Chapter 8 - Angel Heart Cleansing
“The planet Soa has a different air,” Jinn said.
“Analyzing subatomic particles has led to a discovery of an energy signature more pure and efficient than electricity,” Veda replied.
“I see. Hades, please explain to Veda.”
The handsome gentleman bowed to his Lord and faced the super-artificial intelligence, “The essence of all life is called ‘mana.’ Not many can see it, but it exists and we breathe it just as you would breathe air.”
Veda bowed as a gesture of appreciation. A telepathic message was sent to his liege. Sir, if I’m not mistaken, is it similar to Qi, Force, and Aura?
Indeed. Jinn replied through telepathy.
“Now that you understand, we can proceed with the plans. The start of the electric generation will commence as soon as we attain the resources.”
“Very well, sir. Sending proxies to designated locations. The information will be sent to specific individuals in a manner of moments.”
What Veda did was relay the information to other proxies which are copies of Veda at different locations where people of the Omen Tribe would be able to receive such information.
All that was needed was a holographic lexicon created by Jinn and the information can be sent since the quantum signal is easy to connect. This would make information more secure within the tribe. Key individuals were given the lexicon so only a limited number were passed out.
“Now that we have settled that, Elder Saru should be waiting in The Regalia.”
Jinn floated above The Soul Throne and flew to where he parked his ship. He, Hades, and Elder Saru were at Divine Manalum.
In no time, Jinn entered his ship and proceeded to the med bay.
(Author’s note: med-bay, also, “medical bay.”)
Inside the futuristic ship, elegant decor flowed seamlessly within each room. Gold inlays are carved within making a leaf-like pattern. Awaiting Jinn’s arrival, Elder Saru was comfortably seated on a patient’s sofa.
Knock! Knock!
“Come in,” said the old man.
Seeing him enter the room, Elder Saru was about to kneel, however, Jinn halted him from doing so by facing his palm on the floor in a slow manner signifying for the elder to relax.
“Please, Elder Saru, you have been a guardian to my people long enough. With that body of yours, it’s amazing how you managed to remain strong at your age,” surprised, the old man was humbled by the words of Lord Vicegerent.
“Hah! Hah!” The old man let out a hearty chuckle, “What you say is right my Lord, this old man is already 250 years old.”
Cough! Cough!
“You’re over two hundred years old?!” Veda blurted.
That statement made Hades, Jinn, and Veda surprised, “Come now, Elder Sarutobi, you are injured, are you not?” Lord Vicegerent’s words pierced the old man.
Elder Saru sighed, “You knew?”
“My eyes can see that you sacrificed your meridians?”
“As expected of Lord Vicegerent. Yes, that is true.”
“Please, Elder, would you mind telling us?” Asked Hades.
The conversation lasted for a couple of hours. A lot of information was recorded in Veda’s memory banks. This is what happened.
When the neighboring countries surrounding the Omen Nation were on the verge of collapse due to the war called, the “Omen Campaign,” several surviving countries within the coalition sent suicide assassins to kill the escaping refugees of the Omen Nation. After the refugees had crossed the borders of Hollow World was when they were ambushed.
Elder Saru held off the assassins. From what the elder remembers, there were eight Transcendent Level martial artists within the group. He managed to kill them all, but by then, reinforcements had arrived. This time, three high-tier Unrestrained Realm experts appeared. After having to fight eight enemies who pushed the old man to his limits now has to contend with more powerful and skilled enemies.
(Author’s note: “Unrestrained Realm” and “Transcendence Realm” are the same power ranking.)
That was when the reputation of the Demonic Teacher became legendary.
Elder Shin Sarutobi had always been a teacher. He taught kids the Omen Tenets and what it means to lead an enlightened lifestyle. This translated to combat as well. Whenever the old man would fight, it would look as if he was teaching them a lesson. His combat prowess was deadly and fatal. He wields dual chakrams created entirely out of the purely condensed aura manifested by the elder himself.
Anyhow, it was still a dire and even fatal situation to be facing three powerful experts. Yet, he remembered his solemn duty to protect his people and was his lifelong oath to one day meet his Lord’s return. And so, the once-extremely powerful elder of the Omen Nation had to sacrifice some of his meridians. And the only way to sacrifice one’s meridians is to have an exceptional technique.
