Night, family dinner.

"Father…"

"Yes, Ame? Ava Dear, can you give me some more rice?"

"Can I go with you to the town with Mother tomorrow?"

Noah stopped his hand, Kiel continued eating, and Ava filled up Noah's bowl with rice.

Noah looked at Ame, "Why do you want to go there?"

He didn't outright refuse, but he also did not say otherwise. Ame was hesitant, [Help me, brother.], but she knew that only he could save her.

Kiel raised his head and sighed at the sight of Ame, [You only really ask of me when you need me don't you?] he complained but didn't really bother; he did say he'd do anything for them if they ever ask, this is what family was — or so he thinks it was.

Kiel placed his bowl down, "I would like to go too, Father."

"Why?" Noah asked the same thing.

"I am going to watch over Ame so that she doesn't do anything troubling," Kiel said as he looked at the troublemaker that was his sister.

Hearing Kiel made Noah sigh; he knew this son of his was someone who seldom asks for anything. He never did anything against what his parents told him to do and would only ever do anything if Ame was concerned.

Noah knew he had no reason not to let them go, but he still didn't want to. He felt conflicted.

Ava saw this and sighed, "Just let them go with me, Noah. It will not be a problem, and besides, according to your Family Contract, our children are not included in any prohibition."

"All right, I shall let you go. Kiel, make sure your sister does not wander off; she'll attract trouble like when she wandered into the territory of a Stone Python and almost got swallowed whole."

"I understand, father."

Everyone returned to eating as Ame felt embarrassed. She returned to eating and soon enough finished. She never got to answer what she wanted to do in the Town, but, as the two children lay on the bedroom that had been added to their home, Kiel asked, [Why do you want to go to Town?]

Ame opened her eyes, [I want my own Soul Beast and enter the second realm of Cultivation; I cannot get what I want if I don't reach the second realm. Our parents… does not like us cultivating even though they themselves are cultivator at a high realm, I do not know what the reason is, but I can't stop because of them.]

Like Kiel, she was seven years of age, but unlike him, she pursued cultivation against everything their parents told him not to do so.

There were realms in cultivation, and she was still only at the First Realm — Consolidated Realm.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

The Consolidated Realm were split into three different Levels of Mastery:

The first to third level was [Martial Body], the fourth to sixth was [Martial Blood], and the seventh to ninth was [Martial Master].

These three created the Stages of the Consolidated Realm, and Ame had already reached the Ninth Level that was Martial Master.

The First Realm of cultivation could be pursued without a problem because it was a realm without any particular requirement. One only needs to refine the body, bone, and organs, then the blood, and then the formation of the inner strength where the Soul-Beast would reside.

Ame was in this realm of strength. She was slowly getting stronger but was halted by the lack of Soul-Beast.

A Soul-Beast was what one would expect, the Soul of a Beast. This Soul-Beast would be the crux of her future cultivation, and she was trying to search for a beast that was compatible with her.

[I'll get a Soul Beast, even if Mother and Father say otherwise.] Ame was determined to get what she wants. Though she knew what she was doing was utterly selfish, Ame was prepared to be desirous to get what she wants.

The world of cultivation is not something that can be achieved with this much dedication. To rise from the mundane and ascend to the greatest path, that was what Ame wanted. She may have been a mere thief in her previous life, but that life was hers… and she'll get her revenge no matter what happens.

'If you cannot get anything in return, then what is the use of getting revenge?' Kiel only saw the benefits and nothing else, 'Well, if you had just told me earlier, I would have done something better.'

After some time, Ame fell asleep, and Kiel stood up from their shared bed. He stepped out of his room and passed his parents. His steps were so quiet, not even Noah or Ava felt his presence.

It may have also been because he had no worldly energy around him, but what mattered was that he managed to exit the room.

He reached the dining area and stood before the storage he had not dared open.

'Father told me not to go here no matter what, but I saw him store Soul Beasts here multiple times over. If I can secretly take one from here, maybe Ame would stay in this house for a longer period of time.'

Kiel failed to understand why he would go as far as disobeying his parents' words to keep Ame here, but he acted before he could understand. He touched the door and tried opening it, there was resistance, but as he drew out the energy from weapon mastery, the door mysteriously opened.

Before him was a well-lit storage room.

He had yet to enter, but he had already gotten a good look at what's inside.

On the three walls of the room were items and weapons that were hanged meticulously. It was a black sword that radiated a dark aura, a golden furnace that housed that cerulean flame serpent, a crimson spear that hummed with thousands of writhing souls, a vermillion bow that felt cool to the touch, and many more…

Kiel felt like he stood before a new world…

He looked ahead and saw an open chest that housed many spheres about the size of a baby's fist.

He looked at the spheres and saw the tiny sealed beings inside them; these spheres were indeed souls of dead beasts.

It takes a step forward; Kiel could get one of those Soul-Beast… however, he chose to close the door.

He sighed and took a step outside, 'Living… also letting others live.'

Kiel tried to get a Soul Beast because he didn't want to give Ame a reason to leave. If he could get her what she wants, then why else would she go out?

In the end, the only thing that he wanted was to protect the haven that was this home of his… however, if actually do that… then, he would be keeping Ame from truly living the life she would love to pursue.

'I will help her, but I shall not hinder the path she would take. This is her life. I cannot dictate what kind of life she should live… I have no right.' He decided to do what Ame wanted to go to the Town.

That night, Kiel didn't know, but he finally managed to deviate from his past life. He finally accepted the fact that he could not control the lives and hearts of others. He could only influence them.

Kiel decided to leave their home with Ame and his Mother, and with him were three ordinary sticks.