(Author: Hello! Third chapter of spam release. Well, Elgar reached the Refining Qi stage and searches for his imperial great grandfather's hammer, the weapon of his father's grandfather. Now, he also has to find other items that will help him improve as a Cultivator. Enjoy.)
--------Chapter 4: Weapons and the World----------------
"Why do I have to wield the hammer? Can't it be a different weapon?" Elgar asked.
"Well, it might be," Caius soothed. "Magic ranked weapons sometimes change to suit the wielder. It might not even be a hammer as it is incompatible with poison. The cultivation method I gave you allows you to cultivate all three of your elements in harmony. Naturally, your weapon must be the same. Either way, your best weapon is your own limbs. Weapons? They are just extensions with their own pros and cons."
"So it might not be a hammer," Elgar grinned as they approached a podium with a large hammer laying on a white marble table. The hammer was made of a crimson metal and flames seemed to emanate from the metal head. Hesitant, Elgar ran his canine tooth on his thumb, a scratch healing after a drop of blood fell onto the hammer. The hammer, touched by the blood containing the qi of Elgar, began to shake and a blinding light of crimson filled the vault.
After Elgar rubbed his blinded eyes, what lay before him was a spear instead of a hammer. The magic ranked weapon actually changed. Perhaps the weapon sensed Elgar's origins, the spear having a long fluid body like a snake and serpentine dragon. The shaft of the spear was made of black metal as light as a feather, but its flexibility and sturdiness could be manipulated.
The spear head was in the shape of a double-edge sword and the metal was crimson, cracks on its surface with what seemed to be lava flowing within. As it was a magical ranked weapon, it could be bound to his soul and he could ride as a flying spear. If he threw it, the spear would automatically return to him. It had many useful characteristics that satisfied Elgar.
That was what made magic ranked weapons valuable. Elgar could not forget how many magical treasures humans used to kill him when he was a snake and dragon. He could also remember how their magic ranked weapons pierced his scales and how they sometimes survived with claws and flames with their magical ranked armor. Now he was no longer at the receiving end only. He had a deep hatred for some martial arts sects and species of magical beasts. Before, he never left his territory to solely cultivate and enter the Immortal Realm. Now that he had to restart, he didn't mind taking small detours and killing them.
"Spear huh? Don't see a lot of human Cultivators using those. Some demons do though," Caius noted, seeing Elgar happily hold the spear. "Now that I see it, this spear is a weapon of a demon. Most likely, the emperor that wielded this killed so while attacking demons. It's the most plausible assumption for it to be here. Look, an aura of blood emanates from it. Only demonic weapons do that. It's more of a flashy utility to instill fear but many demons have the chaos and taboo death and blood element affinity."
"Will I be in trouble for using it?" Elgar asked. "It also seems kind of small for an adult for when I grow older."
"Well, no one has used that since your great grandfather died and your father wanted you to use it. There should be no problem. Even some Cultivators wield weapons made from materials of a magical beast. So long as it is a magic ranked weapon, no one really cares. Further, magic ranked weapons, armors, and treasures adjust to the owner. So long as it is soul bound, only you can use it while you still live," the empress nodded. "What will you name it?"
"Lava Viper," Elgar answered immediately. Why did he call it that? Once the spearhead cut someone, lava would seep into the blood, burning the foe from the inside out. The bigger the wound, the more lava was injected, just like a viper's poison.
"Nice name," Caius agreed. "It's a name making note of a spear's flexibility and long body. Now, let's go find you some stuff you will need before I teach you some martial arts. We might even find some nature and elemental techniques."
"You want him to wield the power of his element already?" the empress asked.
"Yeah. Why not, Rebecca? Just one should suffice. Incorporating nature energy into his martial arts is the main priority anyway. He should learn two nature techniques, just to be safe, and one elemental spirit technique. Of course, he will practice in secret. We don't want him to stand out."
"Why not?" Elgar asked, his prideful nature as a dragon resurfacing. "If the enemies know what you are capable of, they would not dare antagonize you."
