“Do you feel any different?”
The dove flapped her wings and flew over to Calron, hovering and inspecting to see any other changes they missed.
“I feel invigorated. I can’t use both the essence and the dao at the same time, but I feel my body is much stronger than before.”
Calron snapped his fingers, and a bolt of golden lightning crackled over his fingertips. He tried to use his old abilities, but couldn’t transform into the golden bird. Even the azure lightning was deep in slumber. Calron knew it was the Divine Element that made his lightning unique, meaning that he had to wait until the electric snake was out of its comatose state.
“You could try wearing an eye-patch if your eyes bother you. Regardless, I think we need a disguise for you. You stand out way too much with your white hair and multi-colored irises.”
The Blood Titan walked over and bent forward to better look at the changes in Calron’s eyes.
“The bastard doesn’t need to hide. He’s still a greenhorn when it comes to combat, and the more enemies he faces from now on, the faster he’ll grow.”
Martial chimed in from the side, shaking his snout at Blood’s suggestion.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to fight many 4th circle path walkers or Heavenly stage cultivators after breaking through, but I doubt they’ll have an easy time in killing me. I’m not that weak.”
Calron turned his head to the black pig and scoffed at the Titan’s words.
“I’m not talking about those 4th circle losers who haven’t even lived to 200 years, bastard. You need to worry about the 6th circle Ancients and Gods who have been in countless wars and trained their combat techniques for millenniums. At that level, those monsters only need the tinniest trace of their energy to kill you from a continent away.”
The black pig jumped on Calron’s shoulder and smacked him on the cheek before dashing back to the window still.
“Combat techniques?”
Calron scratched his cheek where Martial slapped him. It barely hurt, and he wasn’t in the mood to chase the pig. Calron was more concerned with what Martial said. It made sense. How could a being that had lived for thousands of years be the same as someone who only lived for a few decades?
“The techniques are not a special ability or anything. It’s simply your experience in dealing with unforeseen situations in combat and adapting to it. Think of it as an amalgamation of your approach to battle. Do you tend to make the first move or wait patiently for a counter-attack? Do you only use the sharp edge of your blade or hide poison within the hilt of the sword?”
The Blood Titan explained as he crossed his elbows. Martial made a good point. Calron was not even 30 years old, and he’d soon have to face against those undying monsters.
“Well, you’re not a completely hopeless bastard. Luckily, you have this giant’s Blood Siphon ability. That alone should drastically increase your chances of survival. However, surviving won’t be enough. You will need to fight. Fight until you can’t fight anymore. And then, get up, and fight even more.”
The black pig dashed on top of the Blood Titan’s shoulder and stood on his hind legs as he spoke to Calron.
“You sound as if you already have a plan in mind.”
Calron sighed as he caught the slight twinkle in the black pig’s eyes. On some level, he knew what Martial said wasn’t entirely baseless. The last time he’d learned actual combat techniques was when he was still within the Spiritual stage, and Elias had taught him how to use the Blood Legacy. Since then, he’d used those same principles for all his battles till date.
Hearing Calron’s words, the black pig smirks and lifts his furry chest higher.
“Announce to the world who you are, and your enemies will come on their own looking for you.”
“The boy isn’t ready to face the onslaught of the Gods, Martial. They would devour him.”
The Nature Titan glanced at the pig with a worried look.
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“I don’t mean to reveal his connection to Taranis. That’s a death wish. I’m talking about his identity as the Blood Walker. This news is bound to alert those rodents in the Divine Realm, but the Gods won’t intervene en mass since they’d already wiped out the Blood clan in the past. Another lone Blood Walker isn’t a threat to them.”
Martial’s goofy face became serious as he gazed straight at the dove.
“It’s not the Gods we should worry about. It’s the Archaic Council. The Ancients won’t stay still at the news of the emergence of a Blood Walker. The traitors among them will definitely aim for Calron through the shadows.”
Blood frowned as he voiced his thoughts.
“That’s the goal, Blood. Let them come. We know for sure none of the Ancients themselves will bother to hunt the boy personally. The World’s Law will impede them. This means only the 5th circle hounds will go after Calron.”
The pig poked his hoof at the Blood Titan’s neck.
“No, Martial is right. If I can’t deal with 5th circle enemies, then I have no business aiming for the Gods and eventually, the Primordials.”
Calron said calmly, quelling Nature and Blood’s concerns. Strangely, Calron didn’t feel any fear at the prospect of fighting 5th circle path walkers. His old partner, the azure lightning, was with him once again, and it will be his turn to show how much he’d improved since their last meeting.
And the day the azure lightning woke up from its slumber, even the Ancients would have a reason to be wary of Calron. There was a reason the Divine Elements were coveted even within the Divine Realm.
