Isadore's back was laid flat on the floor, and every fibre of his being was screaming out in pain. He panted like a dog, pumping as much oxygen as he could into his brain. The spearman had spent all of his energy to simply survive that final combination, and there wasn't a single spot on his body that wasn't sore. Still, Isadore smiled. He looked right at the leathery-faced man with a beaming expression.
"Hah… I really did it..." Isadore's voice was weak, but oddly enough, there was a strong determination hidden within it.
"Yes, you did," The Himmel Ancestor replied. "Mastering 10,001 styles would always be challenging, especially the Art of Himmel. I'm surprised you even finished learning them all before fifty!" The elderly man continued to rain down, praises on the youth.
Martial arts weren't like spiritual abilities that could be created or learnt via hereditary opuscules. Yes, one could learn the right way to punch in a single session. However, it took tens of thousands of punches for one to reach the level of a master. Fast learners could learn a martial art in a year, while slower people might take decades. Not only that, the foundations of the martial artist had to be stable for the art to work. Hence, even though there were millions of martial artists in the world, only a handful ever could hope to reach the level of a master.
Shin was a prodigy, and even with his comprehension ability, he could only become a master in a few martial arts. The Lightning Swallow Steps, Divine Needle Binding and Seismic Combinations, were one of the few martial arts that Shin would dare call himself a master. In fact, adding all the martial arts he'd learned from both the Himmel Empire and the Lantis Republic, Shin was only a master in twenty. So, for Isadore to become a master in ten thousand and one martial arts… One could only imagine the determination and talent the youth must have possessed.
"I remember when I was your age, I was barely at the six thousand mark." The Himmel Ancestor stroked his chin. "You can stand tall as the second-best martial artist in the world now!"
"Thank you, Ancestor!!!" Isadore wanted to kowtow in respect, but his legs were far from ready. They were completed drained of energy, and he was forced to stay on the floor with all four of his limbs spread out. Isadore was in an unsightly position, but that didn't change his drive. He pivoted his head to the side and stared the Himmel Ancestor right in the eyes.
During his early years, Isadore hated his life. Every day, he was confined in a small area, forced to train tirelessly no matter if it were rain or shine. He barely had any contact with the outside world. The only friends that he had were the Royal Family and honoured children of Dukes. His daily routine was a repeat of training his physical body and honing his martial arts. Day in, day out, that was the only thing that Isadore knew.
As a child, Isadore loathed his situation. He trained endlessly while the other children were free to play. He was closed off from the outside world and wasn't able to socialise like the others. Isadore longed for connection. So, when he was seven-years-old, Isadore forcibly made a few. He started off small and brought the palace maids to his side. Being servants from a lower class, the maids had no choice but to listen to Isadore's demands. The young boy ordered many of them to bring in books and sweets from the outside world, a move that was completely banned by the Himmel Ancestor.
However, Isadore didn't care. He longed for a connection with the world beyond the palace walls. The first time a maid brought in a tasty sweet doughnut, Isadore's entire life changed. For the first time in his young life, he'd seen something completely foreign. The palace meals were luxurious, and all, but nothing could beat the exotic feeling of experiencing something new.
Soon, Isadore became addicted. He wanted to gain more access to the outside world, but the Himmel Ancestor's restriction on him was too tight. Thus, Isadore continued to buy new allies. First, it was the palace maids. Then, it was the eunuchs that served directly under him and his cousins. The palace guards also joined the fray. Bit by bit, Isadore created an information network with over a hundred whisperers under his command.
As the young Prince grew up, he started to understand more about how the Imperial Palace worked. The one that sat on top was the Himmel Ancestor. He was the true sovereign of the land, and no one dared to question his authority. Next, surprisingly enough, was the Empress Dowager. The Imperial Emperor may have dominion over the entire Empire, but within the four walls of the palace, the Empress Dowager was king. If the Himmel Ancestor didn't object, the Empress Dowager was free to control the palace and commit to any changes that she wanted.
At the bottom of the barrel, were the Emperor and his direct descendants. The Princes, Princesses, and even the current Empress herself. They were all beneath the whims of the Himmel Ancestor and the Empress Dowager. So, it was fortunate for Isadore that his direct master was the Himmel Ancestor and the Empress Dowager was his grandaunt.
Isadore realised the power of his connections and began to utilise them in creative ways. He expanded his network like a spider spinning its web, and in just five years, Isadore's personal information network had become big enough to match Spion within the Palace. No, in many ways, it surpassed Spion. Isadore knew what rotations the guards had, the Emperor's favourite location to rest… Even scandalous details like which maid was sleeping with which guard. Everything was under Isadore's scrutiny.
