ã€ŠSpirit God Shuraã€‹


 Chapter: Prologue

    Shandra, a vast continent in an immeasurably vast world. A world so vast that no one has ever reached the borders of the world. A world where beasts roam freely with their tyrannical strength, the result of a mutation due to the dense amounts of energy in the atmosphere. A world where law of the jungle reigns in its most primitive form.

    But the intelligence and resourcefulness of the humans cannot be underestimated. Under the threat of extinction of their very existence, the hidden potential of the mankind came flooding out, changing the fate of the entire race to enter a new dimension. The result of numerous years and toils of countless generations of prodigious talents, Spirit Cultivation came into existence.

    With their new found strength, humans gradually managed to push back the hordes of beasts and created a foothold in the chaotic world. A time of peace ushered the mankind to flourish rapidly. Various kingdoms, territories were quickly established. The common population lived peacefully without the fear of death under the shadows of powerful cultivators.

    But along with peace came greed and ambitions that were suppressed by the ever present life threats, which once again gave rise to another bout of devastation. But the culprits this time are fellow humans ruled by greed over their neighbors. Various kingdoms fell, some rose to prominence, some were exterminated, and some were assimilated. A thousand year period of peace was destroyed as mankind once again pushed themselves into the same pits of hell they desperately crawled out from.

    After a millennium of bitter and brutal struggles, a temporary truce was declared, as the leaders of the waging countries could see that neither of them could gain an upper hand over their adversaries. These war mongering years were later dubbed as ¡®Dark Age¡¯ by the later generations, as number of legacies was lost during the Waring period. But the same darkness gave rise to many heroic figures that shined brightly within the darkness providing hope to all around them.

    Countless years passed after the Dark Age, the legends established by the Dark Age once again roused the fierce survival instincts of the mankind. Numerous powerhouses helped stabilize the delicate situations between the various kingdoms, by establishing a common enemy, an old enemy who was almost forgotten by the greed of humans. The Beasts¡­ the result - - - The Radiant Church was established.

    The Radiant Church was not a religious organization, but the passage of millennia of years increased their followers, and the increase in their influence perverted the propaganda of the Church from suggesting the Kingdoms to controlling them.

    But a single incident changed whatever plans the various kinds of organizations had.

    It was a peaceful night with clear skies filled with the vast expanse of the twinkling stars. A warm breeze blew over the land bringing comfort to whoever could experience it. The common population was fast asleep due to the fatigue from their hard work in the day. But various anomalies that they couldn¡¯t detect with their mortal senses were currently spreading over the entire continent.

    In the middle of a vast city that spanned over a massive area, there stood a huge tower. The peak of the tower reaches the clouds as if trying to establish its roots on Earth and reach for the might of the Heavens. Its entire structure radiated a majestic feeling and its grandeur cannot be expressed in words. Atop this tower stood a single person watching the skies. His back was slightly hunched, and his hair and beard were the color of snow white. A face full of wrinkles shows the ravages of time and experiences of a lifetime. But the eyes were shining with such vitality as they gazed at the stars, that one could see the energy he held within that shriveled body.

    As he observed the skies, the darkness surrounding him suddenly shifted, as a massive head suddenly rose as it hissed loudly at the skies. It was the head of a massive python but the strange thing is a pair of transparent wings that spread from the abdominal region of the snake.

    ¡°Strange. The Spirit Energy of the heavens and earth are roiling with such ferocity. Is a powerful Spirit Beast undergoing an evolution into its next stage? Or a Spirit Treasure is being born? But a Spirit Beast or Treasure to influence this much energy is not possible. Is it a Divine Element being Awakened? Exactly what is going on?¡± A raspy voice silently echoed into the air as that person mumbled to himself.

    At the same time in another location thousands or tens of thousands of miles from the tower, a primitive forest spread over the vast expanse of the land. Various kinds of roars, growls of beasts, flapping of wings and shrill cries of different birds resounded through the silent night as they fled in panic.

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    A massive man that can only be called ¡®Gigantic¡¯ was walking in a dense forest. A stature of almost 3 meters high with rippling muscles along his massive chest and arms holding onto two massive war hammers on which stains of fresh blood were visible, suddenly stopped and lifted his head, as his piercing blood red eyes alertly roamed over the skies for a moment. Two curved black horns on either side of his temples suddenly shone with a bright gold color, as a grin slowly split his face and his blood red eyes started shining with a mad glint.

    ¡°HAATHIII¡± he called out in a loud voice as he lowered his head with that smile still present. Loud crushing sounds suddenly came from behind him as a massive figure came ploughing through the forest. It was a huge mammoth with blood red pelt reaching almost 200 meters high with a body length of 50 meters. Each step it took created slight tremors to spread through the ground. The two massive tusks that spread before it met with almost no resistance as they cut through the trees that stood in its way.

    The man suddenly jumped and stepped onto one of the tusks of the huge mammoth. He lightly patted the trunk of the mammoth as it trumpeted loudly and continued on its way leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

    In a distant location, even distant than the primitive forest, as they continue forward, the expanse of the land changes into a vast ocean. At an unknown location in that vast ocean, there stood a small solitary island only 10 miles wide.

    A small lake with crystal clear water without the slightest hint of ripples created a reflection of the starry night sky, a reflection so realistic that there exists no difference between the real and the mirror image. Lush greenery surrounded the lake with gigantic trees towering over the head to a thick carpet of grass under the feet. In the middle of this heavenly location, a small cottage can be seen. A beautiful woman walked out from the cottage with a pair of girls in tow.

    The beauty of the woman is so profound that the charming scenery around her paled in comparison to the grace she is exuding. The beauty of the woman was enough to the point of being able to steal souls, regardless of the gender. Every single feature on her snow white face was exquisitely delicate and perfect to the point beyond compare; it can be described as the very pinnacle of the realm of perfection a living being can attain.

    A light green dress adorned her body, but it cannot hide the natural beauty that poured out from her. Two bountiful peaks below her jade white neckline, a waist so slim that one can only wonder how that slim waist could bear the weight from the towering peaks above. Below her skirt hem, there exhibited two white, slender and straight shins. The feet that touched the ground were like two blossoming lotuses, impeccably beautiful, overflowing with honeyed milk sleekness.

    As she moved, her feminine charm coupled with the mature elegance in her movements accentuated her already devastating beauty to another level.

    Her clear phoenix like eyes were sparkling and translucent like two precious black gemstones, but those eyes were filled with various emotions as she observed the skies with her delicate eyebrows lightly scrunched, before returning to their formal tranquility.

    ¡°Is it starting? If my divinity is true, this incident can be the start of a prosperous era for the world, or the trigger for the destruction that could very well wipe out every single living thing on this world. Which will it be? The answer, only fate can decide¡± A heavenly voice like the chiming of bells spoke these words with a tranquil look in her eyes, before she turned and entered the cottage with the two girls who followed her silently inside.

    As these figures contemplated over the happenings, suddenly a small crack appeared in the clear skies. The crack is almost a foot long with a palm thin width. In the vast expanse of the night sky, this crack went unnoticed and undetected. As the crack appeared, the air stood still, the water froze, and every living thing paused for a single instant before continuing on their workings. Even the powerful figures could only detect a slight unrest within their bodies, but they could not find the reason for the unrest.

    As the crack was about to collapse on itself, a small silvery light with the occasional gold specks came out the crack before whizzing at a high speed in a random direction...

 Chapter 1: Trash

    Blue Wind City was a small city in under the rule of the Emerald Empire, one of the Kingdoms in Shandra. It may be named a city, but it can only be considered a small town at most. As the location of the city itself is at the remote corners of the Empire, the ruling classes of the Empire generally don¡¯t bother with the problems in the city. Only when some major problems occur or if any treasures that may catch the interest of the nobles will the gaze of the Empire will be on the city.

    It was still early in the morning and the sky has not fully brightened. In the courtyard of the Wheld Family, several children in the age range of 8 ¨C 12 years can be seen exercising. Some of the younger children are throwing punches and kicks while shouting loudly, while the older children sat at the corners cross legged, closing their eyes and entering a meditative state.

    Wheld Family is one of the three big families of the Blue Wind City, contending with the Reran Family and Phantom Wolf Guild. But of these two parties, only the Reran Family can be considered the main opponent of the Wheld Family as the Phantom Wolf Guild maintains its neutrality without encroaching on the disputes of the two families.

    At this time, two middle aged men stood on a stone pedestal in one corner of the courtyard, silently surveying the exercise retinues of the children. Occasionally one of them will change the posture of one of the children or answering the questions of the older children on the doubts they pose.

    One of the middle aged men is a muscular man of about 2 meters in height. His chest rippling with muscles, arms looking strong enough to tear apart a man into two, legs like tree trunks rooted into the ground, making him look like a moving stronghold, while his scarred face that twists whenever he moves his facial muscles, gives him a menacing atmosphere. This man is the 4th elder of the Wheld Family, and he is the third strongest of all the family members including the Family Head.

    ¡°This generation of our family has some children with good potential, especially that Delius, son of the First Elder. He is only 13 years this year, but he has already advanced to the 3rd level of the Spirit Sense Realm. Moreover his Spirit, the Black Talon Hawk, is ranked 310 on the Spirit Beast Ranking, proves his future potential. In my opinion, he will be able to join one of the prestigious academies that will start their selection process 3 years later,¡± he said with a deep voice containing the explosive energy of his body.

    The person next to him can be considered to be the dead opposite to the 4th Elder. He is of medium height, with a lean physique, and his drooping eyes and the small smile ever present on his mouth, conveys a scholarly air to the man. But the man is nothing but a scholar. He is the 2nd Elder of the Wheld Family, the fourth strongest of the family just below the muscular man standing next to him.

    ¡°I hope so. If he can reach the 9th level before the selection process of the Academies, maybe he can get admitted into a good Academy. If he can manage to join one of the powerful Academies, then our Family can ride the wave to reach a new height. We have to nurture him with care,¡± he said softly so that only the person next to him can hear his words, as his eyes gazed at a child sitting under a tree in a meditation position.

    ¡±*Sigh* if only that boy was not that unlucky, with his talent he would surely be selected by one of those big Academies of the Empire. He could have even become a small noble, but the heavens are unfair to give him that much potential but giving him a Petrified Spirit at his Awakening. The Family Head was heartbroken at that incident. But it can¡¯t be helped; after all, that boy is his only grandson.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have never seen who could reach the peak of the Spirit Novice Realm in just a year. Even Delius took 16 months to reach the peak of the Spirit Novice before he managed to breakthrough to the Spirit Sense Realm.it is a pity that he can only live his life as a trash that can never reach the heights of cultivation. With his intelligence, maybe he will be assigned as the managers of one of the business houses of the Family.¡±

    As the two Elders were talking between themselves, at a distance from the Family Manor, a 10 year old child is walking in the streets with his hands behind his head, with a small smile on his face, and a small pouch tied around his waist. If one can observe carefully, they can see a small rock the size of an ostrich egg in that pouch.

    Even though he is of 10 years of age, no one can believe that this small physique contains a power to lift almost 1000 kilograms of weight effortlessly, the limit of what one can achieve without the support of Spirit Energy.

    The boy¡¯s name is Azalon Wheld, the so called trash of the Wheld Family with the Petrified Spirit. Oh Yes, the ¡®rock¡¯ in his pouch is his Spirit that he obtained in the Awakening procedure, as such destroying his potential as a cultivator and henceforth labelled as a trash and cripple. As he walked in the streets, the vendors opening their shops for the day called out to him warmly.

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    ¡°Hey Azalon, you are up early today. Come in for a quick bite and maybe you can grace me with some of your jokes that never run out.¡± The owner of a small food stall called out from across the street.

    ¡°Haha, sure Uncle Naam, but not right now. I will visit you on my way back.¡± He replied with a wave of the hand with a

    small laugh.

    ¡°Oye, Azalon, I kept some oranges away for you, make sure to collect them when you go back to your home.¡± A fruit stall owner shouted.

    ¡°Azalon, come and have some cakes¡­¡± a bakery owner¡­

    ¡°Azalon, care for a cup of tea¡­¡±

    ¡°Azalon¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­..¡±

    Azalon waves or responds to everyone who calls to him as he keeps walking before reaching a two storied building at the end of the street. Almost everyone on the street knows this boy who walks by the same route for the past 2 years. They know about his status as the grandson of the Family Head of one of the three Great Families of the City, as well as his Petrified Spirit. Moreover, they appreciate his good spirited attitude, as they know the emotional blow one takes as they learn of their destroyed potential.

    The building he reached is the City Library, maintained by the Emerald Empire, so as to encourage the population to increase the knowledge of the common people through books. But the project has been a failure as the response has been not as grand as the Empire expected it to be. But he was happy that the Empire decided on such coarse, as it provided an opportunity to him to study about the continent in detail as well as a myriad of things that seemed important or interesting.

    As he walked into the building, a happy cry came from inside before a small figure jumped into his chest before he managed to catch her and lift into his arms. It was a 6 year old girl with a cute white face that became red with the flush of happiness as she tightly hugged him. Her big black eyes that felt as if they took up half of her small face were brimming with excitement as she asked.

    ¡°Big Brother, you have come today. I missed you, you know. You did not come to talk with me for 2 days. Aahh, that¡¯s right. I am angry at you. I will not talk to you.¡± her cheeks puffed up as she pouted before turning away from me while still staying in my arms.

    ¡°Haha Haha, I am sorry, Nina. I went to the Desolate Forest to train, so I couldn¡¯t come to talk with you. Alright, today I will tell you one extra story as a punishment for making you angry. Ok?¡± he responded with a laugh at her cute antics.

    As soon as the word ¡®extra story¡¯ left his mouth her expression immediately changed into happiness with a trace of pride in her eyes. This kid¡­ she did that on purpose¡­ Azalon laughed again as he walked deep into the bookstore while talking with Nina in his arms. The smile on his face is not his usual expression but a carefree and genuine happiness, and he laughs this freely only with Nina.

    He made his way to the second floor of the store, where a laughing voice greeted him just as he entered.

    ¡°So she found you, huh? If I was not here restricting her, she would have really rushed into the Forest searching for you, you know. I had a massive headache yesterday calming her down, as that girl threw a tantrum for your stories, as my stories were nowhere good enough to satisfy her.¡±

    The owner of the voice is also the owner of this bookstore, named Chad, and he insists everyone call him ¡®Uncle Chad¡¯. He is a man in his forties with slightly greying hair, a potbelly which was a result of his indulgence in wine, and a pudgy face that vibrates every time he speaks. He is the one who took in Nina under his care, when he found her frozen and starving in front of his store one winter night. It was a pastime of Nina to poke his face and see the movements of his facial fat.

    Azalon was, what you can call, a regular customer of this store ever since he found out about his Petrified Spirit. He was researching in this library about the various theories and experiences of various cultivators about the Spirits in the hope that he can come across a way to Awaken his Petrified Spirit. You can say, what does a 10 year old child know about the intricacies of the cultivations and Spirits? Yes, I have a body of a 10 year old child, but my consciousness or what people of this world call ¡®Soul¡¯ is not of a 10 year old boy. I came from another world, a world called ¡®Earth¡¯, 10 years ago¡­ this is my biggest secret which I have been always keeping close to my chest an intend to keep it that way¡­

 Chapter 2: Frustration

    As he walks to the book shelves in the store after handing over Nina to Uncle Chad, his eyes roamed through the tomes and books that lined up on the shelves, trying to find some material to remedy his problem. He randomly took out a book from the shelves and noticed that the book was titled {Common Medicinal Plants Encyclopedia}. He sat at the table provided for reading in the middle of the hall, and flipped through the pages absentmindedly. as he looked at the illustrations of the plants, his thoughts wandered to his current and first predicament after he came to this world.

    You see, this world revolves around Spirit Energy. Everything in this world was related to Spirit Energy in one way or other. When he first regained his consciousness, his first thought was that his experiment has gone wrong and he was hospitalized, as he could not even open his eyes let alone move his body.

    But as the time passed by, the revelation of his condition brought an immense shock to his scientific mind. He had somehow travelled, or should I say, his consciousness and memories travelled from Earth to this new world, and he was reborn as a baby. The shock was so extreme that his mind simply stopped working altogether.

    But as they say, man¡¯s best gift is to adapt and live. After the shock passed with the flow of time, he came to a conclusion that this situation came as a result of his crazy experiment he tried to perform. But he couldn¡¯t find an answer as to why do this happen. He felt as though his memories grew fuzzy the more he tried to remember them.

    So, he tried to adjust to his new surroundings, thinking that with his intellect and scientific knowledge, he can start a new life in this world.

    But the next shock came to him when he was introduced to the training regime along with other children of his generation. His mind reeled and his eyes popped out, as he saw a 35 year old person, introduced as their training instructor, lifted a huge rock that weighed, that was according to his estimation, around 2000 pounds, with a single hand.

    Then he came to know about the living conditions of this world. This world has no scientific advancement, none so ever. This world focuses more on arousing the human potential by absorbing what they call ¡®Spirit Energy¡¯ into the human body. As the body absorbs more and more energy, the human being breaks through the shackles of mortality and attains a higher form of life.

    Even Immortality can be achieved. Yes, True Immortality, the never before reached target of countless scientists and philosophers back on Earth. But it can be achieved here in this world. But there are several conditions to reach that stage.

    As he learned more and more of this world, the more he wanted to explore this world. The more he learned, the more his excitement grew. He was a scientist back on Earth. Even though his surroundings changed, his body changed, his mind was still his. This situation he was in was a heaven sent gift to anyone with a mind to explore the unknown. And he was the king of those kinds of people.

    But he knew that he can¡¯t act rashly, so he focused more on trying to find out more of this world he was in. but the more he read, the more shocked he became. This world is f***ing HUGE. That is the only word he can use to describe this world.

    Back on Earth, even though no one can declare that they have explored every nook and corner of the world, but at least we can say with certainty that they knew about the dimensions of the world they reside in. but this world was never completely explored, or more accurately, the part the human population managed to explore is only a part of the whole of this world.

    This piece of news further fuelled his excitement, and he threw himself with renewed vigor into the training of his family¡¯s new generation. His body grew along with his training and his strength. He was amazed at the changes he was undergoing but he knew that the major change will be at the Spirit Awakening Ceremony, when his Spirit will be manifested along with his potential.

    As per the books he scourged in the library, he came to know that the cultivators in this world are divided into 10 Realms. But only the first 4 Realms were recorded along with the corresponding stages within each Realm. The first 4 realms are named Spirit Novice, Spirit Sense, Spirit Condensation, and Spirit Core. Each Realm till the Spirit Condensation was divided into 4 stages, Beginner, Intermediate, Top and Peak. The Beginner to Top stages was comprised of 3 levels each, making a total of 9 levels for each Realm. Only the Peak stage exists without any further division and it exists as an intermediary stage to the next Realm.

    The next 6 realms are not available in the public records of the library. It makes a sense in a way, as the general public was not interested in the stages of Cultivation. As such even if one of the common people understands the Cultivation Techniques made public by the Empire, they can join any faction or Academy after they exhibit a certain talent in their Cultivation. So, there exists no need for the advanced knowledge of the Cultivation Realms to be made public.

    The Spirit Novice Realm is the preparatory stage for the process of Spirit Awakening. It trains the body to be able to bear the burden of Awakening of the Spirit as it deals a heavy pressure on both the body and soul. There exists 10 stages of the Novice Realm, and each stage corresponds to a particular organ of the body.

    The first stage refines the skin, the second stage for the muscles, the third stage deals with tendons and ligaments, the fourth stage cleanses blood and the fifth stage strengthens the inner organs. The sixth to ninth stages of the Novice Realm concentrates on integrating each of the refined organ as a whole and it directly upgrades the human body to a whole new level, as each and every fiber of the body exists in perfect coordination with each other. The last stage opens up the Spirit Meridians to allow the influx of the Spirit Energy they can sense after the Awakening process.

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    Only after one reaches the 10th level of the Spirit Novice Realm, can they undergo the Awakening Process to manifest their Spirit.

    He progressed smoothly through the first 5 stages of the Spirit Novice Realm as he has a general understanding of the human anatomy, when compared to the clueless children he trained with. He only met some problem with the final four stages as there was no shortcut to this integration process, but it still was pretty easy for him to advance. As such he was regarded as a little genius of his generation and his family encouraged him by providing him with various rejuvenating medicinal baths and cleansing herbs.

    But it all ended when he underwent the Spirit Awakening Process at the age of 8 years. As he sat in the Awakening Hall of the Family, he suddenly felt a rush of Energy into his body. That energy rushing through his body felt familiar and foreign at the same time. As it congregated in the middle of his body, he sensed awareness in his body being awakened.

    As soon as that awareness awoke, a loud roar reverberated throughout his entire being. He felt a kind of familiarity with whatever that has Awakened and he knew that that was his Spirit. But before he could rejoice in the success of his Awakening, suddenly he felt cut off from the Spirit. A sense of loneliness suddenly assaulted his consciousness the moment he was cut off from the Spirit.

    He suddenly opened his eyes and in his hands was a rock the size of an ostrich egg. He could feel the same sense of the familiarity he felt in his consciousness, with the rock in his hand. He felt saddened by the fact that his future potential has ended right this moment, but he felt sadder that this rock in his hands lost its chance to step into this world. And he also disappointed that he couldn¡¯t explore the world as he wanted to.

    He knew that this world was different from the Earth he knew. This world has no rules, no government, and no laws that ensure basic human rights. In this world only strength matters, as long as you have sufficient strength or have a support of such power, you can basically do anything. And that means literally anything. You can trample on other people, violate them and even kill them. No one will point their fingers to you as long as you have the strength to intimidate them.

    To advance into the Spirit Sense Realm, one has to Awaken their Spirit. After the Spirit manifests, they have to form a kind of bridge with their Spirit through their consciousness or Soul as they call it. The ¡®Soul Bridge¡¯ is the basic foundation of the Cultivator, as only through this bridge can one can sense the Spirit Energy in the atmosphere. And with his Petrified Spirit, Azalon have no chance to form a Soul Bridge.

    It has been 2 years from that day. Him being at the peak of the Spirit Novice Realm and with his Petrified Spirit, he was told that he can never sense the Spirit Energy of the Heaven and Earth and advance to the Spirit Sense Realm, the first step into the world of the Cultivation. He tried and tried numerous times to feel the Spirit Energy he was told to exist everywhere between the sky and earth. As long as he could feel the Energy, he could absorb the Energy into his body, and officially step into the Spirit Sense Realm.

    The strange thing he felt as he tried to sense the Spirit Energy is that he could feel a kind of Energy in his surroundings. It was like an ocean of that Energy right around him, but whenever he tried to guide that energy into his body, the energy will not even budge no matter what he did. He felt as if he was living in an air bubble within an ocean of water. No matter what happened, the air bubble will stay separated from the vast amount of water outside its boundary. It was the same situation with him. No matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t pierce that bubble to allow that water called Spirit Energy to reach him.

    With his main plan for the world exploration ruined, he turned to other plans. Weapons. With his memories of scientifically advanced Earth, he was sure that he could make some arms and ammunition that can ensure his safety on the road. But he was met with other disappointment. You see, with the dense amount of Spirit Energy in the atmosphere, even the normal rocks change their structural composition by absorbing the abundant Energy in the air and earth.

    And if the rocks can be like that, you don¡¯t have to talk about the metal ores and their condition. Even the normal metals available in this world are several times resilient than the metals back on Earth, and they only become malleable, when dealt with Spirit Energy. The traditional methods of heating and pounding on the metal will never work on these kinds of metals. And even that needs various kinds of requirements in affinity and Sensitivity, making the price of such professionals¡¯ sky high. Not to mention the risk of exposing his blueprints of guns and bullets to this world. He doesn¡¯t want to risk his neck for a gun that he doesn¡¯t have the confidence that it would be enough to deal with those super ¨C human existences roaming through this world.

    And don¡¯t even talk about the advancement of chemistry and physics. If the rocks and metals can evolve, the minerals and plants came as a no surprise, along with the requirements of those professions. Even poison and chemicals are not an option.  God, I am so frustrated with this world. It¡¯s like being in the middle of a city with all kinds of advanced gadgets and equipment in your house, but without any kind of access to Electricity.

    ''Why, why is this shit happening to me? I just want to roam the world exploring new places and researching all kinds of things, eventually finding out the reason as to why he came to this world in the first place. I am a scientist, goddammit and I can''t do a thing here.'' He moaned in his heart in frustration as he thought about his condition...

 Chapter 3: Grandfather

    As Azalon was wallowing in his frustration and negative thoughts, he felt a light tug at the corner of his clothes. It waked him up from his thoughts and he looked down to meet a pair of black puppy eyes that were wide open and brimming with excitement. As he looked at the cute expression on Nina¡¯s cute face, he laughed out despite himself.

    ¡°What is it, Nina?¡± he asked as he patted her head lovingly. He felt that this little girl always calmed his heart, and he treated this girl as his little sister and always doted on her.

    As soon as he asked, Nina suddenly twirled around once with a happy face, and only then did he notice that she changed her dress, from that little skirt to a frock with frills at the ends. The light blue color of the dress contrasted with her white skin and black eyes. The frills landed just below her knees and the bright red borders on the dress completed the overall look of the cute little girl in front of him.

    ¡°Big Brother, Big Brother, how is my dress? Uncle Chad brought me this yesterday when he went out, and I wanted to show it to you, but you did not come yesterday.¡± She asked with alternating expressions of happiness and angry pouts. He could only laugh at the acting skills of this girl. He lightly shook his head at the thought of teasing her for a moment.

    ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful, Nina. As you are this beautiful, will you marry me?¡± he asked with a pleading expression on my face.

    She stood still as she heard his words, before she blushed a deep red. Her face looked so cute, that he got up and scooped her into a hug before kissing on her forehead. He could see smoke rising up her head as he kissed, and he could only laugh as he never expected such exaggerated reaction to his words.

    ¡°Wuuuu¡­ Brother is teasing me again. I am not talking to you again. Wuuuu¡­¡± She said angrily as she heard me laughing. He laughed even more as she puffed her cheeks in a pout.

    ¡°Alright, Alright, Brother is sorry for teasing you. Now be a good girl and stay with Uncle Chad as I have to study this book. Ok?¡± he said to her with a smile before lowering her to the floor.

    She nodded repeatedly before rushing off with a laugh. The frustrations in his heart dispersed like smoke and he once again immersed into the book searching for any point he would have missed here and there.

    The day passed from morning into afternoon before he finished the book, and stoop up with a sigh. He shook his head and replaced the book on the bookshelf, before heading downstairs to meet with Uncle Chad. He wanted to enquire if any new books have come or when will they come.

    His stomach growled with hunger and only then did he remember that he had not eaten anything till then. So, he could only bid Uncle Chad and Nina goodbye, all the while promising Nina that he will be back in the evening to tell her two stories.

    He walked into the street and the sharp sunlight made him squint his eyes involuntarily. After a moment he opened his eyes, and took a deep breath, before heading towards his home. Truth to be told, he did not want to return, but he knew that come what may, that¡¯s his family. And he had two figures in that house that loves and cares for him, his grandfather and his brother.

    As he walked back, he remembered to talk to the vendors of the stalls on the street, and tried to reject the things they have kept aside for him, before hurrying home.

    Two soldiers stood guard at the gates of the Wheld Family Manor. A grey wolf and a black hound were sleeping at their feet, but they lifted their heads as soon he came into their detection range, before lying down once again. The soldiers¡¯ armor reflected the sunlight making them look dazzling, but he could imagine the discomfort they would be feeling in the hot sun wearing those metal armors. They lightly bowed as soon they saw him approaching them. He nodded his head in response, before telling them to keep a barrel of water nearby to quench their thirst.

    ¡°He behaves so politely even though he is the grandson of the Family Head. But it¡¯s a pity that he has a Petrified Spirit.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he will be made a manager of one of the businesses of the Family, as soon as the Coming ¨C of ¨C Age ceremony passes. We can do nothing about it.¡±

    Even though they talked softly, my ears still picked up their conversation. He sighed once again feeling frustrated at his weakness. As he reached the practice grounds, he could hear the light grunts and shouts as the children of his generation practiced their martial arts. As he walked past the practice grounds, he heard a slightly childish voice behind him.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t it the trash of the family? I heard that you became a bookworm who is always holed up in the town library. But what can you do? You are nothing but a cripple now, different from the genius one year ago. Hahaha¡­¡±

    He knew to whom that voice belonged to, before even turning around. A boy of around 13 years of age stood before him, with his ever following gang behind him, all boys of around 10 -12 years. A silver feathered hawk was perched on his shoulder, and he could see that the talons of his hawk are black in color, contrasting heavily with the bright silver of its body. This was his cousin, Delius Wheld, the son of the First Elder, Asran Wheld, his uncle, and his Spirit, the Black Talon Hawk, ranked 310th on the Spirit Beast Rankings.

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    Delius was the favorite genius of the family until he came along. As he revealed his cultivation speed, the Elders concentrated more on him and ignored Delius, which made him burn with jealousy. Now that he has a chance to humiliate him, he never passes on any chance he can get to remind me of his present condition.

    As far as he knew, Delius once again became the spear head of the younger generation after is fall, and he should be currently at the 3rd level of the Spirit Sense Realm. As soon as he thinks of that, Delius opens his mouth to boast again of his progress.

    ¡°You know, I broke through the 3rd level two days ago. Even the Family Head praised me of my talent. You know what he told me? If I can maintain my cultivation speed, I can even join those prestigious Academies 3 years later, when they start their campaign for new students. And you will always be a toad in the pond as I will spread my wings and soar through the skies. Hahaha¡­¡± he laughs loudly and his lackeys take after his laugh in support of their leader.

    ¡®Why do I have to deal with this obnoxious and egoistical kid just before I had to eat my lunch? Gah, I feel my stomach turning listening to those almost narcissist statements.¡¯ Even though these thoughts run through his head, he has to keep his mouth shut, because, believe it, you don¡¯t want to rile up a wrongly wired kid who has strength of 4000 pounds behind his fist. That is the difference between Realms that can never be bridged under normal circumstances.

    He tried to reign in his temper, as that would only make the situation even worse. Even though they can insult him, but they never dare hit him, because of his grandfather, even if Delius is the son of the First Elder. So, he silently walked towards his grandfather¡¯s cottage, not minding the insulting words that seemed almost endless coming from behind him.

    His grandfather live in a separate cottage in the gardens of the mansion, as he preferred being alone. As Azalon reached the cottage, the alluring smells of his grandfather¡¯s cooking reached him, and his stomach growled in response. With a smile in his face, he ran towards the cottage. A man of around 60 years of age can be seen, with a ladle in his hand stirring the contents of a pot above a small fire pit.

    As he reached the cottage, the man lifted his head, and a deep smile immediately came up on his face, before beckoning with his free hand.

    ¡°So, you have decided to visit this old man, huh?¡±

    Azalon smiled happily before lightly nodding and sitting across his grandfather watching him cook. His grandfather was the current Head of the Family, with his cultivation at the Peak of the Spirit Condensation Realm, only a step away from the Spirit Core Realm. Only the Family Head of the Reran Family and the Patriarch of the Phantom Wolf Guild can match him in strength. Only with his presence can the Wheld Family can maintain its current position in the Blue Wind City.

    Even though he is of around 80 years of age, he still looks energetic with his long black with hair with tufts of grey at his temples, well-toned muscular body, and his ever present smile on his slightly wrinkled face. He was my only direct relative as he never knew his parents. No one in the family talks about them, and whenever he tried to talk about them with his grandfather, he tries to bypass it by talking about something else.

    His memories of his birth are a little fuzzy as his new born body¡¯s senses were not that developed enough to understand his surroundings. He could only remember some bits and pieces of them but they never made any sense to him as to what happened back then. Incoherent cries, clangs of swords, rustling of leaves, a woman¡¯s panicking gasps which he thinks are his mother¡¯s, a loud howl, and a sweet and warm liquid in his mouth before blackness.

    He never talked about these memories with anyone, not even his grandfather, as even he himself would feel freaked out that a newborn baby could remember what happens around them. So he could only try to understand the whole story by stitching his memories with the story of what happened, but no matter what, his grandfather never told him about what happened to his parents.

    He was jolted out of his thoughts, with a light call from his grandfather, who was holding a bowl of hot porridge he made. His stomach grumbled again in response to the smell of that porridge. With a laugh, the grandfather and grandson enjoyed their simple meal in the peaceful gardens. He talked about the books e had been reading in the public library and the cute antics of Nina. His grandfather talked about his adventures when he roamed about in certain regions of the Empire in his younger days.

    Looking at the smile on the face of his grandfather, he once again became determined to find a solution to his problem. Whatever happens, he cannot let this man down¡­

 Chapter 4: A Rainy Night

    Blue Wind City, it was a normal day as usual where the common population goes on about their own works. The market places were bustling with vendors and stalls, the crowd moving through haggling for prices with the merchants. The city guards kept up their city patrols ensuring that any fights would not break out in the streets. The gates to the city were wide open allowing for the merchant and mercenary traffic coming to the city or leaving the city. All in all, it was a normal busy day for the citizens of the city.

    The location of the Blue Wind City is at a remote corner of the Empire, so the city is pretty close to the Desolate Forests which house some ferocious beasts. The mercenary groups with sufficient strength always raid the forest to hunt the Beasts and acquire the Spirit Cores of the Beasts. The Spirit Cores constitute for a major factor in the business of the City, as there exists a never ending demand for the Spirit Cores, as the Energy in the Spirit Core can be used by a Cultivator to advance in their Cultivation. Other than that, there are numerous uses for a Spirit Core, so the mercenary companies who hunt the Beasts are always busy at work.

    Deep in the Desolate Forest, in an unknown location, a waterfall rushed down into a ravine, where the falls ends into a small pool at the base of the ravine. A small silhouette could be seen, with his upper torso naked, sitting on a rock in a lotus position, directly below the waterfall. Within his lap, a small rock the size of the Ostrich egg can be seen, and the body of the person is shielding the rock from the waterfall.

    The well-defined muscles on his body are shifting ever so slightly under the pressure of the water bearing down on to his body. If an expert could see the muscle movements, he could tell that those slight movements are discharging the pressure his body would be feeling under the waterfall.

    The silhouette is naturally Azalon, training his body. He was now 12 years of age, and the rock in his lap is none other than his Petrified Spirit. He slightly opened his eyes and with a slight jump, he got off the rock and landed on the bank of the pool below the waterfall. He laid down his Spirit Rock on a blanket some distance away from the pool, and dried himself down with a towel in his backpack, before taking out his lunch.

    It has been 4 years since he reached the peak of the Spirit Novice Realm, and his body strength reached 1000 pounds. With his Awakening of the Petrified Spirit, he lost the chance to absorb the Spirit Energy into his body, and step past into the Cultivation World by shedding his Mortal Body.

    He had been reading the public records on Cultivation Levels, Spirit Beasts, and even the experiences of various experts that have been made available to the public by the Empire. Only after scourging through hundreds of books and scrolls, did he find out about the reason for his Awakening of the Petrified Spirit.

    The scroll was written by a researcher on various types of Spirit Beasts and their link to their respective Cultivators. He talked about the intricate relationship between the nature of the Cultivator and the type of the Spirit Beast they may Awaken. As such, that researcher came across a Petrified Spirit in his travels. He was instantly hooked onto that Petrified Spirit as this will further promote his research on the relationship between the Cultivators and their Spirit Beasts.

    After months of research on that Petrified Spirit and its owner, he came to the conclusion that the Soul of the Cultivator was damaged, so that he can never form the Soul Bridge with the Spirit Energy through his Spirit Beast. As such the very fundamental aspect of the Spirit Beast has been lost. And the result is the Petrification of the Beast, since his Soul has been Awakened but that potential cannot be employed.

    After reading that material, Azalon found out more about the reason of his condition from the hint he gathered through that material. He wanted to smack himself for missing such a basic reason.

    Everything in nature has a particular set of laws, be it gravity, physics, quantum physics and even life itself is a kind of law. Anything opposing that law will be rejected by the host of that law, or in the worst cases if the opposing force is strong enough, the host even tries to destroy itself in the process of eliminating that intruding force.

    Take for example, a computer. The computer works on a law decided by the operating system we install, and the protocols of the hardware it was built upon. If a program was installed into that computer, the very first thing a computer checks is its compatibility of that program with the protocols of the operating system, in other words the law of the computer. If a virus attacks the computer, it will try various methods to eliminate that intruder which doesn¡¯t follow the law of the computer. If in the end the virus proves to be strong enough to resist the attacks of the computer, the computer shuts down on its own, and maybe the worst case of memory wipe of the entire hard disk in its last ditch attempt to destroy the intruder.

    The same goes for his condition. He is an outsider to this world, an anomaly who crossed over from another world, and his Soul has been built in accordance to the laws of that world; and as such the laws of this world are rejecting his Soul. Even though his Soul may not be damaged, it is nothing different from a damaged Soul, maybe worse.

    Even though there may be some remedies for the damaged Souls, his condition can never be remedied. As such, he may really have to live his life as a cripple, who cannot cultivate in his life. With his solution came the crushing despair and hopelessness.

    But what he didn''t understand was how he was allowed to live long enough to be born in this world. By his conclusion, his Soul should have been obliterated into bits and pieces the moment it intruded into this space. What happened? A single word came into his mind as he posed his question to himself, but he did not feel confident in his answer.

    It took him almost 6 months to come out of his depression and that too only with the help of Nina and his grandfather. One day, Nina visited him after a long time as he never left his room after his findings, and saw his depressed condition who was acting as a person without any motivation. She forcefully took him out of his room and stayed with him that whole day trying to cheer him up.

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    Even his grandfather encouraged him to not feel depresses as he still had the strength of a peak expert of the Novice Realm. With those two people at his side, he gradually came out of his depression and resumed his training to at least reach the peak of his physical strength. The result came sown to today.

    With his mad training of 2 years, his muscles became well-toned and his figure grew in height as well as stature. His body radiates a type of confidence that will only come with strength, and his chiseled face with the healthy tan from the sunshine during his training, gave anyone who saw him a kind of looking at a mountain that will never waver even in the wildest of the storms.

    A normal Spirit Novice Realm practitioner¡¯s physical strength reaches 1000 pounds before they can attempt through the Spirit Sense Realm by forming the Soul Bridge to absorb the Spirit Energy into their bodies, leaving the mortal stage to step into the path to immortality. But with the crazy training of Azalon these past 2 years, his strength broke past the 1000 pounds mark and reached a new realm. His strength reached 2000 pounds 3 months back, before stagnating these days.

    He could feel that this is the extreme limit of what he can expect from his physical condition. Anymore and his body will break due to the immense backlash due to that extreme pressure his body has to handle without the support of the Spirit Energy. Only be absorbing Spirit Energy can he evolve his physical body to the new realm of strength.

    He sighed deeply before packing all the items on the ground he brought for his camping in the forest, and with a heavy mood, he started on his journey back home. Since this part of the forest is relatively considered the outskirts of the forest, along with the frequent hunts carried out by the city¡¯s mercenary companies, not many Beasts roam this part of the forest.

    With no obstruction and danger from the Beasts, he sped up through the forests with an explosive speed. As his muscles work in tandem with all kinds of muscles in his body, his speed just using his muscle power can still be considered pretty fast, fast enough that low level Beasts have no hope to catch up to him, even if one tries to take him down.

    It took him only a short time before he exited from the forest, and he could see the city walls at the edge of the horizon. The mercenaries going through or exiting from the forest looked in surprise at the small boy who appeared from the forest, before recognizing him. All the mercenaries frequenting the forest know about Azalon and his condition. Normally one would feel resigned to their fate as a cripple, but seeing this energetic young boy still bitterly training, earned him a kind of respect from those brute mercenaries.

    They knew that if one drowns himself in depression when they face a problem, that person can never reach the height of his potential. Only those who pick themselves up when they fall and try to walk in a different path can reach new heights with their stubborn attitude. This was something only those who go through bloody battles with their life on the line can understand, just like those mercenaries.

    With some customary replies and waves, he left those mercenaries and started walking slowly towards the city. The day slowly reached its evening as he appeared at the city walls. With a nod to the city guards stationed at the city gates, he walked into the city. As he walked through the streets, suddenly he had an urge to drink some alcohol. Even though his age can be considered to be eligible for drinking alcohol in this world, he never tried as in his mind, he was still someone who grew up on Earth, and so he never had any thoughts for indulging himself in liquor before his teen years.

    But this is the first time since he had an urge to taste some liquor. He steps paused before changing directions to search for a pub for a drink. As he walked to the end of the street he is walking on, a tavern came into his view. Loud laughter and various arguments trickled out into the streets from the tavern. He slowly walked into the cavern before searching for an empty table.

    He found a single table at a quiet corner of the tavern, and as he sat down, a waiter came to take his order.

    ¡°Mr. Customer, what would you like to order?¡±

    ¡°Give me two bottles of your best wine, and some side dishes. And also give me a plate of your best roasted Beast meat

    along with the side dishes.¡± I placed my order before the waiter bowed and went into the kitchen.

    A while later, two bottles of clear green liquid along with a plate of large grilled meat steak, with an assortment of some side dishes for the liquor, were placed on my table.

    ¡°This is the Clear Jade Wine, the best wine of our tavern. This is the slab of the breast meat of a Class 2 Beast and it will warm up your body while strengthening your body. If there is anything you require please call me. Enjoy your meal.¡±

    As he was enjoying the wine, the skies opened their clouds and a light drizzle covered the city, before changing into a heavy rain. It was late in the night when Azalon appeared from the tavern, with a slight tipsy feeling in his mind.

    The main street, usually bustling with the vendors and pedestrians, was completely empty due to the sudden rain. The shops and taverns on the streets, in contrast, were brimming with customers as everyone wants to have some hot liquor down their throat in the cold rain. The laughter and arguments resounded from the bustling taverns and shops resounded in the deserted streets.

    The heavy downpour instantly drenched him, but he didn¡¯t care as he was still lost in thought about the revelation of his Soul. He walked alone with a heavy footsteps and even heavier heart.

    He suddenly lifted his head and allowed the rain drops to splash on his face, as he tried to lift his mood from falling into a chasm. As he was enjoying the feeling of the rain drops crashing onto his skin, a soft voice sounded right behind him.

    ¡°It feels good to see you all grown up, Azalon.¡±

 Chapter 5: The Mysterious Man

    ¡°It feels good to see you all grown up, Azalon.¡±

    His heart instantly jumped into his throat when he heard these words right behind him. He swiftly jumped forward before turning around with his fists lifted up and his center of gravity lowered. But as soon as his eyes saw that figure who talked, his gaze immediately got dazed.

    In front of him was a young man. He was dressed in complete black overalls; the black color of his dress was so deep that his silhouette almost merged into the night leaving behind only a vague shadow. But it was not his attire that dazed him, but the face of that young man.

    The young man appeared to be around mid-20s. His height was almost 6 feet, with a perfect Y shaped body and well defined muscles. But his face¡­ his face can only be described as delicate and perfect with snow white and smooth skin, bright black eyes, sharp and straight nose and almost pink lips. His long hair reached the middle of his back with some strands falling onto his face. If his face can be switched onto a female body, he would definitely be the most beautiful woman who will make all men go weak in their knees and between their legs.

    Azalon has heard about the term ¡®Pretty Boy¡¯, but he now thought that this word will almost be an insult to this¡­ this¡­ this *Sigh* pretty boy¡­

    He was standing there leisurely with his hands behind his back and a slight smile on his face. Azalon shook himself from the daze, and his eyes instantly became alert. He couldn¡¯t even detect his approach. But one thing became somewhat clear. If this person wanted me dead, I would not even have time to even scream.

    ¡°Who are you, Sir?¡± he asked tentatively, while thinking through his options if this person has any bad intentions.

    He did not reply to Azalon¡¯s question, but his eyes never left his eyes, and he felt as if that pair of eyes could see right through him, right to the depths of his Soul. He felt that he couldn¡¯t conceal anything from that gaze.

    Suddenly, a pressure slammed onto him, a pressure so great that he felt his lungs constrict and even the flow of his blood freeze. He couldn¡¯t even breathe. He instinctively wanted to go down on his knees and lower his head in worship. But he knew in a corner of his mind, that he had to hold on under this pressure, not succumb. And he bit on his tongue and the sudden pain and the metallic taste of the blood cleared his mind to an extent.

    He resolutely met the eyes of that person with his gaze, and as soon as he did, the pressure disappeared as suddenly as it has come. He immediately coughed as air rushed into his lungs, and blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.

    The look in that person¡¯s eyes never changed, but his eyes lowered to see his Petrified Spirit in his pouch at his waist. A look of sadness flashed in that person¡¯s eyes before returning to their calmness as before. Azalon obviously never noticed this as he was busy catching his breath. That pressure from before almost damaged his internal organs, but the injuries were thankfully light, nothing a day or two of rest will not heal.

    ¡°As expected, he has high persistence and determination.¡± That person lightly whispered before turning around and started walking. ¡±Come with me, Azalon. I have some things to tell you.¡±

    Azalon stood there not moving, watching the man disappear in the shadows of the night. His subconscious warned him to run, and keep running, but he knew that he could never run away from this monster. Somehow he knew that not even his grandfather could be considered as an opponent to this figure. So he could only helplessly walk in the same direction the man had disappeared.

    After sometime, he felt a light tug as a mysterious force pulled him in a certain direction, before his body followed that mysterious force. He could see that man with his arm raised, and after looking at him, that man turned and jumped lightly.

    That man took into the skies with him in tow. H-h-he-he¡¯s flying¡­ that man is really flying. Oh God¡­ Oh God¡­ this is really flying¡­ what is this man¡¯s cultivation level? And what this person has to do with him? Azalon could only pray in heart that this man will not drop him mid-flight. That would not be a pretty ending for him.

    After what he felt as an eternity, he suddenly felt that he could sense ground below his feet. He never felt so happy to stand on solid ground. He almost went to start kissing the ground, before he looked at his surroundings. This place¡­ he recognized this place. This is the Desolate Forests and that too very near to the waterfall ravine he previously used to train at.

    Questions popped up unceasingly in his mind, but he never opened his mouth to ask them. That man started walking towards the waterfall, and Azalon followed in silence. Before long, they reached the wide pool with the unceasing waterfall rushing into it from the top of the ravine. Light mist surrounded the area, refracting the moon light creating beautiful scenery within that small area.

    But neither the man nor Azalon was in the mood to enjoy it as they were lost in their own thoughts. No one knew what was going through that person¡¯s mind and Azalon never dared speak a word before that person opened his mouth.

    After a long silence, that person lightly sighed, before sitting down on one of the rocks on the banks of the pool. He pointed to a rock to his right, as if asking Azalon to sit there. He stood still for a moment before walking and sat on the rock pointed by the man.

    ¡°You should be wondering why all of this has to do with you, right?¡± that man asked with a smile on his face.

    Azalon simply nodded, waiting for some kind of explanation, as he was now sure that this man wants something from him.

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    ¡°Haha, you are more intelligent than some children I have seen and believe me, I have seen my share. Most of those children will start crying or even begging when they encounter a Spirit Sage, but you, except the initial bout of panic, you are awfully calm.¡±

    Spirit Sage? What the hell is that? According to the books he has managed to read, he knew about the first 4 stages of the Spirit Cultivation Realms, but he never had a chance to know about the later stages. Is this Spirit Sage one of them? He was instantly filled with curiosity to know more.

    As his gaze became more heated, the man was shocked before laughing out loud. ¡°Interesting. Very Interesting. Haha Haha¡­¡±

    His face suddenly turned serious after that laugh as he looked deeply at my pouch before making a plucking motion with his fingers. Instantly, my Spirit Rock flew out from the pouch to his hands. That man took my Spirit into his hands as he started carefully studying my Spirit. He was turning it upside down, rotating it around and even he tried tapping on it before placing his ear as if listening to the sounds inside.

    Azalon had to stifle his laugh, as he watched the man try various things with his Spirit. After some time, he couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°I tried all kinds of things to that Petrified Spirit. Not to say but I had that Spirit with me for almost 4 years, you know.¡± He said to that man with a low tone.

    That man stopped in his motion of trying to inject Energy into the Rock, before tilting his head to look at me from the corner of his eyes. He smiled and lightly flicked his hand as the Rock was once again returned to me.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t ask why I was so interested in you. Ah, no, you did ask. Alright, but before talking about me, let¡¯s talk about you.¡±

    ¡°About me? What do you want with me, Sir?¡± he had to act politely as he knew that this person had the strength to erase him from this world with a simple wave of his hand.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, Azalon. You can call me Asma. Alright, I don¡¯t have enough time for pleasant talk, even though I wanted to have one. I will come to the main point. I have come to give you five things, Azalon. But it will be up to you to decide whether to take them or not.¡± That man said with a serious face and slight sadness in his voice.

    ¡°Give me five things? Why?¡± Azalon asked with a slightly incredulous voice.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say who sent those things, Azalon. But if you want to know more, you can ask your grandfather and say that you met me, Asma. He will most likely not explain to you, but you will come to know who sent you these things.¡±

    He was gob smacked. Grandfather? Why did he come into this discussion? Who is this person? With that much strength, but he could sense a slight respect when he talked about his grandfather. What is this man¡¯s relation with my grandfather? Questions and more questions, but he could not come up with any answers. So, he threw them to the back of his mind and concentrated on the present situation.

    ¡°Alright, Mr. Asma, I will talk with my grandfather. But what are those five things you want to give to me?¡±

    ¡°Before that, do you know about the reason for your Petrified Spirit, Azalon?¡± he asked with a serious expression on his face.

    ¡°Yes, I know. It¡¯s because I was born with a damaged Soul.¡± Naturally, he couldn¡¯t say the complete truth. So, he could only say this reason.

    ¡°Yes, you were born with a Damaged Soul. In fact, that is the main reason for my visit. Will you believe that among the five things I will give to you, there are two things that can heal your Damaged Soul and hatch your Petrified Spirit?¡± He said with a slight smile, but his eyes never left mine, as if waiting to see my reaction at those words.

    Truth to be said, he was instantly overwhelmed with shock and hope. He had to control himself before he could hop around dancing, while shouting at the top of his voice in joy. But his sanity returned, as he tried to think it through. He knew that there is no such thing as free food. So, there should be some disadvantages or conditions for the remedy.

    He calmed down his turbulent emotions to a certain extent, but he couldn¡¯t completely cover the feverish gaze in his eyes, as he looked at the man sitting in front of him, watching him with a glint in his eyes.

    ¡°So, what are the conditions?¡± I could only ask that much with great difficulty, and even I could hear the tremors in my voice.

    A slight shock flashed in the eyes of the man, as his smile instantly grew more¡­ genuine. With an appreciative look, he started talking.

    ¡°No, there are no conditions from me, Azalon, nor from the one who wanted me to deliver these things to you. But this remedy has some side effects. I will explain them to you, and I will explain them to you only once. So, listen carefully.¡± As he said this, he took out a black pill from inside his robe, and showed it to him.

    The pill was the size of a ping pong ball, and blackish blue in color. Red colored lines were crisscrossing on the surface of the pill, giving it an enchanting appearance to the pill. As the black pill was taken out into the open, the medicinal smell wafting out from the pill instantly filled the air with a sweet aroma, and Azalon could feel his heart calming down as he smelled the odor of the pill.

    But the next 8 words spoken by the man with a deep and meaningful smile on his face, and eyes glittering brightly, sent a shiver down my spine.

    ¡°This, Azalon, is called the Demon Cultivation Pill.¡±

 Chapter 6: Soul Root

    ¡°This, Azalon, is a Demon Cultivation Pill.¡±

    Those 8 words sent an uncontrollable shiver down his spine. Who didn¡¯t know about the Demons? In fact the war of the mankind in this world is mainly with the Demons. The Demons are not that different from the Desolate Beasts. In fact the Demons originate from the Beasts.

    The evolution of the Beasts is somewhat similar in every aspect. Every Beast will absorb huge amounts of Spirit Energy from the surroundings into their body. They utilize this Energy to strengthen their physical bodies to a frighteningly absurd level, so much so that a Beast can effortlessly trample on a human cultivator of the same Realm.

    But the Demons are fundamentally similar and different from the Beasts. According to Azalon¡¯s research, he considered the Demons to be a tangent Evolution from the normal evolution path of the Beasts. Just like even though how apes evolved into humans over a period of millions of years, there exists a vast number of apes till today. Why didn¡¯t they evolve to a similar evolutionary stage as the humans? There exists a myriad of reasons for that question.

    Similarly, Demons are a unique evolutionary line of Beasts. As per his conclusion, the main factor for the evolution of the Beasts into the Demons is the existence of a powerful and ancient bloodline, which grants them some high brain activity. Along with the ever present Spirit Energy, the already relatively advanced brain power will naturally advance to another level. With that advancement, they gain considerable intelligence rivaling the human intelligence.

    But the only drawback for the Demons is that, even though they can advance their brains to a comparatively human capacity, their origins lies within the Beasts. So, they can only be considered as dangerous Beasts with intelligence. But that makes it all the more dangerous. That¡¯s the main reason why the Demons generally are considered as the Generals and Commanders within the Beasts. They direct the mindless Beasts under their control into a somewhat organized force.

    So when he heard the name of the pill, he naturally became terrified. But when that man saw that he was panicking, his expression changed into that of amusement. Looking at that expression in that pretty boy face immediately changed all that panic into anger.

    ¡®God, I really want to punch this bastard, so much that his pretty face changes into a bloody pulp.¡¯

    Without giving me a chance to respond, he once again opened his mouth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much, Azalon. I said this pill¡¯s name is Demon Cultivation Pill. I didn¡¯t say that this will change you into a Demon. This name of the pill is something decided by its creator as a punch line. Yup, I agree that he doesn¡¯t have that much sense of humor. But even then, his proficiency in making pills is not as degenerate as his naming sense.¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly does that pill do?¡± Azalon asked barely restraining his temper and irritation.

    ¡°This pill here is a kind of remedy for the Damaged Souls like yours. I will explain how it will work. So, listen carefully. But before that, do you know the Realms of the Spirit Cultivation and mainly about Soul Root?¡± that man posed a question ignoring my inquiries again.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I know about the first four Realms of the Spirit Cultivation. Spirit Novice, Spirit Sense, Spirit Condensation and Spirit Core, right? I don¡¯t know the levels after that, and I didn¡¯t want to know because that type of information can only be considered worthless for someone like me with a Petrified Spirit. But I never heard of this Soul Root. What exactly is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ that is good. As a matter of fact, that kind of information is indeed worthless to you. But it¡¯s not because of your Petrified Spirit, because it will take a long time before you can reach that level. If you can reach such level, you can naturally obtain the information regarding the later stages of the Cultivation easily. Don¡¯t you think?¡± that man spoke with an appreciative look.

    ¡®Hmmm¡­ that is some weird logic but it¡¯s indeed a sound logic.¡¯ Thinking that, Azalon simply nodded his head.

    ¡°So, let me explain about the Soul Root. Generally this kind of information can be considered as common knowledge in the Cultivation world. As such, it will not be particularly mentioned as a point in any material. If you not had your Petrified Spirit, naturally your grandfather or even your instructors would have naturally told you about it.

    A Soul Root is a place at the center of your chest just below your ribcage. It is also the place where your Soul resides. All the meridians in your body branches out from the Soul Root. Think about it like this. Imagine your meridians as branches of a tree. All the branches of a tree are originated from its trunk, right? That trunk is the Soul Root, and also the place where the Spirit Energy you cultivate is stored.¡±

    Azalon listened raptly, while trying to imagine according to the man¡¯s words. So it¡¯s like an extensive network of various terminals interconnected through a single node. And that node is the Soul Root, and it also functions as the main database for all the terminals.

    ¡°It seems like you understood. So, I will explain the next part. The Soul Root houses both your Soul and your Spirit Energy. You know about the Soul Bridge, right? The soul Bridge is generally created in the Soul Root, between your Soul in the Soul Root and the Spirit, which is manifested in the material world, and it is only via this Soul Bridge, you can cultivate the Spirit Energy from your surroundings.¡±

    ¡°But, since I have a Damaged Soul, the Soul Bridge cannot be formed, as such rendering me unable to cultivate the Spirit Energy. And this pill will change that? How?¡±

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Again an appreciative nod from the man. ¡°A Damaged Soul is not like a damaged limb. The Damaged Soul is nothing but having some parts of the Soul diffused from the Soul. As such the scattered part of the Soul creates a sort of a hole in the Soul; making the Soul Bridge it can form become unstable. That¡¯s the main reason why the Damaged Soul cannot access the Spirit Energy from its surroundings.¡±

    Azalon slowly nodded once again, thinking about the words of this man and applying it to his real condition. If what this man said was correct, then all one had to do is to find an adhesive to stick that scattered parts of the Soul into the Main Soul. Even if the adhesive wears out over time, the constant influx of the Spirit Energy can act as a substitute for the original adhesive, recovering the Damaged Soul over time.

    But the problem is that his Soul is not a Damaged Soul, per se. it¡¯s just that it¡¯s not of this plane. The proof of this statement exists in the fact that he can sense the Spirit Energy in his surroundings, but because his Soul is not of this plane, it was rejected by the laws of this plane, making him unable to draw in the Spirit Energy into his body.

    So, basically, the remedy that may work on a Damaged Soul may not work when it comes to him. Instead of that, he kept his mouth shut, and listened to the man who went on explaining the workings of the pill.

    ¡°Azalon, this is the first thing I was told to give to you. The next thing is a Cultivation Method that comes in conjuncture with this Demon Cultivation Pill. It is named ¡®Soul Embryo Cultivation¡¯. I will explain it to you later. Now for the third and fourth, they are an attack technique and an agility technique respectively. The final one will be given after you decide to accept these 4 things, as you can¡¯t use it without the first four or especially the first two.¡±

    Azalon was amazed looking at the four things laid out before him. A ping poll sized black pill and three scrolls shining with a soft golden glow. He could even feel a sort of pressure bearing down on him from the scrolls. But he had to wait and listen completely before taking a decision.

    ¡°As I explained before, the Demon Cultivation Pill gathers the scattered parts of the Soul and binds it together, allowing the Soul to form the Soul Bridge. But the delicate Soul cannot bear the sudden rush of the Spirit Energy coming from the surroundings, as only when refined by the human body can it be tamed into usable Spirit Energy. With the continuous pounding of the wild Spirit Energy onto the Soul, the bindings made by the Pill will gradually weaken with the flow of time.¡±

    ¡°But this Cultivation Method has been created to rectify that possibility. The inspiration for this Cultivation Method came from a mother¡¯s womb. You see, Azalon, humans are innately weak, they don¡¯t have any affinity with the Spirit Energy, but even then humans are thriving in this world. Why? It¡¯s because of the protection granted by the mother¡¯s womb.¡±

    ¡°A mother shares her body, flesh and blood with her child, and in that process she transfers some of her life force into that baby. That is the reason why a mother shares a connection with her child, be it a human, a Beast, or even a Demon. That is the reason why mothers are praised as the ultimate expression of love any living being can express.¡±

    ¡°According to the same concept, what you have to do is to create a womb for your injured Soul to recuperate and sacrifice a part of your life force to accelerate the healing process. The more you share, the faster your Soul and your Spirit will recover. But the creator of this technique advised that one should not share more than one fourth of their life force, and if they do, they will lose control over their own Spirit, as it will gain sentience from the life force it leeches from the cultivator, and replace the Soul of the Cultivator with its own.¡±

    ¡°So, Azalon, I have explained all I have to explain. The final decision will be up to you. Think it over carefully. I will wait for your decision, no matter how much time it takes.¡±

    Azalon mind was currently in shambles. All that information, along with his chaotic emotions, is rampaging in his mind, making it a mess. He took a deep breath, and turned towards the waterfall. He lightly jumped before landing on the boulder at the base of the waterfall. The roaring sound of the water along with the splash of the cool water gradually cleared his mind. He immediately sat down in a lotus position as he entered a meditative stance.

    Once again he appeared within his bubble surrounded by the streams of the Spirit Energy, and with no distractions, he sorted out the information he obtained from the man.

    As Azalon was toiling over his information in his mind, the man was observing the actions of Azalon. He was first pleased with the way Azalon has dealt with him, but that pleased feeling gradually turned into faint appreciation, as most of the cultivators with a Damaged Soul will rush over without any thinking at the words he had said to this 12 year old boy.

    But this boy strangely jumped into that waterfall and he could sense the chaotic emotions inside the boy¡¯s heart gradually calming down, finally resembling a serene lake. His head involuntarily nodded twice before he caught himself in his act and stopped. With a slight smile on his almost womanly face, he too closed his eyes waiting for the boy to make his decision. But in his heart, he hoped that he would not take too long a time, as his pursuers are ever present and he had to hurry from this place, otherwise his enemies will not even bat an eye before razing this city to the ground. And if that happened, he could not face this boy¡¯s father¡­

 Chapter 7: Decision

    Azalon was immersed in his own world as he tried to analyze the pros and cons of the different information provided by the mysterious man, who named himself Asma. He was pondering on each and every bit and point, dissecting them, analyzing them, and applying them to his current predicament.

    After a long time, he came out of his trance. He slowly opened his eyes and his determination flared up, as he hopped from the rock he was sitting on. He landed gently on the banks of the pool, and slowly approached the man called Asma. As he walked closed to the man, he saw that man slowly open his eyes, looking at him with a faint excitement, as if waiting for his decision.

    He sat down in front of the man, and silence enveloped the area, as both of them never uttered a word for a long time. Neither of them knew what¡¯s going on through the other¡¯s minds, but the first one to break the silence was the black-clothed man.

    ¡°So, Azalon, what is your decision?¡± Azalon could hear some panic in that voice, and he felt puzzled. But he did not go down that train of thought, as he had already made up his mind.

    Azalon took a deep breath. ¡°I am willing to do it. But, you have to explain the procedure to me in detail. Don¡¯t leave out a single thing.¡± He declared in a determined voice.

    A bright smile immediately sprung up onto that handsome man¡¯s ¡®pretty¡¯ face. The inhuman beauty and that brilliant smile even made him, a man although in terms of his soul, feel dazed by the charm of that smile on that face. His body visibly shuddered, while he tried to calm the rush of blood making its way to his lower part of the body.

    ¡®God¡­ What¡¯s happening to me? He is a Man for fuck¡¯s sake. Get a hold of yourself, Azalon. You are a Man, you should only be interested in women, not these pretty boys, and that too women with big breasts that go *Boing* *Boing* *Juggle* *Juggle*.¡¯ With great willpower, Azalon managed to get a hold on his mental fortitude.

    He let out a faint sigh, after sorting out his orientations, he lifted his head and silently waited for the explanation of the Awakening, no, it should be, Re ¨C Awakening, of my Spirit. The man sat there silently, staring at me without a single word. After a long time, Azalon couldn¡¯t hold his irritation at the silence of the man, and was about to open his mouth, when the man suddenly spoke.

    ¡°Are you sure about your decision, Azalon? You did not even ask me about why i am doing this, or more importantly, why I am doing this to you? You don¡¯t seem that stupid to me.¡±

    ¡°I know that there is no such thing as a free gift. I could guess that there is something that is expected from me. But I know that the current me, have no chance of doing whatever that you want be done through me. I know you will visit me once again, when I amass certain level of strength, to expect your payment for the goods delivered. So, there¡¯s literally no use asking you these questions, as there is no need for them. Am I wrong?¡± Azalon asked with a matter-of-fact tone, and he watched in satisfaction, as some astonishment appeared on that ever-aloof face.

    ¡°Good. Very Good. Haha Haha¡­ yes, it¡¯s as you say. That information is of no use to you, but the time will definitely come, if you have the capability that I think you have, when I will once again seek you.¡± The man answered with a hearty laugh.

    ¡°So, since all that is over and done, let¡¯s get on with it.¡± Azalon added with some irritation.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Don¡¯t get all ruffled up.¡± His voice turned serious as the man continued. ¡°There are no negative aspects to this pill and the method, expect what I explained to you before. But you have to be careful in the sharing of your Life Force, and you have to make sure to not let your Spirit steal more than one-fourth of your Life Force.¡± Azalon simply nodded.

    Seeing Azalon listen with rapt attention, the man slightly nodded his head before continuing.

    ¡°Before you take the pill, you have to practice the Soul Embryo Cultivation Method first. You have to memorize the entire scripture of the method, so much that you have to be able to perform while you are even unconsciousness. Only when you are that familiar with the cultivation paths can you inject the pill. Do you understand?¡± Azalon nodded once again, closely remembering those words.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°The pill will induce into a temporary vegetative state, when your Soul will undergo the mending process. As soon as the Soul is healed, your consciousness will be restored, but only at a subconscious level. You have to immediately form a Soul Embryo for your Spirit, as soon as you detect the formation of your life force being depleting.¡±

    ¡°How many days will it take?¡± Azalon asked after a moment of thought. On Earth, he heard of some cases of coma patients remaining in that stage for decades, before regaining consciousness. There¡¯s no way in hell where he had to spend decades as a coma patient.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ that depends on your type of Spirit and even on the number of Spirits.¡± The man said after pondering over his question.

    ¡®Number of Spirits?¡¯ what the hell does that mean? ¡°What do you mean by ¡®number of Spirits¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t know? There exist some cases where an individual will awaken more than one Spirit. There have been some incidents for Dual Spirit Awakening, but that¡¯s extremely rare. And Triple Spirit Awakenings are almost non-existent. You don¡¯t have to worry about it. Oh, to answer your question, it will take 4 days.¡± That man replied in a nonchalant tone.

    Azalon sighed in secret. This pretty boy¡­ does he want to explain or not? ...

    ¡°After you form your Soul Embryo, you can form the temporary Soul Bridge through this Embryo. But the Spirit Energy you gain through this Soul Bridge has to be used for the nourishment of the Embryo. It will take almost 3 to 4 weeks of nourishment, and your Petrified Spirit will Awaken. Once your Spirit Awakens, you can reinforce the constructed Spirit Bridge.¡±

    Azalon remembered all the new information and analogized all this with his previous information as well all he read in the public records of the library. He could form a rough understanding of the procedure he had to undergo for the Awakening of his Petrified Spirit.

    Study the Cultivation Method thoroughly, Take the pill, Go into Coma, Automatic repair of the Soul [¡®I have no idea what will happen during this step¡¯], Wake up, Form a Soul Embryo using my Life Force, Connect my Soul Bridge, Wait for a month, Awaken my Spirit, and then¡­ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­. WAIT FOR ME, WORLD¡­ I AM GONNA DRILL OUT ALL YOUR SECRETS¡­ MUHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­

    Ah, i sound like a perverted Uncle. Calm Down, Azalon. Take a deep breath. You will have your chance. Haah¡­

    ¡°Mr. Asma, I am ready. But I have to inform my grandfather of what happened here, as you said I will be in a vegetative state for 4 days, and he will be worried sick if I don¡¯t return home.¡±

    ¡°Ah, OK, but Azalon, don¡¯t say anything about what happened here. Just say that you will be training or something like that. You cannot absolutely speak a word about me or the things I will give to you. Understand?¡± The last word came with a massive pressure, like a huge mountain, instantly pressing him down flat onto the ground.

    He hurriedly nodded his head with some difficulty along with some light whimpering, with the pressure and all that. As soon as he nodded, the pressure eased up and he just lay there panting. The man waved his hand and turned around walking deep into the forest.

    As Azalon stood up with some difficulty, that pressure once again pressed him flat, along with a light voice sounding right beside his ears.

    ¡°Return as soon as the sun reaches the horizon in the west. And, Azalon, don¡¯t be late.¡±

    ¡®Grrrr¡­ this woman faced bastard¡­ I swear I will kick that pretty face one day¡­¡¯ But he could only howl in his heart¡­ Poor Azalon¡­

 Chapter 8: Start of the New Journey

    Azalon lay on the ground groaning, as the damage he took was not light at all, all the while cursing that pretty face bastard silently in his heart. After a long time, he grit his teeth and tried to prop up his body. With some great difficulty and agonizing waves of pain, he managed to slowly stand up.

    But as soon as he took some steps in the direction of the mansion of his family, a ¡®Tong¡¯ sound resounded in the air, as his face once again kissed the hard and unforgiving ground. Another wave of pain ran assaulted his already tight nerves. A low shout escaped his throat, as the pain this time, pushed the limit of his endurance.

    As he turned his head, the reason of his fall entered his line of sight. The culprit of the incident was a green jade bottle that hit the back of his head. As he glared in the direction the bottle came from, a voice resounded beside his ears.

    ¡°That is a medicine for your injuries. Take it and hurry up. The one thing I hate the most is waiting for someone, and that too a brat like you. So, try not to make me irritated, Azalon~~~.¡±  The blatant pressure from the last sentence made shivers run up his spine, as he swallowed whatever the profanities that wanted to come out.

    He immediately took the bottle and as he opened the cork and tilted the bottle, a small green colored pill came into his palm. Vitality literally oozed out from the pill, and he stared in amazement as he could feel that this pill is not ordinary and of a very high grade.

    With a flick of his hand, the pill promptly landed on his tongue. As soon as he closed his mouth, the pill immediately melted, and with a cool sensation, it slid down his throat. He could feel the same coolness all over his body, and the pain immediately receded. His injuries healed at a rate visible to the naked eye. He could feel his bruised bones mending back, and his mind immediately sobered up as he almost let out a moan due to the comfortable feeling all over his body.

    Without any word, he turned and swiftly made his way back to his home, to meet his grandfather. It took him almost half an hour before he stood in front of the city gates. Generally, he would walk slowly enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city, but not today. He nimbly passed through the crowd on the streets, and only a short moment later, he was entering the gates of his family mansion.

    He did not slow down as he made a beeline to his grandfather¡¯s cottage. The 3rd generation children practicing in the grounds gave him some puzzling looks as they could feel his hurrying pace.

    ¡°What is that trash up to, rushing through the family grounds like that? Does he think he is some important figure or something?¡± someone from the group commented in irritation.

    ¡°Ignore him. Whatever he thinks of himself, trash will always be trash. He is destined to be the bottom feeder of this family. Come on, let¡¯s continue the practice. You know, I feel that I am so close to breaking through to the 5th level of the Spirit Sense Realm. I don¡¯t have the time to mind some insects scurrying about.¡± Anyone could imagine the owner of these almost textbook narcissist comments.

    But Azalon was not in the mood to mind these words; as such he turned a blind eye to these obnoxious kids, and arrived at the garden of his grandfather¡¯s cottage. He stood at the entrance of the garden for a moment, before taking a deep breath to calm down his excitement. He slowly walked in, and the sweet smells of various flowers and the lush green surroundings further calmed his mind.

    His grandfather is crouching near a plant tending to it tenderly and with great care. Azalon stood at a distance simply watching silently, in order to not disturb his grandfather. Only after his grandfather stood up and turned towards him with a warm smile, did he respond with a smile of his own and a wave.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Azalon? You are awfully excited today. Did something happen?¡± As expected of the leader of the family, his grandfather could tell his excited state with just a glance.

    ¡®I guess that¡¯s why they say that old people are a treasure trove of various life experiences.¡¯ Azalon nodded his head while thinking.

    ¡°Grandpa, Um¡­Uh¡­ I have to talk to you about something¡­ ¡± Azalon stammered slightly as he did not think about the excuses in his rush to get to his grandfather. His mind raced through various scenarios and reasons he could tell his grandfather without arousing any doubts.

    ¡°First come and sit here, Azalon.¡± His grandfather waved his hand as the ground rose up before forming into two chairs. Azalon could never stop his amazement whenever his grandfather or the elders of the family play around with the elements.

    He slowly sat down into one of the chairs facing his grandfather, as he tried to come up with some reasonable reasons for his absence. He lightly sighed as nothing feasible came to his mind, enough to fool this old man watching him. So, he could only tell the truth with a mix of some lies in between.

    ¡°Grandpa, I am going out into the Wilderness for about 4 days. There is something I have to do, and I came to you to inform you so that you will not be worried when I will not be back for these 4 days.¡± He spoke along with as much seriousness and sincerity he could show on his face.

    His grandfather just sat there without moving, watching him intently with a sharp gaze. After a long time of scrutiny, his grandfather retracted his gaze, but the serious expression he had did not relax.

    ¡°I can tell that something important happened to you, otherwise you will not be talking like that. And I know that you can¡¯t talk about whatever happened. I can respect that, but I have to make sure that nothing bad happens to you. So, you have to tell me something here, Azalon. I have to make sure that you are not falling for the promises of some dark faction, as i have seen some good people fall in that abyss.¡± The grave tone of his grandfather made him feel sure that he would never allow Azalon to walk away without a proper explanation.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Azalon felt a warm feeling bubble up in heart, as he could feel the concern his grandfather had for him in those serious words he spoke. He took a deep breath, and spoke a single sentence.

    ¡°He called himself Asma.¡±

    As soon as those words left his mouth, his grandfather froze. His expression slowly changed from the seriousness to that of astonishment, incredulity, before that old face brightened up with a boundless happiness. He stared at his grandfather, shocked, as two rows of tears fell from his grandfather¡¯s eyes. Truth to be told, he never expected such a reaction to his words.

    ¡°Grandpa, what happened? Do you really know that person?¡± Azalon couldn¡¯t help but ask when he saw his grandfather literally shaking with happiness.

    ¡°Azalon. Tell me, does that person resemble a very handsome young man, wearing black robes, and with a somewhat aloof personality?¡± his grandfather suddenly gripped his shoulders, while his eyes were shining with excitement and happiness.

    Azalon hurriedly nodded his head, all the while trying to guess the relation between that pretty bastard and this loving grandfather before him.

