning into a pond of melted flesh and blood that had a greenish color!


    "?!"


    Every creature that was about to attack Khal halted dead in their tracks and their faces paled. In a sh, all the memories that transpired in the dungeon quickly appeared in their heads, forcing them to realize that what they wished to do was nothing more than suicide!


    "What is the meaning of all this?" Khal narrowed his eyes coldly as he asked in a low voice, raising his hand gently and taking a step forward to show he was more than willing to start a massacre right now and there.


    Silence filled the whole ce and no one dared to talk, but still, all of them nced at a single individual subconsciously, the one who was the source of all this mess; Vern.


    "I see, so that''s how it is." Khal nodded and without saying a word appeared before him.


    "W-Wait! It was a huge misund-" Vern wished to find an excuse as he tried to avoid the attack, but unfortunately, he was unable to finish his sentence before his head was pierced by Khal''s palm and corroded by its nails mysterious toxic power.


    "You! How dare you!" Senior Du became enraged upon witnessing how his disciple was killed in front of his very eyes and was ready to jump at Khal when his whole body was petrified.


    "You can follow him to the other side too." Khal who already appeared before Senior Du like a ghost said in an indifferent voice and swung his hand, piercing Senior Du''s chest on the left side before tearing out his heart and smashing it into pieces.


    "Anyone else that desires to apany these idiots to the otherworld?" Khal asked with a nonchnt but freezing look, his cold gaze sweeping through each and every one of the creatures in front of him whilepletely ignoring how Senior Du''s body melted into a puddle of flesh and blood!


    Watching as no one talked nor moved Khal nodded with satisfaction and lowered his blood-covered hand which squeezed the old turtle''s heart just now. It seems the way he killed the three was more than enough to make them understand that he was way stronger than them in every aspect and if they try to do anything funny he will definitely kill them.


    As the creatures stood silently in one ce in fear they will earn Khal''s wrath if they either speak or move, three other figures emerged from the white portal, each of theirplexions changing tremendously upon seeing the sight before them.


    "What happened here? Why is there blood here?" Astro asked with a deep frown but even before he could have gotten an answer a gentle breeze blew his face and watched as Khal appeared on his side with his thumb already resting on the middle of Senior Lin''s forehead!


    "K-Khal?" Senior Lin''s eyes widened when he felt the touch on her face and didn''t know what she should do.


    "Just rx.. This will be over in a second." Khal said in a calm voice and without saying anything else activated his newly acquired power, his Power Blessing!

 Chapter 392 - Ability To Cure The Human Race? (2 Last)

    Senior Lin was shocked at first when she saw how Khal suddenly appeared before her and ced his thumb on her forehead, but the next second her pretty eyes widened while her pupils shrunk extra small!


    "Just rx, this will be over in a second," Khal said in a calm and quiet tone of voice before he activated his Dungeon Core, covering his thumb in gentle bluish-white light immidieatly!


    Whoosh!


    A slightly strong breeze appeared around Khal and Senior Lin which forced Da and Astro on their sides to squint their eyes and raise their hands before their faces.


    "What is happening now?" Da asked but she didn''t have to wait for a long while for her question to be answered.


    Bam!


    The light which covered Khal''s thumb suddenly began to expand and in a sh covered Senior Lin''s whole body before the aura of a peak Ascender Stage being burst to the surface in a rather forceful way!


    Crack!


    The ground below Senior Lin''s feet cracked and split while the invisible aura around her gradually began to turn denser and denser with each second while herplexion started to get filled with great vitality!


    "This..." Senior Lin seemed to notice the changes in and around her body and couldn''t help but look at Khal with a dumbstruck expression.


    Right now, although she did not know why but she felt that even if another peak Ascender Stage being appeared in front of her and wished to fight her, she was pretty confident in emerging as the victor!


    "Done. Do you feel anything weird that makes you ufortable?" once the light which covered Senior Lin''s body faded awaypletely, Khal pulled his arm back and took a few steps rearward.


    "I... I feel perfect! What did you do?" Senior Lin asked as she raised both her arms and turned them around almost as if she wished to see and spot something on her already wless skin.


    Upon hearing Senior Lin''s question Khal just merely smiled and pointed at a creature that had the presence of a peak Ascender Stage being, "Try using your Blessing on it."


    "Huh?" both the creature and Senior Lin nced at Khal with stupefied gazes, but soon the former just sneered and said, "Although I have to admit that you are strong and I stand no chance against you if we were to sh, that other human stands no chance against me. I have already seen her fight in the past, she is a weakling, one that was almost killed by a peal Limit Breaker!"


    Senior Lin frowned when she heard the insult of the creature, however, Khal just smiled coolly and said, "Just do it."


    Senior Lin looked straight into Khal''s eyes and when she saw his confidence and remembered the feeling she felt when he used his mysterious ability on her she nodded after a brief hesitancy and activated her Blessing; her Mind Enthralling Eyes!


    Whoosh!


    "Hmph... Just try as much as you want. I have already seen your tricks, I know what to expect." the creature sneered coldly as it crossed its arms before its chest, allowing Senior Lin''s power to try to invade its power.


    However, soon it realized it was an extremely foolish mistake to do so.


    "Wh-What?" the creature''s eyes widened and wished to raise its guard as it felt something was amiss, but unfortunately, it was already toote.


    In a sh, the creature''s eyes turned hollow before its arms fell weakly to the sides of its body, looking like a living puppet waiting to be controlled at the very moment!


    "I-It worked?" Senior Lin mumbled before her face bloomed into a beautiful smile which was like a fully bloomed flower and said with confidence, "It worked! It really worked!"


    Cheering loudly which made many confused, Senior Lin quickly waved her finger before her throat. And under everyone''s terrified gaze, the creature that stood motionlessly in one ce suddenly moved and with the dagger on its waist slit its own throat open!


    Ssh!


    The sound of blood plummeting to the ground in great amounts sounded in the surroundings. Every creature that until now stood still and indifferent became pale and each of them took a step back unconsciously.


    Some even lowered their gazes in fear if they look at the human female in the distance their mind will fall in her hands and they will end up with the same fate as that creature!


    Astro and Da stared at the sight in front of them with stupefiedplexions while Khal simply nodded with satisfaction and a wide grin appeared on his usually nonchnt face.


    "This is greater than I have thought!" Khal mumbled quietly as he focused on the corpse of the once-peak Ascender Stage creature.


    [It seems your newly acquired power allows you not only to cure the weakness of your race but even boost their strength to a limited degree!]


    ''Yeah,'' Khal nodded as he thought the same thing too but soon smiled bittersweetly and thought, "Though, it seems it has a cooldown of some sort. I can feel it needs at least a few days before I can use it again.''


    [Is that so? Well, considering what it can do it is not a huge surprise. Enhancing and boosting others'' powers and abilities are not something everyone can possess, so it can be said you really hit the jackpot now.]


    Khal remained silent when he heard Nova''s words. Although he agreed with what she said, he also had to disagree with her. While it was indeed true that his Power Blessing allowed him to cure others with a touch, he also had to use 50,000 units of his essence!


    Of course, he can easily recover 50,000 units of Body Essence in a matter of time, but to waste that many for a single attempt and then wait several days... In his eyes, it was not worth it that much.


