“How do you feel?” Master Shaw asked Kevin when everything was over.
While Leo still lie unconscious, Shaws enjoyed a rare father-son moment sitting in the first row of the spectator seats. Of course, from the age perspective they looked more like siblings and only their demeanor gave away what was the true relationship between the two.
“Like sh*t!” Kevin unexpectedly said with a sigh and kicked a small pebble towards the kid from the mortal realm, “I’ve been holding back the advancement for years and just as I advances, I need to start holding back again! Why the hell do I feel like I could form the core at this very moment? It’s so annoying!”
“Hahaha! Only you could say that!” Master Shaw felt amused, “Everyone at your age wants to become a Core stage cultivator as soon as possible, since it’s kind of the last step before forming the nascent soul, but you … well … you have still a long way to go. It’s good you know that.”
They sat for a moment in silence and then master Shaw continued, “It’s no secret you’re not the most talented of your siblings, but your willpower is one of if not the strongest. The problem is – sometimes your attention gets caught by unimportant, even useless things, but the route you have chosen doesn’t allow to waste time. You’ll get no second chance in order to create the perfect foundation and if you want to maximize your chances to become a true immortal. You can’t loose the focus even for a day.”
Kevin silently listened and occasionally nodded. Of course, he knew father wasn’t scolding him, but giving a valuable advice.
“At the Foundation establishment stage you probably are unbeatable, even though you just stepped in it, but it doesn’t matter. No cultivation stages below the true immortality matter.” Master Shaw looked at Kevin and then up as if wanting to verify if Heavens were overhearing their conversation, “You have the best this immortal realm can offer – the best resources, sparring partners and teachers, of course. But there is something inside of you that prevents you from keeping focus. Unfortunately only you can find out what it is … but I have a suggestion.”
“Sigh … You want to send me off somewhere, right?” Kevin weakly smiled.
“Hahaha! If only your smarts were in the academical field!” Father lovingly ruffled his son’s hair and suddenly they actually did look like two brothers, except one was thousands of years old monster who then turned serious again and said, “Yes, the Savage Immortal realm.”
This suggestion was rather unexpected for the youth who furrowed brows in confusion, but then nodded and asked, “The War academy of the Immortal alliance, correct? You want me to fight the Army of Freedom right away or something?”
“Hahaha! No!” His father answered while heartily laughing, but then got serious, “Of course, if you’ll manage to weed some out while training there I won’t complain. It appears they lately keep placing ‘sleepers’ in the important institutions of the Immortal Alliance so … just watch your back.”
Kevin nodded, then thought for a bit and said, “The War academy, don’t they accept only those at the Core foundation stage? I don’t want you to pull strings for me ...”
“I know.” Master Shaw patted his back, “You have had hard enough time being ‘the young master Shaw’ around here, in the Golden city, that’s one of the reasons I’m suggesting the Savage realm. You’ll be a weak nobody there, a skillful and smart, but weak nobody. Of course, if you go as you are, you’ll just die, but in a couple of years your swordplay should be at acceptable level and they’ll have another enrollment at the time. I strongly believe you can get in before forming a golden core, but only you, of course.”
“Basically you want me to go through actual hardships, not only have a hard training.” Kevin asked glancing at Leo who still lie unconscious, but more in a form of statement and his father immediately nodded. Parenting is easy when your child is this smart.
“Alright! It’s decided!” Kevin said without giving the idea much though – his genius father obviously had done it for him, “But starting tomorrow I’ll start to seriously practice the elemental manipulation. I’m at the Foundation establishment stage after all. And … I have a question. What exactly happened during my advancement – it didn’t feel … ‘normal’ … I guess that’s the proper word to describe it.”
“Well – this happened.” Master Shaw grinned, then made few strange gestures and in front of them appeared the distorted and transparent image of slowly rotating tribulation clouds. Afterwards he flicked his fingers and they were gone, but Kevin’s face carried the same shocked expression Leo had when he first time saw master Shaw creating an image from a thin air – for different reasons, of course.
“So this is why you want me to go?” Kevin said after a brief pause.
“Indeed, I’m afraid you forming the golden core might cause quite the ruckus.” His father said in a grave tone, “And at that time we need to make ample preparations – you’ll return for your advancement, of course.”
“What if that was caused by him?” Kevin asked pointing chin towards Leo.
“… or by you two undergoing advancement simultaneously.” Master Shaw nodded guessing the son’s train of thought, “But since we don’t know for sure, I’m not willing to take any unnecessary risks.”
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“What about Leo?” Kevin asked.“What about him?” His father shrugged, “Despite him being few years younger than you, the boy has had an interesting life. And, I must say, Heavens work in mysterious ways – right after I suggested he wouldn’t practice Qi, he gets sent to a realm without it, spends there more than two years and returns to the immortal realm on his own! If this story would’ve been told in a mortal realm, all sects would fight for him – the kids luck is off the charts!”
“How …” Kevin knew his father was an incredible person, possibly someone who could actually be considered a God by most, but he just arrived here and didn’t even touch the guy lying in the arena dirt! How was it possible to know all that?
“Hahaha! Maybe you’re not as smart after all!” Master Shaw was amused to no end, “Why do you think I’m all dressed up? King invited everyone to sample the so called ‘dragon’ and listen to the kid’s story. Was nice, you know? And I haven’t seen the guys I met tonight on the fourth floor for ages … if you haven’t slipped and advanced, it would’ve been a great evening!”
