The snow crunched underfoot as Kai stepped onto the cobbled mountain pass. Back in his natural body, he’d taken his time trekking down the mountain, stretching out the time between steps to give him time to think and plan.

He didn’t realize how reliant he’d become on slowing time down until he couldn’t do it anymore. Now, he had time to work out his thoughts and feelings between each step. This ability allowed him to struggle through the challenging problems he’d faced, the new realities he discovered, and settle them in his mind and heart, achieving a degree of inner peace his other form couldn’t reach.

He looked into the sky - the last of the snow clouds had emptied themselves over the vast gray ocean, leaving a quilt of mottled clouds to drape shadows across the cityscape. The sun was high but had passed its zenith and begun its return trip.

As he continued his ascent, the clatter and rumble of life on the road reached his ears. A man bolted past him, the urgent clip-clop of his overburdened packhorse's hooves echoing in his wake. The mountain pass hummed with life as people swarmed it, some moving towards Arcadia gently while a more significant majority ascended it with palpable urgency. An electric current of anticipation threaded through the crowds as families and merchants weaved their paths around Kai.

The mountain air carried the faint smell of cold stone, wet earth, and the sweet fragrance of snow, painting a fresh, crisp portrait of the world around him. Overlaid on this were the scents of human exertion, mingling with the pungent aroma of horse and the subtle fragrances of goods carried by the passing traders.

Ahead lay the territory of the Iceheart Clan. Kai had made a deal with their patriarch and aimed to fulfill it.

Pressing forward, Kai savored the sensation of merging with the crowd, losing his individuality in the sea of faces. Folks bustled, their gaze passing over him, a welcome change to his new transformation. This was another unexpected feature of his natural body.

"Soul gate form," Kai uttered softly, testing the weight of the words on his tongue. His list of potential names for his white core transformation was growing, yet none had yet clicked into place. 'Soul-Realm Sovereign' had gotten close, but it sounded so pretentious that it nearly made him prefer settling for the nondescript moniker 'white.'

Despite his struggle to find an apt descriptor for this form, one theory was solidifying within his mind. He did not physically transport people and items between worlds. The biggest problem with the physical transfer theory was the implications.

Should the premise hold true that he physically transported people to his soul realm – that his soul realm was tangibly existent somewhere – it inferred his godhood, at least within that realm. It suggested that every soulforger, via spiritual energy and internal introspection, anchored their soul to a tangible plane that harmoniously resonated with them.

In his prior life, leading fundamental physicists delved into the concept of infinite realities. If a boundless multitude of realities existed, then encountering one perfectly synchronized with a specific soul didn’t seem too far-fetched. However, a more straightforward explanation might be more plausible.

His 'Soul-Realm Sovereign' form could transmute matter into energy, reconstruct it within his mental realm, and correspondingly transfer and bind the souls of those entities into their newly fashioned mental forms. Indeed, this was an ability of tremendous power, yet it didn't require his rise to godhood.

All evidence aligned with this theory except for the anomaly where the barrier had effectively severed his connection to his soul realm. Kai wrestled extensively with this problem - permitting time to dilate enough for comprehensive contemplation. His final deduction: the souls of soulforgers were distinctively unique.

In his extensive experiments with multiple souls, Kai discovered a remarkable uniformity within them. Each soul comprised seven peripheral gems or shards, which encased a central core consisting of three parts — a total of ten components of the soul, where seven catered to the physical body and three to the mind. During the creation of their soul spaces, soul forgers succeeded in segregating the mental segment of the soul from its physical counterpart.

It could signify that his mind-soul had expanded beyond the body's capacity to encase it. The Heavenly Sealing barrier caused a temporary disruption in their connection. This theory accommodated all the facts and was devoid of theological ramifications.

A woman, with her plain and humble charm, abandoned the grip of her cart, moving instead to stoop laboriously and reclaim a fallen wicker basket. Her hair, tangled and lackluster, whispered stories of countless chores while early wrinkles danced around her mouth and eyes, revealing hints of a life lived more in hardship than leisure. Her stance held a unique grace, carrying the weight of her world, even in her unburdened moments.

In a world where extraordinary beauty is commonplace, the simple allure of an everyday woman becomes exotic.

Observing her briefly, Kai's attention was soon snatched by a young boy, locks of brown hair falling into wide, curious eyes.

"Hey," Kai began. The boy was comfortably seated on the coarse rush mats at the back of the cart. "Can you tell me why everyone's hustling up the mountain?"

"Yup!" The boy's reply came as an enthusiastic echo, his face widening into a gap-toothed grin of pride.

"Ah, so you're in the know," Kai teased, playfully ruffling the boy's hair. "Don't leave me hanging. What's the big rush?"

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"Dey're tryin' to get home 'fore the soul culdivador," the boy managed, his young tongue grappling with the complex words.

Having restored the basket to its place and secured it to the cart, the woman cast a swift, assessing glance in Kai's direction. She returned to her cart handles, her limping stride faltering as she snuck another look his way, a fleeting smile ghosting her lips. It was a modest, shy smile, failing to illuminate her eyes, yet its sincerity was palpable.

"Allow me; we share the same destination," Kai suggested, stepping forward to relieve her of the cart handles.