It was the one luxury that Isadore could enjoy. In the life of the caged bird, the connections that he made gave Isadore a glimpse into the outside world. However, Isadore wasn't done. He had a revelation very early on in his life. Isadore wanted to see the world, but there was only so much his two legs could carry him. Isadore could live to a thousand years old, and he would still be unable to witness every single rock, every single puddle that the beautiful world possesses. However, with an information network, Isadore could know everything and anything at the same time.
Why travel a million kilometres when his web of information could do it for him? So, Isadore had a dream. A dream to create the world's largest information agency. It was a dream that was heavily contested, particularly by the Himmel Ancestor. As far as he was concerned, Isadore was his heir. The only person that could inherit the Spirit of Himmel and dominate the Empire in his place.
Whenever there was life, there would be death. No matter how powerful the Spirit Saint was, his time will come eventually. To make matters worse, those that inherit the Spirit of Himmel would be faced with a lifelong curse. A curse that made them unable to ascend into the Immortal Realm. Therefore, the Himmel Ancestor was adamant on training Isadore to become the best heir that he could possibly be.
Isadore was the same. After Shin left for the Lantis Republic, Isadore realised the only way for him to achieve his dream, was to humour the Himmel Ancestor that was breathing down his neck. Instead of resisting the change, Isadore would give the Himmel Ancestor what he wanted. The young man trained ten times harder, forgoing any luxuries that he had. Learning from Shin, Isadore spent every waking hour training. Since he didn't possess his bosom friend's superior comprehension ability, Isadore had to put in the hours.
Every waking hour that Isadore had was spent with his spear. Mastering one martial art took decades, and there were no shortcuts. Isadore had to commit his blood, sweat and tears into his art. Furthermore, there was the immense challenge he had with the Art of Himmel. If an ordinary martial art took decades to master, the Art of Himmel required at least a century of training. Alas, Isadore couldn't wait that long. Fortunately, he had started his training as early as he could walk, and his foundations were long solid. Not to mention, he had the personal guidance of the Himmel Ancestor, the man that had been through all the trials and tribulations that Isadore was currently going through.
Isadore hated the man that stood before him. However, he was also grateful for his intense tutelage. Now, barring the Himmel Ancestor, Isadore could stand toe-to-toe with any martial artist in the world. Heck, he could even defeat anyone that was within his cultivation range if he played his card right! And that was with his handicap of being able to only use one spiritual ability! Thus, even though Isadore had cursed the Himmel Ancestor many times before, he couldn't bring himself to do that now.
"Now that you've mastered 10,001 martial arts, you'll be able to defend yourself against any Spirit User," the old man continued. "You truly are worthy of the Spirit of Himmel."
Isadore suddenly felt a bolt of lightning flow through his body. Those words… The Himmel Ancestor had never said those words before. Cautiously, Isadore picked himself up from the ground.
"Now… Can I unleash the Spirit Of Himmel?" Isadore asked, his voice shaking somewhat.
"Mmmm, it's time," the Himmel Ancestor replied with a radiant smile. "The 10,001 martial arts that I'd told you to master… They will become the cornerstone for your Spirit of Himmel in the future."
The Himmel Ancestor waved his hand out, and a slow astral mist flowed out from his palms. From the outside, it looked like the old man was creating a grey smoke line as if he were a chimney. Isadore's entire complexion that had been reddened by his internal organs overheating was now reverting back to its original state. That wasn't all. His emptied Spectre Soul, which should have been void of mana, was starting to burst out in radiant light.
"This is..." Isadore could feel his strength returning to him. In just a few seconds, the young man was able to get back onto his feet.
"We share the same type of mana. Sharing a little with you isn't all that difficult," the leathery-faced old man replied in a low monotone. "The Spirit of Himmel…" The same grey light rushed out from the Himmel Ancestor and started to congregate itself into the same spear that Isadore had by his side. The upper end of the spear was bound with a thick metallic chain. Every so often, the spear would pulsate in a frenzy, as if there were a mystical beast being sealed within.
"Unleashing the Spirit of Himmel at such a tender age… There are some risks involved… Your mana pool isn't deep enough, and your soul might not be able to handle the tremendous weight of the ability." The Himmel Ancestor warned. "Do you still want to continue?"
Isadore stared blankly at the old man. It was the first time the Himmel Ancestor had ever given him a choice when it came to training. Still, from the very start, there was only one answer to that question.
'Shin… I'm still far too weak to rejoin you now...' Isadore thought about his friend, who had shot through into the stratosphere in the three years that he was gone. No, not just him. Kanari, Shizen, Elrin, Ella and Emma. They were once a unit that was even matched with one another. Now, it was just Kanari and Shin towering over everyone else. If Isadore wanted to reunite their little group, he had to become far stronger than he was now.
Isadore closed his eyes and took one deep breath in. He picked up the Spirit of Himmel that lay by his side, and resolution filled his entire soul. There was only one path for him. And that was forward.
"Let's begin."
✵✵✵
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