As he said that, with a flip of his hand, Mathias retrieved a white and black crystalline card with runic characters on it and handed it to Ace. "This is your Pavilion ID. It was forged by Lauriella, our resident blacksmith and Lazerim, an expert in the art of formations. It uses runes similar to those made to create the magicrystal card. However, this store's contribution points for the pavilion instead of money.

To bind it to you, you simply need to drip your blood on it."

Doing as instructed, Ace made a small cut on his thumb and watched as a picture of him magically formed in the top left corner above the number "110", which Ace correctly guessed were his current contribution points. Beside it was the words "outer disciple".

"The Yin-Yang Pavilion is slightly different to other academic institutes in the Yulan Plane," Mathias explained when he noticed the confusion on Ace's face. "Unlike other institutions like the Ernst Institute and the War God's academy, there is no graduation upon reaching a set realm. Instead, as you grow stronger, you can rise through the pavilion's ranks.

As a first to the third rank warrior and/or mage, you can be considered an outer disciple. Whilst still an outer disciple, you're still required to attend warrior and/or mage classes daily.

You'll be promoted to inner disciple upon breaking through to the fourth rank, where not only do you not need to attend classes anymore, but you will also get a monthly stipend of ten contribution points a month. And the top ten strongest inner disciples will be called core disciples, each of whom receives a stipend of 30 contribution points, with the strongest getting 100 a month. Lucky for you lot, there only happen to be ten of you.

When you break through to the seventh rank, you're promoted from disciple to instructor, or as I like to call them, elders."

"Who're you calling old?!" Wukong snorted disdainfully as Lauriella and Kimika glared at their first brother, clearly not a fan of that title.

"Ahem…

As you can see, the titles are still a work in progress, but you get the idea," Mathias said, pretending he couldn't see the threatening glares he was receiving.

"You said there is no graduation?" Ace asked. "So we're members of the Pavilion for the rest of our lives?"

Being a pirate in his previous life, he valued his freedom above most things in life. So the thought of being tied down to something so permanent didn't sit right with him.

"In theory, yes." Mathias nodded. "Don't worry, though. We won't restrict your freedom in the slightest. Other than the Radiant Church and Cult of Shadows who're too extreme in nature, you're even free to join or create your own factions, provided it's not evil in nature. And if you ever decide you wish to leave, you're free to do so as and when you choose."

"That makes no sense," Ace said, believing there had to be a catch. "What do you get out of creating an establishment like this?"

"That's simple," Mathias replied. "Knowledge."

"What does that mean?" Ace asked.

"Okay, take me, Killian, your mother, and Julius over there as an example. Each of us has an affinity to one of the four edicts. It's not so bad for Julius and Killian, who have high affinities to one or more of the seven natural laws. Still, progression is arduous for those like your mother and I as there're virtually no paths to follow in the ordinairy magical institutes.

But here at the Pavilion, I can help Killian with his comprehension of the laws of destruction and although there are currently no eld…

Ahem. I mean instructors with affinities to the other three laws; we have books and scrolls related to each of them, and in the future, when Julius reaches the seventh rank, the pavilion will have an instructor who specialises in the edict of fate."

Hearing that, Ace had to admit he had a point.

"And it's the same for all paths. If, for example, someone were to create a new technique or spell, they'd be able to exchange it for contribution points." Mathias said, giving Ace a not-so-subtle nudge.

"How many contribution points are you willing to offer for [Soru]?" Ace asked directly.

"Soru? What an odd name," Mathias replied. "It depends on the mechanics of the technique, but at least 1000 credits up front and 1% for every purchase,"

"Deal!" Ace said directly.

"Does that mean you're agreeing to join?" Mathias asked back.

"It does," Ace answered straightforwardly.

He may not know Mathias very well, but he knew and trusted Wukong. So if he was willing to join, Ace believed it was an organisation worth trusting.

"Haha, excellent!" Mathias exclaimed before taking out nine other ID cards and passing them to the other students, who all unhesitantly bound it to them with blood.