    ''Well, I will just use it on those I really wish to make stronger. As for the rest... It is not like I am a saint so I will just use it to acquire some wealth..'' Khal thought in his heart, already thinking about different ways how he should turn this power to his advantage.

 Chapter 393 - Thousand Ore Cave

    The words of how a human younger than twenty years old that was not even at the Ascender Stage killed several creatures way above his cultivation base all alone and how another killed a peak Ascender Stage expert with a single swing of the hand spread like wildfire to almost every corner of the Second Realm.


    Some thought it was impossible and ignored it, some justughed at the rumors thinking someone wished to acquire fame and attention like this while others used different means to see if the gossips were true or not.


    And after a lengthy searching, those individuals had to find with utter disbelief that what others thought of as a joke or prank was, in the end, indeed the truth!


    Therefore, slowly but surely, the news about those two humans doing something seemingly impossibly began to spread even further into the Second Realm, small pieces even reaching the ears of a few beings inside the Third Realm through different means!


    Meanwhile, these two individuals who almost everyone was talking about and wished to learn more were currently at the entrance of an average sect, one that was seemingly before a huge change in the near future!


    "Though, why did you follow us?" standing before the huge gate of Moon Sect, Khal nced at the individual on his side.


    "I already told you this before. I wish to join this sect hence why I came with you here." Da said with a nonchntplexion, her eyes ncing left and right as she examined the sect''s exterior.


    Upon hearing what Da said, Khal nced at Senior Lin, curious to see what she will say at that statement. Although they have already left Roxa for more than several hours with Da following them without question, Senior Lin didn''t say a single word, thus unknown if she will allow someone who was not a human to join the sect.


    Senior Lin obviously noticed the gaze on her and despite feeling still shock that her strength was increased she showed a serious expression and said, "There are no rules which state just humans can join this sect. Though, despite being a Limit Breaker, she still has to take the test to determine if she deserves to be a Core Disciple."


    "I see..." Khal nodded, asking no further questions.


    The three walked through the sect calmly and quickly reached the building where each and every newly recruited individual takes their tests. And under Senior Lin''s supervision, Da perfectly finished her test, bing a Core Disciple right away.


    "Where are you going?" once she got her robes, token and other essories, Da followed after Khal while examining the sight in Moon Sect.


    "I am going to buy some materials," Khal replied briefly, already knowing where he should go.


    "Materials? For what?" Da asked with a slightly raised brow.


    "I am going to forge."


    "Huh? You can forge? Since when?" Da looked at Khal, seemingly curious to hear the answer.


    "About a year slowly." Khal answered as he arrived before this huge building which had the name of ''Thousand Ore Cave''.


    "It is quite spacious inside here," Da eximed with surprise once they were inside, watching how thousands of different shaped ores and crystals were ced next to one another in an organized manner.


    The room was about a hundred square meters filled with numerous tables and small pirs, each containing at least 5 different ores on them.


    "Wee to Thousand Ore Cave, a ce where you can find all kinds of ores in vast amounts! Oh? You must be the new Elder, right?" a man with small but muscr stature and long hair showed a wide grin, looking almost like a dwarf.


    "Yeah, kinda. It is a pleasure to meet you..." Khal extended his arms forward for a handshake.


    "Haha, just call me Jole." Joleughed loudly which was raw and forceful but not unpleasant to the ear.


    "Wait, what? You are an... Elder? But you are only..." while looking around the ce Da suddenly snapped her head at Khal, looking him up and down with disbelief shining in her eyes.


    Although she was never a part of a sect before as she didn''t wish to until now, she was well aware of how their systems worked and what the different statues in them were.


    Thus, she was perfectly aware of what the title of an ELder meant and how one could be!


    Khal nced at Da and showing a slightly cocky smile said, "Yep, and that makes me your Elder, your ''superior'' too."


    "You..." Da wished to refute Khal, but as she realizes he was indeed right she could only remain silent and stare at Khal with mixed emotions flickering in her eyes.


    "Haha, it seems the young miss is someone new here too. So you must be an Outer Court Disciple, huh?" Jole asked coolly.


    "I am already a Core Disciple." Da''s expression quickly changed and became ice-cold as she replied.


    "Huh? But..." Jole was surprised but once he got a better look at Da his eyes lit up as he seemed to understand why and nodded, "I see. Haha! I am d our sect had gained another priceless talent."


    Da hearing the ttery words just turned around and continued to inspect the ores,pletely ignoring Jole.


    "Aha... She is quite the cold one." Jole scratched his cheek with a bittersweet smile andughed awkwardly.


    "You tell me?" Khal sighed helplessly before his face became serious and asked, "Anyways, what is the best ore you have?"


    Jole gave one final nce at Da and as if he haspletely forgotten about her he crossed his arms before his chest and said, "I have ores from every quality, starting from Low to Supreme. Though from thetter I only have a few and they have quite the hefty price."


    "Price is not a problem so just show me the best you have," Khal replied with an indifferent face, knowing that with his amount of Contribution Points at his disposal he can buy at least one Supreme Quality ore if not more!


    "I see, then please wait here for a second. I will bring you the ores right away.." Jole nodded with glee and quickly ran into the room on the left side, seemingly happy that finally someone will buy Supreme Quality ores from him after a long while.

 Chapter 394 - Choosing A Supreme Quality Ore!

    While Jole ran into the room on the side with excitement, Khal decided to look around in the meantime as the interior of the Thousand Ore Cave was by no means small.


    There were hundreds of small desks, shelves, and tiny pirs each holding different ores, crystals, and metals with various colors, shapes, and sizes. Furthermore, there were even a few that were contained behind special sses as the ores either emitted a heavy and unique aura or it was surrounded by an elemental haze that could easily cause damage in the shop if left in the open.


    [I have to admit, although the human race is weak and once even I did look down on them, they still have their own ways to collect rarities.]


    ''You talk about these here?'' Khal asked Nova as he stood before a table that was covered in curved ss and contained three pieces of ores.


    [Yes. These three are incredibly rare ores that are only could be found in extreme environments.]


    ''But from the looks of them, they are only Middle-Quality ores.'' Khal eximed his doubts as he examined the ores and watched how each shone with a sharp silver color.


    [Unfortly, yes. But they still are rarities for which many merchants would go mad just to hold much less obtain!]


    ''Is that so?'' Khal didn''t feel convinced and proceeded to look around with Da quietly following him from behind.


    The two walked and inspected many ores and crystals, but after 5 minutes they had to stop as Jole finally appeared from the room with several boxes in hand; 4 to be exact.


    "There... We go!" Jole put the four boxes onto the desk next to each other and showed a small grin, "These are all the Supreme-Quality ores I have. Feel free to check them, but with caution of course. Safety first, haha!"


    Khal nodded and without saying a word opened the box on the very left. Once the lid was opened, a small ore with a gentle but shiny brown hue was revealed while a heavy aura escaped from the box, filling the whole shop in mere seconds!


    "This one is called Gravity Ore, a very rare and abnormal ore which through the decades was able to consume enough Realm Essence to form its ownw around itself," Jole exined calmly.


    [Woah, that is a baby right there. It is very likely if you can forge it to perfection you will be able to obtain a power associated with gravity!]


