Chapter 182 - Wait For Me!
While studying the collection of sword arts, Leon frowned with disappointment. These sword art manuals were incomparable to spirit art scrolls from the Divine Realm, which records the visual execution of the spirit art and be viewed by injecting spirit energy into the spirit art scrolls.
The sword art manuals provided many illustrations, but little to no explanations. It was easy to mimic the physical form, but without understanding the unique energy circulation that powers the skill, it was no better than ordinary sword techniques.
Furthermore, the meridian pathways in the human body were numerous and filled with countless possibilities. Trying to understand all the possible pathways in the human body was like trying to unravel the mystery of the universe.
Circulating energy through unexplored pathways had to be treated with utmost care. No one could predict what could happen from circulating through unexplored pathways.
In good cases, a new skill could be discovered. In bad cases, a backlash occurs, reversing the flow of energy.
Normally in such cases, suffering self-inflicted internal injuries was unavoidable, while crippling meridians and even death was not out of the realms of possibility.
As such, people normally avoid circulating their energy blindly. It was not much different with playing with their life.
In general, the sword art manuals provided vague drawings and high risk in learning.
"The sword art shown in these manuals seem very powerful, but it's too dangerous to practice. No wonder they are all locked away here." Leon shook his head. "This was a waste effort. It is better to practice sword arts under the guidance of a sword master than to practice from these manuals. The quality of teaching, these manuals possess are too atrocious."
Leon frowned. There was no way he would allow his women to practice these sword arts on their own. The consequence of making a mistake was unbearable. While he had the method to repair broken meridians, he lacked the herbs.
Leon closed his eyes and ruminated through his memories from the Divine Realm. Even in the Divine Realm, swords were the most favored weapon of divine practitioners. Along with his father, he had cured a number of sword-users in the past.
Although, he never took cultivation seriously, he was at least aware of some knowledge pertaining in the way of the sword from his interaction with these sword-users, one of which even held the title of Sword Saint.
It was said that the way of the sword had four known realms, namely; Sword Spirit, Sword Intent, Swordforce and Sword Domain. Although the path of the sword doesn't benefit one's own cultivation, it grants its users unfathomable battle power capable of fighting opponents beyond their realm.
Most sword-users are only able to comprehend sword spirit and qualified to call themselves swordsmen. Those who comprehended sword intent were called sword masters, followed by sword kings for comprehending Swordforce.
In the whole Divine Realm, there was only one person who ever comprehended the sword domain and became worthy of the title; sword saint.
Sword Saint Evernight was only a half-step Divine King, but with his sword domain, he could contend with peak Divine Kings. If he could take the last step, he would become the overlord of the Divine Realm.
"Senior Sword Saint Evernight was once hunted by Divine Kings because of his potential. After slaying a Divine King and escaping with grievous injuries, he passed out near our home. He was later found and saved by father and I."
"In order to repay our favor, he gave us some guidance in the way of the sword…" Leon reminisced.
"The first step to forming the sword spirit is to have the sword in their heart. If one did not have the heart of a swordsman, one will never be able to become one. Cultivate the mind and become one with the sword, through trials by fire then the sword spirit will form."
In order words, they had to fight! Fight through numerous bloody battles and bond with their sword. There was no shortcut.
"If I apply the same method to the spear, will I be able to form a spear spirit?" Leon pondered, before shaking his head, "I can only find out through practice, but the Capital has more or less stabilized. There aren't many opportunities where I can find myself in many life or death battles…"
Leon frowned. There many things to do, but not enough time to do them all. Most importantly…
"I haven't made any further progress in the stage of five elements ever since my initial success in the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos]. In the end, my understanding of the five elements are lacking and my Five-Element Body has reached a bottleneck. Advancing my cultivation will no longer improve my Five-Element Body. If I can't improve my Five-Element Body, then I will not be able to increase my mastery of the [Nine Echo Oscillating Fist] to use five echoes."
"It seems I should focus on completing the five elements to increase my mastery of the [Hegemon of Primal Chaos] technique. I can only look for opportunities as I go to train my spear skills and test the method to form my spear spirit." Leon took a moment to sort out his thoughts, before he decided.
To complete his five elements, he still needs to form the earthseed and the woodseed. Considering the commonness of earth-users, Leon immediately judged that it would be much easier to form the earthseed than the woodseed.