    It took a longtime before grandfather calmed down, but the happiness and relief he could see in those eyes never waned but instead increased with time. The doubts in Azalon¡¯s mind increased as he watched all that happened after he spoke that man¡¯s name.

    ¡°Grandpa, exactly what is the relationship between you and that pretty face?¡± Azalon asked probingly.

    The happiness of his grandfather immediately disappeared, the moment I asked the question. He lifted his head as his eyes lost focus, as if remembering things that were long lost in the flow of the time. His fists clenched tightly as his entire being radiated a loneliness and regret. His voice came from who know how deep, as he responded to my question.

    ¡°Let me tell you something, Azalon. The world is a very cruel, you know. There are things you can¡¯t do in this world without enough strength. The moment you show any kind of weakness, the world will tear you apart bit by bit. The same thing happened between me and that man you met, as well as the master of that man. You don¡¯t have the strength required to know of those things, Azalon. But if you do, that man will be the one who will tell you, not me.¡±

    ¡®Something incredible must have happened between my grandfather and that man. And who can be the master of that bastard? Moreover what kind of relationship does a being of that kind of strength have with this old man? Anyway, with that pill that pretty face will give me, I will reach that stage one day, where I can demand all the answers I want.¡¯ Azalon thought in his heart, and pushed the things to the back of his mind.

    The only thing he had to concentrate right now was to Awaken his Petrified Spirit, and take his first step onto the path of Cultivation, to achieve Immortality. He stopped his pondering, and looked at his grandfather, who was lost in whatever memories he was recalling.

    ¡°Grandpa, does this mean, I have your permission to go into the Wilderness for four days?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? Ah, yes. You can go, and don¡¯t tell that man that you told me about him. And remember, Azalon, never speak about that man or whatever he asks you to do to anyone. Not even to me, understand?¡±  His grandfather spoke with his seriousness returning once again.

    Azalon slowly nodded his head, as he had come to the same conclusion, as soon as that man showed him the Demon Cultivation Pill. He knew that pills of such kind should be rare enough to rile up the countries to the point of waging war against each other.

    ¡®But there¡¯s only one problem. How should I explain the Awakening of my Petrified Spirit? Hmmm¡­ Whatever, I can ask that pretty face bastard, but I have a feeling that he wouldn¡¯t care for such things and push it all on me. Maybe, grandpa can help me with it, as I can¡¯t hide the secret of my Spirit from the family anyway.¡¯  As these thoughts were bouncing through his head, he bid farewell to his grandfather, and made his way to his room, to make some preparations for the Re- Awakening. He still had some time before the appointed time with that pretty face.

    ¡°Marina, get some meat and large quantities of water to my room. And, Marina, make it fast. I have to go somewhere.¡± Azalon ordered a maid passing in the corridors before returning to his room. He had to take of his body conditions if he went to coma for 4 days straight. His metabolism should be maintained during that time; otherwise he may end up a dried husk due to undernourishment.

    The maid brought the platters of meat and large jugs of water, before withdrawing without any word. He smiled bitterly at that, as even the maids don¡¯t respect him, even though he was the grandson of the family head. He shook his head and helped himself to the meat before dissolving some salt rocks and sugar clusters in the water. He drank the water until he felt his stomach¡¯s going to burst.

    He lightly worked his body, and slowly walked towards the Wilderness with a smile on his face. He felt confident that today marks the day where he would start his journey into the exciting new world¡­

 Chapter 9: Heaven Shaking Changes

    Azalon rushed towards the waterfall in the Wilderness at a moderate pace. Even though he wanted to get started in the Re- Awakening of his Spirit as soon as possible, he knew that he had to consider approach this situation with caution. If a single mistake was made, his second chance at life will be completely wiped out, as this matter involves the very core of a living thing, the Soul.

    As he travelled towards the Wilderness, he once again ran each and every word he had heard from that Asma regarding the process through his mind. He was trying to find any loopholes that can prove to be detrimental towards the process. But no matter how much he mulled over them, the problem he could come across was a single one. His Soul is not damaged, per se. so, he was not sure that the remedy to a Damaged Soul can work on his Soul!

    But he could only hope that that Demon Cultivation Pill can provide a chance by remedying his condition. He prayed fervently for a chance or even a miracle!

    Deep in his thoughts, he unknowingly reached the outskirts of the Wilderness. He shook himself from his thoughts, and rushed into the thick forest. His tempered body nimbly jumped through the tall trees using the branches, as he made his way to the waterfall, where that pretty face bastard will be waiting.

    His ears picked up the sounds of rushing water and he immediately increased his speed towards the sound he heard. Very soon he saw the silver colored waterfall, and the clear pool at the foot of that waterfall. He looked around the area, but he could not find out that irritating person. He lightly shrugged his shoulders and plopped down on one of the rocks on the banks of the pool.

    Slowly the day reached its end, as the sun reached the destination of its day long journey. The rushing water reflected the bright orange rays of the setting sun, providing a red backdrop to the lush greenery surroundings. Azalon stood on the rock feasting his eyes on the beautiful scenery portrayed around him. He patiently waited for the man called Asma to appear without any hurry or irritation. He waited for almost 4 years, and he can wait for another 4 hours if required.

    The sun almost set, taking the last vestiges of illumination with it. The first signs of a clear night appeared in the skies, and a voice sounded by him, almost making him jump.

    ¡°Follow the signs I left deeper into the forest and make it quick.¡±

    Signs? What kind of signs? As soon as he thought those questions, a small light flashed to his right at the corner of his eyes. He turned around and sure enough a small light appeared on a tree to his right. He slowly approached the tree and immediately the light on that tree dimmed before another light flashed on another tree a short distance away.

    He followed those flashing lights deeper into the forest. After almost half an hour, the lights ended at a small round boulder laid against the rock wall of the ravine. He thought that he should have made a mistake somewhere and before he could turn around to search again, the boulder suddenly rolled to a side, revealing a dark cave mouth.

    He was sure that he never saw this cave before, as he was familiar with this part of the forest. That could only mean that this cave was cut into the ravine wall by that person. He silently walked into the dark cave with some apprehension.

    The interior of the cave was dark and damp, but the wall of the cave was smooth to touch and he followed it to the interior of the cave slowly with small steps. After around 30 steps, a small cavern came into view.

    The cavern was square shaped, as if it was cut by a long sword. The cavern was 10 meters long with a height of 5 meters. It was illuminated by various pearl like things placed at various locations around the cavern. Azalon was interested in those light sources, as the only light sources he came across till now was various crystal like things that could store the sunlight and shine during night. But he could feel that these pearls were different from those crystals.

    Before he could think of them, the man came slowly walked out from the shadows at the corner of the cavern. Azalon immediately concentrated on the man, and something felt different with him. His white face was pale and his eyes looked tired and sleepy. But as soon as Azalon noticed them, they disappeared before that man resumed his normal aloof and irritating face.

    Azalon could only lightly shrug his shoulders, as he could not solve whatever problems that even this powerful person could not solve. Without a second glance, he slowly walked towards the man. As he walked into the room like cavern, he could see a bed like structure made of stone, as well as a pair of chairs and a small table.

    That man sat on one of the chairs, before pointing to the other one, indicating Azalon to sit. He flipped his hand and a golden color scroll appeared on the table.

    ¡°Memorize it. You have to fully comprehend the intricacies of the method before dawn. You can then take the pill. This cave will provide some safety to you from the Beasts, as you sleep.¡± After speaking these words, he simply closed his eyes and stopped paying attention.

    Azalon did not care about the behavior as his sole interest lay on the scroll on the table. He took it and sat on the rock bed, before opening the scroll to study its contents. The scroll was evidently made of some high quality material as it felt smooth to touch at the same time being extremely durable. But what shocked him the most was the content on the scroll.

    The words were bright red in color, and a savage aura blasted his body as soon as he opened the scroll. His mind immediately went disarray from the blood thirst emanating from the scroll. He immediately fumbled as he somehow managed to close the scroll.

    ¡®Damn. I almost peed in my pants. What a powerful presence!!! Only savage Beasts with a lot of strength can emit this kind of aura.¡¯ His body felt cold as he felt that his entire body was drenched in sweat, and his heart was literally jumping out of his throat. He glanced at the person sitting on the chair, but that man did not move an inch, let alone help him.

    ¡®Goddammit, you bastard. Don¡¯t worry, I will remember all that happened between us two and I will make you suffer ten times or even more. I will remember¡­¡¯ he could only grit his teeth and once again tried to read the scroll. The same thing repeated number of times.

    After a longtime, his senses were somewhat accustomed to the waves of savageness from the scroll, but his concentration wavered and he could not quite read the words clearly. It once again took a long time, before he could come up with a rudimentary solution to read the scroll.

    He tried to concentrate on a single word and memorized it, after which he immediately closed the scroll, as he tried to recollect the word he read, before repeating the process once again. Fortunately, the contents of the scroll were small, and after many repeated cycles of the same process for each word, he somehow managed to remember all of them.

    The description of the Cultivation method was pretty simple, actually. It was the same as what that prick told me at the waterfall.

    After one¡¯s soul has been patched up, an embryo should be formed using the life force of the Cultivator as nourishment. Generally, a share of the life force ranging from 10 years to a maximum of 25 years has to be sacrificed for the Spirit Embryo, but that only works for low level Spirits. If one¡¯s Spirit was a high ranked Spirit or a Special Spirit, then the cost for the Awakening will be more. In the worst cases, the Cultivator may die due to over drafting their life force!!!

    But the scroll also provided a simple method to overcome this problem. It was to divide a part of the life force and store it in the Soul Root before attempting the Embryo process. With such division, the Embryo will feed on the stored life force and the actual life force of the Cultivator will be safe.

    But the result of this technique is that, if the life force provided by the Cultivator is not sufficient for the Spirit Embryo to Awaken, then the time taken for the Spirit to Awaken will be longer or may not Awaken at all, depending on the type of the Spirit.

    Finally, even if the Spirit Awakens successfully, since it was formed as a result of the same procedure as a birth, the Awakened Spirit will be in its infantile stage, and the Cultivator had to find suitable resources to evolve his Spirit. Only then can the Spirit Cultivator can advance in their Cultivation. But once he reaches the Spirit Core Level, he can nourish the Spirit using his own Spirit Energy.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ this feels pretty complicated. I understand the basic procedure and all that, but what is this about dividing the life force and the time factor involved. How can one divide their life force into separate parts?¡± Azalon muttered under his breath and once again tried to remember all the contents of the scroll.

    ¡°Ah, there it is. Why did I miss this part? Let¡¯s see. The life force of a Cultivator exists as a lake underneath the Soul Root, forming an intricate connection with the Soul Root. It is because of this connection that the life force of a Cultivator will increase with the nourishment of the cultivated Spirit Energy. One can make use of this connection to divide the life force to feed the Spirit Embryo.¡±

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    ¡®So, I have to first sense this lake of life force, divide a small part and feed it to the Embryo formed. But how can I do it? It doesn¡¯t explain that part. Oh well, I can worry about it as I have to first sense that lake first.¡¯

    With that in mind, Azalon sat cross legged on the rock bed, before entering into that familiar state of calmness. After a short time, he once again appeared in the bubble surrounded by the abundant energy swirling at the borders of the bubble. This time he did not observe the bubble or the surrounding energies, as his priority is to sense the lake of life force within his body.

    As he recalled the method recorded in the scroll, he calmed his mind and gradually sank his consciousness inside his body. After a long time, his vision immediately shifted as an alien and bizarre landscape suddenly appeared before his eyes, jolting his senses.

    Large and wide plains filled with various colors ranging from red to green to even grey and silver, different kinds of mountains with large and wide rivers flowing through them, and occasional clusters of some¡­ things scurrying about, appeared before him. The world before him was alien but familiar at the same time.

    It only took a short moment for Azalon to understand that this alien landscape was his body. Those plains were his muscles and those mountains were his organs. The rivers were flowing with his blood, and the tubes, his vessels!

    Even though the answer came to him, the scenery before him made him feel awestruck. He never could have the human body could be so beautiful when viewed this way. It¡¯s like he has stepped foot on another world, that was familiar but mysterious at the same time.

    But right now, the main goal is to find his lake of lake of life force. So he chose one of the blood vessels that appeared as large tubes, and followed it to reach his heart.

    WWWOOWWW!!!!

    Holy S***!!!

    He has seen different kinds of organs, even hearts of all kinds of animals including human hearts in his old life. But the view of a human heart he was seeing right now, cannot be expressed in words. It was gigantic, majestic, and the *badump* *badump* he could hear as the heart pulsed vibrated in his chest. But what amazed him was the delicate and intricate network of small pipes that surrounded the heart.

    The pipes appeared to be mainly of 4 colors, Red, Blue, Purple and White. Azalon knew that the Red and Purple pipes or tubes corresponded to the arteries and veins of his body. But he could not guess the uses of the other two colored tubes. He could only guess that one of them was his Spirit Meridians network, and most probably that will be the white ones. But what about the Blue ones? What was their function?

    He made a mental note to investigate further, before choosing a white tube and continuing on his travel. After a long rollercoaster like journey, he finally arrived at a vast space. It was a large dark and empty spheroid structure, and he could see that the dimensions of this spheroid, when compared to the human body, would be the same size as the human brain.

    As he lifted his head, he could see that the dome of the structure was riddled with holes, and each hole was connected to a white tube. He counted the holes and they numbered 54. It was like this spheroid structure was the focal point of the Spirit Meridians. That means that this is the Spirit Root that the Cultivation technique spoke about.

    ¡°So, where is my Soul?¡± Azalon asked himself as he slowly turned around looking around the empty space. ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s that?¡± just as he was about to finish his rotation, a small compartment like thing deep in the shadows of the Soul Root caught his eye.

    He slowly floated in the direction of the thing he had seen. Before long, that thing gradually emerged before his vision. It¡¯s a¡­ball??? That¡¯s right¡­ a small black ball was floating right in the center of the Soul Root. And he could see another small grey ball revolving around the black ball. He could not see the interior of the ball, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that the black sphere was his Soul, and the grey one, his Spirit.

    ¡°That¡¯s very big.¡± Azalon muttered as he measured the ball. The ball was perfectly spherical with the size of a tennis ball, floating there and slowly rotating around itself. The grey ball was of the size of a ping pong ball, the same size of the Demon Cultivation Pill that Asma showed him.

    Each rotation of the black Sphere took around 3 minutes, before it stalls for half a minute before resuming its rotation. The Grey Sphere continuously revolves around the black one without stopping. But what puzzled him were the occasional flashes of colors at different locations of the Soul Root every time the black Sphere stops rotating. Azalon tried to look for whatever was causing those flashes, but he could not find anything.

    He gave up, as he knew that he would definitely come back here again, as soon as he Awakens his Spirit. He immediately shifted his concentration to the floor of the Soul Root, trying to find the network linking this space with his life force lake. As he searched carefully, he came upon a tunnel directly beneath the black Sphere. He jumped into that pit without a second thought.

    As he carefully descended, he could see a bluish light at the end of the tunnel. Sure enough, at the end of the tunnel lay a vast lake. The lake was filled with bluish green water and not a ripple can be seen on the water.

    ¡®So, this is my life force, huh?¡¯

    He slowly landed on the bluish green water, and he could feel a faint connection between the lake and his Soul, the black Sphere right above his head. He tried to manipulate the water, and it proved to be very easy. He just had to concentrate and the water moved according to his thoughts. He slowly and carefully separated a part of the water from the lake before turning it into a small stream and sending it into the tunnel that connects this lake with the Soul Root.

    He maintained that channel of water, till he felt that almost a fourth of the entire water mass of the lake has been transported. He relaxed his concentration and he could feel his vitality and longevity taking toll due to the reduction in the life force. He smiled bitterly hoping that he would not turn into an old man, and flew up through the tunnel.

    The life force he transported from the lake collected to form a small puddle in a corner of the Soul Root. With this, he completed a major part of the requirements for his Soul Embryo. He hoped that the Demon Cultivation Pill will hopefully block the interconnecting tunnel between the Soul Root and the lake of his life force.

    He slowly retracted his consciousness from the insides of his body. He opened his eyes to see the interior of the room like cavern, the bed and that pretty face prick still sitting in the chair with his eyes closed.

    He stood up and lazily stretched his rigid body, as who knew how much time he spent sitting in the same position. That man sitting on the chair suddenly opened his eyes, as he slightly tilted his head to look at the entrance of the cave, before standing up.

    ¡°It will be dawn soon. Have you made your preparations, Azalon?¡± he asked with a dull tone, while his drooped eyes slowly landed on Azalon.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all done, I hope.¡± Azalon replied with a growl when he remembered the blood thirsty aura he had to endure every time he opened the scroll. Moreover, he was not entirely confident that the pill ill work on his Soul that was not damaged in the slightest.

    ¡°Alright, I already explained about the Demon Cultivation Pill, and you seem to have remembered the Soul Embryo Cultivation Method. Now all you have to do is to lie down on the bed and take the pill. If your preparations are done in accordance to the procedure, there should not be any problems.¡± That prick responded in the same dull tone, ignoring the anger evident in the voice of Azalon.

    Azalon lightly nodded and laid down on the bed. That man produced the pill, and the same comforting medicinal fragrance instantly filled the entire cavern. The potency of the pill was made evident in this closed environment as compared to the previous time beside the waterfall.

    That man shoved the pill into the mouth of Azalon before he could speak appreciate the sweet aroma drifting through his nostrils. He could only feel exploding sweetness on his tongue before the melted pill slid down to his stomach. The energy in the pill instantly spread all over his body, before rushing through the meridians to reach the Soul Root. He could only feel a part of the medicinal energy reach his mind, before he was enveloped by darkness.

    Without anyone from the outside world noticing, heaven shaking changes started taking place within the body of a 12 year old boy¡­

 Chapter 10: 7 Primal Energies

    As Azalon sunk into unconsciousness, the black pill¡¯s medicinal liquid traversed through the entire body of Azalon, before converging at the Soul Root. The medicinal liquid did not fill up the Soul Root, but instead it spread across the walls of the Soul Root, completely covering the interior of the Soul Root, like a black coating.

    After the entire liquid reached the Soul Root, the black coating suddenly started shrinking. This is the way the medicine is supposed to work. It will first form a coating on the walls of the Soul Root, and then it will start shrinking gently forcing the separated Soul parts into the Main Soul. It may be crude but it is definitely the most effective and safest of various methods, particularly when dealing with something sensitive like a Soul.

    Under the gentle pressure from the ever shrinking black wall, whatever things scattered across the Soul Root slowly converged towards the tennis ball sized black sphere slowly rotating in the center of the Soul Root as if oblivious to whatever changes happening around it¡­

    ¡®That was the most relaxing sleep I ever had in my two lives!¡¯ this is the first thought that appeared in his mind as he regained his consciousness. But even though he was awake, he couldn¡¯t open his eyes or sense his surroundings. After the initial panic due to the blindness, he slowly calmed down and concluded that even though he was conscious, he was still cut off from his senses.

    ¡®Hmmm¡­ This should be that part where only my subconscious will wake up, right? So, the medicine was successful?¡¯ With that thought, he tried to sense his body, and sure enough, that alien and bizarre world once again opened before his eyes in its full glory.

    He did not waste any time before selecting a White meridian, and following the roller coaster ride, to reach his Soul Root. The moment he entered his Soul Root, his eyes popped out and his jaw broke the floor. His entire consciousness felt as if hit by lightning, as he brain froze, due to the number of emotions and memories suddenly flashed through his nerves.

    This¡­ this¡­ this¡­ WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE????

    The previous time he was in his Soul Root, he saw his Soul as well what should be his Spirit¡¯s Soul, slowly revolving around his Soul. But right now, seeing the scene in front of him, his entire thought processes froze, let alone provide a reason or argument.

    Under a thin film of a black membrane, he could faintly see his Soul Sphere as well as his Spirit¡¯s. But what shocked him was that apart from these two, he could see 7 distinct colors around his Soul in the shape of 7 disks. As he stared at the scene in amazement, suddenly under the 7 colored rings, he felt a silver color flash by just for an instant. But under his shock, his mind did not register the flash of that silver color.

    7 colors¡­

    7 disks¡­

    7 Primal Energies¡­

    Memories of his previous life played out continuously in his jumbled mind. These 7 disks were the results of his entire life¡¯s work. He had sacrificed almost half of his life time to construct these 7 disks to prove his theory. His memories fluttered to that day, the day his life was ruined, and he was labeled ¡®The Mad Scientist¡¯, all because of that single incident¡­

    It was a sunny afternoon, and the entire city was shuffling about in their works. The advancements in the various fields of Science and Technology, made the life styles of the people to be somewhat relaxed and luxurious, as the human involvement in various industries was drastically reduced with the introduction of fully automated robots and assembly machines.

    The streets were bustling with activity, with the young people trying out the new gadgets and toys, the old generation shuffling about with their robotic helpers in tow, the shops filled with the clamor of beautiful women and young girls shopping for accessories while gossiping; but at the current moment, in a large building, a somewhat tense atmosphere was ruling the situation.

    ¡°Your theory that the Cosmos is comprised of only 7 Primal Energies, not 12 different Energies, as accepted by the Society of Advanced Cosmology, cannot be accepted, Mr. Rex. You were given this chance to present your theory in front of the Society, but I did not expect that your theory is based on some wild observations and baseless assumptions.¡±

    This building was one of the important buildings of this time. It was the headquarters for the Society of Advanced Cosmology, the branch of Science that focuses on the study of Universe and the Cosmic Energy and its applications, as well as researching the methods to harness the Energy for the needs of Earth.

    As such the Society, after countless experiments and terabytes of readings and observations, developed a theory that the Cosmos was comprised of 12 kinds of Energies that were dubbed ¡®Primal Energies.¡¯ The theory was later cross referenced with all kinds of departments. With the theory gaining their approval, the reputation of the Society instantly sky rocketed in the scientific community. But today, there¡¯s someone¡¯s challenging the credibility of the well accepted theory¡­

    In the presentation room in that building, currently a large group of people were present in the audience section of the room. Every single person in that room can be considered a prominent figure in their own right, as this boring convention became interesting, as they wouldn¡¯t usually see a scientist challenging something that has been accepted by the entire community of scientists of the Society.

    On the stage, two podiums were arranged facing each other and the speaker was a handsome man in his forties, dressed in a crisp blue suit. His thick grayish black hair, that was impeccably groomed, his brown eyes that radiate confidence as well as some arrogance, his straight and perfect nose, along with that natural charisma, made him a crowd pleaser.

    Opposite this person, was a man in his mid-thirties. With his disheveled hair, blood shot eyes with the black bags under them, the result of excessive lack of sleep, and his shabby attire of jeans and t-shirt along with his lazy and careless posture, made his seem like a punk on the streets rather a scientist with 4 advanced degrees. He was Johnny Rex, nicknamed The Miracle Kid by some scientists. He was the first person to join the Society of Advanced Cosmology when he was still in his University.

    His quick rise of prominence in the Society made some of the senior members of the Society dissatisfied, including the person on the stage. All these days, they could not find any opportunity to contradict this little genius, and hence they could only wait patiently.

    But now that he openly contradicted the Society and that too on the day of the Annual Convention of various departments. The debate immediately ascended to the present situation, where one of them was trying to correct the mistakes of the theory, while the other was trying to damage the reputation of his opponent.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand, Mr. John. Yes, you are correct when you say that my explanation is based on some distant assumptions, but I can assure that they are not wild and definitely not baseless. With the current technology, developing the sophisticated equipment to back my readings cannot be designed. As such, I was forced to come to the stage with these non-conventional theories. But please, I request the Society to consider the problems I am presenting.¡±

    ¡°This is not something that can be changed according to your beck and call, Mr. Rex. Your attitude does not befit one of the scientists of the Society. You want the Society to accept your theory that¡¯s based on some assumptions. If you have some solid proof, present it to the audience. Otherwise don¡¯t drag the reputation of the Society with your mindless ramblings.¡± Mr. John replied hotly, projecting some righteousness in his posture, as if he was a knight defending the reputation of the Society.

    ¡®Gah, I can¡¯t argue with these kinds of fools.¡¯ Rex was not in the mood to deal with these narrow minded fools, who can¡¯t see the big picture. They can¡¯t even imagine the disaster that will strike if this project was launched into the space. He has been arguing the past hour about the dangers of the collapse of Space, if the balance between the Energies was disturbed due to the faulty theory.

    But he just couldn¡¯t get his arguments across this selfish bastard. He turned his head, and met the eyes of the person he considers to be the second most important person in his life. The President of the Society of Advanced Cosmology, Michael Adams, and his mentor.

    Rex was an orphan, whose mother left him in the dust bins in one of the numerous back alleys of the city. He grew up in the shadows of the bright and colorful city, living a hopeless and pathetic life. A life without a single thought for the future, except for the problem of solving the need of the next meal. He still remembered the dog fights with the other children over the leftovers in the trash cans, the cold nights he spent starving, and the occasional deaths of the malnourished children who couldn¡¯t fight for the food¡­ but all this changed when that person came into his life¡­

    Mother Lilianna¡­ the person who showed him what love means, what hope means, what peace means¡­

    It was she who discovered his high intelligence, and introduced him to Michael Adams, who was a Head of Department in the National University. This man groomed and molded him to what he was today.

    Rex silently pleaded with his eyes, to reconsider the dangers in the theory. He hoped that he would believe in him, but he was disappointed. With a dejected sigh, he got down from the stage and silently walked out of the building.

    His reputation took a huge blow from that day onward, and the group of scientists under the leadership of John Adams, the same man who debated with Rex that day, added oil to the fire. The situation only degraded as Rex never bothered to address these kinds of rumors. But when he finally took notice, it was already too late.

    Under the pressure of the son of the President of the Society, the credibility of Johnny Rex instantly plummeted down, and the Scientific Community that once called him ¡®The Miracle Kid¡¯, now changed that name to ¡®The Mad Scientist.¡¯ It was further proved with the fact that Rex has shut himself in his laboratory, doing God-knows-what.

    But Rex never considered these things seriously, as he immersed himself in his completing his experiment. He decided to build the same project that the Society, but with some modifications based on his readings. It took him almost 6 years to finally finish the device, which can access the Primal Energies and enable them to study these Energies.

    ¡°Finally, we completed it, LILY.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master. The observations and readings we calculated these past years further provides the fact that your theory is correct. There¡¯s just the final step to complete the last part of the readings. If we could record these readings, you will have irrevocable proof that proves your theory.¡± A soft and mellow voice responded to his question.

    If one could see the insides of this laboratory, they would be shocked speechless. In the center of the large laboratory was a huge machine. It was a strange contraption that couldn¡¯t explain its function just by its look.

    A black metal platform was currently suspended mid-air. But what¡¯s strange about the platform was that it was surrounded by 7 large rings with the platform as their center. Each of the rings was arranged in a different orientation, and the overall arrangement made it look like an enormous cage instead of a scientific experiment.

    A single person stood below that strange machine, watching it with his head tilted up. That person¡¯s appearance can only be considered pathetic. Almost skeletal physique, with long black hair that fell over the shoulders, thick beard covering almost half of the face and the remaining half was covered by the big black circles around the eyes. But those eyes were shining brightly emanating a vitality that was not shown on any other part of that person¡¯s body. A small silver orb was whizzing around him almost energetically, and it finally settled down on that person¡¯s thin shoulders.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Naturally, this person was Johnny Rex, The Mad Scientist. If anyone could see his appearance right now, they would feel that the nick name was aptly named. And that strange contraption was the project he has been working on these 6 years.

    But the one thing that made him feel immensely satisfied and happy was the small silver orb that was sitting on his shoulders. This was ¡®LILY¡¯, an AI support system he has designed based on a new kind of metal he has invented based on the 7 Primal Energies. He named this system after the Mother Lilianna, as a kind of tribute for her, as she couldn¡¯t be around to see his success. That had been the only regret of his life.

    ¡°Master¡­ Master¡­ when are we going to proceed to the next step? ¡± LILY asked gently, as she floated down from his shoulder and floated before him.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ based on my calculations, the Cosmic Energies around Earth will weaken considerably at the moment the Earth completes its daily rotation. We will commence the experiment in around 3 hours 12 minutes. So, get ready, LILY. This will be the ride of our lives.¡± Rex answered with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Yaayy~~~¡± LILY flew around the laboratory cheering excitedly. Rex simply watched with a smile, as he loved the child like behavior of her. LILY¡¯s different from the conventional AI systems that were designed till now. She doesn¡¯t have the pre-established data to develop a kind of intelligence in the machine. She has intelligence already programmed, but she learns by observing the surroundings, not based on some already happened incidents.

    3 hours swiftly passed by, as Rex finalized the preparations for the experiment. He jumped onto the lowered black platform. As soon as he stepped onto it, the platform slowly rose while the 7 rings surrounding the platform started charging.

    *Huuummmmmmm* the basic charging of the rings produced a constant hum, as the energy required to fill up these 7 rings was not small at all. But if this project succeeds, the rewards he can reap will more than compensate the cost.

    The appointed time slowly approached, and LILY made the last minute preparations in the central terminal, before whizzing to him and landed on his shoulder. The rings slowly picked up speed as the timer ticked down. They reached the maximum speed just as the counter reached zero.

    The black platform started vibrating slightly, and his vision suddenly blacked out because of a sudden bright flash. It took a long time before he got his vision back, but what he saw after he recovered his vision took his breath away.

    The black platform he was standing on was suspended in a transparent sphere, which he knew was formed by the rings revolving around the platform at breath taking speeds. But what interested him was not the sphere or the platform, but the world that was outside the boundary of the sphere.

    He could tell that he was still in his laboratory, but the world outside was not the normal world he knew. The world he saw was comprised of streams of Energies of various colors; most of them dull and even the streams of those Energies were small and shallow. But deep below those jumble of streams of Energies, he could see some bright colored and large streams of Energies. He slowly counted those major Energy streams, making sure that he did not miss a single one.

    He counted 7 kinds Energies each with a distinctive color and property. He could name them based on their appearance and properties.

    Quantum Energy --- Bright Red Color --- One of the basic building force of Cosmos, calm but destructive.

    Chaos Energy --- Blue Color --- The counterpart of the Quantum Energy, fluid and wild.

    It was the reaction between these two forces that resulted in the ¡®Big Bang Theory¡¯ that created the Universe, scattering these two forces into every corner of the Universe.

    Positron Energy --- Bright Green --- The first byproduct of the reaction between the Quantum Energy and Chaos Energy, free and unrestricted, and also the major force behind the creation of stars in the Universe.

    Dark Energy --- Pitch Black --- The remaining part of the Energy in the Explosion of the Quantum and Chaos Energies. The counterpart to the Positron Energy also named as Negative Energy.

    If the Quantum and Chaos Energies created the Universe, then these two Energies are responsible for populating the Universe with the stars and galaxies by bringing together the remnant Energies of the Explosion.

    Gravity --- Bronze --- Simple enough, the force created as a result of the conglomeration of the scattered masses brought closer by the Positron and Dark Energies.

    Electro Magnetic Waves --- Purple --- Where there exists a fluctuation in magnetism, Electricity will be produced and vice-versa. The second force produced by the mass influenced by the Gravity.

    Actuator Energy --- White --- The most mysterious Energy. No one understood how it was produced, but it has the most important function. It facilitates for the thriving of life on the masses produced. Without this Energy, no form of life can exist.

    The 7 Prime Energies revealed in their full glory¡­

    His goal reached¡­

    His aspirations achieved...

    With this his theory can be proved... With this Mankind will advance once again...

    ¡°LILY, I am not dreaming, right? Please tell me that I am not dreaming.¡±

    ¡°Master, we did it. With this you can prove your 7 Primal Energy theory and this time, there will be proof to back your claim.¡± The orb on his shoulder replied excitedly.

    But as he was enjoying the satisfaction brought by the immense success of his hard work, the first steps of disaster were taken.

    The theory behind this experiment has been solid enough to proceed with the process; a simple misjudgment will prove disastrous. The theory was that the 7 Rings devised by Rex will revolve at high speeds to create a buffer zone that will break the boundary between the Vision Spectrum, as well as provide a safe zone to observe the Energies from within.

    Energy acts just like water or air does. They flow from the high concentration area to a low concentrated area. As such, each of the 7 rings was made of a special alloy that matches it to a particular type of Primal Energy. The Rings will absorb that particular Energy and store that Energy, thus preventing the Energy rushing into the vacant space behind the sphere.

    But even the wisest of the person will definitely make a single mistake. The same happened with the situation right now. What Rex did not incorporate into his calculations was the saturation point of the Rings. The only available Energy he could use to test these Rings was Electricity. In his tests, he found out that the capacity of the Rings is very high, and he equipped them, thinking that they will be enough for the experiment.

    But the Energy he could supply to test the Rings was nowhere comparable to the Energy present in the Nature. But it was already too late when he recognized his mistake.

    When the Rings reached their Saturation points, the pressure from the Energy flow from the outside could not be offset anymore. The pressure slowly increased making the sphere of the Rings slowly shrink little by little. It took only a few moments, before the Sphere started destroying his body.

    Rex watched in horror as his body disappeared bit by bit under the relentless pressure of the sphere. He felt no pain, or more accurately, he didn¡¯t have the time to feel pain. As he lost all hope whatsoever, he suddenly saw a bright silver flash before his eyes, before he felt a comfortable warmness spread through his consciousness.

    He was reborn in this world with a new life as Azalon Wheld, as he regained his consciousness. He was not sad for the lucky second life, but his only regret was that he never sensed LILY or those 7 Rings till this day, before he saw those 7 colored Rings surrounding his Soul.

    He now perfectly knew why he never managed to guide the Energy to achieve the Spirit Senses Realm. It was because of these 7 Rings. They were scattered all around the Soul Root, but the sphere that has been formed during the experiment never broke. It just adjusted its shape to spread across the Soul Root, making the Soul Root a world in itself.

    With his current power, he was not strong enough to puncture this sphere and the Energies outside were not interested as these 7 Rings somehow became self-sustained. Just as the law goes, like poles repel. The Rings managed to repel the Energies in the surroundings, making his Soul unable to achieve the next Realm in the Cultivation.

    As he watched in silence, with all kinds of thoughts and memories running through his head, the black membrane seemed to sense the different kinds of Energies in the Soul Root. It immediately split into small parts, and each part enveloped one of the Energies in the Soul Realm. As it finished contracting, suddenly there were numerous small black spheres revolving around his Soul.

    Azalon was still in daze, as the small spheres suddenly flashed with different colors, making the desolate Soul Root light up brightly. When the lights receded, the puddle of the Life Force in a corner of the Soul Root suddenly stirred as the bluish green Life Force flew to the small spheres and started covering them.

    Azalon started from his daze seeing the Life Force start covering the smaller spheres. He cleared his thoughts, and concentrated on forming the Soul Embryos, as he knew that this was the most important part of the Awakening Process.

    As he concentrated on the Soul Embryo Cultivation Method, he counted the number of smaller spheres and tried to identify each of them. There was the central tennis sized black sphere which was his Soul. Next, he observed the smaller spheres and counted them to be 9 of them!

    ¡®Wait a moment. There are 7 Rings, and one of them should be the Soul of his Petrified Spirit. That makes 8. But where did this extra one come?¡¯ A bulb *Ping*ed in his mind, as excitement and happiness bubbled in his heart.

    ¡®That is definitely her. That one is definitely her. Hahahaha¡­ may be we will be meeting again not long from now. With her, I won¡¯t have any regrets and we could freely explore this world. I wonder what her reaction would be when she sees me in this new world¡­ Huhuhuhuhu¡­¡¯

    The Life Force completely enveloped each of the smaller spheres, but he could feel that something¡¯s not right. He could feel his Soul forming a sort of connection with two of the spheres, but there¡¯s no movement from the other 7 of them.

    ¡®Ahh, so the 7 non responsive ones should be the 7 Primal Rings. They were already completely saturated with the Primal Energies, and moreover they were not living things to start with. And the pitiful Life Force of one-eighth of 25 years Life Force was nowhere near enough for them to Awaken. It seems that I had to think of a solution for this problem. Hmm¡­ so that means there will be two of the 9 Spirits that will Awaken. One should be my Petrified Spirit, and the other should be¡­¡¯

 Chapter 11: 9 Soul Embryos

    Azalon attentively watched the 10 things that were in his Soul Root.  His tennis ball sized Soul was still rotating slowly around itself without a care of what¡¯s happening around it. But the Soul of his Petrified Spirit stopped revolving around his Soul the moment the 7 Rings showed themselves.

    The 7 Rings were solidifying into their original shapes from their respective shattered parts all around the Soul Root. Small beams of different colors were unceasingly merged into those 7 Rings from the corners of the Soul Root.  In between the bright colored Rings, a small Silver ball was also revolving around his Soul in tandem with the rotation of the Soul.

    Finally the last beam of light flashed before merging into one of the 7 Rings. As soon as the last speck of light merged with its corresponding Ring, all the Rings suddenly flashed brightly, making Azalon involuntarily close his eyes. But as that was not his physical body but his mental awareness, he could not cut out the scene playing in front of his, even though he closed his eyes.

    The flash of colors lasted for a small moment before it ended. Azalon inhaled suddenly as he stared at the mesmerizing play of colors that was surrounding his Soul.

    At present, there were 10 different things in his Soul Root, as opposed to the time he examined his Soul Root

    before taking the Demon Cultivation Pill. The big black Sphere that was his Soul was currently surrounded by 9 objects in an irregular fashion but Azalon could feel that there¡¯s some logic behind the random arrangement of the 9 objects.

    A grey sphere was the immediate neighbor of his Soul, and he knew that the gray Sphere was the Soul of his Petrified Spirit. So, obviously that takes the priority in the arrangement, as the Spirit was the manifestation of one¡¯s Soul. But what made his happy was the next object that was placed just behind the Spirit Soul.

    A small sphere that was around the size of a marble was revolving slowly around his Soul in an orbit placed around 20¡ã angle with the horizontal plane. The sphere was Silver colored and one could see small specks of Gold splashed on the surface of the Sphere. A smile flashed on the face of Azalon as he looked at the Silver Sphere.

    The next place was a Purple Ring that was placed vertically to the horizontal plane, and Azalon could see faint traces of Electric currents running through the Ring. The next place was two Rings that were placed in the form of an X making a 45¡ã angle with the horizontal plane, and the two Rings were pure White and pitch Black in color. The placement of these two Rings was as if the two Rings were mutually co-existing as well as suppressing each other.

    The remaining 4 Rings were placed in the same way as the White and Black Rings, but the only difference was that these 4 Rings were placed horizontally and all the 4 Rings were parallel to each other. A bright Red Ring and a pale Blue Ring took up the top most and the bottom positions of the arrangement. The Green Ring and the Bronze Ring were placed in between these two Rings, but these Green and Bronze Rings were constantly moving up and down in a particular rhythm, as if they were being influenced by the pair of Rings placed above and below them.

    *BBBBBOOOOOMMMM*

    As soon as the last Ring clicked in its assigned place, the entire Soul Realm shook. The ground trembled and the entire interior of the Soul Root became chaotic. Azalon stabilized himself and turned his head just to see thick black liquid oozing out his Soul along with bluish green gas from within. The black liquid stayed on the surface of his Soul, but the gas collected into a small cloud that floated above his Soul.

    The black liquid oozing from the Soul immediately turned into thin chains that quickly entangled the 9 objects revolving the Soul. The 9 chains circled them and tightly held them in place, not allowing them to even to move an inch. Suddenly the chains started reeling themselves dragging the 9objects along with them.

    The first one to finish reeling in was the one entangling the Soul of his Petrified Spirit. As soon as the gray sphere neared the Soul, a small part of the bluish green cloud above his Soul and surrounded the gray sphere. The black chain continued to reel in, and the distance between his Soul and the Soul of his Spirit continued shortening. Eventually, both the Souls touched each other.

    Pain¡­

    Intense Pain¡­

    Mind numbing Pain¡­

    Azalon, who was watching all this happen with intense curiosity, suddenly felt waves of pain assault his consciousness. The pain came in waves with the next wave more intense that the previous one. He screamed as he felt his consciousness crack under that intensity of pain.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t that scroll given by that bastard recorded that the process of the Soul Repair was a painless procedure? This is called painless? AAHHHHH¡­¡¯ Azalon did not have the mental capacity to continue on his train of thought as he tried to hold together his collapsing consciousness.

    The pain finally let up when the gray sphere was completely assimilated by his Soul. As Azalon observed this through his beat up awareness, he came to a simple conclusion.

    ¡®Sure enough. This process is generally painless as this procedure is meant for Damaged Souls. But mine is definitely not a Damaged Soul. You can even call mine a stable and a grown Soul. So when the Spirit Soul is tried to be assimilated into the Soul, the empty and damaged space for that does not exist in my Soul. Nevertheless, the Soul will be forcefully assimilated and the process produces immense pain during that time.¡¯

    And Azalon watched the lined up 8 objects behind the assimilated gray sphere, he broke up in cold sweat. ¡¯Don¡¯t tell me I have to go through that pain again for 8 times? No no no no no no no¡­ I will definitely die or worse enough I will become an idiot under that pain¡­ No¡­ Please stop it, please stop it¡­¡¯

    But as the name of the pill suggests, it continued what it was meant to do just like a Demon cutting down its enemies¡­ Relentless¡­ Merciless¡­ Azalon watched in horror as the Silver sphere neared his Soul for the assimilation¡­

    Screams¡­ Shrill screams¡­ Howling and whimpering¡­ Vicious curses that can make one¡¯s ears bleed¡­ Cries and gut rendering Sobs¡­ all kinds of sounds resounded through the Soul Root as one color after another slowly disappeared, finally rendering the interior of the Soul Root bleak and dark.

    Azalon was just short of going insane. The nine bouts of pain was nothing he ever felt in both his lives. And believe it; he had his share of both intense physical and mental pains. But this time, it was on a whole new level.

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    Under this slow and agonizing torture, Azalon¡¯s psyche underwent some minute and subtle changes that will affect his temperament and behavior later on¡­

    He was tired. His mind was filled with this single thought, as he wanted to sleep and never wake up. He was tired and sleepy, but he still listened to a small voice that whispered at the back of his mind. If he goes to sleep right now, he will definitely never wake up. Azalon tried his best to stay awake. He was sure that his entire nervous system was overloaded and he hoped that whatever damage that happened was not permanent.

    He slowly stimulated his numb nerves and tried to feel his way around his body. Every single thread of nerve on his body felt stretched and would snap any minute. He carefully crawled around his body making sure that all the nervous connections were present. There were present all right, but he had a feeling that it will take a long time before the damage heals.

    His awareness finally reached the Soul Root, and the dark and bleak interior welcomed him. He simply did not care. He wanted to sleep. As he laid down on the ground, leaning his back against the wall and lifting his head to observe a sphere floating above, a single thought was running through his mind continuously.

    ¡®Make it fast. Make it fast. Make it fast¡­¡¯

    Under Azalon¡¯s listless gaze, a black sphere was floating above his head, before a small bulge started appearing on its surface. The bulge slowly swelled up before another small bulge appeared on another part of the surface. They continued to appear one after the other. Just as the last bulge appeared, *Pop* the first bulge separated from the surface before it changed into a small gray sphere with number of black and bluish greens lines on its surface. The gray sphere then slowly started revolving around the black sphere at a certain distance.

    The next bulge separated and changed into a bright Silver sphere with gold specks, but the black and bluish green lines on its surface were just 5 or 6 compared to the dozens on the gray sphere. The Silver sphere too started to revolve around the black sphere but at a further distance away from the position of the gray sphere.

    The process continued as a Purple sphere emerged next. Two spheres of Pure White and Pitch Black with same sizes appeared at the same time, before taking their respective orbits and orientations. Brown sphere, Green sphere, Blue sphere and Red sphere took the next places of the order, emerging with different sizes and were arranged into their respective positions around the black sphere.

    What made the whole process interesting was that as each sphere emerged from the black sphere, the silhouette could be seen within the sphere, and a faint sound will resound in the Soul Root, as it felt as if the silhouette was the one that made that sound.

    But Azalon was not in the mind set to enquire those strange phenomena as his battered and worn out mind was filled with a single wish, a wish that the whole process will speed up and finish. He felt tired and he still had lot of work before he could sleep to wake up. If he doesn¡¯t complete them, then he can sleep too, but may not bother to wake up. So, he desperately prayed for the entire ordeal to finish quickly.

    His wish came true fast enough¡­ it did not take long enough for the last Embryo emerge from his Soul before assuming its assigned place. As soon as it happened, Azalon felt a faint rush of Energy vitalize his battered consciousness, as the tiredness eased up a little bit under the refreshing Energy rush.

    He remembered that this should be the Soul Bridge forming between his Soul and the physical world through his Spirit. He immediately concentrated on that soothing Energy and sure enough he reappeared within the bubble that separated him from the surrounding Spirit Energy.

    As he appeared within that bubble, his apparition flashed once before 9 spheres, or more accurately, 9 Soul Embryos appeared within that bubble. He watched with some amazement at the 9 Soul Embryos that appeared. He could see vague shadows within the murky spheres and he could feel a kind of connection forming between him and the 9 Embryos.

    But he could only feel 2 strong connections. He could faintly feel the other 7, but that was all. It was like the 7 connections were with him and far away at the same time. But Azalon did not dwell on it long as he was still feeling pretty tired, so he ignored the 7 faint connections and concentrated on the 2 strong connections.

    The first and the stronger of the 2 connections was naturally the Soul of his Petrified Spirit. He concentrated on the gray Soul Embryo and prepared to form the rudimentary Soul Bridge so as to nurture the Soul Embryo to hatch using the Spirit Energy. Only after the Spirit Awakens, can he form the complete Soul Bridge and start his cultivation. Until then he can only do so much.

    Using the connection between them, he stimulated the Life Force to form a protective membrane around the Soul Embryo and at the same time manipulating the Demon Cultivation Pill¡¯s medicinal vestiges to form the role of adhesive to hold up the membrane around the Soul Embryo. As soon as that was completed, he quickly urged the Spirit to form a Soul Bridge with him.

    Under his urging, a small tunnel started forming starting at the boundary of the bubble and ending at the Soul Embryo. But the final connection between the Spirit and his Soul was still not formed as the Soul was still in its Embryonic stage. Only when the Spirit Awakens can the link between the Spirit and the Cultivator can be completed.

    He then left the gray Embryo and shifted his concentration from the gray Embryo to the Silver one. His mind slightly relaxed as he stared at the small silver sphere that so much resembled her original appearance. He gently smiled as he shook his head, and quickly finished forming the Soul Bridge once again with the Silver Embryo as the medium.

    Azalon then tried to repeat the process with the remaining 7 Embryos floating around him, but no matter what he could not acquire a single response from the 7 Embryos.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ something¡¯s missing here. But that¡¯s for another time. This thing has finally completed. As I formed the Soul Bridges, once they stabilize, I should wake up. I wonder how many days passed by. Come on, finish already. This headache is killing me.¡± Azalon muttered with some resentment as he rubbed his temples grimacing due to the splitting headache¡­

 Chapter 12: Spirit Awakens

    Out of the 9 Soul Embryos, Azalon could only form Soul Bridges with only two of them. One of them was his Spirit and the other was the Silver Soul Embryo. He watched the Soul Bridge connect with the Spirit Energy outside the bubble. The Bridge was like a long and straight tunnel with a very narrow width, but he was not worried as this Bridge was only temporary. Once the Spirit Awakens, the complete Soul Bridge can be formed and the width of that cannot be compared to the one right now.

    After some tries with the other 7 Soul Embryos, he gave up as he could not elicit any kind of response from them. During this time, the last vestiges of Energy he mustered up were used up, and the tired feeling almost overwhelmed him. After making sure that the 7 non responsive Soul Embryos will not collapse, he slightly relaxed and retrieved his awareness from the bubble.

    The effects of the Demon Cultivation Pill ran out at the same time, and he could feel his consciousness showing signs of waking up. The severed link between his mind and body was also slowly being restored. Within some short moments, Azalon opened his eyes and the dark roof of the cavern greeted his eyes.

    He sighed in relief as he waking up with all his mental capabilities still intact can be considered to be the success of the ordeal of taking the Demon Cultivation Pill. He quickly checked his body for any signs of nourishment defects; finding almost none, he slowly closed his eyes and swiftly fell into deep sleep.

    It was only after a long time that Azalon woke up again. The deep sleep was refreshing and even though the headache and tiredness was still present, he could feel the damages dealt to his consciousness were recovered by almost 50%. By this speed, he was sure that he could completely recover within a week. After all, he was the peak warrior of Spirit Novice Realm with his bodily and mental functions activated to their maximum potential possible without the support of the Spirit Energy.

    He sat up from his lying position and looked around the dark room like cavern for that irritating pretty face. But to his surprise, the cavern was empty and other than the sounds of breathing, there were no disturbances within the cavern. It seemed that that bastard left many days ago.

    His eyebrows lightly knit as he pondered on the reason for the departure of that man. He was puzzled as to why that man was not around to know the results of the ordeal. He came to meet Azalon just for that reason, right? So, what has happened?

    Without any answers, he gave up as he was sure that he would definitely meet that pretty boy once again in the future. But the main thing he had to find out was the number of days he was out cold. He stood up and stretched his stiff body. Popping sounds echoed through the dark space as each and every joint in his body moved in what he felt as a long time.

    Just then, a glint of light in a corner of his eye caught his attention. His legs wobbled slightly as he tried to walk before returning to their usual vigor. He reached the table that was placed in the cavern, and there were 5 things placed on the table along with a note.

    Azalon swept his eyes on the things placed on the table before picking up the note.

    ¡°Azalon, if you are reading this note, then I may not be able to return to check on your success of the Re Awakening. My enemies caught my scent and I had no choice to lead them away, so l am leaving these things that were promised to you along with a gift from me. I know that if you can pass this ordeal, you will definitely become the leading figure in your generation in all of Shandra.¡±

    ¡°In front of you there should be 3 scrolls, [Infinite Beats Art] a fist technique; [Ghostly Shadow Flash] a kind of Agility technique; and the final scroll is the complete record of the [Soul Embryo Cultivation Method]. But this cultivation technique is incomplete, as the later stages of the technique were never explored. You will understand once you study it.¡±

    ¡°The 4th item is called [Void Ring]. It¡¯s an interspatial storage ring with an almost unlimited amount of storage space. You just have use a drop of your blood and inject a silver of your Spiritual Energy to brand it. Never reveal the existence of this ring to anyone, Azalon. Not even to your grandfather. If the news of the ring spreads out in this plane, you will not even know how you died. I am sure that will make you understand the gravity of the situation.¡±

    ¡°And finally my personal present. It¡¯s a pair of gloves, and I named them [Mountain Crushers]. Cool name, right? I know, Hahahaha¡­ as for their usage, you will have to bind them using the same method as that of the [Void Ring]. These gloves will be very compatible with the [Infinite Beats Art] that I know you will practice.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of things that I want to tell you, Azalon. A lot of things and more¡­ but as I told you that the current you does not have any capability to change anything even though you come to know all that I want you to know. So, get stronger, Azalon. Only with strength can you make the world yours, can you make the life you wish yours, and can you make Fate itself bend to you¡­ Get Stronger, Azalon¡­ We three will be waiting for that day¡­¡±

    The note answered some questions, but gave rise to more questions. He tucked the note carefully into his pouch placing it beside the Rock Egg. He turned to look at the scrolls and the two artifacts on the table.

    The scrolls were glowing softly with a golden radiance and these martial arts should be of a higher grade than the martial arts available in his family. But what attracted his attention was the simple copper ring beside the scrolls. This is a pocket dimension artifact and that too with almost infinite space. This was something that he couldn¡¯t comprehend the underlying principles, even with the advanced technology of his time on Earth. And here it is, just within his reach. Excitement started bubbling up in his tired mind, and he couldn¡¯t wait to research this ring.

    The last thing was a pair of glove looking things. They were paper thin and transparent and were beautiful to look at. A faint aura was radiating from the pair of gloves, making his heart race with anticipation for the time when he can try them on.

    He carefully hid them in his clothes and looked around the simple dark room once more, before turning to leave. He walked through the tunnel he came before and reached the mouth of the cave where he could see the boulder rolled across the mouth. He was surprised to see a faint light on the boulder. He carefully approached the light on the boulder. The light was created by two circles arranged concentrically with some alien looking symbols within the concentric area.

    He was not sure what this was, but before he could observe more, the symbols within the circles flashed once before a hand symbol appeared within the inner circle. Azalon stared blankly at the symbol of the hand for some time. He simply lifted his hand and placed on the hand symbol. He felt something click within the formation and the boulder slowly rolled on its own, revealing the outside world.

    The bright light made him squint his eyes involuntarily. He blinked several times before his eyes adjusted to the evening light. The fresh and slightly humid air refreshed his mind and he stepped outside the cave after who knew how long. The boulder closed the mouth of the cave on itself, and he turned around looking at the fading circles on the outside of the boulder. He will be lying if he said that he was not surprised when he saw that handprint based security system. What other surprises will this world show him? Who knows?

    He stood there enjoying the natural greenery and the cool breeze before walking towards the direction of the waterfall. This area of the forest was not the one he was familiar with and it took a long time without the guiding lights of the time he came here. After some twists and turns, he managed to locate the waterfall, from where he followed the familiar path to his home.

    Whatever changes happened and whatever information he gained will have to wait till his rest and recover to a certain extent. But right now, he just wants to reach the Mansion and sleep in his bed. It took him around an hour before he reached the city gates. After waving at the familiar guards, he slowly walked towards his home.

    As it was early evening, the streets were somewhat busy with the mercenaries returning from their hunt, and the merchants bargaining for the haul of their hunts. As he made his way through the bustling crowd, a sudden shrill cry behind him made him jump, before he turned just in time to see a small figure smash headfirst into his stomach.

    "OOfff..."

    ¡°Big Brother¡± that small figure turned out to be a 6-7 year old girl with round face, big black eyes and an excited grin on her face as she nuzzled her cheeks against Azalon¡¯s chest.

    ¡°Hahahaha Nina, you would have got hurt if I didn¡¯t catch you, you know? Anyway what are you doing here? Where¡¯s Uncle Chad?¡± Azalon laughed as he pat the head of this cute girl.

    ¡°Hehehe Uncle Chad is in that shop. I was feeling bored and then I saw you in the crowd. Big brother did not come to see me all these days. Where did you go, big brother? And you smell funny. Don¡¯t tell me big brother found some girl he likes? That¡¯s why you did not come to see me?¡± Azalon was dumbstruck as he listened to the questions that came out of the mouth of this seemingly 7 year old child. Ah, Kids these days¡­

    ¡°I was training in the forest, Nina. Alright, let¡¯s go meet Uncle Chad. I am pretty tired and I will come meet you later, ok?¡±  Azalon lightly poked her nose before entering the shop pointed out by Nina.

    The shop was an armor shop, one of many in the Blue Wind City. The mercenaries always require their armors and weapons to be maintained or upgraded, as the wear and tear of their armors and weapons will be more than normal due to their regular raids and hunts in the Wilderness. Hence shops like these are a pretty common sight in the City. But the armors and weapons made by these blacksmiths are low graded and not like those legendary armors created by the Spirit Blacksmith Masters and Grand Masters. The blacksmiths in this City are those who are usually low aptitude ones that were rejected by their masters who came to this city to make a living.

    But even these blacksmiths are respected in this City, as the profession of Spirit Blacksmith is not something that can be leaned by anyone. Even rejects like these people can find their worth in the back water cities like Blue Wind City.

    He could see the huge figure of Uncle Chad in the shop, and he seemed to be arguing with the owner of the shop.

    ¡°How could it be like that, Bach? You told me that you will deliver the product in 12 days and I even came two days late! I even stressed to you the importance of the armor to be delivered on date.¡± Uncle Chad¡¯s voice was rising in intensity with each word.

    ¡°N-No, Please understand, Senior Chad. It¡¯s not that I am going back on my promise, but after that incident in the Wilderness, the mercenary groups are all flocking into the forests and the work load suddenly increased with all the frequent fights between the mercenaries. Please give me just 3 days. I will personally come and deliver the armor to you.¡± The owner of the shop was a short man with a ragged appearance but Uncle Chad loomed over that poor man. It was evident that the owner was somewhat fearful of Uncle Chad.

    ¡°Hi, Uncle Chad. What¡¯s going on? What happened in the Wilderness?¡± Azalon questioned as he approached them. He was slightly puzzled as he heard nothing happening in the Wilderness before he met Asma, and he slept till today, so the topic piqued his interest slightly.

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    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, you brat. Where were you all these days? Do you know what I had to go through with this little devil all these days? And you never even bothered to show up!¡± Uncle Chad spoke with irritated voice and Azalon lightly laughed as he lowered his eyes to look at the puffed up cheeks of Nina.

    ¡°I was training, Uncle Chad. And what¡¯s that incident that happened in the Wilderness? What and when did it happen?¡± Azalon once again probed as some discomfort started filling his heart.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± Uncle Chad narrowed his eyes as he stared at him for a while. The disturbance in his heart grew more and more when he saw fear flash on the face of the shop owner. ¡°Ah, I forgot. You are a training maniac. It¡¯s only natural that you did not come across the rumors floating in the city. Almost 6 days back, rumors started spreading in the city that some sort of treasure has appeared in the Wilderness. All the mercenary factions are rushing to the Wilderness to search for the treasure. Fights and brawls constantly erupted between the groups as they came across each other in their search. As such, tensions in the city reached pretty high as even the 3 Great Families are also preparing to make a move for the treasure.¡± Uncle Chad explained in a low tone.

    ¡°Treasure? What kind of treasure? How did they know that some treasure has appeared in the Wilderness?¡± Azalon asked with a puzzled expression while trying to keep his discomfort in check.

    ¡°It was around 6 days ago, that a bright light column appeared in the Wilderness. The column rose to the skies for a short moment but the entire city watched it. Generally such incidents will indicate a breakthrough of a strong Cultivator or the emergence of a treasure of some sort. But there are no powerful Cultivators around the City that can produce such phenomenon during breakthrough, it only means as a treasure must have sprung up. And all the factions of the City are preparing for the search for the treasure.¡±

    6 days ago¡­ Azalon made some calculations in his heart. That Asma said that he will spend almost 3 days in coma, before waking up, but since he was a special case, let¡¯s add one more day to the allocated time. That makes 4 days. But he didn¡¯t know how much time it took for his Souls to form the Embryos. But by the words of Uncle Chad, that light column should have something to do with him, and the only thing he could thing was connecting the Soul Bridges.

    4 days in coma, and he should have slept for 6 days after he woke up¡­ so he was absent from the city for at least 10 days. He lightly sighed and shook his head throwing his thoughts to the back of the mind.

    ¡°Did anyone find any clues about that incident? They should have at least scouted out the areas where the light column rose from, right?¡± Azalon lightly asked, as he set Nina down from his arms.

    ¡°Nothing till date. They couldn¡¯t even find any kinds of clues let alone the place from where the column rose.¡± Uncle Chad spoke with a light grumble. Azalon then bid good bye promising Nina that he will visit her soon.

    It was just becoming dark when he reached his family¡¯s mansion. He went straight to his room and jumped into the bath before his body filled up the soft and warm bed as his mind wandered off into the dreamlands.

    The next morning, Azalon met his grandfather and had an earful of scolding from the old man, but he was happy as he felt the concern that old man felt for him. He obediently bore through the scolding with a bowed head and a slight smile on his face.

    The next few days were spent as usual and no one bothered about him, the trash of the family. But Azalon¡¯s time was spent in his room with the scrolls and the artifacts left by Asma. He was more interested in the [Void Ring] and the [Mountain Crushers] rather than the 4 scrolls of martial arts. But all his probing and prodding resulted in nothing as these things required Spirit Energy to work and that¡¯s the only thing Azalon did not have. He could not ask anyone for help, not even his grandfather. So, Azalon slowly gave up and waited for the day his Spirit would Awaken.

    4 weeks passed without any incident. Even the rumors of the treasure appearing in the Wilderness also died out after weeks of combing by various factions of the city. But some mercenaries were still searching the Wilderness. But Azalon would simply watch his Rock Egg as he found out that the Rock Egg was getting slightly warm around 2 weeks before.

    He checked his Soul Root for time to time, and he was sure that today will be the day his Spirit will Awaken. With the previous incident in mind, he was convinced that something will happen surely when his Spirit will Awaken. He planned to move deep into the Wilderness to prevent getting unwanted attention.

    He packed some rations and grabbed his warm and almost hot Rock Egg, and went towards the Wilderness. This time, he did not take the usual route, but went towards another direction. The Blue Wind City has 3 Gates, each gate under the control of one of the 3 Great Families. The South West Gate was under his Wheld Family. The North Gate and the South East Gate were under the Reran Family and the Phantom Wolf Guild respectively. The market areas and the mercenary factions in that particular area come under that particular Family.

    Azalon walked in the South East Gate, as his family and the Reran Family were at odds with each other, and it would be walking into the enemy territory if he went into that direction. The Phantom Wolf Guild maintains its neutrality between the two Families and so it was relatively safe than the Reran Family.

    He passed through the city gates without any major problem and he swiftly travelled towards the Wilderness as the Rock Egg in his pouch was slowly growing hot. He knew that the time was near for the Spirit to Awaken and he increased his speed to the maximum and madly dashed into the Wilderness.

    He stopped once in a while to mark a tree or a rock before rushing once again. He did not stop moving for almost 2 hours before he found a small cave. He checked the surroundings of the cave carefully and after finding no footprints or any indications of any beast living in the cave, he slowly moved into the cave.

    The cave was fairly deep and the murky smell and the occasional crunches of bones below his feet told him that whatever occupied this cave has moved out fairly recently. He cleared out a small area in the cave and spread his blanket on the floor. The Rock Egg was scalding hot now and he immediately took it out from the pouch and laid it in front of him.

    He closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, entering the meditative state. His awareness sunk into his body and he followed one of the meridians to his Soul Root. His Soul surrounded by the 9 Embryos was floating in the center of the Soul Root. The Gray Soul Embryo was currently pulsing brightly and cracks could be seen on the surface of the Soul Embryo.

    But what surprised him was that the Silver Soul Embryo was also pulsing brightly too with some cracks on its surface. He watched as the cracks spread slowly on both the Soul Embryos.

    *SHATTER* *RRROOAAAAARRRRRRR*

    A massive and powerful roar resounded throughout his body as the Gray Soul Embryo shattered with a flash. The flash and the roar shook Azalon out of his meditative state and he abruptly opened his eyes as his mind trembled in fear of that massive roar.

    The roar filled his ears once again as cracking sounds filled the cave too. The Rock Egg in front of him was red hot and some parts started melting as cracks started appearing on the Egg. Azalon could feel something stir within him and a connection with whatever was inside the Egg.

    Boom¡­

    With a loud sound, the Egg shattered throwing Azalon crashing into the cave wall. He lightly cried out part surprised by the sudden explosion and mostly due to the pain of crashing into the cave wall. He hurriedly stood up as concern filled his mind for whatever was in that Rock Egg. He waved his hand to clear out the dust that blew up due to the explosion and his steps suddenly froze.

    At the place where the Rock Egg used to be, now there was a white¡­ Puppy? Kitten? It was a tiny cub that was curled up sleeping at the center of the cracks that spread as a cobweb. The fur of the cub was murky grey and it was rather cute to look at. As if it sensed another presence, it slowly the cub slowly opened its eyes and the eyes that stared at Azalon glittered brightly in the dark cave.

    The pupils of the cub were pale golden in color with black vertical slits within and the moment Azalon looked into those eyes, four words sounded within him that felt as if they came from the very depths of his Soul.

    ¡°Heavenly Demon Tiger, Raka.¡± Azalon muttered absentmindedly, but as he spoke these words the golden eyes of the cub glittered brightly. It opened its mouth and let out what meant to be a roar but came out as a low whine. Azalon laughed at that sound and the cub stood there with its mouth open as if it couldn¡¯t believe the sound it let out.

    He took a step forward and his body suddenly trembled as shattering sounds filled his mind once again. He sat down and once again cast his consciousness into his Soul Root.

    The Gray Soul Embryo of his Spirit now changed into the appearance of the tiger cub looking like a figurine revolving around his Soul. The figurine of the tiger cub was surrounded by a transparent membrane, and Azalon remembered that this stage was named [Infantile Stage] of the Soul Embryo Cultivation Stage, the second stage after the [Embryo Stage.]

    He shifted his eyes towards the cracks spreading on the Silver Soul Embryo. Azalon was excited as the number of cracks kept on increasing and with a loud bang the Soul Embryo shattered. Once again, he was forcefully awakened from his meditative state and he opened his eyes to see the tiger cub watching him with curious eyes.

    ¡®[Upgrade Requirements satisfied. Energy Levels reached Optimum State. Metamorphosis of Physical Components Commenced. Remodeling is being influenced by External Factors. Override is not possible. Computing the effects of the External factors on the performance of the system¡­ 10%... 30%... 78%...]

    ¡®[Computation Complete. Effects changed the basic components of the processing system, but the effects deemed to be incremental to the performance of the system. Metamorphosis of the physical components Completed. Influence of the External Factors detected once again. Changed Priority: Scan for Life Energy in the vicinity. Scan Complete. Organic materials with matching Energy Radiation detected in the vicinity of the system.]¡¯

    ¡®[Calculating System Compatibility with the Organic material¡­ Compatibility 94%. Integrating the Physical Components with the Life Energy detected. Integration Complete. Physical Body Metamorphosis for the A.I ready for Activation.]¡¯

    ¡®[Activating the Integral A.I System, LILY. Assimilation between the Upgraded Physical Components with the A.I at 12%... 38%... 69%... 98%... Assimilation Complete. Troubleshoot detected various foreign variables in the A.I system. Changes detected could not be eliminated. Calculating Risk Factors based on the changes¡­ Risk Factor 5%, slightly harmful to the Host A.I. Assimilating the changes into the A.I. Activation of the Integral A.I. System, LILY Complete.]¡¯

    A host of announcements rang out in his mind along with three words that branded into his Soul.

    ¡°Otherworldly Maiden LILY.¡± A bright flash filled his eyes and suddenly he felt something stuck to his face and a sweet voice beside his ears. "Master!"

 Chapter 13: Spirit Sense Realm

    ¡°Master, Master¡­ Ummah, Ummah, Ummah¡­¡± Before Azalon could react, the figure sticking to his face showered his face with lots and lots of kisses. His hand clamped around the figure forcefully pulling it free from his face.

    He looked at the figure in his palm and his gaze turned somewhat funny. It was a woman with dazzling beauty and devastating figure. The bright skin of hers was smooth and supple and a faint luster was shining off it. The perfect curves on the body, those slender and long legs that came out of the hem of her silver gown will make any man go mad with the impulse to explore them deeper and deeper. The small but prominent perks both on her chest as well as the back were emitting endless temptation. And the four dragonfly wings on her back complimented that beauty by radiating a divine aura off her body.

    Azalon was simply speechless, and he involuntarily gulped a couple of times. ¡°LILY?¡± his voice was slightly shaking with all the blood rushing up and down his body. He closed his eyes and forcefully took some deep breaths to calm his desire, and he opened his eyes to see that she was floating in the air.

    Within the dark cave, her body slowly floated up. At this moment, the silver radiance from her body and the gold luster off her wings projected a sacred look that made all the previous profane thoughts fade out like smoke. Her eyes were closed as she continued floating till she almost reached the roof of the cave. She suddenly opened her eyes and two piercing rays of light shot out of her eyes.

    At the same time, he felt something change within him, and a loud announcement startled him out of his stupor.

    ¡®[Integral A.I. System LILY Activation Complete. Host Signature Detected. Link Up with the Host Initiated. Link Up Complete. Transfer of Administrative Rights to the Host and the A.I. System. De- Activating the Auxiliary Support System. BEEP. Restart of the System Complete.]¡¯

    As soon as the announcement ended, the rays of light shooting from LILY¡¯s eyes dimmed down and she silently came down. He extended his palm and she landed on his palm. She watched him with her tiny eyes as Azalon too examined her.

    She was only around 35 ¨C 40 cm, appearing to be exquisite and yet, like a small doll. Her wings were tucked against her body covering her body like a golden robe around her silver gown. All in all, she was beautiful and sexy while being mature and cute at the same time. If she had been human sized, her beauty will make any man go mad with desire.

    ¡°Master! I missed you, Master. It has been too long and I could not contact you all these days. Master finally found a way to the problem and I could finally see you again.¡± Her cute face flushed red with her excitement as she kept on talking.

    ¡°OK, OK, LILY. Calm down. I too completely don¡¯t know what happened but I am happy to see you too, LILY. But what¡¯s with that appearance, LILY? How come it changed into this? An announcement told me that something influenced the program. Do the system logs have any record of them?¡± Azalon smiled as he felt nostalgic of the times where she was his only companion when he was holed up in that dark and lonely laboratory. She always found something to cheer him up with her antics, and his smile widened when he saw the cute figure standing on his palm.

    ¡°There¡¯s something in the logs, but there¡¯s something obstructing the system from accessing them. The system is still analyzing the restrictions but it seems that not all of the functions of the system has been activated, Master. Ah, Master, the Energy Reserves of the System are not capable of supporting those functions and they are currently in the deactivated state.¡± LILY reported loyally all that she found within her system.

    ¡°Keep analyzing them, LILY. But don¡¯t allocate any unnecessary processing capacity for their analysis. Make it the secondary priority of the System. I have a hunch that the log records are important but cannot be understood that easily. We have to research some more.¡±

    ¡°Brain Wave patterns are a Match. Host Johnny Rex Identified. Administer Rights Invoked. Command Confirmed, Master.¡± LILY suddenly responded with a monotone voice that will activate whenever he invokes his Administrator Rights to change something within her system.

    ¡°Ah, LILY. Can you access the [Memory Banks]? If so, scan my memory and transfer all the information into the [Memory Banks] and any relevant information have to be assigned a separate tags and stores separately. And also troubleshoot the entire system and make a comprehensive report of your current condition and relay it to me. By the way, change the Administrator name from Johnny Rex to Azalon Wheld. That¡¯s my name now and i want to leave the old me behind.¡±

    ¡°Task Established, Master. Queue Established. Estimated time for completion: 4 Days 9 Hours 12 Minutes and 7 Seconds. Task Completion Rate: 0.003%. Changing the Administrator Profile Requires Authentication.¡±

    ¡°Administrator: Johnny Rex. Authentication Password: motherlilianna.¡± Azalon responded word by word slowly and clearly, as any wrong pronunciation will destroy the Profile and LILY will not accept his commands anymore. It was a safe guard he built as he knew how dangerous LILY could be if she was used by destructive forces.

    ¡°Authentication Confirmed. Administrator Profile Changed from Johnny Rex to Azalon Wheld.¡±

    He finished his talk with LILY, and then he was struck with a thought. How to explain these 2 Spirits with everyone? No one will believe if he said that he Awakened these Spirits all of a sudden, right? He could manage with the cub, but he can¡¯t definitely explain LILY. He read about the Spirit Beast Rankings and that book that talked about the Rankings listed some low level Ranks as well as the few rare and powerful Spirits.

    There are all kinds of Spirits but most of them will not have any potential to travel far on the road of Cultivation. The Spirits are mainly classified into 4 categories, The Assault System Spirits, The Defense System Spirits, The Auxiliary Support Systems and the Special or Unique Spirits. Each and every Spirit has its peculiarities and specialties along with their drawbacks, and the Spirit Rankings was considered to be the well accepted criteria to measure the value of the Awakened Spirits. There were no records of the Heavenly Demon Tiger that he Awakened but there was a record on the Fairy Spirits.

    Fairy Spirits are categorized into Auxiliary Spirit System, as they can influence the Spirit Energy in the surroundings to converge around them and as such provide a Spirit Energy rich atmosphere for Cultivation. The Cultivators with the Fairy Spirits are generally eyed by the powerful factions as one Cultivator with a Fairy Spirit can provide Support to almost 10 Cultivators whether in battle or Cultivation.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    So, how to explain LILY? Ah, no, before that, how to explain his Awakening at all? Hmmm¡­ Hhmmm¡­ Hhhhmmmmmm¡­ HHHHHMMMMM?

    ¡°I CANT GET A SINGLE IDEA. AHHHH¡­¡± Azalon screamed making both the tiger cub and the fairy jump with surprise.

    He gave up after banging his head against the problem for a long time. He vaguely recalled something but no matter how much he concentrated on that thought, nothing popped up. He can¡¯t use LILY as the memory upload is still incomplete and only after the process has finished can LILY search through them for any information.

    ¡°Ah, I give up. If nothing else works, I will just ask grandpa for any idea. He said that he knew that pretty face bastard. He will definitely guess that this was done by that prick and do something to cover for him if not me.¡± Azalon lightly sighed and pushed the problem aside.

    His face suddenly lit up with excitement as he watched the tiger cub and the fairy sitting on the head of the cub, and the repercussion of the existence of these two hit him for the first time after a long time. This¡­ this¡­ doesn¡¯t this mean that he can advance to the next Realm? He can finally cultivate Spirit Energy¡­

    He immediately sat down cross legged in the cave and regulated his breathing. The ripples in his heart gradually calmed down before his mind became clear of any distractions. Azalon concentrated on feeling the connections between his Spirits and slowly he surfaced in that bubble. But this time, he was not frustrated on seeing this bubble but instead excited.

    With a thought, two light beams emerged from his body before coalescing into two spheres, one gray and one silver, within which the avatars of the tiger cub and the fairy could be seen. Two narrow and long tunnels extended from the boundary of the bubble and connected with the [Infantile Souls] of his Spirits.