    Khal remained silent as he examined the ore before he nodded and after closing the lid he opened the second box next to it.


    This time, a crystal with the size of a human fist appeared before his sight. However, in contrast to the Gravity Ore, this one had no color as it was like a mirror, allowing him to see his own reflection on its surface with ease!


    "This one is called Mirror Crystal. However, don''t get tricked by its name and appearance, although it looks like a mirror that can be broken with a single m, this one here is extremely durable. So enduring that not even a peak Ascender Stage existence with its strongest attack would be able to break it!"


    "Interesting." was the only thing Khal said and proceeded to open the third then the fourth box.


    The third box contained brick-shaped steel with the color of deep crimson which caused the temperature in the whole shop to increase rapidly; ording to Jole''s exnation it was a Dwarf Star Steel, rare steel only found ins where the temperature could easily exceed 300 degrees in celsius!


    As for the fourth ore, it was theplete opposite of the Dwarf Star Steel. The moment Khal opened thest box''s lid, the previously hot temperature that filled the air in the shop plummeted in an instant, dropping way below zero degrees!


    Furthermore, the small azure ore in the box emitted white mist which covered the entire floor in the shop, freezing the blood in Khal''s legs faster than anywhere else on his body!


    "It has quite the powerful freezing power," Khal eximed out loud as he felt his body getting enveloped with frost just after a few seconds while he watched that a pleasant smile emerged on Da''s usually indifferent face, seemingly enjoying the coldness.


    ''Well, she is a Fairy after all.'' Khal thought in his heart as he quickly closed the lid, earning a cold stare from Da as a result.


    Of course, hepletely ignored her icky gaze and instead touched his chin, pondering which one out of the four he should choose.


    ''I already have a core associated with fire, so the third box is out of the question. The second Mirror Crystal although seems promising, I feel it is not to my liking so that is out too.'' Khal thought to himself as his gaze went back and forth between the first and fourth box.


    After thinking for a while, he nced at Jole and asked, "The Gravity Ore and the Icemist Mithril, how many Contribution Points for each?"


    Jole took a quick nce at both boxes and after calcting briefly in his head he replied, "The Gravity Ore is one hundred one thousand CP while the Icemist Mithril is a bit more expensive, one hundred five thousand."


    "Th-That much?" Da''s jaws loosened slightly as she was perfectly aware of just how much Golden Coins one needed to spend to gain that many Contribution Points.


    "Do you even have that much?" Da asked, looking at Khal with doubt.


    Although she knew that Khal was strong and was surprisingly an Elder, she highly doubted that Khal possessed enough wealth yet to buy any of the Supreme-Quality ores here.


    Khal, however, showed an excited smile and asked, "So a little over two hundred thousand, right?"


    "Yes." Jole nodded and quickly added, "Though, because you are an elder, I can give you a 10% discount."


    "Perfect. Then I will buy both!" Khal said with glee and without hesitation took out his Moon Token, handing it toward Jole casually as if he was handing a piece of paper over to him.


    "....Pardon?"

 Chapter 395 - Forging Once Again

    "...Pardon?" Jole''s eyes strained wide upon hearing what Khal said and his jaw loosened unconsciously.


    However, if one thought about just how hard it was to obtain Contribution Points or how much Golden Coins one needed to pay to get enough to buy not one but two Supreme-Quality ores at once then it was not a huge surprise to see such a reaction from Jole.


    After all, even the hardest mission in the sect only provided with at the very best a 1,000 Contribution Points and even those ones were avable once or twice a month! This also showed just how much hard work one needed to umte 100,000 CP much less 200,000!


    Yet, right at this very moment, someone who joined the sect just now was ready to use around 200,000 Contribution Points to buy two Supreme-Quality ores which even the best cksmiths had problems forging!


    "A-Are you sure about this? I don''t really doubt your wealth thanks to you having the title of an Elder, but the number of Contribution Points you wish to give me, especially because you have just recently joined this sect, is... really a huge amount. You should-"


    "You don''t need to worry, even if I buy these two ores I still have many left. As a fact, if I want, I can easily buy the remaining two too." Khal said with a casual smile as he interrupted Jole.


    "You what?" Da on the side blurted out loud as she now slowly didn''t know if Khal was bluffing or was indeed telling the truth.


    While in her eyes those ores were nothing as she was the daughter of one of the most renowned Array Masters in the Second Realm, she was perfectly well aware that Khal was just an ordinary human with no unique background and backing.


    Thus it made sense that he was able to possess this much wealth even though he did nothing nor had he anyone to help him!


    "Did you rob an entire vault somewhere or what?" Da asked with a frown as she stared at Khal''s figure in confusion.


    Khal, however, just smiled silently without replying as he knew that Da couldn''t be any closer to the truth than that. However, Da misunderstood his silence as arrogance, resulting in herplexion turning rather scary all of a sudden.


    "So? Can I have these two ores or not?" ignoring the chilly stare on his neck, Khal looked at Jole and asked with the same calm smile on his face.


    Jole remained silent for a brief moment, but as he realized it was not his problem if Khal suddenly went broke after this he nodded and took the token away from him.


    After transferring the exact amount of points with the 10% discount, Jole handed the token back to Khal together with the two boxes which contained the two ores that Khal choose.


    "It was a pleasure to do business with you." Jole showed a wide grin, seemingly delighted that under a single day he earned almost as much as he used to gain under a single month!


    "Same." Khal nodded and after bidding his farewell he walked out of the shop, still ignoring Da''s gaze on his skin.


    "Let''s see... It should be somewhere here if I remember right." Khal mumbled as he walked through the sect, seemingly in search of something.


    And soon enough, he finally reached this small but rtively tall building with a huge hammer on a half-moon symbol carved right above its doors.


    Da quickly realized what was inside the building from the symbol thus her steps came to an abrupt halt before she said, "You can go, I will go and cultivate."


    "Sure." Khal nodded without stopping and turning around.


    Da''s brows twitched when she saw how Khal ignored her and wished to say something but even before words could havee out of her mouth Khal has already walked inside the building with the doors closed.


    "Young Fairy, it seems you are someone new here, right? If you want, I can show you around..." a handsome cultivator suddenly approached Da with a dazzling smile, but before he could have finished talking his words got stuck in his throat while cold sweat began to ooze out of his forehead uncontrobly.


    "I-I apologize... I just realized I had an unfinished task I need to do... If you excuse me..." the young man quickly bowed toward Da and almost as if in fear he will die if he stay any longer he ran away.


    As for Da, she gazed at the departing cultivator''s figure in the distance with a stare that could literally pierce holes in one''s soul before ncing at the building where Khal went in for one final time and walking away with steps that left frost behind on the ground!


    Meanwhile,pletely unaware that he angered Da for who knows why, inside the building which in the inside looked rather neat and spacious, Khal walked before the sole desk in the middle of the hall and asked, "Excuse me, can I forge here?"


    Thedy behind the desk who seemed too bored despite reading a thick book raised her headzily, but after seeing Khal''s face she quickly jumped up onto her feet and showed a wide smile.


    "Wee to Silver Moon, Elder Khal. You wish to forge, did I understand that clearly?"


    "Huh? So you recognize me?" Khal was slightly surprised as he asked.