"Now, allow me to introduce you to the other instructors," Mathias said as his Junior brothers and sisters made their way over.

"This is my wife, Lauriella. Like I said earlier, she's the pavilion's resident and arguably Yulan's best blacksmith. Any weapons you little fellows need forged can be done by her, provided you have the contribution points for it.

Next is my third brother, Lazerim Penay. As the mage instructor, he'll be in charge of taking the mages amongst you for your two-hour magic lessons each day. Although in other mage institutes, it's normal for there to be at least one teacher per element, Lazerim's a rank nine mage with insights into the laws of earth surpassing a lot of saints. He's more than capable of teaching those at your level, regardless of your respective elements.

Next up is my fourth sister, Kimika Lilt. She's the Pavilion's warrior instructor and will take the warriors amongst you for your morning warrior training. She's a rank-nine warrior proficient with most weapons.

Fourth up is my fifth brother, Wukong. Though he's only a substitute instructor, you can go to him if you need any help."

As Mathias introduced the various instructors, the eyes of each of the kids lit up with awe and reverence. They knew that even in institutions like the War God's Academy and the Ernst Institute, you'd be lucky to have a teacher in the 6th rank, with the heads of the various departments being in the seventh rank or eighth at best. So to be instructed by instructors like Kimika and Lazerim on a daily basis in classes of nine was nothing short of a godsend.

"Next, I'd like to introduce you to one of the Pavilion's two guardian elders and my martial uncle, Aiden Rohault. You likely won't see him much, but you can feel safe knowing he's watching over you." Mathias said respectfully.

When he heard that, Ace couldn't help but take another look at the dark-skinned man. He wasn't like the others, who more than likely still believed him to be a saint due to him walking on the air. Ace knew full well the man was still a peak ninth-rank warrior with no mage cultivation at all. Still, Mathias made it sound as though he was stronger than even him. The more Ace learnt about him, the more mysterious he seemed.

"Finally, allow me to introduce the Pavilion's other guardian – my master, Arianna."

As he said that, Ace and the others watched a giant terrifying black phoenix float down from the clouds.

The beast's aura easily dwarfed that of the black dragon from the beast tide at Silverlight City, so seeing what looked like a warrior goddess standing calmly on its back brought no small shock to Ace and the others.

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Arianna simply gave a gentle smile as she calmly floated off the back of her mount. Then, strangely enough, she floated straight past her husband and disciple until she was in front of none other than Ace's mother.

"Milianna, was it?" She asked, her voice like a gentle breeze. "How would you like to be my sixth disciple?"

Bar Aiden, her question came as a shock to every person present, including her current five disciples.

"Me?" Milianna asked back, in no less shock than the others.

"Yes, child. You." Arianna answered gently. "And don't worry, I have no intention of training you to be a fighter. I can see it's not in your nature. Instead, I wish to help you train in the laws of life to become a mage doctor."

When she heard that, Milianna's heart stirred. Ever since they left Wushan Town, Milianna had felt like she wasn't able to pull her weight within the group.

Whenever anything happened, it was always her who needed to be protected, and all she could do was cook an occasional meal or knit an item of clothing.

Though she hid it well, it definitely weighed on her heart, but if she became a mage doctor, she'd finally be able to help Ace and the others. How could she say no to an offer like that?

"Disciple Milianna greets master," Milianna said as she took a knee before the goddess before her.

"No need for such formalities," Arianna said before turning towards the arena. "Amira, I wish to take you as my seventh and final disciple. Are you willing?"

A giant grin hung on the girl's face as she shot off the stage and into the woman's arms. "I'm willing."

"Haha, that's good," Arianna replied as she dotingly stroked the head of her youngest disciple.