"That's only if you are one of the echelons of the Cultivators of the world. At your current stage, it is best to remain hidden. The less you stand out, the less enemies you make and the longer you get to live. If your enemies have no data on you, why would they dare take a risk if it meant death?" Caius laughed. "We are not magical beasts. Humans are more cunning and cruel. We are also less patient and reckless. If someone were to think you would become a dangerous enemy, they would plot to kill you before that fear becomes reality."
"I see. Then I will practice my elemental techniques in secret, once I learn them," Elgar said, his great grandfather nodding with approval.
"That's right. Good. Just because you have elemental attributes, doesn't mean you should blindly use it. Some people have difficulty even using them when they have the elemental attribute. Let's have the rest of the palace think that way. For now we need to decide on two techniques for you to learn. Actually, make that three," Caius said.
"It's hard enough to learn one, at his age. You want him to learn three?" Rebecca frowned.
"One to attack, one to disguise, and one movement skill," Caius answered. "One nature technique to hide his power. That way he blends in while subsequently being able to discern their cultivation stage as most normally don't hide it. As for movement skills, its essential to move faster and dodge your enemies strikes and blows. You could also have a easier time escaping."
Caius took out a manual from a ring and gave it to Elgar, saying, "This is a manual for Cultivators with the lightning attribute. It's called the Lightning Serpent art. Once you reach the Earthly Avatar stage, your snake art will transcend and become a dragon art. It is said all serpentine dragons were not born as dragons but evolved from snake magical beasts. This is a technique created by one of the ancestors of the Draco clan. It's benefit is from its simplicity. It is easier to learn and the Cultivator can create more of them as he becomes more powerful. Sometimes, simplicity is better than complexity."
"Thank you great grandfather," Elgar bowed and held the manual in his left hand while his right held Lava Viper.
"Ah, the boy needs a storage ring," the empress remembered and gave Elgar a dark purple ring with a white silver dragon crest, a drop of blood floating out of the ring and vanishing out of thin air.
"A magical item that stores items are items all Cultivators should have. Inside is a magical space to store various items instead of having to physically carry them. Place a drop of blood on it and store your manual and spear in their. I already have a lot of gold and mithril coins inside. I also have a few adamantine coins but those are not used as money ," the empress said, seeing Elgar bind it and do as she said after he put on the ring.
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In the human world, humans had a monetary system to buy and sell goods. Coins were the universal medium of exchange. One hundred copper coins equaled one silver. One hundred silver equaled one gold. One hundred gold equaled one mithril. As for the adamantine coins, they were coins from the ancient eras of the world, before the world was divided among the five races.
Elgar had learned about how the humans and other races have classified the planet. The planet consisted of five large continents with seventy seven percent of the world covered in water, according to some records. Two of the five continents were ruled by humans and all continents had magical beasts. The world map had four continents surrounding the center continent, like a compass indicating the four directions. The center and eastern continents were ruled by humans. Elgar's homeland, the Ash Fall Empire, was an island nation between the two large continents but a part the eastern continent's territories. The center continent was called Koralga and the eastern continent was called Jinyun, or the Gold Cloud continent.
Elgar knew the southern continent was the largest continent nearly as big as Koralga and Jinyun. It was a continent primarily ruled by demons and demonic magical beasts. According to the ancient records Elgar read in the imperial library, the continent's name was Malaug or Blood Scythe in the demon language. The western continent was once ruled by humans but powerful magical beasts killed the humans and drove them to the center continent of Koralga. The western continent was called Vatocrix. The northern continent never had a name. It was because no one could ever venture and survive in the cold storms. Many legends speak about the treasures of the northern continent, but none dare venture. Even the demons, magical beasts, and demonic magical beasts don't venture there.
"Thank you," Elgar said, his reminiscence of the world's map over.