    "Naturally. The Sect Master and all the Elders informed everyone about you, so there is literally no one who is not aware that you have seeded to be an Elder and can''t recognize you!" the youngdy whose name was Dona and had the presence of a Body Temperer nodded, looking at Khal with eyes that showed respect and awe!


    "I-I see... No wonder Jole recognized me then." Khal mumbled and after taking a deep breath nodded and continued, "Anyways, yeah, I indeed came here to forge. Though the ores I wish to forge are all Supreme-Quality so I do not know if you have a special chamber built for cases like this."


    "Supreme-Quality ores?" Dona widened her eyes in surprise but quickly regained herposure before showing a bittersweet smile, "We indeed have one chamber in case someone wishes to forge Supreme-Quality ores, but one has to pay an hourly fee if one wishes to use. Even if it is an Elder..."


    "That is not a problem." Khal nodded calmly.


    "Understood.. Then please follow me."

 Chapter 396 - Preparations

    Khal followed Dona through several hallways and after a few minutes of walking he was finally brought before this door which waspletely ck and was at least three meters high tall and two meters wide.


    "And here we are. This is our only chamber where one can forge Supreme-Quality ores without worrying if they will cause a mess outside if Essence Bursts ur inside." Dona exined as she handed a small circr token over to Khal.


    Khal epted the token and nced at it. Apart from its silver color and the same symbol he saw outside on the building on it, there was nothing special about it.


    "This token will count the number of hours you spend inside the chamber. It also has an emergency array ced on it so if you somehow end up in a situation where you need help throughout your forging pour essence into it and help wille right away."


    Khal nodded briefly and once he put the token into his pocket he asked, "Anything else I need to know?"


    "There is nothing else. Just make sure to keep everything under control and not let hell break loose. Of course, the arrays inside the chamber will help you prevent that to happen, but it is better to stay safe than sorry."


    "Naturally." Khal nodded as he agreed with that statement and without saying anything else walked inside the chamber.


    Once inside, Khal closed the door firmly and looked around. The chamber was simr to the one he was inside back in Moon Academy. A huge and spacious room filled with forging items, several sized anvils, and a firing ce where he can heat the ores he chose.


    "Let''s see then..." Khal walked to the side where a long desk was seated and took out the two boxes from his spatial ring which he bought a few moments ago.


    "What do you think should I forge?" Khal asked out loudly even though there was no one else inside the chamber with him.


    [It depends on which one you wish to forge with either God or Life Creation.]


    "Huh? Can''t I just use Life Creation Mode only? My God Creation Mode is still in cooldown, isn''t it?"


    [Yes, it is. However, you can use your essence to improve its current state, further decreasing its cooldown.]


    "Really?" Khal raised a brow but a secondter as memories of him enhancing several abilities of his bracelet appeared in his mind a slight gasp escaped his mouth and shook his head, "Really..."


    "Then let''s see just how much I can enhance those two," Khal said and quickly waved his hand, summoning several rows of texts in his line of sight.


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Supreme Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (84 hours -> 42 hours)


    ? Supreme Spirit Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (360 hours -> 180 hours)


    [Notify! Each of the following abilities needs 2,000 Body Essence!]


    ? Upgraded Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (4,320 hours -> 2,160 hours)


    ? Upgraded God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (8,760 hours -> 4,330 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 2,500 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    "Bruh..." was the only thing Khal was able to say but not because he was shocked or surprised, but because he found things pretty funny.


    "Just three thousand Body Essence? That is nothing." Khal mumbled as he found 2,500 units of Body Essence pretty small in amount. It could be saidpared to his ridiculously vast amount of Body Essence 2,000 units literally became insignificant!


    Naturally, if his past self would have heard what he just said now, it was a sure fact that he would have gotten a great smack in the back of his head for being so ''arrogant''!


    Though, if one thought about it in greater detail, that not really was arrogance but a straight fact. Right now, he possessed close to 200,000 units of Body Essence, thus that mere 2,000 was nothing for him.


    Hence, without any hesitation, Khal quickly waved his hand and enhanced both his God and Life Creation mode to the next phase.


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Supreme Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (2,160 hours -> 1,080 hours)


    ? Supreme God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (4,330 hours -> 2,165 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 5,000 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    "One more time."


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Divine Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (1,080 hours -> 590 hours)


    ? Divine God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (2,165 hours -> 1,082 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 10,000 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    "Again."


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Divine Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (590 hours -> 295 hours)


    ? Divine God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (1,082 hours -> 541 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 20,000 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    Khal nced at the results and after checking the amount of Body Essence that he still had, he hummed quietly and said calmly, "Again."


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Divine Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (295 hours -> 197 hours)


    ? Divine God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (591 hours -> 295 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 40,000 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    Silence filled the chamber as Khal stared at the words in front of him, but soon he sighed and said, "Yeah... And one more time."


    Whoosh!


    ----------------------------------


    ? Celestial Life Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (197 hours -> 98 hours)


    ? Celestial God Creation Mode: Reduced time limit after usage! (295 hours -> 147 hours)


    [Notify! Can be further strengthened with 100,000 Body Essence!]


    ----------------------------------


    "Phew... I did it." after finishing hisst modification, Khal showed a satisfied grin and hummed with delight, feeling not even the slightest of regret about what he has just done.


    [And what did it cost?]


    "Everything," Khal replied with a solemn expression upon hearing Nova''s question and quickly grabbed one of the boxes on the table while also activating his God Creation Mode at the same time.

 Chapter 397 - Power Core: Gravity Armament & Power Core: Sub Zero Domain! (1)

    Once his newly upgraded Celestial God Creation Mode had been activated and saw how holograms that only he was capable of seeing appeared one after another all around him, Khal grabbed the box on the left and opened the lid.


    Bam!!


    In a sh, an invisible but heavy force broke out of the box that filled the entire space of the room, making Khal feel as if the gravity around him grew at least two folds stronger!


    "Truly deserves the title of a Supreme-Quality ore," Khal mumbled, and as he took the brownish ore out of the box, feeling how it made him feel as if he was holding not a piece of small ore but heavy steel with at least a ton of weight, he walked before the firece and ced it inside just as the hologram showed.


    Crimson mes immidieatly consumed the fist-sized ore, enveloping it into a bright crimson and yellowish color, but as the ore''s gravity was affecting the mes greatly Khal knew it needed a little bit of help to make the heating process much faster.


    Therefore, without a single hesitation, he quickly activated his Hell ze and by extending his arms forward he made the ore to be devoured in its entirety in the sea of crimson mes!


    Khal heated the ore for about two hours straight without taking his eyes off from the ore, and only when the Gravity Ore was glowing with a bright yellowish hue did he move to grab the ore.


    However, in contrast to the time when he needed to use an object to hold the scorching ore, this time he went and grabbed the ore with his bare hand! Although it may seem scary and would make one think it could cause severe injuries, in truth, with the help of his Hell ze, his essence, and his refined and tempered body, Khal was able to avoid getting wounded and only feel a slight amount of difort.


    "Well then... Let''s get started." Khal mumbled and rxed his muscles,pletely allowing his whole body to get controlled by his bracelet instead.


    ng!


    BAM!


    "Urgh..."


