Arthur spent the next couple days completing any of the remaining Ghosts still currently incubating within the Ghost Nurturing Swamps. During the day, when the sun was at its highest, the others routinely patrolled the area within 20 kilometres of Parachenko Village, and at night, Arthur swapped out with Milena and Nyssa respectively.
The three of them, with their Corpses and Ghosts, could cover the most ground, and could patrol the territories around them most efficiently, without wasting too much of either their physical or mental stamina.
Origin essence expenditure aside, the atmosphere within the ruined Parachenko Village changed significantly the day after Arthur told everyone to start prepare to leave.
A slight apprehension could be felt within each and every person, including the drunken Eric. None of these young adults had ever gone further than a stones throw away from Parachenko Village, and yet now, they were being forced to retreat, thousands of miles away from all that they've ever known.
With just the first level of Emotion Laws, Arthur could feel the ambient emotions around him. Even though he could only feel the surface emotions, not the emotions that others were hiding, he knew that out of every emotion imaginable, the two most common ones, were fear and curiosity.
The fear was self-explainable, their lives were in potential danger.
But the curiosity.... that is what gave Arthur his confidence.
One couldn't help but feel curiosity about the unknown. Even though fear of the unknown is one of Humanities greatest and oldest fears, what they were travelling untoward wasn't entirely "unknown".
They had read stories and heard about it from caravan members and older Kovacs Clan members who had ventured beyond the Winter Rain Mountains. They had heard stories of powerful Fae Masters and beauties capable of causing the envy in the Heavens and the Earth.
They were about to venture towards an unknown frontier, one filled with both danger and opportunity.
Arthur gazed down at the Ghost Nurturing Swamp beneath him, sighing before shaking his head.
"Other than my the Ghosts I took from that idiot from the caravan, the only other Ghosts I've created is the Viridis Forest Serpent and a variant of the Dusk Vine Revenant; the Evening Lightning Revenant. Created using a Wood Yin Spectre as a base, and then replacing the Ghost Tendril Vine with the Lightning Wood Sap from a Lighting Wood Tree....".
The Evening Lightning Revenant was a dual Wood-Lightning Attributed Ghost, and its offensive power was much stronger than the Dusk Vine Revenant. Using its Emotions, Desires and Thoughts, it could temporarily create a Lightning Wood Tree around itself, capable of projecting lightning bolts towards its enemies....
The Viridis Forest Serpent was Arthur's additional trump card, and he would rather keep that secret unless he was backed up into a corner.
He had no reason to hide his Sovereign Boundary Physique now, but showing it directly in front of everyone right now would cause unnecessary drama and annoyance. Once they had completely removed themselves from the Winter Rain Mountains, stuff like that wouldn't need to be hidden anymore....
Nyssa had known even before the destruction of Parachenko Village, but she hadn't said anything to anybody yet. The fact that she was in love with him, definitely was the reason why.
Arthur poured some flammable liquid into the Ghost Nurturing Swamp, dropping a candle flame as well, while watching the liquid catch alight, and then travel towards all of the other large ponds he had created around the Monster carcase facility.
In the face of defeat, saving oneself took top priority. Other than that, making sure you opponent doesn't gain anything is a close second. Resources were often the source of conflict, and destroying the source of the conflict was an excellent way to make sure neither side technically "wins".
It did just incite hatred, which was always a bonus if someone didn't like their opponent.
Building the Ghost Nurturing Swamps as well had taken quite a bit of Wood Attributed resources, but within the Winter Rain Mountains, it wasn't anything quite so dramatic. In fact, Milena had probably spent the most resources all together, if Arthur didn't count the resources he used to create the Basic Seasonal Array.
He had received a Nightfall Origin Essence Liquid Pond, so that was technically balanced out, although now that he had to destroy it, Arthur just needed to gather as many salvageable Fae Materials as possible in order to recuperate such losses.
If Arthur had his way, he could cultivate to the peak of Rank 3 before leaving, but there were always more Origin Essence Liquid Ponds in the world. Losing one, even one that could help Rank 4 Fae Masters cultivate wasn't technically an enormous loss.
