The next day, Liang Jianwei awoke to birds chirping and the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. As he opened his eyes, a kaleidoscope of colours greeted him, the myriad hues dancing on the walls as sunlight streamed through the window. The familiar aroma of steamed buns permeated the air, filling his nostrils with a comforting scent.
Liang Jianwei arose and washed his face, eager to begin another day of training. As he left his room, he spotted his mother cooking breakfast, her nimble fingers deftly folding the dough.
"Good morning, mother."
"Good morning, Jianwei. Would you like some steamed buns?" She asked, smiling.
Liang Jianwei inhaled the delicious aroma, his stomach growling in anticipation.
"Yes, please." He said, looking at his mother.
His mother smiled and handed him a steaming bun, its crisp, aromatic texture enveloping his senses. Liang Jianwei bit into the steamed bun, the hot dough filling his mouth with a flavourful burst of savoury goodness.
Today, his mother wore a black sleeveless shirt and a red skirt that reached to her knees, exposing her fair skin. She wore white canvas shoes on her feet, her toes wiggling as she stood, humming a familiar tune.
She had pink braids and big blue eyes that shone with warmth. Her smile radiated joy, lighting up the room, and Liang Jianwei felt lucky to have her in his life.
"Thank you, mother. The steamed buns are delicious." Liang Jianwei said before leaving.
He began his daily practice, but this time, he broke through the bottleneck that had been killing him for the past few years.
Immediately, Jianwei used his Aqua Mind Resonance and looked around. He could see the movement of the moisture in the air, allowing him to predict his surroundings. With a single thought, Liang Jianwei transformed into mist and dashed around the village, practising his mist technique and controlling his mist essence.
The Ceruleans came by and began testing the children; they would try their powers to determine if they could join them.
Liang Jianwei didn't join in, but one Cerulean saw the murder he committed yesterday and came up to him.
"Hey, kid, would you like to join the Cerulean?" The man said, smiling.
It was the same guy who watched everything before. He had blond hair and green eyes and wore a Cerulean emblem on his chest.
His face was youthful, and he looked to be in his early thirties. But he had this noble aura around him.
"I'd like to talk with my mother first." Liang Jianwei told the man.
The man nodded his head and spoke.
"That's fine. My name is Li Weiyang. I am a lieutenant commander of the Cerulean. And you are Jiang Jianwei, correct? Come find me if you change your mind. And we would be happy to have you join us in the Cerulean. Our members are chosen based on strength and righteousness, so if you join us, your road to the pinnacle will be much easier. Also, as a Cerulean, you would gain the support and protection of the Cerulean. Think it over, young Jiang Jianwei, but don't take too long. The Cerulean is not known to stay in one place for very long. But rest assured, we will be here for another week." The Cerulean lieutenant said with a gentle smile, the sun bathing him in a radiant light.
Jianwei nodded his head, a new goal emerging in his mind. He wants to join the Cerulean not for protection, but for knowledge about his soul essence.
His mother said that they were the leading force in this world. They should have the knowledge and power to help him grow stronger.
Liang Jianwei made his way home, his footsteps echoing on the cobblestone streets. He approached his mother and informed her about Li Weiyang's offer, her eyes widening but slowly dimmed.
She walked up to Jianwei, put her hand on his shoulder, and looked deep into his eyes.
"Jianwei, this is your future, not mine. If you wish to go, I won't stop you, but I wish you to return home and visit me often."
Jianwei embraced his mother, holding her close.
"Of course, mother. I'll miss you and come to visit you."
Jiang Jianwei spent the remainder of the day talking and chatting with his mother about life, enjoying her company before he joined the Cerulean.
He learned that there are many factions, ranging from the Cerulean, the Olympic Empire, and the Celestial Empire.
Each faction holds unimaginable power, and each one has a different goal.
The Cerulean seeks justice, the Olympic Empire seeks glory, and the Celestial Empire seeks peace.
The Ceruleans don't have any territories like the two empires but have bases within the two empires to hunt and kill evil and rogue soul masters. They also didn't interfere with the wars between the two empires.
As the night descended, Liang Jianwei headed to bed, his mind filled with anticipation.
He will join the Cerulean tomorrow and embark on a journey of justice!
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The following day, Liang Jianwei awoke to a cool breeze caressing his face and ruffling his hair. The refreshing scent of dew filled his nostrils, the earthy aroma soothing his senses. The distant chirping of birds accompanied his thoughts as he pondered the day ahead, his eyes shining with determination.
With a swift movement, Liang Jianwei rose from the bed, his eyes alight with excitement. He wasted no time preparing for the day, eager to begin his journey of justice. He quickly finished his preparations, bid farewell to his mother, and made his way to the middle of the village where the Ceruleans were located.
Upon his arrival, Li Weiyang was there waiting for him.
"Good morning, young Jianwei. I see that you have made your choice."
"Yes. I wish to join the Cerulean. And embark on my road to justice." Liang Jianwei said, his voice firm and resolute.
Weiyang smiled and nodded his head, his eyes filled with warmth.
"Haha, you can call me Senior Yang, young Liang Jianwei. Welcome to the Cerulean. Here is your Cerulean emblem, and follow me. We will head to our base next week, but first, I must introduce you to your comrades. I hope you enjoy your stay here with us." Weiyang said, handing Liang Jianwei a Cerulean emblem, a subtle aura emanating from the crimson red insignia.
Liang Jianwei looked at the emblem, his mind filled with awe and respect.
"You, starting today, will be an ensign!" Weiyang said, his voice filled with pride and authority.
Liang Jianwei looked at senior Yang, his eyes shining with reverence.