    The moment Khal swung his hammer and struck the ore on the anvil in front of him a small ripple broke out from the Gravity Ore while the already increased pressure in the chamber further increased by a slight margin!


    [Although right now it won''t cause any problem, if the gravity further grows it will be hard to know if the chamber will be able to keep this ce safe.]


    Khal heard what Nova said but didn''t reply. He instead focused on his task and swung his hammer, hitting the ore and its strings inside it with all his strength without caring if the gravity around him increased or not.


    However, in truth, although he saw how the air vibrated every time he struck the ore and how a heavy force weighted down on his shoulder, he only felt that force on his body for a split second before a mysterious power flooded his whole being,pletely washing away the Gravity Ores presence on him!


    ''Amazing! It seems enhancing this God Creation Mode was worth it!'' a delighted smile came across Khal''s face as he knew it was his Celestial God Creation Mode that granted him immunity against the gravity force that broke out of the ore from time to time.


    [Yeah, but don''t forget, your surroundings are still affected.]


    ''I know.'' Khal nodded as he saw how the chamber shook and how the arrays on the walls lit up from time to time, seemingly struggling to force the gradually increasing gravity in the chamber to grow any further.


    ng! ng! ng!...


    Sparks flew everywhere as Khal swung his hammer with inhuman speed and without rest and the Gravity Ore slowly but surely began to take shape while the strings that looked like veins inside it began to get filled with essence!


    First, after 3 hours of continuous refining and tempering, it was Soul Essence that filled the veins of the iron. However, Khal didn''t stop there, and after another 9 hours of restless forging, he achieved to change the Soul Essence into the rare Spirit Essence that only a few could achieve!


    "Easy." Khal showed a rxed smile and swung his hammer for another 16 hours, turning the Spirit Essence in the Gravity Ore that now was half of its original size into Life Essence!


    BAM!


    In that very instant, the whole chamber began to shake as if a small tremor just shook it, and under the calm gaze of Khal a powerful shockwave that shattered the wooden desks on the side appeared, sweeping through the whole chamber with great force!


    It only came to aplete halt when it hit the chamber''s walls where the arrays made sure they won''t go any further than that. Though, it was pretty obvious that a few more ripples with a simr magnitude of strength and the arrays will bepletely destroyed!


    ''This ore''s Essence Burst is exceptionally powerful. I fear if I reach the point where I create the God Essence this whole building and its close proximity will get erased from the earth''s surface in a sh.'' Khal thought to himself, but still, he didn''t stop swinging his hammer.


    Instead, what he did after thinking for a while was to take out his Moon Token and after fusing a bit of his essence into it he said, "Senior Lin, I wish you could help me."


    "Huh? What do you need?" Senior Lin''s voice appeared from the token, feeling slightly surprised.


    "Can you please find Da and take her to Silver Moon? I need her help."


    "Disciple Da''s help? Silver Moon? Why? What happened?" Senior Lin asked in a confused tone but still began to move in search of Da.


    "I just want her to create an array around a chamber I am currently inside. Just in case it happens to explode." Khal said nonchntly as another Essence Burst broke out of the Gravity Ore, shaking the whole interior of the chamber around him.


    "Say what again?!"

 Chapter 398 - Power Core: Gravity Armament & Power Core: Sub Zero Domain! (2)

    "Say what again?" flying through the air toward a specific direction where Da''s residence was located, suddenly Senior Lin''s shocked voice resounded almost in the entirety of the sect, attracting many disciples'' gazes from below and from the distance.


    "You... Explode? Why would it explode?" ignoring the stares on her skin, Senior Lin fixed her gaze on the token in her hand, showing a rather dumbfoundedplexion at the moment.


    "I am currently forging a Supreme-Quality ore which seems to possess greater power than I have initially believed. Although I can control its Essence Bursts for a limited degree, once I achieve to form its God Essence things could be rather ugly. That is why I need Da''s help as she has high knowledge about arrays." Khal exined everything without keeping anything a secret from Senior Lin.


    After all, even if he decides to lie to her, once the God Essence was created and the anticipated burst of energy will appear, he won''t be able to hide a single thing.


    Furthermore, learning from his previous mistake where he destroyed a small portion of Moon Academy back in the First Realm he knew perfectly that it was better to ask for others'' help while he attempts to create an ore''s God Essence, especially if that ore had already formed its ownw, one that was particrly dangerous!


    Though, what he didn''t expect was that the moment he mentioned the two words of ''God Essence'', Senior Lin''splexion would stiffen and her whole body would tremble like leaves during a cold autumn night!


    Although she was not an expert in the field of forging, she still had basic knowledge about ores and the way they were forged. Thus, she was not someone new to know what the concept of ''creating God Essence'' was.


    "Khal... Did you just say... God Essence?" Senior Lin''s body halted in mid-air, her voice rather shaky at the moment.


    "Yes, I did," Khal replied casually, almost as if he just rified nothing heaven-defying.


    [You really are something else.]


    ''Why? Should I act all shy about something that is a straight fact or I have should something else?'' Khal asked Nova when he heard her words.


    [No, you should not. But the problem here is not with what you have just said, but the way you have delivered it.]


    ''You are really liking to nag metely, don''t you?'' Khal thought as he didn''t stop striking the Gravity Ore and said, "Anyways, Senior Lin, please hurry up and find Da. Although it will take me at least a day to form the God Essence, simple arrays can''t be formed under an instant much lessplicated ones."


    And once he said those words, Khal stopped pouring his essence into the Moon Token in his hand which immediately severed his connection with Senior Lin, and quickly took out the other token that he was given by Dona.


    Meanwhile, above the Core Court of Moon Sect, Senior Lin stared motionlessly at the silver token in her hand, her lips parting and closing from time to time without any wordsing out of her mouth.


    "This brat..." soon, Senior Lin''s eyes shed with a hint of anger and without wasting any more time shed into the distance, quickly arriving before a building''s door.


    Obviously, this was Da''s residence, just a few blocks away from Khal''s.


    Knock~Knock!


    "I aming." Da''s indifferent voice sounded from the inside and after a few seconds, the door finally opened, revealing her slim but charming figure that even among the Fairy race was a rare sight.


    "Huh, Sect Master? What brings you here?" Da felt surprised by the sudden visit of Senior Lin as she asked.


    Just a few moments ago she was cultivating in her room, trying to break the shackles on her body and reach the Ascender Stage, but unfortunately, just as always her progress was rather slow.


    "We don''t have time. Come, quick! I will exin everything on the way." Senior Lin said and without waiting for any response grabbed Da''s hand and flew into the distance.


    In a sh, she traveled several hundreds of meters and once she passed through the border between the Core and Inner Court she began to descend,nding just right before Silver Moon.


    "Huh? Isn''t this ce..." Da mumbled as she recognized the smithery where Khal walked inside a day ago and nced at Senior Lin, "Sect Master, why are we here?"


    "Although even I don''t know many things, in short, I need you to create an array around this building that can withstand powerful explosions. The stronger the better." Senior Lin exined as she took out a token and poured some essence into it, "This is an emergency. Except for Elder Khal, everyone inside Silver Moon must stop whatever they are doing ande out this instant!"