"I should remember to use my Wood Laws on the spirit plants I had cultivated on the edge of the Village. Even if I overdraw on the plants vitality, it doesn't particularly matter since I won't be coming back here. For the time being though I should probably break through to Rank 3....".
Removing his wolf fur coat, Arthur slowly dipped his body into the Nightfall Origin Essence Liquid Pond. The coldness of the Origin Essence Liquid caused his breath to become frosty, but the heat generated from his peak zero ruby origin essence constantly fluctuating caused waves of steam to be released from Arthur's pink-tinted skin.
Just like when he broke through from being a Rank 1 Fae Master to a Rank 2 Fae Master, several fragments from the walls of his origin essence seas broke off and fell to the bottom of all three Origin Essence Seas. Arthur had spent a few days making sure that all of the broken fragments were expunged from his body, so that it didn't interfere with his future potential or achievements.
Even if he did have the Boundless Forest Yearning, an ordinary Fae Master wouldn't even notice these tiny fragments before it was too late. Within the span of a few weeks, they would disintegrate and then dilute a Fae Master's origin essence, lowering their chances of reaching higher Ranks....
There were many things unknown to most Fae Masters about the nature of Origin Essence Seas and origin essence in general. Origin Essence Seas could be damaged was the most common bit of knowledge, but Origin Essence Seas could be expanded, duplicated and even transformed at higher stages of cultivation.
Origin Essence Seas also gave birth to different powers, depending on which one it was. Innate Immortal Treasures and Laws could exist within Origin Essence Seas, regardless of the type or the Attribute....
Even Arthur wouldn't claim to know everything regarding the Boundless Forest Yearning. He didn't know what type of Innate Immortal Treasure could form using this Sovereign Boundary Physique either.
That little bit of information, was part of the reason why he needed to leave the Azure Envy Continent, and make his way to the Viridian Greed Continent.
As a Rank 3 Fae Master with a Sovereign Boundary Physique, he was qualified to make the pilgrimage.
Arthur opened his eyes, feeling his origin essence sea condense, far beyond anything that it had before. The single droplet-sized crystal, of constantly shifting deep-ruby tinted origin essence, vaguely glowed with a faint topaz-coloured light.
The transformation of origin essence to a higher stage and form would happen in just a few seconds....
Gritting his teeth, Arthur grabbed the Rank 3 Storage Fae sitting on the side of the Nightfall Origin Essence Liquid Pond, slapping its little stomach, the frog-shaped Fae spat out a small green-coloured Flame, immediately being attracted by Arthur's condensed origin essence sea.
He said that he wouldn't leave anything behind for the other Clans to use. And even this Alchemical Flame was no exception.
This specific type of Alchemy Attributed Flame Essence nurtured the Wood Attribute, meaning that it in of itself could use its own power to nurture Wood Laws. Even if Arthur didn't use it, within the span of ten years the Alchemy Flame would completely die out, using its power to innate "nurture" Arthur's Wood Laws.
Not only was it an artificial way of nurturing Wood Laws, but it didn't do anything for Arthur's actual comprehension of Wood Laws. It would give him the ability to use the second level of Wood Laws, without having the proper attainment.
It would make it harder for Arthur's Wood Laws to reach even higher if he used such a low-tier method of forcibly pushing his Wood Laws beyond their current capacity.
Arthur pushed the Alchemical Flame into his origin essence sea, watching as the intense heat from the Flame Essence sped up the process of transforming his ruby coloured origin essence, into topaz coloured origin essence.
The tiny droplet of red, slowly unravelled, becoming a faint fog of shining yellow radiance....
A few hours later, Arthur's eyes flashed open, and a huge explosion rocked the Nightfall Origin Essence Liquid Pond.
Standing in the centre of the Winter Seasonal Array section, a faintly glowing figure could be seen. His arms, legs, torso and head all emitted a faint yellow glow....
"..... It took me ten years to reach this point in my previous life.... and now I've done it in under three...".
Arthur had become a Rank 3 Fae Master!