It was almost like they have somehow planned beforehand, right after Selena and Ah Gui broke through their impasse and entered the A rank, many of their friends followed.
Entering this rank is no easy thing. A practitioner in the mortal realms would face several difficult bottlenecks during their cultivation.
To enter D rank one must master projecting Ki outwards and form a barrier. Only then will they breakthrough.
The next bottleneck is at A rank when one must accomplish the release of Ki Burst. A trait of those who successfully reached this rank is their ability to drift across vast distances by maintaining their Ki in short-bursts.
Unlike martial techniques that are created and taught to others, both the Ki barrier and the ability to drift is something more akin to a person’s natural instincts. When someone nears the rank, they should naturally grasp the way, although those who are poor of talent may fail even with others teaching them.
When those in the group finished assimilating the world tree fruit into their bodies, they stood up and looked at Kairos with so much open gratitude and respect that it is nearly oozing out of their bodies. They felt a staggering increase in their internal energy capacity and purity and the widening of their meridian channels.
It made their hearts swell with bliss, and they looked at their young lord with loyalty anew.
Their feelings of indebtedness aren’t exaggerated. Any spiritual items that could improve the amount of energy the meridian channels could carry are, in fact, a life-changing treasure and such things could make an ordinary cultivator turn into a highly-sought genius overnight.
Many sects and large families actively seek such people to groom and for a rather practical reason.
In a battle between two practitioners, the one with a stronger and thicker meridian channel system will have a significant advantage over his opponent. Not only would such people be able to use higher level combat arts than others, but they could also execute those attacks with lesser preparation time.
In any duel, it could become the tipping factor between life and death. For beginners, every practitioner’s maximum amount of energy is sorely limited, so the advantage of a stronger meridian system will not be apparent, however, later in the cultivation stages, as the practitioner’s internal energy increases, the difference will turn glaring.
It is a physique only found one-in-a-thousand, but everyone who took the cubic fruit gained it. Of course, the benefits of such a treasure doesn’t just stop here. As time passes, they will discover improvements in all areas – the same effect from practising the Origin Cultivation Method.
It is precisely because the fruit having an overlapping effect with the cultivation method that caused Aisa to bring them back. It would cause the impact to quicken with less effort.
Thanks to it, those around Kairos benefit from having improved Ki capacity, purity, and a stronger meridian system; now all there is left to do is to gather enough resources to support their growth.
Among the fifteen, five of them have already reached A rank, nine have reached Peak B rank, and there is only one last person who is still unable to cross that little gap and is still stuck at Mid B. With such spectacular results from consuming that cubic fruit, Kairos felt that all of them did wonderfully.
One must know that even for Kairos who has perfect compatibility with his cultivation method, he has only risen to Peak D from eating the fruit. However, he felt that he will be able to cross into C rank anytime because even now, there is still a considerable amount of life energy left residing in his body, leftover from the fruit.
Looking at his men with satisfactory, even at the Mid B ranker who is looking downwards in shame, Kairos said, “I am proud to have all of you as members in Snowdrifts. Do not worry if your training is behind each other. Everyone in Snowdrifts will have the opportunity to rush towards higher peaks, to the best of your abilities.
Remember this. If any of you are lagging behind, I will pull you up with me!
Your only task is to challenge yourself. Never forget, you can be slower in cultivation than your peers, but you cannot lose to who you were yesterday!”
“Young lord!” The one who is still at Mid B couldn’t suppress his emotions any longer, knowing that Kairos was encouraging him. “I know that you are saying this just for my sake, but I will take it to heart and always seek to make you feel proud!”
“Good! That’s the spirit. Now that everyone is ready, our target is at Hope’s territory. Shall we head off after you guys have taken a bath?”
Even if the lot of them are well hidden from sight and sound, their smell from breaking through a rank will give them away.
“W…wait!” Selena called out even as the others prepared to leave.
Everyone turned back to look at her, and she bashfully spoke in stammering words, “I…, I have a suggestion to make.”
She looked left and right seriously, and when approval seemed to be garnered, she continued.
“We come from the same pitiful background. Whether we were abandoned, sold, or stolen from our parents, we were taken in by the Devilheart family and left to a fate worse than death. You know the truth in my words when I say that we were existences lower than slaves in their eyes.”
She looked at Kairos with a helpless expression and said, “We were trained as guards at first, but when they found our talents wanting, we were placed in the ‘disposable tools basket.’ The things we had seen and done to survive, they still haunt my dreams every night.”
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Selena paused, and then she spoke bravely to those around her despite her voice trembling, “I… I couldn’t help it but feel frightened all the time, never knowing when would be my last mission or the final time I’ll see one of you. Every time one of us was killed on a mission, I … I just couldn’t handle it anymore.
I always thought that a day will come when we’ve lost our worth to the Devilheart family, and it’d be our last assignment. And… and it really happened, but somehow we were not fated to die.
On our last mission, no matter succeeding or failing, we were to be disposed of, yet Lord Kairos saved us.
The Astroire Family wasn’t longstanding, and the young master is only half our age, yet he gave us what we never had. Precious weapons, spirit fruits, cultivation methods, and, more importantly, freedom.
It is because of him, we have taken back our lives, and our pride. He treated us with respect, and for the very first time in our lives, we are seen as more than tools!
