Feeling cold and wet, Amon slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, a graceful angel was running a damp towel over his face. Confused, he tried to get up, but he ached all over.
"Stay still. You are hurt, don't try to move, and lay down." Said Ning.
Amon waved his hand. "I just wanted to raise my back and lean on the bed head."
Ning nodded, helped him sit, and placed a pillow behind him.
"What happened?" A migraine assaulted Amon's head.
"We were hoping you would tell us what happened. My girls found you passed out on your room's floor, drenched in your own blood. We initially thought you were dead." Amon turned his head to see Yao Gui standing next to Annchi and Nuan.
'Huh?'
Yao Gui sighed. "We had our city top doctor examine you while you were out. I'm afraid we have some bad news."
"What did he say?" Asked Amon.
"You bled from your eyes, ears, mouth, and Profound Entrances. After further inspection, the doctor has discovered your profound veins have been permanently scarred and damaged." Said Ning gently with a hint of pity in her voice.
Amon frowned, he immediately closed his eyes, inspecting himself with his Source. 'Internal scarring...this is my heart's doing. Hmm, my veins are a bit wider, but why damage my Ethereal Veins like this. The scars feel deliberate and have some sort of pattern to them.'
"Young hero Amon, for you to be hurt and attacked in my home... I"
"Uncle Gui, this is not your fault, nor did anything wrong happen to me. You have been nothing but a gracious host, I assure you, I'm fine, and I was not assaulted or injured by anyone." Said Amon rapidly, stopping Yao Gui from lowering his head and apologizing to Amon.
Annchi crossed her arms under her generous bust. "Then what happened? My little sister cried herself to sleep, thinking you became like her, a cripple."
'You damnable heart, good job, you made an adorable little girl cry.' Feeling guilty, Amon sighed. "I assure you all, I'm fine, and I have not been crippled. As for what happened, it is just the result of a unique cultivation method. I did not know it would knock me out and wound my Ethereal Veins." 'Please, Ning, be a good gal, and don't call out my little lie, I refuse to admit that my own heart did this to me.'
"Why do you keep calling them Ethereal Veins instead of Profound Veins?" Said Nuan.
"Their full name is the Profound Ethereal Veins. Everything we do is related to the Ether one way or another, so we add Ether or Ethereal to almost every title and name concerning the Profound Way, ergo the Profound Ether Way." Explained Amon.
"Since you are alright, we shall leave you to rest. I will have Chang deliver your meal shortly." Said Yao Gui.
"Thanks, uncle Gui. Ladies, please stay. I just woke up, and I don't need more rest, we can talk if you don't mind me not moving from the bed, my body is still aching." Said Amon.
Once Gui left, Amon pointed at the chairs in his room, inviting the girls to bring them over and sit around his bed.
"Shall we declare peace and perhaps pursue a friendship instead of my poor little life?" Said Amon while smirking, he knew the two vailed ladies had not tried anything while he was out cold, a good sign, if any.
Annchi scoffed and turned her head away.
"My disciple had fought us for you in every possible way. She even threw her future away by asking her father to marry the two of you. Against our better judgment, we decided to finally listen to her." Nuan stood up and handed Amon a box from her storage ring. Amon chose not to comment on Nuan "fought us for you" statement. He knew Ning could hardly care about whether he lived or died and did it all to protect her sisters from what they could not sense or feel.
Opening the medium size box, revealed multiple expanding compartments containing a full set for Runes drawing and carving. Picking up a small chisel, Amon inspected its quality.
"Made from grade three, Rough materials. Thank you, it must have cost a lot." Amon was satisfied with the full kit he received. He doubted he could get his hands on anything better while on this planet since grade four materials appear to be excessively rare.
"Is it possible to help Ling now?" Said Ning.
Amon nodded and gazed at Annchi. "Annchi, try to inspect me with your Source."
Annchi frowned, but she did as she was asked to do. The moment her Source touched his body, Amon instantly knew everything he needed to know about her Source quality and rank.
"You are in the sixth realm of the Nine Mortal Realms; with your help, I will have everything I need to help Ling." Stated Amon.
"How..? Can you tell someone rank without inspecting their Profound Veins, by just contacting their cultivated energy?" Said Annchi.
Amon nodded. "I will start drawing the Runes I will need to help Ling when I'm feeling better. In the meantime, Annchi, you should make three Flawed crystals imprinted with your law. I know it is a heavy price to pay, but it is for your little sister."
The three ladies stared at Amon, bewildered. "What do you mean by 'make Flawed crystals.'" Said Nuan.
"You don't know, do you?" Amon sighed; they were utterly clueless; even the noble lady herself had no idea what Amon was talking about.
"Fine. I will educate you three, but not for free. I'm only willing to help Ling for no return. She is a good kid whom I'm fond of." Said Amon.
"State your price." Said Annchi.
"Simple, I want you and Nuan to help me repair the platform behind the city. Afterward, anything we gain from it belongs to me. I will only share what I don't want or need if there is any." Said Amon.
