Sitting on the fifth floor of a tavern overlooking a massive, bustling city, we find two individuals. One is an old man wearing a pristine white robe, his equally enchanting white hair and beard lending him an air of wisdom with every movent. The other is a small-statured person with crimson hair and brilliant purple eyes. He also wears a robe as white as snow and sits elegantly in a chair at the far end of the space, closest to the window. Despite the dark circles beneath his eyes, he exudes a noble presence.
The old man took a sip from the teacup in front of him, maintaining an air of elegance.
"It’s actually quite good. How surprising," he remarked.
The young boy, Alaric, wore an indifferent expression but couldn’t help but twitch slightly. ’Only you would co to a tavern to order tea...’
It had been a month since they left the planet, and Alaric had co to realise, ’This man is shaless.’ He did whatever he wanted with a gentle deanour, as if his shaless acts were completely natural.
During the past month, Alaric had learned a great deal about the world and its current situation. The realm they inhabited, known as Undym, was in a constant state of decline, not just in terms of energy but also in terms of size. It used to be vast, so might even call it boundless, but now it has shrunk to rely a few trillion light-years in diater, most of which were just barren. In the past, there were experts stronger than those found in the martial soul realm, but now the realm could only support practitioners within that level, and this standard was expected to decline further due to the ongoing regression of energy.
As chosen individuals of the heavens, it was Alaric’s and the remaining eleven’s duty to address the calamities of the world. Alaric was already aware of the ergence of an Usurper; every blessed individual knew. As blessed of the sa era, they were intricately connected, so the death of one would be felt by all. About a month ago, he sensed a shift indicating the fall of one of their own.
At that ti, he had subtly inquired with Old Tian about it, but the only response he received was, "I found a wife for you," accompanied by an expression that still haunted him. Who would have expected such a gentle old man, with his serene deanour, could convey sothing so infuriating?
Alaric gazed at his tea, took a sip, and sighed tiredly, his mind drifting back to what had happened a month ago. After their conversation at the palace, Old Tian had grasped his shoulder, and in an instant, they vanished. One mont, they were in the beautiful palace, and the next, they found themselves in a world that was far removed from anything he would consider humane.
This world was known as ’rchant’s Paradise.’ It was a brutal realm rife with all types of dehumanising behaviours.
The vivid horrors he witnessed were enough to make any civilised person indignant. He encountered unprecedented depravity, including slavery, human organ trafficking, murder, extortion, bullying, and blatant prostitution.
The cultural shock of his first day was jarring, but he adapted quickly, as he always did. He wondered why the old man had brought him to a world where slavers displayed naked people for sale. Was he trying to provoke him? He knew he would never forget what he’d seen, considering his traits.
After answering a few questions, Alaric discovered that the old man hated the situation just as much as he did but felt powerless to change it, despite being the ruler of the territory. It was a reminder of his own weakness. He could only stand by and watch his people suffer. This reality resonated deeply with Alaric.
Seeing others endure a fate far worse than his own humbled him sowhat. It made his own suffering sting a little less, but it didn’t erase the fact that he had experienced it. If the opportunity ever presented itself, he vowed that, being powerful enough, he would bring down the organisation responsible for his suffering.
This was where his lectures began. Old Tian began to teach him the profound knowledge of cultivation. During this ti, he observed various species, from humans to beasts, elves, dwarves, and demi-humans. It was truly fascinating. He used his special eyes to analyse everything he encountered, both living and non-living, especially plants and ores.
He instinctively understood their properties and the best ways to utilise them. The more he analysed, the more he noticed patterns and ways to enhance their properties by mixing specific ratios of different herbs. One thing he observed was how much easier it was to process information compared to a month ago. This change was likely related to his innate techniques and the improvents they had made to his ntal acuity. He had gained more control over his ntal world.
What was remarkable about his improvent was that he could achieve all of this in the background without having to pay constant attention. His brain automatically processes all information effortlessly.
However, he hadn’t slept a wink in a month, and his body was already giving out. He felt physically weak, but ntally, he was more than okay; he was stronger than ever. Alas, while the mind is willing, the body remains weak.
He knew he would have to go to sleep very soon, and without Old Tian, he would put those around him in danger.
Today, they found themselves in a peaceful and vibrant world, deciding to take a break after travelling for a month. He seized the opportunity to ask a question that had been weighing on his mind throughout their journey.
"Old man, you once told that so experts beco stuck at certain levels of cultivation, and even the blessed ones can’t escape this fate. What do you think causes so to be trapped while others manage to break through those boundaries with little effort?"
Old Tian’s usually calm deanour shifted subtly. He was stunned for a mont before dropping his teacup to the ground. "I once asked my teacher the sa question, you know. I’m quite surprised you brought it up."
Alaric stared at him without responding, his expression indifferent.
Sighing softly, Old Tian grumbled internally, "This boy is no fun at all."
"Do you want to know his reply?"
Alaric nodded gently.
They were the only ones on this floor of the tavern, so they didn’t bother speaking softly.
"He said, ’Wealth, strength, and fortune bow to one law: the dominion of the mind. For only ntality decides who commands and who obeys."
"What he ans is: what separates the top experts from the multitude is the ntality they hold. Their ego is so strong, it pushes them forward."
"Among the current rulers of this realm, there is one who is so arrogant that he believes all other practitioners are beneath him. He refuses to acknowledge that anyone could defeat him in the sa cultivation realm. Driven by this belief, he constantly pushes himself to prove it true.
There is another who is a madman, viewing everything as broken and in need of repair. He perceives the world as fundantally flawed and believes that the reason for this imperfection is simply that he has not yet laid his hands on it. He considers himself the most excellent smith to ever walk this realm."
"These are very powerful practitioners that others can only dream of reaching."
Alaric was stunned and silent for a mont, processing the information thoroughly before responding. "Basically, they are all psychos who believe the world revolves around them."
"Yes", Tian replied without hesitation.
’I see it now, ’ Alaric’s eyes shone brightly.
-------------------------
A/N: Leave a comnt.
User Comments
0 comments from readers