    He recollected what he read about the Soul Bridges and whatever he heard from the instructors in his family. The Soul Bridge is a connection extended between the Cultivator and the Spirit Energy present in the surroundings using the Spirit as a medium for conduction of the Spirit Energy. Azalon concentrated on the two Souls floating before him and he felt that connection between them.

    He imagined the connection between them to be a long and wide tunnel and the tunnel extending from him to the Spirit and extending over to the Spirit Energy around him. Slowly he could feel the connection changing and expanding. He saw the rudimentary Bridge he made with the Soul Embryos change into something strong and durable, as well as wide and long. The changing Soul Bridge extended from the Spirit Soul towards him and he too willingly accepted the Soul Bridge to be connected with his Soul.

    It took him a long time to create a sturdy and durable Soul Bridges with his two Spirits. He could see a wisp of Spirit Energy entering the mouth of each of the tunnels. The Souls of the Spirits slightly trembled when the wisp of the Energy passed through them. That wisp of Energy rushed towards him before entering his body.

    Moments later, the Spirit Energy formed a small but constant stream as it continuously rushed into his body. But there was a slight difference between the two Spirits. The Spirit Energy from the Silver Soul was slightly more and concentrated than the Energy from his Tiger Spirit.

    ¡°So, this is what they meant by the number one Support System Fairy Spirit, huh.¡± Azalon muttered as he watched the disparities between the Energies of the Tiger Spirit and LILY.

    The energy was being absorbed by his body unceasingly. His organs, muscles, tendons, meridians and even nerves were changing under the nourishment of the Spirit Energy all the way to the cellular level.

    His strength started surging and his body was gradually shedding its mortal core, changing, becoming into something Azalon could never have imagined possible with all his knowledge and intelligence. It was a Realm that modern humans on Earth have never explored, even though there were vague ancient records of various legendary figures transcending the mortal body and ascending into a new Realm. Even then there were limits to their advancements as the Energy on Earth was scarce, when compared to the Spirit Energy of this world¡­

    Azalon carefully absorbed the changes in his body, as he gave the Spirit Energy free reign to roam throughout his body. He was someone that has somewhat extensive knowledge on the early Realms of the Cultivation.

    The first step of the Cultivation is to strengthen the body to its limits by training, and this level is the Spirit Novice Realm. Currently Azalon stands at the very absolute peak of the Realm with 2000 pounds of strength behind his fists. The next step is the intermediate step between the Spirit Novice and the Spirit Sense Realm. This step comprises the formation of the Soul Bridge and allowing the body to absorb the Spirit Energy freely to change the physique of a mortal into an Immortal Body. Under the nourishment of the Spirit Energy, the human body will be activated on many levels and that is something that should be left to the nature to do.

    Azalon could feel his strength surging with the passing of every moment. 2200 pounds¡­ 2500 pounds¡­ 3000 pounds¡­ 3400 pounds¡­ the surge in his strength stopped only after it reached 4000 pounds! 4000 pounds! Even top rate martial artists back on Earth couldn¡¯t imagine the strength of this 12 year old boy! And this is just the first level of the First Realm of Spirit Cultivation! One could imagine what strength one could gain at the end of the path of the Cultivation.

    Only after Azalon felt that his body could not absorb the Spirit Energy anymore, did he take control of the Spirit Energy in his meridians and started refining it.

    He circulated the Spirit Energy through all the meridians in his body for 9 times before guiding it to be stored in his Soul Root. The Spirit Energy slowly accumulated in his Soul Root forming a small vortex with his Soul at its epicenter. He continued refining the Spirit Energy in his body, and the vortex gradually grew in size and speed.

    Azalon forgot about the passage of time, he forgot about his problems, he forgot about the very meaning of his physical existence as he immersed himself in that vortex of Energy in his Soul Root that was gradually enlarging completely filling up the Space.

    Starting this moment, Azalon officially took his very first step on the path of Immortality. Who knows what the journey that this single step will signify for the world? Only Time Can Tell¡­

 Chapter 14: Unexpected Visitor

    Blue Wind City, a small city in the southern corner of the Emerald Empire, one of the 7 Empires of the Shandra continent. The city¡¯s main trade depends on the Spirit Cores and a small amount of ores from the mines the city manage to excavate in the wilderness. But the mining industry is not as thriving as the Spirit Core harvesting. The location of the city surrounded by the Wilderness on three sides like a peninsula further makes the mercenary groups to thrive in this small city.

    Spirit Cores are the Energy centres that form in the bodies of the Spirit Beasts, specifically the conglomerate of the Spirit Energy that a Spirit Beast cultivates forms the Spirit Core. Even when the Beast dies, the Spirit Core exists for a set period of time before dissipating into the atmosphere as the natural Spirit Energy. The Spirit Cores have a variety of uses, let it be as a cultivation resource, a raw material used by a Spirit Blacksmith for forging, even as a food source for the domestic Spirit Beasts¡­

    This makes the demand for the Spirit Cores far outstrip the rate of supply. Even the lowest of Cores have a fairly high price, let alone Cores of some rare and powerful Beasts. That is the main reason why even a small city can thrive just based on the harvest of the Spirit Cores! The same reason why many hot blooded young cultivators join the mercenary groups, not only from the poor families but even the children of the Nobles and Lords. The hunts in the Wilderness provide the important real life experience while stimulating their potential in the face of the life and death situations. They can even learn survival tactic from the veteran hunters which may later on save their lives¡­

    The one another reason for the existence of the mercenary was for safety. Any kind of Spirit Beast is born with Innate Strength, and the Spirit Energy that the Beast absorbs is used to further enhance the strength providing an insurmountable gap in strength between a Spirit Beast and a cultivator of the same Realm. The existence of allies in the hunt will make up for any breaches in the defences and provide backup in case of attack. Single Hunts are considered to be a gateway to death where one walks the tight line between this world and the netherworld.

    But it¡¯s not like Single Hunts are always frowned upon. But you should have the abilities to match that boast. Generally it requires high cultivation level or a high level Martial Art that can let you triumph over the brute strength of the Beasts. But who in this back water city has such cultivation level or the Marital Arts?

    Somewhere deep in the Wilderness¡­

    Loud roars resounded in the surroundings, as a large bear was rampaging across the thick forest. The bloodshot eyes of the bear clearly indicate that the bear is beyond rage and almost reached the state of insanity. Every swipe of the large paws of the bear downs a large tree as if the trees were bamboo shoots. It was shockingly a Storm Bear, a Beast known for its brute strength and ridiculous defence provided by its thick skin and fur.

    A figure was flashing around the bear in an irregular fashion and somehow managed to evade the attacks of the large bear. Occasionally *Peng* *Peng* sounds could be heard as the figure tried to counterattack time to time taking advantage of the lull between the attacks of the bear.

    The Storm Bear 3 meters in height and each of its arms were like large tree trunks with sharp steel claws at the end of its paws. It was the overlord of that part of the forest, and claimed it to be its territory. It prided itself on its terrifying strength and even those repulsive human groups of cultivators never confronted it without some meticulous preparations. But right now, this single human challenged it and that too in direct conflict. The bear was going insane as its strength proved to be ineffective before this loach like figure that was slipping through its attacks; the only weakness being its speed.it started wildly attacking intending to crush this puny human.

    Naturally, the figure was Azalon, currently training in the Wilderness. He was patiently wearing out the stamina of the Storm Bear, and his tactic bore fruit faster than expected. The Storm Bear gave a large huff as foam formed between its large trees and its arms started slowing down at a considerable rate as the Bear drew air in large gasps.

    Azalon¡¯s eyes glittered as an excited grin drew across that childish face. He instantly appeared behind the Storm Bear, and with a light push of his toes he reached the height of its wide shoulders. His tightly clenched fist shot forth and the muscles of his arm trembled in a bizarre fashion, as he targeted the place where the skull of the Bear meets with the Spinal Cord.

    Boom. Boom. Boom.

    Three consecutive booms and a sickening crunch and the Bear instantly stiffened as the first vertebra of the Spinal Cord broke and the shockwave shook the medulla oblongata making it almost brain dead. Azalon swiftly took out a hunting knife and once again his hand flashed as the knife passed through the damaged cartilage and muscles. The Bear let out a final grunt as its massive body fell down shaking the ground lightly.

    ¡°Huff, huff¡­ Man that was difficult. But only this Class 2 Storm Bear is the only Beast in its class that can put up a fight with its ridiculous defence. Even my strength of 5300 pounds couldn¡¯t dent that thick skin and fur. Hmm¡­ with the Core of this Storm Bear, I should have enough to breakthrough to the next level.¡± Azalon muttered as his knife mangled up the skull of the Bear to extract its Spirit Core.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ Faster, faster, you silly cat. You are a waste of food if you can¡¯t even run faster than this. You are the Spirit of Master and you don¡¯t even help out in the hunt. And you have the gall to demand the best part of the meat from the Beast¡¯s body. From now on, this big sister will train you and make you into a worthy animal.¡± A silky voice came from Azalon¡¯s right and he turned his head to look at his Tiger Spirit Raka being harassed by the Fairy LILY.

    ¡°Alright you guys. Come here or else the Soul of this Storm Bear will dissipate.¡± Azalon lightly laughed at the comical scene of a silver fairy riding over a grey tiger cub while shouting into the ears of the tiger cub.

    Each responded with an ¡°Ahh¡­ Yes, Master~~~¡± and a ¡°Croo¡± and Azalon could see the tiger cub almost feel relieved as it listened to his call. LILY was still riding on Raka as it rushed towards the massive corpse of the Storm Bear. As soon as the tiger cub approached a certain distance, the bodies of the tiger cub and the fairy flashed with a mild light as they opened their mouths and made a sucking motion.

    Golden veins appeared in Azalon¡¯s eyes and in his vision, a shocking scene came into view. Floating above the corpse of the Storm Bear was a transparent apparition the same shape and size of the Storm Bear he had just slain. The apparition turned into two streams as it was devoured by his Spirits.

    ¡°Another Class 2 Spirit Beast. It can¡¯t be helped. With my current strength I can¡¯t even escape from them let alone fight wiith the Class 3 Spirit Beasts. I should breakthrough today and my strength will increase to around 6000 pounds. And then maybe tomorrow I can advance deeper into the forest to find some Class 3 Beasts.¡± Azalon shook his head as the golden veins receded from his eyes.

    It has been a month since Azalon started cultivating that day. From then on, his entire perspective underwent some massive changes. His strength surged, his agility as well his reaction timings increased. His physique was now lither and he could execute his strength without any wasted movements which naturally increased his efficiency in the hunts.

    Azalon¡¯s currently at the 2nd Level of the Spirit Sense Realm, with 5300 pounds of weight behind his small fists. The days following his breakthrough were filled with number of experiments and exploring his abilities. Otherwise, with the number one Support System Fairy Spirit, he could have reached the 5th Level Spirit Sense Realm long ago.

    You can¡¯t blame him as this is a Realm which any human back on Earth never managed to reach much less explore the possibilities. Even though there are certain ancient records about Qi or Chi cultivation, they were mainly concentrated on philosophical aspects rather than scientific observations.

    His thoughts wandered to the discoveries of the last month as he watched his Spirits devour the Soul of the Storm Bear.

    One Month Before in a Cave¡­

    Azalon sat in the cave with his eyes closed for who knows after how much time. He was completely immersed in the wonderful feeling of the Spirit Energy flowing throughout his body and he felt as if something changed at the most basic level of the body. But without any sophisticated equipment, he couldn¡¯t make any assumptions as to what and why it changed.

    After a complete sweep, his consciousness reached the Soul Root. The Energy Vortex in his Soul Root was revolving constantly with his Soul as the Focal point. Slowly the vortex started stabilising at a particular speed, and he watched amazed as the [Infantile Souls] of his two Spirits start melting as soon as the vortex stabilised.

    The grey outer case of the Heavenly Demon Tiger melted before the grey liquid merged with the Spirit Beast Mark inside. The tiger cub like Spirit Mark trembled for a while as it absorbed the grey liquid before it stood up and started running around his Soul. The current Spirit Mark was a perfect 3D representation of the tiger cub albeit in a miniature scale. The same situation repeated with the Silver Soul of LILY, and a miniature 3D fairy flew around his Soul in a different trajectory from that of Raka¡¯s. But the other 7 Souls remained unaffected much to the bafflement of Azalon. He made a mental note to scrutinize them on a deeper level later on. The solution seemed simple and obvious but it eluded Azalon.

    Azalon slowly opened his eyes and he met with another baffling scene. Both Raka and LILY were enveloped in a cocoon formed by a layer of light. Crack. The cocoons broke after a short moment, and his Spirits appeared from within the cocoons. Azalon could see that some changes occurred with both of them and some closer observation revealed them.

    LILY was now slightly taller and the Silver glow on her body was more pronounced, and a silver hoop with a small golden gem appeared on her head.

    Otherworldly High Fairy, LILY¡­ Even her name changed!

    ¡®[Upgrades Detected in the hardware of the System. Analysing and Assimilating the Changes¡­ Task Complete. Basic Processing Speed of the System boosted by 12%. Computing the new processing speed into the Queued Tasks. Primary Task Detected: Integrating the System Sensors with the host sensory organs. Updated Time of Completion: 1 Day 13 Minutes 23 Seconds. Secondary Task Detected: Analyse the logs of the System. BEEP. Failure to access the logs with the new processing speed. Task Queue Unchanged¡­]¡¯

    But most of the changes occurred on Raka. The tiger cub now really looked like a tiger cub when compared to the kitten like appearance from before. Two Silvery patterns adorned his golden eyes which now shone with intelligence from deep within them. The contrast between the dull grey fur and the bright silver patterned golden eyes made them all the more enchanting!

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Azalon immediately made some connections between what happened in his Soul Root and the situation before him.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ the Souls should have evolved to the [Infantile Stage], but it seems that only when my cultivation reaches the particular level can the Spirits truly Evolve just like now.¡± He pushed the matter to the back of his mind as he felt that he was 95% correct and it will take some research to confirm his deductions.

    The next few days, Azalon stayed in his room and he was completely engrossed in exploring the changes that happened in his body. He was studying the changes his body underwent as a result of his advancement onto the road of the Spiritual Cultivation. He could feel that the current body of his was like an upgraded version of his previous body. His body felt lighter, stronger, brimming with vitality and a mysterious aura radiated from him.

    Azalon mulled a long time over these changes trying to analyse them, understand the reasons behind them, but he finally gave up as it felt that these changes were based on some laws unique to this plane of existence and before he could understand the underlying rules and regulations he couldn¡¯t comprehend the reasons behind the changes in his body.

    The next part was the most interesting and exciting part of his research. The Artifacts! Especially the [Void Ring] the legendary pocket dimension that was a long-time dream of countless scientists back on Earth! And he was holding one in his hand right now! Azalon felt giddy in his head as he started his examination on the simple copper ring in his palm.

    He spent another 10 days analysing the two artifacts and though the readings he managed to obtain were crude and preliminary, even they gave to rise to a feeling that his knowledge he always felt proud of on Earth felt insignificant before the knowledge in this world. But he was on the other hand immensely excited as he longed for the day when he would manage to break down the basic laws of this world¡­ on that day, with the advanced knowledge from this world along with the material advancements from Earth, he was sure that he can create some out of the world artifacts just like this [Void Ring]¡­ the next week was allocated to completely memorise the contents of the 3 Scrolls and as for their contents, Azalon managed to understand the intricacies and know hows of the [Soul Embryo Cultivation Method]. But he was stuck with the [Infinite Beats] and the [Ghostly Shadow Flash].

    [Infinite Beats] is a fist technique that allows one to execute infinite number of punches in a single punch. Generally, any one can only exert a maximum of 100% strength in  punch. But with this technique, after delivering a punch, the muscles in the arms should contract and expand delivering a second, third... tenth ... hundredth... There exists no limit to the number of punches one can build upon the previous vibration. Azalon only managed to execute 3 Beats and didn''t progress furthur. It''s like he is missing a simple trick to unleash the next stage. And as for the [Ghostly Shadow Flash], it contains 9 sets of footwork each for a different situation and this technique was practiced to the [Initial Mastery] stage, the first stage of mastery of Martial Arts at which one can understand the fundamentals of the technique and their relation with the flow of Spirit Energy within the body.

    The final leg of his preparations; he pondered over the effect of the Spirits on him. He spent around 4 days and managed to find that he inherited 3 Abilities from his Spirits; two from Raka [Devour], [Beast Senses] and a single ability from LILY, which Azalon named [Vector Vision]. Coincidentally, none of them are attack or defensive abilities but of support type!

    This is another question added to the pile of unanswered questions, the question as to why he didn¡¯t have any abilities that should be common to the Beast type Spirit Beasts but instead his abilities are all support type abilities!?

    [Devour] is a very useful ability for his Cultivation. As the name suggests, this ability can devour and digest almost anything from the meat of the Beasts to even the Spirit Cores. The subsequent Energies in the material will be broken down to their basic level before assimilating into the respective parts in his body. For example, within the meat of a Spirit Beast, along with the juicy and nutritious meat there will also be the Energy that belonged to the Beast when it was alive. This ability extracts this Energy from the meat and the meat will be used to nourish his body while the Energy will be merged into the energy vortex in his Soul Root! It was simply a cheat like ability in the mind set of Azalon!

    [Beast Senses] is a sensor boosting ability that changes the human senses into that of a Beast. It was due to this ability that Azalon managed to see the Soul of the Storm Beast that normal people and even most of the cultivators couldn¡¯t see. Not only his eye sight, his hearing, sense of smell and even his intuition became sharper when he invoked this Spirit.

    As for the [Vector Vision] from LILY, may be some other time, as Azalon now had to advance to the next level¡­

    Returning to the present situation, Azalon watched as the last vestiges of the Soul of the Storm Bear disappear into the waiting mouths of his Spirits. He felt the two [Infantile Stage Souls] of his Souls tremble slightly as a small part of the requirement for the next evolution to the [Adolescent Stage]. This was one of the two methods recorded in the scroll of the [Sol Embryo Cultivation Method] to evolve the [Soul Embryos]. This method was considered as somewhat shady but the results of this method will be fast and not a least bit secure than the other method of slowly nurturing the [Soul Embryos] using the Energy cultivated from the atmosphere by the Cultivator. But this method was slow to the point of turtle paced.

    Even with the second method, Azalon had to kill around 20 Level 1 and 15 Level 2 Beasts before he managed to fill up a quarter of the Energy required for the next evolution. Imagine the amount of Energy one has to cultivate to meet the same level by just using the Energy from Cultivation alone!

    Azalon swiftly handled the dissecting the Storm Bear before storing the huge pile of meat and bones along with the Spirit Core in his [Void Ring]. He rushed through the forest before finding a thick tree with a canopy of braches spreading above it. He nimbly climbed onto the tree before finding a well concealed spot within the thick branches. He flipped his hand and two Class 1 Cores appeared in his palm.

    He threw them into his mouth before closing his eyes and entered the state of meditation. Raka and LILY grew silent and vigilant as Azalon concentrated on his cultivation. The [Devour] ability converted the Cores into Spirit Energy which under the control of Azalon revolved around his body the maximum number of times he could with his current condition, 9 times. Every revolution purified the Energy before it reached the vortex within the Soul Root.

    The vortex suddenly became active under the influx of the Energy as it churned faster and faster while the size of the vortex slowly expanded. But Azalon¡¯s consciousness held a tight leash around the vortex confining it within a particular area. With the constant influx of Energy but with the tight confinement of Azalon¡¯s consciousness, the revolving speed of the vortex suddenly surged to high speeds and it kept on increasing.

    This was a trick Azalon managed to apply during the month of study. According to the records on the Cultivation he managed to read in the public library, the most important factor a cultivator had to consider is the purity of the Energy. It was determined by the number of times one can revolve the Energy around his body. The more number of times, the purer the Energy. It was said that Cultivators of the Spirit Core Realm can revolve the Energy thousands if not hundreds of times. One can imagine the degree of purity of the Energy of those Cultivators.

    But Azalon couldn¡¯t even manage 10 turns let alone hundreds. So, he came up with this method. Pressure! Applying pressure to filter out the impurities from the Energy! Since he couldn¡¯t apply pressure directly, he confined the Energy Vortex within a particular length and constantly infused with excess Energy. The offset of the confinement will make the vortex rotate faster and faster, and under such high speeds the impurities within the Energy strands will be filtered out.

    After 15 Class 1 and 10 Class 2 Spirit Cores, the vortex was now a blur and Azalon could see some greyish wisps escaping out from the high speed vortex. After the last grey strand was force out, Azalon gradually released the confinement of the vortex allowing it to gradually expand. The vortex slowly expanded while its speed slowed down before reaching a specific speed.

    Boom¡­ with a boom that resounded within his body, the vortex stabilised and Azalon broke through to the 3rd Level Spirit Sense Realm.  Azalon opened his eyes and a faint lustre appeared in his eyes before fading away. He let out a stale greyish breath and lightly wrinkled his nose as a thick viscous black liquid covered his body emitting a repulsing rotten smell. That was the impurities expelled from his body. He smiled bitterly before taking out a pouch of water from his ring and washing himself.

    After a long bath with intense scrubbing, he put on a new set of clothes before jumping down from the tree. The sky was gradually turning black as night slowly crept in. Azalon whistled and Raka appeared beside him with a *Whoosh*. He picked the tiger cub and placed it within his clothes and LILY settled down on his shoulders leaning against his neck. His figure flashed as he swiftly wove through the forest to reach his home.

    The Wheld mansion was silent but for the occasional patrolling guards. Azalon slowly walked on the familiar path to his room and carefully hid the tiger cub and waved his hand as LILY disappeared. This was another think he discovered. He could make LILY appear and disappear at will, but he couldn''t do the same with Raka. Once again he had no explanation for this phenomenon but he was grateful for this ability as LILY was very eye catching.

    No one paid any particular interest in this trash of the family and this was one of the reasons that allowed him to keep his advancement in the cultivation a secret. Only his grandfather knew that he Awakened his Spirit and even he didn¡¯t know about LILY or the 7 dormant Spirits within him. The corridor to his room was empty and Azalon felt slightly felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. He hastened his pace and just as he was about to open the door to his room, a strong arm snaked around his neck clutching his throat in the crook of the elbow almost choking him.

    ¡°Finally, I managed to catch you, you brat.¡±

 Chapter 15: 7 Great Academies

    ¡°Finally, I have caught you, you brat¡±. A husky voice spoke while the arm tightly held the throat almost to the point of choking Azalon. The initial burst of panic Azalon felt melted right away when he heard that voice. The owner of the voice was the only person who loved Azalon the same way as his grandfather. His Big Brother, Hank Wheld. But right now¡­

    ¡°Big¡­ Bro... ther¡­ I can¡¯t breathe¡­¡± Azalon managed to gasp as the oxygen was cut out from his lungs under the steel grip of his brother.

    ¡°Ahh, Oh, Oops. Hahaha¡± with an embarrassed laugh that hand let go of his throat and Azalon took in large gulps of air. ¡°Sorry, I was happy to see you and I didn¡¯t think to hold back, he he¡­¡±

    Azalon turned around to see a tall and lean young man standing scratching his head while laughing sheepishly. He was around 17 - 18 years of age, 6 feet of height with a wiry physique. The fiery red hair curled around his shoulders while those half lidded eyes brimmed with love as he watched Azalon. Both the brothers bumped their fists together before laughing loudly.

    Hank Wheld was originally an orphan that his grandfather Eren Wheld brought back when he went to visit a neighbouring city. It was before Azalon was born and Hank treated Azalon like a brother which was reciprocated by Azalon.

    These two brothers were a team that rampage through the city making mischief everywhere they went. They brought endless headaches to their grandfather but the family never took any severe actions against them. The reason? Because Hank Wheld was a prodigy when it came to cultivation. He broke through the cultivation levels like they are paper walls and quickly reached the Spirit Condensation Realm when he was just 15 years old! Eren Wheld once said to Azalon that this speed in cultivation was only seen the second time in the history of the Wheld family! Who was the first? Azalon never got the answer for that question and he assumed that it would be an ancestor or some old generation guy¡­

    At the same time, Azalon was a rising genius who showed an awful lot of promise when he reached the peak of the Spirit Novice Realm in 8 months, a feat even his genius big brother never managed to reach. It was at that time that his Awakening failed and his Petrified Spirit was made known to the family. But the two brothers were as close as before and the status of their positions in the family didn¡¯t affect the bond between them. His big brother was the second person Azalon truly loved and cared for.

    Later on, Hank was admitted into an academy, and this is the first time he returned after a gap of almost 2 years.

    ¡°Brother, come inside. Let¡¯s talk in my room.¡± Azalon was truly happy and he ushered his brother into his room before following him. His brother laid down on the bed while Azalon took up a chair facing his brother.

    ¡°So, how is the Academy, Hank? And more importantly what stage is your cultivation at?¡± Azalon asked with some excitement.

    ¡°Ha-ha¡­ the Academy is great. You should see the environment over there, Az. Even after 2 years of my stay, I never managed to get used to the resources provided there. High quality Spiritual Medicines, Energy Congregation Arrays, Martial techniques, and more importantly the guidance provided by the instructors¡­ it¡¯s simply a paradise for the cultivators! Geniuses are as common as grass over there, and the competition between them is simply intense. Every one strives to prove their worth to the Academy and rise to the position of Core Disciples. I managed to reach the 4th Level of the Spirit Condensation Realm. But this level is simply at the mediocre level when compared to the true geniuses in the Academy. ¡± Hank kept on talking about the experiences he had during the 2 year stay at his Academy. And Azalon listened with interest as this was the news from outside the city which he always dreamed to roam.

    Suddenly Hank sighed and turned his head to look at the young face of his younger brother. Hah¡­ ¡°So, what about you, Az? What happened when I was not here? Do you still visit Uncle Chad? And how is Nina? Let¡¯s go tomorrow. I missed that little fire cracker who used to always chase after you.¡± Hank managed to cover up his expression in time before asking Azalon with a light laugh.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ Nina is good and I too plan to visit her tomorrow. She will be surprised to see you and hopefully not angry. You know how she behaves, right. Get ready for some beatings from her.¡± Azalon laughed as he imagined that energetic girl pounding her small fists on the head of Hank.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t change a bit, huh. May be I should get some candy to pacify her¡­¡± Hank smiled faintly.

    ¡°Ah, Hank. By the way, why did you come home this early? You said that it will take around 8 years before you graduate and the Academy doesn¡¯t allow any breaks for the students. What happened?¡± Azalon asked with a puzzling face.

    ¡°Oh, I came here on Academy¡¯s business, Az. It should be announced tomorrow.¡± Hank stopped for a moment in his speech before continuing in a low voice. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t talk about it but who cares. The 7 Great Academies of the continent including my own are starting a campaign to recruit a new batch of students, as you all know about it. But for some reasons, the campaign was scheduled to an earlier date. That is the reason why we were dispatched, to bring the announcement to all the cities of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°7 Great Academies? Hank, you are saying that all the Great Academies are conducting their campaigns at the same time? But how is it possible? They are considered to be rivals to each other! How the hell did they manage to conduct a common campaign?¡± Azalon asked with a disbelieving tone.

    ¡°Humph¡­ who knows how they came into agreement. But there is a talk out there that the Alliance is somehow responsible for this campaign and even though the Academies are powerful and influential, they are not enough to against the Alliance.¡± Hank snorted as he responded non-chalantly.

    Azalon went silent as he pondered over the words of his brother. He thought for a while before asking probingly.

    ¡°Do you know about the conditions set for the applicants, Hank?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? Ah, there are 2 conditions for the initial stage. The applicants should be below and 15 years and above 8 years of age. They should have reached the 4th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm and higher the better chances of admission. The next stages are not announced yet, but I think it should be related to each of the individual Academies. Then the final screening based on some ranking method as decided by the Academy. Why the sudden interest, Az? You know that you can¡¯t apply.¡± Hank¡¯s tone softened as he knew that this younger brother of his was depressed on the matter of his Petrified Spirit.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    But contrary to the gloomy expression expected by Hank, Azalon¡¯s eyes were filled with excitement and a sly grin made that young face look like a bad uncle.

    ¡°You will not believe me if I told you, Hank. But just close your eyes for a moment. I have a nice surprise for you!¡± Azalon responded with trying to project a mysterious air but that exited face made it fail.

    ¡°What are you up to? But¡­ alright.¡± Hank closed his eyes but his other senses closely monitored every movement of his brother. He sensed Azalon reach into his clothes and take out what looked like a small cat. Before he could feel puzzled by this, Azalon¡¯s voice reached his ears.

    ¡°Open your eyes, Hank. I know you were using your senses to see what I was doing. To think that I actually forgot that senses are not limited to a Cultivator.¡± Azalon spoke with a scolding voice.

    Hank opened his eyes and looked at the grey tiger cub Azalon held in his hands. Even though he was intelligent, he couldn¡¯t guess the fact that this cub could be the Spirit Beast of his brother. Thus, the next words of Azalon took him by surprise.

    ¡°This is my Spirit, Hank. I am at the 3rd Level of the Spirit Sense Realm.¡± Azalon spoke with a gloating look on his face but he too was surprised at the reaction of his brother.

    ¡°WHHAATT??? Az¡­ Az¡­ your Spirit? 3rd Level? You are really at the 3rd Level?¡± Hank instantly jumped up from the bed before shouting loudly. Only now did he use his Spiritual Sense to inspect Azalon. And sure enough, he could feel the cultivation level of the 3rd Level Spirit Sense Realm from his brother. Hank¡¯s mind immediately went into overdrive as waves of emotion and tons of questions overwhelmed his tranquil heart.

    Azalon watched amused at the play of expression on Hank¡¯s face. Surprise¡­ disbelief¡­ excitement¡­ and finally a relieved and happy expression cleared out all the previous ones and once again the strong arms of his brother enveloped Azalon.

    Hank¡¯s body trembled lightly as he hugged his younger brother, but he was truly happy as from now on his brother can once again soar into the skies. He didn¡¯t care what happened or how it happened. He had confidence in his brother¡¯s character that even though Azalon was somewhat dismissive of the common ethics and morals of the society, he wouldn¡¯t stoop low enough to allow something dark to rule over him. The brothers separated from their hug and Hank immediately bombarded Azalon with a barrage of questions.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you the details, Hank. But this is really my Spirit. And it has been only about a month and half since my Spirit Awakened. That is the reason why I was asking about the Academies. I want to join one, Hank. I want to see the wide world out there. That was our dream. And I now have the chance to achieve it beside you.¡± Azalon held up his hand to stop his brother as he spoke with a low but firm voice.

    Hank also reigned in his emotions and he calmed down after some deep breaths. He knew that whatever happened was something miraculous and he was happy that it happened to his brother. Besides that, he didn¡¯t care about anything else! But¡­

    ¡°Wait a moment! You said that your Spirit has only Awakened a month ago? And you already reached the 3rd Level Sprit Sense Realm? Az, that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Even though I have seen some prodigies advance faster than that, it was with the help of countless Spirit pills and various herbs! I know that our family can¡¯t afford them. Did you advance to the next level without stabilising your cultivation?¡± Immediately Hank panicked as he asked Azalon. Generally cultivators will stay at a Level for some period of time to stabilise their cultivation. If not they will face problems in the future due to the shaky foundations laid out in the beginning. Hank was panicking because of this. He was concerned that Azalon had been impatient to advance in the ranks and didn¡¯t take time to stabilise his cultivation.

    If that happened, the future potential of his brother will be damaged! Once that happened, even with priceless medicines and herbs, he may not advance after a certain level!

    ¡°Ha-ha¡­ you don¡¯t have to worry, Hank. I know all about that. The reason why I was so fast in my cultivation is

    another thing.¡± Azalon really wanted to tell that he had achieved his current level in only 10 days, but he didn¡¯t want to scare his brother too much. So, he decided to show another reason to ease up the tension of Hank.

    He once again put his hands into his robes and called onto LILY silently. With a soft light, the fairy materialised directly into his palm. He took out his hand along with his second Spirit.

    ¡°I have two Spirits Hank. And my other Spirit is this one.¡± LILY slowly floated from his palm and hovered between Azalon and his brother.

    ¡°A¡­A¡­ A Fa¡­Fairy¡­ A FAIRY SPIRIT???? You¡­ you¡­ you have a Fairy Spirit. AHHH¡­ A Dual Spiritualist!!!! Az, you are a Dual Spiritualist??? OH MY GOD¡­ and it¡¯s actually a HIGH FAIRY SPIRIT? You Monster!!!!¡± Hank stammered as his calmed mind as once again pounded by the series of surprises his brother was giving him.

    First, he Re- Awakens his Petrified Spirit¡­ then his Cultivation Speed was something not commonly seen¡­ and then he takes out another Spirit, that too the Rare High Fairy Spirit, that was confirmed by the hoop around the head of the Spirit¡­ my brother is a Dual Spiritualist¡­

    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHA¡­¡± Hank started laughing maniacally and the entire room shook from the loud laughter from the powerful cultivator of the Spirit Condensation Realm.

    Azalon slightly smiled watching the happiness is brother was feeling on behalf of him, and a warm feeling emerged from his heart. So, this is how having family feels like, huh? Azalon felt blessed to be given such an amazing brother and a loving grandfather to him¡­

    The two brothers talked late into the night going over the recruitment conditions for the campaign and Hank took time to explain the problems and bottlenecks he had faced in his cultivation to Azalon, so that he will be ready when he had to face them too. The family mansion was filled with the laughter of the two brothers that night¡­

 Chapter 16: Announcement

    The next morning, Azalon woke up with a light feel in his heart. The long talk with his brother last night was something he missed dearly, as he had no one in the family that would talk with him that closely. There are somethings that he couldn¡¯t talk with his grandfather and having a sibling close to your age was something that elder generation cannot compare with.

    ¡°You took your sweet time to wake up, sleepyhead.¡± Hank greeted him coming from the bath with water still dripping from his body. Hank¡¯s body changed along with his advancement in his cultivation. His muscles were not bulky but well-toned and streamlined. His red wet hair fell onto his face shining lightly under the warm sunlight appearing like strands of fire dancing around.

    Azalon lightly laughed and lazily stretched his body as he stood up. Raka jumped down from his chest as he stood up and let out an admonishing *Croo* and promptly fell asleep again on his bed. He circulated the Spirit Energy driving out the last remnants of sleepiness and went to the bath to refresh. Just as Azalon came out from the bath,

    *Tong* *Tong* *Tong* three bell sounds resounded throughout the family mansion. Three Bell Notes¡­ A call for the entire family gathering¡­ it seems that the time for the information about the recruitment campaign of the 7 Great Academies to be announced to the family. Azalon quickly dressed up and rushed outside to the gathering place.

    Wheld Family Court Grounds¡­

    In the courtyard of the Wheld Family mansion, there was a large area that was divided into two parts. One part was used as the training grounds for the martial arts and the other was the Court Grounds. It was a meeting place for the family where some important announcements to the entire family were made here. All the Wheld family members were gathered there from the Elders to the younger generation. Azalon stood in a corner and watched the Elders discussing in low tones. His grandfather and Hank are nowhere to be seen, and Azalon waited s they were sure to come in a short time.

    Just as he thought, a short moment later, a pair, one old man and one young man, walked into the Grounds and the chatter in the grounds fell silent. Eren Wheld walked to the middle of the grounds and passed his gaze over all that were present in the grounds. After making sure that no one was absent, he lightly cleared his throat and his powerful voice boomed around the Court Grounds.

    ¡°As you all know, this year is supposed to be time for the Recruiting Campaign of one of the 7 Great Academies. But because of some unexpected reasons, the Great Academies made some changes in their schedule. The purpose of this meeting is to announce those changes. As you all know my grandson, Hank Wheld is one of the students of one of the Great Academies, the Azure Phoenix Academy. He was sent here on behalf of the Academy to announce the new schedule of the recruitment procedure.¡±

    All the heads turned towards the young man standing beside Eren Wheld. The young man was standing straight and his eyes held a piercing glow in them. His entire body was ram rod straight and his aura was just like is Spirit, The Crimson Spear, a rare Tool Sprit with an Attribute. Hank¡¯s voice was not less powerful than Eren Wheld as he announced the changes in the schedule of the Academies.

    ¡°This time, it was decided that all the 7 Great Academies will conduct their recruitment campaigns at the same time. Thus, to save time and to make the selection procedure easy for the judgement, the test is divided into 3 stages. The first and second sages are common for all the Academies while the third ad final stage will be the internal assessment individual to each Academy. The first test will be conducted after 2 months at the location decided by the Academies. Don¡¯t worry, proper transport arrangements will be made by the Academies for the participants.¡±

    ¡°But not everyone can participate I the selections. The Academies allocated a set number of slots for each city, based on the category of the City. Since our Blue Wind City is a Category 3 City, we have 10 Slots. Since we can¡¯t decide the participants from a single family, I have decided to hold a meeting with the Reran Family and the Phantom Wolf Guild tomorrow and decide on how to select he participants.¡± Eren Wheld continued on from Hank¡¯s words.

    The announcement from both the Academies and the Family Head immediately set off a short moment of silence before all the younger generation exploded with different kinds of questions. Almost all of them were excited for if they can manage to be recruited into those prestigious Academies, it will be like directly jumping onto a floating cloud to reach the heavens. Their future prospects will be limitless and if they can manage to graduate even with the lowest of the Cultivation level, they can occupy a lofty position in the kingdom or even become a noble! Such enticements were something no one could resist! Instantly all these young cultivators were filled with excitement and anticipation for the 2 months to pass¡­

    The same situation was currently being played out all over the city, including the Reran Family as well as the Phantom Wolf Guild. The initial conditions set by the Academies were announced to the city and all the young people in the required range were excite and diligently started cultivating in order to advance in their cultivation even by a small amount. Who knows, maybe this little extra can change the tides somewhere¡­

    The three families were no different. They even took out their precious medicines and herbs and passed them onto their family prodigies to be used. If even one of them were to be selected, then the entire status of the family will undergo a massive change. They can even move to bigger cities and spread their influence over there! Even Azalon was excited, but his excitement belongs to a separate dimension from what the others were feeling!

    Just as Azalon was about to return to his room, he saw his brother beckoning him to wait. He waited till all the people in the Court Grounds left and then met with Hank. Hank smiled before walking towards his grandfather¡¯s cottage. Azalon was slightly puzzled but he still followed. Both the brothers reached the small garden with a cottage in the middle, and they could see Eren Wheld standing there with a serious expression on his face.

    ¡°I am getting old. I may live for another 5 years at most a decade. Initially, I thought to hand over the Family Head position to Hank, but after I saw his talent, I realised that his future will not be in this small city. He will be a powerful figure that will roam through the world. And then there is you, Azalon. I can¡¯t deny the fact that I felt happy in a corner of my heart when your Spirit resulted as a Petrified Spirit. With your intelligence, you will make a great leader for the family. But you returned to your former glory one again or should I say even more than that.¡± Their grandfather spoke with a low tone but they could make out the seriousness in his voice and some traces of loneliness. Azalon was not shocked but a bit surprise that his grandfather spoke his inner thoughts this freely.

    ¡°But you have to promise me one thing, both of you.¡± Eren Wheld tilted his head and his hawk like eyes locked onto them. The full pressure of the peak Spirit Condensation Realm exploded out and Azalon and even Hank couldn¡¯t even take a breath. ¡°No matter, what happens, you are brothers. You should watch out each other¡¯s backs and protect them from danger. Don¡¯t take unnecessary risks. Remember, life is more important than anything else. As long as you are alive, you can reach any kinds of heights. The world is a cruel place and especially the world of Cultivation. Lives will be sacrificed just to obtain a common medicinal pill, do you know that? It¡¯s not a world where you can manage to get a bond that can stay with you through thick and thin. Maintain the bond between you, nurture it, protect it, and cherish it. And you can have a reliable companion beside you, and believe me, there is nothing more important than that kind of bond. Even priceless treasures will be worthless if you can¡¯t have someone to share that happiness beside you.¡±

    Azalon and Hank listened with serious expressions and engraved these words that really came from the experience of this old man. They looked at each other and could see the trust in each other¡¯s eyes. They knew that this person will never betray them. A smile involuntarily appeared on both their faces and they bowed lightly to their grandfather.

    Seeing the behaviour of his grandsons, Eren Wheld finally sighed with some relief, before shooing them away. Since the two brothers had nothing to do till tomorrow, Azalon proposed to go hunting in the Wilderness. Hank accepted the proposal and both of them rushed through the city gates and swiftly reached the endless expanse of thick trees.

    Azalon and Hank quickly traversed the forest and moved deeper and deeper. They slowed don once they reached the area where the Class 4 Beasts appear. Usually Azalon never would have dared to reach this deeper into the forest, but with Hank beside him, he was not afraid of the Class 3 or even Class 4 Beasts. The brothers¡¯ speed gradually slowed down to a normal pace. Hank was calm enough but Azalon was anxious as his dated around expecting for a Beast to pounce on them any moment.

    Azalon¡¯s fears never materialised as the Beasts couldn¡¯t escape the sharp senses of Hank who managed to react every time with considerable ease. Hank first weakened the Class 4 Beasts and then let Azalon handle the rest. This way Azalon also managed to improve his battle experience at a considerable rate, as a Class 4 Beast even weakened was not something Azalon could handle carelessly. By the evening, the two brothers hunted almost a dozen Class 4 Beasts and each of them were killed by Azalon. With the powerful Souls of the Class 4 Beasts, his [Infantile Souls] advanced by leaps and bounds as he finally manage to create the [Incubator Shell] from the Soul Energy of the Beasts for the next stage of Evolution of his Souls, the [Adolescent Soul Stage.]

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    Once the [Incubator Shell] breaks, his Spirits will reach the adult form and maybe he can even get some additional abilities. But for the Spirits to truly manifest in their adult forms, he had to break through to the Spirit Condensation Realm. It will be just like how it happened during the [Infantile Soul Sage.]

    They decided to camp in the forest as the night was peaceful and the weather was pleasant. Hank collected some dried and managed and managed to put up a camp fire, large slabs of the meat of the Class 4 Beast they hunted today was sizzling over the fire, spreading a great aroma into the air. Their stomachs rumble as the appetising smell reached their nostrils and they impatiently waited for the meat to cook before wolfing down the tender meat. Azalon cleaned out the major part of the roasted meat with his [Devour] ability and the warm Energy in the meat instantly spread through his boy bringing a comfortable feeling. The nourishing effects of the meat refined his muscles and bones and he could sense his cultivation slightly increase.

    ¡°As expected, high level Beast meat really is different from those of the low level ones.¡± Azalon muttered while sighing with satisfaction. Even without any seasonings, the tender meat had a unique texture to it that made the taste buds tingle with pleasure. Fortunately, Azalon managed to store the corpses of the Beasts within his [Void Ring] without arousing any doubts from Hank. That way, he could savour this tasty meat for a long time, as the hunted numbers reached almost a dozen!

    ¡°Did you know why grandfather talked that way today, Az?¡± While Azalon was enjoying the grilled meat, Hank suddenly spoke out seriously. His eyes were downcast and within the shadows that played across the handsome face of Hank, Azalon could see faint shimmering on the edges of the eyes. ¡®Hank is crying?¡¯ Azalon was shocked. He had never seen Hank like this. He was always an energetic and hardworking in nature.

    ¡°NO. But I think that it has something to do with the fact that he expected me to join an Academy. If that happens, I have to leave the family behind and will be alone in the outside world.¡± Azalon thought for a while and responded. But he knew that this was not the reason.

    ¡°I was 3 years old when grandfather found me. My village was under attack from the bandits. And grandfather along with his friend who grandfather treated as his brother, were travelling happened to pass by near the village. They came to our rescue but it was too late as there were only a handful of survivors and I was among them. Grandfather and his friend were both cultivators and the bandits were only mortals while the Bandit Leader reached the Spirit Sense 8th Level. Even then the bandit group was completely eliminated. ¡± Hank¡¯s voice was still serious as he stated narrating in a low voice. Azalon listened silently as this was something he never heard before.

    ¡°In order to thank the powerful cultivators that came to their aid, the Elder that managed to survive took out the village treasure that was passed down from many generations. It was an iron slab about the size of an adult palm with strange writings on it. It was something very precious to the clan but the knowledge of what it was, was lost somewhere in the passage of time. Grandfather never had any intention of accepting the gift from the village, but he couldn¡¯t refuse the good intentions of the village. So, he accepted the present. Even grandfather didn¡¯t know what that was, but his friend recognised that as a powerful Spirit Print that when banded onto their Spirits will instantly upgrade one¡¯s Spirit to a higher Spirit. It will be like the difference between a normal Fairy Spirit and your High Fairy Spirit, Az. Greed filled his mind and he launched a sneak attack on grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Both of them were at the peak of the Spirit Core Realm almost half step into the Nascent Soul Realm and truthfully, grandfather should have died under that attack. But grandfather¡¯s Spirit was a [Five Tailed Spirit Fox] ranked 32nd on the Rankings. It possessed fearsome instincts and instantly reacted. It sacrificed itself in order to save its owner. He too reacted quickly but the damage to his Soul was not small, so he could only flee. That other one started massacring the survivors but grandfather managed to save me from that man. He realised that that person wanted the iron slab in is hands. He threw that with as much power as he could while running in the opposite side. His cultivation dropped from the peak Spirit Core to the Spirit Condensation an e could never achieve the higher forms of cultivation. That is the reason why he warned us, Az. This is the reason why I love him and respect him that much, Az. I, Hank Wheld, take an oath under the Primordial Laws that if I ever betray my brother, Azalon Wheld, may my Soul be shattered to a thousand pieces never to be reincarnate.¡± The final oath echoed out through the silent forest and Azalon felt a faint ripple emerge from Hank before dissipating silently.

    ¡°I, Azalon Wheld, take an oath under the Primordial Laws that if I ever intend to harm my brother, Hank Wheld, may my Soul be shattered to a thousand pieces never to reincarnate.¡± Azalon suddenly repeated the words of his brother, but he carefully chose his word as he was not sure whether telling lies was the same as betraying or not. Just as he finished his oath, Azalon felt is Soul tremble for a moment and he could feel something change, but he was not sure about it.

    Hank abruptly lifted his head and his eyes contained shock and surprise as he never expected Azalon to repeat his oath. But he could see that Azalon did that just to prove that he considered him to be his true brother and will not allow him to take on such burden alone. Hank¡¯s melancholy dissipated as his heart filled with gratitude and love for his younger brother. Azalon took in all this, but he simply smiled before slowly closing his eyes and drifting off into sleep.

    The next day, the brothers advanced deeper into the forest. But maybe they used all their luck yesterday as they never came across a single Beast after searching for a whole day. Suddenly, Hank stilled in his movements as he tilted his head. He went silent for a moment before an ecstatic expression floated onto his face. He gripped the shoulders of Azalon tightly before laughing wildly.

    ¡°We are indeed lucky today, Az. I now know the reason why there are no Beasts in this area. It seems that a powerful Cass 5 Beast is attempting a breakthrough to the next stage. Come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Hank suddenly dashed in a particular direction leaving behind a stupefied Azalon.

    ¡°Class 5 Beast attempting a breakthrough? And we are going to see it? Di he hurt his head or something yesterday? Who the hell will go and watch something as it becomes stronger?¡± Azalon blurted out with a dubious tone as he watched the silhouette of Hank getting farther and farther.

    ¡°Oye, Az. What happened? Come on quick. This is a heaven sent opportunity! We have to go there! Make it fast, you brat.¡± Hank shouted loudly as he realised that Azalon just stood there as if he was rooted to the spot with a comical expression on his face.

    ¡°Huh? Heaven sent opportunity? It¡¯s more like sending us to the Heavens opportunity! Did you become crazy overnight, Hank? That Beast is changing into a Class 6 Beast! Class 6, you understand!? CLASS¡­ S-I-X! And you want to go watch it?¡±  Azalon shouted back with some shock evident in his tone as he watched the almost suicidal behaviour of his brother.

    ¡°Ah, You Idiot!!!¡± Hank¡¯s voice was like rolling stones and hi figure reached Azalon before even the voice faded out. ¡°Listen, you stupid brat, the process of breakthrough is something that should be carried out without any disturbances. It¡¯s the same for both human cultivators as well as the Beasts. If something did manage to disturb you in the middle of a breakthrough, then the repercussions will result in a decline in your cultivation at best or cripple you at worst. The same goes for the Beasts. In fact, it¡¯s even more precarious for the Beasts. The Beasts have to accumulate massive amounts of Energy to attempt the breakthrough, and it will use up all that Energy to the last possible drop hen it completes its evolution. And that will be the moment when it will be at the weakest! If we can strike at that moment, we can acquire a Class 6 Spirit Core and its meat and bones! You know ow much it costs to purchase the meat of a Class 6 Beast in the market? It will be thousands if not tens of thousands of gold and here you are calling me crazy!¡±

    Hank explained all this in a single breath! And his body kept o twitching as if he couldn¡¯t wait to move out and kill that Beast. But his explanation somewhat made sense. Azalon nodded his head before the brothers rushed through the forest under the lead of Hank, as they finally reached a steep mountain with a purple glow flashing on the mountain top, within that mountain, Azalon and Hank could sense the turbulent Energies swirling around. If that was not proof enough the low growls that emitted from the mountain top made sure that the Class 5 Beast was present there, Excitement gushed into the eyes of Azalon and Hank as they slowly approached the mountain peak¡­

 Chapter 17: Thunder Horned Stag

    Azalon and Hank closed onto the location where they felt the Energy disturbances were originating from. They were extra vigilant and completely retracted their cultivation bases so as not to alert the Beast. Even though Hank was currently at the 4th Level Spirit Condensation Realm, he couldn¡¯t handle a Level 6 Beast and that too while protecting Azalon. He didn¡¯t want to take any chances, especially with the life of Azalon.

    The closer they approached the mountain top, the more pressure they felt and the more vigilant they became. Finally, after a long and somewhat straining trek, the mountain top came into their view. The mountain top was completely obliterated, and there was not a single location was not turned upside down. Great trees were uprooted and thrown about, the earth was ravaged to an extent that cracks filled the entire mountain top, small and big piles of rocks could be seen all over hinting that these piles of rocks were once a big and solid rock, dust clouds clustered about making the field of vision to hinder¡­ the culprit of this rampage slowly revealed itself as the dust cloud settled down.

    It was a beautiful stag. That stag was enormous and its purple golden pelt shined under the setting sun in a peculiar fashion, but what would draw the most attention on this Beast were its huge antlers. Each of its antlers was a work of art with exquisite curves and intricate patterns formed by the partitions of the antlers. The antlers would flash from time to time and each time, electricity would sparkle on its body. Just based on its appearance, any one can say that this Beast was truly a unique one. Azalon recalled its name from the records he read, Thunder Horned Stag.

    Beside him, Hank gasped as he watched the powerful Beast reveal itself and clearly this is the Beast that was undergoing its evolution. The brothers looked at each other and excitement in their eyes reflected back from the other¡¯s eyes. This will be a big scoop of they can manage to kill this Beast! Just the Antlers of this Thunder Horned Stag will sell for tens of thousands of gold coins in an auction. Each and every part of this exquisite Beast was a priceless treasure! Its skin, bones, eyes, meat and even its phallus has an astronomical price in black markets as it was believed to improve the male potency! No one knows if it¡¯s true or not, but there¡¯s no short of snobby nobles betting on the chance of the rumour being true¡­

    Azalon and Hank carefully hid themselves in a cluster of rocks that were just outside the detection range of the senses of the stag and watched every movement of the stag with rapt attention. But the stag just stood there and its huge eyes looked up into the skies as if waiting for something. The electricity sparks dancing on its body intensified and the ground the stag was standing on turned black as the soil was charred the electricity.

    Black clouds started gathering above the mountain peak and Azalon stared at the roiling cumulonimbus clouds that formed out of nowhere with some bewilderment. He could feel the gaze of the stag become sharp and its aura rise up as the storm clouds began to tumble violently.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting, Az¡­¡± Hank reminded Azalon softly but eagerly with a tap on the shoulders drawing his attention from the clouds to the stag.

    The rumbling in the storm clouds increased as lightning snaked through the cluster of clouds. The lightning began to coarse through the clouds before they gathered at the centre of the storm. The stag impatiently stared at the lightning being gathered in the storm clouds.

    BOOM¡­

    A lightning bolt instantly slammed onto the body of the stag before the stag or even the two spectators could see it. The stag bellowed out a shrill cry as the lightning created an intense pain run through its body but a dazzling purple glow exploded out from the stag before extending straight into the clouds like a bright light column.

    As the light column appeared, the clouds rumbled even more vigorously. The electricity sparks on the stag also increase in intensity and a *Chi* *Chi* sound filled the air as the sparks created small shockwaves in the air. Azalon¡¯s eyes gleamed as he stared without blinking at the strange and otherworldly phenomenon playing out before his eyes. His hands itched and he never wanted his equipment from Earth so badly. This is something that was never possible back on Earth. Just what were the changes that enabled an herbivorous and harmless stag to turn into something that can influence weather? If he could find out that, one of the many questions he had will be answered.

    The stag suddenly jumped onto the purple light column. Its four hooves were like four pillars that were extremely sturdy and heavy. The continuous clashes of the lightning created the surrounding area to be pulverised beyond recognition.  Azalon and Hank ad goose bumps all over their body as they watched the destruction going on before their eyes that were filled with shock. Thunderbolts kept on pouring down from the storm clouds and ferociously slammed onto the body of the stag.

    Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Boom¡­ Booming sounds unceasingly rang out the entire mountain valley and the Beasts in the forest were nowhere to be seen as their instincts warned them to run from this place as far as possible with as much speed they can muster. Only after they managed to create a massive distance between the mountain and them did they raise their heads staring at the lightning rain falling on the mountain top.

    Kree¡­ Kree ¡­ Kree¡­ The stag¡¯s mournful cries echoed out with each thunderbolt. The light column gradually weakened as it became evident that the stag suffered extremely severe injuries. But with each thunderbolt that slammed onto its body, the aura of the stag will increase. Electricity crazily surged around its body before violently tunnelling in, causing additional damage to its already battered body. After numerous impacts, changes appeared on the Beast. Its pelt started to wither and a sickly sweet aroma of cooked meat spread out as the muscles of the stag were insta-cooked under the powerful thunderbolts.

    But under the attentive gazes of the two spectators, new tissues instantly formed replacing the damaged parts. This new tissue was stronger and more resilient than the previous. Once the stag manage to shed its body and absorb the powerful Energy within the thunderbolts into its Beast Core, it will succeed in its evolution. It will experience a massive surge in its strength as well as its Affinity due to the assimilation of the thunderbolts into its Core.

    RUMBLE¡­ RUMBLE¡­

    Massive rumblings sounded from the storm clouds in the skies. The clouds churned violently forming a black hole in the centre of the vortex and the glow of the lightning increased at an alarming rate. The stag stubbornly raised its eyes as it watched the crazily roiling clouds. It knew that this will be the final strike and if it can pull through this, it will successfully evolve! Maybe the clouds were irked by the defiant gaze of the stag; they let out a mighty rumble and the clouds churned even more violently. Under the shocking gazes of Azalon and Hank, a massive thunderbolt the size of an adult man shot down from the heavens. The thunderbolt felt like the judgement the Heavens descending onto the mortal world to wipe out anything that stood in its way.

    ¡°What terrifying thunderbolts¡­¡± Azalon blurted out in shock as he felt an invisible pressure pin him down as the frightening thunderbolt ruthlessly smashed onto the body of the Thunder Horned Stag! *BOOOMMMM* *KREEEEEE* with a massive boom that shook the entire mountain, the stag was shot own from the skies and it heavily landed onto the mountain top. Everything within 500 metres was destroyed by the violent impact and the resulting shockwave. Even Azalon and Hank were blown out and only after rolling for some time did they manage to stop. Azalon coughed out blood and he felt two of his ribs crack due to that shockwave. Fortunately, they were just fractured and not broken. He circulated his Spirit Energy and tried to heal his injuries. Hank fared better as his cultivation base was much higher than Azalon as well as his control over his body.

    Hank rushed to support Azalon before infusing his Spirit Sense to inspect his body for injuries. He stuffed a healing pill into the mouth of Azalon before turning his gaze to observe the situation on the mountain top. With the healing pill, Azalon¡¯s injuries rapidly healed and he swallowed his saliva as he watched the extensive destruction. If the Thunder Horned Stag failed at this stage, then its body will be destroyed and the time they spent till now will be wasted. But if it succeeded, then they had to be prepared to attack before it can stabilise its Spirit Core. Timing is very important in this situation!

    Two pairs of eyes concentrated on the spot where the Thunder Horned Stag had landed. The clouds dispersed just as quickly as they were formed. On the ground, a large hole appeared at that spot and black smoke rose into the air from the hole. Hank¡¯s eyebrows furrowed together as he watched the smoke rising from the hole. ¡®It couldn¡¯t have perished, right?¡¯ just a he thought this, a faint glow appeared from the hole.

    The Thunder Horned Stag climbed out with difficulty from the hole. It was currently in a very sorry state. Its pelt was charred black and even muscles could be seen at some spots. Its eyes were dim and listless and it was staggering just like a new born calf! But new muscles continuously replaced the damaged areas and its body gradually healed regaining its former glory.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    Hank¡¯s eyes glittered with excitement as he could sense that the aura of the Thunder Horned Stag was very weak and it will take some time for its body to heal to its optimum state. This is the best time to attack! Hank tapped the shoulder of Azalon. Azalon was also observing the Stag and the signal from his brother confirmed his observations. His injuries were almost healed with the help of the healing pill. He stood up and each of them went in a separate direction intending to flank the Thunder Horned Stag from both sides.

    Hank was the first one to reach the Stag and he reached out for his Spirit, the Crimson Spear on his back. Red lines appeared on the black spear as he infused it with his Spirit Energy before he swung out violently. *Thrummm* the spear was like a striking viper that bared its fangs on its prey!

    *Puchi* Hank carefully calculated the trajectory of his strike and the spear pierced through the still damaged muscles on the back of the Stag. *Kreee* once again the Stag bellowed out in pain and anger. Its huge eyes looked at Hank who was still holding the spear trying to pull it out. Lightning streaked out from is body before it reached Hank through his Spear.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Hank cried out in pain as the lightning was more powerful than he thought. He circulated his Spirit Energy to keep the pain at bay and his strength exploded as he pulled out the Spear and once again thrust it forward. The borders of his clothes were charred from the lightning and he grimaced. But he managed to injure the Stag and he saw Azalon rushing from the other side. His fists flashed before three *Peng*s sounded as is punch landed on the same exact spot Hank managed to injure.

    *Kreee* *Kreee* the eyes of the Beast became blood shot as it shook its body throwing off Hank who was took by surprise. It opened its mouth and a lightning ball shot towards Hank. ¡°Hank, quickly dodge it!¡± Azalon shouted but it was unnecessary. Hank was a Spirit Condensation cultivator and his reflexes were all super-human. Azalon managed to scuttle to the side dodging the big hoof of the Thunder Horned Stag, before he reached the side of his brother.

    The eyes of the Stag were filled with hatred. If it was at its full strength, dealing with these two puny humans would be child¡¯s play to it. But currently, it could only manage to muster a sliver of its strength. Moreover, its body was severely damaged and it had yet to completely heal it. It had already spent all its energy to defend against that last thunderbolt and it will take some time before it could replenish its energy. In its current state, it would be difficult to kill these two, especially the one with the Spear.

    ¡°Tch. It still has some strength left. But I don¡¯t think it will long last enough. Let¡¯s attack with a barrage of attacks and tire it out, Az. Once it¡¯s completely out of its Energy, we can kill it with ease. I will deal the first strike and you follow it up.¡± Hank¡¯s body flashed before he suddenly appeared near the neck of the Stag. But the Stag reacted pretty fast and dodged the spear strike. It then turned around and tried to flee. But its speed dropped by a drastic amount due to the damage it took before.

    Hank¡¯s speed even took Azalon by surprise, but he too executed his [Ghostly Shadow Flash] and pursued behind the Beast. He closed his eyes for a moment before abruptly opening them. His black pupils were now silver in colour and emotionless, just like a flat piece of mirror placed in his eyes.

    [Vector Vision]¡­ the ability he gained from LILY, when he managed to integrate his senses with the sensors of the system o LILY. Instantly the world before his eyes changed. Numerous lines, curves, angles, trajectories and numbers filled his vision. The powerful processing capacity of LILY fused with his consciousness instantly analysed everything around him through his senses. It will then calculate the probabilities of every single thing in his sensory range, from a small leaf falling from the tree to the movement of his enemies. Within this world, everything will be under his control. Not a single thing can act that will not follow one of the many probable actions that will be calculated and projected before his eyes. The system will even project the most probable instances and the respective reactions that should be taken! Within this world, he would feel like an Overlord that has everything within his palm!

    Azalon concentrated on the two figures of Hank and the Thunder Horned Stag. The A.I. System responded instantly and prioritised the two figures in his field of vision. Every trajectory of the spear of Hank and every dingle movement of the Stag were calculated in microseconds before being projected as mathematical representations.

    ¡°Hank, move three steps to your left and thrust upwards.¡± Azalon suddenly shouted and even though Hank was surprised, he still executed what was told. Just as he moved to his left, the massive hoof of the Beast flashed at that place accompanied by a violent gust of wind! Cold sweat broke out on his back as he imagined that hoof hitting his body. If he wouldn¡¯t have died, he would have been seriously injured! His thoughts broke out as his right hand thrust upwards with the Crimson Spear and managed to pierce through the hind leg of the Stag. The spear flashed once before a blazing fire shot out from the tip of the Spear into the leg of the Stag. This was the [Fire Thrust] a basic ability of his Spear that accompanies his thrust with a sudden burst of fire dealing additional damage to the opponent.

    Just as he pulled out his spear, Azalon appeared like a ghost beside him before punching with his fist. Once again three *Peng*s landed on the same spot accurately. 3 Beats of the [Infinite Beats]¡­ the single punch delivered three waves of 6000 pounds, the limit of his strength. The leg of the Stag broke under the dual assault and the massive body of the Stag crashed onto the ground.

    ¡°Quickly Hank! Deliver the final blow!¡± Azalon once again prompted and Hank¡¯s spear flashed before piercing through the throat of the Thunder Horned Stag. But something unexpected happened once again! From the open mouth of the Stag, a small purple sphere flew out. The Thunder Horned Stag¡¯s Spirit Core! Small streaks of lightning flashed around the Core as it floated for a moment and a kind off apparition resembling the Thunder Horned Stag formed with the Core as the centre.

    It was the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag! It managed to attach to the Spirit Core and as long as the Core exists, it can slowly form its body using the Energy within its Core. Hank was surprised as he stared at the floating Spirit Core with the Soul of the Beast attached to it, but Azalon was dumbstruck. Something clicked in his mind as he stared at the Soul and the Core of the Thunder Horned Stag.

    ¡®Right¡­ that¡¯s right¡­ it should be the only reason!¡¯ Azalon was immediately enlightened and his eyes glittered brightly as he stared at the Spirit Core and the Soul. He didn¡¯t care about the Core but he wanted was that Soul. But as the Soul has attached to the Spirit Core, he had no choice to go for the Core too. The numbers in his vision started changing, calculating the new situation and drawing new probabilities and responses.

    ¡°Hank, the Core will fly to the right and I will intercept it. It should then try to break through using the gap that will create between us the moment I will move. Be ready and we should stop that Core from escaping. Wait for three breaths after I move and take 8 steps to your right. That should place you in a position from where the Core will enter your striking range. I will attack from the top forcing the Core downwards. You should strike with the same strike you executed before the same moment I initiate my attack. Both of our attacks, one from the top and one from below, should reach at the same time. Be careful and follow my movements. If we miss that instance, the Core will surely escape!¡± Azalon issued out rapid commands before he moved to his right to intercept the Core.

    Just as Azalon calculated, the Core followed the path highlighted by the system in his vision, and Azalon reached the calculated optimum spot. The Core stilled for a moment, before veering to the left trying to take the advantage of the gap between him and Hank. Azalon pivoted around on his toes and his figure immediately dashed to the next spot and his fist punched out. Just as his punch started, a black spear appeared below him and both the attacks landed on the fleeing Core at the same time.

    [3 Step Infinite Beats]¡­ [Fire Thrust]¡­ a mournful cry resounded as cracks started appearing on the surface of the Core. The Energies within the Core escaped out but Azalon didn¡¯t care. What he was concentrating on was the Soul Apparition of the Thunder Horned Stag. The Soul of the Stag was attached to its Spirit Core, and once it was damaged, the Soul was damaged too! Azalon immediately opened his mouth and a suction force appeared within. The Core along with the Soul was instantly sucked into his stomach!

    [Devour]¡­ he immediately sat cross legged and started the most difficult task he had ever done till date¡­

 Chapter 18: Consecutive Break Throughs

    After swallowing the Spirit Core of the Thunder Horned Stag with its Soul still connected to the Core, Azalon immediately sat cross legged without a single thought of safety or consideration of his condition. He cut off all his senses and activated the [Devour] ability to its fullest capability.

    The [Devour] was a powerful technique that has the ability to digest all kinds of Energies, but Azalon couldn¡¯t utilise this wonderful ability because of his low cultivation level. And this inability proved its effect this day. Originally a Spirit Core of a Level 6 Beast was not something too powerful or tyrannical. Even though a Class 6 Beast was capable to battle a Spirit Condensation Realm Cultivator, it can still be brought down by a group of Spirit Sense Cultivators. But the Thunder Horned Stag was different. It just underwent its Tribulation through lightning and was supposed to be reborn as a Level 6 Beast, if Azalon and Hank had not intervened! But the powerful Tribulation Lightning made it''s Soul to reach the Level 7 Beast. otherwise it couldn''t have seperated its Soul from it''s body and attach to its Spirit Core. The difference between Level 6 Beast and a Level 7 Beast was the difference between the Earth and Heaven, as a Level 7 Beast was equivalent to a Spirit Core Cultivator!

    And taking into consideration of the explosive power of the Lightning Elemental Affinity of the Thunder Horned Stag that was supposed to be one of the powerful Elements of the Nature, one can measure the terrifying battle power of Thunder Horned Beast! But the Stag exhausted all the physical and mental capacities it possessed against the Tribulation Lightning. It was due to this sole reason that the brother duo was able to being down the mighty Beast!

    Even though the body was destroyed by these two brothers, the Stag managed to attach its Soul to its Spirit Core as well as the Tribulation Lightning it collected in its body and intended to flee. Now, Azalon swallowed this powerful Spirit Core along with the equally powerful Soul into his body directly! If Azalon relaxed just for a moment in the refinement procedure, the consequences will not be something simple.

    Azalon utilised all that he could to activate the [Devour] ability to the farthest extent possible. Under the reckless cycling of the ability, the Energies condensed within the Spirit Core were swiftly absorbed and the boundless Energy turned into a stream of Energy as it flowed into the meridians of the body. The turbulent Energy stream was like a sharp knife that cut through his meridians, as the meridians couldn¡¯t handle that much influx of Energy all at a time. Azalon gritted his teeth and concentrated with all his might to tame the chaotic Energies before they could turn his meridians into minced meat!

    With each revolution along with the constant suppression of Azalon¡¯s consciousness, the violent Energy calmed down by a large amount, and by the time of 7th revolution through his meridians, the Energy stream was like calm and cool water that brought a pleasant and comfortable feeling to his damaged meridians. He moved a part of the Energy to heal is meridians and the remaining Energy was completely refined to the maximum capacity Azalon was capable of i.e. through 9 revolutions all around his body. Azalon guided the Energy into his Soul Root and watched carefully as the vortex started absorbing the Energy.

    The vortex was like a thirsty land that just felt the first rain of the season. It immediately started absorbing the Energy like crazy and started expanding. But before it could expand freely, the confines made by the consciousness of Azalon set into place once again. The vortex struggled violently against the confinements, but Azalon tightly held them in place. With each moment, more and more Energy flowed into the vortex and the speed of the vortex constantly increased. Azalon carefully manipulated the Energy vortex by releasing and constricting to achieve the maximum refinement possible. It was one of the goals he set for himself, he other being the physical capabilities. He was determined to never break through until he explored the very limit of the current Level he was in!

    This was something he discovered when he broke through to the Spirit Sense all those days ago. For two years, he was unable to cultivate the Spirit Energy, and as such he concentrated all his energy and time on his physical training. Under the mad training for two years, he overcame the strength that was believed to be the limit off the Spirit Novice Realm! His strength reached to a new level of 2000 pounds, almost double of the strength of the normal Spirit Novice Realm fighters, 1000 pounds! When a cultivator managed to reach the Spirit sense Realm from the Spirit Novice Realm, his strength will double and with every advancement in the Level, additional 1000 pounds strength to the fists! By that logic, once Azalon broke through, his strength doubled, reaching 4000 pounds! This is the strength of a 3rd Level Spirit Sense cultivator! This discovery made Azalon think it through before he decided on his future path. It was through this development that he manged to increase his strength by a small amount at each Level. Only after Azalon felt that he reached the limit will he attempt to reach the next Level!

    This is a path that not everyone will think of treading! Even if the initial surge of strength will give one an edge over their peers, but this path will make their future cultivation progress fall down to the crawling pace of a snail if they have to follow this path! Let us assume that one cultivator managed to reach the extreme limits of strength or Energy cultivation on each Level. He can mow down some one over is cultivation level because of superior strength and more reserves of Spirit Energy! But what would happen one they advance to the next Realm? It was already a fact that the differences between he Levels as the cultivation advances will be vast. And to top it up, if one decides to explore the limits of their current level, how much time will they have to spend on the same level as their peers advance to the next Level? A Year, perhaps? A Decade, maybe?  A Century, by the way? Even if they can skip levels in a fight in the initial stages, but once the cultivation reaches a certain stage, the differences between Levels will be a chasm, wide and deep enough to make the same scenario that happened in the initial stages almost impossible!

    It was according to this decision that Azalon was concentrating on the vortex this intensely. The vortex revolved faster and faster and Azalon calculated the precise timings where he slightly released the mental restraint and allowed the vortex to grow larger. It was at this time that the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag revealed itself! Earlier it was injured due to the cracking of the Spirit Core and was slightly dazed. But now it has recovered enough to realise that it has been absorbed by the human. It was shocked at first but it immediately became ecstatic. If it can erase the Soul of this human and take over tis body, it will no longer be a Beast, but Beast in a human form! It may lose its terrifying strength and its affinity with the Nature, but the tremendous potential of the human race was what allowed the human race to thrive in this chaotic world! If the Beast can take over the human body, this will be a new path for its future! It may even become one of the rulers of this world!

    The Soul immediately rushed into the Soul Root just as Azalon felt something change in his body. The Stag materialised I its Soul form in the Soul Root of Azalon and it raised its head to look at the black Soul at the eye of the rapidly rotating Energy Vortex. Azalon felt his Soul tremble under the pressure exuded by the Spirit Core Realm Spirit Beast, and an unbearable coldness suddenly filled his consciousness and slowly started to freeze his consciousness. Azalon could feel himself slipping into darkness and his instincts loudly rang in his min not to fall asleep. If once his consciousness fades out, his Soul will be obliterated and be replaced by the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag. Without his Soul, he will be completely wiped out from the reality never to reincarnate!

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    Azalon struggled with all his might to stay awake, to fight against the invading coldness, but the opponent was too strong. He cannot resist the powerful Soul Force with his puny cultivation level. Moreover, the Thunder Horne Sag went through the Tribulation Lightning and emerged victorious this made its Soul even resilient and powerful than the Beasts of the same level. His Soul trembled violently under the waves of the soul force, and the Energy Vortex with nothing to control it went into disarray as it was not stabilised completely. The Energy started wreaking havoc in his body and the situation turned worse.

    *Kreee* WIth a wild shout, the Thunder Horned Stag pounced, intent on devouring the black Soul of Azalon and replace it, and then it will possess complete control over this boy. It will be reborn as a human! But the hands of Fate will always play a different game than what one intends to play! Who would have thought that just as the Thunder Horned Stag opened its mouth to devour the black Soul, the small purple sphere that was hid from the sight of the Thunder Horned Stag due to the Energy vortex, stop revolving and shine with a bright light? Once the purple Soul Embryo started shining, the Soul of the Stag froze in its action with its mouth and eyes still open! It looked as if invisible chains tied it down making it unable to move an inch.

    The previous excited and crazy look in its eyes now turned into intense fear and crisis. It felt a premonition of danger to its existence, as if a Primordial Beast has set its eyes on it! It exerted all it could to break free of whatever shackles that were binding it, but it was of no use. Let alone break, it couldn¡¯t even move. Just as the Stag was trembling in fear, the purple Embryo suddenly flew in its direction!

    It appeared above the head of the Thunder Horned Stag in an instant, and a terrifying suction force came out from deep within the Soul Embryo! Before the Stag could even struggle, it was absorbed by the purple Embryo just like that! Once the Stag has been absorbed, the purple Embryo started pulsing with a purple light and the black Soul of Azalon also responded in a different rhythm. The rhythm between the two Souls was out of sync but slowly they started harmonising one pulse a time, as the purple Embryo slowly returned to its original position.

