Consider the living body as a vehicle. Yes a vehicle, not a car, not a bike, not a tractor, or anything else. Just a vehicle.
Now, the fuel for this vehicle was nothing more than Astral Force every cultivator possessed depending on their cultivation.
As for the engine, it was none other than the Astral Runes inscribed on the Nascent Souls.
While the living beings possessed multiple engines with the possibility of a maximum 9, the rest of the functioning was completely similar to a vehicle.
Depending on what engine/Astral Rune the fuel/Astral Force was directed into, the vehicle would be different.
It could be an engine for a sports vehicle that focuses on speed, an engine for vehicles to carry heavy loads and so on.
Usually, depending on how strong the cultivator was and how much Astral Force he had, his Astral Runes would also be of an appropriate level due to which the Astral Force it consumed would be more than enough to be used.
Unfortunately, the current Felix while possessing the potential of having nine engines had only activated two of them, and one of them required so much fuel that his small fuel tank couldn't keep up with the consumption.
Luckily, the True Dragon Rune he inscribed significantly increased the size of his soul almost as if he knew that he'd need the fuel container to be large enough to support the massive engines in the future.
Also, as long as Felix used his three opportunities to augment his True Dragon Rune properly, not only would he manage to increase its quality, but he'd also manage to increase the size of his soul and one day be capable of using the Sword of Kronos without having to worry about running out of Astral Force while in the middle of a battle.
While thinking that he would definitely reach such a stage in the future, Felix took a moment to pause and collect his breath before continuing to drag his weak and injury-ridden body towards the one final building he hadn't entered yet.
And unlike the previous ones which were all eastern style courtyards, the current one in front of him was a huge western-style mansion as if the owner was deliberately trying to show off that his status was different from the others.
…
"Come out! It's no use for you to try and hide!"
Trembling in one corner of the mansion that he was hiding in, Felix for an instant almost thought that maybe Frank Asta, the current head of the Asta Family had discovered him.
However on second thought, Felix shook his head inwardly and realised that this was just a bluff.
After all, if Frank, a Tier 4 Cultivator had sensed him, there was no way he'd not have made a move already.
Also, given that Felix had yet to try and use his Astral Sense and scan through this mansion, the young man was sure that it was impossible for him to have been discovered. So, it could only mean that Frank had sensed some action of his when he entered the mansion.
But since he didn't find anyone even after using his Astral Sense to find out who sneaked inside his mansion, Frank must have thought that Felix was an expert who was stronger than him due to which he was trying to drag the hidden danger outside while waiting for reinforcements at the same time.
Unfortunately, neither of his wishes came true.
Felix continued remaining hidden, and all of the messages he sent to the fellow members of his family through his Personal Terminal were completely ignored.
Praising his True Dragon Soul which granted him such great control over his Astral Force and helped him hide all signs of his cultivations and presence, Felix was thinking if he should continue going upwards when his target walked down the stairs by himself and stood at the centre of the wide hall.
Looking around himself with a grim look, Frank despite wanting to, didn't turn on the lights since he was afraid that the assassin might use the instant he was turned around to end his life swiftly.
As for why he didn't stay holed up inside his room, it was because Frank who loved his son more than his own life was desperate to find out what happened to him.
After all, since not even a single one of his family members replied to his messages, Frank was sure that the assailants had all either captured or killed everyone.
"Senior…. my son… how is he? Is he still… alive?"
Speaking the last word with a lot of reluctance since he didn't want to believe it, Frank looked like he'd end up dying from a heart attack if he heard the word 'no'.
And for Felix who was nervous regarding fighting against a Tier 4 cultivator, this opportunity was something he couldn't let go of.
"No."
Speaking huskily as if to pass off as an old man, Felix used the Sword of Kronos and changed the flow of time as he rushed towards Frank whose eyes were bloodshot and didn't have the bearing which a Tier 4 cultivator like him should possess.
"Wh..?!"
Stopping suddenly since he sensed the oddity of how his words were leaving his mouth more slowly than they were meant to, Frank was about to turn and look towards the person he just spotted moving when he felt a grave danger from his side.
Hastily turning to the side in order to preserve his life, Frank managed to make the sword which was aiming to pierce his heart from the side miss its target and puncture one of his lungs instead.
Glaring towards the cloaked man who just attacked him with crazed red eyes, Frank coldly snorted and said, "Arrogant brat! A mere Tier 3 cultivator dares to attack me?"
Letting out a stronger pressure on his surrounding with every word he said, Frank gazed towards Felix who didn't bother hiding after being detected and declared, "Humph! Regardless of who is supporting you, this Frank is going to take your life even if it is the last thing I'll ever do!!!"
Like this, along with Frank's determination to kill the cloaked man who just confessed to be related to the death of his son, began Felix's first-ever real battle. And that too a fight to the death where only one of them would survive by the end of it.