"Brat, the children you will be competing against have been training all their lives, how can I let my disciple be at such a disadvantage? So understand we don't have time to spare on anything else but the things you need to know to get stronger. And to add to that, those bastards have long discovered their disciples who probably have mastered all their Techniques. If you're going to beat them, I have to cram as much information as possible inside your head within these three years. Do you understand?"
Sol nodded, but he suddenly asked.
"I know Master wants me to enter this Academy. But… is there a reason why I need to? Can't Master just continue to teach me?"
"Haha!"
The old man suddenly looked at Sol and burst out laughing.
Sol was taken aback by his Master laughing in his face.
"Brat, so you want to stay cooped up in this Mountain Range learning from me? You must really love your Master and the training I'm giving you. Alright, why not? You don't have to go to the Martial Alliance Academy, you can continue to learn from me here. I'll just have the disciples of those bastards come here to fight it out with you. How does that sound?"
By the end of his Master's words, Sol's face had gone deathly pale.
Stay here?
Training with his Master?
Sol would rather swim through a lake of molten lava than go through so many years of training with his Master!
With a panicked expression, Sol hurriedly waved his hands and said.
"Ah, never mind, never mind Master. I'll go, I'll go. I'll even make sure to defeat the disciple of those people who you hate to make you proud!"
The old man hearing this wore a hesitant expression.
"Are you sure? I could just have you stay by my side and train you for as long you like since you love training so much."
Sol put on a forced smile.
"N-No Master, I'm sure. I… ah… I like Master's training, but I think going to the Academy will be best for my development, and I'll even get to explore the outside world."
The old man snickered in his heart when he saw how panicked Sol was before he nodded and said.
"Alright, if it's like that then stop talking and allow me to continue."
"Yes, Master…"
Sol's shoulders slumped.
After that, the old man formed a hand seal, moving the golden spirals on the ground.
"The cultivation system for the Arkadians can seem complex but it's very simple at its core. After awakening their Innate Dharmas, they use an Aether Gathering Technique that allows their Innate Dharma to absorb the Aether in the surroundings. As they gather the Aether and refine it in their bodies, they use it to then unlock their Three Divine Palaces. The Mortal Palace, the Spiritual Palace, and the Heavenly Palace.
"As for what the Three Divine Palaces are, they are the shackles that binds us Mortal Humans. Unlocking them will allow us to transcend the Heavens and become an Immortal being that can even rival the Gods."
"An Immortal? What kind of existence is that?"
The old man became annoyed at Sol's sudden question.
"An existence that rivals a God! Damn it brat, don't ask any questions until I'm finished. If I have to answer every question you're going to have while I explain, we will be here for several months before I can finish! Now shut up and keep your questions at the back of your mind. No, don't even do that, clear your mind and open your ears."
Sol's shoulders slumped even further, but he did as his Master said.
"Now, as for where inside the body the Three Divine Palaces are located. The first, which is the Mortal Palace, is slightly below your navel…"
The golden spirals on the ground showed the depiction of a human figure. A small blue dot representing the Mortal Palace appeared below its navel.
"The Spiritual Palace is located above it, in the center of your chest. While the Heavenly Palace is located at the center of your forehead."
All three of these spots lit up on the human figure.
"To open the Mortal Palace one has to break the shackle of their physical bodies by opening all of their acupoints. While to open the Spiritual Palace, an abundance of Aether will be needed to gather inside the body after it has broken its Mortal Shackles. And to open the Heavenly Palace, one must comprehend their Dao and gain enlightenment on the Heavenly Laws. I simplified these levels but to even open the Mortal Palace, one might not even be able to if given hundreds of years, much less the others."
The old man saw that Sol had questions, but he ignored him and continued.
"As for how my Barbarian Race cultivates, because we are simple-minded people, our way of cultivation is very simple. After unlocking our Mortal Palace, we forcefully open our Spiritual and Heavenly Palace with sheer brute force."
Sol paused, slightly taken aback by such a straightforward method.
"It sounds absurd, but our Barbarian Race has managed to create a method of cultivation that is in no way inferior to the Arkadians' Innate Dharma. And that is with the help of our Runes."
Upon reaching here, Sol could see a prideful gleam appear in his Master's eyes.
"Even though people call us brutes that lack intelligence, or mock us for our way of life. We can still raise our heads high because, in this whole world, no other Race understands Runes better than we do. We have created or contributed to creating, almost the entirety of the Runes used in Jianghu. Our Runes have even spread over to the Western Continent in recent decades."
With a grin, the old man continued.
"Brat, you are one lucky brat to become my disciple. You should know that your Master is the greatest Rune Master in the long history of the Barbarian Race, and even the entire world!"
Sol's eyes widen at that.
He was indeed shocked at this. He knew his Master was someone great from the strength he showed, and even though Sol had little knowledge of Runes at the moment, that didn't mean he couldn't comprehend the status of being the greatest Rune Master in the world.
That wasn't a title a normal person could achieve.
However, this further caused questions to pop into Sol's head as to who his Master was. Not only was his strength great, but he also seemed to be knowledgeable about all things.
'How does he know the cultivation of the Three Races so in-depth? And by the sounds of it, he even knows the Cultivation System of those on the Western Continent. Wasn't the barrier suppose to prevent those from either Continent crossing over? Just what is Master's identity?'
The more Sol came to know about the outside world and its norms, the more he realized his Master was a complete enigma that shouldn't exist.