    With the pressure from the Soul of the Tuner Horned Stag gone, it took only some moments before the coldness dispersed from Azalon¡¯s consciousness. His mind was still foggy but he was alive alright! He immediately came into his senses as the pain from the rampaging Energy in his body woke him up. He ignored the pounding headache and gathered whatever mental Energy he could and attempted to stabilise the situation. It took a lot of time and effort but he eventually manage to one again stabilise the vortex. As soon as he did that, he turned to observe the purple Embryo that was still pulsing and slowly synchronising with the Main Soul,

    He wiped his illusionary sweat as his risky gamble paid out! He finally discovered what was missing to activate the 7 Embryos formed from the 7 Primal Rings! He was ecstatic! He observed the synchronisation rate of the two Souls and estimated that it will take around a week before this new Spirit Awakens! Yes, Azalon¡¯s 3rd Spirit!

    He had been mulling over this problem from the ay Raka and LILY Awakened. Why was it that he could interact with these two Soul Embryos but the remaining 7 Embryos that were formed from the 7 Primal Rings stayed unresponsive all these days? He couldn¡¯t find an answer, as this particular field of Souls and its importance was not something that the scientists of the Earth never even considered, and Azalon had been the same. In fact, all this cultivation, Spirits, Energy, everything¡¯s new to Azalon and that is the sole reason why he had been frustrated and depressed over the fact that he couldn¡¯t cultivate, for almost 2 years. This unknown made him excited! He wants to wade deeper and deeper into these uncharted waters and unravel the mysteries behind them!

    So, as an amateur, he couldn¡¯t find the answer until today! When he saw the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag fly out from its body by attaching itself to its Spirit Core, he felt lightning flash in his mind as his answer became apparent! Soul! The Soul Embryos lacked an f**king SOUL! But you may ask, ¡°Didn¡¯t LILY Awaken as a Spirit? Isn¡¯t she in the same position as the other 7?¡±

    Yes, you are correct, but there¡¯s a catch here. You see, LILY¡¯s physical body underwent the metamorphosis forming a new body. The same happened with the other 7 as well. But what made LILY different from the other 7 is that she had Intelligence! Her Integral A.I. responded to whatever influenced her system and whatever Forces that initiated the metamorphosis took it as a sign of a Soul. And the final bridge was laid by Azalon¡¯s Life Force!

    But the same cannot be for the 7 Primal Rings. They are just physical objects that Azalon create to absorb the Primal Energies and keep him safe from them! Thus, even though they underwent the metamorphosis process to form their Soul Embryos, without an actual Soul in them, naturally nothing will happen!

    And when Azalon absorbed the Soul of the Thunder Horned Beast, the traces of Primal Energy of the Lightning Element left behind by the Tribulation Lightning it absorbed resonate with the Primal Energy in the purple Embryo and the resulted in its absorption. Now with a Soul in it, the Embryo will finally hatch and his third Spirit will Awaken!!!

    With this, his near future goal became apparent! Search for some powerful Beasts of each Element and absorb their Souls! Hmmm? Why powerful Beasts¡¯ Souls? Why not settle with some lower level Beasts? ¡°Hah¡­ I can¡¯t bother with you slow heads anymore. If you can¡¯t even figure this out after this much sh***y explanation¡­ Ahhhh¡­ Sigh¡­ ¡°*A disdain look*¡­

    With that settled, Azalon concentrated on refining and absorbing the Energy stream into his vortex and as the time passed, he broke through¡­

    4th Level Spirit Sense Realm¡­

    The Energy Stream still did not show any signs of drying out! Another Break through¡­

    5th Level Spirit Sense Realm¡­

    It was only after he reached the 5th Level did the constant stream of Energy turned into a trickle, before completely disappearing.

    ¡°As expected of an almost Level 7 Spirit Core, it allowed me to achieve two consecutive break throughs and directly pushed me into the 5th Level, that should have taken almost a month by the calculated estimation, even with the boost from LILY. I even gained another Spirit! It was a good haul this time, even though it was at the cost of knocking on the gates to the Underworld¡± Azalon thought as his consciousness shuddered, this time not from cold¡­

 Think of this as a kind of Glossary

    I have been getting a lot of comments on the Cultivation Levels and Spirits¡­ this post is to explain the basic workings of the world that I have imagined for this fiction¡­

    First of all, about Spirits¡­

    As I have explained in the beginning chapters, Spirits are the manifestations of the Soul of a Cultivator. They are real beings that exist beside the Cultivator and even participate in battles. (This has been explained too¡­). Yes, it is somewhat similar to the Spirit System of one of my favourite novels, Doulou Dalu. But there are some differences! Spirits there are considered battle strength. Even though they represent the potential of the Cultivator, they don¡¯t really help in the path of Cultivation except when the 10th level is reached and the need for the Spirit Ring arises, or when the battle arises¡­

    But in Spirit God Shura, the Spirits exist with you and [Grow Up] (Remember this term, guys¡­) along with you. And no, they don¡¯t require Spirit Rings to Grow. As long as the Cultivator advances in his cultivation, the Spirit will grow up. For example, if the Spirit is a [Dog]. When it will Awaken, it will be a [Puppy]. As you advance, it will grow from puppy to a full size dog, it will be like raising a puppy in your house. But here, the food for the puppy will be Spiritual Energy. The best quality you have, the powerful your Spirit will grow. The [Dog] of a Spirit Sense will be inferior to a [Dog] of Spirit Condensation!

    But that¡¯s all; The [Dog] will stay a [Dog]. It will not change its species!

    Now, the MC cultivates a special technique that will [Evolve] the Spirit. If MC had a [Dog] Spirit, it will be a [Puppy] just like everybody else. But the second stage will make it [Evolve], not [Grow Up]. It may even change its Species. For example, take LILY. She was a Fairy a first, but after the second stage, she became a [High Fairy]. See, she Evolve from a lower Species to a Higher one.

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    And no, Spirits cannot be made to appear and disappear like Doulou Dalu. The Spirits will stay in their physical form with the Cultivator. When they reach a certain level, then they can store the physical Spirit in their dantian. Even MC can¡¯t hide the tiger cub. As to why he was able to hide LILY will be explained later, hmmm¡­ maybe in the Academy Selections Arc¡­

    Coming to the Cultivation Levels:

    There will be 10 Realms and I have introduced 4 already till date. I even hinted at another 2!

    Spirit Novice Realm                     ---   Physical Training Realm and has 0 Level. MC stayed at the peak of this Realm for 2 years.

    Awaken your Spirit¡­ Form a Soul Bridge¡­ Sense the Spirit Energy through your Spirit and raw it into your body.

    Spirit Sense Realm                      ---   Spirit Energy will be stored in the dantian and I will be a vortex. The Spirit Energy will be gaseous in this Realm. It has 10 levels. The 8th Level will be the breaking point in this Realm.

    Spirit Condensation Realm     ---   Change the gaseous Spirit Energy into liquid and form a lake in the dantian. It too has 10 stages. Spiritual Sense will be available. The 8th Stage will be the breaking point in this Realm too¡­

    Pseudo Core                                ---   Half way formed Core in the dantian.

    Spirit Core Realm                       ---    Form a core from the liquid energy in the dantian. This Realm and the next Realm are somewhat important Realms for the story and hence the main points will not be discussed. Just imagine a ball made from the liquid energy condensed into a core. It has 3 stages and each stage provides a massive power up.

    Nascent Soul                               ---    No information will be provided at this stage. Visit later for updates.

 Chapter 19: Relieved Frustration

    Azalon sat on the mountain peak absorbing the Energies within the Spirit Core of the Thunder Horned Stag. Time flowed on as Azalon advanced in his cultivation and managed to acquire his third Spirit. Slowly three days passed by. These three days, Azalon shut himself off from the outside world and solely concentrated on refining the Energy in his body. Even though the place he was currently at was dangerous, he had confidence in his brother¡¯s capabilities. With Hank¡¯s cultivation at the 4th Level Spirit Condensation and his Crimson Spear Spirit, he could easily ward off whatever came near them.

    Hank was standing guard observing the surroundings for any threats from the Beasts. He had been on alert for the last three days. At first there had been no Beasts that approached this area as they were all frightened by the Tribulation Lightning as well as the powerful aura of the Thunder Horned Stag. But they soon sensed the demise of the Beast and they flocked in hope of salvaging something from the corpse of the Thunder Horned Stag. If they can consume some meat or even bones of the Stag, it will provide some massive benefits. This was the same as to why humans hunt the Spirit Beasts. It¡¯s just that humans can utilise the power within the corpse of a Spirit Beast more efficiently!

    At first the Beasts were reckless in their attacks, but under the powerful retaliation from Hank, the low level Beasts ran away but occasionally Hank would often see Level 4 or even Level 5 Beasts roaming near the mountain top observing them. Hank dissected the corpse of the Thunder Horned Stag, but since he didn¡¯t have any storage devices, he had no choice but to leave the meat and bones out in the open. That was the main reason for the current predicament.

    Hank glanced at his brother who sat still like a statue and felt his rising aura. He remembered the incident three days ago. He still couldn¡¯t get over the numerous shocks this little kid has given him!

    Even though he sensed a Level 5 Beast that was about to advance to Level 6, he didn¡¯t expect the Beast to be the Thunder Horned Stag. This particular Beast was said to be the descendants from a powerful Primordial Level Beast Demon Antelope of the Ancient Era! If you want to understand what the term, you have to know about how the Beasts of the continent were categorised into.

    As far as Hank¡¯s knowledge Spirit Cultivation was divided into 6 realms named as: Spirit Novice Realm, Spirit Sense Realm, Spirit Condensation Realm, Spirit Core Realm, Nascent Soul Realm and The Spirit Sage Realm. As for what Realm exists above the Spirit Sage Realm, no one of the Shandra Continent have managed to see such figures for a long time! But there are rumours that there were some immeasurably powerful people within those Royal families and such. Even his Academy was rumoured to have a secluded expert within it who protects the Academy from the shadows.  As such, the powerful existence of this continent became the Spirit Sage Realm out in the open.

    As for the Beasts, they were classified into Classes 1 to 7, which were equivalent to the cultivators from the Spirit Sense Realm to that of the Spirit Core Realm. The next stage Beasts possess basic intelligence and even cultivate like that of humans! They were existences that were the true nightmare of the human race apart from the Demon Race!

    Desolate Level Beasts, Chaos Level Beasts, Disaster Level Beasts and finally the Primordial Level Beasts, the most terrifying and powerful Beasts! It was said that once a Primordial Beast appears, there exists only a single path to whatever stands in its path. Destruction! Annihilation! Extermination! Words couldn¡¯t describe the damage that a single Primordial Beast could create. But the Primordial Beasts were almost rare in this world that there were only two or three encounters within all these tens of thousands of years.

    That was the reason as to why it was rare to see a Thunder Horned Stag with enough purity of its ancestral bloodline after all the countless generations over the passage of time. That was why the reason that this Stag could trigger the Tribulation Lightning during its evolution was something that made it a priceless treasure trove! Elemental Tribulation is something unique for the Primordial Beasts and their off springs! That was also why he was excited when he saw the Stag. The Primordial blood in its lineage will awaken once it reaches Level 7 and then it will only be a matter of time before it becomes a Disaster Level Beast itself! Every part of this rare Beast was a treasure, especially its Spirit Core, meat and bone marrow.

    But he had underestimated the power of this beast. Even though it was weakened greatly by the Tribulation Lightning, it was still something that he couldn¡¯t handle all by himself. Just as he thought about giving up when he saw the Spirit Core fly out with the Soul of the Stag in tow as he knew he couldn¡¯t kill it, Azalon managed to turn the tide. He suddenly issued a series of weird commands to follow to the number of steps and the durations between the strikes. Even though he had confidence in his brother, still Hank felt sceptical in his heart. But he was then shocked to see the events occur just like his brother anticipated, and they managed to strike down the Spirit Core of the Stag!

    Hank didn¡¯t know how he did it but his heart swelled with pride and love for his little brother! He knew that his brother was different from the other children. He was the only child in the family that took the initiative to greet him and in time, they became closer than real brothers. He watched as the combined attack damage the Spirit Core and managed to injure its Soul. It was somewhat regrettable that they couldn¡¯t recover the Core of this rare Beast; the other parts of the corpse were even more valuable than the Core!

    But just as he was about to rejoice in the fortune they managed to obtain, Azalon suddenly swallowed Core along with the Soul! Hank almost fainted from shock!

    Directly swallowing the Spirit Core of a Beast was the stupidest thing that a cultivator could do. A Spirit Core was the most important part of a Beast. It represented the source of the strength of the Beast, its most essential component of its body. And there exists a huge difference between the Spirit Beasts and humans. A human couldn¡¯t withstand the violent nature of the Beast imprinted within the Spirit Core. Generally they would slowly absorb the pure Energy within it while discarding the violent energies so as to not damage their body. But Azalon swallowed the Level 6 Spirit Core along with the Soul that reached Level 7.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    He spread out his Spiritual Sense carefully observing every single thing going on within his brother! Using his acute perception, he sensed the cultivation of Azalon slowly rise as he refined the Energy within the Core. Just as Hank was about to relax, an immense beastial aura spread out from Azalon. He sensed Azalon¡¯s consciousness slowly crumble under the suppression of that beastial aura.

    ¡°Shit, I knew this would happen. A Level 7 Soul is not something Azalon could manage with his meagre strength.¡± Hank¡¯ expression sunk as he injected his own spiritual sense into Azalon trying to defend Azalon¡¯s consciousness from the attacks of the Soul he swallowed. But he soon realised that even his spiritual sense couldn¡¯t stand up against that Soul as his spiritual sense was knocked out as easily as a sheet of paper.

    ¡°No, no, no. this can¡¯t be happening. Why did he have to be this foolish? If he swallowed only the Core, we could have done something, but this Soul is too powerful. Is there nothing to save him?¡± Hank¡¯s emotions quickly changed between panic, sadness, anger, and regret that finally changed into despair as Azalon¡¯s consciousness came to the breaking point.

    With his heart in turmoil, Hank didn¡¯t register a small flash on the chest of Azalon as a small and beautiful Fairy appeared. The Fairy laid her tiny hands on the forehead of Azalon, and her body flashed bright silver startling Hank. He turned his head and he saw small silver strands flowing from the Fairy into the middle of eyebrows of Azalon, Hank was once gain shocked as he could sense that the Fairy was protecting the last thread of the consciousness of Azalon from that Soul.

    A short moment later, the beastial aura vanished suddenly as quickly as it appeared. Hank¡¯s mind became numb from the torrent of emotions of emotions he felt within these span of moments. In fact, the number of emotions that played out on the face of Hank was more than what he experienced within his entire life till today.

    He watched the Fairy lower her hands and laid down beside Azalon after lightly kissing on the nose of Azalon and closed her eyes. It seems that the spirit exhausted all he energy in that previous incident. Hank collapsed onto his knees as he wiped the sweat on his face. He slowly heaved a sigh of relief as he sensed Azalon¡¯s consciousness slowly recovering.

    If anything happened to his brother, Hank could only die with regret. Especially after the miraculous encounter he had that Awakened his Petrified Spirit allowing him to cultivate. And not just that, Azalon even had dual spirits with one being the High Fairy Spirit!

    It was three days before and from then on Hank took up the guarding position as his brother cultivated. Being awake for three days was nothing for a cultivator of Spirit Condensation Realm, but the mental strain over the three days wore Hank out. His eyes were slightly bloodshot and he had to continuously rotate his cultivation base to reduce the burden he was feeling. It was at this time that Azalon opened his eyes.

    Hank suddenly felt movement behind him and hand clutched the Spear attached to his back and he injected his Spirit Energy into the Spear as he turned around. Red lines swiftly spread on the Spear and the temperature of the surroundings rose under the influence of his fire affinity spiritual energy. But he suddenly paused as he saw the eyes of his brother that were tightly shut these past three days.

    The moment Azalon opened his eyes, the figure of Hank crouching with his Spear in his hand came into view. His heart felt warm as he saw the bloodshot eyes and his tattered clothes as he knew that his brother was the one who guarded him all this time, even though he didn¡¯t know long he took. Before he could let out a smile, his vision shifted suddenly as the world flew past him with frightening speed. An excruciating pain blossomed from his lower abdomen and he crashed against a large rock rather violently.

    His bones would have broken under the impact if not for the recent increase in his strength. But his organs shook as blood rose in his throat. He lifted his head and stared incredulously at the now distant figure of his brother who still had his fist tightly clenched.

    ¡°Cough¡­ Cough¡­ Hank, what¡­ what happened? I could have died from that punch, you know! You didn¡¯t go mad and mistook me for a beast, right?¡± Azalon shouted loudly as he coughed out blood.

    ¡°You are calling me mad, you idiot! You are the one who is really mad here. No, you are completely crazy. What the hell were you thinking when you swallowed the Spirit Core along with the Soul? Huh? Almost died? Be grateful that I am not beating you to death right now. Do you even know what I had to go through these three days? You¡­ you¡­ Haahh¡­ haaahh¡± Hank was panting and he started yelling even loudly than Azalon and he almost sounded hysterical. His whole body was trembling as he tried to control his temper.

    ¡°Three days? It took three days to refine that Spirit Core? Hmmm¡­ Ah, I reached the 5th Level! Hank, I reached the 5th Level right now!¡± Azalon ignored Hank¡¯s reactions as he inspected his body and shouted with glee. Hank¡¯ face contorted as he watched Azalon jumping around with excitement. Hank¡¯s figure flashed once and agonising cries spread out from the mountain top for a long time.

    ¡°Humph¡­ This should teach this kid a lesson for making me worry. Crazy¡­ this kid is really crazy¡­¡± Hank snorted as he released his frustration that accumulated these past days and he bent down picking up a small Fairy that was sleeping on a patch of grass. At a distance, Azalon¡¯s body was covered in black and blue hues and his entire body was twitching uncontrollably...

 Chapter 20: Are You A Human?

    Azalon slowly picked himself up from the ground. He hissed through gritted teeth as every part of his body protested against his movements with intense pain. Fist sized blue bruises entirely covered his body and he could even see some black color between those bruises. The worst off was his face that felt like a panda with two black eyes and swollen cheeks.

    ''Hank''s not lenient when it comes to beating...'' Azalon bitterly thought as he looked at his battered condition. He crossed his legs with some difficulty and managed to circulate his Spirit Energy to heal himself. Fortunately, Hank just used his physical strength. If he had induced his Spirit Energy into those fists, Azalon would have died ten times over by now!

    The Spirit Energy in his body slowly reached the damaged parts and tried to heal them. A cool and comfortable feeling spread through his body as the pain lessened significantly. As the pain lessened, Azalon concentrated more on the healing of his body.

    Two hours passed by before Azalon opened his eyes. His injuries were healed to a considerable extent but not completely. There was only so much the Spirit Energy could do at the cultivation stage Azalon was at. But due to the continuous usage of his Spirit Energy within him, the cultivation base of Azalon that was abruptly raised from the 3rd Level Spirit Sense Realm to that of the 5th Level stabilized and consolidated within this short time.

    But his injuries gave him no choice than to search for some healing medicinal herbs. He had to take care about any hidden injuries as they could hinder his growth at a later date and he wouldn''t know what to do once that happened. He could get some medicinal herbs back at home but there''s something even better; he could ask his brother for that green pill that healed his injuries during the fight with the Thunder Horned Stag. Azalon was fascinated by the potency of that pill. He didn''t see a medicine that could heal as fast as that pill did, even back on Earth! The medicinal herbs that he used to take during his Spirit Novice Training were simply like worthless weeds before that green pill.

    Oh, no, wait... he had seen one that had way more potency than the healing pill Hank had. The green pill that pretty face bastard gave him that day! Azalon experienced first hand how effective that pill was. In fact he had to use the [Devour] ability that allowed the medicinal pill''s efficiency to reach 100%. but on that day, he didn''t have this ability. So this means that the pretty face prick had some very high quality goods! And he didn''t even leave a pill or two behind for emergency purposes!

    ''Humph... Who cares for that pretty face, anyway. I am gonna kick that face one day.'' Azalon humphed coldly as he remembered all that he experienced due to that pretty face. He threw out these thoughts as he looked around for his brother.

    Hank was sitting on a rock some distance away, with his palms glowing with a red light. A silver figure was held within those palms and the red glow was being concentrated on the silver figure within the palms.

    Azalon''s pupils shrunk as he rushed towards his brother but his eyes never left the silver figure within Hank''s hands, Hank turned his eyes and glanced at him as he approached, before shifting onto her once again.

    ¡°Hank, what happened? What happened to her, Hank? Why is she like that?¡± Azalon asked in a hurry as he was shocked to see the lively Fairy sleeping within his brother''s palms.

    ¡°When your consciousness was under attack by the Soul force of the Soul of that Thunder Horned Stag, it was her who exhausted her Spirit Essence to protect you from that soul force. That''s why she is weak right now and it will take sometime before she regains her Spirit Essence. If not for her, you would have died by now.¡± Hank''s voice was eerily calm but Azalon knew what that calm tone signified.

    It was one of the things Azalon knew well about his brother. When Hank gets angry, he wouldn''t become rash and let his anger rule him and ruin his form. But on the contrary, he becomes calm and cold ¨C hearted. The calmness Hank was projecting right now, Azalon was sure that Hank was really really angry right now.

    ¡°Don''t worry, Az. Even though she over taxed her Spirit Essence, fortunately she didn''t completely exhaust it. I have been trying to induce some of my own Spirit Energy into her, but my Fire Attribute became a hurdle. I have to first retract the fire essence from my Spirit Energy before it could be absorbed by her. Its just that it takes a long time and she recovered only a small part of her Spirit Essence till now.¡± Hank continued while a drop of pure and colorless Spirit Energy condensed within that red glow before being absorbed by LILY.

    The red glow retracted from Hank''s palms as he handed over LILY back to him. Azalon carefully held her in his hands as he concentrated his Spirit Energy onto his palms. Even though his Spirit Energy was not as concentrated as that of Hank''s, but his energy was completely compatible with LILY and her recovery rate should speed up significantly.

    ''[Command: Report the System Status.]'' Azalon commanded silently in his mind, and sure enough an announcement rang in his mind.

    ''[Command Accepted. Severe depletion in the power levels detected. Battery Levels currently at 12%. Integral A.I. System LILY deactivated due to the low battery levels. Energy Input detected. Energy Levels Charging. A.I. LILY will be reactivated when the battery levels reach 35%. Processing Units remain unchanged. Memory Units are not corrupted. Sensory disruptions are absent.]'' The auxiliary system of LILY responded in its emotionless mechanical voice in his mind.

    Only after listening to the report did Azalon breathe a sigh of relief. If her system became corrupted or damaged in anyway, the one he knew as LILY will disappear forever. Azalon looked at the silver Fairy sleeping in his hands and a tenderness appeared in his eyes. This was the second time she saved him from absolute annihilation of his existence!

    As Azalon was treating LILY and reminiscing in his memories, Hank walked towards a small mountain of meat and bones piled on a wide leaf. Beside that pile was another pile of meat and bones along with various other body parts that were neatly arranged. The small mountain was the haul from the Spirit Beasts that Hank fought with these three days. And the smaller pile was naturally from the Thunder Horned Stag. In fact it was because of this pile that the Spirit Beasts attacked him. Each and every part of the Primordial Bloodline Thunder Horned Stag and Hank was not the one who would shy in front of a treasure trove.

    If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    Meanwhile, with his Spirit Energy, Azalon managed to help LILY recover about 25% of her Spirit Essence and he immediately absorbed her into his Soul Root. He was sure that LILY would recover within a day under the continuous nourishment from his Energy vortex.

    He slowly walked towards Hank who was sorting the large pile of meat and bones into smaller ones by the Spirit Beast they belonged to. He fidgeted for a moment before:

    ¡°Sorry, Hank. It may seem to you that my actions are foolish to downright stupid. But believe me, I needed that Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag. It just happened to attach itself to its Spirit Core and i had to no choice but to risk taking them both. But I didn''t think that the Soul would be that powerful. It was because of you and LILY that nothing happened to me.¡±

    ¡°Sigh... No, Az. I did nothing. No, I couldn''t do anything. My Spiritual sense was useless against that soul force. It was all because of your Fairy Spirit. I know that you profited greatly from this ordeal, Az. But at what cost? If your Fairy Spirit wasn''t there to protect you in the nick of the time, you would have died with your Soul scattered! She exhausted her Spirit Essence to save you and it was fortunate that she could destroy that Thunder Horned Stag''s Soul just before her Spirit Essence ran out. Do you know what will happen to a Spirit once they use up all their Spirit Essence? They will die! Spirit Essence is a Spirit''s life force! In other words, she risked her life for yours! And don''t you know what will happen to you if your Spirit dies, you idiot? Look at our grandfather!

    If you want to take risks, fine, but remember one thing, Az. Challenge something only when you have the strength to face that risk and return alive! Without enough strength to back your actions, it will only lead to your demise. This is the same thing grandfather told us before we came hunting! And you forgot it already!¡± Hank thundered in that same calm voice, slowly pronouncing each and every word.

    Azalon hung his head low while bearing his brother''s scolding. Yes, that''s right. Even though he knew that he needed the Thunder Horned Stag''s Soul for the Awakening of his Spirit, did he have enough strength to defend against that Soul? It only took a few moments for that soul force to almost completely crumble his consciousness! If not for LILY risking herself to save him, even if the Soul would have been absorbed by the Soul Embryo, he would have become a vegetable by now or even worse, he would have died!

    Azalon swore to himself to be more careful in the future and not risk himself or his Spirits for his power, as he knew that he still had to do this sort of thing for another 6 times! He had to take certain measures in order to not repeat this incident once again!

    Not only that, he had to increase his strength first. He had to at least the Spirit Condensation Realm before he attempted once again. The Spiritual Sense that would be available to him once he reached the Spirit Condensation Realm would provide the precious seconds of protection before the  Soul Embryo could consume the Soul.

    But this was in the case that he would swallow the Soul into his body while it was still alive!

    What if he could absorb the Soul just like what LILY and Raka would do after he killed a Spirit Beast? Doesn''t that solve the problem pretty easily? He didn''t know and he didn''t have enough mental strength to think on that long. The mental strain he took because of the soul force was not small and even his Soul was affected slightly. He had to recuperate for sometime before he could venture out.

    But before that, he had to pacify his grumbling brother who was concerned for him. His heart felt warm as he looked at the lean figure that was scolding him with a sheen of water in his eyes. This was the kind of feeling he had craved desperately back on Earth during his dark days, till Mother Lillianna came into his life. Even though life here was more cruel than on Earth, this simple  familial love he experienced from his grandfather and his brother gave him a lot of support both physically and psychologically. So, Azalon decided.

    ¡°I have a third Spirit, Hank. But it''s still in hibernation and I needed that Thunder Horned Stag''s Soul to rouse it from its sleep. And it was not LILY that destroyed that Soul but the Spirit that absorbed it. By my estimation, it will take around 2 weeks for the Spirit to Awaken.¡± Azalon spoke cutting off his brother mid speech, and Azalon went silent.

    Hank froze for a moment before he abruptly turned around. But in his haste, his foot slipped on a piece of bone and he couldn''t stabilize his posture and his face was planted on the ground. He immediately jumped and was panting lightly.

    ¡°Wh... Wha... What... What did you just say? I don''t believe it. Yes, i should have heard it wrong. Right, it''s definitely my imagination. These three days have been taxing and should have made my senses rather strained. There''s no way that I heard Az say that he had a 3rd Spirit. Hahahaha...¡± Hank seemed absent minded as he mumbled to himself before letting out a hollow laugh.

    ¡°Calm down, Hank. You didn''t mishear it. I indeed have a 3rd Spirit¡± Azalon said carefully but his amused expression betrayed his words; ''and a lot more from where it came from'' he thought silently in his heart, but didn''t speak out in concern for his brother''s heart.

    Hank stared stupidly for a long time while his body was trembling violently non stop. His eyes were wide as saucers and his jaw almost reached the ground. Disbelief completely filled that face and his comical expression almost made Azalon giggle. Azalon calmly waited for Hank to wake up from his stupor. He knew that his news should have come as a massive surprise to his brother... and maybe a little scary too...

    ¡°Y-y-yo-you have a third Spirit? And that too a Lightning Attribute Spirit? AHHHHH... What THE F***? Heavens cannot be that generous to a single person! AHHHHHH...¡± Hank stammered before his shout reverberated through the entire mountain. ¡°Are you a Human or not?¡±

 Chapter 21: You Will Regret This

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    Azalon''s ears popped as the roar of his brother aws loud enough to produce shockwaves that shook the entire mountain. He instinctively covered his ears with his hands but that didn''t help in the least.

    The ringing sound in his ears made him dizzy as the liquids in the inner ear were agitated, throwing him off balance. He circulated his Spirit Energy to fight it off, and the dizzy feeling eased a little bit.

    Hank who was shouting loudly suddenly stiffened and his eyes rolled up revealing their whites as his body collapsed with a Thud! He fainted! A cultivator at the 4th Level of Spirit Condensation Realm finally couldn''t take the mental disturbances caused by his brother who was only at the 5th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm!

    But who could blame Hank? At first, he was happy and content that his brother could finally cultivate, then came the first of the many shocks he was about to recieve in the form of Dual Spirits!

    His brother was not an ordinary Spiritualist but a one in a ten thousand Dual Spiritualist! And the second shock came next without any respite, the High Fairy Spirit!

    Awakening a Fairy Spirit was already a rare occurance, but his brother had a High Fairy Spirit, a Spirit that was rare even among the already rare Fairy Spirits! This was the true cream of the crop among the Support Type Spirits that a cultivator could possess!

    Just as he barely managed to suppress the ripples in his heart by hunting the Spirit Beasts with his brother, they came across a Thunder Horned Stag that had its ancestral Primordial Bloodline flowing in its veins in the middle of its Tribulation! The baarely calmed ripples once again surged at the prospective treasure trove before them.

    Somehow, they managed to kill the Stag with some effort and massive luck, and once again his brother scared the wits of him. Azalon directly swallowed the Spirit Core along with the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag! Hank''s soul almost left his body as he watched his brother go to the very doorstep to the gates of Hell and return safely due to the immense sacrifice of his Spirit. And during this time, he didn''t have any time to calm his heart as he had to fend off the attacking Spirit Beasts. Also him not being of any help to his brother in his ordeal didn''t help much either. All this made the already stretched mental strain to go taut with tension.

    Just as he breathed some relief and finally found a way to vent all his emotions, the words that came out of Azalon''s mouth in the middle of his scolding came as the final blow to his weary heart. His mental strain stretched beyond the breaking point finally snapped due to the accumulated emotions that raged in heart these past days and he fainted. In fact, he even started regretting the decision to come home this time!

    Azalon stared blankly at the unconscious figure lying on the ground. He chuckled before shifting the body of Hank so that the back was leaning against a rock before sitting down beside Hank. It was not long before Hank opened his eyes, as the mental strength of a Spirit Condensation cultivator is abnormally strong.

    Hank turned his head to look at the 12- year old child beside him. He went over everything that happened from the day he returned from the Academy till today. Even though he found some events to be shocking, he gradually accepted everything. A happy smile surfaced on his face as he ruffled the hair of Azalon. In his heart right now, there''s nothing except profound happiness and a surge of pride. Happiness for his brother''s future achievements as he was sure that Azalon would not be a small figure in the future. He was destined to be become a great cultivator that would stand above looking down on everything.

    The surge of pride was for the confidence Azalon had in him. He could see that no one in the family knew about the secrets that Azalon had shared with him but his brother didn''t even thik twice before telling them to him. But, at presently...

    ¡°I am alright now. Go home, Az. Your consciousness should have taken a major toll during the assault of the Thunder Horned Stag''s Soul and you shouldn''t exert yourself right now. Go back and sleep. Sleep will be the best medicine for your mingd to relax and heal the damage to your consciousness. Ah, here, take these as well.¡± Hank sighed deeply as he advised Azalon before handing over two pills to him.

    ¡°The green pill is a Tier ¨C 2 Restoration Pill that can heal any kinds of physical injuries of a certain degree. This Spirit pill will be for your injuries. Where as the white pill is a Tier ¨C 2 Soul Rejuvination Pill. Its main effect is to calm one''s mind from any disturbances and attain an equilibrium between the Soul and the body. It will help you immensely in the repair of your consciousness. Take them and absorb their effects. Go to sleep immediately and by tomorrow you should be at your peak condition atleast physically.¡±

    Azalon''s eyes brightened immediately as he recieved the two pills along with their descriptions from his brother. He had experienced first hand the efficieny of the pake green pill in his hand and he was expectant on the white pill too!

    Hank patted his shoulders as he rose up. He walked towards the pile of meat and busied himself sorting out the pile.

    ¡°I will return a short while, Az. My storage pouch doesnt have the space to fit all this meat, so i have to carry them by myself. Ah, and one more thng, dont cultivate for atleast another week or so. Let your body adjust to the changes in your strength and your injuries will also completely recover by that time.¡±

    Azalon flipped his hand and stored the two pills into his [Void Ring]. His figure flashed as he swiftly made his way home. The evening son was slowly dipping in the west and the light orange rays reflecting off the silver clouds in the sky painted a beautiful and gorgeous scenery. The light breeze in the forest caressing his face brought with it a cool humidity that soothed his mind. His heightened perception took in everything around him and he was completely relishing in it.

    The inhuman strength within his muscles that made his punch pulverise a head rock into dust, the sensitivity of his senses that could register even the slightest twitch of an insect almost half a mile away, the abnormal flexibilty of his body that enebled him to weave through the forest like a agile leopard and more importantly the flow of the Spirit Energy in his meridians, all of these gave him an intoxicating, almost to the point of addicting, feeling. He felt as if he had become something

    Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.more, something transcendent that couldn''t be compared to him back on Earth or even the him two years back! This was the realm of Immortals and he had taken the first step on the long and thorny journey.

    As such, every progress of his strength made Azalon giddy with joy, as in his mind his strength had a correlation to his goal of roaming through the world, exploring her deepest secrets, solving her elusive mysteries, relishing her breathtaking wonders and all the while enjoying this life in a new world that was vastly different from the world he once knew.

    The time required for Azalon to reach the city reduced in tandem with the surge in his cultivation and with his mad rush to reach the city before dark, he was already entering the city after a not a long time. The headache he had suppressed back then returned in full force due to him rushing through the forest and he felt as if his head was splitting into two and the fatigue was slowly seeping into his body. The familiar mansion never looked so warm and welcoming to Azalon, promising him rest and comfort.

    But just as he was about to enter the mansion, a very familiar voice reached his ears and he had to concentrate with his tired mind and body to hear that voice from all the buzzing of the streets.

    ¡°No, dont talk about big brother like that. Big brother is the greatest person I have ever seen. If you say that big brother is useless, I will beat you. Big brother is not useless. He is slow and dumb in some ways but he is my big brother and no one is allowed to bully him¡± A small figure in a light pink frock with green frills at the hem came into his view as he turned his gaze to the source of the voice. Her usually pretty and cute face was now flushed red and her small fists were wildly dancing as he shrill voice attracted the attention of everone on the streets.

    Four boys stood before her with a 14-15 year old with a silver hawk perched on his shoulder, standing in the front with the remaining three behind him. The remaining three had their Spirits beside them. Azalon immediately recognised him as the obnoxious and egoistical son of the First Elder, Delius Wheld. Delius was sneering as he spoke with that tone that Azalon felt as extremely irritating: ¡°Hahaha, what''''s so great about that cripple? I can beat with my little finger, you know? He may be the rising genius before but right now he is nothing more than trash that could do nothing but stay in a corner living his pathetic life.¡± Delius''s tone fluctuated between different range of emotions and volumes within these 3-4 sentences.

    But Nina was not one to take note of these as her cheeks puffed up in anger and her chin was trembling as tears welled up in her eyes. Azalon immediately guessed what she was about to do and moved as fast as he could, but the distance was truly great. As the distance reduced with every step, the situation turned volatile.

    Nina cried out and she pounced towards Delius with her fists ready to punch his face. A visible mockery flashed on Delius''s face as his palm pushed out. A violent gale rushed out from that palm and Nina was thrown back and her small figure crashed against one of the shops across the street.

    Azalon''s heart immediately tightened watching the figure of Nina slowly sliding down and he could see streaks of blood flowing from her dress.

    [Ghostly Illusion Flash]

    He executed his agility technique and his speed soared and the surrounding people only felt a light breeze before the figure of Azalon manifested beside Nina like a ghost. Her injuries were not too great or too light either. But rage immediately filled his mind at the sight of her arm that was twisted in the wrong angle. He turned around and his eyes were cold as they reflected a sneering and arrogant face within them.

    ¡°You will regret this, Delius. No, I will make you regret this.¡± Azalon spat these words one by one barely controlling his anger as this was not the time to get into a street brawl. He had to take Nina for treatment before her injuries become much worse and there may be even broken ribs or bones due to the impact.

    ¡°Huh!?? Hahahaahaha¡± Delius was stunned at first but immediately started laughing his mouth off. Promptly the lackeys were also laughing loudly as if they had heard the best joke of the year.

    ¡°Did you hear that? He is going to make me regret! Hahahahaha...¡± Delius was shouting and laughing alternatively and Azalon''s anger was now suffuced with irritation. He carefully lifted Nina from the ground takeing care that he didnt move her body too much. Before he could walk away, that voice once again from behind him.

    ¡°Oye, trash. Where do you think you are going? You aren''t going to make me regret? If you want to live, lay that girl down and scram quickly. Her punishment is not enough for raising her fists against me! I dont wanna look at your face. It ruins my mood. Now run off like a good boy before I ruin that pretty face.¡± Delius was not the one to let go of his arrogance and domineering nature. And with his recent cultivation breakthrough into 7th Realm of Spirit Sense, he became even more despotic.

    But the shadow of Azalon in his heart had always been there like a thorn in his heart and he wouldn''t let go of any opportunity to ridicule Azalon. The words of Azalon portrayed that dominating figure in his heart and he instantly grew humiliated and reminded himself that the once genius was nothing more tha trash. His shame turned into anger and he wanted Azalon to lower himself before him so that he could relish the feeling of superiority.

    Who would have expected that Azalon would just turn his head to look at Delius and walk away without a regard for the situation? Delius''s face contorted with rage and a murderous intent flashed in his eyes. Vigorous Spirit Energy congealed onto his palm to form a small huricane. But just as he was about to strike a boundless pressure descended like a huge mountain onto him. His breathing grew ragged as the pressure tightly constricted him. A calm but sharp voice came from far away: ¡°Go, Az. First treat Nina. I will deal with whoever stops your way.¡±

    The crowd were surprised at the voice and Delius broke out in cold sweat. That was Hank Wheld. No one in the family knew the exact cultivation level of Hank but they were sure that he was in the Spirit Condensation Realm. He may be at the 7th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm but for Hank to deal with him will be extremely easy. Just like breaking a tooth pick. He didnt move a muscle as Azalon walked away with Nina held carefully...

 Chapter 22: Family Competition, Begin

    Azalon swiftly rushed to his room while holding Nina carefully so as not to move her body too much. He was not a doctor but he had a rudimentary knowledge about the human anatomy and basic medicinal skills. His main concern was about internal damages or hemorrhaging internally due to the impact to the body, as this world didn''t have any advanced technology for these kinds of things. At least he didn''t come across any.

    He banged open the door with a kick. Raka who had been sleeping on the bed peacefully jumped in surprise at the noise and hissed loudly with all its fur standing up like a cat. It relaxed as it saw Azalon and it''s golden eyes glittered brightly like jewels in excitement at seeing it''s Master and the white stripes beneath those eyes highlighted them even more.

    But Azalon didn''t notice the little gut and laid Nina on the bed.

    ''[Command: Commence Scanning.]'' Azalon commanded in his mind and his eyes started shining with a silver luster to them. The silver rays went over Nina''s body and an X-ray appeared in Azalon''s memory.

    ''[Scan Complete. Bone Fracture Detected in the left Radius and Ulna bones. Treatment Methods based on the Extent of the Fracture ¨C Perform a Closed Reduction and immobilize it with a splint or a cast. Estimated Healing time: 1Week.]'' LILY''s system''s monotonous voice responded with it''s report and Azalon relaxed when he saw that the bone was not broken but only fractured. This is one of the perks of having an advanced robot with Integral A.I. system fusing with your consciousness. The advanced and powerful sensors and scanners of LILY like the Chemical sensors or the Radiation sensors are still non-functional but the basic sensors like X-ray, night vision, IR vision etc... are not energy consuming as well as practical for the time being.

    He immediately rushed out and broke off a branch from a tree. He chipped it off into a straight ruler. He then pressed the fractured bone into place using the X-ray vision and tied the ruler with some torn strips of cloth, making it into an impromptu cast.

    He flipped his hand and a pale green pill appeared in his palm. It was the healing pill Hank had given him for his injuries. But Nina needs it more than him right now. He gently parted her lips and shoved the pill into her mouth.

    The green pill instantly melted the moment it came into contact with the saliva. He watched the green liquid go down her throat and he slightly relaxed when he heard light popping sounds from the Nina''s arm.

    He knew it will take some time for the pill to be completely use up its medicinal effects. Azalon dragged a chair and sat across the bed watching the little girl sleeping on his bed.

    ¡°Silly girl, you went so far as to attack that pipsqueak for me.¡± Azalon said in a low voice as he lovingly patted her head. ¡°Don''t worry. I will teach that kid that he shouldn''t be going around messing with everybody he sees.¡±

    Fury rushed into his head as he recalled how Nina was hurled back by the attack of that Delius and she was injured. His entire body trembled in anger. Azalon was truly angry for the first time in the 12 years he had come into this world. He wanted nothing but to go find that arrogant asshole and tear apart his every limb. But he controlled himself. No, that will be a small price for what he did today. He had to regret for his entire life for his mistake tonight.

    Azalon may be known as Johnny Rex in his previous life, a scientist who would dibble and dabble in some advanced scientific stuff. But he had a life before this that was not as bright and carefree as anyone would think for a man in his position. It was the exact opposite. He grew up in the darkness of the world till his teens.

    In that place, he fought for scraps of food, fought for his life, fought for his survival. Hell, he had even seen someone kill another for a handful of change! The selfish nature of humans, the jealousy and all those things we keep deep down, was not something foreign to him. In fact he was extremely familiar with it.

    He had risen, or you could say fallen, from a kid in alleyways to a leader of a small gang in the Underworld by his teens. He was smart enough, ruthless enough and more importantly crazy enough to survive in that dark world. But his only wish at that time, the one thing he had desperately craved for, was family. Someone he could rely on, someone who could understand him, love him and care for him.

    And that wish came true on that fateful night. That day completely changed him into what he was today.

    It was a planned heist on a local police station for weapons and ammo. It was supposedly a well drawn plan and smooth oiled execution until a subordinate made a mistake and shot a police constable. That alerted all the local authorities and they gave chase. He took a bullet to his shoulder, but managed to escape by hiding in a building. He passed out due to shock, pain and blood loss. Only after he regained his consciousness did he come to know that that building was an orphanage under the care of a middle aged woman named Lillianna. It was her who found him and nursed him back to health.

    She didn''t ask him who he was or what happened. She just let him be and treated him just like another kid. He stayed in that orphanage for over a month and he truly came to respect that Mother Lillianna of that orphanage.

    Slowly, as time passed, and they interacted more and more, that respect changed into something more of a familial love between them. With her being into her mid 40s and him still in his late teens, they truly behaved like a mother and her child. It was during that time, that he had really experienced what having a family feels like, what having someone love you and care for you feels like for the first time in his life...

    After a couple of years, another person came into his life. If Mother Lillianna gave him hope for the present, then this person gave him expectations for the future. That person was his Mentor, Michael Adams, the President of The Society. As for the rest of the story, you know how it went by... if you don''t, go read from the ¡°Prologue¡±, you dork...

    All that desperation and craziness he had during his time in the alleyways and the Underworld, made him feel overly protective of someone he truly respects. It will not be easy for anyone to make him accept them, but once he does, he will give his life for them. If not, he wouldn''t have wasted almost a decade for that crazy experiment of his just to prove that he had not been wrong to his Mentor, as his only fear was that he would be disappointed in him.

    As they say, the more cruel, selfish, and cold a person is, the crazier they would become for a relationship they treasure, even more so than someone with strong feelings! Because, this is their only obsession! Their only hope in the darkness that lives with their hearts!

    And today, someone touched the person who he treated as his little sister and dotes on. The consequences of that shouldn''t be as simple as physical injuries or death. It should make him regret for every minute he lives, making him wish for a method to undo his mistake!

    The night deepened as these thoughts flitted across Azalon''s mind and sleep slowly crept onto him backed up by his exhaustion and weariness both physical and mental.

    The next morning, Azalon woke up to a soft feeling caressing his face. He tried to open his eyes and winced at the pounding headache. It felt like the worst hangover he ever had. His eyes opened up groggily and he saw a cute face looking at him with a bright smile. Suddenly, a furry feeling came from his legs and he looked down to see a grey tiger cub curled up like a kitten sleeping on his lap. He was still in the chair and should have fallen asleep somewhere in the night.

    He moved the sleeping Raka to the bed and stretched his body. Other than the hangover headache, he felt fine all over.

    ¡°Big Brother, Big Brother. You woke up. Look, look, we are in your room. Ah, I finally came to your room. Hehehe...¡± Nina was excitedly jumping up and down while running around the room checking up everything. Azalon laughed as he tried to catch the deer-like girl bouncing around.

    ¡°Alright, come here, Nina. Hmmm... stay still. Let me look at you.¡± Azalon''s eyes immediately turned silvery and a ray of silver light extended from his eyes. It was not as eye ¨C catching as last night because of the sunlight and Nina was not one to concentrate on a single thing for a long time.

    Azalon gave a check-over and was surprised by the results he got. Practically, Nina was completely fine. Every injury, from the fractured arm to the slightest scrapes were gone. Not a single blemish or scar was present on her skin. What''s going on here? He expected the pill to be effective, but he didn''t expect it to work to this degree. He had taken the pill once and had a vague idea of the potency of the pill. But this was absurd! LILY calculated that it will take 4 days for her arm to heal, but it was fixed literally overnight. The pill worked almost 5 times more efficiently than it did on him! And he used his ability that day to extract the medicinal essence from the pill to the max!

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Did Hank give him a different pill than what what he gave him before? No, that shouldn''t be possible. That pill''s effects were that powerful, so even though Azalon didn''t really know about them, he could guess that they were very costly to obtain. And Hank already spent two of them on him.

    ¡°Well, whatever. At least she didn''t have to be bedridden.¡± Azalon simply threw those thoughts to the back of his mind, adding to the ever growing list of the things he didn''t manage to understand. ¡°Alright, Nina. Stay here for a bit. I will get you something to eat and we will go meet Uncle Chad. He should be worried sick for you.¡±

    ¡°Mm. I will wait. Ah, look, look, a kitty!¡± Nina nodded seriously once before her attention shifted onto Raka sleeping on the bed. ¡°Awww... What a cute kitty! Hehehe...¡± She literally pounced onto the poor guy and started cuddling him. *Croo* *Croo* Raka was squirming, trying to escape from the girl''s clutches but couldn''t. He looked at Azalon with a puppy gaze, but the effect was lost on Azalon as he shifted his head looking away avoiding both the tiger and the girl rolling on the bed.

    *Tong* *Tong* *Tong*

    Suddenly, three bell chimes reached them. Azalon remembered this to be the signal for the family gathering.

    ''Hmmm... it should be about the distribution of the spots allocated to the city. Grandfather said that there will be a meeting of the family heads of the three families to decide upon the distribution. It seems they have made it.'' Azalon thought in his heart and came to a conclusion. Indeed, it was just for the same purpose.

    Azalon left Nina playing with Raka and amidst the loud protests of his Spirit, he got out of his room and slowly walked to the family grounds. Erek Wheld was already present in the grounds discussing with the family Elders in low tones. All the family members were gathered, but Azalon couldn''t find Hank anywhere. So, Azalon stood at his usual spot, in a corner where no one bothered to look at him.

    Soon, all the members of the family gathered in the plaza. Erek Wheld cleared his throat and the crowd went silent waiting for the family head to speak.

    ¡°As you all know, the Academies have started their recruitment and they have allocated 10 spots for the City. We, the three family heads, have conducted a meeting on the matter of how the spots are to be distributed.¡± Even though Erek Wheld spoke softly, his voice reached everyone. ¡°We have come to a decision and it will be announced within the three Great Families as well as all over the city. We have 10 spots for the city and the family heads decided to take 6 spots, 2 spots for each family. The remaining 4 spots are for the general public of the city. The candidates for these spots are to be selected based on an internal competition. The competition for our family will be held 6 days from tomorrow. Everyone, go and prepare.¡± The declaration instantly made the younger generation go into a clamor. The powerful ones were excited while the ones with the lower levels of cultivation were downcast. They can only blame their lack of talent and bitterly swallow the frustration. Particularly one guy among them was incredible excited and Azalon doesn''t want to talk about him right now.

    But at a corner of the plaza, no one saw Azalon''s eyes brightening as a good idea popped into his mind. Hehehe... Now, this will be a good show., Azalon smiled darkly.

    He returned to his room, and stood still when he opened the door. The room was a mess! Nina was standing in the middle of the room with a satisfied smile on her face and Raka was in her arms looking very depressed. The bright golden eyes were now dimmed down and it was like a obedient cat in Nina''s arms. But Nina... she had claw scratches everywhere, over her face, her arms, hell she even had some of her hair ripped off! Her dress is in tatters but that silly smile still hung up on her face.

    ¡°Wha... What happened, Nina?¡± Azalon asked incredulously as he looked at the destruction around her. ¡°We played, a lot!¡± came the simple reply. Played? Can you create this type of destruction by just playing? It looks like a hurricane swept through this room! Azalon smiled wryly at the mess of his room and couldn''t help but sigh bitterly as he watched the tiger-cub duo.

    ¡°Put him down, Nina. We got to go to Uncle Chad. Who knows what he will he do if we go any late?¡± after scolding both of them for a moment, Azalon went to meet Uncle Chad with Nina in tow. As Azalon had expected, he was worried that Nina didn''t return last night, but he immediately relaxed when he saw the both of them. Azalon decided not to tell him about the incident last night, although he suspected that Uncle Chad already knew of it, he simply explained that Nina stayed with him at his house. Some cajoling for Nina, and after talking with Uncle Chad, he returned home to prepare for the family competition and something more!

    When he returned to his room, he was surprised to see Hank waiting for him there.

    ¡°How is Nina, Az?¡± Hank asked concernedly as he too considered that energetic girl as his little sister.

    ¡°Mm. She is fine. I used the healing pill you gave me. She recovered from almost all her injuries from last night. Ah, that''s right, Hank. Where were you last night? You didn''t come see her.¡± Azalon replied before firing a question of his own.

    ¡°I was with grandfather discussing about the meat and bones we brought back from the forest. Eh decided to sell them in the city auction next week after the competitions will finish. A part of it will be set aside as the prize for the competition winners from the commoners. As for the Thunder Horned Stag, i decided to take the most important parts of the body with me and the rest will all be left with grandfather. May be he will decide to give to winners of our family.¡± Hank spoke of all that went on between him and Erek Wheld last night. Before he left, Azalon asked for the healing pill but Hank didn''t have any. But Azalon didn''t mind as his body was almost healed too. He just had to get rid of this annoying headache. Azalon smiled as he popped the white pill into his mouth and activated the [Devour] ability as he drifted into sleep beside Raka.

    Six days swiftly and quietly passed by. All the youngsters of the city were frantically cultivating with the hopes of increasing their strengths by even a little bit. Who knows, may be this little bit will guarantee them to be a winner? Azalon was not too different from them. He was not cultivating but recovering from the damage to his consciousness and he took 4 days to heal. The remaining two days, he concentrated on stabilizing his cultivation at the 5th Level Spirit Sense Realm. The Spirit Energy within his body got more rich and pure as well as rigorous. Ah, LILY woke up two days before but she was still weak as her battery charge was still not full.

    Finally, the day of the competition arrived. The Wheld Martial Grounds was converted into a battle arena type layout with a square battle stage in the middle and stands for the family members to sit and watch the young ones fight on the stage. All the Elders were already present in the arena and were seated on the stands prepared for them. A single seat was prepared at an elevated position above all others and this will be where the family head will be positioned.

    The youngsters of the family were gathered in their respective groups around the battle stage, filled with excitement and restlessness, waiting for the battles to start, giving the arena a lively feel.

    Azalon sat under a tree leaning his back against the trunk with a straw of grass between his lips. His eyes were half lidded as he lazily observed everything that''s going on around him, especially a 15-year old boy on the middle of a group making wild gestures and loud boastings. A slight smile quirked up the corner of his mouth.

    A 50-year old man in white robes walked into the grounds and the crowd''s murmurs went silent as everyone''s attention turned to that person.

    ¡°The family Head has arrived.¡± An Elder announced loudly as Erek Wheld slowly made his way to the highest seat in the stands. He didn''t sit but stood there while his eyes roamed around the plaza looking at everyone.

    With his white robes fluttering in the wind, his straight spear like posture as well his dignified aura along with his Cultivation level made him the idol of many of the youngsters in the family. Azalon felt that the Erek Wheld he was seeing right now is not the amiable and gentle grandfather of his, but a fierce and domineering leader of a family.

    Erek Wheld was feeling great right now. Looking at the excited faces of the younger generation of his family, he unconsciously let out a satisfied smile on his face.

    ¡°Let the Competitions, Begin.¡± He didn''t tarry much longer and immediately announced the start of the competition...

 Chapter 23: Spirit Integration

    The young ones in the crowd erupted in a loud cheer in response to the declaration of Erek Wheld. They were all worked up for this competition, for if they win this competition, they will have a chance to participate in the recruitment of the Academies. If, by any chance if, they manage to get selected into any of the Academies, it will be just like sprouting wings and soaring into the skies!

    Their status will undergo a drastic change overnight! With the teachings of the Academy and their cultivation resources, they may step into a Realm they could never have imagined before! This one chance may very well change their very lives!

    But they knew in the deepest corners of their hearts, that their chances of winning the competition were very slim. There are the geniuses of the family that they couldn''t compare with or contend against.

    For example, Delius Wheld, the son of the First Elder. His cultivation recently achieved a breakthrough to the 7th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm, making him the strongest in the younger generation of the family.

    Most of them were only at the 4th or 5th Level, with two or three at the 6th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm. Even all of them couldn''t hold against him, let alone a one-on-one battle. After all, there was a gap of an entire Level or two between them. Not to mention his top-grade Black Taloned Silver Hawk Spirit. He was the kind of genius that was destined to spread his wings and aim at a higher stage.

    So, all the family members practically considered a spot to be reserved for Delius. In their minds, this competition is for the second spot. But none of them took note of a 12 - year old boy sitting under a tree observing everything calmly.

    The second Elder who was standing at his seat in the stands suddenly moved and instantly appeared on the battle stage. It looked like he materialised out of nowhere onto the stage!

    Waahhh!!!

    The young members all gasped in admiration and awe at that display. One moment he was at his seat and the next moment he was on the stage! When will they have this kind of power? Was the one thought that every single one of them had. Delius'' eyes were glittering brightly as his ambition once again soared!

    ¡°I will surpass everyone in this family. And then I will leave this backward area behind and go to a nice city or even the Imperial Capital!¡± Delius'' ambition was not a small or simple one. He was always highly ambitious and strived hard for reaching them. But his only faults were his selfishness and narrow mindedness. These faults may prove effective when he was chasing his ambitions or goals, but they will severely restrict the growth of his mentality making him a greedy and pretentious person who chases after trivial things.

    Even Azalon was amazed by the speed of that Second Elder. Even though his own speed was fast, especially when he used the [Ghostly Illusion Flash], that casual display was not something he was capable of at his current level.

    The Second Elder stood in the centre of the stage and spoke with his soft and husky voice.

    ¡°The family competition will start at this moment. Before that, let me make the rules very clear to you all. On this stage, any one can challenge any other member of their generation. Once the challenge is issued, you can accept it and fight for victory or you can decline it and admit defeat. The winner may remain on the stage and continue to accept challenges. But once you get defeated, you will not get another chance to get onto this stage. The final two will be selected as the candidates for the 2 spots of the family. But remember, you may injure your opponent during the fight, but fatally injuring or crippling will be dealt severely. Disregard this, and don''t blame me for knocking you down.¡±

    The Second Elder''s voice was still soft but the sharp and authoritative under tone didn''t leave any chances for arguments. After making sure that everyone understood his words, he waved his hand and took two steps back. ¡°Now, for the first battle. Anyone wish to come on to the stage?¡±

    A young boy of around 14 years of age slowly walked forward. With a light jump, he landed on the stage. A white wolf the size of a normal dog jumped along with him onto the stage. He cupped his hands to the Elder first, before pointing to someone in the crowd.

    ¡°I, Erik Wheld, challenge Darma Wheld, for an exchange of pointers.¡± The one he pointed to was another boy of same age as Erik. He was dressed in a loose white shirt and black pants. A small but sleek panther cub was lying on the ground at that boy''s feet looking around with it''s lazy eyes.

    ¡°That''s Erik. He is at 4th Level Spirit Sense Realm. His Spirit should be the [Blood Eyed Wolf] and is only a low ranked Spirit. Is he thinking of taking the spotlight by issuing the first challenge?¡± Some one in the crowd murmured discontentedly.

    ¡°No. Look at who he has challenged. That''s Darma Wheld, and he is also at the 4th Level. His Spirit is the [Ash Cloud Panther], still a low ranked Spirit, but slightly better than the [Blood Eyed Wolf] of Erik. If I remember correctly, Erik considers this Darma as his rival and is always competing with him. Now that he has reached the 4th Level, he should have decided on settling his rivalry on this stage.¡± It was a 15 year old young man with a cultivation at 5th Level who spoke about the situation calmly.

    ¡°Ah, so that''s how it is. Indeed it is as brother pointed out.¡± After listening to the explanation, they understood what''s happening and looked forward to the match. Battles between rivals tend to be interesting...

    ¡°LILY, search the database for the information on those 2 Spirits.¡± Azalon who was at a fair distance from the crowd and the stage couldn''t hear the comments within the crowd. So, he could only rely on his own knowledge for information.

    ¡°Master, the Wolf Spirit is named [Blood Eyed Wolf] and ranked 12,832 in the Spirit Beast Rankings. The Panther [Ash Cloud Panther] is ranked 12,746 in the Rankings. Both the Spirits are non-attributed Spirits. Further information is not available due to insufficient data.¡± LILY responded enthusiastically in his mind.

    LILY recovered just yesterday and Azalon was truly happy that she was safe. Only after a thorough and complete diagnostics of her system and having nothing stand out as a problem, did he relax completely. If anything happened to her, he just didn''t have the resources or facilities to repair her hardware or software. As for the Lightning Spirit, it looks like it will take a little more time, but according to LILY, the Spirit will Awaken after two to three weeks. Azalon was pretty excited for his third Spirit.

    Just was everyone was discussing about the match, the young man slowly walked onto the stage with the Panther Spirit in tow. He stood there rather care freely eyeing that Erik who was bouncing with excitement with some interest.

    The Wolf Spirit was the size of a normal adult dog. It''s fur was completely white without a single blemish on it, but it was not pure white either. It was rather a milky white colour that was bland white. And as it''s name suggested, it''s eyes were blood red giving an almost ferocious look to its face.

    The Panther was ash coloured with patterns of clouds on its body. Whenever it moved, the cloud patterns gave the illusion of moving. Azalon felt intrigued by that as it didn''t coincide with the theories he knew on behaviour of light. The Panther was sleek and lean and it was evident that it tilted heavily towards speed rather than power.

    Azalon carefully observed the Spirits. As for their Masters, he didn''t care at all. They may be invisible for all he cared. He didn''t even know their faces let alone bothering to remembering their names.

    Just as everyone was discussing about the match, the young man with the Panther Spirit slowly walked onto the stage under everyone''s gaze. He stood there rather care freely eyeing Erik who was filled with fighting spirit with some interest.

    ¡°As expected of you, Erik. You have challenged me. But I didn''t think you would be the first one to come onto this stage.¡± Darma Wheld spoke blandly.

    ¡°Let''s settle our rivalry with this match, Darma. I will win this match and there''s no better stage than this one for this battle.¡± Erik was twitching in excitement and his eagerness for the fight to begin.

    ¡°Alright, if both of you are ready, battle Start!¡± The Second Elder stood at an edge of the stage and called out.

    It was the first time Azalon was seeing a battle between Cultivators. Even though he fought a lot of Spirit Beasts over these days, he didn''t come across any human opponents all this time. So, he was very interested on how Cultivators fought each other.

    Ever since he heard how his grandfather lost his Spirit on that day, he had been slightly worried... alright, alright, he was terrified that something like that may happen to him someday. That was also the reason for his interest in the fights. He wanted to know exactly how they prevented their Spirits from getting injured or even killed. You have to know that for a Cultivator, the existence of the Spirit is a source of their strength but also their terrible and very obvious weakness!

    Frankly speaking, Azalon was frustrated at his ignorance about this world. He was like a caveman who was thrust into the modern world. Every single fucking thing is new to him and there''s no one to teach him, as he was considered the trash of the family and was ignored. It was in fact only a short time he Awakened his Spirits, and most of his time since then had been spent in the Wilderness hunting the Spirit Beasts for their Spirit Cores for himself and Souls for his Spirits. He didn''t have the opportunity to find out about his new found powers and mysteries, subjects generally known to all the Cultivators.

    And this battle gave him a chance to learn about these things. How the cultivators fought with each other, what''s the role of the Spirits in a fight. Do they have a two pronged attacks with Cultivators and Spirits fighting side by side? Or do they set aside their Spirits and just battle each other while protecting their Spirits from any sneak attacks?

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Under his attentive gaze, the two competitors were facing each other. The Wolf and Panther Spirits sensed their Master''s intent and were growling at each other.

    But what happened next shocked the brains out of Azalon. His mind short circuited and he became absent minded as he jumped straight up like his ass has been lit on fire.

    On the stage, both Erik and Darma crouched and laid their palms on the foreheads of their Spirits.

    ¡°Spirit Integration!¡± both of them shouted loudly at the same time. The Spirits turned into mist and entered their palms. Changes started appearing on their bodies as soon as the mist was absorbed.

    Whitish fur grew on Erik''s arms covering till his biceps. His nails grew long and sharp curving at the end making them seem like claws. He slightly grew in height as his toes grew an extra joint an his ankle was no longer in contact with the ground. He was entirely balanced on his rear claws that grew out of his toes. Finally, his eyes became blood red like his Spirit and his excited grin showing his canines gave him a savage aura. Low guttural growls emerged from his throat as his blood red eyes shined with battle intent.

    Darma''s transformation was not as ... bestial, for the lack of a better word, as Erik''s. His fingers curled as his nails grew into claws, but those long and sharp nails actually looked good on the slender fingers of Darma. A gray tail appeared from his tail bone making whooshing sounds whenever it moved. It was evident that the tail was flexible yet strong. Popping sounds rang out as his body grew in height and the bones re ¨C adjusted. But one change disrupted the entire appearance. Four cat ¨C like whiskers on either side of the face gave him a slightly comical look.

    Azalon was still gawking with a stupid look on his face. Wha... What exactly happened here? What the hell is going on? Was that an ability or something that any Cultivator could do? Azalon''s mind snapped out of his trance as it went over the possibilities and scenarios.

    This changed everything! If he did have this kind of ability, then he wouldn''t have to worry about his Spirits any more! He could retract LILY into his body but he couldn''t do that with Raka. So this ability proved to be useful if he ever ran into some troubles. He would just have to do just whatever that guys managed to do at the first sign of trouble. But first, he had to verify whether he could do it or not. Ah, that''s right...

    ¡°Oye, LILY. LILY! Did you record that transformation process? Analyse it. And are you capable of that kind of ability? Also investigate whether Raka is capable or not.¡± Azalon immediately talked LILY to find out the answers.

    ¡°Master... Ah, I have indeed recorded the process. Per the system analysis, I am not capable of replicating that ability. The system shows that something is preventing me from manifesting that ability. The situation is the same with Raka, as per the scanner results.¡± LILY replied in a small voice so as not to shock me too much.

    Azalon was shocked as he heard that. ¡°I can''t do this merging thingy? Then what the hell am I supposed to do to protect both of you? On top of that I still have another 7 waiting in the line! I can at least hide you, but what about Raka?¡± He collapsed as a deflated balloon as his excitement turned 180 degrees into disappointment. This was another nice and new thing he can''t do. At first it was Spirit Awakening, then Cultivation and now this. Why the hell is this second life of his so fucked up? Huh?

    Azalon lost his interest in the fight. But all the same he watched to find out some more things like this. But he was still talking with LILY to find out why he was incapable of doing the merging.

    ¡°Hmmm? You are saying that whatever transformed your system when you have Awakened caused you to be unable of the Spirit Integration?¡± Azalon asked incredulously. This was a piece of news for him.

    ¡°Yes, Master. By the system logs, I was capable of that transformation. In fact the transformation process was even more profound than those Cultivators were capable of because of my assimilation with your consciousness. But the next moment, it was locked out by some foreign influence. As to what that was, the system couldn''t analyse properly. But based on the characteristics of the influence, it was estimated that it was the same foreign influence that caused my evolution to this form.¡± LILY obediently reported what she found in her system logs.

    ¡°Hmmm...¡± Azalon sank into deep thought contemplating this information provided by LILY. In the mean time, the fight on the stage went on.

    After the transformation, Erik and Darma both exploded with their cultivation base of 4th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Their bodies were enhanced by integrating with their Spirits, in a particular trait. Erik had his strength enhanced and Darma''s lean body lightly crouched as his calves tightened up like a spring. Clearly his speed increased by quite a bit after merging with his Panther Spirit.

    Both moved at the same time. Erik''s Spirit Energy covered his claws as he punched out. Azalon noted that the Spirit Energy was slightly murky. It seems that Erik did not manage to refine his Spirit Energy to it''s purest form and so the impurities in it. Darma moved quickly and with a whoosh the tail appeared from behind Erik trying to wind around his neck. Erik jumped and the force created a small web lines like crater on the stage.

    Since the Spirits were not remarkable or Unique, they didn''t have any abilities or techniques. And as LILY pointed out in the beginning, they were non attribute Spirits. They were just relying on their cultivation base and physical enhancements to fight their opponent. But since, they were almost equal in all aspects, it came down to perseverance and battle experience. They would have to wait for that opportunity where their opponent would make a slip up and take advantage of it.

    Erik assaulted with his powerful claws and kicks. Every attack of his brought about a small size wind storm on the stage. Darma relied on his reaction speed and swiftly evaded them and often even attacked at that moment where Erik had his guard breached due to continuously attacking.

    The battle lasted for 10 minutes and within these, those two exchanged over dozens of blows. A loud ''Bang!'' came from the stage as they collided and were forced back ten steps.

    Erik was panting heavily and clutching his hand. Blood dripped in small drops on to the stage from the injury on his wrist. Darma was slightly better but his pale face and three claw marks on his chest told another story. It seems that both of them suffered some injuries during their exchanges.

    ¡°Aaah!¡± Suddenly Erik''s eyes shined with blood red as he rushed towards Darma with his fist raised. He squeezed out the last bit of Spirit Energy in his body and enveloped it on his fist. It tore through the air as it targeted the chest of Darma.

    But just as the fist was about to meet it''s target, Darma slightly moved. Because of his Panther Spirit, his reaction speed was a lot faster than Erik''s. He moved his right leg behind his left leg. It was just a step but it moved his body parallel to the path of the fist. The fist missed him by just an inch but this made Erik''s lower body vulnerable.

    Darma quickly circulated his Spirit Energy and his palm shot out. At the same time, the tail wound around the fist and gave a wrench. With a ''Peng!'', the palm landed on Erik''s lower abdomen and his spine bent inwards due to the force of the palm as well as the forward momentum brought about by his punch as well as the stimulus from the pull of the tail.

    Erik felt all the air rush out from his lungs and blood welled up in his throat. His kneels buckled out and he went on all fours, gasping, trying to get some air into his lungs.

    ¡°I... I admit defeat¡± Erik wheezed out as his transformation cancelled out and his Wolf Spirit appeared beside him. Darma''s transformation cancelled out too and his Panther Spirit materialised. Both of their exhaustion disappeared instantly and their breath stabilised!

    Azalon carefully observed the Spirits and he saw that the two Spirits were clearly exhausted and dull. The initial vigour was not present and they appeared worn out. But what surprised him was the wounds on them. The Wolf had its front leg raised into the air and the Panther''s abdomen had three small claw marks.

    ¡°Hmmm... it looks like whatever the injury the Cultivator takes in the merged form will be shared by both the Spirit and the cultivator. But the cultivators will share the most of the injury but the exhaustion will be transferred onto the Spirit. But it is still dangerous to both of them. What if the exhaustion was something that the Spirit couldn''t handle by itself? What if they were poisoned while in that stage? Did the same thing happen with my grandfather?¡± Azalon muttered to himself as he observed the injuries and the exhausted Spirits on the stage.

    ¡°First battle, Darma Wheld Wins. He may stay on the stage.¡± the Second Elder announced promptly . The audience responded with a cheer. It was a straight forward battle with no abilities or affinities. Just fists against fists.

    Darma Wheld remained on the stage but his expression didn''t look good at all. A challenge came from the crowd and a bitter expression surfaced onto his face. It was a 5th Level Cultivator whom he couldn''t defeat in his prime stage let alone now. He swiftly accepted his defeat without any second thoughts.

    The competition suddenly became more interesting as the 5th and 6th Level cultivators started battling. Among the family''s younger generation, only 3 had Spirits with Special abilities or Affinities. One is Delius Wheld with his Wind Affinity Spirit. The other 2 are currently battling on the stage.

    <hr />

    Sorry guys for the late release. My PC flipped out on me and I had to use my office PC to type this chapter in the gaps I find within my work. There will be another chapter tomorrow hopefully, and the first battle of our MC as well as his revengah!

 Chapter 24: This will be the Price...

    Sorry guys for the late release. But this chapter is the longest chapter I have ever written till date. I hope this will be acceptable as an apology for making you guys wait... The next chapter will be the last chapter of the First Volume ''The Awakening''. The Second Volume ''The Academy'' starts next and believe me guys, that even I am looking forward to that! But the next chapter will be what you may call ''Info Dump'' as it is all about the world MC is living in and the cultivation stages as well as the information on Spirits, the Continents, the Academies and may be MC''s past? Who knows? Look forward to it...

    ========================================================================

    A few moments before, on the battle stage...

    *Hiss* ... *Hiss* ...

    Continuous hissing sounds came from the stage as a 14 ¨C year old was battling against his opponent. What was special about this one is that after integrating with his Spirit, his lower body transformed into that of a snake with black scales on it, giving him a half ¨C human half ¨C snake appearance. A forked tongue flickered from his lips as he nimbly slithered around the stage dodging the attacks of his opponent. LILY reported the name of the Spirit as [Demonic Python], ranked 3812 in the Spirit Beasts Rankings, to Azalon.

    His opponent was another beast ¨C man looking boy with a [Fiery Ape], ranked in the top 3000s, as his Spirit. His arms were covered with light red fur which extended all the way touching the ground, making them out of proportion with his entire body. His nose and mouth merged to form an ape''s snout as he grunted while chasing the other.

    Murkish grey Energy enveloped them as the cultivation base of the 6th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm exploded out from both of them. The Ape ¨C Spirit boy was throwing his long and thick arms were trying to grab the Snake Spirit boy, but he proved to be slippery to catch hold of. Fortunately, even though his opponent''s Spirit is a Snake type Spirit, it didn''t have any poison capabilities. Otherwise this battle would have become a very nasty business.

    By this time, after all these battles, Azalon came to an understanding that all the cultivators are capable of performing the ''Spirit Integration'' thingy with their Spirits. So, why on earth can''t he do that? He pondered over this question from the very first battle itself and he gradually lost interest in watching the competition as the battles entered a state where he could even predict the next steps of the battle.

    First they would come onto the stage with their Spirits, then shout loudly and integrate with their Spirits. A part of their body will transform into a beast and their aura explodes. After doing all of these things, the next thing they do is collide with each other like street brawlers! No martial arts, no techniques, not even a single ability till now... They battled purely on the physical strength and their cultivation bases. Azalon simply ignored the battles and started contemplating on his problems . Forget about his future situations, he had to go onto that stage some time later and he didn''t have any idea on how to trump over that Delius if ever he agreed to battle him.

    Delius'' cultivation Level is higher than him, his Spirit is of a Wind Elemental Affinity that can be used in lots of diverse ways if used correctly, AND he can integrate with his Spirit if the match tilts against his favor. Azalon was perfectly aware of his strength and he knew that if Delius wouldn''t integrate with his Spirit, then he had a good chance of winning. But once Delius integrated with his Spirit, he couldn''t even imagine how the battle may turn out!

    As he pondered over the question that kept on rotating around his head, suddenly the words of that pretty face prick from that day came to his mind.

    ¡°This [Demon Cultivation Pill] can Awaken your Petrified Spirit, Azalon. But there are some small side effects to it.¡± was what that man had said that day. And even LILY said that whatever foreign force it was that was blocking her ability to perform the ''Spirit Integration'' came from the same thing that caused her to evolve to her current state.

    As far as he knew there are only two forces that were responsible for her current evolution. The [Demon Cultivation Pill] he took that day to Awaken his Spirits and the [Soul Embryonic Cultivation Technique] he practices to evolve his Spirits.

    ¡°So, is this the side effect that he spoke of? How the hell is this a small side effect, you man ¨C bitch. You said that there will be no negative effects to the pill or the method!¡±

    Azalon knew that even though he had great physical strength compared to the cultivators at the same level of the cultivation as his, but once they power up by merging with their Spirits, the difference between them would shorten to rather a close degree.