Seeing the conviction in the young man’s eyes, Martial smiled to himself inwardly. The bastard was more like Taranis than he thought.
“Besides, aren’t both of you forgetting that his confrontation with the Archaic Council is inevitable? Calron will need that item from their vault.”
A look of understanding appeared to pass between the Titans as they nodded at Martial’s words.
“What item are you all talking about?”
Calron inquired curiously.
“In the future, after you attain your 5th circle, you’ll come across an insurmountable barrier, little one. The 6th circle, also known as the first circle of immortality.”
This time, it was the Nature Titan who answered Calron. The dove then continued.
“When the Primordials tampered with the World’s Law, they made it impossible for a path walker to ascend to the higher realms. The cultivators could ascend to the Divine Realm, but our path was obstructed. No, it was forcibly broken by them.”
A tinge of sadness flashed through the Nature Titan’s gentle face, but she continued to speak.
“To shatter the chains of mortality and step into the door of immortality, you need to first break off the restrictions imposed by the World’s law. In the past, we could do this by studying the dao and comprehending the secrets of the Law. Sadly, that cannot be done anymore. The World’s Law is corrupted. This left only one other option for the path walkers: to use the dao circles of the past Ancients.”
Something seemed to pass between the Titans when Nature said the last sentence. It was subtle, but Calron could sense the Titans had exchanged their thoughts telepathically. Was there more to it than what the Nature Titan said?
“On the rarest occasion that an Ancient dies, their dao circles assimilate together and form something called the dao fruit. The old Ancients’ circles didn’t have the taint of the corrupted World’s law. Using this dao fruit, the 5th circle path walkers were able to condense their own 6th circle.”
The Blood Titan finished off the dove’s explanation.
“So, this is how the Archaic Council is able to control all the path walkers. Only they have access to the dao fruits.”
Understanding dawned on Calron. He realized now why the council had such influence over the path walkers. Unlike in the cultivation world, where regional clans and kingdoms ruled over individual territories and not the cultivators, the Archaic Council ruled over the path walkers themselves.
This let them exercise their power regardless of how far away the path walker was from their reach.
“Can I steal the dao fruit?”
Calron had a feeling it was impossible, but he had to try at least.
“Not even a God can fight on equal terms with an Ancient in the mortal realm, little one. Their divine power would be restricted by the World’s Law while the Ancient would have no such weakness. If not for the existence of Primordials, the Ancients would be the Overlords of this sector.”
The tiny dove flapped her wings slowly.
“The only way to get the dao fruit is to fight for it with the other 5th circle path walkers. To be eligible, you’ll first need the vote of at least one existing council member. Only then would you be able to enter the competition with other nominees.”
“Seems simple enough. When is the next competition?”
Calron commented as he cracked his knuckles.
“Usually, every 500 years. Most 5th circle path walkers are old monsters who have lived for centuries and are already part of factions under the existing Ancients. The competition is not just amongst the 5th circles, but also between the Ancients. None of them want a new Ancient from a faction that isn’t theirs. Even if you beat all the nominees, the council will still find an excuse to not give you the dao fruit.”
The Blood Titan spoke unhurriedly.
“Then, why do you want me to enter the competition in the first place?”
Calron scratched his head in confusion.
“Is this why you wanted the boy to reveal himself to the world?”
Instead of responding to Calron, the Blood Titan tilted his head and stared at the smug black pig.
Tapping his hooves against the giant’s shoulders, Martial grinned and addressed Calron.
“When the news spreads that a Blood Walker is alive, all the clans and the council will focus their attention on the boy. If the brat waltzes into the council and defeats all the nominees, would the Ancients be able to thwart the backlash from the path walkers if they don’t rightfully grant a Blood Walker the dao fruit?”
“As much as I hate it, that’s the best chance the little one has to obtain a dao fruit.”
The Nature Titan said softly.
“How much time do I have until the next scheduled competition?”
Calron contemplated how he should approach the council. There was one glaring option in the back of his mind. The red-haired crazy woman, Cynthia.
“From my guess, you should have approximately 120 years until the next competition.”
The Blood Titan replied after thinking for a few seconds.
Hearing the Titan’s words, Calron let out a sigh of relief. It was plenty of time to prepare.
“For others, that’s enough time to get their 5th circle. However, you had to pick the worst kind of domain for your 4th circle, you idiot.”
Martial snorted at Calron’s visible relief.
“What do you mean?”
Calron was dumbfounded at the black pig’s words. What was wrong with his domain?
“Follow me, brat. It’s time you learn about that incomplete domain you picked.”
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A/N: Apologies for no chapters last week, everyone. Was busy with the audiobook project.