"Aren't you being greedy? If I understand what you told Ning correctly, that platform could lead to untold hidden wealth." Said Annchi.
Amon shook his head. "It is a speculation, for all we know it could be an ancient death trap or require something we don't have to activate. In contrast, my knowledge and teachings I pledge to be accurate and priceless. You can also think of this as a token of friendship and trust between us."
Ning gazed at her elder sister. "Sister, there is no one else but him. We won't find another knowledgeable person we can trust."
Annchi sighed then nodded, silently praying her sister is not trusting the wrong man.
"Very well. Then we will start from the basics so that you may have an accurate, perfect picture. I have mentioned before that 'the energy between heaven and earth' has a name, and that is the Ether. For one to be a cultivator, the Ether must have touched them while they were in their mother's womb.
Noble cultivators are the same, except the Ether would have touched their hearts specifically and imprinted one of the laws of reality at the surface of their hearts.
Thankfully there is no easy way to distinguish between an ordinary cultivator and a noble. Even the nobles themselves won't know of their status until they break through the third realm, what you call the True Realm.
At that point, a qualitative change happens to them, and they form what we call an Ether core in the wall between their heart's chambers, usually referred to as the primary Ether core.
Henceforth they are nobles, starting as a Baron or Baroness. They are twice as strong as an ordinary cultivator, meaning they can fight someone a whole major realm above themselves. They are also more robust, faster, and everything about them put other cultivators at the same rank to shame.
But that's just fluff and nothing special from my personal experience. An ordinary cultivator with the right training, skills, tools, and legacy can accomplish a lot and may be able to outmaneuver a noble at the same rank. It won't be easy, but I have seen it happen with my own eyes, provided said noble was being an arrogant prick.
Anyhow, what truly makes nobles extraordinary is their law. It is what makes them a terrifying force of nature. Lady Annchi here, if she climbs high enough, will be able to submerge this entire planet underwater. Water will be nothing but an extension of her arm. She will be able to command it to do her biddings without much effort. She only needs to will it, and it will happen, without a manual, without a legacy and without the usage of any Profound Ethereal Art. The only price she pays is her Source to power her will over the law of water."
Amon placed a hand over his heart, wondering what will happen when he crosses to the True Realm himself.
Annchi grimaced, nothing she heard made her happy, only more worried.
"How does a noble progress through the cultivation ranks?" Asked Ning.
"Same way as an ordinary cultivator, except longer. This is the first drawback of being a noble. It takes twice as long and twice as many resources to breakthrough. I believe lady Annchi is aware of this since she is already a Viscountess.
To expand further. Within the Nine Mortal Realms, every three major realms, a noble advance their nobility by one rank. It takes more resources because a noble need to fill their Ether core with the same amount and quality of Source their entire Profound Ethereal Veins needs to make a breakthrough to the next rank.
Lady Annchi is at the sixth realm. Therefore, she is a Viscountess too. When she breaks through to the Ninth and last realm, she will be a Countess, an entity that can walk unhindered and unbothered on the entire planet."
Nuan sighed. "The problem is getting her there. Our palace has burnt through our resources to get her up as fast as possible to the Sky Realm. We are worried that we may have harmed her foundation and veins, but what other choices do we have."
Annchi did not want to be reminded about her troubles. She instead switched the topic. "You spoke about creating Flawed crystals with my law. What did you mean?"
Amon shrugged. "It is exactly what it sounds like. Nobles can crystallize their Source, forming a crystal imprinted with their law for others to use. Nobles are capable of handling and absorbing a gem or crystal a grade above what a cultivator can use or consume at the same rank. They can also make one using their own cultivation."
Annchi nodded. "What do I need to do?"
"Extend your hand, gather your Source at it, and imagine a ball of water crystallizing. It will take some trial and error." Said Amon.
Annchi wanted to experiment but was stopped by Ning. "Sister, don't be hasty, tell him about it first."
Annchi nodded. "When I woke up from my state of comprehension after you enlightened me, I have been suffering from a pain in my heart, and I do not feel well."
Amon grimaced, which instantly worried everyone in the room. "Under normal circumstances, this would be great news, but I doubt you will see it as such. You are probably forming a second Ether core in one of your heart chambers."
Annchi started trembling uncontrollably. "Does that mean..."
"I'm afraid so. All the Source you will cultivate in the future will go towards forming your second Ether core. Once it is fully developed, you will have to supply it with Source just like your primary core, effectively making your climb through the ranks thrice as long." Said Amon with a sad tone.
"NO! That can't be true...Ning, he is lying, right?" Yelled Annchi.
Ning stood up and hugged her sister. Annchi broke down, crying, overwhelmed by what she learned. Her journey is now much longer, requiring three times as many resources as an ordinary cultivator.
Looking at the strong woman breaking down like this made Amon question his perception of the world. In his clan, this would have been great news. For Annchi, though, it was akin to a death sentence. She and her sect were already struggling with the resources she needs to advance further, adding an entire Ether core to the equation made everything seem impossible to Annchi.