Elder Saru already has such a technique in his repertoire. His martial arts are named “Chaos Ring and Celestial Ring.” It’s a martial art that was passed down from his family tree dating back to when his ancestor received it from Lord Vicegerent Gloriano. Within the manual, there’s a chi cultivation technique that enables the user to sacrifice one’s meridians and momentarily boost dantian reserves exponentially.
In turn, his chi reserves exploded and exceeded the chi pool of highly pure mana. With that, it was over for the three high-tier experts. Elder Saru, with having pure mana exceeding the limit of how much his body can take allowed him to manifest four giant chakrams and control them telekinetically while he holds two chakrams in each hand.
“I see,” Jinn said.
The long story of Elder Saru’s injury made more sense now. Jinn had suspicions as to how the old man was able to survive having sacrificed his meridians. But then the elder’s explanation revealed why. Although the technique is one of a kind, it’s too much of amazing technique to not have a name.
“You managed to finish off your enemies before the technique was about to stop?”
“Yes, Lord Vicegerent, very perceptive of you.”
By sacrificing one’s meridians is akin to not having any mana at all, however, Elder Saru had enough mana left for him to conserve and flow through his blood vessels. Although there were parts where chi/mana could not flow, the areas where it could were highly pure.
“Very well. For you and your family’s service, We wish to reward you. We will start by renewing your meridians alongside an absolute cleanse and a Quantum Pill.”
The old man coughed loudly. Cough!
“I-Impossible! Once an individual’s chi ceases to exist then that’s the end. I’ve tried many methods to return to my past self, but they were all for naught.”
Chuckle.
Jinn lightly chuckled as a grin appeared on his face, “Then it is right that I show you.”
Elder Saru held a disheveled expression. Either way, he complied, wanting to see if what Jinn said would be true. The process of reviving destroyed chi meridians is impossible for the people of this world. Fortunately, the elder happened to come across someone fused with quantum-nanomachines that can make any theoretical surgery a success. All that was needed was for the old man to rest on the surgical chair which looks way too comfortable to be called one.
“Once the nanomachines reach your blood vessels, they will immediately put you to sleep. The surgery will be complete in a couple of hours. Be at ease, this is your reward for your loyalty,” hearing such words gave him a sense of assurity.
Jinn placed his palm upwards and from his right index finger were fluttering lights fazing from his fingertip. Miniscule-sized machines shaped like bugs glittered every time they flapped their wings. That was the last thing Elder Saru saw when he slipped into a drowsy state and fell unconscious.
***
The surgery was a success. Although that was to be expected, turns out, Elder Saru’s body was in dire straits. The only reason why he could move was out of sheer willpower and the medical herbs he uses to smoke to numb the pain.
Most importantly, destroyed blood vessels had to be renewed and reconnected, whereas, chi meridians and their cores had to be established and created anew. It wasn’t difficult since the nanomachines already produce incredibly pure energy called “quantum energy” which helped guide mana/chi to cluster and condense. With that, Elder Shin Sarutobi went through a complete Metamorphosis and Divine Body Reformation.
He was whole once again. All those times when he would ingest chi medical pills to recover what was once lost would soon come to an utter disappointment, but, not this time. The elderly man who looked like a withered old being now looks like a divine spirit.
His eyes started to peel back. Elder Saru had awoken from a refreshing slumber. No one was inside the surgical room. From his position, he tried to move, instead, he stepped on air as if he was levitating.
T-This?! He inadvertently thought.
“S-Samadhi Floating?” The elder spouted without thinking.
I’ve achieved the “State of Samadhi Floating” before but only when meditating. This could only mean that I’ve grown? Wait… Impossible!
He hurriedly looked at the window viewing Divine Manalum from a distance. From the glint of the windshield, he saw himself. Surprised, his pupils dilated. He looked at his hands which looked rejuvenized and so was his body as well, then, he caressed his face.
Gasp. “M-My face.”
The old man’s face has the appearance of a man in his early 60s. His formerly long ashen hair was now pearl white and had jet-black lines going back into the hair at the temples. Additionally, the elders' beard held a similar pattern. Elder Saru looked back at the surgical chair and an old husk looks to be shedded.
My old husk?
As the rejuvenated man started to question so on and so forth, his blood vessels started to flow mana. His chi channels surged with pure chi. Understanding all that Lord Vicegerent did for him, he donned the set of apparel left on the table as his transformation rendered him nude.
His newfound power allowed him to sense life forces within the massive ship and read that Jinn and Hades were at the bridge. In no time, through Samadhi Floating he reached the bridge in a matter of seconds.