"Thank you, Senior Yang." Liang Jianwei said, bowing his head.
Senior Yang laughed, his voice reverberating in the air.
"There's no need for such formalities, young Jianwei. All of us Ceruleans are comrades. We are all fighting for justice. You can call me Senior Yang. Now come, there are others that you need to meet."
Senior Yang led Liang Jianwei to a small gathering of Cerulean ensigns, their eyes shining with fierce determination. Liang Jianwei looked at them, a mixture of emotions surging within him. It reminded him of when he first went to the hidden mist sect in his previous life.
"Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Cerulean! As ensigns, you will be tasked with performing missions within your area. These missions range from eliminating evil soul masters, patrolling your area, or delivering messages. But do not worry; there will always be veteran ceruleans to guide and aid you in your missions. As ensigns, your main mission is to protect the people from evil and rogue soul masters. You'll also be enrolled in our academy, a three-year course that will help with your knowledge of the world and help you find trustworthy companions. You are free for the next week or so before we set sail. You may come to us if you have any questions. And remember, the Cerulean will always be here to help and aid you." Senior Yang said, smiling.
The ensigns nodded and thanked Senior Yang, their voices filled with admiration and respect. Senior Yang gave a short bow before walking away, a gentle breeze rustling the leaves.
Liang Jianwei looked around at his newfound comrades, their eyes radiating a fierce determination and their demeanour filled with nobility and justice. He could tell they would be lifelong comrades fighting with him on his path to justice.
Though, that doesn't mean he wants to talk to them at all. He walked away from the group of kids and headed straight toward senior Yang.
"Senior Yang, could you wait for a second?" Jianwei yelled, jogging toward senior Yang.
Senior Yang halted his steps and looked back, his eyes filled with curiosity.
"Of course, young Jianwei. What do you need?"
Liang Jianwei approached Senior Yang, his mind filled with thoughts.
"Senior Yang, could you tell me about the rankings of soul essence? When I was fighting yesterday, a man said he was ranked 17 while his soul essence is a Lunar Markhound. What does that mean?" Liang Jianwei inquired, his eyes filled with curiosity.
Li Weiyang's smile didn't change, his blond hair dancing in the sun's rays.
"Hmm, I'm surprised you haven't heard about ranking soul essence. Well, I can tell you about ranking soul essence. Soul Essence has ranks starting from the 1st rank all the way up to 100. Everyone starts at 1 when they are born, but depending on the child, it might increase more than others when they grow. The more powerful the soul essence, the higher the rank will increase. The higher the rank, the stronger the soul master becomes, and they tend to have more soul power than others. There are many ways to increase the ranks, like using special soul elixirs or training diligently, and every ten levels, you'll reach a bottleneck where you'll find that you can no longer increase your rank. When this happens, you must find ways to break through these bottlenecks. Otherwise, you'll remain stagnant."
Li Weiyang explained. Jianwei listened carefully, his mind taking in the information.
"Thank you, senior Yang. Can you tell me more about the Cerulean?"
Li Weiyang nodded his head, his voice resonating throughout the surrounding area.
"Certainly. The Ceruleans are one of the largest factions in the world. Our goal is to bring justice and eradicate evil and rogue soul masters. There are many Cerulean ensigns like yourself across the continent, and each has a different role. Some are tasked with protecting civilians, some assassinating evil soul masters, while others are tasked with finding resources."
Liang Jianwei listened attentively, his curiosity growing.
"There are also Cerulean Captains that give you missions. These Cerulean Captains are the highest-ranking Ceruleans within the faction and have the most influence. Under them are Cerulean Vice Captains who help lead and guide you, while the last ranking are the ensigns. As an ensign, you have a lot of responsibilities, and you will be expected to do many missions. And if you wish to advance the rankings, you must prove yourself worthy of such a title. Some Cerulean lieutenants help lead and guide ensigns, Cerulean majors help organise the ensigns and Cerulean colonels that oversee the ensigns."
Li Weiyang finished. Liang Jianwei absorbed the information, his mind filing away the new knowledge.
"Senior Yang, one more question. Does the Cerulean have people who know about natural souls?" Liang Jianwei requested. Li Weiyang didn't reply immediately, a brief moment of silence hanging in the air.
"You are not the first natural soul I've encountered. Yes, we have people who know about natural soul essences, and we could train you, but the only person with that experience is a Captain rank Cerulean. He would be able to train you, but I'm afraid that he is away on a mission."
"Thank you, senior Yang. I want to be trained by him if he could." Liang Jianwei said, his mind set on meeting him. Li Weiyang chuckled and placed his hand on Jianwei's shoulder.
"Don't worry, young Jianwei. Once he returns, I'll notify him about you, and if he finds you worthy, then you will have the chance to be trained by him. But that won't happen for another six months." Li Weiyang reassured, his eyes shining with profound kindness. "But a warning in advance, he's a part of the absolute justice system." Li Weiyang cautioned. Jianwei was curious about what absolute justice meant but didn't want to waste any more senior Yang's time, so he thanked him again before returning to the group of ensigns.
Liang Jianwei explored his new environment, taking in the sights and sounds of the bustling village. He gazed at the vast expanse of Cerulea sea, the clear azure waters stretching as far as the eye could see. The salty scent of the sea mixed with the earthy aroma of the surrounding farms, the two distinct smells creating a unique, refreshing and calming fragrance.
Liang Jianwei breathed in the cool ocean air, his soul essence resonating with the Cerulea sea, its power and vitality infusing him with a sense of calmness and strength. With his Aqua Mind Resonance strengthened once more, Liang Jianwei turned his gaze toward the horizon, his thoughts turning to the future and his road to justice.