191. Towards a New Life

It is a cloudy evening and Clay just got out a river from having cleaned himself and not far from him is a boiling pot atop a bon fire he created a few hours ago.

A month ago, he had a glimpse of his parents taking care of a baby who appears to be his brother’s first child.

At that time, he had considered revealing himself but seeing everyone celebrating the birth of a new generation, he can only swallow the bitter fact that he is nothing but a bad memory to everyone he encountered.

Fifteen years ago when he made a decision to be imprisoned, he was prepared that his family may not recognize him someday but to actually see them having moved on, it still caused some tingling in his heart. At least he can turn around and move on knowing that everyone is living peacefully.

After putting on some clothes, Clay took out a white ceramic bowl as he filled it with the crab he nurtured on his spatial ring using the same technique as how he nurtured his Spirit Essence but with lesser time.

From his estimate, the crabs had grown around less than a thousand year and what is surprising is how it managed to form a Beast Essence with at least six Mana Nodes. While it was interesting, Clay needed them for their meat to improve his body constitution which had been deprived of nutrition for one and a half decade.

Unlike a month ago, he no longer looked thin and malnourished but healthy adult. Clay thought it would take more time for his body to fully heal but cultivation has it perks.

*Slurp!

“Where’s that chili?” Clay rummaged his backpack. While he could store everything in his spatial ring, to look like he was a normal traveler, he needed to at least look like one.

And speaking of travelling, Clay is currently on some random mountain close to the border of Braria Country heading towards Shang Country otherwise known as Nine Province which is an amalgamation of nine smaller countries.

Clay still has the book given to him the outer headmaster of Erindal and disappointingly, it felt like reading an ancient literature about how Spirit Essence Awakening was birthed using exaggerated methods and results. He was inclined to believe he was given a book meant to entertain children but when he got to the last pages, a few passages caught his attention and piqued his interest.

The book tells a story about a man on his heroic tales to conquer the world and during his humble beginnings, he strictly followed his tribes’ way of preparing the ingredients needed to awaken his powers and this takes time and patience. The hero was overshadowed and looked down by his peers but he persevered and believed in his ancestor’s thousand year legacy. And by the time demons invaded, he who was once forgotten rose to the top.

Clay had a laugh but when he got to the last pages, it was emphasized again how one must follow ancient traditions which then prompted him to re-read the book.

As someone who has firsthand experience of Dao, he could not ignore the first clue of what he had been looking and while it is not clear, the way the hero’s legacy was depicted seem to relate to Dao Transference.

He was originally planning on seeking the assistance of any itinerant mages he can find but having read the book, his next destination was obvious.

And one interesting fact about the book is that the hero is not of human or Elven origins but of Druids, the first intelligent beings to roam the world.

And to follow their tracks, he would need to travel to a neighboring country of Nine Province where he may find records of these prehistoric men.

Unfortunately, Clay had no money and can only travel on foot but once he gets to his destination, he plans on trading Mana Crystals.

*Blurp!

Clay felt his body revitalized. If there is something he needed improved as a side quest, then it should be to improve his culinary skills.

“Let’s see…” Clay took out a map as he planned his course. While it is easy to fly, he did not want to get spotted until he fully understands the rules of this world especially that he is travelling to where technology is continuously being improved. Who knows if they have already developed a runic gun to counter mages of his level. He has yet to incorporate himself with Dao and until then, he must lie low at all cost.

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After packing up, Clay sent his mana towards his back to form a pair of wings then started to levitate. In the past, he would easily feel exhausted from the recoil of Flight Spell but having improved his body constitution by eating those prawns he aged in a Negative Subspace, he is confident he can maintain the levitation skill for a day.

Clay flapped his wings. From his estimate, he should be at the border of Nine Province after two more days.

As Clay flew into the horizon, he felt a massive wave of energy that spark through the clouds above.

*Rumble

*Boom!

Followed by the deafening thunder, Clay felt a slight drizzle pitter pattering all over his body.

“Really now?” Clay muttered to himself as he activated his Godly Eyes. While he could just dig a cave and shelter himself from the incoming rain, he did not want to get bitten again by some random insects. It is true he is a 2ND Circle Mage but his cultivation is still not enough to ward off pesky little flies when he is meditating or sleeping.