“I see you have adapted well?” Asked Lord Vicegerent.
“Yes indeed, my Lord.”
“Why not check your status?”
“Hmm? I forgot about that completely.”
Much like Dario, Elder Saru received an item that would allow him to see his attributes in numerical value. In this case, the item is a decorated pocket watch. Elder Saru motioned inside his pocket and brought out the pearl-body pocket watch.
“Status Screen,” the elder said.
Elder Shin Sarutobi Lvl: 81 Class: Peak of Transcendence Realm Main Job - Chaos/Celestial Ring: Lvl 99
Titles: Omen Sect’s 3rd Demonic Master (passive)
Heaven’s Respected Ten (passive)
Demonic Teacher of the Twin Moons (equipped)
HP: 8100
MP: 740
AP: 8900
STR: 808
DEF: 649
VIT: 1400
INT: 1879
WIS: 2589
SPR: 1642
DEX: 1200
SPD: 666
LCK: 150
Critical chance: 50%
Evasion rate: 77%
Omen Sect’s 3rd Demonic Master (passive) - With the return of the Lord Vicegerent, the Omen Nation is now the Omen Sect, and the title of Demonic Master is reinstituted. Elder Shin Sarutobi is the 3rd Demonic Master of the Omen Sect and is known to the world as the “Demonic Teacher.” All attributes increase by one-hundred points and the mana/chi recovery rate increases by 100%. The final boon of this title allows the user to equip up to three titles. Heaven’s Respected Ten (passive) - The battle of killing more than ten Transcendence Realm Martial Masters is known amongst the powerful. No matter where you go, respect is always shown to the top ten powerful beings in Soa. Demonic Teacher of the Twin Moons (equipped) - You are known to wield chakrams manifested entirely out of Aura. In effect, people who’ve seen you fight are reminded of the twin moons that shine at night. When there are twin full moons, all attributes increase by 250 points, and senses are drastically heightened during haunting hours.
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The elder somewhat understood what the numbers meant as he had received education from Veda and Jinn. It would take some time for the people of the Omen Tribe to fully adapt.
“Now compare it to when you were injured,” Jinn said.
Elder Shin Sarutobi Lvl: 63 Class: Transcendence Realm Main Job - Chaos/Celestial Ring: Lvl 99
Titles: Omen Sect’s 3rd Demonic Master (passive)
Heaven’s Respected Ten (passive)
Demonic Teacher of the Twin Moons (equipped)
Destroyed Meridian Cores (passive)
Incomplete Chi Channels (passive)
HP: 3600
MP: 350
AP: 4129
STR: 508
DEF: 390
VIT: 512
INT: 1100
WIS: 1589
SPR: 1042
DEX: 847
SPD: 466
LCK: 150
Critical chance: 50%
Evasion rate: 44%
Destroyed Meridian Cores (passive) - All attributes are reduced by thirty to fifty percent due to the permanent loss of Meridian Cores and Mana Channels. Incomplete Chi Channels (passive) - Unable to manifest or manipulate mana at extreme levels. Any attempts in doing so would put the user at risk of blood/mana clots.
“Hmm. So that’s how much power I lost.”
The old man felt enlightened between the two status screens. Soon after, he prostrated and expressed gratitude toward Jinn, “You will forgive me, Elder Saru, if you think it too soon to task you with missions.”
“Not at all, my Lord. With my current strength and your return to the Omen Tribe, I dare say that this world will cry in our wake,” the elderly man said with red devilish eyes.
***
Dario was in The Regalia proceeding with the process of curing the Great King's pelt. He thought of creating a robe similar to what his master adorns.
When Dario was undergoing extreme training, he was allowed into the holographic chamber room where time would be reduced into factors. Thanks to the superintelligence of Veda, artificial intelligence was the key to figuring out the formula to manipulate time. Jinn can only understand manipulating time through his senses.
And so, the amount of time spent inside the holographic chamber was equivalent to six years. In real-time, six months would have passed by. Within that six years, Dario had access to the memories of his Master. What the disciple had learned was many things and one of them is tanning leather. With that said, Dario pressed the screen on his watch, and his skills were shown.