"That's quite considerate," she responded, her breath huffing with fatigue while the corners of her mouth drooped, her brows knitting together with concern. "We're dreadfully behind schedule."

"Fret not, honorable lady and young master. We’ll get there in time," Kai assured, hefting the cart handles easily. His newly transformed body was notably more muscular than his child form. Roughly a foot shy of his adult stature, Kai surmised he was in the throes of adolescence, on the brink of a final growth spurt.

Gratefully, she nodded, her limping form falling into step beside him. His pace was considerate, prioritizing her comfort over speed. The wooden wheels of the cart echoed a rhythmic rumble against the cobbled path and crunching snow, transmitting vibrations through the cart with each groove they traversed.

"Did ya catch the baddle?" the boy piped up curiously.

"Battle?" Kai echoed, glancing back.

"Please forgive Jang, his interest in cultivators and their battles runs deep, just like his father," she explained, her smile slightly askew and her eyes clouded with distant memories.

"I'm gonna be a culdivador one day," Jang proclaimed confidently, then his childish features took on a more somber tone. "Lord Azurewing went off to baddle, but he didn't make it back."

"Ah, fear not for Lord Azurewing," Kai reassured with a soothing smile, "he's likely just engaged in a routine patrol." The thick clouds obscured the high-altitude clash, the true spectacle of the confrontation hidden from prying eyes. Except for the hawk-riders and elder, I spared.

The uphill journey was punctuated by the ceaseless inquiries of the endlessly curious Jang. Once he learned of Kai's status as a cultivator, the stream of questions became a torrent. In turn, Kai gleaned ample information from the boy.

His mother, San Tuli, had lost her husband to a battle among cultivators. Employing his God's Eye art, Kai observed their dynamics as he hauled the cart. Tuli was an intriguing study, her countenance a tangle of hope, fear, and concealed frustration. As the hour rolled by, they approached the threshold of the Iceheart clan's territory. A queue had formed at the cave entrance.

"I feel for you," Kai murmured to Tuli, empathy lacing his words, "you've lost your husband to the cultivation realm, and it seems your son is keen on following his path."

"All boys foster such dreams," Tuli responded breathlessly, brushing away a messy lock from her face, a testament to Kai's brisk pace on the ascent. "He's a good boy. Eventually, he'll grow up and care for his family instead of seeking needless conflicts." Her stern gaze fixed on Jang, emphasizing her words.

Slowly, the line dwindled as they edged closer.

"To protecd you," Jang's face contorted in concentration, mastering his articulation, "I gotta become a cultivador!"

In Arcadia, the children of humble rush weavers could afford basic cultivation materials, embarking on the initial steps of the path. Kai had intervened, perhaps changing the underlying economics. Would Jang still be able to start his journey when the time came a year later?

Their conversation continued in tandem with the ever-advancing line. Before long, they reached the front, proceeding past the checkpoint once they confirmed Jang was no soulforger. Of course, they're on the lookout for a boy.

Upon entering the expansive cavern of the clan, Kai paused to bid them farewell.

"Your kindness is deeply appreciated," Tuli expressed their gratitude, "I run a mat stall in the marketplace. Please don't hesitate to stop by if you ever require anything."

Acknowledging her with a nod, Kai left them to their endeavors, directing himself towards the Iceheart patriarch's grand residence.

The territory of the Iceheart clan was alive with energy. Vivid hues of blue and white - the colors of the Iceheart clan - graced every corner, from the cobblestone streets to the towering rooftops. Streamers and flags, resplendent in their vibrant colors, adorned homes, businesses and were even festooned across the meandering roads.

The bustle of merchant carts clattered through the labyrinth of lanes, their owners busy with the late afternoon deliveries. Artisanal bakers, skilled weavers, and myriad other tradesfolk darted about on essential errands, their determined steps signs of preparation.

A hum of chatter wove through the bustling city, an undercurrent of excitement buzzing beneath the surface of regular trade and commerce. Conversations at every corner, marketplace, and even within the shadowed confines of quaint cafes were abuzz with the same topic - the enigmatic benefactor of the clan, the child prodigy soul cultivator. Like a giant orchestral ensemble, the city played a symphony of anticipation, resonating with the rhythm of an extraordinary event.

They are getting a new, more powerful heir. That’s something worth celebrating.

He arrived at the patriarch's estate without fanfare.

"Inform the patriarch that the soulforger has arrived," Kai commanded, unbinding his soul light, his patience thin for delays.

The guards promptly bent in deep reverence, one hastily departing to relay the message. A scant minute later, the patriarch appeared, escorted by the distinguished elders of the Iceheart clan.

"Our humble Iceheart clan is honored by the return of our benefactor, Ahja Kai, the esteemed soulforger," the clan patriarch, Xu Xiangyu, greeted with formal courtesy.

Surprise flickered over Kai's face. This reception was a stark contrast to his previous encounter.

"Excellent. What's the status of the preparations?" Upon his last departure, they had yet to select a suitable heir and capture compatible spirit beasts.

"All arrangements have been meticulously completed," Xiangyu assured him.

Matching strides with Xiangyu, Kai stepped into the stately estate. The moment had arrived to fulfill their mutual bargain.