The old man looked at Cecile's face and could mostly understand why she was being so stubborn. He sighed and asked, "Your name?"
"Cecile."
He took some steps forward until he was before Cecile and sat down on the sand. He stayed silent for some seconds and then said, "Cecile, you are young, and I understand that your past must have been hard. I bet this person appeared in your life like a ray of sunshine in a dark place. I understand that you want to give this person your everything for her to be happy."
The old man looked toward the horizon and said, "This a very common occurrence. A person is at their lowest, and someone suddenly appears like a hero from a fairy tale. If that person continues treating the one they saved kindly, it is almost inevitable to avoid falling in love. This is especially true when someone is young."
Cecile didn't say anything, but she was listening. His voice was gentle, like a grandfather advising their mischievous granddaughter. "Cecile, in this life, in the cultivation path, in this struggle to reach the apex and live unchallenged or gain immortality, you can't lose yourself."
He asked, "Do you know someone that could have gained a lot of power but didn't do it because they would have lost themselves in the process? Someone that decided to keep holding onto themselves regardless of the promises of power and riches before themselves?"
Cecile was about to shake her head, but suddenly Kali flashed in her mind. 'Doesn't Kali's battle against the Heart Demons come down to this? If she allowed herself to be consumed, she would be free and gain power. In turn, she would lose her sanity. Moreover, didn't she reject Dr. Ava's offer to become a direct disciple? What did she say at that time…? Right, [While I live for others, I also live for myself.].'
The old man smiled after he saw Cecile pondering. "Cecile, your words before entering through the trial door, your words reasoning for your search for strength and challenging the heavens, were the following."
"I want strength to protect my loved one and to live with her for eternity. To be able to keep her safe between my wings and give her a resting place in my embrace or to help her push forward toward her goals and carry part of her burden. I want to become her wings so that she can fly freely in this dangerous world."
Cecile nodded. The old man smiled gently and asked, "The person you love, what is the thing they place more importance on?"
Cecile thought for a second and then muttered, "Our happiness..."
The old man asked, "What is the base for happiness?"
Cecile shook her head. Her voice was laced with her usual coldness but had a tinge of confusion. "I don't know."
The old man smiled and said, "Many may differ or argue, but in my opinion, the basis for happiness is being able to do what you like. Mortals say that wealth brings happiness. Why is that? Isn't that because with enough wealth, they can do whatever they want?"
"Those that are more ambitious want political power after gaining enough wealth. The reason is that they realize that with wealth alone, they can't do whatever they want, so mortals search for more sources of influence. And those that still have difficulty gaining what they want, or are just greedy for more, end up searching for military power."
"In the other spectrum, Cultivators say that strength brings happiness. In the core, don't cultivators search for strength to be unrivaled and do as they like? Others say that love is happiness, isn't that because if you are in love, you have found the person you would like to be with for the rest of your life? Putting it in other words, they managed to "gain" the person they wanted the most. Even if that feeling doesn't last forever, while a person is in love, they could be said to be the happiest if the love is reciprocated."
The old man sighed, "What you told me after completing the seven-day trial doesn't coincide with your words before entering. After doing the trial, your words let me believe that you want to become your lover's martyr."
The old man chuckled at the absurdity, "What you said is that you want to support your lover even if they want to kill you. Isn't that stupid? Why would you love someone that wants to kill you? That doesn't bring happiness, but suffering."
Cecile looked at his deep and wise eyes and thought about it. Then, she asked, "What can I do if that moment arrives?"
The old man laughed and said. "You said it yourself previously. You shall become stronger than that person! Then, with that strength, you will protect them between your beautiful and wide silver wings! You have to stand by your lover's side or higher to influence her future. The thing you mustn't become is a stepping stone."
The old man looked into Cecile's eyes and smiled, "You shall become her wings!" Cecile's eyes flashed with surprise. Although the words seemed the same, the meaning was changed.
The old man looked at Cecile seriously and said, "Your Path isn't wrong, but you shouldn't aim to follow your lover. If you do that, disaster is unavoidable. Now I ask again, which should be your Path?"
Cecile felt a change in her thinking method as if some things that were in the mist had cleared up. Then, Cecile's blue eyes flashed with silver light, and she said, her voice carrying conviction. "My Path will be to become a strong cultivator on my own. Not to make my lover's wishes come true, but to ensure she doesn't trip during her Path. For that, I shall always be one step ahead of her instead of following after her. I shall eliminate her obstacles before she trips on them."
The old man smiled, "Good. Even though you are still young and your Path is still immature, you have at least taken the first step toward fulfilling your wish. Your first step to truly become your lover's wings."
Cecile bowed and said, her voice as cold as ever but with a silver of appreciation in it. "Thanks for enlightening me, senior."
The old man stood up and made Cecile float with him. "Now that your path isn't heading toward certain destruction, I'm at ease letting you gain the benefits I prepared earlier."
Cecile saw the surroundings changing at a fast speed as the old man carried her with him. Cecile ignored it and asked, "Senior, what is in the other two paths? The Hero path and the Path to becoming Worthy?."
The old man said, "Treasures, death traps, sand beasts, nothing too fancy, nothing too lousy. Those who go through the Hero path will have to overcome many hurdles, doing things that go against their morality but are for the greater good. For example, killing the love of their lives so that their country doesn't go to war, crippling themselves to give the continent peace, sacrificing their souls to gain stability for the world... Doing so will earn them rewards, but failing to do so will create a heart demon. The trick is that they will be inside an illusion and think that sacrificing those things is real so that it will test their truer selves before that kind of adversity."