    He was left with two choices now. One, find a method to forcefully merge with his Spirits. Two, quickly enhance his strength and advance in his cultivation, all the while finding suitable Souls to Awaken his slumbering Spirits. He was sure that he would face even stronger opponents when he steps out of this little bubble he called his family.

    Even in this run down and backwater town called the Blue Wind City, one can find cultivators at the Spirit Condensation Realm. In the vast world and among the countless population, there should be numerous geniuses and prodigies that should have at much higher Realms, a Realm to which his presence would be akin to an ant or a speck of dust.

    All of a sudden, Azalon''s thoughts took on a new tangent.

    ¡°Hmmm... Does it have anything to do with my Soul and the pill? That [Demon Cultivation Pill] or whatever was supposedly for the Damaged Souls. But my Soul was never damaged and very much intact when I took that pill. I had to go through that excruciating pain because of that.¡± Azalon''s body shuddered violently as the memories of that pain surfaced from his memories. He really didn''t want to remember that, but there will be certain incidents that will leave a lasting mark on one''s life.

    ¡°That too makes sense, in a way. But it somehow feels that there is something more to this than what I am thinking of. Something that''s deep within me and out of my reach. What could it be?¡±

    Azalon thought over the problem but quickly gave up the thought as something very interesting happened on the battle stage.

    On the stage, the Ape ¨C Spirit young man was struggling intensely as the snake body of his opponent was squeezing him by wrapping around his body just as a real python does with its prey. A snicker flashed on the Snake ¨C Spirit youngster''s face as he squeezed tighter and tighter.

    ¡°Give it up, Asssa. You can''t possssibly have the hope to win againsssst me, right?¡± He taunted the Ape ¨C Spirit youngster while sneering filled with ridicule and arrogance.

    ¡°Grrrraaaahhh!¡± A loud roar came from the Ape ¨C Spirit youngster''s throat in response to that throat. His eyes became bloodshot as light red Spirit Energy flooded out from his body and a berserk aura filled the area. His arms bulged out and he gripped onto the snake body before giving it a mighty wrench.

    The Snake ¨C Spirit youngster was caught off guard as he didn''t imagine that his opponent would erupt with such strength just on the verge of his defeat. Before he could react, the massive Ape arms flinged the snake body and he was slammed onto the battle stage.

    But it didn''t stop there. The Ape ¨C Spirit youngster acted as if he had gone crazy and he started flinging his arms left and right pounding the battle stage with the snake body still clutched tightly in them as if it was a battering ram.

    Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!

    It was a slightly comical scene, but the force behind those impacts was no joke. The Snake ¨C Spirit young man fainted after few impacts after coughing out blood. The Second Elder stopped the match and examined the injuries of the Snake ¨C Spirit young man. By this time, the transformation canceled out and the limp body of the youngster and his Python Spirit appeared on the stage.

    ¡°The injuries are not severe but various bones in the body are broken. It will take around 3 ¨C 4 weeks to heal to normal. Asa Wheld is disqualified from the competition and he will be administered 10 lashes with the Demon Ox Whip as his punishment for breaking the rules of the competition.¡±

    The atmosphere turned slightly chilly as the cold and low voice of the Second Elder rang out, declaring the punishment for breaking the rules of the competition. A group of armored guards appeared before dragging away that Asa for administering his punishment.

    The silent and gloomy atmosphere changed when a figure walked out from the crowd. She gracefully stepped onto the stage and stood there silently without a care for what''s happening around her. She looked to be around 13 years of age with white skin, a well featured face, pale blue eyes and a slender body. A small blue lotus bud was floating on her shoulder with its petals closed but for a single petal which looked like it bloomed pre - maturely.

    She looked to be in her budding stage but after 4 -5 years, there''s no doubt that she will be an extreme beauty that will charm countless men''s hearts. Every one below had a look of infatuation in their eyes and some even panting with obsession clearly pasted over their faces.

    That girl was Sophie Wheld, one of the geniuses of the family, as the 6th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Her Spirit was a rare and Unique [Ice Lotus], a variant Spirit with Ice Attribute. Due to the nature of her Spirit, she could only cultivate Cold Yin Energy. That type of Energy will be at its highest during the night-time, which means that she can cultivate only at night times unlike the others who can cultivate all day. It was receiving half the benefits with double her efforts!

    Even under such conditions she cultivated to the 6th Level! With this one could see how monstrous her talent was. She was a genuine prodigy that the world would see every century or so!

    As she stood on the stage, the glossy white skin glittered in the sunlight like flakes of snow and her dress was fluttering slightly in the wind, creating a mesmerizing scene that made everyone stare blankly. She looked like a snow fairy in the harsh fairy and her beautiful appearance made anyone want to protect her and cherish her.

    ¡°Ah, so beautiful. It''s unfortunate that I couldn''t go onto the stage. If only I could trade a blow or two with the number one beauty of the city.¡± A young man who had lost previously spoke in a miserable tone.

    ¡°Hmph. With your pathetic strength you want to go meet her? Quit dreaming or I will be the one giving you pointers!¡± Another responded coldly, as if he was the one personally insulted.

    ¡°Ah, Sophie...¡±

    Cries filled with infatuation filled the entire area as each and every one of the younger generation called out to the beauty on the stage.

    Azalon''s eyes were fixed on to the stage too. He almost gagged as a look of revulsion passed over his face. She is a 13-year-old girl, for god''s sake! Even though he knew the reason for that kind of behavior, he couldn''t accept that. He was from Earth where 18 years was the norm for girls to be eligible for marriage and 21 years for boys. Even though he managed to adapt himself to this world''s lifestyle, there are some moral constraints which he was not inclined to break, this being one of them.

    But what drew Azalon''s interest was not her face not her beauty, but what was hovering on her shoulder. It was the [Ice Spirit] that he concentrated on the most. This was practically the first time he had come across a Spirit with an affinity other than Delius'' Hawk with its Wind Affinity, and a peculiar Spirit at that.

    ¡°How is she going to perform the ''Spirit Integration'' with that Lotus? What will her transformation look like?¡± Azalon''s interest was once again piqued as his gaze locked onto the stage.

    Within the crowd, there was one who had his eyes filled with undisguised greed and lust. With a lewd expression on his face, he chuckled before waving to a huge person behind him.

    ¡°Rana, go and battle with her. Fight for a few moments and waste her Spirit Energy. Admit your defeat after that.¡± Delius ordered his lackey with a sneer on his face.

    ¡°But, Young Master. I will lose the qualification to battle others when I admit defeat.¡± The low base voice boomed out from the hulking person even though he suppressed his voice.

    ¡°Huh? You are questioning me? Humph. When I get selected into the Academies, naturally I am going to need some servants for me. Initially I wanted to take you but seeing that you can''t even take some small orders, I may have to re ¨C think about it.¡± The expressions on Delius'' face changed into that of ridicule as he spoke with a domineering tone.

    ¡°Ah! No, no, Young Master. It was your servant''s fault for letting his tongue loose. I will immediately carry out your words.¡± The huge person almost went on his knees when he heard Delius'' words. He immediately started walking towards the stage with big strides.

    Sophie Wheld stood on the stage silently and without a single change on her snow face, except for blinking twice when she saw the huge body walk onto the stage. She was like a block of ice that stood there without a single change.

    Rana was a hulking man with tightly packed muscles all over his 6 foot body. When he stood on the stage, with a brow bear that came up to his waist, he was towering way over Sophie Wheld. She looked like a weak and frail blade of grass in front of a massive and thick tree. She looked utterly insignificant and weak when compared to that massive body.

    Rana stood there with a grim expression and a determined glint in his eyes. He was a commoner that showed some promise in Cultivation. He was bought into the family by the First Elder and Delius took him as his lackey. His only hope was to get to a higher position so that he could take care of his poor parents. Now Delius had given him hope. If he could enter the Academies even as someone''s servant, his life will change forever. He could even advance into higher levels of cultivation if he could obtain one or two cultivation materials from Delius.

    All he had to do was to waste this girl''s Spirit Energy. That kind of thing was the one he was the most proficient with!

    His [Earth Bear] Spirit was an Earth Affinity Spirit. Earth Affinity excels in its defensive nature giving its user an almost impregnable defense. If you want to breach through these defensive abilities, your attack should have more power than what the defense could handle or your cultivation Level should be higher than the Earth Elemental user. Only with these two conditions can one win against an Earth Elemental.

    But he didn''t dare underestimate the small girl in front of him. Even though her cultivation Level was the same as his at the 6th Level of Spirit Sense Realm, her Ice Elemental attacks pack quite a punch. Her attacks not only deals you damage but the coldness within those attacks will slow you down by covering you with frost. Your body functions will stagnate under that extreme cold all the way to the Spirit Energy circulation in the meridians. In that kind of situation, you don''t have a choice but to dispel that cold with your Spirit Energy or allocate a portion of Spirit Energy to protect you against it, making your strength go down a notch.

    She was the nimble and perfect hunter while he was the stable and impregnable fortress. This was a battle between two perfectly extreme opposites! Every one was interested in the battle, but Azalon''s interest was kindled for another reason.

    ¡°Spirit Integration!¡± As expected, Rana immediately merged with his Spirit by touching the [Earth Bear] between the eyebrows. But to Azalon''s amazement, Sophie just stood there without moving a muscle! But instead a pale blue Spirit Energy came out of her body and mixed with the white cold mist that was released by the [Ice Lotus] on her shoulder. The mixture coalesced to form a pure blue crystalline lotus below her feet!

    ¡°What?¡± Azalon was confused! She didn''t integrate with her Spirit, but rather formed a copy from her Spirit Energy? Why? Azalon slightly narrowed his eyes as he grew more and more interested.

    Rana, after merging with his Spirit, grew even taller and buffer than before as brown fur grew on his chest and arms. Brown Spirit Energy enveloped his body before forming a thick and sturdy armor that covered his entire body except for his face! He stomped heavily on the ground and the earth below Sophie''s feet changed to form two spikes that pierced from below.

    Her expression didn''t change but two petals dropped from the Lotus below her feet and slashed the Earthen spikes before they could reach her. She lightly waved her hand and they melted to reform into tow Ice Spears that hovered in the air before flying towards Rana.

    Ding! Ding!

    They targeted the chest but the brown armor was sturdy enough to protect him against the Ice Spears, as they shattered on impact with his Earth Armor. But he couldn''t block the Cold Energy within the Ice Spears and a thin layer of frost appeared on his body. He roared before his Spirit Energy rushed out dissolving the frost. Spirit Energy covered his hand as he punched down.

    *Boom*

    A tremor ran through the ground as the entire stage shook under that monstrous punch. Cracks started spreading on the stage and a massive dust cloud rose up from the ground.

    Sophie lightly jumped when the cracks reached her and the Lotus below her feet fluttered peculiarly as she floated in the air! Even though it was for a few seconds, that was enough for her to summon a dozen Ice Spears that silently floated around her. These Spears were double in length and thickness than the previous two and the Lotus beneath her feet vanished as she landed on the stage.

    She pointed her finger and the Ice Spears whizzed through the air towards Rana who had his fist pierced deep into the ground all the way to the elbow. The Ice Spears reached him before he could pull it out but they couldn''t deal any actual damage with that Earth Armor protecting him. But the coldness that spread out as a result of the dozen spears instantly lowered the temperature of the surroundings.

    Thick mist started forming as the water vapor in the air froze due to the cold temperature covering the stage with a thick white blanket. Clashing sounds and loud Booms echoed out from the fog but no one could see what was going on anymore.

    ¡°I admit defeat!¡±

    Suddenly, the deep voice of Rana boomed out almost shattering everyone''s eardrums. Everyone in the crowd was surprised except for two. One was who planned the things and the other was who observed the planner and managed to infer the plan. The Second Elder lightly waved his sleeves and a stream of wind blew away the thick mist revealing the two figures within.

    Waves of gasps ran through the crowd as the stage was revealed when the dust and mist cloud scattered. Long cracks and deep craters riddled the stage, while a thin layer of frost covered the entire stage! What a destructive potential!

    Both Sophie and Rana were actually unhurt but Sophie was lightly panting but her eyes were tightly shut and her aura continued to rise. Suddenly she opened her eyes and a massive pressure enveloped everyone suffocating them. Some with the cultivation bases at 4th Level even directly fainted under that pressure. Even Azalon felt his chest tightening but disappeared as he rotated his Spirit Energy.

    ¡°She broke through to the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm! She actually broke through in the middle of the battle!¡± Everyone was shocked by this sudden turn of events.

    ¡°No, she didn''t break through due to her battle. Instead she was at the very peak of the 6th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm for some time now. All she needed was a little push to cross over the threshold and this battle gave her that opportunity.¡± The Second Elder spoke of what he had sensed during her breakthrough and explained it to the younger generation who didn''t have the experience of witnessing such scenes.

    ¡°That''s right, Second Elder. I have been at the 6th Level for over 2 months. When I expended large amounts of Energy in the battle, my cultivation broke through.¡± Sophie responded and her melodious voice was enough for some of the youngsters to drool.

    Everyone was discussing the accidental breakthrough of Sophie, but a single pair of eyes were lost in thought as he stared at the Ice Lotus that was hovering on her shoulder. Azalon was mulling over the initial aspect of the battle when Rana merged with his Spirit.

    ¡°Why didn''t she merge with her Spirit? She didn''t or couldn''t? Is there some kind of restriction to that ability?¡± Azalon was muttering incoherently as his mind analyzed everything. He even brought LILY into the fray as she played the battle recordings in loop.

    ¡°LILY, did you find any reason as to why she didn''t merge with her Ice Lotus?¡± Azalon asked LILY in his mind.

    ¡°Master, based on my observations, it''s not that she didn''t but she couldn''t. The Energy fluctuations that radiate out whenever some one initiates the ''Spirit Integration'' will be almost identical between the human and the Spirit Beast.

    But Sophie''s Energy readings are below the Energy readings radiating from the Ice Lotus Spirit. It''s almost the Spirit is superior to her and not the other way around.¡± LILY responded narrating her findings and readings.

    ¡°Hmmm??? Did you say, the Energy readings of the Spirit are higher than the cultivator? Aren''t they an integral part with each other? How can they be different from each other? That doesn''t make sense at all!¡± Azalon silently thought for a while before saying.

    ¡°The Energy from both of them is similar in nature but the amount of Energy congregated within that Ice Lotus is a lot higher than what she had and that made the Energy readings differ. I can infer that the Ice Lotus is not only a Spirit to her, but also a kind of Energy storage that she can use in case of emergency.¡± LILY further analyzed the data and inferred some conclusions based on them.

    ¡°An Energy storage, huh? But does that mean if the Ice Lotus loses all the excess energy it stored within it, then she could perform the merging?¡± Azalon''s intelligence was no less than LILY''s as he too came to the same conclusion as LILY''s and he was even a step ahead with his next question.

    ¡°No, Master. There is one extra variable in this.¡± LILY spoke to his enquiry. ¡°What?¡± Azalon knitted his eyebrows as he couldn''t find anything that missed his scrutiny. ¡°Coldness!¡± LILY was almost smug as she found something that her Master couldn''t find.

    ¡°Coldness?¡± Azalon was still confused. ¡°What was that supposed to mean? Explain, LILY!¡±

    ¡°Hehe... Alright, Master. Even though the nature of Spirit Energy was the same between her and the Ice Lotus, the Ice Lotus''s core is very cold. The readings are almost the same as the readings we took at the North Polar Icecaps back on Earth. Even though the core is very small, that small variation was enough to cause some changes to appear in the Spirit Energy that was stored in the Ice Lotus. That small variation made it so that the two Spirit Energies could never be the same in all aspects which was necessary for the ''Spirit Integration''¡±. LILY provided her analysis and it made Azalon''s eyes go wide with realization.

    ¡°Of course. Of course. But wait a moment!¡± Azalon suddenly remembered something. On that day when Hank and him fought with the Thunder Horned Stag, Hank didn''t merge with his [Crimson Spear] Spirit either. But Hank''s Spirit was not the same as this [Ice Lotus]. So, what''s the determining factor? If he could figure it out, may be he can find the reason as to why he can''t perform the ''Spirit Integration''.

    ¡°LILY, do you still have the records of Hank fighting with the Thunder Horned Stag from that day?¡± Azalon asked LILY because her system would decide what to store in her memory banks if he doesn''t specify it.

    ¡°Yes, Master. I analyzed the readings as well as the battle scenes.¡± LILY immediately responded as she brought out the relevant information.

    ¡°Compare the readings with the analysis of the [Ice Lotus]. Notify me if there are any peculiarities.¡± Azalon gave her a task and shifted his concentration to a figure slowly strolling out from the crowd. His target finally decided to reveal himself and stepped onto the stage!

    ¡°Analysis complete, Master. As you said, there are indeed some peculiarities within these readings. Should I transfer them to your memory?¡± LILY''s processing capabilities are so powerful that it took only a few moments for her to complete the analysis.

    ¡°Do it.¡± Azalon said and immediately information started appearing in his mind as LILY initiated the transfer.

    Azalon went over the data in his mind and what he saw there astonished him. It was indeed as LILY said. She even had the data on that Earth Elementalist who fought with Sophie earlier.

    But looking at the data LILY provided, he was frustrated. Even more questions came into existence and not a single answer! What? Why? How? Man, they do eat one''s mind if they allow these three words into their heads.

    Questions, questions, a lot of fucking questions, to which he didn''t have a single answer to! Those damn books he read when he was trying to solve the problem of his Petrified Spirit, didn''t even mention a single fucking word about this ''Spirit Integration.'' it''s as if whoever wrote those books assumed that everyone knew about this matter and simply didn''t take the patience to write a few words about it. Azalon almost ripped his hair off in frustration.

    ¡°Argh. I don''t give a shit anymore. Once this competition finishes, I am going to drag that old man out. It''s time I had a talk with some one who has a great deal of experience. I need information! It''s like I am walking blindly and tripping over every single stone before me.¡± Azalon shook his head and gave up on thinking about his problems. He shifted his attention onto the two fighters standing on the stage as he stood up and slowly walked near the stage.

    ¡°Now is not the time to think about these. It''s time to collect some debts and it''s a very big payment indeed.¡± His eyes turned cold as he casted all the distracting thoughts to the back of his mind. His goal is to get that bastard pay the price for his mistake.

    Azalon stood at the edge of the crowd, not too far away from them nor mixing with them.

    Delius was standing on the stage facing Sophie Wheld who stood at a distance of 20 feet from him. He grinned showing his lecherous smile as his gaze unceremoniously passed over the girl''s body from toe to head, pausing for a moment at her thighs and chest.

    Sophie felt a chill run down her spine as she saw Delius roam his eyes over her body, as if ravaging her with his eyes alone. Her expression changed slightly as an extreme revulsion rose in her heart. She hated guys like these, especially this particular one. He was like a hungry wolf staring at a helpless deer and waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce!

    ¡°Hehe... you broke through to the 7th Level, huh. You finally managed to catch up to me. I can use some one like you.

    Since that brute lost to you, you can take up his place. What do you say? You can even become my personal maid when I get selected into the Academy!¡± Delius'' tone was haughty and incomparably arrogant as he made this offer. It was as if he really believed that becoming his maid will be the greatest honor of her life!

    Azalon was simply amazed and struck speechless by this guy. He has transcended the boundaries of narcissism and was into the stages of out right self ¨C obsession! Azalon felt that the world would become a better place if he took out this guy! He shook his head and smiled wryly as he shifted his gaze onto a pretty face.

    Sophie was dumbstruck for a moment but her heart immediately burned with shame and rage. It was an utter humiliation for her to be talked down like this, especially when she was a talented cultivator. She was 2 years younger than him, but was already at the same level! Even a retard would understand who was better than who!

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Hmph. Don''t run your mouth like that, Delius. One day you may very well die due to that loose tongue of yours.¡± Sophie reeled in her anger but the coldness in her voice revealed her failed attempt.

    ¡°Hmm? That means you reject my offer?¡± Delius stared at her as if her refusal insulted him. ¡°You...¡±

    ¡°Enough of the chatter. Twelfth battle between Delius Wheld and Sophie Wheld, begin!¡± The Second Elder looked annoyed as he interrupted whatever Delius was about to say and started the battle.

    Delius flashed an irritated look at the Second Elder for interrupting him, but quickly retracted his gaze. He may be conceited and arrogant, but he was no fool. The Second Elder was one who was at the 8th Level of Spirit Condensation Realm. He could deal with him with just a flick of his fingernail.

    Pale blue Spirit Energy spread out from Sophie''s body and quickly mixed with the white mist released from her [Ice Lotus] to form a crystalline blue Lotus beneath her feet. After her breakthrough, the amount of Spirit Energy as well as her control over it went up another Level! The Lotus was almost double the size of what she created when she battled with Rana.

    But since she just broke through and didn''t quite stabilize her cultivation level, there are some fluctuations in her Spirit Energy. She have to quickly consolidate her cultivation or else there might be some problems that may hinder her cultivation progress in the future. She decided to go all out with this battle in order to quickly finish it, whether she lost or won.

    Delius still had that arrogant look on his face as he watched Sophie induce all her Spirit Energy into her Ice Lotus. With a though, his 7th Level Spirit Sense cultivation erupted covering the entire stage with huge pressure.

    Pale green Spirit Energy emanated out from him and raising a wind on the battle stage. The wind revolved around him to finally form a whirlpool around him. He stood in the eye of the whirlwind with his Spirit on his shoulder.

    Azalon observed that the Spirit Energy released by Delius was the purest Energy he had seen till now in his generation of the family. It almost reached the level of his Spirit Energy in terms of purity. Azalon had to admit that this Delius is a hard-working one, other wise he couldn''t have painstakingly purified his Spirit Energy to that degree.

    *Schree* *Schree*

    The [Black Taloned Silver Hawk] on his shoulder suddenly shrilled and the whirlwind paused for a moment and a cavity appeared in the whirlwind that surrounded him. A wind blade suffused with Spirit Energy and radiating a pale green light violently exploded out from that cavity, taking but an instant to cross the twenty feet, arriving before Sophie. What was more shocking however was another two wind blades manifested one after another following the first one, and successively striking towards Sophie.

    Sophie waved her arm and two petals dropped from the Ice Lotus beneath her feet and clashed against the wind blades. Violent winds and chilling cold broke out from the clash as Spirit Energy rippled out from the point of impact.

    Delius sneered as he sent out more and more wind blades. Dozens of wind blades coalesced from the Spirit Energy, akin to genuine knives and blades in sharpness, poured in from all directions, akin to a rain of blades.

    Sophie was immediately pressured under that all-encompassing attack. The Ice Lotus broke up as all the petals dropped from it to form a shield around her. With her Spirit Energy still in chaos, she didn''t dare overdraft her Spirit Energy reservoirs, and her control over the Ice Lotus was still lacking a little. Two wind blades found a hole in her defenses and slashed her back as she couldn''t dodge them in time.

    Blood splashed as the two cuts on her back were deep but not life threatening. She grunted in pain and waved her arms. The Lotus petals changed to form a dozen Ice Spears. They tore through the air as they targeted Delius but the whirlwind around him interrupted them. But the cold energy mixed with the wind and the whirlwind slowed down.

    Sophie immediately took advantage of that moment to send out another wave of Ice Spears but this time the Spears were lean and sharp, identical to Ice Arrows instead of Spears.

    Humph!

    Delius snorted and thick Spirit Energy gushed out from him. More and more air coalsed into the whirlwind and it grew in size and speed breaking free from the frost that slowed it down. He took a step forward and pushed his palms outward. A screen of wind manifested from the whirlwind and moved with incredible speed towards the Ice Arrows. Both clashed and once again the winds raged and intense cold spread out.

    Everyone below the stage watched with wide eyes at the intense battle going on on the stage. Azalon''s expression sunk as he now fully understood the battle potential of his target! He was pretty confident in the beginning, but after watching the battle he understood that he had underestimated this Delius. His mind started churning as he worked on his strategy.

    ¡°I have to admit. This kid may be arrogant to the skies but he sis have the capital to be arrogant.¡± Azalon thought bitterly as he watched Sophie trying to break the hurricane that was forming around her, with her Spirit Energy. But the winds under that speed and concentration were sharp and swift cutting through the frost. Azalon decided to risk it and sent a message with his mind to his Spirit sleeping in his room. The hurricane finally completely swallowed Sophie and the battle came to an end.

    ¡°Twelfth battle, Delius Wheld wins.¡± The Second Elder declared after a few moments. Sophie was quickly transferred to the infirmary as her body was riddled with cuts after she was swallowed by that hurricane.

    Her injuries were only flesh wounds but with that number of cuts on her body, she will need at least 4 ¨C 5 days to recuperate. After his battle finished, Delius was still standing on the stage looking at everyone from that high stage. Everyone below had envious but respectful expressions as they looked at him.

    ¡°Sigh. I can''t compare with him. Once he gets admitted into an Academy, he will soar like a dragon into the skies. If he shows enough potential, he may get a good position in the kingdom. May be we can move to one of the cities, even to the capital!¡± The youngsters below were all discussing the prospects if Delius was to get selected into an Academy and graduate. Any cultivator who can graduate from an Academy will have boundless prospects within the kingdom!

    Hank was already a student of an Academy, but he was still an outsider and not some one of the family. Now that a true son of the family showing such promise emerged from them, even though they were disappointed they still felt happy that their family could prosper.

    Delius could see the hope ¨C filled expressions on the faces of his fellow generation and contentment on the elder generation. He knew what they were thinking and ridicule flashed in his eyes.

    ¡°Humph! You want to enjoy the comforts brought by me through shedding my blood and sweat! Do you think I am a fool? Once I have enough power, do you think I am going to come back to this remote village for you pack of idiots? Keep dreaming!¡± Delius thought coldly as he snorted in his heart. But he didn''t dare show his displeasure on his face as he still didn''t reach that position where he could do whatever he want. His expression changed to that of obedience and righteousness as he spoke out.

    ¡°I, Delius Wheld, hereby claim a spot for the Academy selections. The other spot should be for sister Sophie who broke through to the 7th Level, the same level as me and that too at such a young age. I hope that the four Elders and the Family Head will consider my suggestion.¡± he lightly bowed in the direction of the stands where the Elders and the Family Head were seated.

    ¡°That is a noble proposition by you, Delius. Indeed, the first spot should be yours and with your talent, there should be no problem with you being admitted into an Academy. You bring honor to the yourself and to the family, Delius. I am proud to have a son like you.¡± Asran Wheld, the First Elder of the family spoke from the stands with a proud expression. He knew about the talent of his son and he knew that this small town couldn''t hold him for long. He also knew about his son''s revulsion against this small town and this family. In fact he felt the same too. When his son would get strong enough, he would unceremoniously walk out from this family along with his son. But how could he have guessed that Delius'' hate extended to his own father too?

    ¡°Sophie should recover within 4 ¨C 5 days. I will instruct the family physician to take personal care and spare no expense in healing her. With both of you leading the family, we would prosper greatly.¡± The Third Elder was a woman of around 50 years of age with head full of gray hair and warm scholarly eyes. She was the only family member Azalon had a good impression on apart from his grandfather and Hank. Her name is like a tongue twister and he never managed to remember it correctly. He liked to call her ''Grandma Doctor'' as she was the in charge of the family''s medicinal branch and business as well.

    ¡°Alright, with this the final battle of the competition has ended. The winner for the first spot will be Delius Wheld and the other will be awarded to Sophie Wheld. With this...¡±The Second Elder who was about to announce the finish of the family competition stopped mid ¨C speech. Everyone went silent as well, as they stared in amazement.

    Delius who was facing the stands felt the change in the atmosphere and turned around. What he saw made his eyes widen. He saw a 12 ¨C year old boy walking onto the stage and stood there facing him and said, ¡°I challenge you.¡±

    It was naturally Azalon who challenged Delius. He strolled onto the stage just as the Second Elder was about to finish the family competition.

    He didn''t participate before because he didn''t want to reveal his strength early and make Delius go on guard against him. He was depending on his image as the trash of the family and counting on the fact that the ego of Delius would hold him in ridicule and take him lightly. With that he could spring up his uprise and take him down! And as expected...

    ¡°Hahahahahaha...¡± Delius immediately laughed uproariously. He was laughing so hard that tears started appearing from his eyes.You challenge me? Ah, I remember now. On that day, you told me that I would regret it, no, no, you will make me regret, right? Is this how you are gonna do it? By dying here and make me lose in the competition?¡±

    Many were looking at Azalon with peculiar expressions. None of these faces rang any bells with him, as he didn''t care to interact with them even from the beginning when he was hailed as the genius of the family. And when he was transformed to be a cripple due to his Awakening of a Petrified Spirit. They grew distant from him. So, he never held them in his mind in the true meaning of a family. He only cared about his grandfather, Eren Wheld and his brother, Hank. Everyone can go jump in a hole for all he cared about.

    ¡°You want to... challenge Delius? You do know that this is a family competition with serious stakes. It''s not the time for you to play jokes, Azalon. Get down from the stage before you get hurt. This is not something you can participate in!¡± The Second Elder glared at Azalon before his voice turned cold as he warned seriously.

    ¡°Elder, I am not playing around. I really want to challenge Delius Wheld to a fight. According to the rules of the competition you set, I can challenge him, right? Does it mean hat the one presiding over the competition doesn''t care about the rules he had personally set?¡° Azalon calmly replied. Even though he didn''t participate in the previous battles, he was after all a family member and according to the competition rules, anyone can challenge any one within the family. Moreover, he was not afraid of the Second Elder, as he will not do anything to him. Not with his grandfather present.

    ¡°You... ¡± The Second Elder''s anger flared and his face grew cold. Just as he was about to move and teach this ignorant fool a lesson, a voice boomed from the stands. ¡°Is there a problem?¡±. Everyone turned their heads to the highest seat on the stands. Eren Wheld was calmly looking at the Second Elder before he asked once again. ¡°Is there any problem? If Azalon wants to participate, let him participate. This is a family competition and he is a family member!¡±

    The Second Elder gulped secretly and said respectfully. ¡°But, Family Head, you know the strength of Delius. And we all know who Azalon is and what his position in the younger generation is! If he gets hurt or badly mangled just because

    Azalon couldn''t handle the attacks of Delius, wouldn''t it get him in a precarious position?¡± He naturally favoured the one the family hopes are riding on. In his eyes, Azalon is nothing but a fool who couldn''t bear the fact that he was just a waste and wanted to destroy himself by going up against the strongest of his generation!

    ¡°Humph! Don''t worry. Let him have his battle. No matter what happens, even if one of them dies, I wouldn''t hold them responsible for it! Second Elder, withdraw from the stage. For this match, I will be the referee!¡± Eren Wheld replied vaguely, but what he said shocked everyone. Even if Azalon dies, he wouldn''t hold Delius responsible? And he is personally overseeing this match?

    Everyone was looking with wide eyes and open mouths at the Family Head who stood up from his seat and the Second Elder who got down from the stage.

    ¡°What is going on here? Does the Family Head feel shame for this trash of grandson and want him to die in a final battle?¡± Someone asked in shock from the crowd. Everyone nodded their heads as they too felt the same way. Otherwise, why would the gentle Family Head who always took care of every one of the family behave like this?!

    ¡°Now, thirteenth match between Azalon Wheld and Delius Wheld. The winner will take up one of the spots of the Academy selections. Now, start!¡± Eren Wheld declared and stood there watching the stage, but he was watching Azalon. He knew something should have changed with his grandson after meeting with Asma on that day. That man was someone who wouldn''t do something against her wishes! He was waiting for the surprise his grandson was sure to spring up!

    Delius had a maniacal grin on his face as he heard the Family Head''s words. He could kill Azalon and he wouldn''t be blamed? What more could he ask for? The shadow he always felt in his heart because of this once prominent genius of the family always lingered, but today he could finally cast out that shadow by washing it with blood. He didn''t gloat or speak arrogantly like he always did but instead became completely silent.

    He waved his hand and a small wind blade manifested and rushed towards Azalon. It was sharp enough to split rocks but it wouldn''t seriously harm a warrior at the peak of Spirit Novice Realm. He wanted to toy with Azalon, driving him further deep into depression and hopelessness, and then he would kill him after Azalon begged him to take his life!

    Azalon dodged the wind blade and dashed towards Delius. He was not using any Spirit Energy or his movement techniques, but relying solely on physical abilities. He of course knew what Delius was thinking. And he was betting on that train of thought and get him to lower his defenses, so that when he really attacked it would be too late!

    Delius repeatedly conjured waves after waves of wind blades and was thoroughly enjoying Azalon desperately trying to dodge them. He was wildly laughing in his heart as he brought his palms together before spreading them apart. Wind gathered at a fast pace before Delius and a wind blade that spanned a few meters appeared.

    ¡°This will be the final attack, you trash. Take pride that you will die by my, Delius'', hands!¡± With a flick of his finger, the long wind blade howled as it shot towards Azalon.

    Azalon''s eyes flashed silver for a moment and he instantly calculated the trajectory of this wind blade as well as the path he had to take to dodge it. To the surprise of everyone watching, Azalon rushed towards the wind blade instead of evading it.

    ¡°Is he trying to kill himself? He would be cut into two the moment the wind blade touches him!¡± Someone shouted from the crowd but the next moment they were stunned speechless!

    That was because the wind blade which was about to slice Azalon into two, passed through his body without so much as a single scratch and Azalon was still rushing towards Delius! It was not only the younger generation, even the Elders were shocked when they saw that scene. Because of their higher cultivation level and a lifetime of experience, they saw what happened more clearly than the juniors below.

    The moment the wind blade was about to touch Azalon''s body, he became transparent like an apparition or a ghost and the wind blade passed through his body. Azalon materialized after the attack passed through him. They were amazed. What sort of technique was this? They could see the technique but couldn''t understand what really happened just by looking at it. They turned their heads to look at each other and they could see the same shock in each other''s eyes!

    It was the [Ghostly Illusion Flash] that Azalon used to evade that attack. That was the ability of the technique when he mastered it to the [Small Success Stage]. Become a ghost that can pass through any attacks, be it physical or Energy attacks. Nothing can touch you and nothing can harm you! That was the essence of the [Small Success Stage] and he could even pass through walls if he turned into a ghost!

    If he could develop the technique to the [Large Success Stage], then he can create multiple apparitions or ghosts that couldn''t be harmed but he can harm his enemies even in the ghost appearance. Azalon didn''t understand how that worked so he was stuck at the [Small Success Stage]. But he had a feeling that within the next 3 ¨C 4 months, he would understand how it worked!

    But at this stage, this [Small Success Stage] of the [Ghostly Illusion Flash] was more than enough to trump over his opponent. He was 5 feet away from Delius who had his grin frozen on his shocked face and a slight smile twitched the corners of his lips. Pale gray Spirit Energy enveloped his fist as he covered the 5 feet in a flash.

    [3 Pulse Infinite Pulse Fists]! (Author Note: Decided to change the name of the technique from [Infinite Beats] to [Infinite Pulse Fists]. It sounds more cool this way...)

    But Azalon still underestimated the cultivation Level of 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Moreover, Delius is a Wind Affinity Cultivator and his main element is his speed. Just as Azalon was about to hit him, Delius moved and appeared at a distance of 10 feet from his initial position. He stared at Azalon with shock, especially at the fist that was covered with Spirit Energy!

    Not only him, everyone watching the battle were shocked. All they could see was a large wind blade that attacked Azalon and the silhouette of Azalon that appeared beside Delius in a flash. With their senses and cultivation levels, they couldn''t register the minute movements. But they all could see the gray Spirit Energy on the fist of Azalon.

    High up on the stands, Eren Wheld''s eyes were glittering with tears as he recognized the movement technique. That was his move! And the fist technique was hers! His eyes glazed over as two figures appeared in his mind and they were laughing happily! Oh, Azalon...

    Suddenly, 4 Spiritual Senses converged on Azalon''s body, scanning him. The pressure they emitted made Azalon''s chest constrict and he had difficulty breathing. The Spiritual Senses disappeared as fast as they came and Azalon turned his head to gaze at the Four Elders who were staring at him in shock.

    ¡°That''s Spirit Energy! And according to my Spiritual Sense, it should be of the 5th Level Spirit Sense Realm! Didn''t Azalon Awaken a Petrified Spirit on that day of Awakening!? How could he cultivate Spirit Energy if that''s the case?¡± the Second Elder asked in shock and confusion.

    ¡°I don''t know! But look at the Family Elder. He is not even shocked at this turn of events! That means that he knew that Azalon could cultivate, and he kept it a secret from us. But why would he do that?¡± The ''Doctor Grandma'' who was observing the behaviour of Eren Wheld pointed out. All the Elders turned their heads and indeed they couldn''t see any reaction on the Family Head''s expression. This confirms that he knew that Azalon could cultivate. But the only question is how could Azalon cultivate if his Spirit is a Petrified one?

    Not only them, everyone in the family were shocked at this sudden turn of events! Delius was staring at Azalon''s hand and his expression turned ugly! The fact that Azalon couldn''t cultivate was the only consolation he had all these days and it was a source of his superiority over this once hailed genius. But the facts are before his eyes, but he was having a hard time believing his eyes!

    ¡°AAAAHHHHH!¡± Delius roared out in frustration and anger! The [Black Taloned Silver Hawk] flapped it''s wings and soared into the skies. ¡°Humph! So, what if you could cultivate Spirit Energy? You are still at the 5th Level while I am at the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm! I can still defeat you!¡± Delius calmed himself down after finding out that Azalon was still at the 5th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm. In fact it was not Delius that found out Azalon''s cultivation level, but Asran Wheld. He transmitted this news to Delius using the Energy transmission so that only Delius could hear his words.

    Pale green Spirit Energy erupted from his body and wind rolled and swirled around his body. Wind coalsed around him to form a whirlwind with him in the eye of the whirlwind. Sharp Wind blades retracted and appeared within that swirling whirlwind. Suddenly the whirlwind broke apart leaving numerous wind blades that were flashing around Delius, pointing at Azalon from far away. Under the reflection of the sunlight, the green wind blades gave off a mysterious sheen as if they were real sharp flying blades!

    The green wind blades were reflected in the black pupils of Azalon as the Spirit Energy exploded out from his body. The Spirit Energy rushed through his meridians and his entire body was filled with explosive energy.

    *Schree* *Schree*

    The Wind blades suddenly moved and at the same time a shrill bird cry came from his behind. It was the [Black Taloned Silver Hawk] of Delius that flew into the skies before appearing behind him. It flapped it''s wings and another dozen of Wind Blades attacked him from behind.

    As the Spirit Energy on both of them soared, the surroundings quieted down and instead grew heavy. All the eyes were converged on the two figures on the stage. They all wanted to know just how far this useless trash had reached!

    On the stage as he watched the two-pronged attack, Azalon slowly closed his eyes and gently exhaled. His eyes suddenly opened and his pupils glowed with a bright silver flash. The Spirit Energy in his body was like a thick river that flowed in his meridians.

    [Vector Vision]!

    A slight smile crept on his face as his figure suddenly moved forward paying no attention to the wind blades or the Hawk behind his back. As for the reason? It was because at this moment, a gray flash came from the direction of the family mansion and collided with the [Black Taloned Silver Hawk]. The Hawk gave a painful cry and the wind blades dissipated into the air like smoke. The main figure of the fight finally made his entry!

    Raka pinned down the Silver Hawk with his paws planted on its wings firmly on the ground. Azalon was shocked when he could feel a formless pressure emanating from Raka that was ruthlessly suppressing the aura of the Silver Hawk! The Silver Hawk was trembling under that pressure and it didn''t even dare to twitch!

    ¡°Whaattt??¡± The crowd went into uproar once again. The shock and amazement in the four Elders'' eyes thickened when they felt the aura of Raka. It''s actually an [Infant Stage] Spirit! This guy... the way they were looking at Azalon changed significantly. It was as if they were seeing an old monster that was supposed to be asleep but woke up at an unexpected time.

    Delius'' expression became ugly when he saw his Spirit being suppressed by the tiger cub. It means that he had to fight with Azalon himself and cannot perform the ''Spirit Integration'' anymore.

    ¡°So, what if you pin down my Spirit? I am more than enough to deal with trash like you! A trash will always stay a trash whatever happens. Die!¡± Delius roared and the Wind blades shrilled towards Azalon at breath-taking speeds from all directions. Some even targeted Raka but they were immediately disintegrated the moment they came into contact with its aura. A thick dust cloud rose up with all the wind blowing, covering the entire stage.

    [Ghostly Illusion Flash]. Azalon never intended to conceal his techniques as he was confident that no one could infer anything from the execution of the technique. His silver eyes flashed brightly as he weaved through the dense net of the Wind blades like a nimble fish. Not a single Wind blade managed to touch him!

    Azalon''s figure flashed once as he suddenly appeared behind Delius just like a ghost. Pale gray Spirit Energy once again enveloped his two fists as he punched out. Delius'' face paled when he saw Azalon who appeared behind him. But this time he couldn''t react like he did previously as he expended almost all of his Spirit Energy in his previous attack.

    [3 Pulse Infinite Pulse Fists]!

    Azalon''s fists landed on Delius'' lower back, approximately 7 inches from the spinal cord on both sides, but the right fist is placed slightly lower than the left fist. His aim was the one of the most important parts of the human body. The Kidneys! The kidneys are the vital organs that filter the metabolic waste products, regulation of body fluids and electrolytes and even control the blood pressure by stimulating the red blood cells. The kidneys are the vital source for a human''s stamina! Back on Earth, he had seen many professional athletes retire from their games because of kidney failure. Humans can live with a single kidney but the physical tasks they can perform will drastically reduce.

    Azalon was aiming for the same scenario. Three waves of fists, each fist with a force of more than 8000 pounds making a tremendous force of 24000 pounds assaulted Delius'' kidneys and pulverized them! With the guidance system of LILY''s [Vector Vision] he had calculated the optimum point of impact for the maximum penetration effect and minimum chances for the scattering of the force.

    But Azalon didn''t stop there! He knew that the metabolism of a cultivator is different from that of a regular human. He wanted to make sure that it will take a long time before Delius could even walk normally. He withdrew his fists and punched again, and again and again! The final result when the dust cloud settled down made everyone break out in cold sweat and gulp their saliva.

    Delius'' body was lying on the ground in a pool of blood but he was still breathing and conscious! His four limbs were broken with bone protruding out and blood flowing like a river. His chest was caved in and had 5 ¨C 6 indentions that were clearly caused by Azalon''s fists. He was wheezing and rasping with each breath indicating that he suffered many internal injuries! Everyone was looking at Azalon with horror and fear-stricken gazes. But Azalon didn''t care about the gazes on him, and spoke out softly.

    ¡°This will be the price for that day.¡±

 Chapter 25: A Name, A Shock and A Surprise

    Everything was silent in the arena. It was so silent that the rustle of leaves on the trees were clearly audible. It was a pin drop and a deathly silence that suffocated everyone. But no one dared to produce a single sound!

    All the eyes were on a single figure who stood on the stage with blood dripping from his fists. Fear gushed into some of their eyes when they remembered how they used to make fun of him and even humiliate him! They were clearly afraid of the retaliation by that person for all their deeds. They definitely didn¡¯t want to end up as the pathetic figure that was lying at his feet.

    Azalon simply didn¡¯t care about the various gazes that were on him. His eyes were fixed on the mutilated and crippled body of Delius on the stage. Delius was still conscious even after all those injuries and Azalon could see extreme hatred in those bloodshot eyes. Azalon lightly sighed and a small trace of pity flickered in his eyes.

    With all the broken limbs and internal injuries, based on Azalon¡¯s calculations, it will take around couple of months for Delius to recover. But by that time, the Academy selections would already been finished and Delius would have no way of entering one.

    Delius was 15 years old by this day and the Academy selections would only be conducted every three years. The participants for the selections should all be in the age group of 8 ¨C 15 years! And this made the dream of Delius entering the Academy and soaring to the skies remain only that, a dream! This was the price Azalon collected from Delius for hurting Nina.

    He was ruthless when he was fighting Delius but after everything was over and done with, the hatred and anger

    Azalon had on Delius melted away. Looking at the broken limbs and caved in chest as well as the heavy internal injuries he had inflicted, he remembered the days from Earth when he had done the same things and the words of Mother Lillianna sounded in his mind.

    ¡°Giving pain to someone is never a thing you can feel proud of, John. But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to be the one bearing the pain too. The world works on the natural order of transaction! Give what you have to give, take what you have to take, remember what you have to remember and forget what you have to forget. But the order in which you perform these steps will make you what you are, John. You have to be believe in yourself and the ones around you, but never have blind faith in anyone, even in yourself. Rely on others and let them rely on you. But always remember to be by yourself and not dependent on someone else!¡± Mother Lillianna had always been a practical woman and the words she said to him reflected her attitude towards the world. That was one of the reasons why he had respected her in the first place. She didn¡¯t live in a bubble of comfort to blind her from the world and hoped for someone to save the world.

    She had a clear view on what the world was and more importantly she knew herself more than anyone.

    Those words she had said on her death bed were stuck in his head and always been his mantra of living, even in this world. He had remembered the pain Delius had inflicted on Nina and gave him back what had to be given back. Now that he had taken what he needed to take, he forgot about that incident as the transaction had already been completed. But the pity he was feeling was the human nature, an emotional response when you see a fellow human in pain or danger. So, as to say, he was not a bloodthirsty murderer or something like that. But it was only a trace and was not enough to regret his doings.

    Delius needed someone to set him right and hopefully this will make him change his ways. Even if he doesn¡¯t change, its not like he had any chance to catch up to him any where in the near future. And by any chance even if he did, Azalon was sure that he could trample on Delius once again, no matter when or how it will happen!

    Azalon was tired and exhausted to the bone! The fight with Delius may seem easy and calculated when seen but

    Azalon had to exhaust all his mental and physical energies to obtain that win. First of all, the [Ghostly Illusion Flash] was a glutton of Spirit Energy. Sustaining that technique will take up a lot of Spirit Energy, the consumption rate of which couldn¡¯t be sustained by his 5th Level of Spirit Sense Realm cultivation. He had only activated it for 4 times during the entire fight and he was almost out of Spirit Energy!

    The second one is the [Infinite Pulse Fists], which puts a tremendous strain on his arm muscles. He still haven¡¯t managed to unearth the technique behind the technique, but performing it through his extra ¨C ordinary control over his muscles alone. His two arms were numb and he was sure that even a warrior at the Spirit Novice Realm can defeat him now. Most of all the mental strain he had to face when fighting the battle.

    He may have fought with Spirit Beasts a lot of times and even faced the Level 6 Thunder Horned Stag. But animals are animals and humans are humans. Beasts may be cunning and vicious but could they beat the human nature in both of them? The pressure he had to face when facing Delius was double than what he experienced when he battled with the Thunder Horned Stag!

    And more importantly, he had to let Delius put down his guard, so he had to do everything at the very last moment possible giving him the illusion that Azalon was suffering due to the attacks he was putting out. That careful calculations and precise placements of his body stretched his nerves taut. He wanted to take a breather but he still stood there with his back straight and proud as if taking down the strongest of the younger generation of the family was an everyday thing to him.

    Suddenly, a roar came from above him and before his lethargic body could move, a massive pressure slammed onto him like a mountain that intended to flatten him! He was physically tired, his Spirit Energy dried up and his mental facilities stretched to their limits. In that stage, he was like a dried leaf that now faced a hurricane. He simply didn¡¯t have any strength left to put up any fight. His body was blown to a distance and the last thing he saw was a palm that came crashing onto his face that was covered by a thick and liquid like flowing Spirit Energy, and a wide back that stood before him covering him from that palm attack.

    ¡°Aw, shit!¡± Azalon muttered and blackness welcomed him into her warm bosom as he lost consciousness.

    Asran Wheld¡¯s face was a mixture of different expressions that ranged from rage to grief to even disappointment and regret! He couldn¡¯t hold himself back when he saw his son that was beaten down to that extent where he had all his limbs broken by the so ¨C called trash of the family! He flew down from the stands and his cultivation at the 8th Level of the Spirit Condensation Realm exploded as his palm pushed out towards Azalon with the intent to kill!

    But before his palm could land, an old person in white robes appeared between his palm and Azalon! That person lightly waved his sleeves and his palm lightning ¨C quick jutted forth before slamming onto Asran¡¯s chest with a vicious force.

    The clothes on Asran¡¯s body was shredded to bits under that force and his body flew off like a cannon ball leaving behind a hundred meter scratch mark on the ground. He flew until his body collided with a boulder at the edge of the family grounds! He coughed out a mouthful of blood and he had several ribs broken! His appearance was no less pathetic than his son who laid on the battle stage!

    ¡°Huff¡± All the family members drew a cold breath when they saw the First Elder who was defeated in a single move!

    The First Elder was like an unattainable peak, the strongest of the family other than the Family Head! But they would have never thought that the difference between them would be this wide!

    Eren Wheld calmly lifted his hand and clenched his fingers like he was grabbing something in the air. Suddenly a suction force appeared from his palm and the First Elder¡¯s body who was blown back a hundred meters was pulled into his palm! Eren Wheld held onto the throat of Asran Wheld and slowly lifted him up.

    ¡°I remember saying that I will not hold them responsible even if they kill their opponent. Did you think I was joking, Asran? Did you really think me blind and couldn¡¯t see the thoughts swirling in your, father and son¡¯s, heads?¡± Eren Wheld imposing nature created an awe ¨C  inspiring aura around him making him appear formidable and ruthless. Asran Wheld wheezed in the clutches of Eren Wheld but his eyes were filled with terror and hatred!

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you have to say. From today, you pair of father and son are no longer part of the Wheld Family. I exile you from the Blue Wind City. And don¡¯t bother trying to get into other families. I have enough face with them to make them not take a two ¨C headed snake like you into their nests.¡± Eren Wheld simply threw the body of Asran Wheld like a piece of garbage and gave his decree. ¡°Second Elder, finish the task and report it to me later on.¡± Eren Wheld reached down to lift his unconscious grandson and flew towards the family infirmary.

    Azalon was floating in a world of darkness, peaceful and soothing. The tranquil feeling shattered when a loud *Croo* entered his ears jolting him awake. He opened his eyes and looked around as his nose was assaulted by an assortment of medicinal smells. He was lying in a bath tub and his body was immersed into a bluish green liquid up to his neck. He was stark naked but fortunately the liquid was opaque enough to not shame him. He laughed bitterly after reminding himself that he was still a 12 ¨C year old boy at least in physical appearance.

    *Croo* ¡°Master¡± Raka and LILY both responded one in his ear and one in his head. ¡°Haha¡­ I am alright now. Don¡¯t worry guys.¡± Azalon responded but he really did feel great. His exhaustion has disappeared and even his Spirit Energy was restored to almost 60%. He sat cross legged in the bath tub and activated the [Devour] ability. The medicinal vapors from the liquid entered through his mouth and nostrils before the [Devour] ability absorbed them and distributed them to the required places in his body.

    His body started healing at a rapid pace as he pro ¨C actively concentrated on healing his injuries. He woke up from his trance when he felt a presence beside him and he turned his eyes to see his grandfather and ¡®Grandma Doctor¡¯ looking at him with a peculiar expression on their faces.

    ¡°Umm¡­ Is there something wrong with me?¡± Azalon didn¡¯t understand why they were looking at him like that. ¡®Grandma Doctor¡¯ simply smiled and pointed down. Azalon looked down and saw that the once opaque bluish green liquid was now like clear water. There was not a single thread of medicinal essence in the liquid. Even now he didn¡¯t understand what happened. This phenomenon happens every time the medicinal essences were used up in a medicinal bath. He had seen this happen number of times when he was still a Spirit Novice Realm Practitioner.

    ¡°That bath was supposed to last a Spirit Sense cultivator for 5 days, Azalon. But you absorbed it in a 4 hours and your injuries are almost healed!¡± Ah, so that¡¯s why! Huh? Wait a moment here!

    ¡°Injuries? When did I suffer from injuries that required that high a dosage?¡± Azalon asked puzzled. And then came the rush of memories that showed him the palm attack of Asran Wheld and how he was blown away before a white robed back stood before him, protecting him. ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s what¡¯s happened! No wonder my body feels like it has been through a roller coaster ride!¡± Azalon muttered absentmindedly.

    ¡°What¡¯s a roller coaster?¡± ¡®Grandma Doctor¡¯ heard the unfamiliar term and asked with a confused expression.

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ It¡¯s nothing grandma. It¡¯s simply a term I picked up when I was studying in the library.¡± Azalon hurriedly explained by providing a simple lie.

    ¡°Alright, Galifianakis. Leave us for a few moments. I want to talk with him.¡± Eren Wheld said in a calm voice and

    ¡®Grandma Doctor¡¯ nodded his head and withdrew from the room.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Both grandfather and grandson silently watched each other waiting for the other to talk. It was Eren Wheld who spoke first. ¡°How long has it been since you can cultivate, Az?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Ummm¡­ You see, grandpa, ummm¡­ since the day I met Asma?¡± Azalon replied slowly observing the reactions of his grandfather carefully. He expected him to be shocked or at least pleased with him, but his grandfather¡¯s face was like a stone without a single ripple. Eren Wheld slowly nodded as he said ¡°So, it should be less than 2 months. And you managed to reach your current state which would have taken almost a year for any one else in just 2 months.¡±

    Azalon simply nodded his head, dumbstruck. He was amazed at his grandfather who was taking this news so calmly.

    But his grandfather had always been like that. Even when he had shown his talent in martial arts 2 years ago, he had seen the same calm look on his grandfather. After his Awakening of the Petrified Spirit, his grandfather was down spirited for some time before he became normal again. And even now, the same reaction. Azalon never knew some one in both his lives who could be so calm under any circumstance like his grandfather did.

    ¡°Grandpa, I have lots of questions I want to ask you. What¡­¡± Azalon asked hurriedly but his Eren Wheld cut him off.

    ¡°I know, Az. Dress up and come to my cottage. We will talk there, alright?¡± Finally, a smile lit up on the old man¡¯s face and he went out after ruffling Azalon¡¯s wet hair.

    Grandma Doctor came through the door after Eren Wheld left with a change of clothes and a dry towel. Azalon jumped out of the bath tub and quickly dried himself. He rushed out after putting on the clothes. Grandma Doctor smiled wryly as she watched Azalon run off full of enthusiasm and youthful energy. ¡°Never grow up, Az. Try to retain that pure mind of yours even after wading through the filth of this world.¡± She silently prayed in her heart.

    Azalon was running through the family courtyards with Raka in tow. Azalon watched this little guy from the corner of his eyes as he remembered the formless pressure Raka exuded when he tangled with the [Black Taloned Silver Hawk] of Delius. That Silver Hawk didn¡¯t even put up a fight when this guy pinned it down. ¡®Another question added to the long list of questions¡­¡¯ Azalon thought bitterly in his heart, but finally he could obtain some answers.

    The simple garden where Eren Wheld lived came into his view and he slowed down. He walked through the bountiful garden brimming with splashes of colors and reached the cottage of his grandfather.

    His grandfather was there in the cottage¡¯s kitchen but the other figure who was with Eren Wheld standing in the main room turned around and two sturdy arms pulled Azalon into a bear hug.

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ You did good, you dolt. It was good enough not to lose my face as your elder brother in the family. Hahaha¡­¡± That¡¯s Hank, alright. Even though he put it like that, Azalon could see the faint shock in Hank¡¯s eyes, excitement and a layer of pride as well.

    ¡°Hank¡¯s here because you wanted to talk, Az. Now, come and sit here. Now that you can finally cultivate, there are a lot of things to explain to you and I think you have a lot of questions too!¡± Eren Wheld smiled as he watched the two brothers. He couldn¡¯t help but remember his once sworn brother and the pain of betrayal. He shook his head and placed three plates of meat on the small table in the room.

    ¡°Ohh¡­¡± Azalon¡¯s eyes glittered as his nostrils were assaulted by the aromatic smell coming from the large meat slabs. He almost drooled as the saliva in his mouth over flowed due to the enticing smell.

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ That¡¯s the meat from the Thunder Horned Stag we hunted on that day. I have to say to you, Az, the flavor of a Class 6 Spirit Beast is otherworldly. And add into the prodigious cooking of Eren Wheld into the mix, it will be heavenly! Come, come, have a bite and you will understand what I mean!¡± Hank was really drooling when he saw the meat slabs.

    The two brothers pounced onto two slabs and quickly tore into the meat. ¡°Mmmmm¡­¡± Azalon¡¯s eyes went wide as his teeth tore into the surprisingly tender meat and the meat juices oozed into his mouth. His eyes involuntarily closed as the meat melted in his mouth and the flavors tickled the taste buds. The spices were perfectly in balance with the sweet taste of the meat and the spicy bitter sweet after taste of the Spirit Wine that his grandfather should have used to marinate the meat gave it a perfect finishing touch. It was indeed heavenly as Hank had said. The meat cuisines he had eaten back on Earth prepared by world ¨C renowned chefs couldn¡¯t even compare to this simple grilled meat slab!

    The moment the meat reached his stomach, his [Devour] ability automatically kicked in and a warm feeling spread out through his entire body making Azalon moan in pleasure. He could feel strands of Spirit Energy that were incomparably pure make their way into his Spirit Energy Vortex in the Soul Root. He could even feel three different kinds of energy diffuse into his muscles, bones and even skin! No wonder they say that the meat of a high ¨C level beast is simply a treasure for cultivators!

    ¡°Wow¡­ What a delicacy! It¡¯s wonderful. I have never tasted something that tasty till today!¡± Azalon¡¯s words came from his heart, or from his mouth? Who can say, right, and at this moment both places are happy at the same time!

    Eren Wheld laughed happily watching his two grandchildren devour the meat he had cooked with gusto. The atmosphere with in the cottage turned pleasant and happy as the three family members shared a meal.

    ¡°Grandpa, I want to know everything you know about cultivation. Don¡¯t hold back a single thing. The questions I have in my head are killing me!¡± Azalon couldn¡¯t hold himself back and finally asked for the purpose he had come here.

    ¡°Hahahaha, you brat. You have become quite restless just because you could cultivate, huh? Where did that Mr. Cool and Calm go?¡± Hank teased him watching Azalon¡¯s impatience.

    ¡°Alright. Let him off, Hank. You can¡¯t blame him. We neglected him all these days and because of that he don¡¯t know the complete details. What he could gather from the library had been completely read by now. Am I right, Az?¡± Eren Wheld asked Azalon with an interested glimmer in his eyes. Children his age would be playing around or chasing other girls, but not Azalon. When he faced a problem, he immediately thought of finding ways to solve that problem, that too on his own and didn¡¯t even ask him, his own grandfather for help! Such a way of thinking was not commonly seen in 12 year old boys.

    ¡°Az, the Spirit Cultivation in this world is divided into 10 Realms. You probably know about this but bear with me alright?¡± Eren Wheld began but immediately held up his hand to stop Azalon who was about to interrupt him. ¡°Each Realm has a particular trait that will manifest within their Soul Root or the Spirit Energy within them. And moreover with each Realm you advance, your life span will increase! The later stages even provide you immortality!¡± He paused for a moment letting it sink in.

    ¡°The first Realm is the Spirit Novice Realm where the practitioners train their body to prepare it for the Awakening Process. An untrained body can¡¯t handle the strain the Awakening Process puts on it and there are chances that he may die. That¡¯s the reason why this stage is very important and very basic step for cultivators. You have stayed in this Realm for almost 4 years, Az, before you advanced into the next Realm. There¡¯s probably only a handful of cultivators who stayed at the Spirit Novice Realm the same time span as you did. You have a solid foundation, Az, and that is also the reason why your body can handle the consecutive breakthroughs you had in such a short amount of time.¡± Eren Wheld spoke softly and slowly and both Hank and Azalon were listening with rapt attention, especially Azalon. He had his physical senses as well as LILY¡¯s digital senses record every word spoken.

    ¡°Once you reach the peak of Spirit Novice Realm, then you will be eligible for the Awakening ceremony to Awaken your Soul Spirit. No one knows exactly how the process works, but there have been some scholars who tried to explain the Awakening process and the meaning behind the existence of Spirits to a cultivator. But no one cared as long as they knew that only through their Spirits can they cultivate Spirit Energy! But I remember a scholar talking about an ancient scroll that was found in some ruins that explained the intricacies behind the existence of the Soul Spirits.¡± Eren Wheld continued. ¡°Rumor was that the scroll was written by the First Generation Cultivators of this world who established the Spirit Cultivation Methods and Realms, but that is all hear say. But the content of that scroll raised some very interesting questions. According to that scroll, the Soul Spirits are not the manifestations of the Souls of the Cultivators but they exist in a separate world known as the ¡®Spirit World¡¯. During the process of Awakening, the Soul of the Cultivator would be transferred to that Spirit World and it would search for the matching Soul in that world.¡±

    Azalon¡¯s eyes glittered brightly in excitement the more he heard his grandfather talk. He tried to remember what he felt during the Awakening Ceremony but all he could remember was a boundless darkness that covered him and different flashes of stars like things that streaked through in that darkness! ¡°So, that darkness should be the ¡®Spirit World¡¯ and the streaks are the Souls of the ¡®Soul Spirits¡¯ in that world!¡± Azalon thought in his heart and he once again concentrated on his grandfather.

    ¡°Once the Soul of a Cultivator found a match in that ¡®Spirit World¡¯, that Spirit would be transferred into our world. The Soul of that Spirit will exist within the Soul Root of the Cultivator and the Spirit will exist in the material plane. Any Spirit will possess a natural affinity for the Spirit Energy, and because the Soul of a Spirit resides within your body, you can absorb the Spirit Energy too. That is how Spirit Cultivation came into existence. No one believed this, but no one disapproved it either!¡±

    ¡°Alright, enough about that. Even though you think about it till your head bursts open, you can¡¯t understand some things in this world. They exist, that¡¯s all you have to know. Now, moving on, the next Realm after the Spirit Awakening is the Spirit Sense Realm, where you sense the presence of Spirit Energy within the Heavens and Earth and draw it into your body. You refine the Energy and store it in the Soul Root. This Spirit Energy will be the nourishment for the Soul of your Soul Spirit and the pure and condensed the Spirit Energy is, the faster your Spirit grows!¡± Eren Wheld was in a flow as he slowly closed his eyes and tried to organize everything he knew, read or heard in his lifetime about the Spirit Cultivation and told them to his grandsons.

    ¡°During this Realm, the Spirit Energy will be like a cloud that would roam around in your Soul Root. This Realm is divided into 4 Stages comprised of 10 Levels. The first 3 Levels for the Beginner Stage, the next 3 Levels ¨C the Middle Stage, the next 3 stages ¨C the Late Stage. The 10th Level is the Peak Stage and is the transitional stage into the next Realm. There are two bottlenecks in this stage, the first one between the Middle Stage and the Late Stage i.e. between the 7th Level and the 8th Level. If the 10th Level is called the Transitional Stage then the 8th Level to 9th Levels is called the ¡®Preparatory Stages¡¯, the stage where your body will change to accommodate the changes it will experience during the transition between Realms! And each Level you advance in ¡±

    ¡°That was my first time experiencing what a bottle neck in your cultivation feels like. I was scared witless when my cultivation stagnated at the 7th Level for 4 months at a stretch! My Teacher explained it to me then and gave me a Spirit Pill that allowed me to break through to the 8th Level. You will explain what I am talking about when you reach that stage.¡± Hank smiled remembering his own troubles he faced during that time and smiled mischievously at Azalon. He didn¡¯t want to scare Azalon, but he couldn¡¯t help it!

    ¡°Hmmm¡­ The 3rd Realm is the Spirit Condensation Realm.¡± Eren Wheld nodded when Hank interrupted him. He knew that Hank was just warning Azalon, so that he wouldn¡¯t panic when he faced that situation and do something stupid. He continued his explanation. ¡°This is the Realm where one has to step into to be really called as a ¡®Spirit Cultivator.¡¯ Every one below this Realm can only be called as ¡®Practitioners¡¯ as this Realm has the one thing that sets apart the Cultivators from the common people. The Spiritual Sense. The Spirit Energy in this Realm will be condensed to form a ¡®Spirit Lake¡¯ in their Soul Root. After the ¡®Spirit Lake¡¯ is formed, the Soul of your Soul Spirit will be immersed into the Spirit Lake. Under the nourishment of the rich and condensed Spirit Energy, your consciousness will transform into the

    ¡®Sea of Consciousness¡¯ and this allows for the manifestation of the Spiritual Sense. The existence of Spiritual Sense works like a sixth sense for Cultivators that will extend to a set distance from the body allowing them to scan their surroundings even when their five organs were cut off!¡± At this point, Eren Wheld lifted his hand and cherry colored liquid state Spirit Energy bubbled up from within enveloping his hand.

    Azalon stared amazed at the liquid Spirit Energy that was flowing around Eren Wheld¡¯s hand. Under the control of his grandfather, the Spirit Energy slowly floated into the air and started transforming into various forms and shapes! After seeing that amazing display of control, Azalon felt that his own control over his Spirit Energy was almost pathetic and non ¨C existent! And that was the only thing he felt accomplished all these days.

    But Eren Wheld and Hank laughed seeing the dejected look on Azalon¡¯s slightly immature face. ¡°The level of control you have can be claimed to be one of the top levels I have encountered. We can only control our Spirit Energy to this extent is only because we integrate the Spiritual Sense with the Spirit Energy. Otherwise how can the Spirit Energy could be malleable to that extent?¡± Hank finally revealed the trick behind that awesome control and Azalon¡¯s mood brightened a bit. He could only express that kind of control over the Spirit Energy was because of LILY and the nature of Fairy Spirit. But at the end of the day, it was still his ability!

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°The Spirit Condensation Realm is also divided into 4 Stages comprised of 10 Levels, divided the exact same way as the Spirit Sense Realm. Even the bottle necks one face in this Realm are the same as the Spirit Sense Realm. You will understand the details once you enroll in the Academy. Don¡¯t worry, they are all minor details. If you want, I will explain them to you later on.¡±

    ¡°After the Spirit Condensation Realm is the Spirit Core Level. The ¡®Spirit Sea¡¯ which is the final form of the ¡®Spirit Lake¡¯ that forms at the Peak Stage of the Spirit Condensation Realm, will further condense to form a Core in the Soul Root.

    This Realm is the final Realm which is divided into Levels or Stages. The Spirit Core Realm is divided into 3 Stages with no individual Levels. Mortal Core, Heaven Core and Soul Core! The Mortal Core is the Initial stages of the Spirit Core Realm where a hollow Core is formed by the Spirit Energy in your body. The moment the Spirit Core is formed, everything moves into the Core. Your Soul, the Soul of your Spirit, your Sea of Consciousness and even your Cultivation will be related to the Spirit Core! It will be exactly like the Spirit Cores we harvest from the Spirit Beasts!¡± Eren Wheld¡¯s last sentence startled Azalon.

    ¡°Does that mean someone can take my Spirit Core once they can penetrate to my Soul Root?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. If that was really the case, he would be no different from a Spirit Beast that can be killed for its Spirit Core!

    ¡°Ahh¡­ That¡¯s not entirely true and not entirely false either. In order to extract a Spirit Core of a Cultivator, there are certain methods that have to be followed, but such methods are all Devil¡¯s ways and are banned from the Cultivation World. Anyone who practices such methods will be hunted down by the Cultivators as the existence of those techniques or persons will always make them feel on edge! You don¡¯t have to worry about it, Az.¡± It was Hank who explained this time as he was more clear of such proceedings due to him being a student of an Academy.

    ¡®That doesn¡¯t make me feel better at all!¡¯ Azalon cried bitterly in his heart as he cursed this damn world. But he gave up as he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that at this stage. He was not even in the late stages of the Spirit Sense Realm and the Spirit Core Realm is still a very far away destination on his path. He will reach there eventually but he had to take his journey step by step.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Azalon. You can¡¯t understand the overwhelming strength a Spirit Core Cultivator possesses unless you personally experience it. As I was saying, the Spirit Core will become your entire cultivation. The Sea of Consciousness within the Core will form a ¡®Consciousness Pool¡¯ evolving your Spiritual Sense into Core Sense! The Core Sense can cover tens of miles and everything will be under your control within the range of your Core Sense. You really can¡¯t understand it unless you step into that Realm and personally experience it!¡± Eren Wheld¡¯s eyes hazed as he remembered the times when he had been such fearsome expert roaming through out the Kingdom unhindered. He bitterly smiled and shook his head clearing the saddening memories.

    ¡°The Heaven Core is the next Stage where you have to fill up the hollow Core with Spirit Energy. And then you have to plant a ¡®Soul Seed¡¯ in the Core to form the Soul Core. The Soul Seed will be the foundation from which your Nascent Soul will be given birth. This Stage is the breaking point that divides the Chosen from the throngs of Cultivators. There are many cultivators who would stop at this point and wouldn¡¯t advance to the next Realm. And I was one of them! The advancement to the next Realm from the Spirit Core Realm will be a gamble of life and death. If you can successfully advance, you will step into the mystical plane of Immortality. But if you fail, there will only be the gates of Hell that will welcome you.¡± Eren Wheld¡¯s eyes glittered with an intoxicated look and Hank had an excited and anticipatory expression glimmering in his fierce eyes. Azalon was amazed beyond words as he listened to the stages of cultivation and he was even more looking forward to the day where he would be one of those powerhouses and explore the mysteries of both outside world as well as inside world!

    ¡°The Nascent Soul Realm is the next Realm beyond the Spirit Core Realm. In order to form a Nascent Soul, you have to destroy everything you have worked for all those years and form everything anew! Destroy your Root, shatter your Core, scatter your Consciousness, crush your Spirit, break your Soul, devastate everything that is yours and form everything that will be yours! This was the mantra that perfectly describes the formation of a Nascent Soul. One has to destroy their Soul Root, their Spirit Core, their consciousness, their Soul and the Soul of their Spirit to smithereens. And then gather them together once again and form a Soul Avatar using the only thing you are left with, The Soul Seed. If you are successful, the Soul of your Spirit will form the body of the Soul, your consciousness will form the awareness for this Nascent Soul, your meridians will form the blood vessels and the Spirit Energy will be the blood that flows in the veins! Your Soul Root will become the skin of the Nascent Soul and finally your Soul will form a weapon. The weapon is named ¡®Soul Weapon¡¯ and will be your sole weapon for your life! You may take up any weapon and practice that weapon¡¯s martial arts, but once the ¡®Soul Weapon¡¯ is formed you will never be able to touch another weapon in your life! After all, that weapon is formed through your Soul and your body will have an unprecedented level of relationship with it.¡±

    Azalon¡¯s throat had long since gone dry and he was gasping in short breaths! ¡®This¡­ This¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even form a single coherent thought in his mind! His entire though process was becoming more and more jumbled the more information he pumped into it. He once thought that as long as he had enough information he could finally answer the nagging questions in his mind, but he was partly regretting asking his grandfather for this kind of information! This was simply something he couldn¡¯t explain with his scientific knowledge he brought with him from Earth. This was something too otherworldly and too mysterious! But he still wanted to know, after all information is information and the more he knew the less his mistakes will be! And in this world, a small mistake will be life ¨C threatening!

    ¡°Many have fallen at this stage as they couldn¡¯t form their Nascent Souls. Their Souls that were wantonly destroyed gave them no second chances but to commit themselves to the path they have embarked on. You either succeed or you die! There is no third option at that stage.¡± Eren Wheld originally didn¡¯t want to explain to this stage. He had always stopped at the Spirit Core Realm when he explained the cultivation stages to the younger generation of the Family. But he had different kind of expectations for Azalon. He witnessed the scary speed at which he progressed in the cultivation, even though it was still the most basic and not even the starting stage of real Cultivation! And when he remembered the two figures that were so close to him yet very far away from him, he knew that Azalon would one day follow in their footsteps they have laid for their prince. And it came to Eren Wheld to help him understand the path clearly.

    That is the reason why he was explaining all that he knew to this young boy. He had to be prepared and warned of what he would face once he embarks on this path. He had to be made aware that there will be no turning back, you can only plough ahead or stand still and rot beside the road.

    ¡°The Realms that transcends the Nascent Soul Realm are not clear, but it was said that the next Realm is called the ¡®Spirit Sage¡¯ Realm. The information will be held close by those big powers. That kind of information will act as a precious enticement to draw in the powerhouses into their folds. But the last 5 Realms are completely different from the previous 5. It was said that any one individual at those Realms can wipe out an entire country with a swipe of their hand!¡± Eren Weld finished his explanation about all that he knew about the Cultivation Realms, Stages and Levels. He gave Azalon and Hank sometime to digest this information and only after sensing their breaths stabilize did he continue.

    ¡°Coming to the categories of the Spirits, they are divided into 3 Types and 4 Categories. Beast Type Spirits like yours and Delius¡¯, Tool Type Spirits like Hank¡¯s Spear Spirit, and Unique Spirits like Sophie¡¯s Ice Lotus Spirit. They are further categorized into Attack type Spirits, Defense type Spirits, Support type Spirits and Legacy Spirits. The categorization itself describes what they are and you are not an idiot, so I will not explain about them.¡± Eren Wheld said with a smile and the two brothers responded with a smile of their own.

    ¡°Talking about your Spirits, you should know about their growth stages as well.¡±

    ¡°Growth stages? Grandpa, you are saying that the Spirit¡¯s development are also divided into stages?¡± Azalon was amazed at the meticulous differentiations this world had. They have divided the cultivation stages, categorized the types of Spirits, classified the Beasts in the Wilderness and now they were even differentiating the growth stages of the Spirits!