Fantasia (Rank S) - A terrifying extreme slash from a state of nothingness. Fireball - A 3rd tier spell that allows the user to shoot out a big ball of fire that burns its target. Reverse Fantasia (Rank S) - A reverse slash without shifting weight. Explosive Fireball - A sequential spell from the 3rd tier “Fireball.” This spell is equivalent to a 4th tier spell that allows the user to shoot out a massive big ball of fire that explodes upon contact. Streaming Demon (Rank S) - A smooth stepping slash. A long-reaching attack. Fly - A 3rd tier spell that grants the caster the ability to fly. Heavenly Throw (Rank S) - A slash that launches the target straight up in the sky. Prevents counterattacks. Flare - An exclusive spell created by Dario that condenses mana into a beam of light originating from his eyes. This spell is ranked in the 9th tier. Radiant Wave (Rank SS) - Unleashes an array of large qi waves. Cannot be parried.
Under the many categories of skills learned within six years, Dario was able to achieve mastery in several categories. Some of them are related to combat and others are related to production and refinement.
The young man saw that his tanning skills were at Master Level and brought a smile of satisfaction, yet, the young disciple was hungry for more. It made sense that he would master tanning first as one of the production methods since his affinity with nature was high. With all that said, Dario was close to finishing the product he had in mind with the Great King Bear’s pelt.
***
A notification was signaling Dario to press the screen on the watch.
*Complete!*
Mantle of the Disciple - A masterful work of craftsmanship. This magical cape covers all but the right side of the body, leaving space for the right arm and silhouette to be visible. There is platinum woven at the edges of the cape and a red insignia on the back. Overall, the black cape bodes a dark appearance. Oddly enough, a sense of refined elegance is seen whenever someone looks upon it.
[Stats:] Rank: Legendary Type: Cape Material: Great King Bear’s Pelt, Platinum Inlays, and Bloodstone Paint.
Requirements:
200 Intelligence
200 Wisdom
Restriction: Dario only Runes: 5 (empty) Enchantments: 5 Armor: 580 Weight: 8 Effects:
+100 MP
+100 AP
-50% cost reduction of MP/AP
+50% HP & MP regeneration
Archmage Robes - An arcane sleeveless robe created from a great bear species. This piece of cultivated fur is a master’s piece of work considering the level at which the creature was. The collar of the garment is lined with fur and the hood grants the enchantment of “hide mana presence.” Essentially, the aesthetic of the robes was to display a cross between a Mage and a Martial Artist.
[Stats:] Rank: Legendary Type: Robes Material: Great King Bear’s Pelt
Requirements:
200 Spirit
500 Intelligence
Restriction: Dario only Runes: 5 (empty) Enchantments: 5 Skein of Magnus - Highest all-around enchantments available for purely magic-oriented characters. Regular enchanted robes do not amount to the magnitude of these attributes nor are equal to the combined enchantments it provides.
Effects:
-50% cost reduction of all spells
+50 MP/AP Regeneration
Armor: 517 Weight: 8
Finally, after many failures, Dario was able to produce two legendary pieces of equipment. Although the Great Bear King was massive, there was no luxury in failing since the failed products would be useless and discarded. Seeing the failures motivated Dario and he burned them to ashes.
He adorned the robe and felt an immediate change. With the robe and cape equipped, the young disciple had completed his first side mission. With that said Veda popped up.
“Congratulations, young master,” the butler said while bowing. “This will be the first and last time that I will congratulate you on side missions as the pop-up notifications will already be doing that.”
The young man chuckled. Chuckle.
“I appreciate it, Veda, truly.”
“Now, what is your next course of action, young master?”
“Set course for the tip of Mount Tian.”
Dario hurriedly moved out of the tailor room in The Regalia and proceeded to where the docking bay was. In a manner of moments, the elegant yacht-looking spaceship lifted from the floating mountain and smoothly flew to The Hundred-Thousand Peaks.
At the very tip of Mount Tian is not a pointed end but a sleeping volcano. However, the tip is already clustered with its magma. Over time, grass, and mystical and rare plants started to grow. Not only that, Mount Tian held secret pathways within the caves. There was where Dario needed to be. A serene waterfall was pouring into the lake inside of the mountain and a small opening allowed for moonlight to shine in the secret cave.
“This room is where mana is purely condensed into this luminescent water,” Veda remarked. “It would be fatal to drink this type of water unless you have a ridiculous mana/chi absorption rate.”
“You are very wise, Veda. Correct, I intend to drink just enough for ‘Enlightenment’ and ‘Absolute Cleanse.’”
