After some time walking through the thick layer of snow on the road between many buildings and houses, they finally arrived back to the comfy atmosphere of their home.
It was already around midday; the sky remained gloomy as dark clouds masked the sun, with snow falling ceaselessly.
"Yay, we are back!" Quickly racing to the bed, little Myah buried himself into the warm blanket and revealed a satisfying expression.
Hannah left her coat on the hanger and walked over. She sat beside him and said softly, "Here, mama promised to give you this."
After handing him a thumb-sized Spirit Stone from her storage tool, she began to explain. "This is low-grade Spirit Stone. Since you have awakened your Soul Origin Crystal, you can start to absorb the spiritual energy of the world to cultivate, and having Spirit Stone will help you become stronger faster."
Myah holds the Spirit Stone close to his eye with a curious expression. It was attractive, looking like a gemstone while radiating with mystical blue light. After a while, the little guy exclaimed in uncertainty. "Mama, this stone is small!?"
"Naturally, the one you see in the Ceremonial Hall is of the same kind, though they haven't cut it into small pieces. Now be good; mama will go and make your favorite Rainbow Fish Congee. In the meantime, try to feel the spiritual energy from the Spirit Stone and wait for mama, okay?" Saying so, Hannah rubbed Myah's hair lovingly and planted a kiss on his forehead before walking out of the room.
Once outside, Hannah's previous loving smile has long withered and was replaced with a sense of sadness on her way toward the kitchen. Although she didn't deliberately show it, all this time, she could always faintly feel the presence of a Grandmaster keeping an eye on their every move.
'Father... How good would it be if you were still alive?.' Staring at the tall tree dressed in the wintry white coat in the distance, she wondered in melancholy.
Long ago, Hannah's father was one of the few great elders of the Braveheart Clan, a Nine-stars Grandmaster. However, he has disappeared while taking on the task to explore a secret realm, and thirty years have passed, and he never returned.
'If he were still here, everything would have been different...'
'No, now wasn't the time to feel nostalgic about the past. I should think of a way to protect Myah from this dire situation.' After shaking her head and dispersing the distracting thoughts, Hannah's expression changed as she looked serious.
She knew that at this point, Myah's result in the Awakening Ceremony had already made its way to Thoran's ears. Time is running out, and her last hope, which is Myah's talent, has been extinguished.
A sense of urgency swelled in her heart. If things continue as it is, Myah will undoubtedly lose his eyes and become blind.
It was still fine if Myah's eyes were normal, so even if he was blind, she could still care for him as he could still survive. However, Myah's eyes were unique, and the extraction process would carry considerable risk; there was a great chance that he could lose his life once it was removed.
As a mother, Myah was her everything, and she couldn't bear to let that happen. However, she couldn't see any way out for them in this situation. Now, she was forced into a corner with no backing and no leverage to exchange; she doesn't have a voice in the clan.
While preparing Myah's favorite Rainbow Fish Congee, Hannah's facial expression is constantly changing and seemingly in deep contemplation. After spending many sleepless nights in vain and unable to think of a solution, fatigue has taken a toll on her body.
Then—
In a moment of carelessness, Hannah accidentally scraped her forefinger with the sharp knife, making her feel both exhausted and helpless. Looking at the bleeding wound, Hannah could only mutter a question to herself in a low voice after a long time.
"Is there nothing I can do?"
...
In the bedroom, Myah's eyes shone. He was able to feel the mysterious energy from the shiny Spirit Stone. After a few attempts to absorb it, a familiar and comfortable feeling flows through his body again.
"Kyaa~ so warm..." Holding onto the Spirit Stone with the blanket wrapping around himself, Myah rolling back and forth around the bed. As the spirit energy slowly seeps into his body, they roam in a circle before swirling around in his Soul Sea, a place where the Soul Origin Crystal resided.
"Hehe, hehe hehe." Giggling happily, little Myah enjoyed the pleasant feeling. It's like his body is submerged and relaxed inside a warm bathtub.
The rate at which Myah absorbed spirit energy was slow as he didn't sit properly and meditate with complete focus. For someone like him which possed a C-grade talent and has yet to break through to the Warrior Realm, a low-grade Spirit Stone is estimated to last for about three days, and that only applies if he constantly cultivates nonstop without eating and sleeping.
In fact, it's just as the old elder thought, Myah's speed of absorption was much higher than a standard C-grade talent was supposed to be, but it's still pale compared to one with a B-grade talent.
With a thought, the Soul Origin Crystal appears in his hand. Watching its cheerful green light, little Myah was aspired to become stronger. His mother, Hannah, has told him many bedtime stories and fairy tales; powerful cultivators could soar high in the sky with their companion, go on an exciting adventure, and freely explore the world.
Hannah also talks about the time when she was a teenager.
Back then, she has traveled to many places with her War Soul companion, a rare Lesser Water Elemental. Later, she joined the Adventure Association, made many friends, and encountered fortunate opportunities along the way.
Because of those precious experiences, now, at 32 years old, she has become an Eight-stars Master Realm cultivator despite only possessing a C-grade talent.
Albeit unable to understand many of the things she talked about, it didn't stop little Myah from dreaming of becoming like his mother.
"When I'm super swong, I can pwotect mama and won't be bullied anymore." Clenching his tiny fist, Myah sputtering with a serious face, looking almost silly.
"Uh-huh, Myah will be super swong!" Feeling gratified, the little guy continues his rolling session.