"Those that walk through the "Worthy" Path will have to prove themselves worthy of the treasures they pick up, overcoming different trials. The higher the quality of the treasure they pick, the harder the trial."
"Only those who are themselves and follow their own path will be able to meet with me after they manage to clear the trial especially made for them."
Cecile asked, "What if someone really wants to be a hero? Or if someone is so talented that it is worthy of your treasures?"
The old man phased through a mountain and went toward its center. Meanwhile, he answered with a smile. "Then, they will be transported to the same area you were in until today, and they will receive appropriate rewards after meeting with me. However, not a single true Hero or Worthy challenger has appeared yet."
Cecile was about to ask more but stopped because they had reached their destination.
The place before herself was a very big cave filled with black rocks.
There wasn't a single place for natural light to flow in, but there was a type of plant that shone with bluish light across the walls, giving the surroundings a mystical glow.
In the middle, there was a lake filled with glittering water. The water gave its own glow intertwined with the plants' blue light. Cecile couldn't help but mutter in awe, "So pretty."
The old man said, "This is your reward. You will cultivate inside this lake for one month. After that, you will probably enter the Nascent Soul realm. Well, you may not be able to since your body has evolved particularly and may need your lover's Yang energy to make the last push."
Cecile asked, confused. "Nascent Soul?"
The old man looked at her and said, "The Unification realm. In ancient times, the realms were called differently, but they also accomplished different things. In the Nascent Soul realm, you created a new soul and nourished it. In the Unification realm, you connect with your inborn soul. I don't know which one is better, but I know that the Unification realm is easier to accomplish but harder to advance in."
"I also know that a Nascent Soul is harder to kill since they can recreate their whole body if the soul remains, something a Unification realm expert is unable to do. Strength wise... In the initial levels, a Nascent Soul cultivator is stronger, but in the later stages, the Unification realm expert overcomes them."
Cecile was surprised, "Could I cultivate both paths?"
The old man laughed, "You can't. After all the cultivators adopted the new cultivation method, the world's energy changed accordingly, and now it is extremely hard to cultivate as they did in ancient times."
Cecile answered, "Oh."
Then, something clicked in her head, and even her ever-cold expression changed, "Only one month to enter the Unification realm? How is it possible? I would have needed at least half a year even with Yasenia's help."
The old man caressed his beard with a smile, "You have a lot of confidence in your partner. I calculated that you would need at least three years to enter the Unification realm if you cultivated by yourself."
Cecile said proudly, "My lover is the best."
The old man shook his head. "Anyway, don't worry about the tribulation. You can take it in here in case you break through. The Heavenly lightning can phase through everything until it hits its target or something made or coated with the target's energy. The cave is extremely solid, so it won't collapse. The water will also benefit from the lightning, so you can stay inside while receiving the lightning."
Cecile nodded.
The old man lifted his white eyebrow, "You are not going to ask what is this miraculous water?"
Cecile asked, "Will it damage me?"
"No, it is very beneficial to you."
Cecile shook her head, saying, "Then, I don't care what it is. Can I take some with me?"
He sighed, "You can't. The [Phoenix Tear] will dissipate if it loses support from the surroundings. It was very difficult to carry it inside the secret realm."
Cecile blinked and looked at the giant lake. "Tear? And not Tears?"
He smirked and said, "One tear. A tear from a True Primordial Phoenix. It was shed after his companion returned to the cycle of reincarnation instead of being reborn."
"This tear is enormously beneficial for all avian-related bloodlines, especially Phoenix-related bloodlines. This one is the most precious for you of all the rewards I can give you. Even more precious than an inheritance from a God."
"Your Moon Phoenix bloodline is not completely pure. Currently, your bloodline is just at the low-level divine beast realm. Even if your body has gone through rebirth, that isn't enough to become a True Phoenix. I can see remnants of human blood and another type of Phoenix Bloodline in you. You would have been stuck in the future because of it, unable to become a True Phoenix."
"Since you've gone through rebirth, the strength from this tear will be able to cleanse your blood, marrow, bones, muscles, organs, and soul from any non-Moon Phoenix-related waste. You will be a complete phoenix as if your mother and father had been two peak-bloodline quality Moon Phoenixes instead of humans. Your bloodline quality will also jump almost a whole realm, becoming a peak Quality divine beast, just a step away from entering the Ancient beast domain. Of course, your bloodline will keep increasing as you increase your cultivation."
Cecile thought, 'Tatyana didn't lie when she said that Moon Phoenix was one of the strongest races in the world. To think that a Moon Phoenix in my level would already be a peak-level Divine beast. Moreover, to be known by this senior, their legacy goes beyond the Heavenly Cataclysm.'
Cecile was looking at the sparkling lake with awe on her face. This was a tear of a True Phoenix! 'To think I will be able to bath in it...'
Then, she turned to say thanks to the old man, but he had already disappeared. She blinked twice, "When did senior disappear?"
She shook her head and turned toward the lake again.
Cecile bowed to the lake, "Thank you, ancestor, for purifying my body. Your tear of sorrow will help me grow into a splendid Phoenix. I hope that, wherever you are, knowing that your sorrow spreads happiness to others helps lighten your burden."