“Oh. Now I see, young master. Having the robes and mantle that you created, you can now offset the tremendous mana/chi cost of ascending to the next realm.”
“Hah!” Dario expressed with vigor. “Not only that, the water in Mount Tian is said to be so pure that the area around it produces high-quality mana. Simply drinking the water itself is strong enough to purify the channels and even refine the chi in the Dantian.”
Veda slightly tilted his head forward signifying that he had understood what the young master was saying, “Now that you’re here, I assume you will begin immediately, young master?”
“That’s right, Veda. Please look after me while I meditate.”
Suddenly, someone interrupted. Teleporting out of nowhere, a recognizable robe was seen, “That will not be necessary. I alone will look after my disciple.”
“M-Master!” Dario replied.
“I had not thought that you would figure out my hint so soon,” Jinn said.
“It was all thanks to your guidance that I now have the confidence to ascend to the next level.”
In a rare instance, Jinn smiled. He placed his right hand on his disciple’s shoulder and praised him, “Truly, a prodigious disciple. Come, your Enlightenment will be special since I did not bequeath you the nanomachines.”
Perplexed, Dario’s ears perked up as he heard information regarding why he would not be like his Master who has fused with Veda.
“I will pour my energy into your channels. What you need to do is follow along with the flow. You already understand what ‘Innate Essence Qi’ is and the conditions are set for a ‘Breakthrough.’” Understanding what to do, Dario entered into the lotus-form meditative state.
From childhood, the young man was trained to cultivate chi through the Divine Method of The Qi of Asura Manual. With having pure chi from the beginning, the young man comprehended Innate Essence Qi while barely in his teens and was able to manifest Aura. In addition with the new chi cultivation method taught personally by his Master, Heavenly Demon Aura is a pinnacle art that both refines and increases one’s mana pools (MP/AP). So far, Dario has yet to combine the two to work harmoniously with each other and create a new chi cultivation method. Currently, The Qi of Asura and Heavenly Demon Aura complement one another. The risk of actual qi deviation is slim to none.
In that case, refining or cleansing the channels and dantian would be a relatively smooth process. All that was needed was for Dario to overcome his Breakthrough, however long that may take.
Jinn placed both his palms on Dario’s back. Bright and luminescent lights aptly named “quantum green” started to infuse into Dario’s blood vessels. A surge of pure energy flowed and the young disciple could feel the difference in power. And with that feeling, an understanding was born.
Abruptly, a cracking noise began to be heard as crackles of mana were seen fluctuating around Dario. It sounded like sparks of lightning were cracking, yet, it was not lightning but mana itself.
Crack! ZZZZ! Crack!
When a thunderous cracking noise was heard, a buzzing sound followed soon after.
Samadhi Essence. Incredible.
Jinn was praising how talented his disciple was. Yet, his surprises did not stop there. The lotus-positioned Dario began to levitate.
S-Samadhi Floating at his level? Veda messages telepathically.
A devilish grin came upon Jinn’s face.
Goodness me. My disciple exceeded my expectations and even achieved Master Class at such a young age. He’ll reach Grandmaster level soon enough.
While Dario was floating, so too did Jinn follow along with his disciple's rapid growth in power. After a couple of hours, a single bright flash encompassed the room, and the flash of light radiated at the small opening of the cave. Dario had changed and fully opened the “Twin Veins of Control.” Moreover, body modification, also known as “Diamond Reformation” is halfway complete.
His body had grown taller. The muscular structure is comparable to an aesthetic bodybuilder with defined cuts and a burly physique. The face remained youthful, belonging to a young man in his teens who has wisdom beyond his years.
The young disciple was rendered unconscious due to the sudden power growth. Some time would be needed for the young man to fully acclimate to the newfound power. Within that time, Jinn still had some work to do. Dario’s enlightenment would not stop there. Jinn controlled Dario’s body through telekinesis and floated to the middle of the pure mana lake.
“Begin the surgery, Veda.”
“At once, sir.”
Veda and Jinn were going to purify Dario’s heart by momentarily replacing said heart with nanomachines. While the nanomachines operated as a functional heart, Jinn would wash his disciple’s heart with the mana water. Once that was done, the heart would return to its rightful place and reconnect with minuscule nanomachines that repair and reconnects atoms or tissue. This operation is only possible through Jinn’s nanomachines. Ultimately, the operation was a success and a new Master Class had been born.