    Da''s delicate brows lowered slightly into a frown when she heard Senior Lin''s words, but her frown grew even deeper when she saw how people one after another began to jog out of Silver Moon.


    "Sect Master, what is the meaning of this?" an old man wearing the characteristic robe of an Elder appeared at the side of Senior Lin, his face holding a solemn expression.


    His was Elder Lane, the head of the cksmithing Department inside Moon Sect and one of the few Elders that were half a step away from breaking into the Ascender Stage.


    The presence of Elder Lane and Senior Lin quickly attracted much attention inside the sect and it was not long before other Elders appeared together with curious disciples too!


    "Elder Shiu, if I remember correctly, you have knowledge about arrays, right?" ignoring the question of Elder Lane, Senior Lin looked at Elder Shiu who appeared a few seconds ago.


    "I... Yeah, I have. As a fact, I am a 3-star Advanced Array Master, so I can be considered as a professional." Elder Shiu nodded, but as he still felt puzzled he asked, "But why is that important?"


    But unfortunately, Senior Lin ignored his question too and said, "Great. Then help Disciple Da in constructing a powerful defensive array around Silver Moon. Don''t ask, just do it!"


    Elder Shiu who was just about to ask his question again closed his already open mouth and nodded. Although he was not happy with the way Senior Lin talked, the way she acted and the grave look on her usually calm face told him it was better not to talk but do as he was told.


    "Understood." Elder Shiu nodded and quickly began to move.


    "What are you doing? Elder Khal asked for your help specifically so move!" Senior Lin nced at Da sternly, forcing her to flinch unwittingly before making her move too and start drawing different symbols on the ground around the building.

 Chapter 399 - Power Core: Gravity Armament & Power Core: Sub Zero Domain! (3)

    "Sect Master, can you finally please exin to us now what is happening? Why did you ask Elder Shiu and Disciple Da to form arrays around Elder Lane''s smithery?" Elder Rene stepped closer to Senior Lin as he asked with a solemn face.


    Senior Lin watched as Da and Elder Shiu worked together in a fast but precise manner and after taking a deep breath he exined everything, dumbfounding all those that heard her words in an instant.


    "What? Creating God Essence?! That is the greatest bullshit I have ever heard!" Elder Lane refuted what Senior Lin just said and quickly added, "God Essence is something only the Legendary cksmith was capable of creating, and since she had vanished a long time ago, taking her knowledge with her too, no one ever before was able to create God Essence! Even forming Life Essence of a High-Quality ore is a great challenge to every Grand Expert much less a Life Essence of a Supreme-Quality ore!"


    Everyone nodded with agreement when they heard Elder Lane''s words as despite not having as much knowledge as him, all of them had a basic understanding of forging thus they understoodpletely what he was talking about.


    However, to their shock, Senior Lin still shook her head and said, "Maybe you do not know this, but I understand Elder Khal the most out of all of us here. Although sometimes I do not understand everything he does and says, I understood he was not lying at this moment."


    "But..." Elder Lane wished to say something, still hardly epting the truth, but once he thought about it in greater detail he had to realize Senior Lin was indeed telling the truth,


    After all, why would she lie much less joke with something like this? It was one of the main sect''s departments they were talking about and not something seemingly worthless. Also, knowing Senior Lin for countless years already, Elder Lane knew she was not the type to joke around that easily, thus he had to ept what she was telling was indeed the truth!


    "Then... if what Sect Master said is the truth and Elder Khal truly achieved a way to form God Essence, simple defensive arrays won''t help us keep this region of the sect safe. We need special and extremely powerful ones that are capable of at the very least resisting a full-out attack of a peak Limit Breaker!" Elder Lane mumbled as he nced at Da and Senior Shiu.


    "Does Sect Master has confidence in those two that they will be able to form such a solid array before Elder Khal creates the God Essence?" Elder Rene asked as just like everyone else this time hisplexion was rather solemn. He knew perfectly well what a full-out attack of a peak Limit Breaker was capable of, thus they knew way too well what kind of hell would break out once the God Essence was formed.


    "Disciple Da is the daughter of a well renowned Array Master, Array Master Roice, thus she has quite an experience with arrays. We can only count on her and Elder Shiu." Senior Lin said calmly, but even a fool could see from the way she asionally bit her lips gently that even she was not so sure and felt anxious.


    "I will help as much as I can." a young woman wearing the same robes as Elder Rene or ELder Lane stepped forward and waved her hand, summoning several colorful magic circles into the air right above Silver Moon.


    Her name was Elder Hina, a peak Limit Breaker cultivator and while she was not the head of any departments inside the sect, because of her Talent which let her use an extremely rare power, known as Essence Magic, which used her essence as a base to allow her fight in any kind of way she wished, she was an extremely important individual among all the Elders!


    "Although they are not as strong as arrays, my Essence Circles will be able to consume some of the God Essence once it appears. I will also create a few more to enhance the arrays once they had been created." Elder Hina exined calmly.


    "Thank you." Senior Lin nodded and did not say anything else. Instead, with the rest of the Elders and disciples, she began to wait and with nervous gazes watched as Da and Elder Shiu worked on the construction of the arrays.


    Some even ran to them to help, but as they had only basic knowledge they were not too much of a help.


    Time passed in almost utter silence. Seconds became minutes before they gradually turned into hours and in a sh, 18 hours have blinked by almost unnoticed!


    After 18 hours of hard work, Da and Elder Shiu together with a few disciples finally finished the array around Silver Moon, and to tell the truth, it has be extremely huge!


    "I knew Silver Moon was not small, but to be this big..." Elder Shiu wiped the sweat away from his forehead as he sat down on the ground, looking at his and Da''s final work with an exhaustedplexion.


    "Um..." Da nodded as she too fell on her butt gently once she finished, but in contrast to Elder Shiu who was only tremendously exhausted, she looked rather fine and only a few drops of sweat were visible on her wless skin.


    "You two did a perfect job." Senior Lin and the rest of the Elders appeared at the side of Elder Shiu and Da.


    "Thank you..." Elder Shiu forced a smile while Da just nodded as a response.


    Senior Lin looked at the numerous golden carvings on the ground around the building and was ready to ask something when suddenly her token in her pocket lit up and Khal''s voice appeared the next second.


    "Get ready."


    The sentence was short but it was more than enough to make everyone''s muscles outside Silver Moon tense up.


    ''Everyone is gone, right?'' Senior Lin looked behind her to make sure all the disciples she ordered several hours ago now were far away, and when she saw that expect Da no one else was in proximity she nodded.


    And just as she did...


    <strong>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!</strong>

 Chapter 400 - Power Core: Gravity Armament & Power Core: Sub Zero Domain! (4)

    <strong>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!</strong>


    <strong></strong>In that very instant, the whole world seemed to undergo a great change as a thick and almost blinding brownish pir rose toward the sky, splitting the clouds high above in a manner where one would think they were stabbed by a spear!