    ¡°Mmm? Yes, they are indeed divided into 5 stages. [Embryo Stage], [Infant Stage], [Adolescent Stage], [Primary Form] and the [Final Form]. Each stage will pass when the Cultivator advances into the next Realm. For example, a cultivator¡¯s Spirit will be at [Embryo Stage] when he was in the Spirit Sense Realm. But once he achieves breakthrough to the Spirit Condensation Realm, the rich Spirit Energy will cause the Spirit to grow from the [Embryo Stage] into the [Infantile Stage] and so on. That was also the reason why we were surprised when the Elders sensed that your [Golden Eyed Gray Tiger] Spirit was already at the [Infant Stage] while you were still in the Spirit Sense Realm.¡±

    6 eyes swirled towards a small gray bundle sleeping on the floor and purring contently as it slept. The attention it got from the 3 individuals aroused it from its sleep and the golden eyes looked around curiously, not understanding why these 3 people were looking at it with such interest. It yawned showing its cute pink tongue and rows of small white sharp teeth and curled again going back to sleep.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Azalon stayed silent but his mind was remembering the Souls of the Spirit Beasts both his Spirits had consumed that caused their evolution. Even LILY has evolved to the second stage as per his grandfather¡¯s words.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why that [Black Taloned Silver Hawk] of Delius was pressured into silence by Raka.¡± Azalon muttered and Erek Wheld nodded in response.

    ¡°A Spirit at the [Infant Stage] is similar to a cultivator at the Spirit Condensation Realm. And it can pressure the Spirits at the [Embryo Stage] with its Spirit Essence just like how a Spirit Condensation Cultivator could pressure a Spirit Sense Cultivator.¡± Eren Wheld explained.

    ¡°Is that the reason why I can¡¯t perform the ¡®Spirit Integration¡¯?¡± Azalon finally managed to ask the one question that was eating at his mind since the start of the competition.

    ¡°You can¡¯t perform the Spirit Integration?¡± Eren Wheld asked with a slightly surprised tone. ¡°Did you get any abilities from your Spirit, Azalon?¡±

    Azalon silently nodded but didn¡¯t explain what that ability was. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Eren Wheld laughed softly and the gaze with which he looked at Raka changed slightly. ¡°What is the name of your Spirit, Azalon?¡± He asked suddenly catching Azalon off guard.

    Azalon knew that his Spirit was something special as he didn¡¯t see the name [Heavenly Demon Tiger] in the Spirit Beast Rankings. But there was a particular Spirit called the [Golden Eyed Gray Tiger] ranked somewhere in the 10000s that was similar to the appearance of Raka. No one could tell the differences between the Spirits at a glance and

    Azalon secretly decided in his heart to keep the name of his Raka a secret and let it be the [Golden Eyed Gray Tiger]. But he didn¡¯t expect his grandfather to ask the name of his Spirit all of a sudden.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­ Heavenly Demon Tiger Raka¡± Azalon slowly replied after hesitating for a while. These two members were people close to his heart and he couldn¡¯t lie to them.

    Eren Wheld¡¯s and Hank¡¯s eyes widened to their limits and Azalon became slightly afraid that they would pop out from their sockets. It was Hank who first got out from the shock and his words stammered as he pointed to Raka with a trembling finger.

    ¡°Th-This i-i-is r-re-re-real-really H-H-Heav-Heaven D-D-D-D-D-Demon Tiger?¡± Azalon was puzzled looking at Hank who was trembling all over with face full of sweat!

    ¡°Hank, Hank,what happened? HANK!¡± Azalon caught his brother¡¯s body who collapsed onto the ground and by now even his teeth were chattering violently. Hank¡¯s eyes were filled with horror and tears were rolling down his cheeks.

    ¡°Azalon!¡± A grim voice came from his side and Azalon was terrified to see that Eren Wheld was riled up! He never saw his grandfather become this emotional, not even once! But now, he was not only riled up, he was completely flustered!

    But there was still a trace of caution and hope in his eyes and Azalon could feel the conflict his grandfather was going through.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandpa¡­ What¡¯s wrong? What¡¯s wrong with Raka?¡± Azalon asked slowly afraid that he would disturb his grandfather¡¯s mood.

    Eren Wheld took in a few deep breaths and he finally controlled his emotions! Maybe, just maybe Azalon could still save them. Maybe the world would see another Blood Rising! Maybe He would come into this world once again!

    ¡°Azalon! Never speak about your Spirit¡¯s name to any one, no matter the situation! Understood?¡± Azalon mindlessly nodded and he had no idea what his grandfather meant by those words either? But he had a faint idea that this Spirit of his was the source of his grandfather¡¯s words and Hank¡¯s breakdown.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Yes, grandpa. I will be careful.¡±

    Hank recovered after a long time and the eyes with which he looked at Azalon still had some lingering fear! He had heard legends about a figure that once swept through this world, destroying countless kingdoms, clans, legacies and even Spirit Beasts, making mountains of dead bodies to pile up and rivers of blood to flow! Only after the remaining kingdoms and clans formed an alliance to fight that lone figure! After paying a heavy price of having almost 60% of their alliance¡¯s army, they finally managed to defeat that single figure. That period had been dubbed ¡®The Dark Ages¡¯, but the kingdoms manipulated the information making it seem that ¡®The Dark Ages¡¯ was caused by continuous wars between the kingdoms that were destroyed by that figure! After countless thousands of years, the population gradually forgot about that time, but the long lives of cultivators made it so that they remembered that time and some even mentioned the truth in some records. He accidentally read such record once when he was searching through the Academy Library for some inspiration on his Spear Arts.

    The details in that record had been vague, but there had been one name that was mentioned a bunch of times. ¡®Heavenly Demon Tiger!¡¯, the Spirit of that mysterious figure that was the cause of ¡®The Dark Ages¡¯! According to that record, the original name of that figure was erased from history and he was known by his other name, a name that was given as an insult to that mysterious figure! The record never mentioned what that name was, but it said that even speaking about that person will draw the wrath of various factions around the world!

    And now his brother had the same Spirit of that figure!

    ¡°Hank, are you alright?¡± Eren Wheld calmed down and asked his elder grandson. By his reaction, it seems he knew the legend or at least part of the legend. But he had to warn him not to speak of this matter to anyone, especially ¡®The Radiant Church¡¯! If they come to know about this Spirit¡¯s name, Azalon would be mercilessly killed without even a single soul the wiser of his death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, grandpa. I took an oath by the Spirits and the Heavens that I would never betray my brother in any way.

    Even though the legend speaks of the same name, it may be different. We know who Azalon is and how he is, right? There¡¯s no way he would turn into¡­ that!¡± Hank shuddered as he replied to Eren Wheld. He had to remind himself that what he said was true and not something he wanted to believe in!

    Azalon was simply out of the loop and he was getting irritated by the way his grandfather and Hank were speaking in riddles. ¡°Will somebody tell me just what is going on here?¡± He asked with a huff.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, Az. Ah, you were asking why you couldn¡¯t perform the ¡®Spirit Integration¡¯, right?¡± Hank answered hurriedly before trying to shift the subject. ¡°Spirit Integration is only a primitive way of battling with the help of Spirits. Actually Spirit Integration was only a small part of a Spirit¡¯s assistance in a battle.¡± Hank reached to his back and with a *Swish*, he flourished a black Spear with crimson red lines running on its body.

    ¡°The Spirit Integration is the step that you have to perform to create a harmony with your Spirit. Once that harmony reaches a particular Level, you will then inherit an ability from your Spirit. Once you inherit an ability, you don¡¯t need to perform the ¡®Spirit Integration¡¯. The level of harmony between the Cultivator and Spirit will then become an entity that can be manipulated as needed dependent on the situation. The Cultivator can even utilize the Spirit Essence of his Spirit in his attacks that will almost double his attack power! Look!¡± With that pale red Spirit Energy flowed from Hank into the Spear and the crimson lines on the Spear started glittering brightly as specks of crimson lights started flickering on the tip of the Spear. Hank gave a simple thrust and fire instantly manifested on the tip of the Spear and the crimson lights mixed with that fire making it flare brightly. The Spear flew out in a straight line and a fist sized hole appeared on the wall of the cottage. But surprisingly nothing caught on fire as the fire was completely contained on the tip of the Spear! But Azalon suddenly jumped in fright when he saw the crimson specks that were supposed to be on the tip of the Spear were scattered all around the room like fireflies.

    Hank suddenly sucked in a deep breath and the crimson lights were absorbed by Hank as they flew into Hank¡¯s mouth along with his breath!

    ¡°That was the auxiliary attack ability that could be performed when I use the Spirit Essence of my Spear along with my Spirit Energy. Those fireflies like embers were concentrated specks of Spirit Essence and I could make them explode using my Spiritual Sense. I can even move them about with my Spiritual Sense. I named the move [Thousand Fire Embers]. But since my Spirit is a Tool Spirit, it will take a long time for it to evolve into the [Infant Stage.] But once it does, I will receive my second ability!¡± Hank explained and Azalon watched with glittering eyes as he never thought of this possibility.

    Right now, he had 2 abilities, one from each of his Spirit. That means that he couldn¡¯t perform the Spirit Integration, rather there is no need to! He was in perfect harmony with his Spirits, even though his Spirits were in their [Infant Stage]! And now he had another Spirit in the process of Awakening!

    ¡°Hank, also tell him about the levels of the Beasts in the Wilderness. ¡± Eren Wheld reminded Hank and Hank nodded and he withdrew his Spear and tied it to his back.

    ¡°As you know, Az, there are Beasts that were categorized from Level 1 to Level 7.  Level 1 ¨C 3 are the same as cultivator at Spirit Sense Realm. Level 4 ¨C 6  Beasts were equivalent to Cultivators of the Spirit Condensation Realm. Level 7 Beast is the same as a Cultivator of the Mortal Core Level. These 7 Levels are combinedly named Spirit Beasts. Above these 7 Levels are the Desolate Beasts, Chaos Level Beasts, Disaster Level Beasts and the Primordial Beasts. These are the classifications of the Beasts that can be seen on this Shandra Continent. There¡¯s a rumor that there are Beasts that were even more powerful than the Primordial Beasts out there in the vast ocean, but whoever went to check that rumor, not even a single one returned.¡± Hank calmly explained and this was common knowledge for the students of an Academy. In fact all that has been discussed right now, Azalon could find out easily once he joins an Academy.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Hank. If you keep on explaining, the length of this chapter will not be enough and the handsome, kind and smart author had to suffer from negative feedbacks and finger cramps! So, that will be enough for you to suffice for a long time, Azalon. If you want to find any additional information, I am sure you can find the resources by yourself.¡± Eren Wheld stopped Hank from going out of his hand and sent off the two brothers.

    Azalon returned to his room with his head swelled to double its size with all the information stuffed into it. He didn¡¯t start on analyzing the information, but instead plopped onto the bed and drifted into sleep.

    Days passed by peacefully. It has been three weeks since the Family competition for the Academy Selections Spots has been conducted and Azalon had won one of the two spots.

    Wheld Family Manor, within one of the many rooms¡­

    A 12 year old boy was sitting cross legged on the floor. A small gray tiger was sleeping on the bed in the room but it had one of its eye open, the golden pupil reflecting the small figure of the boy within it. A thick cloud of Spirit Energy covered the silhouette of that boy and with every breath he would draw in massive amounts of Spirit Energy into his body. Within a few breaths the cloud would disperse but a Fairy would suddenly appear and the Spirit Energy in the surroundings will madly rush together to form another cloud of thick Spirit Energy surrounding the boy again.

    *Boom!*

    A silent tremor rang through the body of Azalon as the vortex in his Soul Root expanded to the fullest and stabilized the rotation speed. The vortex completely filled the entirety of Soul Root and there was not even a single inch that was not covered. The dense and massive vortex was spinning with rapid speeds within the confines of the Soul Root.

    ¡°So, this is the bottle neck Grandpa and Hank spoke of on that day. If I want to step into the 8th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm, I have to enter the Preparatory Stage, and condense the excess Spirit Energy into liquid drops that will exist within the vortex¡¯s eye. That will take some massive amounts of Energy to condense a single drop. That should be the reason why it was called the ¡®Preparatory Stage¡¯. If I can condense around 10 drops of liquid Spirit Energy, then I could enter the 8th Level Spirit Sense Realm.¡± Azalon mumbled to himself and he opened his eyes after making sure that his Energy vortex was stable without any deviations.

    Just as he was about to get up, a tremor ran through his body that felt as if it originated from his Soul itself. Azalon hurriedly sat down and cast his awareness into the depths of his body finally reaching the Soul Root. To his surprise, the entire Soul Root was illuminated by a pulsing purple light. Azalon knew what this purple light signified and was a happy smile lit up his face just like a child on a Christmas morning waiting for the gifts to be opened.

    The pulsing increased in frequency before it reached a value where it appeared as a continuous light source instead of a flickering one.

    *Crack* *Crack*

    Some cracking sounds resounded in the Soul Root and all of a sudden, a large boom echoed! Azalon felt his Soul tremble and he could feel a faint connection forming with his Soul. He concentrated and calmed his mind and heart. He appeared in that bubble of his once again after a long time. To his right, there was a gray Soul Embryo that was Raka¡¯s and to his left, a silver Soul Embryo that was LILY¡¯s. Two tunnels extended from him to the surface of the bubble while passing through these two Soul Embryos. They were the Soul Bridges that would allow him to draw in the Spirit Energy using the Soul of his Spirit as a medium.

    Around him were 7 other Soul Embryos in different colors, but right now Azalon concentrated on a purple Embryo that was flickering brightly. With a thought, Azalon concentrated and a Soul Bridge extended from his lower chest and connected with the glowing purple Soul Embryo. The Soul Bridge connected and without stopping extended towards the surface of the bubble. As soon as the bridge connected with the bubble surface, bright purple colored Spirit Energy trickled down through the tunnel and flowed into his body. Time passed and the trickle changed into a roaring flood!

    In the Outside World, the room within which Azalon was sitting in was covered with bright purple light. Fortunately, it was day time, otherwise the illumination would have drawn countless eyes to his room. Azalon opened his eyes when he felt the Soul Bridge connect and his Spirit was about to Awaken. Before his eyes, the purple light slowly converged and condensed to form a 10 foot shadow on one of the walls.

    Azalon eyes glittered in excitement when he saw the shadow. This Soul Embryo was formed from the Primal Ring that was saturated to its peak with one of the 7 Primal Energies. He was full of anticipation at the Spirit that will Awaken because of this Ring. More and more light converged and with a muffled bang, a fist sized figure appeared before his eyes and a name rang in his Soul.

    ¡°Lightning Imp, Merup!¡±

    <hr />

    Enjoy Folks... The next chapter will be the final chapter of the Volume 1. Another Chapter had been added to the Volume 1 because the things I wanted to explain to the readers increased a bit... Look forward to the next chapter, guys...

 Chapter 26: A Whole New World

    Azalon gaped at the small figure floating before his eyes. Raka who had been lying on the bed opened his eyes and the golden pupils gazed at the Lightning Spirit. LILY was even more interested than the other two. She flapped her golden cicada wings and floated towards the Spirit. She folded her arms before her chest and was circling around the Spirit observing every part as if she was the judge deciding a participant.

    ¡°Merup¡­¡± Azalon called out softly. The Lightning Spirit that had been looking around with interest swirled towards him. It slowly floated as he called out it¡¯s name.

    Azalon carefully observed the Spirit in front of him. The Spirit was around the size of the palm of a child or the fist of a new born. Azalon felt that he could conceal the Spirit completely if he held it in his fist.

    The skin of the Spirit is a bright purple color, but it was not a thick and harsh purple that would be difficult to look at. The purple skin had a light sheen and a soft glow to it that made it very pleasing for the eye. It had a round face and a bell like body with two thin legs dangling down from it. Two long arms that were ape ¨C like reached the knees of the Spirit, that ended with long and thin needle like claws. A gray colored chain with black lines running on it was around the neck of the Spirit.

    Two wings extended from the its shoulder blades, but based on their appearance they were clearly not used for flying. The wings were in the shape of the lightning bolt symbol that was used back on Earth to indicate high voltages. Four thin needles dropped down from the lightning bolt shaped appendage at four different angles that made the overall shape look like a stretched wing.

    A wide grin split that round face above which a small nose was present. Two eyes that looked shockingly like a newborn baby¡¯s eyes, except for the purple pupils that flickered with flashes of lightning, were constantly moving filled with wonder and excitement observing everything around it.

    Azalon thought that this guy looked cute in a particular way!

    ¡°Merup¡± Azalon called out more confidently this time and the Spirit¡¯s attention was now completely shifted on to him.

    *Chi* *Chi* *Chi*

    It suddenly laughed with a weird noise and *Swoosh* it dived into Azalon¡¯s chest. It spread its long but tiny arms and was trying to hug Azalon. The grin on its face grew happy and excited as very very small lightning flashes started snaking on its body. But unfortunately, Azalon was in direct contact with it and there was no insulation or grounding to his body. That led to only one outcome.

    Azalon¡¯s body stiffened as the shocking amounts of voltage contained within those tiny electric sparks electrocuted him. The voltage should be around 220 ¨C 230 Volts that could have killed a human back on Earth. It was unimaginable that those small purple lightning snakes contained this much voltage.

    Merup quickly discovered its blunder and immediately retreated to a distance. But the damage had already been done. Azalon¡¯s limbs were twitching as the electricity overloaded his nervous system. Smoke rose from his mouth and nostrils and his face was charred black but there were no third degree or second degree burns on his body that would have appeared with electric shocks.

    A Cultivator¡¯s body was a far cry in resilience from a normal human¡¯s body. LILY was giggling uncontrollably watching Azalon twitching just like what would happen in some old cartoons. Raka was also looking with pity and humor in equal parts reflected in those golden pupils of his.

    ¡°God, Dadh HUSD!¡± Azalon found out that his limbs were not in his control at all. He tried to revolve his Spirit Energy and finally managed to regain some control of his limbs and tongue. His body was still numb and stiff but he was alright.

    But his hair was standing up on their hands giving him an Afro but just with spiky hair instead of curly hair.

    ¡°Oh, stop it, LILY. That¡¯s not funny alright. You can try it on for size.¡± Azalon snapped at the Fairy Spirit who finally couldn¡¯t hold back her laughter any longer and was rolling on the ground holding her stomach and laughing merrily as she watched Azalon trying to smoothen up his hair.

    ¡°No, Master. I am happy with just watching. Right, Raka?¡± LILY replied between laughs and the three Spirits grouped together. LILY was talking, Raka was *Croo* ing and Merup was *Chi* *Chi*ing and gesturing whatever that meant.

    Azalon had no way to join their discussion so he concentrated on revolving his Spirit Energy to flush out the numb feeling in his body.

    After some time, Azalon opened his eyes and a thoughtful look flashed on his face. He lifted his hand and Spirit Energy flowed in his meridians before coming out onto the surface of his hand. After covering his hand with thick layer of Spirit Energy he shifted his eyes onto the group of Spirits that were conversing among themselves. By the looks of it, the two Spirits had already accepted the newcomer into their group.

    ¡°¡­Merup¡± Azalon called out carefully and the Lightning Spirit turned around to face him with the grin plastered on his face. His eyes flashed with happiness when he heard Azalon call out to him and flew slowly towards Azalon. Azalon carefully extended his hand that was covered in thick Spirit Energy and placed it on the head of the Lightning Spirit.

    ¡°Spirit Integration.¡± He closed his eyes concentrating on the link between him and his Spirit and softly spoke out. His Spirit acknowledged his intention and the link between them started growing stronger. The man and the Spirit finally reached that state where they were just a step away from existing in perfect harmony.

    But just as the link between them was about to reach the harmonious state and the Spirit Integration succeeded, a mysterious force emerged from deep within Azalon. It slammed against the link between the man and the Spirit, forcebly severing it. Azalon was started awake and he became muddle headed as his consciousness suffered a backlash from the forceful severing from the harmonious state.

    After a few moments, he woke up and took deep breaths as even his sub ¨C conscious mind had stopped working for these few moments making his lungs stop breathing and his heart stop pumping blood. If that comatose state would persist for just another few moments, he would surely die of heart failure or asphyxiation or even blood poisoning!

    Even though he was a Cultivator that broke past the mortal state, he was still a human. He may survive for a long time even if he was not breathing, but if his internal organs stopped working, no matter how much powerful he became he would simply die!

    ¡°Another failure, huh.¡± Azalon muttered bitterly as he kneaded his temples. His consciousness experienced the violent backlash and suffered an injury. It may not be as serious as the time of injury from the Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag, but an injury to the consciousness even a small one was not to be taken lightly. He will take a few hours for him to recover, so he rested in his room watching his Spirits and thinking.

    During these three weeks, he had completely analysed and cataloged the dump of information provided by his grandfather and Hank. He had a much better understanding about a lot of things than before, but the questions he had never seemed to decrease and instead with this new torrent of information, the number of questions even grew!

    Azalon had his doubts even after Hank explained to him about the Spirit Integration on that day. So he pestered Hank for the process to initiate the Spirit Integration. He first tried it with LILY as she was already fully integrated with his consciousness as opposed to his other Spirits. And the same thing happened to him back then like ti did today. In fact the backlash he suffered on that day was 10 times worse than what he did today.

    Even though he knew that it may not be the plausible explanation, still Azalon believed that he couldn¡¯t Integrate with Raka or LILY because they were at the [Infant Stage] of their growth that was stage for the Spirits of Spirit Condensation Cultivators while he was still in the Spirit Sense Realm.

    But today, that force once again appeared when he tried to Integrate with the Lightning Spirit that was in the [Embryo Stage]. It clearly made sure that he could never Integrate with his Spirits.

    ¡°What is that mysterious force that doesn¡¯t allow me the bond between me and the Spirits?¡± Azalon had asked himself countless times, but couldn¡¯t find an answer. ¡°More importantly, why is there such harmony between me and the Spirits even though I couldn¡¯t perform the Spirit Integration?¡±

    According to Hank, talented Cultivators will take around half a year to a full year to achieve the harmonious stage with their Spirits and don¡¯t talk about low level Cultivators. They may never achieve such a state all their lives and never inherit any abilities from their Spirits. But he was clearly different. He couldn¡¯t Integrate with his Spirits, but he still Inherited abilities from both Raka and LILY. Moreover, he Inherited not one but two abilities from Raka, even before he evolved Raka to the [Infant Stage]!

    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s up for hunting?¡± Azalon asked when he felt his consciousness return to normal and he no longer suffered from headache. He pushed the questions that still plagued him to the back of his mind. Even though he got a lot of information from his grandfather and Hank, it was still basic information and not any kind of research material that he could use. He decided to wait until he was enrolled into any Academy that was sure to contain dome exclusive and extensive libraries that would provide him with all sorts of information, that couldn¡¯t possibly be found in the public libraries established by the Kingdom for the general public.

    3 pairs of eyes turned towards him.

    ¡°Yaayy~~~¡± ¡®Croooo¡­¡¯ came the reply as one Beast and one Fairy jumped towards him. The third one looked confused for a moment before he too jumped in with a *Chi* *Chi* *Chi* laugh. Aaand disaster strikes again!

    A boy¡¯s shout, a Fairy¡¯s shrill scream and a Beast¡¯s pained whines along with Zap! Zap! of lightnings echoed from the room Azalon resided in.

    Two days later, deep in the Wilderness¡­

    Azalon swept through a 40 mile radius area during these two days like a storm. Right now, he had tens of Class 1 Spirit Cores, 14 Level 2 Spirit Cores and 3 Level 3 Spirit Cores. The Souls of these Spirit Beasts had been consumed by his three Spirits. Raka and LILY are almost at the peak of the [Infant Stage] and they just need a small number of Souls for them to evolve to the third Stage. But his head ached when he saw the small Imp that was with them.

    Raka and LILY were about to advance to the Third Stage of the [Soul Embryo Cultivation Technique], but this little guy even after consuming that much Soul Energy still was no where near enough to the [Infant Stage]!

    ¡°Another thing added to the List ¨C of ¨C Mind Fucking things!¡± Azalon simply became numb to these ever growing number of mysteries he was facing almost every day. ¡°No wonder they say that the amount of things you know may be a small hill, but the things you don¡¯t know would be a sky piercing mountain range!¡±

    Azalon was currently standing on the top branch of a tall tree. Below him a huge corpse was lying on the ground with its body flipped over. Its eight long lance like legs were dangling lifelessly and a human face like appendage could be seen on its abdomen. It just had eight eyes in the place of the two on that human face appendage.

    It was a Level 3 [Eight Eyed Human Faced Spider] that was equivalent to a human Cultivator at the Peak Stage of the Spirit Sense Realm. This Spider had been a tricky opponent for Azalon amongst all the Spirit Beasts he had fought. But a Beast is a Beast and its instinctive battling style couldn¡¯t match up with the intelligent and effective style of humans.

    Even though it had the strength equivalent to that of a human Cultivator at the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm, without any adept control behind that massive strength , it was simply like a mindless brute waving a massive club. Azalon had to simply direct the flow of the battle to exhaust the Beast and take it down in a single move.

    But saying it easier said than done! Who could have access to high ¨C level movement techniques like the [Ghostly Illusion Flash] that could allow the attacks of the opponent to pass through their bodies? Who could possess that still ¨C enigmatic attack technique like the [Infinite Pulse Fists] that could send out waves of fists in single punch? AND finally who could Awaken three Spirits that were uniquely powerful and supportive in their own regards to support him in the battles?

    Three beings surrounded the corpse of the Spider, one being a gray tiger cub, one Fairy and the final one a purple Imp.

    An apparition of the [Eight Eyed Human Faced Spider] appeared in the Azalon¡¯s vision as golden veins spread in his whites of the eyes. Three streams of Energy flowed from the apparition to the open mouths of his Spirits that were absorbing the Soul Energy to form their Soul Embryos. Raka and LILY consumed around around one ¨C third of the Soul Energy of the Spider and left the remaining for the newcomer of the group.

    *Chi* *Chi* *Chi* Merup was also not polite and immediately started consuming the Soul Energy with gusto. Raka laid down on a pile of leaves under the tree and it¡¯s golden pupils watched the Imp devouring the Soul Energy. LILY flew up to Azalon and settled down in her spot, her back against Azalon¡¯s neck and her legs stretched over his shoulder. This had become LILY¡¯s permanent spot and she wouldn¡¯t allow any one to occupy the same position as her. She wouldn¡¯t leave even when he was fighting with the Spirit Beasts. After the incident in the room where Merup electrocuted all three of them, LILY passed a decree that Merup was not allowed to come closer than 2 feet to Azalon!

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    ¡°Master, tomorrow is the date for the convoy of the Academies to come to take the candidates to the Selection Grounds.¡± LILY reminded him in a soft voice. Azalon simply nodded.

    ¡°Mmm. I have always been dreaming of this day, but when the day actually came I am nervous and even a bit fearful. After all this world is not like Earth where any one can go any where without any fear of the obvious except for some extreme cases. But this world is different. My current strength couldn¡¯t be even called as the starting line in the race but I am still in a race. A race to reach the starting line of the main race.¡± Azalon said absent mindedly as he watched the orange ball of light sink into the horizons painting the silver clouds with a splash of colors.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Master. LILY will protect you. Humph. If any one dares to bully you, I will beat them to a pulp!¡± LILY waved her tiny fists as she spoke fiercely. But with her size and her cute appearance, the effect was lost and instead she looked cuddly and lovely.

    Azalon smiled and said nothing. He knew that LILY may look cute when she said those words, but she was serious in every sense when she said that. He just remember that day when she exhausted her Spirit Essence to save him from that Soul of the Thunder Horned Stag. He was sure that she would do that once again without a single ounce of hesitation. That was also one of the reason why he had to get stronger faster! He wanted to protect these existences that shared life ¨C and ¨C death with him and stay with him all the time.

    During these three weeks, Azalon completely memorized the contents of the three scrolls given to him that day. He concentrated the most on the [Soul Embryo Cultivation Technique] the most. There were 4 Stages of Spirits that were recorded in that scroll. [Embryonic Stage], [Infantile Stage], [Peak Form Stage] and the [Demi ¨C Human Stage].

    Only after getting the information from Hank about the stages of growth of the Soul Spirits did he make the connections between the normal stages and the stages recorded in the scroll.

    The technique behind this cultivation method was pretty simple actually. Each Stage was divided into 3 steps to be performed to Evolve a Spirit to the next stage. [Soul Embryo Formation], [Imprint Tampering] and the final [Spirit Awakening].

    The first step is the most straight forward step of the entire process. It¡¯s utilizing the Soul Energy of living beings to form a Soul Embryo around the Soul of the Spirit. Once the Embryo has been formed, it had to nurtured through any kinds of methods. For example, he could just supply more Soul Energy to the Embryo as nourishment, and the scroll recorded it as the most hassle free and fastest method, but it comes with some risk to the Cultivator as he had to continuously hunt the Spirit Beasts for the Soul Energy.

    The other method is to use the Spirit Energy a Cultivator refines as nourishment, but this is the slowest and the safest method of all. But during this time, the cultivation level of the Cultivator will stagnate without any improvement. Azalon thought about this option but discarded it in the end. The other options spoke about something called Soul Treasures but Azalon didn¡¯t mind that.

    The Second Step was the most important as the Cultivator has to project an image on the Soul Embryo tempering with the Soul Imprint of the Spirit. The Spirit would Evolve following the guidelines of the [Imprint Tampering] by the Cultivator. Azalon didn¡¯t understand the workings of this step at all! But he had a general idea of how it worked.

    And the final step is the one Azalon understood all too well. It was simply waiting for the Spirit to Evolve and Awaken!

    But Azalon didn¡¯t feel that the method of this kind of evolution of the Spirits was right even a bit! Even though following this method a Spirit will become powerful in a short time than normal Spirits, that strength will be obtained by sacrificing the potential of the Spirit. Look at the stages that were recorded in the scroll. The Fourth Stage was the [Demi ¨C  Human Stage] Spirit. But what about the later stages of Evolution?

    After the [Demi ¨C Human Stage], the Spirit may be Evolved into a complete Human Spirit, then what? Will the Human shaped Spirit start cultivating just like it¡¯s Master? Even in this world where the World Energy is thousands of times more abundant than Earth, the Evolution stopped after the Humans entered the fray!

    In the words of the scientist on Earth whose theory completely changed the way humans looked at the world, ¡°Nature is always the perfect Selector to decide from a set of Choices.¡± The Darwin Theory of Evolution created a massive impact in the scientific world back on Earth and Azalon felt that this theory held true anywhere Mother Nature was involved, let it be Earth or this World.

    Azalon decided to discard the steps described in the scroll until his Spirits completely used up their potential of Evolution. He would let Nature run its course and give it complete reign in the initial stages. Only after the ¡®Natural Evolution¡¯ finished will the ¡®Selective Evolution¡¯ begin! In this way, his Spirits may not be very powerful in the Initial Stages of Evolution but after enough time passed, his Spirits could very well be simply heaven ¨C defying!

    A Fairy and a boy silently watched the orange ball of light completely sink into the horizon and the Lady of Darkness finally opened her eyes. Merup finally finished absorbing the Soul Energy of the [Eight Eyed Human Faced Spider] and was bothering Raka who was sleeping on a pile of leaves.

    Azalon quickly collected the Spirit Core of the Spider and collected some important parts after carefully dissected the corpse like the poison sac, its fangs, thick slabs of meat, its toughest bones and its eight legs. All of them went into his [Void Ring], one of the most infuriating mysteries Azalon faced. With a *Swish* his figure flashed and with his three Spirits in tow, he returned home. Tomorrow is a big day and he wanted to rest as much as possible.

    The next day, the morning rays brought with a wave of celebrations in the city. It was the day where the proud sons of the city would go out into the world to test their luck and fortune. This day decides whether they would emerge as

    Dragons that would soar into the skies or fall into the mediocre masses! Each and everyone of the ten candidates were shouldering the burden of the hopes their close ones had for them. Countless enthusiastic children were on the city walls looking out for the people that would come from the legendary Academies to take their brothers and sisters to join them!

    Far away from the city walls of the Blue Wind City, high up in the skies, two white and beautiful birds were flying. The birds were covered in white feathers that looked like flakes of pure snow and the wings of the birds were tens of meters wide. Each flap of those massive wings would create a small tempest in the air propelling the birds tens of meters with just a single flap. The aura emitted by the birds silenced the various Spirit Beasts living in the Wilderness below. Only after the birds flied for a long distance would the Beasts that were cowering in fear would dare to move again!

    But there were two people that were sitting on one of the birds and they looked completely unruffled by the movements of the birds or their wings.

    ¡°Just what are the Elders of the Alliance thinking? Do they really think that some heaven ¨C defying talents would emerge in this backwater villages? Fairy tales may be good enough to listen as bedtime stories, but real life is very different from the tales. For a Cultivator to advance in their cultivation, they require Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones and countless other Cultivation resources. Without having a reasonable background supporting them, even geniuses would fall behind those foppish lords that would be showered in priceless medicines and pills!¡± It was a slightly obese man that spoke with slightly irritated tone. He was wearing bright yellow colored robes and appeared to be in his late ¨C 20s. With his plump body, lazy eyes and relaxed posture he looked like a Lord of a city rather than an examination invigilator.

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk like that, Senior Xan. You know about the rumor that was floating in the Academy for quite some days about a powerful Seer¡¯s prediction that a great calamity would occur in the Shandra Continent and that the Era is changing and that would bring many changes that would shake the entire world. It was said that The Alliance has been formed by the Academies for exactly this reason! And they are looking all over the Continent for students to enroll them into the Academies, and within the vast Continent if they can find geniuses and talents who has enough aptitude they will become a force that could at least ensure the survival of the Academy.¡± A tall and skinny man spoke with a gravely voice. Wifts of in the black hair indicated that this person was quite aged and experienced. He was wearing a plain blue colored robe and the overall temperament of the man was like an amiable old scholar.

    ¡°And even though these corners of the continent would have almost no access to cultivation resources, the main occupation for the Cultivators in towns like this would be Spirit Core Farming. This makes them accumulate battle experience and even go through life ¨C and -death battles. Their instincts would be honed in the Wilderness and they can serve greatly as soldiers on the battle field if trained carefully.¡± The tall skinny man continued and the plump man grumbled before going silent. He knew that he couldn¡¯t change the decisions that were out of his control so he can only complete the work assigned to him.

    ¡°Ah, that should be the Blue Wind City. The last of the list of Cities assigned to us for the candidates. If I remember correctly, the Alliance should have allocated 10 Spots to this City.¡± The city walls of the Blue Wind City appeared as a speck at a distance and the tall and skinny man was the one to see it. The plump man also turned his head to look before looking away after a snort.

    ¡°Sigh. At least don¡¯t scare off the candidates when we arrive at the city.¡± The tall and skinny man gave a resigned sigh at the behavior of his companion. Even though they were of the same generation and were almost of the same rank in their respective Academies, their view on the world was completely different and even opposite to each other. But they were friends for a long time and were quite familiar with each other.

    At the same time where the skinny man looked at the city, the ten candidates gathered at the City Square along with their family members. Azalon and Sophie Wheld were from the Wheld Family and Eren Wheld, Grandma Doctor and Hank stood beside them waiting for the Academy representatives. Raka was sleeping in his arms and LILY and Merup had been dismissed from manifesting themselves.

    Azalon knew that Spirits are physical existences and they couldn¡¯t be made to appear and disappear like he could do with his Spirits other than Raka. He had a slight suspicion on that, but he couldn¡¯t be sure for the lack of information.

    He couldn¡¯t directly ask Hank or Eren about his suspicions and the information he got in the roundabout way was not sufficient. He was really impatient to get his hands on some good material where he could scourge for info.

    Azalon carefully observed the candidates from the other two families and the four candidates that were selected from the commoner ranks in the City. He could see other four candidates from the two families and three people that were selected from the common public. Before he could wonder about the last candidate, some one shouted from the city walls.

    ¡°I see them! I see them! Look, there in the skies. Those two birds!¡± A 6 year old boy was shouting while jumping and pointing excitedly and everyone lifted their heads to look in the direction that boy pointed to.

    Azalon lifted his head and he could see two white birds approaching the city at a fast pace. Before they could react to the appearance of the birds, they already reached the City! Azalon was shocked by the speed at which the birds traveled! The snow white birds flapped their wings lightly and among a massive cloud of dust that was blown by their wings, they landed in the City Square.

    Azalon¡¯s heart rate increased that this day, he would take his first step into the wide world out there. He was excited, anxious, nervous and afraid about his future. But no matter what, he had to go out and he had to face the challenges if he want to gain real strength.

    ¡°A New World¡­¡± Azalon muttered and his fists tightly clenched as his emotions slightly calmed down. He lifted his head and looked at the pair of men sitting on one of the white birds. They lightly jumped and landed in the center of the Square¡­

 Chapter 27: Academy Selection Grounds

    The entire City Square was silent as everyone present were looking at the pair of people who descended from the large white birds. One of them was a fat person with yellow robes and the other was tall and skinny who wore a plain blue colored robe. A golden insignia was pinned to their chests which glittered in the bright sunlight. They were the representatives of the Academies who came to pick up the candidates for the Selections.

    Concepts like Clans, Sects or Kingdoms were all distant things for people who live in this types of regions. They never faced such huge organizations and they probably never will, unless an extremely enticing entity were to appear in the near by areas of this city, even the Kingdom would never bother with this remote region let alone those Large Sects or Clans.

    So, the position of an Academy to the people of this City was like a God like existence. They couldn¡¯t even see a Royal Guard of the Kingdom visit this backwater areas. And the Academies were above the rule of any kingdom! You can imagine the status of an Academy from this alone!

    And these two people came from those unreachable mammoths to this city. It was no exaggeration when one say that these two people were like Deities to the population of this City.

    Admiration. Worship. Every one in the City had one of these in their eyes and the way they looked at these pair of people.

    Especially the children who heard countless stories during these days from their parents about the legends and greatness of the Academies and the Kingdoms.

    ¡°Waah~~~¡±

    ¡°Look at that bird! Its so big and beautiful!¡±

    ¡°They should be really fluffy with that many feathers covering them¡­¡±

    When they saw those huge birds that were like docile animals and allow humans to ride them, cries of excitement and wonder rang through them. For them who only knew about the cruel and wild Spirit Beasts that existed in the Wilderness, the fact that these two people could ride them gave them endless surprise and shock.

    Their parents had to hold them back in fear that they would run off towards the birds and somehow offend the two Elders!

    The yellow robed man snorted in disdain when he saw the narrow minded behavior of the children. Just this behavior alone shows how narrow sighted these people are, just how short their scope of the horizons are. They simply didn¡¯t know how vast the world actually is and how exactly diverse it is! But the tall skinny man simply smiled towards the children as he knew why they were excited.

    The Family Heads of the Three Families went forward to greet them.

    ¡°Greetings, Elders. I am the Family Head of the Reren family, Fak Reran. We welcome you two Elders to our humble city.¡± The Family Head of the Reran Family was a proud and cunning figure in the Blue Wind City. But he was incomparably humble before the two people from the Academies.

    ¡°Two Elders, I am the Patriarch of the Phantom Wolf Guild. We prepared a gift for the Elders. Please grace us by accepting this humble gift.¡± The Patriarch of the Phantom Wolf Guild had always been like this. He wouldn¡¯t fight for higher position with his competition but would always try to maintain equal footing with them by pacifying them. And it doesn¡¯t mean that he was a coward but rather an opportunist. This kind of man was the most hard to deal with and would be the most terrifying opponents. Even when they couldn¡¯t compete with their own strength, they would always find opportunities to draw some powerful factions into the fray.

    The Patriarch took out a small wooden box from the inner folds of his clothes and presented it to the two Elders. The yellow robed man glanced at the wooden box but didn¡¯t make any move to receive it.

    ¡°Humph. What kind of gift you can give that I couldn¡¯t get in thousands?¡± He thought in irritation. He wanted to get this over with quickly so that they could leave as soon as possible.

    It was once again the skinny Elder who came forward for the two of them. He accepted the small wooden box with a smile and nod to the Phantom Wolf Guild Patriarch. But he didn¡¯t open it. Clearly he too didn¡¯t believe the worth of the gift that the people of this City could take out, even if it was a family inheritance treasure. The Patriarch didn¡¯t press it and retreated after bowing to them.

    The last to meet them was Eren Wheld. He simply extended his greetings in a calm tone appearing neither submissive nor arrogant. The yellow robed fat man turned his head as he was surprised by the attitude of this person towards them. But his eyes paused on another person who was standing behind Eren Wheld.

    ¡°Oh? Isn¡¯t that Hank from the Azure Phoenix Academy?¡± The fat man asked out loud. Indeed it was Hank who was standing behind Eren Wheld and he recognized these two people who came as the representatives of the Academies.

    ¡°We meet after a long time, Senior Xan. Have you been well these days?¡± Hank cupped his hands as he greeted them. The yellow robed fat man¡¯s face lit up with a bright smile when he saw this youngster. ¡°Good! So, what brings the junior brother Hank to this remote village? Did you also come here on behalf of the Azure Phoenix Academy?¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Hank laughed dryly, ¡°You may not know about this, Senior, but this is my home city. I came here to notify the city about the Spots allocated to this city by the Alliance and help them choose the candidates even before you can come to this city.¡±

    The fat man¡¯s smile crumbled when he heard Hank¡¯s words. ¡°What did you say? This is your home town? You actually came from this remote region?¡± He didn¡¯t expect that his rising talent of the Azure Phoenix Academy would be from this kind of place! Even the tall and skinny Elder was surprised when he heard Hank explain his origins, and he chuckled lightly as he cast a playful glance at the yellow robed Elder Xan.

    Within an Academy, as long you have enough talent, the background of your origins wouldn¡¯t really matter to the higher ups.

    They were only concerned with the advancement of such talents and grooming them. They would even encourage competitions between students so as to temper them to rouse their latent potential. The struggles within would be just short of life and death battles.

    The situation will be similar in all the big organizations and even the Kingdom is not free from this. But the Academies are a lot better than those Clans or Sects. Within a Clan or a Kingdom, a position would only become occupied after the newcomer would challenge and defeat the occupant of the position. You can do anything to get that position from open battles to assassination.

    But within an Academy, there will be regular competitions that would decide the rankings of the students. As long you have strength you can rise up in the ranks. The less the number before that points to your name, the more concentration would be directed towards you both from the above and below. The ones below would be aiming at your rank and the ones above would be worried about theirs.

    The more talented you are, the more resources the Academy would allot to you and the more your strength increases. That was the reason enough for the competitions to be intense and bloody. But the shady business that would be commonly seen in other big organizations would not be absent, but they would be minimal.

    That was also the reason why youngsters would flock whenever there was a recruitment campaign conducted by any Academy. Usually, the Academies would recruit following a rotating pattern every year. That means that only one of the 7 Academies would get a new batch of students every three years and they would concentrate on that batch for the next two decades before their chance for another new batch to appear. That was why there would be a strict rule on the students to not kill each other even during battles. Each and every student is important to the Academies.

    But this time, the situation is different. This time all the 7 Great Academies are recruiting at once!

    ¡°Senior Xan, this is my grandfather, Eren Wheld. Grandfather, this person here is Xan Huan. He is an expert at the Mortal Core Level and one of the Elders of the Inner Disciples of the Nine Dragons Academy.¡± Hank introduced them to one another.

    ¡°Pardon this junior for not knowing your name, Senior.¡± He lightly bowed to the tall and skinny Elder as he asked for his name.

    ¡°Haha¡­ Junior Hank is too polite. This old one¡¯s name is Po Ren. I am also the same as this one here, an Elder of the Inner Disciples of the Nine Dragons Academy. I have heard a lot about the rising genius of the Azure Phoenix Academy that became famous recently. You are like the rumors say!¡± The Elder introduced himself with a smile and the Elder Xan beside him grumbled something under his breath.

    Azalon was watching the four of them conversing. His eyes were concentrated on the two people that have come from the Academies. Something about them bugged him and he couldn¡¯t put a finger on what the reason was.

    His eyes became sharp in concentration and his mind was buzzing with activity trying to find the reason for this bizarre feeling.

    Something clicked and his eyes widened in realization. Spirits! The two people don¡¯t have their Spirits with them!

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± His eyes glanced at the two snow white beasts that the two Elders flew on, but he instantly discarded them as their Spirits. For one, the beasts are identical in looks and strength. Moreover, he could see the submissive looks in their eyes that were the same as the animals he had seen that were taken captive from the forests.

    ¡°They should be some Beasts that were captured to be used as pets or mounts. So where the hell are their Spirits?¡± Azalon was really puzzled this time. Hank or his grandfather explained this to him on that day.

    ¡°They should be in their Core Space.¡± A sonorous and cool voice sounded beside him. The voice was melodious that made Azalon¡¯s mind to go blank for a moment. Azalon turned around to look at a beautiful and aloof face that was glancing at him from the corners of her eyes.

    ¡°Sophie¡­ What do you mean by ¡®Core Space¡¯?¡± Azalon asked puzzled by another new terminology.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about that? A Core Space is a space which will be formed when a Cultivator forms his Spirit Core. It¡¯s a separate space where you can move your Spirit into and call upon when needed. That was one of the many abilities that differentiates between the Condensation Realm and Core Realm.¡± She explained in the same cool and aloof tone like she wasn¡¯t explaining things to Azalon but instead talking to herself.

    ¡°But creating a space within your body where you can move our Spirits to? That¡¯s incredible!¡± Azalon exclaimed in surprise. Indeed there are still too many things that he didn¡¯t know about or never came across before. He had to still occasionally remind himself not to think about this world in the sense of his knowledge from Earth. This is an entirely different world with entirely different rules and way of living.

    Hank finished talking with the two Elders and the three of them walked to the center of the City Square. Hank came forward and his loud voice enhanced by Spirit Energy boomed out.

    ¡°These two Seniors here have come for the 10 candidates that were selected from this city. Come forward and introduce yourselves. After that you will be taken to the Selection Grounds!¡±

    Azalon looked around and saw 7 people walk out from the crowd. He gave a glance at Sophie and he too walked out slowly.

    They lined up before Hank and the two Elders. Hank suddenly frowned, ¡°Where is the last candidate?¡± They too looked at the others and sure enough there were only 9 of them with the last one missing. Azalon determined that the missing one should be from the commoners of the City. Who was that guy that would be late for this occasion? Even Azalon was excited for this day and that¡¯s saying something with his mindset of an adult.

    ¡°Is there a problem, Hank?¡± The yellow robed fat Elder Xan asked impatiently with some slight irritation.

    ¡°No, Senior Xan. It¡¯s just that one of the candidates is not present.¡± Hank replied.

    ¡°If they are not present, then they are not present. Get on with it and we will take who are present.¡± The yellow robed Elder Xan said with irritation and anger. They came here to take these bumpkins to participate in the Academy Selections and one doesn¡¯t even show up? What does that one think about himself?

    After that he flipped his hand and a thin scroll and a feather looking pen appeared in his hand. ¡°Your name, age, your cultivation level and the name of your Spirit. Don¡¯t talk any extra non ¨C sense.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Come on and introduce yourself and stand here.¡± Hank shrugged and called the one to the extreme left of the line. It was a young man who stepped out and spoke in a loud voice.

    ¡°Elders, this one is Dale Reran from the Reran Family. I am 14 years old and at the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm. And this is my Spirit [Blood Axe].¡± A blood red Axe that was attached to his waist and he pointed to that as his Spirit. That Elder Xan nodded, wrote down the details on the scroll and looked at the next candidate in the line.

    ¡°Elders, my name is Hari Reran and I am 15 years this year. My cultivation is at the 8th Level Spirit Sense Realm, and my Spirit is the [Snow Wolf Spirit].¡± Azalon was surprised when he heard that introduction. He looked at the snow white wolf at his feet and the aura of coldness that was being emitted by that Wolf. That Elder Po who was at the side nodded appreciatively at this youngster.

    ¡°Not bad. I didn¡¯t think that I would encounter a Variant Spirit here. And that your cultivation has broke through to the 8th Level tells that your talent is not ordinary.¡± Hari Reran immediately puffed up in pride and joy. He felt that his talent impressed these two Elders and he was feeling proud of that.

    Azalon shook his head as he watched that Hari Reran soar into high nine due to the appreciative words from the Elder Po.

    They were just appreciative words and not even real praise. But this guy was already extremely satisfied just with those words.

    ¡°Next!¡±

    ¡°Boris Kar, 15 years old, 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm, [Sickle Blade Mantis] Spirit.¡±

    ¡°Next!¡±

    ¡°Arish Kar, 15 years old, 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm, [Fanged Panda] Spirit.¡±

    ¡°Next!¡±

    ¡°Sophie Wheld, 13 years old, 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm, [Ice Lotus] Spirit.¡± The hands of the Elder Xan that were noting down the details paused for a moment when he heard the details of Sophie. He looked up at the young girl with the small blue lotus bud floating on her shoulder before silently nodding and finished noting down the details.

    ¡°Azalon Wheld, 12 years old, 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm, ¡­ ¡­ [Golden Eyed Gray Tiger] Spirit?¡± Azalon said with some hesitation when he came to the name of his Spirit. Hank and his grandfather repeatedly warned him not to speak of his Spirit¡¯s name but he couldn¡¯t understand why they were making such a fuss.

    Elder Xan and Elder Po looked at Azalon who introduced his Spirit¡¯s name with hesitation.

    ¡°What is it, boy? You don¡¯t even know the name of your Spirit?¡± Elder Xan grumbled in dissatisfaction at this country bumpkin who couldn¡¯t even remember his Spirit¡¯s name. But he was faintly surprised about the age and his Cultivation Level. 12 years and already at the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm and that too in this backwater village. Either he had some pretty decent talent or he found some Treasure Herb that boosted his Cultivation Level.

    Suddenly, Hank came forward and spoke some words in to the ears of the Elder Xan. ¡°Ah, so this boy here is your brother. No wonder he could attain this level of Cultivation at this age.¡± He nodded with a satisfied expression as if some profound mystery  had been solved in front of his eyes. Azalon was simply amazed at the behavior of this Elder Xan.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°Do all the people in the Academies would behave like this guy here? If so, then the coming years would be the longest years of my life!¡± Azalon resisted the impulse to face palm and returned to his position in the line. He felt a gaze lock onto him and he turned his head to see Sophie staring at him with a peculiar look on her face.

    ¡°Umm, what¡¯s the matter? Is there something wrong with my face?¡± He asked as he touched his face to feel what¡¯s wrong.

    ¡°Did you just say your cultivation is at 7th Level?¡± She asked slowly feeling that she should have heard incorrectly. After she woke up from the injuries of the fight with Delius. Naturally she heard about what happened after she fainted, about Azalon revealing his Spirit, him beating Delius who was at the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm while being only at the 5th Level to the point where Delius was almost crippled¡­

    And how many days had been after that? Not even a month and he had already advanced to the 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm? Is that even possible?

    Not only her even Hank and Eren Wheld were also shocked but not as much as Sophie¡¯s. Hank knew about his Fairy Spirit and he could connect the dots behind Azalon¡¯s insane speed of cultivation. No one knew why Eren Wheld was not surprised and no one asked as no one detected the faint expression that surfaced on that old face.

    Azalon only softly smiled and spoke nothing else. But the shock on Sophie¡¯s face thickened with Azalon¡¯s indirect confirmation of his Cultivation level. ¡®What kind of absurd talent is this?¡¯ Sophie thought bitterly in her heart.

    With Azalon introducing himself, the candidates from the three family members were all finished. Now for the four spots that were given to the Cultivators from the common public of the City.

    ¡°Fenris, 15 years old, 7th Level Spirit Sense Realm, [Black Scaled Water Snake].¡± A burly youth with a black scaled snake that was as thick as Azalon¡¯s arm was coiled around his neck stepped forward and introduced himself.

    ¡°Nandu, 15 years old, 6th Level Spirit Sense Realm. My Spirit is the [Black Striped Lizard].¡± A yellow lizard with spikes protruding from its spine was sitting on the head of that youngster.

    ¡°Paul, 14 years old, 6th Level Spirit Sense Realm, [Black Hammer] Spirit.¡± Now this came as a surprise to Azalon. That Paul was a massive man with the same stature as Rana of his family. A massive black hammer that was as tall as that man with its head as wide as Azalon¡¯s shoulders was strapped on his back. Even that Elder Xan was slightly startled when he saw this hulking beast of a man.

    Azalon was surprised at the cultivation Levels of this three candidates. You should know that Cultivation is a very costly business. Even practicing the basic bodily martial arts that would temper the body during the Spirit Novice Realm would use so many medicinal baths and high protein meat, that were too costly for normal families to bear. And not to mention the cost of the Spirit Awakening Process. Even the Wheld family had to use half an year¡¯s worth savings for them to go through the Spirit Awakening and that too within their own household.

    But these guys had to go to the nearby City where the kingdom had started a temple for the Spirit Awakening to be conducted for the common public. They would take a fee for that. But even if the fee was a measly one percent of the original cost, these people still shouldn¡¯t be able to afford that. Azalon¡¯s eyes caught sight of four couples that were standing in the crowd but they stood out a bit because of the proud feelings on the father¡¯s face and tears on the mother¡¯s face.

    ¡®They should be the parents of there three. They sure placed their hopes on their children¡¯s bright future and sacrificed their blood and sweat for them.¡¯ Golden veins flashed in Azalon¡¯s eyes as he observed the Energies within these parents¡¯ bodies.

    The energies within their bodies were wean and so minuscule with various blockades and injuries within them. Such types of internal injuries could only be caused by over working and over stressing their muscles and bones. Azalon sighed but he knew that the chances for these three to be admitted into the Academies would be low.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± The yellow robed Elder Xan asked Hank who was standing beside him.

    ¡°Yes, Senior Xan. These are 9 of the 10 candidates that were selected from the City. Please hear my request and wait for some time for the last candidate to appear. Please, Elder. That last candidate is from the common population of the City. Don¡¯t dash their hopes just because he is late.¡± Hank pleaded that Elder Xan and Azalon was impressed and pleased with this brother of his.

    ¡°Humph. Since you are the one requesting I will wait for the time it takes for one incense stick to burn. After that we will be leaving.¡± Saying that he simply closed his eyes and stood there, not even bothering to sit in the chairs specially prepared for these two.

    Around 15 minutes later, a commotion spread in the crowd as a wide figure was pushing his way through it. Azalon turned his head and recognized that figure. ¡°Uncle Chad? What¡¯s he doing?¡± He thought puzzled.

    Uncle Chad finally managed to push through the crowd and came to the center of the City Square with a small figure in tow. ¡°I am extremely sorry, Seniors. I made you wait.¡± he bowed to the two people who were standing.

    ¡°Who might you be?¡± Elder Xan opened his eyes but it was Elder Po who spoke to Uncle Chad.

    ¡°Haha, I am not worthy to be remembered by the two Seniors. I am just the keeper of the public library set up by the Kingdom in this City. But enough about me. This child here is the 10th candidate for the Academy Selections.¡± With that Uncle Chad pushed the small figure who was hiding behind his wide body forward.

    ¡°Nina??!!¡± Azalon and Hank shouted at the same time when the small figure came into the view.

    ¡°Haha, It is indeed Nina. Seniors, this child here is named Nina Houran. She is 8 years old and at the 5th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Her Spirit is the [Enchanting Flower Vine].¡±

    ¡°Enchanting Flower Vine?¡± This time it was the Elder Xan who shouted in surprise. Even the calm and collected Elder Po looked at this small girl in amazement and shock. ¡°A Top Quality Wood Affinity Spirit!¡± And no one can talk about the shock of

    Azalon and Hank when they heard Uncle Chad¡¯s words.

    8 years old! 5th Level Spirit Sense Realm? And a Top Quality Wood Affinity Spirit??!! That Wood Affinity means that this little girl has the potential to be an Alchemist in the future!! And she was a genius in cultivation as well! Even Azalon felt some dissatisfaction at this! If not for him wasting four years due to his Petrified Spirit, then at what Level or Realm of Cultivation would he have been at?

    But Hank was shocked for another reason. He was a Cultivator of Spirit Condensation Realm who possesses Spiritual Sense.

    Unless the Cultivator was at least 2 Levels above his Cultivation, he could gauge the Cultivation Level of any person. But till today, he didn¡¯t feel any trace of Spirit Energy coming from Nina. His eyes turned to the chubby man that was standing at a distance with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Just who are you, Uncle Chad?¡± Hank muttered in a low voice with shock still visible in his eyes.

    The two Elders quickly recovered from their shock and looked at each other. They could see the joy and shock in each other¡¯s eyes. They were thinking the same thing!

    ¡°If they could bring this girl and get her enrolled into their Academy, then they would some reward for performing a meritorious task of bringing a potential Alchemist to their Academy! They could even be bestowed with some precious medicinal pills that could allow them to break through!¡±

    Elder Xan lightly coughed and his face flushed in excitement. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, fellow brother. You are not that late, just by a short time. In fact the other 9 candidates just finished their introductions. Come! Come, child. What did you say your name was again? Can you show me your Spirit?¡± He smiled politely to Uncle Chad and appeared to be very amiable towards Nina. Once again Azalon was amazed by these sudden changes in emotions and expressions that only a human could perform with such perfection.

    ¡°Umm¡­ Ni- Nina Houran. 8 years!¡± Nina was obviously very nervous and she replied in a small voice. She lifted her left hand and suddenly a green vine extended from her sleeve. It was a slender vine that extended to about 60 cms high from her hand.

    A single blue flower with red patterns on it bloomed at the edge of the vine. Azalon suddenly felt his vision swim when he looked at the flower. It was as if the flower was the only thing in his vision and nothing else mattered. He unconsciously took a step forward but suddenly his mind cleared as something wrapped around his mind protecting it.

    ¡°Wake up, Az.¡± Hank¡¯s voice sounded right beside his ears and Azalon jumped in surprise.

    ¡°God, I have to find out the trick to do that.¡± He muttered to himself in irritation. This was a good way of private communication but he didn¡¯t know how to do that. His eyes swirled towards the small figure that was now the center of focus of everyone in the Square.

    Nina was fidgeting nervously under the stares of everyone and she was almost about to cry. Hank suddenly appeared by her side and gently patted her head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Nina. Big Brother is here. You don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡± He gently consoled her and Nina gradually settled down but stayed with Hank not letting go of his hand.

    ¡°*Cough* *Cough* That was surely the [Enchanting Flower Vine] with the Wood Affinity with the innate ability to release a enchanting gas that would show you illusions and visions making you lose your concentration. Since the Spirit is only at the [Embryo Stage] the effect is still minuscule, but that one moment of absentmindedness will be enough to kill you ten time over! Even if you can¡¯t kill them, that moment will provide a window of opportunity for you to run away!¡± Elder Po explained what happened to the astonished crowd. His look towards Nina was greedy but it was not to the extent of that Elder Xan. There were other emotions in there like concern and satisfaction, just like any gown up would have for a child.

    ¡°Alright, now that every one¡¯s here, get on the other bird and we will move to the Academy Selection Grounds where your future will be decided!¡± With a light push of their toes, both the Elders landed on one of the snow white birds.

    But none of the 10 candidates moved towards the other one. Even they were young and had already killed quite a number of Spirit Beasts, they still had that fear towards the Spirit Beasts especially looking at this huge birds. Even Azalon was hesitating in his steps. He did not even ride a horse in his life, now he had to get on this big ¨C ass bird to travel?

    ¡°Ah, I miss my personal jet I had on Earth. I wish I could build one here, but the equipment required for the complex and sensitive manufacturing are not available. I can¡¯t even make a mold here, let alone a real airplane.¡± He sighed as he took a step forward towards the bird. Raka *Croo*ed as it followed his steps.

    ¡°This is supposed to be my big day! How can I let this bird scare me into stopping here!?¡± He was slowly walking forward and he managed to reach the huge bird. He didn¡¯t know why he felt like doing it but he lifted his left hand and held it there while looking into the green eyes of the white bird.

    The green eyes of the bird watched the small boy stand in front of it and lift his hand while looking deeply into its eyes. Something stirred within the bird¡¯s heart and it felt like the small boy standing before it was the Master that it was supposed to bow to and worship! Its eyes became dazed as it lowered its head and rubbed against the palm the Azalon held up.

    Once again the crowd was shocked into silence watching the bizarre scene playing out in the City Square. They watched amazed at the huge bird that was like a King of the Spirit Beasts bow its head and rub it against the palm the small boy standing before it held up!

    ¡°What the hell is going on? WHY are there so many bizarre incidents today?¡± They wanted to yell out but no one¡¯s lips moved.

    Even the two Elders, Hank and Eren Wheld were all shocked at this. Especially Elder Po! This [White Winged Swan] was his personal mount he groomed from when it was still an infant. It recognized no one but him as its Master and bowed to no one at the same level of Cultivation as his. But right now he was doubting his eyes when he saw the scene before him!

    ¡°Pashupathi!¡± Eren Wheld whispered as a gaze of worship flashed in his eyes. ¡°Azalon, you truly are his successor! Never had I imagined that my Lord would grace me with such a blessing! May My Lord guide you to your destiny, Azalon!¡± A single tear streamed down the old face as a peaceful smile spread on Eren Wheld¡¯s face.

    Azalon smiled as he rubbed the beak of the white bird and he bent his knees and jumped onto the lowered head of the bird. With the encouraging from Hank and the Family Heads, the other 8 candidates also mounted the white bird. The birds unfolded their wide wings and with a huge flap that made a huge cloud of dust cover the City Square they flew into the air.

    Everyone in the City watched as the 10 young children were taken to the changing point of their lives. Azalon turned his head back to look at a silhouette of the old man watching him go off to make his own path. Suddenly, Eren Wheld¡¯s words sounded in his ears.

    ¡°Go out there, Azalon. Claim yourself in defiance, in acceptance, in fury, in peace, in love, in despair, in hope, in gratitude, in loneliness¡­

    Claim the Light,

    Claim the Dark,

    Claim everything that will be yours¡­

    Claim everything that is destined to be yours¡­

    Claim everything even from the clutches of death,

    Claim what is yours and leave what will not be yours¡­

    Remember, Azalon. You are more important than anything to you. If any one can make you feel loved, love them thousand times back. If any one endangers what you hold dear, treat them the same way ten thousand times more!

    Challenge yourself and overcome those challenges, Azalon Wheld. Only then can you find the path that you can walk on. Only then can you find your heart¡¯s desire!¡±

    Azalon¡¯s mind went into a sort of trance when he hear these words. He had a feeling somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind that these words felt very familiar to him. These words were as if they had struck the chords of his Soul that made him what he was!

    The two snow white birds gradually grew smaller and smaller and finally disappeared from the sight of the people of the Blue Wind City. Within those mass of people, an old man was looking towards the sky with a peaceful smile on his face.

    ¡°HE will Return, Daksha and when he does, you wish you hadn¡¯t done what you have done on that day¡­¡±

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    Visit my website Spirit God Shura</a> for more updates and the site will always stay ahead of this thread.

    Enjoy the new chapter everyone!!!! :-thewatch-Dog:- [th_0tive.gif] :-rpendraguinRocker:-	 :-LpendraguinRocker:-

 Chapter 28: Seven Profound Martial Grounds

    Two snow white birds were traveling at an amazing speed in the skies. A group of youngsters were sitting on one of the birds while the other had four people on it. The youngsters were all extremely nervous as they looked down at the landscape flashing by at a rapid pace. But among the group of them, a 12 ¨C year ¨C old boy was sitting calmly and his eyes were staring forward.

    Unlike the other 9 candidates with him, he was accustomed to air travel. Compared to the advanced third generation auto jets that the Society had designed and manufactured back on Earth, these birds were as slow as a snail when compared with a rocket! Those jets could travel around the Earth twice in 10 minutes! They were designed to be first generation prototypes of the First Stage for the Deep Space Exploration Ships as the final goal!

    He turned his head to see a small figure waving at him from the other bird. Nina was incomparably excited that she was flying and she looked around with boundless interest. Even LILY couldn¡¯t compare with this little girl.

    It came down to Hank to bear with the headache of restraining with this deer ¨C like girl and her enthusiastic excitement.

    It had been 2 days since they left the Blue Wind City behind. They were flying around 500 feet off ground and traveling at nearly 200 Mph. Below them the Wilderness stretched out in all directions till the very edge of their visions and still continued on!

    By Azalon¡¯s calculations, they should have traveled over a distance of 9600 Miles! That¡¯s nearly three times the radius of Earth! What scared him was that this distance was just the distance they had to travel to reach the Academy Selection Grounds and not even to another continent! He sub ¨C consciously feared the number that would just be the radius of this World! And don¡¯t even talk about the concepts like circumference, area or volume!

    It was only now that Azalon really got an idea about how vast this World really was! And by what he could see, almost all of was covered by the Wilderness, or the Desolate Forests as it was officially called.

    ¡°No wonder, the Spirit Beasts thrive in this world. This kind of nourishing and natural environment will make their race extremely flourishing with great possibilities and varieties! And they would hold a massive advantage over other races with their overwhelming numbers. It could be said that if all the Spirit Beasts completely co ¨C ordinated with each other, humans as a species would have already been completely wiped out and became extinct a long time ago!¡± Azalon exclaimed in a low voice as he saw the seemingly border ¨C less Wilderness that completely covered the ground giving it a thick green cover.

    But he wouldn¡¯t underestimate the tenacity of the humans. The situation here had been the same as it was on Earth. They evolved based on the requirements and understandings of the World they live in. Humans on Earth moved towards the scientific way of advancement while this World walked on the path of Spirit Cultivation that made the inherently weak humans powerful enough to preserve their lives within the Spirit Beasts.

    ¡°Are there other Worlds out there in the boundless Cosmos like this World and Earth, that took a different path than these two Worlds? Another Way of Evolution and development? We couldn¡¯t manage to perform that feat on Earth even with all the technical and technological advancements we achieved. Did anyone from this World visit other Worlds?¡± Azalon wondered as he gradually became lost in thought. His palm stroked the soft fur of Raka as he thought over the question that went unanswered for countless millennia on Earth, ¡°Are We Alone?¡± Now that he found another World that was similar to Earth in many ways but diverse in an equal number of ways, he was convinced that there should be other Worlds out there. It¡¯s just that the Level of power he had right now couldn¡¯t even let him traverse this Kingdom let alone the Cosmos.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think so, LILY?¡± Azalon communicated with LILY in his mind.

    ¡°Master, my memory have the vague recollection of finding some inhabitable planets when I was searching the Cosmos for me to take you to after I managed to save you from the experiment failure. But midway, the Cosmic Radiation corrupted my hardware and my core processor shut down. That was also the reason why I was initially surprised that you reached this World safely.¡± LILY responded with some uncertainty.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about it too much. As grandpa said, what will be mine will become mine. We will get that data soon enough when you Evolve to a higher Stage and have your functions fully unlocked. Now, LILY, render a detailed simulation with the Cosmic Radiation and my current body fitness levels and their effects on my body. Also calculate to the extent my cultivation should progress for me to travel in Space unharmed.¡± He gave her a task with some after thought. May be LILY could answer her question for him! He decided to make more use of the powerful processing speed of LILY in a much better way.

    ¡°Task Established, Master. Rendering in process. Rendering Complete. Should I transfer it to your memory, Master? Or should I just project it in your vision?¡± LILY established a task and her processing system whirred into work. She went silent for a while as her priority declared her to concentrate on the task assigned to her and responded.

    ¡°Save it in your memory banks for now, LILY. Make necessary changes when necessary and keep rendering it with the new inputs. As for now, project it as I am only interested in viewing.¡± Azalon thought for a while and replied.

    ¡°Command Accepted, Master.¡± LILY responded and suddenly Azalon¡¯s eyes swam for a while as a 3D model of his own body was projected directly on his retina. It was a perfect replica of his body and it even contained the projection of his Soul Root with the Energy Vortex in it and its movement synchronized with the original.

    The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Threads of different kinds of Energy started bombarding his body and it was instantly destroyed! The Energy Vortex within the projection continuously changed forms from the present gas to a lake then to a sea. Then it condensed to form a Solid Core, and even then the body was destroyed. There was not even a single second of difference between the destruction time of his body in Spirit Sense Realm and Spirit Core Realm!

    ¡°Rendering stopped because of insufficient and ambiguous data, Master.¡± Right when he was wondering how the next Realms of cultivation will look like, LILY spoke in his mind.

    ¡°*Sigh* I have no choice but to get strong and only then can I venture out in not only this World but to other Worlds as well. May be I could even find Earth!¡± Azalon chuckled and he closed his eyes and stabilized his breathing as he went into the training mode. Thick Purple Energy was continuously drawn into his body before being refined and integrated into his Energy Vortex.

    With the Awakening of Merup, he found that he could cultivate this Purple Energy as well. Right now he didn¡¯t know what this Purple Energy signified, but he could feel terrifying force within this Energy. He had to further explore this to find out more about this Purple Energy. But right now, he had cultivate this Energy to the 2nd Level but he had to cultivate this Energy quickly to the 7th Level to balance his Energy Vortex.

    Time passed by and Azalon calculated that they should be tens of thousands of miles from the Blue Wind City. By this time, their two birds became a flock as the candidates from all over the Kingdom were picked up and to be gathered for the Academy Selection Grounds. He tried to observe them but at this height and the mode of transport made it hard to make out any distinguishing features.

    A small group of birds were flying at the front leading them. The birds carried the various Elders that were sent to all corners to pick up the candidates and assemble them at the Academy Selection Grounds.

    They came across several large cities and towns during these days that stood out like sore thumbs in the green patch on the ground called the Desolate Forest. But they didn¡¯t stop. The birds continued to fly like tireless machines and the land continued to zoom past blow them.

    The youngsters all calmed down and the initial panic subsided after getting used to the flight these past days. They were either conversing with each other or silently cultivating by themselves. Azalon on the other hand tried to communicate with the white bird like he did back at the Blue Wind City between breaks in his cultivation. But he couldn¡¯t find that mysterious feeling he had and the bird completely ignored his attempts to communicate with it.

    So, he gave up after a few attempts. He stabilized his original cultivation at the 7th Level and his Purple Energy broke through to the 3rd Level Spirit Sense Realm. He didn¡¯t take out any Spirit Cores for cultivation and only relied on the Energy in the atmosphere because his method of swallowing the Spirit Cores and extract their Energy would be a bit too much for the people around him and he would be treated as a freak.

    Moreover, that was one of his secrets and he was not the one who goes around showing off his secrets for everyone to see!

    He knew what the costs for maintaining a secret were, but he did know that in this World, the more secrets one has, the more are his chances of survival. This World is not like Earth where your every move would be under constant scrutiny! He could move about as he wished as long as he had enough power behind his fists or his words! That is all that is needed to live in this World!

    And since he couldn¡¯t obtain the latter any time recently, he decided to concentrate on the former. But right now, Azalon was facing another problem!

    Cultivators wouldn¡¯t need to regularly eat and sleep like normal people. With Azalon¡¯s cultivation he could stay normal for at least a month before his body starts craving food and water. But he was accustomed to having meals three times a day and now that he had gone without food for a week now, he was deliberating on taking the meat out of his [Void Ring] and eat!

    ¡°Ah, if only I had stored the grilled meat grandpa made that day from the Thunder Horned Stag¡¯s meat.¡± Azalon muttered as he rubbed his grumbling stomach and parched tongue.

    But suddenly excited cries came from the people on the birds startling Azalon. Everyone on his bird were also looking puzzled at this change in the environment.

    Azalon narrowed his eyes and looked to the distance. What came into his view was only a large chain of massive mountains that ran to either sides like a god made wall!

    The birds suddenly flapped their wings hard and Azalon felt that familiar vertigo that could be felt when there is a sudden change in altitude. He looked sown and the reason for the excited cries from the other candidates.

    From this height, Azalon saw two chains of mountains that crossed with each other at a single location forming a ¡®X¡¯ on a global scale. He concentrated his vision and he could see a small patch of land between the mountains right at the place where the two chains of mountains intersected.

    ¡°Welcome to the Seven Profound Martial Grounds. This is a very important location of the Continent. See the mountains intersecting each other? Those are the mountain chains that spread through the entire continent dividing it into four parts! This Seven Profound Martial Grounds you are looking at is the very center of this continent!¡± A loud voice came from the small group of birds flying at the front of their flock. ¡°This location will be the Academy Selections Grounds this time. Now, for the preliminary test!¡± The birds reached the pinnacle of height they were capable of reaching and dived down!

 Chapter 29: Preliminary Test

    ¡°Waahh~~~¡± Cries of surprise rang out as the candidates were thrown off the birds when they sky dived with incredible speed. They retracted their huge wings and aligned their sharp beaks perpendicular to the ground. The rush of wind and the build of the birds created a phenomenon that made the bodies of the birds start revolving. The candidates could never have guessed that a situation like this could have happened and they were all taken by surprise as they lost their holds on the birds.

    The gravity got hold of them and they were plummeting towards the ground. At this height, if they landed on the ground, even if they were cultivators with inhuman strength and resilience, they would be dead instantly and without doubt.

    Azalon¡¯s heart jumped into his throat as he was taken by surprise too, but the first thought that came to his mind was not his safety but that of that little girl who came with him.

    Nina was just 8 years old and she could never have faced such situations at this stage. his head turned left and right but he couldn¡¯t see that small figure anywhere.

    He finally reacted and revolved his Spirit Energy. Since he had been concentrating on the Purple Energy these few days, he unknowingly circulated the Purple Energy without thinking about it. When the Purple Energy revolved in his meridians, Azalon¡¯s body felt like feather in the air. His nervous system became hyper active and his muscle ¨C mind co ¨C ordination felt like an instinct to him! Even before he registered his thoughts, his body acted.

