The water in the basin gradually grew muddy, as did the heavens faded into dusk. The two had left the side of the river, and returned to the carriage. As the wind was growing colder and colder, and Cai Hua was reluctant to create a bonfire while the two were away, Ovid could only pull their garments tight. 

Looking at the overgrown grass and distant mountains, Ovid did not speak for a long time. While Anna had a kinship with Irene, neither he nor Cai Hua does, if Irene plans to assassinate Cai Hua during this time… 

Cai Hua left the carriage, seeing Ovid, he quickly understood his emotions, Cai Hua proclaimed, “Since I’ve beaten her so badly a few weeks ago, she no doubt would be hesitant to strike without confirming the extents of my injury and the limits of your strength.”

Cai Hua obviously said this with an arrogance unrivalled. 

Ovid was worried about what would happen if Irene could not wait any longer, or worse, discovered the severity of the injury Cai Hua had endured. He did not believe he had any chance infront of a saint as an ordinary mortal. 

“Then… do you still have some strength?”

From when they had left Phalaris, Cai Hua did not leave the carriage. It was only in the most critical movement in the fight this morning, he had used a twig to block Myia’s fist. This caused Ovid to believe that Cai Hua still had some hidden strength. 

Cai Hua lectured, “In the past few days, I accumulated a little bit of spiritual essence with great difficulties, and all of it was used to save your life in this morning, not to mention how you refused my attempt to cultivate a killing intent. Do you think I’m like you or Anna, creatures who never grow stale?” 

Anna was on a shore not far away. She casually sipped her vegetable broth and seemed to be very satisfied. 

“On this matter, that last move you made… to actually channel spiritual essence throughout your body without any perception, reversing the course of the battle. How impressive.”

Before Ovid could answer, Cai Hua’s expression grew stern. He looked at Ovid and said expressionlessly, “Is being my disciple such an unfortunate thing? Do you not want to live anymore?”

Indeed, what he did was no different from seeking death.

There was a reason why such a method of using mana is so rarely practised today. 

Ovid grew confused and didn’t say anything. Those who had used it would typically have their body mutilate, their spirit mutilate tortured until they reach their last breath. Aside from a few individuals like Alexander of ancient times, it was no different from self-immolation.

“The last move… what did I do wrong? 

Ovid’s expression was rather confused and innocent as he asked  Cai Hua.

Cai Hua thought back a few hundred years ago before he had started on his journey to immortality. When he was still a naive little boy and had seen a diabolic cultivator channelling their mana wildly… He looked at Ovid and said blankly, “So, you’re saying you did it unknowingly?”

There had been a few great figures in the past that had accomplished such a thing, such as the aforementioned Alexander. However, Cai Hua was never interested in understanding a figure that he will never meet, so he never knew the possibility. When he said the deed Ovid had done, Cai Hua stared into his eyes and stressed out every word in a very solemn manner. 

Ovid grew up entirely under his mother, and he was only by Anna’s side when he entered this world. He didn’t have anyone teachers or schoolmates from his previous world, much less the one his currently at. Naturally, he was not aware what such an extraordinary action this meant, even to the genius Cai Hua, so he nodded his head, “I simply followed my instincts.”

Cai Hua raised both eyebrows. This sort of brute force technique was not only something to compliment a sword move, but it was also a method that some had used to reach immortality. 

The volume of mana clergymen can put on depends on a number of things, but most crucially, it is the connection between the individual and the star that matters most. This meant the day the individual was born on, is closely related to their constellation, and subsequently, talent. The limit for the amount of mana for people born on certain months would be far greater than others. For individuals like Catherine, who had an extremely close relationship with her constellation, she could output mana for a long time. 

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

However, even she could not output enough mana for something like what Ovid had done. The biggest problem was that nowadays mana is spread far more thinly over a greater number of people, with most not receiving any at all. As a result, even if someone with extreme talent to the same degree as Alexander, might not be able to achieve channel mana just based on their instincts. 

Ovid asked, “Cai Hua?” 

Cai Hua looked at him and said, “No matter how I think of it, I cannot figure it out… for when did channelling mana without perception become possible? Since I am a genius that reached immortality, how could you be an idiot? Perhaps you are a genius rarely seen in a thousand years? Then how did the people serving under Julia not notice your talent and put you in the clergy?”

Ovid never thought he was very outstanding. It was because he had lived in relative isolation from most people, and never had anyone to compare it to. Yet today, there was someone who had called him a peerless genius, and also, that person who said it was widely recognised as a publicly renowned genius himself. 

This made Ovid feel very surprised, very happy, but he dare not to accept it based on his mother’s teachings. 

Afterwards, when he mentions Cai Hua mention the strangeness of his identity, did he finally return to his sense. He said, “I’m certain that you are able to do it as well.”