Most of the other students looked at Amira in jealousy. It was evident from the strength of her disciples that Arianna was an incredible master. With a master like that, your future was all but set, but they'd be lying if they said they didn't understand. Whether it was talent or actual ability, Amira was the definition of a monster, the only person who surpassed her was…

Looking at Ace, they couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him. He'd won the king of the ring in domineering fashion, defeating almost all of them one after the other, yet he wasn't chosen as a disciple by any of them.

Luckily, Ace wasn't bitter about it. In fact, whether it was Killian, Amira, or his mother, he felt sincerely happy for them. As for himself, he felt confident in his ability to reach the apex of this new world, master or not.

"Now that everyone has been acquainted with one another, allow me to show you around the Pavilion," Mathias said as he took his own ID card out of his interspatial ring. "These cards aren't just a way to store your contribution points; they're also your key."

Several runes started flashing on the ground under his feet as he said that, and a rocky stairway inside the mountain opened up.

"Inside the mountain itself is a network of caves created by Lazerim," Mathias said as he led everyone inside the surprisingly well-lit mountain.

"Mathias, you and the others can go ahead." Aiden hollered. "I'm going to have a little chat with Ace here."

Mathias didn't seem surprised by that. Instead, he simply nodded before proceeding to lead the others inside.

Milianna, Lance, and Killian all looked hesitantly, but Ace calmly told them he was fine.

"I'm guessing this is about my soul," Ace said calmly when he and Aiden were left alone.

"Be my disciple," Aiden said directly, catching Ace by surprise.

"You what?"

"Be my disciple," Aiden repeated straightforwardly, ignoring the boy's shock.

"Have you got a screw loose?" Ace asked back.

"A few," Aiden admitted matter-of-factly.

Ace was at a complete loss of how to deal with the man in front of him.

"If you become my disciple, I'll tell you why you have no affinities. I'll even tell you how to fix your little problem." Aiden said, hoping that the carrot he was dangling in front of the youngster would be temptation enough.

But Ace wasn't the same impulsive fool he was from his previous life.

"Not interested," Ace said as he turned to follow the others into the cave.

"Hahahaha, you really are an interesting kid!" Aiden said as he took a seat on the ground and took out a gourd of pungent wine. "Want some?"

"You do realise that I'm a kid, don't you?" Ace said helplessly.

"You don't act like one," Aiden shrugged as he took a swig.

His words were a little close to the truth for Ace, but thankfully, he seemed more focused on the jar of wine than he was Ace's reaction.

"An ordinary soul takes the shape of a transparent floating ball of light, and only those with an affinity to the four edicts take on a different shape. Like your little friend Killian, his is the shape of a battle axe due to his affinity to the Edict of Destruction.

Given that your mother has an affinity to the edict of Life, she should have a tree-shaped soul, but in reality, it's a perfect copy of her actual body with what looks like a tiara sat on her head. The only difference is that her soul is extremely transparent due to how fragile it is given that she hasn't started cultivating yet." Aiden explained between sips. "Though more corporeal, your soul is also a carbon copy of you with a crown. A bit showy if you ask me, but I don't judge.

Anyway, it wasn't hard to guess that this odd mutation was due to your bloodline ability – I believe little Kong said you called it haki."

"So if my soul's the same as my mother's, why does she have an affinity and I don't?" Ace asked.

"You do have an affinity," Aiden stated, taking another large gulp.

Judging by the smell, the wine was without a doubt the strongest alcoholic drink Ace had ever come into contact with, and yet, despite how much he was drinking, Aiden didn't seem to be feeling the slightest buzz, something that clearly annoyed him as after downing the remainder, he threw the gourd flying like a meteor through the skies in what almost looked like a huff.

Ace would typically have been amused by such a scene, but Aiden's last statement was too shocking.

"You said I don't have an affinity earlier!" Ace exclaimed.

"Yeah, because you don't." Aiden shrugged as he retrieved a second gourd from his ring.

"You just said I did have an affinity, and now you're saying I don't!" Ace was borderline shouting because of the wannabe drunkard's confusing words. "Which one is it? Make up your mind already!"