    He flipped his body in mid ¨C air and concentrated the Purple Spirit Energy in his legs.

    [Ghostly Illusion Flash]!

    The technique was not as effective as it would have been on solid ground, but with the influence of the Purple Spirit Energy and his heightened muscle movements, he managed to take a step forward and the Spirit Energy burst out his foot propelling him towards the bird.

    His hand flew out clutching onto the feathers of the bird.His other hand tightly held on to the gray tiger cub that was still sleeping in his arms! Azalon didn¡¯t have the time to think about what happened as his entire concentration was on not loosing the grip on the bird.

    But not everyone were as lucky or alert as Azalon had been. Many lost their holdings on the bird and went into free fall.

    It was chaos in the skies! Cries of anguish, prayers for mercy and some even sobbing for their parents! It was a cacophony of human cries, Roars of Spirits, bird cries but the whooshing of air in his ears blocked out every other sound. Azalon understood what the words of that voice he heard before all this happened.

    Preliminary Test!

    An examination of sort to test the spontaneous reactions of the Candidates!

    Only if you possess certain levels of reaction speed could pass this test!

    Reaction speed may not seem very important when compared with strength, but any one who possess this quality could swim through dangerous situations and come out alive! Even if you have massive strength, if you cant react to a situation, you may or may not come out unscathed!

    And that factor decided as the qualification to pass this trial. There were almost one ¨C third of the total candidates in Azalon¡¯s party that were loose and falling from the skies. But before they could kiss the Earth and reach her lap to rest forever, a series of lights flashed from above as the Elders who were watching from high up in the air flew down and caught the candidates.

    After a moment, the wings of the birds spread open and landed lightly catching the wind. Azalon dropped down with shaking legs and pounding heart. His entire body was covered in sweat that drenched his clothes. Fortunately he had reacted fast enough, otherwise¡­ Thinking till there Azalon¡¯s body shuddered once. He looked around and saw the candidates who had fallen from the birds all huddled down in fright. Some of the boys and girls were wailing and some were tearing up in gratitude and grateful that they were still alive.

    Azalon could relate with them. No matter if they are Cultivators or not, in the face of death everyone has to shit their pants. If not, there is definitely something wrong with their brains.

    No one, absolutely no one, even when their hearts are rocks or even if they danced on the blade between the life ¨C and ¨C death numerous times, they sub ¨C consciously still fear death. Even a cold ¨C blooded killer would flinch when a knife would be placed on their necks, even if the one holding the knife was his own mother! That is the nature of Life itself! Life in whatever form it may manifest strives to preserve itself. If it couldn¡¯t preserve itself, it will do its utmost to pass its knowledge on to its descendant! That was how Life first came into existence!

    These countless strands of information passed down for who knows how many generations finally created a single strand of DNA. These strands of DNA combined to form a cell, the cells an organism, organisms a more complicated organism and the cycle repeats!

    And not to say these were still children in a sense. They came here in hopes of becoming a student of the Academies and bring honor and glory back home. But this incident completely shook them.

    The Elders quickly gathered all the candidates that fell off from the birds to form a group and those who managed to stay on them another. The white birds formed another group at a distance.

    ¡°That was the Preliminary test for the candidates attending the Academy Selections. As some among you guessed, this test supposedly tests your reaction speed and adaptability to a dangerous situation. Don¡¯t even think that this kind of test is unfair or something. When you are in the middle of a battle, your opponent will use all kinds of tricks to fool you and create an opening. If you can¡¯t react fast enough, you will only be handing over your life to your opponent!¡± A middle aged man spoke sternly to all of them especially the last sentences that were directed to the group who failed in the test and were trying to raise an objection.

    ¡°Now, these candidates are no longer qualified to participate in the Academy Selections. As for your group, Elder Po, you have the points they attained?¡± Azalon found the thin and tall Elder Po who had come to Blue Wind City. He didn¡¯t see this one or the other fat one after two days of flying when the other groups started joining theirs.

    ¡°The points will be ranging between 10 to 1, 10 being the highest and 1 being the lowest. We have decided 4 as the threshold for qualification and those who got less than 4 points would be disqualified.¡± Elder Po was different from when Azalon seen him in the Blue Wind City. Right now, he was the Invigilator of the examination and this was not the place to show his kind nature.¡±The points will be decided based on your reaction time, time you took to stabilize yourselves and similar other observations.¡±

    ¡°I will call out your names and your points. Remember them both as you will need them both if you manage to pass this examination.¡±

    ¡°One, Jun Li, [Black Panther] Spirit, 2 points, disqualified!¡±

    ¡°Two, Mano, [Gray Swallow] Spirit, 3 Points, disqualified!¡±

    ¡°Three, ¡­ ¡­ disqualified!¡±

    ¡°Four, ¡­ ¡­ disqualified!¡±

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡°Number Eighteen, Kazan Hin, [Green Venom Spider] Spirit, 5 Points, Qualified!¡± Finally someone who passed the Preliminary test!

    Everyone turned towards a youngster who was around 13 years old walk forward. A sickly thick green Spider walked beside him and there was a group behind him who were cheering his name loudly.

    Azalon could guess how he passed this test by looking at his Spirit. He should have used the web spun by the Spider as a foot hold or a rope and managed to reach the bird.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    ¡°Twenty Three, Hari Reran, [Snow Wolf] Spirit, 5 Points, Qualified!¡± Azalon heard a familiar name and looked at the 15 year old boy jump forward with his [Snow Wolf] Spirit close at his heels. He looked excited but the slight trembling of his knees and the face full of sweat told Azalon that he was barely holding on!And it looked like finally their turn as the next name was his cousin. ¡°Twenty Five, Sophie Wheld, [Ice Lotus] Spirit, 4 Points, Qualified!¡±

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Azalon Wheld, [Golden Eyed Gray Tiger] Spirit, 4 Points, Qualified!¡± Azalon sighed in relief that he passed the test albeit with just ¨C pass marks!

    The names quickly rolled by and Azalon did a head count of the three groups. His batch had around 200 ¨C 250 candidates and now they were all sorted into three groups based on their performances in the Preliminary Test.

    The first group were the failed candidates that fell down from the birds. There were 48 people in that group. The second group with 97 people were the ones who managed to keep their grip on the birds while falling but couldn¡¯t react fast enough for the Invigilators¡¯ standards.

    And the final group was Azalon¡¯s group who passed the test! There were only a pathetic 62 people in this group from the original batch of 250 people! And this was only the Preliminary Test!

    ¡°Even the most difficult tests on Earth didn¡¯t have this high set of standards for their examinations!¡± Azalon thought bitterly and sighed in his heart. He was nervous right now about how he would perform in the remaining examinations. And they were sure to be at least as difficult as this Preliminary Test had been!

    ¡°Now, you all managed to qualify in this Preliminary Test and you can take part in the Academy Selections. Follow this Elder and he will take you to the testing arena. As for you people, wait till the Academy Selections finish and you will be returned to your home cities. You can enter the testing arena and watch the Selection Examinations in the arena as a visitor.¡± Elder Po pointed to a middle ¨C aged Elder standing beside him and spoke to Azalon¡¯s group. He quickly left some instructions for those two groups and flew onto a white bird. He shouted a word loudly and all the white birds flapped their wings and rose into the sky and flew away to who knows where.

    ¡°Come this way!¡± That middle ¨C aged man spoke and turned and quickly started walking. The 60 candidates hurried behind him afraid that they would be left behind.

    Azalon was in the middle of the group and following the Elder silently. He was currently nervous and scared in his heart. In the three groups he hadn¡¯t seen Nina. It¡¯s like she had disappeared all of a sudden. He started having an ominous premonition in his heart!

    ¡°Congratulations.¡± A soft voice spoke behind Azalon startling him from his thoughts. He quickly turned around and laid his eyes on the charming face of Sophie.

    ¡°Ah, Congratulations to you too!¡± His voice was slightly tight projecting his nervousness.

    ¡°This boy looks like he doesn¡¯t have confidence in himself about passing the Selections.¡± Sophie misunderstood the nervousness Azalon was feeling for Nina as his feeling for the Academy Selections. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be alright. You don¡¯t have to worry about it too much.¡± She tried to encourage him. All in all, they were from the same family, so even if they were fighting each other in the family, when they were outside they had to support each other!

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± Azalon blankly stared at Sophie¡¯s words. Could she hear what he was thinking in his mind? But before he could understand why she spoke those words, they came to the foot of one of the mountains in the mountain chain that surrounded the Seven Profound Martial Grounds.The mountains were tall and majestic. Their peaks pierced through the cloud lines and were not visible to the people standing at its base at all! They were like an insignificant beings in the presence of this mountain that stood there for countless thousands of years and still standing proudly without bending its neck to the violent forces of Nature that attacked it day and night unceasingly!

    The Elder stood still facing the mountain but his hands started glowing brightly as he circulated his Spirit Energy onto his hands. The candidates that were following him didn¡¯t dare make a single sound and were all watching silently.

    ¡°High Energy Radiation detected, Master. Collecting the sensor data. Please don¡¯t move around, Master. The sensors are integrated into your sensory organs inputs. Try to concentrate on the source of the Energy!¡± LILY issued some instructions for Azalon to follow and Azalon stopped moving and concentrated his senses on the Elder¡¯s hands that were covered with thick Spirit Energy.

    The Elder slowly lifted his hands but his fingers were making some movements so fast that they appeared to be a blur. A weird symbol after symbol flew out from the hands of the Elder and started floating before him. The Elder softly clapped his fingers and the tens of symbols arranged themselves into a huge formation! The candidates that were watching all this with awestruck expressions immediately felt their chests tighten under the pressure emanating from the symbol formation! The Elder bit his thumb and waved his hand. A drop of blood dripped onto the symbol formation floating before him and the entire formation started buzzing the moment the drop of blood touched the formation!

    The Elder waved his hand once again and the entire symbol formation flew towards the mountain slope and slammed into it a particular location.

    Azalon couldn¡¯t understand what those symbols were just by seeing them, but he recognized the Energy Signature within the symbol formation as a whole. This symbol formation was of the same function as the symbol formation that was on the rock that was used as the door for the cavern where he met that Asma!

    These symbols were somehow linked to form a unlocking pattern that would open or close something based on the specifications set within them! But Azalon could feel something different with the symbols formed by this Elder. When compared with the cluster of symbols on the rock of the cavern, these symbols appeared to be somewhat lackluster and crude!

    Crack! Crack!

    A small crack appeared at the place where the symbol formation met the slope of the mountain. The small crack started spreading and it spread and spread. The crack spread from the base of the mountain and ran through the entire slope of the mountain all the way up to the top before disappearing into the cover of the silver clouds.

    A rumbling sound rang out from the mountain and the ground started shaking violently. The candidates were all struggling to stand under those massive tremors. The crack that ran through the entire mountain now started widening as the two halves of the mountain that were separated by the crack moved to either side revealing a small pathway that was behind it!

    Azalon was dumbstruck when he saw the scene unfolding before his eyes. ¡°Now, that¡¯s some bad ass security gate!¡± That incredulous scene made not only him but the other candidates as well, especially those who were like Azalon that came from some remote corners of the Kingdom!

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s go in and it will be time for the First Test of the Academy Selections this time!¡± That Elder slightly smiled as he saw the foolish expressions on the faces of these children and stared walking towards the revealed path. ¡°Make Haste! If you don¡¯t come before twenty breaths then the gate will close and it will be taken as you relinquishing your candidate spot!¡± The warning jolted all those to wake and rush to follow the Elder.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± But what they saw at the end of the pathway once again made their minds to become muddleheaded and their jaws dropped to the ground and their eyeballs almost popped out of their eye sockets!

    -----------------------------------------

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    Hi every one... posting a chapter here after a long time. Hope no one forgot about me...

 Chapter 30: Crystal Flower Garden

    When they walked through the pathway that opened up when the mountain split to reveal, they had been expecting a great and vast Arena that would test the various candidates ans select them based on the scores they would attain.

    But what they saw at the end of the pathway was way more than the large Arena they had been expecting. In fact the scene in front of their eyes couldn¡¯t be called as the ¡®Academy Selection Grounds¡¯ any more.

    It was a large patch of land that spread as far as their eyes could see and was completely surrounded by mountains on three sides. The mountains surrounding this place were all the same as the mountain they had come through.

    They were all tall and majestic, with their peaks piercing through the cloud line and disappearing from their view.The height of these mountains was already so great and one could imagine the area of land they could could cover with their bases. And this place was surrounded by three of such mountains on the sides and it was still extending at the end of their visions!

    When had they ever seen such majestic existences ever before in their lives?

    ¡°The tallest mountains that were regarded as the ¡®roofs of the world¡¯ on Earth could only be called as some dirt heaps before these mountains!¡± Azalon exclaimed in his heart.

    But the area protected under the wings of these mountains was equally breath taking. The entire ground was covered with large trees and countless flowers that filled their eyes with an explosion of colors.

    The branches and leaves of the trees and the petals of the flowers were swaying gently in the wind, giving the audience the illusion that the ground itself was rippling in the wind!

    At the moment, a gently breeze suddenly blew over, bringing along the faint aroma of flowers that made anyone who scented it feel intoxicated.

    Some petals and leaves dropped down from the branches of the trees and flowers and they were picked up by the flowing wind. Whether the petals were pure white, captivating red, or gloriously yellow¡­ they danced with the wind and skies, filling the sky with extremely enchanting and beautiful scene!

    The sky was completely void of clouds just above this area making the clear sunlight illuminate without any obstructions.

    The bright sunlight reflecting off the countless colorful petals making them appear like clear crystals and gemstones instead of the normal and gentle flower petals. It was a very enchanting scene to watch, especially to them who grew up in the corners of the Empire!

    Multiple small waterfalls fell down from the slopes and ridges on the huge mountains making the clear and pleasant sound of running water resound, further adding to the pleasant atmosphere.

    The water accumulated at the bottom of the waterfalls overflowed into several small but clear streams that ran through the flower bed providing the land with the essential and natural irrigation!

    Birds chirped from their nests on the trees and busy bees and butterflies flapping their big and colorful wings were busy visiting the numerous flowers savoring the sweet and bountiful nectar within those flowers, gave the already picturesque scene a unique and lively feel!

    A light mist covered the entire area and it took only a few moments to know that this mist was actually Spirit Energy!

    The Spirit Energy in this area was so rich that it actually coalesced to appear like a mist! The dense and rich Spirit Energy rolled in waves in the air and with every breath, the Spirit Energy rushed into their bodies, making them feel relaxed and peaceful, but bloated and content at the same time!

    They felt that if they could cultivate in this tranquil and Spirit Energy rich environment, their cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds in a very short time!

    Even their Spirits were extremely excited by the dense Spirit Essence present in the atmosphere due to the presence of bountiful Nature in this garden!! They immediately made various sounds as they tried to absorb the Spirit Essence in order to reach the next stage of their growth.

    It was an instinctual habit of any Spirit Beast to seek out the areas that were rich with Spirit Energy and Spirit Essence! They would absorb the Spirit Energy and Spirit Essence within the Earth and Heaven to help them mature and raise their Cultivation Levels!

    No matter, from where you looked at, this place was simply an ethereal and heavenly garden that could only exist in masterpieces drawn by famous painters or in the wildest imaginations in dream world! The ones watching this place all felt like such a place like this shouldn¡¯t be in the mortal plane at all!

    This was simply a place that would calm your heart and soothe your mind, a tranquil and peaceful place where one would want to spend the rest of their lives at!!

    And this place was supposed to be the place where the Academies would conduct their examinations?

    It looked nothing like that at all!!

    Azalon¡¯s eyes were darting around taking in everything. The water softly fell, the chirps of birds drifted about, and the fragrance of flowers filled the air. Everything was overwhelming to the senses; there even seemed to be an aura of Immortality in the air, fragrant and sweet.

    Azalon took in a deep breath and felt his blood and Spirit Energy within his body being simulated!

    When they were flying on the backs of those white birds, and were taken high into the skies, they managed to get a glimpse of this place from that high vantage point. But before their brains could register what the eyes were seeing, they were forced to take part in the Preliminary Test!

    According to Azalon¡¯s calculations, they have flew to a height of about 4 Miles when the Preliminary Test started. They could only get a glimpse of the outline of this area and not this breath taking scenery within. And then their concentration shifted on to holding on for their dear lives when they were falling.

    4 Miles may sound like a large distance on the ground but believe it, it was extremely short distance when one falls down!! It took only a few seconds for the Preliminary Test to complete, but those were the longest and the shortest seconds that they ever experienced in their lives!!

    ¡°Ah! I finally managed come to this place again! How many years has it been and the place didn¡¯t change at all. Instead it is even more beautiful than I remember!¡± Azalon¡¯s sensitive ears picked up these softly spoken words.

    He turned his head to look at the source of the voice. It was the Elder that they all followed who was supposed to take them to participate in the Academy Selections!

    Question marks popped up above the head of Azalon when he heard the dazed muttering of the Elder.

    ¡°VANKO!!!¡± Suddenly, a thunderous shout resounded between the Heaven and Earth making their ears go pop. Some of the unfortunate ones even had their ears bleeding as their eardrums ruptured.

    ¡°Shit! I didn¡¯t expect that that old devil was still alive and he was actually present in this place at this time!¡± The Elder¡¯s expression changed as he tried to hurriedly retreat. But before he could even take two steps, a beam of light appeared in the distance and within a blink of an eye, it appeared before the Elder who was trying to flee!

    The beam of light turned and changed into a slightly hunched old man whose face was red with anger and his heavy breaths indicated that he was trying to restrain it!

    Everyone watching this felt their blood run cold and sweat drenched their bodies! The pressure this old man who appeared suddenly was like a huge mountain that was sitting on their chests. Even though the old man was clearly concentrating his aura on the middle aged Elder, the remnant aura that leaked out was still enough to pressure them to this extent!

    ¡°This old man¡¯s cultivation should be unfathomably deep! This middle aged Elder should be at least a Mortal Core Realm Cultivator. If this old man could pressure this Elder to this extent, then he should be in the Soul Level Core Cultivation or even in the Nascent Soul Realm!¡± Azalon was trying to resist this heavy pressure while he tried to concentrate on the old man who stood before the middle aged Elder. But it was not easy at all. His blood was roiling and his bones were creaking while he tried to rotate his Spirit Energy to counter the pressure.

    ¡°Vanko! How dare you step into this [Crystal Flower Garden] again? Master explicitly forbid you from entering here and you dare go against his orders?¡± The old man was glaring at the middle aged Elder and thundered loudly!

    ¡°Ha! How could I have guessed that you old devil still didn¡¯t die and was still grumpy as hell?¡± The middle aged Elder mumbled in a low and irritated voice but it was loud enough for the old man to pick up the words.

    ¡°You rotten fool!¡± The old man¡¯s body trembled in anger and he directly gave a vicious kick to the middle ¨C aged Elder¡¯s butt! The middle ¨C aged Elder couldn¡¯t even put up a slight amount of resistance and was sent flying and he slammed into the mountain side!

    The old man gave a cold snort when he saw the pathetic appearance of that middle ¨C aged Elder¡¯s appearance after he received his kick. It was only then that he registered the group of boys and girls that were watching him with their faces pale and breathing hard!The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°Haa? Who the hell are you people?¡± His mind was still clouded with anger at Vanko who trespassed into the [Crystal Flower Garden] and therefore couldn¡¯t manage to connect the dots behind this group of boys and girls.

    No one in the group answered him as they were all almost scared silly! Let alone talking even making a whimpering sound was a struggle!

    The utmost expert these people could have ever come across was only at the peak of the Spirit Condensation Realm! In their eyes, the middle ¨C aged Elder who was in the Spirit Core Realm was already an ultimate expert that could wipe out the leaders in their home towns with just the flip of his hand!

    Now looking at the scene where that unbeatable and powerful Elder dealt so effortlessly by this old man, how couldn¡¯t they be calm?!

    ¡°Ah! You are the candidates for the Academy Selections!¡± Finally, the old man¡¯s brain caught up to the present and his eyes widened as he exclaimed. ¡°This bastard Vanko! He took advantage of this and snuck into this [Crystal Flower Garden]!¡± Once again, the old man¡¯s subsided anger flared again.

    ¡°You guys are really unlucky. The Gathering of the Academies have already started and you are led here by this fool! If you don¡¯t hurry, you might not show up in time and your spots will be taken away and you will be disqualified!¡± He turned his head and glared at the unconscious Vanko before he waved his hand pointing a finger to the skies. The finger flashed once and a small but bright beam of light shot into the skies.

    ¡°*Sigh* I have signaled for some one from the Academies to come here. That person will lead you to the Selection Grounds. I will take this fool to throw him out, so you people better behave yourself! This garden is full of powerful arrays that could be the path to your death if you step into them.¡± With a grave warning, the old man hoisted that Elder Vanko¡¯s body and with a slight movement of his body, he disappeared.

    The group of boys and girls looked around nervously and curiously, but no one dared to move an inch from where they stood.

    15 minutes passed¡­ But they didn¡¯t see any Elder that was supposed to come and lead them to the Academy Selection Grounds. That old man said that the Academy Gathering had already started and they might lose their spots if they appeared late! Those in the group were all struggling with nervousness and anxiety. This was supposed to be the place where their fates and lives would be decided, and they were all anxious and nervous to begin with.

    And now with the invisible sword hovering above them that could sever their fate, they were literally on pins and needles as their eyes darted around to catch the glimpse of the Elder that was supposed to come!

    As the candidates were watching the skies and the ground for their savior to come, two pairs of eyes were watching this small group from high up on a mountain.

    ¡°This group may have some talents, but the things they have experienced in their lives can be said to be absolutely mediocre! They are nothing more than some peasants that were lucky enough to Awaken their Spirits and gather some Spirit Energy to reach this level! It would only be a fool¡¯s dream if they want to reach any higher Realms!¡± It was the same middle ¨C aged Elder that was supposed to be unconsciousness and full of injuries. But looking at him now, let alone any injuries, there was not even a speck of dust on him!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient, Vanko! It¡¯s still only a short amount of time that passed. Wait till the allocated time to be completely finished. May be this ¡®peasant group¡¯ that you so gracefully called, will even give you a surprise! Don¡¯t ever close your eyes to the world around you, Vanko. That will not only make you distant from the world, but the world will also move away from you. If that happens, you will miss many things and you will come to regret that later on!¡± The grumpy old man was no where to be seen in the old man but who stood beside him was a wizened Cultivator that had seen much in his long life and had countless experiences.

    ¡°Humph!¡± The middle ¨C aged Elder snorted but he stopped speaking. The old man simply smiled but his eyes immediately brightened when he saw a small boy move from the crowd.

    Azalon slowly walked out from the crowd. He had a pondering expression on his face as if he was contemplating about something.

    But when he walked out, the group of boys and girls were terrified.

    ¡°Oye! What do you think you are doing? Didn¡¯t that Old Elder tell us not to move about carelessly?¡± Someone yelled behind him and once one opened his mouth, the others followed.

    ¡°That¡¯ right. You saw how powerful that Old Elder was. He could beat that powerful Elder that easily. If you don¡¯ want to die, stay where you are and don¡¯t move!¡±

    ¡°If that Old Elder finds out that someone has been disturbing his garden, he may get angry and kill us all! If you want to die, go die by yourself! Don¡¯t drag us down with you!¡± The scene of that old man beating that middle ¨C aged Elder was still fresh in their eyes and now this little bastard was doing this. They were almost panicking and some girls even started sobbing and begging Azalon to return to the group!

    If they weren¡¯t afraid of moving from where they stood, these people would have already rushed to Azalon and beat him to death!

    Azalon didn¡¯t care aboutthose pathetic cries behind him and was instead moving deeper into the garden. When they saw that Azalon was not listening to their warnings, they quickly distanced themselves from him.

    But there were a small number of people that didn¡¯t do so but instead looking at Azalon interestingly. They hesitated for a while and move in different directions and started exploring the garden! And among them were Kazan Hin, Sophie, Hari Reran and others who got the top places in the Preliminary Test.

    Azalon took a look around and sat down on the moist grass beside one waterfall among many. He quietly breathed in the cool and aromatic air as his body involuntarily relaxed. The Energy Vortex rapidly rotated and his [Devour] ability triggered automatically. The thick Spirit Energy mist was like a tangible existence, flew in small threads that made their way into his body through his mouth and nostrils.

    He concentrated on his Lightning Spirit and the Spirit Energy that he absorbed from the Spirit Energy gathered around him quickly changed to that of the mixture of the normal Spirit Energy and Purple Spirit Energy. Countless threads of the Spirit Energy gathered in his Soul Root before being integrated into the Energy Vortex.

    Watching Azalon take the initiative to cultivate in this place, the boys and girls watching him too sat down hesitatingly and started cultivating in this Spirit Energy rich environment!

    The Spirit Energy in this garden was incomparably pure, so pure that Azalon didn¡¯t even have to refine it and could directly absorb the Energy!

    Time passedby and more than an hour flew away¡­

    The cultivation level of the Purple Spirit Energy quickly grew from the 3rd Level of the Spirit Sense Realm to the 4th Level¡­ 5th Level¡­ 6th Level¡­ and finally with a soft ¡®Boom!¡¯, he reached 7th Level!

    He broke through 4 Levels in a short amount of time! His Energy Vortex now was like a roaring dragon that had a streak of thick but soft Purple streak roiling within! But what was strange that no one in the group of the boys and girls around him or the two people watching him didn¡¯t even feel the slightest ripple of the Purple Spirit Energy that Azalon was currently focusing on!

    But Azalon had no way of knowing that. In the eyes of others, he was simply sitting there surrounded by the thick Spirit Energy, but his Cultivation seemed to be like an immovable wall that couldn¡¯t be moved no matter how much Spirit Energy you used to push it!

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡± The old man watching Azalon was slightly puzzled. ¡°Hmmm? There is something strange about this boy!¡± His sub ¨C consciousness tingled in his mind as he came to this conclusion.

    As cultivators, they would place immense priority on what their hearts told them. Even if you behave otherwise outside, but your heart knows who and what you really are. Cultivation is all about shedding the shackles of mortal realm and rising as an Immortal. It doesn¡¯t matter if your body shredded its mortal shackles, but your heart had to do the same too.

    And that can only be achieved by accepting what and who you really are! And that was only possible when one listens to his heart, no mater if it¡¯s small or large aspects of himself!

    And now his heart was telling him that this boy was not normal and something more! And he had to believe it because it was his heart!

    ¡°Vanko. Collect as much information as you can about that boy over there!¡± The old man decisively gave that order after thinking about for only a moment. He had to believe his sub ¨C conscious and if he didn¡¯t, it would be like rejecting himself and that would affect his cultivation progress! Only after giving this order did the feeling in his sub ¨C consciousness disappear.

    The Elder Vanko looked at the old man in surprise. But he didn¡¯t react and only nodded his head.

    As the old man was discussing about him, within Azalon¡¯s Soul Root, the Energy Vortex was spinning like a ferocious dragon. Azalon hesitated slightly but he came to a decision promptly.

    He gritted his jaws and activated his [Devour] ability to its maximum capacity. The Spirit Energy around him formed a small whirl pool with him at the center! The group of boys and girls who couldn¡¯t get into their meditative states because of their nervousness were astonished when they saw the whirl pool of Spirit Energy formed around Azalon.

    Even that Elder Vanko¡¯s eyes twitched slightly as astonishment made its way onto his pupils.

    The old man¡¯s eyes glittered in pleasant surprise as a pleased smile cracked his face. He gave a light glance at the Elder Vanko who had a slightly stiff expression and his smile grew even more pleased!

    The Spirit Energy was like a flood of water that reached an already overflowing reservoir. His Soul Root was under tremendous pressure as more and more Spirit Energy rushed in with every breath. His meridians felt like they were being stretched to their limits and could be teared with just a little movement!

    Azalon felt like he was a bloated balloon that could burst at any moment. He ignored the sharp pain that rose from within him, and concentrated his consciousness on the Energy Vortex that was swiftly becoming unstable.

    He took a deep breath and his consciousness spread around the Energy Vortex and completely encasing it. With a thought, the cage started shrinking and the wild beast trapped in the cage went crazy as it thrashed with all its might against the shackles that were restricting it.

    But Azalon¡¯s consciousness was like a thousand foot steel wall that didn¡¯t budge an inch under the barrage of the Energy Vortex, but it was shrinking at a steady pace. Beads of sweat dropped from Azalon¡¯s forehead as he had to concentrate his entire mental energy on maintaining the barrier around the Energy Vortex.

    Under the constant rush of the pure Spirit Energy from the outside and the steady pressure of Azalon¡¯s consciousness, large amounts of Spirit Energy were forced to gather in a small area. Finally, within the eye of the Energy Vortex, a single drop of dense and pure Spirit Energy formed and dropped in the Soul Root, and the mental barrier that Azalon formed had offered no resistance at all to this drop of Spirit Energy!

    The Energy drop was so small that if Azalon hadn¡¯t been concentrating with all he had on the Energy Vortex, he could not have detected this single drop of Spirit Energy. With the formation of a single drop, the Energy Vortex that was being restrained looked like it found a new way to escape the clutches!

    The shape of the Energy Vortex changed to a funnel shape and the Spirit Energy started condensing at the eye of the Vortex at a massive rate. All this while, Azalon didn¡¯t even stop the [Devour] ability that ensured a steady flow of Spirit Energy into his body.

    Drip¡­ Drip¡­ Drip¡­

    Twenty Spirit Energy drops formed after the first one and they were like little fishes that were swimming around in the Energy Vortex. Ten of them were transparent and clear like crystals while the other ten were glowing with purple hue and were extremely eye catching!

    The Energy contained in a single drop was almost equal to the Energy he had in his Vortex when he was in his 4th Level Spirit Sense Realm. And the Energy was incomparable pure and dense that Azalon had no way of comparing it with!

    A Cultivator had to condense 10 drops like these and he could be called to break through to the 8th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm! Azalon finally broke through to the first and the most important bottle neck he experienced in his Cultivation!

    But just as Azalon was about to condense his twenty first drop of Spirit Energy when he felt the flow of Spirit Energy from the outside stop suddenly. No matter how much he concentrated, not a single wisp of Spirit Energy moved towards him. Puzzled, Azalon opened his eyes and what met him was a ¡­ black world!

 Chapter 31: Prove it, Kidâ€¦

    Black¡­

    Unadulterated Black¡­

    Every thing was endless black before Azalon. Even his senses that became several times more sensitive than those of a normal human after his cultivation reached the Spirit Sense Realm couldn¡¯t sense a thing in that pitch black world.

    Not a single ray of light to see, not a single whisper to hear, not even from his own body, and not a single damn thing he could smell!

    Azalon realized in horror that he couldn¡¯t even feel his body any more! Its like his body was there but it was also not there!

    And that was not at all a good feeling, and on top of that this black world cut off all his senses.

    Azalon panicked! He really really panicked!

    He wanted to scream, but couldn¡¯t¡­ Even if he couldn¡¯t see or hear, he at least wanted to feel what¡¯s around him, but couldn¡¯t!

    He couldn¡¯t wrap his mind around what¡¯s happening.

    A human mind excels at adaption than any other animal in the Animal Kingdom! It always tries to find a way to overcome its disadvantages and restrictions.

    That was the sole reason why humans could stand at the very apex of the food chain even without any bodily enhancements like claws or fangs!

    That was why a person with any kind of sensory disabilities would have one¡¯s remaining senses strengthened to overcome the faulty sensory organ!

    A blind person would have his hearing and touch enhanced, and similarly a deaf or mute person would have his vision and touch enhanced!

    But what Azalon was facing right now was in an entirely different level than those. He had not one or two but all his senses cut off! His mind couldn¡¯t cope with that and his heart felt like it was frantically pumping massive amounts of adrenaline to help the mind think of some solution! It was the basic preservative response a human body would automatically trigger when it faced with this kinds of situations!

    Azalon tried to take a deep breath but gave up when he found out that he lost that feeling too. But he was still alive and active, or at least that was what his condition looked like. He tried to calm his over active mind and think about his situation. He could at least do that with full capacity!

    ¡°This has something to do with the Academy Selections. I am 90% sure of that. If that is true, then this should also be some sort of test! But what exactly are they expecting me to do?! That is the important question right now.¡± Azalon connected the dots between all that happened till now and came to a conclusion.

    This was a test just like the Preliminary Test or the Garden Test! But what should he do?

    ¡°LILY!¡­ Raka!¡­ Merup!¡­¡± Azalon was shouting in his mind, but he got no response from his Spirits. He could feel the connection he had with them, but he couldn¡¯t converse with them. ¡°Figures. This test forces me rely on myself, not my Spirits, not my cultivation and not even my senses! *Sigh*¡± Azalon muttered gloomily, but of coarse this was all going on in his mind as he couldn¡¯t project his voice out.

    He concentrated and calmed his heart and mind. If he let these two push him into panic, then he couldn¡¯t find the solution behind the situation. It was imperative that he calm down first.

    Time lost its meaning in that black world. Azalon had no way of guessing how much time had passed or how much time he still had to solve this situation.

    But by his guess, not much time should have passed and he gradually calmed down to normal. But before he could start thinking, the moment his heart and mind calmed down, the black world around him changed¡­

    *Crack* *Crack*

    Small cracks started appearing on the black world and the cracks spread becoming bigger and bigger. Finally, with a loud *Crack* that echoed everywhere, the black world shattered!

    Azalon watched with astonishment as the world around him changed. His senses returned to him one by one as the black world shattered, but his Spirits and his Cultivation was still out of reach.

    As Azalon watched on, a bright light filled his mind.

    The blinding light sustained for about 30 seconds but Azalon was calmly waiting for whatever the light was to reveal. Even though the light was intensely bright, it instead had a warmth that spread through Azalon as he bathed in it. A comfortable feeling rose in him and he could feel himself relaxing even more after the panic he felt in the black world.

    He was now sure that this world or whatever this was was a test designed for the candidates. As to what they intend to test? Azalon had no idea!

    The bright light faded away and Azalon opened his eyes to see an endless prairie extending to the very edges of his vision or whatever he was using to see right now. Grass stalks that were as tall as himself were swaying as the wind howled through the open lands.

    *Growl* *Growl*

    Suddenly, a pack of vicious wolf ¨C like Spirit Beasts jumped out from the tall grass and in a flash, they surrounded Azalon. They were growling loudly and thick saliva continuously dripped from the open mouths that glittered with sharp teeth and fangs!

    Azalon knew these wolf ¨C like Spirit Beasts. They are simply called as [Spirit Wolves] and they were only Class 1 Spirit Beasts. But they were regarded somewhat dangerous to hunt as they always move in packs and had a great co ¨C ordination among them that made them equal to those of Class 2 Spirit Beasts.

    There were dozens of them and they were all looking at him and drooling as if they found a juicy piece of meat they couldn¡¯t wait to sink their teeth into!

    Azalon snorted as he watched these small fries. He could simply deal with Class 1 Spirit Beasts like they were ants and trample them effortlessly. But he forgot one very important thing!This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    A [Spirit Wolf] eyed him for a while and jumped at him with its mouth open intend to bite through his neck! Azalon almost laughed and tried to circulate his Spirit Energy as he punched out. It was then that he remembered that he was not in the real world and he couldn¡¯t use his Spirit Energy!

    He watched in horror as the wide jaws of the [Spirit Wolf] filled with glistening sharp teeth get closer to his arm.

    Even though it had been only a short time since he cultivated the Spirit Energy, Azalon almost became addicted to the intoxicated feeling of strength and flexibility his body could explode with!

    And now that the Spirit Energy was absent, he became flustered and his movements were rigid and inflexible. But he still didn¡¯t retract his fist because his strength had an explosive increase after he reached the 8th Level just moments ago.

    Don¡¯t forget that just his physical strength alone is enough to deal with these lowest level Spirit Beasts!

    The fist carried a powerful force and met the wide maw of the [Spirit Wolf]. The punch drove through the hide, muscle and bones of the Wolf and the head of the Wolf exploded in a bloody mist splattering blood and brain matter all over Azalon.

    ¡°Yuck. That¡¯s gross!¡± Azalon gagged as some bits made their way into his mouth. He flicked his hand to get rid of the gore sticking to it and looked around at the remaining [Spirit Wolves].

    After seeing their companion meet its death in such a way, normally the [Spirit Wolves] would have been scared and tried to run away. But these Wolves infront of Azalon acted as if they didn¡¯t see what happened and were all still growling at him.

    Azalon felt something off but he couldn¡¯t quite put a finger on it. Before giving him any time to think, the Wolves howled and started rushing towards him like a massive tide of fur and claws and fangs.

    Azalon was somewhat shocked when he saw the dozens of [Spirit Wolves] coming at him from all sides. A tinge of fear crept into his heart. After all, even though he had been hunting Spirit Beasts the moment he started cultivating Spirit Energy, they were all one on one battles. He would draw out a single Spirit Beast and deal with it. He had never been in the middle of a group of Spirit Beasts trying to attack him from all directions!

    His vision became nothing but fur, sharp claws and fangs, and his arms and legs were constantly mowing down everything that entered his field of vision. His physical strength was more than enough to deal with these Class 1 [Spirit Wolves], but at that time, various Spirit Beasts started to constantly pour out from the grasslands, and not just the [Spirit Wolves] but many others as well.

    After a long time, the Spirit Beasts stopped paused in their attacks and Azalon got a breather. He looked around and the reason why the beasts stopped attacking him became clear.

    He had killed so many Spirit Beasts that their corpses piled up to form a sort of a wall around him like a fort. The Spirit Beasts had to jump over the wall to attack him.

    Azalon was sure that this world he was in was not a real world but an illusion. But his senses told him otherwise! Even the Spirit Beasts felt tangible when they attacked him or he attacked them. Now that he got a short respite from the battle, Azalon didn¡¯t rest but was thinking on how to overcome the situation!

    ¡°That should be what this test should be about! Without the support from the Spirits or your cultivation, you will tire out fast after battling this many Spirit Beasts! But what should I do to get out?¡± Azalon pondered over and over but he couldn¡¯t the solution.

    As Azalon was pomdering on the elusive answer to the situation, outside in the real world, the old man and the Elder Vanko were still on the hill top looking down at the candidates undergoing the trial.

    The entire garden was lit up with a bright yellow light that was coming from underground and enveloped all the candidates that were in the garden.

    The yellow light was formed by many symbols that were arranged to form a massive array that was flickering constantly with a mysterious frequency.

    If Azalon could have seen this array of symbols, he would have recognized that most of the symbols were the same as that of the opening array the Elder Vanko used when he opened the mountain. But their arrangement was complety different than the array that was used to split the mountain and there were several additional and complex looking symbols that were placed at some particular locations in the array and these symbols were glowing more brightly and frequently than the other symbols!

    Moreover, these symbols were directly under the candidates who were envoleped by the yellow light emitting from these mysterious symbols. It seems thay whatever the candidates were experiencing was all related to these mysterious symbols!

    In the hands of the Elder Vanko, there was a small hourglass and the falling sand filled almost half of the lower hourglass.

    ¡°I told you, Master Paul, not to get your hopes high with this group. These are nothing but existances like geese that are hoping to sprout wings and fly in the skies like dragons! You will be disappointed if you think that they will break out of this [Dream Rendering Array] that I have personally laid out and activated by four of the inner disciples using their Spirit Energy! Even Core Realm Cultivators will have a hard time breaking the effects of this array at its full power. As for dealing with these children, just 10% of its full power is more than enough.¡± The Elder Vanko spoke with a smug expression as he gave a mocking look at the boys and girls who had struggling expressions on their faces and their bodies covered in thick sweat.

    The old man Paul smile never faded even when he heard the words of the Elder Vanko, but his eyes were filled with anticipation as to what surprises he would see from this batch of youngsters.

    He had always been like this from the moment he could remember about himself. He would always be wide eyed as he watched the world in motion around him. Everything he would see would show him a new wonder that was only possible in the hands of Mother Nature.

    He could see profound mysteries in even the smallest things, in the way a fish swam in the water, in the way a bird would fly in the sky, in the way fire danced in the dark, in the way the dark would flicker around the fire but couldn¡¯t consume the fire¡­ Everything was a sort of wonder for him. And the living things especially the humans and their arch enemies, the Spirit Beasts and the Demons were even more so!

    And when his cultivation reached the Nascent Soul Realm, his Soul didn¡¯t form a [Soul Weapon] but it became the eyes of his Nascent Soul.

    [Heaven¡¯s Eyes Nascent Soul]. The name of his Nascent Soul, a Soul with a pair of eyes that always searched for the way of the Heavens.

    And these pair of eyes were currently looking at a small boy that sat beside a waterfall with a gray tiger cub sleeping in his lap. A concentrated expression was on the still childish face with his eyebrows tightly knit together.

    ¡°Prove me, kid, that the feeling this old man had about you was not wrong.¡± The old man Paul thought in his heart as his eyes glittered with expectation.

    The sands in the hourglass continued to fall and one by one, the candidates woke up from whatever dream world they experienced. Almost all of them had blank looks in their eyes as they sat there with blank faces. Nobody knew what they saw in the dream world, but they did see had a massive impact on their minds.

    The two Elders watching from the peak did nothing to help these candidates but instead stood there watching everything below.

    More and more candidates started waking up and as sands in the hourglass reached three fourths, only a handful of the candidates were still remaining within their own dream world and were still struggling against their own dreams.

    *Crack*

    But it was at this moment, that a loud crack sounded in the silent garden. The Elder Vanko¡¯ s eyes widened and a wierd expression surfaced on his face. Meanwhile, the smile on the old man Paul¡¯s face grew wider as his eyes filled with delight and wonder.

    ¡°No¡­ No way¡­ there is no way that a kid who just reached 8th Level Spirit Sense Realm could break this [Dream Rendering Array]! One way to break this array is to damage the flow of the Spirit Energy flowing through it by using even more powerful Energy than those who activates this array. And the other way is to have a strong and steady heart that wouldn¡¯t waver under the dreams projected by the array! But¡­ but¡­ that¡¯s impossible¡­ Not by this peasant!¡± The Elder Vanko started mumbling incoherently as he watched the cracks on the complex symbol flickering below Azalon enlarge and finally shattered!

    ¡°That is why I said not to take your eyes off the world around you, Vanko.¡± The old man Paul said solemnly as they watched the small boy stand up with a slight smile amd walk towards the mountain they are standing on¡­ ¡­

 Chapter 32: Gratitudeâ€¦

    A few minutes before¡­

    In the Illusionary World¡­

    The endless grass lands was silent. The wind blew violently making the tall grass stalks move in an irregular pattern. But it was not just the hard wind that was disturbing the grass. At this moment, various Spirit Beasts were rushing through the tall grass to a particular location.

    Azalon stood inside the small fort he unknowingly created by the corpses of the Spirit Beasts that attacked him. Because of that, the Spirit Beasts were having a hard time reaching him even if he was right in the middle of countless Spirit Beasts that were pouring out like a flood from the grass lands.

    He had his head slightly tilted and his right index and middle fingers on his temple as his eyebrows were tightly knit together. It was a habitual posture that he had when he was thinking over something.

    ¡°A dream world¡­ Spirit Beasts attacking en masse¡­ restricted cultivation and Spirits¡­ Academy Selections¡­ a test¡­ but there is something, one crucial piece I am missing to complete this puzzle.¡± Azalon was muttering incoherently as he formed a sort of jig saw puzzle in his mind¡¯s eye. He was trying to fit the pieces of the puzzle to form a complete picture and finally find the solution to this test.

    ¡°This goes here, this is linked to this¡­ This should be the reason for this¡­¡± Just as Azalon was piecing the puzzle together, he heard a cry that startled him up from his trance. The reason he was startled was that this particular beast cry was something Azalon remembered very particularly!

    He craned his neck to confirm his doubts and sure enough, he saw a huge Stag with thick purple lightning snakes crackling on its body. When it saw Azalon looking at it, it lifted its head and let out a shrill cry.

    *Shree* *Shree*

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it!¡± When he saw that particular Stag, Azalon suddenly had a revelation and he finally found the small but crucial information he was missing!

    ¡°This World is formed using my memories, and forces me to live through them without the strength I had when I was facing them in the real world!¡± He looked around and sure enough the massive hordes of the Spirit Beasts that were surrounding him were all Spirit Beasts that he had previously battled!

    [Spirit Wolves]¡­ The very first Spirit Beasts he had killed just when he reached the Spirit Sense Realm from the Spirit Novice Realm.

    [Earthen Bears]¡­ One of the Spirit Beasts that he loved to use as a punching bag to test his strength.

    [Eight Eyed Human Faced Spiders]¡­ The last Spirit Beast that he hunted before coming here to participate in the Academy Selections.

    And finally¡­

    [Thunder Horned Stag]¡­ A Class 6 Beast that had a Class 7 Soul that he and Hank killed and whose Soul he used to Awaken his Lightning Spirit, Merup.

    They were all Spirit Beasts that he came across at one point after he started cultivating Spirit Energy!

    And now this dream world somehow accessed his memories and projected this scene without any kind of strength or support to face them in great numbers!

    ¡°So, the key lies within me! This dream world originates from me so it should also be ended by me.¡± Azalon slowly closed his eyes and he tried to calm himself down by focusing on his breathing. He let down all the guards he had kept up one by one. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and walked out from the ring of corpses of Spirit Beasts into the horde waiting outside.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    The Spirit Beasts went silent for a while as they saw their prey walk out to them by himself. Immediately they gave all kinds of excited growls and pounced towards Azalon!

    It was a very enchanting scene to watch from side lines but for the one living the scene, it was a heart palpitating experience! A massive tide of Spirit Beasts converging on a small human boy from all sides intent to tear him to shreds! Just imagining it would render one speechless for a moment! Now, imagine facing the same by yourself!

    But there was not a single change on Azalon¡¯s face. His pupils shrunk but they were still relatively calm. His mind was trying to focus on the single thought that was revolving in his head.

    ¡°This is all a dream¡­ This is all a dream¡­ This is all a dream!¡± As Azalon was trying to self ¨C hypnotize, the first of the many Spirit Beasts already lunged at him. Even though Azalon knew that this was all an illusion, he still couldn¡¯t help but have a tinge of panic in his heart. And when the Spirit Beast hit him, it passed straight through him, but the shock and pressure emitting from the Beasts all felt real especially when he was almost defenseless!

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Azalon groaned but he still walked forward and the Beasts were pouncing and passing through him continuously like a steady stream. He didn¡¯t know how much time passed or how many Spirit Beasts had attacked him, but he finally reached the place he wanted to reach.

    He lifted his head and looked into the pair of deep golden pupils that were reflecting his face. He stood in front of the Thunder Horned Stag, and his mind immediately recalled the life risking experience he had with the real one. His battle with the Stag, the horrible Soul attack that pushed him to the brink of having his consciousness fade away, the sacrifice of LILY to save him¡­ all rushed through his mind under the amplification effect of the dream world¡­

    But Azalon simply accepted all that he was seeing as all that happened gave him a new companion in the form of a small imp that would always feel happy whenever he called to him, that would always try to jump into his arms and that would always stay by his side¡­

    His eyes that were watching the projected memory of the Thunder Horned Stag grew solemn as he bowed his head to it.

    ¡°You may have targeted me, but it was because I attacked you. You were only defending yourself, but what happened happened. Because of your life, I gained a new companion and I will always remember you in my heart. But the you I am seeing right now are not what I remember you as in my heart. So, please disappear.¡± Azalon spoke slowly in a low voice and his words really came from the depths of his heart. He was really grateful to this Thunder Horned Stag for it was this Spirit Beast¡¯s Soul that was responsible for the birth of Merup!

    The Thunder Horned Stag¡¯s golden eyes watched Azalon bowing before it. It lowered his head and nudged the shoulder of Azalon with its snout. It then turned around and with a shrill cry, it galloped away, followed by the numerous low level Spirit Beasts that were surrounding Azalon previously.

    With the departure of the Thunder Horned Stag, the grass lands around Azalon started swirling slowly and gradually picked the speed. Azalon immediately had a dizzy sensation and even before he could put up any kind of resistance, he fainted.

    When Azalon opened his eyes, once again he was in that black world. He now understood what this test was all about. If the previous two tests had been the tests for physical qualities and qualifications, this test was all about the mindset a Cultivator possesses. He didn¡¯t know what the qualifications for passing this test was, but he did know that this will be the hardest test he would ever face in this Academy Selections.

    If his conjecture was not wrong, the grass lands should have tested his courage. He knew that the path of Cultivation he was taking his first steps on was a long path filled with unforeseen circumstances and dangers with every step. If one doesn¡¯t possess courage to face the danger head on, but instead would bow his head in resignation wouldn¡¯t walk too far on this path.

    Courage to complete the journey you started is the major requirement in the Cultivation World.

    Azalon understood that face the moment he understood about this world and its residents!

    Since this was the second time in this black world, he was quick to adjust to the void like sensation without any senses or feelings, and once he calmed down, the black world shattered again. And as the bright light that filled Azalon¡¯s mind receded, the scenery that was revealed made Azalon gasp as his eyes widened!

    ¡°No, NO! This is not happening!!!¡±

 Chapter 33: All because of Me!

    Azalon stared wide eyed at the world that the dream world enfolded around him this time. He was panting heavily as he saw the memories from another world, another time, another him were dug out by this dream world and projected by it.

    Tall skyscrapers, wide paved concrete roads bustling with pedestrians and their helper robots, auto pilot hover cars that were zooming at high speeds on the well paved lanes¡­

    They were all utterly familiar to him and he felt his mind stirring as he watched all this. He looked down at himself and realized that he was not the 12 year old Azalon but a lean and well built 19 year old Johnny Rex!

    He could never have imagined that whatever was responsible for this dream world could delve this deep into his memories and even create the illusion of Earth!

    But before he got out of his astonishment, a loud but smooth voice came our from the various speakers that were placed all over the city.

    ¡°July 3rd, the time is now 8 pm. The weather reports have predicted a heavy storm with heavy lightning and thunder. The citizens are all requested to take shelter in their homes and not come out during the storm. I repeat, there will be a storm with heavy lightning and thunder that will hit the city in a few hours. Please take shelter¡­¡±

    The all ¨C purpose announcement from the Tower Clock of the City. Azalon¡¯s body started trembling when he heard that announcement.

    ¡°July 3rd¡­ 8 PM¡­¡± Azalon¡¯s body trembled slightly and he immediately turned to a direction and ran.

    He ran with all the power he could induce into his legs. His legs and arms were pumping like pistons as he shot through the familiar streets and roads. He didn¡¯t look around to reminiscence about the old times and he was running with even more speed.

    ¡°No, this shouldn¡¯t be that time. There is no way.¡± Azalon¡¯s face was filled with anxiety and fear and he even forgot about the fact that this was all a memory created by the dream world to test him!

    ¡°Please let me make in time!¡± Was the only thought and nothing else mattered to him.

    Finally, after a long time, he reached a three storied building that was in a small and dark corner of the city. A simple metal board hung on the arch above the gates and Azalon could still remember every part of that metal board as he was the one that made and hung that metal board.

    ¡°Saint Theresa Orphan House.¡± The darkness prevented Azalon from seeing the words on that metal board but how could he forget about this place?

    He was the one who painted and hung this metal board along with some of the children from the orphanage. He still remembered the warm smile he had seen on Mother Lillianna¡¯s face when they showed this metal board as a surprise for her from their side. His eyes glimmered with tears as the memories started flooding with a great effect under the manipulation from the dream world.

    As he stood there, he heard a cry from within the building and he came back to his senses. He immediately remembered what the day was and he rushed into the building.

    Someone should have pressed the emergency button in the building as the emergency yellow lights suddenly went on in the entire building and a beam of light shot into the sky, the emergency beacon that signaled the highest level of threat.

    Azalon simply didn¡¯t care about all this and he was like a phantom that rushed through the wide corridor and stairs before stopping in front of a room on the second floor. He looked around to see a small group of children that were huddling in a dark corner and shivering while looking at the closed door of the room he was standing at.

    He remembered two or three of the children that were close to him but he didn¡¯t care about them right now.

    There was a deafening silence in the building except for the drone of the sirens. With his heart pounding, he turned the door knob and pushed the door open.

    The room was slightly dark and the dim yellow lights were no where enough to cover the darkness in the room. Suddenly, a loud rumbling thunder came from the skies and the bright lightning lit up the room like it was day! But Azalon simply wished it didn¡¯t after he saw the scene in the room.

    Before him stood 4 guys that were completely dressed in black. Even their faces were covered in black paint making it difficult in the dim emergency yellow lights. Two of them had handguns strapped to their waists and the remaining two had knives in their hands.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    And one of the knives was dripping with fresh blood¡­

    Azalon¡¯s eyes turned down and a figure lying in a pool of blood appeared in his vision. She had a mature and calm face but right now, that face that had always looked at him with a loving expression had blood splashed all over on it. Her body was covered in knife wounds that were still leaking blood. The sickly yellow lights cast a grim shadow appear making the scene even more gruesome.

    The four of them heard Azalon open the door and turned around to look at him. One of them with the handgun recognized him and he pulled out his weapon from his waist and pointed it at him. As soon as he did that, the other three moved and surrounded Azalon from all sides and pointed their weapons at him.

    ¡°So, you really came out, you bastard. When you went missing after the heist, we all thought you were dead! We were even celebrating! But who could have guessed that you were hiding in this rat hole? I didn¡¯t even believe when one of my men informed me about you. It turned about to be really true!¡± The one with the handgun pointing at Azalon spoke with a grim tone. But seeing that Azalon was not registering his words but instead looking at the dead body at his feet made him angry!

    ¡°Oh! You were worried about this bitch? We asked her about you nicely but she stubbornly refused to talk about you. So, we had to be a little hard on her, but even in her death, she refused to open her mouth. She even begged us to spare the children in this shit hole with her final breath! Can you believe it? The children in this house are practically moving wades of cash that could be sold for working in the factories!¡± He lightly kicked the corpse of the woman and licked his lips as he imagined the amount he was about to make after he sold the children to those factories and industries in the second ¨C ranked countries.

    And as for Azalon, he could deal with him easily as all he had to was pull the trigger and the big enemy he always felt in the Underworld would be finally finished! He was simply enjoying the fruits this day had brought him. He can finish his enemy, one of the rising big shots in the Underworld and assimilate his forces into his own and rise as the new boss, and with an additional bonus of some worthy cash that would serve as his investment through the children, he almost danced in joy!

    But Azalon didn¡¯t hear nor see the group of four around him or the blathering of the man with the gun. His eyes were fixed on the face of the woman as he slowly took a step forward. His mind was roaring with the flood of emotions and memories that were rushing like an unstoppable flood. His eyes slowly turned red as he slowly lifted his legs and started walking towards the woman in the pool of blood.

    He didn¡¯t care about the guns and knives pointed at him or the fact that it was all a dream. All that filled his vision was the woman in the pool of blood and all that his mind was thinking was a single sentence and all his heart felt was a deep regret and¡­ guilt!

    ¡°This is all my fault! This is all my fault!¡± Azalon was mumbling incoherently as he walked step by step like a zombie till he reached the body. He squatted down and extended his hand towards her face. He tried to rub off the splashes of blood on her face but it made it even worse by spreading the fresh blood across her face. Two lines of tears unknowingly started streaking down from his eyes and dripped onto that bloody face mixing with it and continuing down.

    ¡°Mother! This is all my fault! I barged into your life and that brought my world into your peaceful world. THIS IS ALL MY FAULT!!!¡± Azalon¡¯s heart that was filled with grief and guilt instantly transformed into boundless killing intent that sprung up like a coiling snake that finally bared its fangs!

    The killing intent that was filling his heart, his mind, his soul made his eyes go completely red and his entire thoughts were screaming with a single purpose. Kill! Kill all those that dared to hurt his mother!! Kill all those bastards that killed the only person who showed love and treated him with warmth!!!

    KILL!!!

    But in a corner of his mind, his consciousness was screaming at him that this was all an illusion, a memory and nothing more. It was screaming not to lose himself and come back to his senses!!

    But how could Azalon who was lost in his grief and anger recognize these words?? His killing intent was like a baleful wind that completely filled the room making the knees of the four go weak and a cold chill run down their spines, especially for the one that kicked the corpse of Mother Lillianna. His face was pale and cold sweat poured out from his body. Looking at the pair of cold eyes that were staring at him without a single shred of emotion within them, he felt as if he fell into the deepest pits of Hell and was being stared by the King of the Hell himself!

    He tried to pull the trigger but under the killing intent that almost manifested like a physical entity around him made his mind go numb and his hands were trembling so much that he couldn¡¯t even hold the gun steady let alone pull the trigger! With each step Azalon took, the more fearful he got and the more despair he felt! He tried to signal to the other three but how could they be faring better than him! The two punks that were carrying the knives fainted under the killing intent with foam coming from their mouths and the other one with the gun was kneeling on the ground with his head buried in his chest and his pants were wet between his legs!

    His heart was pounding so violently that he was sure that it was audible to those in the room! His despair raised to the skies when he saw that Azalon was standing almost face to face with him and the pair of cold eyes filled with killing intent under the yellow lights and the fist that was descending onto his head made his blood run cold!

    But just as Azalon¡¯s fist was about to pulverize the man¡¯s head, he heard a light cough and Azalon¡¯s entire body froze as a faint voice reached his ears¡­

    ¡°John¡­¡±

 Chapter 34: A Way of Lifeâ€¦

    ¡°John!¡±

    This time the voice was little louder than the previous one and Azalon¡¯s body trembled when he heard that warm voice. His raging emotions were like a thick fog that suddenly had a warm and bright sunlight fall upon them. There was not even a single emotion other than love and warmth that filled his heart as the anger, grief and guilt receded from him.

    He didn¡¯t even care for the four thugs in the room as he swirled on his feet and with a flash he was at the side of the woman that he looked up to as his Mother in his heart.

    ¡°Mother! Don¡¯t worry! Nothing will happen to you. Ambulance! Let me call an ambulance!¡± Azalon was more than happy that Mother was not dead. The reason why he was so enraged before was that he was afraid that she was really dead. He didn¡¯t even dare to confirm her pulse so that he wouldn¡¯t have to face the truth.

    Of course some may say that the way Azalon acted was way beyond the level of foolishness! But that was how humans behave when they see something they really really doesn¡¯t want to see! They would wish for it to end quickly rather than have a hope that this situation would pass and later have that hope dashed!

    And that was also why Azalon didn¡¯t have the heart to check for her pulse and came to a decision that she was really dead! But now that she spoke, it means that her life could be saved if he could get her some immediate medical attention!

    As he tried to lift her body so that he could carry her outside, he saw her lift her hand with some difficulty and place it on his arm preventing him from doing so. The warmth of her blood and body was transferred to him and Azalon once again had difficulty to hold back his killing intent for those who hurt her.

    ¡°John, listen to me. You have to let it go! Don¡¯t let your heart into hatred and pain. It is not worth it.¡± Mother Lillianna spoke with with gasping breaths and Azalon could only nod his head as he felt it hard to even open his mouth.

    ¡°Let it go, John. I had a peaceful and content life and God took mercy for my services and he finally sent a son to me. If you are the reward for my life, then you are the most precious reward that any mother could get. Live, John. Live for the sake of living and loving. Live all the years that I have yet to live on my behalf. I will ¡­ always be ¡­ with you ¡­ in your heart, watching¡­ you.¡± She smiled warmly and slowly closed her eyes with a peaceful and content look on her face as she drew her last breath.

    Azalon stared dumbly and tears flooded out his eyes as he felt the body in his arms slowly lose its warmth, becoming slightly cold. He tightly held her to his bosom as he finally let out the dam of tears.

    He cried, cried like the small child he was to her. He cried with heaving sobs and snotty nose and teary eyes like the son he was to his mother. He cried like a person that was pushed into a dark abyss after he found a light at the edge of his journey only to be pushed back into the darkness after someone snubbed out that light.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    The tears that were falling on to her face cleaned the splashes of blood and finally her loving face came into view. The content smile and the peaceful expression made it seem that she was just sleeping and not really dead. But the receding warmth from her body and the bloody wounds reassured Azalon about her situation.

    It took a long time before his sobs died out. He stood up and wiped his face from all the tears and snot. He took in a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes. Azalon¡¯s eyes were no longer red, but instead they were calm like a still lake.

    It was a drastic change from the blood thirsty look he had when he saw the body of the Mother Lillianna or the cold and emotional look he had when he almost went berserk on the four punks in the room. It was a look that was only possible when one was at peace with himself! It was the look of complete acceptance of himself!

    It was the look of a Cultivator!

    The Johnny Rex he was back then didn¡¯t truly commit the words of Mother Lillianna spoke and went on a rampage in the Underworld and only after his Mentor came for him after hearing about her death did he have a change of heart!

    But he was different right now! After reliving the death of his mother once again and listening to those same words had a tremendous impact on him right now! He really hated himself when he disregarded her words and instead got fixated on revenge. But after living his life twice, and facing the same situation again, he truly, from the deepest depths of his heart, accepted the words of Mother Lillianna¡­ no, his mom, Lillianna, and accepted her death with a peaceful heart.

    He cried for her death and angry at the way she died, but her words and morals were more important to him than her means of death. That way, he could at least keep he alive in his heart and Soul, even though she was no more before his eyes.

    Her words will become his guiding light in his new life!

    Her words will be the mantra he will live by!

    In his mind, the words from his mother from his previous life and the grandfather of this new life fused almost synonymously forming a new way of life for Azalon!

    Claim everything that will be yours, but leave what will not be yours¡­ Give what you have to give and take what you have to take¡­

    Remember what you have to remember, and forget what you have to forget¡­ Love back thousand times when someone loves you, but hurt back ten thousand times when someone hurts you¡­

    Challenge yourself and overcome those challenges, only then can you find the path you have to walk on¡­ Rely on the ones around you, but always remember to be by yourselves and never depend on someone else¡­

    You are the most precious gift for me¡­ You are more important to you than anything¡­

    These words were like a mark that was branded on to his Soul as his entire being trembled when he softly recited these words and Azalon felt something intangible change within him. It was some sort of mysterious feeling that had nothing to do with his knowledge, Soul or Spirit. It was something more basic, something¡­ him!

    It was only after Azalon experienced this change, the weird symbol that was lit brightly underneath Azalon in the garden shattered and Azalon woke up from the dream world. The words were still present in his mind as he had a calm smile on his face.

    It was then that he discovered two gazes that were fixed on him. He lifted his head towards the feeling he felt but couldn¡¯t see anything on the mountain peak. But he could still feel the two gazes like they were some physical objects he could feel with his senses! He shook his head slightly as he couldn¡¯t find a reason for this phenomenon, or wait a minute, may be he did! It should be linked to the change he experienced in the dream world just before he woke up! And what that change was? No one knows, not even Azalon!

    He simply relished the calm feeling he had and lifted up the sleeping Raka in his hands and walked towards the mountain he was feeling the gazes from. He took no more than 20 steps when he heard faint shattering sounds around him¡­

 Chapter 35: Innate Spiritual Sense!!!

    Azalon stopped in his tracks as he felt something more when he heard the faint cracking sounds. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the fleeting sensation within him. When he concentrated on that feeling, he found out that the way he perceived the world changed slightly.

    Along with the cracking sounds, within this new sensation, he could feel some faint pulses and ripples of energy spreading out from the location where the cracking sounds were being emitted. And the ripples were growing in number and power as the cracking sounds intensified.

    The more he concentrated, the more clearly he could feel the pulses and ripples of Energy spreading around him, but that¡¯s all. All he could feel was the ripples of Energy moving around him but he couldn¡¯t follow their movement or trace the ripples back to their source. It was only because of the cracking sounds that accompanied the ripples of the Energy could he make the connection between the two.

    It was so peculiar that Azalon couldn¡¯t help but wonder about this new sensation. He was sure that this was related to the dream world and the way he changed. In there he felt something change within him but he couldn¡¯t find out what it was.

    But now that change he felt should be the reason for this mysterious feeling he was having!

    It was like he could see the world around him in a new way. It was not like his physical senses but something more!

    Something like a intangible sense that he could use to ¡®see¡¯ the world around him!

    ¡°This feeling¡­ it is somehow similar to the [Beast Vision] that I have inherited from Raka, but it is also different!¡± Azalon was completely immersed in this new feeling and it was only after this that he could feel that this feeling was very familiar to him. This was the same way he could see the world when he used the [Beast Vision] but it was also completely different.

    [Beast Vision] enabled him to see the world the same way a Spirit Beast would view it as, a mixture and motion of Energies. He could even see the Soul Energies of the Spirit Beasts he killed using this ability.

    But this new feeling was similar to [Beast Vision] in the regard that he could see the world differently, but it was not in the view that there were slight differences the way he could perceive the world.

    As Azalon was immersed in this new sensation, the two people watching everything going below them were having two completely different reactions. The Elder Vanko had an unsightly expression as he watched the symbol arrays below the candidates started weakening one by one.

    By the time the sand in the hourglass was about to completely fall, around 8 of the symbol arrays were producing cracking sounds! And there was already one who shattered the [Dream Rendering Array] he had personally set up! Now, there are even more who were about to break out from their dream world!

    The old Elder Paul standing next to Elder Vanko had an enigmatic smile as he watched Azalon and the other 8 who were about to follow in this small boy¡¯s footsteps! Just as he was about to feel satisfied with this group of seeds from which the true legendary geniuses and leaders of the next generation would crop up from, he sensed something and his head whipped about only to land his eyes on the body of Azalon who was just standing there with his eyes closed and his brows knitted!

    ¡°This¡­ This¡­¡± Even him who had seen some heavenly treasures and mysteries couldn¡¯t help but stammer out as he could feel a very peculiar aura that shouldn¡¯t appear on the body of a Spirit Sense Realm Cultivator on the body of this small boy!

    Elder Vanko suddenly felt something wrong seeing the astonished expression on this old man¡¯s face and followed his sight to Azalon. He concentrated his Core Sense and it was only at that moment that he could feel what made this old man so shocked! He eyes widened and his jaw dropped to the ground!

    ¡°How is this possible!!!¡± He could only scream in his mind as he never could have imagined that this group of children that he considered no more than mere peasants in his heart gave him these many shocks! Especially this child¡­ First he shatters the [Dream Rendering Array] before the time even finished and by looking at him, there was no signs that he had suffered in the illusionary realm like he was supposed to!

    And now this! This is surely, surely¡­ He turned around to face the old Elder Paul only to see the eyes of the old man glittering brightly like they were stars. Clearly, he was using his [Heaven¡¯s Eyes] to check out this child. He took a deep breath and controlled his raging astonishment and shock. Rather now, he was filled with traces of jealousy and envy! But there was also some anticipation mixed in within! He could see that this child was in the middle of enlightenment and if he could come out of this successfully, he will get something that no other Spirit Sense Realm Cultivator could possess!

    Innate Spiritual Sense!

    A Spiritual Sense was something that would exist only at the Spirit Condensation Realm! It was something that clearly divided the mortals from the Immortals. Only by possessing the Spiritual Sense could you be considered a true Spirit Cultivator and you will take the very first step on the path of Cultivation with the final goal of Immortality.

    But now they were seeing a cultivator and that too a small child about to condense his consciousness to form a sea of consciousness, even a prefatory level, when he was just in the Spirit Sense Realm! How couldn¡¯t they be amazed by this brilliant display of shocking talent!?

    ¡°It was said that a human with a powerful Soul and an unwavering heart could form his sea of consciousness and possess Spiritual Sense if he could tap into that potential of his Soul. But look at that child! How old could he be? It was something if he possesses a powerful Soul. In fact there are many families, sects and clans that have some legacies that could strengthen one¡¯s Soul. They would use these methods to strengthen the Souls of their younger generation before they undergo their Spirit Awakening so that they would Awaken a powerful and rare Soul Spirits! But how could this child from a corner of a kingdom could have this powerful of a Soul? And how could he have that strong of a heart, strong enough to force the consciousness to condense to form the sea of consciousness, at this age?¡± Elder Vanko couldn¡¯t help but ask the old Elder Paul who was watching Azalon with his glittering [Heaven¡¯s Eyes].The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. But as I said, there is something special with this child. Vanko, I want every bit of information you can gather about this boy! Clearly he should have had a fortuitous encounter or he should be the descendant of a powerful family that was degenerated.¡± This time the old Elder Paul commanded Elder Vanko to a task and not like before where he just gave a casual request.

    Elder Vanko immediately sensed the change in his superior and he bowed with obedience. He was completely different from the haughty Elder from before.

    As the two Elders were discussing about him, Azalon was simply standing there with his eyes closed as he pondered¡­

    ¡°Ah, right! What would happen¡­¡± Suddenly, Azalon¡¯s mind clicked as a good idea popped in his head when he felt the mysterious feeling slowly recede back and fade away. He slowly opened his eyes and small golden veins snaked in his eyes making them look somewhat amazing.

    He wanted to see what would happen if he could use the [Beast Vision] in tandem with this mysterious feeling! In his mind, they were similar in their functions so in his view, and he had an idea to try this!

    But he could never have expected that the moment he used the [Beast Vision] ability it would be like pouring fuel on a dying ember of fire!

    The mysterious sensation suddenly flared up and Azalon felt as if his head was going to split into two! But he could feel that the previously fleeting and intangible sensation he had gradually become more and more¡­ solid like a physical entity in his mind!

    It was like a wild beast that was rampaging inside his head roaring to be let out! Azalon gritted his teeth in pain and he was somewhat panicking inside at this abnormality, and he tried to resist the bubbling intensity of the mysterious feeling!

    He tried to shut off the [Beast Vision] but he found out that he couldn¡¯t do it! He could even feel Raka and Merup¡¯s Soul Embryos tremble along with the intensification of the mysterious feeling!

    The pain in his head intensified the more he struggled, so Azalon had no choice to give up his idea of resistance. He was really panicking right now, but suddenly he felt something warm rise up from inside him and he completely relaxed!

    Now that he had calmed down, he thought it over and he decided to do the very opposite of what he intended to do, to give in to the mysterious feeling and let it out.

    He loudly exhaled and imagined the mysterious feeling was like a bubble that was inside his head, particularly between his eyebrows as that was where he felt the feeling more concentrated or settled. The bubble right now was expanding and grating against the mental shackles that he constructed to obstruct it.

    Gradually, he took off the shackles one by one and imagined the bubble constantly growing up and finally leave his body. As he immersed in this type of self ¨C hypnosis, the pain lessened even though the burden of the feeling rose up sharply!

    Suddenly, he heard a loud crash as he felt something broke inside him and the mysterious feeling was like a flood that finally broke through the dam that was containing it.

    It spread out and continued to spread¡­

    20 feet¡­

    30 feet¡­

    It showed no signs of stopping as it spread out continuously¡­

    60 feet¡­

    100 feet¡­

    150 feet¡­

    It slowed down when it reached 250 feet but it still spread¡­

    285 feet¡­

    300 feet¡­

    and it finally stopped at the borderline of 324 feet or in another words, 99 meters!

    Everything within this 99 meters were branded onto Azalon¡¯s mind with crystal clear clarity. He could feel the fluttering of the leaves due to the gentle breeze, he could hear the insects scurrying on the ground, he could smell the aroma of the flowers even more powerfully than before, he could see the tiny antenna on the head of the bees and butterflies that were at the very edge of his perception!

    It was like he had suddenly opened up a new gate and was seeing the world with new eyes. There were no words that could describe what Azalon was feeling right now. It was like within this 99 meter range, everything was under his control! There was nothing that could hide from his senses! Even the slight fluctuations of Spirit Energy could be felt by Azalon within this 99 meters!

    It was at this moment, the warm feeling that was still rising up from within him made its way to between his eyebrows and quickly condensed to form a red colored elliptical shaped object, much like an eye that was placed vertically between his eye brows!

    If the two Elders watching Azalon develop his sea of consciousness and possess Spiritual Sense that could spread over nearly 100 meters could see that the consciousness that Azalon developed was not a sea as they thought but rather a solid looking eye, what sort of expressions would they have!? What sort of emotions would they feel!?

    The moment the vertical eye formed completely, Azalon felt his mind relax and his mental powers increasing at a alarming rate! He could feel his mind becoming more active and the connections between his neurons more dense and firm. It was at this moment that an announcement rang in his mind.

    [Abnormal brain activity detected. Scanning for the causes and the changes. Scan complete! The system detected a sharp increase in the brain activity. Source is an unknown form of Energy but the system deemed it harmless. At present the host¡¯s brain activity is at 12% and stabilized. But there is a slight increase of the brain activity every few cycles of the Energy in the Host¡¯s body. Increase rate detected at 0.0000001%. Could be considered negligible. System also detected an increase in the Host¡¯s sensory range. Range calculated at 99 meters. Modifying and calibrating the system sensors with the new data. Calibration complete. Auxiliary System going to shut down. Restoring the Integral A.I. LILY. Restoration Complete.]

    It was the early warning system of LILY that was automatically triggered whenever there¡¯s a danger for his life.

    Azalon was amazed that this new feeling could give such a boost to his brain activity. But now was not the time to think this over. Right now he had to find a way to deal with this mysterious feeling and shut it down! He concentrated on the vertical eye that was formed between his eye brows.

    Azalon felt a sort of connection with this vertical eye and he had a feeling that this vertical eye was just like his real eyes. He thought the eye closing its eyelids. The vertical eye trembled slightly and really dimmed down just like its eyelids were closed and the eye was resting!