I believe it’s time for us to trust him.”
She walked up to Kairos and suddenly knelt down.
Many of them held up the leftover core of the fruit while Selena was making her point. After the flesh is being chewed clean, it looked not much different than an apple’s core.
A fierce light of hope and certainty was set ablaze in their eyes, and soon everyone copied her actions, many of them muttered to themselves in agreement as they did, “No longer slaves.”
At this point, Kairos still did not understand what was happening.
When Selena saw all of her brothers and sisters-in-arms have knelt down, she declared loudly, “If the young master you would accept us, we wish to hail you as our Martial Teacher, and from today forth follow you for the rest of our lives.”
To say Kairos was shocked is an understatement. But he knew from their expressions that they were serious, and he could not reject them without destroying the flimsy trust they gave him, and all their relationship is built upon.
They saw uneasiness on Kairos’ face, understanding the awkwardness for a twelve-year-old to accept old people who are nearly three times his age as disciples.
In Saint Empire, the bond between a Martial Teacher and his disciples is ironclad and reinforced by traditions. Unsurprisingly, there are such powerful relationships, as during harsh times such as now, learning a useful skill could be the difference between starving to death or having a good life.
Kairos, having taught them a powerful cultivation technique, is like a second parent to them for giving them a new opportunity when there was none. Even if the Devilheart family did not dispose of them, being stuck at B rank after reaching thirty means that it is almost impossible for them to improve anymore.
With the Heavenly Laws changed, and breakthrough between every grade and rank tightened, to cultivate has become twice as difficult as before. Yet somehow, when they practised Kairos’ customised method, they did not feel it is that undoable anymore.
Only powerful cultivation techniques that belong to great sects, high nobles could achieve something like this. And to learn such techniques, one usually has to exchange for it with their lives.
To gain resources and cultivation manuscripts, it is reasonable to join a sect as a disciple. What privilege a member enjoys depends on talent, rank, and their achievements. In return, they have to earn money for their sect, and when necessary, they are expected to lay down their lives.
It is no different from joining a noble family. One has to be groomed as a favoured slave, or become an honoured family guest, or be hired as a fighter. There are some would even swear their entire family to become the guardian family to high nobles.
There is one other popular method, and it is to become a powerful individual’s spouse.
However, the most popular method to receive an impartation of high-level techniques is to become someone’s direct disciple. It is not odd for those disciples to feel extremely loyal to their teacher, even to the point of sacrificing everything for that person. Because they know that they gained everything that they have because of their Martial Teacher in the first place. The trust in their bond is two-way. While disciples entrust their Martial Teacher to guide and protect them, the students look after the well-being of the one that taught them.
This is true for those in the Righteous faction (正道), but even among the Demonists (邪道宗人) that sometimes practices immoral techniques for power and self-gain, they enforce the relationship between teacher and disciple like a sacred rite.
The fifteen shouted again, determinedly, “If the young master you would accept us, we wish to hail you as our Martial Teacher!”
“How could I?” Kairos stammered, “I am merely twelve. How could I guide you?”
This time, Ah Gui replied, “In the Cultivation world, the strong lead the way. The young master may be younger than us, but you have achieved things that none others could. Those at a higher Cultivation level are considered seniors regardless of age.”
There is a famous saying that in the face of ability, the number of years lived doesn’t matter. In a world where there are Cultivators over a thousand years old, it isn't strange to find such ancient people being the disciple of someone much younger.
“Yes, young lord. We wish to become your disciples.”
“We will be honoured if you can accept us.”
“Young lord, maybe you have not thought much of what you have given us, but your kindness is something that we are unable to repay even with our lives.”
In the empire, this is how serious about becoming one’s martial arts teacher, and not just anyone could carry the prestige.
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that people like them had never truly lived a moment in their lives for themselves until Kairos and his friends treated them as human beings instead of mere tools.
When Kairos saw this in their eyes, he knew he can no longer deny them.
“It would be disrespectful for me to reject any longer. If you would like to follow me as your Martial Teacher, then never forget your roots and never stop reaching towards your future. This is what living means to me from growing up in Rutea Village.
I may have little, but I will share what I have with you, so do your best, reach the highest standard you can give yourself and become superior to who you were yesterday.”
The fifteen were shocked by the wisdom of this child who is barely older than twelve, and they took in his words seriously. This is the first instruction they received from their teacher, their Martial Teacher, and in this lifetime, they must never forget.
Bright smiles blossomed beautifully across everyone’s faces. They immediately kowtowed nine times, signifying they have followed Kairos as their Martial Teacher from today forth.
Kairos watched them without a word. He isn’t a stickler for tradition, but in the light of the seriousness on their faces, he solemnly kept their feelings deep in his heart to never forget this day.
If in the past, they have sworn their loyalty to him without a choice, right now, they have willingly followed him. Before, perhaps they would not betray the Snowdrifts because of the Soul Slips, but asking them to actively think of ways to work for Kairos’ goals would be too much for them.
However, as his disciples, they will treat him more preciously than they treat their own selves. This is the difference between a servant and a disciple.
It is this kind of powerful bonds that make sects, guilds, and noble families become such titanic presences in the empire.
Almost all of the factions today were once started by great individuals with many loyal disciples. This day, Kairos has unknowingly set the Snowdrifts upon this same path.