Chapter 26: Close Circle

“Laivien”, Zax called outloud as he entered Grandmaster Kartion’s cave, knowing that Laivien, through the soul amplification of the violet stone, is already aware that he arrived to the cave.

‘Little Zax? You finished you closed doors training early?’ Laivien’s voice echoed in Zax’s sea of consciousness and after a short cessation, before Zax had the chance to reply, it resounded once more.

‘Eh? You really broke through, little Zax!’ Laivien communicated through the soul and the violet stone made it so she would be much more sensitive. Moreover, Zax did not conceal the strength of his soul.

‘Congratulation! Congratulation, little Zax! You truly comprehended five bottlenecks of insight! Even my Kartion is behind you now on that aspect!’

Actually, the reason Laivien knew that Zax succeeded in comprehending the fifth bottleneck was not because she could sense it along with his soul level, but due to the fact that she early known his this time training session’s goal.

‘Laivien’, Zax smiled. There was always an honest care in her voice for him and his Martial brothers and sister, as if each and every one of them was the child in her womb. ‘Thank you, I also didn’t expect to conclude my training so soon. I will later come to personally see, but can you do me a favor before that?’

‘Oh! Little Zax, I got too caught up with your new accomplishment that became distracted. You called me, what do you need me for?’

‘Please look for Master and tell him to meet me in his cabin’.

‘Mm, sure. Big brother is currently cultivating his mist energy in the Essence Cave, but for his Martial son, I don’t think he will mind if I’ll interrupt him’. There was still a trace of excitement in Laivien’s voice, but since Zax promised to visit her, she complied with his request.

“Master”, waiting beside the cabin he used to reside in after he first arrived to Grandmaster Kartion’s cave and was accepted as Kartius apprentice, Zax respectfully greeted his Master upon his arrival.

“Martial son, you have done well!” Kartius exclaim in surprise. He, too, could feel the apparent changes in Zax’s soul. “Exceptionally formidable for a newly promoted second realm soul

nothing less from my Martial son!” His eyes shone in gratification.

“Master-” Zax abruptly halted. He felted, much more evident than in the cavern, the Black Core his Master kept. He could not help but continue extremely thrilled. “More than just breaking through and comprehending another bottleneck has occurred to me

The Black Core, I finally learned its origin

and, literally, cause and effect of everything else!”

Zax sounded abstruse, and it was clear to him. Part of it, naturally, was due to the opportunity of unloading the burden of the heavy and prominent knowledge he acquired. The other reason, unbeknownst to him, was close proximity to another Black Core. His Qi channels, dantian and the now lone Black Core that has left, were all longing to assimilate an additional part of Legacy Of The One’s Path.

“Let’s sit inside”. Kartius suggested after picking up on his Martial son’s anomalous behavior.

Facing each other while sitting on the wooden floor of the cabin, Zax recited his entire experience of the recent training session. At that moment, he intended for the conversation to be private, that is, between him and his Master only. And yet, he was not worried if Laivien might eavesdrop because of two reasons

First, he knew that Laivien would never intrude on someone privacy when uncalled. Second, and something that he notice earlier when he talked to Laivien, now that his soul reached the second realm he could detect when Laivien used the violet stone to amplify her soul and encompasses him with he strengthen Soul Sense. Zax assumed that although the violet stone can enable the special abilities of a third realm soul in a weaker soul, it does not really influence that much the weaker soul’s overall power, which is why he could tell when Laivien reached for him before she even talked.

It was a long time after Zax ended listing in detail the chain of events he gone through in his secluded training that Kartius stopped contemplating and opened his mouth to respond.

“It is good that you returned here as soon as you finished your training and looked for me, Martial son”. Kartius’s stag head frowned, the muscles of his crossed arms bulged, the grip of each of his hands loosened and clenched over and over. “This matter is of utmost importance, Zax, you cannot share it with someone else heedlessly, do you understand?”

“Yes, Master! That is why from the first place I wanted to consult you about everything that I should do now. And

despite also considering Grandmaster’s advice about the Black Cores, if I’ll go over everything from the beginning, some things may be unpleasant for him to hear and I’m not sure how to approach him about them”.

“Humph!” Kartius snorted at Zax’s comment. “This matter should not be taken for granted, but at the same time, Martial son, do not underestimate the top experts of our New Earth, be they humans or beasts!”

“Master

?” Zax did not expect to be reprimanded by his Master for the concern he had for Grandmaster Kartion.

“Your way of thinking is a clear sign that regardless of your amazing progression, you are still too immature”. Kartius said and continued without allowing Zax the chance to say anything. “You claim that the exalted expert planted fragments of his Martial techniques and refinement techniques in us, his mixed creation with, I guess, Nature, and this is why experts like big brother were able to come up with their techniques

Preposterous!”

“Do you think, Zax, that forming a Peak grade technique is so simple? You said it yourself, what the exalted expert bequeathed could only be unrevealed by those with the capacity to recreate it. You yourself are an example of his severe requirements! Being able to accept what the exalted expert had left is already enough to tell that my big brother is an exceptional expert!”

Kartius’s words resounded in Zax’s sea of consciousness as a wakeup call, one which he probably needed since learning about the experts and his doings, and in a way, they were also the guidance he sought.