"Of course, Little Elgar," the empress smiled. "Just make sure not to brood over money so much. For Cultivators, we only care about spirit pills as a medium of exchange. I have a few in there. The easiest way to attain more is to steal from others. Storage rings are incredibly rare and can be soul bound. Magical bags cannot. These are more common. Besides, no one can tell if a ring is a storage ring as they don't give off any magical energy."
"However, don't befriend a mage. Those bastards should just offer their heads to us," Caius cursed. "Remember Elgar, never trust those from Koralga. Those bastards are mages, not Cultivators. They are our enemies. We, Cultivators, utilize qi and bend it to our will. Mages twist and corrupt it into what they call mana. If you see one, cut off his head. The only good mage is one whose head is severed from his shoulders."
"Mithril coins are not used in some parts of the Jinyun continent. It is because of the hatred towards Koralga through the result of their many failed invasions to our land," the empress explained. "Koralga is a crowded continent due to the refugees from Vatocrix many years ago. Their population is growing so fast and they are sucking the very qi from their land, killing it slowly. Our nation, the Ash Fall Empire, is a very large sub-continent sized island between the main land of Jinyun and the continent of Koralga. Our empire fights them constantly as our empire encompasses a sixth of the island mass."
"Enough, let's just get him some magical treasures, nature techniques, and begin his training. Talking about mages makes me want to take a shit," the Cultivator of the Sky Profound Realm cursed.
An hour later, the trio came out with a small harvest for Elgar. For a movement technique, Elgar would learn a technique called, The Great Roc Dance. While using the technique, Elgar would be like the legendary bird flying smoothly in the wind. Time seemed to slow around him as he used the technique. It was an extremely good technique. The hidden nature technique Elgar learned was Lion Turtle's Shell. It is said lion turtles had the body of a lion with a face seemed to be carved from stone and a turtle's shell that was actually like an island paradise. When using the technique, Elgar could choose what cultivation stage to reveal as well as strengthen his own body with qi.
Caius did not want his great grandson to depend on magical armor too much and only allowed him to take one magical armor, a studded gauntlet. The gauntlet would have an affect of allowing Elgar to create a shield out of his own qi. This way, he could defend himself if the enemy used projectiles or got too close for Elgar to use his spear. Elgar also received a magical fruit that Caius said would increase his potential and even grant him a rare gift when he ate it. He was told to use it to reach the Earth Shattering Realm once he was at the peak of the Qi Establishment stage, the fourth stage as well as the last stage of the Qi Scouring Realm.
Breaking into another realm of cultivation was exceedingly difficult. Other powerful clans also gave the young generations similar items to reach the fifth stage. As for magical treasures, Elgar was told to worry about that when he was older. Using them now would make him too dependent on them in the future, limiting his potential. Now all Elgar needed to do was learn to fight as a human. Rebecca told Elgar that he needed to wait a few days to allow his body to adjust to its new capabilities. Then, he would learn under his great grandfather. It would also be the time the main branch of the Firetail would visit the Ash Fall Imperial Palace. No doubt, there purpose was to assess the three children of the emperor.
The main branch cared little for Mortal Realm affairs and had many sub branches all over the sub-continent, the most powerful living in the Ash Fall Empire. The main branch was the pillar of the nation. The current patriarch of the main branch was the son of the founder of the empire! No one knew how old he was, but many assumed he was at the Saint Profound Realm, probably at the Lesser Saint stage. He wasn't the most powerful being in the Jinyun continent, but there was no doubt that he was in the sub-continent between the Koralga and Jinyun.
The emperor and his wives were busy making preparations in the palace. The patriarch, himself, was coming. He never once left his cultivation chamber beneath his home in the hidden mountain valley where the main branch lived. It is said the main branch of the Firetail Clan lived in the valley of a mountain range so high, people thought it could touch the Heavens. Even though the main branch sent a representative every time the children of the current emperor and empress survived the attribute test, everyone knew the patriarch was coming to see Sarah and not Elgar. This was the first time the main branch concerned itself with a concubine's child.