    Instantly, the mysterious fluctuation disappeared as soon as the vertical eye closed. Azalon gasped when he felt the feeling of control disappear and he felt like a blind man that suddenly had his vision restored only for it to be taken away once again!

    He stabilized himself and quickly got over the feeling of control he had experienced before. He took a deep breath and once again made a mental addition to the list of things he didn¡¯t understand in this world.

    Suddenly, he heard a loud crack to his left and he turned towards that direction only to see a pillar of white light shoot out from below a candidate that was seated on a cluster of symbols. It was the pillar that cracked and the candidate opened his eyes suddenly. Azalon recognized this one. It was that Kazan Hin that was the first one to pass the Preliminary Test within their group.

    His face was pale and he was shivering lightly but his eyes were filled with determination and fierceness. Clearly whatever he experienced within that dream world took a massive toll on him psychologically, but looking in those determined eyes, Azalon could feel that this boy cleared it without fail.

    Kazan felt a gaze and lifted his head to look at Azalon who was lightly smiling at him. He saw that boy lift a thumb at him and smirk at him. Kazan couldn¡¯t help but smile at this childish gesture and his tight heart loosened with that smile. He too gave a thumbs up to Azalon and got to his feet.

    In but a few moments, Azalon and Kazan could hear the same cracking sounds Azalon heard before but this time, it was not one but many. Clearly the candidates were trying to get out from the dream world but who would pass this test?

 Chapter 36: They TALK!!!

    Azalon and Kazan looked around but found no one but they could hear the cracking sounds that could only mean that whatever was creating that dream world was breaking and the candidates were waking up.

    And Azalon could still feel the Energy ripples he felt before because of Kazan Hin even after he closed that vertical eye between his eye brows and retracted that mysterious power he released.

    It seems that this would be the case from now on and Azalon simply accepted this fact as this was not the time to mull over these things.

    But what he didn¡¯t know, the moment he condensed that vertical eye from his consciousness, thousands of miles away, an old figure that was sitting before a small cottage in a small but beautiful garden started smiling in a very excited manner!

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ Lord Trinethra¡­ Not only has he inherited the trait of Pashupathi, he even inherited one of the most powerful traits of my lord, The Trinethra!!! Hahahaha¡­¡± Eren Wheld was laughing maniacally but tears started streaming down his old eyes as he lifted his head and stared into the distant skies as if piercing through the atmosphere, the vast Cosmos itself and see a place which only he could see!!!

    *Putong*

    He suddenly knelt down but his eyes were still staring into the skies. But suddenly a shocking transformation started appearing on the body of Eren Wheld.

    His usually fair and old face changed into a pale gray color and his skin tightened to form a face that was only about 30 years old rather than the usual 60 year old face! Popping sounds ensued as his body grew in height and mass as volumes of thick muscles started appearing on his body!!

    When the transformation ended, the old but fit Eren Wheld was no where to be seen. In his place was a hulking man who stood more than 3 meters high with rippling muscles with a shockingly cold face with two blood red eyes!

    But the most shocking is the vertical mark between his eyebrows that looked like a closed eye, very much like the same vertical eye that was condensed between Azalon¡¯s eyebrows inside his mind! Right now, the vertical eye mark was pulsing slightly like a heart beat, steadily and slowly¡­

    ¡°I am sorry, brother Eren. That day you sacrificed your life in order to save mine. I promised to take care of your family till I can and now my destiny to reach my Lord has come. I am breaking my promise, my brother. I pray that you will forgive this foolish brother of yours. I am really sorry. But your destiny was something that even I am envious of! You had the privilege of having the Successor of my Lord be born in your bloodline! And Fate played her hand by placing me here witnessing the birth of a Legend! Indeed no one can predict what and how fate and destiny works! Ah, no, in fact those bastards can predict it! I have to be careful in order not to get caught in their sights.¡± The calm and soft voice of Eren Wheld was changed into a deep voice that could cause your bones to vibrate when heard.

    With those words, the imposter Eren Wheld¡¯s body swayed slightly and disappeared. Only a whisper was left behind as he disappeared. ¡°Find your destiny, Azalon Wheld. You will meet your parents and that mouse when you grow up stronger. The Emperor and The Empress are waiting for their prince to return! Ascend to the Immortal Plane, Successor and I pray that you will accept your role and not shrink from it.¡± The voice contained boundless hope and faith as well as pure love, the same love he showed Azalon and Hank when they were with him. In fact he considered them to be his own grandsons and loved them such. But its a pity that he couldn¡¯t spend more time with them or speak the truth about him or the role the both of them were about to play in the future. It is truly a pity!

    From that day of the disappearance of Eren Wheld, the situation of the Wheld Family would continue to decline until one day they would return¡­ But it was for another day ( and another chapter )¡­

    At this moment, within the [ Crystal Flower Garden ]¡­

    The garden was lit up brightly by the light pillars that shot upwards from the symbol arrays that were trying to restrain the candidates within the dream world, pulsing with different intensities, from various locations of the [Crystal Flower Garden]. For example, when Azalon broke out from the dream world, the symbol arrays beneath him only lit up brightly before breaking. Now Azalon could see the pillars of light and among them 2 or 3 of them were exceptionally bright. Azalon interred that the brightness of the pillar of the light was directly proportional to the candidates¡¯ struggle within the dream world.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    The more they struggle, the more the dream world will tightly bind them. The only way to break out of the dream world was to forcefully shatter the [Dream Rendering Array] with a power that was greater than the force that was maintaining the Array. But how could an Array designed by one of the Elders of the Academies who was at the Core Level and maintained by some of the top students of the Academies easily overwhelmed by the bunch of children in Azalon¡¯s group?!

    So, all of them were forced to take the second and the most difficult path to break out of the dream world. It was to completely accept the memories projected by the [Dream Rendering Array] and get over them. But it was easier said than done. Once you step into the dream world, the memories were rendered such realistically that even Azalon had forgot himself when he saw the death of Mother Lillianna!

    But as the time passed the pillars of light started to break one by one making them the source of the cracking sounds that were reverberating in the peaceful garden.

    Finally, the 8 pillars of light shattered into countless specks of light that rained over the beautiful garden making the already heavenly garden even more enchanting and dazzling. Azalon and Kazan who were watching this eye pleasing scene couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the natural beauty this place possessed.

    ¡°It is really a perfect place to lay back and relax for the rest of their lives! If this was back on Earth, I would have bought this land and made it my retirement home!¡± Azalon thought amusedly in his heart.

    8 candidates stood up from the shattered pillars and none of them were in a good shape. All of them were deathly pale without a single drop of blood on their faces and each and every one of them were trembling like they caught a severe cold. Azalon could even see some of them that were tear eyed or completely drenched in sweat.

    Among the 8 were two figures that Azalon recognized. One was Sophie, his cousin and other was Hari Reran, the son of the Family Head of the Reran family from the Blue Wind City. The two of them actually managed to pass but by the looks of it they had to put up quite a fight in the dream world to break out of it.

    Azalon was surprised to find out that he could even feel the cultivation levels of these two. Not only these two, he could feel the cultivation levels of everyone around him as long as he concentrated a little.

    But before he could contemplate on this, Raka who was sleeping in his arms stirred and opened his eyes. He yawned with his little mouth showing off small but sharp rows of teeth. But what shocked Azalon was not this but what happened afterwards¡­

    ¡°Ahhhh, good nap!! This weird guy¡¯s aura is too soothing for me and I can sleep comfortably in this guy¡¯s presence.¡± A small childish voice sounded in Azalon¡¯s head as he watched Raka lick his jaws with his red tongue.

    Instantly Azalon¡¯s ryes went wide as he gawked at this bizarre incident. Did¡­ did he just¡­ just hear Raka speak???

    ¡°Raka??¡± Azalon softly called in his mind without using the link between them. Raka suddenly stiffened in his arms and his golden eyes with the bright silver lines underneath them turned to stare up at his face.

    ¡°Did I just hear this guy¡¯s voice in my head??¡± Once again Azalon heard that childish voice in his head as Raka turned towards him. He now understood that he could really hear Raka¡¯s voice in his head!!!

    ¡°Raka¡­ Can you hear me? Can you really hear my voice???¡± Azalon once again projected his voice to confirm that he was not imagining things. If not for that, how could he hear a beast speaking in his head, even if it was his Soul Spirit??

    ¡°Ahhh!!! I can really hear this weird guy¡¯s voice!!! Just what happened when I was sleeping???¡± Raka rubbed his eyes with his paws in a very human like manner as he glared at Azalon who was also gawking at him with wide eyes and open mouth!

    Azalon and Raka were both looking at each other with weird expressions on the faces of one human and one beast. Suddenly, something stirred within Azalon and he heard another pair of voices in his head one giddy with excitement and one filled with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Master!!! I feel that I became more close to you than before. Ah, it seems that my System is preparing for another Evolution process. Master, my system will hibernate for a while till the Evolution completes. Be careful, Master!!¡± LILY spoke with excitement as she felt the differences within Azalon even more clearly than Azalon. After all her system has completely fused with his consciousness and he could talk with her even before whatever happened within him that allowed to <del></del>be able to listen and talk with his Spirits!

    ¡°Chi¡­ Chi¡­ Chi¡­ I can hear the weird guy¡¯s voice in my head, Chhiii Chi Chi Chi¡­ It is just like Elder Brother has said. This guy is definitely weird. Huh? Why do I feel sleepy? I think I will just sleep¡­¡± Merup¡¯s laughing voice drifted off as he went into slumber in the middle of talking!

    Azalon¡¯s mind was tumbling up and down and he felt dizzy with all that¡¯s going on in his head. But there was one thing for sure¡­ His Spirits can talk now!!!

 Chapter 37: Interesting!!

    Azalon stood there with a blank expression on his face. He simply had no idea what happened the few moments before. All his mind registered was that his Spirits could talk with him and he could talk with them as well just like LILY!!

    He had some inkling that this was because of the mysterious sensation he had as well as the formation of the vertical eye between his eyebrows. Not to mention the increase in his brain activity. But what exactly these all signified, he had no idea in the slightest!

    Suddenly, he felt a slight shift in the Energy in the atmosphere at his back and he turned around only to see nothing different. The flowers and the trees were all beautifully dancing in the wind, and the pretty butterflies, bees and insects were all scurrying busy with their lives. But he could still feel the Energy fluctuations at this spot.

    It was like, like¡­ something was manipulating the Energy to form a sort of cushion!

    He suddenly lifted his head and sure enough he saw two small silhouettes slowly become bigger in his vision as they descended from the peak of the mountain. Azalon couldn¡¯t see their faces but he felt like that these two silhouettes were like unfathomably deep oceans and had a mysterious aura around them, especially one of them. He had such an aura around him that made Azalon feel that his own existence was really insignificant before that presence!!

    Azalon instantly understood that what he was feeling was the cultivation bases of the two figures. His conclusion was proved when the two figures swiftly descended and landed before them. They were the same Elder Vanko who was supposed to be injured and the old crazy man who beat that Elder Vanko!!

    And looking at them now with his change in perception, Azalon could see that the Cultivation Realm of the old man was many times more deep and profound than the Elder Vanko. It was evident to Azalon that this old man was someone with some great status and strength even in the supposedly massive organizations like the 7 Great Academies!

    It was like the old man was almost one with the world around him and at the same time within a world of his own. Azalon didn¡¯t dare open the vertical eye between his eyebrows to unleash that mysterious feeling as he was not sure how and what would happen when he did so and more than that how these two that were standing in front of him would react to that mysterious sense!

    At least he couldn¡¯t be even compared to the Elder Vanko let alone that old man who was in a whole new level than that of the Elder Vanko!!!

    ¡°As I thought, this old man should be at least at the Soul Core Realm or even in the Nascent Soul Realm!!¡± Azalon sucked in a cold breath as he felt that the aura from the old man was like a massive tempest that was raging with the old man as the epicenter, now that they stood so close to each other!

    When he was concentrating on the two Elders, the 8 others who managed to break out from the dream world slowly gathered in front of the two Elders alongside Azalon and Kazan Hin. The old Elder and Elder Vanko turned their gazes to them when all of them gathered.

    It was then that the old man gaze paused when it reached him and Azalon felt a chill run down his spine. His body shuddered and his mind trembled under that casual gaze. He could even feel his Energy Vortex and the Soul within the Vortex shudder slightly as the gaze landed on him.

    He felt that under that gaze, he was like a transparent bottle that could be completely seen through without any chance of hiding something! It was like that gaze could even see the deepest and darkest secrets that were buried within heart!!

    Even Raka cringed slightly when that old Elder was observing Azalon and his golden pupils narrowed slightly, but it relaxed in a moment and it resumed its apathetic and lazy look on its face.

    It was only a moment that the old Elder¡¯s gaze stayed on him, but for Azalon it felt like an eternity! He could clearly see that the eyes of that old Elder flashed with a brilliant light that was contained within the pupils when his gaze landed on Azalon and that was the cause for his uncomfortable feeling! Azalon immediately inferred that this old Elder should have the same eye powers like himself and moreover, the power of that ability would far outstrip Azalon¡¯s power or ability when boosted by that Elder¡¯s cultivation base.

    Elder Vanko cleared his throat, looked at the last speck of sand make its way down in the small hourglass in his hand and spoke with a stiff voice.¡±The 10 of you have passed the second test, [Dream Trial], as you have managed to break out from the dream world within the time allotted to you. You may all be wondering what was all this is about. Let me explain in a moment.¡±

    ¡°The first test started the moment this Elder Paul made his appearance and we both withdrew from your vicinity. The first test¡¯s reasoning was very simple. We have staged a simple play where you will be shown this wonderful place and we will disappear from your view. At the same time, we will give you some warning as well as some pressure regarding the Academy Selections by saying to you that you are late and as such. We informed you that an Elder is on the way and not to move around in the garden while giving you some fear regarding the array formations laid out in the garden. We wanted to see what you would do when facing this sort of temptation that was placed before you.¡± Elder Vanko explained it all in one breath and turned to look at the youngsters standing before him.

    ¡°And the second test, the dream world created by a [Dream Rendering Array] by creating a situation from the most prominent memories that had a lasting impact on you and making you to relieve those memories while riling up your emotions all the while. That was to test your spirit and Will power you possess to force yourselves out of that situation.¡± Elder Vanko¡¯s expression darkened slightly as he cast a glance at the 12 ¨C year old child standing at the corner of the ten candidates listening with a calm smile. He was slightly surprised at the calm look on that slightly childish face that turned into a smirk when that child saw him looking at him and his expression darkened further.

    What he was doing was something more than just talking. He was subtly manipulating the Spirit Energy around him with his Core Sense to converge on to the ten of these candidates and at the same time creating a barrier like obstruction around the candidates preventing them from easily absorbing the Spirit Energy around them. With each word he spoke, the Spirit Energy would converge more and more and increase its presence on them under his Core Sense. At the same time they would also become aware of the difficulty of absorbing the Spirit Energy to bolster their cultivation levels!

    It would be extremely frustrating to have that dense Spirit Energy to be around them only to helplessly drool at it and being unable to absorb it!

    He was also observing the facial expressions of them so as to judge their conditions they were faring under the steadily increasing presence. This was also a kind of test but at the same time also not a test!

    These handful of candidates passed through three consecutive tests without any relief between tests. They faced their strengths and weaknesses head on and came out victorious from the different scenarios all the while being under constant pressure!

    This short amount of time they have spent performing the tests was for a single reason! That was to draw out and simulate all the latent potential that a candidate could display when under pressure and to what extent he could utilize that pressure to temper himself or herself. That was the true mark of a genius!!This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    Even if you have tremendous potential dormant within you and you face a situation where that dormant potential will wake up, the determining factor would be how much you can profit from the awakening of that potential and increase your strength and talent! And the third test was just that! Arousing the potential of the candidates and observe just how much they would gain from this ordeal.

    This test was also a kind of reward for these candidates that withstood the screening of these two tests and the Preliminary Test. Meditating in this Spirit Energy rich surroundings with their potential aroused would be like having double the results with half the effort. But that was only for the general case. A genius would channel that awakened potential and there were even cases where there would be some peerless monsters that would even advance to the next Realm when placed in the same situations!!

    An Entire Realm!!! Now, those were existences that couldn¡¯t even be described with words like genius or prodigy!!!

    At the very least, he was only looking for the talents that could at least advance 3 ¨C 4 Levels within the time of recuperation before the last test would commence.

    But now this child was facing him with a calm expression that everything was in his hands¡­ or was it really? When he remembered the Innate Spiritual Sense that this child condensed previously, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but color with envy and even admiration. He had to admit that this kind of decisiveness and resoluteness was not something that could be seen in all kinds of people. Only those with this kind of attitude could walk far on the path of the Cultivation.

    Azalon was the only one among the ten that could sense what was going on around him. He observed that the moment the Elder Vanko started speaking, there was a force that was driving the Spirit Energy in the surroundings towards them and also create a barrier that maintained itself around their bodies like a cocoon preventing the Spirit Energy rushing into their Energy Vortexes.

    He was not excited nor anxious when he sensed the force envelop him in its cocoon and the increasing concentration of the Spirit Energy outside the cocoon. He suddenly smiled as this reminded of the same situation he had been facing just a few months ago. Isn¡¯t the same situation as that of the bubble he could feel that prevented him from cultivating the Spirit Energy because of his Rejected Soul?? He didn¡¯t think that he would face similar situation like this and at this time. That Elder Vanko suddenly turned towards him with a slightly grumpy expression and his smile turned into a mischievous smirk.

    How could he not tell that these two could have sensed the mysterious sense he had with their Cultivation bases. In fact he was looking for an opportunity to talk to them to clear his doubts. He had a hunch that this old Elder was interested in him and he wouldn¡¯t back away from at least answering what that mysterious sense was. As a matter of fact, Azalon had a slight idea of what this mysterious sense was, but he couldn¡¯t be sure of that. That was also why he was thinking of asking these two Elders for information. He also wanted to know what happened to that little girl Nina. He had not seen her after he separated from her and Hank after the Preliminary Test.

    Azalon didn¡¯t continue to listen to the explanation of the Elder Vanko about the previous tests. How could he not have guessed what those situations were simulated for and what they were expecting them to do?

    The Preliminary Test had been pretty straight forward beside the fact that the test had been sprung at them without any warning. That test was to test the reaction speeds of the candidates and rate them according to their adaptivity and reactions.

    As the Elder Vanko said, the first test was about the presence of mind and the attentiveness a candidate will display. The situation was that the Elder Vanko took them to this beautiful and heavenly garden that was eye ¨C dazzling to the extreme and then the old man responsible for the management of this garden came thundering down on this Elder Vanko on the premise that they had intruded into this place. And then he beats the Elder Vanko to a pathetic state and fly off leaving them behind!

    Now, if you think for a moment, these two were completely manipulating the scenes from the shadows all the time. First by creating an intimidation in the candidates by showing that big ass mountain gate that was used as the entrance to this garden, then create an awe by showing off this impressive piece of land filled with natural sceneries and thick Spirit Energy. Then create a mind boggling scene of having that Elder Vanko who was numerous times more stronger than the strongest Spirit Cultivators they could have come across in their lives taken down extremely easily by that old man. Then issue a warning of the dangers within the garden that would attack the wanderers and then leave them here!

    It was at this point that Azalon found something fishy going on! As per the act these two played out, the old man should be the one that loves and takes care of this garden. He had blown a top when he saw that Elder Vanko intrude into this garden. Now that very same old man leaves a bunch of children that never saw a place like this without a guard or vigilance! Isn¡¯t that contradictory to the nature of the old man that was supposed to be obsessive or at least protective of this piece of land? And that was also why Azalon dared o come forward to explore the garden and cultivate his Spirit Energy in this environment.

    And even if the act had been real, its not like they could just kill the candidates that have come to participate in the Selection Campaign of the Academies just because they have absorbed some Spirit Energy to cultivate here! Even if they want to blame some one, they could only blame that Elder Vanko for leading them here and that old man for leaving them here. That was because, as far as Azalon was concerned, these types of large and mammoth organizations lived and died for their prestige and image. If they lowered themselves to kill a pathetic Spirit Sense Realm Cultivator just because he cultivated a level or two in the garden, then the world wouldn¡¯t laugh at them with their mouths!!! It was the same even back on Earth and that had also been the reason why they banned and exiled him from the Society!

    And for the dream world, it was pretty much explained by that Elder Vanko. It was to measure their stubbornness and perseverance as well as will power to not crumble in front of those mind wrenching memories.

    And this third test should be the aptitude test or in other words, measure the talents of the remaining candidates and take the best pick among them!

    Azalon felt that all he had to do was to find a way around the cocoon formed by that Elder Vanko that was preventing the Spirit Energy from reaching him and cultivate that Energy.

    ¡°This is becoming more and more interesting!!¡± Azalon¡¯s eyes glittered brightly as he felt that same fighting spirit rise within him he hadn¡¯t felt for a long long time.

    ¡°Now, you will have 2 hours to remain in this [Crystal Flower Garden]. That is your reward for passing the second test successfully. You can do as you wish in this garden except for touching the plants, trees or flowers. You can take them if you want, but only if you can defeat me in a duel and I will even personally pluck you whatever you want from this garden if you defeat me.¡± Elder Vanko¡¯s cold voice rang out and he exploded with the cultivation base of the Core Realm that produced a massive pressure on the ten candidates watching him making them curl up in horror!

    Defeat him in a duel! Are you kidding me? I can¡¯t even beat someone a level higher than me and you want us to fight with you? Do you think us as fools that would throw away our lives for fun?

    They were all thinking the same thing but what they felt was an ember in the face of a sun when compared to what Azalon was feeling right now! In his mind¡¯s eye, when that Elder Vanko exposed his aura of his cultivation base, Azalon could see a massive cloud of Spirit Energy that was pouring out from the Elder Vanko¡¯s body and constantly swirl around him creating a cloud of Spirit Energy with his body at the center. But what surprised Azalon was the phantom of a massive 50 foot long python with glittering pale green scales all over its body and a pair of huge wings that spread open behind the Elder Vanko¡¯s body giving him an appearance of having a set of massive wings, that was formed within the cloud of the Spirit Energy!

    Azalon instantly understood that the phantom of the golden scaled serpent should be the Soul Spirit of the Elder Vanko that was stored in the Core Space in his Spirit Core! Raka who was sleeping in Azalon¡¯s arms instantly snapped his eyes open when the phantom image of the golden scaled serpent formed and the golden eyes glared coldly at the golden scaled serpent Spirit of the Elder Vanko! Surprisingly, the phantom image of the golden scaled serpent fluctuated slightly when Raka glared at it and it was at this moment, that the old man who was standing beside Elder Vanko suddenly turned his eyes towards Azalon who was watching the scene that only he could see with wide eyes and open mouth.

    Elder Paul was astonished when he saw the expression on Azalon¡¯s face and also the small tiger cub in his eyes that was glaring in the same direction of Azalon with its golden pupils that had silvery lines under its eyes that formed an enchanting pattern on its gray fur that further highlighted the cold golden eyes!

    ¡°Interesting. This is getting more and more interesting!¡± Elder Paul muttered to himself as the astonishment faded from his old face returning it to its tranquil state.

 Chapter 38: Spirit Condensation Realm

    Azalon felt the gaze of the old Elder on him and quickly recovered his expression from seeing the Spirit Phantom of the golden scaled serpent projected behind Elder Vanko¡¯s body. He turned towards the old Elder and smiled as he took a step towards him in order to get some answers for his questions but his steps stopped when he heard the voice of that old Elder beside his ears.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kid. We will talk later. But first enjoy the rewards and pass this final hurdle that stands in your way to the final battle to enter the Academies. I am sure that we will be seeing each other very soon.¡± The voice was gentle and calm but Azalon could detect a sliver of excitement within that calm voice. He glanced at the old face that was smiling at him and slightly nodded before he turned around and went to the same spot he sat at before; on the wet grass beside the waterfall and closed his eyes.

    When Azalon took the lead to start cultivating, the rest of them who were excited beyond themselves because of the fact they were allowed to cultivate in this place also quickly traveled to their own spots and concentrated on cultivating.

    The remaining candidates that couldn¡¯t pass the dream world trial and were woken up when the [Dream Rendering Array] was turned off were quickly ushered off from the [Crystal Flower Garden] by some youngsters that came under the command from Elder Vanko. They weren¡¯t even given the chance to enjoy the beautiful scenery around them before they were chased away!!

    The dense Spirit Energy that was so thick that it condensed to form a mist like covering in the garden was quickly drawn to the ten youngsters that were cultivating. Tendrils of Spirit Energy extended from the thick mist and coalesced around the small human figures.

    But very soon, they discovered that they couldn¡¯t even draw a single strand of Spirit Energy into their bodies no matter how much they concentrated. It didn¡¯t matter how much Spirit Energy they managed to attract from the surroundings, there seemed to be something that was blocking the Spirit Energy from reaching them and they had no way of absorbing that unbearably thick Spirit Energy into their bodies!!

    The mist like Spirit Energy gathered around the bodies of the youngsters like a thin cloud and was swirling around them at a certain distance from them. It was like they were really sitting within the clouds and the enchanting garden that was beautiful and peaceful to the extreme with the crystal like petaled flowers that reflected the warm sunlight like glittering jewels made the land appear extremely beautiful and mystical.

    But the mist cloud of the Spirit Energy that swirled around the human figures within them was formed with different intensities. It was no wonder as everyone had different affinities with the Spirit Energy limiting the amount of Spirit Energy they can attract.

    But there were two figures who were having the thinnest of the mist cloud of Spirit Energy around them. One of the two was an immature but nonetheless beautiful girl. A blue lotus was hovering on her left shoulder and a pale blue crystalline ice lotus was slowly forming beneath her like a lotus seat. Sophie was not actively attracting the Spirit Energy but once she found that there was some sort of barrier that was preventing her from absorbing the Spirit Energy, she immediately understood that this was also a kind of test that was camouflaged as the reward.

    She was naturally rather intelligent and she realized that her solution to this test rested on her ability to break this barrier. So, she was currently focusing on her Soul Spirit, the [Ice Lotus] to increase the synergy between them. If she can increase the harmony that existed between her Spirit and her, she believed that she can break this barrier.

    After all, this was how Spirit Cultivation works! The cultivators rely on their Soul Spirit they Awaken to form the Soul Bridge and draw in the Spirit Energy between the Heavens and Earth to cultivate and advance through the Realms. The farther they can link up with their Spirits, the more easily they can absorb the Spirit Energy and advance through the Realms.

    But that was just one factor the influenced the talent of a Cultivator. But this was also one of the fastest and also the slowest methods to increase your talent.

    The other candidates also quickly recognized this and also concentrated on their Spirits.

    The other figure was naturally Azalon who was having his [Heavenly Demon Tiger] Raka in his lap and was just sitting there with his eyes closed and a slight but excited smile on his face. He was also not actively cultivating but he just sat there calmly concentrating on the changes he was currently feeling within him.

    He was waiting, waiting for his three Spirits to finish their evolution to the next stage. His thinking was also a lot like what Sophie has come to, but it was also different. His path of Cultivation was a lot different from the normal cultivators whose Spirits would grow after breaking through a Realm. He had to first Evolve his Spirits in order to reach the next Realm.

    This place not only had dense amounts of Spirit Energy but the abundant nature also drew in large amounts of Spirit Essence as well. And that was what was needed by his Spirits to evolve. This was the second method recorded in the scroll of the [Soul Embryo Cultivation Technique]. It¡¯s just that this method of evolution was rather slow. It was because the Spirit Essence from the Soul Spirits could be converted to Spirit Energy that could be used by the cultivators, but the Spirit Energy couldn¡¯t be so easily converted to Spirit Essence that could be used by the Spirits. It was also the reason why Spirit Beasts were powerful than their human counterparts at the same level of Cultivation. And Azalon simply took the best way among the two by using the Souls of the Spirit Beasts for the evolution of his Spirits.

    But with this place having an abundant supply of Spirit Essence, he could now use this for the evolution of the Spirits. The barrier constructed by Elder Vanko around him only blocked the Spirit Energy but not the Spirit Essence. So, he was simply waiting for his Spirits to complete their evolution.

    Time passed by and more than half an hour was used up within the two hours that were allotted to them. Elder Vanko and old Elder Paul were standing observing the ten youngsters trying to work their ways around the barrier made by the Core Sense of the Elder Vanko, but till now no one succeeded. But they were not concerned about that as these were just a very small part of the total number of candidates that were attending the Academy Selections. But their two gazes were on two candidates among the ten. Elder Vanko was observing Sophie as her Spirit was a rare Variant Spirit and Elder Paul was obviously interested with Azalon.

    Another 10 minutes passed by and then a change appeared on one of the candidates. The [Ice Lotus] hovering on Sophie¡¯s shoulder trembled slightly and a petal slowly bloomed on the ice lotus bud. Along with the blooming of that single petal, the Spirit Energy surrounding her suddenly went chaotic as the thin cloud formed around her thickened by a huge degree as more and more Spirit Energy was drawn to her after her connection with her Soul Spirit went up by another degree.

    The Elders were slightly surprised but they were not overly shocked as this was just barely acceptable by their standards. With their age and statues within the Academies, they should have encountered far more peerless talents than what Sophie was displaying.

    The mist around Sophie became so thick that it simply obstructed her figure to be seen from outside. Just as the petal of the Ice Lotus bud bloomed fully, the Spirit Energy around her quickly took on a pale blue hue and a mysterious cold feeling spread out from the Spirit Energy. The barrier that was constructed by Elder Vanko by his Core Sense was completely dissolved by him as he sensed that this was the maximum potential she could extract from within after the trials. So, naturally there was no need to hinder her further and let her cultivate.

    The pale blue Ice Cold Spirit Energy swiftly rushed into her body like a flood and after Sophie refined the Spirit Energy, it was then guided into the Energy Vortex within her Soul Root, making her Cultivation raise with every passing moment.

    Another 10 minutes passed by and the cloud surrounding the candidates were the same and only Sophie managed to start cultivating after the barrier has been lifted up. She even managed to break through to 8th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Basically, her talent was even more than Azalon. It was just that the nature of her Spirit constricted her Cultivation, otherwise she was one of the peerless geniuses within the Blue Wind City.

    But it was at this moment, Azalon¡¯s still body suddenly trembled slightly. The tiger cub Raka was sleeping in his lap had small threads of Spirit Essence that were interwoven around his body like a sort of a transparent cocoon.

    Within Azalon¡¯s Soul Root¡­

    The Energy Vortex was like a small raging tornado that was confined within his Soul Root. The previously Vortex shape was transformed to form a funnel shaped vortex with his Soul and the Souls of his Spirits at its eye. The Spirit Energy was quickly ushered into the eye of the funnel and it was slowly condensed to form a single drop of Spirit Energy Liquid.

    *Drip* *Drip*

    Every few minutes, there will be an Energy drop that will fall from the funnel shaped vortex to join the 30 already formed Spirit Energy Liquid drops that were whizzing all over the Soul Root. With every drop of the Spirit Energy Liquid drops formed, the Energy Vortex will shrink by a bit. Azalon didn¡¯t know what will happen when the entire Energy contained within the Energy Vortex was used up to form the Liquid Spirit Energy drops.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

    Right now, there are 16 Purple Colored Liquid Drops and 18 colorless Liquid drops within his Soul Root, and there was another Purple Colored drop that was in the middle of its formation within the eye of the Energy Vortex. But he was not focusing on them right now. He was looking at the Soul Embryos of his three Spirits and waiting for them to Evolve.

    The Soul Embryos of Raka and LILY that were in the form of a small figurine sized gray tiger cub and a fairy were moving around the black sphere that was his Soul. Only Merup¡¯s Soul was still in the spherical shape. All three of them had a transparent membrane around them that was formed by the Spirit Essence that was incubating the Soul Embryos.

    *Crack*

    A small cracking sound resounded in his Soul Root and Azalon quickly concentrated on the three Soul Embryos. There were tiny cracks that were spreading on the surfaces of the Soul Embryos.

    Azalon could feel that same feeling he felt whenever his Spirits would Awaken from their Evolution and three names sounded in his mind from who knows where.

    ¡°Heavenly Demon Tiger, Raka¡­¡±

    ¡°Otherworldly Fairy Maiden, LILY¡­¡±

    ¡°Lightning Foliot, Merup¡­¡±

    Just as the three names rang in his mind, the three Soul Embryos shattered with a loud bang that was not audible to anyone but Azalon. The gray Soul Embryo shattered to reveal a adolescent tiger with gray fur and pure golden pupils. It stood on its four limbs in the Soul Root, raised its head and let out a soundless roar. It then started running around Azalon¡¯s Soul flashing with a gray light on its body.

    The silvery golden Soul Embryo melted down and reformed into a small Fairy with four dragonfly like wings and a golden band on her head. But there was a small Silver Gem embedded in the golden band. She lightly fluttered her wings and followed Raka as she too flew around his Soul in a fixed path, leaving behind some silvery light with golden specks forming a silvery ring around his Soul.

    As for the purple Soul Embryo, it formed into a small human like figure with thin arms and legs. Two bone wings like protrudings but a thin membrane covered them making them appear like wings. It too let out a shrill cry as purple light flashed on its body and it formed into a purple ring around his Soul as it revolved around his Soul.

    The moment his Spirits completed their Evolution, Azalon didn¡¯t tarry around and immediately opened the vertical eye within his eyebrows. The mysterious feeling he felt back then once again surfaced and gushed out from his body like a membrane. But the moment it met against the Core Sense barrier of Elder Vanko, it couldn¡¯t extend a single inch beyond that.

    Azalon simply smiled when he felt that. He naturally understood that this thing created by a Spirit Core Realm Cultivator was not something he could break that easily. But he was not looking for a way to break it with force. What he was looking were the weak points in this barrier that would be in the barrier and work his around them.

    But before he could probe further, Raka who had been sleeping till now opened its eyes after his Soul Embryo completed the Evolution. Merely, there were no physical changes on his body as Azalon still didn¡¯t the Spirit Core Realm that would completely finish its evolution. But the aura around him had gone some changes.

    Roar!!

    It suddenly opened its jaws and let out a loud roar!

    The roar was not particularly loud but a faint ripple spread out with Raka as center and the barrier of the Core Sense of Elder Vanko simply disappeared under that faint ripple like smoke in a breeze.

    Azalon, Elder Vanko and even that old Elder Paul turned their eyes towards the little tiger cub that still had its jaws wide open with a mysterious aura pulsating around it. And there¡¯s no need to talk about the other 9 candidates whose Spirits were trembling when the roar of Raka passed by them.

    ¡°An Adolescent Level Spirit Beast!! How is this possible??!!¡± Elder Vanko asked with wide eyes and a completely astonished look on his face. This kid¡­ He was like a box that was capable of taking out surprise after surprise and Elder Vanko was so frustrated that he wanted to tear his hair off!

    Elder Paul¡¯s face was unnaturally serious when his eyes were locked onto Raka and Azalon. ¡°No. It is not an Adolescent Spirit. It seems to be in a pseudo Adolescent state. It seems that it absorbed the massive amounts of Spirit Essence to reach this stage. And by the looks of it, the connection between that boy and his Spirit seems to be especially high. I believe that this kid should have Awakened a Soul Spirit that was at Infantile Stage when it was just Awakened. If his Soul Talent Grade is just as high as his abilities, then this kid will become a great figure of his generation.¡± Elder Paul was still staring at Raka who returned to Azalon¡¯s side after the barrier that was surrounding them dissolved and sat there with his head on its paws and eyes closed.

    Azalon was also curious about the changes that the Evolution to the Third Stage of Evolution would bring in his Spirits, but he had to give up as the Spirit Energy started rushing into his body the moment the barrier was taken down. He had many secrets on him and his first priority would be to increase his strength. Only then could he guarantee his life and go about exploring.

    [Devour]¡­

    He immediately deployed his ability and the Spirit Energy was riled up like a massive beast as it rushed like mad towards Azalon. Even the Spirit Energy that was around the other 9 candidates was also forcefully pulled over by Azalon!

    Majestic amounts of Spirit Energy surged from all the directions and formed a tempest around Azalon. The tempest quickly rose up and it finally formed a 10 foot high hurricane of Spirit Energy with Azalon at its eye.

    If one could see into Azalon¡¯s Soul Root, they would see that this hurricane formed by the Spirit Energy was almost identical to the funnel shaped Energy Vortex within Azalon¡¯s Soul Root!

    Even though his eyes are closed, Azalon could see the Spirit Energy constantly enter his body through his nostrils and mouth only to be refined by his ability and himself before it was sent into the Soul Root. In fact with the barrier around him gone, after he opened the vertical eye between his eyebrows, everything within 99 meters of distance became extremely clear to him. Once again that sensation of control washed over him, but he forcefully restrained it.

    The funnel shaped vortex was like a hungry animal that was finally given some meat. No matter how much Energy was passed into it, the vortex would gobble it up without any problem. It quickly grew in size and its rotation speed also picked up.

    *Drip* * Drip* * Drip*

    The previously Liquid Energy drops that took several minutes to condense a single drop now fell like a continuous drizzle as more and more Spirit Energy rushed into the Soul Root.

    Azalon also quickly diverted the vertical eye to within himself and immediately restrained the funnel shaped Energy Vortex from spreading. With the forming of the vertical eye, he felt a sense of perfect control in the outside world. Now there is no need to talk the level of control he could achieve within his own body.

    The funnel shaped vortex had no way of breaking the shackles that were many times more powerful than before. It obediently shrunk its size even though the Spirit Energy was continuously gushing in from the outside. Azalon divided his attention into three parts, one for constricting the Energy Vortex, second for maintaining the [Devour] ability and the third for refining the Spirit Energy. His main focus was on the Energy Vortex as the remaining two didn¡¯t require that much attention from him.

    Time gradually passed by and the Spirit Energy in the surroundings continuously entered his Azalon¡¯s body and it was then condensed into Liquid Spirit Energy drops.

    50 drops¡­ 9th Level Spirit Sense Realm¡­

    100 drops¡­ Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm

    200 drops¡­ Reached the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm for both the Energies¡­

    The Spirit Energy drops within Azalon¡¯s Soul Root were just like a small rain that was falling from the funnel shaped vortex continuously.

    The Spirit Energy hurricane that was formed around Azalon suddenly grew to form a ten meter high bright pillar with him at the center. The Spirit Energy was even more thick than the moment Azalon started cultivating. Suddenly, Azalon¡¯s body was lifted off the ground and he floated half a meter in the air and the Spirit Energy was converging into his body like a flood through his ears,nostrils, mouth, and even his eyes. Not only that Azalon felt that the Spirit Energy was trying to tunnel in through his pores on his skin.

    The mad rush of the Spirit Energy was as if there were countless needles that were piercing every inch of his body. The Spirit Energy was like a raging flood that was rushing in his meridians and finally reached the Soul Root to join the Energy Vortex.

    With the sudden increase in the input of Spirit Energy and with the pain all over his body, Azalon was facing some difficulty maintaining his concentration. So, he gave full reign to the [Devour] ability and fully diverted his attention to the Energy Vortex that was about to go out of control.

    Mustering every bit of concentration, he slowly guided the Spirit Energy in his meridians to the Energy Vortex while maintaining the pressure on it so that it would continue to condense the Liquid Spirit Energy.

    Within the [Crystal Flower Garden]¡­

    Everyone present in the garden were watching the bright pillar that was formed with Azalon at its center. The Spirit Energy was continuously being drawn to the pillar from every corner of the garden. They couldn¡¯t even cultivate with all the Spirit Energy rushing to that pillar that was glowing with a bright light.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Not a single one uttered a sound as they stared at the pillar of light with astonishment and envy written all over their faces. Some were even viciously cursing Azalon within their hearts due to jealousy and anger! But they didn¡¯t dare do a thing with the two Elders present here.

    Boom!

    Suddenly, the pillar of light shattered and a small body slowly descended to the ground. A powerful aura was pulsing around him and the candidates that were still in the Spirit Sense Realm felt a burst of oppression when the aura passed by them.

    Azalon was exhilarated by the new rush of strength that was flowing in his body. His black eyes were shining brightly like two black jewels that were filled with excitement. His muscles were rippling with explosive power hidden within that lean figure. His blood was like a massive river that was coursing through his veins.

    Within his Soul Root, there were now two small lakes that were formed of the Liquid Spirit Energy. One was a crystal clear lake and the other was a purple colored lake that was glowing with a purple glow from within. Occasionally a stream of the Liquid Spirit Energy would bubble up from the Spirit Energy lakes that would shoot out from the surface of the lake and would fall back.

    He had reached the Spirit Condensation Realm! He could now be considered as a true Spirit Cultivator and he was finally at the starting line of the race to Immortality!

    He could feel that there were a lot of changes within his body and mind, but he didn¡¯t have the time to check his new condition because of two facts.

    One was that he discovered that his entire body was covered with a thick black tar like substance. It covered every inch of his body and even his clothes turned black due to that black substance. It stank so horribly that even Raka was trying to get away from him.

    Azalon smiled bitterly as he couldn¡¯t do other than be the skunk for the while.

    The other was that the old Elder Paul suddenly took out a hour glass with its upper part completely empty. Azalon understood that the two hours that were allotted to them were up. He looked around only to see 9 pairs of eyes that were boring into him. He felt that if looks could kill, he would be a skewered kebab by now!

 Chapter 39: Seven Immortal Pagoda

    ¡°You, boy, go and wash over at that pool. And make it quick.¡± Elder Vanko slightly wrinkled his nose as he pointed to a small waterfall that had a small pool at its base some distance away and said to Azalon.

    Azalon nodded slightly, picked up Raka and quickly ran to the waterfall and jumped into the pool, clothes and all. He took off the clothes after he jumped into the pool and quickly scrubbed himself.

    But Azalon was dumbstruck when he saw himself after he scrubbed off the black substance.

    The skin that was revealed after he scrubbed off the black sticky substance was pink and tender just like that of a new born. There was not even a single blemish and it was even glowing slightly!

    The reflection of himself he saw in the waters of the pool was a childish face that was white and tender with sharp black eyes and raven black hair that fell to his eyes, a small and sharp nose and pink lips! His cheeks were so white that he felt as if milk would come out if he squeezed them!

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this¡­¡± Azalon stuttered incoherently as he stared at his reflection.

    How can this be him?? When and how did he become like this??

    He had been always rushing and training in the Wilderness when he was in the Blue Wind City. So, his skin always had a slight tan. But looking at himself right now, he suddenly remembered that pretty bastard Asma. He felt his stomach tumbling as he compared himself to that pretty bastard.

    But he quickly dismissed this idea as he couldn¡¯t help it. He suddenly turned around to see a white light emit from Raka¡¯s body. And he could also feel that LILY and Merup were trying to appear outside.

    He quickly picked up Raka and submerged into the pool. The pool was not deep and pretty shallow. The water just reached just above his head when he completely submerged. He sat down cross legged on the bed of the bottom of the pool with Raka in his lap and released LILY and Merup.

    They too were pulsing with white lights and Azalon recognized that since he broke through to the Spirit Condensation Realm, the physical changes that should have appeared on his Spirits when they have reached the [Infantile Stage] after their Evolution from the [Embryonic Stage] but wouldn¡¯t because of his low cultivation level were about to manifest.

    The first one to have the white light dim down was Merup and Azalon was slightly shocked at the changes on the Spirit. The infant palm sized Spirit was no more and what stood in its place was an almost double sized Lightning Foliot. It was just like the miniature Spirit figurine he had seen in his Soul Root revolving around his own Soul. Small Purple lightning would occasionally flash on its body bringing with it slight sounds that sounded just like flashes of electricity.

    The next one was LILY that came along with an announcement in his mind, but he simply ordered the system to record it with an over riding command. The fairy that had only two or three changes appear on her body after she completed her Evolution now became slightly larger with a golden band around her head and her dragonfly like wings grew to almost double the size she had before. Azalon could make out a small protrusion on the golden band on her head and he remembered that the figurine of her Soul in his Soul Root seemed to have a Silver Gem embedded into the golden band along with four wings. A silver armor formed around her and she really appeared like a female warrior albeit in a mini size.

    The final one was his original Spirit, Raka. He too grew in size and was now almost the size of his arm from the palm to the elbow. The gray fur on his body changed to form sharp bristle like things and Azalon could see small scales forming below the neck of Raka. The silver lines that formed a pattern below his eyes extended all the way to his ears now and the golden eyes were much more deeper in color and appeared like small molten balls of metal gold. Suddenly, a flash of purple appeared on his forehead and a small purple gem appeared just between his eyebrows. It was a tiny Amethyst that was the size of a fingernail. If one wouldn¡¯t search for it, it was not that prominently visible within the gray bristles of Raka, so he wouldn¡¯t have to explain about these changes that appeared on his Spirit¡¯s body.

    ¡°Hmmm? May be I can. Hank said that the Spirits would grow up to the next stage when the Cultivators reached another Realm. May be I can use that reason but how to explain these many changes?¡± Azalon muttered to himself as he stared in shock at that purple gem as he could see a small lightning bolt streaking within the gem!

    But he didn¡¯t dwell on it further and simply added it to the list of the things that changed when he reached the Spirit Condensation Realm that he had to observe when he had time. Right now, he had to return first, else the candidates and the two Elders get suspicious as to why he was taking this much time just to wash himself.

    ¡°LILY, Merup. Return first. We will talk again later.¡± Azalon spoke to the two Spirits and quickly retracted them.

    ¡°Be careful, Master.¡± LILY, the ever protective of him replied with a concerned voice but she too understood the situation.

    ¡°Chi chi chi¡­ This weird guy¡­ Ahhh! No, no, don¡¯t beat me, big sister. You be careful, wie¡­ Master!¡± Merup was obviously quite fearful of LILY replied in an obedient tone after being warned by LILY.

    ¡°Hmph! I will have to protect this weird guy.¡± A slightly childish voice snorted in his mind with a small voice and Azalon looked down only to see an indifferent pair of golden eyes staring back at him which were quickly averted when they saw him looking back.

    Azalon didn¡¯t know how his Spirits spoke with each other, but he plopped up from the lake and quickly dressed himself with a pair of clothes he took out from his [Void Ring]. He couldn¡¯t carry Raka as he did before, so the tiger had to walk beside him.

    The small group of people stared at Azalon in shock and Azalon simply shrugged with a bitter expression on his face. He knew that combined with his still growing body and his new color and skin, he should have cut quite a figure within these guys¡¯ eyes. He looked around when he found out that the old Elder was no where to be seen. But he immediately stopped when he heard Elder Vanko¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Alright, come and stand here. You guys, don¡¯t look like you have seen something amusing. This boy here broke through to the Spirit Condensation Realm and if you push him at the wrong places, he will very easily wipe the floor with you. The Spirit Energy expelled all the impurities accumulated in his body. That was one of the most basic symbol that one has advanced to the next Realm, the Impurities Cleansing. His body is now like a new born and his physical body level is way more than you guys have. Think about this before you laugh!¡± Elder Vanko disdainfully scolded the candidates that were stifling their laughters while looking at Azalon. Those guys, under the Elder¡¯s admonishment, remembered the burst of oppression they felt when Azalon broke through and their faces paled.

    Even though they came from the borders of the land, they at least knew about the basic Cultivation Realms and they also knew that a Cultivator at a higher Realm could deal with the all the Cultivators beneath his Realm effortlessly. Right now, with Azalon in the Spirit Condensation Realm, they who were still in the Spirit Sense Realm would be just like ants before him. Even those who were at the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm were no match for a Cultivator at the Spirit Condensation Realm!

    ¡°Now that everything is over and done, the candidates that passed this trail are 4 among you. The first is this boy, Azalon Wheld who reached the Spirit Condensation Realm from the 8th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm, and he will be awarded 10 points. The second is the girl Sophie Wheld who reached the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm from the 7th Level of the Spirit Sense Realm. She will be awarded 8 points.¡±

    ¡°The third candidate is Kazan Hin; he too reached the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm from 8th Level, will be 6 points. The fourth candidate is Hari Reran, who reached the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm from the 8th Level and 6 points. The others will be shown out by someone. As for you four, follow me.¡± Elder Vanko turned around and swiftly made a beeline for a mountain at the side of the garden.

    The candidates were all filled with bitterness and hopelessness as they stared after the five figures that were moving farther away from them. This distance between them right now would only grow more farther and farther as these four would have a chance to soar into the skies and they, the failures, would always stay on the ground only to look up at the vast skies and envy the luck of the birds that could fly!

    The four of them quietly followed behind the Elder Vanko and Azalon felt slightly amused and sad at the dwindled number than those that followed this very same Elder when they passed the Preliminary Test!

    Azalon had to admit that the selection procedures of the academies were truly rigorous. They selected 4 candidates out of the hundreds of them when they were at the beginning. And these were not even the real tests as per the words of that old Elder.

    Azalon shook in head slightly but he understood the reason behind such strict requirements set by the Academies. It was better to have one good talent that could be nurtured to be a great power over time than having hundreds of trash!

    ¡°It¡¯s just how the world works¡± Azalon sighed in his heart as he felt a tinge of pity for those who failed after coming to this stage. They were here not only for themselves but also they bore the burden of the hopes and aspirations of their families for them on their shoulders. He still remembered the sight of the parents of a candidate at the Blue Wind City whose energies within their bodies were so erratic and chaotic that they clearly over worked to their bones, but they still had a grateful and hopeful smile on their faces for their child to succeed in the Academy Selections and reach higher stages in their life.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    But reality was not a caring mother that would pamper every one!

    Only those who had some high talents or peculiar abilities could have higher chances to walk farther on the road of Cultivation and reach for the higher Realms.

    Only those on whom the Heavens would smile would have the luck that would accompany them and push them from the back whenever they face some challenges.

    But who could those who don¡¯t have them blame? Fate? Destiny? Luck? or God? In Azalon¡¯s view, they can only blame themselves! They were not strong enough or confident enough to push themselves harder to reach their goals. They can only blame themselves for their shortcomings. If they could have worked harder, who knows, may be they would be the ones walking behind this Elder instead of these four.

    Azalon quickly came out of his brooding when he heard a rumbling sound. He looked up and saw the same light symbols he had seen formed by Elder Vanko when the mountain gate opened being formed once again. But with his new cultivation and his senses that have become exceedingly sensitive towards any forms of Energy, he could now see or more than feel that Elder Vanko was manipulating the Spirit Energy in the surroundings and his own to form the symbols that floated before him.

    Elder Vanko swiftly formed dozen or so symbols that were pulsing with a bright light and brought his palms together. Immediately the symbols floating before him arranged themselves into a symbol formation that looked like a simplified version of the formation he made earlier. He immediately flicked his hand and a small drop of blood landed on the symbol formation. The symbol formation buzzed slightly and with a swoosh, it landed on the side of the mountain.

    Azalon had been expecting another mountain gate but when the symbol formation landed on the side of the mountain, only a small part of the mountain opened up to reveal a well laid path of blue stones.

    ¡°Follow me and don¡¯t touch anything you see in the path.¡± Elder Vanko warned them with a grave tone. Azalon was not sure what those words meant, but he could say that Elder Vanko was really being serious when he said that and this was not another test or something like that.

    With Elder Vanko leading the way, the four of them walked into the tunnel like path. Once they were inside, the mountain side that was opened quickly closed behind them plunging them into darkness. Azalon felt a quick burst of panic in his heart as this reminded him of the black world he had seen in the dream world. But that panic immediately subsided when bright lights started appearing on the walls at regular intervals illuminating the tunnel.

    Azalon could see that the entire tunnel was made of blue stones that were cut into small rectangles and placed in an orderly but a mystical fashion. The bright light from the walls reflected off these blue stones dying their entire world blue.

    ¡°This is one of the ways to reach the ¡®Seven Immortal Pagoda¡¯ where you will undergo the final and the most important test before you become eligible to join the Academies.¡± Elder Vanko spoke with a light smile as he recalled the time when he himself walked through a tunnel like this many years ago. He was a young master of his family back then with a [Golden Scaled Winged Serpent] as his Soul Spirit with his Cultivation at the Middle Level Spirit Condensation Realm. And now he became a Heaven Core Realm Cultivator and he was one of the Elders in his Academy.

    He looked back at the four youngsters that were following him and felt a bit proud of himself. He had his family behind him that provided him with rare and precious medicinal herbs and Spirit coins to purchase the medicinal pills that could help in his advancement in the Cultivation. He even apprenticed himself to a Grand ¨C Master Tier Rune Formations Master and learned the array formations to the Master Tier.

    But looking at this batch of four that had none of those, he suddenly felt pity. He knew that the ruthless and competitive world within the Academies would simply gobble up these village bumpkins.

    He didn¡¯t say anything, though, and simply walked forward. Azalon and the others who were watching the tunnel with interest quickly scrambled behind him.

    Azalon¡¯s interest was caught by the lights on the wall. They were not like the electric bulbs back in Earth, but they were more like miniature balls of light that were simply floating in the air. But they were clearly crystals with a small ball of light within them. He didn¡¯t know how they functioned or even manufactured if that was how these things came into existence. He stopped by a light stone and extended his hand just to hover an inch above the bright crystal. He didn¡¯t touch it in order not to disturb it but he didn¡¯t feel anything from the crystal and also because of the warning Elder Vanko gave them when they entered the tunnel. But what surHe couldn¡¯t even feel any kinds of fluctuations of Energy emitting from the crystal either.

    ¡°Amazing.¡± Azalon gasped at this small crystal that was glowing with a bright light.

    ¡°Those are called ¡®Sun Stones¡¯. They form when the normal crystals absorb the sunlight was trapped within them and with enough time, the sunlight will conglomerate to form a light source that will exist independently within the crystal. All it needs is to be placed in the sun for a while and they will replenish themselves. It is an useful tool to have for Cultivators or even common mortals. The Academies all own their own mines that would mine these kinds of crystals and much more. You will come across them when you manage to pass the ¡®Seven Immortal Pagoda¡¯ and join the Academies. Now don¡¯t dawdle around much and quickly come!¡± Elder Vanko who had walked 20 steps when Azalon stopped to examine the sun stones provided a simple explanation and urged them to move faster.

    The other three except for Sophie who only had a small smile on her ice cold face were all staring daggers at him when the Elder scolded him. If not for this guy gobbling up all the Spirit Energy in the surroundings, they would have broke through to the Spirit Condensation Realm when they cultivated in the garden!

    But this guy had to come and ruin all that! How could they not be jealous and angry to have such a good tasty morsel be taken away just when they were about to swallow it? And even more, if their strength grew, their chances of passing the Academy Selections would also increase, even if it was just a bit!

    They quickly passed through the tunnel and even though the tunnel was not long, the monotonous blue stones, even though it was beautiful to look at, quickly got boring. But that was only for the other three. Azalon quickly found out why the Elder had warned them not to touch anything here. He could sense strong fluctuations of Energy coming from under the blue stones and the sheer number of the stones from which he could sense these Energy fluctuations scared Azalon out of his wits! They were all traps placed all over the tunnel!

    After about fifteen minutes, they walked out the blue stone tunnel and walked into a valley. The valley was large and covered on all sides by the slopes of the mountains. In the middle of the valley stood a single large building that was glittering brightly in the glaring sunlight.

    It was a tall tower like structure with a heptagon like shape and was divided into 8 floors. It was 200 meters in height and was appeared to be completely constructed by slabs of gemstones making the entire structure look almost like a massive gemstone. Only the ground floor was simple and looked to be constructed of normal stone. Each floor was made of a different color and almost 30 meters in width and was smaller than the previous making the tower like a thin and tall pyramid or a Chinese pagoda Azalon had seen on Earth. A group of floating lights formed three bright words in the language of this world or at least this region,above the tower that was visible even in the sunlight.

    ¡°Seven Immortal Pagoda¡±.

    They all looked around only to see that there were different groups of candidates that were emerging from the same tunnel like structures at different locations in the mountains that were surrounding this place led by various Elders just like them. Each group contained four or five candidates that were the same as them but there were also larger groups that had more than 20! All the candidates quickly gathered with their Spirits standing at their sides. Azalon spread out his senses and did a quick head count to come at a number 197.

    When he spread out his senses, quite a number of heads turned towards him. Azalon calculated there were about 40 of them at the Spirit Condensation Realm just like him and the rest of the candidates were all at the peak of the Spirit Sense Realm and he also sensed that there were a handful of candidates whose cultivation levels he couldn¡¯t see through but he could feel some strong Energy fluctuations on their bodies. Clearly, they were at a higher level than him and likely the most powerful of this group of candidates.

    Azalon suddenly felt a burst of wind and swirled around only to see that the ground floor of the pagoda now has seven doors

    ¡°Now, you can all go in to the pagoda. This test has no time limit. In fact you can stay as long as you want within the Seven Immortal Pagoda itself. Of course, that is under the condition that you can stay inside. The qualifications to pass this test is also very simple. If you can reach the first floor of the pagoda, you will have qualified the test. If you reach the second floor, you will be a good candidate. If you can reach the third, it will be outstanding. As for the fourth, you will be a genius with unlimited potential. The floors from the fifth to the seventh are¡­ ¡± An Elder who led another group than Azalon who started talking when all of them gathered and stopped mid speech and swept his gaze on all of them and smiled with a smile that was not a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are qualified to reach that floors. But if you can reach the fifth floor, you will have a chance to become a personal disciple to one of the Elders here. As for the sixth and seventh, hehehe¡­¡± He suddenly laughed weirdly and they could all sense the slight ridicule present in that laugh. Some of the youngsters had unconvinced expressions on their faces especially those ones who had higher cultivation levels than Azalon.

    Azalon simply shook his head as he saw the expressions of them. The tests conducted by the Academies till now had such high difficulty to pass, and this is the final test! Even an idiot can sense how difficult this test was going to be!

    Azalon didn¡¯t know what he would encounter within this pagoda but he had pretty much eliminated the Cultivators at the Spirit Sense Realm to pass the second floor, if he was to believe the words of the Elder who spoke about the categorization of the candidates based on the floor they reach.

    It all came down to the Spirit Condensation Realm candidates and fortunately he had been lucky enough to reach that Realm in both types of Energy of his Spirits. He still didn¡¯t exactly find out what changes appeared in his body, but he will find out sooner or later.

    ¡°Go in, the difficulty of the test will be decided by your innate talent and your age.¡± The Elder simply waved his hand and all the candidates immediately rushed in like a tide.

    Azalon turned his head to look at the other three in his group and especially at the only girl within. He lightly sighed and said in a low voice to Sophie. ¡°Stick with me if you can.¡± After all, she was his cousin and his family. Naturally, he wasn¡¯t going to leave her like that. With that he slowly walked towards one of the openings in the pagoda without looking back. He didn¡¯t care about the other two who had rushed past him when he started moving.

    Sophie was surprised when she heard Azalon¡¯s words. She lightly bit her lower lip and stood there for a few breaths. No one knew what she was thinking. Just when Azalon walked around ten steps, a helpless expression appeared on her face as she quickly rushed towards Azalon.

    They both entered the ground floor of the pagoda and disappeared from view¡­

 Chapter 40: The Floor of Emotions!

    The Seven Immortal Pagoda may seem like a beautifully constructed structure, but it was actually designed to be a battle field. There were array formations all over the floors that would draw in the Spirit Energy from the surroundings and construct various scenes within the floors with different scenarios for each and every person depending on their age.

    One had to defeat whatever that floor formation would throw at them and only then the path to the next floor would appear. And there would also be an invisible pressure bearing down on the candidates on each floor and the pressure as well as the difficulty of the array formations would increase exponentially on each floor.

    That was why the Elder said that if they could reach the fourth floor, they would be considered geniuses and if they reached the fifth floor, they would become direct disciples of one of the Elders here.

    Of course, the battles that the candidates would encounter would all be illusionary, but how could these youngsters who just reached the Spirit Condensation Realm would figure out what was real and what was illusionary? Naturally, there wouldn¡¯t be any mortal danger to whoever entered this pagoda, as the formation would immediately stop when the candidates would encounter a dangerous situation and expel them from the pagoda. Whatever the injuries they would feel they suffered in the array formation would disappear the moment they step outside the pagoda, but the feeling of injury would be in their minds and they would feel the pain of the injuries without any actual injuries.

    And that was the most scary part of this Seven Immortal Pagoda!

    The Elders were grouped outside the pagoda and were chatting with each other. They had taken out some tables ad wine and were drinking there like it was a picnic and not a Selection for the future students of their respective Academies.

    ¡°How many do you think would pass this trial? You know, the number of candidates this year that reached this stage were almost thrice the number we usually see in the Selections. Don¡¯t you think so, Leo?¡± An Elder who appeared to be in his thirties and draped in a loose yellow robe asked the one to his side.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The Seven Academies are recruiting all at the same time. Naturally, the difficulty of the tests had to be lowered to that level. Otherwise how could these who were still in the Spirit Sense Realm could have made to this stage?¡± Elder Leo who was a slightly lean but muscular man spoke up with a frown. He was naturally dissatisfied with the candidates that had appeared this time. None of them had any remarkable abilities or better Soul Grades. The highest he had seen in this batch of candidates was a single fifth grade Soul Talent, but he was unfortunately an Attribute less Spirit Cultivator.

    ¡°Ah, yes! Elder Vanko, it seems that the small batch of candidates that were with you had a small girl with a Pure Wooden Attribute and that a Variant Spirit Cultivator also has been present. Is it true?¡± It was once again the same Elder who turned his head towards Elder Vanko who was sitting to a side and quietly drinking to himself. Only this Elder dared to talk to him this freely as he had a reputation to be unsociable and was only concerned with either his Cultivation or his Rune Formation Mastery.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. The Wood Attributed girl was 8 years and I think she was at 5th or 6th Level Spirit Sense Realm. And the other was another girl who managed to reach the Peak of the Spirit Sense Realm after the second test.¡± Elder Vanko replied blandly and didn¡¯t even bother to look at who asked the question. As he was answering, the figure of a small boy flashed in his mind and he couldn¡¯t help but speak. ¡°But those two were not the ones to look at. There was a small boy who was 12 years old and reached the Spirit Condensation Realm at the second test.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? What is there to lookt at that? His age being 12 years is something but when compared to the Pure Wooden Spirit girl, he is just like trash! At most, his Soul Grade would be at most fourth grade. It doesn¡¯t matter how much he would suffer, he could only reach the Spirit Core Realm Mortal Core Level at his peak!¡± The two Elders were surprised and confused when they saw the Elder Vanko who rarely praised any one talk these many words about some one!

    The Soul Grade was a method used as a standard measure to measure the talents of the Cultivators. There were Seven grades that were ever recorded in the history. It depends on the number of Profound Entrances a Cultivator would possess on his Soul Root that would allow the movement and absorption of the Spirit Energy. The more Profound Entrances one had, the more easily one could channel their Spirit Energies and the more intimate their contact with the Heaven and Earth would be. That would make reaching the higher Realms much easier when compared to the Cultivators with a lower number of the Profound Entrances.

    Elder Vanko sneered in his heart, but he just had to tease these old guys. ¡°Oh! Yeah, he is indeed a trash. He is just a trash who happened to Awaken a Spirit at the [Infantile Stage] at his Awakening that grew to pseudo Adolescent Stage. He is just a trash who managed to condense a an Innate Spiritual Sense when he was at the 8th Level Spirit Sense Realm. Yes, he is a trash indeed!¡± Elder Vanko simply stood up and walked off with a good feeling in his heart as he saw the faces of the two Elders grow increasingly ugly with every word he spoke.

    But it didn¡¯t mean that he approved of Azalon or interested in him. It¡¯s just that he used Azalon as a cause to berate these nosy Elders. But he had to admit that small boy made some kind of impact in his heart with his talent and skills. Although he didn¡¯t know exactly what Azalon¡¯s Soul Grade was, but if he managed to Awaken a Soul Spirit at the [Infantile Stage] just when it was Awakened, then he could only see that his future could be full of infinite possibilities! After all, just a few minutes back, he managed to form an Innate Spiritual Sense just when he was in the Spirit Sense Realm.

    While the Elders were chatting and drinking, all the heroes of this part of the tale were all gathered in the ground floor of the Seven Immortal Pagoda. Azalon and Sophie were among them and they were looking curiously around with wondrous expressions on their faces.

    Even Azalon was amazed with what he saw when he entered the pagoda. The ground floor of the pagoda was a vast floor paved with the same blue stones he had seen back in the tunnel, except for that the stones that were laid in this floor were many times larger than the small stones that were in the tunnel. But what amazed Azalon was not these stones but the slight pressure he felt as soon as he entered here.

    The pressure was minuscule to the level that he could completely ignore it but it was present there nonetheless like an invisible thing hovering right above their heads. He looked around the floor and discovered a small staircase in an inconspicuous corner of the floor. How could Azalon not recognize that this was the staircase to the first floor? But it seemed strange to him that none of the other candidates were making a move towards the stairs.

    He frowned slightly and turned around only to see Sophie staring blankly towards a direction without even blinking.

    ¡°Sophie. Sophie.¡± He called out softly but she didn¡¯t respond and continued to stare. His frown deepened as he patted her shoulder and she jumped like a scared cat. Her eyes instantly focused on him and Azalon could see confusion and slight trace of fear in her pale blue eyes.

    ¡°Wha¡­ what happened?¡± Sophie asked hoarsely. Azalon stared at her and shrugged his shoulders.

    ¡°You were spacing out. Let¡¯s move to the first floor.¡± He shook his head as he simply said. He didn¡¯t understand what she experienced but if this would be the case from now on, he didn¡¯t know how much of help he would be to her.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    ¡°First floor?¡± Sophie looked around and asked with a confused look. ¡°But how?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®how?¡¯ Don¡¯t you see the staircase over there? Don¡¯t act like fool and look properly!¡± Azalon felt his temper raising as he replied in irritation. How could she not see the staircase that was in plain view?! Is she acting like a fool just to irritate him?

    ¡°What do you mean there is a staircase? I don¡¯t see anything! Oh, I know. You want to get rid of me so that you can just ride to the top with your new found strength of the Spirit Condensation Realm, right? I am just a weak little girl who has no choice but to blindly follow you if I want to get into the Academies!¡± Sophie was practically screaming by the time she reached the end. Azalon could see tears welling up her eyes and suddenly, his irritation flared.

    ¡°Yeah! You admitted to it! You are just a weak little girl right now, just like I was for 2 years! 2 fucking years as the family trash and no one cared about me! I am trying to take care of you just out of pity and a small reason that you are one of my family and this is how you take it? Very well. Let¡¯s see what floor you reach with your pathetic cultivation. Ah, that¡¯s right. You can¡¯t even see the stairs to the first floor that are right in front of your fucking eyes!¡± Azalon got closer to Sophie and was practically shouting in her face. Azalon took in a deep breath and tried to reign in the anger he was feeling.

    He didn¡¯t know why he was feeling such anger and irritation and why he was shouting at Sophie for such a simple reason. But his anger flared once again when he saw the pitiful look on Sophie¡¯s face as tears streamed down her pretty cheeks and her eyes were slowly turning red and puffy. Disgust welled up in him when he stared at her. How dare she try to cry in front of him? Who was he? He was a reincarnated scientist from Earth and he became a Cultivator of the Spirit Condensation Realm! He was practically the strongest of the younger generation of the three families in the Blue Wind City!

    And he was also one of the rare among the rarest type of Cultivators thay had Awakened three Spirits. Three Soul Spirits!

    Immense pride swelled his heart like a balloon as he thought of that. He was so proud of himself that he appeared to be heads and shoulders above these pathetic excuses for candidates around him. Except for the really strong like him, how dare these ants stand before him like they were his equals? His eyes slowly turned cold as looked around at all the Spirit Sense Realm Cultivators. His gaze even landed on some of the candidates at the First Level of the Spirit Condensation Realm like him.

    Outside the Seven Immortal Pagoda¡­

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ It has started. Each floor of the Pagoda has different functions and the ground floor is the ¡®Floor of Emotions¡¯. It will rile up the emotions of the candidates within and they will behave according to whatever emotion that rules their heart. Some will slaughter the others consumed by rage, some will violate the girls consumed by lust and some would even commit suicide when they feel disgusted by themselves! I wonder what¡¯s happening inside.¡± A pudgy Elder much like the Xan Huan Elder who came to the Blue Wind City laughed loudly as he saw the numerous dots of light on the side of the Pagoda¡¯s ground floor. Each of these light dots represented a candidate and they would disappear and reappear based on the position of the candidates within the Pagoda.

    The other Elders also stopped whatever they were doing as their attention was focused on the ground floor of the Pagoda. The ground floor was different from the rest of the floors because the array formation laid there doesn¡¯t distinguish the candidates based on their age or cultivation levels. It was the only floor where the candidates would all feel the same level of the scenarios. But the only respite was that the array formation in this floor was only built to affect the mental states of the candidates. If it was the same as the killing arrays as those on the seven floors, then there would be no chance for the weaker candidates to enter the remaining floors.

    Within the Ground Floor of the Pagoda¡­

    It was the exact same situation as expected by the pudgy Elder. It was extremely chaotic as all of the candidates were overwhelmed by different emotions and they were behaving as guided by their emotions.

    Some were trying to kill the other guys who irritated them while some of them were brooding over in a corner appearing extremely gloomy as dark clouds hovered above them. Even their Spirits were affected by the emotions their Masters were feeling as well as the array formation. After all, they too were living things and had emotions and such.

    There were even pairs of boys and girls that were doing some things that shouldn¡¯t be done at their ages and their moans and pleasurable gasps filled the entire floor making the scene even more chaotic.

    There were even some of the youngsters who tried to make a move on Sophie. She was a natural beauty and her ice cold expression as well as her pure white jade like skin and her body filled with immature charm of a budding lotus was like a hot cake in the eyes of those who were consumed by their lust. But with her Variant Spirit that had the Innate Cold Affinity and with her Peak Spirit Sense Realm, she was practically invincible below the Spirit Condensation Realm. Every candidate who tried to approach her would be turned into an ice sculpture under the cold Energy radiating from her and then immediately destroyed to pieces.

    And Azalon was one among the candidates who were killing the others.

    He was originally powerful even before he entered the Spirit Condensation Realm and with him now stepped into another Realm, his strength soared like crazy. With his movement technique and fist technique, he was literally like a tiger within a flock of sheep.

    His every punch suffused with the pure and condensed Spirit Energy was like a sledge hammer that would instantly kill a Cultivator of the Spirit Sense Realm and his speed was almost to the point that none of them could even see the silhouette of Azalon before he striked out. And with his Spiritual Sense covering the area, there was no way he would suffer a sneak attack.

    Peng¡­ Peng¡­ Peng¡­

    Three cultivators at the Spirit Sense Realm were killed by Azalon and were expelled out of the Seven Immortal Pagoda. He turned his head around and his eyes locked onto a Cultivator of the First Level Spirit Condensation Realm.

    That one was a young man who appeared to be around 15 years of age and there was a brown scorpion the size of a jug with a needle shaped stinger at the end of its tail that was glowing with a black light. It was a Dark Attribute Soul Spirit and with a swoosh the stinger pierced through the neck of a Cultivator and his body faded away along with his Spirit.

    Azalon¡¯s eyes glimmered with pride and anger as he looked at the youngster. But just as he was about to move, a shout that shook him to his core roared in his mind.

    ¡°WAKE UP, KID!¡±

    Azalon¡¯s body trembled as his mind immediately cleared. He looked confused for a moment and then he remembered what he had been doing till now. His eyes filled with fear as he looked around himself at the different scenes that were going on. He looked down and found the source of the shout that sounded in his mind.

    Raka looked up with disappointment and disdain in his shimmering golden eyes at Azalon and Azalon felt slightly uncomfortable under that gaze. But he was really thankful that Raka was able to wake him up but was also puzzled.as to how he managed to do it.

    He dared not tarry any longer as he once again felt his emotions being stirred by who knows what. His eyes searched and locked onto the small figure that was surrounded by a stream of cold Energy around her. His figure flashed once and appeared right next to Sophie. Her cold Energy that attacked him was broken apart with a wave of his hand and his other arm linked up with her waist as he pulled her towards the small staircase he could see in the corner of the floor.

    Raka followed behind the two figures as they rushed towards the staircase. Some of the candidates who were battling tried to interfere but were sent flying by a punch from Azalon. With six steps, he was next to the staircase and immediately ascended them.

    They appeared on the first floor of the pagoda and the foreign feeling that was riling up their emotions suddenly disappeared as soon as they left the ground floor. Azalon breathed a sigh of relief and put down Sophie on the ground. She was still absent minded but quickly regained her wits as she looked around. Her gaze paused on the young boy and the tiger at his feet. Her eyes flickered when she remembered what had happened.

    She stood up awkwardly not knowing what or how to say anything. Azalon understood her predicament and smiled slightly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You didn¡¯t mean to say those words and I didn¡¯t mean them either. Let¡¯s forget about them. If you want to thank anyone thank this little guy. I think this should be the first floor of the pagoda. With this we are pretty much qualified for the Selections but let¡¯s check out this place as well.¡± He tried to divert the topic and glanced around with interest at the surroundings.

    ¡°Hmph! Who would want any thanks from such a kid. Well¡­ if you want to say it¡­ I don¡¯t mind it¡­¡± He could hear Raka mumbling in a low voice and smiled. One day, he had to have a good talk with his Spirits.

    ¡°Mmm.¡± Sophie simply nodded her thanks to both Azalon and Raka and she too looked around at her new surroundings.

    The first thing Azalon felt was that the pressure he felt on the ground floor almost doubled in here. But it was not to the point where it was causing any discomfort to him. But he glanced once at Sophie and seeing that she seemed normal except for being somewhat pale in her face, he felt relieved.

    Now, what would this floor do?