“Oh, God!” Kevin ignored the last part, but still blushed and hid face in his palms from the embarrassment. Even though he wasn’t in the center of everyone’s attention, the cream of the Golden city had listened to every word they said at the table tonight!
“Don’t worry, it’s not that bad. You did well – the guys especially liked the idea of sparring. Few of the old monsters even flew away to have a go at it as well. But the kid, of course, became a star.” Master Shaw told with a wide grin plastered across his face. He kind of enjoyed throwing his own son off the rails, “On a serious note though, after he wakes up, he’ll be checked before leaving the Golden city, much more thoroughly since it’s his second time here. You guys watch and don’t break the law by gifting him stuff he can’t have. Friendship is great, but the law is the law. For now he’s still a commoner from a mortal realm.”
“What about his condition?” Kevin asked and gathered his willpower, trying to make a nonchalant expression.
“Stable, I guess. The next few years will be crucial.” Master Shaw said, turning serious as well, “Theoretically he’s on the right path … but … like I sad back then, the lightning within has incredibly destructive qualities. Although the kid has improved, the problem is if similarly to you he’s also almost ready to form a core. If he attempts it as he is – he’ll die.”
The father and son talked till the first rays of sun colored the east. With both being busy with their own thing, they rarely had an opportunity like this, but each enjoyed it for different reasons.
All this time Leo was left alone, lying in the dirt, but even though it didn’t seem like it he was carefully watched over by one of the most talented people immortal realm has ever seen.
When the next day the rest of the group found out that the whole city was talking about the young master Shaw advancing after the meal in the ‘King’s kitchen’ and for some reason knew details of their conversation, all except for Alice, who couldn’t care less about what the other people thought, and Claude, who had to keep an eye on his little sister, shut themselves into closed door cultivation not intending to come out for months if not years. Harold had it the worst since he did act a bit like a bully, thus a new wave of suicidal thoughts hit him like a carriage. In the end the youth went into cultivation frenzy, forgetting everything and everyone, and all that remained was excruciating physical pain that somehow managed to numb the emotional one.
Leo was unconscious for six more days during which he was frequently checked by the local authorities. Master Shaw correctly guessed everyone suspected the boy might get some kind of benefits thus there was no way he was going to smuggle anything out the Golden city – be it items or techniques.
“… I’m telling you – let him rest! It doesn’t matter you didn’t pass out when you advanced, every person is different!” Leo woke up to familiar voice scolding someone.
“We have to do something!” A clearly annoyed girl argued, “If he continues like this …”
“Guys, guys! Please!” Leo couldn’t take it anymore.
At first he intended to pretend to be still asleep and overhear what was going on, but it felt like the two Hubert siblings would actually start fighting any moment. Of course, he had no idea this was rather usual exchange of words between the two.
“Finally!” Alice arrived at his bed in one step and almost pulled off the blanket, intending to rush Leo to leave, but she did a similar thing yesterday only to find out that the boy was completely naked underneath. Despite having a skin as thick as an elephant, she couldn’t get the beet red color off her face for half a day, therefore now despite her impulsiveness she still somehow managed to control herself.
“Get dressed! You fooled around for too long!” She commanded and marched out the room.
Leo watched her leave with blank face and Claude could only sigh at his sister’s antics.
“During the spar you passed out on your own and advanced to the Foundation stage.” He said and, seeing Leo’s expression tense up, explained, “Don’t worry, you’re fine. Kevin said to pass on to you that his father checked your condition. Master Shaw said that under no circumstances you should attempt to form the golden core before you strengthen your body further, but from what I understand it is up to you how to do it.”
It all felt surreal to the boy who just woke up. Advanced? Master Shaw? Golden core? Just a moment ago the old hag stabbed a poisonous dagger in his shoulder, but now the legendary immortal already was giving more pointers?
He closed his eyes and concentrated on the Dantian only to realize that for some reason it was currently filled with a liquid substance that had the familiar and annoying purple lightning continuously flashing inside. What was even more surprising, he felt how this liquid substance flowed though his body on one hand filling it with incredible strength, but on the other accompanied by stinging pain.
“Advanced, huh?” Leo grinned, despite the slight agony he felt, “And I’m alive!”
He didn’t know how or why it happened, but the main thing was he survived. He hadn’t cultivated for two years and, to be honest, compared to any other Foundation establishment stage cultivator he hadn’t cultivated at all. But since his body somehow managed to resist the pressure once, there was a chance he could advance further one day as well.
“You won’t be if you make her wait any longer.” Claude brought him back to the reality, “She is eager to hear few more stories before you leave and I suggest you better comply … Alice can be rather bossy.”
He whispered the last part, but all three of them were at the Foundation establishment now and an angry ‘I heard that!’ indicated there might be another argument the moment Claude stepped out the room.
Actually it was not the only reason for her anxiousness and Claude knew that. During the past days the two siblings discussed how to legally help Leo out without breaking the law and last night she insisted she figured something out. Unfortunately she refused to say anything, apparently being afraid some official might overhear and Claude didn’t pry. But that didn’t mean the elder brother was not worried about her getting in trouble.