"Both," Aiden shrugged as he popped open the lid revealing a scent which was somehow even stronger than the last. "Technically, you have an extremely high affinity to the laws of fire. So high, in fact, that even I have only seen an affinity on the same level once before with my niece Amira…

What's the deal between you and her anyway? Do you want me to speak to her parents about you two getting married in the future?"

Ace's face flushed bright red when he heard that, but he shook his head to focus on what was really important at that moment. "Would you concentrate!"

"HAHAHA! Okay, spoilsport," Aiden voiced. "Anyway, as I was saying, you have a high affinity to the laws of fire, but there's some sort of barrier surrounding your soul preventing any of the elemental essences from coming in contact with your soul."

"A barrier?" Ace asked in confusion.

"Yeah," Aiden nodded, taking yet another swig. "I'm not sure if it's a blessing or a curse."

"How could a barrier keeping me from sensing the natural laws be a blessing?" Ace snorted.

"Though it's keeping you from sensing the natural laws, it's also protecting your soul from any harm that may come of it." Aiden shrugged. "I may only be a ninth-rank warrior, but in terms of spiritual essence, my soul is second only to deities. There isn't a saint alive that even comes close."

It was a big claim, but Ace felt inclined to believe him for some reason, which was why when he heard Aiden's following sentence, he almost fell over.

"Yet when I hit the barrier with my strongest soul attack, the barrier barely even rippled."

"You tried to attack my soul?!" Ace asked in disbelief.

"No. Like I just told you, I attacked the barrier."

"Yeah, but if the barrier broke, it would've been my soul being attacked," Ace said as a vein in the corner of his head started pulsating.

"Good thing the barrier's so strong then, right?" Aiden said as he finished his second bottle.

"Is there a SAFE way to break the barrier?" Ace asked after forcibly calming himself down before he strangled the anger-inducing maniac in front of him.

"After my initial assessment, It looks like the barrier's purpose is to keep the spiritual essence of others out instead of keeping yours in, but more importantly, if I'm right, the barrier will get weaker as your soul gets stronger, meaning that when you reach the ninth rank, you should have the spiritual essence to break the barrier yourself."

"Wait, you said it doesn't keep my spiritual essence in? So why can't I just release my spirit outside of the barrier to sense the laws?" Ace asked, a tinge of hope seeping into his excited voice.

"The barrier's designed in such a way that even though it doesn't actually restrict your spirit, it still protects it from the spirit of others," Aiden explained, but when he saw the confused face on Ace's face, he knew he was going to have to explain further. "Wukong said, when you use your [Observation Haki], you can see tiny motes of light floating around us. Well, you can think of those motes of light as spiritual essence for each of the laws, meaning that even if you could spread your spirit outside of your body, you still wouldn't be able to interact with them.

As it stands, you'll be able to merge your soul with nature to reach the impose level, but you still won't be able to interact with the motes of light to comprehend any of the laws."

'Things could never just be simple for me, could they?' Ace thought to himself as a helpless sigh escaped his lips. "What about the second option you mentioned?"

"The second option is simply to have a deity break it for you. Although there's a good chance, they'd take you hostage to research whatever the barrier is. Either way, the choice is yours." Aiden shrugged casually.

Ace looked up at the sky, deep in thought. Though he didn't know how the barrier was placed over his soul, it wasn't hard to guess that it was the reason his soul was kept in one piece when he reincarnated into this world.

Looking at the man still desperately chasing a buzz, Ace couldn't help but grin. "I'm not kneeling!"

"You what?" Aiden asked absentmindedly.

"I'll be your disciple, but I'm not kneeling," Ace answered back.

"You say that like it's my soul wearing a crown," Aiden snorted as he downed the third bottle before throwing it away and standing back up, a fiendish grin playing on his handsome face. "I don't need you to kneel to be my disciple; I just need you to put up with torture without crying to your Mommy."

"Bring it on!" Ace exclaimed confidently.

- End of Book 2 -