Raaden's breathing slowed, and his gaze turned sharp. A hint of greed flashed in his eyes.
The Core Formation realm was perhaps the greatest temptation for any Expert in the Dadangar Subcontinent. This was especially true for wandering cultivators and vagabonds who had suffered under the sects' bullying.
Aksai raised his eyebrows slightly. He had to admit that even he would have been tempted to consider Prince Arven's offer if he were just a drifting Expert with no sect or guild to rely on.
That being said, Aksai wanted to know what the prince was offering anyway. Even if he wasn't interested in the offer, he wanted to get to know this newly rising third faction a little better.
"And how do you plan to do that?" the Spirit farr asked.
Prince Arven did not answer right away.
Instead, he lifted his hand. A faint flash of light appeared, and a sealed container erged from his storage ring. It floated gently before settling on the table.
Aksai's gaze shifted to it. He recognized it instantly. It was the sa container that held the Spirit Core of the boar-type demon beast they had hunted in the Duya Forest.
Prince Arven tapped the container lightly with his finger.
"This," he said, "is not just a 3rd Order Spirit resource."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"It is also a key to one's Lordship. And mind you, I'm not talking about those damaged goods known as pseudo Lords," he added with a soft chuckle.
"In fact, our thod can make you even more powerful as Core Formation Lords than regular cultivators of the 3rd realm in today's generation."
Both Aksai and Raaden could not help but raise their eyebrows in surprise. Taking their reaction as expected, Prince Arven continued.
"The royal faction has found a way to integrate demon beast Spirit Cores into a cultivator's dantian. Not like the pseudo Lords you may have heard of. Those people only borrow a tiny fraction of a true Lord's might."
"They use external cores as a power source to cast 3rd Order Spirit spells for a short ti. That is why pseudo Lords have a weak foundation and cannot progress further."
He shook his head.
"Our thod is different."
His voice turned firm.
"It does not damage the cultivator's potential. It does not create instability."
He looked straight at Aksai.
"If the process is successful, it turns them into true Core Formation Lords. They even have a chance to break into the Nascent Soul realm in the future if they stay diligent on their path."
As he spoke, Prince Arven stretched out his palm and released the demon beast Spirit Core from its container. The Core floated motionless above his hand for them to see.
Raaden stared at it with mixed emotions, his face filled with shock, disbelief, and eagerness.
Aksai looked at the floating Spirit Core for a few monts before shifting his gaze back to Prince Arven.
His face remained calm, but there was a clear hint of curiosity in his eyes.
"How did you manage that?" he asked. "How did the royal faction implant a demon beast's Spirit Core into a human cultivator's dantian without any backlash… or turning them into pseudo Lords?"
Prince Arven did not answer at once. He leaned back slightly and tapped his finger on the armrest of his chair, as if weighing sothing in his mind. His eyes moved from Aksai to Raaden, then finally to Lurina.
Lurina t his gaze and gave a small nod. That simple gesture seed to make up his mind. Prince Arven smiled before speaking further.
"Well," he said, "let's consider this information as a form of investnt in both of you."
He paused for a mont before continuing.
"What we found is not entirely new in the regions beyond the Shinayin Empire. It's just that this thod has not been properly used in our subcontinent."
Aksai listened quietly.
"Do you know of Lord Blackblood from the demonic faction?" Prince Arven asked.
Aksai nodded without hesitation.
"Of course," he replied calmly.
In truth, the na brought back many mories.
Hayaat Blackblood
He rembered the man clearly. The sect master of the Black Blood Demon Sect. A powerful Lord. A father who had done everything he could for his children even while facing death. But none of that showed on Aksai's face.
At this point, he was just Naran. A wandering Expert with basic knowledge. Seeing Aksai's response, Prince Arven continued.
"I'm not sure if you know this," he said, "but the Blackblood Lord ca from a once powerful clan beyond the Shinayin Empire. A clan that practiced bloodline-based Spirit cultivation."
Raaden frowned slightly, listening carefully.
"Hayaat Blackblood himself was a bloodline cultivator," Prince Arven went on. "His clan had integrated a demon beast's bloodline into their own."
He leaned forward slightly.
"That is why he could survive for weeks even after losing his heart," he added. "His body was not like that of a normal cultivator."
Aksai stayed silent.
"The clan he ca from had relatively extensive knowledge related to vessel bloodline," Prince Arven said. "This bloodline could be refined over ti. As it was refined, the hidden potential inside it would awaken."
He lifted a finger slightly, as if explaining a simple idea.
"This gave them faster cultivation pace and better talent. All they had to do was refine their own bloodline using special techniques."
Raaden's eyes widened slightly. Even Aksai pretended to be surprised. Prince Arven smiled faintly before continuing.
"What the royal faction has obtained," he said slowly, "is a similar thod."
He pointed at the floating Spirit Core.
"We change the bloodline of a human cultivator first," he explained. "We add a beast-like origin to their bloodline."
He paused for a brief mont.
"And only after that… we implant the Spirit Core of a demon beast with the sa origin."
Aksai's eyes narrowed slightly. He also knew about the concepts of Spirit bloodline and vessel bloodline. He was also aware of the Blackblood Lord's bloodline Spirit arts.
However, he could have never imagined that the royal faction would one day get access to such knowledge.
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