“A village, perfect!” Using his Godly Eyes, it was easy to spot souls from above so he immediately descended. He’ll just give them some tea leaves in return.

As Clay approached the village, he can’t help but notice something was amiss and before he could stop himself, he had already entered an almost imperceptible cone of mana. It was too weak he did not even consider it a Defensive Formation.

Clay did not need to scan the area to understand that the mountain is a mage’s lair. It was his fault he ignored the fact that he is still in the middle of nowhere.

Clay decided to turn back immediately but before he could fly any further, he felt a deadly burst of energy coming from below.

*Swish!

Boom!

Right before the Lightning Arrow hit him, Clay had already erected barrier to surround himself.

“Did you get lost, boy?” Two seconds after the impact, a man in his fifties wearing black cloak floated towards Clay.

“I am and I was just leaving. Please pardon my intrusion.” Clay humbly responded as he assessed the mage before him. From the Mana Nodes reflected on his Godly Eyes, he can tell the man is a 3RD Circle mage who had integrated with an Elementary Beast Essence but unlike normal mages, this guy had his Spirit Essence Awakened.

For the first time, Clay is looking at a mage displaying an Awakened Spirit. Back when Kendricks said Beast Spirit Manifestation and Awakening, he reckoned it is the state at which the Sub-Mana Nodes from the Spirit Essence being lit-up and Manifestation is basically the projecting the image of the Spirit Beast and display its abilities.

If Clay were to guess, this mage’s origins should be Crow Country, 4TH of the Nine Provinces.

Right now, although it is weak, a silhouette of a bird is projected on the man’s back and while Clay is still confident he could win, he is still apprehensive.

“You don’t seem to be from Nine Province.” The man spoke like he was looking at an ant.

“That’s because I’m not and again I was lost and forgive me for trespassing. I’ll excuse myself.”

“And you don’t look like a Brarian as well. Did Ludonia finally decided to intervene?”

Clay did not want any confrontations but the fluctuation surrounding the mage is sending red signals into his instinct. On top of it, he could already sense multiple Warriors and at least six 1ST Circle Mages in position waiting for instructions below. Technically, he can overpower them but will they really leave him alone if he showed his power? The fact that this man can roam around the secular world as a 3RD Circle Mage means these strangers might be related to someone stronger which means more trouble if someone reveals how he escaped. The answer was obvious.

“I don’t have plans on confronting this senior. I have seen nothing and I promise to avoid this place this aga…”

Clay was in the middle of his sentence when he saw the other party took out a staff and he can already feel how powerful the next spell is going to be. From his estimate, this mage is vastly stronger than Terrence whom he killed years ago.

Clay silently circulated his Mana and to be safe, he will not hesitate to fully derive his spells from his 200,000TH year Spirit Essence. Such hostility and refuses to reason just shows how much they wanted to die.

Clay set aside his morals then slowly circulated his mana as he prepared for a surprise attack.

“Do you really think I’m a fool? With your mana reserve, I’m sure you won’t get away. So, would you like to tell me who else knows about our hideout? If I’m satisfied, I might let you …”

The mage was in the middle of his sentence when he suddenly sensed a terrifying ripple of energy and he wanted to create a barrier to protect himself but right before he could retreat, he saw a flash then his surroundings went dark.

Zzzkkk!!!

Splash!

In a blink of an eye, a huge mana tentacle burst forth from Clay directly piercing the mage’s head and like a watermelon that exploded, blood and brain matters splattered everywhere.

Clay certainly noticed the barrier surrounding the mage and was expecting a little resistance but to his surprise again, it was no different when he confronted Terrence and the princes’ lackeys years ago.

“Fire!”

“Kill him at all cost!”

Bang!

Bang!

Clay raised his head towards the sky as his mana barrier protected him from the series of attack. It has not been a year since he got out from that prison yet here he is, staining his hands with blood again.

Clay spread his divine sense and having locked everyone’s position, he closed his eyes and guided his mana and killed everyone.