Cai Hua at this moment was earnestly contemplating how to solve the inevitable crisis that will arise from the use of mana in such a savage manner. At this moment, he was wondering if that certain place containing the godly spirit left behind by Alexander would do, but something unexpected happened. He had just spoken of the dangers of this technique, and Ovid want him to use it himself?

If Ovid was not his disciple, at this moment, Cai Hua definitely would have been outraged. Fortunately, Cai Hua suppressed his anger but could not prevent the atmosphere from degrading. 

“Why would I need to practise this? I’m already an immortal.”

Cai Hua looked at Ovid and said that. The manner he said it was so proud and gallant that he seemed like a warrior prepared to march to his death. However, he knew no matter how he said it, it was just an excuse. 

However, Ovid did not know this, and thought what Cai Hua said made sense, and no longer questioned.

The mist emitted from the warm vegetable soup hid his face, making it difficult to tell his complexion. 

Then, without any prior sign, Ovid suddenly stood up and sprinted behind a tree near the river. He bent over and began vomiting. 

Cai Hua looked at him and sneered, “It’s not as though the food is bad.”

Ovid waved his hand and wanted to explain a little. However, he was unable to suppress the uncomfortable feeling in his chest and began to vomit again. 

His battle with Myia was his first upfront battle where he completely defeated a proper deacon. Excluding Cai Hua’s intervention at the last moment, it could be said that Ovid had done so all by himself, perhaps even leaving behind a spot in history. 

However, the price he paid was not ordinary. A battle between a mundane person and ecclesiastic was obviously not as simple as it is seen. Under the pressure of Myia’s mana, he had suffered heavy injuries. Back then, when he had pulled his stola closer to himself, it was an issue with the cold, but also because his body was unconsciously suppressing the injuries, and could not last anymore. 

However, the true injury was not in the body, but in the soul. 

He did not have the talent to achieve perception like Anna, much less the amount Myia had accumulated over decades of meditation. He had only begun to learn from Cai Hua for a few days, yet he forcibly used it against his opponent. Also, No matter how talented he was, the absolute control of muscles to act in the most direct manner shook his soul beyond what it can endure.

That is not to even mention the use of mana in that last strike, which was akin to flooding the dam and allowing a vast and boundless amount of uncontrollable mana to break through his body, directly strained his spirit beyond the breaking point until it was about to collapse. 

The body is the dikes that contained the flow of the soul.  Now that the river had flooded, the dikes were brought into distraught, carried by the mana into the void. This was a very terrifying process. He felt that all of his surroundings, the river and the endless plains, were constantly spinning and changing. The dusty sky seemed to fall over his head, which made him extremely bothered, uncomfortable, dizzy and weak. It was like a small boat drifting over the violent sea, with him as the sole passenger. 

This feeling was extremely painful and existed on a mental level, something that cannot be expelled from his bother no matter what. 

He vomited out all the wild vegetable he had eaten from the soup, and even the smoked meat he had in the morning. He also vomited his stomach acid, and in the end, he could only vomit out things like water, until he could not even vomit that out. It was as if he wanted to vomit until the rivers dried and soil settled, for all eternality. Only like this could he dispel the feeling. 

Cai Hua looked at the teenager who vomited at the side and said nothing. 

After an unknown amount of time, he grabbed the sword Ovid had used early and used it as a cane to walk behind Ovid. He slowly raised the sword, and then hit the back of Ovid’s neck. 

With the slap, Ovid slowly collapsed. But before he collapsed, he used the last of his energy to ensure he would fall backwards and not contaminated by the contents he vomited out.

However, he did not faint. His eyes remained open, and he looked at the sky. He was in extreme pain and greatly weakened. 

Cai Hua said, “If you’re unwilling to faint, your soul might really separate from the body.” 

Although he had consumed all his energy to block Myia’s strike, his mastery still remains. Originally, Cai Hua thought that although it was not enough to kill opponents, it should be enough to save someone. However, he did not expect Ovid’s body to be actually so tough. 

Ovid opened his mouth like a fish struggling for oxygen and said weakly, “Cai Hua, do you have sleeping medication.” 

Cai Hua understood what Ovid meant and retrieved a pill. He crushed the pill roughly with his hand, and then shoved it into Ovid’s mouth. 

Ovid finally closed his eyes. His face still pale, and his eyelashes quivering slightly. 

Cai Hua breathed a few times tiredly and then sat down cross-legged. He gazed at a patch of grass, and his right hand landed on the sword handle. 

A while later, Ovid suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the skies absentmindedly. 

Cai Hua glanced down and said, “The effects are that quick. Close your eyes and wait.”

Ovid said with great difficulties, “There is something I want to say.”

Cai Hua stayed silent for a while and then said expressionlessly, “Go.” 

“Cai Hua… you are a good person.”

With that, Ovid finally felt that he had completed what he need to do. He relaxed, closed his eyes, and passed out.