However, Leon did not intend to dig up earth books to read. That was too tedious. He didn't want to go through the same inconvenience to form his metalseed. There had to be a more direct and primitive method.
The earliest of awakeners did not rely on the knowledge from books to achieve their awakening. In fact, it seems that in the process of creating a structured step to awakening, the awakener cultivation system, they had forgotten the origin of how it started.
"When divine practitioners to comprehend the laws, they would do so in an area where the law can be felt strongly. If I want to comprehend the earth laws and form my earthseed in this world, I must go to the place where the earth energy is densest… and the place with the densest earth energy… can only be found deep underground!"
…
Leaving the treasury, Leon ran into his mother, who just returned from her short underground trip.
"Have you already finish catching up with father, mother?" Leon asked, seeing his mother was alone.
"Not yet, son. Something came up." Elizabeth answered.
The underground smell mixed with a peculiar strong and unpleasant acidic scent lingering around his mother's body immediately left an impression on him.
"You just came back from underground? There's a strange unpleasant smell on your body. What happened underground?"
Elizabeth's eyes bright at the mention of the underground. She did not mind unpleasant smell on her body caused by ant's blood despite not coming into contact with it. It just shows how pungent and pervasive the smell of ant's blood was.
Don had mentioned the edibility of ant organs out of spite, to make the surrounding men stationed at the entrance curious and hopefully, suffer the same pains he went through. As the saying went; curiosity kills the cat. However, little did he know, his small act of pettiness would make the whole Capital suffer.
Elizabeth had bigger plans after receiving the information from Don. If ant organs can be eaten and taste great, why shouldn't it be utilized and shared amongst the common populace that relies on the royal family's charitable food distribution to get by?
"En, that's right. Mother just came from underground. The second-floor entrance had long been found and just a while ago…"
Elizabeth began recounting events in the underground and the ants she encountered.
After Leon finished listening to his mother's recap, his eyes glinted. From what his mother told him; these creatures were at least as powerful as one-star awakeners.
They were suitable targets for him to train his spear. He was planning to cultivate underground, so this news suited him just fine.
Leon soon bid farewell to his mother and prepared to set off to the underground entrance immediately, but recalling he had a patient hadn't checked up on, he decided to make a quick stop by the guest courtyard.
…
Leon knocked on the door of a room in the guest courtyard upon his arrival.
"Who's there?" A wary voice sounded from inside.
"It's me." Leon answered.
The door crept open after Leon answered and a pale figure was slowly shown.
"You're back." The pale figure said.
Leon was immediately taken aback by the sight.
Did her condition worsen while he was gone? Why was her skin so pale?
However, Leon noticed the steady breathing and there was evidently no weakness in the person's movement.
"It seems you have fully recovered." Leon smiled, before adding, "But why is your complexion so pale? Don't tell me you've been shut inside your room this entire time?"
Lilith thought for a moment before nodding, "En, apart from grabbing the delivered meals by the door, that had indeed been the case."
"Why?"
"Because I don't trust humans!" Lilith said with a sharp look.
Leon wasn't intimidated and asked, "But you trust me?"
"That's right. You should be honored." Lilith said with a haughty tone.
Leon was hit with another surprise. Was this her true character after she recovers? Even if she was a princess elsewhere, he was a prince here and this was his home. What's there to be haughty about?
He thought for a moment before shaking his head. Never mind, he shan't bicker with a bird.
"Now that you have recovered, what are you planning to do?" Leon asked.
"Hm… What are you going to do?"
Having his question direct back, Leon's lips twitched.
"I'm planning to go cultivate underground, why?"
"Oh, then I am going too." Lilith said as a matter of fact.
"Why?" Leon creased his brows. He felt an incoming headache.
"If I'm with you, I won't have to worry about being attacked by other humans."
Leon thought for a moment, before shrugging, "Suit yourself. I'm leaving now."
With the beastkin accompanying him, he might finally get an opportunity to learn more about the Wildlands. However, it was no longer a priority.
News of the nonaggression pact had been spread and he wasn't uninformed. The Bloodfiend Sect and Illusory Butterfly Sect seemed to be bigger problems currently.
"Wait for me!" Lilith happily said, seeing things were going her way.. Her pearly eyes flickered unnoticeably.