    <strong>BAAAAMM!!!</strong>


    A powerful ripple broke out the same time the pir appeared, and in mere seconds the entirety of Silver Moon was rendered into debris and dust that were sent flying into the sky in the form of a towering hurricane which swirled around the light pir!<strong></strong>


    <strong>BAM!!!</strong>


    A great burst of an explosion sounded the next moment as the shockwave that destroyed an entire building built from special steel and materials in a fraction of a second crashed against an invisible barrier in mid-flight, shaking the whole earth below and around Moon Sect in a way where it even caused the walls of several buildings to form cracks bit by bit!<strong></strong>


    "It worked! It stopped the explosion!" Elder Lane was delighted when he saw how the array formed by Elder Shiu and Da stopped the destructive shockwave that could easily end numerous lives in a sh!


    "But for not long!" Da''s expression became grave as she noticed how the barrier that the arrays created once they were triggered started to tremble and even started to show signs of copsing!


    "Fast! Everyone! Fuse your essence into here!" suddenly Da shouted as ced her palm on a small circr symbol on the ground which was connected with the bigger one in the distance that operated the barrier.


    It was a Fusion Array that allowed one to fuse their essence into it and feed the arrays in the distance with Essence that can reinforce them to a limited degree.


    In an instant, all the Elders and even Senior Lin ced their palms onto the array Da has created for safety manner and without asking any question began to channel their essence into it.


    Swish!


    The moment their essence was fused into the array, the huge barrier that prevented the destructive shockwave to escape and cause catastrophe inside and outside the sect lit up with various lights, and the cracks that threatened to spread all over its surface gradually began to vanish.


    "Keep this up, everyone! It is working!" Senior Lin said with a solemn face which at every Elder and Da nodded.


    From then on, time passed in silence and about 5 minutester the pir of light finally began to fade away while the shockwave that crashed against the transparent barrier began to weaken.


    And after another additional 5 minutester finally, everything came to aplete halt.


    "Is... Is it over?" Elder Lane mumbled as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead and watched at the huge crater in front of him where once his smithery stood.


    "Not yet." just as Senior Lin wished to respond a voice appeared from the token of her pocket.


    "Huh? Khal?" Senior Lin quickly took the token out of her pocket and with a slightly stupefied gaze asked, "Will there be another explosion?"


    However, luckily her fear was only short-lived.


    "No, there will be not. But I am proceeding on forging another piece of ore and creating its Life Essence. It will take me about half a day."


    "You... What?" Elder Lane yelled up with shock as his eyes widened like saucers.


    As a professional cksmith he knew perfectly well that after sessfully creating an ores'' essence, one would getpletely exhausted and would need at least a whole day to recover.


    Yet, that was only after creating either Soul or Spirit Essence! After forming a piece of steels'' Life Essence required a cksmith to rest for an entire week much less after forming God Essence which definitely would require more than a week of rest, could be even a month!


    And Khal, who just created a piece of ore''s God Essence said he waspletely fine and will now attempt to forge another ore without rest? What sorcery was that?


    "Is he for real? Is he a monster hidden in human skin?" Elder Lane mumbled as he felt the small tremor in the air, indicating that Khal has already started forging.


    Every Elder was stupefied on the side too and as they didn''t know what they should say they all looked at Senior Lin.


    However, when they nced at Senior Lin they saw something they have never seen before; anger!


    Yes, they have seen her angry before, but this type of anger which was a mix between irritation and annoyance was something they never witnessed from here until now! Her look at this moment was rather scary, hence none of the Elders dared o to speak, much less Da who usually was not fazed by things.


    "I will go in." suddenly Senior Lin eximed and began to walk toward the crater.


    Da upon seeing this quickly snapped out of her daze and said, "Sect Master, you can''t!"


    "And why so?" Senior Lin stopped just before the array, herplexion showing great impatience.


    Da flinched slightly feeling the piercing re on her skin but quickly said, "B-Because if Sect Master does and crosses the arrays, the arrays will copse. In order to make the barrier as strong as it can be under the small duration we had, we formed the array in a way where the inside of the barrier is extremely durable but the outside is extremely fragile. Thus... If Sect Master enters, from the outside, the barrier will copse and once another explosion will ur, there will be nothing to protect the sect!"


    When Senior Lin heard the words of Da her gaze shifted to the ground where the symbols were visible and remained silent. Only after a minuteter did she raise her gaze toward the direction where the sound of forging was heard and sighed before turning around and walking back.


    "Let''s just wait then...." Senior Lin sighed and with sharp eyes, she mumbled, "Though, once he finishes I will definitely make sure to teach him a lesson or two! At the end of the day, I am still the Sect Master thus I can''t allow him to destroy buildings one after another as he wishes!"

 Chapter 401 - Power Core: Gravity Armament & Power Core: Sub Zero Domain! (5 Last)

    So far, since his Khal joined the sect, two buildings had been destroyed, three had been half-ruined and a handful had been damaged!


    Under the short amount of time he had joined the Moon Sect, Khal brought more harm than benefit and as the Master of the sect, Senior Lin cannot overlook, not even if Khal possessed the strength to singlehandedly to bring down entire armies much less the Moon Sect itself!


    As the Sect Master, Senior Lin had the responsibility to protect not only the disciples but the entire sect itself, let it be its walls or buildings!


    "I will have to teach him a lesson or two. If not, who knows what harm and damage will he cause next!" Senior Lin mumbled with surpassed anger as her eyes shed coldly toward the direction where seemingly Khal was forging.


    Meanwhile, among the huge chunks of debris and dense clouds of dust, at the very center of the crater which was filled with the ruins of Silver Moon, Khal swung his hammer continuously while he used his Hell ze to heat it.


    Unfortunately, because he seeded in forming the Gravity Ore''s God Essence which created a huge explosion, except for the anvil in front of him and the hammer in his hand everything was destroyed and turned into chunks of trash, including the firece too!


    However, thanks to his Hell ze which in truth possessed greater and more scalding mes than the firece itself he was able to start forging the Icemist Mithril without any problem.


    However, he soon had to realize that in contrast to all the steels he had forged so far, this one required no mes to be refined and tempered whatsoever as the very moment he activated his Hell ze the power that controlled his body sealed his mes away temporarily!


    From that moment on, he had to forge the Icemist Mithril with his hammer alone with no mes heating it!


    ''Well, at least it is working, so...'' Khal thought in his heart as he watched how he slowly began to create the bluish ore''s Soul Essence whilepletely ignoring how his surroundings began to freeze rapidly thanks to the mist that leaked out of the ore with each hit of his hammer!


    "I wonder if I can consume and transform essence pills while I forge," Khal mumbled and as a test, he took out a golden pill from his spatial ring.


    It was one of the few High-Quality Essence Pills he acquired way back from the vault of the Night Crawlers and didn''t give it to Jas and the rest during his time back inside the First Realm.


    "Currently my Body Essence is around 30,000 which is far from enough to increase my Power Core Holder''s slot for my two new Power Cores. Though, with all my Essence Pills in my spatial ring, I am pretty sure I will be able to increase just enough."


    Thus, with those words said Khal threw the pill into his mouth and instantly activated his power to transform the essence into Body Essence.


    And to his great delight, it worked! With only a small amount of pain that couldn''t even be called pain, the essence he consumed turned into Body Essence in a sh!


    "This is much better than I have thought!" Khalughed with joy as he consumed and transformed one Essence Pills after another and increased his Body Essence while also forging the Icemist Mithril at the very same time!


    And even before he could have realized he consumed all the Essence Pills that he stored in his spatial ring.


