"What do you want to know about Arith? How I saved him?"
Ace asked after brushing his thoughts aside.
The night breeze carried a soothing scent to it, maybe from the floral fragrance it picked up along the way.
"Why were you willing to pay such a hefty price to save Arith?"
Clarissa still asked this question despite the numerous times she resisted this notion. She knew that this might spell trouble, but she had to get this question off her mind.
Ace tapped his feet onto the ground, the tapping sound was soft but clear in the serene silence of the night.
"Clarissa, some things aren't meant to be known. I have my own reasons for keeping this a secret." Ace explained after making his decision to hide the truth.
"Arith promised to help you until you reach the final destination, didn't he?" Clarissa broke into a smile as she stood up, relieved that she got to see Ace's reaction in the end.
Knowing that it was his expression which betrayed him, Ace sighed as he leaned against the bench support.
"Clarissa, this is a secret between us. All I can let you know is that Arith is doing this for your sake as well."
Ace ended the conversation while walking towards his room without explaining any further.
Maybe this is the best for the both of them, at least they get to care for each other.
Ace left the courtyard knowing that the meaningful day has come to an end.
"Sect master, thank you." Clarissa murmured with her fist placed on her chest after Ace left.
The next day was never late to arrive, the moment the first ray of sunlight shone onto the earth, Ace had already gotten out of bed.
After doing a quick wash-up, Ace headed to the courtyard to dance with his sword in hand.
Ace's movements were more precise, quicker and even sharper than before.
In the past, he was doing the sword movements with his heart and soul because of his passion for the sword.
Now, he was executing the sword with more than just his love for the sword, he was comprehending the slaughter law and the essence of life at the same time.
After concluding the morning session, Ace took a quick shower back in his own room before heading towards the inn for a meal.
Even though he was able to sustain for about a month without food or elixirs, eating was already a daily habit that was essential to him.
Finding a window seat for himself, Ace ordered a set of food, enjoying the outside scenery from the second floor while enjoying his food and the aromatic tea brewed with fragrant tea leaves.
"Hey, have you heard of the recent news?"
"You mean the news about the soul fruits appearing in the Moss Forest?"
"Yes, the oracle had already prophesied that this would happen."
Soul fruits? Ace might not have the intention to eavesdrop, but before he could avert his attention away from their chattering, the information sounded valuable to him.
The soul fruits only reminded him of the Tree of Souls.
Even though it has already been quite some time since that day, it doesn't mean that he was just going to forget about it.
In fact, one of his plans for the future was to locate the Tree of Souls again.
The Tree of Souls might have the answers that he has been seeking this entire time.
Walking up to the two cultivators who were speaking, Ace asked them about the situation politely which gained their recognition as they explained the situation briefly.
Apparently, there was an oracle who once prophesied that every one thousand years, the Tree of Souls will make an appearance in the Moss Forest.
During this time period, it's the moment in which blood would paint the forest.
The leaves would be stained with blood from the explosions that may occur, the ground would be tarnished by the filthy blood of the greedy cultivators that fall in battle.
It was cruel and inhumane, but instead of working out a way to divine the small amount of soul fruits fairly among the strong, the strong resorted to another method.
That was to wait and allow the strongest among the weak to leave with one, or at most two soul fruits.
As for the rest, the strong would then start a war over them.
In fact, the forest which was crying tears of blood was only the prelude to the main event.
The cultivators who have obtained the soul fruits, were nothing more than sacrificial tools used to slaughter the rest.
This was a secret to most cultivators besides those dominant families or cultivation forces, but these two cultivators only managed to hear of this information by a stroke of luck.
Even though they were unwilling to explain where the information came from, Ace still thanked them as he collated the last bit of the information,
When the soul fruits absorb blood to a certain extent, the soul fruit would become a transparent scarlet in colour, it would resemble an apple, but too circular in shape to be one.
It wasn't as simple as a change in colour for aesthetic purposes.
Soul fruits that have absorbed blood, would have their effects strengthened by countless folds. This was the way the dominant rulers nurture their descendents.
It was unfair, but they possess the unrivalled strength to compete at the pinnacle of the food chain.
Those below them in the food chain, were nothing more than prey that wouldn't enter their eyes even with a number advantage.
Finishing the last of his food and calling for the waiter to clean it up, Ace requested for his tea to be refreshed as well.
Looking outside the window, Ace could see the bustling streets of the Nebula Kingdom.
Maybe, within the kingdom itself, it was a safe haven at the very least. But the moment people leave the Nebula Kingdom, they would be left with no choice but to become maniacs.
Not towards others from the Nebula Kingdom to cause internal conflict at such an important point of time, but because there were a few other kingdoms who could pose a threat even to the elemental families and a few legacy families no weaker than any elemental family.
"Sir, your tea has been refilled."
The waiter called towards Ace who was in a daze before walking off to continue his duty.
"Excuse me, may I take a seat here?"
Right at the moment whereby Ace had drifted off into his thoughts, the charming voice of a woman distracted him as he turned towards her in discontentment.
"Sorry, but I would like to have some alone time."
Ace rejected the woman immediately, finishing his cup of tea in a matter of seconds before leaving his seat.
"If you like to, you can have the seat to yourself."
Ace reminded her before taking his leave from the woman whose face was covered off by a veil.
Even though Ace was unable to see her facial expressions, he was sure that staying for any longer period of time might only bring him trouble.
"Young lady, are you just going to let him leave this simply?"
A masked man inquired from the shadows without making an appearance as the woman shook her head, a sly smile forming on her face beneath the mask.
"Of course not, for my master to care so much about this youth even though he's utter trash in my eyes, I must witness his true strength with my own eyes."
The woman said in a low tone so that no one else will overhear this conversation before showing a hand signal to the guard who vanished after seeing it.
In the meantime, after Ace left the inn and forgot about the woman who approached him suddenly, he headed towards the mercenary guild.
Since he had no idea where the Moss Forest was, the mercenary guild was the best location to gather information before making his way there.
Even though making his way to the Moss Forest as a Martial Lord meant that others won't pick on him without a reason to, there were still external threats to be wary of.
Such as the poisonous plants, dangerous spots, the territories to never step into or places with unknown danger.
Arriving at the mercenary guild, Ace couldn't help but be in awe from the majestic building of the mercenary guild.
The signboard was made of pine wood, one of the most expensive woods which is rarely found in the Moss Forest.
The walls were made of a material Ace couldn't recognise, but it was well polished without a single stain seen on it despite the countless years it has existed for.
Cultivators could be seen leaving and entering the mercenary guild constantly without the flow breaking, but what caught Ace's attention was something else.
Out of all these cultivators, even the weakest among them was in the Martial Lord realm.
This was the natural charm of the mercenary guild, compared to all cultivation forces out there, the mercenary guild was probably the strongest among them all.
Not in terms of their internal members or unity, but because of the large amount of roaming cultivators who rely on the mercenary guild for a living.
Stepping into the mercenary guild, Ace found the reason he came here immediately.
To the front, was a signboard.
"Those who are intending to gather information on the Moss Forest, please head to the third floor."
Ignoring the surprised gaze of everyone who was shocked by his tender age, Ace walked up the flight of stairs at his own pace.