A day after they woke up, Xue Mo and Lu Yao found Hesroth sitting next to them, with all their wounds healed. Neither party spoke for a while, but Hesroth quickly changed that.
"Divine One, can I become your subordinate?" Hesroth knew there was no demerit in that. They were all from the same sect, and there was no reason for them to betray it.
Even the Sect Master wanted to meet Xue Mo. Hesroth was sure that following Xue Mo would help him, and all the Dark Arts Sect grow tremendously.
Xue Mo and Lu Yao exchanged sly glances before answering, "that is possible." The cold voice entered Hesroth's ear and made him happy. 'There is a chance!' As long as Xue Mo didn't reject outright, he still could join him.
He had no idea that Xue Mo and Lu Yao already tested him many times discreetly. This made him wonder what kind of thing he needed to do gain their approval. Both saw Hesroth pondering but didn't tell him that they already accepted him to see what he would do.
"Divine One, Mistress, I would like to take you to the main sect." Hesroth suddenly suggested. "Even the Sect Master himself asked to meet you once he knew that Divine One was a Divine Dragon!"
Xue Mo immediately went on guard once he heard that. He didn't know what thoughts this Sect Master would have and why he wanted to meet him, and this was a natural reaction. Though from the way Hesroth spoke and acted when he mentioned the Sect Master, it made him have some guesses that he would discuss with Lu Yao later.
Hesroth didn't notice Xue Mo tensing and loosening when he mentioned the Sect Master's interest in him and continued. "Not only that, I even heard from someone I know that the Sect Master was so excited to see you that he wanted to come here himself!"
From how Hesroth exaggerated this, Xue Mo gained more info about both him and the Sect Master's personality. In no time, he made several plans that could only be achievable if the Sect Master cooperated. Although he could still implement them, it would waste unnecessary time.
One of the reasons he joined an organization was for the techniques and knowledge, but more importantly, it was for the workforce. Although he and Lu Yao were plenty enough to do stuff, he could use for Cultivation to do everything himself would waste precious time. It was better for him to establish an organization or take one and train some capable people to do the miscellaneous stuff.
Xue Mo went silent for a while before saying, "half a year."
"What?" Hesroth didn't know what he meant.
"I said in half a year; this war would be over. Once that happened, we will leave this world!" Xue Mo's command was solemn, and when Hesroth heard him say we, he felt he didn't mean just him, Lu Yao, and Xue Mo. Still, he didn't ask for him to elaborate.
Seeing nothing to talk about, Xue Mo decided to see how much knowledge Hesroth had. "What do you know about Cultivation?"
Abruptly getting asked this question, Hesroth calmly answered a textbook answer. "Cultivation is the way of the strong. Like how other players grow through the 'System,' we Cultivators grow by utilizing our potential with Cultivation. Cultivating our bodies, Qi, and some even could Cultivate their Souls allows us to become stronger and achieve power that even players cannot get. Though talent plays a big part in this, actual Cultivators are those born from hard work, strong willpower, and surviving countless life and death tempering!"
Xue Mo nodded his head. "That's all true. But do you know how or what is Cultivation? How did this power system come to be?"
Hesroth didn't know and gestured for Xue Mo to answer him with respect. "Cultivation is the ability to grow stronger yourself and break the shackles of mortality. Cultivation is the path to becoming an existence that could be revered as a God. Cultivation is also something available to all living and inanimate objects. Everyone cultivates for different reasons. Some do it to gain strength, others for revenge. While there are good reasons, some do it because they want to do evil.
The Cultivation journey is long and arduous, and losing your path in it something very possible. However, if you stick to the way you started on and not get swayed by other things, you will go far in the future!
About Cultivation Systems, they are made through countless trials and errors. Some lead to death or a bottleneck, and some lead to the peak. Talent and hard work play significant roles in this. With next generations learning from the mistakes of the old and enhancing it, that's how power-systems came to be."
Hesroth felt enlightened, as if he understood something that he didn't grasp before. He didn't know why he thought that Xue Mo, who he deemed younger than him, possessed so much knowledge and wisdom. It felt like he met the Sect Master all over again. He even felt that the Sect Master wouldn't compare to Xue Mo with understanding!
The couple saw how Hesroth closed his eyes and took a meditation pose. He started Cultivating and pondering what Xue Mo said as if he suddenly touched something that he shouldn't have yet. His instincts told him that if he grasped that small thing, he would achieve something that would change him entirely.
Xue Mo and Lu Yao got up and left the residence. Hesroth needed time and seclusion to digest the knowledge he got. They left him and activated some inscriptions and formations not to let anyone disturb him before checking the latest things in the Academy.
They didn't care that they had dry blood over them and went to search for Dominic. People wondered about the weird 'paint' that they had on them but didn't stop them from asking. They had no right.
Dominic welcomed them with passion. He was alone at his office this time as Declan was training for the fight that was supposed to be a month prior, but because Xue Mo and Lu Yao were busy hadn't happened.
"Master Mo, what brings you here?" Dominic asked while wiping sweat on his forehead. For some reason, he felt awkward and nervous being with Xue Mo and Lu Yao alone. Suddenly having thought of something, he asked, "Was it because of the fight that you promised Declan before?"
Xue Mo was about to speak, but he stopped and inwardly cringed when he heard Dominic's words. 'Fuck, how could I forget? Didn't my memory get enhanced? Was it because I was so in tuned with training that it slipped past me?' For the life of him, he didn't know how, with his memory that he started boasting about forgot about the promise.
Coming up with a quick excuse, Xue Mo answered, "ah, yes. That's true. I came to offer you an opportunity to watch and maybe learn something." Xue Mo looked like a sage and kind man as he bullshitted through his teeth before getting to the real reason he came to see Dominic.
"Also, I came to tell you this war will end in another half a year. I will give you a year max. Just finish it and give me results. Only the worthy can survive and recognized as an Assassination Academy member!" Xue Mo's cruel and severe words flooded in Dominic's ears as he nodded.
He knew that Xue Mo wasn't kind, and with Hesroth backing him, he had every right to command him. Furthermore, he knew that his power was more potent than him, and in the world of Cultivation, that meant having the ability to order him around.
With Xue Mo's orders, Dominic quickly relayed the message through Sarah's communication device, preparing some plans, and calculating the Academy's casualties. At the same time, Xue Mo waited for him to finish.
It was time to speed up the war and finish it! This order quickly spread through the Academy; however, their training made them avoid the situation turned chaotic. Some students despaired, others felt relieved, another batch felt their blood boil for fights and gaining recognition.
Many things happened, but one thing was the same: Xue Mo's order and what is implicated. Once it was done, the Ash Expanse would go through a vast cleanse that Xue Mo didn't care for!
Remembering what Dominic said, Xue Mo thought, 'I almost forgot again!' Seeing an opportunity to finish this so he could concentrate on more things, he ordered Dominic, "inform Declan to meet me at a clearing behind the Academy. Let's see if all the time I gave him is enough to prepare!"
Dominic couldn't help ask, "prepare for what?"
With a cold smirk, Xue Mo replied, "prepare for what's to come, of course!"