    "Tsk... And here I am, wanting to consume even more..." Khal shook his head as he watched how he recovered his previously lost Body Essence, reaching a total of 208,296 Body Essence!


    [Instead ofining, concentrate on the ore you forge. You are close to creating its Life Essence]


    Upon hearing the words of Nova, Khal sighed and nced at the ore in front of him which at this moment was only half a n in size, but the frost it leaked out of it literally was four times stronger than before!


    It literally turned the anvil below it into a block of ice while the surrounding around him became a literal d where everything was covered in frost and ice! There were even some areas around him where debris became so frosted that when it fell and hit the ground they instantly shattered like ss and turned into nothing but dust which was blown away by the breeze!


    "Senior Lin will kill me for sure..." Khal sighed and the very moment he said those words the Icemist Mithril in front of him exploded and a feeling he was familiar with began to envelop its entirety!


    Bam!


    [''Life Essence'' sessfully created!]


    [Forming ''Power Core''!]


    [Forming ''Power Core'' is improbable!]


    Upon hearing the familiar words in his head, Khal quickly grabbed the ore and without hesitation summoned a small pebble from his spatial ring into his hand and dropped it onto the Icemist Mithril.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, the familiar sensation and sight just when he obtained his Hell ze or his Life and Death Sword, the pebble vanished into the Icemist Mithril, and once enough Body Essence was sucked out of his body a small, bluish core dropped to the ground.


    [''Power Core: Sub-Zero Domain'' created!]


    Picking up the little core and examining it, Khal nodded but before he decided to fuse it into his bracelet he grabbed the Gravity Ore on his side and did the same thing with it as he did with the Icemist Mithril.


    Whoosh!


    [''Power Core: Gravity Armament'' created!]


    "Haha, this is the best!" Khal smiled like aplete idiot as he held the two Power Cores, one azure in his right while one bronze in his left!


    [Well done, you have acquired two extremely powerful Power Cores.]


    Khal nodded as he too thought the same way and without wasting any more time quickly began to connect the first pebble into his bracelet.

 Chapter 402 - Moon Grotto

    [''Power Core: Gravity Armament'' obtained!]


    Bam!


    "I still can''t get used to this feeling," Khal mumbled quietly as he closed his eyes for a split second, enjoying the warm sensation in his body that swept through him the moment the Power Core became one with the bracelet.


    "Next one." opening his eyes once the sensation faded, Khal nced at the blue pebble in his hand and with a gentle motion ced it above his bracelet, watching as the bracelet automatically formed a slot on it where he could ce it.


    Bam!


    [''Power Core: Sub-Zero Domain'' obtained!]


    Khal nodded with satisfaction when he saw that now he had 10 different colored pebbles embedded into his bracelet and couldn''t help but form a grin.


    ''10 Power Cores, 10 different Talents. I still can hardly believe that this is real and there was someone in the Higher Realms that created such a heaven-defying item.'' Khal thought in his heart.


    [Whoever created the bracelet was indeed a mastermind with unfathomable strength and power, that is for sure. But I think you will only find answers at the Sixth Realm, where you also have to find my real body as promised.]


    ''Yeah, I know.'' Khal nodded and giving one final nce at the bracelet he raised his head and looked around.


    ''But unfortunately, it seems I have to deal with the things here first.'' Khal sighed and with a bittersweet smile on his face, he began to walk toward the direction where once the Silver Moon''s exit stood, preparing himself for what he will get from Senior Lin once he meets him.


    "Argh... What a pain in the ass..." Khal mumbled to himself as he walked through the ruins, already feeling what kind of ''beating'' will he get for causing all this mess.


    And soon enough, once he appeared from among the ruins and Senior Lin saw him, the anticipated scene happened.


    Swish!


    With a speed that was hard to follow, Senior Lin appeared before Khal with a raised hand, and using her palm in a manner as if it was a sword swung it toward the top of his head.


    ''Sigh... And here we go...'' Khal sighed inwardly as he closed his eyes and with a casual shift stepped to the side.


    "Eh?" Senior Lin''s eyes widened when she saw how easily did Khal dodge her attack even though she used her fastest Martial Technique and moved the very moment when he still was unable to see her.


    And as she was stupefied, she failed to stop her attack and her arm mmed into the ground below, forming a smaller pit below her palm that in bonus shook the entire sect and created a long fissure in the ground that reached about a hundred meters!


    "Did you really try to kill me?" Khal was dumbfounded when he saw that Senior Lin''s attack just now could have injured him gravely.


    ''Is she that angry at me?'' Khal thought, swallowing his saliva down a little nervously even knowing if it was a real fight Senior Lin would stand no chance against him even if she were to give a hundred tries beforehand.


    "I..." Senior Lin was also shocked when she saw what kind of result she achieved with a small portion of her strength since Khal healed her, but soon her eyes narrowed and asked, "Why did you dodge?"


    "Huh? Why, would you rather prefer me standing still and allowing you to split my skull wide open?" Khal asked loudly while in his heart he didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry.


    Senior Lin stared intently at Khal as she didn''t want to admit he was right. Instead, after a few seconds, she straightened her posture and said, "I hope you know you will be punished severely."


    "Yeah, guessed so..." Khal sighed and asked, "And what will be my punishment? I have to help reconstruct Silver Moon or will I have to pay the damages I have caused?"


    "Both, but first you will be sent into Moon Grotto for an entire week as your primary punishment!" Senior Lin replied coldly.


    "Moon Grotto? What is that?" Khal looked confused, seemingly not so flustered that his wealth had been literally halved just now with the words of Senior Lin.


    "Hehe... You will see soon enough." Senior Lin smiled like a little devil and after giving a few orders to the Elders behind her she grabbed Khal by his wrist and with a unique Martial Technique teleported away.


    Whoosh!


    In a sh, Khal found himself standing at the edge of a small ck pond that was filled with mud and was unknown how deep it was. Furthermore, to make things even creepier, this pond was in the center of a circr space somewhere underground with no gap or entrance visible around the walls or on the top above!


    If it were not for the slightly glowing light atop Senior Lin''s palm, this whole ce would bepletely dark to the point where it would be challenging to see one''s nose much less the sight a foot away!


    As Khal looked around the ce, Senior Lin nced at Khal and said, "This is Moon Grotto. You have to stay inside Grotto Lake for an entire week withouting out of it. Naturally, if you try toe out earlier than a week, I will know right away thus your punishment will restart."


    And even before Khal could have replied Senior Lin vanished into thin air, leaving Khal behind stupefied as he saw how the scenery around him instantly became pitch ck.


    "Do I really have to go through all this?" Khal mumbled as he summoned his Hell ze around his hand, illuminating the whole Moon Grotto in its entirety.


    [Well, at least you will learn to take responsibility for your actions.]


    "Believe me, I have already did learn that lesson," Khal said, and despite he knew he could easily escape this ce he decided to see what this punishment was about.


    Maybe he will benefit out of it, who knows. Furthermore, this was also the perfect opportunity for him to cultivate in silence and force himself to the Ascender Stage by the scroll Hale has given to him back in the Zero Realm.


    Thus, with those things in mind, Khal quickly took his robe down and walked inside the Grotto Lake, starting his "punishment" right away.


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